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OK so I know how important it is to follow your surgeons instructions. I have thus far. The very restrictive two week pre-op diet where I got no solid food whatsoever was horrible. However now I have an extremely detailed binder I got from the surgeons office. They have listed in detail my different phases in which I introduce foods. The first three days of course clear liquids. Then the third day it has me adding smooth greek yogurt light kind unsweetened applesauce and cream of wheat or cream if rice very thin. It says make three meals of this a day not to exceed more than 2 to 3 tablespoons. One week post op it has me adding these new things to the mix cottage cheese refried beans fat free and soft cooked eggs very very tiny portions of course then I add more things at 3 weeks. I am worried thus is to much to soon. I trust my Drs they perform more of these wls in the Midwest than any other center have been a center of excellence for years so why do I feel this way?

When I was on soft food I ate a lot of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese. I also had refried Beans pretty often. You can also still have liquids like Soups, puddings, and of course Protein shakes. A lot of folks like ricotta bake. I found it a little rich for my taste. I know it gets pretty boring but this phase will pass. Hang in there.

When I feel the desire to snack I eat Greek yogurt and P3 protein packs from Oscar Meyer. Don't give up. 60 pounds is wonderful!

I am doing about 110g of Protein a day on average, 150 on days when I lift weights (I throw in a Protein shake post workout). Been mixing in genpro (1/3 of a scoop) with yogurt and coffee and eggs at Breakfast. I'm keeping my hair and muscles.

Congrats on your new journey! Every plan is different, and every person reacts differently. At 7 days I was on full liquids (which includes yogurt, blended Soups, SF Jello, SF pudding/custard, etc). However a friend was on a different stage at this same point. I would check with your Dr or NUT to see exactly where they want you, but in my experience NO, you should not have potatoes or eggs yet. Hang in there though. You are healing & soon enough you will see the benefits of waiting it out.

I eat a variety of foods....greek yogurt, carnation instant breakfast made with milk, soups (not high calories) etc...what did/do you eat?

I started a restricted diet 2 weeks prior to surgery. The day before surgery is liquid only. A day on the restricted diet looks something like this: Breakfast - Carnation Instant Breakfast shake, no sugar added, medium piece of fruit; AM Snack - 1/4 cup 1% milk, 1/2 cup veggies; Lunch - 1/4 cottage cheese, 1/4 cup veggies; PM snack - medium size piece of fruit; Dinner - Another Carnation shake, 1/4 cup veggies; Bedtime snack - Plain Greek yogurt. There are a few variations I can work with, but this is pretty much it.

I am 4 weeks post-op and was told only chewable or liquid vitamins. I did try breaking the Bariatric Advantage ones in half and still was running to get it back up. I will try grinding into yogurt or something while I wait for liquid to come from Amazon. None of the doc's recommendations have helped so I thankful to have another place to ask questions. Many thanks.

I take so many pills it ruins the yogurt, I can't swallow right when I use yogurt. I'm weird. Now, I've been crushing them, putting them into two 1 ounce cups with Tim Hortons Hot decaf, strawberry flavored tea, stirring and swallowing. Then take some more sips of the tea. The heat in the tea seems to dissolve the pills better, no "crumbs". I just hate the crushing of all my pills, my fingers are going to get calloused by turning that darn crusher so hard. Even splitting the one pill is getting hard to do by hand. I hate the whole process.

Hello everyone. Ylluz so sorry you got your period. That really sucks. Everyone else looks to be doing ok. Yesterday was a tough one for me. Nausea and dry heaves all day til about 6. Feeling much better today. Got almost no sleep last night because of my roommate but I'll be out today and I can rest when I get home. Having very little pain and I was able to get breakfast down slowly. It was 2oz plain yogurt and a 4oz protein shake. Now I'm sipping water. Don't forget tosipsip sip!

@@sbacoleman - why are you doing chewable? I break mine in half or crush them and swallow or spinkle onto a spoon of yogurt (or SF pudding). I just recently finished my generic chewable flintstones they were getting gross to chew in the morning. I went to a generic Centrum adults under 50 (I am 52 but was told to take them) and I break them in half.

