I'll never regret this surgery. At my highest weight 240 at my lowest 200. Still not at my goal. But I'm very happy with my results I thank God for my doctor recommending VS.
I thought I would share this with those of you that need Protein drinks and different options :crying:
I had this emailed to me a long time ago, and while cleaning out my inbox of the 2000 emails I stumbled across it again. I do not know the original author/creator/inventor or I would give proper credit.
pumpkin Protein shake
This is a wonderfully decadent way to get in your protein! Spicy, creamy and icy-thick.?milkshakes never had it so good!
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup skim milk or soymilk
1 scoop vanilla Protein powder (such as Matrix Simply Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/8 t. cloves, 1/8 t. ginger)
2 tablespoons Splenda Granular
1/4 cup Cool Whip or NSA vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cubes
Place pumpkin, milk, Protein Powder, spices, Splenda, cool whip or yogurt, and ice cubes in blender container; process until slushy. Makes one Meal Replacement serving.
Per Serving: 230 Cal; 28 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 13 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 2 g Sugar; 115 mg Sodium
banana Protein NOG
1 scoop Matrix Simply Vanilla protein powder
1 cup skim milk
A one inch chunk of banana
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.
Sunrise Smoothy
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup orange juice (or orange tang)
? banana (peeled)
1 carton Low Carb Vanilla Yogurt
1 tablespoon Splenda
4-5 frozen strawberries
Mix in blender until smooth
Cherry Vanilla
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
4-5 maraschino cherries
2 scoops low carb vanilla ice cream
1 cup cherry sugar free kool-aid
Mix in blender until smooth
Peach
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup Crystal Lite peach tea
4-6 frozen peach slices
4 ice cubes
Mix in blender until smooth
Strawberry-Lemonade
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup sugar free lemonade kool-aid
4-5 frozen strawberries
4-5 ice cubes
Mix in blender until smooth
Cherry Vanilla Coke Float
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 scoops low carb SF ice cream
1 cup diet coke
4-5 cherries
Mix in blender until smooth
Apple Pie Frosty
1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 vanilla protein powder
1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
(or 1/2 C no-sugar-added applesauce)
2 packets Splenda
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
3/4 C Water
8-10 ice cubes Blend thoroughly and drink up
Butterscotch Pecan liquid Pie
2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla
8 oz cold Water
2 T sugar free butterscotch pudding mix
4-5 ice cubes
1/4 C pecans
Blend protein powder, water and pudding mix.
(The pudding mix thickens the liquid considerably).
Add ice cubes and blend till ice slivers.
Add pecans and blend again for a few seconds.
Pour into nice huge parfait glass and enjoy.
(about 300 calories).
Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake
1 scoop vanilla powder
1/2 cup SF cherry yogurt
4 ice cubes
splash water
vanilla extract (to taste)
cherry extract (to taste)
Put all of it in a blender and hit liquify! Enjoy
Choco Mint Shake
1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder
1 packet sugar free hot chocolate mix
1 teaspoon mint flavoring
1/2 cup of soy milk
1/2 cup of water
6 large ice cubes
Put all ingredients into blender
And mix to desired consistency. Serve cold.
Chocolate Almond Shake
2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate
1 cup of soy milk
2 T Sweet N Low chocolate Syrup
1 t almond flavoring
1/4 cup of almonds
6-8 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients,
Except almonds and ice cubes,
Then add nuts and cubes and blend again
Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter De-Lite
3/4 c. cold water
1/4 c. Toasted Marshmallow s/f syrup
2 scoops PS IOO Chocolate Protein Powder 4 packets. equal
1/2 small banana
1T. low sugar Peanut Butter
1T. s/f White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix
Put everything in blender
And whirl till smooth.
Scrape down sides if necessary
And whirl some more.
Chocolate Banana smoothie
1/2 cup banana Fat-Free NutraSweet Sweetened Yogurt
1/2 cup Non-fat Milk
1/2 cup ripe banana peeled and sliced
Dash of Vanilla
1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder of Choice
Put all ingredients except ice in blender,
Blend until smooth.
