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I would say my advice is to keep your life simple. I have taken recommendations here and it did not work, because my tastes have changed so rapidly. If you keep the things you like stocked in the fridge, like cottage cheese (with SF Polaner jams), yogurts, Laughing Cow soft cheese, eggs, refried Beans, salsa, and other things, you can mix and match. I remember a lowfat homemade turkey chili at Christmas was my favorite meal for about 3 weeks lol. Now we are eating homemade guacamole, tabouleh, lentils, sauteed fresh fish, cole slaw, chicken or tuna salad, and see no reason to cook a meal because it would go to waste. As your tastes change, experiment. I was told at 3 months, no more shakes, that I was eating too much Protein which was not good for me. I have several cases of shakes, so don't overbuy. Also good advice is make sure you eat before you go shopping or to the grocery, and you will cut your grocery bill in half!

Per my post-surgery diet plan, I'll be on regular foods starting at 4 weeks, although the idea is to ramp up slowly, so I don't necessarily think that being on "real foods" is a problem. I do think that the choice of real foods might be an issue, though. As others have already said, the sleeve is a tool, not magic - we still have to work at having an appropriate diet and exercise. In fact, it's probably even harder since the volume of food is so much smaller. You need to make sure that you are getting your nutritional needs first before anything else. I know you've heard it all before, but go back to Protein first, then produce. Once you get to maintenance, then is the time to think about the occasional treat like ice cream or Pasta. For now, focus on taking maximum advantage of the so-called "honeymoon" period where your weight loss is at its best. I'd also recommend going back to tracking for now. You may find you don't need to do so stringently after a little while, when your good habits are set, but for now, especially if you're concerned about not losing, it's helpful to know exactly what's going in your mouth. When you can, weigh it or measure it. If you know you'll have to eat out once in a while, master the art of measuring by eye - my NUT made me measure things out for a month so I KNOW what 3 oz. of chicken looks like, or a 1/4 cup of peas, or a tablespoon of salad dressing. It's still better to measure when you can in the early stages of the game, but real life does make that difficult As Pookeyism asked, what are you drinking? Are you getting enough liquids? Avoiding alcohol and empty calorie beverages? Not getting enough Water can impact your weight loss, too. A 1 lb. fluctuation is minor, as well, and could simply be a factor of what you ate and drank in the last couple of hours, if you happen to be holding onto a bit more water than usual, or when you last visited the bathroom! When you do weigh yourself, try and do so at the same time of day, under the same conditions - I choose to do so after I get up and visit the toilet, but before I get dressed for the day, so I'm typically wearing similar sleepwear, haven't eaten or had significant amount of water yet, and I'm pretty much at my base weight for the day. I plan to continue that once I have my surgery, and I've vowed to myself to ignore the scale between weekly weigh-ins I know for a fact that my weight can fluctuate as much as 3-4 lbs depending on the time of the month, too, so I take that into account before I panic about a gain. Did you take measurements before you started your weight loss? You might check to see if you're still losing inches. As you've probably read, it's fairly common to have a weight loss stall but find that your body is just playing catch-up, and the inches are still coming off. Are you getting more exercise than you used to? Remember that you could be building muscle, which weighs more than fat. The big thing is to not panic or get discouraged, take a deep breath, and go back to basics: take care in what you eat and drink, get some exercise, and get plenty of sleep. If you do that, I'll bet the weight starts coming off again!

Thanks! The only thing I could get down today was one Protein drink and some Water. I didn't even try the pills yet. I'll try them shortly. It seems I have to wait until evening to get anything down and then it's too hard to get the protein and water in. After the Protein shake, I feel totally full for the rest of the day. NO hunger at all. I know this will change, but right now it's scary! I feel worse 6 days out than I did 1 day after surgery. I had no nausea then. Thank God I see the surgeon tomorrow. We'll see what he says. Also...I don't know how much longer I can stand drinking those shakes...I really hate drinking milk, so that might be part of the problem. I sure hope things get better! I feel like such a failure after reading posts about people shopping all day the day they were released. I can't make it that far away from a couch to lay down when I get nauseous. It's pretty nasty. I'm a bit depressed too. OK, time to stop the pity party...ONE day at a time!! :think

You know maybe this wont be as bad as u think it would be. I dont think any hospital would advocate someone clogging their arteries with saturated fat in order to gain weight. Personally i think u should keep on the low fat side of things like milk and salad dressing but make sure he has those replacement meal shakes for additional calories, plenty of healthy pasta and maybe large amounts of protein like big steaks. Putting on weight in an unhealthy way to me is just as bad as not putting weight on at all. its about increasing good calories and not increasing the bad, i am sure u can find a working solution. Good luck and i wish him a speedy recovery and you your sanity !

