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@AndreaJD and @ShoppGirl, I also had a pre-op call from the nurse today. My PCP had ordered a bunch of labs that I felt were not needed. I feel so much better because the nurse and surgeon agreed with me. I also leary that I might pass out if I needed to have so much blood taken while on a very low calorie diet. Here is how my pre-op diet works. It lasts 13 days. Days 1-12 I have to eat all of the following: 3 protein shakes w/skim milk (8oz), 1/2c oatmeal or cream of wheat, 1/2c SF pudding, 4-6oz CarbMaster yogurt, 1c low-fat soup, 1/2c unsweetened applesauce, 1c of any combination (baby carrots, celery, cucumber, broccoli, tomato, iceberg lettuce) with 2T FF dressing, and 60-84oz clear liquids. Day 13: 64-80oz clear liquids only. Today is day 7 and as I have progressed it has gotten more difficult to get all the food/water in each day. Several days I did not eat the pudding. I decided to prioritize my protein. Also, starting today I am not taking any vitamins just maintenance meds. I will restart vitamins one week after surgery. I still do not know my surgery time, as they call the day before to tell me when to be there. So, this time next week my surgery will be done and my new journey begins. How is everyone else doing? Getting anxious, scared, excited?

My thing is that this time I will FEEL like I can get anything down and never feel full because they are not touching my already sleeved and HEALED stomach and my hunger has already returned. BUT I need to follow the same protocol to protect my healing intestines. I think I will feel just as hungry as I do now and be able to stomach eating like normal but i must be good and follow the staged return to eating protocol anyways. i am sure it’s not going to be easy but of course I don’t want to hurt myself. It should be okay if I can have three shakes because I am doing two a day now on the LSD and it’s enough to sustain me so I am thinking maybe he will say I can do three shakes to keep me full plus eat those little tiny meals to go through the stages. I know it’s a little more calorie wise but I just don’t see me making it on two tablespoons of food when I still have my hunger and my stomach is not full. I really need to talk to him more about this before I leave the hospital because the normal by the book diet just isn’t going to work for me. But it definitely Sounds like maybe to play it safe I should just wait until i am closer to the next stage to have any yogurt.

I was like this. I managed 300 calories until 6 months. I was super restricted. My team were ok as long as I was well monitored and as long as I kept trying and drank most of my liquid allotment. I take PPI's twice a day and still need antacid. Food smells repulsed me. I couldn't eat eggs, meat or fish. I ate yogurt, soups, deli meats and cheese. I drank milk, coffee and Ribena. I forced myself to eat 6 tiny meals a day. My family were super worried about it. I managed a little better every day especially when the pressure was taken off me { I pressured myself } I took me 2 years to eat chicken, lamb, eggs and to this day can not eat salmon and oily fish. Stick with your team, they will get you through it. It will get easier.

Not sure if you would like it but you could add high protein/greek yogurt to the jelly, before it sets, so that it sets like a pudding texutre. You would get a higher protein amount if you also included some protein powder into the mix. This is how I have made it; 1 packet of sugar free jelly 250ml boiling water 300g greek yogurt 30g protein powder (I alternated between vanilla and natural) To make: In a just/bowl add the boiling water and jelly sachet. Mix until well combined and set aside, just to let it cool for a couple of minutes. In a blender add the yogurt, protein powder and jelly mix. Blitz until smooth. Pour into ramakins /small bowls and cover, let set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. One large bowl is about 50g protein so it will then just depend on how you portion it out but MyFitnessPal (or similar) can calculate that for you. I found the above one on Instagram and I am sure you could find similar if you wanted to have a look. The rest of the time I just had broth, made out of stock cubes with protein powder in it. The liquid phase isn't that bad or too long (if you only have to go through it once, I had to do it three times) so I just had the yogurts. puddings and broth/soup.

