OK, so what are my essentials???

Hi friends. I am officially one month out before surgery on June 2. I CAN'T WAIT!!! What are my essentials I will need before surgery? Amy help, suggestions and tips of things to stay away from would be so greatly appreciated!!! I look forward to all your responses!

I can't really find a protien drink that I really like, everything is just so darn sweet. Any suggestions. I know I will struggle with this, I don't like drinks like yoohoo or anything close to it. Give me some ideas with protiend shakes too please!!!

Thanks!!!

Sugar free popscicles and a wide variety of soups.  I pureed and strained the heck out of all kinds of soups.  I tried to choose soups that had a significant amount of protein in them, to help with my protein intake.  Might also want to get some Crystal Light or Decaf tea bags (so you can make decaf Ice tea).  It was nice to drink something other than plain water. 

For surgery, I'd take gas-x strips to the hospital (and have some handy for the first week home).  They were the best things I took!  Also take chapstick or such.  

For protein drinks, have you tried Isopure or Isopure plus?  You can get the Isopure at GNC and online, the plus is online only (i think, at least at our GNC it is).  It's more like a punch then sweet shake.  It's a nice change.  My favorite shake I found is Matrix Cookies and Cream.  tastes like an oreo shake...yummy!  

Hope this helps some.  Best to you!  I'm super excited for you!!  I was just banded at the end of March. 
 

Jello ff/sf. i strained broth for the first week, i love sf fudge pops also. chewable vitamins also, you can take two flintstones after surgery as long as its okay with your doctor i love whey protein. it comes in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry, i mix it with fat free milk, any sugur free drink, like crystal light. I also put the whey protein in my pudding and jello. good luck you will be fine. have your doctor write out your scripts ahead of time so you have them filled when you get home. I lost 16lbs in the first eight days and at my 5wk check up i lost a total of 23lbs. its been about 7 wks and i started a gym and i feel great, this IS the best choice you will ever make. keep us posted on how you are doing. take to you soon. carolyn.. oh by the way i also lost 17 inches.

This is very helpful. I think we've talked before on here, lol. Does the whey protein come unflavored to mix in with stuff, it that how it works? I'm hoping I'm as successful as you've been right out of surgery. We have vacation planned late July and was REALLY hoping to be down some weight by then, possibly even a new bathing suit, but I doubt it that quickly.

Can we have sf fudge pops as part of our diet after surgery or does it have to be just the ice pops?

I was able to have the SF fudge pops.  They were great!  Lots of different kinds of soups, jello, crystal light.  I bought a big thing of Whey protein at walmart.  It was about $15.  I got the chocolate kind.  I take 6 oz of vanilla soy milk, add 1 scoop of protein powder, cut up 1/2 of a banana, and a tablespoon of peanut butter and blend well in my magic bullet.  It is soooo tasty!  that gives me about 30 grams of protein.  I have 1 for breakfast and 1 in the evening, so for the day 60 grams of protein!!  Good luck to you!

BTW...post some new pics!!! I want to see the difference

I am right behind you with my surgery on 6/5.

I ordered some single packs of protein powder from www.unjury.com to taste them before I commit to a big jug of the stuff.
I can also find single serve packets at Whole Foods and Sunflower Market (not sure if you have those anywhere near you).

My doc advised against investing alot into powders now because many people's tastes change after surgery.

I am hoping that the 'unflavored' from unjury goes well into jello or sf/ff pudding or ff/sf yogurts.

Best of luck!

if there is a vitamin shoppe near you go there, they allow you to return any product that you don't like... i have returned a few proteins that sucked!

I love syntrax nectar protein mixes.  There are about a dozen different flavors.  If you go to www.si03.com and call their number, you can order a nectar variety sampler pack for $10.  You get an individual serving of 11 flavors to try.  The only place I found to buy the nectar 2 gallon jugs was at vitamin shoppe, otherwise it is ordering online.  Good luck!

I love Designer Whey  chocolate flavor - I blend it wtih skim milk, some ice and half of a banana. Or the strawberry wtih different kinds of berries.  I actually looked forward to drinking it.

Also for after surgery I mixed it wtih sf pudding skim mild and ricotta cheese to make a protein pudding.  I think i did this on full liquids.  I tried the unflavored to mix with other things but had to return it becuase I couldn't get it down.  I found that GNC was a little pushy with trying to sell you different things, but they do have an excellent return policy.  I returned a few different protein powders before I found the Designer Whey. 

My essentials other than protein powder were - Weylers sf drink mix **** tea is decaf), I made my own chick soup and strained and later pureed it, baby pastina (to put in the soup), sf jello, sf fudiciles, sf v8 juice and sf ocean spray cranberry (just to get somethign sweet in), af applesauce, cottage cheese, Chobani greek yogurt (18 g of protein in one yogurt) and most of al LOTS OF WILLPOWER AND PATIENCE 

The first six weeks after were tough but it is soooooo worth it and you will love the results!

Good luck !!!!!!!!

Jen