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So--today was my first fill. I was worried about nothing! I apparently have a good amount of scar tissue but it wasn't a big deal. I have 3 cc in my 10cc band. I go back in two weeks for another tweak. So far, no issues eating....I had a yogurt and blended food tonight. Phew......I am glad that is behind me. Now...to they gym I go......

It is mind over matter. After the fifth day it got alot easier for me. I also tried to drink 100 oz of water a day. If you get any snacks, like sugar free jello, or yogurt, eat them. You can do it!

I love strawberry lemonade this time of year, but I just can't enjoy it as much after surgery. I came up with a recipe yesterday morning for a strawberry lemonade Protein smoothie. It was very refreshing and I can't wait to have it again! Recipe: (Makes 1-2 servings) 1 cup Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt 1 cup Fresh Strawberries, stems removed 3/4 cup ice cubes 2 tsp. lemon zest 1-2 Tbs. Splenda or stevia (to taste) (Optional) 1 scoop Unflavored Protein powder (or flavor of your choice) Mix all in a food processor or blender and enjoy! For the full post and a picture, check out: http://newlifeforemmy.blogspot.com/2013/03/strawberry-lemonade-protein-smoothie.html

Protein takes longer to digest and keeps you full longer so I would suggest a protein shake or something else with high protein before bed. Low fat cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or Greek yogurt are all good choices and fit into the mushie food phase.

Protein is the key and will work. Even with your dinner use a low fat greek yogurt because it is thick and is very high in protein. if you do not like greek yogurt ad a splendar to it and it will sweeten it up.

If your feeling hunger 1-2 hours after eating then it sounds as if you may need a fill. Remember if your eating right but still are hungry then your not at proper restriction. As far as eating I was told to eat 3 meals a day with 3-4 oz of Protein 1/2 cup veggie and if I'm still hungry then 1/4 cup starch. And If I were to get hungry between meals then I could have a snack of nuts, fruit, yogurt, pudding or a Protein shake. Hope this helps...

I am having to crush three pills, one antibiotic, hctz and amlodipine and add to food/drink. tried yogurt, not gonna work, tried crystal light, equally nauseating. Any suggestions? At this point I am at a loss and would rather just not take them.

I buy groceries bi-weekly (on payday). Here are some things I always get: nuts yogurt protein shakes fresh fruit- all kinds (lovin watermelon and cantalope right now) fresh veggies- spaghetti squash, fresh corn on the cob, etc. frozen mixed veggies lentils Tostitos spinach dip- I use it in everything, even in whole wheat pasta salad instead of salad dressing! protein bars cheese to snack on whole grain crackers 100 calorie popcorn

As the topic says.. I was banded on Feb.12th and so far i've been drinking Protein shakes, sf popsicles, Water and crystal light, That's all. I did have chicken broth in the hospital but it made me sick! maybe it was the brand.. or because the morphine had me very ill.. I dunno, I am not a fan of broth anyways. I received a packet explaining food to have on stage 3 such as - whipped cottage cheese, 1% milk, campbell tomatoe Soup, applesauce unsweetened, sf Jello, yogurt, oatmeal....etc. It doesn't say anything about pudding, can we have that?? I think i'm getting sick of these Protein drinks already! Does anyone eat those things ^^^ too, while on 3? How long does the Mushies stage last? And what are some of the basic foods you eat while on there? TIA! :hungry:

I may have ate a little too much...creamy soup about 2 oz., Smoothie Yogurt (4 oz.) and then I had some mushy zucchini..not all at the same time but probably within 30 minutes and all of a sudden the back of my neck and my upper back started hurting really bad...but I didn't feel stuck or anything. Does being stuck or eating too much come in different forms? I don't know it was just really strange...I'm 11 days post op...

I was also banded on 8.29! A little frustrated that I lost 11 pounds in the first 6 days and only one after that, but otherwise doing well. I feel comforted to hear that others are having issues with sleeping as well. It is all I can do to get up in the morning, get to work and get home. I started soft foods this week and go for my first fill tomorrow (9.14). I don't remember the name of the protein powder I'm using but my husband found it at GNC. It is chocolate flavored. I mix it with a little skim milk and some non-fat frozen yogurt which makes it taste like a milk shake! I couldn't do the other drinks they suggested (diabetic ensure, etc.). They all smelled like baby formula to me! Good luck to all of you!