I'm in Canada, so the brands we can get might be a little different. For SF syrups, Matteo's is my go-to for the most part. I really liked the Skinny Mixes and Jordan's syrups in the past (pre-OP) but haven't tried them since my surgery. I find all of them to be cloyingly sweet if you're not careful with the amount you use -- so really, add half a teaspoon at a time, test it out and see if you need more until you know what your 'sweet spot' is. I made tuna, salmon & chicken salad too, but my recipes were very lack-luster. I did a can of tuna or a can of chicken, drained (but not squeezing out the liquid using the lid otherwise it'd get too dry too fast, lol); I usually started with 2 tbsp of light mayo or greek yogurt, mixed until it was coated and then adding another tbsp at a time until it was saturated to the point of being sloppy (I was having a ton of texture / moisture issues at the time). Salt & pepper to taste. With the fish, I often added a couple shakes of dried dill and a touch of garlic powder, and some peas (raw or cooked). With the chicken, I liked adding curry powder and tiny pieces of cooked carrot. Honestly, any veg you like that you can stomach at this point would probably be a nice addition to change things up from meal to meal. I can still only eat half a can of tuna/etc at a time, so I tend to leave it plain and dress it up with seasoning or veg right before eating. I also found that for me personally, the light mayo worked better at moisturizing the salads. The greek yogurt was more protein (and overall healthier than the mayos I could get my hands on), but the yogurt absorbed differently into the flaked protein. Especially if I was making it ahead of time. Probably the oils in the mayo.

Breakfast- 1/4 c. chocolate pb fit with 1c. oats with 2tbsp cocoa powder made with water snack- 1/2c. cottage cheese, 3/4 frozen blueberries, and a toasted plain mini bagel snack- raita (1/3c nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 1/2c. Diced cucumber with a pinch of salt and garam masala and a smidge of lemon juice dinner- curry seasoned veggies (zucchini, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and garlic) with chicken coconut curry (found in the deli section) Also, bonus calorie count for today as I doubt I’ll eat anything else today.

I too think your therapist could have chosen her words more carefully. (I also want to point out that if she's a therapist rather than a nutritionist, nurse practitioner, etc, while I would hope she would have training specifically to support body image, eating disorders and other related topics, it may just not be her specialty. She might not have the right vocabulary to be as helpful as another might.) I feel like it makes sense that post-op, the focus is definitely on Eating For Nutrition rather than enjoyment. Obviously we want things to taste good, but that especially in the beginning when taste buds and hormones are readjusting, sometimes we need to focus on eating to recover and survive and heal, or what we can manage to get down if we're having a phase of lack of appetite, etc. As we heal and as we move through different stages of our diet, we'll naturally move towards making our meals more delicious while maintaining the healthy benefits we need. Is it possible that your therapist misinterpreted your comments about missing food? Maybe you said you miss food, but were particularly missing solid and textured foods and things with a variety of flavour and they heard it as "I miss being able to eat half a pie or an entire pizza for dinner because it comforted me emotionally". Either way, I would've liked for them to say "Hey, it's temporary, food gets better" and "have you tried putting a bit of splenda and unsweetened cocoa powder on your yogurt, or put some fresh herbs in your broth and strain them out after simmering for 30 min".

I definitely don't think this is a slippery slope because honestly, I loved sweets before surgery and I am still the same person and love sweets now. I just can't/don't want to overindulge in the way I used to, and I find some of the things (cheaper chocolate, for instance) less appealing and not satisfying. My favorite treat (though I will caution that it won't meet strict low-carb targets, but I have not been given those from my program) is to use my Yonana machine to turn frozen fruit into a sorbet-like treat that I can eat alone or top with things like fresh sliced fruit, peanut butter made from plain or chocolate PB2 powder, unsweetened coconut, and homemade granola. I've also found some recipes for high protein acai base for smoothie bowls and am planning to give that a try instead of the frozen fruit on its own. It's basically frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, acai powder, and protein powder that you blend up and can store in the freezer in individual servings until ready to top with all the things above. Also, you don't have to use frozen banana to use the Yonana machine. I've used every type of frozen fruit you can think of with great results as I'm not a huge banana fan.

