Well so far we have 5 members! Sounds like a good group to me! But I hope some others will see the group and join us. How's everyone feeling today? I have been doing some things around the house and personal care in preparation. The other day I cleaned out my dresser drawers and closet. Then I did the bathroom cupboards. Yesterday I cleaned the frig top to bottom. Yuck, something had spilled in there that wasn't pleasant but it's sparkling now. I've done a pedicure and facial. My daughter gave me a haircut. Actually she chopped it. I asked for a trim from a person who has never cut any hair so I guess I got what I deserved... Yikes it's chin length and not so nice right now. Thank goodness it will grow (unless I lose it all from this surgery, lol). Today I'm going to Walmart for some postop shopping and things for others. Tomorrow I have to work from 8a to 4p but I'm glad cuz that will take up a good part of the day. I'll be off work for 2 weeks after surgery. My surgery is at 7:30 am and I have to be there at 5:30.

It's almost here everyone!! I'm not feeling nervous, a little excited and mostly just want to get it done and over. We are gonna be on the loser's bench soon. Oh, on this preop diet, my starting weight was 212, and today it is 203.5, so a loss of 8.5 lbs. Not bad, my liver better look like a little shrunken prune for that surgeon after all this suffering! How's everyone else doing today?

Today I had soft foods. This is not me gloating. Well, maybe it is. I had egg salad for Breakfast, tuna salad for lunch and dinner. I'm still meeting my liquid (64 oz.) and Protein (60 grams) goals. It took several days to get there, but now I'm zipping along. Tomorrow I hope to eat refried Beans with a small amount of cheese if I can find liquid Beano!

I found a great dessert I could eat on my liquid diet. Maybe you will be interested. My husband eats sugar free frozen raspberries. I used the the juice left over from the raspberries and mixed it with yummy Greek yogurt (I use Fage. It has 23 grams of protein per serving and my doctor considers it a liquid.). I don't see why this wouldn't work with the juice from other frozen fruits, too, maybe peaches.

I am having no trouble with my new stomach. The last two nights I was even able to sleep on my stomach and found that I had no pain or other problem getting out of bed. I consider myself very lucky.

I am soo happy for you notime! I get to start soft,moist,mushy foods tomorrow and am excited & nervous. To continue getting in 60 grams of protein, are you still doing protein shakes in addition to the food? Thanks for posting your great news....you're an inspiration

I agree with dogmom, you're an inspiration. Congrats on the soft foods. I plan to stick with doctors orders mostly, but if I sneak something a little more solid here and there, I really don't think it will hurt. Notime, the juice from fruit mixed with plain high protein yogurt sounds AWESOME. I am definitely going to try that. Thanks for the tips. Let's definitely keep in touch. It looks like the 3 of us and Kellie are the only ones really communicating here, but as long as you're willing, I definitely want to - after all, we are SAME DAY SISTER SLEEVERS!

What are y'all allowed to eat soft & mushy? My papers I think are way to vague. Mine says start introducing puréed or soft fruits vegetables dairy or oatmeal. So does that mean I can try eating maybe bananas & eggs etc? I'm so confused! Btw~ my nut printed this straight from a dietician website. Rd411.com. Check it out

kellie - I'm not at soft yet cuz pureed is going to come first next week. I'll just take regular food and blend the hell out of it so It's a liquidy consistency. Even though that will look gross, I bet it will taste good.

Have you guys heard of "the world according to eggface?" I got the tip here somewhere and visited her website. She had WLS years ago and has tons of recipes for us. She has a section on pureed foods that looks really good. I'll be using some for her recipes for sure.

I like eggface, too. I just bought an ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet maker and plan to use it for some of her recipes!

This morning I figured out why I do not have pain when getting out of bed. I keep my right leg straight and bend the left leg to get me up.

My soft, moist food diet allows eggs cooked any way I want them, including hard boiled. In fact, it encourages eggs because each one contains 7 grams of Protein. It also includes canned tuna and chicken. I am physically able to eat only part of an egg and a small can of tuna lasts four meals.

The diet does not include soft or pureed fruit and vegetables because that takes away from the amount of protein I can get in. I am not drinking protein drinks because of the Proteins I am getting from my soft, moist food and Greek yogurt and pudding. I have made lime Jello with pina colada flavored Protein Powder. It is delicious, but that is the only protein powder I am using.

Thanks! After reading & rereading & having my mom read my food allowances, I fixed a scrambled egg. I remembered my surgeon telling me that eggs are a perfect Protein & I haven't even been coming close to goal on protein~~~cannot tolerate the shakes. I had about 2/3 of a medium egg & OMG I think it was the best scrambled egg ever!

I briefly looked at egg face this am. Looks very helpful. I will def be checking it out her sight more thoroughly.

Is anyone else feeling literally exhausted?