I found Atkins lift to be a little easier to tolerate than the Isopure. It has 20 grams of protein compared to the 40 of isopure. I found 1 flavor at Walmart and 2 others at my supermarket. But it does kind of taste like Gatorade. I'm 4 days post surgery and I haven't tried to work with the isopure yet, I only tried them before my surgery to see if i could stand the taste. Sent from my SM-N900T using the BariatricPal App

I'm the same!! I will have like 400 cal and I look and its already 7pm. And my stomach is like Courtney don't do this to me again! I swear trying to have 800 cals of just lean Protein is pretty damn hard. I think it's funny how restrictive this is when I look and just 2.5 mo ago I binged daily. I guess struggling to eat a couple extra hundred calories isn't so bad!

Even at 10 months out I couldn't get in enough protein without my protein smoothie because I can eat so little. Knowing I'm getting 30-40g protein plus a bonus 24-32oz of fluids allows me to eat a healthy balance of other foods including fruits and veggies and whole grains. Otherwise I would be eating protein for every meal and snack just to get enough and I'd be too full for anything else. And that is neither fun nor healthy.

LOL...I had to chuckle as I read this new post...the stress has been a big factor since I quit smoking in May. I have been so stressed my only option has been to sleep!!! I was going to work, coming home, and do only neccessary household chores, finish emails and go to bed. When I traveled, I would be asleep in the hotel by 6 pm. So....I finally went to my Medical Doctor and said. "Robert, this is not working, I am so stressed I am gonna bust"...and I voiced my concern about starting back smoking when I attend an educational training in Conneticut in August for 2 weeks. At 52, I do not want to resort to bad habits...so, for the first time in my life, I am taking Zannax. Low dose and hopefully short term, but I can not pick up any of my old vices....DRINKING, EATING, CRAZY RELATIONSHIPS, SMOKING, ETC...I am a "snow white" at 52...lol...but I can work my way through this with a strong relationship with God, a way to vent my feelings ( on this forum ) and taking each day as it comes. I am sure I will seek counseling to deal with all these frustrations, but right now my work load is heavy, and it is difficult to schedule appointments I can keep. September should be better!!!! Good luck to all of us on this emotional but rewarding journey!!!!

I agree with a lot of the other posters. I am at 4 weeks today. Once I got my protein and water levels to what they are supposed to be- and took my vitamins - my energy level increased. I walk and go to the pool to exercise every day now. I hardly ever even feel the need for a nap anymore.

going all the way back to the pre-op liquid diet is tough. Most people just go back to the way they were eating the first year (minus those early weeks when you're just eating purees). They focus on protein and non-starchy vegetables. Maybe an occasional piece of fruit or whole grain item. Weigh/measure and log everything, just like you did the first few months.

Well, I can remember being where you are now.... band is healing after surgery and you are getting your "normal" hunger signals back. During the 6 wks post surg. you will probably NOT loose too much weight.. This is a healing time. That being said it does not give you free licence to go eat everything in the house that is junk. Eat PROTIEN first, then vegetables, then if you are still hungry eat whole grains... oatmeal (not the instant junk either) Cook it and add a low cal sweetner.... skim milk. Get lots of yoghurt and cottage cheese in... low fat high Protein options that are easy to digest and FAST to prepare. I know its tempting to eat the Cookies but remember we are going for lifestyle change here.... I am SAYING THIS TO MYSELF AS I TYPE too...

hey don't forget Protein essential to getting fullness that lasts good luck you can do it amanda

