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I live off of fat free greek yogurt and deviled eggs made with fat free mayo

I remember my first frozen yogurt too, it was from Costco, day 5, out Christmas shopping that day. awwwww.

I had my first meeting with my NUT on Tuesday which also officialy marked day 1 of 90 to be approved by my insurance. I expected to be given a TON of information, including a program to follow during the next 90 days, I was underwhelmed and honestly a bit disappointed. I answered questions I'd already answered at the original consult with the surgeon and was not provided with anything more than generic information I'd already learned on my own with the help of Google. I had to straight up ask her what I need to be doing the next 90 days and how much they'd like me to lose. I was told that as long as I don't gain anything I'm good, and if I see I'm up a pound or 2 soon before the 90 day appointment, to give her a call and she'll guide me through a Protein diet for a day or so to shed those few pounds. I have been on Weight Watchers for a while but "fell of the wagon" in the last few weeks since I thought starting Tuesday, I'd be really getting into this new program. She said I should just get back on track with that, which I guess I'll do, but I also want to start incorporating post-op routines so it isn't a total shock to my system. I want to start trying Protein shakes to get a feel for what I may like. I also have a hard time getting lunch in, so I was thinking I could use them as a Meal Replacement of sorts for the time being. Any advice on protein? Brands? Flavored vs. unflavored to add to yogurt? What other things should I start focusing on?

To start things off I will start witht the water thing. Try crystal light. That is my best friend, 5 calories and it is delicious. The problem with drinking fruit juice is it has a great deal of sugar, and carbs, basically empty calories. You can find many in light which is useful. You want to be careful because you do not want to drink all of your calories. Next you are probably more tight in the morning as most are because your stomach has not been working all night. Basically you need to wake your stomach up. Try yogurt, cottage cheese, oatmeal, something with protein. You are eating things that are easy to go down which leads to the problem of having our stomachs be "asleep". You should be trying things that are high in protein. Next you said yourself that you are eating things that are bad and high in salt, avoid that. You will not lose weight if that is all you are eating. Get in with a nutritionist, meet with your surgeon, but avoid things with empty calories. Also you said you are eating mostly between 5-8 pm. Studies show this is unhealty because your metabolism slows at night. Try and stop eating by 5 or 6 pm at night, not always possible, I know. Lastly, stay positive. You have been successful thus far and deserve to enjoy this period in your life. Keep your head up and ood luck.

Hello Everyone! This is actually my first post on LapBandTalk even though I have been a member since October! I have been reading tons of forums and soaking up all the advice and pointers. I think that it is amazing how open and supportive everybody on here is to eachother! So here goes my first post!... I was banded this past December and I have been progressing pretty well so far (50lbs down, started at 247, now at 197-199)...I have hit a plateau (same weight for about 2 months) and I know the only way to get out of it is to kick up my activity and curb my cravings..I am on my feet all day at work (I work in retail) climbing latters and lifting things, so when I get home from work I am usually pretty beat. Does anybody have any pointers on how to keep motivated or how to boost your energy level to still hit the gym after a long day at work? Also does anybody have any healthy snack suggestions? I usually snack on greek yogurt and cottage cheese when i get the urge to snack but recently I think I have been getting sick of the two and I have been chowing down on some sweets recently.. I know this is also another thing that is not helping this plateau! I'd appreciate some advice ! Thanks!! : )

I'm two days post-op and I'm actually surprised at how good I feel. It feels like I did about 500 sit-ups, my stomach is pretty sore, but other than that I feel great. I haven't felt one bit of hunger. I spent the first afternoon and full post-op day 1 sipping a protein drink and water, then today started in following the two weeks of liquids menu my surgeon/dietician gave me. Breakfast called for 8 ounces of Greek Yogurt. I got about 4 ounces in and felt full. It was an amazing feeling! Before the band I would NEVER feel full. It was a different feeling - it was more in my chest than my stomach, but I felt the signal and at the first sign I knew to stop. I'm comitted to being a good bandster, so I'm following the rules to a T. Tomorrow I'm set to go back to work and I think I'll be fine. The surgeon said as long as I felt okay, going back 3 days post-op would be okay. My post-op appointment is May 30th and this morning I weighed in at 222.4. I would love nothing more to be in the 215ish range when I see the surgeon, so it's time to step up the exercise.

