Hi to my fellow Jan. 08 banders........How are you doing??? I am trying to add food to my optifast diet, but I am scared. It is so easy to stay on the optifast. I have had an 18 lbs weight loss and my diabetes is doing sooo well. HELP...what do I add without worrying about it............scared and worried today...........Julie

hey jules, also jan 8 here. my doc doesn't want me adding anything besides what can be sucked through a straw for 2 weeks post op. i really like ensure (i've only had the vanilla, but it's excellent). yogurt shakes/smoothies, hm, what else, soymilk, some juices (watered down a lot of the time, juices are very sugary). is optifast all you've been drinking?

I have added a few things like very liquidy cream of wheat, V8 juice, and I even tried babyfood...yuck........won't eat that again. I am a diabetic to complicate things.........I feel safe with optifast because my blood sugers are doing so well and I don't feel hungry with optifast either.

seajules - babyfood can be yucky, but if you make your own pureed Soups you can do it the way you would cook it and they are good! I've made tomato Soup w/ garlic & shallots, red pepper soup w/ the same, mushroom stock, regular mirepoix stock, etc... i'm sick of soup but they are good! (i also peeled things like the peppers and tomatoes first. but as always, ask your doc.

as for the other side of my mind, i might start a new thread, because i'm not feeling so hot post op. my port is a big bump and it hurts, and i'm sick of not being able to eat, and i just dunno...

I feel like you do. I am only a little way out, but am doing well on all liquid. I have a feelng I won't be in any hurry to move forward onto something else.

Congrats on your weight loss and diabetes. My blood pressure has gone way down- whew!

Hi all, I'm new here. I have been drinking lots of different things, it keeps me pretty satisfied. Soups, clear and full, watered down refried beans, yummmy

v8, sf jello, sf fudgcicles, buttermilk, protein shakes, w/peanut butter for more protien, won ton soup broth, all the cream soups. I cant wait to the mushie week, but truthfully its not so bad. I have not lost much weight as of now, my dr says this is the time to heal not to loose weight, so Im not worried. I was banded on the 8th.

There are good days and not so good days.....I guess it will take research and tasting a few yucky things before we can figure it out.....I will keep trying and keep posting .......will you???? Best wishes to you all..........together we can do it. Julie

I went back to work today...........just 4 hours but I was feeling that shoulder pain....I thought it was gone..............it is still pretty uncomfortable..............anyone else have that left shoulder pain this long after after surgery (10 days)????? The good with the bad...........thankfully it is more good than bad.................

crackedpepper ......I am sorry to hear that you are having a rough time.....are you getting enough calories in??? Do you keep a diary of food, sleep, exercise...???? That has really helped me a lot. The exercise is a good thing too......I don't like it, but I am soooooo happy after I do it.

keep coming back and keep posting..........I know it is a good thing to do......Julie

tuszak - cream soups are very fattening -- of course liquids are all you have to worry about right now, but once you are trying to lose weight, they will hold you back.

julie - no, i am not keeping a diary, yes, i am getting enough calories. today was better, until night time and my port site started hurting very badly, so i took some percocet. it's kicking in and i'm about to go to bed. thanks for caring - how was work?

Hi all............

Crackedpepper............Back at work....12 hrs can kick your butt......But I did OK. Still having sharp gas pain in my upper left shoulder area..........I have one more shift tomorrow and then have 2 days off................................yeh. Had Optifast today...makes me feel safe. I did make some homemade tomato soup and it was really good. It is amazing that I love V8 juice and tomato soup, but hate tomatoes. I'm allergic to bell peppers and almost all prepared food has bell peppers in it, so I have to make most of my meals by scratch. I try to do this on my days off and my hubby is great at making dinners that are mostly south beach meals. I guess it will take a lot of getting use to.....that is kindof depressing..........I grew up in an Italian neighborhood with Sicilian Godparents and Italian friends ....... Pasta, pasta, pasta.............anyday over cake and Cookies.............. :girl_hug:

and I even tried babyfood...yuck........won't eat that again

Funny you should say that because my new favorite thing is baby food! Who knew it tasted so good! My faves are the peaches, pears and the oatmeal and pears. All I do is add a little sweet'n'low and it's amazing! The oatmeal and pears tastes like apple cobbler. I'm not so keen on the the meat ones or the peas and the other vegetables but the fruit ones are delicious. I guess not everyone feels the same

I was also banded on the 8th. Today I have eaten yogart and a 1/2 of a mashed up potato. No problems yet. My doctor also said I could eat oatmeal. I am still mainly on liqueds and just introducing the soft stuff slowely. Hope this helps. Good luck.

I was banded on the 15th. First day, I was on clear liquids. Starting day 2, I am able to eat pureed foods. I puree (in my Magic Bullet) cottage cheese and add 2 teas. of baby food fruit, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top. It is delicious! I pureed hot oatmeal and it was very good. I am also having Carnation Instant Breakfast as a meal. If I eat just a little too much, I do have pains in my upper stomach, so I have to be very careful not to overeat. About 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese is my limit plus the baby food fruit. My doctor also did a hiatal hernia repair while he was in there. The nurse said that it will take a little longer to heal since they had to stitch my diaphragm. I am very happy that the surgery is behind me and will look forward to learning new eating habits for a longer, healthier life.

I agree with you about babyfood if it is the fruits and oatmeal, but I was trying to eat the meats and vegetables....still trying to doctor them so I can eat them....when gone I plan to make my own "babyfood"....being a diabetic, I try to stay away from fruits and any high carb stuff. I do add alittle bit of baby fruit with some of my meat purees...they help. Have a good one, back to work....much better day at work today. I think I paced myself better and I am not so tired or uncomfortable.....i'll be ready for a day off though........ Julie

I was banded on the 10th, and was told I could add some soft foods. Since then, I have had cottage cheese, scrambled egg with a little cheese, tomato soup, hummus, peanut butter and ff refried beans (all in tiny portions). This is all in addition to my water and protein supplements. My doctor said it is the protein that helps you lose the weight, so as long as you keep your protein up, and add healthy, high protein foods to your diet, you should be fine.

I was banded on the 18th (last Friday!) I will be on liquids for 2 weeks and my doctor said I had to have 20-30 grams of protien (which keeps you full to the next meal) and no more then 6 carb and 6 sat fat per meal which left out oatmeal and cream soups. I'm getting by on fruit smoothies with protien powder added, Vanilla Cream Slim Fast with a banana blended in is good too and broths with protien powder. So far it's been great. I am not hungry at all and have to remind myself to eat. I'm still very sore. Good Luck to all.

Dec 31- Chrisann (honorary member of the Jan 08 bandsters)

Jan 1- HAPPY NEW YEARS! Starting the year off right!

Jan 2- phowell, Megmarie21, Gingerbug(Victoria), jengland, racetrackweary, rainbowme2(Bunny), RT, jojokitty

Jan 3-WOWOX7, Woodsy,momto3, Mommamare, nancy52,AnneElliot, ovahkummer

Jan 4- KUgirl, steviegene, SuzanneG, Songinmysoul, sleclerc (shirley), WendyRae, MamaJava

Jan 5- texasbandster

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Jan 8- Fat&thrifty(and husband Joe), itz me, faa31, crackedpepper, flipbarnett, Joanna240, rustymarie, gingydilly, seajules

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Jan 17- SJK, Alfie, L.A., lwood, tweenwaters, Laurieloo, kcintx,mia31771

Jan 18- RuthE?, shanarene

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