Search the Community

I was sleeved on 11/8 and had to spend one week on Clear liquids. I have now moved to Full Liquids. My diet consist of the following: Milk, soy milk or rice milk fruit juice Soup (blended into full liquid) frozen yogurt or sorbet (fat free) pudding or custard (sugar free) vegetable juice Cream of Wheat Yogurt Then my documents it says daily recommeneded intake is 60-70grams of Protein per day. Does this just apply to when I get the soft foods stage? If I am only suppose to eat 3 meals a day and drink 12 cups of water/liquid per day I am confused. My plan for this week was to eat the following: Breakfast: Cream of Wheat Lunch: Yogurt Dinner: Jello Drink: 1 cup of apple juice and 1 cup of almond milk (not on my list but I think it will fall under the milk) during day plus 10 cups of Water If hungry: Add in a either beef broth or tomato soup if I need salty or a sugar free pudding if I need sweet like or if for any reason I need to mix up one the above items. Exercise: 30 minute walk per day So my questions are: 1. Do I have to worry about the protein intake at this stage? 2. Does the meal plan I have look reasonable for Week 2? 3. How much is a serving of Yogurt (2 ozs)? 4. How much is a serving of Cream of Wheat (2 ozs)? (Today I was able to eat about 5-6 teaspoons full for Breakfast before I felt full) 5. At this stage do I have to worry about getting "enough" calories? If so what should be the goal?

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 will tell you, if I was eating a puree of chicken, green peas, and pumpkin--I'd be a Starvin' Marvin all the live-long-day. Rinse and repeat. I was starving after my RNY despite pretty strict adherance to my diet--until I was able to advance to soft food/purees. And then I still didn't feel full until I was able to progress to more dense proteins. BUT, I did not add insult to injury like I see so many on here do. I did NOT eat refried beans, nor mushy peas, nor pumpkin/sweet potato/butternut squash/lentils or any other legume. Had I done that, my insulin (which was still in the teens--way too high) would have stayed up and my BGs would still have been bouncing all over the land. Instead, my soft diet mostly consisted of these items which helped keep my BG spikes to a very small even keel. I COULD tolerate eggs--we are all different. My pouch is called Iron Will. 1. Flaky white fish (cooked in foil or softly pan sauteed in olive oil)--think tilapia, pangasius/basa, sole, haddock, John Dory, red mullet, haddock, pollock, cod, salmon 2. Canned salmon, tuna, chicken whizzed in a small mini chopper with Greek yogurt and a tiny bit of mayo/mustard and dill relish, s/p/gran garlic 3. Poached eggs/soft scrambled eggs (scrambled eggs that are cooked past 160 but are not set-up and rubbery) 4. Egg salad with cottage cheese 5. Cottage cheese with a dollop of greek yogurt and some peanut butter powder (low carb, low fat), and Walden Farms blueberry pancake syrup (zero cal, zero carb, zero fat) 6. Chili/soups made with slow cooked ground turkey and low glycemic veggies (no potatoes/root veggies/beans or legumes) 7. Veggies: Roasted smashed cauliflower (to replace mashed potatoes), frozen broccoli steamed until mushy then mushed with a wedge of Light Laughing Cow Cheese, green beans cooked with onion and chicken bouillon, sliced avocado, seeded and peeled tomato, frozen spinach cooked until mushy and then combined with a little Light Laughing Cow Cheese or low fat cream cheese or chevre Those were my foods for the "puree" phase until I was able to eat a normal diet at 4 weeks. My BGs were routinely in the 80s and low 90s after eating. They never spiked more than 10points after a meal from pre-prandial numbers. And my hunger was kept to a minimum. When I HAD to eat something I would drink fluids and that would help meet fluid intake and keep from snacking. I ate every 2-3 hours, just a tiny amount until my tummy could handle more. I had 6 meals a day spread about 3 hours apart. I supplemented with only 1 protein drink per day and got off of them as soon as I could--that's what my doc wanted. I still have 3oz of protein drink in coffee each day. Now I eat 3 meals + the protein coffee a day. If absolutely necessary to make a protein goal, I will add a snack in--or if it's a random Starvin' Marvin day. I do have those--usually right before a big losing phase. But they aren't every day. They are very random. Otherwise, I have little hunger and eat by my scheduled planned meals. Hope this helps. Your hunger is partly cuz your blood sugar and insulin is still crazy and cuz you then inject MORE insulin into your body. You're on the BG roller coaster from hell. The only way to break it is to reduce your bg/insulin response to meals and bring that into control. You can cut your insulin in half the second you decide to live that kind of life, then continue to reduce it until you're off of it. It may only take 2 weeks. Your hunger also comes from trying to transition from being a carb/sugar burner, to being a fat burner (which normally happens as a result of us going so low in calories (and often carbs)). Your hunger is ALSO coming from the types of food you are putting in your body (last night's meal) AND because you are not eating dense proteins yet. If you give it half a chance, this surgery will work for you and will help limit your food. But you are still in control of your choices of food. The surgery is only a mechanical limitation. You're smart and rationalize like nobody's beeswax. So if you want to figure out how to fu*k your new tool, you WILL succeed and either quit losing or regain to beyond starting weight. Then you'll really be fu*ked.

