I was sleeved on 7/14. Had a tough time for the first 4 days. Am now at pureed/mushy foods and have lost 8 lbs. But I am struggling with getting in enough Protein because of food allergies.

Fortunately, pre-op, I was not someone who ate alot of sweets but this is turning into a big problem. I am allergic to aspartame, sucralose and stevia. Just about every Protein shake has one of those artificial sweeteners. So, I am having a very tough time. I got the "unflavored" stuff thinking that I would just add it to savory things (like soups). However, you cannot add it to anything warmer than 140 degrees F. That doesn't make savory things taste bad but it does mean that food is always lukewarm. UGH!

Any ideas for how to handle this? I am at my witts end trying to get in enough protein. And, by the way, this also affects the Vitamins I can take, the liquids I can drink . . . . I can't even have sugar-free things like frozen bars or pudding pops. I'm not a whiner but I really need some ideas.

Someone suggested on another post to make a "slurry" with your protein powder so that it can be tempered in the lukewarm whatever (soup, coffee) and then added into the remainder of the item which can be a hotter temp. Haven't tried it but that's all I can think of to help. I hope things work out for you.

I have the same issue. I have found ice pops at Walgreen that have glycerin for the sugar. For protein, I went to GNC and found Isopure. The drink is 20oz and contains 40g of whey protein isolate. They also have a powder but haven't tried that because they didn't have the unflavored one in stock. Isopure does not have any of the sweeteners that we can't have. Also I've been drinking the Premier Protien shakes. They have 30g of protien and no aspartame nasty crap. Hope that helps!

I used powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury unflavored a lot, but definitely have to be careful with the temperature thing. I've read that some people have used powdered milk to boost their Protein. I haven't tried it, but maybe this wouldn't clump in hotter liquids. Since you are in mushie/puréed stage, you could have plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey or puréed peaches or bananas. Blend Greek yogurt with milk and vanilla extract for a protein milkshake. Cottage cheese, puréed tuna fish, refried Beans, deviled ham, canned corned beef, string cheese, and eggs are other things I ate in that stage. Try adding unflavored Protein Powder to hummus, guacamole or mashed potatoes. As for treats, you can make your own Popsicles using dilute no sugar added juice. I found silicone Popsicle molds on Amazon. Good luck!

P.S. Both Premier and Isopure are sweetened with sucralose.

Edited July 30, 201412 yr by Kindle

Oh dang! I didnt even notice that on the Premier or the Isopure. I just cant have the aspartame so that was my biggest focus. I can't wait until I can have pureed foods. This liquid b.s. is getting on my last nerve. Thanks for the different ways to do some pureed foods!

I can't handle artificial sweeteners either. Stevia is a little better for me and that's what's in the powder I currently use but I want to find one with no sweeteners. Make sure you look out for "acesulfame potassium" in the ingredients list. Many people don't know this but this is a sweetener that is related to aspartame! The choices are way too limited in trying to keep that artificial junk out of our post-op diet!

Your best bet is to stick to unflavored powders and the huge benefit of that is you can add it to any food or drink to get your Protein in! Good luck!

Edited July 31, 201412 yr by JerzyTomato74

Kindle mentioned honey and I was thinking that too. Good luck!

Thank you all Very much. You have given me lots of great ideas. I'm going to do some experimentation and, in a future post, share some resources for people like me.

I did all kinds of research on sweeteners before my surgery. No splenda, aspartame or sucralose were worth it, plus all the research found pointed to the fact that they were basically poison. Splenda is far too similar to DDT.

There is xylitol, made from trees. You can also work with monk fruit. There is a sweetener made from that. Then there is erythritol. This one is made from corn. Oh, I almost forgot. There is fructose. Made from fruit.

Which stevia did you use? Was it organic or the kind bought in a regular grocery store? There is a version of stevia sold with a combination of artificial sweetener and stevia.

As for the plain Protein powder, you could still make your own drinks. Not just warmed up. Add some fruit or flavoring. Like vanilla, maple, lemon or almond. The fruit could add some sweetness. You would have to stick with simple fruits right now. You could use watermelon juice or apple juice with some vanilla for flavor. I would make Protein Drinks with apple juice and avoid the milk. Very tasty. If you care to, message me and I can come up with more suggestions for sweeteners or do more research.

