Little bit confused

 At my last nut appoint in Ottawa I was told that I should not be taking any more protein shakes, so I have been eating real food in the morning.  But I notice that many people that many vets still take protein shakes.  What is your viewpoint on this? Thanks!

 I am pre-op... and in Guelph.... buttttttt...

I know Guelph does not like the shakes.. they want your protein to be "real" they want you to eat your protein not drink it... the shakes are strongly discouraged at Guelph 

I was told by my nut at TWH that Protein Bars and Shakes are only to be used in crunch times - like travelling - people become too depandanton them replacing meals with them .  Real food first and in a pinch protein bars and shakes ,  We have all learned how to make better food choices - eat healthier foods and plan ahead for meals so thats what we should all be doing .  She compared them to the fast food of protein - readily available - easy access and no thinking required and we all know where that led most of us before .  Anyways just my 2 cents ...

I was just at my 3 month appointment in Hamilton and they were ok with me still having shakes/bars if I wanted to use them.

I am five years out plus. I don't do protein shakes. I'd much rather enjoy eating food than just drinking a shake and it is VERY easy to get enough protein in the foods I eat so much so that I really don't need to pay attention to them anymore.   But everyone likes to do their own thing.

I know Windsor/Guelph discourages them long term - and too, would rather have you satiated by eating proper foods than chugging down a shake.

Dawn

i went through windsor, with surgery in guelph.
protein shakes and bars were always discouraged. i understand that they want your protein to come from actual food sources, but i just found that a shake works into my schedule. when i wake up at 5:30am, eating is the last thing i want to do. so i'll have water + protein powder just to start my day. then around 8, i'll have my mid-morning snack. so it's just the protein shake to start the day for me, then the rest of my protein comes from food.

The Ottawa surgical education class booklet on page 22, shows protein supplement from first home from hospital to Stage 4 of the diet (approx weeks 4-6).  So protein supplement from day 3 to end of week 3.

Page 36 of the book - Stage 4 Soft Diet, under General Guidelines - bullet 6:

STOP the protein supplement when you can eat about 1/2 cup of food at most meals.  It is best to avoid liquid calories.  If you are not sure if you are eating enough protein, talk to your Dietitian.

Same page:  Tips for boosting protein:

Add protein powder supplement such as Beneprotein or skim milk powder to yogurt, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, stews and other soft foods.

Use beans to puree into sauces, soups, stews and most main meals.

Judy

I am six months out and still have one protein shake for breakfast every morning.  At my NUT appt last week (@ Humber), she didn't express any concern about it.  For me, breakfast is difficult; I've always had a hard time eating solid food in the morning...this is from way before surgery as well.  I find the protein shake gives me a good start in the morning.  Also, although I can tolerate a wide range of food now, I still eat very, very small portions and can't always get in my daily protein target, so for me the shakes are still very important.  The goal is to be able to eliminate them, but I'm not there yet and I don't feel any pressure to speed it up.  My surgeon told me @ my 3-month appt that he recommends them up until at least 6 months, so we'll see what he says when I see him next week for my 6-month.
The general rule of thumb is to follow your clinic's advice, as many clinics have different 'rules.'  However, just sharing my personal situation.  Hope it helps.

Here's my take on it... the single most important thing is that you get your protein in, period. 80g, minimum, everyday.

Some people have a hard time eating dense protein and getting it in through food, others can't handle solids in the morning, others like the protein shakes in place of breakfast or for a snack. There is nothing wrong with this. Nuts don't like protein shakes because their education tells them that when people drink their calories they are doomed to regain weight. There is some truth to this - pop, milk, fruit juice, lattes, etc. are all poor choices for people trying to lose weight or maintain a loss. What those things have in common though are sugar, which anyone should avoid, but post-RNY it needs to avoid like the plague to avoid dumping and RH.

WLS is different from simply being on a diet and the risk of protein malnutrition is real. Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with shakes as long as they are high protein shakes, low carb (meaning both the shake is low carb and you don't mix them with milk), and not meal replacement drinks (Boost, or Carnation instant breakfast, etc). If you're exercising heavily it may even be necessary for you to have shakes as your protein needs are even higher than the minimum given to you by your centre (which is already on the low side).

Basically, everyone needs to make choices for themselves that work for them. And finally, as always, it is imperative to keep track of your protein levels on your labs and never be satisfied with the bare minimum (whether it's protein, iron, Vitamin D or B12 or anything else!)

I still have shakes/bars almost daily. Many of my work/school days are 10-12 hours long, so I need the quick and easy way to get all of my protein in (I bring all my food for the day). As long as I'm getting my protein in, I don't worry about it. Also, I don't want to be eating meat 2-3 times a day in order to meet my 65-80 g protein requirement.