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Doc said the high Protein 25 carbs are fine. Not supposed to have more than that.

I am 8 weeks out from surgery and can not add fruits and vegetables util next week. The last 4 weeks I have been on soft proteins only. I have not had a vegetable since before surgery. I would pay close attention to what your NUT has to say about your diet progression. They have an established program for a reason; It has worked for their patients. Good Luck to you!

For shakes I have a few options. I did buy a couple sample packs of unjury (http://www.unjury.com/store/protein/)and nectar powder (http://www.vitacost.com/syntrax-nectar-whey-protein-isolate-powder-twisted-cherry)Protein. I am actually trying my first nectar one tonight in the pink grapefruit flavor. I can't decide if I like it or not. It's tangy and sweet and I think it's a yes, but I'm only like 2 bites in, so I'll give a more clear answer once I'm through it I guess. I also own just a basic whey protein random brand from Meijer that is vanilla flavored that I can mix with pretty much anything. This is gonna sound a little weird, but I've been having a lot of trouble getting protein in. My mom came up with the idea of taking plain greek yogurt (I like the brand Fage, but any would work) that has no fruit and mixing it with the protein powder packet (or a serving size of the powder if you have the big jar) and then adding a little bit of milk to make it into like a thin yogurt consistency. Just mixing 1 packet + 1 yogurt + a few teaspoons of milk makes about 3 small meal size servings that pack a ton of protein. When she mixed the plain yogurt with the vanilla protein powder she added a teaspoon or so of strawberry Jello that'd already set and that gave it a little bit of flavor contrast. As long as it is thin and has no fruit chunks my doctor's office considers yogurt part of a full liquid diet. It has gone done smooth and I haven't had any issues. You could also just mix the protein powder with a little bit of milk or a little bit of Water.

Probably not what you want to hear-tummy tuck and breast reduction!!!!! lol No really, I lost the 7 pounds they took off during the surgery TNEN another 15 pounds pretty easily and still losing!!! I think when you're experiencing a plateau, something has to change like calories, diet and or exercise routine. If you are not already doing very low carb (30 grams per day), try that. Also try increasing your protein intake. Good luck!

The same thing happened to me. I was plateaued for a while and then joined a gym. The weight is coming off again. I do weigh myself everyday. I find that if I don't get all my water and protein in everyday, then my body won't release fat. So exercise, drink water and get all your protein in and you will be fine. My surgery was on 6/6/12 and I am down 50 pounds so far. 100 more to go!!!

I just had surgery on 10/16. I am having the same issue! I went to my f/u yest and I have lost a little over 10 lbs in 1 week because I don't like the shakes and things anymore. I am now on mushy so hopefully things will improve. I had some tuna, a mashed potato, you can have eggs, yogurt, skim milk, pureed fish or chicken. Pretty much any protein source that can be smushed in a blender. Good luck!

I am hoping to start a help group. I am on mushy stage and needing to get in 80 grams of protein.. How do you do it.. I am still a bit swollen so get eat to much. so I am struggling.. Fill up fast. Also getting burned out on protein drinks fast Thanks in advance:confused_smile:

Hi, Go to "The Vitamin Shoppe" buy the New Whey liquid protein bullets. They are only 3 oz, and have 42 grams of protein in them. They are very sweet, but because they are only 3 oz they are very easy to get down. One first thing in the morning, and BAM 1/2 your protein for the day. If you drink 2 it's your protein for the whole day. They are a little pricey though. I have a hard time drinking a lot of the protein stuff, as I don't like the taste. That is why I love these. I can suffer through 3 oz. and they really don't taste bad, just very sweet. Like liquid jello! Good Luck!

