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I hear you on the not trusting yourself! I carefully weight out 13 grams of kashi go lean Cereal into a small plastic container and I bring that with me to work to mix in with my yogurt. I know if I kept the whole bag here at work and just "eyeballed" how much to add to the yogurt, it would slowly creep up to an unreasonable amount! Edit: Of course I only do that on my workout days. No cereal/granola on my rest days!

How much are you getting? I am getting just about 100 grams a day. I had to add in some carbs when I started doing Couch to 5k, so I put some granola in my afternoon greek yogurt now, since that's the last thing I eat before my workouts. Seems to have helped a little, but I avoid carbs the rest of the time.

My surgeon gave me one of the most lenient post-op regimes that I have read about in this forum and even his rules do not allow for fish after only 2 weeks. From the "consider my surgeon dead" comment, I can only assume that you've become disillusioned with your surgeon for whatever reason. I suspect it might be simply that you're hungry and spitting the dummy a little, as we Aussies say, but if you've seriously given up on your relationship with your surgeon already, let me urge you to find another and to FOLLOW HIS/HER ADVICE. In the mean time, this was my regime which, as I said, it about as quick progress through the stages as any doctor will recommend: First 4-7 days: Clear liquids only - teas, juices, consomme Soups, stock, jellies. Next 7-14 days: Thick liquids only - all above plus creamed soups (not chunky), yogurt, very watery porridge. At 3-4 weeks: Mushies - all of above plus soft scrambled eggs, chunky soups, porridge, mashed vegetables, very soft cooked fish At 4-5 weeks: Soft foods - all of above plus mashed tuna, casseroles, minced meat dishes (e.g. bolognaise), cooked veges. At 5-6 weeks: Normal foods. First fill for me was at 4 weeks and that's also very early compared to most others. Don't let frustration due to hunger cause you to damage your body and your band. There is a reason why the doctors don't want you on solid foods too early - it is to give the scar tissue around your band to form properly (without your stomach churning from digesting solid foods), seating the band properly in place. This prevents slippage later. Even though you might not feel the repercussions from eating too early now, it is a leading cause of slippage and you could well have problems in about a year's time if you stray from the path now.

Yesterday, was the big day!!! I tried to update my blog last night, but hit the wrong key and deleted my update. But, I am happy to say everything went great yesterday. :cool: I love my surgeon's assistant, Melissa, who did my fill. She took her time and explained the whole fill process and all the questions they will ask me each time to determine if I should get a fill. She said after this first appointment, I can decide when I want to come in again (anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 weeks). She also explained how important it is to focus on reducing percentage of body fat... that over the course of time it takes to get to goal, she wants me to go from 51% body fat to 30% body fat. I'm all for it! And, she cleared me to return to Jazzercise (which I have been dying to do - walking is so boring to me). I'm just not supposed to do the stomach crunches they do at the end of class until 8 weeks. That's OK, I am usually so worn out by the time we get to the floor work that I just lay there anyway when everyone else does the crunches. OK, so on w/the fill. They have a big chair in every one of the exam rooms and I didn't know until this appointment that they electronically adjust all the way back so you are lying down when they put the needle in. So, I got to lying down, she cleaned the area, and told me to look away while she put the needle in. It was quick and no big deal. She gave me 2cc and then sat me back up to drink some water. The water went down fine, so she put in another cc (for a total of 3cc in a Lapband APS 10cc capacity). I drank some water again and it felt a little weird like it was not going through as fast and I felt some little bubbles, but it did not hurt. She stopped there. She told me after that she can give 2, 3, or 4 on the first visit, but most people get 3. So, I guess that makes me average. Now, the hard part... I am supposed to be on clear liquids for 72 hours (but no juice or sugar). I am trying, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it that long. I already cheated a little and put a little soy milk and agave nectar in my decaf tea. I am drinking clear protein shots I got from Costco (25 grams of protein in a 3 oz tube - tastes like unset jello - 100 calories). I drink my broth or tea as my 'meal' and then the protein shot like a 'dessert'. Yeah, right, not sure how long I can last like this! :thumbup: I'm also just curious to see if I can feel any difference when I eat from the 3cc. I might try a yogurt later today if I can't get my mind off of food after lunch. I did discover an AMAZING broth I just had for lunch. It is made by 'College Inn' and is called 'Culinary Broth' in 'Thai Coconut Curry' flavor... chicken broth infused w/a blend of coconut, curry, garlic, and coriander flavors. It has a lot of sodium, though, so I cut it half-and-half w/low sodium vegetable broth. It has great flavor, though... just the right amount of spice. OK, I am probably becomming delusional at this point from lack of calories if I am raving about a broth.

