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:banana: I am happily eating tuna. Less than quarter cup, but it is something! I can now eat yogurt, cheese and tuna. I'm very anxious to try harder foods, but trying to force myself to go slow. Since I still don't get hungry for about 3 hours, I'm trying to wait to try something else. Maybe I should stay up all night so I have more time to eat. I have a feeling I'm gonna gain back some of this month's loss. Does this mean I can't have any more ice cream?! DeLarla??? (running to the kitchen for a lowfat, sf, fudgsicle) Now if we can get Darcy's stomach gremlins tamed and DeLarla to quit growing aliens :alien .... and cutting their little heads off ..... Off I go to run some errands and then I must clean my filthy house. I don't have all that leisure time that you guys who go to work have.

I love savory foods with a lot of flavor. I based this recipe on the Ricotta Bake from previous threads. The cheddar and Greek yogurt were the key to making this very satisfying for me. 15 ounces light ricotta cheese 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (would also be great with broccoli or cauliflower) 1 cup freshly grated/shredded parmesan cheese 1 large egg 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (use 2% if you like, for less fat) 3 tablespoons fat free Greek yogurt salt to taste Mix all together - except for 1/2 C of parmesan -- put in a baking dish. Then add another 1/2 C of parmesan cheese on top and bake @ 350 till golden - - about 30 minutes. or Mix all together and put in a container of your choice. When you want a melty, cheezy snack, spoon out about a tablespoon and microwave for 30 seconds. (If you are concerned about the raw egg in the recipe, baking is always the safe bet. Reheating is easy and equally melty and cheezy.) According to a recipe/nutrition calculator, each tablespoon contains about 6 grams of Protein. Fat will vary with the type of cheese you use. With regular cheddar, it has 5grams of fat and 81 calories.

I would recommend trying different brands of greek yogurt. I've heard great things about the Trader Joe's greek yogurt. I like the Yoplait greek yogurt and the Lucerne brand (store brand). I bet if you really want to have cereal you could mix some cereal into your yogurt (just not too much so you don't get too many carbs). What about cottage cheese? It has a lot of Protein and is pretty easy on the tummy.

Try the Greek Yogurt in a smoothie - it masks the taste and the texture. This one has 10 grams of Protein and about 95 calories: 1/2 c. Fage 0 Greek Yogurt ( I buy it at costco, comes in a giant tub): 65 calories 1/8 c. OJ: 15 calories 2 strawberries: 15 calories Splenda to taste ( I use a couple tablespoons) Lynda

Thanks all for the good wishes And I'm excited and scared. Im in the liquid diet stage this is my 4th day. Only 3 more days to go and I'm already 10lbs down. I couldn't believe how fast I'm losing!!!! I stepped on the scale a second and a third time then move the scale to another location I'm just so amazed how quick it's going liquid diet not as bad as I though it to be especially with these results Pre op diet weight Day 1 was 229.0 Day 2 was 224.6 Day 3 was 220.2 Today Day 4 219.6 And keep it coming !!!! I admit to the group I cheated yesterday. It was a must though... I had 4 oz of sugar free fat free frozen yogurt as I met with a friend I haven't seen in years! Sorry I'm going on and on. I'm super excited! Thanks all for being here Please add me to the fb group Cinamon_chiklet@yahoo.com

