Ok...here goes... this is what they told me to do... (I know every doc is different, but here's to variety:)

For 2 wks. after surgery:

liquids - - hot or cold (tea, Water, sugar-free popsicles, crystal light, slim fast, broth, some juices) - - - NO straws!!! - - but remember that consistency needs to be liquid - - even though we don’t want to use straws (because they allow us to bring in too much air), we want the selection to be liquid enough that we would be able to suck through a straw (figuratively).

Also included: creamed Soups (strained - - no chunks - - no meat), thin smoothies,

Eating with spoon ok, but NO CHEWING FOR THE FIRST 2 WEEKS

Week 3:

Advance to pureed diet, so anything you had in wks. 1 and 2 are still acceptable but you can add the following: Yogurts, sugar-free pudding and Jello, scrambled eggs (not dry), baby food, smoothies, grits, very creamy mashed potatoes, applesauce, etc.

Week 4:

Advance again, so anything you had in wks. 1 – 3 are still acceptable, but you can add soft canned vegetables and fruits and soft casseroles

NO BREAD AT ALL FOR THE FIRST 4 WEEKS.

Week 5:

Add back regular diet slowly.

Thanks!!!

My diet is clear liquids for one week, then liquids for weeks 2-3 (including yogurt). After week three, can resume regular diet and exercise. But must be careful that food is very well chewed and not too sticky. Of course I am paraphrasing what the doctor told me. This is what Inamed advises, supposedly. It is probably conservative. I was told if I must have yogurt on day 7, that it would not be a catastrophe.

Any other ideas???

There's a Sticky thread in the food Forum with the Food Stages. It's pretty handy. Lots of ideas for which foods are clear liquid, full liquid, mushy, etc. it's important to follow YOUR docs instructions, but if you are having a hard time with, say, mushies, there's no harm in staying on full liquids till you are ready. I like the "no bread for 4 weeks" rule, too. I'd personally add "no meats until 6 weeks unless pureed" or something like that. But there's a big difference in the chicken chunks in chicken noodle Soup and the chicken in chicken salad and grilled chicken breast. So it really is an "as tolerated" kind of thing.

Thing is, the healing phase is about keeping your stomach from churning more than needed as your band heals. We can get our calories with mushy foods and stay pretty satisfied without making the band work too much before it's healed. Protien drinks are a staple, too.

Yes, Kathy i live on Protein drinks. I buy the Myoplex from GNC. It is RTD and 17fl oz with 42g protein. I drink half in the morning and half at night and it really kills the hunger pains. I also sometimes have a slimfast optimum or a cup of CIB regular, but they do not do as muchfor my hunger as the Myoplex shakes. Besides my Shakes I have a cup of soup a day too. I drink Water mostly. if I feel my milk is not coming out good (I'm nusring) I will have a cup of apple juice.

I am really looking forward to the mushie stage. My doc has me on a 4 week liquid diet and has not mentioned anything about healing. Funny thing is he says the oppoosite of what I have come to learn...he claims the liquid stage is to maxamize weight loss but gave me the go ahead to move on if I want. I think I will stay on liquids for as long as I can. I really have no hunger issues. I get hungry..I eat (drink)...problem solved. I want my stomach to heal and I want maximum weight lost!