rs

I've tried taking someone but simply putting the "@" in front of their username but it didn't seem to work. It doesn't turn blue like I've seen on others' posts.

Can someone advise where to purchase the Protein Powder many of you add to your food?

@letsgetgoing2018 Unjury unflavored is the one my nutritionist says most of her clients like
https://www.unjury.com/unjury-unflavored-protein-container.html

Thanks [mention=334772]rs[/mention]. I've been instructed to eat no more often than every 4 hours, so assuming I am getting 5g of Protein per meal, that means I'm 40-50g deficient without shakes. I know a lot of people still do shakes for 2 of their 4 meals, which I can do. But at some point we've got to 86 those, right? Or turn them into Snacks in between the meals every 4 hours? I see my nutritionist next week & will find out.

@sleevedllama I saw my nutritionist this morning. Unfortunately I didn't really get any new magical advice. Just other Protein Shake brand options and suggestion to mix with milk to reduce the sweetness. I asked about the Protein Shots I've seen advertised (e.g. BariatricPal 15g Protein shot). She was indifferent to it. Said I could try but in my case I've found that my stomach is pretty sensitive to certain things (e.g. biggest learning was that my stomach thinks sucralose is the devil lol) that we're not sure if I'll be able to tolerate these protein shots. But I think I'm going to try one just to see. I've only been eating 3, maybe 4, meals per day. She wants me to get 5 per day. Although, again, even 5 per day at average 5 g each only puts me at 25. Even 7 g only gets me to 30. I'm going to try to add the Unjury unflavored protein powder to as many meals as possible to help boost the number. Beyond that it seems I really need to find a way to get the rest in liquid form. Plus I'm not getting in enough liquids anyway so that would kill 2 birds with 1 stone. I had surgery on 8/15. Lost 10 lbs first week primary because of horrible bathroom issues and dehydration. In the last 9 days since then I've only lost 1 lb. Nutritionist says it's because I'm not getting in enough protein to burn the fat. Makes sense. But what a challenge.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm definitely ready to move on to more soft foods and fewer Protein Shakes, but I cannot figure out how to get my Protein in through regular foods! I can't eat enough. I'm up to about 1.5 eggs (scrambled with a tiny amount of butter, and last night I put a single slice of avocado on top & mushed it in so that they'd be softer/creamier), I can eat a 2 oz portion of the ricotta bake, about 2 oz of oatmeal. Even with a 1/2 scoop of protein powder (which is really too much for such tiny amounts), anything but eggs nets me only a couple of grams of protein. I'm supposed to be getting 60-70g per day. Has anyone figured out how to doctor up the chicken Soup flavored protein powders so they actually feel like food instead of broth?

I haven't figured out how to reach my protein goal with just food either. I average about 5 g protein per meal since I eat so little at a time so that would mean I need 12 meals to get to 60! The only way to get there is through Protein Drinks but I don't like those sweet ones either. There were some protein drinks that were more fruity like punch that I loved before surgery but post surgery my body rejected them. Apparently now I can't tolerate sucralose. So now I think I have to resort to making my own protein shakes/drinks. Ugh. The thought of a noisy blender first thing every morning makes me cringe! I really prefer ready to drink things. I have a nutritionist appt today. I'll share what I learn.

Haven't taken it , I am on Wellbutrin, if you try to take them both Depakote blocks the metabolism to,the Wellbutrin , so,it can build up to a toxic level in your body. No,thank,you very much.
I have been,on a liver-shrinking diet all,of August, I have lost 15 pounds, I want nothing that will put it back on. My surgery is September 5th.

I lost 15 on my pre diet also - congrats. Good luck with your surgery!

Well mostly muscle memory from when I had the sleeve 3 years ago. The more you walk, the quicker and better you will heal. I mostly do it to keep depression at bay cuz all these changes on top of surgery can send you into a tail spin funk. So instead of focusing on what I can’t do (eat what I want), I focus on what I can do about it... sip n move

Very impressive!!

