I am SO OVER Protein shakes. I can hardly stand to choke them down and they usually make me feel icky afterward for a while. I am wondering how soon I can try to get protein in with Protein Bars instead. I will be 4 weeks postop tomorrow and can start on soft regular food then. I have been mostly blending food during my puree/mushies stage but I have just mashed some things with a fork and chewed really well also and have done great. I have had no problems with any food. I know protein bars are pretty dense so I wasn't sure how they would go down but would like to know when you all started having them.

Lissa, I know you said you use protein bars on the go sometimes - when did you start?

I can't stand protein shakes or drinks either! LOL As soon as I could start eating semi-solid and solid foods I try as hard as I can to eat all of my required protein. Sometimes that involves a protein bar. The atkins protein bars seem to sit with me the best. I can only usually get half of one done at a time, I kinda split it between snacks. (morning snack, and afternoon snack). The rest I get in with eggs, roast beef hash, shrimp (my sleeve loves shrimp), tilapia,tuna, canned chicken, chicken wings..etc. So to answer your question..I would say as soon as you can eat semi-solid or solid foods, but always ask your NUT or surgeon first. Me personally, I tried them at 3 1/2 - 4 weeks post op.

Edited April 16, 201214 yr by tasherie

i had my first protein bar (or few bites anyway) at 7 weeks. Gotta watch the bars though and read labels religiously. Most are high in carbs and sugar. My nut said 10. 10. 10 grams of cabs 10 grams of sugar. your better off having cottage cheese or greek yogurt. Lower fat and sugar.

Thanks! I have my next postop checkup next Monday with my surgeon and I will just ask them then - I'm not in that big a rush to try them Especially since I can start regular foods tomorrow, I can probably get in more protein than I have been.

Jess, I started protein bars around the same time as I started solids. Half of one was a full breakfast for me for quite a while. Good luck!!

I started protein bars at close to five weeks post-op. I went to Walgreens and bought just about every variety they had and tried them over the course of a couple of weeks until I found a couple that I really enjoy. Anything that can help us get our protein in during the beginning when we are just trying to figure things out is worth a try.

I am five weeks today and had my first Protein bar this morning because I hate the shakes and they make me feel bad too.

I ate the Diet Protein to Go bar and it was good and has 15g of protein and 18g of carbs and is 160 calories. I don't know if that is good or not but it tasted better than the shake.

Carol

Great! Thanks so much everybody! I'm glad to know I am not alone in hating the shakes I'm really trying hard to get in all my Protein and calories and it is a real challenge for me - I'm hoping I will have a little better time with the bars . I bought 3 different kinds to try when I get ready.

Carol, where did you find the diet Protein To Go bars? That seems to be a little lower in carbs than a lot of them I have looked at - I would like to try them!

I started eating protein bars around 3-4 wks because like you, I hated shakes. HATE. First I tried premier protein but they were too dense. I tried some others but felt the same. Finally I stumbled upon Power Crunch bars. They are like those wafer cookies. Very light in terms of density & much easier for me to eat. They are kind of high in cals - 210/bar, but they only have 10g of carbs 4g of sugar so I think they are better than Adkins or some of the others which seem to have a lot of carbs & sugar. They have 13 g of protein & while that's a bit less than some I still find the other numbers make them a better choice for me. And they don't make me crazy full so I can usually eat 3/4 in one sitting. I typically polish it off as "dessert". I like triple chocolate or chocolate peanut butter. There is also a vanilla. I buy them at my fry's grocery store (Kroger) or even 7-11. Good luck!!

I order mine from Newlifestylediet.com I really like the peanut and chocolate bars.