I was just wondering what it feels like to you guys when your food is going through your band? I don't really feel it. I am feeling a lot of tightness in my throat muscles. It is like a lot of tension. I don't really know how else to explain it. I have been feeling a bit tighter lately. I am having a hard time getting coffee down in the morning, but if I wait about an hour longer I can get down a fruit/yogurt smoothie just fine. I think you might be too tight if a warm Fluid in the morning is too much to handle. Later in the day it is a bit easier to eat, but I know that is pretty common. I am just wondering if anyone else experiences that muscle tightness or if you guys think I might be too tight. Any time that drinking fluids is a problem, being overfilled is the likely culprit. I have been at the same fill level since the end of June and I am just now questioning the fill. I only give fills 4 weeks to settle down, because the longest time I have heard of for a delayed-action fill to kick in was four weeks. I don't want to just run back to my fill doc. It's a 3 hour drive and it costs $200. Plus, I don't want to end up regretting an unfill and feel too lose. The answer for that is getting TINY fills and unfills. That's hard for you because of time/distance/money. However, if I continue to feel discomfort I will probably go. I am just going to give it some time first. I think you have given it enough time already. The following is from a post that I wrote a long time ago: "How does a Lap-Band actually work?" This may help you in understanding the restrictive mechanism of a Lap-Band. The INAMED protocol for Lap-Band fills calls for a six-week delay after surgery, prior to any fills. The purpose for the six-week delay is for the patient’s stomach to heal from the surgery, as well as allowing time for the Lap-Band to “Seat” or “Nestle” into the fat pad between the stomach wall and the interior wall of the Lap-Band. Prior to receiving an EFFECTIVE fill, it is VERY uncommon to have any restriction from a Lap-Band. Some patients will NOT lose weight, or may even GAIN weight until they have received an effective fill in their Lap-Band. Normal weight loss with a properly restricted Lap-Band is between 1 and 2 pounds per week. The normal cycle of fills, restriction and weight loss is as follows: 1. The patient's Lap-Band constricts when the patient receives a fill. Swelling for a few days after receiving a fill is very common. Many doctors require a patient to go on a liquid diet for a day or two after receiving a fill. A fill may have a “Delayed Action” of up to two weeks. A “Delayed-Action” means that the fill may not become effective for up to two weeks after the fill. That is why the INAMED protocol states that fills should not be performed on patients who will not have access to medical care for at least two weeks after a fill. 2. The patient's stomach capacity is lessened as a result of the restriction caused by the Lap-Band. 3. The patient loses weight because they cannot eat as much food. 4. The residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the outside of the patient's stomach reduces in size because of the overall weight loss in the patient. 5. The reduction of the residual fat-pad causes the Lap-Band to become loose again. 6. At that point, the patient needs another fill, because the Lap-Band is loose, and the patient has a loss of restriction, which allows the patient to eat larger amounts of food. 7. The patient receives another fill and the process starts all over again. Most Lap-Band patients receive several fills to adjust the Lap-Band as their weight loss progresses, and there is less and less residual fat-pad between the inside of the Lap-Band and the exterior of the stomach wall. Once a patient has lost all of their residual fat-pad, fills become less common. As the Lap-Band patient progresses in their weight loss, the effect of very tiny fills (Less than .2ccs) becomes greater and greater. It is not uncommon for a late-stage Lap-Band patient to experience a significant difference in restriction with as little as .05cc of fill.

I was just wondering what it feels like to you guys when your food is going through your band? I am feeling a lot of tightness in my throat muscles. It is like a lot of tension. I don't really know how else to explain it. I have been feeling a bit tighter lately. I am having a hard time getting coffee down in the morning, but if I wait about an hour longer I can get down a fruit/yogurt smoothie just fine. Later in the day it is a bit easier to eat, but I know that is pretty common. I am just wondering if anyone else experiences that muscle tightness or if you guys think I might be too tight. I have been at the same fill level since the end of June and I am just now questioning the fill. I don't want to just run back to my fill doc. It's a 3 hour drive and it costs $200. Plus, I don't want to end up regretting an unfill and feel too lose. However, if I continue to feel discomfort I will probably go. I am just going to give it some time first. Any comments out there?