I'm sorry you are feeling out of control with your weight. Set up an appointment with your surgeons office. Get their opinion if you have stretched your stomach. They can help you get back on track. Another option to consider is counseling/therapy. It will help address your mindset with weight loss. Food choices and grazing will cause significant weight gain. Grazing is the consistent, day-long consumption of low value food items, in other words: snacking. For example, mindlessly finishing your child’s breakfast cereal, stopping at mcdonalds, popping two donut holes into your mouth at the office, eating a protein bar mid-afternoon and a strawberry Greek yogurt with granola at night. The best way to address grazing after bariatric surgery is to employ preventive measures prior to the onset. That said, many patients will not succeed preemptively and must therefore deal with the problem of grazing only after it presents. Should you find yourself in the habit of grazing after bariatric surgery, the obvious resolution is to break the habit. This is no doubt easier said than done, but consider all that you have achieved to this point. The first step is to ask for help. It is unlikely that you can resolve your maladaptive eating alone. So simply ask for the help. Use your support network and those professionals who are currently among your inner circle. Begin to monitor yourself closely. Write down or log your food in MYFITNESSPAL all that you eat or drink for a period of three days or so, and then compare your notes with the nutrition plan from your bariatric surgeon’s office to note how much they do or do not correlate. Learn the different types of hunger, specifically head, eating out of boredom and physical hunger. In addition, cut out all junk food. Sit when you eat, and mindfully enjoy the meal. Eat meals that contain protein and fiber in the form of fresh and lightly cooked or raw fruits and vegetables because they make you feel full. Drink plenty of water over the course of the day except at meal time. WIshing you the best, Jenn

I keep my carbs under about 60-80 and my nutritionist said not to worry if the carbs come from things with Protein like cheese, yogurt, refried Beans etc. So I am not sure what it is, but I haven't heard from ANYONE else that they have hit a plateau like this... It is hard not to get depressed. Thanks for the response girl!

Don't know if this will help, but here are some foods I use... A typical day is: Scrambled egg and cheese for bfast Egg Drop Soup 2 nuggest of chicken wings (boneless) Ricotta Dessert Surprise Chili This game me: Cal: 500 Carb: 17.3 Protein: 33.7 I was seriously low on Protein but was full. Add two muscle milks and you have 63 protein, 700 cal and 23 carbs... It can be done! Lactose sugar free LIght chocolate Muscle Milk Cal: 100 Carb: 3 Protein: 15 All Natural Greek Yogurt (with fruit in bottom) Cal: 130 Carb: 18 Protein: 13 Aimee's Surprise Chili (Check Recipe forum) Cal: 70 Carb: 9.3 Protein: 6.7 Scrambled Egg and Cheese Cal: 140 Carb: 2.23 Protein: 9.1 Egg Drop Soup (2 CUPS): Cal: 146 Carb: 2.2 Protein: 15

I was also sleeved on 7/27. I'm on purées and I haven't had anything that's actually pureed. My favorite is tuna mixed with Miracle Whip and I add tiny tiny chopped pickles (no peel or seeds) and cheese. Last night and today I had baked salmon, not even close to a puree but my NUT said it was fine. It felt great to be chewing real delicious food! I also love refried Beans mixed with cheese and plain Greek yogurt.

One thing you need to remember as well is to take time for your meal. I know what the pace is like in the ER, you won't be able to gobble your food down and get back to work. You have to take some time for yourself. It took me some time to get used to this, but when i eat, i take a bite, then put the fork down and chew. Each bite i do that. Its now a habit for me, it makes you slow down. My pureed stage, i had scrambled eggs, lots of yogurt(low carb, some have a lot of sugar), refried beans, which after 4 weeks of liquids was great, once i handled that ok, i had tuna fish, etc. Just because its called the pureed stage doesnt mean it has to be pureed. ohh, cottage cheese was on that list, but the only thing i like to do with cottage cheese is scrape it into the trash. Best of luck to you.

Ah.....the benefits of making your own Greek Yogurt at home. Thanks mom for teaching me!!!! LOL!

I have a "detach and go" pill organizer for my Vitamins. I take today's with me in my purse. That's my only product. :cursing: Mostly, I've just worked out routines through trial and error. I find that starting the day with a Protein shake works really well for me and, on days when that doesn't happen, I'm always thrown off and struggling to get in my protein. I top my protein off at night with a protein hot chocolate most days too. In between I mostly drink Water except when I work out. For workouts I have a special mix sports drink I've concocted which is designed to replace the calories I'm burning in the workout. If it's a super-intense or long one, I also gel or have a banana or protein muffin or Protein Bar in there somewhere. My Snacks are protein based. So mostly FAGE yogurt, cheese sticks, nuts, cottage cheese, beef Jerky... stuff like that.

