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What does your surgeon recommend? Mine suggested mashed potatoes and ff gravy, Greek yogurt, refried beans... The potatoes were odd, but she had me use boxed, add protein' powder and I was only allowed 1-3 Tb per day with more gravy than potato.

Unfortunately, I haven't been exercising at all. Might have been even better if i had. Strangely enough, I seem to lose better when I eat "normal" soft foods compared to just Protein shakes, yogurt, Soup, etc. What I mean is, even if it has a decent amount of carbs, as long as I only have a bite or two, I do much better. I'm convinced that what broke my least stall is that I had a few bites of some over-cooked rice. My calories are around 800 per day.

Jan 9 too!!! Down 35lbs. Drink just water, tru moo & coffee. I don't count calories, protein or carbs. Eat mostly chicken & turkey, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts n soybeans. 5-6 bites n I'm full so why count? Feel great so far. No issues of vomiting or heartburn. I don't weigh myself everyday either. Just taking it day by day!

Try softer Proteins, you will be able to eat more and get more Protein....cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, tuna salad, refried Beans, spam, skim milk, split pea Soup, cheese, eggs. As for Protein shakes, which ones have you tried? There's dozens and dozens of different brands and at least as many flavors. You don't have to stick with just the thick, sweet, chocolate/vanilla/strawberry ones. The RTD shakes would make me gag, but I learned to dilute them with milk and have tried at least 15 different products to find the ones I like. I'm enjoying a cherry lemonade Syntax nectar Protein Drink on ice right now. There are also pea protein, egg protein, hemp protein and sprouted seed protein products out there if it's the whey/milk that your body doesn't like. It's important for you to get your protein or your body will suffer. Even at 6 months I can't eat enough to meet goals without at least one shake /day.

And the Unjury unflavored can be added to anything (not boiling hot stuff), like yogurt, tuna salad, chicken salad, egg salad, and any liquid. I put it in my decaf iced coffee a lot. It dissolves completely & has no flavor. Yesterday I mixed it in a little homemade guacamole.

I am on my diet for a month, so end of April I will see if I can get my date. My diet isn't so bad. It is lean meats and raw veggies and only 2 protein shakes for breakfast and lunch. I am allowed snacks like nuts, sugerfree jello and greek yogurt. It's not so bad, but I'm tired of chicken lol

Even though you can tolerate more foods try to stick with protein shakes and yogurt for awhile. Until you can exercise regularly your metabolism will be slow. So even a few calories will result in gains if they are not being burned. It took me 6 months to get my appetite where solid food didn't make me sick. That's when the exercise has to be a focus. Even a short walk per day helps. Also light free weights for th arms. As little as 5 pounds workd

I have a vitamix and love love love it!! A recipe I just made yesterday was orange creme total lean 25 protein powder with Greek vanilla yogurt and a splash of light vanilla almond milk and put into popcicle makers for a delish protein pack treat!

Almost 4 weeks out? Be very careful. I choked on a small piece of soft chicken at 5 weeks, and stayed on pureed 2 more weeks. You can do anything you want Nikki, but I recommend sticking to soft foods, such as bisque, yogurt, string cheese to nibble, a scrambled or boiled egg, refried Beans, etc. You can always add unflavored Protein powder to yogurt, or better yet, take a few Premier Protein shakes and you are good to go. They will satisfy you and you will not have time to worry about eating. Pack a small cooler with your go to foods. I could not eat lettuce until 3 months post surgery and love the salads now. You will be amazed that food will not be the focus of your vacation! Have fun!

Hello Roman1, It's not uncommon for folks to start an intolerance to milk based products and have to switch to soy based. Have you tried a Protein shake made with soy vs made with whey? That would include your greek yogurt. From what my nutritionist says it's not that we'll never be able to have milk based products again, it's just for some reason, the reaction from the stomach is an intolerance to lactaid. So lactaid free milk, soy milk, almond milk...all with no sugar added are better choices. Best bet would be to call your nutritionist or bariatric center for some suggestions. Hope your stomach feels better soon!