Late to the party, I feel the pain of being actually hungry (y'all have seen me say in so many times in sure). I'm 11 weeks post op, I've been hungry since practically coming home from the hospital. I've scanned through this thread, and I'm giving my 2 cents. After my liquid phase was over I decided to go gluten free, I don't do any bread or crackers or anything like that, gluten is an inflammatory substance and I have arthritis in my hands and knees from Lyme disease so no thanks. I'm not diabetic though. Anyway, I'm hungry A LOT. I've cut out most carbs, sugar and I've found (PS, I had a wicked sugar/carb addiction and being severely depressed doesn't help) I don't crave carbs or sugar anymore. I eat my meals, which are protein and vegetables I rarely eat fruit because of the carbs berries I do eat occasionally. I do not give in to the hunger, I have one snack (maybe) a day which is protein. I drink water or decaf unsweetened tea if I feel hungry between meals. I keep my calories under 1000, I just don't give in to that hunger beast. There are days I will sit with the cabinet open but then shut them. I have 2 teenagers and a stick of a husband and they all are adapting to no snacks, I also have 3 dogs that get dog bones. I keep a food journal and have the calorie king book my nutritionist have me. I will not eat bread or any sweets. I eat low-fat cheeses, I make my own Greek yogurt, honestly I'm sick of almonds. I've lost 53 pounds so far, I have to really start exercising, but you can do it. I lived off toast, crackers, coffee, peanut butter m&ms and cigarettes forever, oh and Coca-Cola. Use this tool and kick some ass!

I have found that the key to eating eggs (for me) is to make sure that they are cooked soft or have some type of sauce on them. They must be moist in order for me to eat them. I mash up 2 hard boiled eggs with a bit of greek yogurt and it works very well.

I had gastric sleeve surgery exactly 3 weeks ago today. My nutritionist forbade me to drink smoothies because of the sugar content. My calves were extremely sore after surgery and it wasn’t due to blood clots but a deficiency of potassium. So, my husband made me a strawberry banana smoothie with nonfat Greek yogurt and added my protein powder. The smoothie was great! It didn’t upset my stomach and my calves started feeling better. I also don’t like -premade protein shakes so now I make me a smoothie everyday and add my protein powder. I’m still losing weight. So I was just wondering if anyone else was told to stay away from fruit smoothies, but found them to be helpful?

