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It's not a problem UNTIL it becomes a problem. If you're not overly restricted, you may be able to take them fine, however, it's also very possible to become restricted enough to not allow for capsules to pass through the stoma without much pain, possibly not at all, becoming stuck. Once you go there, you'll never want to go back. In my case, I always take my medications with food of some sort. While I'm having dinner, along with a bite or with a spoonful of yogurt, ice cream, Jello - something to help it slip through. Capsules were a problem for me before being banded, so it's a practice I've always used. Nothing like having a hard capsule stuck in your gullet for 24hrs at a time. Go in caution...

Can you add more fruit to your yogurt? And how about a higher calorie soup? This way you can still eat on your pattern but get maybe an extra 200 cals in... 50 from fruit and 150 from a heartier soup (if you can tolerate it?) Can you tolerate butter? If you add a pat to your veggies, that could give you 40-50 more cals too?

Two additional tips: 1. Try organic dairy. I don't know why, but they seem to have much longer expiration dates sometimes. 2. Train yourself to look at expiration dates as you shop. Ask yourself whether you really think you can finish it by the date listed. For example, if you find yogurt with an expiration date a month away, stock up. If it's a week away, just grab a couple. Good luck!

I hate to throw out food so I have been just buying the smaller size options at the grocery store so that I only buy what I will use before it goes bad. Like just a few individual yogurts and just a half pound turkey from the deli, etc.

Low calorie tends to be high carb and vice versa. If you enjoy yogurt, and carbs seem to have that much effect on you, go for the low carb options over low cal/low fat. You can always omit it and add it from your diet to trend its effect. Maybe it was coincidence, but tracking it for a few weeks will help you figure out for sure.

