Good morning All-

Well for about 3 weeks I havent taken any protein shakes at all... I know it is bad and I should but I just got a lil tired of taking it and one day I didnt take it and well here we are ..

How bad is it? I woke up today thinking I can get sick?.. SO far I have not lost any energy.. still working out 5 times a week .. Haven't seen any symptoms that have scared me to take it again... I know I should though =(... My hair is still falling but in the same rate as when I was taking the shakes.. so I am not sure..

Has any one gotten thru a period of not wanting to take protein shakes? I mean I do eat fish, meat, milk, eggs etc etc but I am just not taking the extra shakes...

I read on here not too long ago about someone who had to go to rehab because they had muscle wasting from not getting enough protein in. How much are you getting from your food? You risk from not getting enough will be losing your muscle and not your fat.

Yes!! You DEFINITELY MUST have your Protein. They are the building blocks of our bodies.

Don't worry too much though, one day without it won't cause you to get sick but too many days like that will. You might even feel a little fatigued for a few days as a result. Take care of yourself! Sometimes that means doing things we don't like.

Three weeks IS a long time to be low on protein. You could be getting enough with your food alone, but the only way to know is if you're logging your intake. 60g or more per day... no questions.

Im gonna say it depends. Your surgery was early Feb so I'm guessing you're able to get your daily Protein in through food. If you can get it in through your meals, then you don't need shakes. The shakes themselves aren't the requirement, it's the protein they contain. So the below assumes you're not getting it through food...

If you're burnt out on your shakes, maybe try a different flavor or a different way to incorporate the protein poweder, like through baking (I used to bake it into muffins when I had my band).

If you just can't do the shakes, incorporate some higher protein foods/snacks. Cheeses, fish, Jerky, etc. are all good & healthy sources of protein.

Good morning All-

Well for about 3 weeks I havent taken any protein shakes at all... I know it is bad and I should but I just got a lil tired of taking it and one day I didnt take it and well here we are ..

How bad is it? I woke up today thinking I can get sick?.. SO far I have not lost any energy.. still working out 5 times a week .. Haven't seen any symptoms that have scared me to take it again... I know I should though =(... My hair is still falling but in the same rate as when I was taking the shakes.. so I am not sure..

Has any one gotten thru a period of not wanting to take protein shakes? I mean I do eat fish, meat, milk, eggs etc etc but I am just not taking the extra shakes...

Thank you for the response girls.. I know it's a bad decision and well I have to get back on track. I am definetly scared of getting muscle wasting... So starting today I will take my protein =) ... Believe me I was even ashamed of admitting that I havent been taking it =( But I guess that is the first step to getting back in track.

Im gonna say it depends. Your surgery was early Feb so I'm guessing you're able to get your daily Protein in through food. If you can get it in through your meals, then you don't need shakes. The shakes themselves aren't the requirement, it's the protein they contain. So the below assumes you're not getting it through food...

If you're burnt out on your shakes, maybe try a different flavor or a different way to incorporate the protein poweder, like through baking (I used to bake it into muffins when I had my band).

If you just can't do the shakes, incorporate some higher protein foods/snacks. Cheeses, fish, jerky, etc. are all good & healthy sources of protein.

Thank you for your info. Well to be honest I do not keep a log of how much protein I do per day.. But I do try to eat high protein foods like you mentioned. I am not sure if I eat more than 60 grams though.. But I do not feel tired or in bad health on the contrary I feel good, I have been able to even hike 10 miles without getting light headed or anything. But I guess just to make sure I will atleast try to have one shake per day with 2 scoops.

Track your intake on myfitnesspal.com it has the nutritional values including Protein for most foods. I added Protein Bars when I let go of one shake a day down from two. Atkins has wonderful protein bars !! Power crunch bars are great too, they have them at Trader Joe's and Vitamin Shoppe or on-line. Rite Aid may have them too.