Hey there! Your post touched home as although I'm older than you, I'm about the same height and was close to the same weight as you. Great job on deciding to make a change for the better! Cutting out the soda is a great first step! Soda is just empty calories that don't help you in any beneficial way. The first step – have you seen a doctor about your back? You may want to have it checked to make sure you don’t have a herniated disk. If nothing shows up and you’re cleared to exercise, then I suggest you start walking. Try walking for 20 minutes, and build yourself up to longer time. Once you start exercising on a regular basis, it’s very possible that your back will begin to feel better. When I take more than a couple of days off from working out, my back starts to hurt a lot; when I start exercising again – no more pain. Once you lose some weight, you may want to try jogging/running. Start for short increments, like warming up by walking fast for five minutes, then jog for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, jog for 90 seconds, walk again, etc., until you reach 25 minutes. Then cool down with another five minute walk. That will definitely help you tone up and lose weight. As you become fit, you can increase the time that you run and work out. The second step is to make sure you’re not overeating. If you are not banded, then I offer the following suggestions: You only need 3-4 ounces of protein, and you can always add some veggies. You may want to invest in a food scale – it really does help. Also, if you eat cold meat sandwiches, then I suggest that you switch to whole wheat bread and have low-sodium turkey. You only need one piece of bread and about three pieces of turkey. A half of a sandwich is really enough, especially for lunch. Also, you’ll want to have a mid-afternoon snack, so some fruit and two hard boiled eggs are a great suggestion. (You should eat about every four hours.) You need to remember that you need to burn more calories then what you take in. If you want help in tracking both how many calories you burn and how many you take in, you may want to invest in a calorie counter, such as a BodyBugg or Go Wear Fit. There have been a lot of posts about these, so just do a search to see what the others have said. So, if your goal is to lose two pounds a week, then you’ll need a 1000 calorie deficit each day. For me, this means burning 2500 calories each day and not eating more than 1500 calories. I think my highest weight was close to what you are – and once I stopped overeating and began walking for a ½ hour a day, I lost abut twenty five pounds really quickly (a lot of it was water weight). Last year I lost 50 pounds. I think I could have done a little better, as there were times I slacked off from working out, but I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished and hope to finish what I started this year. I hope this helps. Regardless of whether you are banded or not, this site is a great resource. Let me know if you have any questions. Best, Maggie

It is different for everyone, but my pre-op diet is high protein, low fat and low carb foods and drinks a week before surgery.

My pre-op diet is three protein shakes, 2 protein bars, and one meal of 5oz of meat with 2 cups of veggies. They told me I can use any type of protein shake, so I picked up some Slim Fast since I know I can tolerate those. I'm really glad I don't have to go all liquid. I'm pretty excited to start.

Mine was week 3 thru week 7 so 4 weeks it was frustrating then one morning weighed and 5 lbs down i was losing inches the whole time my surg date was july 5th i was 266 now im 219.. I increased my protein and joined the gym things are moving along now... Just b patient it will happen..

I agree with Juliana1. It's about will power. Though some people experience the vagas nerve deadening this is not something you want. It can cause fainting, blood pressure drops, and many more issues. I posted elsewhere on the board why they deliberately try to avoid the vagas nerve. That one nerve branches out and controls the output from every one of your internal organs and so much more. You must make the willful decision to eat better. To eat less. To move more. You'll have bad days where you eat too much. It's up to you to make the realization that you are 100% in charge. The band is just a tool to reduce the amount of food you can contain at any given time. That's it. So if you eat too much and realise it - and you will learn to realise it. Then make a point to cut back on the next couple of meals to a very conscious amount of food or a Protein shake. Something small. And if you need to, weigh yourself daily, doctors don't suggest it but if you see that scale going up you'll learn to make better decisions to avoid seeing a higher number next time. Do what Juliana said and eat high protein Snacks - oatmeal is awesome for this as it's a complete protein and complex carbs and will keep you full for around 4-5 hours. Take it one day at a time. Track everything you can. When you see it written down you won't make some of the decisions you would have made otherwise. You'll get there, but you need to take responsibility. The band will do absolutely nothing for you unless you change your behaviors.

Follow this. Quality carbs before, quality protein after. Fasted cardio works for tons of people, but at a non intense state. Working out hard on an empty stomach in most will promote catabalysm and you'll end up burning tons of unnecessary muscle mass, you'll lose weight, but that weight will be the worst kind to lose, muscle. Look at low GI carbs. 70% of your energy starts with carbs, eat some oatmeal or sweet potatoes before a workout. You can google best pre workout carbs and get a ton of ideas, or better yet, click here.

I too have three at the very most- and that's only if you consider a Protein shake for breakfast a meal. I agree, if you're hungry that often, you may want to discuss it with your doctor and see if another fill is necessary.