A good way to try different shakes without investing quite as much is to find a convenience store that has a variety of them individually. I’m not sure how many non dairy or other less common versions they will have but I guess it’s worth checking out. Hopefully you find one you can tolorate and you can one by one add things to it to increase the nutrition. Maybe just start by not adding the yogurt to the ones you are making since dairy does seem to be a common issue that people develop post surgery. Also, it could be the sugar in the fruit is too much or even the peanuts in the peanut butter. Maybe try almond butter or something else?? Like @SleeveToBypass2023I suggested, i would just keep trying all different store bough shakes or even differnt combos of the homemade ones until you find SOMETHING you can keep down. Once you do you can add to it from there.

I ate cottage cheese, avocado spread, hummus, protein pudding, protein yogurt, and even 3 or 4 teaspoon fulls of split pea soup (my husband had to eat the rest because it was REALLY filling). I also ate some tuna (but VERY sparingly), oatmeal (again, very sparingly and only 2 or 3 teaspoon fulls...my daughter ate the rest of the bowl because it was really filling), sauteed squash (used extra virgin olive oil and it was soft and soooo good), 1 scrambled egg (only had about 2 small bites and then hubby added the rest to his eggs and finished it). I was just so happy to be able to eat stuff, but I was absolutely NOT ready for how little I could actually eat lol

I can seem to open what you have and of course I didn’t save the recipe I tried but I remember it called for vanilla protein powder (I’m sure you could substitute any flavor you like). If the recipe you have doesn’t call for protein powder you may need to add a splash more milk. To up the protein you can add things like Greek yogurt, nuts, seeds, or nut butter (just be sure to add natural nut butter and be conscious of the calories).

the SADI is a fairly new surgery and isn't very common - which is probably why the office staff isn't that well versed in it. Although if the surgeon is going to be offering that surgery, they really need to get the office staff up to snuff, because they're the people you're usually going to see when you're there as far as red, purple, yogurt, and fudgsicles, they're probably talking about the day or two before the surgery, and not the regular pre-op diet that many of us have to do for a week or two before the surgery. I've had about four surgeries, plus a couple of colonoscopies, and having a completely liquid diet for the day or two before with nothing red or purple is pretty standard with any procedure. They don't want anything in your G/I tract (that's why they say only liquids), and red and purple fluids look like blood on the equipment they use, so they tell you to avoid anything red or purple.

You must be so incredibly frustrated! Which type of surgery did you get, the sleeve or the bypass? I'm at about 7 weeks post op from getting the sleeve + intestinal revision and my calorie consumption ranges from 500-700/day, with my carb intake less than 35/day and a protein goal of 60/day with fluids of at least 48oz/day. I agree with others - it seems like a good idea, regardless of any advice you get from this forum, to revisit your surgeon. That said, I do believe you hit the nail on the head for one with the alcohol, and secondly I'd ask how many of your calories are coming from carbs. It's ok to include carbs in your diet, but really, this early, unless you are very physically active there isn't cause for many of them. At this stage it's typical to eat no more than 1/2cup - 1 cup of total food per meal, three times a day (or spaced out into 4 meals if needed). That's including your protein, which as someone else said should be the first thing you eat. Another thing about alcohol - it tends to cause dehydration - so you'd need to be consuming even MORE water throughout the day to compensate for that, just like caffeine. If you aren't hitting your hydration goal (PLUS, because of alcohol) then your body will struggle to convert your stored fat into energy, which is what causes most of the weight loss. An example of what my diet looks like at this stage is a single serve yogurt for breakfast (I have been getting the Aikos zero sugar or 2Good ones) - Remember no drinking 30 minutes before or after, and your meal should last at least 20-30 minutes. For lunch I might have a 'tuna melt' - which I make out of 1/3 can of tuna in water, a zero net carb small tortilla, and maybe 1/8 cup of shredded cheese or a low fat string cheese (I cook it folded over like a quesadilla) with maybe 1/8 cup of low fat cottage cheese, then for dinner a serving of one of the many bariatric recipes - there's a ricotta bake (lasagna with no noodles, basically), unstuffed cabbage rolls (Kind of like egg roll filling), or maybe chicken or tuna salad made with low fat mayo and a dab of relish with some cucumber slices/2-4 saltine crackers. I use the free Baritastic App to track my food and fluid intake. Using a tracking app increases weight loss significantly from what I've been told because you can see and understand what exactly you're putting in your body. The good news is that as far as I know, it isn't too late to backpedal and reset yourself! I'm NOT a doctor but my understanding is that if you get off track after weight loss surgery, especially this soon, one way to 'reset' is to go back on a liquid diet for a week or two, with zero-sugar jello, zero sugar pudding, and protein shakes (less than 5g of sugar each) to hit your goals. After that, work your way back up to puree foods for a week, then soft foods for a week. I strongly recommend eyeballing the nutrition information on any shake you think of buying, too, because there are some that are loaded with sugar and have as many as 22g of carbs EACH. After weight loss surgery it's also strongly discouraged to have fried food at all for the first 6 months, and after that maybe once per month. The same goes for sweets and baked goods. I hope this helps, and again - I feel like you should really follow up with your surgeon and a nutritionist! Best wishes!