Typical servings of fish/meat/chicken (3 oz) have about 21-25 grams of protein by the way...so if you are eating all your protein with foods - this will give you an idea of what the protein values are for typical protein.

Dairy foods are also high in protein like cheese, cottage cheese, some yogurt.

Good luck., just make sure you are getting your protein. Your body will take it from your lean body tissue if you don't.

The medical center that did my sleeve has a manual and "absolutely no protein shakes" after week 7. According to the nutritionist relying too much on liquid protein can actually inhibit your weight loss in the long run. So I'm learning how to get my protein without the shakes.

If you are getting enough protein from foods you are fine. I dont drink my protein shakes much anymore, I prefer solids if I can.

My surgeon actually doesn't want his patients using Protein shakes at all because he wants them to concentrate on getting their protein from food. I often use a shake for Breakfast and catch all kinds of flack if I fess up to it at the surgeon's office. A box of shakes from costco is lasting me two months. I use them mostly for breakfast at the office.

Protein is the building block of so many of the body's systems so it IS really important to get enough but if you can get it in without shakes I'd think you'd be fine. I'm loosing some hair but I started taking Biotin. The loss is starting to slow down maybe, it started about 4 months out and I'm getting close to 6 months out from surgery. How far out from surgery are you?

I drink two shakes a day in addition to the Protein I eat. I typically get 90 - 100 grams of protein. I am one of the few I guess who actually likes the shakes I use. I drink one for Breakfast and split the other one morning and evening to choke down the gobs of supplements and prescriptions meds I take.

I intend to keep it up, as my surgeon's instructions are to continue with the shakes for as long as you want.

Well my Doctor did not have me start protein shakes till month 2 .. I guess every surgeon has different guidelines. On july 9th I will be hitting my 5th month post op.. I guess I started tpo worry more because this month hairloss has speed up so fast and I am scared of going bald lol well I do see hair growth and my skin and nails are fabulous.. but the hair part no so good... I tried to take powder collagen for a few weeks but that thing is gross!!! I should start taking biotin atleast to slow down the hairloss... Do you guys think you can actually go bald or have bald spots ?? Well if I get to that extreme I guess I shall wear a wig...

You will probably feel ok short term. Eventually in a Protein deficit, you'll feel it. If you aren't liking the scoop Proteins, try some of the RTDs. A lot of people who can't stomach scoops, do just fine with those.

Thank you for your info. Well to be honest I do not keep a log of how much protein I do per day.. But I do try to eat high protein foods like you mentioned. I am not sure if I eat more than 60 grams though.. But I do not feel tired or in bad health on the contrary I feel good, I have been able to even hike 10 miles without getting light headed or anything. But I guess just to make sure I will atleast try to have one shake per day with 2 scoops.

I think the best thing we can do with this procedure is to listen to our bodies. They will tell us when we need something or have had to much of something. Just don't ignore the signs. Just my two cents...

Lack of nutrients and just simple weight loss itself can cause hair loss. It's a respose that if it's lacking elsewhere as in the muscles and heart, the body will steal it from our skin/nails & hair.

Biotin helps with re-growth only, it does not prevent hair from falling out. I do take Biotin and Vitamin E 3X per week and my skin/nails & hair are great. My hair and nails grow really fast and my hair is very thick just like before surgery.

The best way to know if you're getting enough Protein right now is for you to log your food. www.myfitnesspal.com Minimum of 60g per day is standard, perhaps more if you're working out in any capacity. Don't forget to drink plenty of Water too. Only do the shakes if you have to, to up your protein, since you don't like them... but really daily protein minimums are a must.

Hey guys!! So today was my check up with my personal trainer and I thought I'd share hood news I lost 12 lbs this month, lost 9% of belly fat BUT the important thing was gained some muscle mass !!! Afterall I think I might be eating enough protein Thank you all for your comments and tips. I did buy some power crunch bars n they are delicious wafer type and also some pre made protein drinks with 35 grams ., they are good as well!!! yay, 70lbs down and being on a stall for 2 weeks..