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Hi July Bandsters - I thought I would share a somewhat humorous event from last night. First, I'm still on liquids until this weekend when I transition to mushies. Anyway last evening I had to take my elderly dad to the hospital (he's ok). We were there for 6 hours and I hadn't put anything in me. So while he was being tested I went to the cafeteria for something to eat. Of course since I can't eat solids yet my choices were extremely limited. In fact the only liquid option was the gravy from the fried chicken meal! Yes, I was so hungry I almost got just a cup of gravy. But, I perservered and found some yogurt instead. If I was in a different place (pre-band) I may have ordered the gravy for my dinner. I guess I am making progress. Hope everyone is doing well. Kathy

My Dr put me on puree today at only one week out. I had 1egg and 1egg white with a little cheese together totaling 3oz. For lunch I had shrimp brown rice with a milk and broth sauce to blend it and for a snack I had greek yogurt 4oz. I have come to hate protein powder in just 2 days :-/. From what I can gather my breakfast was around 19g protein, my lunch was 12-15g of protein and the yogurt was 10g of protein totaling around 42 for the day without protein powder and I have yet to have dinner and an evening snack. I think I can get to 60 without any powder. I will however continue my calcium, iron and other vitamins.

@ -- definitely happy to share the FULL story!! almost 3 weeks post op and i have to say that i think i've been VERY lucky so far, so i'm not really the best person to give the full scope of what recovery can be like. a lot of other people who got sleeved the same time as me are having a much harder time, so i'd recommend reading the different forums (for example there's one for people sleeved 10/14, 10/19, etc.) to get a sense of how people progress in their recovery. for me, the 2 days in the hospital were pretty tough. i had a lot of pain the first day and was CRAZY thirsty, the second day i had nausea and struggled to drink the required amount. the first week i felt generally ok but just very very tired - lots of naps. around 1 week post op i had a crazy allergic reaction -- big red circles around each of my incision sites that itched like CRAZY. i felt like i was going to claw my skin off!!! no consensus on what the allergen was - maybe the surgical glue, maybe the dried blood inside, but in any case it made for a rough, sleepless couple days. i haven't had really any problems getting down Protein or Water or (just this week) cottage cheese/yogurt/apple sauce so that's good. and the weight has been coming off fast and steady. i know there is a long road ahead still -- i will have stalls and maintenance is something i have never once succeeded at, so i know that will be a whole separate adjustment. but i already feel amazing. truly. my sleep apnea has clearly gone away since i am WIDE AWAKE at work for the first time in years. i can feel the lost weight when i walk, there's just a lightness that feels awesome. and the depression that pushed me to do the surgery in the first place is easing up in a major major way. life just seems very bright! one thing i keep reminding myself of is that i have lost all the weight in the past (with doctor-supervised Protein shake diets) and as soon as i was "done" (met goal), i just stopped with the program. didn't continue getting support from the doctors or keeping up with group sessions or therapy. and so i gained it all back and then some both times. so while i am totally basking in my current success, i'm trying to remind myself that this is a different game -- a PERMANENT change, vs. a couple months of shakes. ok that was a very long-winded rant. i will definitely keep you all updated - its nice to be able to share progress here. i haven't had any negative experiences in other forums but i would hesitate to talk numbers given where other people are at and where they started.

Hi all, I have gotten a new job. All is well but I can't eat any snacks like I did before because I only get a lunch and no breaks. I am still wondering about this because I thought they had to give you at least a ten minute break once or twice a day besides lunch. As it is I only got a lunch after 4-5 hours of working. It is very crazy right now. Question for you all. I am so hungry by lunch and dinner that I am eating to fast and we all know what that means. Any suggestions on what to do or how to sneak more in when I can't get off the phone? Oh by the way I am working at a call center again so I must stay on the phones. When I went to find a new job I had to start all over again which means being back on the phones. Here is my typical day 8am at home - breakfast either egg salad or chicken salad I make 9am-protein drink of some sort because I am drving to work to start at 10am ( I work 10am - 7pm or 11am - 8pm depending on their needs) 2pm or 3pm - depending when they let me go to lunch I have tuna salad or chicken salad or a plain no bun burger or veggie burger. I also have yogurt and/or fruit with maybe a couple high fiber crackers Dinner 8 or 9pm - usually whatever I cook for my family or whatever my DH makes. Something like chicken cabbage alfredo ( no pasta) or sloppy joes (no bread for me), grilled chicken, spagetti, etc.... I do have a problem with getting my water in and Coffee has been a crutch this week. So I have to kick that again. Anyways any suggestions would help. Thanks everyone.