I was determined that after the surgery I would do mostly organic.

In my opinion, most artificial sweeteners are poison and should be avoided at all costs.

ok first off, please do not tell people to use sugar, yes sugar are you an idiot? why not just tell em to eat friggin donuts after surgery. Honey is SUGAR, DUH, Xylitol, and Erithritol are the exact same as sorbitol they are all SUGAR ALCOHOLS, they still contain sugar but they have a lower glycemic swing, they're good for diabetics but NOT for weight loss! also in any quantity they make you poop your brains out. acesulfame potassium is NOT related to aspartame in any way shape or form! however in many products some manufacturers will pair it with other sweeteners, so just read the label.

Seriously people , you want to know why people fail , BAD ADVICE! adding vanilla to your drinks, well vanilla is sugar and alcohol. I mean do people bother to think ? Im sorry also to say artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs huh, how about the cost of being obese and dying horribly, of being non mobile and losing your limbs finger and toes to diabetes? is that a high enough cost? I eamn to tell people who are just out of surgery to add fruit...where did you get your surgerons degree or your nutritionist degree? Heres a real FACT. HAVING BARAITRIC SURGERY DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN IT. Get over yourselves.

Someone that has as many allergies as me! So far scuralose hasn't bothered me. But it's splenda so I don't want to push it. I also can't have articial dyes and food colorings, particularly red dyes.

I balanced it out with Greek yogurt which I happen to love. FAGE 0 %. 4 ounces is 12grams of Protein and you could add honey to it to sweeten it or add a bit of milk and blend it to thin it out. It doesn't cook up well though.

I was sent home on full liquids though so I made Soups with Beans and yogurt. I cooked them together, then pureed them, then put them back on the stove to reheat and thinned it out with low sodium veg broth. I went from full liquids to puree to soft so I was able to work around it.

I also used Orgain organics. It's sweetened with brown rice syrup premade shakes. I liked adding this to my morning coffee. I even made a Soup with the vanilla flavor, but I added a load of garlic to mask the vanilla taste.

Edited November 14, 201411 yr by Blerdgirl

ok first off, please do not tell people to use sugar, yes sugar are you an idiot? why not just tell em to eat friggin donuts after surgery. Honey is SUGAR, DUH, Xylitol, and Erithritol are the exact same as sorbitol they are all SUGAR ALCOHOLS, they still contain sugar but they have a lower glycemic swing, they're good for diabetics but NOT for weight loss! also in any quantity they make you poop your brains out. acesulfame potassium is NOT related to aspartame in any way shape or form! however in many products some manufacturers will pair it with other sweeteners, so just read the label.

Seriously people , you want to know why people fail , BAD ADVICE! adding vanilla to your drinks, well vanilla is sugar and alcohol. I mean do people bother to think ? Im sorry also to say artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs huh, how about the cost of being obese and dying horribly, of being non mobile and losing your limbs finger and toes to diabetes? is that a high enough cost? I eamn to tell people who are just out of surgery to add fruit...where did you get your surgerons degree or your nutritionist degree? Heres a real FACT. HAVING BARAITRIC SURGERY DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN IT. Get over yourselves.

You might not want to call people names. It comes across as rude and condescending. I assume you have never had a severe allergic reaction to fake sugar or experienced any type of allergic reaction. I have. I've spend fake too many days in the ER and a lovely 4 day stint in a medical induce coma from a severe allergic reaction . So yes for me fake sugars are indeed to be avoided. FYI - I don't have and never have had diabetes or even been close to it. There are many work arounds to fake sugar. Sugar is not the enemy, over use and abuse of it is.

ok first off, please do not tell people to use sugar, yes sugar are you an idiot? why not just tell em to eat friggin donuts after surgery. Honey is SUGAR, DUH, Xylitol, and Erithritol are the exact same as sorbitol they are all SUGAR ALCOHOLS, they still contain sugar but they have a lower glycemic swing, they're good for diabetics but NOT for weight loss! also in any quantity they make you poop your brains out. acesulfame potassium[/size] is NOT related to aspartame in any way shape or form! however in many products some manufacturers will pair it with other sweeteners, so just read the label.