On the one hand, the farther out from surgery you get, the more you can physically eat. This is normal at a year post-op, and may have coincided with the timing of your poor food choices. But if you have been going "off track" by eating a bunch of slider foods, that will in part explain why you don't feel any restriction. The more you focus on eating lean protein and high-fiber veggies, the more full you will likely feel. Your tool never goes away, but your nutrition becomes even more important the more your body can eat. My suggestion is to skip the "pouch reset" where you go through the stages of food. There's nothing magical about eating puree and drinking shakes. You were supposed to do that because your stomach had just been slice open and stapled up. What you should do is go back to a bariatric diet. This means eating protein first, veggies second, carbs third. It means portion control, eating at planned intervals, avoiding sugar and fat. It means waiting 30 minutes after you eat before you drink (not because you can't physically drink, but because doing so can contribute to hunger), and making sure you get a minimum of 64oz of water every day (but 90 oz is probably better). Instead of revisiting the first few weeks after surgery, meet your body where it is now. Plan three high protein, healthy meals for yourself each day. For breakfast, you might try making two eggs, a serving of spinach, and some roasted sweet potato. For lunch, you could try a salad with 4 oz of chicken and some black beans, plus lots of veggies. For dinner, make yourself 4 oz of salmon, a serving of broccoli, and a serving of quinoa. Space your meals evenly throughout the day, around 5 hours apart. See if that amount of food fills you up. If it does, you're pretty much where you probably should be at this stage. If it doesn't, add more veg to your plate at meal times, and allow yourself up to two healthy snacks, such some fresh raw veggies and a ranch dip made from Greek yogurt, and maybe a bowl of fresh berries with Coolwhip and nuts for dessert. My guess is, if you focus on eating the right things and not eating simple carbs and high fat comfort foods, you will start feeling much better.

Hi everyone! Hope those of you that have had your surgery or are having a great recovery and those are you that are waiting to have yours ready for your new journey! I will say it’s been a roller coaster of emotions after surgery . My best advice is do not compare yourself to others! We are all totally different on this journey and everyone will be different and that is from the amount of weight you lose all the way up to the foods that you can tolerate and what you can eat afterwards. My surgery Sisters and I have had different experiences. They were able to have their ice chips right after getting the clearance well as I was struggling to even have half a teaspoon of broth. I am now 11 days postop and I am still on basically a clear liquid diet . It’s not fun. It sucks. I’ve gone through being able to have protein and then my stomach doesn’t tolerate it. I’ve gone through yogurt and then my stomach can’t tolerate it. It’s changing its mind day by day lol. So I’ve been having to try various different things to see what works. For me currently my stomach likes either hot or cold . In this journey you’re pretty much learning from a whole different perspective who the new you is. It’s not been easy. It’s a huge challenge! I’ve also learned the difference between feeling hungry and being mentally hungry. I no longer feel hungry, but I crave food that I was once able to eat. Mainly a huge feeling of nostalgia. I understand that eventually I’ll be able to eat those foods and much smaller portions which is why I had the surgery to begin with, but that feeling is still there. And it is very important to understand the difference between that hunger and that mental hunger , especially in the journey that lies ahead. Some more vices, make sure you take your medication as the doctor prescribes. When I drink anything, I feel a pain in my chest and a pain in my left shoulder. My doctor says that this is normal. However, the big things to watch out for our fever, nausea, vomiting. Your body is going through a lot. I keep having to tell myself that. Don’t expect to pass a bowel movement for a while either . I’m currently taking MiraLAX to help me through it. I don’t expect to have one, especially just being on a liquid diet. My weight hasn’t changed for the past four days. Don’t be shocked at the fact that you’re not dropping like crazy. Like I said, it’s been a heavy journey, very emotional journey, but as always need to just keep my eye on the prize is what I tell myself . This is a journey, not race. Wishing you all a safe recovery and hoping those of you that are getting ready for this journey enjoy !

