Ok, since there is so much daily discussion on who can eat what when... let's all post our doctor's protocol here. We all know we should DO what OUR doctor tells us, but for all the curious minds (like me) let's just see what everyone's doctors are saying.

My doc's protocol:

1 week of liquids pre-op (it says if unable to adhere to this pre-op I can have 1 small meal per day)

1 week of liquids post-op

mushies for week 2 and 3 post-op

then slowly add "normal food"

He says liquids include "juice, Water, cream Soups, milkshakes, Protein shakes"

No carbonation for one month after surgery. (some docs say no carbonation EVER but mine says just for one month)

Mushies is anything of a mushed pulp consistency.

Pretty similar but my doctors (3 of them) define liquids as clear vs. thick. Clear means Water, apple juice, broth, Jello. Thick is Protein shakes, blended cream soups, fruit nectar juices, V8.

At least 24 hour pre-op Clear Liquids

1 week post op clear liquids

1 week thick liquids

1 week mushies

No drinking with meals

10 days pre-op: clear liquids including 90 grams of Protein

Weeks 1-4 post op: clear liquids including 90 grams of protein

Weeks 5-6: pureed foods plus two Protein drinks = 60 grams of protein

Weeks 7-8: soft-normal foods plus two protein drinks = 60 grams of protein

Week 9: solid foods plus two protein drinks = 60 grams of protein

Note: liquids = protein drinks, diluted fruit juices, SF popsicles and Jello, caffeine-free SF drinks (not carbonated), diluted tomato or V-8 juice, broths and bouillons.

No cream soups. No milk.

nothing after 12am the night before the surgery

anything you can suck through a straw 2 weeks after surgery, pudding, jello, fruit pops....

after 2 weeks mushy foods for 2 weeks

4 weeks after surgery start on soft meats and other foods slow. avoid high fats

1 day pre-op: liquids and bananas

Week 1: easy to swallow liquids (Water, apple juice, crystal lite, tea, slim fast, ensure)

Week 2: full liquids (including blended cream soups (my favorite is cream of potato), fruit smoothies, Protein shakes, boost)

Week 3: soft foods (yogurt, mashed potatoes, bananas, soft fish), STOP drinking liquids that are high in calories (apple juice, slim fast, boost, ensure -- UNLESS you are drinking it as a meal replacement) but continue to drink lo-cal drinks (water, crystal lite, tea or coffee sweetened w/ equal, splenda, etc.)

Week 4: solids

He also says NEVER use powdered drink mixes such as instant breakfasts or Protein powder, and NEVER drink carbonated drinks, and try to avoid steak, bread, Pasta, rice, oatmeal, flour tortillas or any other sticky foods.

I'm actually going through a surgeon that I've only met once and we havent discussed all that, before that I was considering someone else and had had 2 appointments, but have decided not to go with him purely because the wait for surgery was months and months and months as he's going overseas for an extended holiday.

But he told me (and this may be different with the new surgeon) that I wouldnt have to do any pre op liquid diet apart from the day before, reason being he doesnt believe its good for you or necessary unless you're very very very overweight and need the liver shrinking benefit which I dont.

After surgery is one week liquids, progressing to mushy over the next week, starting with very easy to digest stuff like pureed fruit and vegetables and progressing onto the liquidised roast pork that raised so many eyebrows, lol, towards the end of the second week and perhaps into a third week by which time you should be eating three squares, just in liquid form (he suggested very liquidy oatmeal and fruit for Breakfast, Soup for lunch, and meat and 3 veg liquidised for dinner) after which time start introducing solids gradually, with the aim to be on full solids by 4-5 weeks.

Post banding long term diet is encouraged to be nothing more than a regular family diet (of healthy choices of course) in smaller quantities - ie. everyday food the whole family can eat, lean meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, wholegrain cereals and not too much Pasta, rice, potato etc. Same as anyone would eat losing weight. The whole Atkins style high Protein thing is not that popular here in Australia, its much more modified, most doctors now recognise the benefits of eating slightly higher protein and less refined carbohydrates but that's about the extent of it.

All seems doable to me as luckily its really just a scaled down version of what I eat anyway (apart from the pasta and rice, I love those!), just in way too great a quantity and with too many treats. My treats tend to be white carbs, luckily for me they're often difficult to tolerate after the banding/fill regime has been completed.

Nobody has ever mentioned Protein shake, formula diet foods or anything like that to me, although the advice to eat your protein first and then veg and then any starchy food has been the same.

I am on:

2 Weeks of Clear liquids. 3 protein shakes. I have to struggle to get in 40 grams of protein, though.

2 Weeks of Creamy liuqids w/2 protein shakes.

2 Weeks of Mushies w/1 protein shake.

Pre-op 2 weeks of liquids (50g protein per day), may have veggies with lunch & dinner. No sugar popsicles/beverages.

Day before surgery clear liquids after 3pm.

Post - op 2 weeks liquids trying to aim for 50g protein per day if tolerated. May have drinks with calories during this time but stop when switched to puree,then

2 weeks of puree/mush.

Then finally regular food after 1 month post -op.

My doc's rules (in AZ):

pre op - liquids only after breakfast day before (to help w/bowel prep- UGH!!)

nothing after midnight

post op - first 5 days - clear liquids, clear broth and sugar free Jello only (no red)

Post op 6th day to post op class - Mushies only -tuna, jello, fat free pudding, fat free cheese, yoghurt, refried Beans (?!) soft finely chopped chicked, soft, hard boiled or scrambled eggs. no drinking 30 min before or after eating, no carbonated drink, no sugar drinks no mention of protien drinks...

That's all they tell you at first, then require a post-op education class to discuss life after that. My class is tomorrow 9/27 so will post more afterwards.

Here is my diet.

No pre-op diet required.

1 week clear liquids

1 week full liquids(include tuna and chicken chopped in a can)

2 weeks soft/mushy foods

1 week semi solid(whatever this means)

on to solids the 6th week.

No Carbonated sodas or as they told me DIET PEPSI"S ARE EVIL lol!! Carbonation is like Kryptonite to the banded.

No drinking until 1-2 hours after eating. I usually wait 1h 30min befroe I drink anything.

NO Boost, Ensure, etc. Sugar free beverages , Diet snapple, KOBe citrus energy drink, etc

Walking 30 minutes a day.

10 days pre-op liquid diet - juice, Jello, pudding, popsicles/fudgesicles (most of this is to be low-sugar if possible), applesauce, bananas, milk, yogurt, Protein shakes

2 weeks post-op - juice, milk, yogurt, Protein Shakes, jello/pudding/popsicles(sugar-free all). Applesauce only if we need to crush a pill and mix in it.

And I dunno about after 2 weeks, I'll tell ya Thursday when the dietician tells me.

I'm so tired of liquids I started them the 9th of September.

Same as RisibleGirl.

No pre-op restrictions

one week of Clear Liquids post op

6 weeks of full liquids

one week of mushies

Pre-op: Eat sensibly, Low fat, Low sugar - No liquid diet requirement

3-4 weeks full liquids

4 weeks mushies

Solid food added at tolerated after week 8

Pre Op: eat low fat, sugar free, No liquid diet requirement

Post Op: 1 week clear liquid diet, 1 week liquid diet 1 week soft food

solid food after one month.

but i guess this plan was for me, he gives different plans to other patients,

seems depend on the condition of the patient

Golly six weeks of full liquids before a fill must be MIGHTY hard to do! You would need some willpower that's for sure.