First thing you have to do is stop the binging. Are you able to take time off work? That may help with doing the liquid diet. If you're able to lay around your house and not have to worry about anything it'll be easier to stick it out. If you want to save your band, I strongly advise you listen to your doctor. Remind yourself that it's just a week. I'm sure it feels good to binge but it's self-destructive behavior. Go to the store, stock up on protein shakes, broths, and yogurt smoothies and tough it out for 7 days. Then move on to mushies, and then try to eat your lap band diet the next week, and then see your doctor. Otherwise you're just going to go back to the way you were before. It's unfortunate for us but once you're obese your body will do whatever it takes to get that fat back. It's not a matter of pure willpower. That's why we needed help in the first place. But you can do 7 days. That's all it is. Just a week. Take it day by day and you'll get through it.

I just tried activa yogurt today and it is making a difference with those growls. It was too thick for me to eat out of the carton so I added some skim milk. It was the perfect consistency, tasted good and did what I wanted. Later I added 1/2 of one to my shake. I was looking for juice called GOOD BELLY ( I heard on another thread about this.) I couldn't find it here in my little country store. I'll look again in Walmart. But I think the activa has the same properties as it has settled my growling stomache. I went on my first outing today, to church. I thought I was going to die after putting on my panty hose! Please don't anyone try that- it hurts!:thumbdown: I got tired at church from standing too long. I sat down and was fine the rest of the service. It feels good to get out of the house even for an hour. Tomorrow I wall try to walk around the block. Thanks for recovering with me ladies! I appreciate all your insights and support.

Here are some of my breakfast, because like you I don't eat at home and I don't have a lot of time: Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt with 2x Protein (only 80 calories) with a few blueberries and a sprinkle of granola Special K Protein Cereal with 1% milk Weight Watchers High Protein shake (20 g of protein) High Fiber Oatmeal with blueberries or banana or apple chopped up in it All of these are fairly low cal, so if I get hungry mid morning I will have an apple with Peanut Butter or grapes with cheese, or a peach What I try to do is eat a lot of protein, fiber and fruit and veggies each day. I try to eat clean- nonprocessed- it has helped me not only feel better, but my body is more regulated.

In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth and populated the Earth with broccoli, cauliflower and spinach, green and yellow and red vegetables of all kinds, so Man and Woman would live long and healthy lives. Then using God's great gifts, Satan created Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Krispy Creme Donuts. And Satan said, "You want chocolate with that?" And Man said, "Yes!" and Woman said, "and as long as you're at it, add some sprinkles." And they gained 10 pounds. And Satan smiled. :phanvan And God created the healthful yogurt that Woman might keep the figure that Man found so fair. And Satan brought forth white flour from the wheat, and sugar from the cane and combined them. And Woman went from size 6 to size 14. So God said, "Try my fresh green salad." And Satan presented Thousand-Island Dressing, buttery croutons and garlic toast on the side. And Man and Woman unfastened their belts following the repast. God then said, "I have sent you heart healthy vegetables and olive oil in which to cook them." And Satan brought forth deep fried fish and chicken-fried steak so big it needed its own platter. :hungry: And Man gained more weight and his cholesterol went through the roof. God then created a light, fluffy white cake, named it "Angel food Cake," and said, "It is good." Satan then created chocolate cake and named it "Devil's Food." God then brought forth running shoes so that His children might lose those extra pounds. And Satan gave cable TV with a remote control so Man would not have to toil changing the channels. And Man and Woman laughed and cried before the flickering blue light and gained pounds. Then God brought forth the potato, naturally low in fat and brimming with nutrition. And Satan peeled off the healthful skin and sliced the starchy center into chips and deep-fried them. And Man gained pounds. :faint: God then gave lean beef so that Man might consume fewer calories and still satisfy his appetite. And Satan created McDonald's and its 99-cent double cheeseburger. Then said, "You want fries with that?" And Man replied, "Yes! And super size them!" And Satan said, "It is good." And Man went into cardiac arrest. God sighed and created quadruple bypass surgery. Then Satan created HMOs.

I hear you on the $$$ for fresh foods! We are a family of 6 and all four of my kiddos LOVE fresh fruits and veggies. Instead of unhealthy snacks, I make little party trays filled with cubed or sliced chunks of fruits and veggies. I'll use low calorie plain yogurt or/and peanut butter as dips (kids really love celery and apples with peanut butter). Sometimes I'll make them a peanut butter and fresh banana sandwich on wheat or rye. For you parents out there, just FYI, my kids are loving this new healthy way of life. When I dice up the fruit on the weekends, I'll even place some in freezer-lock bags and freeze them for fresh fruit smoothies, or I'll freeze the smoothie and make them little serving cups of fruit sorbet (they REALLY love that). I'll spend anywhere from $200-$300 a week--on fresh foods alone--to keep my kitchen stocked. But again, that's for feeding a whole family. Stocking for a lone sleever or a smaller family should only be a fraction of that cost.