Oh, ya! They are so good. I've had a yogurt bar, but I think they were refrigerated

gotta love an oldie! that yogurt looks so good! Ill have to grab one to try.

I've had a very up-and-down sort of week, mentally/emotionally (and weight-wise too, I guess). It started in that I'd finally gotten out of a stall, and everything stayed good for 10 days or so? And then a week with absolutely no weightloss. On the back of a stall, it just crushed my spirit. I said fine, by next week it'll be better, stay off the scale... and instead I hopped back on 2 days later to a 1.4lb gain. I think I went into a sort of zombie-state. I was still doing what I needed to (work-wise, diet-wise, exercise-wise) but it was like some kind of emotional shock: I was functioning but apathetic about pretty much everything. My brain and heart just couldn't take it, and shut down. Then the physical side. I'm sure it will surprise nobody here, but when you're behaving kind of like an automaton you don't pay enough attention to things like time, or specifically eating slowly. Cue the foamies and vomitting. I think four times in the past week. Luckily, most of the time I caught it early enough to prevent anything too intense, but yeah. I'd thought I was smart enough / experienced enough at this point to learn from my mistakes, but that one I just kept making. Afterwards, the lingering nausea kept me from eating enough -- so the protein goals were not met for five days in a row. (Until I found Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Pudding which turned things around so I was exceeding my goals) I'm doing better-ish, now? I still feel mildly dissociated, but the past couple days it's been like... life & energy slowly returning and my mood improving. The universe waited for me to be in a better mental place, and all of a sudden knocked 4 lbs off the scale this morning. Sunday, I had a great NSV that I didn't feel hit me until today -- I'm wearing a 1X for the first time in over a decade. (Top and bottom, which is another NSV because ever since my late 20s, my bottom has always required me to go one size up from whatever shirt size I was wearing) But even this NSV, I'm able to acknowledge it and told a couple people about it because I knew they'd be happy for me, but it still just all feels pretty superficial. I only seem to be able to get excited and enthused about other peoples' good news, lol.

Just put a few teaspoons of milk powder in your cup of skimmed milk and add your nut butter and blitz. Half a banana gives fibre. Add some Greek yogurt or protein yogurt when you are eating more. Just do it to taste.

I've been enjoying the Yasso frozen yogurt bars now that the weather is warm. 100 calories and 5g protein, with a reasonable amount of sugar for a dessert. The coffee chocolate chip is my favorite. And I am going to try those fancy brownie yogurts! I remember seeing them and thinking they seemed too indulgent for breakfast, but I didn't even think about having one for dessert!

I think like most things, moderation is key. I have a basement stash of UPF in the basement for quick fixes: shelf stable protein shakes (obviously), instant bone broth packets, and a couple of instant soup powders I bought from the BP shop. They get me through days I'm feeling low energy or have no appetite. Right next to them, I have a huge stock of SF FF pudding mixes that I bought pre-op thinking I'd need them for the first two weeks of recovery (spoiler alert: I didn't need 1/16th of the **** I 'prepared' with), so the greek yogurt recipe sounds like a fab way to slowly make my way through the stash. I've also got a SF Lactose Free chocolate ice cream sitting in my freezer for certain monthly cravings. Again, something I bought for recovery that just.... hasn't been fully used up yet. It's not awful nutrition wise, but I use it sparingly. I have a pack of high protein flatbreads in the freezer, some NSA protein pancake mixes and a few NSA flavouring syrups in my pantry. I'm not against sweeteners or UPF in general, it's more that it's rare to find any one pre-made food that hits all the macros for me, and my brain really likes when I follow a nice, strict, mathematical structure. The only thing I use more often than I think I should is probably the protein pancake mix? Twice a week I'll make a pancake in place of a more balance meal -- this week it's been three times already because it -- and oatmeal-- are one of the few things not pinging my nausea. (It's been a rough week) (@NickelChip That's good to hear about the yonana machine -- I've been eyeballing it for a while but even as a child I go through cycles of strong banana-aversion LOL.)

