Considering WLS here (probably Roux en Y), and I'm a little confused about the use of Protein shakes post-surgery (as in, further out from surgery). I heard one of our local bariatric surgeons talking about WLS and he was talking about how one of the general rules for post-surgery eating is to eat more "solid food" to stretch the pouch appropriately vs. more liquid-type foods. However, it seems from what I read on these boards and other bariatric communities that Protein Shakes are a common part of post surgery life, even beyond your initial surgery recovery diet. Now, I know that getting enough protein is important after surgery. But can those of you who are post-surgery kind of explain this discrepancy to me? I might be misinterpreting things as well. I do plan to talk to a surgeon with more specific questions, but would like to learn as much as I can before that.

Thanks in advance!

My doctors approach: What was explained to me

1. Protein shakes for two weeks after surgery and Water to allow recovery

2. Progressively introducing foods in stages, liquid, soft, etc. Not until week 8 you begin chewing if I recall correctly.

A lot of folks like the protein shakes because they are easy and reassures them they are meeting the required protein intake specially if they exercise and are trying to build muscle. However, because it is a liquid it will travel through your pouch much quicker then food. solid food is a must to keep you satisfied for several hours. That's how you get the "full feeling" that lasts 5 hours. With shakes the duration of "full feeling" is shorter. You will be hungry sooner. If you are not careful you could easily take in too many calories thus defeating your WLS. High calorie drinks is how you slow down your weight loss and who needs that. Having said that there are also some folks who have trouble keeping meats down and depend on shakes to meet daily protein requirements.

Hope it makes sense. This is what I have learned but I have not placed into practice, as my surgery is October 28

Hope it makes sense.

The Protein is to help with healing your "new stomach" was the way it was explained to me. Plus your stomach is swollen because of the surgery, and liquids are easier then the solid food to digest, plus not get stuck on the way in or out. My steps were as follows for being "sleeved':

Needing to drink Water & protein after surgery, 1 oz every 15 minutes while you're awake.

After going home, for the next week, Clear Liquids, Protein drinks (the amount of protein per day depends on your weight at the date of surgery).

Then for weeks 2 & 3, I was able to add puree'd Soups to the list. As long as they were lump & chunk free. for this I have a stick blender (it blended canned Soup up great). I can also have yogurt.

Then on week 4 I will be able to add in mushy meats, like tuna fish and canned chicken, mixed with low fat mayo, I just need to make sure everything is moist, and chewed VERY well into small pieces.

After that, I can start to add other things back n, being very careful, as it might go down one day, and it's a "no go" on a different day. I have found that I had to slow way down on putting food in my mouth, and chew, chew, chew. Or else it will feel like it is stuck in your throat, or it comes back up.

I will say, that in checking different web-sites, there are different time lines on how long you stay on what. check with your surgeon, they have their plans set up for a reason. But you can always ask questions. Good luck, and see you on the other side :0)

Selina, your plan is solid and very easy to follow, Thank you for sharing

Ditto to what everyone says. In the beginning, shakes are the only way you will be able to get in enough Protein. As you get farther out you will be able to get more and more in via solid food. My doctor had no rules about when or even if to stop protein shakes. Just to get in at least 60g protein and minimum 64oz Water.

I'm over 9 months post op, 11 pounds under goal and I still have a protein smoothie every day. I don't count or track anything, but I know my smoothie has at 30-40g protein and 24-32oz liquid (and 8-10g Fiber which I need for constipation issues). I am taking care of almost 1/2 of my water and protein requirements in one drink so I can concentrate on other things the rest of the day. Getting my protein this way also allows me to eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains/fiber instead of just filling up on protein at every meal. I truly believe a balanced diet is important for long term health.

And Beni is right, the protein drinks don't fill me up, only solid food does that. But I always eat when I'm hungry and just until satisfied, not full. So far this has been a very easy plan to stick to.

There are dozens of different "rules" and plans out there. Just find what works for you..postop life is not a one size fits all. Good luck to you!

Edited September 28, 201411 yr by Kindle

That makes sense, Kindle....these boards are so helpful for understanding this stuff. Thanks!

