Question:
How soon should I start?
My surgery is in ONE week! I went to GNC today and looked at protein drinks. Now I have two questions: 1) My doctor sends us home from the hospital on a pureed and soft foods (cream of wheat, sugar free popsicles, refried beans, etc.) diet. I believe we are allowed to add foods as tolerated right away. Given that, how soon do you think I should start protein drinks? 2) My second question is: Am I correct in looking for drinks that have no added sugar? I heard that Met-Rx and Myoplex have a good taste. Any suggestions? Thanks. — RedHeadBeauty (posted on February 1, 2003)
February 1, 2003
I'd check with your surgeon for the definitive answers on this one, but my
2c is: <P>Start with a good protein shake as soon as you can. I
started with mine when I was allowed to have pureed foods, but maybe I
could've done it during the liquid phase (just didn't think to try it). I
think I tried Isopure first (the colorful premixed protein drinks in
bottles at GNC), and even tried making popsicles out of it as a fresh
post-op, but that one didn't really work on my taste buds. I also ordered a
bunch of single-serving protein shake samples from www.vitalady.com (I'm
not affiliated with them) and found a couple of shakes I liked, Proscore
100 Chocolate--the best! and ProBlend 55 Swiss Chocolate. GNC sells the
ProBlend 55 Swiss Chocolate. I think Whole Foods also sells individual
servings of Spirutein (sp??), which is not as good a shake because its
sugar content is relatively high, but at least you can taste it first
without winding up with a whole box or jar of stuff you don't like. The
thing is that everybody's tastes are different, and I tasted soooo many
samples I didn't like before I settled on my favs. <P>As far as sugar
content goes, you're right --it's best to avoid protein shakes with lots of
sugar in them (things like Boost and Ensure and Slimfast are a not good
protein shakes because of that). Also, check the labels for carb content.
And definitely shop around for price -- you'll notice some shakes are a lot
more expensive than others, per serving. If you really wanna get serious,
you should also know that whey proteins are the most bioavailable
(translation: best absorbed), more so that soy or egg white proteins
(which are good but not quite up there with whey), but the most important
thing is that you find one you'll like and will actually drink. Good luck!
— Suzy C.
February 1, 2003
My doctor starts us on protein shakes the day we come home from the
hospital. I tried a lot of shakes and the only one I like is Real Meals.
It works good for early post ops because it has 60 grams of protein so even
if you can only finish 2 or 3 ounces at a time you still get 15 grams in a
mini shake compared to other ones where you have to drink 12 ounces to get
15 or 20 grams. It will be a long time before you can drink 12 ounces at
once. Click on one of their banners on this site. They seem to jump
around different pages but if I click refresh enough times I find it. They
have a recipes page too that has a lot of recipes for protein shakes.
— Gary N.
February 1, 2003
Just a quick follow-up -- you don't have to drink 12 ounces of lots of
protein drinks, many come with scoops you can measure yourself and you can
mix them to taste. I mix mine with less than 8 ounces of water and it
yields 30 grams of protein, 4 carbs, 0 sugar.<P>And a word of caution
about recipes and protein shakes. I have a friend who's a fresh post-op
who ordered a certain protein shake, found she didn't care for it, tried
the recipes, and got sick because as a *fresh* postie, you really can't
ingest the fruits in some of those recipes yet. Down the road, sure, but
not right away. Some other ideas for palatability are mixing a little bit
of sugar-free jello powder or pudding powder into your shake.
— Suzy C.
February 1, 2003
I would suggest asking your doctor or nutritionist as to when to start
shakes. Mine say to start when you get home for the hospital. As for
which ones to try, low carb, low sugar shakes are the type to look for. If
you like the myoplex low carb, you might want to try the Atkin Advantage
shakes. They are both pretty good, although the Atkins is a little higher
in fat. My nutritionist said they were ok. Oh, if you try them at GNC you
can buy one at a time and try different flavors. I liked the chocolate in
both kinds, but the Atkins Cafe Au Lait was gross. I also tried Real Meals
and didn't like them at all, eventhough they are higher in protein than any
of the others. I just think I don't lke the texture of the powdered ones.
Good luck!
— Fixnmyself
February 1, 2003
I started as soon as I was off clear liquids, 1o days post-op. Be careful
about milk. Some people become lactose intolerant after WLS. I love Atkins
shakes, but I take lactaid before I drink them. I'd get some samples at
Vitalady.com, so you don't spend loads of cash. & yeah, I'd be careful
about the sugar content. I now, at almost 5 months, dump off of 1/2 a
tablespoon of ketchup, crazy! Also, Ultra Whey Protein, vanilla blended
with cold coffee, YUM! & Designer Whey is good for my palate too. GOOD
LUCK & CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!`
— LionGirl2k
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