Yesterday, was the big day!!! I tried to update my blog last night, but hit the wrong key and deleted my update. But, I am happy to say everything went great yesterday. :thumbup: I love my surgeon's assistant, Melissa, who did my fill. She took her time and explained the whole fill process and all the questions they will ask me each time to determine if I should get a fill. She said after this first appointment, I can decide when I want to come in again (anywhere from 2 weeks to 8 weeks). She also explained how important it is to focus on reducing percentage of body fat... that over the course of time it takes to get to goal, she wants me to go from 51% body fat to 30% body fat. I'm all for it! And, she cleared me to return to Jazzercise (which I have been dying to do - walking is so boring to me). I'm just not supposed to do the stomach crunches they do at the end of class until 8 weeks. That's OK, I am usually so worn out by the time we get to the floor work that I just lay there anyway when everyone else does the crunches. OK, so on w/the fill. They have a big chair in every one of the exam rooms and I didn't know until this appointment that they electronically adjust all the way back so you are lying down when they put the needle in. So, I got to lying down, she cleaned the area, and told me to look away while she put the needle in. It was quick and no big deal. She gave me 2cc and then sat me back up to drink some water. The water went down fine, so she put in another cc (for a total of 3cc in a Lapband APS 10cc capacity). I drank some water again and it felt a little weird like it was not going through as fast and I felt some little bubbles, but it did not hurt. She stopped there. She told me after that she can give 2, 3, or 4 on the first visit, but most people get 3. So, I guess that makes me average. Now, the hard part... I am supposed to be on clear liquids for 72 hours (but no juice or sugar). I am trying, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna make it that long. I already cheated a little and put a little soy milk and agave nectar in my decaf tea. I am drinking clear protein shots I got from Costco (25 grams of protein in a 3 oz tube - tastes like unset jello - 100 calories). I drink my broth or tea as my 'meal' and then the protein shot like a 'dessert'. Yeah, right, not sure how long I can last like this! :thumbup: I'm also just curious to see if I can feel any difference when I eat from the 3cc. I might try a yogurt later today if I can't get my mind off of food after lunch. I did discover an AMAZING broth I just had for lunch. It is made by 'College Inn' and is called 'Culinary Broth' in 'Thai Coconut Curry' flavor... chicken broth infused w/a blend of coconut, curry, garlic, and coriander flavors. It has a lot of sodium, though, so I cut it half-and-half w/low sodium vegetable broth. It has great flavor, though... just the right amount of spice. OK, I am probably becomming delusional at this point from lack of calories if I am raving about a broth. :thumbup:

I just mix things into plain Greek yogurt - like a packet of ranch dressing mix, for example.

how in the world do you get 100 g of Protein in, in a day's time? I'm not getting enough and am losing hair and nails so my dr upped my protein by eating protein bar not shake but I certainly do not know how you eat that much, please share...I'm only 1 yr out. It isn't hard. Four flounder filets, or 1/2 chicken breasts, along with 80 grams of low fat Greek yogurt at breakfast, will easily get you to between 80 or 90 grams of protein per day, with less than 500 calories.

