I am really, really struggling today. Ive gone through this whole process since August, Ive completed everything, I have my surgery date and Im on day 3 of this 2 week pre-op liquid diet. Ive been so sure about this process the whole time. And now Im thinking Im crazy for doing this.

I know the first few days are the hardest on the liquid diet but this Protein thing is killing me. Ive tried chocolate and its just grossing me out! I normally love chocolate and it doesnt taste bad but its just the thought of it is seriously making me gag. Ive tried two different brands. THen I tried vanilla and oh my goodness! I had to spit it out. Tried it in just a Protein Drink to start with, then today tried a smoothie ICK ICK ICK! Im going to return the 4 jugs of protein Ive bought, thats for sure. So now Im just drinking a smoothie with fat free milk, low fat yogurt, blueberries and strawberries. Not a lot of protein but I just cant stomach the stuff. I cant even drink the Carnation Instant Breakfast and I normally like those

I just dont know what to do, Ive invested all this time and been so sure of it and Im so stinkin close and ready to quit I know I need help to lose this weight. My starting weight is 240 and Ive lost and regained so much over the years. I need it, but I dont know if I can do it

You CAN do it. The Protein drinks (in my opinion) are TERRIBLE. You just have to find something that will get you through the first few weeks.

Have you tried powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury chicken Soup? I was able to get that down - it tasted like a salty chicken broth. Another option is the unflavored kind mixed into yogurt or pudding. Not sure what your pre-op diet consists of so not sure if those are allowed. Some also swear by the chocolate Ready-Mixed Protein Drinks from costco. They made me gag, but not as much as the powder mixes.

I hated every minute of the protein drinks. But, remember, it's just a small part of the process. You will be able to get protein from food very soon after surgery. Don't let this little bump make you turn your back on being the new healthier you.

Don't give up! You can do it!

I bought an unflavored/unsweetened Protein powder from costco. It is called 100% Isolate by LeanFit. I mix it in my smoothies and although it has a slight "protein" flavour, it beats some of the others. I think there is another one at GNC that is less thick, more like an iced tea powdered mix. My friend told me about it but I have yet to get in there to try it. Go talk to a supplements expert and find out how else you can get your Proteins.

You have to get your head into it. If this is something you really want, you will do what you can to get there. If you are constantly thinking that it is tasting gross and you are anticipating that, then you will never get that out of your head.

Just don't quit! If you really want to change your life, and this is the way you have chose to do it, know that this pre-op phase and the first few weeks post-op are just temporary. "Real" food will come soon.

This may sound a little harsh, but let me play devil's advocate.

If something so small as the simple taste of a Protein shake can make you doubt whether you should get this surgery or not, maybe you are simply not ready for it. This is a decision for life, and you have to be ready for it. The taste of a shake is such a minor inconvenience, but if it has such a strong effect on you that you may NOT want to get surgery, maybe there are other reasons why you shouldn't have surgery.

People will tell you that you should get it, but no one should be able to influence you either way...and definitely not the taste of a shake!

Part of me agrees with Susanne, but I must add that nobody knows what this is all about until it is over and done with. Everybody just wants to know what's it going to be like? The protein shakes ARE AWFUL. Stomach them as much as you can...let me tell you this recipe, it's the one I lived on bc it was the only one I couldn't taste the protein: 8 oz milk, 6 ice cubes, 1 scoop choc protein powder, 2 TBS Natural Peanut Butter. Blend up and drink. It's pretty good and it's the ONLY protein drink I'd drink. Just know that the protein drinks are only NECESSARY for the first month or so. When you move to real food you can eat protein bars and they are much better. I do have a feeling there is more to this story, though, than just drinking protein drinks. Just know that you WILL NOT be eating ever again like you do now. If you can't get beyond that, you may not be ready. It was something I was doubting, too, but I was MORE tired of being fat and unhealthy. I'm 4 weeks out and living on cheese, soft meats, and yogurt. I had a spell over the weekend that I ate carbs and it's over. I don't want to be fat any longer and I really found out I didn't miss the carbs, afterall. I ate them and it did nothing for me. Amazing coming from a carb addict. Search your soul and figure what you really want and be content with that decision.

