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Hello Mandi Thank you for the quick response, I was banded by Dr.Cobourn a week ago today May 26th. I like the oatmeal idea, but I dont think so on the cottage cheese, not a big fan of cottage cheese. I have been having Optifast for breakfast, chicken broth for lunch followed by Jello with liquid yogurt(Yop), and the same for dinner pretty boring. Oh well I made it through 3 weeks of Optifast I will survive one more week of liquids. Maria

There are a couple of different strains of bacteria you can take - acidopholous is one and L-Casei Immunitas - as I understand it they do the same thing. Here you can buy then in the supermarket. Usually near the milk or yogurt. They are big in Europe and are really taking off here. They make me much less bloated and I certainly am less gassy than I was before the op. I'm another lb down today! Hurrah.

Well, the protein shakes are soy based, I just said slim fast because I couldn't think of what it's really like.....but they are soy based...I like yogurt so no problem there. I think I'm going to cut the chicken soups and stick with only veggie.

I would ditch the shake and Protein bar, and start adding in tuna/chicken/egg salad, or cheese. I stayed on mushies/purees/soft solids for a long time because it was the only way I could get in the required calories. If you can replace the shake, bar, and soup with a more calorie/nutrient/protein dense meal, I think you'll find it easier to hit calorie goals. Mix chicken/tuna salad with hard-boiled eggs and greek yogurt, it'll keep carbs low, but increase calories/protein. I sprinkled the dry ranch dressing into my chicken/tuna salads for flavor. Deli meat with cream cheese rolled up was a good source of protein and calories, easily chewed down to mush, and packed a couple hundred calories per meal. Ground meat (turkey or beef) with marinara or alfredo sauce or a cream of soup was staples for me as well. Ground meat with taco or fajita seasoning with cheese and greek yogurt was a meal as well. You'll notice as the weeks pass that you'll be able to get in a little more food each month until your sleeve reaches mass capacity. If I follow the rules, even at 21 months, I can not consume more then 3-5oz of dense protein. By rules, eating slow, not stretching my meal out over 20 minutes, and no drinking while eating. I'm a rule follower about 85% of the time, but in maintenance there is a bit more laxity in my meals. I often stretch my meal out over 40 minutes, and I sometimes sip with my meal(not drink, but a few sips here and there to wet my whistle). It's what I have to maintain my current weight. I don't have enough time in my day to eat 6-8 small meals, so I need to get my calories/protein in about 4 meals per day.

