Jenkins

That's just some of the recipies I found for shakes etc..

I had my surgery Jan. 28Th 2016. I was so scared to do it I really dunno y I guess I didn't want to give up food post op I was 261 and I am 5'4" my goal weight is 150. I have been walking and doing great haven't even touched my pain meds. My thing is I'm going into the pureed. Stage any good Protein Shakes that someone can send me or recipies much appriciated. I'm going to update and track my progress here.

My sleeve was December 31, and want to eat what I see everywhere on TV. I guess that's normal. My head wants it and my mouth wants it, but my stomach doesn't want it! I'm eating soft, and foods taste good, but I'm full after a quarter cup. Don't push too quickly to the next stage like I did . Had some vomiting and set back about a week. I have to remember slow and easy. I want that pizza on TV, but would be happy with a bite.
I , too would like some Protein ideas. I'm sick of chocolate shakes.

Today marks 3 months since I was re-born into this brave new world! And since that day, I cannot even begin to enumerate the exponential feelings of wellness and hopefulness that have begun to saturate my life. My goodness, I knew I needed help, but I had no idea how much of an addict to food I really was, and how every aspect of my life was somehow either tied around food, or mitigated by food, most of the time in negative nonsensical self-harming ways!
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined, or even supposed in my defeated mind, that I could come so far in so little time! But here I stand, 3 months later, half way there, 54lb’s lighter, working out north of 1 hour every day (no excuses and I love it, and actually look forward to it!), no longer prediabetic, experiencing wellness, dancing around with my kiddos with giddy abandonment, full of energy, wanting to take pictures again, with a renewed sense of self-worth, with a focused mind, doing a double take at that lady in the mirror, being more in control and feeling so positive about most of my food choices. Friends, there is a brand new energy that I oscillate with these days, and there is an inner joy about me that I forgot I was even capable of experiencing.
I have spent today with a heart full of gratitude to God, I think that is most of what I feel today. Grateful that I have been rescued from what was not only a miserable, but a horribly unhealthy, sunken life. That I came through surgery and could see the faces of my kiddos again! For the amazing friendships I have made along the way on Bariatric Pals, without whom this journey would have been an infinitely lonelier one. You know who you are…thank you!!!
All this…and I’m only half way there!!! I’m more motivated and pumped than ever before. So I wanted to share this with you, thank you all for your love, encourage you in your journey (especially if you were like me, so torn about the decision to do or not to do!) and invite you to let me know where you are in your journey, your thoughts and laments around 3 months, or before or after! Just a collective pause to savor the goodness J
Sending you Sunshine!
Ellie

I was sleeved 8/21/2015. On the 21st of February I will be 6 months post op. I've lost 96 pounds, HW 359 CW 253 GW 150, I'm 5'8. I started walking about 1 week post op mostly 10-15min around my neighborhood now I have 2 gym memberships (Planet Fitness and YMCA) and I work out 4X a week. 75 min of cardio and usually 15 min of weights. I switch up the cardio between the bike, elliptical, arc trainer, or treadmill with the incline. Once I get in onederland and fall below 200 I'm going to cut down on the cardio and add more strength training for toning. So far I like my results. Exercising plays a big part in our success. I almost remind myself that it's a lifestyle change. Fitness is everything to me now.

I work out 6 days a week sometimes 7 if you include yoga. I do a bunch of different things as I like them all so fitting them all in is sometimes hard. I do crossfit, spin classes, run 15 plus miles a week, yoga, and then workout video's like Insanity,T25, P90x. Working out was never my problem though as I worked out 6 days a week before surgery. I could just never outrun my fork. I am happy to say I can now workout as much as I want and not be starving all the time.
~LA