I recall feeling similarly at 4 weeks. Some of that was due to the nerves being cut and dulled from surgery, I think, because I feel it more now. Also, I assume you are probably still on the softer proteins. I find I don't have the full feeling as quickly with things like yogurt or cottage cheese, or even a flaky white fish, the way I do with chicken or beef. I can eat a serving of yogurt and still have room for fruit, but if I eat 3 oz of chicken or beef, that's all I'm having!

For comparison, because I know your other option is a revision to bypass, I am 5 months post RNY and I can already easily eat a cup and a half of some foods, such as soups, salads, or yogurt and berries. I can often eat 3-4 oz of meat, or a full can of tuna, plus veggies along with it. My brother, who is about 15 years post-sleeve, can finish a regular plate of food in a sitting (by which I mean a reasonable serving of something like chicken, veg, and starch, not what they give you in a restaurant that has 1800 calories and is enough for 3 people). SADI will probably change your metabolism in a more powerful way than bypass because that is what the research shows it does. But since you've already had a sleeve, it's possible that neither revision will have the full effect on you that it would someone who is getting a surgery for the first time. And whichever option you choose, I do think in the long term, it's less about whether you can eat a certain volume of food and more about what food you choose to eat. Basically all bariatric surgeries typically result in having more capacity the further out you get, so it's what you do with that capacity that makes the difference in success over time. I can tell you that my brother has regained about half the weight he initially lost not because of how much food he can eat but because of how much beer he drinks every day (he admits as much). And if I regain weight in the future, I already know it will not be because I am eating 6 oz of chicken and 2 cups of steamed broccoli in a sitting. It will be because I haven't managed to curb my sweets cravings (and yes, I can still eat plenty of sugar and fat without getting sick) and too often give into the convenience of processed foods and simple carbs. Those are my weaknesses, so that's what I'm trying to work on now while the effects of the surgery are still fresh. But no surgery can fix it for me, unfortunately. Basically, any revision you choose at this stage will give you a new and more powerful tool to work with. No surgery will address the underlying destructive habits that lead to weight regain.

I used this recipe https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spiced-carrot-lentil-soup without the bread obviously and didn't bother holding half the spices back for toasting, I just bunged everything into the slow cooker for a few hours. Once cooked I blended it and added the yogurt. Then when I moved on to the soft stage (and going forward now), after the blending I add in a few extra pieces of carrot and leave it for about 30 minutes to soften them so it gave a bit of a bite before adding the yogurt. I like spice so I used a tad more than a pinch of chili flakes, I probably have that in each portion Think I got 9 or 10 servings out of this