I had been on depacote for Migraines, seem to be getting better as I lose weight.

Depakote is what started my 100 lb weight gain 20 years that I've never been able to shed and what led me to this surgery. I was on it as a mood stabilizer. I know it is used to help with other conditions like migraines. I just wanted to share how that drug to me is my sworn enemy. Hopefully you don't have the same side effect.

Protein shakes. I made myself drink a 2nd today

Can you make large batches and freeze for future use? Quite frankly I'm very lazy. I don't like to cook etc (husband cooks). It's just so much easier to have ready to drink/eat type stuff. But the drinks I've tried that are the "shakes" are now too sweet and make me nauseous. I found some Protein "drinks" (more like a punch) that I loved pre surgery but post surgery ended up being the cause of a bunch of issues I had that ended up sending me back to the Dr for dehydration etc. Turns out I need to stay away from sucralose.

I’ve been walking a ton, been on treadmill since day 4, I got up at 4 am and put in an hour slow walk, By 11am I took a 30 min walk outside, about to get on the treadmill (very very slow), drinking and peeing a lot too ,so yeah ... maybe my body is just in shock and hanging on to the fluids.

Sheesh how in the world can you do all that?!? I barely have the energy to walk between bed and bathroom!

This is exactly why I didn’t weigh myself until my first post op appt. i thought it would be like I was torturing myself to be going through the recovery/liquids phase and not be losing weight.

Ditto. I'm 2 weeks post op and have only weighed myself once at home, and at the two Doctor appts I've had. I don't need to get in the scale to feel in my clothes that I've lost.

So update (I’m 8 days post op). Went to my 1 week follow up with my surgeon—yesterday’s snafu May have been caused by a bladder infection or UTI that’s playing with me. [emoji855]. Not feeling so good today. But I’m getting rest so that’s s plus. Dr wants to leave my drain till Friday.

Bladder infection. To me seems sorta good news only in the sense that it's not a surgery issue. Hope you feel better soon.

I just spoke with my surgeon about an hour ago and they asked me if I was getting my Proteins, they said the goal with 60, 64 oz Water, 60 minutes exercise.... She said if I can get up to 90 grams of Protein and the 60 water weight will flush away and I should be able to prevent Hair loss too.....

I have the same goals and honestly I don't see how the hell I can get in 60 protein. I can only eat about 1/4 cup per meal and depending on what I eat maybe it's 5 g. That means I need to eat 12 meals!

I’m 5 weeks post op, I get so nauseous every time I eat or drink anything, does it ever go away?

Did your Dr give you Omeprazole to take first thing before eating? I had some horrible issues post op where I could hardly get anything down including my standard medications so I just stopped the Omeprazole because it was one less pill to take. I finally started taking it again and it's totally helped! Good luck.

Jbyerly101 I am 8 weeks post op, was nauseous every time I ate u til a few days ago. It’s slowly getting better. My surgeon said some people experience the nausea for up to 3 months. But mine is finally subsiding

Up to 3 months? Omg that sux!

Me too! I'm down 30 from pre and post! 26 from post.. and im stuck and i work out and I don't eat more than 400. But my nut told me i should eat between 500-800 cals no greater than 800.

If you're working out I expect you're gaining muscle which is awesome. Remember "muscle weighs more than fat". Hang in there.

I’m still not loosing [emoji31][emoji31]. My pre and post op weight lost so far is 40lbs and now I’m just stuck. I know I’m eating no more than 600 calories and working out. I have a trainer and everything.

If you're working out I expect you're gaining muscle which is awesome. Remember "muscle weighs more than fat". Hang in there.

