Hi Ladies,

Today is 6 days post op and I am feeling good. No abdominal pain for at least 2 days, incisions are a little tender still if I lean on something or laugh, otherwise totally fine. I havent needed any pain meds for several days. I have a recheck appt with Dr. Simpson on the 21st. My incisions are looking really good, no redness or swelling or drainage. I think the worst of it is over....... :wink2: PTL (PERAAAAAAISE the LORD! LOL)

The cravings have subsided......Here is how I am managing the liquid diet stage (I WANT TO PREFACE THIS WITH SAYING THAT EATING WHAT I EAT MAY NOT WORK FOR EVERYONE, IT IS WHAT WORKS FOR ME RIGHT NOW)......it is because I have been eating thinned out pureed soups for about every meal and making sure they contain enough protein. I went to the Li Li's Oriental Market and got some of my favorite Korean soups, seaweed and kimchee soup and I have added very finely chopped tofu and/or whipped eggs (like in egg drop soup, but stirred alot while cooking so that there are no chunks, very smooth eggs). I have also made bean soups (cooking any beans until very tender) with broth and pico de gallo and pureed it in the blender also. I have also used regular soups from the can but pureed them in the blender before heating and eating. I dont like cream soup, so I used instant mashed potato flakes to thicken up and fortify the really thin soups. I have also been eating SF jello and applesauce with a little Reddi Whip and Yoplait LF lite yogurt for the sweet tooth.

I am keeping up with the water and find that when I get hungry......which I do on a regular basis, if I drink about a cup of liquid, it staves off my hunger for a while. It doesnt take much to fill me up, I can have about a cup of soup or water/crystal lite and that makes me full.

Woo Hoo!!! Mushies are just around the corner!!! Starting on the 20th for me.

Another note, I am down to 273 lbs as of this morning. I know that the weight loss during this few weeks is a bonus but I will take it! That is 10 lbs down from my surgery date (Aug 12th). I am noticing that my face and body are not swollen (I had bad water retention), I haven’t had heartburn at all and my clothing is starting to feel looser.... I know that once I start eating real food, the weight loss will be much slower, I dont care, just as long as I am not hungry. I too am working on my issues so that I will no longer be preoccupied with food, controlled by what to eat and when to eat......I am SO SICK of the low carb/no carb, low fat/no fat CRAP! NO MORE DIET MENTALITY FOR ME! I just dont want to think about food any more, just want it to fuel my body when it needs it.

I PRAY THAT THIS WILL BE THE NEW WAY OF LIVING FOR ME, NO MORE OBSESSING ABOUT FOOD.

I am thinking of you all and sending strength and hugs.

Judie

Judie,

Thanks for the insight! I will be banded this Thursday, I can hardly wait. I hope mine goes as smoothly as yours. Feeling great after six days!

Jackie

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if I got some egg drop soup (love it!) and strained out the eggs and then blended them and put them back in if that would be ok? I'm on my way to band land in 2 days and I'm trying to think of things other than tomato soup and low fat cream of chicken.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if I got some egg drop soup (love it!) and strained out the eggs and then blended them and put them back in if that would be ok? I'm on my way to band land in 2 days and I'm trying to think of things other than tomato soup and low fat cream of chicken.

You need to make sure that you are cleared by your doctor before you eat anything other than Clear liquids. The strained egg drop is considered clear, but the eggs aren't generally allowed (whether they are pureed or not) until your mushy or soft foods stages. I think that you are allowed the tomato soup when you get to full liquids, but the cream of chicken must be strained.

The restriction to clear liquids is to keep your stomach from contracting in order to digest. Clear liquids don't need that. The transition to full liquids is just to give your stomach a "tiny" bit to have to digest...and so on, and so forth. If you push things and your stomach is contracting too early, you will pull your stitches and that can lead to slippage.

Follow your doctor's orders and ask questions if you are unclear! Remember, everyone's doctor is different so what they prescribe for your diet may be different from others here.