Question:
I wonder if there is such a thing.....

as a shot you can get to give you the protien that is required. I'm going to see my doc tomorrow,but thought I would ask here first. Also,if there is such a thing,has anyone had any luck with it? Thanks!    — [Anonymous] (posted on October 4, 2000)

October 4, 2000
LOL I don't know about anyone else but I have not totally lost my desire to eat. I kind of enjoy the process of my protein shakes and would not want a shot. I like food too much. I eat a ton less but I still like it a little :) I get some real serious cheese cravings from time to time and a little sweet fix is satisfied with most of the protein bars I like. No shot for me please. I will take it through my mouth.
   — S S.

October 5, 2000
I've wondered something similar. I wonder if there is a pill. I am drinking that pro blend55 right now and its "ok" but i am sick of "worrying" about my protein intake. someone HELPPPPP
   — Kim B.

October 5, 2000
Hello, there. I am sorry to say that there is no such thing as a protein shot! Even in people who can't eat at all, there is only a period of time they can survive on an IV supplement. (I work as a nurse,so I've seen it.) Why not start thinking of ways to get protein besides meat, watching the fat of course. There is a milk/egg powder and of course soy powders you can add to just about everything. With that and nonfat powdered milk, everything you make from scratch can be pretty high in protein. I am still awaiting my surgery (4 more months!) :O( but have researched protein and nutrition for years and am amazed at how limited people are in their understanding of what is possible/available. If you don't like scrambled egges, try a 1-egg omelet w/ fat-free cheese, or egg custard, or egg salad on a high-fiber lowfat cracker, or better yet, soy-flour bread you make yourself! Try making soy noodles yourself with a pasta maker, and have finely ground meat and fat-free cheese with spinach as the sauce--great with the right spices! Then there's lowfat hummus--beans are high in protein! I make a muffin that's almost pure soy powder--and yummy (cranberry nut, etc.) My plan post-op (and pre-op practicing) is to not get TOO caught up in worrying about making food a big enjoyable part of my new lifestyle, because that would be inviting the same thing to happen as does now--enjoying it too much! I will try hard to strike a balance between feeling punished/deprived and making eating a hobby, as it is now. (I will not, for instance, be trying to see if I can at last eat just one cookie--I alreay know that when my stomach stretches, I won't--why lie to myself and set myself up for failure 2 years down the road! But I will work on using my old lowfat, high protein recipes to ceate, small portable measl such as muffins (mini-muffins, that is) I can nibble slowly without creating a stir at the lunch table. I believe in cooking partly from scratch to avoid having ready-to-eat stuff laying around BEGGING to be eaten! Not to mention the added nutrition. ....SO, don't confine yourself to meat--take the time, if you haven't already, to find what ELSE is high in protein and healthful, and go to the effort of preparing some and freezing it ahead. (Pretzels are lowfat, but have NO nutrition or fiber--just empty carbs--honest.) You'll be glad you did. And no, it doesn't have to be too time-consuming at all--I work 45 hours a week. Eating protein is the only way (along w/ exercise) to avoid the slowing down of metabolism to the drastic point that you can live on several hundred calories and not lose/maintain! And keep your hair, strength, etc. Good Luck! Jesse
   — Jesse M.

October 5, 2000
The good news is that there IS a protein pill. The bad news is that you'd need 60 to 120 of 'em a day to make 'em worthwhile. Even so, I haven't researched as to whether they are predigested protein or of questionable value, like food products. I just sort of lost interest at the cost and process. I have never minded my protein, even when the only choice available was soy. With today's whey proteins, ickiness isn't so much a problem. Just a matter of getting matched to a handful that you like. And even if you don't care for "shakes", there are the powdered wheys that taste like Crystal Light. Most of these will make up in 4 oz of water, so you don't need the extra calories and sugars in juices or milk. It's way easier to get the protein you need in tiny smooth 4 oz increments than to work with trying to extract an unknown percentage from meats and foods, which also can help stretch a pouch. Forget those protein products of the 70's and 80's. Today's choices are actually quite nummy, as you see Steph has become an addict like me!
   — vitalady