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You should be fine. Everybody's post-op diet progression goes a little differently, and different surgeons give different directions. A lot of people have a pureed food stage between full liquids and soft foods. For me, the first week was liquids and the second week was purees. I was allowed to start soft foods in week 3, but I actually stuck with purees for a few extra weeks just to be safe. Your stomach may not be ready for soft foods yet, so there's nothing wrong with going back to liquids or purees for a few days (this is what my surgeon recommended if I had any problems during my progression). I've seen a lot of people here say they had trouble tolerating eggs for a while after surgery, so the problem could just be the egg, and you might do ok with other soft foods. The grilled chicken strip also might not be the best choice because it's too dense and dry. Chicken goes down best when it's shredded and very moist. I would suggest starting with canned chicken and adding some kind of sauce (e.g., Greek yogurt, enchilada sauce, or gravy). One of my favorite soft food meals was refried beans + protein powder with canned chicken + enchilada sauce. Take VERY small bites and chew really well. For the first few months, I often had problems when I ate meat where it felt like it got stuck on the way down. It was very unpleasant and sometimes came with some nausea. This is pretty common, and if it happens, you just need to stop eating and wait for it to work its way down. Resist the urge to try to wash it down with water because that can just make it worse. Walking around a bit can help. Finally, a lot of people find it challenging to meet fluid goals when they go from liquids to purees/soft foods. Most people are told not to drink anything for 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after the meal (the amount of time varies), and it might take 30 minutes to eat the meal, so every meal takes away an hour and a half of drinking fluids. You just have to be vigilant about sipping constantly in between. It gets a lot easier after the first several weeks, though!

No, I don't think they ever mentioned a timeframe, just portion size, but I do take my time. If 2 TB is feeling like a lot (and it depends on what I'm eating - 2 TB of cottage cheese takes much longer and fills me up way more than 2 TB of cream soup or yogurt), I'll slow down in between bites, but I don't think I've ever still been sitting there after a half-hour and thinking I need more. I do have hunger (I think?) but it feels way different now. It's like a rolling cramp almost. And the weirdest part is that it's no longer connected to my brain, if that makes any sense (and I hope it stays that way!!!).

This is what my surgeon gave me...your mileage may vary! Protein shakes, Milk 1% or less (I recommend Fair Life), Greek Yogurt in addition to the clear liquids (Bariatric Clear Liquids, Broth, De-caf Coffee or Tea, Diet Jello). I highly recommend looking into the Bariatric Hot Cocoa from this site or Amazon. I also recommend Swanson Sipping Bone Broth at this stage. Good luck! Post Op Diet & Boot Camp.pdf

Hello. I had surgery feb 9 and doctor has me on liquid diet and 2 protein shakes a day. He said I could start drinkable yogurts.. which ones do you all recommend? Some good ones to take away me wanting to eat food lol

Raving about Yasso greek yogurt frozen bars. They are so good, and good for you. I am so happy I found these. I have tried almost all the flavors, and love them all.

I had chewables for all my supplements in the beginning (not the gummy kind, more the texture of those Kids' Flintstones vites) and it made me gag too, so those got tossed and I just did the pill/tablets. I had trouble with my calcium tablet though, I would get nauseous if I took it on an empty stomach, so I buried it in a spoonful of yogurt each time. Then I discovered these. They taste like little chocolate caramels. They are 17 cals each though, but totally worth it. I took 2 a day back when I was still taking supplements.

I was always a water a drinker but I do find it harder to drink now which is weird. It’s the gas in carbonated drinks that is the main concern post bariatric surgery. That and the possibility you’ll switch to the high sugar versions. But with all things on this journey, you have to find what works for you. So if you want to have some soda all you can do is try it & see if it has any adverse affects. Your choice. I gave up sodas years ago. Mainly as the gas gave me terrible hiccups. Never went down the ‘diet’ alternative route for the same reason & because they still feed your craving & desire for sweet. Now there’s info coming out that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain - body tastes sweet but because there’s no calories to burn it holds on to whatever calories you have eaten. It gets you whichever way you turn! Actually not drinking soda does limit your choices when you go out. I used to have to shrug & say guess I’ll have to have wine - lol!! I have a large mug of green tea every day (400ml) & will pour myself a large glass (400ml) of sparkling water in the morning & let it sit so it goes flat: no gas but the minerally taste remains. I slowly sip on it through out the day in addition to still water. I used to buy a hi protein drinking yogurt which was yummy but a lot of stores don’t stock it anymore - sigh. If I have a gin & tonic, maybe once a month, I stir it frequently to release some of the gas & sip it very slowly.

I had surgery on the 1st and I don’t start protein shake until the 15th. I was told to be on liquid diet for two weeks post GS here. I think you are still supposed to be doing liquid diet if your surgery was the 9th ie Gatorade Zero, popsicles, broths 1 once of Greek yogurt daily.