@@malvarez1210 If you are only three weeks out, you are likely not on solid foods yet, but maybe pureed and soft foods? Drink your Protein shakes and get your Water. As for other protein options in those stages, here are some good ones: scrambled egg soft cheeses cottage cheese greek yogurt refried Beans tuna salad chicken salad This site has some good recipes for this stage: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html

My surgeon's office game me a Diet progression sheet and it says I can have low-fat/low-sugar yogurt the second day after surgery. I have the day after surgery as clear liquid then I go to full liquid for 2 weeks which include yogurt

It entirely depends on your program. Some surgeons emphasize a very low carb approach, others don't. Mine doesn't, she gives me a Protein minimum and a calorie range. My carbs these days come from dairy and veg, mostly dairy such as yogurt and cottage cheese. I don't have much room for veggies yet.

I am very glad I had the Lap Band Surgery in September 2011. My weight loss has been slow and, but in the final analysis, I am 55lbs lighter than I was a year ago! In what universe would I NOT BE HAPPY to loose 55 lbs in a year. I read so many forum posts where people are literally expecting so much that they are unhappy with significant weight loss, but it has slowed down, or they are no longer loosing 4 pounds a week like in the first weeks after surgery. The nasty secret about loosing weight is that once you loose a sizable amount of weight (whether you think it is good or not), your body adjusts, your calorie requirements just maintain your new weight go down, perhaps your metabolism slows down, and you need to to consume still fewer calories to loose weight. Also, it is very important to realize (and truly internalize) that the band is just a tool. You still need to learn how to eat less, not snack excessively, and learn to find other things to do when you have the urge to eat. As the psychologist at my Bariatric center says, most of the time we aren't really hungry, we just want to eat. And we live in a very toxic food environment, where high calorie, low nutrition food are around us all the time. The band has made it easier to not eat Snacks (hot dogs, donuts, croissants, pretzels), that I see and therefore want to eat during the day. I've pretty much been able to cut out between meal snacks during the day, but still struggle at night. I seem to still want to eat after dinner while I'm watching TV or working at the computer. So I've devised some strategies to resist that urge to eat after dinner. I guess I'm successful about 2/3 of the time, and the rest I just let go. I don't beat myself up, call myself a failure, or think about it. To me that is self defeating and makes me feel bad about myself !!!! I keep a wide variety of nutritious foods such as greek yogurt, hummus, etc so if I do eat an evening snack it is not the end of the world. I'm just thankful to realize that before my band, I couldn't even resist unecessary eating 100% of the time. To me 33% of the time that is tremendous progress! To summarize, the band is only a tool. T0 be successful in the long run (and that's what I'm interested in!), you need to figure out your triggers, and how to deal with them. The band will not do that for you. Naturally, your weight loss slows once you've lost a significant amount of weight, and your body gets used to the band. I consider myself a real (and continuing success) ! I have more to go, but i'll do it slowly, without making myself crazy, which only made me eat more. Also, the bariatric psychologist at my center has been a real help in my journey. I began to see her when I realized I did not have a healthy relationship with food (soothed me when upset or anxious, or even when I felt bad about myself). She tells me that in times of stress (like the holidays, family illness, etc), just staying even is a big victory. If your center has a psychologist, I highly recommend you utilize them. I really think she has been the difference in my success, not just the band.

I've had fat free frozen yogurt as a treat every so often. Where I get it, it is like 27 calories and ounce and the small is 5 ounces. That is not bad. The great thing is, where as pre band, I'd get a large, now a small satisfies me. I also get Ralphs Italian Ices every so often too (haven't had it in a while though), that is delicious.

I very much agree that living the 90/10 rule is the way to go. My big issue is creating food habits. That everytime I go somewhere or do something it means I will eat X. This leads to me eating when I'm not really hungry. I would say go have some frozen yogurt but don't give in to having some tomorrow because you can convince your self it's "not that bad".

@@Kristin Irvine it is hard! I had my surgery August 5 too. I'm still having to supplement with Protein powders or drinks to get enough. I put protein in my Water -- either part of a New whey bullet or 1/2 a package of unjury strawberry with some Crystal light. I get really full on things like grilled salmon or tuna steaks (I'm a pescatarian -- don't eat read meat, pork, or poultry.) So, I'm eating a lot of those foil pouches of tuna, which are packed with protein. I have one of those almost every day for lunch or cottage cheese, which is another good source for me, and of course Greek yogurt. And tofu. I'm weird, I know, but I love tofu, and it's really easy for me to digest. Are you following the rule to eat protein first? That's the most important thing, I find. That way, I don't fill up on other foods first. (As a result, I'm probably not getting enough Fiber. Sigh.)