Take a cup of skim or 1% milk and put it in a shaker cup, add a half a cup of fat free unflavored greek yogurt - add 2 squeezes of Mio - I used Berry Pomegranate flavor. It was delicious. Almost 20 grams of Protein - 19.5 grams of protein

Thanks Kathy! It feels soooo good to be losing again. I haven't been doing Atkins induction or anything, just keeping my carbs really low. I usually have a low carb slim fast for breakfast, a couple of slices of bacon and maybe a scrambled egg (if it will go down, lol) for lunch, and last night I had Mexican meatballs that I made in the crockpot. I am going to start adding in oatmeal before my runs. Sometimes I have half of a low carb tortilla wrap for snack. I make it with spinach dip instead of mayo, a thin slice deli meat, and sometimes a slice of cheese. If you like yogurt, get the greek yogurt. It has way fewer carbs and is full of protein. It's a bit tangy in taste if you buy the plain. I like the Oikos Blueberry greek yogurt. I think I am just one of those people who need to eat low carb to lose weight. Low carb diets are the only diets I have ever had success with. When I first got banded, I did low carb and the weight came off really fast. About 4 or 5 months ago I stopped low carbing and I had barely lost anything to speak of. If I can hang in there and do low carb until I reach my goal, I will modify my diet and start having more carbs. Since I am running, I think maintenance will be breeze.

These are some of the recommendations I got from my nutritionist this week. Hope this helps to break the monotony: 1) High Protein Milk = 1c milk + 1T non-fat powdered milk = 12.5g protein (add sugar-free hot chocolate mix, sugar-free pudding mix, sugar-free coffee syrups, or sugar-free chocolate or strawberry syrup for variety; also, mix in advance and leave in the fridge overnight for better flavor and mixing of the powdered milk) 2) High Protein Egg = 1 egg + 1T milk + 1T powdered eggs = 11g protein 3) Ricotta cheese mixed with vanilla extract, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg 4) Plain Greek yogurt mixed with sugar-free cheesecake pudding mix; 1/4c = 7g protein (cannot WAIT to try this one!) 5) chicken with Ranch = 1 can chicken mixed with 1T powdered ranch + 2T plain yogurt; 1/4c = 10g Bon appetit!

I just want to say that everyone here is doing sooo good! All of you inspire me! Whosya and Renewed~ you two ROCK!! Ya'll are my little running heros, lol! Kathy~ you are progressing soooo well! Keep it up girl! Oh, and kudos for sticking to the scale challenge. That's what I call dedication!! luluc~ I love reading your post, here and all over the board. Your exercise regime just baffles me. Les~ you are doing great too! Good for you for getting back on track and starting over fresh! Jeannie~ look at you progressing! Good for you! As far as your questions go, I agree with everything Renewed said. I always eat a healthy carb before I run (usually whole wheat triscuits or protein cereal mixed with yogurt) and I also drink milk afterwards. Sugar~ I know how you feel. I haven't ran either, gotta get my butt in gear! How's your legs? Bonnie~ you are doing soooo good! I still want to commend you for doing this now and not waiting until your surgery. I think that says a lot about you. Keep up the great work girl! Lyn~ You amaze me! Only a couple of weeks out of surgery and you were running again. I could not have done that. Keep up the good work! Oh, and thanks for the "two" breathing suggestion...I gotta try that! tootie~ you're doing great!! Keep up the wonderful work! Serenity~ you're doing an awesome job! Keep on truckin'! Mamato~ How are you? I've been thinking about you and praying for you and your hubby. All of you have inspired me to get off my pity party butt and do something today. I've been soooo bummed about my knee (which feels better again), I've gotten off track. I've had some other health issues going on too, one of them being I have a staff infection under my right arm. For the past week, any movement with my upper body has been painful. I'm on antibiotics and feeling much better now. So, I'm gonna quit moping around and go to the gym tonight. If nothing else, I'll ride the bike. Something is better than nothing!! So, thank you all for inspiring me to get back on track!