You aren't alone. I am not that far out but just recently started exercising more faithfully than before. I too find that I have been getting hungrier and noticed that my energy level dropped off and I had to take a nap. I attributed that one to only being 5 weeks out of surgery and not being able to consume a lot of calories just yet to keep my enerygy up. I have been getting dizzy as well and checked my blood sugar and my level was 68 which is low for me. After doing some research I have figured out that I need to one, eat some more Protein because I am not nearly getting enough yet and two I need to have some type of complex carbs added into my diet to give me a little extra fuel for my body. While I want to still eat low carb to watch what I am eating I know I need to get some energy from somewhere and this is a great place to get it and hope it will help keep my blood sugar from bottoming out. Good job on your weight loss thus far. You do need to keep fueling your body, but make the right decissions verses the bad ones we made before that got us to be where we were that we needed WLS.

Of course you should tell the trainer, for several reasons. I disagree , I think the decision to tell or not is a personal one. 1. Some trainers make you drink Water several times during a work out. You need to be careful with this. It could make you throw up. Just drink (sip) at your own speed. 2. Some exercises press on your abdomen- be careful of your port site. Agreed. You could just tell the trainer you have had a recent op and need to be careful. I am sure you can come up with something if you don't want to tell. 3. All lap band patients should wear a medical alert tag in case something should happen that you can't speak for yourself. This is overkill. If you are ever in a situation where you need urgent lifesaving help the band is the least of your worries. Plus with XRAYS etc the med facility should see it anyway. 3. it is important to get an adequate amount of Protein so that you can build muscle.. www.myvi.net/katelm 4. You should be proud of the band.... and your trainer will be proud to be part of your journey to better health. Best of luck to you!!!

exactly - and lulumon is great stuff - but if you only wear it for 3-4 weeks - what are you going to do after that...i’m going to get as much thriftier options as i go through sizes as I can...well that’s after I blow through the closet of clothing that starts at 30 and goes down to 16...omg.

I'm no expert on hair, but I don't think it will matter to your hair whether you are eating or drinking your protein. It happens to a lot of patients, but to different degrees. Lack of protein will make it worse they say. But solid or liquid protein won't matter. Of course I shave my head so I don't know much about hair.

How long have you been "stuck" at this weight? Stalls are completely normal. Do you know your daily caloric intake? Chances are that your body is just adjustng to the weight already lost, and you will start losing again soon. BTW, be careful with the Chike, it is good, but it is not a Protein supplement. It is a high protien Meal Replacement. It has more calories than your protien supplements do.

I know, you hear you're not supposed to combine low fat and low carb and low calorie (which it will be de facto) cuz it will make your thyroid tank. Ask your doc though. For me, I was still getting enough fat in the protein (I aim for 60-70g per day currently) and also eat some avocado. When I was eating around 1000cals/day, my fat was around 60g daily. At 800cals/day it was around 40g. It's hard to stay on the low carb wagon, but totally worth it not to balloon up with the steroids and deal with hunger/binging all the time. ((hugs))

I'm a morning person too! Get up at 4. Eat a small bowl of specialk protein cereal. Run from 5-630. Drink a protein shake and then take a wonderful shower and get ready for work. It works for me! I do this on Tuesday's and Thursday's. I also run on Sat for about two hours.

I was at Wal-Mart today and find this Water Enhancer, I was wondering if anyone else has ever used it and what you're thoughts are on it. The only downside I see is that there's 40 calories per serving... http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Peach-Mango-Protein-Fiber-Drink-Mix-5-count-2.47-oz/43184802

I am 3 days out from surgery and I have been walking for 30 minutes twice a day at the playground across the street. Once I am done walking i feel kind of light headed but what is bothering me is the numbness/tingling feeling on my left side. I drink 12.5grams of Protein before i start along with my Multivitamin. I am sipping Water while I am walking when it is needed and I drink another 12.5 grams of protein once i make it back home Has this happened to anyone else and of so do you have any suggestions to preveny the tingling feeling

Sadly I would have to say that most of us have tried the South Beach Diet and it didn't work for us. I guess in saying try to do low carbs it is with a post op hindsight. If I had had the benefit of no ghrelin then it would have been much easier. Unfortunately they do not and that does sadden me because I wish everyone who wants the surgery could have our opportunity. When I reached the point of deciding on wls I knew I needed the extra help it wasn't going to happen without it. I was done being defeated and it was exactly what I needed. Your husband's bmi is only a 30 so you are right no surgery for him. Perhaps you can clean out the cabinets and feed him what you eat but with larger portions to keep the ghrelin at bay. Keep him satiated through the day with some protein type Snacks and begin an exercise program together that works for both of you. Men lose so much easier than women so hopefully it wouldn't be to long for him to reach his goal. Keep me posted on how things workout! Happy New Year!!