I feel hungry but try to figure out what I want to eat and it's just too much trouble. After I come home from work out in the mornings I need to eat but often don't feel like COOKING anything. Seems like everything needs to be COOKED. I don't want to COOK! I just want some Cereal or something. Don't know what cereal we can have because our Nut says no cereal. I'm tired of eggs. Can't eat breads. Sick of yogurt. So I usually just drink a Premiere and get it over with even though our Nut says no more Protein drinks. Well, screw her. Eating is overrated. So is drinking. Today I forgot to eat again. Saw it was after 2pm. Oh snap! Ate a couple pieces of turkey jerkey. Meh, that's good enough. ::sigh:: now it's dinner time. Made a roast but it tastes gross. Not eating it. Sick of chicken, plus it gets stuck and then I have to make myself throw up so I can eat the rest of my dinner. Maybe I'll just drink another Premiere. Actually, I forgot to drink any today. Any liquids. oops. I haven't been very good with the liquids AT ALL. Gross. And they make you have to pee all the time. So annoying. But, I have to get back on track and eat regularly and drink. Does beer count? I really want a beer. I'm not much of a beer drinker but been craving it. Tried SF Root Beer. So gross. Anything SF tastes gross to me. Tried a half of non-sf root beer sno cone. SO divine! Felt sick after. No more non-sf sno cones for me. booooooo (but it's a good thing ) Tried sushi a few weeks ago. Was. Not. Good. Well, I mean it tasted super good but didn't feel so good in my tummy. Not sure if it was because I ate too many or because of the rice. I'm scared to try it again. Just ate an apple with Peanut Butter. 2nd try. Still not good in my tummy. gurgle gurgle wanna hurl. Pik, sure glad to hear you are doing better Have you been able to get off any of your meds since surgery? I'm off of my cholesterol med, half of my bp med, no more heart burn med and since stupid "top in the state" bariatric Dr doesn't do blood work on his patients until 6 months after surgery I got our family Dr to run the whole vitamin/mineral, thyroid, hormones, and whatever else panel the other day. Need to see how those B's and D and thyroid are doing. He's also running an arthritis panel because my joints hurt. They hurt worse when I drink SF liquids which I don't do anymore. oh Pik, I also had a 3 wk stall. UGH. My family dr asked how I broke it. Told him I pood. LOL! (sorry, TMI but true!) Seriously! That only happens once a week so he said I can take Colace or the like every day and eat Fiber. Isn't there a fiber pill or something? ugh LOL

Hello all, I'm 2 weeks after surgery now and I still can not hold down any Protein shakes or Greek yogurts and have been living on a product called Isopure which is a Water with 40 grams of protein. Has anyone else encountered a hard time with protein products? My stomach reacts violently to any shake and I can not handle the yogurts after just a few days.

I was sleeved on March 18 in Pennsylvania. My 2 week pre-op diet was a protein shake for breakfast and lunch. Dinner was a reasonable dinner with protein first. I was also allowed two snacks per day which was Greek Yogurt Lite or protein bar. I lost six pounds on the pre-op diet and to date have lost 22 lbs. It sounds like each doctor or weight loss center has different guidelines.

Congrats audnmac8, I'm on day 5. I also am not allowed yogurt or pudding. It's gotten a little bit easier but it's still a huge struggle. All I keep thinking is just 10 more to go. stay strong

Large applesauce-no sugar, Greek yogurt,flavor is OK, but no fruit chunks, prune juice, children's Tylenol melts, healthy choice tortilla soup. Other clear fruit juices, no sugar, but don't go overboard. Dessert size plates, I got disposable seasonal ones that cheer me up.

