Hello everyone and let me start by thanking everyone for their posts. This site is what gave me the courage to opt for the banding.

I have read so many posts regarding the liquid stage of the diet but have yet to find anyone who is on a Clear and Full liquid diet like the one my doctor has me on. I do understand all the individual preferences the doctors follow but I am really looking for an ally I guess you could say. I started a Clear & Full Liquid Diet 2 days prior to surgery. I was banded January 9, 2008 at 7:30am and was home by 2:00pm and that included a 45 minute commute! Below is a sample of my diet:

Breakfast - 2 oz cream of wheat - 2 oz sugar-free blended yogurt -

2 oz diluted juice - 2 oz skim milk with no sugar-added Carnation Instant Breakfast

lunch - 3 oz strained low fat cream Soup - 3 oz sugar-free Gelatin -

2 oz skim milk - 1 scoop Protein powder

dinner - 2 oz strained cream soup (does not say low fat) - 2 oz sugar-free blended yogurt - 2 oz sugar-free gelatin - 1 scoop Protein Powder

No Caffeine or Carbonated beverages

Drink at least 64oz of Fluid per day to prevent dehydration

Since the diet consists of 24 oz of fluids above; I must get in 40 oz throughout the day by aiming for 1/2 cup of liquids every 30 minutes during waking hours.

Is there anyone out there whose diet is remotely close to mine?:smile: I almost forgot, maybe the reason he has me on this diet is because he does not believe in the pureed Stage and skips directly to the Soft food Stage.

Hi everyone

I was banded on the 5th of Feb I have so much restriction I am rarely hungry/thirsty. I am on fluids for 2 weeks then mushies

I can basically have anything that can fit up a maccas straw. Lucky my mum is a great cook n i ave lots of variety or id be going stir crazy

good luck everyone else doing the liquid phase its hard!!!

Hi Ky,

I was banded on the 4th, so you and I are in mostly the same place, food wise. I'm going nuts on the clear liquids. What is your mum making you that is satisfying? I can go to thicker liquids (ie: creamed soups, etc.), starting on Tuesday and I'm looking forward to that.

I don't think we have any restriction right now. What one has, after surgery, is non-hunger due to anasthesia, etc. That will wear off soon enough, I think. Ugh!

b.

:frown:yesterday was really bad with gas pains. today better. i feel like i have a baseball or an elephant on my breast bone. any coughing, breathing in deep, hick-uping hurts.

as far as the liquids i think i'm getting enough dont feel bad like sickly but really tired of liquids. i think i'm not giving enough time between eating and drinking. so tomorrow i will start a journal of everything so i can keep track. i feel restriction, but i know it from swelling. its hurts some. like really uncomfortable but wierd like tolarable.. does that make sense? Can i have egg-drop soup right now? or do i have to wait till next week. it always feels better when i stretch my stomach up high and sit tall. i just have to walk more.

hope this all passes soon. i have to go back to work. its killing me to stay home. too sore to clean, laundry. feel bad cause DH is working. he has been great. :thumbup:

Hi Bonniep

I am lucky coz I have gone straight onto full fluids although today is the first day I really feel like them.

My mum made me some chicken soup, beef soup and a potato soup. I have had the potato soup once and its divine they are all very very thin.

I was told I could have chicken noodle soup without the noodles and also vegie soup without the vegies. My mind is sending me stir crazy today hubby cooked hot chips for the kids all i can think off is mmmmmmmmmmmmmm fat!!!

some of the people I know have made up ice blocks and they get to bite the ice which helps your mind think ur eating not just drinking.

Just keep thinking of how much settled your pouch is gunna be from not giving in!!

I saw one lady on another web site on day 5 hada fillet of fish im like WHAT whay go through all this too then stretch the pouch then its useless!!

Hold on to me bonnie ill sip with u girl!!! good luck

Hey Michelle I hear you!!!!

I think my pain has come rom not sipping slow enough I wanna huge big belch lol

Its hard when your used to running a house hold and now ur rendered useless til u can bend again(i cant bend to save my life it hurts wayyyyyyyy to much)

When m active i dont think of eating as much man this could send ya insane!!!