Lou, congrats! I'm sure you'd doing a great job. Men usually drop the weight faster, too. Kathy, I recently saw a post by you on a different topic. You're doing a great job! You had a longer journey to onderland, but you'll be there before you know it! I know I don't think of myself as "fat" anymore. I finally see myself as just overweight. I am not disgusted by what I see in the mirror (when clothed, at least) and I can't remember the last time I put myself down either verbally or mentally. I view these things as huge strides in the right direction. I still don't see myself as "skinny" or "thin" yet. I see myself as more normal, even though the BMI chart has me hanging out in obesity land. But I'm no longer morbidly obese, at least! I had twins three years ago and MY WORD the things those sweet babies did to my stomach. I'd be a full shirt and pant size smaller if not for the large band of twin skin around my middle. Yes, this excess skin and fat does still make me a little uncomfortable, though I'm a far more confident woman than I used to be. I still find myself shocked at how large I am when I lie down in the bathtub...when it all spreads out and I see the space I take up, I can't believe I'm 60 pounds lighter at all. The reflux is now just a part of my life. I sometimes forget to take my pill and don't immediately have the burning hell in my esophagus anymore, so I hope it will eventually go away. I eat very small portions, but sometimes I love to eat! I had the Ahi Carpaccio appetizer at Cheesecake Factory a while back (well, part of it, anyway) and actually enjoyed it enough to ooh and aah over my dinner. Amazing! The lactose intolerance is a little harder. I didn't expect it the way I expected the reflux. I miss cottage cheese and yogurt. But for the most part, it's not that bad and it's not too tough to avoid foods that will make me ill. It does limit my protein options, though. I am losing hair but I'm not seriously alarmed yet. I had a ton of hair on my head and losing a bit of it isn't hurting me so far. I enjoy shopping. I fit in almost everything I try on! It's the best part, I think! I'm down to 11/12-13/14 or L pants, and L shirts. It's pretty neat to be able to shop in any store. I've also gone down a shoe size. The "ladies" are very sad little ladies these days, but they fit in normal sizes again. I figure it's nothing a little surgery can't fix in the future and I don't worry too much about it. My main issue right now, and the one I'd love to hear feedback on, is that my husband and I are in disagreement about my goal weight. I picked the highest weight I could be and still have a normal BMI. I wanted to be able to have a doctor actually view me as a patient and stop telling me my weight is causing all of my problems. I wanted to be taken seriously. My husband likes short, chunky women. I am currently the size I was when we met. He's already mourning the loss of my butt and chest. He really wants me to stop losing in about 20 pounds or so. He's been incredibly supportive despite the fact that he never felt I needed to lose weight in the first place. He's a fit, active man himself but he loves curvy women. I'm actually insecure about the thought of losing too much weight. In most relationships, women wouldn't worry about this, but I'll have other men paying attention to me (it's already happening more now that I'm losing) and he'll be looking for the chubby women in the room! It's like the opposite of how I've felt during my marriage. I never worried my husband would cheat on me with some skinny blonde, because the man likes fat women! Any advice? Is anyone else dealing with this? I trust my husband, but I've always known he's very attracted to me. I'd hate that to change simply because of my weight. We're very open about what we find attractive, and not one time has my husband ever found a thin woman attractive. I will say that his idea of a pretty woman got larger as I got larger over the years though. I wonder if this will work in reverse, too? I have a fantastic marriage. I'd really hate to ignore his feelings about my body, the same way he'd make me crazy if he shaved his head knowing I hate it, but ultimately we both realize that it's my choice. Well, it's been a great five months for me. I'm losing slower than I like because it's been a stressful month and a half of traveling. But overall it's great and I was able to simply get back on track. I absolutely LOVE my sleeve. I cannot imagine regretting this surgery. I'm grateful for it every day. In those five weeks of completely stressed out travel (and we have a few months more of being displaced to look forward to, I think) I ate whatever I wanted...I gained about three pounds but maintained after that. I was able to jump back to protein first and I've dropped ten pounds in less than two weeks. My sleeve ROCKS. I want to hear how everyone else is doing now! ~Cheri

Hi all. It's going ok, I have decided to start my pureed diet a few days early. According to the plan I was given by the Doctor I should start 3 weeks after surgery....well one of the papers said that I also have one from the Doctor that says start pureed foods 2 weeks after surgery. I find that I am getting alot of headaches, I spoke to my Doctor about this and she told me that I am probably not getting enough protein in my system (I really can't stand the protein shakes) so I will start with one pureed meal a day and continue with the broth, yogurt etc and see how that goes. I do find that I am hungry, which kind of concerns me but at the same time I think it's ok because I can't eat a whole lot anyway. Has anyone else gotten the feeling of hunger ?? I have lost 30 lbs so far and I am excited to see what the future holds for me. We should have a one year anniversary party in Mexico to celebrate all our hard work !!

Unflavoured Protein one scoop 25 gr add to anything, cream Soup yogurt, pudding. Protein shake for breakfast and snack 30- soup with 25 gr I've already had 55 by lunch Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Soo I'm 3 weeks Post Op as of today..and I'm seeing everywhere that people that are at my stage, have been eating, but very soft foods like boiled eggs or scrambled eggs tuna or Canned chicken or Pureed foods. Should I be starting on food of such?..or am I at the right stage?, because I still only have liquids, like juice water protein shakes Broth and milk also Popsicles pudding yogurts and jello. When I last saw my Doctor he told me to start on "Stage 3"..but when I read the stages..I should have been started on Stage 3 right after I got home..and the next time I see my Doctor is in 5 weeks????..so I'm going to be on Liquids and puddings for 5 more weeks??!?!?..ahhh!!????????

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.