After surgery, you are living off your stored fat. And the amount of food you are consuming is miniscule. Your body needs Protein, so at the beginning, protein shakes are an easy way to achieve this requirement. As time progresses, your food allowance increases and you can obtain more of your protein from your meals. I am 16 months post-op and I am consuming around 60 grams of protein from my meals alone. I have completely transitioned off the protein shakes. Several months after surgery, you can also transition into using Protein Bars. They are great when you are away from home and your blender.

Your protein allotment is completely separate from your meal allotment. It took me several months to understand this. This gave me more freedom in making the protein shakes more palatable. For example, I blend a banana into my Protein shake and the banana doesn't count against my meal allotment.

There should be some time separation between your meals and your protein shakes. The route for solids is different than the route for liquids in your body and they want to ensure the solids are not processed as liquids.

Immediately after surgery, it is important to focus on the Vitamin, liquid and protein requirements. Those are the drivers. After surgery, I completely lost my appetite. It was easy to lose weight when hunger is not constantly gnawing at your bones.

Hi kindle,

What protein do you take? I like the idea that includes fiber.

I use Premier Protein, Muscle Milk, Syntrax a nectar, Syntrax Matrix, Spirutein, powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury and Garden of Life Raw Fit and Raw Protein. The Spirutein, Raw Fit and Raw Protein are the only ones the have any fiber. The rest I have to add a supplement to.

The key to adding fiber for constipation is it has to be insoluble fiber. Things like benefiber, Metamucil and most of the fiber chews are soluble fiber products that actually slow down our GI tracks, which doesn't help constipation. It's harder to find insoluble fiber supplements, but the two I use are Garden of Life Raw Fiber and ReNew Life Triple Fiber.

I also make it a point to eat foods naturally high in fiber.....fruits, veggies, Beans, whole grains, etc. I found one Kashi Go Lean Cereal variety that has 13g protein and 10g insoluble fiber per serving. I mix it in plain Greek yogurt and flavor with Torani syrup or Protein powder for a yummy pudding desert.

Thank you so much Kindle, I wrote down all this info in my NEW food BIBLE. The insoluble fiber and your fantastic pudding dessert idea. It sound so yummy and healthy.

I also found interesting you use so many different types of Protein fiber. I think variety is key and also by doing so you are getting different sources and processes and spreads the benefit/risk.

Considering WLS here (probably Roux en Y), and I'm a little confused about the use of Protein shakes post-surgery (as in, further out from surgery). I heard one of our local bariatric surgeons talking about WLS and he was talking about how one of the general rules for post-surgery eating is to eat more "solid food" to stretch the pouch appropriately vs. more liquid-type foods. However, it seems from what I read on these boards and other bariatric communities that Protein Shakes are a common part of post surgery life, even beyond your initial surgery recovery diet. Now, I know that getting enough protein is important after surgery. But can those of you who are post-surgery kind of explain this discrepancy to me? I might be misinterpreting things as well. I do plan to talk to a surgeon with more specific questions, but would like to learn as much as I can before that.

Thanks in advance!

My surgeon advised against protein shakes all together. He doesn't want you drinking you calories and a lot of protein shakes have so many additive and fillers your body doesn't need and are counterproductive to having surgery. My pre op diet is more of a healthy one high in protein and low in carbs, sugar, and fat. Post op diet is pureed for 2 weeks, then fork smashable for 2 weeks, and then chewing foods if tolerable. The only Protein powder they recommended was bipro unflavored to add to my pureed meals and mix into my other foods like yogurt and cottage cheese and broth and whatnot. They also recommended adding powdered milk for additional protein. I was told my surgeon won't release you for work if you are trying to get by on protein shakes. In the hospital they have you order pureed meals to see if you can get them down without complications while they are still around to intervene if needed.

However, I see on these boards that most surgeons prefer the liquid diets so it's all surgeon preference.

It's interesting that in the US the bariatric teams seem very keen on the use of Protein shakes. I'm in the UK and there has never once been a mention of them from my team.

Advice I was given: Pre-op diet consisted of yogurt, clear broth and SF Jello. Post-op, first 3 days Water then clear broth but only 50 mls per 15mins. Days 4-14, diluted fruit juice, smooth Soups, diluted yogurt, milky drinks and SF jello. Days 15-28 add in mashed-up/puréed food. After that, introduce more solid food but chew to a purée consistency before swallowing. Make sure eat each meal in PVC order ie protein then veg then carbs. So far there has been no mention of target grams of protein, but expect to see the dietician again at the 4 week stage.

