I am now 7 days post-op and I am supposed to be on pureed foods, I am having a hard time with this. I have been cheating and eating mashed potatoes with extra skim milk so it is falling off the spoon, I have been making tuna fish but mushing it the most I can and eating that. I also have been eating scrambled eggs. All of these foods are going down fine, I am having no issues at all and they are keeping me full. I am just so scared of something going wrong. I just need to hear it's going to be ok!

I was on liquids only for 3 weeks and purée for week 4. My surgeon explained that the stitches inside are still healing and he didn't want my stomach to work too hard and move to digest tougher foods--- because the stitches could rip out and the band could slip.

I know it's hard-- it's the toughest thing I think I ever had to do--- but you HAVE to get your head in the game. I'm 5 weeks out and it's a struggle every day. The biggest thing I've learned is that if I can't follow the rules--- I will not succeed. I'm on regular foods now and I have to constantly check myself and walk away from food. Please focus and know that the ultimate success for your weight is completely and totally up to YOU!

Good Luck!

Especially be careful with the carbs! I couldn't have them until this week and I'm still avoiding them( my weakness!)

When making tuna, use use fat free plain Greek yogurt in place of mayo to increase protein. You can purée that!

My sense is that we should always follow our surgeon's directives.

With that out of the way, I will tell you that my directives had me on pureed foods from 2 days post-op, graduating to mushy foods this week (one week post-op). I never had a liquid only stage, nor even a pre-op diet. At 11 days post-op I'm eating what you describe as "cheating" (flaked fish, potatoes mashed with a fork, veggies mashed with a fork, ground beef) but for my surgeon, this is his prescribed progression. His research shows that the stomach needs to work, to "grind", if you will, to get back in the game, and that liquids are not to be used as a meal since they don't provide the feeling of fullness.

I was reading a blog (I think it was Lapband Gal) who met the inventor of the Lapband (he's not a surgeon) and talked with him. He said that actually there never were any eating rules set in stone, but surgeons make up their own according to what they were seeing as patients recovered, and what worked best for a good recovery and success down the line.

That makes me feel so much better, thank you for your reply. It is hard but I am going to work at it because I want this more than anything! Again, both of you, thank you!

first of all you are so pretty aberghorn. I figure if you are going to cheat do it with protein. mash up some protein that you like, but protein. Im really looking forward to pureeing some red beans, or chicken. but as the last post read follow the sergeants orders.