PS>..I was fortunate that I didn't have to do a 2 week liquid protein diet, I probably would've been the same mentality as you. My doc only required 1 day and that was pretty tough. I feel for you, but just know it's so very temporary in the grand scheme of things. Keep your eye on the prize.

YOU CAN DO THIS! This is just the first of many trials of your sleeve. Just think in a couple of weeks you will be down about 20 pounds! Then you will have your sleeve and it will be a job just to swallow a little at a time, let alone worry about the taste, and that is a GOOD thing! The sleeve will help you stop focusing on what you CANT eat and suddenly you have to focus on just what you can get in, it really is a good feeling.

Somethings that helped me in the 2 week pre op was sugar free Jello and sugar free pudding, it was comfort food as I divorced my eating of the past. Get some of that noodely Chinese soup and through away the noodles, use the packets of broth as a clear Fluid. Get yourself some diet Snapple too, great stuff.

Now for your Protein,,, go to costco and get some of their Premier Protein shakes, I like the choc ones. They are the best I have found. Get some of that unflavored protein powder and mix it in what you can. Go get some protein shots at GNC or walmart, they taste like crap but it is a way to get a lot of protein in just 2 oz of yuck.

You know the saying ,,,, No pain , No gain??? Well I tell myself no pain, no loss! Change is not easy, it is not comfortable but it is worth it for what you get. Better health, better looking and better life.

Just think of the first time you get to put on a size 10 pants, will a few weeks of not so great tasting protein be worth it? Knowing that the weight regain will never be an issue again? Hang in there, you are working toward an amazing goal. Anything worth doing or having in life requires some sort of sacrifice!

I know how you feel. I am on day 7 of my liquid diet. My surgery is next Thursday. The first few days were the worst but as each day (well, more like each moment) passes, I know I am that much more closer to changing my life for good.

I went through a few types of Protein drinks before I discovered a brand that didn't have a protein taste to them. I have been drinking Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% whey in Double Rich chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream, and strawberry banana. When mixed with 8oz. of fat free milk, the nutritional content is: 33g protein, 1g fat, 16g carbs (13 of those come from the milk), and 210 calories. If mixed with Water, the nutrition content is: 24g protein, 1g fat, 3g carbs, and 120 calories.

I have one for breakfast at 7:30am, have a sugar-free Jello or a sugar-free applesauce at 9:30, have another flavor of Protein shake for lunch along with a cup of broth at 11:30, have a sugar-free jello or sugar-free applesauce again at 2:30 along with a V8 juice (which is NOT my favorite but need the veggies), at 5:30 I have my last shake and maybe a cup of broth, and around 7:30 or 8pm I have either a sugar-free popscicle or a sugar-free jello. I also TRY to drink 48-64oz. of water and/or water with crystal light during the day (some days I feel like my innards are floating).

I have done this for a week and have lost 10 pounds since last Thursday. I have one more week to go and while it is REALLY hard because I have a family to cook for, I know these two weeks will seem like only moments in the grand scheme of things.

Try the Optimum Nutrition flavors. I don't recommend buying them from the store because they are really expensive. You can find them MUCH cheaper on Amazon. They have like 18 different flavors. I purchased a 5lb. tub for $41.

Good luck to you. Don't chicken out. You can do it.

Don't back down lady, you can do this! Look at it this way: This is 2 weeks of your life, and the last actual diet you will ever have to go on. In the grand scheme of things, two weeks of your life equates to less than 1% of you life that you are giving up. It really isn't all that much if you think about it. I know the Protein drinks are nasty (I'm on pre-op right now too, eating 1 meal a day with protein to supplement my caloric intake), but if you get them really really cold, I've found that it helps with the flavor a great deal.

Have you tried alternating what protein drinks you're buying? I've found that unjury is really quite tasty, and if you get the unflavored kind you can mix it with Jello for a yummy treat at the end of the day! I do hope you get your spirits up...this is a huge adventure, and one that will change your life! Look at all the positives. You're going to get your life back, and be able to be more active and healthy than you would be if you chose to chicken out of the surgery.