Add ice and blend
To give it a frozen smoothie consistency.
Chocolate Coconut Shake
2 oz Coconut Milk
6 oz Cold Water
2 scoops Chocolate protein powder
1 tsp Chocolate or Banana sugar-free pudding
Hand Shake well.
Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake
1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder
1 cup soy milk
2T Sweet N Low chocolate syrup
10-12 cherries - (no pits please)
8-10 ice cubes
Put all ingredients into blender
And mix to desired consistency
Chocolate Frosty Shake
1 rounded scoop Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Chocolate Protein Powder
1 rounded tsp. fat free sugar free French Vanilla International coffee
1 rounded tsp. fat free Creamora (non-dairy coffee creamer powder)
10 ice cubes
Use a blender to get a shake-like consistency
Chocolate Fudge Shake
2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate
2 T chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix
8 oz water
5 large ice cubes,
tiny silver spoon (optional)
Blend ProScore, pudding and water, add ice cubes,
Blend till crushed with ice slivers still un-melted,
Pour into insulated cup (makes about 16 oz)
And eat it with a tiny silver spoon.
Chocolate OrangeSicle
1 1/2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate
1/2 Scoop OrangeSicle protein powder
8 oz water
Shake very well
Chocolate Peanut Butter Death
2 scoops PS100 Chocolate Protein Powder
8 oz Cold Water
2 tsp Chocolate SF Pudding Mix
1 packets Splenda
1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Peanut Butter Syrup
1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Cookie Dough Syrup
1 Heaping Tablespoon (Daloop) of Fat Free Cool Whip Light
1 Heaping Teaspoon of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter
approx. 6 oz of crushed ice
Mix until entirely smooth - pour - sit back and enjoy pure indulgence
Chocolate Raspberry Shake
2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate
8 oz water (or skim, lactaid or soy milk) sugar free raspberry syrup
Blend and enjoy
Chocolate Vanilla Swirl
1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
splash Vitamite
splash water
ice
Blend thoroughly
Chocolate-Banana Shake
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 banana
1 cup skim milk
2 handfuls ice
Blend thoroughly.
Hint: if you can't use a banana,
Try banana extract...tastes good!
Coco Loco
1 1/2 scoops 100%Whey Vanilla Protein powder
4 oz Vitamite
6 packets Splenda
splash Luzianne Peach Mango Ice Tea flavoring
2 drops Coconut extract
2 drops pineapple extract
1 drop Rum extract (optional)
5 ice cubes
Blend and chop ice thoroughly
Cookies & Cream
Splash of Cookies & Cream coffee Splash of Vitamite
Splash of water
1 tsp. Sugar Free DaVinci Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Syrup (optional)
1/3 scoop ProBlend 55
Mocha/cappuccino
1/3 scoop Pro V60 Chocolate Thunder
1/3 scoop Pro V60 Vanilla Cr?me ice Blend
Creamy Peach Melba
6-8 frozen peach slices
4-6 oz water
1 tbsp peach mango Luzianne Tea Flavor
1 tsp DaVinci Raspberry flavor
2 packets splenda
1 tbsp heavy cream
2 scoops Keto Peaches & Cream Protein Powder
Blend peaches,
Water, flavorings, & splenda until liquid.
Add protein powder.
Drizzle in cream last. Blend well.
Donna's Delicious Protein Smoothie
6 to 8 oz sunrise orange crystal light (premade)
3 ice cubes
3 frozen raspberries
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Optional: tablespoon of light cool whip
Mix crystal light with the ice cubes and frozen raspberries,
Add the scoop of vanilla protein powder
And mix only for a few seconds
(mixing the protein too much causes it to foam)
Double Chocolate Fudge
? cup skim milk
1 packet, no sugar added hot cocoa mix
1 scoop Chocolate protein powder
4 ice cubes (or ? - 1 cup crushed ice) Mix in blender.
