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Oh yea. I totally have to have protein supplement. I have the premier protein shakes once a day with a bar at least. On days I workout I might have two shakes - I heard it's good to drink one post workout... But a shake can give me anywhere from 30-45g of protein. I have pb2 and sometimes I mix that with the protein powder and skim milk. 4 oz fish or chicken is like 20g or so... Greek Yogurt with granola, etc... So it managers to be around 80g.

100 calorie snacks are helping me... late at night is my worst, I want to snack and snack.. so I save up 400 calories for late night snacking, and I only have 100 calorie snacks. Yo Crunch has these new 100 calorie yogurt packs.. it's a vanilla or cheesecake yogurt, with crunchy candy bits you pour inside. Oh my.. it's 70 calories lighter than my normal yogurt and tastes better. Cheesecake one...mmmmmmmm. Says it's sweetened with Truvia, I guess I'm a fan of truvia now. Did I tell you guys I was looking into daycare for 2-3x a week? The place I checked first, was wonderful, but I couldn't afford it. Called La Petit which is about .5 miles from work, and they said they have discounted rates for companies in the area-I can afford it, but I don't know anything about them, so we're doing a tour tomorrow. They are a nationwide daycare 'chain', anyone else have experience with them or have any thoughts on them???

Hi honey... gosh, I sure wish the two of you a speedy recovery. You’re both in my thoughts and prayers! So ideas for extra protein: Fairfield milk, yogurt, powdered milk, ricotta, bone broth.. I also YouTubed some ideas and there are several recipes for the full liquid diet, I can only imagine there will be tons for the purée diet. ( I’m just not there, yet) You’re doing great and keep up the amazing work!

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!

Whoa ... one week out and you are thinking salad, salsa and subs? Don't even go there for at least a month or so. You are healing!! Liquids and soft foods are the course for now. Think soft, bland and creamy (Soups, yogurt, etc.) .. foods that don't require a lot of work from your stomach for digestion. You will have those foods again that you like but just not now. You may even find your taste buds have changed too. We get used to eating certain things and even crave them but you may be surprised to learn that you may not even like some things. Mine was coffee and anything sweet .. my desire for either is completely gone. I am 5 months out now and I can eat whatever I want but I don't. I still choose the healthy route and the weight continues to drop. Maybe check in with your nutritionist? Good luck and be good to yourself!

Georgia, stop in the grocery store. Grab a yogurt or applesauce that are in the tubes so you can eat on the go.

OK, so i kinda cheated today. I am still on liquids only + yogurt for 2 more days and I broke down added an egg to my chicken broth. I am allowed poached eggs in 2 days. I tried to make my own egg drop soup, but I guess the broth wasn't hot enough and it just turned cloudy. I heated it up some more and omg it was delish!! I hope it continues down my digestive tract as happily as it went in. LOL