Carol & Suzanne... yes, cinnamon does work to help regulate your blood sugar. I used to work at a spice company in Canada and our US head office has done a lot of research (medical research) and it seems pretty clear that cinnamon is really good in helping to regulate it. You don't need to take capsules, you get the same benefit from the actual ground cinnamon. I put a sprinkle in my coffee, on my cereal or yogurt. I use about 1/8 tsp a day and it certainly helps me. I'm diabetic, but have controlled my BS now for awhile... running & diet mostly, the the cinnamon helps! Ok... I haven't run since the weekend due to really poor nutrition. Even though I've switched to a liquid pennicillin, it is upsetting my stomach a lot. I'm not able to eat much without feeling sick, so have no energy to run at all. I have to take it until Sat morning, but hope to be able to run a bit before then. On the challenge front... KMF (not sure who that is in Nike+ world) has joined his/her runs in with Whosya, so now Whosya/KMF have overtaken us Hotties!!! Comeon ladies... we've got until Tuesday to kick his butt!!!

If you are arriving the night before your surgery, you are allowed clear fluids and protein shake. FYI The shakes they sell at the airport is very high in sugar! On the way back I bought a Greek yogurt with fruit, but didn't eat the fruit. I couldn't find plain ones. You will be surprised you won't be able to finish 2 spoons so you will end up throwing out the rest. Also ask for water and or half apple juice half water on the plain. I also got electrolyte drink from Walmart and took it through security. I just explained that I had surgery and they took it tested it and brought it back to me. Make sure you get up and walk during your flight I got up and looked funny because my back was not straight. Hope that helps. Oh and a very small pillow to support your tummy that helps a lot

Natures Bounty D3 5000iu gel capsules 3 days/week Source Naturals B12 1mg sublingual 3 days/week ( I was taking Twin Labs B12 until I read we should be taking methyl cobalamin, not cyanocobalamin) I still had some source of life gold chewable vitamins leftover which I gagged down until they were gone. Started the Vitamin Code capsules probably 2 weeks postop, but was taking the Vitamin D gel caps starting day 4. I had also been taking Solaray calcium capsules (opened and mixed in my yogurt) and Garden of Life Healthy Blood iron capsules too. But my calcium and iron were both high on my 6 month labs so I discontinued them. And I wouldn't bother with the "fat burning" pills. You will lose plenty of fat without a fad diet pill. Kinda surprises me they have such a thing...makes it look like they don't have faith in their own surgeries. Oh yeah, and I live in the boonies, so I get everything online (except the vitamin d the local grocery store carries).

I have heard of a drink called iso pure? supposed to have 40 grams to a container. Haven't tried it yet. I started wtih soy milk before surgery to see how I liked it and also wanted to avoid the lactic acid (milk sugar) after surgery. But not really any reason why, and it lasts longer in the fridge because my son won't drink it. Today I went to Walmart and found an unflavored protein powder which uses a smaller scoop. I made my lunch with a packet of cream of chicken cup of soup with hot water, then added a tablespoon of instant mashed potatoes and microwaved another 30 seconds, then added one scoop of the protein powder. Couldn't even tell it was in there, it added 10 grams of protein to an otherwise proteinless cup of soup. Then I had 4 ounces of protein shake. I am feeling full. For my breakfast earlier, I couldn't finish the cream of wheat, went out to walmart then finished it when I came back. It definitely filled my hunger and so did that lunch. I might just have a yogurt for dinner then my two viactives for dessert. I can make the yogurt high protein by adding protein powder to that Yum! The minimum amount of protein they want us to take in is 40 grams with a goal of 60 grams per day. From now on it's going to be protein, protein protein. But I wasn't this vigilent when I had the band and became protein deficient. My hair got really thin. Luckily it's all growing back in the eight months I've been without. I can't let that happen again. The surgeon who did my original band was not as involved with his patients as my new doctor and didn't send us home with much nutritional information. My new doctor prepares a notebook on your nutrition and a notebook for your after care when you are realeased. A completely different experience this time around. __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