:cool2:I was banded Dec. 17th and felt the same way you are. I didn't eat that much the first 2 weeks and had pressure up under my left rib cage. It finally went away with walking more. I started eating more then the 1/4 c. the nutritionist advised us too. If I could have eaten 1/4 cup without the band being filled, I wouldn't have needed the surgery! :-) I was cold and had no energy eating so little. Each week I started eating just a little more. Between my 3rd and 4th week after surgery, I went out of town. Eating out in restaurants for my evening meal. I could only eat 1/2 of what I normally used to eat. That has pretty much been true until the 6th week after surgery. I felt good and had energy to do things but I was concerned about my eating creeping back up. My weight loss slowed too... :-/ At my 6 week check up, I had the band filled for the first time. It definitely cuts down the amount you can eat. Which, of course, makes it easier to eat better. I had trouble not drinking also. That has gotten better also since the fill. I still drink a little or I feel like things are uncomfortable... but I'm full and I'm not eating near as much. I'm eating more than 1/4 c. But not more then 1/2 c. at a time. The fullness sneaks up real quick! Just remember after you get your first fill, grab something healthy first, like your Protein. You'll get full quick and the urge to eat something bad WON'T be there! :-) I'm not an expert in any way about lap-band... Just my experience, which is different for everyone... Hang in there and good luck!

Hey Jeni! You can do it! i found a non-fat greek yogurt at Central Market (i live in texas, but i know whole foods or other specialty stores carry it... you can probably google too) called Fage. I mix a tiny bit of honey or even sugar free jelly in it. It has 20 grams of protein per 1 cup serving... so 10 if you only eat 1/2 cup. I have found that it helps me make it to lunch. also, from my adkins days, i have returned to the fat free ricotta for a bit of sweet, and good source of calcium and protein. Just some ideas. i ate 4 hersey's kisses today, so i too am feeling guilty. it's amazing, i know better, i just couldn't say no. tomorrow will be a better day!

I am lactose intolerant. So far I have not had any problems with Premier Protein shakes. Sent from my 5054N using the BariatricPal App Premier Protein Shakes also has 30 grams of protein per shake Sent from my 5054N using the BariatricPal App

Ok, breath. You just had a pretty major surgery. You’re going through a lot of physical, psychological & emotional changes & it takes time to sort them all out & work out what you’re doing. So feeling a little anxious is quite common. Yes, you can add additional protein powder to your shakes. You can add it to soups & broths too. Walking is the best exercise to begin as it doesn’t strain or overly tax your healing & recovering body. Remember you should limit your lifting, pulling, & reaching fir a few weeks while healing. Plus it helps with avoiding clots & with getting rid of any lingering surgical gas. Some activity is good but listen to your body as to how much you can do. Start with around your house inside &/or out a few times a day. Yes, you can go outside. (Funny they think fresh air is bad but they wander around your house with cigarette smoke over their clothes, in their hair & on their skin.) You don’t have any open wounds. The wounds are quite small usually each less than inch long & they’re covered anyway. Yes, bruising, swelling, tenderness, etc. around the wound sites is common. If it persists or gets worse contact your surgeon. Some people do have more discomfort after surgery & have trouble getting up & down to begin. Think of all the abdominal muscles that got poked, prodded & stretched (the gas alone stretches your tummy out) during the surgery. Some say sleeping in a recliner or propped up in bed helps. Others say binders help support the abdominal region. Sugar free popsicles contain artificial sweeteners which continue to feed your desire for sweet plus some can cause side effects like bloating, diarrhoea, etc. Water, shakes, soups/broths, herbal or green teas, milk, yoghurt drinks, etc. all contribute to your fluid intake. Mix it up for variety. Does your family really need to be there? I live alone & looked after myself without any issues after my both my sleeve & gall removal surgeries. Maybe it’s time to say thank you but I can manage okay alone now but I’ll call if I need help with anything.

I'm 2 days out from surgery, only spent one night in hospital. I got almost all the liquids in 1 day post op including 43g of protein. I'm finding when I sip I am experiencing a gurgling sensation when drinking... Wondering if that's just the residual gas?

