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Oh I love it!!! THe NORTHERNERS agains the SouthWesters.... ha,ha,ha.. Linda its so good to have you back... we missed your humor! I'll weigh myself NAKED in the morning... I think I'll take a Doggie water pill tonight!! ah,ha,ha,... Twig won't mind sharing! Oh and by the way I am almost finished another quilt!! I'll post the pics when I get the binding on... Gosh, I am back... been reading mly hotmail and staying on here..... I am still girgling my dinner down, and burping it back...yuk TMI sorry I think its because I have eaten so much JUNK lately that my pouch is rebelling..." what, you want me to actually DIGEST real food????" Perhaps a cup of tea will help.... then at 8 o.c.lock I am looking forward to me oatmeal/yogurt mush.... CBL

Thanks, I needed a little support. Yesterday i just felt ugh, for lack of a better word. I really do think that most of it has to do with the fact that I have to go back to work tomorrow. As for eating out, we go out a lot. My BF and I just share a meal and I never eat very much because I can't account for all of the calories. He does most of the cooking and most of the time he will fix things that work for me. It is just the last couple of days that he has done nothing but gorge himself and it is probably due to the fact that he is very very sick. He seems to be back to normal this morning. But Janet you are right, I know the struggles that I am going through because of my unhealthy eating habits and it frustrates me when other people just sit there and stuff an entire medium pizza down their throat. It will be better after I get through the first day back to school. Also, I am not craving anything specific, especially ice cream. I love ice cream but ever since surgery I can't eat it. If I do I have a lactose intolerant reaction to it. I can't drink milk either. cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt are alright, but milk and ice cream are a NO NO for me. It is more that I just want to get to a point that I dont have to over analyze every single thing that goes in my mouth. And actually it does get easier. I was on Atkins for 2 years and I guess it did start getting easier for me. I am sure this will too. As for my body type I have 2 VERY distinct rolls with my belly button tucked neatly between them. I would really like to lose that damn top roll. All of the shirts just seem to cling to that one roll. So I can't wear my pants at my waist because otherwise my top roll sticks out like a sore thumb. So I have to find high waisted pants that will help mold the two rolls into one! Camp shirts are my favorite too, but again mine are all too big. I really don't have many clothes left that I can wear and I can't really afford to go buy new clothes right now. I need to go get a presser foot for my sewing machine and see if I can attempt to tailor my old clothes. I usually go through my clothes on Sunday's because I try to lay out my clothes for the week. I am too tired to make decisions at 4:45 am. And you are right about the thin material that just shows off everything. I really need clothes with structure. My back fat has almost gone away I have a few little bumps around my bra line, but most of my weight is front and center. My skin is starting to take a hit too. Yikes! My belly looks like my grandma's belly did when she was 95! I have read and heard that it can take up to a year for the skin to catch up, so there is hope. There is no way that I can afford to have plastic surgery nor do I really want it. As long as I can find clothes that make me look alright I will be fine. Here is a funny NSV. I told my BF to sit on my computer chair last night because I thought there was something wrong. I thought there was a lump because my butt hurt when I sat on it. He said, no there is nothing wrong with the chair, and I realized that it was that I had lost so much fat off my butt that I was sitting on my tailbone. I didn't even think I had that much fat on my butt, but I had to fold up a blanket on my chair because it was painful! Well I have to finish getting lessons ready for tomorrow so I will talk to you all later.

Good Morning Peeps !! Great - I haven't seen body scanners at either Cancun, Phoenix nor Palm Springs just the regular metal detectors -I won't let it stop me from traveling either - but it's such a pain in the ass - especially after you have been traveling a long ways - another big complaint I have is that Airports should have secured area for smokers - I know we are the minority now a days - in fact we are hated - but why can't they have a space for us - we are pple too. After 8 hrs w/no smokes - I was ready to bite someones head off - and it was funny even though we just got off a plane - we still had to go thru security again to get on the plane to go home - that was the most unusual thing. Charlene - Girl you just gotta understand that you gotta budget those calories - I think WW is great - I don't know about the point system as I learned it on the exchange system which limits your starches - but again it's not about dieting - it the way to eat for the rest of your life - that you can't eat the way you want - you really gotta watch the starches. I still allow for treats but again budgetted for even 3.5 yrs out - sf for the most part but I watch starches - if you eat them then you just want more - I can eat bread etc - but usually don't - don't even have any in the house - last night just had fish kept burning up my veggies cuz I was on the computer ;0) had fish then greek yogurt & WW cream cheese w/brown sugar splenda - I was craving it after a week of not having it - it taste just like cheese cake w/o the crust.. I really think about nutrition when I eat - I know that if I eat junk - I will be junk - Not looking forward to Xmas and all the junk in the lunch room - last yr we were on the other side of the office - so I didn't see it much - but now that we have moved - I am exposed to it more often - going to have to practice my F you talk to the junk .. I don't have any parties this yr - so I don't have that nor will I be baking since the girls won't be here.. So I guess I have it easier than most less temptations.. Was going to sleep in this a.m. - but the gardeners got here before 7 this morning - so there went my plans ;0) - I need to go pic up film - hope to have some of our scuba diving - that was the best..