Well done !!!
I don't give a rip what my NUT & surgeon say.....exercise is very instrumental in weight loss.
Don't get me wrong.....they certainly encourage it.....but they simply don't acknowledge the power of it.
Early on in my pre-op process my surgeon gave me a smirk and shook his head when we'd discussed my past weight loss efforts. He even laughed when I told him the plan that I'd implemented. "So...how much did they get off you ?" he asked in a condescending manner. "Oh, doc.....about a 120 pounds in 8 months.....are you gonna tell me that exercise isn't effective now?".
He altered his position a bit after that.....less smirking and condescending.
I agreed with him that the calories I was burning in the gym may not equate to more than 3-4 candy bars at a time......but what it was doing was:
1) Putting me in an environment filled with motivation.....everyone around me was humping it and working hard
2) I ALWAYS punch in my weight on the treadmill & elliptical and carefully watch the calorie burn that is calculated. Seeing this is powerful because it does get through my thick skull as to how hard it is to burn those beers and pizza off. It helps later in the day to maintain kitchen discipline. I'll not graze on Snacks or junk food because of my gym time.
3) Weight training......became addictive. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm was greater than my abilities and injuries occurred right when I was making strides.....surgeries to repair said injuries ended my lifting fun for too long. But the muscle building work does wonders to up the metabolism and help with overall calorie burn.
That is great that you are getting in your exercise. It'll pay off hugely and supports your efforts.
Me, too. Waiting on a release from my surgeon to say my abdominal hernia is good to go and I"m gonna be lifting again.
I bought a FitBit One that lives on my keychain. I don't always have my keys with me....but I'm now finally getting my 10,000 steps every day at work. Feels freaking great to be much more mobile.
Started going back to the gym on my day's off work for cardio.
Wow....that is super.
You are going at it hard and must be feeling the benefits already. Well done !
So far, I'm either walking at work or treadmill on my gym visits.
I'll be working back to the elliptical in a couple weeks. That is an incredible cardio machine and in many ways is more comfortable on my Sasquatch-like frame that the treadmills.
I'm hoping the daily glucosamine & chondroitin doses kick in soon and help these knees.
Gotta kill another cup of coffee and go to the gym this morning and do some work, myself. Get my day-off work kicked off well.

My hospital has the post op instructions online for anyone to access the hospital is Gbmc in Baltimore md

This site sells Quest as does GNC. Both sell individual sizes and also variety packs. I picked up some Quest Protein powder today and on top of the tub was a sleeve of recipes. I tried the "Lava Muffins" and was pleasantly surprised. They have 60 cal./ 8gr Protein and <1gr sugar. It was a nice treat.--especially when the "lava" gooped out when I cut it in half.

I viewed the phase where I hated everything, shakes tasted bad,food tasted bad,I couldn't even stand Water without a flavoring, as that window of opportunity to change my relationship with food. I ate food/had shakes like a prescription medication intended to make me healthier. I hated it, I wished I didnt have to eat at all, but we all know th a that isn't good. I found the transition to solid food difficult, and everthing still tasted awful.
But, that was temporary. 4 years out, I have no real food restrictions except what I impose on myself for good health (only exception is ice cream can give cramps). When I go out to eat, I eat like a trim middle aged woman,petite portions of good quality food. I have a skinny minnie girlfriend and we eat very similarly.
The freakish feeling of those early weeks does pass.

That's how I've tried a bunch! Quest also sent their samples in a order that my mom did for protein bars.

If you have a GNC or a Vitamin Shoppe in your area, they often have single-serve packs of their various Protein powders.< /p>

Someone needs to start a side business re-packaging Protein powders into sample sizes, so new patients can have a less expensive way to test a bunch of options at once. I know some companies have sample packs, but I'd like to try several brands.

Thanks so much for everyone's feedback and advice!
I am feeling much better today and I have decided to take @@JamieLogical advice and put my big girl panties on! This is officially my new mantra!
And these words from @@AvaFern definitely makes me feel better - roll on week 5!
The search will go on for a Protein shake I enjoy!

I am a fan of the Syntrax Nectars. They taste more like Kool-aid than a Protein drink.

I was so sick of Protein drinks after the first two weeks, that I haven't had one since. I would drink two or three a day before the surgery with no problem, but afterwards it eventually got to the point where I just couldn't do it anymore.
My favorite thing became the Nutriwise broth Soups. The chicken was meh, but the beef broth was my favorite (especially with a small shot of sriracha). The Tomato one was good, too. They all had 15g of Protein in an 8oz serving - 70 calories instead of the 160-220 in the Protein Drinks. I found that I could manage 8oz of broth at a single meal.

