JazzyJude

Hi Cindy and Anne ~ glad I can help! Protein shakes is really to your taste. The gest of the shakes is to get as much proteins and less sugar intake as you can. There are sooooo many protein shakes out there and you get to pick which YOU would like to have. Everyone is different in their opinions of shakes. Sone say it smoothe and creamy or some say it's too chalky or blah, for the same brand. "Different strokes for different folks!" Just remember, after your surgery, during your 'creamy soup' stage, you can use this and after your future fills...will help you get those proteins you will need. Try to stay in the range between 60 and 90 grams a day. When going on solids, you are encouraged to eat solid foods, not the shakes, to get your proteins in ~ so choose wisely on your foods. Go to the Recipe section on this forum and browse through some of the recipes people have been posting and pick and choose... Good luck and enjoy those shakes! You will do just fine!

OH yes, the Special K2O (like Special K cereal) are the ones and they come in a few flavors...I like the Mixed Berry! I add my benefiber powder in it too! It has 5 grams of proteins. You can buy them at Food 4 Less, Target, and most larger Food stores.

GREAT I am glad you like the soup ~ er, which one? I've posted a few of them! HA! Oh, I am very sure there are some people out there who had both surgeries and just haven't posted like you have. I am proud of you to post this for others to see that it is NOT a failure. Just happens and so glad you have ANOTHER option to help with your weight loss. You will do fine and others will see your success for sure when you post your adventurous ride on here. Good luck!

Amy is right that we all gain somewhat during this time and this is very normal as you are getting food in your stomach. CindyLou is correct in NOT taking shakes during your solid days. Eat food at every meals, 3 times a day and your snack I noticed you said for lunch you had a hard time eating the full 3/5 oz - then DON'T! For EACH meal, you should have the following portion control: 2 -3 oz meat/poultry/fish, 1/4 cup veggie/fruit and 1/4 cup of grain/starches, per meal, 3 times a day and not over 1200 calories total daily. If you exercises daily, increase calories to 1500. As well, eat in that order...protein is ALWAYS first, then veggie/fruit and then grain/starches. I also noticed you did say any red meat? Don't stick with too much poultry on a daily routine, otherwise you may be a good candidate for gout...and this is not a good thing. Have steak or even ground beef in your meal like every 3 days...red meats are good source of proteins as well as pork! For the scale ~ put it away for now. It does you NO good to worry about it now! You are just starting on the weight loss journey and you will be going up and down in numbers throughout the month for a number of reasons, such as your period, hard core exercises, stress situations, constipation issues, etc. So, do a once of month type of thing... which is what I am doing on my monthly anniversary date and take pictures too so you can SEE the difference as you go.

Excellent point Trav...

What soups are you having? Are you continuing taking those Metamucil capsules or chewable Fiber Choice for the hunger pangs? It is suggested and oh yeah, it really helps. Take one at 10am and the other at 3pm...

LOL...oh I know what you mean! I've been talking about trying to get in proteins and that was the first thing I thought of and the others thought the same too, with a "ahhh" and "ohhh"...way too funny! I love that stuff too and GREAT source of proteins. I STILL have beans EVERY day!!! And to change the taste sometimes, I would add different hot sauce or salsa each time...like having a different meal each time! LOL...well, to me it did!

WTG Kim! Congrats and you now graduated to the stage! You will do fine, just remember to get a variety of soups, as not to get too bored with the same soup day in, day out. I did the Cream of Potato and Cheddar Cheese together, which is very good. Did the tomatoe soup, as well, as made my Buffalo Chicken soup (see recipe section). Also, see the other Healthy creamy soups thread for great recipes! Good luck!!