Get comfortable, this is a long one... So here is the additional backstory info to my PS journey: So I ended up getting a last-minute tummy tuck two days ago (Dec 18), along with my arm and breast lift. Back in June 2019, when I initially scheduled my procedures, I was going to get an arm lift, a breast lift (to address side boob skin), and a tummy tuck. The tummy tuck was actually partially covered by provincial insurance. Basically the panniculectomy part was covered and I we only need to pay out of pocket for muscle tightening or any required lipo. But sometime around August or September, I decided to forego the tummy tuck because I thought that I could live with the state my stomach was in, and I didn't want to have more surgery if I didn't really need to. So I called my surgeons office and let them know. Fast forward four months later and I'm at the registration desk at the hospital on surgery day. I'm signing all the papers, and one of them is a confirmation surgery procedure form and lo and behold the tummy tuck is still on there. Apparently, the fact that the tummy tuck was removed was not properly communicated to the hospital. (As an aside, this is a perfect example of why confirmation of surgeries is necessary at registration!!) I had a discussion with my surgeon: he said the OR is already booked and set up for all three procedures including the tummy tuck. So if I wanted to, we could go ahead as originally planned back in June, or not. Whatever I decided was fine with him. If I didn't want the tummy tuck, there would be some paperwork to do beforehand, but it was doable since the OR was booked for all 3 procedures, and there was time to do the paperwork/system corrections and still complete the arm and breast lifts in that time. So now I had a discussion with Mr.: It wouldn't really cost much more, and they were all set up for it already anyway, so why not? It's funny because the decision making process felt like when you're in a grocery store line and decide to buy that pack of gum at the checkout. It's been almost 48 hours since the completion of my surgeries...here's what's happened so far: Day 0: Got to hospital at 7am and all the above happened. I got on the operating table at 9:30am, and don't know what time I woke up at recovery. The surgery was supposed to be 4 hours. All I remember was that it was 4pm when I got rolled into my room. That first night after the surgeries was relatively pain-free as I was drugged up and in bed the entire time. I slept a lot but not for very long periods of time. They put these leg type massagers on my legs that work kind of like a blood pressure cuff. Each one inflates a chamber with air starting from ankle to thigh, to squeeze my leg nicely and then deflates. Then the other one on the other leg does the same thing. Its to promote circulation and prevent blood clots. I've had them on the entire time (except when going to bathroom or taking a short walk) and I LOVE THEM. I want to buy one of these contraptions for home! The nurse said that I am the first patient she's met that likes these things. Which I find hard to believe because these things are awesome. Didn't eat anything all day, other than water, a cup of tea and 1/2 an unsweetened apple juice box. Day 1: Now the next day I felt the pain for the first time when my drugs wore off and I had to get out of bed to go to the washroom (they took my catheter out). Oh. My. God. When I twisted my body and put my foot on the ground, I felt like I was being stabbed in my hip with a large knife. It was so painful that when I walked I couldn't put my heel down. I had to do I sort of walk–tiptoe shuffle to the toilet. So first lesson: do not twist your body. Because of the tummy tuck, I have to walk hunched over and this quickly puts a strain on your back. So second lesson: walk with the help of your IV pole/cane/walker/buddy. I have 2 drains in my tummy, which are mildly annoying. I forgot about them once when I got out of bed and pulled on one a bit which caused some bleeding. Boo. I was surprised that I could move my arms relatively freely and pain free. I could even put weight on my arms to lift myself out of bed, type on my laptop, feed myself, and go to the washroom by myself. I may not have been very efficient, but I could do it. Also, I could brush my teeth but not my hair. Nor could i adjust my head pillows. Basically anything where I have to raise my arms above shoulder height is a no-go. My boobs didn't/don't hurt at all. As if nothing was even done there. I got to see all the work done when the nurse changed my dressings. My arms are tiny. My boobs are nice and perky with matching nipples (my previous breast reduction had one of the nipples wrinkle/fold over at the outer edge and my guy fixed it). My tummy is wrinkle free and my new belly button looks better than the old one. My inner thighs from the front has been smoothed out! This was an unexpected bonus My va-jay-jay, however, is quite "perky". When I look down sitting in bed it stares right up at me. My nurse said she noticed it was swollen. She said it is a combination of being yanked up and the use of the stomach binder. Didn't show it to surgeon this first day, but will remember to bring i up when I see him before I leave. Today I had a cup of coffee, 1/2 a chicken breast and some beef jerky. Day 2: Now today I feel exponentially better. I got an a good seven hours of continuous sleep. When I woke up I could feel that my pain meds had worn off but I was able to get out of bed and walk to the washroom just fine. I can tell I'm walking much faster now and am much less hunched over. I could probably skip the pain meds from now on but I think based on @sillykitty's comments, i'll take them for another day or so. Mr. has already filled my prescriptions, so I may as well take them. I'll play it by ear. I find that the only real pain I get is from twisting my torso. I can easily do a sit up or leg lift motion pain free, but if I twist in any way, I get a sharp pain. Everything else is bearable. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say my pain level is about 1.5. Compare this to the pain of WLS recovery, which I would have given an 8 at its worst. They took the IV out this morning because my swollen hands were basically embedding that entry thing into my flesh and it was starting to hurt. They tried to put a new one in twice but couldn't find a vein because I'm too swollen. They asked if I was OK with them trying a third time, and I was all, No Thanks. IV insertion hurts, man! So they are off finding an alternate antibiotic to administer without an IV. I'm supposed to be discharged sometime today but honestly I'd rather stay because I love these leg massager things. Plus I like the adjustable hospital bed! Anyway just hanging around now waiting for my surgeon and next instructions. P.S. I ate 1/2 an omelette & a peach yogurt cup so far today.

Ms.sss, I'm nowhere near maintenance (2.5 weeks post-op) but love reading where everyone is at in their journey & so scanned this thread & now I've been thinking about it ALL DAY. I think you said it takes you an hour to eat a meal? And you're struggling to get above 800 calories? At 2.5 weeks it takes me 10 min to eat a meal and I could easily eat 1,000 calories. (I don't, because I'm trying to keep the calories as low as possible as long as possible). I guess I'm both fascinated that it takes you that long to eat & terrified of my own future if it's already this easy for me to eat this close to my surgery date. And I'm really curious what exactly you eat that takes an hour? Is it something dense? A half sandwhich? I I'm still in soft foods which are all so easy for me. Yogurt, eggs, veggies, ground meats, cheese. I can eat 4oz without issue. And I'm getting 65oz of water a day. I'm actually at 60oz of water & 600 calories today & it's only 6pm. I hope these questions don't sound rude because it's not my intention at all. I just can't get this off my mind. I scour these threads & see people saying they're 8 months out & can't get down a 1/4 cup of food & I'm like... maybe my surgeon only removed half my stomach because I am already more fine than I'd like to be. If that makes any sense at all.