In all honesty I'm not counting calories...because what I'm eating I know won't add up to more than I should be doing (1200-1400). I focus on protein first, with a goal of 60 gm a day. I personally don't believe protein keeps us fuller any longer than anythign else, that has more to do with how tight your band is and what consistency your food is (for how long it'll linger in the upper stomach). What protein DOES do, when you lower the caloric intake your body is used to, is cause your body to spare muscle mass and focus on utilizing enrgey from fat stores instead. If you're not meeting that protein requirement, the body will burn less fat and go to muscle instead. So, my goal is 4-5 ounces of protein three times a day (ground turkey, chicken, fish) and 1/2 cup veggies. I try to limit my carbs but do eat granola in my greek yogurt at least once a day and occasionally I'll indulge in a small amount of rice (1/4 or less). If I'm running short on protein I'll so Bariatric Addvantage powder in 8 oz nonfat milk (yum) or a Muscle milk Light (yuck). I've also done Jacks Links (?) beef jerkey cubes in a pinch, but I don't like their sodium content.

I use unjury too. One scoop is about 4 Tbs. During my pureed and soft food stage, I would usually add 2 Tbs (which is about 10.5 grams of protein) to my food. Examples of foods that I added it to: refried Beans, yogurt, mashed sweet potato. Most of the time though, I use the Unjury in my drinks if I need more Protein rather than in my food. My favorite drink to add it to is decaf iced tea. Goes down easy. I add 2 Tbs per 8 oz of liquid.

Welcome! You should start a thread and introduce yourself to everyone. Those steriods are bad for putting weight on, I have confidence you will get this regain off now that you are well. In general, I have been really healthy too. I thought maybe I had caught a mild cold until it became obvious I could no longer ignore the chills and fever and body aches. So this is always an interesting question. I am much better today but I had basically 3 days of overeating (compared to my normal) and then yesterday I was hardly hungry - almost like a balancing out day. Today, so far, I feel normal. I think my body really did want more food. I felt AWFUL and could not even muster the energy to do my easy go to foods. After eating the greek yogurt in the house I found myself eating the old easy carby foods. You know, a little cold Cereal by the handful. There was some disgusting microwavable mac and cheese thing I buy for the boys that I even ate (Easy Mac or something). That was absolutely atrocious and I will never buy that for them again now that I have sampled it. My son brought home a pizza and cheesy bread. Because I was feeling so bad, I wasn't making proper meals. I think this can be a good reminder for me how important it is to "eat right" because once you start wandering down a grazing, haphazard way of eating - anything can happen. Good news is that now that the fever is broke and I am just left with a cough, low energy and a stuffed up nose, I am back to eating my normal way and feel no desire to eat that crappy good. I really think alot of it was just that grazing/never quite satiated/don't feel good enough to address it properly thing.

I was banded on the east coast and I have been provided with a plan from my nutritionist. Stage 1 - Full Liquid: fruit juices (dilute 1/2 with water), pre-made yogurt drinks, cow's milk, soy milk, Lactaid milk, tomato or V8 juice. hot cereals made very runny - oatmeal, cream of wheat or grits. Soups, broth, strained cream Soup, tomato soup, thicker soups would have to be put into the blender to make them smooth. Protein drinks, EAS Advantage, Atkins Advantage, Permalean, nectar, Designer whey, Any Whey, Isopure. I drink Isopure.....it comes in a 20 oz bottle, but I feel like I am over stretching my stomach when I drink the entire bottle to get the 40g of protein. Jello, popsicles, pudding - sugar free yogurt - dannon light and carb countdown Phase 2 - pureed diet - weeks 3 & 4 consistency of smooth applesauce, baby food Applesauce, instant mashed potatoes, saltines or oyster crackers, soft scrambled egg or soft boiled egg, low fat cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, sliced cheese, creamy Peanut Butter, mashed cooked Beans or refried beans, creamy tuna (use chuck light in water) or egg salad. During stage 2, eat only 1/4 cup at a time, every 4 hours. And no drinking 30 minutes before or after eating. Phase 3 - after week 4 cut up foods into small pieces and use good judgement. I hope this helps! I still don't know how many ounces of liquid to take in at a time during the first phase. I think I over did it last night with drinking 10 oz of hot cider and then about 30 minutes later, 6 spoons of cream soup. I was not comfortable!