Hey there! I had gastric sleeve surgery on 1/31/2020 and here's my story. I attended the free 12 week orientation classes June 2019 thru Sept 2019 at Kaiser. My insurance paid for everything and I had no issues getting approved. My only out of pocket expense was a $100 co-pay for the hospital stay. Wonderful insurance, I know. Luckily, I had no medical issues making me very low risk for the surgery. My surgeon recommended that I get the Bypass and I changed my mind on procedure the day of surgery and switched to the Sleeve. My reasoning is simple...I didn't want to reroute my intestines and I didn't want to chance vitamin deficiencies or dumping syndrome. I fasted on clear liquids the day prior to surgery and it was hell. I had an interview on fasting day and wanted so badly to stuff my face, being an emotional eater (i did get the job!). I went to bed super early the night before surgery because I had a massive headache and mood swings from fasting. My surgery was at 1pm and because of the fasting... I wish I scheduled a morning surgery. The nurse that prepped me for surgery was an idiot. Why on earth would I be able to pee for a pregnancy test after having no fluids since the day before?! I could barely pee and what I did pee didn't make it in the cup lol I got 2 tiny drops of pee in the cup and guess what? It was enough for the pregnancy test. The nurse stuck me 7 times looking for a vein. 7 times. Not just a poke either, like she was really digging. She tried my forearm, the top of my arm, and both hands before calling for help. I woke up in recovery in extreme pain, nausea and was thirsty. I said "I'm thirsty and my stomach hurts really bad" and the nurse said yeah you just had stomach surgery. I wanted to sock her in the face. They made me wait 6 hours for pain medication and water. The night nurses sucked and the day nurses were great. I used the call button every 1-2 hours for more pain meds which they could only give me every two hours. I called after 45 mins and said "did you give me a full or half dose?" lmao but I was serious. The built up gas hurt and my throat was sore. I tried really hard to push the gas out and ended up sharting in my bed. I walked often because I badly wanted to go home. Coming home was nice and I wasn't hungry but still thought about food a lot. I followed the rules and sipped my water and protein shakes and jello. I only took a week off from work because I wanted my routine back. The doctor told me it was too soon because of brain function is usually low this early on. He said "do you want to go back because you're bored or because it's a money thing" and I said "I'm bored as hell" and he said "then no, you can't go back yet." I didn't listen and have no regrets. I started taking the pill form of multivitamin early on because the the ones you eat made me gag. I slowly introduce foods as instructed and my staples are yogurt, protein shakes, salmon, cottage cheese, and veggies. I keep my meals simple. I had my 3 month check up today and I'm on track. I've lost 50 lbs total since surgery. I'm aware that weight loss with the sleeve is slower but I'm okay with it. Each week I can physically feel and see my body changing for the better. I exercise daily by walking 1-2 miles, I feel great, and I have more energy. This is the one and only time that I've had surgery. It was rough at times but overall a good experience. I am happy that I did it and have a long road ahead

I think if it isn't too inconvenient for your to take the time to post this, that THIS type of information is completely vital and useful to vets, sophomores, and newbies alike! Cuz we can "see" what someone is eating at X point in their life post surgery. That is so vital to make sure we're on track! I am gonna continue posting my quantities cuz I do it anyway and record it in MFP, so maybe it will help someone see that you can "usually" eat in a controlled manner and still get TONS of healthy nutritious food. But not everyone does that normally (tracks) and that's OK too. We want EVERYBODY here, even if they don't weigh/measure and only say things like: b-protein coffee msnack - Oikos cherry yogurt l-tuna sandwich (1/2) snack - gs apple + peanut butter d-don't know yet Just my opinion!!!!

Sweet potatoes, refried beans, deli meat, cheese, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, canned peaches or pears, grilled fish, chicken.....good luck!!

So, does using a smoothie count as liquids? I use one scoop of powder, 8 oz of skim milk, one cup of ice and a few table spoons of greek yogurt. How should I tabulate the liquids for this, I am always under and hoping using smoothie will help.

A lot of great advice here but you have to do your part and make the decision to change TODAY---get rid of all the processed, refined crap you are eating. You do not need it, your dogs don't need it and it is so bad for you. You need lean protein, fresh or frozen vegetables and a liberal amount of healthy fat. I do not think pureeing the meats in a blender and adding broth and plain yogurt to make them doable would be wrong. Curious what you are drinking instead of water. Crystal Light and others are okay but juices and sodas are not. 64 ounces per day minimum and actually more is better. Make sure your protein shakes are low carb and IMHO smoothies loaded with bananas and berries are not appropriate. Commit to 7 days of no sugar, no fruit, no processed junk food and veggie carbs, protein and healthy fat only and you will feel less hungry. I would stop the insulin for now since being a bit high is much safer than low with Type II diabetes and continue to monitor. It will be rough for a few days but you can do it. All kinds of exercise on YouTube or tapes/discs that do not require leaving the house. Post on here several times a day for support and encouragement.