I am so curious about what people are "eating" during the liquid diet phase. My dr didn't tell me that I had to do it - I was told to have liquids for two days prior to surgery but I want to do the two weeks just to prep my body for the surgery (shrink my liver - get used to not eating . . .). What have you all been told to do?? Only protein shakes? Soups? Some vegetables? Can you mix fruit into your shakes? I have read/heard so many different things. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I am allowed protein shakes 3-5 a day in addition to picking 2 items from a 6 item list consisting of light yogurt, 1 cup raw veggies, sugar free Jello, pudding, cream of wheat or oatmeal.

It sucks. It really sucks. That's all I can say. Not sure which pre-op diet you're on, mine is high protein/EXTREMELY low carb. I'm allowed meat, veggies, cheese, 1 small serving of fruit, and a small portion of yogurt. I miss my carbs sooooo bad BUT I keep telling myself that no way in HELL am I driving 9 hrs for the doc to get in there and make me reschedule bcuz I didn't shrink my liver. As much as it sucks, we HAVE to do it! I'm sure the 2 week liquid phase after surgery is gonna be sucky too, but I got myself in this mess, I gotta make a commitment....and U DO TOO Good luck!

wonderful story!!! I like the name SAMI.. For soft foods: mash potatoes go well, I actually was able to eat some steamed spinach (small small portion) sweet potato, yogurt (not a fan of cottage cheese).. and egg whites... I am getting about 70-80 grams of protein in which is good and I am up to 50oz of non-protein liquids which I am amazed about.. somedays are better than others even at 11days post-op.. I keep the nausea pills in reach when I try something new just in case... I have not vomited to date, but yes I get the saliva filled mouth (yuck) some morning. but no dry heaving though...thankfully.. Take care

My 2 week post op appt is Wednesday. I am so freakin hungry I can't hardly stand it! I've been sticking with yogurts and soups because I don't want to do too much to soon and mess something up. Today is the first day that I have been absolutely miserable and hungry.

Lewilli, I live in FL it's hot and I live alone, I almost never cook. I have cottage cheese with chopped veggies,Greek yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit,low fat cheese, ricotta cheese, tuna salad, chicken salad, blended veggie, fruit, nut, drinks. I sometimes put soy, milk, or yogurt or protein powder in the blender drinks. I recently have been eating spinach salads with finely chopped veggies with feta cheese. When I do cook (rarely) I use a crock pot with chicken and veggies or pork roast with veggies. I put this outside on our screened in covered porch so I don't heat up the house. This crock pot feast will last me for many days and I just reheat in microwave in small bowl servings. I sometimes poach a couple eggs in microwave with spinach, cheese or other veggies. I made a huge meatloaf with much filler including blended onion, bell pepper, garlic, herbs, and oatmeal mixed with diet lean burger. This lasted many meals and I reheated in microwave. I made chili with lots of beans, onions tomatoes and bell pepper. I made ff refried bean dip with ff sour cream chopped tomatoes guacamole and low fat cheese. I don't like eating mostly protein so I mix veggies and fruit with about everything. I try to avoid cooking anything except about one big pot of food once a week. I hope this helped. There are lots of good band recipes online. MelVan

I had a nice weekend. On Saturday, I went to a breakfast on the beach sponsored by Kashi cereal. Breakfast was served on tables on the beach with white tablecloths, umbrellas and sunflowers in vases. There was yogurt, juice, cereal, milk, fruit, coffee and tea. Then they had several activities going. My cousin and I did the yoga class, a walk on the beach and kayaking in the ocean! I had never kayaked before. It was really fun and not too hard! We even saw 2 dolphins swim by! Then we all got a gift tote bag with a big towel, Kashi cookies, granola bar and cereal, a bowl and a sports bottle. It was a Chamber of Commerce Day in San Diego too-just perfect weather. My scale has been the same for awhile now, but I'm not worried. I have no fill and I'm not gaining! I will redouble my efforts once I'm off for the summer. Work is just too stressful right now. Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day and has a great week.

I mix Aldi's FIt & Lite brand of vanilla Greek yogurt equal parts with ricotta, plus a little sweetener. It Is a nice smooth addition to shakes, too.

I have lost right at 10 lbs. Seems to be working for us! Hey All: I read that we should only be eating/drinking 2 oz at a time, but today I was able to get more than that in in one sitting. I have had 2-20 oz bottles of water, 1 shake, 3/4 cup Mock Tortilla Soup, 1 cup cucumber soup, a low fat yogurt, and 1 thing of Jello pudding today. Seems like way too much compared to what I was doing last week. No pain, but geez.

