How do YOU do it?

How do you get your protein in? I know in the beginning I will probably be forced to drink the what I've heard are AWFUL protein shakes since I won't be able to take pills of any kind so I was hoping that someone could let me know of a shake that is yummy? Can't I just drink that Carnation Instant Breakfast? Wouldn't that work? That stuff isn't bad.. Do you all have to take vitamins too, I know the DSers have to I can't remember if RNYers have to or not. My friend takes the Flintstone vitamins and chews them up and it works for her just fine. ~Tema~

Hi, The best and really good drinks I have found are from BariatricEating.COM and they are wonderful .They have 35grams of protien and I drink 2 a day. I took it to our support group and everyone thought they were wonderful. All her stuff is good but the EXTREME SMOOTHIES are the best. Cindy

Hi Tema, Each surgeon is different and requires different things...I think about all require us to use vitamins though since we are malabsorbing everything we put in our mouth. I found a vitamin called Vitaball at Walmarts. They are flavored gumballs and you chew them for 5-10 minutes to get the vitamins out and they are pretty good tasting. I hate the gritty feeling from chewing other vitamins. As for protein i think the surgeons vary there also. I drank Carb Coutdown when i first came home....chocolate...16 oz a day and got 24 grams of protein from it. Lately i cannot tolerate milk so i am eating 2 yogurts a day to eplace the skim milk. My surgeon does not require us to use a protein drink. After 3 weeks we move on to a different phase of food and on our plates we have a portion of meat, veggies, and starch. We take a small bite of each until we are full....(usually for me 5-6 bites)... We are allowed to meals aday with calories and can take up to 30 minutes with each meal. I have been timing myself and can only eat for 10 mintes......that is all but i feel full so it is alright. I guess i would have to use a protein drink if the doc said so, but if not required, why bother......Hope this helps you...Patty

Hi I have read on other posts that Unjury is good. I just ordered some samples of it myself, they say if you get the unflavored you can mix it with other stuff like pudding, Crystal Lite etc. and that you can't tell it's in there. The web is www.unjury.com I think. I really can't tell you yet how it is since I am preop and am just trying to get some things I need before hand, now let's hope and pray insurance approves me!!! Good luck to you.

Tema, I'm about 19 months out, and try to get in two to three protein drinks everyday. To me, it's just something I do, like taking my vitamins. I don't fiddle with it - my DH and I use Sci-Fit EconoWhey protein powder. A scoop and a half is about 30 grams of protein. It mixes easily with water and I just drink it down, sometimes I add a little crushed ice, but I don't get into adding fruit or other stuff to jazz it up, although that can easily be done. I think it tastes pretty good - not overly sweet and no awful aftertaste, and it's not "grainy". We go through a 5 lb container of the stuff in under a month. As a post RNY, I take a regular multivitamin, extra calcium citrate, B12 sublingual, magnesium oxide, chelated iron, vitamin c, vitamin E (dry). I did use the chewable vitamins the first month or so after surgery. You can use Carnation Instant Breakfast - be sure it is the NO SUGAR ADDED variety. Some people add powdered milk to it as well as mixing it with milk to increase the protein. After surgery, our dietican recommended Choice DM (like Ensure for diabetics) for extra nutrition. Choice DM is available in grocery stores where you find Ensure and other similiar drinks. Post RNY folks most assuredly have to take the vitamins and supplements recommended by their surgeons, for optimum health, for the rest of our lives.

The Carnation Instant Breakfast doesn't have enough protien in it but you can get a tasteless protien powder at GNC that you add to the Instant Breakfast and it's great - tastes just like instant breakfast (Oh, by the way...make that sugarfree Instant breakfast) This was my favoirte protien drink in the beginning. Now, a year out, I eat protien bars. Good Luck.

i TAKE THE VITAMINS BECAUSE I AM SUPPOSE TO IF I DON'T I WILL GET VERY SICK. NOT ALL PROTIEN DRINKS TASTE ALFUL. IF YOU CAN DRINK CRYSTAL LITE THEN YOU CAN DRINK THE PASSION BERRY, PEAACH MANGO, OR ORANGE PINEAPPLE THAT OUR CLINIC SELLS IN YOUNGSTOWN. I CAN'T STAND THE SMELL OR THE TAST OF THE POWDER. I AM SIXE MONTHS OUT SO I CAN EAT THE PROTIEN BARS THAT OUR CLINIC SELLS. ALSO, I HAVE RECEPIES FOR YUMMY VERY HIGH DRINKS WITH WHIPPED CREAM AND NOT TO GROSS YOU OUT BUT EGG BEATERS. THEY ARE AWESOME. REMEMBER THIS SURGURY IS A LIFE CHANGING LIFE ALTERATING PROCESS. YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR MIND SET ON LOOSING WEIGHT NO MATTER WHAT THE TASTE. I DO NOT CARE FOR FISH OF ANY KIND YET I EAT IT BECAUSE IT IS HIGH IN PROTIEN. I HAD TO START MY DIET 1 MONTH BEFORE (WHICH WAS CHRISTMAS) BUT I HAVE STAYED WITH IT BECAUSE I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE RESULTS. GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS LINDA WILLIAMS