Egg Nog
1 scoop of Vanilla HDT 5+1 vanilla 1 cup of soy milk
1 teaspoon of rum extract
1/2 teaspoon of all spice
4-6 large ice cubes
Put all ingr
I get hungry, that never stopped for me. I was told 3 meals and no Snacks. However, the Dr's Nut told me to get my 3 meals I can then eat them all day. Hope this makes sense:
B - egg, nitrate free sausage (however I may only be able to eat the egg at 1 time, then in a few hours I can finish up the sausage)
L - lean Protein and maybe steamed veggies (I may only finish the Protein so I can have the veggie in an hour or 2)
On and on...the key is to make a meal and then if you can't finish the meal, you can finish it during the day. The problem is that so many of us consume so many calories/carbs eating snack foods, that we derail our efforts at staying on plan.
So I have 1 meal and eat a bit more later if need be. Hours later I have my next meal and it goes on and on.
DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is in no way intended to replace or undermine the advice of your physician. Every person is different, every surgeon has different guidelines, and no two situations are identical. Therefore if any of the answers below are unclear or contradict your physicians’ instructions, always follow your physicians’ instructions. The responses given are a compilation from multiple sources and references.
How do I embed the weight loss ticker? There are many ticker generators you can use, but the majority of us use TickerFactory.com or MyFitnessPal.com – Once you create your ticker, embed the code into your signature via your “Settings”
*Adding* liquid stage? During your clear liquid stage you can have anything that you can sip through a straw that is translucent, meaning see through. For instance: Water, juice, broth, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, Isopure Protein Drinks, Gatorade, Powerade, decaf tea just to name a few. Once you move on to full liquids you may add liquids that are not translucent. For instance: creamed Soups, soups with the chunks strained out, milk, Protein shakes etc… NOTHING CAFFEINATED
When can I have coffee/soda/tea? Decaf coffee is typically OK about 30days post-op. Decaf tea is OK starting with your clear liquid diet. Soda is typically never OK, with the reasons varying from the carbonation causing painful gas to the carbonation stretching your sleeve. Regardless of the reasoning, it's generally a good idea to avoid sodas entirely, or to consume them in extreme moderation.
When do I start mushies/purees? Every surgeon has different guidelines for the progression of your post-op diet. The majority of post-op diets progress as follows:
Day 1-7 Clear Liquids
Day 8-14 Full liquids
Day 15-21 Purees
Day 22-50 Mushies
What’s the difference between mushies and purees? The major difference is that purees are anything that has been blenderized/pureed to a baby food consistency and has no chunks. These should not be watery, but instead a thicker pudding like consistency. Mushies are soft foods that have not been pureed.< /p>
I'm on liquids/purees and I feel no restriction, should I be concerned that my surgery didn't work? Nope! You'll feel your restriction as you start to take in denser foods. In reality, you never want to experience that over stuffed feeling again because that means you've over stuffed your sleeve. There's much debate over whether or not you can stretch your stomach by over stuffing your sleeve, I for one am not trying to prove or disprove the theory. Best to play it safe - when you start to feel full, stop eating.
Should I be counting calories or carbs or both? Both. Again, every surgeon is different, but the majority of sleevers will be on a 600-1000 calorie/day diet with carbs kept at 60-80g or less. The general guideline is this: When eating, protein is always first, veggies are second, and if you have room carbs/starch last. The majority will rarely have room for the carbs.
How much protein should I be getting per day? The recommended protein intake may vary from 55 to 100g per day, depending on your individual needs and the bariatric diet provided by your surgeon or dietitian. The generally accepted minimum protein requirement for women is about 50 to 60g per day and men need at least 60 to 70g of protein per day.
How much liquid do i need for the day? About 60-80oz
When can I eat salad? Once you reach the point where you’re on normal solids you can try salad. Start with a small amount and see how your sleeve tolerates it as it can be difficult to digest.
Best Protein Shakes? This one depends on your particular tastes, however most seem to enjoy powders? utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury.
