Need some advice...

Hey everyone!

I'm getting ready to start my liquid protein diet tomorrow.  My surgeon wants me to do it for four weeks, but I've decided to do it for five.  What can it hurt?  (except my feelings...)  I've purged my pantry, cabinets, and yes, my secret drawer of all food, snacks, goodies, etc...   It's scary, but I'm committed to do it without fail!

I've been trying to figure out what I will need to have when when I get home from surgery and am hopeful that you might be able to give me some guidance.  

For example, my surgeon gave me a list of vitamins I would need to take.  I'm wondering if I will be able to take the chewable ones or if I should get liquid vitamins... and if so, what brand is best.

I'm sure there are lots of things I should be preparing for, but I'm not sure what they are.  Any advice?

Hugs,

Brent...

I'm scheduled for my surgery on the 27th and too am looking for ideas to make it better. From what I read is that WHEY ISOLATE is really good and absorbs into the body quick. I've been looking at ISOPURE but not sure if that would be the best choice.

Good luck

All of my vitamins are chewable because I'm a big baby and freak when I have to swallow something bigger than a Tylenol (the itty bitty ones).  So when they said I had to have chewable everything for right after surgery I was like ...SCORE!! LOL!

I take Centrum chewables, calcium chews, sublingual B12, and Benefiber chewables. (definitely need the fiber)

I use GNC's whey protein, vanilla flavored. It doesn't have that bland cardboard taste like some of the other brands have. Plus with GNC ...you can return anything (even opened) within 30 days. So if you try some proteins and don't like them, return them and try something else. GNC has been helpful for me in that regard.

Hope that helps some! 

Brooke, make sure your calcium chews are calcium citrate.  Many of them are calcium carbonate and that is the wrong calcium to take.

They are calcium citrate.

Hi Brent,

My surgeon prescribed prenatal vitamins (iron, Vit C, Intrinsic Factor and B12) that I take twice a day (relatively large capsules) so ask if that might be the case.  I also swallow the calcium citrate (not caltrate), biotin, Vit D and Centrum multi-vitamin as big pills - have not had any trouble.  I did not start on the vitamins immediately after surgery.  I think it was at the 2 week post-op check.

As for stuff to have on hand:
I ordered tons of protein samples from vitalady.com.  I tried a few and really did not like most (want them?).  I did not turn out to be a big fan of the powders, apparently too much work for me.  I finally found that I really like EAS Myoplex Lite Chocolate Fudge - found it at the supermarket.  I bought some sugar-free syrups that allowed me to vary the flavor of this pre-made, boxed drink from the supermarket.  It mostly kept me satisfied during the liquid phase (coffee, vanilla, hazelnut).  I also tried lots of the sugar-free drinks and settled on Crystal Light Red Grapefruit as my favorite.  I ended up having to order it from Amazon since my local supermarket did not carry it.  When I was overwhelmed by sweet, I made broth for something salty.  If you can get the Optifast chicken soup, it is decent.  I think there is another available high-protein, low sugar, chicken soup if you look around?

Meg

Your question on what to stock up on is really a hard question to answer.  After my surgery my tastes had changed, and what I thought I wanted prior to surgery just didn't taste good after surgery.  I came home on what the dr called a liquid 2 diet.  So I ate a lot of cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, the soup out of new englad clam chowder, some cream of potatoe, and stuff like that.  I also bought some sf carnation to put in my milk, but milk didn't taste good for a few weeks.  My nut's paper she gave me said I could have cottage cheese in the pureed time frame, so I ate A LOT of cottage cheese (low fat of course) and just chewed really well.  I also went with some sf pudding and some even like sf jello.  I personally find them to sweet tasting.

As for vitamins.  I was told the adult chewables were gross tasting, so my dr recommended Flintstones or something similar.  I am to chew 3 every day.  However, he did tell me we would be transitioning over to adult ones very soon.  As far as the protein intake.....I find now that between my milk in take and my meat intake I don't have to do any protien liquids, but others do, so it is up to you.

I actually had to go out and get a watch with alarms, so I would be reminded to eat.  I set it for my snacks that my dr wanted me to eat.  Oh and then the watch also has a timer, so i use it to count down from when I stop eating to when I have to start drinking again.  Getting all the liquids in is the hardest part for me.  I guess its because prior to surgery I was used to drinking only when I was thirsty.  After I came home from the hospital I was never thirsty, and even now, only if I've been excercising or something will I get thirsty.  So I make myself take constant sips of liquids all day long.

Well....that is my two cents....hope it helped a little!

Good for you for preparing and getting started. 

Protein is a difficult one since everyone's tastes are different and your tastes will likely change post-op.  Vitalady.com is a great place to purchase protein samples.  I still do this to try new protein.

You can choose either chewable or liquid vitamins.  After a while, you'll be able to move to pill/capsule if you choose to.

This is my vitamin schedule.  I choose chewable for multi, calcium, C and iron.  The rest are pill/capsule form.

Meds - baby aspirin (I need to be on aspirin due to heart disease)
Lipitor -  20 mg
4 Vitalady Tender Iron (100 mg total)
1 Vitamin E - 400 mg
1 Sublingual B12 (1000 mg)
1 Fish oil capsule
1 Vitamin C - 500 mg
1 Dry Vitamin D - 1000 mg

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg, 2000 mg total for day)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)

2 hours later
1 Bariatric Advantage Calcium (400 mg)
1 Bariatric Advantage Multi

Bedtime
Polysaccharide Iron - 150 mg
 

I think you've gotten a lot of info...I just wanted to say you will want the chewable vitamins.  After a week of all liquids your body will want to chew something...it's just a couple of pills, but it will help with the need to chew.  Also, I like the flavors of chewable Calcium Citrate and Centrum vitamins...it's like have two pieces of candy twice a day.

Brid

HI I AM ALSO GETTING READY FOR MY SURGERY(4/27-RNY) AND I PURCHASED ISOPURE DRINKS. I AM NOT A FAN OF THE SHAKES SO I BOUGHT THE FRUIT FLAVORS. EACH BOTTLE IS 40G OF PROTEIN SO IF YOU CAN GET ONE DOWN IN A DAY THATS REALLY GOOD. I AM STILL SORTING OUT THE VITAMINS MYSELF, SO GOOD LUCK:)