So I am having surgery Nov 9th.

Well I stopped all artificial sweeteners back in April and really noticed a difference in energy level and less aches in my body.

Now I'm concerned after surgery how I have to go back to sugar free crap.

It gives me abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Even eating 2 sf Popsicles , Protein with it or crystal light is bad for me.

So now I see Sf Jello, Popsicles, drinks, pudding etc... Is all standard post op.

Is this just temporary or will I be able to transition to not eating sugar free?

Is there any Protein Drink without it?

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Get unflavored protein and add it to broth etc.

Unjury chicken soup protein powder, Celebrate tomato soup protein powder, high protein soups sold at Nashua Nutrition. Just because lots of other people eat fake sweet stuff doesn't mean you have to -- go savory!

So I am having surgery Nov 9th.

Well I stopped all artificial sweeteners back in April and really noticed a difference in energy level and less aches in my body.

Now I'm concerned after surgery how I have to go back to sugar free crap.

It gives me abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Even eating 2 sf Popsicles , Protein with it or crystal light is bad for me.

So now I see Sf Jello, Popsicles, drinks, pudding etc... Is all standard post op.

Is this just temporary or will I be able to transition to not eating sugar free?

Is there any Protein Drink without it?

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I don't eat artificial sweeteners either so I mainly did what the others suggested. I used unflavored protein powder, however, after researching all protein powders out there, I did find one that didn't have sucralose, and I tried a sample of it. It's pretty good, it's called Orgain Organic plant based protein powder in Creamy chocolate fudge, and if you don't mind Stevia (plant based sweetener), you can try that one. It was a little on the sweet side so I watered it down some but I don't have a sweet tooth.

I dislike artificial sweeteners, too, but the only one I react badly to is aspartame. Sucralose doesn't seem to have the same negative effect, so I was able to tolerate while I was in need of liquid RTD Protein. Now, I only take it in occasionally, in a Protein Bar or a sugar-free popsicle. Otherwise, I'm using stevia on occasion but mostly monkfruit powder, in my morning coffee. Monkfruit is not as sweet as refined sugar, but it has none of the chemical yuckiness of sucralose. I disliked stevia in the past, finding Stevia-in-the-Raw and Truvia to be unbearably bitter, but I discovered SweetLeaf Stevia and I don't detect any bitterness from it AND it comes in flavors, so I can have a pumpkin spice coffee or a caramel latte or whatever I want.

Mostly, I get my protein from savory sources or I mix it in my coffee, so sweetners aren't a big deal. Unflavored protein powder is the only one I use any longer.

I agree with stevia or sucralose being the better fake sugar options. Further along, splenda makes a 50/50 sucralose/sugar blend you may like.

Aspartame causes a lot of bad reactions with people, it's especially bad for my migraines.

I m allergic to aspartame and I can hardly manage sucralose...I tried truvia which is stevia combined with a sugar alcohol and it had me vomiting with diarrhea!

I use stevia but have to experiment with brands bc dome taste to bitter. I absolutely love love love g6 sport vanilla Protein powder made with stevia. It's so yummy. Expensive though

I just got Isopure unflavored protein whey isolate and tried it in some tomato red pepper soup..it's supposed to go in hot or cold buy it thickened the soup and I could taste it and it was nasty like glue. That being said, I also had a migraine earlier and they always warp my taste buds soo we will see.

Umm, there are other good protein powders made with stevia too and I saw plastic fruit cups with stevia

There's also blue agave nectar but not sure how bariatric friendly that is.its low in glycemic index and diabetes friendly though.

There are many products that are low in sugar enough to meet the standards of the barriatric diet

. you can also use true lemon and true lime packets for making popsicles, Jello with Knox plain gellitain and stevia, and whatever else. You can drink all kinds of teas too

So obviously yiur best bet is stevia...it comes in various flavors too. I've been told that the one by nu naturals stevia with a purple label is really good.

Morr and more products are using stevia and you can try truvia but again the sugar alcohol might get you if you're anything like me.

Outshine popsicles sale no sugar added popsicles with one gram of sugar, and a gram of splenda. Those don't make me sick but I can also handle one premier Protein shake a day or every few days. Just not multiple, then I get stomach pain, cramps, foul taste, diarrhea.... I feel ya!!!

In my Instagram, one of the diabetes community things I belong to claims they have a new sweetener alternative that isn't fake called WeLuvYa sweetener or something like that.mmi have not checked this out yet but maybe you will want to.

Good fortune

Something I am eating/drinking pre op is making me have a heavy pressure feeling in my bladder and cramps. I have been drinking premiere and Atkins EAS.

I'm definately going to have to look at some of those you all have recommended. I can't imagine having this feeling in addition to all the other things post op.

I used to use stevia in my coffee but then back in April I even stopped that. I just don't want any artificial sweetener not even Splenda.

I guess I will just have to go thru the phases then try to eat real sources of protein when I'm able.

Stevia is not artificial...it's a plant...it comes from a plant..I've actually tasted the sweet leaf from a stevia plant. It is not a chemical or artificial

Well, there's always another option: eat real foods.

I am post op on full liquids, and avoiding food with little or no nutritional value to prepare myself for the rest of my life. puddings, popsicles, cereals, Gatorade etc are all things that people 75 years ago would not even recognize. Most of the grocery store aisles are full of crap that humans never ate until recently, when people started getting fat and sick.