I have Muscle Milk Light in the morning...it takes me about two hours to finish it. I make it with 16 oz of Water because I do NOT like anything thick or shake like. Now, it's 1:46pm and I'm having some Oikos Greek Yogurt (0 fat)...it's really sweet and I don't really like it. I can't measure at work because I don't have a scale here. But I figure I'll have three ounces. Then I drink my Isopure Zero for the rest of the day at work. When I get home, I usually have two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and chicken broth to make it soup-like. And that's my whole day. Today, I think I'm going to try some tuna fish pureed with a tsp of mayo. We'll see how that goes. I will not get on the scale til next week. I'm going to keep walking every day for 30 minutes (I'm going to up it to 40-50 a day) until I can go swimming and such. I hope that by next week, the scale will move favorably!!

Like everyone has been saying, it has a consistency similar to sour cream. To me, it is less sweet (or fake sweet) than regular yogurts. I tried plain yogurt (not greek) and was convinced it had soured, had to have somebody else taste it and they said it was fine...i thought it was gross, I can eat plain greek yogurt without anything in it tho. Just tastes better to me.

I can find the Fage Total 0% plain greek yogurt at the big grocery store by my house. Make sure you get the nonfat or lowfat version. Also I'd suggest getting the plain (nonflavored) version because the vanilla flavored or the ones that have add-ins like honey or fruits have lots and lots of sugars/carbs. It's better to buy it plain and then mix in your own stuff.

I tried tune I throw it up chicken salad yuk eggs or eggs salad my sleeve can't take that for some reason so I was reassign someone had Wendy's chili so I went and got some I purée it a lil and it went down great and it has 28g of protein I. 1/2cup I was wondering is this ok to eat I'm havi no issues but I don't know what else to eat that I can purée if anyone can help plz I would be grateful I tried cottage cheese and hated it lol yogurt same thing I feel like I'm going to be on liquid diet forever or just eating chllii

OK, first of all...breathe! This is not the end of your life as you know it, just a change. Yes it is a major change, yes it will be very different, but the foods you love are not leaving the planet. They really aren't. So...let that sink in firstly then we can talk about the emotional aspects of eating. I honestly didn't think I was an emotional eater. I didn't think food was that important to me but after surgery during week 2 of liquids I had a couple of melt downs just because I couldn't eat the food i wanted to eat right that minute...I stayed true to my diet but had actual tears over the foods I couldn't eat right then...which I later gave myself a mental smackdown for but I have to own those feelings. After particularly stressful events I would eat more than I should for dinner, not always unhealthy stuff, just way more of it than I should. I am an emotional eater. I am watching for triggers now and distracting myself but like you before, food was the center of my life. I still have to plan my meals in order to stick to my healthy plan, not planning for me is planning to fail so I have to do it and stick to it and then I am fine...gives me that control. One thing I do want to address however that I wish someone would have told me before the band is that the band will not make you eat less. You have to choose to eat less. You have to measure it out and know you are not getting seconds. You have to do that. The band will make it so that your appetit is surpressed for a longer period of time than it would hav been before when you eat 4 oz of meat and 6 oz of veggies. That's all. It's not about restricting what you can and can't eat, it won't stop you from eating until you are in pain, and if you can't get that under control before surgery you are looking at slips and erosion complications that can be very serious. I would honestly try really hard to measure out your portions and be done...not as small as you will post band...but practice limiting yourself right now. Distract yourself when you feel the emotional hunger come on, try to recognize what those triggers might be for you, at the very least journal everything you are eating now so you can be truly honest with yourself about what your current habits are, and what things will need to change. I beleive the band was the best thing I have ever done for myself and I am seeing a lot of success and it is a lot easier to just eat my one yogurt for Breakfast and be done but it does nothing for me when I have an emotional attack that makes me want to eat. I have to wrangle that stray thought in myself and battle with that. The band can't help me with that. chocolate will go down just fine, as will other snack foods that I just have to choose not to eat. There are still daily and hourly choices invlolved with being successful. I wish you every bit of luck and happiness on your journey. It is worth the effort I can promise you that, but it's really all up to you. The band is just a tool that dims the appetite, that is all. Just know that going in and put your expectations in the right place and you will do great!