You are EARLY in the process. All I can tell you is that right now, you need to be treating everything you intake as if it is part of your prescription diet. Because it IS. It may be months before things taste normal again. Until then you need to nourish your body in spite of it. You don't take your supplements because they taste like Skittles, you take them because this is what you signed up for to get healthy. It's the same with your Protein supplements. Right now, do your best to get down whatever the prescribed amount is.
Now, that said, there IS hope if you don't fancy shakes, (me either). Once you can take solids, there are lots of products to help you get your Protein in if you can't get it all from whole foods. I can't achieve the number I should without at least one supplement per day and I'm more than 2 years out! I do a Protein Bar, protein muffin, protein bread, protein Pasta, protein hot chocolate or latte... Something to give me about a 20g boost at least once per day. Sometimes it's in a product I purchase, sometimes I make my own Protein Bars using whey protein as a component. Point is, it's rare that I ever do a "shake", but I do supplement.
Other simple swaps like spinach for lettuce, greek yogurt for regular, Fairlife milk for regular (you can do that one now on liquids) can all help get you there.
Hang in there! Work your plan like the prescription that is is and you'll get there!

I hate Protein shakes too. I've just started to experiment with them, and this is what I've learned.
1. GENEPRO Protein Powder is unflavored. It does have that whey Protein smell, but it doesn't change the taste, consistency, or texture of what you put it in. I've put it in plain milk, stirred with a fork, and it just tasted like milk. I had a friend taste it, and she agreed with me. This morning I made a fake Starbucks hot chocolate with 2 T cocoa, 2-3 T Torani sugar free Syrup, a dash of salt, 1.5 c 1% milk, and 2 tsp GENEPRO. Add the protein powder AFTER heating. Tasted just like hot chocolate, and the whey protein smell kind of blends in with the milk smell. I'm going to try it in Soups and broths too. Genepro has 30 g of protein for only 1 T, so it takes half the powder than most Protein drinks. It's not a Meal Replacement though--there's no Vitamins and minerals. I believe powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury is a similar protein powder.
2. Get the book Bariatric Foodie Guide to Perfect Protein Drinks. It's cheap and has lots of good ideas. She talks about how to get different textures and tastes depending on your food preferences. She also has good ideas for flavorings (Torani sugar free syrups; fat-free sugar-free dry pudding mixes).
3. If you are past the Clear liquids stage, try this super shake idea: 1 veg, 1 fruit, unflavored Greek protein yogurt, and liquid. For the veg, Kale or spinach adds the least amount of flavor. I usually use frozen berries, peaches, or mango. I use Water, but milk, almond milk, soy milk, etc would work too. Sometimes I'll add parsley or cilantro, but I've heard mint and ginger are good too. I might also add a small amount of fat such as Peanut Butter, nuts, or avacado. You can also add liquid vitamins, or other nutritive supplements. If I'm using fresh fruit, I'll add ice. If you use berries, it won't be very sweet, so some people might want to add a little Splenda, or apple, or carrot. If you need more protein, you can add a small amount of protein powder like Genepro without ruining the taste.
4. Juicing: I've learned to love juicing. Watery vegetables work the best, including cucumbers and celery. You can get some liquid out of kale and spinach, but not much. I haven't tried cabbage, but that might work. Regardless of the vegetables, I always add an apple for sweetness and ginger for kick. I've heard asparagus is to be avoided, because the flavor is too strong. You can add something like Genepro for protein; I haven't tried this one yet, but I have high hopes for it.
5. Do you like fish? I love salmon, so I'll be experimenting soon with salmon spread recipes. It doesn't work for the liquid phase, but it should be fine for the soft foods phase.
6. Bone broth: This is broth made with bones and other ingredients, cooked for 24 hrs or so, long enough to leach minerals out of the bones. Try making it yourself with celery, carrots, onions, and bay leaf. You can also buy it online. I've heard it tastes much much better than regular broth or stock usually available at stores, and is healthier too: lots of nutrition in there, including protein. Add a little protein powder like Genepro. (I haven't tried this one yet either.)
7. I've heard good things about Fit Frappe Protein Drinks, although they are a little high on carbs. You can mix it half and half with a zero carb protein powder. I've also heard good things about Syntrax Nectar: they have a lot of fruit flavors rather than the normal chocolate and vanilla.
Good luck! I haven't had surgery yet, but I'm also worried about the abundance of Protein Shakes. Most of them are so gross and way, way too sweet.