Source: food. The trick: Eat just a little less. Scientists at Harvard and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge found that people who lowered their calorie intake lost an average of 13 pounds in six months no matter what kind of diet they were on. "This is the best weight-loss news in a long time," says Frank Sacks, MD, nutrition professor at Harvard School of Public Health and lead author of the study. "If you don't like what you're eating, you're not going to stick with it. These findings give you flexibility to trim a bit here and there and still enjoy your favorites." In fact, by nixing just 100 calories a day, you'll lose more than 10 pounds a year. Up your cuts to 250 and you're down 26 pounds. Want to lose faster? Ditch 500 calories daily and you'll drop those pounds in half the time. We found 50 so-easy ways for you to trim a little but save a lot. Cut 100 Calories at Breakfast * Use skim milk in place of flavored Coffee-mate in your two morning mugs. * Eat a bowl of high-fiber Cereal and you'll consume fewer calories all day. * Order bacon, not sausage, with your eggs. * Choose a yeast doughnut instead of a denser cake one. Cut 100 Calories at lunch * Use 1 tablespoon of mayo and 1 tablespoon of low-fat cottage cheese to make tuna salad. * Put barbecue sauce, not honey mustard, on your chicken sandwich at Wendy's. * Top your burger with onions, lettuce, and tomato and skip the cheese. * Ask for the 12-ounce child-size soda instead of the 21-ounce medium at the drive-through. * Slim down your sandwich by using Arnold Select 100% Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins instead of whole wheat bread. * Toss your salad with 1 tablespoon of dressing until every lettuce leaf is coated. You'll get away with using half the usual serving size. Try this trick at dinner too. * Skip the crackers and shredded cheese on your chili. Cut 100 Calories at Dinner * Trade butter for a flavorful spread made with garlic, fresh rosemary, and light, trans fat-free margarine. * Making meatballs? Mix half the amount of ground beef the recipe calls for with half as much cooked brown rice. * Instead of two slices of medium pepperoni pan pizza, choose thin-crust. * When munching on chicken wings, don't toss the bones midway through. Seeing the evidence of your feast may help you eat less, studies show. Cut 100 Calories from a Snack * Trade 1/2 cup of premium vanilla ice cream for 1/2 cup of Breyers chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. * Ordering a cone? Make it the sugar, not the waffle, kind. * Munch on Pirate's Booty. In a study, switching to an air-puffed cheesy snack twice a day saved about 70 calories a pop. * Grab a Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, not a low-fat fruit blend. * Replace half the butter in cake, muffin, and brownie recipes with an equal amount of applesauce or mashed bananas. You'll save about 100 calories for every tablespoon you swap. * Indulge in a slice of angel food cake drizzled with chocolate syrup rather than three Cookies. ------------------- Cut 250 Calories at Breakfast * Trade a reduced-fat blueberry muffin for instant oatmeal topped with 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries. Bonus: You'll stay satisfied all morning. * Measure out your breakfast cereal; overestimating by just 1/3 cup can add 100 calories. * Enjoy it with a 16-ounce chai latte with skim milk rather than a green tea latte with 2 percent. Cut 250 Calories at Lunch * Pick turkey over tuna in your 6-inch sub. * At the salad bar, reach for shredded Parmesan instead of cheddar and skip the bread. * Nuke a Lean Cuisine chicken parm instead of having one delivered. Cut 250 Calories at Dinner * Make your own salad dressing using low-sodium, fat-free broth in place of 2 tablespoons of oil. * Having fajitas? Fill up one tortilla rather than three, then eat the rest of your fixings with a fork. * Sub black Beans for refried and hold the side of Mexican rice. * Order filet mignon instead of a New York strip steak. * Opt for broccoli chicken over sweet-and-sour, and for steamed brown rice, not fried. Cut 250 Calories from a Snack * Bite into a chocolate-covered strawberry rather than a chocolate chip cookie. * Skip the small movie-theater popcorn and bring your own 1-ounce bag of Lay's. * Switch from juice to Crystal Light twice a day. * At the mall, curb a craving for a soft pretzel with a 100-calorie pretzel pack. ------------------- Cut 500 Calories * Eat fruit before every meal. In a Pennsylvania State University study, people who munched apples 15 minutes before lunch ate about 187 fewer calories. * Order one brunch entree to share. Who can finish that giant omelet, anyway? * When making mac and cheese, resist temptation and prep just half the box. Save the rest in a zip-top bag for next time. * Use your grandmother's Joy of Cooking and you'll save an average of 506 calories over three meals, according to a recent Cornell University study. The secret: Smaller portion sizes and lower-calorie ingredients were called for back then. * Instead of a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha for your afternoon pick-me-up, order coffee with a little milk and a dusting of chocolate. * At happy hour, drink two rum and diet colas and back away from the bowl of stale snack mix. ----------------- Turn Up the Burn The more active you are, the fewer calories you'll need to cut. Try these food-fitness combos to reach your target number. Goal: 100 calories Burn 50: Get up from your desk and take a 20-minute walk at lunch. Cut 50: Skip the oyster crackers in your Soup. Goal: 250 calories Burn 125: Shovel the driveway for 20 minutes. Cut 125: Hold the cinnamon bun. Eat two slices of cinnamon toast. Goal: 500 calories Burn 250: Spend two hours making dinner for the entire week. Cut 250: Mist a pan with cooking spray instead of pouring in oil. Sources: Sari Greaves, RD, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association; Jayne Hurley, RD, senior nutritionist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest; Barbara Rolls, PhD, author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan; Brian Wansink, PhD, FITNESS advisory board member and author of Mindless Eating; and Hope Warshaw, RD, author of Eat Out, Eat Right, third edition, and What to Eat When You're Eating Out Originally published in FITNESS magazine, February 2010.

I had a friend who has this issue and her doctor told her to eat probiotics (some yogurt) and she said it cleared up right away.

I'm in the same boat with ya!....well sort of. I just had my first fill today, about 2 hrs ago. I went in starving, and came out starving. I got no advice on what to eat or not eat before getting a fill. I found some advice on this site. So I ate a light dinner (chicken salad sanwich) and didnt have anything else for at least 12 hrs before my fill. I drank only a little room temp Water this morning...I have hunger pains but so sick of Protein drinks that I'm just taking a couple bites of greek yogurt. My doc was VERY vague....in everything! I had to ask how much he was putting in, then how much he took out. He then said to just do Protein Drinks for the next "few days" I'm sorry, but I need an EXACT amount of days, that is just me. I need to know EVERY detail. So anyways, cant wait to see some replys to your post because I'm anxious to find out

It's nice to read that it's so easy for others as well, I kind of felt bad posting stuff like that on here when others are talking about barely getting down liquids. I'm 3 weeks out today, lost 31 pounds already (yay!) but I do seriously question my dieticians methods. Doesn't make sense to me and everyone else is so different plus I'm freaking hungry!! My post op was a bit difficult because I did cheat and tried Beans too soon. In turn this caused me to be backed up and I ended up in the ER twice with obstructed bowels. (Side note: I recommend anyone PRE-op getting an enema prior, only makes sense in my eyes, especially now) Anyway now I'm puréed and it sucks! I don't get how people are eating lunch meat with cheese or greek yogurt when we are (according to my dietician) only supposed to have 1/4 cup of food. Or cheese sticks? I know I've been bending the rules and eating soft foods and I really can't eat more than like 1/2 cup but if it's Soup, even with chunks, I can do a full cup+. Anyway it's frustrating seeing all these different post opp diets and not knowing what is right and wrong. Yes everyone heals different but I wish there was a unified post-op diet. Heres mine: 2 week full liquid (I went 2.5 cause I was in and out of hospital and they feared leaking) 3 week puréed food (until aug 8) / 3 meals (every 5 hours) / 500 calories / 18-25 grams of Protein a day (She's changed me to 3.5/4 hours eat, cause of my lifestyle and the fact that I'm hungry) 1 month soft food (until sept 9) This is let the sleeve properly heal I've been told. Frustrated.

