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Maybe nuts, hummus, edamame beans and edamame pasta, nut butters , "Better than beef" is a fairly decent substitute for ground meat recipes. (Got it at target) Yogurt, eggs, extra protein milk, protein bars....lots of tofu. Baked, breaded, soy sauce flavored.. Just a few suggestions to get ya going Good luck!

Anne, i had some greek yogurt yesterday and the had the runs ALL NITE LONG!!! BAD GIRL!!!!! just thought Id share! Also, I tried to go back to work yesterday and I was NOT READY. I took a few more days off. Im so bored at home tho. How have you been feeling?

I just had bypass a few days before you and I've been on purees (and full liquids) since the day I left the hospital (day 3 post-op). I haven't had any real issues except with Greek yogurt (I guess I'll be a bit lactose intolerant for a while, common with bypass, not so much with sleeve). But I had the sleeve 3 years ago so have already been through this once before, where I had to wait a couple weeks before going on purees. In both cases, waiting, or starting right away, I've been doing well. I've been drinking blended soups, pureed veggies, soft tofu, cottage cheese, etc. Just go slow and start with small amounts at first. Try one new (pureed) food per day. After a few days, try adding another pureed food for a second meal. Your sleeve will let you know what's working and what's not.

Thanks Meggie!! You ARE my biggest fan! :D I do not seem to have a problem with the Iron, but i do still have diaharreah from time to time. I think either the yogurt or Protein drinks ( i am not supposed to drink)!! I am super excited to get to actually have some 'real' food even if it is all pureed up!! i think i am going to have chicken salad as my first meal!! come on tomorrow!! LOL Good job on the 10lbs!! That is great!! Keep rockin' that sleeve girl! My pants that I am wearing today at work are really big in the butt!! I feel as if everyone is staring at the saggy butt! LOL People are starting to comment!! I lost 55lbs pre-op and only a few people noticed (or said anything), now people are starting to say stuff! I just smile and say thank you! Good luck with your appointment on Wednesday! I will keep my fingers crossed that you can advance your diet too!! Hugs, Kelly

Plain chicken gets boring, but I eat a ton of chicken salad. I add a variety of things to it like dried cranberries, walnuts or pecans, celery, and I use Greek yogurt rather than mayo. My on the go quick-fix is a small whole grain/wheat tortilla with chicken salad. I usually end up tossing the last bit of tortilla away (and probably not an option for you at this point). Otherwise beef jerky and nuts are a go to while out on the road. I'll also keep a scoop of protein powder in a shaker bottle and add cold water when needed. Another good option are the flavored tuna packets from Starkist. They are about the perfect serving size, low on cals/carbs and pack a good shot of protein. I always kept a few of those in the pantry or at work. Eating tuna by itself isn't the greatest thing in the world but the flavored packs are good.

I am presently using organic soy milk, as it has a lot more protein than almond or cashew milk. Soy products (milk, yogurt, tofu, tempeh) do not seem to bother me. Which plant based protein powders have you found to be palatable in smoothies and yogurt? I've tried several, but all have stevia. OWYN brand has cane sugar, but seems to be the most pure of all of them, but I haven't tried it yet.

In full liquid stage, my plan allowed cream soups, yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, and all Clear Liquids. I was lactose intolerant but did well with unjury chicken, Greek yogurt with Splenda, French vanilla Gold Standard whey Protein mixed with soy milk and Anderson Split Pea soup. For variety, I added Starbucks instant decaf to my vanilla Protein Drink. Lynda

I'm just shy of two weeks out now. My surgery was a little different than the traditional ones, so I'm not sure if this works with the normal diets, but I've found that pureeing silken tofu and adding it to dishes works great. I was really sick of the sweet shakes and I can't have artificial sweeteners, so I needed an alternative. Silken tofu puree has a similar texture to yogurt, but it takes on the flavor of whatever you add it to, and it's a great source of Protein. I like it mixed with creamy soups (I make potato soup without the chunks of potato and stir in the tofu). You can also put it in smoothies. I suppose you could even double up and add protein powder and tofu to get even more protein in your diet at once. If you're allowed cottage cheese, try that mixed with just a tiny bit of fruit puree. I actually bought some babyfood peaches and i put about a teaspoon for every two tablespoons of cottage cheese. I'm lactose intolerant, but the Lactaid brand cottage cheese is great. i was craving mexican food, so i came up with an alternative to a layer dip that included foods i'm allowed to eat: refried Beans, plain greek yogurt, and a thin layer of pureed guacamole. I like it cold and just eat it by the spoonful, while I used to eat with with chips (and topped with cheese). It satisfied my craving and had protein! Again, not sure when this is ok with the "normal" surgeries, since these are higher carb, but when you're able, i also suggest thinning oatmeal and grits with extra milk. I'm using about 1.5 times the amount of milk required (lactaid brand), which gives me extra protein and helps it go down more easily.