Good! I think that's a good amount. So I'm just preparing my mind to live off of yogurt, cottage cheese, protein shakes, and whatever else proforma Protein. I'm not even going to try to eat carbs or anything else. 4 ounces is NOT much so protein it is...

Does anyone else have Water going down more difficult than foods? I'm on mush and yogurt,Soups, cottage cheese, ricotta, mush meats whatever goes down just fine... But when I drink water you can feel it go down, down, get stuck, then dissipate down and fill the belly it's a weird uncomfortable sensation I think part of the problem is I drink too much and don't sip? But i feel so dehydrated when I sip like I'm not taking enough water, and sipping doesn't make me feel like I'm drinking water. I love water!! How much can you drink at a time?

I have been doing full liquids since Thursday of last week. I pretty much drink/eat every 2 hours 8:00 - 1/2 of Greek yogurt, 4-8 oz of Water 10:00 - 4oz premier Protein, 4-8 oz of water 12:00 - 4oz healthy request cream of chicken, 4-8 oz water 14:00 - 4oz Premier Protein, 4-8oz of water 16:00 - 1/2 no sugar added hot chocolate made with fat free milk, 4-8 oz of water 18:00 - 4 oz healthy request tomato Soup, 4-8 oz of water 20:00 - 4 oz premier protein, 4-8 oz of water Above is what I started out doing. As of today, I can get around 6oz of each down along with 3/4 of the yogurt. I hope this helps.

​Yes, but I have had a bit of trouble with it and have stuck with pureed mostly for quite a while and I just cannot eat enough to ever get 80g + of Protein I am supposed to get. I am still (usually) using 2 Protein shakes a day. It is getting a little better everyday (though today wasn't a great day), but I know it will get better. I think a lot of my issue is eating too fast or not chewing enough so I end up getting sick. Still I can only eat about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup at a time (depending on what it is) but if it is meat like chicken or turkey, I'm only getting about an ounce at a time which is only 7 or 8 g at each meal so clearly not enough. I eat a lot of dairy - yogurt, cheese, etc. but even then I increase that with Protein powder when I can. I don't know that I am normal though so don't be worried that is how it will be for you!

I started soups today and it was better! I feel like I'm having too much. What do you guys think? Breakfast 9:30: Carnation Breakfast Drink with Skim Milk 11:30: 4 oz soup 2pm: 4 oz Greek yogurt 5pm: 4 oz soup 7pm: 4 oz soup Water with crystal light throughout the day!

Awesome! You seem to be doing well! I'm still on the full liquid so I've only be eating cottage cheese, different low fat/low sodium Soups (no potato allowed, my fav????), and yogurt. It's going down well I haven't gotten sick once since surgery, just some discomfort when I swallow anything, I need to ask my doctor about that on my 2 week post op on Wednesday. That's when I'm hoping to get advanced to the soft foods stage! I have yet to really use the bathroom but once and it was uncomfortable to say the least. I also have a hard time consuming all the Water requirements, & sometime I can't get all my Protein in either!???? Since moving from clear liquid to full liquid i have yet to loose another pound, & some days I've gained one or two! Another thing to ask my doctor on Wednesday! Other than that it's been an easier recovery that I expected!!

Get you some unflavored Protein and put in yogurt or any drink it will help you stay full. I do t like it in Soup it don't resolve well kinda clumps up. Congts...I go in August 24

