Question:
How soon should I start?

My surgery is in ONE week! I went to GNC today and looked at protein drinks. Now I have two questions: 1) My doctor sends us home from the hospital on a pureed and soft foods (cream of wheat, sugar free popsicles, refried beans, etc.) diet. I believe we are allowed to add foods as tolerated right away. Given that, how soon do you think I should start protein drinks? 2) My second question is: Am I correct in looking for drinks that have no added sugar? I heard that Met-Rx and Myoplex have a good taste. Any suggestions? Thanks.    — RedHeadBeauty (posted on February 1, 2003)

February 1, 2003
I'd check with your surgeon for the definitive answers on this one, but my 2c is: <P>Start with a good protein shake as soon as you can. I started with mine when I was allowed to have pureed foods, but maybe I could've done it during the liquid phase (just didn't think to try it). I think I tried Isopure first (the colorful premixed protein drinks in bottles at GNC), and even tried making popsicles out of it as a fresh post-op, but that one didn't really work on my taste buds. I also ordered a bunch of single-serving protein shake samples from www.vitalady.com (I'm not affiliated with them) and found a couple of shakes I liked, Proscore 100 Chocolate--the best! and ProBlend 55 Swiss Chocolate. GNC sells the ProBlend 55 Swiss Chocolate. I think Whole Foods also sells individual servings of Spirutein (sp??), which is not as good a shake because its sugar content is relatively high, but at least you can taste it first without winding up with a whole box or jar of stuff you don't like. The thing is that everybody's tastes are different, and I tasted soooo many samples I didn't like before I settled on my favs. <P>As far as sugar content goes, you're right --it's best to avoid protein shakes with lots of sugar in them (things like Boost and Ensure and Slimfast are a not good protein shakes because of that). Also, check the labels for carb content. And definitely shop around for price -- you'll notice some shakes are a lot more expensive than others, per serving. If you really wanna get serious, you should also know that whey proteins are the most bioavailable (translation: best absorbed), more so that soy or egg white proteins (which are good but not quite up there with whey), but the most important thing is that you find one you'll like and will actually drink. Good luck!
   — Suzy C.

February 1, 2003
My doctor starts us on protein shakes the day we come home from the hospital. I tried a lot of shakes and the only one I like is Real Meals. It works good for early post ops because it has 60 grams of protein so even if you can only finish 2 or 3 ounces at a time you still get 15 grams in a mini shake compared to other ones where you have to drink 12 ounces to get 15 or 20 grams. It will be a long time before you can drink 12 ounces at once. Click on one of their banners on this site. They seem to jump around different pages but if I click refresh enough times I find it. They have a recipes page too that has a lot of recipes for protein shakes.
   — Gary N.

February 1, 2003
Just a quick follow-up -- you don't have to drink 12 ounces of lots of protein drinks, many come with scoops you can measure yourself and you can mix them to taste. I mix mine with less than 8 ounces of water and it yields 30 grams of protein, 4 carbs, 0 sugar.<P>And a word of caution about recipes and protein shakes. I have a friend who's a fresh post-op who ordered a certain protein shake, found she didn't care for it, tried the recipes, and got sick because as a *fresh* postie, you really can't ingest the fruits in some of those recipes yet. Down the road, sure, but not right away. Some other ideas for palatability are mixing a little bit of sugar-free jello powder or pudding powder into your shake.
   — Suzy C.

February 1, 2003
I would suggest asking your doctor or nutritionist as to when to start shakes. Mine say to start when you get home for the hospital. As for which ones to try, low carb, low sugar shakes are the type to look for. If you like the myoplex low carb, you might want to try the Atkin Advantage shakes. They are both pretty good, although the Atkins is a little higher in fat. My nutritionist said they were ok. Oh, if you try them at GNC you can buy one at a time and try different flavors. I liked the chocolate in both kinds, but the Atkins Cafe Au Lait was gross. I also tried Real Meals and didn't like them at all, eventhough they are higher in protein than any of the others. I just think I don't lke the texture of the powdered ones. Good luck!
   — Fixnmyself

February 1, 2003
I started as soon as I was off clear liquids, 1o days post-op. Be careful about milk. Some people become lactose intolerant after WLS. I love Atkins shakes, but I take lactaid before I drink them. I'd get some samples at Vitalady.com, so you don't spend loads of cash. & yeah, I'd be careful about the sugar content. I now, at almost 5 months, dump off of 1/2 a tablespoon of ketchup, crazy! Also, Ultra Whey Protein, vanilla blended with cold coffee, YUM! & Designer Whey is good for my palate too. GOOD LUCK & CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!`
   — LionGirl2k