male only Can you live off just Protein Shakes & Vitamins?

[Hoginona04 61]

I have a question about Protein Shakes. First off I am pre surgery, waiting on insurance approval. I have followed the nut diet for the past 6 months. She wanted me to start skipping one meal a day and replace it with a Protein shake. Not a problem, Ive found that I love the shakes. Been enjoying them with low fat milk for the past 6 months now. Now I've read on here that alot of folks taste changed after surgery, and most despise the shakes. But is it possible to just live off Protein Shakes and Water? As long as you take Vitamins and get your 60 - 90 grams of protein a day, will that be enough to keep going? Could I just forgo food for 6 months by replacing it with protein shakes? How about 12 months, is it possible, safe?

[Recycled 2,182]

Who knows? But what would be the point. Your question doesn't make any sense. You wouldn't be able to live the rest of your life on just shakes. (probably not even six months) Besides, trying to just get by with only Protein shakes would be just another temporary measure that would simply set you up for failure later. You can also be certain that saturating your system with only Protein Shakes would not only be detrimental, but dangerous.

You need to use the benefit of the sleeve's limited capacity to help you lose while your learn to eat the correct foods that will provide you with a healthy lifestyle once you reach your goal weight. The shakes are called Protein supplements for a reason. Their primary purpose it to supplement a well rounded diet of normal healthy foods.

You need to deep six any thought of trying that plan.

[mentalistfan 189]

I think you still would need foods with natural potassium, Iron, Vitamin D etc.

[LumpySpacePrincess 594]

Is it possible? Sure! But what happens when you have your first bite of real food after 5,6,7 months and it tastes so good that you can't stop yourself?

I tend to over-restrict when I'm on a diet, which at some point will lead to an enormous binge when I finally do eat. My surgeon told me that we have to start eating solid food at two weeks out because if you don't, your digestive system gets all messed up and your stomach won't function properly.

To give you a really grim example, I know a woman who was liberated from Auschwitz after the war. She said many people there had been living off some strange broth for months before the liberation came in. The soldiers made the mistake of giving some of these people their solid rations and many of them died within a couple of days from the shock to their system. Stomach cramps, diarrhea, irregular insulin production probably in there, too.

So while its a good idea in theory to try to lose weight, it won't work in the long term.

[CowgirlJane 14,261]

I did a medically supervised liquid diet as one of my many weight loss attempts. Worked great, but I never regained weight so fast once I began eating again. Would not recommend this strategy.

[RickM 1,753]

The main problem with this idea, beyond the weaknesses of the medically supervised liquid diets when one tries to come off of them and adopt a more normal diet, are a variety of nutritional deficiencies that come from not come from lack of variety and balance in the diet. Typical vitamin/mineral supplements are limited in what they provide - the commonly supplemented Vitamins and minerals are those that were known and established in the 1950's when the gov started publishing RDA's, but there's a whole laundry list of antioxidents, flavinoids, phytosterols, etc. that have been discovered since then that don't have established RDA's and aren't found in our typical supplements. There are also a few nutrients, such as potassium, that have significant legal restrictions for OTC supplements. This is why we can get away with these diets for a short time, but not for the long haul.

[Hoginona04 61]

Thanks for the replys, it was just a hypothetical question. I plan on following the surgeons guidlines to a 'T' if possible. I know there will be some issues since I can not stomach yogurt or Peanut Butter. I guess like most pre-op newbies, I want to get the best results as soon a possible with this new weight loss tool.

Another reason I asked is because I work in the Middle East on a rotational schedule. 5 weeks on 5 weeks off. So my food choices are very limited as far as the post surgery diet. I am able to bring Protein powder with me, but food items are a big no no. Veggies and the like are plentiful here, but meat is very limited uless you can stomach mutton. ( NOT gonna happen, smells and taste like furry boot leather) The beef is poor quality, and something I would not feed my dog if I had it at home. We only get canned tuna packed in oil, and the fish selection is very limited and only served on certain days. Our cooks are all from India, so everything is slathered in oil and fried on the stove top with enough seasonings to broil your spincter after each meal. We do have eggs and boiled eggs provided daily, that is one option.

Mabye that will clear up some of the questions as to why I asked about the Protein. About 3 weeks after my surgery, I will go back to work, and I am just trying to figure out what my options are. Do I want to live off protien shakes, no. But I also do not want any compilcations post-op. And i really dont want to go to a hospital over here because of a post surgery issue. And if that means drinking shakes and eating Vitamins for 5 weeks, well so be it, I guess.