I was on Clear liquids for the first two days post op. I was able to take in very little at first. Isopure drinks found at GNC have a lot of Protein, however, I could not stand the taste. broth went down easy for me. As I transitioned to puree, I recommend refried Beans and I was allowed mashed potatoes with Protein powder mixed in. I LOVE unjury protein powder. It comes in several flavors. And as far as yogurt, I just finished a Dannon light and fit greek yogurt in Boston cream pie. To me, these are just the right size. Greek yogurt has more than double the protein content than regular yogurt. You can't beat 80 calories and 12g protein and 9 carbs. You may find that your taste has changed once post op. Some things that I liked pre op I no longer like/crave. Hope this helps some! Jessica

I travel on weekends alot and what works for me is a small cooler packed with some essentials, greek yogurt, cheesesticks, chicken breast chunks (I don't mind it cold) and then I have recently become addicted to Cocoa dusted almonds, that are great and have some protein, also boiled eggs are good if you like them, hope it helps and enjoy your vacay!

I was banded on Feb. 9th by Dr. Ortiz in Mexico. Oh my goodness this was such a great experience!!! I just loved his staff and everything else about his clinic. I am back at work today with a little bit of pain at my incisions. I'm sitting alot so I feel slightly uncomfortable but nothing that I can't deal with. The liquid diet is going good so far. However, I can start drinking yogurt tomorrow and then Protein shakes and other soft stuff by day 8. I think everything will be okay. The mental hunger is there when I smell food but I am trying to kick that habit. This band will help me do that since I CAN NOT CHEW anything until day 21. I am feeling great!! I don't plan to weight myself anytime soon. I want to feel the change in my clothes first. I might weigh myself after one month or at my first fill (if or when neccessary). Good luck to you!!!