LOL! I hear ya girl! Like Shelby says, don't stick with just one kind of soups...vary it up a bit and have something differnt each day, even if you repeat it. I had done one can Campbell's Cream of Potato (either mash the potatoes good or take them out) and one half can of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese and added some spices like garlic and other spices you might like. Then I did the Tomato Basil soup, also try the regular Tomato soup and added a bit of hot sauce for a quick simple meal. I also made my Buffalo Chicken soup (see my recipe posted - version #I ~ yummy!!). Really, you can do some much with the creamy soup stage...just remember, NO BLENDERS to blend or mix any kind of foods (a 'no-no' rule)...so go naturally. The rule of thumb is "if you can't drink it through the straw, you can't have it". With this stage, you are still "drinking" your meal, just a thicker consistency, but smoothe and no lumps, chunks or bumps, per se. Good Luck!

Hi Nicole...what brand is the gummy bear vitamins you have? I was thinking of getting some... Thanks for your input!

Hi Cindy...I've a friend who is planning to have band surgery, as she too had the gastric surgery 5 years ago. Good luck in having this done and would LOVE to hear from you afterwards!

By the way...the saute onions REALLY makes a difference in this version and I had used Pam spray to carmelize with a tad bit of butter...oh so good! I having this again for tomorrow's breakfast, lunch and um, dinner! LOL

That is why it is so important to MEASURE what you eat. I have my measuring cups and scale always available nearby so I can quickly measure out my portions before I site down to eat. It is quick and easy and you know you can eat only what's on your plate/bowl and no more "seconds". There's no guessing of "was this 1/4 cup of veggie or 3 oz of meat?". Get into the habit of knowing your portion size right away, so if and when you do go out to eat, you will know how much to eat and pack the rest to go home with.

Here's another version of the same recipe (see Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Soup ~ Version I) but this is really for the 'solid' stage for more bulkier, textured soup. The first version can be more for the 'creamy soup' stage, saving/freezing the chicken pieces for later use. Crockpot BUFFALO CHICKEN SOUP ~ Version II NOTE: This is a very simple recipe. Make sure you make this is in a 5 or 6 qt size crockpot, it makes a LOT, or you can halve it and it would fit in a 3.5 qt crockpot. Ingredients 4 cups milk (can use 1%) 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup (can use 98% Fat Free) 2 cans Cream of Potato soup 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (from 2 large chicken breasts) 1 cup Sour Cream (can use Fat Free) 1/ onion, chopped and saute 1/4 - 1/2 cup of hot sauce ((I use either Frank's Original or Buffalo Wing flavor) Directions 1. Preheat crockpot. 2. Saute onions to carmelized. 3. Put all ingredients in the crockpot on low/med for about 4 hours, until soup is hot. Depending on your crockpot, you may want to increase the heat to HIGH and stir frequently.

Oh I hear ya...well, I am going to go backwards now! LOL

Oh no, you are quite safe with the capsules! Also, I take the chewable Fiber Choice (Weight Managment) in Strawberry flavor (real good!) which has the chromium picolinate in them! I use this for the hunger pangs AFTER the surgery for the same thing as Metamucil. Best not to get use to large capsules once you are banded, could get stuck and that is NOT a good thing. I use Benefiber for the rotor rooter problem (smile). I get the chewables as well and it's Orange Creme in flavor...again, good and it helps alot! I also use the unflavored powder to put in my soups, drinks, etc. It dissolves in seconds and leaves NO residue at all!

OH! I found my soulmate - LOL! I don't like the lean cuisines either. I did the 'other' option Dr. Miranda suggested, which is on your paperwork, to have salads and I added, on different days, hard boilded eggs, cheese, deli meats, etc. to all together for a Cobb salad-like and used those Wishbone salad spray dressings. A couple of days, I did the steaks and chicken in my Geroge Foreman grill, like you were thinking, in addition to a mini salad. Don't forget the Metamucil capsules at 10am and 3pm to help with the hunger pangs ~ they really worked for me. OK...good luck!!! Soon you will be on the 'other' side, to Bandland and be a bandster! HOO RAH!!