I am 9 days post op and eating thick liquids, yogurt, soup, pudding, sweet potatoes. The last two days I get a pain mid chest when eating, is this heartburn or acid? Anyone experienced this? It is definitely above my stomach

I wrote this for someone but thought I would share with everyone here also. We were picked up at the San Diego airport. Driver spoke good English. We don't speak Spanish. Border crossing was a breeze. Hotel has pool and hot tub. Staff spoke good English and they take our credit and debit cards and US money. Walmart is up the street from the hotel. We took a taxi up the hill post op and walked back to the hotel. It's like a mall there. They have a Starbucks and a GNC and lots of other stores. Walmart took US money. They also had a sample table. Tequila samples!!! Lol. Hubby had one of those. Like they have sample foods here in the US....there is a really pretty koi pond in the center of the shopping center. Turtles in there too. The tortilla soup and chicken broth at the Mariott are delicious. There is a small store for drinks and snacks in the hotel. And a restaurant. Across the street, hidden by trees, is a small convenience store. They have drinkable yogurt there. If you are up to it revolution street is a nice tourist place for gifts and lots of free tequila shots! Also there are pharmacies there where you can buy antibiotics and other meds without a prescription. There is a small pharmacy on the walk from Mariott to walmart. Looks about the size of a snack shack, so don't miss it. Take liquid Tylenol with you. It worked better for me than what OCC gave me for pain. But I had to buy the Tylenol from the pharmacy and the directions were in Spanish! OCC is nice. Very friendly staff. They speak great English too! Love Dr Ortiz, Dr So and Dr Martinez specifically. Dr Ortiz is a very charming guy. And took time to chat with patients. They sent my hubby back to hotel with all other "companions" about 4:30 pm. I wasn't fully awake yet. He was concerned that I would want him to help me put my clothes on before he left cause I had only paper on. Honestly, my modesty was gone at that point. And a female nurse helped me later. But the 4:30 part was disappointing cause in the states my hubby gets to stay with me. Then in the morning they took us to the hotel. Everything is relaxed, so you just have to ask anything you want to know. Like when you leave OCC ask when you will be coming back. Then when you get to the hotel, tell the driver when you need to be at OCC and ask what time the shuttle leaves. Like I think it leaves at 6:50 in the morning for all the patients getting surgery that day. You all meet in the lobby, and the shuttle takes you to OCC. You might not be first. You may want to have a book or something to do while you wait. I also took lots of $5 bills to tip the drivers and hotel staff. I really don't know what a person is supposed to tip, but I liked everyone so much, I wanted to give them something. Also, drain comes out on day 3 I believe. OMG, the relief. I felt so good we crossed the border, rented a car and went to Coronado beach for the day! And prior to drain coming out I had gas pains. Once that drain was out, it was all gone! When they have you do the barium swallow to test for a leak on your final day, watch the X-ray monitor! You can see your new tummy and how fast liquid passes through it. There are some beggars on the streets there. We dressed very casual and tried not to look well off. No one seemed dangerous or threatening. We had a really nice time there. If you have any concerns or questions post op, OCC has a dr on call 24 hrs a day, so call! I have actually spoken to all 3 doctors since coming home. That was probably in my first 2 weeks post op though. I had no complications, I'm just a worry wart. You also have access to call or email the nutritionist whenever you need to! No extra fee!

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 got a strainer to strain out the pieces in soups. Since everything tastes so nasty I was very happy that the yogurt wasn't too nasty like jello, Popsicles and sf drink mixers are.

I'm allowed yogurt tomorrow. Pretty much I can go back to what I was doing pre surgery, just have to be more diligent about the no chunks what so ever in my soup and stuff. It'll be interesting. I tried jello this am and it was terrible.

Thanks !! Yeah I figured I could drink it all day. How else would I get my protein? Lol I try to have fish or chicken a lot and yogurt and that shake. But I'm no where near my 65 g. I still have trouble with my vitamins. I need tastier chewables

Glad you liked it ratio also makes a granola that is awesome in the yogurt 8g protein 2 net carb 1g sugar Sent from my SM-A716U using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm on day 3 of the liver reduction diet to get my sleeve "back in shape". It's already feeling more restricted. It's good reminder to up up up your protein when you've been slacking and get in the habit of healthy eating again. Plus, once you see the scale start moving again, it's gets you in the groove again. They have me on a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch with either 4 oz. of yogurt or 1/2 cup plain oatmeal, or 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce or sugar free pudding, a snack whcih would be something that you could choose from lunch and dinner is 2 oz lean protein with 1 cup of green veggies. If you absolutely have to you can have a shake in the evening. They would probably like you to make shakes with water but I make mine with skimmed milk. Drink all the broth you want and eat sugar free jello. The first day and a 1/2 are tough. You will have carb withdrawl but your energy levels will sky rocket and you will be reminded on how good this feels.

