Hi! I had my SIPS (modified DS) with Dr. Roslin last Monday (almost a week out - woo!) but am struggling hard with the diet. I've been following it to a tee except I'm having a hard time getting in as much as I should - I'm maybe intaking 150 cals a day if I'm lucky, and naturally as a result am feeling weak, nauseated, and dizzy. I just can't stomach the protein shakes. I usually can only manage one per day if I spread it out over a few hours.

I think part of this is because (gasp!) I'm not a huge sweets person. My favorite junk foods are fries, pizza, and popcorn - crunchy, salty things. I know I'm not going to get to do crunchy right now, but I would LOVE some recommendations if anyone has any "hacks" for my salty craving for this stage? Broth is really not working for me especially as it's not caloric enough to give me a real boost.

I know this is the hardest part but any tips/tricks would be appreciated!

There are mixes for protein broths available out there if salty is more your thing, they were life savers for me during my full liquid phase! Bone broth also has a decent amount of protein just by itself.

I've heard good things about mixing unflavored protein powders into savory foods, but haven't tried it personally. If pizza is your thing, what you might try is a creamy tomato soup with some fresh basil and unflavored protein powder mixed in.

Did your surgeon/NUT specifically tell you to start looking at calories now? You're still pretty early out and I'd assume staying hydrated followed by working up to protein goals would be your biggest focus.

Just as a side note, I didn't hit my low protein goal of 40g until I was over 2 weeks out. You will survive this phase! For some reference, I'm 2.5 months out and can get in around 80g of protein or more with a combination of solid foods and a shake a day!

I really need to try those unflavored protein powders. Anyone have a favorite? My doctor isn't telling me to worry about cals yet - I just am concerned since I'm feeling so poorly and think it's probably because I'm not having enough.

I'm sorry you're feeling down
Your body is still recovering from major surgery so that's where a good chunk of your body's resources are going. I didn't start really feeling like myself until the second week and didn't feel like I got my energy back until around the 1 month mark. (Everyone's different though and your recovery may be sooner)
If it's of any consolation, your body has all of the stored energy it needs for quite a while (it's how we qualified to be candidates for bariatric surgery ) so although you may not feel at the top of your game just yet, rest assured a little lethargy in the beginning is nothing to be concerned about. Soon you'll be off to soft foods and get to try the Ricotta bake that so many of us here have enjoyed!

I'm big into savory too, especially around night time.

I can't stomach the store bought broths, I find them absolutely disgusting. If I get desperate enough for salt, I'll use the seasoning packets from Ramen Noodles to make "soup". Roast Beef is my favorite! Of course, it's full of sodium so use sparingly and drink lots of water.

I also started making my own vegetable broth, which turned out delicious.

I used veggie scraps from my family's cooking (including skins) and boiled that for a bit. In a separate pan, I "fried" (no oil, just water) onions and garlic until golden brown and added that to the mix. Also threw in fresh green onions and cilantro (soooo much flavor) and continued to boil another15 minutes until the water turned brown. When straining out the broth, I pressed the veggies to get as much of the juice out as possible. It was filling and delicious!

Good luck! If you come up with any savory ideas, I'd love to hear it!

Thanks everyone! Last night I got a little creative and had French onion soup. Of course I strained it first so it was just the broth. I could only eat about 1/4 cup of it but it was great for my salty craving. I also got some Fair Life skim milk, and have started to drink that instead of the Atkins protein shakes - I much prefer the texture and taste of milk to the shakes and it has almost as much protein, so feeling pretty good about that solve. I have my 2 week follow-up with my surgeon on Friday so hopefully if all goes well, he'll approve me for the next stage! feeling loads better today. really appreciate the support!

You could try BETTER THAN BOUILLON. They have BEEF and CHICKEN. They make a huge difference when you use them. They cost a little more but they are so good. True flavors. Also BARIATRICPAL store carries Chicken noodle soup with added protein. It tasted yummy when I had it after my WLS. Good Luck

I found miso broth concentrate in my supermarket's natural foods aisle. It's really savory and rich and makes a great broth. I like to mix some plain 0% greek yogurt into broth and soups to make it a little creamy and to add that protein. I really only like yogurt in savory preparations, so it's great!