Excellent post Trav and Misty...it's true, do your research on everything, including the facility and know the staff. When I toured the clinic at OCC, I was most satisfied in viewing all the rooms to see it's cleanliness. After my surgery, after I used the loo, when walking down the hallways to walk off my gas bubbles, someone ALWAYS came after me to sanitize the room ~ even when I was roaming around at 2 am in the morning! Staff were always cleaning around and caring for you and THAT is what's important. Although how unfortunate this happened, it is NOT the band's fault. Choose wisely where you go and at OCC, where could you go wrong? Misty ~ YOU look FANTASTIC! Love your new avitar picture of you! YOU GO GIRL!

Goodness another set of twins! LOL...welcome and congrats on your decisions ~ you will not regret it and get ready for an amazing ride! Browse through this thread, as there is another person having surgery the same day as you two! Come back if you have any questions or concerns ~ we are here to help guide you! Good luck and we will see you on the 'other' side, to Bandland!

That is great! I remembered a few of your previous posts how you are staying on top of it and it goes to show you are serious with your weight goal. THIS is a good thing and you are doing so well! ((HUGS!)) It is NOT an easy adventure by all means and like you said, the relationship you once had with food came to a screeching halt! This new lifestyle changes were are now on is so much healthier and I can FEEL the difference in me in just 2 months post op today! Yeah! Keep up the good work CindyLou...you are going to succeed in this weight loss in no time!

The shoulder pain was relieved because you were eating proteins, which is what most people lack during the first 21 days. During your creamy soups stage, if you don't do protein shakes or protein water, then do the whey liquid protein bullets to get in your protein requirements of a minimum of 60g a day, but no more than 90g. You don't want to have too much proteins, otherwise, you would be apt to get gout and that's not a good thing. Since you were short just a few days to the end of your 21 post ops days, I am sure you didn't harm yourself or the band. It is always best to contact Dr Miranda to advise you for your situation or any other situations, as I am sure you have already. The Atkin's Diet is prmarily high protein and since that is what we promote to eat first, try it. Just as long as you go with OCC's food guideline of 2-3 oz of meat, 1/4 cup veggie/fruit and 1/4 cup of grain/starches per meal, 3 times a day and not go over 1200 calories a day. If exercising regularly, no more than 1500 calories a day. Hope this helps you CindyLou...you are doing great!

THAT is sooooo AWESOME Chris!!!!! WTG! THAT is what inspiring me!!! Umm...I dson't think I ever wore a size 4 before? LOL Congrats girl!!

Just remember to pack LIGHT! Like I said, I didn't use everything I brought and it was extra stuff to drag around. Stick with only one change of clothing really. I wore to OCC the same clothes I left with. Then surgery day I stayed overnight in their clinic and that left just one day at the hotel to do whatever and this is when I used my other change of clothes. VERY simple. And just your immediate toiletries is all I needed, nothing fancy. The room had soaps and shampoos and conditioner, and water bottles, each day. Make sure you empty your purse and only take what you really need and take lots of ones and five dollar bills. I brought Crystal Light "to go" drink packs and benefiber and don't forget those wonderful Gas X strips! You will definetly live on those to help with any gas bubbles you may have. All this fit in my MINI suitcase on rollers AND I still had room. In addition, take a small pad and pen, in case you meet up with someone and you can jot their info. Take pics if you like. The clinic has a computer area where you can go on this forum to say "hello" as well at the hotel too...just ask. Good Luck Jenn and congrats!!

Oh you bet you can! I couldn't wait for day 4! I got the Yoplait Strawberry Bananna for the extra potassium...one word ~ BLISSFUL! It was sooooo good not to have broth!!! I had one every day and then some days into my creamy soups days and I still have them now. Good source of calcium, protein, etc. The pain you might be referring to is the gas bubbles in your system. You will have them for a bit. Continue to take the gas x strips and do several mini walks throughout the day...this will help immensely. Make sure you drink your protein water too. Congrats and keep up the good work ~ you are doing just great!

That is cool Clynn that you can assist! thanks!