style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#d8dde8;color:#5a5a5a;font:normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif;position:relative;"> Hey BariatricPal Members! How are you doing on those New Year’s resolutions? It’s easy enough for them to get lost in the shuffle as everyone gets back to regular life after the holiday season. There’s one place that’ll help you keep your head in the game, though. That’s BariatricPal. This newsletter can help you get back on track or more motivated to stay on track. Here’s what to expect. Member Polls: Share Your Views! Member Spotlight: Meet BLERDgirl! Fueling Up for the Day: Getting a High-Protein Breakfast Weight Loss and Knee Pain: Another Reason to Get Bariatric Surgery? After you get through the newsletter, come on over to BariatricPal and talk about your goals, progress, setbacks, and recipes. The community could be just what you need to meet your goals in 2015! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Member Polls: Share Your Views! The Member Polls Forum is a hot place at BariatricPal! It’s a place where you can give your opinions on almost anything, and find out what other BariatricPal members think about the same things. When you weigh in on a topic, don’t forget you can explain your answer in the conversation after you mark it in the list of options. Here are a couple of the current hot topics. Check them out on the forums! How Do You Feel About Eating Out after Weight Loss Surgery? Restaurant meals…they may be a great social opportunity and include some delicious food, but they can be a nightmare after weight loss surgery. Portions are too big, the food isn’t always on your diet, and the people with you don’t always understand your restrictions. How do you deal with restaurants after weight loss surgery? See how other BariatricPal members deal with them, too. Maybe you’ll get a few good ideas about eating out after weight loss surgery. How Did You Find and Choose Your Bariatric Surgeon? You can learn a lot of practical information from hanging out on the Polls forum. For example, if you’re thinking about weight loss surgery and still need to choose a surgeon, check out the poll asking members how they found and chose their surgeon. We won’t spill the Beans here, but there are a lot of good ways to choose a weight loss surgeon! Insure Nutrition We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Exciting News – We're welcoming unjury and Opurity to BariatricPal! BariatricPal is proud and excited to announce two new sponsors for our newsletters. The new sponsors are Unjury, a supplier of wonderful tasting, highest quality protein supplements, and Opurity (from the makers of UNJURY), highest purity Vitamin supplements for bariatric surgery patients. Their support lets us keep BariatricPal newsletters coming to you each month. Unjury was founded by a master’s degree dietitian who has been helping patients since 1974. It is committed your health. You know the importance of getting enough protein after weight loss surgery, but you also know that meeting your protein goals can be challenging. Unjury makes your task not just easier but actually enjoyable. Product flavors include Chocolate Splendor, Chocolate Classic, Vanilla, Strawberry Sorbet, chicken Soup Flavor, and Unflavored. These ready-to-use protein powders come in single-serve and multi-serve containers, and contain high-quality whey protein to keep you full and nourished. Launched in 2007, Opurity is dedicated to using the purest ingredients in its supplements. Opurity Bariatric Multivitamins have two unique big advantages: First, each multivitamin requires only one tablet per day*. Second, Opurity is so dedicated to quality that it is unique in using no ingredients from China. Choose from chewable orange-berry multivitamins for gastric bypass and gastric sleeve patients or for lap-band patients.Opurity also sells chewable calcium, vitamin D and folic acid/vitamin B-12 chewables. All supplements come with a 100% satisfaction guaranteed. They return policy is: “Yes you can return it.” Support from Unjury and Opurity helps us continue to bring you the services you enjoy on BariatricPal, so please support these two brands! When looking for your bariatric surgery supplements, first visit Unjury.com and Opurity.com. Purchasing from these companies helps support BariatricPal. Thanks to Unjury and Opurity for your generous sponsorship, and thanks to BariatricPal members who support our partnership! *You still need calcium and sublingual B-12. Member Spotlight: Meet BLERDgirl! This month, we are delighted to feature BLERDgirl from Philadelphia! Like many other weight loss surgery patients, BLERDgirl had always been overweight, growing from a pudgy toddler to a chubby teen to an overweight adult. She was always popular and active, though, and it wasn’t until she became morbidly obese that her weight interfered with her quality of life. She could no longer breathe easily while skiing at altitude, couldn’t fit in airplane sits, and didn’t enjoy traveling abroad where “things are designed for smaller people.” BLERDgirl still didn’t have obesity-related comorbidities, although she does have her share of health concerns, started with a long list of allergies to foods and medications. She battled uterine cancer 10 years ago, and had to get a hysterectomy that left her with a spastic bladder. She tore her meniscus skiing in 2008. A bout with facial shingles left her with facial nerve damage called trigeminal neuralgia. Most recently, she developed vertigo, which leaves her feeling dizzy. Throughout this period, BLERDgirl gained and lost 35 to 50 pounds multiple times. BLERDgirl had a friend who was doing well with gastric bypass surgery, and she investigated and eventually settled on gastric sleeve. The surgery wasn’t easy because of her allergies. She was also a high-risk case