I am 16 days post op and feel awesome, I am past the liquid phase and actually able to eat food again. I am just curious how some of you get all of your Protein in without shakes (my NUT does not want me drinking shakes due to the fact that that are considered a "slider") every meal I eat is protein, but I can only get severaly bites in before I am full, so I get maybe like 6g of protein in a meal?

For example:

Breakfast- Could only manage 1/2 of an egg

Lunch- 1/3 canned chicken and 1/2 cheese stick

Dinner-2 oz of salmon

Help! lol. I have unflavored Protein powder, but was told not to eat slider foods and cant really add protein powder to the dense Proteins?

Tuna was my best friend in the beginning. I would mix with light mayo and put cheese on top, melt the cheese and it was like a tuna melt without the bread. Lots of protein.

I hated protein shakes and stopped using them at about three weeks when I went to purée.

Edited June 10, 201610 yr by cat saaski

It's interesting how each Dr. gives us different direction. My Doc said that for the first year, I'd need to supplement my Protein with shakes or he suggested GENEPRO (flavorless protein powder) which has 30gm of protein in one serving and mixes with pretty much any liquid. My meals are so small that even though protein rich, I don't get enough food down to tic off too many gms of protein. I have so much more energy when I keep the protein up.

I add Genepro to my coffee every morning. I love that it virtually vanishes into the cup - no taste or odor.

I add nutritional yeast to anything and everything. It adds Protein (app. 8gr/2 TBLsp) to everything. In soups it tastes like savory croutons. On meat, fish, fowl, it has a cheesy taste.

It's a great way to boost the protein count of whatever you're eating.

Give it a try. "you'll like it".

Good luck and let us know how you're doing along your journey.

Prayer going up for you, Friend.

I bought some and can't quite figure out how to use it! You just sprinkle it on top of everything?

I'm definitely gonna try the nutritional yeast!

If you have a "natural food" store near you==that's the best place to find it. There you can scoop it out of a bin and a qt. contain will cost about two dollars. You can also buy it on Amazon and at Walmart, but it is in a fancy bottle and ultra refined. A small bottle will cost about seven dollars.

Good luck where ever you find it. It's worth it and it's yummy.

I got a huge plastic container (maybe two quarts? Half the size of a Protein powder jug) on Amazon for about $7 shipped free with prime.

I am so glad I came across this! Just ordered a non-enhanced nutritional yeast on Amazon. No artificial Vitamins...they are no bueno. I have become "digestively intolerant" to both whey and dairy based Proteins. (sorry for that personal info)

My hair has started to shed at a very alarming rate. I have to find something that works! I can't eat enough to get in enough Protein. I'm taking my supplements, all kinds of them...but, my hair!

I am so glad I came across this! Just ordered a non-enhanced nutritional yeast on Amazon. No artificial Vitamins...they are no bueno. I have become "digestively intolerant" to both whey and dairy based Proteins. (sorry for that personal info)

My hair has started to shed at a very alarming rate. I have to find something that works! I can't eat enough to get in enough Protein. I'm taking my supplements, all kinds of them...but, my hair!

I always got my protein in, still lost hair. There are other reasons like telogen effluvium (I think that's how you spell it). Has to do with what hair is in what stage of growth when you go under anesthesia. I got it with my gallbladder surgery and plastics as well.

Thank you everyone for all the input! I am just trying to get in as much meat as possible. My surgeon tells us to only eat 3 meals, but I find that hard.

For the post op veterans - how big are your bites now? do you still take tiny tiny bites? I find that to be SO hard also.

I dont have a problem waiting in between bite, but when i take a bite the size of my pinky nail i feel like im not even eating anything.

I quit the Protein shakes 2 weeks post-op because of the terrible constipation they gave me. I get my protein now through eggs, chicken, tuna, and...beans! Beans have protein and fiber!

Maybe try a drink with some protein in it that isn't a heavy calorie shake. Like the Bariatric pal store sells proti-15. I get the grape flavor and it's like a syrup in the packet that mixes with water and tastes like Welch's grape juice. It gives me a little extra protein when I need it and it's like 75 calories or something so it's not a complete derail. I sip it between meals.

Thank you everyone for all the input! I am just trying to get in as much meat as possible. My surgeon tells us to only eat 3 meals, but I find that hard.

For the post op veterans - how big are your bites now? do you still take tiny tiny bites? I find that to be SO hard also.

I dont have a problem waiting in between bite, but when i take a bite the size of my pinky nail i feel like im not even eating anything.

At your stage (and through year 2), I ate with a baby spoon. Still do sometimes out of habit. I would never survive, even now, on three a day. I have 5-6 teeny meals over the day. They are only 2-4oz and it's working just fine for me.

The base I mix my Protein with makes a big difference in how much I can consume. Mix with 1% milk and two oz. an hour is about tops. Mix with Powerpro Zero (20 oz.) and I can drink an entire bottle (21g.protein) easily in an hour, which is not a good thing for many reasons.

I have not gone back to Premier Protein shakes from Sams yet but I am sure they will be thick enough to really slow down my intake.

After I am cleared for soft foods or puréed I plan to try some non processed shakes like recommended by Dr. Weiner. One in particular I have tried that is very good is one half banana, one cup low fat Greek yougurt (around 100 calories) and three tablespoons of PB2. This shake is close to all natural and 20 plus grams of protein. It tastes great! Calories around 260.

16 days in seems really early to give up the Protein supplements. My program wants us off them completely by 3-4 months in (when you can be reasonably expected to eat a decent amount). Not everyone makes that target either. This early in you need to get your protein in however you can.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I drink 1 Isopure clear liquid every day. There are different flavors and taste a little like weak Kool aid. 40 grams of Protein. I sip on it all day.

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

CHEESE