Still having Protein problems and now water

Kathleen: HI! Well it is common early on to have these difficulties! See yourself/pouch as a baby(ies) learning how to eat! Progressing from fluids, to soft to regular food. It takes time. Diligence is a good helper, sipping continually through the day! But the pouch is tender and small and patience is needed! Bt it is so worth it! Protein shakes shouldn't make you gag, finding the right one for u is important. Sampling for just the right one helps! Sites for samples: www.vitalady.com www.bariatriceating.com www.wlssupplies.com www.bethsproteinboutique.com www.enjoyhealth.com I get PVL whey gourmet 15 flavors; Beth is the only one with samples of those. I also like the nectars (Kool-Aid like) and champion pure whey stack chocolate, mochaccino or banana; I believe any of the above carries those. Some like IDS cinnamon vanilla and other flavors, Labrada Prov 60 makes good flavors, Many say the Syntrax Matrix 5.0 is good (it is not a pure whey it has other proteins in it (milk/egg) so that slows absorption being a sustained release but if it is all u like its better than nothing!)...GNC has designer whey probably best they have and Yucky if u ask me, ordering is really the way to go... Look to a predigested whey product (concentrate or isolate or blend of the 2) 90-120 ca a serving with 23g protein 0-3g fat and 0-4 g carbs...that is a good guide for a scoop.... U r only limited by imagination, a magic bullet blender helps (www.walgreens.com has then 59$ free S&H, many stores carry also like target. Ice water and some SF syrups help (Beth's has some, TJ Maxx carries some, www.davincis.com has 51 sf flavors) again work off a vanilla and chocolate and w/ syrups the sky is the limit! I mix PVL caramel with syntrax nectar apple w/ some sf caramel syrup OMG heavenly! I add sf Kahlua, coffee and Irish cream to my white chocolate PVL w/ 7 ice cubes water to fill and it's like a mock mudslide w/o alcohol! I also like the eggnog syrup w/ dash of nutmeg in the white chocolate w/ ice too in magic bullet blender! I also do 1/4 c pumpkin (canned) about 20 cal in that 6 ice cubes 1 scoop vanilla or white chocolate of caramel and 6 squirts gingerbread or spice blend sf syrup and dash pumpkin pie spice, water to fill and its great! So protein does not have to be yucky or boring, and certainly not out of an expensive can! Here is what I send to my new postops in group: Focus on Fluids One of the main challenges for a gastric bypass patient over time is to maintain hydration. Your body needs just as much fluid after the surgery as it did before surgery, yet the new stomach pouch limits you to 1-2 ounces at a time. (NO MORE GUZZLING!) Maintenance of fluid intake may also be difficult because of the necessity to take in food or fluids, and not both at once. You must compensate for this by taking small amounts of fluid on a near-constant basis. Usually this means that you should carry your fluid source with you at all times. *** We cannot overemphasize that the liquid must be a caffeine, carbonation & calorie-free. Patients who use fruit juice or other calorie-containing liquids for hydration may experience inadequate weight loss because of the calories in these fluids, and can experience dumping syndrome from the sugar. Caffeine is a possible appetite-stimulant, diuretic and irritant and can potentially cause ulcers in the new pouch and add to dehydration and low-iron blood (which we already poorly absorb iron post-op). Carbonation can possibly cause gastric irritation, if carbonated beverage also contains phosphorus it may act to leach calcium out of bones, and some feel it may stretch pouch/stoma. Drinking at least 64 ounces of fluids post-op is a necessity. Water is the body's best source, and serves the purpose to aid digestion and absorption of food; it regulates temperature and circulation, carries nutrients and O2 to the cells of the body and removes toxins and waste. Dehydration can cause/aggravate constipation, kidney stones, urinary infections, high or low blood pressure, difficulty controlling diabetes and migraines. Dizziness, clumsiness, muscle cramps in arms and legs, dark yellow urine, fatigue, irritability, are sunken eyes, low blood pressure and fainting, bloating, and a fast, weak pulse -- are signs that dehydration is setting in. Fluids should be consumed on a near-constant basis, but not during meals and not soon following food. If you drink during your meal, you will tend to wash the food out of the stomach pouch, and consume more food than is desirable. It may seem strange at first to eat without drinking but it works fine. A good tip here is to actually not have any fluid on the table while you are eating. In addition to reducing your overall food intake, this new habit will encourage you to chew more thoroughly before swallowing, because you will not count on the fluid to wash down half-chewed food. Also note that soup is kind of like drinking liquids with food - soup is not an absolute "no-no" but recognize that it should not be a regular part of your diet. Liquids should not be consumed for about 30-60 minutes after eating. This is because the food actually forms a plug that blocks the outlet from the pouch until it has all passed through. If you drink liquids on top of this plug it will create a very uncomfortable sensation and may also force food downstream more quickly than it should go. A brief review on coordinating liquids and food: ~Sip liquids constantly, even just before eating. Don't drink liquids while eating. ~Don't drink liquids until about one hour after completing your meal. ~When the stomach pouch is mature (six months or more after surgery) it is useful to wait two or three hours after eating before consuming liquid. If you must choose between liquids and food (frequently true in the first months after gastric bypass) - choose liquids! ***TIP Keep a journal of each hour in a day for the first week of fluids. Write down what you drink in the hour and what activity you do! You should move every 1-2 hrs even if it is just walking around the house to avoid respiratory or circulation problems. This helps keep you mindful! Remember you cannot catch up on fluids later in the day OR take a 2 L soda bottle empty and fill it each time you sip some fluid with same amount this is a great visual as to how far to go and how much u have drank, set midday to have it 1/2 gone!!!! PS a few good links to look at! http://www.sabariatric.com/assets/forms/Diet_rules_recovery.pdf http://www.sabariatric.com/diet.php http://www.sabariatric.com/assets/forms/GBP_diet.pdf Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/members/profile.php?N=c1132518510 "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"