Kellie - yesterday I thought I was so cool, I had energy and was making plans for a walking program and all that. Today, I'm exhausted. I made it to the corner and came back with a stomachache. I've had diarrhea and been laying around with a heating pad on my tummy. The chicken broth I've been loving made me sick. I've got to get down 2 more protein drinks today, but mostly I've been sipping water. I also had a little cream of wheat, like 4 bites. I'm full today with an empty stomach. Hope tomorrow is better.

I'm the same way. I woke yesterday am feeling great. By noon I was wiped out & today I really considered letting my kids skip school (13 & 15 yo) so I didn't have to get out of bed. I forced myself up & I have been good for nothing today. To tired to really even function. I took a 2 hour nap but it wasn't enough. I'm soooo tired!!!

Speaking of nap....that is what I am planning on doing now. I need to get my sleep pattern back to being up all night because I was cleared by my surgeon to return to work Thursday evening. I work 7p-7a in the ER as a secretary and now I'm used to sleeping like normal people....really gotta change that!

Finally had my first BM today too, was getting a bit nervous that it had been since the 22nd, but all is well once again

Kellie, I totally understand about that delicious egg. I had a very small farm fresh soft poached egg this morning and it was amazing! For lunch I had 1 T. applesauce & 1 T. cottage cheese, for Dinner 1 T. mashed potatoes and 1 T. tuna. At lunchtime I intended on trying 2T cottage cheese with that applesauce but I got full, so stopped...Love it! Gonna check out eggface, I could use some new recipes. Great hearing how you are all doing!

Kellie...here are some of the allowances for my Phase 2 of the post op diet...called "Soft, Moist, Mushy"

Cream of Wheat

Eggs

mashed potatoes (white or sweet)

applesauce

canned tuna or chicken (chew chew chew to make mushy)

yogurt

pudding

overcooked whole wheat pasta

peanut butter

cottage cheese (can add a touch of sugar free jelly to it...mmmmm)

smashed up (cooked) veggies like broccoli,peas,grean beans

Hope this helps

Dogmom--That is a great list. Thanks for sharing it. I am puzzled by the pasta. I know it says to overcook it, but I was under the impression I was never again to have pasta, even when on a regular diet.

Yeah, the Pasta surprised me too. They didn't tell me to never have it though, just not for a long time. I think it's just because it's usually full of carbs, takes up space and fills you up when you need to be getting Protein first.

I fell asleep at 11 last night which is early for me. It's now 5:30a and I'm wide awake. Oh joy, this is going to be a loooong day I think. I'm having a cup of hot tea and it seems to be a little soothing. Wish the protein could be made hot...Sleevie is not liking really cold things . Oh, and I woke up thinking about stupid pizza again.

Today I had soft foods. This is not me gloating. Well, maybe it is. I had egg salad for breakfast, tuna salad for lunch and dinner. I'm still meeting my liquid (64 oz.) and Protein (60 grams) goals. It took several days to get there, but now I'm zipping along. Tomorrow I hope to eat refried Beans with a small amount of cheese if I can find liquid Beano!

I found a great dessert I could eat on my liquid diet. Maybe you will be interested. My husband eats sugar free frozen raspberries. I used the the juice left over from the raspberries and mixed it with yummy Greek yogurt (I use Fage. It has 23 grams of protein per serving and my doctor considers it a liquid.). I don't see why this wouldn't work with the juice from other frozen fruits, too, maybe peaches.

I am having no trouble with my new stomach. The last two nights I was even able to sleep on my stomach and found that I had no pain or other problem getting out of bed. I consider myself very lucky.

notime - What did you use to mix your egg and tuna salad? I was soo desperate last night, I took an inch piece of chicken breast and puverized it with some chicken broth and put in a pinch of regular mayo. I had a few very small bites and it was heaven. Sleevie had no problem with it either. I think I'm ready for more purees even though I'm supposedly 5 days away still.....

Joni, I used a little bit of mayonnaise, not anywhere near what I would have used before. Like you, I could only eat a few small bites. I threw the rest of the egg salad out and saved the tuna to eat later.

My doctor said to use canned chicked, but it sounds as though you made the equivalent.

I am really enjoying my tablespoon of egg salad and tablespoon of cottage cheese today. It's amazing how fast it fills me up..love it!

I think the reason they are allowing pasta is because it's a whole wheat and you would probably need to really overcook it...to the squishy point. I bought a box of Annie's organic whole wheat shells with white cheese sauce and surprisingly it has like 10 grams of protein per serving (even though there's no way I could get in a whole serving) I thought I could make that someday and add some tuna to it and get a decent amount of protein.

I remember my surgeon telling me that nothing is "off limits" it's just that I need to find healthy alternatives to old favorites and if I just have to have an old favorite...have just a little bit, that it's all about portions and exercise and that the sleeve will make the portion part much easier! Have a great day!