Hi out there! I'm about 6 weeks out from having my sleeve surgery and I'm having trouble getting in the required fluid amount. I am trying but can't seem to balance that with the protein. I am getting about 50 grams of protein a day which the DR said is really good and to keep trying. I'm wondering a couple of things. A.) Is there a calorie count I should be going by? I average about 600 calories a day. B.) Do protein shakes count as a meal or snack or what? C.) I've been losing slowly which my Dr said is normal. He said that people who start out where I did tend to lose a little slower but I'm wondering if not getting enough fluid can slow down your weight loss? D.) I'm open to any advice, suggestions etc on how to balance the protein and fluids. Thank you!

600 calories is a pretty typical intake amount at your stage post-op (typical in the sense of what people post on this forum). I too was at the 500-600 calorie range at 6 weeks post-op, and getting Fluid in was still very difficult for me at that time. In fact, considering that I am 15 months out, I still struggle with getting all of my Water intake. I drink most of my Protein (i know most people resent the protein shakes and get rid of them as soon as they can, but I like them and I try to get 1 gram of protein per body weight...so the shakes are the only way I can meet that goal), and due to that I tend to struggle to get the right amount of water into my system.

Calorie count depends on your stage and activity level. I started to exercise as much as I could and at an intensity as high as I could, as soon as possible. My goal was to get out of starvation mode (because your body will start to hold onto every calorie that it can if it is in starvation mode) and get my body to burn fat and build lean mass. That meant I needed a lot more calories. Now, that is hard to do when you have a tiny stomach. So, I started to consume high calorie foods in between meals (nuts/peanut butter were the easiest for me!). Most people (again, I'm referring to the posts I've read on this forum for the past 17 months) with moderate activity seem to strive for 1,100-1,200 calories per day, as soon as their tummy allows such intake.

Protein shakes tend to count as meals in the beginning or immediately post-op. However, they eventually become snacks--that is what they are for me at this point in time.

As far as fluid intake affecting your weight loss...I am not sure, but I do know calories can affect your weight loss. In the beginning the loss of calories aides in your weight loss, but--once your body adjusts to the lack of calories--your weight loss will slow and it will be time for you to" up" them.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you!

Edited September 9, 201412 yr by Curvy

To answer your question on protein shakes...every surgeon is different but mine told me my liquid shakes counted towards my liquids. .an I also use them at times instead of solids. Counting the liquid protein helps a lot towards the 64 oz..

Every morning I have a Premier shake (30g Protein, available at Costco). I add GENEPRO protein (30g per scoop) which I add to my shake. This means that by Breakfast, I have 60g protein. I would rather have something else for b'fast, but this is a sure way of getting the minimum protein in. Everything else thru out the day is gravy.

On weekends, I sometimes make my shake and drink a little thru out the day. I do this so I can have eggs and sausage or something else besides shakes for breakfast.

As far as liquid intake, I use a straw. Dr. said not to, but read a thread that many people ignored this and no ill side effects. So I have been using a straw and feel fine... Really helps with the liquid intake.

Every morning I have a Premier shake (30g Protein, available at Costco). I add GENEPRO protein (30g per scoop) which I add to my shake. This means that by breakfast, I have 60g protein. I would rather have something else for b'fast, but this is a sure way of getting the minimum protein in. Everything else thru out the day is gravy.

On weekends, I sometimes make my shake and drink a little thru out the day. I do this so I can have eggs and sausage or something else besides shakes for breakfast.

As far as liquid intake, I use a straw. Dr. said not to, but read a thread that many people ignored this and no ill side effects. So I have been using a straw and feel fine... Really helps with the liquid intake.

Just FYI, I would consider splitting up your protein supplement. Our bodies can only absorb protein at a rate of 10g/hour. And this is best case scenario for whey isolate....other protein like casein, milk concentrate, eggs, meat, soy, etc is absorbed even slower.

Do a search on this forum for "protein absorption" and you will find a bunch of threads that explain and discuss this. I started one called "changing the way I consume my protein" in the nutrition subforum.

To the OP.... you never said what your Fluid intake is. I count my Protein smoothie as both a meal (x number of protein grams) and fluid (x number of ounces). Even at 8 months out I have a 32oz protein smoothie with 30-40g protein everyday. That's 1/2 my fluids and 1/2 my protein in just one drink! After my 16oz coffee in the morning and my 8oz cup of Sleepytime tea at bedtime, I only have to drink another 8oz of Water to hit goal...And I usually end up drinking much more than that.

But you're right, it's harder to get in both water and protein in the beginning. I had to sip ALL DAY LONG. I had a water bottle with me at all times. If I even stopped for an hour I would fall short of 64oz. Back then I made sure everything I drank had protein in it....I mixed up different flavors of powders, added unjury unflavored protein to all of my broths and Soups, etc.

Hi Meghan,

I'm 11 weeks out and have lost 65 pounds. Here's how I get my fluids (and protein) in. Maybe it will give you some helpful ideas...

• I keep a 2-quart jug and a 24-oz cup at both home and work.
• I count my morning Protein shake as a meal, not as Fluid. (30 grams of protein)
• 30-60 minutes later, I have a cup of coffee. (Count it as a fluid if you like.)
• After that, I drink a 24-oz. cup of decaf, sugar-free iced tea, like Crystal Light. (Lots of frequent sips)
• Then I walk for 40+ minutes.
• Then it's lunchtime - tuna or chicken salad, or leftover protein from dinner. (16-22 grams of protein)
• About 45 minutes after lunch, I fill another 24-oz cup of iced tea and work on that throughout the afternoon, finishing by 30 minutes before my afternoon snack.
• Afternoon snack is usually a Greek yogurt (12 grams of protein) or V-8, or some leftovers. (This is also a good time to get in some veggies if you're getting enough protein at other times.)
• Maybe a cup of hot tea in the later afternoon. (Count it as a fluid you like.)
• Then dinner - again, getting 20-25 grams of protein and maybe a bite or two of veggies.
• Finally, another 25-oz cup of iced tea or Water 30-45 minutes after dinner that I sip throughout the evening.
• If I'm hungry later, sugar-free Jello or popsicles are good.

So that's 70+ grams of protein and more than 64 ounces of fluid, with some exercise thrown in. Lately I'm finding that the fluid is taking away my need for Snacks, so I have to make sure I don't miss out on some protein! If you have a regular enough schedule, you can follow it every day. If not, maybe a modified version will work. The big trick is in pre-planning your meals and your fluids.

Good luck!

Edited September 11, 201412 yr by Rogofulm