Well, I'll start. I'm doing pretty well. I've lost 11 pounds since the surgery, 30 total. Very happy with that. I'm feeling pretty good. Still minor pain from biggest surgery site on the left, but not enough to need to take anything. Thankfully the gas and constipation of the first 6 days are gone! I started back to work today; went in for only 5 hours, and it was tiring. I have a desk job, but it's a stressful one. Tomorrow will be a full day. I know I'll get through it, but I'll probably be tired. I'm concerned that I'm not getting enough calories, and that I'm getting no veggies. By the time I get all my Protein and liquids in, I have no room for veggies at all. I'm on purees, and I am living on ricotta cheese, refried Beans, yogurt, hummus, New whey protein shots, cottage cheese blended with fruit, blended tuna, and cheese wedges. Tonight I'm going to try some veggie sausage blended with gravy. The only thing that has bothered my sleeve so far is a couple of bites of banana I tried today. It felt heavy in my stomach. I eat about 1/4 cup at a time, 5 or 6 small meals a day. I can eat really fast with no problem, so I have to work hard to slow down. My doctor prescribes two antacid pills per day, so maybe that has something to do with it. Another concern is that I could drink 8 ounces in 15 minutes if I wanted. My nurse practitioner says liquids are like that, but I will feel more restriction on soft foods. That said, I am weirdly finding it hard to drink 64 ounces…waiting before and after eating, sip sip, sipping all day, but still a struggle. How about you? How are you doing? Anyone else from early August?

I did notice that it was harder to digest milk and cheese and yogurt post-op. But it seemed to clear up. It never occurred to me that I might become lactose intolerant.

I'm a little shy of 2 weeks post op, which is Wednesday, and I've now moved on to my full liquid diet. I've added yogurt, cottage cheese, soups, etc. Ever since adding these foods I've stopped loosing weight and at times gained a few pounds. During the clear liquid diet (pre-op and one week after surgery) I would loose almost a pound a day. This stall is heartbreaking because I feel like I'm already failing. Could it just be my body getting use to food or am I already eating too much?

I think we eat for three reasons -- either we're legitimately hungry, or we're really just thirsty (and confused our thirst for hunger) or we're eating because something is triggering "head hunger" (an old response to some kind of stress -- could be small, could be large). Thirst is easily remedied. Drink Water. Snacking to assuage real hunger usually requires Protein and carbs and sometimes fat, too. So I second the "add some protein to that cucumber" suggestion. There are so many other Proteins you could add: turkey, yogurt, nonfat milk, a Protein Bar or shake, nuts, seeds, etc. Think protein. And on the tummy fat, please know that my tummy was the last place I lost significant weight -- during the final 15-20 pounds I lost. If it's still hanging on, chances are you just have to finish the job. Good luck to you. And have a GREAT first year at college.