Hello, I had my banding done on July 3rd. By July 7th, I developed an appetite and couldnt live on just liquids so I took a chance and ate a yogurt and clam chowder Soup. Everything went down great, I dont feel a restriction. On day 5, I ate a bowl of fruit loops with milk and survived. Later that day, I went to Target and accidentally swallowed my gum and was freaked out thinking I was going to puke while shopping but everything is fine. I don't seem to have problems eating, Im tempted to try a slice of pizza but am a bit scared. Should one be restricted immediately after the surgery or not until the first fill? Anyone else out there that has been able to eat without problems? Has anyone tried to eat and ended up with problems? I'd like to know what other people have experienced. Thanks D.

Today is first day I didn’t have a loss on the scale. Actually put 1/2 lb on 252!!!! As I’m reading this, I’m getting ready to go walk at gym. I had my 11.5 oz fairlife chocolate protein shake for breakfast. Water while walking. 1 cup of tomatoe vegetable(strained of course) soup for lunch . More water, Okios pro yogurt for dinner. Hot tea and jello cup for dessert. I still have 4 week before I head back to work. Loving the process so far, looking forward to phase 3 next week with purée veggies and chopped meat!!

My husband and I researched WLS 10 years. We knew what to expect, what the risks were, and what our risks were if we had not had the surgery. I hope anyone who has not had surgery yet makes sure they can handle this. It is not for everyone. We both had hernias. We both were prepared not to eat pizza and french fries the rest of our lives. We gave up cola and alcohol. We are smiling at each other today, over 4 months later, because the sleeve surgery has exceeded our expectations. I am so sorry for anyone who has had these extreme problems, but I have also seen threads where someone is very sick and in two days they post how much better they are feeling or had an issue resolved by their surgeon. I would do everything in my power to follow strict eating and drinking guidelines, even if it meant eating yogurt 3 times a day because nothing is worse than being ill. WLS is not for everyone. You will still want pizza. If you are depressed you will still be depressed. If you drink and party, you will still want to drink and party. I wish better days for everyone who is feeling sick. Linda

Me too! My son is 7 and first I told him surgery because they did find a tumor on my liver last month then decided he will tell people I don't want so I just said they are going to look at my insides. @ nprcowboy Supplies-I got two months of various Vitamins required through my kaiser program. All but one is chewable or liquid but got them at walmart, cvs, online at (celebrate vitamins) to get it all. Don't want to worry bout crushing pills! I also ordered 2 kinds of Protein powder (flavored), 1 unflavored to add to Soup, yogurt, applesauce. Got a Ninja blender, food thermometer, insulated cups for sipping, blender ball shakers for on the go. Tummy binder, slip on walking shoes, gas x strips. From grocery, Jello, sugar free (sf) pudding, Popsicles, lowfat cream Soups, strainer, light and fit Greek yogurt, in chunky unsweetened applesauce, Cream of wheat. Some premade Protein Shakes for the on the go but just a case because I may not like em later! Try bariatric pantry. Got done samples and after surgery will order more things for the rest of the month.

I get lost in the day doing things and i just dont eat i only get an apple and 4oz lowfat yogurt 3 times a day and i dont get them all in Sent from my LG-M210 using BariatricPal mobile app

I understand where you are coming from. I actually started my liquid diet (only) on the 16th of November. I cooked Thanksgiving for my family and I sat there and watched them all eat while I drank a sugar free-fat free pumpkin cheesecake protein shake. It was hard but my surgery is just around the corner. Jello helps and I just picked up the appropriate yogurt today. Push through, it's worth it.