I have some questions about the full liquid week - can you mix one of the ready made EAS protien drinks with anything like yogurt or extracts or peanut butter? I have only one more day of clear liquids and am looking forward to some variety with the full liquids. Any suggestions? I have lost about 10 lbs. Is that too much too fast?

Janet, I don't go back to the nutritionist till the 24th. I did get a report on my bloodwork. I have low D and low B1. So, I bought some supplements. I spent afternoon PBing........really throwing up. I did not eat Breakfast then when I took a couple of bites of chicken for lunch I got stuck. Then you know the rest. This afternoon I decided to try some yogurt.......no go......pb. So, I started drinking hot tea and this evening I did eat some cream of wheat. I have had this creepy sensation in my neck for a couple of weeks. It comes and goes. It feels like a collar around my neck. Do you think it is the band causing it? I guess I will find out on the 24th. The last time I had that sensation was when I had a lymphocele in my abdomen. I hope there is nothing weird growing. Maybe I need to get some tests done just for peace of mind. Okay, enough of that talk. Later!

Kathy - I have a little 3x4 sprial notebook (that i got at Target) that I carry with me. I log my food and exercise in. For me it's easy - i throw it in my purse every morning - then throw it on my desk during the day and on my coffee table at night - I don't have to be signed in anywhere to log my food. I just jot down what I ate - calories & protein grams. I jot down my weight each thrusdays and keep a running total of total lost each week.. example of page 1/2 - Wed yogurt/banana 100 c 5 pt meat 150 18 pt veggies 35 2pt fish 200 28 pt rice 120 1 pt veggie 50 2 pt shrimp 100 10 pt popcorm 100 exercise 3 miles

Well I think I got it fixed - I moved the usb port for the wireless keyboard/mouse from the usb splitter and put it in an actual port in the computer.. Sorry too much to respond too - I'm Hungry and want to go vegge LauraK - WTG on the smoking - I tried the chantix - but I really didn't want to quit smoking - just half ass and as we all know - if you aren't determined nothing is going to work - just like our lapbands - if you don't do the work - then it's not going to work - so I am still smoking.. Apples - glad the stone passed Cheri - agree with you 100% on Idol - I didn't think I would like Steven Tyler at all - but he was good - hell - Last yr Simon seemed so bored just waiting out his contract. Laura - Hugs and love - I read your post earlier - but forgot ;0) oh ya Joseph played baseball - I loved it - I was at all his games.. Charlene - Hugs on Mom Linda - Hugs on Katie - so glad Alyah has you.. Well sorry about the drive by - but I am very very hungry - food today - pt shake w/1/3 banana and PB2 - green salad w/deli turkey yogurt dressing - dinner - fish & veggies - and some popcorn later - tomorrow FF - picking up gf Candy at 8:30 so will go out to bf - eating light today so tomorrow can have some treats... Everyone else - love and hugs - I just am tired busy day today...

: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.

There is a fat pad around the stomach that we can not see. This fat pad shrinks just like the rest of us when we are losing weight. That's why after we have lost some weight, we can suddenly feel looser and we need another fill. When you are close to goal, the fat pad is mostly gone. I have had the same fills since Dec. and I don't think I will ever need another one. Wendall describes this very well on the 1st page of this thread. After surgery, I did 4 weeks of liquids. On my post op diet I could have protein drinks, soups that I put in a blender so there were no chunks, sugar free jello, and yogurt with no sugar added. After 4 weeks of liquids, I was on mushies for another 2 weeks. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am happy to help anyone at any time.

