Full liquid diet- struggling to get in protein

Good morning everyone. My name is Faith. I had my VSG surgery on 12-9-19 at Wesley long hospital by Dr. Kinsinger. After surgery I was back up to 286 from swelling and co2 gas etc. since Monday I am already back to a new low of 273. I started at 298 originally so this makes my total loss 25 lbs so far. I'm happy seeing the scale move but I have a serious concern. I am sick of the protein shakes in the full liquid phase. I mixed one with pudding this morning but I can only eat a couple bites before I get nauseous and can't eat anymore. Also when I drink I feel instantly full and it's so hard. I'm not getting in enough liquids for sure or enough protein. Maybe 30g of protein max right now and maybe 30 oz of liquids. Does anyone have tips for protein sources on the full liquid phase that are different from the shakes I just can't stomach them anymore. I keep getting migraines from being dehydrated but my stomach just feels constantly uncomfortable when I put anything in it. Please helpppp!!!

Here's my advice based on what I was told, but if your healthcare team tells you something different, listen to them, not me!

Don't worry about protein right now. You're not going to become malnourished in the next month or so. What you need to focus on now is getting more fluid in. If the shakes are making you nauseous, either skip them or have tiny amounts. I learned the hard way how important fluid is when I nearly collapsed in the supermarket. Rather embarrassing!

One guideline that some people here use is that at 30 days out, you should aim to get 30g protein, at 60 days, 60g protein, and at 90 days, 90g (but you may not need that much).

Since you had surgery less than a week ago, you probably won't be able to meet your fluid goals yet, but it's important that you ramp up quickly so that you can meet your goals.

Here are some more tips, some of which will be more useful to you an a few months:

I alternate hot and cold liquids. Although I know that hot fluids count toward the goal, I tended to avoid them early on because you have to sip them instead of gulping them the way you can with cold liquids. However, I later realised that I actually consume hot liquids at a faster rate! That's because reaching for the cup and taking a sip at regular intervals happens automatically, without my consciously having to think about it. Also, hot liquids don't make me feel "waterlogged" and "sloshy". Compare that with cold liquids, which I have to remind myself to keep drinking. Also, I measured my favourite mugs and was surprised to discover that they hold 500 ml, so that's a quarter of my daily requirement. So now I tend to alternate between hot and cold liquids to avoid boredom.

I start before breakfast. Just thinking about drinking 2 liters per day is intimidating for me. So (and this is brain dead obvious in hindsight), I focus instead of getting in 500 ml before each meal. Drinking 500 ml before breakfast was a game changer; getting a quarter of the way to my goal that early really inspires me to keep at it.

I turn some of my liquids into indulgent "snacks". To decaf coffee I add protein powder, cocoa, cinnamon, and almond flavouring for a decadent "latte". One of the highlights of my day, and I'm killing two birds with one stone: protein and liquids.

I prefer a little acidity in my water. Adding lemon juice is one way. Another thing I do is fill a bottle with water, put an herbal tea bag in it, and stick it in the fridge for a few hours. Effortless ice tea!

For cold liquids, I prefer to bottles with screw-on lids. I drink them more quickly and automatically. I think this is due to years of unconsciously sipping on diet sodas. Liquids in glasses tend to warm up, evaporate, and collect dust more quickly. I have tried using water bottles with flip top lids, but I have found it difficult to develop a habit of drinking automatically from them. I now use those steel double-walled vacuum bottles. They keep drinks cold/hot for ages, and somehow liquids just taste better. Easy to clean, and never develops a funky smell like plastic bottles do.

Use fluids as an appetite suppressant. When I feel "hungry" outside of mealtimes, the first thing I do is drink. That usually makes the "hunger" go away, at least for a while. If it comes back the second time, I have a snack.

If you skip breakfast, try to get in 1.5 litres of fluid before lunch. I'm generally not hungry for breakfast. In fact, I find that breakfast "wakes up" my appetite, so I usually skip it. Drinking most of my fluid before lunch accomplishes several things:

• All that fluid reduces my appetite.
• I've met 75% of my fluid requirements early in the day, so the rest of the day I just drink fluids as desired and am virtually guaranteed to meet my goal.
• If I drink a lot of fluid later in the day, I will have to wake up frequently to pee.
• Drinking that amount of fluid over a relatively short period of time really helps me avoid constipation.

Also, in case no one warned you, there's a phenomenon we call the "week three stall". At about 3 weeks after surgery (give or take a few weeks), you'll likely have a stall in your weight loss. This is perfectly normal, and it's part of your body's adjustment. No need to panic, the surgery hasn't stopped working!

dehydration is likely the whole problem. Focus on getting all the liquid in you can. Sip constantly. One sip every five minutes.

You might also consider asking your doctor to send you in for iv rehydration to get you back to square one and you can resume your sipping.

In addition to dehydration being the major problem with nausea, Lactose intolerance is common after WLS. Look at your protein shake label. If it has whey protein concentrate, it contains lactose. Try a protein powder that is 100% whey isolate (not a mixture with whey concentrate) and mix it with almond or cashew milk. I was sick for months before I finally figured out that I was lactose intolerant. Once I changed the protein I felt much better. I can eat cheese and Greek yogurt without issues, but as soon as I drink milk or cream based foods I get very nauseated and I get diarrhea.

I also did much better with warm fluids than cold. I drank a lot of herbal teas (peppermint and ginger were a lifesaver).