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

Fatdiva I too have fears of not loosing enough weight. I walk, jog, spin, and treadmill everyday, sometimes 3 times a day. I always burn more calories than I take in which has never been more than 350 calories. I had my surgery Feb 20, 2015. From day one I have struggled to get my Protein in. I absolutely cannot stand the taste and I've tried many different types and in may different ways, (in food, as a shake, with crystal lite, yada yada yada). I just hate it. I pretty much hate most sweets now. The taste of sugar makes me spit all day, yuk. I see my doctor tomorrow because I'm at a lost as to what to eat or do. I eat so slow that Breakfast always runs into lunch. One, I've never been a breakfast person; so, it is difficult to eat breakfast because I'm never hungry in the morning, for 49 years I've skipped breakfast. I pretty much can't stand another cup of yogurt. Now I'll have 1 Sargento Pepper Jack cheese stick and Water. I've always loved ice cold water, wish I could drink it like I use to, but my stomach says no way, can't drink fast. Any suggestions from you guys would be greatly appreciated. I feel so confused right now and at a lost. Scared to death that I'm not even going to loose anymore weight. Further, how many calories should I be eating per day anyway. I can never get a straight answer out of the nutritionist.

I am 5 months out, and my FAVORITE food is "boiled eggs", chicken... cheese and yogurt... soft foods, because other foods still bother me.. I tried to eat grapes the other day and OH my... nope after one I could tell that was not going to work... take it slow.... drink your Protein... and try to eat what you can. Best of luck to you ♥

I was sleeved on 3/15 and I'm starting to think that picking the Ides of March was maybe not such a good idea. While the surgery went fine without any major complications (one of my incisions still continues to leak fluids), I am having a really rough time. For the first two weeks I was on Clear liquids only and then the next two weeks (my current stage) is full liquids. While I will admit the clear liquids phase was rough, I thought the next phase would be better for me. My biggest problem is that I am incredibly weak and feeling dizzy constantly. I have been likening it to being stoned but not in the good way. I just feel very disconnected. When I went to see the doc this past week I was told to up my calories and intake more sugar. I found this rather ironic since the NUT told me to do as much sugar free stuff as possible. Literally everything I had to eat or drink was sugar free with the exception of G2 but I had already been living off of that during the first phase. When I asked the doc and the NUT about Protein they said to get as much as you can in but didn't expect me to hit the 70oz mark until after the first six weeks. I can't drink Protein shakes as they make me incredibly nauseous but I am finding other ways of getting protein in (i.e., yogurts and cheese). I thought the weakness would be gone by now but it isn't. In actuality, I think it's getting worse even with the increase in sugar and protein intake. I can't function like this and definitely cannot drive like this, which is bad because one of my jobs is an hour away. The worst part? I can't take any more time off of work. I'm part-time right now at both my jobs and at one of them they dock my pay for each day that I'm out. Also, as a college professor we're getting close to finals and I have a ton of preps and grading to do. However, in my current state of mind I cannot do the work as I'm making too many mistakes and missing important things while grading. My boss at one of the colleges, who is a bit of a d**k and doesn't know the specifics of my surgery because of that fact, has already threatened to pull my summer classes, which I need in order to put food on my table. While I am one of the first who praises that one's health should always come first, I'm afraid that right now it needs to come in second. If I pull out of my classes for the remainder of the semester even due to health reasons, my boss could and most likely would take away not only my summer classes but my fall ones as well (did I mention he was a d**k?). Luckily my other job isn't so bad and they are very understanding but right now I only have a few classes with them for the remainder of the year and they pay a lot less than the other college. To top it all off, I've developed a pain in my left leg, which has me very nervous. I have a history of a DVT with a Pulmonary Embolism so I am already on Lovenox as I found out I have a blood clotting disorder. This pain is eerily familiar to me in a DVT sort of way but how could I have developed a DVT on blood thinners? I'll be keeping an eye on that and will call my doctor on Monday if the pain doesn't go away by then. The only bright side to this right now has been my husband. He has been very understanding since I decided to have this surgery. He has been prepping all of my meals and done the food shopping for me. I can't do the latter as I almost passed out the last time I went out with him. He is incredibly worried about me right now and believes that having this surgery may have been a mistake. I won't go that far just yet but I am having some serious concerns. Yes, I've lost 18 pounds but at what cost? I've lost over three weeks of my life and things just aren't getting any better. Thanks for listening. I don't know what advice anyone can give. I guess I just needed to get this out in the open to help me feel better.