Well, I am on soft foods now, but my typical day goes like this: Breakfast: about 1/2 to 3/4 cup malt o meal, or 2 scrambled eggs with salsa Lunch: soup or rolled up lunch meat and cheese, or a little bit of chicken salad with cottage cheese or egg salad. Dinner: about 4oz of fish or chicken, some cooked veges. I have had a couple of snacks in between because I am hypoglycemic and cant go more than about 3 hrs without eating *something* so I will usually have a string cheese, or cottage cheese, or this greek yogurt called Fage, it comes in little individual servings with a tiny side of fruit and it is soo good, and bonus, has 10 grams of protein!! I also have one 12 oz protein shake in the mornings, or else have one of those 42 gr protein bullets split up in two during the day ( I mix it in a little crystal lt to kill the taste) So, thats pretty much my day, I feel like I'm eating alot, but I'm not, and I do get full pretty fast. My first fill isnt until Oct 22, but my surgeon does them under fluoroscopy so he gets it pretty accurate, so he says. And I've lost nearly 14 lbs so far, so Yay for us!!

There was a study that came out recently about how the body reacts to artificial sweeteners. However, I was on a low carb diet for three years before I was banded, and artificial sweeteners never made me hungry the way sugar and white carbs did (does). Even now, a year after surgery, if I had to live without artificial sweeteners, I would probably fail miserably. How long post op is he supposed to be on the liquid diet? Every doctor is different with their dietary rules. Mine said I had to lose 5% of my body weight pre op, and could use a variety of diets to achieve that depending on how much time I had to diet before surgery. After surgery, I was on Clear Liquids for 7 days, then two weeks of "full liquids" which included yogurt drinks, cream Soups, and Protein shakes. I didn't use slim fast, but I did have a Protein shake mix that contained artificial sweeteners. I still use it occasionally when I think I am shorting myself on protein. Some doctors say no caffeine after surgery, and some (like mine) said coffee is fine. I don't really know what to add about the slurping down liquids to test for a good fill level. I found that my own sensations of fullness or "backing up" were more reliable than what the doctor saw on the fluoroscope to determine a correct fill level. I wouldn't think drinking rapidly once or twice would cause damage, but on the other hand, I always would have problems drinking quickly without having some real discomfort, so I don't think it would provide a reliable indication of correct fill level. The problem with a doctor presenting a patient with too strict and too limiting a post op diet is that it makes it that much harder for the patient to stick to it. I would think he would get VERY hungry on just broth after more than a week, when the stomach swelling from surgery goes down. However, I realize we all often think our own doctors are the wisest and give the best advice, while any deviation from that is questionable.

You are so lucky you get to have full liquids on day 2 out of surgery. I have to wait a week. The first thing I'm gonna try I think will be a cream Soup then maybe yogurt if i can handle the soup good. That's if I can have yogurt on full liquids I have to check my list. Unlike revdrkatie I don't have to get out and do anything big till Monday. I had my surgery the same as you and her. I'm wondering if you can stretch your pouch on liquids because I feel so full and bloated when I drink anything. How about you? Good luck with your recovery. ~~~Stephanie

Breakfast- Snyntax nectar Protein drink...chocolate truffle 27 g protein Snack- Fage greek yogurt w/ sf french vanilla syrup 12 g protein Lunch- 2 oz tuna mixed with grey Poupon 13 g protein and a few tiny baby carrots Snack- 1 Laughing Cow lite swiss cheese 3 g protein with 1 Wasa light rye crispbread Dinner- Boca Burger w a few spinach leaves 14 g protein and a thin slice of tomato Snack- Atkins Carb Advantage Mocha Latte 17 g protein 540 calories 86 g protein

Not a problem at all! I'm glad you got some sleep. I haven't slept well in days either. Not good for either of us It seems everyone's preop diet is slightly different. Mine consists of 6 glucerna (I begged to use Atkins instead), 2 no fat or low fat yogurts with sugar substitute, 2 8oz servings of 100%juice, and all of the sf no calorie drinks i want up to the day before surgery. The day before surgery is nothing but clears. I am so allowed sf Jello during my preop.