What else counts as a liquid? Anything that can be sipped through a straw or that will reduce back to a liquid. For example: Jello, sugar free popsicles, frozen yogurt/ice cream (these are generally no no foods)
Why can't I tolerate plain water, is this normal? It’s called water nausea and it is completely normal. This is very common during the first few weeks following surgery and should eventually subside.
What is sliming/slimes? Sliming or slimes occur when you eat or drink something and then regurgitate a slimy, foamy, saliva like substance, usually when belching.
What is grazing? Grazing is when instead of consuming your standard 3 small meals and 2 small Snacks per day, you simply munch all day grabbing a handful here or a bite there. The rule is that your meals should take you 20-30 minutes to eat and should be about 3 hours apart with only fluids in between.
What do all these acronyms mean?
In no particular order:
WLS – Weight Loss Surgery
NSV – Non scale Victory (ie: smaller clothes, compliments, climbing a flight of stairs etc…)
NUT – Nutritionist
PCP – Primary Care Physician
VSG – Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy
TOM – Time of the Month
SF – Sugar Free
WFL/WFD – What’s for Lunch/Dinner
How much did you lose at 1 month etc.? How much can I expect to lose in what time frame? Everyone’s body is different and so is everyone’s journey. There is no set amount you should expect lose in a set amount of time, and you should never compare your journey or your progress to someone elses. As long as you’re sticking with the program and following your surgeons guidelines, the weight will come off.
What is a stall? How long does it last and how do I break it? A stall is a point at which the scale stops moving for a period of time. The length of the stall varies from a few days to a few weeks and sometimes a few months. Non VSG’ers typically call it a plateau. Stalls are perfectly normal and to be expected. As we lose weight so dramatically, our bodies need time to catch up physically - this typically happens during a stall. While the scale may not be moving, you may notice an increase in compliments. This is because while the number on the scale isn’t getting any smaller, you are physically getting smaller. There are many tips and tricks for breaking a stall (increase your fluids and protein, increase your activity, up your calories…) but the reality is it will break on its own.
When can I have sex? When you’re ready. Keep it simple for the first few weeks post-op and don’t attempt any tricky positions. Be careful until you’ve been cleared by your surgeon for strenuous activity.
When can I start exercising? Typically right away, though the types of exercises you can do will be limited. Most surgeons restrict weight training/resistance training for about 3-4 weeks after surgery, but you should be walking/speed walking at least 30-45min daily starting from the day you get home.
What do I do with flabby skin? What's the best exercise etc.? The severity of the flab will vary based on many different factors. While there’s no way to tell how bad it will be or whether it will even be bad, there are a couple of proactive measures you can take. Make sure you’re using a moisturizing lotion with Vitamin E and Keratin several times daily. The vitamin E will help add elasticity back to your skin and the keratin will add moisture, both of which may help your skin bounce back as the weight falls off. The best exercises to target your problem areas are resistance and strength training in order to tone and build muscle to replace the fat. Lastly, be patient. Just as your weight stalls while your waist catches up to it, your skin will sag until it gets the signal to shrink. While it probably won’t ever be as tight as you’d like, it will shrink.
Will I lose hair? How much? What causes it? When does it return? Do Vitamins help? The truth is, yes, you probably will lose hair. Because of the drastic changes going on that are caused by the extreme reduction in protein and vitamins coming in as well as the hormonal fluctuations caused by the rapid weight loss, it takes our bodies a while to adjust. Don’t worry, as our hormones level out and our bodies get used to the new us, it will come back. There is no set time frame for it to do so however.
I’m constipated - what is it okay to take, especially in the beginning when newly sleeved? Will it get better? Worse? In the beginning a simple stool softener like Colace should do the trick. You don’t want to take a laxative or anything that may irritate your new sleeve. While you’re in the liquid/puree stage, Constipation shouldn’t be an issue, but as you reintroduce solids you may have to go back to your stool softeners. If you do find that stool softners are only offering temporary relief, try increasing your fluids and Fiber and decreasing your cheeses.