Pickled or deviled eggs, chicken salad, cottage or ricotta cheese with a tablespoon of sugar free peach, cherry, strawberry, or blueberry preserves/jam, cold kielbasa, steak, marinated or sugar free barbecue chicken thighs, cold roast beef, ham or lamb, prosciutto, smoked salmon, cold salmon or tuna in Dreamsfield (low carb) pasta salad, any meat/fish in George Forman grill, Atkins or Reset low carb whey-based protein drink, low carb yogurt, small amount of nuts, cheese or beans, iced-coffee with milk/cream, cream cheese.

I eat different things every day but I'm basically a 3 meals a day eater, but I eat a cup or so at a time. Breakfast yesterday was a half cup of vanilla yogurt with a few tablespoons of granola on top. lunch was two sushi rolls (about 4 inches long each), I had a fair bit of trouble with that much rice. In the afernoon, I did eat a couple of Cookies that I'd baked for the kids. dinner last night was vegetable lasagne, I had a piece about four inches square. I had a glass of wine too. I'm maintaining now, I'm no low carber but I wouldnt really have eaten rice and Pasta on the same day whilst I was losing. I virtually never eat bread, just dont like it much anymore. I dont count Protein though - I guess all I got yesterday was whatever was in the yogurt and a bit from the tuna in the sushi and the low fat ricotta cheese in the lasagne - but other days I might have a piece of chicken or steak, it evens out over time.

I didn't do protein shakes once I could eat real food. All of my protein came from the real food. I made jello with fruit flavored protein--Jay Robb Pina Colada protein goes great with lime, orange or raspberry jello--but a lot of the protein came from eggs, which I ate every day in one form or another; plain Greek yogurt, Fage, which tastes like sour cream; nonfat cheese; various meats; nonfat refried beans; and the like.

An Atkins like diet is very doable with the Lapband. My Dr has me on protein shakes, lean proteins & non starchy veggies, so everything is low carb. I probably stay right around 20 carbs a day. During the mushy stage I ate a lot of canned chicken mixed with a little nonfat greek yogurt & Franks red hot sauce, and a very well blended veggie (baby food consistency). Now that I have been eating solid foods for a while I have no problems sticking to a low carb diet, only difference then Atkins is that I also try to stay pretty low fat as well. Good Luck!

I think they are doing a better job than they used to but you should check out some of the food labels for the "healthy" choices. McDonalds salads are loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. McDonalds Yogurt is loaded with suger (but it's good! <g>) There is a sub place, I'm drawing a blank! It starts with a C. They have tuna salad, one serving is 1000 calories. It's hard, restaurants are in the business to sell things that taste good and fat and/or sugar is what makes things taste good. One would think tuna or yogurt would be good choices but they really aren't. It's hard, if you are in a rush and stop at a fast food joint it is VERY hard to make good choices.

Congratulations on taking steps to get healthier! I think your plan to add more Protein is a good one especially as the meal replacement. Protein drinks are tricky because everyone has their own taste and that can change drastically after this surgery so I would not invest a fortune in powders and such. Also if you are a busy person and do not want to fool around with blender cups or actual blenders I would recommend giving Premier Protein ready made shakes a try. They are excellent for post surgery as well. There is no grit, no nasty taste, in fact they are actually very good. They have 30 grams of protein in 1 shake, 1 gram of sugar and are 160 calories. I turned to them post surgery when I could not tolerate most of the whey protein powders. My nut suggested them and I am thrilled she did. You can get them in smaller packs at Walmart and Walgreens or you can buy them at a higher discounted rate and larger quantities at Sam's and costco. Some of the others that are more tolerable is the syntax nectars. These are a powder and you need to use a blender cup to ensure you don't end up with that grit. Leverage things like yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts and seeds to help boost your protein as well. Focus your meals on lower carb, high protein. Leverage good carbs like fruit and vegetables. Stay away from bread, Pasta, rice, white potatoes. Leverage Beans, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, carrots, cauliflower.....pretty much any vegetables you love. Salads with some protein make an excellent well balanced meal, just watch your dressing to make sure it is not loaded with too much sugar. The goal is to remove as much sugar and bad carbs from your diet. Remove all processed foods from your house. They are not something you will be able to eat after surgery. Honestly they are so very bad for us. If you drink caffeine or alcohol you might want to stop that now because you will be required to at pre op diet and beyond. My nut had me practicing mindful eating, getting my Water intake up to 64oz. Per day, eating slowly, not drinking anything when you eat and removing all distractions. I hope some of this is helpful to you! Please keep us posted on your progress!