Yogurt and water. I only use two of them. It will help your skin better. You can add fruit mask.

Hi kerbarrett, I am also 7 weeks out today and pack my lunch just about every day. Some days I am bringing some boiled shrimp, a few pistacchios and cottage cheese. I have also been bringing good ham with a piece of cheese rolled up in it and some spicy brown mustard to dip it in. I also am doing lots of eggs, tuna, cheese and greek yogurt and cottage cheese just like everyone else!! I did get on the world accoding to eggface (my most favorite blog) this last weekend and make 2 batches of her protein bites, one was ham and cheese and the other was bacon and swiss. They are the perfect size to eat 3 at lunch and are yummy!

Wow - sorry to hear that is has been a rocky road the past few days for you. I hope the increased heart rate, and tingling went away. That is scary especially when you are home alone. I have to say, I have not been hungry at all. I actually do not want to think of food. Dr gave me a liquid diet or Protein drinks, yogurt, creamy Soup and cottage cheese. I told him today that I could not even gag down the Protein Drink. He said stick to the other items. I just feel soooo exhausted. The most I have eaten in a day this week is 3 oz of yogurt, maybe 3 oz of cottage cheese and 4oz of soup, at the most. I don't want anymore either. I have no energy at all. Not good! I have to go back to work tomorrow and have 2 little kids. Good luck - hope you are feeling a little stronger too.

Nothing much to report back on solids again, had a chobani for b/fast with some granola (1 T) and yogurt covered raisins (1 T), was feeling fine until an hour before I could eat again and my stomach is growling, I know that's not "real" hunger but it's annoying. Wooo talking about "real" hunger, um let's see what have I learned this week: headaches and fatigue for me = hunger. On Tuesday, I had a huge headache, I was still on liquids per mds orders so I thought "well maybe I'm hungry" made myself a protein shake and sure enough voila! Problem solved! Yesterday, I was so tired that I ordered a cup of coffee (something I don't usually do after 4pm) and a packet of veggie cream cheese (since I was still on mushies) at D & D and I don't know if it was the coffee or the cream cheese, but once I got home, I was ready to go kick some @$$ at the gym! So, I think I figured when my stomach is growling, that's just my body being pissed off. When I have headaches or am about to fall asleep standing up, that's hunger. Also I ordered a Keurig for my office, I really do think I need a pep in my step in the afternoon. It's 1:30pm here and I'm yawning! Have a good weekend! I'll be back on Monday!!!

Okay, honestly, how many of us ever worried about spoiling our appetites before the surgery? We'd eat when we got home from work, snacked while making dinner, and then stuffed dinner in on top of it, right? Well it's hitting me now (and I don't know why it's now, but it is) that I don't want to spoil my appetite for "dinner." I planned out some refried Beans with ff sour cream and salsa for my pureed dinner. I am a little hungry now so I wanted to have some yogurt but I realized if I did that I wouldn't want to eat my dinner. I don't think I've ever had that thought before!!!

I don't get it I could not even drink drinkable yogurt with a 2.75cc in my 4cc band so I asked for a slight unfill and got 2.7 now I feel if I eat slowly and chew good I can still very easily finish a McDonalds cheeseburger and maybe just a little bit more. I asked the fill nurse if she could put a little more in but she said if she did it would just get me back to where i was before when I couldn't hold food or drinkable yogurt down. So now I am wondering what should I do? Should I try for something like 2.72cc? The nurse said that she didn't think it would make a difference but the difference was huge with 2.75 and 2.7 so maybe my sweet spot in right somewhere in between? I just got this new fill today and I think I can still eat a good portion more than I think necessary. So what do you guys think? I am starting to feel like I may never find my sweetspot.