I was on liquid for the first 3 days and then I have to do full liquid, including yogurts, puddings, etc, for FOUR weeks! Doesn't that sound too excessive? I saw my nutritionist today and told her that I tried a little bit of mashed potatoes, and she pretty much told me that I shouldn't start puree for another 2 weeks, despite my surgeon telling me that I cannot do any damage to the staples. I was sleeved on May 21st, by the way. I am also having such a problem getting in Protein. I heard a lot of people like the Premier Protein, chocolate flavor? Any suggestions? I have already spent so much money on different Protein shakes. I tried the isopure vanilla, which I hate (yuck), then I tried the isopure drinks, the fruit alpine, they were even worse, then I tried these coffee lattee flavored packets my nutritionist sold that I didn't like, and finally (today) I bought a pack of the pre-made shakes my nutritionist had in her office and they were good but they are expensive ($18 for 6!) and don't have as much protein as the premier, they only have 15g whereas the premier has 30g. Suggestions welcomed!!!

I had a very little fill yesterday .2 ccs. I thought I was already at 6 ccs, but the doctor said I was actually at 5.8. so now I am at 6. I am doing soft foods for today just to be safe. I lost 3.5 lbs in the past 2 weeks. I am now down 30 lbs!!!!! I have noticed that I am pretty tight in the morning and can not really eat anything solid. I started eating a few bites of yogurt when I wake up just to have food in the pouch and jump start my metabolism. Night eating is still the hardest part of my day. I get bored or something and want to munch. Any helpful ideas????? I do sugar free popsicles already. All in all I am really happy and pleased with the weight loss and the progress. My clothes fit better and my joints feel much better. I know I still have a long way to go, but I am on the right track at least and making head way. :thumbup: Oh and I have never had blood preasure issues, but when they took it yesterday it was 117/78. She said that was ideal!!!!! How cool. :smile2:

I make strawberry banana protein frozen yogurt. Target sells frozen strawberries and bananas and I put a cup in with 1/2 c Greek yogurt, 2 scoops protein powder, and a little stevia in a food processor. They are pretty hard when frozen so I put them in individual dishes that I can microwave for a few seconds before eating. It is really good.

I do the protein powder with skim milk but the texture gets me sometimes.....also the Atkins ready made high protein drinks are good, Greek yogurt, sugar free Jello, Campbell's healthy request soups strained. The slimfast drinks are good too but a bit more expensive than the Atkins at least where I live.

Hi, My surgery was Oct 3 and I too have been having nausea. My mother is freaking out and wants me to call the Lap Band Center, of course. I think maybe it's just normal for some people. I have been only taking in liquid as well. I tried some yogurt but it was a disaster. Does this feeling go away?

I was also banded on 8.29! A little frustrated that I lost 11 pounds in the first 6 days and only one after that, but otherwise doing well. I feel comforted to hear that others are having issues with sleeping as well. It is all I can do to get up in the morning, get to work and get home. I started soft foods this week and go for my first fill tomorrow (9.14). I don't remember the name of the protein powder I'm using but my husband found it at GNC. It is chocolate flavored. I mix it with a little skim milk and some non-fat frozen yogurt which makes it taste like a milk shake! I couldn't do the other drinks they suggested (diabetic ensure, etc.). They all smelled like baby formula to me! Good luck to all of you!

I love cereal!!! If I ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner I would be happy!! My favorite right now is Frosted Chex and the Cheerios with strawberry yogurt flavor. It goes down pretty well and to me it is very satisfying. :hungry:

candace, aha!! Sorry to hear that but... you're not alone. And I bet it really is the TOM at work. I'm 2.5 wks out and last Friday, I actually went to see my surgeon because suddenly I felt so much worse. The pain around my incisions got worse -- inside, not just on the skin -- AND I was suddenly unable to eat the food I normally ate w/o upchucking. Normally I eat about 2oz of tuna for breakfast; the day I felt so bad, I ate 1.3 oz and couldn't keep more than half down. I ate two tiny tiny coffee spoons of yogurt and BLARP, up it came. With the bitter after taste of my medicine, too. So, I figured that it was doctor time before it got worse. Dr. prescribed cold Water and cold liquid food for probable swelling... and if I didn't feel any better the next day, an x-ray... and probably days in the hospital, urgh, cuz that's what they do here. Then of course I realized Aunt Flo was paying me a visit. The timing was too perfect to be coincidental... I really believe that's what caused it. I get bad cramps and, shall we say, "digestion effects" from the cramping so I guess it's not farfetched to imagine the cramping and pain affecting things higher up on the "food chain," like my new baby sleeve. The cold water & cold liquid food for 2 days really helped me. So did ibuprofen. While my "ladytime" (hee) is not over, I can eat normally again and no barfing. So I didn't have to go get the x-ray or go to the hospital (yes!). Maybe you could try the cold water and cold liquid foods (like cold potato Soup, or gazpacho, or sf pudding). I hope you feel better! *drinking cold water right now*

I have had a few disastrous weeks myself. I think for me, I have to go back to eating proper meals, I've been picking and of course when you pick, you can eat a lot. So this morning, I"m having a big Breakfast, which is a proper breakfast. I might have Cereal and fruit AND then have yogurt. I know if I eat that lot, its a good healthy balanced meal but it will keep me stuffed for hours. Once I break a cycle I'm pretty right. That's what I'd suggest. Eat well at meals, dont try to eat too little, and make sure you have enough in your tummy to get by on so you dont pick.

GNC sells Lean Shake. It's 14oz and has 25 grams of protein. I really like it as it doesn't taste like protein. The only issue, is it can be expensive. But for me, who hates Whey, it's so worth it. Best of luck. Also I have a smoothy that I love with 25g of protein. 1 cup greek yogurt 1/2 cup soy milk (vanilla) 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 4-7 ice cubes. Splenda or sugar substitute to taste. I do 2-3.

I've had 2 fills, the first 3 cc in June and 1 cc in August. I think I may need another 1-2 cc but it's pretty close to right. I think I can still eat too much "because it's there" but I'm trying to retrain myself that I can save it for later. I am the "go box" queen. Portion sizes are really wayyy too big but u don't feel like u are wasting money if u can eat it 2-3 times. Chicken is the number one food on my list...grilled, baked or fajitas. I have also found the wraps with 90 calories and 8 grams of protein. I don't eat much bread and am usually giving pieces of the wrap to my dogs. As far as a sandwich or burger at least 1 bun's worth will be picked off. Some veggies but I spend most of my food allowance trying to get in the 60 grams of protein. Some junk but just in a smaller portion, the 100 calorie bags are my friend. Fried stuff makes me feel bad, usually diarrhea. I eat yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast...not a breakfast person at all, really don't want to eat in the mornings much, but u have to. I use the WW or LC meals as backup in case there is nothing I want to fix or there is nothing at work that will work. I try to shut down the food by 6 pm and make myself some decaf if I'm feeling deprived or try to get the rest of the day's fluid in. I try to keep a running calorie count in my head and try to put the brakes on at 1200-1500 calories. Hope this helps....the weight loss is slowing down and it looks like I must make friends with exercise. Surprise....it doesn't hurt as much as it used to and I'm trying to go the gym 2-3 times a week. My exercise is simple at present, 20 minutes on the treadmill and 9 of the machines, 40 reps at whatever weight for that exercise.

Your proteins shake if you are allowed, with yogurt and frozen fruit blended together......nice thicker consistency, may keep your hunger at bay...good luck!

Avoid any food advertised on TV? I think that one's a little harsh... I eat greek yogurt, cheeses, beef, pork, chicken... they're all advertised on tv.

I got banded on 9/24/08, just one day before you slim-n-tn and I was wondering if you were eating that whole wheat pita and not having any trouble? I thought we were stillon the mushy phase and I haven't tried any kind of bread yet. I've been mostly having yogurt, oatmeal, over-cooked vegetables, creamed soups and my favorite - mashed potatoes!!

I'm sorry to hear of all these troubles! You ought to make sure that there are no strictures presently. Then evaluate how you feel when eating each food "group". Dairy. Great protein. Slides right down. Eggs. Beans. Protein, can be in chili or soup, thinned refried. Fairly high in calories. Nuts and cheese. Protein, high calories. Oatmeal. Easy, can add in a ton of stuff. Potatoes/sweet potatoes.. they actually are a powerhouse.. calories and nutrients. Hopefully you can eat some of these foods. Try to make a list of things that go down easily but that also contain protein and nutrients. That list can help keep you from dumping, and might help get your nutrition up. I am only 8 months postop, but don't eat meat with other foods. Meat is a meal by itself, and that is ok! The idea that you can only eat, what, an ounce? That's the problem. How much yogurt or cottage cheese can you eat?