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Ok so today I went shopping because my size 12 jeans were getting fairly loose. I went to my favorite place to buy jeans since having WLS. Lucky Brand Jeans.
I grab a pair of sweet and straight jeans in a size 10 and I am grinning from ear to ear because I am confident they are going to fit and I love that feeling. I have not fit into jeans this small since I was a teenager.
I put them on and I am right! They fit fantastic! I come out of the dressing room and model for hubby who promptly says, those look a little big. Maybe you should think about a smaller size.
I the immediately say "no way!" An 8 is not going to fit me. I am honestly not sure if I have ever worn a size that small. I decide to encourage him and prove there is no way I will get them up.
I grab an 8 and head back into the dressing room. I look at this tiny pair of jeans and go, here goes nothing. They fit perfectly! I could hardly believe my eyes.
Then the sales clerk tells me that they are buy one get one half off but she says the darker dyes seem to be more forgiving so she gives me an 8 and a 6 to try on. I laughed but thought well just see how far off you are.
Well, I put the 6 on, buttoned them up and stood there in shock. Now, I didn't buy the 6 because although I could wear them, I do like my jeans to be comfortable and have a little room.
So when I started this journey I wore 24 jeans and 26/28 tops. I am now in a size 8 and a medium or large top. Sometimes I have to get the large because I have a lot of loose skin.
I cannot believe where I am today! For me, clothes shopping is when I can really see the thinner me.

Hey, I just saw this. Sorry, I don't visit much. It's a good topic, so I hope this thread can be helpful and if I can help with anything I'll be glad to. 4 year sleeve veteran here that lifts a lot.

Hi, recent sleever friends. Tomorrow will be my one week since surgery. I am feeling so much better! And like some of you, forgetting to pace/time my drinking. It doesn't hurt to swallow and I'm not feeling sick afterwards so I am assuming I'm ok. Very tired of liquids, especially artificially sweetened ones, but drinking them because I want to follow the program. Still not really hungry which I think is a good thing. I still have a week and two days of this full liquid stage! I think I can; I think I can! Actually, I'm feeling very empowered right now that I have chosen to take this step for my health and my future except for the fact that I've only lost 4 pounds after ten days of liquid diet. I know my total calorie count is less than 500 daily. So what is going on? I know I need to walk and I did a mile on Saturday, but it really wore me out. Need to get in my head that I'm going to do it everyday and then do it. No excuses! But really I love this feeling of empowerment and hope! We can do this!

I assume that was the case, otherwise what is the point of it?

@@Valentina, I love it! Gazpacho, or the postop equivalent thereof! I suppose you could sneak some unflavored Protein Powder in there as well.

I remember HATING THE SWEET!!!!. I got sooo sick of all of everything being sweet on top of sweet. I got so I would gag whenever I had to swallow another sweet drink.
I called my surgeon and ask him if he thought an idea I had would be detrimental to me. He chuckled and said that if I could pass it by the NUT. , if was perfectly OK with him.
The Nutritionist also giggled, but approved.
So, here was the plan:
Three times a week I took:
1 Tomato
1 cuke
some parsley
a wee bit of balsamic vinegar
a wee bit of olive oil
I put it all into the blender until smooth and silky.
HEAVEN!!!!! ABSOLUTE HEAVEN!!!!
I swear that non-sweet treat was the reason I was able to get through the liquid stage. I just needed a break a couple of times a week from cloyingly sweet.
I would never recommend that anyone do this on your own. I called and discussed my "dilemma" before I went ahead with my "salad shake".
--just an idea.