Hello,

So, since I can't tolerate Carnation Instant Breakfast, my surgeon's office recommended that I try a water-based protein supplement like Isopure from GNC. So, I bought a bag of "Strawberries & Creme" protein powder from GNC the other day. Put simply, I'd rather drink Pepto Bismol straight from the bottle than try that Isopure garbage ever again. I specifically asked the cashier lady at GNC "which one isn't the worst?" and she recommended this flavour of Isopure.

Does anyone else have any recommendations about protein drinks?

I'm beginning to hate them, too, but I suppose Premier is the best I've tried. The vanilla is too sweet, and the banana is pretty sweet, too, but I can deal with the chocolate and the strawberries and cream. Barely.

I'm trying to find other ways to deal with this--getting some protein from yogurt, from high-protein soup (I'm actually using some Medifast packets a friend gave me--I'm just happy it's not sweet). Last night I made instant pudding with two scoops of protein powder--not terrible. But, you know, sweet. Among my favorite options is Atkins LIFT protein drink (and counts toward my water, so bonus there).

But my desire to get past this stage to things like eggs and cottage cheese is enormous.

Make a good tasting Protein drink and you can write your own ticket. You will be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

I'm on my two week liquid right now. Our doctors office has me on a brand called Unjury. It's not too bad. I really don't like the strawberry. I also am drinking Health Wise soup, drink, pudding, jello and soup. It's not awful. I plan on using the Premier brand when I go home from the hospital on Friday.

The sad sad story of Protein Drinks At first it is so hard to drink it fast but as I went along I got to where I could do them like a shot. LOL I would hate to know how much $$ I have wasted trying to find one that I could do. Now I am 4 years out and I have tried pretty much all of them. ISOPURE was one that whoever can drink it I commend. Premuir gave me te " back door trots" I used them for Preop for 2 weeks and 4 weeks Postop. GROSS I kind of went thru a phase of Muscle Milk Protein, I mixed the gramcracker protein with Bananna Kind of tasted like a bananna Pudding. But I couldn't find the gramcracker so I gave up on that one. I use GENEPRO everyday. Now I'm not telling you to run out and buy it, you need to check with your DR first. I don't want to stir you wrong. But I LOVE IT!!! I use it in my Espresso everyday. It has no taste, even makes my espresso taste creamy. I have to get a warm amount of water to temper it before I add it to my coffee. No lumps and no taste. It does have a small odor. I jus don't smell it. LOL Since my surgery I have a very good smeller. LOL Have a wonderful Friday.

I suffered through protein shakes preop. Postop, I just couldn't do it. My tastes had changed, and it just wasn't gonna happen. Stuff tasted like rat poison, and if I'd HAD to drink it, I would probably just opt for the rat poison and be done with it! Lol.

Fortunately, I didn't have to endure it. A cup of milk or bone broth has 8g protein. A quart of milk, and a quart of broth each day, and I met both my liquid and protein goal in one fell swoop. Then I moved to high protein kefir, cottage cheese, and greek yogurt. Then pureed tuna and beans.. then on to solid foods. I never really had days that I didn't meet my goals.

If I'd stressed about the carbs in milk or kefir, it would have been another matter. But how I looked at it.. the first 8 weeks is for healing the tummy, and if it meant taking my carbs with my protein, then so be it. I have another year's worth of "honeymoon" phase to worry about cutting carbs and "doing it right". And you know what? I lost at about the same rate as everyone else. (Keep in mind, I'm talking about the naturally occuring sugars in milk and dairy products.. not a bunch of added sugar).

Sometimes people can't tolerate dairy, and that makes it much harder. Broth would have to be your bff if you can't tolerate dairy or protein shakes.

There's a lot of individual difference in taste--one thing I didn't really realize was that I don't like broth. Didn't before surgery, don't after. I want some non-sweet options, but that's not going to be it. I'll use what I have in the crockpot eventually when I get to have real food!!

Out of all the foods and drinks one might eat/swallow, protein shakes are always a bottom choice.

Personally, I'm not that impressed with the flavours either but I do the 'mindset' thing. They are, I tell myself, a choice that has worked short-term for over 75% of dieters and for just over 35% of the long-term dieters. Compared to Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, keeping a diary etc, they are relatively successful.

So, I make up my mind to just take them and think of the goal ahead ... the weight-loss.

I remember the less satisfactory flavours and skip buying them next time.