because of her weight of 400 pounds at a height of 5’3”. BLERDgirl was also concerned about her diet, since she is a vegetarian – no meat, chicken, or fish – and almost vegan – no yogurt, cheese, or eggs. Still, she got the surgery in September of 2014, and has since lost 48 pounds. BLERDgirl suspected that losing some weight would help with some of her conditions, and it looks like she was right. Since getting the surgery, she has gone for over 3 months without an allergic reaction – compare that to less than a week without a reaction before surgery – and has enjoyed a more dependable bladder and more energy. Other great moments include waking up pain-free after surgery, and losing weight quickly so far. BLERDgirl says she has a good support group that meets in person, but she also wanted to be able to chat with other bariatric patients. She has found friends on BariatricPal, and enjoys sharing ideas and encouragement with them. To members struggling with their weight, BLERDgirl suggests following your plan. She also says to make sure you do your research before choosing a surgeon and surgery, and to read up on good nutrition. Finally, exercise. Whether it’s sitting or standing, everyone can do some exercise. Thanks, BLERDgirl, for being in our member spotlight! Congratulations on your progress. We are excited to continue your journey with you! Let us know if you would like to be in the Member Spotlight section of the newsletter or there is a member you would like to see featured. Post in the Member Spotlight Forum or send a private message (PM) to Alex Brecher. It doesn’t matter if you’re at goal weight or pre-surgery – you have a unique story, and we want to hear it! Weight Loss and Knee Pain: Another Reason to Get Bariatric Surgery? Knee pain can be part of a vicious cycle when you are obese. Your knees hurt, so you don’t feel like exercising. Instead of exercising, you eat. Or you feel bad, so you eat. You gain weight, and your knees can’t take the extra strain. So they hurt. And you stop exercising. The cycle continues. Risks of Knee Replacement Surgery It gets worse, too. When you are carrying around so much extra weight, treating knee pain is much more difficult. For example, knee replacement surgery is a riskier operation that may not work as well as in normal-weight individuals. Obese patients have a higher risk of infections, blood clots, and cardiac events during surgery. And, the replacement knee can wear out faster. Bariatric Surgery to Reduce Knee Pain? If this sounds familiar, you may be wondering whether there’s hope. There is. It turns out that bariatric surgery doesn’t just lower your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and similar obesity-related conditions. Losing weight after weight loss surgery also helps reduce knee pain. In a review article published in the December 2014 edition of the journal “Obesity Reviews,” researchers looked at 3,837 patients and found knee pain and stiffness decreased, while knee function tended to increase. The reasons are simple. First, you’re putting too much stress on your knees when you force them to carry around extra pounds. Second, obesity can make you turn and twist differently than a normal weigh person, and this puts unusual strain on the knee. Something Else to Consider While Weighing Your Options If you’ve been suffering from knee pain for years, you may be thinking about knee surgery. At the same time, if you’ve been trying to lose weight for years, bariatric surgery may be in your future. It’s worth asking your doctor if you should try bariatric surgery before putting your knee under the knife. You just might save yourself the trouble of surgery for your knee, or at least make that knee surgery more effective if you lose weight first. Fueling Up for the Day: Getting a High-Protein Breakfast You learned in Weight Loss Surgery 101 that protein is the most important nutrient. It helps you stay full, keeps your muscles, hair, skin, and nails healthy, and supports your immune system. Protein should be the first nutrient you choose at each meal. Is it? As the year gets underway and you get back into your regular routine, take a look at your breakfasts, Are you making sure to include one to two high-protein foods in each one? Or are you using lack of time as an excuse to skip breakfast or grab a sugary or starchy pastry that’ll wreak havoc on your blood sugar and hunger levels? Busy or Not, Include One to Two Servings of Protein You don’t need a lot of time to have a healthy, high-protein breakfast. There are plenty of quick breakfasts to try. After choosing your protein, add in a fruit or vegetable, or a serving of starch. If you use any fat, make sure it’s a healthy one, such as Peanut Butter or olive oil, and not saturated. Here are a few breakfast ideas. Oatmeal pancakes made with cottage cheese, served with Greek yogurt. Egg whites and cheese on a whole-grain English muffin half. Oatmeal made with Protein Powder, served with apples and cinnamon. omelet with spinach, tomatoes, and low-fat feta cheese. Scrambled eggs served with turkey bacon and melon. Hot oat bran Cereal served with low-fat turkey sausage. Turn Disaster into Triumph Things always come up. No matter how hard you plan, it’s possible that you may find yourself leaving home without breakfast. As you pull up into the drive-through or coffee shop parking lot, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, focus on the healthy foods you could have. An egg white and ham sandwich – skip the bread. Reduced fat yogurt and fresh fruit salad or an apple or orange. Half of a whole-wheat bagel and peanut butter. Cereal and skim milk. Your healthy breakfast gets your day started on the right foot, so don’t miss out! That’s all we’ve got for this newsletter. Keep up the good work on those New Year’s resolutions, and keep sharing your journey with us over at BariatricPal.