Protein shakes actually can be really harsh on the stomach, not to mention if you're making them with milk, its often a lot more milk in a day than the average adult is used to. Also, liquids in tends to equal liquids out. its a fairly normal post op experience, but you do have to be mindful of dehydration. Things like benefibre and metamucil help as they provide some bulk to the stool and slow down its passage through your body. Also, you could ask your doc if you can have something like Imodium. But also - I was never put on a shake regime. I got through liquids on things like fruit smoothies, thin yogurt, pureed fruit and home made vegetable Soups - with meat blended into them for protein. Protein Shakes just arent such a big thing here, they can be part of a post op regime but are not often prescribed as the be all and end all weight loss. so perhaps try taking in some other foods too - in liquid form of course.

I love that yogurt. It's got 13 to 15 g of protein per package, so it's a good bang for the calories, in my opinion. Plus you don't have to mess with it.

I was banded on the 11th too!! I literally hate drinking plain water but you gotta drink. I switched from water to propel which is much better for me. I haven't felt like having much else tho, the gas pains are still are a lil irritating. I'm staying away from yogurt & milk cause it makes me gassy. I started an ensure clear today, seems a lil too sweet but it's okay. Good luck and call your doc 1st thing Monday about your liquid intake.

You know it was funny, I did mine relatively fast, maybe 60 days tops. I feel pretty good about the choice I made for the GST. I LOVE food. I do, but now I will love it in small quantities. I will miss the booze. I did enjoy having a cocktail to relax. I know that I might be able to drink again, but the smell of it still makes me sick. Talk about aversion therapy! Giving up soda has not been any hardship. I am suprised at how little I eat, just a few bites and that is all. My soft food include mini raviolis from the can (I can eat 3 and that fills me up) cottage cheese, yogurt, protein shakes (blah), soup, and I had a bit or cheesy rice the other day. So far no issues, or heartburn. I am taking my vitamins (liquid) each day, making sure I get all my nutrients.

They gave it to me in the hosp day after surgery and I couldnt handle it... a few days later I actually like it. I eat the Fage 0% plain, and it doesn't bother me that much. Then again, I am 13 days post op and just rotate cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and baby food meats. If it works, I just dont mess with it.

Ok... which Grocers do you find this Fage? I've never seen it before, and I'd like to try it. I'm out of Greek Yogurt and I'd really like the 2% plain so that I can add my flavors myself next time.

The yogurt that tastes so wonderful right out of the container has already been flavored and sweetened...ya know? ANY plain yogurt tastes disgusting, whether it's Greek or not. On the other hand, it makes a fantastic substitute for sour cream! Try adding some sweetener and flavoring (I like to just use vanilla and Splenda or Truvia).

I hated greek yogurt (and barely could tolerate regular yogurt) pre - surgery. Now I love greek yogurt! I buy plain and mix in my own sweetners (splenda, sugar-free jam, once I tried SF hot chocolate powder) all of it has been pretty good. I also add crushed nuts and/or whey Protein crisps for additional texture. One time I accidently bought full fat greek yogurt, IT WAS SOOOO GOOD, super duper creamy (less tart)! Just didn't like all the fat grams in each serving, something like 23 gr. I have noticed alot of taste bud changes since surgery, all for the better, healthy foods taste and feel better.

my puree phase allowed soft scrambled eggs, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, pureed lean meats, etc. I pretty much lived on tuna or salmon pouches or canned chicken pureed with plain greek yogurt for lunch and dinner. breakfast i had an egg, or yogurt or cottage cheese (small curd). I think with the puree phase - you just kind of have to get through it and look at what you are eating as necessary medication to get your protein in.

I usually have 1 yogurt a day as a my snack. The goal is to keep me from starving in between meals. I don't know what it is, but whenever I eat yogurt, I am STARVING about an hour after I eat it. I wasn't this hungry before I had it. The sad thing is, I can't eat for another hour. This is the only time that I can't wait to eat, is after I have yogurt. I don't get hungry like this any other time of the day. And it doesn't matter when I eat it. I guess it just passes right through me or something.