I love the Unjury Chocolate splendor or vanilla with peach yogurt

When a craving strikes ask yourself Am I stressed out? When you're under pressure, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which signals your brain to seek out rewards. Comfort foods loaded with sugar and fat basically "apply the brakes" to the stress system by blunting this hormone. When you reach for food in response to negative feelings such as anger or sadness (like potato chips after a fight with your spouse), you inadvertently create a powerful connection in your brain. Its classic brain conditioning; "The food gets coded in your memory center as a solution to an unpleasant experience or emotion". Stimulate happiness "Women especially have a profound emotional reaction to music". Create upbeat playlists to listen to whenever a craving strikes. The songs provide a distraction and an emotional release. Wait it out "People give in to cravings because they think they'll build in intensity until they become overwhelming, but that's not true," Cravings behave like waves: They build, crest, and then disappear. If you can "surf the urge," you have a better chance of beating it altogether Choose the best distraction "What you're really craving is to feel better," You've heard the trick about phoning a friend or exercising instead of eating. But "taking a solo walk won't help if you're feeling lonely," Instead, identify your current emotion--bored, anxious, or mad; by filling in these blanks: "I feel ____ because of ____." Then find an activity that releases it. If you're stressed, channeling nervous energy into a workout can help; if you're upset over a problem at the office, call a friend and ask for advice. Ask yourself "Have I been eating less than usual If you're eating fewer than 1,000 calories a day or restricting an entire food group (like carbs), you're putting your body in prime craving mode. Even just 3 days of strict dieting decreases levels of the appetite-reducing hormone leptin by 22%. Do This! Lift any bans--safely Plan ways to enjoy your favorite foods in controlled portions. Get a slice of pizza instead of a whole pie, or share a piece of restaurant cheesecake with two friends. Don't "eat around" cravings; trying to squash a craving with a low-cal imitation won't satisfy your brain's memory center. For example, if you're craving a milkshake, yogurt won't cut it--especially if you've been depriving yourself. You may even take in more calories than if you'd just had a reasonable portion of what you wanted in the first place. Munching five crackers, a handful of popcorn, and a bag of pretzels, all in the name of trying to squash a craving for potato chips, will net you about 250 more calories than if you'd eaten a single-serving bag Are you getting enough sleep? In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were enough to drop levels of the hormone leptin (which signals satiety) by 18% and boost levels of ghrelin, an appetite trigger, by about 30%. Those two changes alone caused appetite to kick into overdrive, and cravings for starchy foods like Cookies, potato chips, and bread jumped 45%. Do This! Have some caffeine; it can help you get through the day without any high-calorie pick-me-ups. It won't solve your bigger issue of chronic sleep loss, but it's a good short-term fix until you get back on track. Portion out a serving, you probably don't have the energy to fight it, so try this trick: Before you dig in, dole out a small amount of the food you want (on a plate) and put the rest away. Are you a creature of habit? You may not realize it, but seemingly innocent routines, such as eating cheese popcorn while watching TV, create powerful associations. "The brain loves routine". The thought of letting go of these patterns can cause a fear response in an area of the brain called the amygdala. "Once the food hits your lips, the fear response shuts off in a heartbeat." Do This! Eliminate sensory cues; smells, sights, and sounds all act as powerful triggers. Watch television in your basement or bedroom so you're far away from the kitchen and the cupboard full of Snacks Picture yourself healthy; try the "stop technique": Every time the food you crave pops into your head, think, Stop! Then, picture a healthy image (say, you're lean and fit). After a while, your brain will dismiss the food image and the craving will subside. "One of my clients did this four or five times a day, and within 2 weeks, she stopped turning to sweets every night after dinner." Shift your focus; Australian researchers found that distracting your brain really does work. When a craving hits, divert your attention to something visual not related to food, like typing an e-mail. Passing up one bag of potato chips and 1 pint of Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream per month can help you lose 10 pounds in a year

I thought that it might be kinda of cool to get some recipes from all you Nymphs (especially those that can cook). I have made a few in the last few weeks that taste great and are getting me through. Since my last fill, I have not been able to eat anything comfortably in the morning this this Protein shake has been a God sent. Cindy's Fruit smoothie 1/2 cup 1% milk 1/2 cup non-fat strawberry yogurt 1/2 cup mandarin oranges 1 scoop of Any whey or powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury Protein powder 4 frozen strawberries 2 tsp Splenda 4 Ice Cubes Blend until the ice is crushed. This is my new addiction...I love it because it tastes so friggin' awesome. Almost to good! It also nets a huge glass. For you Low Carbers this is great alone or on veggies or with RF Wheat Thins Cheesy Spinach & Bacon Dip 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained 1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cut up 1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained 8 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled or 1 Jar of real bacon bits COMBINE ingredients in microwaveable bowl. MICROWAVE on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min. Cindy