Happy Halloween from BariatricPal!#subject#> body,div,dl,dt,dd,ul,ol,li,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,pre,form,fieldset,input,textarea,p,blockquote,th,td { margin:0; padding:0; } table { border-collapse:collapse; border-spacing:0; } fieldset,img { border:0; } address,caption,cite,code,dfn,th,var { font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; } caption,th { text-align:left; } h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { font-size:100%; font-weight:normal; } q:before,q:after { content:''; } abbr,acronym { border:0; } address{ display: inline; } html, body { background-color: #d8dde8; color: #5a5a5a; } body { font: normal 13px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; position: relative; } h3, strong { font-weight: bold; } em { font-style: italic; } img, .input_check, .input_radio { vertical-align: middle; } legend { display: none; } table { width: 100%; } td { padding: 3px; } a { color: #225985; text-decoration: none; } a:hover { color: #328586; } div.outer { margin: 0 auto; padding: 14px; } table.wrap { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; } td.logo { background-color: #0f3854; padding: 8px; } td.content { background-color: #fff; font-size: 14px !important; color: black !important; line-height: 150% !important; padding: 8px; } ul { margin-left: 25px; } Hey BariatricPal Members! Happy Halloween! It’s time to enjoy a few scares and spooks and a lot of fun, but how is that possible when you are trying to lose weight? This newsletter has a few tips that can help you enjoy yourself this Halloween and in the coming months, and keep the results from showing up on the scale. Here’s what we have: Surviving Halloween as a Weight Loss Surgery Patient Scary Good Treats from The BariatricPal Store The Start of the Eating Season (Or Not) Thanks for reading the newsletter and being part of the BariatricPal community. Don’t forget to login to share your healthy Halloween tips and get some healthy inspiration when you need it, and have a safe and happy Halloween! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Surviving Halloween as a Weight Loss Surgery Patient Halloween is one of the hardest times for bariatric patients. You’re sure to see candy nearly everywhere, and you may not see much else. How are you supposed to pass up the sugar while still having fun and getting in your Protein? It may not be easy, but you can do it. Go with a Plan Plan ahead, just like you do in the rest of your post-op life. If you are going to a party, plan to drink ice Water for most of the time. Set yourself up far from the buffet table, and talk to everyone you can to keep your mind off of the food. Also, remember to fend for yourself instead of depending on the party far. Bring a dish or two to share to make sure you have something healthy to eat for when you are hungry. These are some fun Halloween ideas. String cheese Fingers with half-sticks of string cheese being the fingers, and grape tomato halves filling in as the fingernails. Drizzle tomato sauce for blood if you like. Candy Corn Fruit Plate with three layers: each representing a color of the traditional candy corn. The bottom of the triangle can be a yellow fruit such as pineapple chunks; the middle stripe can be an orange fruit such as orange wedges or cut cantaloupe; the white tip can be banana slices or even cottage cheese for dipping. You can also make this with veggies! Banana Ghosts using banana halves for the ghost and blueberries, peanuts, or pieces of Protein Cereal for the eyes and mouth. Tangerine Pumpkins using a peeled tangerine for the pumpkin body, and a piece of celery stuck in the center as the stem. Stay Busy without Eating If you are trick-or-treating, there are all kinds of ways you can stay busy without diving into the kids’ loot. Keep yourself busy by helping out any children who need it, whether they are yours or anyone else’s in the neighborhood. Fix their makeup and costumes, help them cross the street safely whenever necessary, and hold the littlest ones’ hands if they get scared. Practice the One and Done Actually, practice it twice! For your first “one and done” trick, choose one piece of candy, assuming that you are up to eat solids foods on your post-op diet, and assuming you know that you can handle a sugary piece of candy without feeling sick or reaching for another 10 pieces. For your second “one and done,” remember that Halloween is one night. The leftover candy from what you handed out to trick-or-treaters or that your children collected needs to go on November 1. Otherwise, if you keep it around the house, you risk munching on it, well, possibly up until Thanksgiving! No, thanks! Donate the leftover candy to your local school or church. Throw unwanted leftovers away (really, the trash can wears the calories better than you do). If you allow your children to continue to eat their trick-or-treating loot, have them stash it away out of your eyesight so you are not tempted to eat it. Scary Good Treats from The BariatricPal Store Treats with a Little Trick Trick or treat! It’s fun to gather all kinds of candies, but you know the damage to your waistline. The calories pile on, the sugar leads to more carb cravings and possibly dumping syndrome, and the fat clogs your arteries. Who needs those kinds of effects when you can turn to treats from The BariatricPal Store? Our little trick is to change up the nutritionals to bump up the protein and dial down the calories, sugar, and fat. Instead of grabbing a candy bar next time, try one of these little treats: Caramel Coated Protein Puffs Snacks with 150 calories and 15 grams of protein. chocolate & Caramel Crispy Bites with 160 calories and 12 grams of protein. White Chocolate Dream Bar with 170 calories, 10 grams of protein, and 5 grams of Fiber. Peanut Butter and Smooth Caramel Crisp Bar with 140 calories, 15 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber. You may not even miss your favorite candy bar. Grab the Best Deals! We’re celebrating the 1-year anniversary of the opening of The BariatricPal Store, and you will come out the winner! We’re constantly increasing our inventory, so check our new products regularly. Are you new to our store? Just use coupon code BPNEWSLETTER10 when you check out for a 10% discount off your entire purchase cost! The Start of the Eating Season (or Not) On guard! Halloween marks the unofficial start to the holiday season. Festive though it may be, the holidays can mean trouble for your weight loss plan. Leftover Halloween candy in the home and office. Thanksgiving…a four-day eating marathon in itself. Christmas Cookies, fudge, fruitcakes, and candy canes. Holiday parties with friends, family, and coworkers. Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. And more… The bottom line is that there may be food wherever you turn, and you can’t give in each time if you want to stay on track with your weight loss goals. Here are a few tips to help you get through this time. Practice saying “no.” “No, thank you.” “No, thanks, my doctor says I can’t eat that.” “No, thanks, I’m not hungry right now.” Have your own healthy substitutes ready. You can save hundreds of calories by making yourself some Protein Cocoa instead of ordering it with your friend or coworkers at a coffee shop, or by munching on a Chocolate Wafer Protein Bar instead of a few squares of fudge. Eat regularly to keep cravings down. Instead of letting yourself get too hungry so that you risk overdoing it when it is time to eat, keep healthy and quick meals and snacks on hand. Canned tuna, washed and cut fruits and vegetables, nuts, yogurt, and protein bars are just a few ideas. Change your goals slightly to be more realistic. You may lose weight a little more slowly during these months, and that’s okay. Scour the table before serving yourself. Often, there is a high-protein choice that can work for you, such as roast beef or ham, even if it is not the healthiest in the world. Plan an occasional treat when you know something spectacular is coming up. It might be a cookie from your aunt’s annual Christmas delivery, or some cornbread stuffing. Plan to have a bite to satisfy yourself so you do not feel deprived or, on the other hand, go overboard. The holiday season is long for weight loss surgery patients, since temptations are everywhere and these are foods that you may have enjoyed in the past. Still, you can get through it right on track by being a little cautious and planning ahead whenever possible. Have a safe and healthy Halloween this year! Enjoy every minute of it, and come tell us about it on the boards at BariatricPal! · Unsubscribe from all BariatricPal E-Mail.

