Paul_Y

No, I have no requirement for two days of clear diet, but I do need to take a colon clense the day before (Magnesium Citrate) at 3pm and 7pm and only Clear Liquids after I start that.
As far as GNC, I do have one of them local, but I have lost all faith in them when the lady told me all of the Protein powders are mostly the same, it doesn't really matter which one I choose.
I have done further google'ing and seem to find that low carb is better than low calorie or low fat diets. But I agree about contacting your surgeon. Mine does not seem to have a preference because it is mainly for the habit for the post-op diet, but I just want to optimize my personal surgery success.

Funny thing is, I was told no straw by my surgon and both RD's before surgery. After surgery I was reminded by the nursing staff about no straws and no more than 2-4oz, for the first week.
So what was the very first thing they MADE me do on day two? They made me drink that disgusting dye for a leak check, by straw, and it was about 8oz to complete the test.

Protein shakes are an acceptable supplement to regular food once you're past the liquids/mushies stages. They are NOT a complete substitute for eating. I know everyone has a bad WLS story, but bear with me.
My best friend's sister in law had WLS surgery about 3 years ago (don't know for sure what kind), and she has successfully lost all of the weight she wanted to lose. However, about every 3 months since surgery the SIL ends up in the hospital with dehydration and malnutrition. She is SO terrified that she will gain the weight back that she will not eat regular food. Her daily routine consists of a Protein shake or two and that's IT. No Vitamins, very little Water, and absolutely no regular food.
Every time she ends up in the hospital, the nutritionist tells SIL that she must learn to eat regular food and drink plenty of Water, and SIL pays lip service to it, then continues with the Protein drinks when she gets out.
I think most of us want to end up slimmer AND looking like real people, but this SIL has very thin hair, sallow-looking skin and very loose skin on her face, with wrinkles in the upper chest area as well. This SIL is in her mid-30's and shouldn't have such old, crepe-papery skin. I think it's lack of hydration and some fat in her diet.
When I first started talking WLS, my friend took me to meet her SIL. I spent very little time with her before I realized that it was super important to meet my hydration and protein goals for each day. Whenever I catch myself slacking off the protein or water goal, I just mentally bring up a picture of my friend's SIL.
So, my point is that, Yes, you can always substitute a Protein Drink for a meal, and there is no reason that it can't be part of your diet. Just remember that they don't have all of the nutrients we need. Even our high protein diet still requires that we take Vitamins, and most of us are taking a slew of them daily to protect our future health. I certainly don't want to look like my friend's SIL.
Good luck with your journey!!

http://www.5daypouchtest.com/plan/theplan.html
It's like a back-to-basics plan designed for RNYers but it works for sleeve as well (we just don't call it a "pouch") It's going back to where you were right after surgery, starting with liquids and moving through the steps, but condensed into 5 days.
Sugar = crack.
I am fortunate to be a person who can have a little bit and NOT overdo it, but the more I eat the more I want for sure. So I do have to be careful about the little "bits" of sugar that enter my mouth. Maybe try giving up the coffee and see if it helps. If you can have surgery and lose over 130lbs, then you can elimiate coffee for a few days and see how you feel. YOU CAN DO THIS! Hang in there!

I've done lots of reading on the two main types of whey Protein (Concentrate vs Isolate). My RD recommends Isolate because it gets metabolized in the body very quickly and that is what your healing wounds need. However, your body also needs other amino acids to be present in the body to actually repair the cells. That is where the Whey Concentrate comes in. Since I am one of the lucky ones who became lactose intolerant after surgery, I chose to go with a less expensive (Body Fortress) Whey Protein which is a mix of the two. I would have preferred the Isolate to be listed first, but I guess second isn’t horrible. If I was able to get 16-24oz of milk down, I would have gone pure Isolate.
Here is a quick lesson of the difference for those who are not familiar with Whey Protein. In a nutshell, raw milk gets dehydrated and then filtered to produce Whey Protein Concentrate. It can then be further refined/filtered to remove other amino acids to produce Protein Isolate.

Hi there Paul!
Thanks very much for pointing this out. We have resolved the issue and all should be working properly now :-)
Thanks again,
Ken

I have the glue closure on my incisions. I take a shower every day and just pat dry my incision areas. The glue is just now starting to flake and I had my surgery Oct 10. So I wouldn't worry. Note that I don't stand in the shower in a way that exposes the area very long or directly in the path of the shower. Just enough to get the area wet before soaping up gently and then to rinse the soap off.