I’m having very loose bowel movements, is this normal? Totally. You do need to monitor stools of this consistency to ensure they contain no blood, but very loose stools, even watery stools, are completely normal for a few weeks post-op. When in doubt – ask your surgeon.
Will I feel fatigue? Will fatigue go away? Yes and yes. Your body has just undergone major surgery and it needs to heal. While it’s healing you will feel more fatigued than normal. Subsequent to having such a large portion of your stomach removed is the fact that you can no longer take in as much food (read: fuel) and therefore your body has to adjust and find a new fuel source. Your body will eventually begin to burn fat for fuel and some of the fatigue will subside. Your surgeon should also prescribe a B12 supplement which will also help with energy.
When can I go back to work? How much time should I take off? That will be entirely up to your surgeon. Most return to work within 2-3 weeks.
How many days in the hospital? Your hospital stay will depend on your recovery. When you are able to keep down liquids, are up and about and walking as directed, and your surgeon and nursing staff are confident there are no complications, you’ll be released. Your surgeon should be able to give you an expectation of the length of your stay.
Do the staples dissolve? No. The staples used to close the stomach are titanium and do not dissolve. The stomach tissue will eventually grow over the staple line. Your staples do not make metal detectors go off or make you ineligible for an MRI. They are completely benign.
Why am I always hungry? The most likely culprit is either head hunger or reflux/heartburn. Head hunger is a false sense of hunger triggered by boredom/emotions/the clock or any number of things which make you think you’re hungry when you’re really not. Heartburn is the most common culprit of constant hunger. Even though you may not feel as though you have heartburn, you may find that a simple antacid will eliminate that constant hungry feeling.
What is dumping syndrome? Dumping syndrome is what happens when the contents of your stomach are rapidly dumped into your small intestine. It is characterized by cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Most people that complain of dumping syndrome associate the attacks with eating a certain type of food IE sweets, carbs etc.. It generally resolves on it's own once the offending food has left the system.
What is a stricture? A stricture is what happens when scar tissue builds up in your esophagus (sometimes caused by reflux) that causes your esophagus to narrow and makes swallowing difficult.
What is a leak and what are the symptoms? A leak is an opening along the suture line of your sleeve that allows bile and other digestive fluids to leak into your abdominal cavity. The symptoms of a leak vary but the most common symptoms are pain radiating across the abdomen, fever, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, dizziness, vomiting, nausea, fatigue, and abdominal cramping. It is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases.
Can you get a leak any time after surgery? Or is it just immediate? Most leaks happen very soon after surgery, but there is still a risk for about 4-6 weeks after. Again, it is important to note that leaks are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 100 cases.
Some of my incisions are oozing - is this normal? If they’re oozing a green or yellowish Fluid, absolutely not. Green and yellow are the colors of infection and should be reported to your surgeon immediately. If your incisions are oozing a pinkish or clear watery fluid it’s your body’s way of keeping your incisions clean and isn’t usually a concern. When in doubt, ask your surgeon.
I see a lot of people posting about drains - I don't have any. Should I be concerned? Drains are tubes that are temporarily placed in the abdomen that allow fluids to drain from your abdominal cavity in order to prevent infection. Not every surgeon uses them so if you don't have any, don't worry. It likely means your surgeon saw no need to place them. That being said, it doesn't mean you're immune to infection so you should still be on the lookout for fever or any areas that a red, warm to the touch, painful, swollen, or oozing any green or yellow fluids.
I don't like having my picture taken, so I don't have many before pics (especially at my highest weight right before surgery - 244 lbs.), but I want to share my journey so far. So here goes, a before pic and an after pic at 2 months out (at 201 lbs). It's not the best pic/lighting, so don't judge my camera skills. I haven't taken a body shot yet, but I'll post that when I do. Mainly I wanted to show how much you can see it in my face. It's surreal to see the side by side!
gettin there got a reaction from Esmeralda75 in July sleevers please check in..
gettin there got a reaction from ro85 in July sleevers please check in..
gettin there got a reaction from gamergirl in How soon after surgery did you come off your "lifestyle" meds?