Starting purees is great! After the liquid diet, it's nice to be able to eat something resembling real food. You should mix protein powder into purees to make sure you meet your protein goal. My advice for that is to use flavored protein powder for sweet foods and unflavored protein powder for savory foods. Here's what I ate in the pureed stage: Fat-free, no sugar added Greek yogurt (vanilla yogurt + birthday cake protein powder; vanilla yogurt + chocolate protein powder + powdered peanut butter; strawberry yogurt + strawberry protein powder, etc.) Fat-free, sugar-free pudding (chocolate pudding + chocolate protein powder + powdered peanut butter; vanilla pudding + strawberry protein powder, etc.) Unsweetened applesauce + cinnamon roll protein powder Protein oatmeal + cinnamon roll protein powder Pureed refried beans + unflavored protein powder, topped with enchilada sauce + Laughing Cow cheese Pureed black bean soup + unflavored protein powder Mashed cauliflower + unflavored protein powder, topped with gravy

I hope mo one thinks I am lucky and maybe my problem is unusual but here it is. I was banded on the 11th of July. I can't eat more than a couple of mouthfulls of food a day, nor can I drink more than a litre of Water. I get too full. I get that Christmas dinner feeling after half a glass of milk and it lasts for hours. I do take a multivitimin but a tablet as the chewable ones make me gag. I am only concerned about malnutrition. I had that happen once before and I cannot go thru my hair falling out in clumps like a cancer patient. I am trying a fruit and yogurt Protein shake in the morning....sips of water as often as I can but then I really have to try and eat at night. I managed half a hotdog. That cannot be good for anyone. I hate that bloated feeling. I have it now after about half a pint of smoothie in around 40 minutes. I am not due for a fill until the second week of August.

Hi Leigha! Thanks so much for responding to my post. True, I'm actually very happy for not only having lost but kept off 55lbs. The working out part I've not been big on. That's what I want to work on now that I have a sense of control with the eating part. And I think you're doing a fabulous job! Even if you have to repeat week 8 the fact that you're not throwing in the towel says a lot! That's awesome! Congrats to all you ladies that have kept it up and especially for posting too! I love reading everyone's stories. You can learn so much. The bit about eating yogurt before a run is great! I've always wondered if I should or should not eat a lil' something before working out. I do, however, drink a Protein shake after my work outs. I've been told that it's good for your muscles particularly after a work out. Have an awesome day today people! :eek:

WARNING - MAY BE OFFENSIVE!!! DO NOT scroll down if you are easily offended. I didn't write it, but I laughed purdy derned hard at it! DIVORCE LETTER Dear Connie, I know the counselor said we shouldn't contact each other during our "cooling off" period, but I couldn't wait anymore. The day you left, I swore I'd never talk to you again. But that was just the wounded little boy in me talking. Still, I never wanted to be the first one to make contact. In my fantasies, it was always you who would come crawling back to me. I guess my pride needed that. But now I see that my pride's cost me a lot of things. I'm tired of pretending I don't miss you. I don't care about looking bad anymore. I don't care who makes the first move as long as one of us does. Maybe it's time we let our hearts speak as loudly as our hurt. And this is what my heart says: "There's no one like you, Connie." I look for you in the eyes and breasts of every woman I see, but they're not you. They're not even close. Two weeks ago, I met this girl at Flamingos and brought her home with me. I don't say this to hurt you, but just to illustrate the depth of my desperation. She was young, maybe 19; with one of those perfect bodies that only youth and maybe a childhood spent ice skating can give you. I mean, just a perfect body. Tits like you wouldn't believe and an ass that just wouldn't quit. Every man's dream, right? But as I sat on the couch being blown by this stunner, I thought, look at the stuff we've made important in our lives. It's all so superficial. What does a perfect body mean? Does it make her better in bed? Well, in this case, yes, but you see what I'm getting at. Does it make her a better person? Does she have a better heart than my moderately attractive Connie? I doubt it. And I'd never really thought of that before. I don't know, maybe I'm just growing up a little. Later, after I'd tossed her about a half a pint of throat yogurt, I found myself thinking, "Why do I feel so drained and empty?" It wasn't just her flawless technique or her slutty, shameless hunger, but something else. Some nagging feeling of loss. Why did it feel so incomplete? And then it hit me. It didn't feel the same because you weren't there to watch. Do you know what I mean? Nothing feels the same without you. Jesus, Connie, I'm just going crazy without you. And everything I do just reminds me of you. Do you remember Carol, that single mom we met at the Holiday Inn lounge last year? Well, she dropped by last week with a pan of lasagna. She said she figured I wasn't eating right without a woman around. I didn't know what she meant till later, but that's not the real story. Anyway, we had a few glasses of wine and the next thing you know, we're banging away in our old bedroom. And this tart's a total monster in the sack. She's giving me eerything, you know, like a real woman does when she's not hung up about her weight or her career and whether the kids can hear us. And all of a sudden, she spots that tilting mirror on your grandmother's old vanity. So she puts it on the floor and we straddle it, right, so we can watch ourselves. And it's totally hot, but it makes me sad, too. Cause I can't help thinking, "Why didn't Connie ever put the mirror on the floor? We've had this old vanity for what, 14 years, and we never used it as a sex toy." Saturday, your sister drops by with my copy of the restraining order. I mean, Vicky's just a kid and all, but she's got a pretty good head on her shoulders and she's been a real friend to me during this painful time. She's given me lots of good advice about you and about women in general. She's pulling for us to get back together, Connie, she really is. So we're doing Jell-O shots in a hot bubble bath and talking about happier times. Here's this teenage girl with the same DNA as you and all I can do is think of how much she looked like you when you were 18. And that just about makes me cry. And then it turns out Vicky's really into the whole anal thing, that gets me to thinking about how many times I pressured you about trying it and how that probably fueled some of the bitterness between us. But do you see how even then, when I'm thrusting inside your baby sister's cinnamon ring, all I can do is think of you? It's true, Connie. In your heart you must know it. Don't you think we could start over? Just wipe out all the grievances away and start fresh? I think we can. If you feel the same please, please, please let me know. Otherwise, can you let me know where the fucking remote is. Love,

This is the post op diet that my surgeon suggests Post - Operative Lap-Band Diet Week 1 Week one is the "clear liquid" stage. Below you will find the liquids that are appropriate for this week. Jello Popcicles Crystal Light Koolaid Water Tea Coffee Chicken Broth Beef Broth Lipton Diet Green Tea Campbell's Soup At Hand Fruit Juices ** Purchase chewable gas tablets, such as, Gas-X or Phazyme. This is used to ease the post-operative gas. Week 2 This is known as the "mushy"stage. Oatmeal Cream of Wheat Grits Pudding Ice Cream Yogurt Scrambled Eggs Pimento Cheese Cottage Cheese Tuna with Mayo Mashed Potatoes (smooth, no chunks) Baked Potatoe Sweet Potatoe Applesauce Creamed Soups Week 3 Any canned fruit in water Any canned veggies (must be soft, not crunchy) Any home grown veggies (must be soft, not crunchy) Bananas Canned Chicked with Mayo Crackers and Toast (*be careful--other types of bread can get stuck in the stoma) Bacon and Sausage Grilled Cheese Sandwich Any type of Cereal Any fish or shellfish Pasta Rice Week 4 Salad (no raw carrot or celery) Hamburger Patty Hard Cheese (cut up small and chew well) Chicken Breast Pork Chops Lean cuts of beef (tenderloin medium cooked, cut up small, chew well!) Apples (no skin) Grapes Melons Looks so much better to me than this liquid diet