My liquid diet isn’t too bad. 3 protein shakes a day and they asked that I also eat 2 yogurts but I can only manage 1. Your liver must not need to be shrunk much. Lucky you! And same about the nothing after midnight. I don’t mind the not eating food part but I LOVE water and my surgery is late in the day (3:15pm, have to be there by 1:45pm) so I will be parched for a while, lol

That is quite good to know (the pushing of a yogurt rich diet). Depending upon the brand and such, they can have an extremely varied microbe content. I suppose an interesting test would be to break down post surgical success based upon which yogurt brands (and in turn, which microbes) lead to the most desirable outcome. That experiment would be much further down the line however LOL. Speaking with my mother, she remembers being pushed into an extremely high protein diet post bypass, and told to avoid fruits and vegetables. I had forgotten that fact. Thanks for the insight, Brad We are all encouraged to eat a high protein/low carb diet. Yogurt is a great option immediately post op because of it's soft consistency. Some of us are even allowed it in the "liquid" phases. It remains a good option later on as well, due to its high protein content and low carbs/sugar. Another thing that might be interesting to explore is the prebiotic Fiber content of many high Protein Bars. Many use isomalto-oligosaccharides and a major brand, Quest, just switched to soluble corn fiber. I was an avid Quest Bar eater until the switch and my gut bacteria definitely didn't take the switch well. I became HORRIBLY bloated and flatulent. I couldn't even be in the same room with myself it was so bad. I had to switch to another brand that was still using isomalto-oligosaccharides.

The other day I was craving so bad and had my first very serious hunger pains. I went over board and had 5 oz of yogurt I knew I shouldn't have but I couldn't help myself. I still don't feel good. I don't want a single thing to eat or drink and my stomach is sore. I am doing my best just to get my liquids in. My surgery was the 21st. 11 days in and I am so mad at myself. Something is going on with my leg as well. Thought I had a blood clot and went to get an ultrasound. No clot but I'm in pain. Feels like my vein is tearing out of my skin. I am a little miserable after doing so well. Anyone else cheat and what did you do to feel normal again? Also for those people going to 4th of July events - its our first holiday surrounded by social fooding. How will you handle that. I want to hear Tuesday when you get back to normal.

I have never heard that about eggs. There really is a wide variance in programs. I was allowed eggs at 2 wks and it was the best egg I ever had! I made it scrambled soft with a little bit of greek yogurt and some shredded cheese. It went down easy and was a welcome break from all liquids.

Hello, My name is Alex and I am scheduled for the gastric sleeve procedure on 12/18/23. Growing up I never had a problem with my weight; as a matter of fact I was very thin. Due to changes in life and past trauma, I used food as a coping mechanism. I ballooned from 160 pounds at 18 years old to 475 pounds by the time I turned 31. I was "content" being overweight because I refused to deal with it. At the behest of my wife, I begrudgingly scheduled an appointment to be seen by a primary care physician for the first time in years at the height of the pandemic. At this appointment, I weighed in at 475 pounds and was diagnosed with high blood pressure... extremely high blood pressure. This made total sense as I couldn't walk very far without being out of breath, I couldn't go up steps without sweating and having my heart pounding, and I couldn't play with my nieces and nephews. I was prescribed blood pressure meds at 31 years old and told that if I didn't make significant changes and lose weight, I was staring down an early death. That was the kick in the ass I needed. I immediately got a gym membership, downloaded a calorie tracker, immediately made improvements in my diet and dove in head first. Over the course of the next year and a half I lost nearly 100 pounds through diet and exercise alone. I knew that to get to my goal weight though, that I needed more tools.... or a more powerful one. So I was seen by a bariatric provider and over the course of many months was approved for sleeve gastrectomy and was scheduled for surgery. I am currently on the liquid diet and I am struggling. I am dying for flavor... the protein shakes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and jello that have been my diet for the last three days are not cutting it. I've made a few mistakes... a piece of cheese here or a nibble of chicken there. I am striving for today being a good day.. but it has been hard. I am constantly cold, I'm less tolerant of daily B.S. than I normally am, and am just now starting to not feel as irritable as I have the last few days. I am looking forward to having this procedure done, but I am nervous that I won't lose enough. I'm nervous that I'll ruin it or some other nonsense I keep telling myself. After being overweight for so long its hard to imagine not being as large as I am. I am looking forward to a healthier life, the ability to play with my nieces, nephews and daughter, and being in more control of my life. Thank you for reading this very long post and I look forward to chatting with you on this journey!