If you want to talk, or just need to have a sounding board while you're struggling with the pre-op diet, feel free to message me and I'll give you my number. It's always nice to have somebody who's in the same boat as you, and I'd be more than happy to listen!

Good luck...you can get through this. Your spot on the losers bench is less than 2 weeks away!

Don't back down lady, you can do this! Look at it this way: This is 2 weeks of your life, and the last actual diet you will ever have to go on. In the grand scheme of things, two weeks of your life equates to less than 1% of you life that you are giving up. It really isn't all that much if you think about it.

LOL ... I am very analytical, so I just ha to do the math.

There are 52 weeks in a year.

Assume a person lives to 85.

That equals 4,420 weeks of life.

Remove 2 for pre-op - which leaves 4418 weeks.

So 2 weeks is 0.0045% of your life. I think you can do it!

I do this same Protein shake, I use Nature's Best Low Carb Dutch chocolate Isopure, have actually used this for over 5 years and I like the taste. You can get it at bodybuilding.com or GNC, Bodybuilding.com is much cheaper. You can just buy the bag of it at first to see if you like.

Part of me agrees with Susanne, but I must add that nobody knows what this is all about until it is over and done with. Everybody just wants to know what's it going to be like? The Protein shakes ARE AWFUL. Stomach them as much as you can...let me tell you this recipe, it's the one I lived on bc it was the only one I couldn't taste the protein: 8 oz milk, 6 ice cubes, 1 scoop choc Protein powder, 2 TBS Natural Peanut Butter. Blend up and drink. It's pretty good and it's the ONLY Protein Drink I'd drink. Just know that the Protein drinks are only NECESSARY for the first month or so. When you move to real food you can eat Protein Bars and they are much better. I do have a feeling there is more to this story, though, than just drinking protein drinks. Just know that you WILL NOT be eating ever again like you do now. If you can't get beyond that, you may not be ready. It was something I was doubting, too, but I was MORE tired of being fat and unhealthy. I'm 4 weeks out and living on cheese, soft meats, and yogurt. I had a spell over the weekend that I ate carbs and it's over. I don't want to be fat any longer and I really found out I didn't miss the carbs, afterall. I ate them and it did nothing for me. Amazing coming from a carb addict. Search your soul and figure what you really want and be content with that decision.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice.

Its not just the Protein drinks, its being scared of yet another surgery. Ive had 5 so far in my life and Im only in my 20s. Then of course I think of needing a tummy tuck (which I already need from having 3 c-sections), and possibly more surgery to fix what I have done to myself. I try not to be a worrier but I worry about what would happen to my family if something were to happen to me. My children are so young. Its just pre-surgery jitters I guess. It annoys me that Ive allowed myself to get to 240 lbs. I have friends who eat so much worse than I do, who exercize less than I do and still dont gain. Its annoying.

I am going to return the protein I did buy and keep looking, I just cannot see myself drinking something that makes me want to vomit.

Im just scared.

I agree when they say that the protein drinks are just a small part of this process. Before you know it you will be able to get your protein in from real food. I was worried too about not ever being able to eat like I did again, but seriously it is so weird, you don't EVEN want to eat like you used to. I am almost 5 months out now and at breakfast yesterday morning I was telling my husband how weird it still feels to eat such a small amount and be totally satisfied. It really is like a miracle :-)

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the advice.

Its not just the Protein drinks, its being scared of yet another surgery. Ive had 5 so far in my life and Im only in my 20s. Then of course I think of needing a tummy tuck (which I already need from having 3 c-sections), and possibly more surgery to fix what I have done to myself. I try not to be a worrier but I worry about what would happen to my family if something were to happen to me. My children are so young. Its just pre-surgery jitters I guess. It annoys me that Ive allowed myself to get to 240 lbs. I have friends who eat so much worse than I do, who exercize less than I do and still dont gain. Its annoying.

I am going to return the protein I did buy and keep looking, I just cannot see myself drinking something that makes me want to vomit.

Im just scared.