I'm 12 days post op, 5 days on pureed. Like you, I've had eggs, yogurt, tuna,pureed my own fruit, and v8 tomatoes juice. All have been very well with me. Today I am tired of eggs so I had sugar free oatmeal, went well. Later today I plan on homemade guacamole (obviously no chips or bread), and some leftover tuna salad I have (pureed). My NUT is not letting me have smoothies or fruit yet because of the carbs. She said my focus must be hydration and protein. I'm excited for my guac though, hehe.

I've had tuna, cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and cream of wheat. I don't find anything appealing to eat even when I'm hungry. Are there any savory food choices to make this phase bearable?

My surgery was 1/28. My recovery was AWFUL. I threw up basically non stop for about 36 hours. Dry heaving after that procedure is so much fun. None of the nausea meds worked. I had to beg them to knock me out so I could sleep. So I got off to a really bad start. Now I’m more than 2 weeks out. I have not been able to tolerate much in the way of anything. I can only sip an ounce of a protein shake at a time and then I have to lay down until my stomach stops hurting. It’s essentially easier for me to just not eat. Best guess, I’m getting maybe 300 calories a day. Nowhere near 64oz of water or 60g of protein. I’m closer to 36oz of water and maybe 20g of protein. I’m eating yogurt and blended soups. Super watered down retried beans. I’ve nibbled on some crackers with a sip of water and they actually seem to go down way easier than anything else. I guess carbs are easier to digest. I don’t need a lecture on following the diet. I’ll worry about where the calories are coming from when I can actually eat. I’m definitely losing weight as the calorie deficit is so huge right now. I’m just wondering if anyone else is having such a hard time getting anything in. I don’t throw anything back up. I just cannot take more than 3 tiny bites or 1-2 sips at a time and then I have to lay down for 10 mins to digest. I cant spend all day repeating that cycle.

I eat cottage cheese, nut butter, and yogurt as snacks to get protein. You could also try soft fish. It has a lot of protein in it.

Not a good idea. I also attempted real food at week 3 and that was sugar free plain yogurt because I couldn't stomach the texture of eggs. I believe I could eat watered down oatmeal as well week 3. Didn't your surgeon provide any post-surgery guidelines? If not, I would contact the office and request it.

Wow those are great ideas! I asked my NUT for suggestions on the pureed meat and she said "why eat something that looks like cat food when you can drink your protein?" And I thought well okay. So I've been living off of v8 with some lime and salt. Scrambled with yogurt and mozzarella. And triple zero greek yogurt. I think I'm going to try the pureed tuna/chicken today. I was told I could have peanut butter. I attempted a baby spoon of smooth creamy peanut butter mixed with yogurt and instantly I felt blockage, so that was a no-go for me. I tried checking pinterest for recipes and all that comes up are soft diets and I wont start soft stage till March.

Hi, pancakes yum. How much protein would them 5 give you? I have 6 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, three eggs and some berries in it every morning. It gives me around 30 grams to start the day. I do not know what else to have that gives you high protein. I do not have protein powder, my surgeon here in Tasmania thinks it is not a good habit to get into. I have not really cooked anything, basically living off yogurt, prawns, tuna, cottage cheese as I feeling sick and heavy in the chest all the time. I had my op in August, second one to remove gallbladder and stretch the bowel a little so I do not get malnourished again 6 weeks ago. Any advice please

There are a bunch of them out there. I just wing it and put half a cup of oatmeal in my little smoothie blender with three egg whites, maybe 1/4 cup cottage cheese, a half a teaspoon of baking powder, and a glob of greek yogurt. If it's too dry, I add more yogurt and sometimes a little almond milk. After the batter rests for a few minutes it will get very thick as the oats suck up the fluid. I make silver dollar pancakes and eat about 5 and put the rest in the freezer. This recipe is awesome with blueberries. Maple Grove Farms sugar free syrup is 5 calories a serving and isn't bad! I also love them with home made apple butter made with Splenda instead of sugar.

If you can stand bone broth (add some stuff for flavor) it can be helpful. The caramel protein shakes are great in coffee. I liked the protein bars, particularly the chocolate delux ones. I liked boiled potatoes with lowfat shredded cheese, refried beans with cheese and salsa, tofu, rotissiere chicken (SOFT), soft baked fish. I really loved frozen greek yogurt bars (Yasso makes a great one). Also, protein pancakes were a tremendous favorite. (you make the batter with oatmeal, cottage cheese, egg whites, baking powder, greek yogurt in blender)

That early on, I think it’s very difficult to meet your protein goal without protein powder/shakes and protein-fortified foods. My go-to breakfast is half a container of Greek yogurt with half a scoop of protein powder for a total of 19 grams of protein. You can also mix unflavored protein powder into a lot of things like soups, refried beans, etc. I sometimes use Quest protein chips for a protein boost (I make taco bites using 1/3 of a bag of protein chips + taco meat + lettuce, tomato, and plain Greek yogurt, or put crushed protein chips on a salad). Since you can only eat small quantities, you have to eat mainly protein (typically meat). There’s not much room for anything else, even vegetables. I am 6 months out and still find it challenging to get 60 grams of protein per day. I still use protein powder every day. Part of it is that I don’t eat between meals; I guess if you snack throughout the day, you can probably work in some more protein, but I’m trying not to fall back into bad habits.