I've got my last 50 days worth of food on MFP. My diary should be public. I've logged in every single thing I've eaten, except for Vitamins (just started logging those). Typical day: Breakfast: Premier Protein shake 160 Lunch: some type of meat, usually chicken. I can only eat between 1-2 ounces of meat, on a good day. Then I get full. Dinner: same as lunch Snack: I was eating a snack of cheese, yogurt or something, but the past two weeks, food seems revolting. I got really sick feeling after swimming last week, so I've been drinking Gatorade to up my calories a little. I have not yet felt hungry.

Hey Arenea! What syntrax are you taking? I have the plain and it is meh too but I think Adina might've had the chocolate truffle and she swears by it. Maybe try that?I have the Caribbean Cooler, it smells great as a powder, but when I mix it with water I can't stand it. It's just weird. So today I bought the Campbell's soup on the go chicken noodle flavor and that worked. I didn't eat the little noodles or carrots although they were very soft, but I did drink the broth. I saw they have chicken tortilla in the drinkable on the go soups too. I saw someone asking, but I'm sure it's not as good as homemade.That's so funny! I bought Campbell's chicken noodle and cooked a whole can, completely drained the broth and had that yesterday. My sweet 16 month old daughter ate most of the noodles, carrots and pieces of chicken. She loved it lol!!! That was the best broth/soup ever!!!! On another note - I am SO over these sickly sweet protein drinks! I am a sweet tooth usually but this is too much! I can't wait for Monday!! I have such great plans for next week involving eggs, Greek yogurt, thick blended soups with chicken! Omg! Grocery shopping on Sunday!

Suggested Foods for pureed Diet Following Bariatric Surgery Protein Sources Yogurt (plain or sugar free, low or nonfat, blended without fruit chunks) Strained cream soups (celery, potato, mushroom, or chicken made with skim milk) Skim milk with ½ scoop Protein Powder Protein supplements added to food or Water for extra protein Mashed cottage cheese (low or nonfat, small curd) Ricotta cheese (low or nonfat) Scrambled eggs or egg substitute Pureed beef, chicken, or turkey Baby food meats White fish (cod, haddock, tilapia, orange roughy) mashed with a fork Canned chicken breast, mashed and moist Canned tuna fish in water, mashed

Try the oikos yogurts. They are so delicious!!! 10 G protein each. I have also seen the light regarding hunger. It's funny, I used to say, but I don't eat that much!! How am I fat?? I blamed my lupus meds and diabetes. Now I am remembering every time, I just casually walked past the pantry and stuffed an Oreo in my mouth. Or finished off the kids fried chicken so it wasn't wasted food. Or all the times I had "just a few bites" of the cake on the counter while I cleaned the kitchen. YES, I did eat that much!! I just did it without noticing.

Same! My sleeve will not tolerate it I’m in so much pain when I do eat it and I hate yogurt so I’m trying to find something else that could work..

You can have strained Greek yogurt under 100 calories Dannon lite and fit is 80. You mix it with the fruit on the bottom and I use a tea strainer and spoon the yougurt through and it keeps the small pieces of fruit out but you get to maintain the flavor. You can have sugar free pudding, sugar free jello, and the outshine fruit bars. Fat free milk with Nectar. Decafe coffee with nectar with fat free milk or fat free half and half. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app

Eating anything hard is a task. I tried stew chicken and threw all night. I can stick with shakes, smoothies, yogurt,cottage cheese,tuna &chicken salad. My husband jokes that I eat like bird. It sometimes frustrating to have to eat so slow. But I know I can safely tolerate ONLY 2 .oz of solid tilipia.any suggestions I'm like 7 weeks out.