Thank u so much!!! I was getting worried because so many others here are having a hard time getting in fluids. And I certainly don't want to stretch my sleeve esp this early on. I was hoping it was just fluids passing through easily. I could never do that with thinned yogurt! Thanks again (-:

OOh, this is my favorite, and I actually quite enjoy it! OPTIMUM NUTRITION 100% Whey Protein Double Rich Chocolate 2lbs (makes 31 shakes) from www.allstarhealth.com. I think with shipping it cost about $16-17. And I think it arrived in 2 days. I mix one scoop (120 calories, 25 protein) with 3/4 cup light vanilla yogurt, 1/4 skim milk, 1/2 tablespoon natural peanut butter and sometimes a little frozen banana. Yum. So, this one is much better than the other ones I have tried before. Hope this helps! Olive

my program recommended chewable multis the first few weeks (although I still take chewable multis at over 2 years out). I just use Centrum chewable, or the generic equivalent (the latter is super cheap at CVS, especially when they go on sale, which is often). Some of the other vitamins I take are really small, so they were never a problem. Calcium pills tend to be huge, so I used (and still do) Upcal D (a powder which I mix into my morning yogurt) and calcium chews. Calcium *citrate* chews can be hard to find (although Vitamin Shoppe sometimes has them), but you can find them online.

well i think i have to wait till the purred stage for ricotta cheese. but cottage cheese is okay, right? and if so can you eat like sugar free jams with the yogurt and cottage cheese?

Banana-flavored Greek yogurt? Yes. It's by Dannon Light and Fit, I believe.

Congratulations....you r on a terrific road. I had my surgery almost 6 months ago.....down 104# this morning. A good thing for your gas pain.....heating pad! It has become my best friend. Since losing the body fat, I am cold more and snuggle with it often. I ate alot of popcicles, course with it being winter, it could make you cold. Just make sure you are getting lots and lots of protein, because by 3months out you will start noticing a little hair lose. Lots and lots of shakes. My only problem is I'm 20-30# away from goal and I added some carbs and I keep losing. I want to know how to stop. As for anyone with the loose bowel syndrome..........yogurt! Greek is the best it has more protein. Good Luck everyone and Merry Christmas!

I slowly started adding more fat and healthy carbs when I was within 10 pounds of my goal weight. Switched from skim milk to 1%, fat free cottage cheese to regular, 0% Greek yogurt to 2%, replaced some protein bars with whole grain bars and homemade granola, ate more fruit and nuts, allowed myself a few more deserts, etc. I lost another 20 pounds even after transitioning to a "maintenance diet". My body just found its new normal and I can pretty much keep myself within a 4-5 pound bounce range just by altering my carb intake up or down as needed. Basically eat whatever unless I hit the top end of my range then I go back to protein and veggie basics until I'm back to the bottom of my range. I still always get 60-80g protein, 64+ oz water, a variety of veggies and all my vitamins.

Hi Lori, I think we are all scared of failure, at certain times. Before having the surgery I wondered if I should just try again to lose weight on my own, if I would fail with the band, etc. I went through with it, had some quick success and then it slowed down. I started walking on the treadmill a couple weeks after surgery. At first I was winded walking 1.5 miles an hour, and now I'm walking a lot faster and have incorporated weights into my exercise. I found some high Protein things I really like (almonds, salmon, hummus, cottage cheese, greek yogurt used in dips or in place of sour cream--TONS of protein!). My weight loss has picked up recently and I am feeling great. I was (am) a grazer, so I am more successful when I can keep myself busy. Attitude is the biggest part of it for me though, even when I was stuck at 20 lbs. lost, I still was positive that it was 20 lbs. no longer on my body. I don't beat myself up if I want to have a Girl Scout cookie or have ice cream with my daughter. The lap band does help there, I don't need a lot of any food, so I am able to have 1 cookie or a little bit of ice cream. It does curb your appetite, especially when you eat good things that are high in protein. But I DO have to make an effort to have good things, most of the time. It's scary, alright! I'm even a little scared to change so much. But I'm doing it.