Also didn’t lose any weight yesterday or today [emoji24]

You need to really focus on just healing your body right now, not on what the scale is saying. I had to go back for fluids one week post surgery for dehydration also. At that appt I had lost a lot of weight but it wasn't healthy because it was mostly fluids. Prior to surgery I weighed myself daily to keep myself in check and flag any signs of weight gain so I could address it head on. But from what I've read these first few weeks post surgery our bodies are trying to adjust to they're new way of life so the scale will fluctuate daily. So I've resigned myself to only weighing once or twice a week. I encourage you to do the same. Good luck.

Omg!! I feel your pain... literally! Same day for me, Sleeve to RNY and Haital Repare. Getting Hydrocodone which works best on me (other stuff makes me dizzy) has been a HOT mess!!!! I had to go to ER next day to get a little. Indeed they act like it is suspicious I want it. Grrrr makes me so MAD!!! I get it, there is an opioid crises but I’ve been hacked up people!!! If you don’t perscribe it then, when do you perscribe it??? I now only take it at night to control pain and sleep. With only one dose left I’m livid doc office will not refill. Seriously!?!!?

This is absolute bullshit! You are under a Doctor's and just had serious surgery! Wtf?!? I'd raise holy hell! I'm sorry you've had to experience both the physical pain and the mental anguish of having to beg for drugs.

I am a week post op - surgery 8/22 - and just now able to write about this.
There were some unforeseen complications ... among other things, a huge hiatal hernia so large, they couldn’t see it on the endoscopy... a stomach too thick for the regular stapler, requiring a larger port and larger stapler. Surgery lasted more than 90 minutes longer than the original range. (My poor wife was freaked out.)
When I woke, I was in a lot of pain. The recovery room nurse seemed to think that asking for something for the pain was a clear indication I was an opiate addict.
It wasn’t until I got to my room that I learned that I was in the first week of a new protocol 1) no longer using morphine post-op and 2) trying to limit pain meds across the board.
After about 8 hours my surgeon came to check on me, and he ordered morphine. The nurse gave it to me once, and then told me they were cutting back. The next morning, When I told the attending that nothing was getting in front of the pain and that they had cut off the morphine, she said that wasn’t the case. That is how that went for the four days I was in the hospital. Always with the subtle implication that, if I was asking for pain meds, I was probably an addict.
I didn’t feel like the floor nurses had any idea that the surgery was longer and harder and more invasive, and I felt any attempt to explain to them would come across as rationalization. All in all, pain control was not at the top of the list during this hospital stay.
Yesterday I went to my 1 week follow up with the surgeon. On discharge, I had been given an Rx for 15 Oxycodone for “breakthrough pain” - though no one explained what that was - and 30 Tramadol. The doctor’s nurse asked me how many of each I had taken, and if I had brought them with me, so she could count! When I said I hadn’t, she LITERALLY tsked!
Is this Universal now? I’m sure I could have handled this better, but I was in pain, and I didn’t. But soon I’m going to get a patient survey.

Oh I am so incredibly sorry for what you've been through! I would've raised holy hell with the Doctors having those nurses treat you like that! Our body and mind cannot heal if we are in so much pain. I hope that the worst is behind you and that your recovery going forward goes well.

I am just beginning week two of stage 3 post surgery (date was 7/31) and I've been doing pretty well but I am SO tired of sweet! My Protein Shakes are all sweet (save for chicken Soup, which I have once a day). It seems like all of the recipes for soft foods on this stage are for more sweet things -- and that grosses me out. I have been eating a soft scrambled egg once a day, and made the ricotta bake, but does anyone else have good suggestions for what I can eat for the next week? I think tuna is okay, so I will add that. What about other meats? Have you done ok with ground turkey, chili, or other more substantial protein-based savory recipes? Please share!