Why not stick to real food? If it has no nutrients, has to be fortified just to give it any nutritional value whatsoever and adds nothing to your nutritional profile then why bother?

I made a butternut and acorn squash soup for full liquids. Puréed the squash, some cream cheese, butter and cayenne pepper. I made a puréed spinach, green onion and garlic dip that I watered down to soup like consistency. I drink broths with only 3 ingredients on the label.

sugar free Oreo ice cream is not going to help me reform my eating habits. 100 calorie packets of microwave popcorn are not going to help me reform my eating habits. Eventually, the sleeve will only do so much and if I don't clean up my act, I am going to gain weight again. Period.

Stevia is not artificial...it's a plant...it comes from a plant..I've actually tasted the sweet leaf from a stevia plant. It is not a chemical or artificial

The problem with this logic is that simply coming from a plant and thus not being artificial doesn't necessarily mean we should be filling up on it.

Sugar comes from a plant, too. Splenda is simply a modified sucrose molecule, thus it is technically plant based as well. Cocaine is made from cocoa leaves, heroin is made from poppy seeds and alcohol will form in the bottom of your trash can if it's left out long enough with any plant based material in it.

Eating sweet foods, regardless of how abd whybthey are sweet causes cravings for sweet foods. Diet Coke contains no sugar, yet it promotes a response from your pancreas similar to regular Coke. Your brain perceives sweetness and prepares for an onslaught of sugar, even if there is none.

@@Hammer_Down I agree to a degree...the sweet thing you eat has to cause some sort of a glycemic response to trigger further cravings. I can eat 'sweet' foods that aren't full of carbs and have no glycemic response thus no accompanying desire for more carbs.

I'm less concerned with whether or not something is 'sweet' and more concerned with the carb load. Rice will send me into a bad loop a lot faster than a cup of coffee with a little stevia or monkfruit in it.

Consider unflavored Protein powder to mix with savory liquids. Or add it to plain 1% milk to boost the protein without sweetness.

Artificial and non caloric sweeteners, just like sugar and honey are best use in moderation. One glass of ice tea sweetened with splendor isn't going to have much effect on an over all healthy well balanced diet.

And really, one (or two) teaspoon of sugar (25-50 calories) per day won't matter much in your long term weight loss.

As for "hating" non caloric sweeteners, if ths is someone's biggest worry before major surgery they should count their blessings

Consider unflavored Protein powder to mix with savory liquids. Or add it to plain 1% milk to boost the protein without sweetness.

Artificial and non caloric sweeteners, just like sugar and honey are best use in moderation. One glass of ice tea sweetened with splendor isn't going to have much effect on an over all healthy well balanced diet.

And really, one (or two) teaspoon of sugar (25-50 calories) per day won't matter much in your long term weight loss.

As for "hating" non caloric sweeteners, if ths is someone's biggest worry before major surgery they should count their blessings

although the poster said hating, it seemed like to me, they are allergic to artificial sweeteners or get adverse reactions from them like me....

I was concerned about this as well before my surgery bc the pre op diet, I ended up in urgent care after repeated episodes of diarrhea and vomiting which was linked to the intake of splenda and truvia.

The only thing I don't have issue with is stevia bc it's not artificial but its a sweetener so it works out for getting my protein powder!

Stevia is not artificial...it's a plant...it comes from a plant..I've actually tasted the sweet leaf from a stevia plant. It is not a chemical or artificial

yes, I'm aware that the pancreas still produces insulin in reaction to anything sugar or sugar like. I was merely responding to the posters response that they were using stevia but stopped bc they didn't want anything artificial or fake ...

And, for me since I'm also allergic to artificial sweeteners, I'm pleased to have Protein powder flavors sweetened with stevia for variety. So far, tge unflavored Isopure experience is nasty!

Also, stevia is so potent, you need very small amounts of it so that is probably a positive thing but that's just a opinion not necessarily a fact lol

The problem with this logic is that simply coming from a plant and thus not being artificial doesn't necessarily mean we should be filling up on it.

Sugar comes from a plant, too. Splenda is simply a modified sucrose molecule, thus it is technically plant based as well. Cocaine is made from cocoa leaves, heroin is made from poppy seeds and alcohol will form in the bottom of your trash can if it's left out long enough with any plant based material in it.

Eating sweet foods, regardless of how abd whybthey are sweet causes cravings for sweet foods. Diet Coke contains no sugar, yet it promotes a response from your pancreas similar to regular Coke. Your brain perceives sweetness and prepares for an onslaught of sugar, even if there is none.

@@Hammer_Down

Each bariatric patient, WLS patient, comes to this point-surgery- in a different ship.

I applaud your dedication to your new life style, and agree that people much older than us are not going to recognize many of the Frankenfoods out there.

That said, enjoying something sweet or not 100% "whole food" is perfectly fine, if- IF- it doesn't act as a gateway. Let us not forget that the cocaine from cocoa plants provided us with the ability to anesthetize people prior to surgical and dental procedures, and has since morphed into lidocaine, marcaine, prilocaine...

And I KNOW there are few people who would have lacerations repaired or a tooth worked on without the benefits of those injections,lol!!!

Stevia- I grow it along with the rest of my herbs. Do i LOVE it? Not really. Actually, I'm fine with aspartame or sucralose. Not a fan of monk fruit.

Point is- we need to find what works for us as individuals and proceed accordingly to achieve our ultimate goals.

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