[xChdx 15]

Maybe check out Soylent

[RickM 1,753]

On the limited basis that you are talking about, particularly during your weight loss phase, this should present no particu.lar problem - many of the diets that are used along with WLS are highly deficient and they are tolerated well for the short to medium term that they are used while we get the weight off. Labs at the recommended points should catch most deficiencies before they go too far.

Having some veggies as you can while there (to have something to munch on) along with what fish and eggs are available and then getting the majority of your Protein from the shakes would not be an unreasonable approach

One of the things to consider is to think of your long term dietary needs once you get to maintenance - the type of dietary habits that will sustain and control our weight for the long haul rather than what got us into trouble in the first place. Think of what that will look like with your work situation and how to transition to that both during your loss phase and your move to maintenance once you get to your goal weight. This is one of the trickier points of the process, where most non-WLS diets tend to fail and where many post-ops also have the greatest difficulty.

Good luck, and welcome to the game!

[mark! 449]

Short answer....with the assistance of Vitamins and minerals that your body needs, along with the Protein....yes it's possible. Is it healthy and sustainable long term? No. If you need elaboration, I'll provide it.

[Hoginona04 61]

I appreciate the replies. I will return to work about 3 weeks after my surgery. So I will serve my first rotation during the liquid part of my diet. I already have Protein powder and chewable Vitamins at work. Speaking the the dietician about this, she seems to think it will be fine, and help me to lose weight faster during the golden stages of weight loss surgery. I also ordered me a food steamer to bring back to work. So I shouldn't have any issue with snatching some frozen chicken breasts or fish filets and cooking them myself.

My biggest worry was having an issue (leak) because of something I ate while back at work. I do not want to go to a Saudi hospital if at all possible. Now that I know that Protein shakes and Vitamins will sustain me, It looks like i will be on a self imposed liquid diet for the first eight weeks. Not a big issue, I am mentally prepared for it, and looking forward to shedding the pounds and getting healthy.

[mark! 449]

8 weeks after surgery MAY NOT be a big deal, but at that time, your body is recovering from having a major organ 60-75% removed, that's a huge deal to your body. You're going to need proper nutrition and supplementation right after to ensure you heal correctly, and as quickly as possible.

I'm not saying don't, and your circumstances suck. Can you take any canned foods with you? Stock up on canned chicken breast and chicken broth, canned tuna (from the States). Not sure how strict customs are, or if you even go through them regularly there while on the job. Protein for 5 weeks may not be a bad thing and may not have any ill effects. I'd take some canned Soups, broths, etc if you could man. All in all, best of luck with everything.

[Margie14 31]

I just read this topic ( I know, men's board and all..) as my son has just had sleeve surgery (Like me) and I wanted to see if there were any new or different revelations pertaining to him on here. I had to answer and hope that you won't do that and here's why.

You have to eat after surgery in order to get your digestive tract operating again. If you follow your surgeons advice you will have minimal impact and get everything functioning properly. If you maintain an all liquid diet for a lengthy time, your body won't know how to deal with solid food when you finally eat it you could cause an impaction. Sometimes, when you get impacted (stool backed up and like concrete in the bowel) it requires surgery and can actually cause bowel perforation and death. Do follow your doctors guidelines. Impaction, even when slight, causes a great deal of pain. You should be pooping once a day, even if it is small or diarrhea (liquid in liquid out). If you go more than 2 days without you risk getting backed up and need to talk to your surgeon. Usually they will recommend using Mira-lax as this is the gentlest on your system and new stomach ( I just whirred it up in a shake for a while to avoid this). Be careful, my son wanted to do a liquid diet as long as he could after surgery and I told him "no way". You won't die, but you risk something worse. Getting impacted is not like Constipation, It's more like giving birth trough your....well, I think you'll understand my meaning. Your body needs to learn what to do with solid food all over again as this surgery is traumatic internally, even if you feel "fantastic". I hope some of the medical people on this board will chime in on this. Maybe you can work up to food and then regress back to an all liquid diet?

[Hoginona04 61]

Again, the surgon and NUT said it would be ok. BUT I was able to bring some of them foil packages of tuna and smoked salmon with me through customs, and Saudi gate guards. So all is well, Ive been slamming Protein shakes in the AM and spliting a tuna pack between lunch and supper. Protein intake is at 80 grams a day and calorie intake is 500 plus a tad. Feeling great and losing weight 39 lbs gone in 38 days. Thanks for the concern, all is good.