Question:
Why are post-ops using Carnation Inst. Breakfast? Protein&vitamin question
I am pre-op and am trying to find foods for after wls and I see that many people here use CIB (sugar free), I am trying to figure out why. We take vitamins and eat other foods so why bother with it? I understand the protein drinks...Which leads me to question 2...I baught 15...yep 15 sample packs of protein from vitalady. I HATED all of them and I tried to feed them to DH and the kids and I couldn't even con my 7 yr old son so more than sip one of the chocolate ones. He kept saying Mommy, there is something wrong with my chocolate milk...I agreed with him totally!! So now what do I try? Also, where is the cheapest place to buy the calciun citrate and B vit? Does everyone have to take extra iron? Thank you for your answers..I don't know what I would do without this site and all of you!! — cherokey55 (posted on May 31, 2002)
May 30, 2002
The protein is just something that you will have to keep trying until you
find something. That is a hard one. The CIB is a waste of time and
calories in my opinion. The protein content is not very high, and I see
some counting the milk protein content that they add to it. That is not
pre-digested form of protein, therefore not readily absorbed. Many docs
still recommend it though, but they are still learning. (some even still
recommend tums for calcium, yikes) Don't let the protein thing discourage
you though, as a post-op, you will acquire different tastes, and then you
should do the sampling. And although everyones tastes are different, their
opinions can be a guide as to what to try. I buy my calcium citrate from
bodybuilding.com, it is around $4 (can't remember the count), and they come
in 500mg increments, therefore only 3-4 a day, as opposed to 6-8 citrical a
day. The capsules are easier for me to swallow too. In the beginning, you
might have to use a chewable or liquid form until you know that you can
tolerate swallowing the larger pills/capsules. Usually the health food
stores carry something, although I was never able to find anything at GNC,
just the other local stores. I have to take extra iron, but I have always
had a low iron count. Some don't have to supplement with it. A friend of
mine post WLS had to cut back to 1 multi one day and then 2 the next day,
alternating. I have to take 2 multi a day plus 2 30mg iron a day. So it
really depends on you. I don't take a B-12 because my levels are always way
above normal. I hope this helps some, I know its a lot to learn.
— Cheri M.
May 30, 2002
Terri, one of the frustrating parts of this WLS journey for pre-ops is the
widely differing information about protein supplementation....how many
grams.....how many times a day....how long.... what type? Different
surgeons and different nutritionists have alot of opinions on this topic.
From a personal perspective, four of us in our family have had proximal RNY
surgery with a board-certified bariatric surgeon who has performed over
1000 cases. He lists "No Sugar Added" Carnation Instant
Breakfast as one of the "acceptable" protein supplements for his
patients. He only has his patients using supplements for the first 6 weeks
post-op because he believes that it is critical for WLS to return to
"normal" eating patterns and foods as quickly as possible, and to
focus on getting the necessary grams of protein through your diet only. He
also stresses that 40 grams/day (the amount contained in one average
chicken breast) is an adequate amount of protein per day, even for WLS
patients......this statement always creates a flurry of controversy on this
site :-) All I can say is that we have always appreciated this very
simple, no-nonsense approach and we are all 15-30 months post-op with
completely normal serum protein values on every 6 month lab checks. Right
or wrong, it has worked for us and we're very satisfied with this routine.
On the other hand, you are going to pay some surgeon alot of money to
perform your surgery and monitor your after-care. I always recommend that
patients follow their own surgeon's recommendations to the letter. That
way, if you experience problems, the responsibility (or liability) lies
primarily with the surgeon's regimen, not with your non-compliance. We
also take one multivitamin with iron per day, along with our calcium
supplement...all of our calcium, serum iron and serum B-12 values have
remained within normal limits, but these labs need to be monitored once or
twice a year because each patient's absorption and utilization levels can
vary widely depending on the amount of bowel bypassed in their individual
surgeries. Best wishes!
— Diana T.
May 30, 2002
One of the wonderfulthings about this site is how everyone's opinions
differ... I lived on SF CIB for the first week after my surgery and still
use it from time to time if I am in a rush or just not hungry for real food
(which will happen quite often, just as an FYI). You mentioned taking
vitamins, but I did not get the green light to start my vitamins until my
first post-op visit with the Dr. (which was 1 week from when I was released
from the hospital). My body needed the nutrients from the CIB and milk in
the beginning. It is easy to find and tastes pretty decent. At my point
in the journey (5 weeks post-op) I am still only getting in a few hundred
calories (at best) per day so the calories from this drink doesn't concern
me in the least.
Just as I stated at the beginning of my post, everyone has different
opinions so the best thing to do pre-op is to listen and ask questions. You
will find that once you are on the other side, your body will guide you and
sometimes you have no choice, but to listen to your body instead of
everyone elses. Good luck!
— pam29922
May 30, 2002
I've recently discovered ProCel from vitalady.com and it is really helping
me to get my protein in. I don't care for the tast of the protein shakes
either - but ProCel is tasteless/oderless and I can add it to Crystal
Light, soup, etc.
— Karla K.
May 31, 2002
I agree with Cheri regarding the CIB. Wasted calories! Also, it's not
sugar-free, so you have to be careful about dumping. When I first came
home from the hospital, I drank CIB for about a week, but I finally asked
myself, "Why?" Since it's not sugar-free--it's "no sugar
added," which means it still contains sugar--I could only drink 1/2 a
serving, which is 1/2 a cup. One-half cup of liquid is nothing! One day I
tried a whole serving and dumped! At this point (I'm 3 1/2 weeks post-op),
I'm trying to eat soft foods that contain a lot of protein, like eggs,
cheese, cottage cheese, skim milk, refried beans, and tuna. Then, when I'm
able to eat a regular diet, I plan on eating something high in protein with
every meal and snack (I, too, cannot stand the protein drinks). Like one
of the previous poster's doctor, my doctor is also not obsessed with
protein. He does say to eat protein with every meal and to eat it first in
the meal, but he doesn't stress supplementation. I had this surgery to be
more normal, and normal people don't drink protein shakes everyday--they
get their protein in their diet. Anyway, do what you feel you have to do
regarding your surgeon's orders, and if something doesn't work for you,
adjust accordingly!
— Kristie B.
May 31, 2002
I had the VBG and I am 7 weeks Post-Op. I was very sick in the mornings
and my Dr. advised me to drink the Carnation Instant breakfast and it was a
life saver. I feel soooo much better in the mornings. I love it.
— CAROL C.
May 31, 2002
amino 1850 from GNC punch flavor is great because you can thin it out till
you get very little taste. It goes in water so what I do is I bought water
containers that I sip from they are a quart each but really size doesn't
matter. I fill it 3/4 with water then almost 1/4 with crystal light
...raspberry ice is the flavor I prefer. Then i add three tablespoons of
amino1850 which give me 17 grams of protein. i have had a rough time with
the surgery....I still don't regret it for a minute but because of it I had
to find a way to get protein in that didn't make me throw up..this has
worked for me...also if you don't like it you can return it for a full
refund...it's GNC's policy. good luck with it.
— Sharon F.
May 31, 2002
I AM THE ORIGINAL POSTER....Thanks all, I knew you'd come through with
plenty of advice...us pre-opers appreciate your experiences and the fact
that you are willing to share them!
— cherokey55
November 23, 2003
I am a patient of Dr Szomstein at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston FL... we
use CIB sugar free mixed with 4oz instant egg and 8oz of skim milk...
giving a cheap 24g of protein. I am 4 months post and I still take this to
work for lunch on busy days.
— Tim W.
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