Whatever Protein drink that you find that you like and will drink is the best - the highest protein/lowest carb or fat drink is of little value if you can't choke it down. I've played with the Protein drinks for years (since my wife rejected them after her WLS several years ago). For chocolate shakes I have settled on the EAS powder that can be bought at Target, Walmart, etc. which I find has a fairly delicate flavor with little of the sometimes objectionable protein taste; adding some unsweetend cocoa powder can boost the chocolate flavor while cutting the sweetness while the SF chocolate syrups can boost the chocolate flavor while adding some sweetness - use whichever floats your boat. I also use the protein powders in SF instant puddings along with greek yogurt to boost their protein content. I also use the EAS to blend with other protein powders that I have tried and found to strong on their protein taste or aftertaste on their own (I wind up blending a lot of things in this post op world to hit the right taste/calorie/nutrition compromise.) Adding fruit to the shakes is a common and popular addition, though check with your doctor's plan - the rationale for most of the pre-op diets is to keep low carb to improve liver condition, so they may not want you adding fruit at this time for that reason. If they're just wanting you to lose a bit of weight pre-op and get used to protein shakes while watching calories, it may fit in. Good luck and welcome to the club.

I started some shopping for pre and post Op yesterday and came home with bags full. I don’t have a pre-op diet, but I’ve decided to do a self-imposed one. I’m drinking protein shakes for breakfast and lunch and then a healthy high protein dinner. According to my NUT and surgeon I’m not supposed to drink protein shakes, EVER, as they are a slider food and go against the bandster rules of eating solid protein. I’m totally on board with that and actually love that their lifetime diet is exactly what I was looking for, healthy food, just a lot less of it…like I keep saying when I see bandsters still drinking several of these shakes daily years out, if I wanted to be on a protein drink diet, then I would have done that, not the band (one of my sisters did this, so did Oprah…they both gained it back). I don’t expect to use protein shakes very often at all, maybe after fills, but I thought it can’t hurt to do this pre-op and I can gather a list of the ones I like. I looked online but soon realized to compare apples to apples was going to take some work on my part. So, I did what I always do, I made a list. The confusing part is if you’re concerned with carbs. With the powdered shakes you need to figure out the grams (they only list percentages) of what is added add to it…like skim milk. Skim milk isn’t low carb, so these powdered ones can quickly become a high carb as well as high protein drink once you add the milk (ie. Unjury). Yeah, you could add water, but bleeech! I bought an assortment to try locally. Some I’ve found hard to find in the stores (ie. low carb Slim Fast). I quickly decided I don’t like the pre-made ones in cans…they have a metallic taste to me (ie. Target Brand). The low carb ones in cardboard cartons haven’t been too bad (ie. Atkins, EAS). You can even buy some powders in huge concrete bags amounts (better be sure you like it first)... I’m back to the stores today (once the snow stops, yes I said snow, several inches...is it April?!) for some low sugar/SF (ie. preserves for yogurt) and low fat/FF items (ie. Refried Beans) to have on hand as well as the GasX and other items suggested post-op. If you have any favorite items, let me know…and if anyone knows where I can get the big containers of plain 0% or 2% Fage Greek Yogurt north of Pittsburgh, I’m offering a reward (my eternal thanks). Product Placement/Marketing?! (that Special Dark Hershey bar is calling my name)...

I had my surgery 16 days ago. When whenever I eat, unless it's clear liquid or yogurt, I get indigestion. For an hour after I eat, no matter how finely pureed, chewed, soft, or whatever it is, or how small the bite, or how many times I chew, I get horrible indigestion that feels like I have to throw up. Everything feels like it's stuck in my chest, not even in my stomach. I still have to walk around, and a half hour after I eat when I'm able to drink I can push it down it bit, but it stays stuck for a good hour. My girlfriend usually has to rub or pat my back until I can burp, then I feel better - I feel like an infant. How long does this horrible side effect last? I have to eat, but the indigestion is so bad it makes me not want to eat at all!

I just ordered the GENEPRO GEN2 Protein Powder..............supposedly it's tasteless, odorless and you only need 1 tbls to equal 30 grams of protein. Several members on this forum use it and say it works really well in yogurt, soups, oatmeal. I can't tolerate the shakes either........they literally make me gag. Gonna try this GenePro GEN2 and see if it solves my problem......I'll let you know. I'm a huge Amazon Prime user but according to reviews I won't order GenePro from them. Many complaints that it isn't the same as the GenePro you order from the manufacturer or from GNC. Worth a couple of extra dollars if I can meet my protein requirements.