Good Morning. Do you want to be healthy?

If "yes", then drink your low carb protein shakes. I don't give a rat's behind what your NUT or dietitian says, drink protein shakes. Do your experimenting and find the ones that you like or at least can tolerate. If whey isolate makes you sick and you're sure you have a reaction to it, try Jay Robb egg protein shakes. Early out, you can use Lactaid milk, soy or almond milk, or jus****er...but drink them--don't smell them, drink them. This journey isn't just about losing weight, it's about staying healthy while you do it and after as well.

Take a vitamin regimen that keeps your labs at great levels. Just barely holding within range isn't all that great. We can crash our labs in a heartbeat. Make sure your program keeps your levels as optimal as you can get them. Get copies of your labs and track them in a spreadsheet. Look for downward and upward trends. Take your spreadsheet to your medical appointments and point things out that concern you to your medical person. They will either explain what you're seeing, give you a "holier than thou" medical explanation that makes no sense or a "deer in the headlights" look. Bring your concerns here and the vets and medical types will try to help.

Make yourself move. You don't have to become an iron man competitor (although that is totally awesome), but do something....walk, jog, dance, swim, row, clean out your closets...whatever, just move.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Newbies, this is your #1 priority the first month or so post-op. You can count your protein shakes as part of your fluids...again, I don't care what your NUT says about that. Here's a tasty trick: water, fresh lime juice and Splenda-- or herbal tea, fresh lemon juice and Splenda if you like. Once you're cleared for full liquids, you might try a little bit of low sodium V8 and low carb Gator Aid (G2) while you're still on clears. Try to keep your electrolytes balanced.

Anyone have any more ideas?

Have a great Monday!

--gina

Great post, Gina. A good reminder for all of us.

Thank goodness I love my shakes.

Woo Hoo, preach it, Gina. 

Guys, gina is so right on.  We are the proof that it works, not another one of the horror stories you will hear about folks to don't do protein, don't do vits, end up sick or fat. 

Great information Gina.  I agree with all of it.

I think staying connected to this board(or support) helps alot too.  I see a lot of people leave the board and then come back with regain.  Staying here helps me stay more focused.  It is hard sometimes because you get so caught up in life since we all feel so much better and can do so much more!!

Linda

Thanks Gina

I was separating my liquids from my protein shakes, and not getting enough of either.  So I'm now doing shakes and water until lunch, then I try something more solid, and wait the hour until I can drink again.   I can't seem to advance to much of the solid foods yet, and if I don't do the liquids all morning and if lunch doesn't sit well, then it takes 2 days of nothing but liquids to catch up.  And no, I do not like protein shakes, but I have 1 home-made egg nog (4 egg whites, 1 cup skim milk lactaid with added  flavor extract and Stevia), and one protein shake every day.  Still working to get above 65 g per day.

I also like the aspect of get moving every day.  I've been really too tired to exercise like my doc wants to for the past 3 days, but at least I've been doing 30 min of Wii Fit.  In my mind, I want it to be a habit, like brushing my teeth. 

I leave the triathalons to my 25 year old daughter, who does them quite well.

Thank you! Such great information. And I so look forward to complying!