Getting in all your fluids?????????

Give me a hint on how you get all your fluids in plus all your protein?  I havent even reached 20 oz a day since surgery,  I also cant hardly get down a protein shake.  what am I doing wrong?  I am pretty sure my body is probably going into starvation mode.  Help?????

I drag a bottle of h2o everywhere. I also have koolaid in the fridge and drink ginger peach tea. I'm buying stock in Splenda. I hate the protein shakes but they are tolerable if you freeze them and put them in a blender so they are slushy. donna

It gets much easier to drink the further out you are.  For the first month or so I could not chug...I HATED that.  I also do not do protein drinks.  I am lactose intolerant and anything that even looks or smells like milk makes me vomit.  I did some Cytosport protein drinks early on though when i was not getting enough meats and veggies in.  Now I suppliment all my protein needs with meals.

I bought EAS lite shakes.  They are pretty small- I think 6 oz.  That helped early on. My key to drinking was to use a clear, insulated cup.  I needed insulated so it would stay cold.  I am less likely to drink crystal light and such if it is warm.  Also, I needed to SEE how many ounces I still needed to get down.  I tried a regular insulated mug first and out of sight, out of mind.  I am using an insulated sport bottle from Target and love it.  It is marked up to 24 oz but holds a little more.  I has a pop up straw that folded down lets you mix your drink in the cup.  It also does not leak (if straw down) if you turn it over.  It costs $10.49 at Target.  It is in the housewares area with the insulated travel coffee cups.  So far I have seen it in pink, blue. black, and green. Denise

Just keep pushing yourself to drink.  As someone that just had to go back to the hospital for fluids, I can tell you that you don't want to get dehydrated.  It will get easier to drink on down the line.  I hated the protein drinks too but they were necessary to making me feel good.  Have you bought any of the protein bullets from GNC?  They have 42 grams of protein in each and are tolerable when mixed with crystal light or whatever. Also, I found some protein wafers at WeightWise that were pretty good.  Dang, I forgot to check your surgery date but I think you can eat now and not just liquids. Make sure you take a bottle of fluids with you everywhere you go.  I took on with me to Wal-Mart the other day since I knew my trip would take an hour. Good luck!

Heather, bless your heart. I still struggle with fluids, too.

For now, first work on your fluids, then work on protein. Are you having trouble swallowing? Are you having trouble holding the fluids down? Does it hurt when you drink? What is the biggest problem with getting your fluids in?

You don't have to take tiny sips now... drink as regular as possible, without gulping. Just don't try to do it all at once. Constantly be taking another drink or reminding yourself to take another drink.

What I've been doing is taking a 32 oz. clear water bottle and filling it first thing in the morning with either water, Crystal Light, or decaf iced tea with Splenda. I tell myself to get in 32 ozs. before 2 pm. Then refill and get the second 32 ozs. in by 8:30 or 9 PM. I carry the bottle with me everywhere. I remind myself to constantly take another drink, and when I'm falling behind, I have hubby remind me frequently (so far I haven't given him a black eye). It is working. I am going to get my 64 ozs. in today.

The key to the protein drinks for me was finding which ones I really liked. Now I don't mean liking them like I used to like Braum's ice cream, but that were pleasant enough and would go down and stay down well. Have you tried the Nectar drinks? My favorite protein is Chike mixed with fat free milk and also SmartForme Wildberry Passion with cold water and ice. Also, if you're at the pureed stage, try some fat free refried beans with melted cheese. (yummy!) Also, I had grilled chicken breast that I put in the blender with just a little bit of water and had pureed chicken...great protein. Look for high protein foods that you can put in the blender and add a little fluid to make them easy to get down.

Also, email Abby, Matt, or Tiffany at OWLO. They can make important suggestions and give you guidance. That's what they are there to do. I've emailed Abby several times and she always answers quickly. The dietician should have given you their card at your individual dietary counseling session with their email address on it. Abby's email is [email protected] . She is on maternity leave now, I think, but Matt or Tiffany will answer for her. Also, call to talk with one of the dieticians if you'd rather talk than email. They've always talked with me the same day or called me after they completed a class or client appt.

I have Strawberry and Orange Chike flavors here at the house if you'd like me to get some to you, I'd be glad to do so. You can try them and see if you like them. Just let me know and I'll run them to you. I also have some SmartForme Wildberry Passion on hand. Please let me know and I'll be on my way with them.

I force myself.  I start as soon as I get up while I'm doing my hair, makeup, etc. so that by the time I get to work, I've got 17 oz. down.  Then I know I need to get in one more before lunch and I drink one on the way home.  Then one an hour after dinner.  It also helps me because I use the liquid protein supplements with my water and I know I need to get the protein in too - double advantage.  I can't stand the protein powder and I've heard too many negatives about the protein bullets at gnc (which I was LIVING on!) so I now order the liquid whey protein from amazon.  Hope that helps - now if someone can only help me remember my VITAMINS!!!  Sigh

Heather... Love the water..., feel the water...., drink the water...  ummm er something like that...just get a bottle down first thing in the morning, take one after that to just sip and take it easy, and then one at noon, then one to sip, then at least 2 at night...and yes  you will need to go pee a lot.  If you're not peeing a lot during the day, then you're not pushing yourself and you're gonna end up in trouble. T.

Sip, sip, sip, and when you are done, sip some more!  When I was first post-op, I left a bottle of water in every room.  Whenever I passed one, I made myself take a drink of it.  Sure, the water was warm, but at the end of the day, I usually ended up drinking at least 80 oz, not a bad start. As for the protein, New Whey makes a protein bullet.  They look like little test tubes, 3 oz, 42 g of protein, and they don't taste half bad (even tho they are a lil thick).  They come in fruit-ish flavors (blue raspberry, orance, etc)

Depends on what I'm doing during the day, and it does get easier the further you get out. I can't drink as much at work since I'm usually busy (summer school is much slower). I take the largest cup I own that still fits in the cupholder in my truck and fill that with ice, water and Crystal Light. I keep the WW one on my desk since it has premeasured amounts listed on the side..traveling is easy, though when I travel I buy bottled water thanks to unwanted side effects of other waters in my body..plus, I have a thing about non-filtered water anyway. I make sure to eat some protein at every meal..and my protein shakes are usually my breakfast if I have time to whip them up before leaving the house. If not, I get a lunchable and eat the turkey and cheese and toss the crackers.