In fact I had a stock of protein shakes at home as I had used them before to lose weight and chose to use them pre and post op to make sure I had some protein intake. I'm on day 11 now. Generally I have a vanilla shake with coffee in it as a hot drink in the morning and may have a savoury shake later in the day although it depends what kind of Soup I've made and whether it's veggie only or contains protein such as lentils, chick peas or something.

The problem I'm having at the moment is drinking slowly enough. I am taking small mouthfuls and not gulping anything down, but am definitely drinking more than 50 mls per 15 mins. It's going down very easily with no discomfort so it's hard to stop myself if I'm thirsty as I'm absent-mindedly drinking whilst doing other things.

I was able to take some of the 1 oz cups with me when I went home. I used them for the first couple of days. They really helped on drinking too much too fast.

As with just about everything, each bariatric program and frequently each surgeon has differing opinions on just about every aspect of the post-surgery journey.

For me personally, I don't think I'd have made it to where I am today without my Premier Protein shakes. I hit my goal right at 7 months post-op and owe much of it to my shake for Breakfast. Unlike some others, they keep me full for a good 5-7 hours until lunchtime so the huge protein boost with very low calories allows me to know I have a huge head start on the rest of the day.

I have no idea how long I will continue to make a Protein Shake my breakfast of choice, but as of right now I don't see an end in the very near future.

Bottom line - I'd go with the program that your bariatric team recommends. If for some reason you find that it doesn't work for you over time, there are tons of other programs that others follow and as you can see we're all more than willing to share details if they can help others. Best of luck with the journey regardless.

I'm only 4 weeks out from surgery and I can say that, this early on, there is no way I could get enough Protein without shakes. While I try to get protein from every single thing I eat, I just still can't eat very much. I'd say every snack and meal gives me at least 8 grams of protein, but my nutritionist wants me between 85 and 100 grams a day. Since I only "eat" about 6 times per day right now, that means there's just no way I could possibly get that much protein from real food. Unless if I was eating 2 oz. of tuna (my most high-protein real food at the moment) for every single snack and meal, which I am NOT prepared to do.

I am having two protein shakes a day right now and I would love to get it down to one in the near future. I am moving up to ground meats and Beans today, so hopefully that will give me some more high-protein food options. But I think it will be a long time before I can cut out protein shakes entirely.

It's interesting that in the US the bariatric teams seem very keen on the use of Protein shakes. I'm in the UK and there has never once been a mention of them from my team.

Advice I was given: Pre-op diet consisted of yogurt, clear broth and SF Jello. Post-op, first 3 days Water then clear broth but only 50 mls per 15mins. Days 4-14, diluted fruit juice, smooth soups, diluted yogurt, milky drinks and SF jello. Days 15-28 add in mashed-up/puréed food. After that, introduce more solid food but chew to a purée consistency before swallowing. Make sure eat each meal in PVC order ie protein then veg then carbs. So far there has been no mention of target grams of protein, but expect to see the dietician again at the 4 week stage.

In fact I had a stock of protein shakes at home as I had used them before to lose weight and chose to use them pre and post op to make sure I had some protein intake. I'm on day 11 now. Generally I have a vanilla shake with coffee in it as a hot drink in the morning and may have a savoury shake later in the day although it depends what kind of soup I've made and whether it's veggie only or contains protein such as lentils, chick peas or something.

The problem I'm having at the moment is drinking slowly enough. I am taking small mouthfuls and not gulping anything down, but am definitely drinking more than 50 mls per 15 mins. It's going down very easily with no discomfort so it's hard to stop myself if I'm thirsty as I'm absent-mindedly drinking whilst doing other things.

I'm in the US, but my program is similar to yours, with the exception of the time line for introducing different consistency of foods. They want us to get in at least 60 grams of protein a day. One meal should take 45 mins to eat or we're eating too fast. They want milk as a snack for added protein between meals and drinking water for the 2-3 hours between meals and Snacks. Protein is eating first before anything else to make sure you get your protein in before getting full.

When I get back home I'll try to post some of the sample meal plans they gave me and options for protein intake.