To the guys who had surgery already........

Hey guys quick question, my surgery is in less then two weeks so the other day II went to GNC and purchase a couple of protein shakes. I've try them all and to me.....they all taste like crap !!! My god there some nasty tastin drinks. Just wanted to know has anyone done this before - Mix in protein powder into jello or pudding. If so is that OK to do ???? Also do you HAVE TO DRINK these protein shakes in the beginning of post -op ?? Is there something else that can take it's place in the early stages of post surgery ??

As far as taste goes, I have purchased a couple different powdered protien mixes.  I have found a couple things to be true with them. 1.  The colder they are the better they taste.  I never drink them now if they aren't iced. 2.  If I can I prefer to mix them with soy milk instead of water.  It makes them a little creamier and more palatable to me.  Obviously the soy milk and fat free milk add calories, but I like that trade off.  The soy milk also has some protein in it and you can get it with calcium and fiber added as well. 3.  They also make a fruit punch flavored protein drink mix as well. Good luck. Seht

Well, I haven't tried them all - only one actually.  Body Fortress 100% Premium Whey Protein Powder.  23g protein, 1.5g fat, 2g carb per serving. I got the chocolate flavor, and I mix it in skim milk.  Tastes pretty good to me - about like Hershey's syrup.  I figure there are WORSE ways to get in protein.

Try the Isopure juices. Don't drink it all in one sitting either. Sip it for the day. 40 protein, 0 fat, and 120 calories. Mix the chocolate GNC Pro Performance with skim milk and a little sugar free chocalate syrup, and get it colder than a witch's tit. Goes down a lot easier when ice cold, with both kinds.

I could never do the protein drinks.  I used unflavored Any Whey from GNC.  It's flavorless.  I added it to my yogurt and couldn't even tell it was there.  I suppose it would work well in jello and pudding too. Floyd

My advice is to buy small sizes and samples until you find what you like.  I like Optimum Nutrition's stuff (except strawberry, it's awful) and Syntrax's (especially the Nectars, though they are expensive).  I bought 70 samples of different brands/flavors from a website (1 ounce each) and have been going through them.  So far I've done about 50, and most suck.  But I found a few I like pretty well. As for mixing them, occasionally I'll make a smoothie of like vanilla with some peaches or strawberries and maybe even a sugar free flavored drink (orange or peach tea Crystal Light, for example).  But for the most part I don't even treat it like food, just something I have to do.  Pick a flavor I like OK and mix it with as little water as necessary to get it down, say four ounces.  Then follow that up with something I like to drink to clear the taste.

The only way I tolerated this early one was the following: I used Designer Whey - Chocolate (It tasted best to me and found it at GNC) If you shop around (online) you can sometimes find it for a great price. Even GNC's website sometimes sells it cheaper than the stores with free ship. I mixed it in to Hood brand Carb control sugar free 2% chocolate milk. (This brand of milk has much less milk sugar than any other milk I found and it tastes great). For those watching the carbs and controlling the sugar this is the one to go with and Walmart carries it around here. You get some of your calcium requirement in by mixing with milk as well. My wife had the surgery last year and she loves this combination as well. -tbonedan

I drank protein shakes made with the powders pre-op and now I can’t stand them. I now use New Whey 42 Liquid Protein shots, or isopure juices. What I do is split them in half and mix them with Crystal light. Or I will once and awhile have a protein bar that I get from Sam’s club.  http://www.fitnessfirstusa.com/details.asp?item=9938 http://www.naturesbest.com/

You might try a trial packet or two of Unjury. It gives you 20 gr protein per serving and it's the only one I have been able to stomach so far. Chocolate is good, the vanilla is OK. On line at www.unjury.com. They gave this too me after surgery at the hospital.

I think all protein shakes suck...  I tried drinking them but they were all to sweet after surgery, really made me whan to hurl. I lived on tomato soup, SF popcicles, soft scambled eggs, water  and milk for the first three weeks. It must have worked I lost 239lbs. Good Luck