@draikaina8503 - It sounds like the struggle has been super real for you, and I hate to hear that you've had such a tough time. I didn't have a drainage tube because of the type of surgery I had (as far as I know, unless it was only used DURING the surgery itself). The staples are a pain; and bending or stretching too much causing pain is 100% something I empathize with you in regards to. I was really nervous about showering with them in as well, but honestly the warm water from the shower set to a gentle pressure did feel really nice. I also used the special soap they gave me when I washed my staple area lightly with a washcloth. I was afraid of using a loofah thinking it might snag or something. I also feel where you (and others) are coming from on the fluids and dry mouth - I still find myself super relieved when I can finally have a drink 30 mins after a 'meal'. I will say that as long as I keep my intake moist (super soupy purees or broths) that it isn't TOO bad - and I definitely have to watch how many ounces I intake for my meals. I eat slowly, but when the food tastes good and I'm eyeballing my protein goal it's HARD not to want to try to 'finish' my serving. I learned my lesson with my oatmeal this morning, though. It sat more heavily on/in my stomach after I ate than I expected and I struggled to have a few burps that relieved the weight and pressure I felt in my chest. Your mention of letting ice chips dissolve in your mouth helped me today - the cold really did slow my intake and provide relief. I hope you're starting to feel better now! I created a sort of 'routine' for my mornings that I think is working pretty well, though. I try to only have a sip of water when I first wake up and them immediately prepare my breakfast. With purees that are thick to the consistency of yogurt there's a trick where you basically just swallow your meds a couple at a time (if they are small) with a spoonful of yogurt/cottage cheese/medium thick puree. That's what I do to get down my morning meds, and as long as I don't overeat I go to have a brief warm shower afterward. The movements of me showering and standing help get my body to produce a burp or two, and putting my arms over my head when I wash my hair (yes, still some pulling especially on the left side so I have to go easy with THAT arm) does expand my torso and help my food settle. This also take sup some of the time gap I have to leave after eating before I can drink. Usually by the time I'm done with my shower, done drying, and have caught my breath it's almost time for me to be able to sip fluids again. @Pepper_No_Salt I'm still shocked that they sent you home from the hospital on the same day. Whew. I'm glad to see you're been feeling better each day, Moving on to strained soups was a biggie for me and I certainly can appreciate that having been one of your first planned stops! I did the same thing after I got my staples out. Today I am going to try to return to some broth for lunch and wish I had gotten more cans of chicken noodle when I went to the store. Maybe I'll try to season some of the 'cream of' soups I've got sitting around. My first try with them wasn't good, but then again they were room temperature then. Hopefully they taste better next time around! @ShoppGirl @Onemealplan @Greekmom4 @AndreaJD- Thank you all for the recipes and information! I tried my oatmeal yesterday with the whey protein powder a friend had given me and honestly - it was gritty, and I was disappointed. This morning I used part of a vanilla ensure and I used a potato peeler to slice off the exterior of three strawberries I mixed in with it and it was 100x better. I actually ate about 5oz of it super slowly and regretted that as it either expanded or wouldn't quite settle. I wasn't sick, but I was very uncomfortable for a while and had to shower and move around, then stand and take a couple of sips of cold water to initiate a couple of burps that provided some relief. Once I started to feel better I realized that the icy cold beverage helped me, and so I went ahead and had a sugar free popsicle. I took my time with it and found that the cold spreading across the inside of my chest felt very good and now I'm feeling much better. Has anyone had good luck finding an unflavored protein powder that doesn't feel gritty when mixed? Just curious - and if someone already answered this I'm sorry; trying to get caught up but not sit for too long! @CrazyDog&CatLady - Good luck to you on your revision and thank you for sending us all positive vibes for preparation and healing! Also, welcome to the thread! @ShoppGirl - I second what you said a thousand percent about using ALL the coping strategies you can to get through this. I'm having to completely re-learn my body, and in fact learning things about myself I never realized or understood before. The feeling of 'full' does echo my feelings of 'anxiety' and I've found that I'm extra sensitive due to that in the hour after I have a meal. I've also found that just like with the walking to get the gas worked out I also need to walk around a little bit after my meal to get my food to sit properly. Additionally, I'm learning the importance of remaining UPRIGHT until my stomach has settled past a meal. It's not even 'going to sleep too soon after eating, it's being at too little of an incline. I've woken up two nights in a row with heartburn in the wee hours that I can only attribute to drinking something maybe too fast before going to bed, or sipping at an incline rather than sitting up completely to deal with my dry mouth during the night. I do space my calcium out to later in the day and have been taking my multi w/Iron and ADEK about an hour after my breakfast. That seems to so far be working to stave off any nausea I would get from taking them on an empty stomach. Thank you for explaining about the B12 injections and congratulations on overcoming your anxiety giving them to yourself! Sorry if I missed anyone - I've hit my cap for sitting for the moment. Best wishes to all and encouragement to those who have surgery in the coming days! If I recall we have two having surgery tomorrow, yes? Another set of 8/21 surgery buddies? I'll try to recap and review later!