Seriously people , you want to know why people fail , BAD ADVICE! adding vanilla to your drinks, well vanilla is sugar and alcohol. I mean do people bother to think ? Im sorry also to say artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs huh, how about the cost of being obese and dying horribly, of being non mobile and losing your limbs finger and toes to diabetes? is that a high enough cost? I eamn to tell people who are just out of surgery to add fruit...where did you get your surgerons degree or your nutritionist degree? Heres a real FACT. HAVING BARAITRIC SURGERY DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN IT. Get over yourselves.

I don't think I've read a more hypocritical post on here. If there is anyone on here that is not an expert in bariatric surgery, it's someone that hasn't even HAD bariatric surgery! But here you are offering all of your "expert" advice. Sounds like you have all the answers. But If you are such an expert on nutrition and know exactly what works for weight loss and what doesn't, why are you bothering to have surgery? Just practice what you preach.

As for me, I had surgery 11 months ago. I've done the preop diet, I've done the postop restrictions and struggled with the dehydration and the diarrhea and the constipation and the trying to get in enough Protein and fluids when plain Water hurt and I had no appetite for 4 months. I've LIVED it, not just read about it. And I've also lost over 100% of my excess weight and I've maintained my loss for 4 months. And I did all this while EATING SUGAR! I drank 100% fruit juice in the early stages. I've always added bananas, peaches, berries and mangos to my protein smoothies....starting a week after surgery. I snack on pineapple, strawberries and craisins. I eat apples. And sometimes I eat cake and Cookies and ice cream and yes, even a donut. Oh boy, I even have a cocktail a couple times/month. But then there's the 60-100g protein, 64+oz of water, Vitamins and oodles of veggies I get everyday. My bloodwork is perfect and I feel fantastic. What part of this is a failure?

So don't preach about things you don't know. There is not just one way to be successful at weight loss. You go ahead and stick with your way, and let us know how that works out for you. In the meantime, don't call me an idiot just because you don't agree with what I've PROVEN works.

Edited November 14, 201411 yr by Kindle

ok first off, please do not tell people to use sugar, yes sugar are you an idiot? why not just tell em to eat friggin donuts after surgery. Honey is SUGAR, DUH, Xylitol, and Erithritol are the exact same as sorbitol they are all SUGAR ALCOHOLS, they still contain sugar but they have a lower glycemic swing, they're good for diabetics but NOT for weight loss! also in any quantity they make you poop your brains out. acesulfame potassium[/size] is NOT related to aspartame in any way shape or form! however in many products some manufacturers will pair it with other sweeteners, so just read the label.

Seriously people , you want to know why people fail , BAD ADVICE! adding vanilla to your drinks, well vanilla is sugar and alcohol. I mean do people bother to think ? Im sorry also to say artificial sweeteners should be avoided at all costs huh, how about the cost of being obese and dying horribly, of being non mobile and losing your limbs finger and toes to diabetes? is that a high enough cost? I eamn to tell people who are just out of surgery to add fruit...where did you get your surgerons degree or your nutritionist degree? Heres a real FACT. HAVING BARAITRIC SURGERY DOES NOT MAKE YOU AN EXPERT IN IT. Get over yourselves.

Wow. Name calling? Rude much? Shame on you.

Your post was practically incoherent but it seems as if you're saying not to have real sugar or artificial sweeteners. What, pray tell, do you suggest in all your expertise?

I've had surgery, I've successfully reached my goals, I'm thin and healthy. I got here by eating real fat and *gasp* real AND artificial sweeteners. I know my body, you don't.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess you aren't a doctor. In fact, you are an obese man who, like the rest of us, needs (needed) WLS. If you are so all knowing, how'd you end up in this position?

I hate to break it to you, but just as you say having bariatric surgery does not make you an expert, starting the process but not yet having it makes you even less of one.

Edited November 15, 201411 yr by LipstickLady