That will definitely be the challenge. I went on a strenuous hike Saturday - lost of steep terrain, both up and down, 4 1/2 hours, approximately 1800 cal burned. I am starting to hike/train for a rim-to-rim in one day Grand Canyon hike (24 miles) that is 1 mile down and then 1 mile up. The training hikes alone will burn so many thousands of calories, I can't imagine eating enough, so I think for me, I will have 500 cal days, 1200 cal days, and then 2000-2500 cal days (hiking days). I hope the book will help give some tips for this. I think I will also end up on an elimination diet for a while if this EE comes back positive. (No wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, fish/shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts). Then add 1 at a time back. Only the soy, peanuts, and tree nuts will be hard, as I have already eliminated the others, for the most part. Salad, soup, seeds, grains, and veggies, with pea protein powder. Yum Yum. Do-able. I found oat milk yogurt the other day that is pretty good! Never knew it existed, and amazingly, more fiber, less carbs, and just as much protein as soy yogurt, with live cultures! Who knew?

Hi everyone! Well, I had my 2nd fill two weeks ago and have lost 4 lbs. I'm up to 3.5cc. I asked her to fill me up and she did!:cursing: I drink 2 protien drinks a day and some string cheese. occassionally I can get down yogurt and a snack bar or fruit. I try to eat more but it doesnt go down very good:frown:. Is it possible to not eat enough? or should I be satisfied with where Im at? I have lost only 10 lbs since the 12-12-2008 surgery date. any input?

I get my protein from eating those little cans of prepared tuna. They have snap-off lids. I love the Thai and the tuna with lemon and pepper the best. I also eat a lot of tzatziki - yogurt with cucumber and garlic. These are foods that taste good and all you require is a spoon and a recycle box for the tubs they come in. So very, very easy for a lazy grrl!

One week left for me. I’ve struggled a little with the pre-op diet the last couple of days, mostly because I can’t stomach (still) protein shakes so I’m mostly eating yogurt, one egg and bone broth. I did cheat yesterday (I was soooo hungry) and now feel really guilty. Ugh.

Okay. Started out with a lot of pain in my chest and my feet were very swollen, thankfully 4th day the swelling went down and now for the most part the only pain I have is when I eat. Been on soft foods for two days and vegetables and fruits do not go down well. Yogurt has been the easiest.

Yes, I thought of that. I am eating quite a bit in the way of nuts and seeds, legumes, homemade granola, oatmeal, butternut squash, sweet potato, avocado, peanut butter. I add protein powder to smoothies and yogurt. I even eat some 80% cacoa chocolate covered almonds in the evening. Can't think of more calorie dense foods, except for adding sugar, which I cannot do. Sugar and wheat cause massive inflammatory reactions in my joints.

Alicia, I am right there with you. I was banded on April 14th and already started to "cheat" by having mashed potatoes, egg salad and sweet potatoes. The rest is just pudding, jello, creamed soups, yogurt and cottage cheese. I miss food soooooooooooo much. I know that in another month, I will be able to try and eat normal foods..but it is so hard right now. And my first fill isn't until June 3rd!! So I am trying my best to control my portions until then. It just seems an eternity away from now and to know that I am going to feel hungry for another 3 1/weeks is just scary. When I get to a low point, I just try and think about how happy I will be in another few months. It helps. Good luck with everything. We can all do it. It's frustrating as heck, but it will be worth it in the end.

Hi to my fellow bandsters! Havnt posted in awhile but still here. Ive been back to work this past week and doing very well. I feel good except for my friends making me laugh at work. I hold on to my stomach as if I was pregnant. That and sleeping on my side I just wont do. I probably could but it feels weird. The food thing I think Ive gotten used to but I definitely have hunger pains shortly after I do a protien shake maybe 1-2 hrs. I find that if I have a light creamy soup it holds me over much longer. One thing I found to help me when I want a little treat is flan. If I can have yogurt I really cant see why i cant have flan. I make it with skim milk so it comes out very light. I also have the reccomended serving which is a half cup so the calories are about 100.Not bad. Ive even been walking on the treadmill. Im not running yet of course but I do walk everyday with no pings or pangs. Its day 13 for me today and every morning I feel better than the last. I hope everyone is doing great and for the new guys congrats and you will do great just be patient and you will be back in the swing of things in no time!