I weighed 250 and i don't need a tummy tuck, you need to wait a year so your skin will shribk, give it a chance and I've had 2 c-sections and a abdominal hysterectomy, this surgery was a walk in the park compared to those. Yes it's scary but if you don't take control of your health you and your family will both suffer. I was scared but it was sooo worth it.

Being able to eat small portions and being satisfied is absolutely one thing I am excited for. What a blessing that would be!

cwalker, thank you for that encouragement too! It would be so amazing to not need a tummy tuck afterwards. Also puts my mind at ease at this surgery being easier than the c-sections!

So, I really want to thank everyone so much for getting me back on track. Thankfully tonight was support group too, they really brought me back down to earth and helped calm my nerves, everyone laughed saying they remember being at the exact place Im at right now with starting to panic and second guessing my decision. A few of the ladies plan to come visit when Im in the hospital too so thats nice to know how much they really care and will be there for support post op.

Again, thank you everyone for your help. I will be heading out tomorrow to hopefully find some more Proteins to try out

I'm so glad you have that support. The Protein drinks suck. I had such a hard time with them. The taste, the texture. It is so aversive to me. Ugh. I ended up with a fuzzy navel one or something like that and I stuck with that. Ugh. They are grossssss. Even the tasteless ones were intolerable for me.

I hate to be the one to tell you to cheat BUT my friend suggested I eat one protein meal a day. She did that and she did fine. She just stopped 2 1/2 days before surgery and no one knew. Some people in her support group suggested this and she shared this plan with me. The bottom line, she said, was as long as you stick to protein it doesn't matter as far as shrinking your liver. I don't know if that was true, but honestly I did this a few times and it got me through. I saved it for when I could not handle it any more or if I got somewhere and didn't have any shakes with me. So with that said I hate a couple meat patties, drove through Chick fila a few times to get just a grilled breast, etc. It isn't worth cancelling your surgery, because as far as I know a lot of people are NOT perfect. I even had a last supper during the two weeks which I never regretted. I just didn't tell my husband til like 6 mos. later, because he would have freaked out, but I totally don't regret that last feast with friends. I meant to do it before the 2 weeks but they changed my date suddenly, so whatever, I did it a week before surgery.

Look, you don't have to be PERFECT before surgery, just do the best you can to stick with protein and don't get dehydrated!!!. I got dehydrated and it made my veins very difficult when I was in the hospital - at least that is what they kept telling me. YUCK protein drinks!! A necessary yuck though.

The only thing positive, other than the liver thing, is that it jumpstarts your weight loss and gets you in the right frame of mind for not being able to eat after surgery.

I was on a liquid diet for 6 weeks once, and I did it for 2 weeks before surgery and that experience helped me have confidence that I could go without eating for an extended period of time. You will be satisfied enough if you make a lot of chicken broth, which I know I always repeat myself on this because it was so helpful to me.. My thing after surgery, honestly, was 1 protein drink a day (couldn't drink it at once) and a hell of a lot of homemade chicken broth and weak koolaid, Jello. I had minimal sugar and didn't do the artificial thing much bc I prefer to not do that. I used agave a lot, just a very natural healing for my body. Eventually cottage cheese, refried Beans, pureed meats and veggies, etc. Before very long I could puree chicken and drink it with the Soup. That was so awesome. I could just find protein in many forms to make it through. No sense gagging all the time choking down drinks - but they are helpful to get at least half your protein down. You will want Proteins that are not sweet, because you just get so sick of sweet from those drinks. For me the chicken broth was absolutely the trick. I sipped a lot on hot tea and broth. Also high protein milk is a good thing to use with your protein drinks, just more protein. You'll figure out something that works for you. If you tend to have low Iron, boil meats and sip on that broth.

No sense to cancel your surgery. You will be fine. It is not easy, but you can persevere.

As long as you have a good doctor, go forward. Your doctors job is the most important part and then would be your willingness to stick to liquids after surgery, then mushies, etc. Take it easy, don't lift the kids, and allow yourself to be cared for like you would take care of your own child. This is a lovely process actually. A real gift to yourself..

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