Goodluck Michelle im here if u wanna chat its good to go through it with other people coz they really know how u feel

Ky

:thumbup: i needed to hear that. i sugested that my oldest come and help for a little bit and the DH ( not in a good way right now) went silent when i suggested it. i said forget it. today pains are subsiding but i feel light headed. not enough food. i shutter to think i have to take that liquid antinausua meds. its still open in a shot glass on the counter. i have to get it together today. i need more protein. my question is if they only want you sipping 2 ounces at a time every hour, how can you get enough food (Liquid) in? i made a 3/4 cream ckn soup. packet kind and it helped but it only had 1 gram of protein. I cant drink all that right now.. too much makes me double over. OK i'm going to try to clean the kitchen while I have strengh. (DH) kiss my.... i'm moody as you can read and feeling negative. I give thanks that he is not actaully here to hear me bitch and complain. lol

I've decided, after having a really hard time getting thru the day without any real food, to become a slug. I've given myself permission to sleep until the late morning, watch hours of TV, read, and do nothing. One thing I do is to walk on the treadmill for 20-minutes (divided into two, ten minute intervals). I'm not going to be a hero and if I have to be on liquids through Monday, then I'm not going to stress my body doing it. From now on, we have to be kind to our bodies instead of abusing them and this is the start, for me. I just had major abdominal surgery and I'm not going to push it. If I had my gall bladder out or a hysterectomy or whatever, I wouldn't be pushing myself and I'm not going to push myself here. I'm going to try and treat myself with love and kindness.

Michelle, I'm not feeling light headed because of lack of food. I'm drinking 60 mg. per day of Protein -- either thru a liquid Protein Drink or thru mixing whey Protein powder with skim milk or Water. As a result, I'm getting the right amount of protein I need in order to heal and to keep my body running. The nutritionist where I was banded was very clear about this -- 60 mg. of protein daily, even on the liquid diet. Isopure is the protein drink I've been using. I get it at the Vitamin Shoppe and I think that GNC carries it also. While it doesn't help with the "head," hunger, it absolutely helps with the stomach hunger.

Ky -- it sounds like you're doing great -- you go girl! I'm with you all the way. I wish my mother could make me some of the liquid soups your mum is making you, but she can't. She gave up cooking a year ago when she went into assissted living and I'm just thankful that she's being taken care of while I'm "away." I didn't tell her I was having surgery -- I told her I would be away for a week at a conference. I told my kids the same thing. I hope they don't freak when I'm ready to tell them the truth. I'm not ready to tell anyone yet. My husband is the only one who knows. He's been pretty supportive, except for the fact that I was self-pay. He kept on asking "Isn't there a way we can get insurance t:unsure:o pay for this?

I'm having really nasty bowel movements (we can be honest here, right girls?)! Total liquid, but messy. Ugh. Thankfully, I don't have the chest or shoulder pain that a lot of people have -- maybe that will come with time and maybe not. All in all, I feel okay, except for a lack of energy and except for wanting real food. I know the latter is a part of my addiction and what got me here in the first place. I will not give in to it.

Liquids are us!

b.

Oh...thank the maker that I found this thread!! I'm 4 days post-op and am STRUGGLING on clear liquids!! What's worse for me is that my post-op diet protocol calls for ZERO protein!! It says I'm supposed to wait until day 12 to start introducing Protein drinks. So for me it's just been s/f popsicles, Crystal light, broth etc. And of course Water. I feel so weak and tired and today I started feeling dizzy. I also have the dreaded diarrea which isn't helping. I keep thinking if I could just add in protein I would feel so much better. I know I'm doing everything right and don't want to stray from my program but sheesh....this sucks!! I emailed my nutritionist and told her about my issues. Don't know if I'll hear back on a Saturday but I'm praying she will respond and give me the green light to add in some protein!! If not, I guess I will just suffer thru the next 2 days until I can advance to "full" liquids....which still doesn't allow for Protein Drinks. I guess their reasoning behind no protein is that it is harder to digest and since this period is for healing we don't want our pouches to have to work extra to digest stuff. I guess I understand that, but I have yet to read about anyone else who doesn't have protein in their post-op diet. UGH!! Thanks for letting me vent and let's stay strong TOGETHER!!

Amy

well my sister-n-law the Rn came over to check on me. we put the anti-nausea patch behind the ear and i'm drinking more protein. i tried the unjury ckn soup really good and its helping. i think i'm also a little sinuseee. so i think my head is off because of drainage. today i'm boosting up over 40g of protein if its the last thing i do today. not alot of discomfort today just feel weird after banding and gall bladder removal. right now its better and my sis-law helped. hopefully in 2 days i'll be saying Amen. I am already but hopefully my body will be saying it.