Hello theres, my prettiess.... hehe glad this site is back, i need it! well i was banded on the 26th by Dr. Ortiz, what a doll he is! i feel ok, a little gassy still and sore, my cuts are a little itchy... cant get the glue off, and I am scarred to touch it. I have been so hungry since the first day out of surgery, so i have no idea how they can say I wouldn't be hungry for a week. My tummy has been gurgling, rumbling, and growling non stop! i do notice that I stay full much longer now, and its a little uncomfortable. I have not yet pbed or slimed, thank god, maybe that only happens after a fill? My question is- Yes, i lost about 15 pounds so far, but as I start adding cream soups, yogurts and more food to my diet..... how does my body keep from gaining it all back? And also just wanted to say gratz to all you October Bandsters! I cant believe we did it! ~Raynie!

I was banded on the 20th and I am having the same issues. I am allowed applesauce yogurt baby juice and soup liquid only. Try some mint tea and warm soup

Greek yogurt , lf cottage cheese.and I think tuna is in your mushi diet along with cream of chicken soup

Thank you! :thankyou:I can honestly say that for the first time in my life, I am proud of myself. It is a nice feeling. I am not doing anything special I don't think.:noidea: I am very happy with losing 50 lbs. and that is a great accomplishment but I want to lose 230 lbs. so 50 is just a drop in the bucket. My surgeon has set his goal for me at losing 200 lbs. so I guess I am 1/4 of the way there! I think that the reason mine may seem to come off quicker is because I have a lot more to lose than others. I may be wrong on this, but it seems logical to me. What do I eat? Well, I try to stick to 3 small meals per day. Once in a while I will have a snack but I try to not do that too often. Typical foods for me are: rice chex with skim milk, oatmeal, boiled egg whites, sugar free/fat free pudding (I have lots of it), low fat cheese, some mashed potatoes or baked with a little fat free butter, fat free refried beans with a little low fat cheese on top (YUM!), vegetable soup and fat free yogurt. Other things are: fresh fruits such as bananas, apples (w/o the skin), peaches; my favorite vegetables are green beans, lima beans and broccoli so I tend to eat them more than anything else. As far as meats, I have boneless skinless chicken breast (baked) mostly. My husband is big into hunting so we eat wild game and I never buy things such as beef. Deer meat is a lean meat and better for you. I have had small amounts of deerburger and steak. There are obviously other foods in with these but these are the things that I have most often. Not a lot of variety but so far I am not bored with it and it is working. As far as excercise goes, I try to walk on the treadmill 4 times per week and do some light weights to help keep the sagging skin from getting so bad. So far the weights are working because I don't have any sagging skin! I also don't sit in front of the tv like I did before because I have this amazing amount of energy so I actually want to be up doing things. I did have my hubby take pics of me the night before surgery but I have been afraid to have him take any since because I have a hard time seeing my weight lost (since it's me). However, other people are noticing it and I guess I afraid to see the pics because I don't want to be disappointed if it's not as noticeable as I hope it is. Maybe I will break down this evening and have my hubby take some new pics. :nervous

find what works for you. I'm 4 months out and still using Phenergan suppositories twice a day while mostly eating Quest Proten bars and yogurt fruit smoothies Not much real food yet. some of us take longer. It's hard to work through it Keep calling your dr.

I went to Dr P with the Ellis group. I didn't research how big of a portion drs left behind b/c well. I just didn't think to do that. I however had my lap band removed and sleeve done at the same time. I had the lap band done in January 2011 and I had such a hard time with it. I either never felt full or couldn't keep anything down. It was a constant battle. Up and down and finally it was bothering me to the point I didn't utilize it anymore. Had all the fluid taken out BC it just didn't do anything for me anyways and why damage my stomach. So I'm scared of not having restriction like I didn't get with the lap band. I can eat some yogurt and it takes me a while but I can manage to much up the whole thing in an hour and than I think like you said it's more not being able to eat normal food that's bothering me. I am going to draw some signs of words of inspiration to hang places to keep me focused and on goal. Maybe that's the head distraction I need to keep me not focusing on food. I have to say. What is a walk aide and why is it so expensive? Have you called the company to see if they can work with you on a price? Or you can contact local Dr offices who specialize in what you need help for and see if they would be willing to help you and make a donation or work with you!? You can also contact local businesses but I advise you do that in person as letter often get ignored Brick house congrats on your success!!!! Jules

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.

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