Overwhelmed by Protein

Happy Wednesday Everyone,

I know Kat posted about protein last week, but I am so overwhelmed by all the information out there that I wanted to ask specific questions.

I use a powder, but am getting tired of having to mix it up every morning before I leave for work.  What RTD options do you all use and where do you get them?  I would like to try AchieveOne but haven't been able to find it except online and honestly, I am not willing to buy a case of anything that I haven't tried.  I have spent way too much on protein I didn't like.

Your help is much appreciated!

Thanks,
Amanda

Amanda,

The only place I am aware to buy Achiev One is online.  I decided to bite the bullett and bought a case (actually 5 since the price was so good) knowing that I could sell them to someone else on OH if I did not like them.  Turns out I loved them!  I also recommend EAS advantage.  I purchase mine from WalMart.  It is $4.97 for a four pack.  When you get into the RTD ones they get a lot more expensive but are worth it for me.  I hate mixing every day, too.  I am three and a half years out and I still have one to two shakes per day.  There are many others that are out there but these are my favs!  Good luck!

I do two forms of protien a day. RTD and mix.  I do the RTD in the morning and it is AcheiveOne.  I am so addicted to this drink and go through withdraw if I don't have it in the morning.  I enjoy the taste and it is so filling.  It is my breakfast and I mix in soy milk with it. 
As for my mix protien I do Nectar.  I bought a small container and I measure my scoops into that.  I have bought several belnder balls as well.  That way when I am at work I just fill up my blender ball bottle with water and mix in my protien and: shake shake shake.  But I have moved this protien to the night now.  I have it before I go to bed and it helps me from having a night time snack.

Our dietician had recommended a sample pack of different protein options that is sold on BariatricEating.com .   I'm really glad I did that first b/c I ended up hating most of it.  I cannot stand 99% of what I tried.  This pack had AchievOne drinks (that was okay), Nectar brand, and a whole bunch of others.  If I never taste another powdered protein drink again it will be too soon.  The only thing I could tolerate out of a pack of 25-30 different things was the New Whey liquid protein bullet.  They come in grape, orange, blue raspberry (popsicle type flavors).  I even went and bought a plain, non-flavored whey protein powder at GNC b/c I thought maybe I could mix that into stuff....WRONG.  It made everything smell funny to me and I just cannot stand the thick/chalky consistency of most of what is out there. 

I have a case of the protein bullets (in grape) and I also bought a case of Isopure Green tea...it is not my most favorite green tea flavor but it is not thick (it is the consistency of an actual, regular drink).  I'd love to find a place to buy these in stores b/c the price of shipping was outrageous ($17). 

I'm just over a month out and I don't get enough protein.  I try every day, but if I get 50 grams that is alot (and I'm talking 50 grams combined from food/supplements).  I am just not hungry.  It is a really, really strange sensation forcing myself to eat/drink.  I know protein is vitally important to this whole thing, and I feel like a failure b/c I'm not getting enough and I don't always take the vitamins either.  They are atrocious!  I have to force myself to eat them.  Did anyone else feel this way?  How did you get through it?  I know I cannot be the only person out there who has had these feelings about protein/vitamins.  This has probably been said ad nauseum, but this is SO MUCH more mental than I ever thought possible.

At one month out it is almost impossible to get all of your liquid and protein in but it is extremely important to get as much of it as you can.  Your vitamins are extra important, too.  I know they taste yucky but think of what will happen if you don't take them!  You can and most likely will do permanant damage.  I know several WLS patients that have horrible problems from not taking their supplements/vitamins early on.  Don't feel like a failure.  You will get an appitete back at some point.  Mine came back at 2 years post op but my understanding it that is a bit longer than most.  I hear a lot say theirs comes back around 12-18 months. 
Unjury unflavored really is unflavored and AnyWhey is as well.  I use AnyWhey to cook with as it withstands the heat and retains all of its nutrients.  Unjury is great for me to add to chocolate milk and such. 
I do not do the bulletts on a regular basis.  I do not think our body absorbs that much protein in one sitting since we malabsorb.  This is a topic in question regularly.  When I do use them I make sure to add one extra in a day and do not count the grams.  I do this a lot during the summer months when I am a****er Country or Busch Gardens.  They are easy to take with me! 
Please don't feel like a failure...we have ALL been there and it will get easier!