From smoothie Girl Eats Too Blog http://www.smoothiegirleatstoo.com/2010/11/moist-low-calorie-microwave-protein-fudge-muffins/ This is seriously AMAZING! I use the applesauce instead of the pumpkin and use 1 TBSP of coconut flour and 1 TBSP of Protein powder. I also have added a TBSP of sugar free pudding. I have made the chocolate below, vanilla using vanilla Protein Powder and SF vanilla pudding (adds 25 calories), and cheesecake using vanilla protein powder and cheesecake SF pudding. With the coconut flour, they are so light and delicious! I also just use a whole egg instead of egg whites (70 cal vs 30 cal), but that is just me. With my changes the stats are a little higher: Per Serving: 194Cal 23g Carbs 9g fat 15g protein 5g Fiber 6g sugar Note that I am 2.5 years post op. I can eat one of these, but it is VERY filling. Newer post ops might be able to do half if lucky! Ingredients: 2 Egg whites (**If using liquid egg whites use 1/2 cup and add 20 calories) 1/4 cup pumpkin (3 T applesauce or other starchy carb works well too!) 2 T coconut flour* (1 T also works, and results in 40 fewer calories) 1/2 tsp baking powder stevia or other granular sweetener to taste 1 T. cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special dark cocoa is best!) *(Edited to add: Hallie asked if whole wheat or peanut flours could sub for the coconut flour. I decided to do a test for those two and they both work. The whole wheat is not quite as moist; it’s a bit more chewy, but the peanut flour is very moist. All taste great. My fave is still coconut flour, but obviously you can use whatever you have on hand!). Also, some other subs for pumpkin or applesauce are bananas or yogurt which are quite good too. I love all the reader feedback! Method: Spray a Soup bowl with a very light layer of oil to prevent sticking (not even necessary but makes cleaning up a bit easier). Mix ingredients well with fork, whisk or spatula Microwave for 2:30-4+ min on High (depends on your microwave, altitude and the whim of the cupcake gods.)

I wish this was talked about more. These refined carbs are in everything, especially corn. If I eat something with refined corn, even something as small as a bite of yogurt, I will be hungry for days. And when I try to make sure that I don't accidentally eat it, people treat me like I'm a wacky health nut. Which is funny considering I'm 224 lbs.

I just started full liquids today so I'm just dreaming about the future.... lol Eggface (the website with all the great recipes) posted a 'master wrap list'. I don't have the link but I do have the info that I saved to a Word.doc. Some really great ideas!! Master Wrap List: Turkey, Swiss cheese, Avocado Chicken salad Tuna Salad chicken or Turkey, Grilled Veggies (zucchini or eggplant), Provolone (Hot or Cold) Chicken or Turkey, Provolone, Olive Tapenade (Hot or Cold) Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Caesar Dressing Grilled Chicken, Romaine Lettuce, Cilantro Yogurt Dip Turkey, Muenster Cheese, Hummus, Sprouts Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese, Cucumber, Dill Roast Beef, Swiss Cheese, Wasabi Mayo Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Coleslaw, Thousand Island Dressing Cannelini Bean Salad Goat Cheese, Pesto, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Olive Tapenade (Hot or Cold) Green (Pesto) eggs and Ham BLT with fresh Basil (Hot or Cold) Fresh Mozzarella, Basil, Tomatoes or Tomato Sauce (Hot or Cold) Leftover Beef, Chicken or Shrimp Fajitas or Stirfry (Hot or Cold) Turkey, Tomato, Herbed Spreadable Cheese, Baby Spinach (Hot or Cold) Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, Refried Beans Egg Salad and Baby Spinach Peanut Butter and SF Jelly (Hot or Cold) Cream Cheese flavored with some SF Torani strawberry Syrup and sliced banana (Hot or Cold) Peanut Butter and Mashed Banana (Hot or Cold) Here's a few of my latest creations. Check back I will be adding more to the list I'm sure. Tip: Not using your tortillas that quickly? You can freeze and then defrost them for later use. Just place them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment paper between each.