In saying all that, my son-in-law's surgeon (in 2015) recommended ISOWHEY which comes in either individual sachets per meal OR three TUB sizes of bulk powder (14, 21 or 40 doses). The bulk stuff saves 25% to 45% of your cash. It's low in sugar. The IVORY COAST CHOCOLATE is good (in my opinion) and MADAGASCAN VANILLA is fairly nice.

The ALDI Slim & Trim shakes are overly sweet but they are pretty much the same nutrients as Nestles Optifast and the generic OPTISLIM.

ALDI is good in that individual sachets are always $AUD1.99 which is barely half of the Optifast price ($AUD3.30 to $AUD3.85).

Optislim (at pharmacies and drugstores) is almost always two boxes for $AUD55 to $AUD65 ... i.e. 42 sachets at about $AUD1.35 to $AUD1.65 each.

Because of its low sugar, ISOWHEY comes in at 108-110 calories, way less than the 205-212 calories of all the other brands.

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One lady I met says she stirs in a heaped teaspoon of instant coffee and a couple of artificial sweeteners to each shake.

As I said, I just psyche myself up and tolerate it for the greater good. Mind you, the ISOWHEY is okay by me and the ALDI is good for a sweet 'hit' every other day.

I too cannot handle the isopure. It actually caused me to vomit twice in the hospital. I can easily do the Premier chocolate shakes and they're 30g each. They're not awful... good luck ?

I really like Inspire protein powder from BariatricEating dot com. They have lots of flavors and they are pretty good. I was using premier protein before surgery, now I don't want to open those!!

No one uses Syntrax Nectar anymore? There are so many flavors and even the bad ones aren't nasty tasting.

http://www.si03.com/nectar.php

Isopure is gross, actually almost everything OP listed is gross. Carnation is nutritional trash basically.

I like protein shakes before surgery and they still taste the same to me. I don't dislike the taste. However the idea of just drinking calories makes me miserable.

Hey, Outside! Just one more pound, and you're half the woman you used to be!!!

I actually like the Isopure RTD Alpine Punch, Grape, and Green Tea but here's what I do to them:

Alpine Punch-dilute 50/50 with water + 1 squirt Grape Koolaide SF water drops + 1 squirt HEB tangerine SF water drops

Grape-dilute 50/50 with water + 2 squirts Grape Koolaide SF water drops

Green Tea-dilute 50/50 with more decaf tea and add a couple wedges of lemon

I do love other drinks:

Premier Protein-6-8oz RTD drink + 4oz SF Vanilla Coconut Milk + 16g Hershey's SF Choco Syrup + 6g PB Powder (Vitacost)=makes it so much less sweet.

Synthrax Nectar-love many of the fruit flavors but I stick with:

Lemon Tea

Fuzzy Navel

Grapefruit

Isopure Protein Powders:

Unflavored-in broths and soups

Vanilla Cream

Dutch Chocolate

Bananas & Cream-this is the best cuz I love to mix it with PB Powder, frozen spinach, blueberries, and psyllium husks for extra fiber. Super filling and not very sweet. I blend it all with 4 cubes of ice and it tastes delicious. I use water to make it, but you can boost it even more with Fairlife Skim Milk if you needed to. I only use 1 scoop (32g) per 12oz of fl, not the 2 scoops they recommend.

Many experience problems drinking protein shakes. I hated them. But in the beginning I drank them, three 16-ounce protein shakes a day, in order to meet my protein requirements. You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate.

There are many different types of formulations on protein shakes. I would recommend that you keep experimenting until you find one that you can tolerate. You don't have to like it, just tolerate it. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with water and a half a banana. That worked for me.

Some places such as GNC sell small sample packs so you can try them out individually before you commit.

I was given Opti Fast after my surgery and I could barely drink it . It made me sick . I went through my list of approved protein shakes and got those instead.

3 hours ago, James Marusek said:

You do not have to like protein shakes only tolerate them. There are many varieties of protein shakes available today. Experiment until you can find one you can tolerate.

You don't have to like it, just tolerate it. I used Muscle Milk Light (Vanilla Creme) powder blended with Water and a half a banana. That worked for me.

Very similar to what I advised in this thread yesterday, James.

My words were, as I recall:

"The shakes may not be perfect but they are a way of doing a job."

"They are there for your greater good."

"I just psyche myself up and take it."