It seems like I'm meeting my milestones on schedule as usual. My Sunday weigh in just revealed that I've lost no weight this week. I'm still rocking the 313. As I've seen on the forum, it seems to happen 3-4 weeks post op....the infamous "STALL." Nice to meet you! I'm staying on course and it didn't even phase me as a negative. It just happens. I'm still working the program and exercising....the dreaded exercise....Man' I'm going to somehow learn to like it. I also had another milestone yesterday. For the 1st time since surgery, I felt the "restriction" that so many mention. I attempted to eat a small piece of BBQ sausage and got sick. I felt uncomfortable for about 10 minutes and finally hurled. I came home and told my husband that I finally found a food that my sleeve didn't agree with and I hurled. He looked at me and shook his head....He said you're the only person I know that would be happy to have something negative happen.....He just doesn't understand me. I guess I'm complicated. LOL. Or just crazy as all out, but it was good to experience the boundary and feel the uncomfortableness and know what it feels like. I hope things can get moving though soon. I had a personal goal to lose 30 lbs by my 6 week check-up. I'm still finding the eating schedule to be a challenge with my work schedule. I hope once I'm on regular foods that should go away, since I will be able to eat beef jerky and quick protein meal bars by then. Currently I'm bringing my food with me daily. If I"m in a meeting with a client, I can't just get up and go to the lunch room, heat up my food and bring it to the meeting! AWKWARD. Overall I think I've earned a B+ with staying on schedule and eating the right foods. So far I've given in to a corn chip and salsa craving and a chick-fil-a nugget serving (the small one).

I wouldn't take crackers. ...take something with protein. ..small cheese slices or cold cuts, I.e. ham and turkey cut in small wedges...like an inch at the edge. Laughing cow light cheese...and the chili idea was great. Eating soup made me feel normal.

I would def stay away from anything fried or breaded and its processed chicken if its the kind I'm thinking of that's the stuff you must avoid so I agree bring something you know you can eat from home chili is good and a good source of protein so maybe make a pot of it and bring to the party

I agree with the previous posting that yogurt is pretty good and Yoplait Greek 100 has a lot of protein and good flavors. Also ensure active high protein has 19 grams of protein and vanilla and chocolate flavors so you can add to your diet. The ensure is 8oz so you don't have to worry about drinking a whole lot. If you could tolerate a egg drop soup that's loaded with protein. You can try making your own. Feel better soon.

I don't find the term "Protein water" misleading. to each their own... Says protein drink on the front of the bottle. It's made with filtered water and has 40 grams of protein. Ingredients : Filtered Water, Ion-Exchange Whey (milk) Protein Isolate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sucralose, Phosphoric Acid, Polysorbate 80, FD&C Blue #1

Brown chicken in a skillet than add Campbells Cheddar Cheese soup (condensed) pour over chicken, put top on skillet and cook on low till done. The chicken is moist, which makes it easier to chew and the cheddar cheese is just added flavor and protein! You can add peas or another vegetable

Well the first question we always ask is are you on a PPI? The biggest culprit for causing that "I'm hungry" feeling is acid and for many of us, once we're on a PPI we're fine. If you're on one, talk to your doc and adjust your dose. You might need more or it might not be an acid problem at all. If you Water is cold, try drinking it at room temp. I had trouble with water for a long while. I had to add something to get it down or it made me feel nauseous. Try Real Lemon or Real Lime packets, room temp water and even a packet or two a day of Crystal Light. If you can get those down, you're fine. Are your meals made of dense Protein? Eat things that make you feel full - protein and Fiber together pack a wallop and should leave you feeling satisfied for a few hours. Evaluate what you're eating - if you're eating yogurt and feeling hungry later, well, that's probably because yogurt slides right through. Try eating dense protein first, then moving onto fibrous veggies and finally onto a few bites of your soft carbohydrate like mashed potatoes. Try to set an eating schedule and limit yourself to set snack times. If you must graze, try to track your calories and log all of your food so that this doesn't become an ongoing issue. I tend to "forget" to log food I graze on, and then I fall off track and stop losing. This is a bad habit and will impede your success. And, I suppose it could possibly be bad news. If you try everything here and still feel hungry after two weeks you might be one of the very few who never lose the actual, physical hunger. This is bad because the lack of hunger makes the surgery easier. However, it doesn't mean you can't succeed. You still had 85% of your stomach removed and will still have a great deal of restriction. If you force yourself to follow good eating habits you can still lose your weight. My opinion is that the hunger feelings will fade. They are almost always tied to acid or diet. Good luck! ~Cheri

It's a protein drink, it's not listed or marketed as protein water for a reason. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app