hello,everyone! My name is gab, 23 years old and am 69 days away from surgery! I have aetna and am having my surgery in New Jersey. I'm having a difficult time with finding a protein drink for meal replacement now, and am worried I won't have anything I like come after surgery. ( I'm very picky) I wish I weren't! I haven't dropped much weight the last two months, but my bmi and water intake have been improving one or two points and I am proud of that. I am a smoker and have been trying n to cut back now before surgery. I'm down to maybe 5 cigarettes a day. Just would like to meet some people who'd be able to help me through out my journey who would like some support as well as give me some

Hi, gab & welcome! I also have Aetna and I'm planning surgery for June 19. I was (wow...past tense!) also a smoker, and my doc told me that I would have to quit smoking before surgery. I am not one of those folks who was always trying to quit, so I had not made a serious quit attempt in many years. However, once I found out this was a requirement to have the surgery, I decided that the time had come. I quit successfully on March 1st using a combination of Chantix and a rechargeable & refillable e-cigarette device for when the cravings got bad. I have been surprised at how smoothly it has gone, given that I smoked for close to 30 years. Best of luck to you!

Hiya, Gab - I'm 72 days out from my surgery, so we're in the same boat, more or less

As far as Protein, it might help if you list some of the things you've tried.

I am pretty tolerant of the Protein shakes in general (I've been using protein shakes for Breakfast and/or lunch for quite a while now), but I've tried a lot of them. I am particularly fond of the Syntrax nectar protein shakes for a changeup - they have lots of fruit flavors and dessert flavors. If you haven't tried the Premier shakes from Costco/Sam's Club, they are good ready-to-drink options - pricier per serving than the powders, but really good protein levels and great for grab-and-go.

I don't really recommend the ones that are labelled as "meal replacements" like Chike or Big Train unless your dietician or surgeon specifically says to take those - they are perfectly good nutrition for the most part, but they tend to be higher in calories and include Vitamins that you won't need if you're taking the recommended supplements from your dietician. I have some single serving packs of those which I will keep around for post-surgery, when I might need to occasionally boost my calories, but I really prefer protein powders or RTD shakes that are 20+ grams of protein and 1 gram or less sugar, and don't include additional vitamins and minerals above what naturally occurs in the ingredients. Because I am trying to boost my gym time, I also use protein shakes that are formulated to support that after my workouts.