I feel the same way! I moved myself to the soft foods so I could have non sweet stuff. Here's what I've has: scrambled egg, refried Beans, cottage cheese, mashed potatoes, cream of wheat. And I add melted cheese wherever it makes sense - yummy plus extra Protein. Next on my list: tuna, egg salad (really smoosh the egg). I am doing so much better now that I've been eating real food. I no longer gag at the thought of eating/drinking. It is absolutely imperative to eat tiny bites and a very small quantity in total. I envision myself as a little baby bird eating

Thanks ladies for the replies. Much appreciated. I believe that I am not wating enough. I am told that I should be consuming 500-700 cals max for as long as I can. Preop I lost more weight by consuming more cals than the max suggested by the Dr. Now when I eat more I lose more. Magpie, what were ur calories when ur weight slowed and how did u up ur calorie intake? Rs how was ur journey in the beginning with the medication? Slow? Fast? Steady?

It has been a very difficult road since my Aug 15 surgery both mentally and physically. I wasn't keeping the liquids down, kept running to bathroom with the worst "issues" I think I ever felt in my life. Because I had to split all my meds in smaller sizes that meant I no longer could just pop them all in my mouth at once and be done so it was this prolonged agony of having to take them one by one and I got to the point where I just ended up not taking them for a few days. Naturally that only exacerbated my situation because now not only was I physically hurting I was also mentally hurting. At my one week post op appt the nurse saw my blood pressure was very low and I was very weak, then when I went in to the Dr I just broke down in tears. Told him about my mental health condition and how I wasn't taking my meds etc. He sent me straight to get IV fluids pumped in me. He also said I could go back to taking my meds whole. So every day since I have forced myself to take my meds and now I'm mentally back in shape. Physically I'm better than I was, including no more bathroom issues, but still not feeling great. I have my "real" post op appt tomorrow with the Dr who did my surgery (last week was a different Dr because mine was on vacation) and I'll see what he says. From a weight loss perspective I lost 15 lbs pre surgery over about a three well period, and I'm guessing tomorrow's weight will have me about 12-15 lbs down at two weeks post surgery. If I look at my food log it seems I've only averaged 300-500 calories per day. I know that can't be good. And I'm probably only drinking 25-30 oz Water which I know isn't good. I'm probably gonna get smacked tomorrow by the Dr but I truly feel so awful when I try to eat or drink. I initially planned to go back to work this Wed but I postponed it a week but I'm not even sure I'll be ready by next Wed. Not sure if any of this answered your question but it's the journey I've been on. And it's been so very difficult.

Suggestions on the best Water to boost electrolytes? I've been to the Dr twice now to have IV fluids because of dehydration.

The Ricotta Bake is is a delicoius dish that is high in Protein and low in carbs. And, for most programs, it qualifies as a soft food!
It only takes 30 minutes and a few basic ingredients.
Time to Ready: 30mins
Servings: About 4

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces ricotta cheese

1⁄2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

salt & pepper

1⁄2 cup marinara sauce

1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


DIRECTIONS

Mix ricotta cheese, parmesan, beaten egg, seasonings together and place in a oven proof dish.

Pour marinara on top and top with mozzarella cheese.< br>
Bake it in the oven @ 450 for about 20-25 minutes (best) or nuke it till hot and bubbly.

Nutrition Information
Serving Size: Yields about 4 servings (1/2 cup per serving)

AMT. PER SERVING
Calories: 240
Total Fat 16 g
Saturated Fat 9.4 g
Cholesterol 105 mg
Sodium 496 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.25 g
Dietary Fiber 0.5 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 16 g

I copied the recipe over for you hope you like it. Just remember it is very rich so you might only be able to eat a bite or two. [emoji16]

Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

Omg thank you! I'm so excited to try it!

Maybe quantity was too much? I find that I don't have bathroom issues if I eat just a teeny tiny bit at one meal. I also noticed that if I start to burp that signals me to stop. Also important to separate Water from meals and only sip it. Just sharing what seems to be (finally) working for me. Sleeve surgery was Aug 15.

I tried the Ricotta bake receipe and that was really good but it makes a ton when all you can eat is a bite or two lol.

Sent from my SM-N950U using BariatricPal mobile app

I keep seeing Ricotta bake mentioned often in posts but haven't been able to find the actual recipe. Can you help?