Hey Birchmoon, Trust me I feel your pain. I just got banded on the 20th and haven't eaten "real" food for 3-4 weeks now. Good news though, I lost 24lbs already!!! Trust me you can do it. Just stay focused and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I avoided food at all costs. Didn't go to the grocery store, didn't make the kids dinner...didn't put myself in front of food for a while. That really helped me, because as soon as I saw it, or smelled it I REALLY wanted it- heck I still do!!! I just started my all liquids post op diet and that consists of all clear liquids, sugar free popsicles, sugar free jello (which I am SICK of) soup broth, yogurt (light and fit 60 calories) carnation instant breakfast, and of course protein drinks. I was thrilled to get to this stage believe it or not. The yogurt is the closest thing to food that I have had in a while, so it really fills me. I know I felt like it was going to take forever but just know that you will have such SUCCESS with it. I am so thrilled that I have lost 24lbs already, that it has really motivated me! Hang in there, and know that we are all here to talk to when times get rough- we have all been there and know EXACTLY what your going through. I have to say I really liked the french vanilla optifast drink, I actually preferred it over the chocolate. After the 3rd or 4th day anything seems to taste good lol. Also after a few days the hunger went away and I was actually "satisfied" after a drink. It will get better, trust me! Good luck with everything and keep us all updated! :w00t:

Hi. I'm almost 3 weeks post op and I'm struggling with food. I am on the soft food phase, I follow the rules. I eat very slow and I take very small bites (the size of a pencil eraser) yet everything I eat gets stuck even yogurt and apple sauce. As you can imagine it's very uncomfortable. What can I do? Sent from my LG-H950 using the BariatricPal App

I had a two week liquid diet. I was allowed 3 protein shakes a day, sugar free (popsicle, pudding, jello), chicken broth, water, high protein Greek yogurt, and cream of soup drained. Was allowed to juice vegetable and fruits to drink. Each day was 900 calories. Lost about 20 pounds on the liquid diet. Surgery was less than 20 minutes long. They said my liver is very shrunk. HW: 420 (January 2016) CW: 273 (March 2017) Instagram: vsg_queendiet

Eating ice cream seems like a bad idea, but if you must, I've seen other sleevers mention frozen yogurt sitting well.

It amazes me how everyone is given different guidelines....for me I was given for weeks 1-3 I'm allowed...geek yogurt, applesauce, sf pudding, sf jello, sf popsicles, scrambled eggs, peanut butter, oatmeal (thinned out), cream of wheat, refriedbeans, melted cheese, puréed meats, and strained soups, mashed potatoes...I'm sure I'm missing something but is that strange?

I started soft foods last week and here are some of the things I eat: scrambled eggs, tuna with light mayo, canned chicken with light mayo, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, thinned oatmeal, deli turkey with laughing cow cheese wedge, pintos and cheeses go made like Taco Bell, turkey meatballs in blender with some pasta sauce. My doc told me I could have any soft food that I could cut with a cheap plastic fork and it not break.

I can eat a 5ish ounces of yogurt but only about 2oz of chicken. 6 weeks yesterday. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

If it is because the texture is too thick, you can add just a bit of water and stir it well. It turns out to be just like regular yogurt consistency. Sent from my SM-G900T using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't like it either, due to the texture, but I did like the triple oikos Greek yogurt, by Dannon maybe??, ok. It was better than any others, if you stick with Greek

I didn't like Greek yogurt either, until I did what my support group suggested. I got plain Greek yogurt with the lowest sugar content, also got sugar free Jam. I mix a spoon full of the jam into the yogurt, then I add a spoon or two of splenda (it wasn't sweet enough for me with just the jam). Once mixed, it taste like any other non-Greek (regular) yogurt. Very low in carbs, because you minimize the sugar. My group also suggested another Greek yogurt flavor by also getting plain and adding a spoon full of creamy low sugar peanut butter. It adds protein and also limits the sugar. Also, if it isn't sweet enough you can add splenda. At work, and at home I keep a the big baking bag of splenda (store the splenda in a tupperware container). EDIT: The added sweetness masks the tart associated with Greek yogurt.

I don't like chunky fruit or slimey fruit in my yogurts so greek has been hard for me. So far the only one I like is the Yoplait 100 calorie protein greek yogurt. That's going to get boring fast.

Ive been wanting to try these because I thought they weren't greek style yogurt. I cannot do the taste of greek yogurt.