Meds with Water, go shower and dress, then hydrate with a cup of herbal tea. 1/2 hour later, 6 oz of Kefir. 1/2 hr later, another cup of tea. Mid morning, 6 oz of greek yogurt or one cooked egg. More hydration if I don't get distracted with work. lunch is 4 oz pasta-less lasagna (cooked chicken, ricotta, spaghetti sauce mixed together) or 4 oz tuna salad (albacore mixed with zucchini relish and mayo). More hydration. Mid afternoon snack is a string cheese or 3 oz of hummus. More hydration. dinner is the lasagna or tuna salad, whichever one I haven't eaten yet that day. More hydration. Evening snack before bed is another 6 oz of Kefir. Protein is averaging 60 grams/day, calories around 700-800.

I have been wondering the same thing and have the same response from my drs. office. They want me to focus on getting in the Protein and Water and nutritious food and not worry about the calories. However, I have had a day here and there where I was at 1300+. I have had several at the 1100 range. I went on a website and put in my age, height and activity level. It gave me the calories needed to maintain weight, lose weight (1-2 lbs/day) and to lose weight rapidly (2+ lbs/wk). I can't find that website right now or I would put the link here. However, it gave me a good target to shoot for. I think the further out we are and the more we can tolerate, it becomes increasingly important to make smart food choices. There are many choices that I have that are good for me. Some are higher in calories. If I choose a lot of cheese and nut Snacks, I might choose to end my day with an 80 calorie greek yogurt rather than Peanut Butter. I hope this makes sense. I am 5' 4" and feel I need to stay below 1300 to continue to lose 2 lbs a week with a light activity level. I am not exercising as much as some. I had a complicated sinus surgery procedure a couple weeks ago and my dr. does not want me straining, lifting, breathing heavy (as with cardio), etc. for a couple more weeks.

Well I'm ready to give up. I was sleeved on 3/31, stayed in the hospital for 5 days because I couldn't swallow anything, came home and had terrible cramps every time I tried to drink any Protein. For the last 2 weeks I have made every possible attempt to get in my protein and fluids. That's all I do, plus my 30 minutes exercise. And yet I've only lost 7 lbs since surgery. If I was losing weight I'd probably have no regrets but as it is right now, this is the biggest mistake I've ever made. It takes me an hour to drink an 8 oz shake. I have to wait an hour before I can drink anything or I have major pain. My entire day is spent focused on trying to get in protein and fluids. It's absurd! I even stay up late, trying to eat one last yogurt to reach the protein goal. And for what? I lost 7 lbs the first week and nothing since. Everything else was pre-op when I was basically eating a regular diet. I can't complain to my family because everyone was opposed to the surgery. You know, I'm doing everything right and I'm not losing weight. I can honestly say I would never, ever, recommend this surgery because my life only consists of sip, sip, sip, without any reward. Sorry to be such a downer but I'm at the end of my rope.

As several people above mentioned you are not so much feeling your band as you are feeling "full" in that area and perhaps even more than a bit sore right now. These early months are all about healing you did have major surgery ya know So take it easy and use the time to practice all the good band eating habits and start adding in some exercise by increasing your walking taking it slow and steady. Try to make good choices in the items you eat, and if you are still on mushy foods don't lean towards things like ice cream and chocolate. Steer toward sugar free ices, yogurt, turkey chili, and some hearty Soups you can blend up. You want to keep the Protein high and the carbs and sugar low. This will help with losing weight as well as help you making choices of what to eat and not eat for fueling your body. Take at least 20 minutes no more and no less to eat your meals. Sit and enjoy the food and try not to mulit task while eating if you can help it. If you are eating past 20 minutes you are eating into your next meal, if you are finishing your food before 20 minutes slow down. Practice getting in all your Water for the day, if your drinking your not eating...and if your hungry try drinking some water first and then waiting 30 minutes before going to that snack or next meal if it's been less than 3-4 hours since you last ate So many tips and tricks that will help you as you get your band filled that you can put into practice now and all these will help with the ultimate goal of losing weight and getting healthy!

I tried some Greek yogurt and that agree with me.. I tried a spoonful of beans then I felt them at my throat. . Is this normal am getting scared to even eat anything. I feel like am going to choak