I'm so glad y'all brought this up - how on earth do you figure out what feeling means what?! I have no idea if I'm full or not. Today I had a Tbs of greek yogurt twice today and I really couldn't tell you if it made me full. I *think* hunger feels like a wave of a stomach cramp (though the signal definitely does not get to my head). I know when I need to slow down on liquids, but it mostly feels like gas followed by a painful burp. I get all sorts of random pains or gurgles or squeezes - often when I'm not drinking or eating anything. But other than hunger, nothing feels like it used to or makes much sense at this point. I do know anything other than FairLife CorePower is so sweet it makes me want to hurl.

And see I cant hold down the shakes, but pre surgery I could. So all I had for 7 days was protein2o and greek yogurt. I pureed some peaches earlier that I hope to have for dinner, so we'll see how that fills me. I dont think it will though. It's like baby food. But who knows.

I use Bariatric fusion unflavored protein powder low fat Greek yogurt and fairlife skim milk with strawberries and bananas 1/2 cup and kale. Sent from my U693CL using BariatricPal mobile app

In the first pic, I’m the one on the right side of the photo. I was already a mother of 4 wonderful kids, but I was miserable & very unhappy with my weight. I was insecure and embarrassed at how far I had let myself go. So, I started doing 5k runs to help myself lose weight. Being active was never a problem. I was disciplined enough to get out on a track, do step aerobics, or walk/run some bleachers. However, it was my relationship with food that was the problem. When I started my journey to get the sleeve, my surgeon said something that stayed with me: “The sleeve will guarantee weight loss in your first year out, but YOU have to utilize that time to CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE in order to maintain that weight loss.” Folks...that is EXACTLY what I did. I changed my eating habits. The sleeve forced my hand with QUANTITY, but I learned about QUALITY nutrition for my body. I completely changed my dietary habits! I got rid of all my trigger foods (and believe me that most of them were/are sliders!) and filled my fridge & pantry with lean meats, veggies, fresh fruits, complex carbs. And as the weight came off, I started lifting weights (heavy weights) to totally recomp my figure. And as the years went by and my stomach stretched and the quantity of food I was able to consume increased, I learned to time my meals and seek out fulfilling recipes that were also satisfying. Foods like: Greek yogurt (with a scoop of protein), topped with fresh fruits; zucchini noodles with chicken & Alfredo sauce; eggs, egg whites topped with fresh veggies like mushrooms, onion, spinach, cheese, with an added side of turkey bacon; zucchini noodles with spaghetti sauce & turkey meat; turkey patties topped with gravy & mushrooms and a side of green beans; turkey chili topped with cheese and a small bag of Fritos; pancakes/waffles made from oats, banana, eggs, olive oil, cinnamon (I add Protein powder as an option, and a sugar free seasoning call Honey Butter & Cinnamon by Icon), and topped with whipped cream, fresh fruits, and sugar free syrups (like Walden Farms); I’ll cook with low calorie marinades (like G. Hughes) and seasonings that are low in sodium and/or sugar free (like Icon) to add flavor and diversity with out tons of calories.  Folks! Life changing!!! I CHOOSE to eat well. I CHOOSE to exercise 5-6 days a week. I CHOOSE my lifestyle. I still eat foods that are not “health” conscious, but I’m in control now. I can eat them without over indulging or losing control. I even drink beer a few nights out of the month. My lifestyle choices have led me down a path in which I’m so much happier! I feel strong, confident, and in control! I’m in a better place mentally, and because of that, I’m a much better parent to my kids! Change is possible, folks. The sleeve is a tool, but you’re the one in control. 

I had my sleeve 2/4 and all I can hold down is greek yogurt and crystal light water.

I feel nauseous almost every day as well. I’m thinking it’s these crazy supplements you chew or dissolve in your mouth - it’s a lot of “fake sugar right off the bat. I don’t know if that’s it or not, but not taking capsules you don’t have much choice. My multi, my biotin, B1, B12, and then there’s magnesium, fiber/probiotic. All with fake sugars. Not to mention my yogurt, and anything I bake......oatmeal? I hadn’t thought of that - might just try that!

Before my surgery, I ordered a lot of different samples of protein powder, and IdealFit was my favorite. I love mixing the birthday cake with yogurt, and the chocolate brownie, chocolate coconut, and mint chocolate are good to drink. I have my eye on the chocolate cherry and butter pecan, but unfortunately, those aren't available in sample sizes and I'm not sure I want to commit to a huge tub without tasting it first. I also got some interesting flavors from 1up Nutrition, Northbound Nutrition (Waves of Whey), KetoShop, and Black Magic Supply. They all have single-serving samples so you don't have to buy a whole tub.