Starting preop-diet weight was 195 & I've only got 3 more days to go...I've only lost 5 lbs! My surgery is scheduled for May 31st! My preop diet consist of two protein shakes &a portion of protein (meat) with two veggies as sides. I can also have healthy snacks like sugar free jello or greek yogurt. I'm doing what I'm suppose to but I'm not losing weight like everyone else has posted & its stressing me out! I've always been a dieter who loses slowly but the pressure is on to shrink my liver! I don't want my surgery delayed bc of this! So if ur stats are similar to mine can u pls share how much u lost on the preop diet or if u aren't having the success that everyone else is posting I'd love to hear from you so i know im not alone

I was looking today for a quick and easy way to get more Fiber in my diet without a lot of calories, or a lot of cooking. I took 1/2 cup of canned black Beans (no fat added), added a few tablespoons of salsa and a few tablespoons of greek yogurt (or could use FF sour cream), stirred it up and ate it cold. Would be good heated, too. Came out to about 150 calories, 13 gm Protein, 8 gm dietary fiber and 1 gm fat. And it was delicious, and very filling! Thought someone else might be interested in this tip! The average US diet gets less than half of the recommended fiber, and we all know that our band diet tends to get even less than that...and all the problems that causes. LOL.

a while back I had posted a recipe for smoked salmon spread - it's very good and well received by non-banded friends and family as well. I have included it below - I now even up the salmon amount to 12-16 ounces for increased Protein. Smoked Salmon Spread This is great to eat as a snack or small meal depending on restriction with some veggies, a couple reduced fat crackers, pretzels or how you would eat any tuna or crab salad. Blend the following in a cuisinart until smooth: - 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese - 8 oz nonfat plain greek yogurt - 1 tsp lemon pepper (mine is a gourmet blend that has salt & garlic in it - you can add a little of these to add flavor) Add & Pulse till well blended: - 8 oz Smoked Salmon, chopped (I used 1/2 a 1lb pkg smoked sockeye salmon from costco - the kind used for lox, not the drier kind - 1 sm sweet onion, diced (red works just fine) - fresh dill (couple sprigs) if you have it - I have used a good squeeze of a tube of dill (produce herb section) when my store was out of fresh This obviously makes a lot - about 3.5 c, but I'll serve it as a dip for guests or take some to work. You could also easily 1/2 it I just like to get rid of containers and use things up. Nutrition: 7 - 1/2 c. servings 188 cal. 19 g. protein 10 - 1/3 c. servings 132 cal. 13 g. protein I ate 1/3 c. tonight with .5 oz (12) snyder's of hanover butter pretzel snaps (the pretzel squares) which only added 60 cal. and 1.5 g protein. This is just about the same cal and protein of a high protein chocolate slim fast shake. Last suggestion / note: This is the consistency of a spread/ dip. You could use the entire 1 lb package of salmon without adjusting the other ingredients (more of a tuna salad consistency) which would change the nutrition to: 1/2 cup serving - 219 cal. 25 g. protein

I did eat it on pureed - I couldn't keep down much during that time so I had to rely on whatever I COULD eat. You can add a sprinkle of Protein powder, a spoonful of natural nut butter, some Greek yogurt or some silken tofu to it to add some protein to it.

my doctor allowed veggies too, but no yogurt or any of that. i could only use Protein shakes and 1 cup of veggies per day. so, it sounds like you have more options than I did. while you may lose weight on the pre-op, please try your best not to cheat on it again. you can make it 14 days and that is really the most difficult part (other than the 10 days of liquids only right after surgery, if your doctor makes you do that) if you are really having trouble sticking to the diet, you should contact your doctor and tell him. don't try to reason with yourself and give yourself permission to eat cheese or do anything that is not per the doctor. that is not a good way to go into this process. if you do that kind of reasoning now, believe me you will do that after you have healed and are ready to eat real food again. resolve now to do what you are supposed to do and stick to it as best as you can.

Im June 23 and it really is flying by. Although i have to go back in monday to be scoped and opened up. I cant eat anything, even yogurt for the past 5 days. So one bump in the road. Hope you are doing well with it. Im literally melting away. 46 pounds all together

we drove home, I heard that about airplanes too. As the day got later today, I was able to eat some soup, hot food is going down better. I got down a little plain yogurt too. I am hoping that it relaxes a bit but happy to have restriction.