im done..i cant deal with these..

I rarely drank protein shakes early out. Once in a while I could drink an EAS shake, they're not too bad. I usually just drank "super milk." That's nonfat dry milk made with 1% or skim milk instead of water. That doubles the protein. I sipped that, made scrambled eggs with it, put it in Cream of Wheat, etc. I did just fine without protein shakes.

Jenny

I use the Syntrax nectar chocolate truffle powder mixed with water, straight. At first it was taste bud agony, but now I use a scoop and a half, mixed with about 7 oz of water and a LOT of crushed ice. The chill really helps it be appetizing. I am violently lactose intolerant, so using milk was never an option.

I also use the pure whey protein shots (45 grams) that tastes like 3 oz of the worst non-alcohol cough syrup known to man. I can't argue with the protein, though, and it's a reliable alternative when we're busy at work and I just have a few seconds to gulp something down before it's back to patient care. It's a little pricey, but let's face it, my food bills are smaller, and this is medically necessary (and I itemize).

I was complaining to the NUT at work about my protein struggles and my sluggish weight loss (probably due to insufficient caloric intake), and she suggested Boost Glycemic control. The one I use is chocolate, 8 oz, 200 cal, 16 grams of protein, and designed for diabetic people. The carbs don't seem to trigger any cravings. The smell could peel paint off the wall, but it actually tastes like chocolate milk. No kidding.

So, besides food (which can be spotty when you are at the mercy of a Navy galley) I can get easily 88 grams of protein per day without repeating myself.

I plug my nose with the power shot, and use the bad aftertaste as an excuse to drink some pure water. I splurge on Fiji water, the only one I've found without a bad aftertaste (another side effect of this surgery).

And pistachios and this cool dried fruit snack pack are great snacks.

Good luck; don't let the problems keep you from drinking or ingesting your protein. Like others have said, it's not an optional thing for us. It's vital for our health and well-being, things we risked our lives for when we had RNY.

D

The whey protein shots are a collagen protein.

Collagen protein are not worth purchasing -- at all.  They do not contain enough of the amino acids.  They trick us by putting the buzz word "whey" in them -- but the majority of them is collagen which is crap.

I'm not the only one that feels this way -- even the ASMBS cautions against them.  They don't contain the right amount of amino acids for us -- and to get the amount that we need, you'd need to drink several gallons of them.

thank you all for the suggestions...ill be going back to the drawing board and trying some of these things..i havent written on here often after surgery cause im just soooo miserable and have such a big case of why did i do this to myself...but today was an especially bad day and i was on the verge of tears because of this whole protein thing (i do not cry easily) ..and well all of you are a wonderful source of support.
thanks again! 

I didn't have protein shakes or drinks after the first week and a half. I got all my protein through food. You can do it. I would eat tuna fish, salmon, shrimp, egg, chili, et****il I got at least 60 grams of protein in. It's not as hard as people seem to make it out to be. A can of tuna has 26 grams of protein. if you can eat a couple of bites here and there and get a can in a day, your almost half way there. I did graze much more during the early weeks to get in the protein. I.e. 2 oz of tuna at 8, 2oz of tuna at 10 (there is that can of tuna, all done almost half way there) have a half cup of chili at noon. another 1/2 cup of chili at 2. an egg at 4, dinner at 6, snack (yogurt) at 8. etc. Yes, the eating the same type of food everyday was horrible after awhile, but by the time it was really bad it was on to different types of food. Somedays were a little more difficult to get everything in (somedays two bites of tuna were all I could do at a time.) I also didn't lose any hair (or more hair than I normally do after any surgery).

HAVING SAID THAT " stick with your program" if you are ready for soft foods start eating them, but don't jump forward to much. LOL, that being said, I didn't know steak was on the "do not eat until 3 months list" and started that at the same time I started eating chicken. Thankfully I had no problems with it and during my 3 month appointment my nut asked what I was eating for protein, I just looked at her and said "everything". LOL

The foods you list eating the first week and a half...made me horribly ill. For some of us it is that hard. Just sayin.

Yes, but if she doesn't try them, she won't know if she can or can't. Just sayin.

ETA: All I am saying is that it isn't impossible and to figure out what works for her. Sorry you had problems, but that doesn't mean she'll have the same problems.

I hated the cold protein shakes. My pouch still does not like anything colder than room temp. and even with all the great shake recipes out there it was like taking a dose of medicine. Which is OK because it IS like medicine because we need it regardless. That was until PamT posted her hot protein chai tea recipe. OMG...I'm addicted to the stuff! I'm not a coffee drinker but Ineed this tea like Beast needs his coffee! I make mine with Syntrax Nectar's vanilla bean torte protein so each cup is only 103 calories.

You can change it up is so many ways, too. I use brewed tea instead of plain water, made with Earl Grey is my absolute favorite. Add a squirt or two of SF syrup...chai tea concentrate, amaretto, coconut, etc. for a slightly different taste. It also helps stretch it to a 12oz cup!  When I make my meal plans for the day I always figure in a morning and bedtime cup.

In case you missed the recipe.....from Pam's blog....

Protein Hot Chai Mix
6 scoops vanilla protein powder
1.5 cups non-fat powdered milk
3/4 cup instant unsweet tea mix
3/4 cup Splenda
1T. chai spice mix (or use half cinnamon and half ground ginger)
1t. ground cloves 1t. cardamon (original recipe calls for this, but I don't have any, so skipped it)

Mix all dry ingredients in bowl until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of mixture to mug and add either splash of cold milk or water -- stir to create smooth paste (so you don't get lumpy protein powder). Add 8oz ho****er and mix well. You can top with Light Redi Whip and a sprinkle of chai spice or drink it naked. (The drink is naked, not you.)

Recipe makes 7 half-cup servings. Calculation below is without the "splash of milk" when you're mixing the tea. If you use RediWhip -- it adds about 20 calories.
Calories: 146 Fat: 1g Carbs: 9g Protein: 27g

ETA: fixed format.

I LOVE  protein pudding

sf ff cheesecake puding mix
2 cups skim milk
1 scoop of nectar cappuccino protein mix(or chocolate of whatever)
mix together and pour into 4 -1/2 cup servings
and enjoy!

Actually MANY people get their protein primarily from food even early out because many surgeons do not require a liquids only post-op phase.  You will likely not get ALL of it in from food this early, though, unless you eat every few hours.

Try lots of soft, easily digestible foods.  I had no trouble with yogurt, milk, cottage cheese, regular or RF cheese, tuna, scrambled eggs, etc.  Some people have trouble eating at first, though, so it will be trial and error.  I also "hid" my protein powder (vanilla or unflavored) in other things (SF chocolate pudding, SF hot chocolate, soup, etc.).  I still do, actually, to be sure I get 80-90g of protein per day (I don't trust that 60 (the MINIMUM) is nearly enough).

Lora