I'm almost 3 years out. Here's what my day looks like: Breakfast - shake with 1 cup of Fairlife Skim Milk, protein powder and frozen fruit of my choice and coffee (35-ish grams of protein) Morning snack - Skyr Icelandic provision yogurt and a piece of fruit (10g protein) Lunch - Mixed green salad with 4 ounces of chicken and 1 tb of balsamic vinaigrette (31g protein) Afternoon snack - cheese (1.5 ounces) and grapes or another small fruit (10 g) Dinner - 3-5 ounces protein, small salad and small veg (asparagus, broccoli, etc.) 20+ grams of protein depending on the meat at dinner. I usually add another shake in and some carbs, but that's because I work out for about 1.5 hours each day burning anywhere from 700-1000 calories in a workout and I can't go into that much of a deficit or my body will eat muscle instead of fat. I'm training for a major competition. Hope this helps.

AAAH, Summer time my absolute favorite time of year!!! So with Memorial Day weekend being the official kick-off to summer my weekend was packed full of BBQ's, pool time and hanging with friends and family. I love everything about summer, the sun, water, bbq's and just the overall laid back feeling you get during this time of year. However, this will be the FIRST summer I've been healthy in like 11 years so I've been planning away and our schedule is looking pretty busy:-) I've learned some lessons this weekend in regards to needing modifications for my new life. During all the festivities of this past weekend and when looking at my upcoming calendar I realized some modifications have to be made for me to stay on track and be accountable. It comes down to the fact that I simply wasn't properly prepeared. When we have get togethers we go all out and by that I mean endless spreads of BBQ, buckets of potato and pasta salads, baked beans, chips & dips, and desserts galore. I found myself surrounded by wonderful food and friends which is great but I quickly realized that if I'm not careful and not properly prepared this could be a very difficult time for me. The lesson learned is that it's much easier to get distracted about what's on your plate when you're comfortable and when everyone is setting around the table talking you're not paying as much attention to how quickly you're eating or as concious of what you're putting on your plate. I knew all of this going into it I was the one planning the menu for goodness sake, and I thought oh no problem, I've been around all this before and did just fine, but I learned I can't wing it like that. I have to be better prepared. I planned it so that I saved a majority of my calories for the dinner. I had a yogurt for breakfast and a protein bar for lunch and then we had a late lunch/dinner. I had some BBQ meat, my recommeneded amount, a TLB of each of pasta salad and beans, which I think is all fine, BUT the thing that I think got me the most is that I found myself later that evening picking on things as I would walk by, not making a plate, but you know 4-5 chips here or there, a couple M&M's here and there and then later that eveing was dessert, so I made 4 different kinds of mini cheesecakes and think I handled it "responsibly" by taking 1/4 of each one on my plate to make a whole (these were the mini muffin sized cakes). Again, I think this is fine everything in moderation, HOWEVER, I can see that I need to be better prepared, I can't do this every weekend for the whole summer, that's NOT moderation. Today, I feel terrible, stressing out in fact even though I didn't eat nearly the fraction of what I would have without the band I know I could have made better choices. This isn't typical fo rme and I don't like the way it makes me feel. I've come too far!!! I don't want to have to worry about every little thing I put in my mouth but lets be honest we have to be accountable for every little thing we put in our mouths because if we don't before we know it, it sprials out of control. I'm not one who likes to be restricted by the band, meaning I don't want to be so tight that I'm getting sick to stop eating. I have very little fluid in because I want the band to give me that full signal but not the full restriction so I have to take full control of the situation now and start making a pre-game plan which means, Making some menu modifications now and then (at least for myself) by grilling leaner meats like chicken, turkey and shrimp vs. pulled pork and pork ribs, pork pork and more pork:-) Modifying my side dishes like coleslaw without the "typical" dressing more like an asian coleslaw that is a much lighter dressing, instead of potato salad maybe a veggie tray, or a tomato, cucumber salad, instead of crazy desserts how about some fresh strawberries or peaches with a dab of cool whip etc. Again I know it's about everything in moderation and I don't think I did terrible and I feel it's ok to treat yourself ONCE IN A WHILE but if I see this in my every weekend summer schedule then these changes have to be in place. Whewww ok now that that's out there, how did you kick-off the summer?