I am paying for it private as the NHS advised it could take up to 3 years!!! Not started the pre op yet due to start next week, it consists of 3 pint of semi skimmed milk, 2 yogurts an 2l of water a day by the look of it I was given the option of both also and like yourself i felt the bypass was a bit too much so i opted for the sleeve as its less intrusive. Where about in the Uk are you from?

I haven't at all. I am still progressing my diet as my doctor orders. They have a strict method of gettimg back to all foods. So far, no nausea or vomitting. I eat cottage cheese, soup, eggs, pudding, yogurt, oatmeal, etc. Much better than clear liquids! I add things back in every week. Jill

I was @ the doctor's today for my final approval and there is an enormous amount of misinformation, between the doctor and the nurse. (Go figure). My surgery is Feb 7. Now they say I can add yogurt, but, one of them said limit dairy. I explained that the protein shakes I make are milk based. So, I am on info overload. Additionally, I was supposed to find no sodium broth, not low sodium. My friends/family that have already done this surgery provide much more info. than the hospital performing the procedure. Example: they have me scheduled for bariatric group on the day of my surgery. They make me nervous because I have to remind them of too many blunders.

Congrats and good luck! Stock up on protein shakes, greek yogurt and gas-x strips!

I am lucky to eat most my meals at work and they usually have some type of meat that I can eat. If not there is soup and the good old favorite cottage cheese. If I buy any food for days off/snack it is usually Greek yogurt. I am bad about not getting in enough protein so I have to start buying drinks and bars to help.