I know a lot of people are scared about/unsure about the first doctors appointment, so I thought I would share mine. Everyone is different, of course, and I know my surgeon's office did a lot, but here goes! My appointment was at 8:15 AM. I checked in at 7:30ish, and was called back by 7:45. I weighed (shoes on for first appointment *ahem* - the nurse laughed at me lol) and they checked my height. I was put in a room, and within 5 minutes the nurse was back along with the Bariatric Nurse. They spent the next 45 minutes asking medical questions, getting history, etc. They also took photos (close up from the front, full body, and front the side) and did body measurements. They of course also checked my BP and temp. After finishing, I waited about 15 minutes, and then the surgeon came in. She reviewed my history with me, checked my heart and lungs, and we discussed my weight history briefly. She also discussed my current weight and that I would need to lose just a little before surgery, but that the nutritionist would discuss the exact number with me. The visit with the surgeon, of course, was brief. But it was enough for me to know I *really* like her. Probably about 5 minutes after the surgeon left, the nutritionist came in. We discussed the exact amount of weight I need to lose before surgery (~30 pounds), my goal weight, what my diet needs to look like now (~60-80g of Protein, less than 200g of carbs, less than 50g of fat, and approximately 1600 calories per day). She gave me a handout on high protein foods, some tips for changing eating habits, etc. She also gave me a handout on daily Vitamin recommendations post-op, a pre-op nutrition plan, and samples (they use 'New Direction'). The pre-op diet is different from most. I start 4-6 weeks before surgery. *Breakfast: Meal Replacement or shake equal to 200 calories *Snack: Fruit or low-fat yogurt equal to 200 calories (optional) *Lunch: Meal replacement or shake equal to 200 calories *Dinner: Ready to eat meal (ie. Healthy Choice, Lean Cuisine, etc.) - around 400 calories. If it is not that many calories - add some veggies to get there. Since I'm on blood thinners and cannot eat a side salad, she suggested a baked or lean meat, Beans, green beans, or even 1/2 a sweet potato. *Snack: Meal replacement or shake equal to 200 calories (optional) --64 ounces of Water per day I think this is a VERY generous plan, considering what I see others having to do on their preop diet. Yes, it is for 4-6 weeks, however, considering the amount of protein I will be taking in, it will be easy to follow and will allow weight loss. The only complication will be getting bored with what I am eating/drinking. So I am trying to plan ahead (I took advantage of the sale on all 3 flavors of Premiere Protein from costco, I have placed an order for sample packs from Syntrax and unjury, and I will be purchasing some items from the clinic of the New Direction items). I am noticing I am not a fan of items 'made' for protein - I loved the candy bar samples she gave me (and I don't care for sweets, ha), but when I tried the Soup, after a few bites, my stomach started to 'turn' and I had to stop eating it - I'm hoping that was a one time thing, or I might be in trouble! After the nutritionist, I went straight to the financial counselor/wizard of the clinic - in other words, she takes care of everything. She gave me the intake patient packet which goes over all the steps and phases to surgery, all the clearances the doctor has ordered, all the tests I will need to have done, etc. At this point, I still had not asked all the questions I had written down, so I started asking her, figuring she would not be able to answer half, as most were medical. She had the answer to every single question. Even better, we had already been corresponding via email - so I have access to her via email - and she responds within a day, at most. Finally, I went straight to do my labwork. They drew the blood, and I was done! They did tell me a nurse would probably be calling to tell me I had some vitamin deficiencies somewhere, that everyone does - usually Vitamin D. That's 5 appointments, essentially, in one visit. They are EFFICIENT! I have already been meeting with Active Health via my insurance company. They have a requirement of 6(7) months with them via telephone, or 3 months face-to-face with a doctor/nutritionist. Since I did not know how long it would take to get in to see a doctor, I was doing Active Health. Now that I'm in the clinic, I'm going to see the doctor. It should get me cleared approximately a month earlier. While not a big deal to most, there's a timing issue - end of the year (deductibles!) plus a family event in December I want to be 'healthy' for. So they set up that appointment before I left. Let me just say - this appointment could not have gone better. For anyone who does not remember, I met with another doctor in April, and it was a horrible experience - the staff were rude, they argued about the diet (told me to eat salads, when I'm on blood thinners, and cannot consume much Vitamin K), and the doctor told me he would not do the surgery because of my medical history (I was dxed with Crohn's at 8, treated until 13, no treatment since then). I told him I had not been treated since 13, and that his website recommended the Sleeve for patients with Crohn's and Anemia, that's why I chose it. He said it did not. I showed it to him on my phone. He said, "I still won't do it." They also said I must lose 135 lbs before they would work with me, yet gave me no diet or any suggestions - even when I asked the doctor for suggestions, since I'm on the Depo shot and his nurse had just told me that made things more difficult, he just shrugged and said he didn't know. SO - I was a nervous wreck going into this appointment. I left the April appointment in tears - it had felt as though they never intended to work with me, and had no interest whatsoever in my care. This appointment, however - I could not have asked for better care or compassion! All that to say - it was a great experience, and I am so thankful to finally be moving along on this journey! I hope this information will be helpful to someone out there!

Btw not sure how to just reply to a single post and if I am doing it right! I had grits today ( didn't really like cream of wheat)and tonight had ricotta with Parmesan cheese and marianara sauce which was very good. Yogurt of course,,,,

Keep sipping away at the liquids and Protein (yogurt, etc.). If I remember correctly, my mouth was dry early out, too. I wouldn' t worry unless you aren't getting fluids down. Keep working on it. It gets better every day as the swelling goes down. Also, stay off of the scale. You are still swollen and healing from surgery. I don't know what resources are available in Egypt, so your surgeon's office would be a great place to start for suggestions about protein sources. I do know yogurt is a good place to start. Keep us posted on the n how you are doing.