question....

i had a protien shake this am in the place of my breakfast and it was deeeelious, is it possible to replace protien shakes for meals? such as breakfast and lunch? and just eat a dinner meal??? thx peeps

My nutritionist specifically told me not to replace meals with protein drinks. Those drinks CAN count in my water total for the day, but do not replace meals. RNY'ers require about 60 gr protein per day at this stage (I'm 11 days out). You won't get that by skipping meals. Eventually RNY patients need to get to 60 oz water a day and 100 grams protein a day. So sip the drinks for your water, not for your meals G'luck!

My Protein drinks are my meals. I was instructed not to have any thing else except the vitamins. I asked my nutritionist for something with texture and she told me I could have a small square of swiss cheese. I am now 17 days out and had a scrambled egg for the first time today. What are you eating for your meals? I had RNY on 3-1-07 and have lost 22lbs so far. Wendy

Hi Jannell As you'll probably read, most doctors seem to have a different spin on after-care and diets. The way it was explained to me, I will need to take a protein supplement until I am able to reach 60-80 grams of protein with my food intake alone. I was told it usually takes between 1-3 months for that to occur and then I could discontinue the supplements. Using this info, I don't see how I could replace a meal with a protein supplement, as it would no longer be a "supplement" as it was intended and I would never reach my protein goals. As always, check with your doctor or nutritionist in the office. Protein for WLSers is extremely important, so be sure you have a clear understanding of how much you're supposed to get per day. Good luck! Nicole

Well. I am the trouble maker as usual and I am gonna disagree with everybody. My surgery was the day before yours. I can get down maybe 1/2 and egg, or an ounce of cheese, or 1/8 cup of refired beans, or maybe one slice of thin thin thin meat at a "meal". None of these choices have more than 10 grams of protein in them. A one-cup protein shake has 27 grams of protein in it. The cold liquid ALWAYS sits well in my pouch, and I can get them down no matter how I am feeling. If I ate something really dense, or my pouch is feeling cranky, the amount of protein in the food that will go in is almost not measurable. Skipping a "meal" of the 4 tablespoons of food I can manage to get down seems to me that it makes VERY little difference in my total protein count for the day. My docs instructions are to eat "AT MOST 3 meals a day" (emphasis mine) which seems to imply permission to skip meals. If I am drinking protein instead, it raises my odds to get enough protein in for the day. I am already a know-it-all, though. So accept this as my humble opinion only.