CheckYes: Unlike Acadia, I've never had to take extra Vitamins - well, I should say, I've never known I was supposed to take anything other than a multi but I just had blood work done so I am going to check with my doctor on the B12, Iron, vit D and calcium. (Thanks for that info, Acadia). -- You're welcome. Not everyone needs extra vitamins, but vegetarians often do. It's good that you're getting tested. Ask for the actual number and the normal range so you can tell where you sit, not just if you're high or low. You could be 1 point from hitting under normal and they'll still say you're within range. Since B12 can only be had naturally from animal products it's necessary to supplement. Though you may be fortunate to get enough from a Multivitamin, most vegetarians will become deficient and will notice that they're tired more often, will have lines or ridges on their nails, and will lose the moon on their nails. And once you are deficient you *cannot* get what you need from food. There simply isn't enough B12 in food to compensate. That said, as a vegetarian you can still get some from fortified Breakfast cereals, which have around 6 micrograms. If you are lacto/ovo: yogurt has about 1.4 micrograms per 1 c, 1 cup of milk has 0.9 micrograms, an egg has 0.6 micrograms, and cheese has about 0.3 micrograms per 1 oz. The iron, same thing, it's primarily from meat and most vegetarians don't eat enough Beans or dark green leafy veggies to get enough iron. The vitmain D isn't necessary if you get outside - without sunblock - for at least 30 minutes a day. Though these days most people wear sunblock so they don't get enough Vit D. It's good to get tested and supplement unless you're in the mid level. It's good you're getting tested, most people don't bother with Vitamin / mineral testing. I love a little hot baked tofu with a small amount of peanut satay sauce. That's one of my favorite meals. -- I love this too, it's a great snack. I haven't had it since being banded though. and no more Gelatin (gummy vitamins, Jello and some jello mousse puddings). -- There are vegetarian/vegan sources of gelatin and there are many products that are created to be similar to things like Jell-O but still vegetarian. When in doubt call the manufacturer and ask what their source is for the gelatin. Birinak Everyone is different, based on the food they eat and their activity locations (outside vs inside). It's great that you don't need supplements. Unfortunately not everyone will be so fortunate. Vitamin B12 can be very easily obtained from eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, and whey. -- If the vegetarian is lacto/ovo those are options, but a lot of vegetarians aren't. I'm severely lactose intolerant, so no milk or yogurt for me. Cheese is okay if it's a hard cheese (sharp cheddar) and less than 1 tbsp. Whey is okay for me if it has no lactose in it. Many people go vegetarian not only for environmental reasons (including animal welfare) but often because of food intolerance, so they will become deficient if they are not lacto/ovo or pesci. For me personally, if eggs are cooked into something (bread) I'll eat it but very rarely (2-3x a year) will I eat an actual egg dish (like quiche or souffle). Also - it's very important to know that once someone is deficient in B12, they cannot get enough from food and they do need supplementation either by pills or injections to get back on par. Vitamin D along with 15 minutes of sun exposure a day -- There's actually a pandemic right now for vitamin D deficiency. People are wearing too much sunscreen, which prevents the ability to create vitamin D from the sun. And because obese people are already at risk for deficiency, most of the US is deficient. And you're right, the only way to tell if you truly need Vitamin D (and other vitamins) is to get your blood tested every 6 months to a year.

I had surgery on Monday, so until this morning I was only in Clear liquids (broth, Water, crystal light, etc.) This mining I started phase 2: Protein shakes, ff Greek yogurt, cream of wheat, sf/ff pudding, sf/ff Jello.

Many good comments have been made on this thread. So true, the new stomach lets you know right away what is good or bad for your situation. My head tells me one thing and my stomach can tell me a totally different thing. I learned real quick that anything too sweet or too greasy is very hard for my new stomach to tolerate. Also if I overeat I have to stop eating right away or it really feels uncomfortable and I feel like I am going to vomit. I try to get in 3 meals and I have some snacks. I try to eat healthier snacks such as Nuts, Sun Chips, frozen lowfat Yogurt ect... If I have too much to eat at a meal, I save part of it and wait until the feeling of being too full goes away then I eat the rest when I feel better. I can only eat about 1 1/2 oz. then I start feeling uncomfortable, stop eating and in about 15-30 minutes I can finish another 1 1/2 oz. or so for a total of about 3 oz. for one meal. For an example, the diet menu Fresco Ranchero chicken soft taco at Taco Bell is one of my favorite and I can only eat half of it and then I can eat the rest of it in 15-30 minutes. That is a big change from my usual 3-5 tacos before the surgery. The surgery sure took away my stomach hunger. I eat now because I know that I need to eat or I am trying to get more protein. Before surgery I felt hungry most of each day. I wanted to eat and wanted to really eat alot of what tasted real good. But now that I have had the sleeve everything is so different. I do still have my moments, but they are less than before and I am learning more and more everyday. I wish you all the best. It all does get easier as time goes by, especially when you can eat regular foods instead of the milkshakes and liquids.

so do I! I started my liquid diet today. Protein drink, yogurt, applesauce, v8, soup