Protein Train

I am going to do the Protein Train or Liquid Protein Train or Three Day Protein Train of whatever it's called...and am wondering if those who have done it can help me with some guidelines.

Three days of nothing but protein shakes (and water and vitamins of course)?  How many shakes a day should I aim for?

Any other helpful advice?

I've done this a few times.  You are supposed to aim for a protein shake every 2 hours during the day.  I have also done the abbreviated one where you do protein shakes all day and then eat a small dinner.  I like that better.  Remember though, LPT is to get you off carbs, you very well may not lose weight on it.  The calories in the shakes is pretty high.

Thanks, it must have helped since you have done it more than once.

Hey Blush!

Here is the information on the liquid protien train from Bariatric Eating.  Melinda was having trouble posting, so she asked me to do it instead!

If you’ve been around Bariatric Eating even for a week, you’ve probably seen threads on the message board about the 3 Day LPT. Or, Day One, Day Two, and Day Three updates. Many ask, “What does LPT stand for? What is it?" LPT stands for Liquid Protein Train. It is used by people who have gotten off track (or just plain derailed!), need to de-carb themselves (to get rid of that nasty urge to snack or overeat), or to jump start weight loss again. It also helps you to get in touch with how you feel when you do eat or drink (feeling full, stopping when you have the full sensation, etc.) I searched the message board recently and came up with several questions and responses by others... My final conclusion is that there are really no solid or set in stone rules. However, here are some general consistencies when people decide to do the LPT.

Who Should do the 3 Day LPT?
1. If you have gotten off track (or just plain de-railed in your weight loss journey!), then the 3 day LPT is for you.
2. If you find that you are addicted to carbs, are eating junk food, are snacking and grazing, then the 3 day LPT is for you.
3. If you need to jump start your weight loss once again, then the 3 day LPT is for you.
4. For those who have no weight to lose and are not addicted to carbs, this is probably not necessary. Instead, you may want to check out Susan Maria’s Basic Bariatric Eating Plan to stay on track.

Before You Begin:
1. How many days will I do this program? Normally it’s done for 3 days. You may choose to continue for up to 5 days. Anything over this might be excessive.
2. Will I drink ONLY protein shakes or will I add a light supper? The choice is entirely up to you. If you are able to get rid of carb cravings by cutting back to eating a light supper (high protein), then you may want to stick with drinking shakes all day but a light supper at night. However, if you are overly addicted to carbs and need a more aggressive approach, the full liquid shake only approach may be the best for you.

Preparation for the Program:
1. Make sure you have plenty of protein shakes available – there’s nothing worse than to be in the middle of a program and run out of products! Stock up on high protein, low carb, low sugar and low calorie protein powders or ready to drinks. Bariatric Eating sells a wide variety of great tasting protein products.
2. Decarb your pantry – get rid of foods that you should not have (crackers, chips, cookies, high carb sugar free products) as these will be a stumbling block to you. Also, the purpose of the LPT is to get back on track and away from those items that cause you to fail. You don’t want to sabotage your own success by having these tempting products in the house. They do have a tendency to call your name at the most inopportune (usually your weakest) times!

How It's Done:
1. Drink a protein shake whenever you feel hunger (whether it be real body hunger or head hunger) – one person said they drink a shake every two hours. I figured that if a person would start at 6 am, drink a shake every two hours, this would allow them to drink up to 8 pm! (Sounds great)
2. Consume a minimum of 800 calories for the day
3. You may drink fluids after consuming protein shakes. The "30 minute wait period" before drinking after food does not apply in this case.

Keep in Mind:
1. Get off sugar products
2. Some people include a few additives in their shakes to help spice them up such as a little peanut butter, or sugar free Davinci syrups, or a little bit of fruit (although fruits do have carbs, so it depends on what your preference is). If the additive causes you to crave more, DON'T add it.
3. You may want to include thin soups with light vegetables, yogurts or custards as they are considered full liquids.
4. It has been suggested that if you are exercising, drink a protein shake right before your workout.

Transitioning Back to Normal:
1. If you are doing full liquids for 3 days, on the fourth day you will want to add a light supper. When comfortable, add a light lunch until you are back to your 3 meals a day. The LPT will help you to be more in tune with how food makes you feel. In other words, you will know when you are full on a meal. Stop there, do not overeat. Listen to your body and pouch when it says its full.
2. If you did liquid all day and a light supper at night during the 3 days, then just add your light lunch back into the routine.

Well thank you to Melinda and to you. 

I was afraid I would do it and then someone would say you didn't do -insert some important step- while you are on it?  OMG you are going to die!!!  So this is exactly what I needed.

Hi Blush,

  It is so good to see you hun....  Have not seen you in forever...

  I am sorry sweetie, but I just have to ask, is it correct that you had your surgery on 8/12/08?  According to my calculations you would be out 5 months? 

  I am not familiar with the protein train... sorry, my WLS center did not give me info on this so I had no idea it existed....  So thank you so much for bringing this up because it was definitely a good read.... 

  So I just have to ask, why do you feel with being only 5 months out of WLS that you need to resort to a regimen that was developed in hopes to help with being off track with your eating program or have found that you have become addicted to carbs? 

  I don't know if I understood that right, that is just what I could gather from reading the informative info....  Does Dr. Spaw's office give you a progressive eating program that covers each month as you progress? 

  I know that I was given a program as I progressed, a sheet that had what I could have on it and in the amounts I could have it...  I was strictly told that if it was not on the list, it should not pass my lips....   If it was on the list I was told the quantities in which I should have them....  If memory serves me correctly, these amounts were right on as I progressed with time....  I don't ever remember being hungry or feeling deprived...And I certainly never felt like I was all alone on this journey and needed to do a web search to get me back on track...  Just the opposite...  I remember feeling "how in the heck am I gonna eat all this food in one day....  

I don't get hungry but I don't always make the smartest food choices and especially over the holiday I had bites here and there that I really shouldn't have.  I am just hoping to help reset my tastes back to where they were when I had surgery.

I go in for my six month follow up in a few weeks and want to be back on track before then.

Most of the folks who do the LPT have 4 - 6 shakes per day along with all the water, CL, and other non-caloric fluids you want. This is simply a way to de-carb your body if you know you have gotten in the habit of reaching for them which is way too easy to do over the holidays.

No more than 3 days though!