You all are great.. tomorrow i will shoot for 50g of protein. :thumbdown:

I'm glad you found this thread. You need to follow the diet that your doctor gave you and you know that. Even with having 60mg. of clear, liquid Protein, I'm having a hard time -- so you're not alone. We worked so hard for this -- we're not going to blow it now. What I find helpful is to distract myself. I'm sleeping late, watching tv, paying bills, staying in my nightie all day until I crawl into bed at night. I'll do this through Monday, which will make it a full 7-days since surgery for me. Starting on Monday, I'll go to the market and get the stuff that I can start "drinking," on Tuesday, such as the thicker soups, puddings, etc. It's still not going to be easy, but I'll get through it. We've come this far -- we've got to push through.

If you're too dizzy and weak to exercise, how about doing some walking in place? That may help a bit but then again, it could make things worse. Just know there are other people holding your hand and cheering you on. And who want to grab something real to eat too!

b.

Not to worry the band was simple. I was bandedyesterday in Mexico and left that night to San Diego and drove myself home to Las Vegas in the morning the worst part is the gas and the clear broth. :-(

I think its about sticking together to get through all this!! just think its 4 weeks then there are lots of "normal" foods we can have again. I know a lady who had been on the protein drink optifast here is Aus for 14 months. She was too scared to go off it in case her operation date suddenly popped up!!! now that is guts and determination.

I think this is ok for me coz for the last 2 weeks before surgery I was on a very restricted diet and lost 10kg. I have got hunger pains this morning a lil so I am on here talking to all you lovely ladies in a bid to forget bout them lol.

I am able to sip more today and drink more in today about 1/2 cup in about 5 mins so thats great.

Bonnie im sorry to hear bout your mum....I learnt young not to take mum for granted after losing my dad I am very very lucky to have her in my life...If i could come over there id cook u some soup myself.

Michelle hun my hubby as much as I know his heart is in the right place is sending me insane I wanna slap him, he has gone out for a while and i took the biggest sigh lol hes not in the best mood n to b honest neither am i, Im tired coz i havent slept well since being banded, I watched him sit down with a huge steak last night grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I had my mmm yummy soup now im sick of em!!!

Toast cooking in the morning is doin my head in BUT then I think to myself go girl 4 weeks n the world is your oyster lots of yummy healthy things i can still eat n lose weight with the help of my new on board friend!!!

Hey bigmarathoner stick with us n we will get through i cant wait to hear from u guys when u have your first weigh in

and just think there will and i promise will b a day when u go geeeeeeeee i cant have soup anymore its a dead calorie coz it goes straight through my band........and then we will do the rejoice no more liquids dance hehe

keep strong girls my hearts with yas all!!!

cactussteve all i can say is U ROCK maaaaaaaan to be able to drive I wish lol I do have a high pain thresh hold....well i used too haha

quick question, my protein shakes that i always loved are sitting like rocks on my belly. i can soup with unflavored protein. thats in the mail. any ideas on other protein shakes? maybe i should try vanilla.. i always preferred choc. 2morrow i will try the unjury choc to see if its ok. i guess i can try atdkins or slimfast. this sucks... eas edge advantage locarb shakes not making the tummy feel good. what a bummer! oh and jello too heavy also. i can barely do popciscles.

any other ideas welocomed.

ladies i'm a better women today after the last 2 days..

my heros..

Hi Bon!

I just got banded on 2/6/08 so you and I are at the same point! I totally understand your "head being hungry"! I have been the same way today. I am so glad that I had this surgery but I agree with you that this liquid diet is no walk in the park! I am so excited that I have found this site because making new "banded" friends is something that I am really looking forward to! I hope to hear back from you soon.

Good luck!

Lily

Heya Michelle over here we have 2 shakes one is called optifast and the other is sustegen my dietian said there was a like fruit juice substitute if I cant handle the shakes for some reason they go through me real bad...

Im having a bad night here I feel like i got something stuck in my chest n i need a good burp but I cant funny has come 2 hours after soup so not sure wat ive done

things can only go up from here well down in relation to our bodies lol

hey lily good luck hun congrats on your band!!

Hi I'm Syndy, I just got banded on friday, 2-8-08 and i am on the clear liquid diet for the first week. Next week it is FULL liquids. My only problem is that i am not able to hold any thing down. I will drink my chicken broth and about 30 minutes later I will throw it up. I know i am not supposed to be throwing up right now and i am taking the prescription the doctor gave me for nausea but it does not seem to be working. has anyone else experienced this and what did you do to help it?