You are not alone.  I am just over a month out too and there are days when I get to the end of my day and wonder why there are still vitamins in my pill box or ask myself "did I get my protein in today?"  Its a major adjustment, but don't give up, keep at it and soon it will become habit. 

I was a huge water drinker pre-op.  I would have 4-5 24oz bottles a day.  Now it is a struggle to get in 3 24oz bottles.  Its discouraging when I feel like I am constantly drinking to look at the bottle and only a third of it is gone.  But I set mini goals for myself.  I try to finish one bottle before lunch, the second bottle by the time I get home from work and then I have the rest of the night to get the third bottle in, which honestly my vitamins really help me with.  I don't mind the taste but the lingering little bits are gross, so I drink my water and by the time I am done with my vitamins the water is done.

I ordered a bunch of samples of protein powders from vitalady and I have to admit, the ones I have tried I didn't like.  Fortunately, I found a powder at The Vitamin Shoppe that I like, but I am getting bored with it.  So hopefully, some of these RTD will work out because I really need something I can just grab and go.

There is just so much information out there and so many products to try that its like where to begin. 

Amanda

I have Nectar Fuzzy Naval(peach orange) & Cherry
           Chicken & Unflavored Unjury 
           Tropical Isolate Soy....  Fairoaks Nutritionist ok the Soy... 
            I can send you some to try.   

I tolerate the Pinapple & Mango flavor liquid Isopure, they at least taste a bit natural..    I just got some samples in of Bariatric Ad's powder drinks in vanilla, chocolate & Strawberry. I will let you know what they taste like...

Vitamin Shoppe if you join their club will send you a 20% off next purchase.    Ask if they have any samples.  They are definate cheaper than GNC.

We all hear you... Great that everyone shares.  

 

Thanks Caroline!

I tried the purple Isopure and it was strange, we couldn't put our finger on it, but Tony and I both thought it was just weird.  Not sure if it was good or bad.

I think I have the Bariatric Advantage samples as well, although they are meal replacements.  The nuts said to avoid those unless I was out of everything else.

I did join the Vitamin Shoppe club, I figured between the vitamins and the protein I would be spending plenty of money there.  Unfotunately, when I asked them about samples they looked at me like I had two heads and said no.  Oh well, fortunately I liked the first flavor I bought and I have a neighbor who lifts weights and will take anything I don't like.  I have a lemon tea nectar that I am never going to touch again.  If you want it, its yours.  I can bring it to you at the next support group meeting.  I need to try the chocolate but the tea turned me off of the nectar, so I am afraid to try it.  Although its not opened, so they may let me exchange it for another brand.

I ordered the sample pack on bariatriceating.com, which had a couple of products I have been wanting to try, so hopefully that will answer some questions.

It was great talking to you the other night!!  Hope you are still doing well!

Amanda

"I use a powder, but am getting tired of having to mix it up every morning before I leave for work."

What kind of powder do you use?  Mixing should be a snap, especially if you're already preparing lunch, too.  I use a 16-oz rubbermaid shaker bottle (I have 5 from WalMart so I'm good to go all week) with a removable top (easy to dump powder into) and a snap lid (easy to sip from). Shake it up good and keep cool until ready to drink.

The powder mixes fine, so its not an issue of it not mixing.  Basically, I am lazy and at 6:00am I want to do as little as possible.  So if I can just grab a RTD and throw it into my bag with my lunch it would be easier.  While the shaking method is fine, I do find that my immersion blender does a much better job and I guess that is where my laziness kicks in.  Maybe if I bought more shaker bottles.  I have also walked out of the house without my protein shake at least once and it would be nice to have back-ups at work without having to have a powder container and milk that might go bad before I can drink it. 

Honestly, its a convenience thing and nothing more.  I still plan to use the powder in the afternoon as I get home before my 2nd protein drink is needed. 

Maybe it was just how I felt this morning.  I am 1 month post-op and have kicked up my exercise that past week and was just plain exhausted this morning and even the little bit of energy needed to make my shake made me want to go back to bed.  And, its always nice to have options.  I feel like the only person who can't stand the Nectar brand mixes, they have a terrible protein smell to me.  Some of the fruity RTD options are really appealing at the moment.