Hi All. I'm new to the group as of today! I am a week postt op and I can't get down Protein shakes! They make me gag to even smell them. I literally gag. I have tried several flavors and varieties in different forms...even making my own. Nothing works. For my pre-op doctor's visit , my doctor is going to flip his lid of I tell him I can't do the protein shakes....HELP!!!!!!

I would like to think he wouldn't, but he isn't the understanding type. I wish there was a way to just inject protein, lol![emoji6]

The Protein Shakes are just to spare muscle mass during pre op diet. There is nothing magical in the,
The pre op diet is to empty liver glycogen, it can be done by any low calorie diet.

I'm in post op, does that matter?

Maybe look into Genepro?

My Doc was very firm, which many took to be lack of understanding. He was not interested in excuses, he simply required compliance. Even the slightest deviation from the rules got a firm lecture about following the rules.

Pre-op, we found reasons why our current diet wasn't working, or why we just had to go off plan. We don't want to repeat this post-op.

Even if you can't stomach your program, you MUST do it. Figure it out, it's up to you. You've had your plumbing rearranged so even good excuses won't help. You have to make your program work. You really have no choice.

At one week post-op, you are still dealing/suffering with the effects of surgery. Things are swollen and painful, which tends to gum up the works. So be patient with yourself. You need to figure out how to do your protein drinks (if that is your Doc's program). Week one, it's not the end of the world if you don't eat or drink every bit of whatever is on your program, just do your best. You may not be able to drink a whole or even half a protein drink at one time and even then you may have to take small sips. Try thinning or thickening the protein drink. What physically works does not always make sense. Make sure it is mixed well, as any lump could get stuck. Small sips. Take your time. You can do this.

You need to do what your Doc says. Compliance is critical to long term success. You didn't get to needing surgery by doing things the right way. Not being able to eat or drink easily is your gateway to learning success. Small sips (whatever your doc says), go slow. When you get to food, small bites, chew well, then chew some more.

Your first 6 months are when you learn everything, both good and bad. No excuses. It's up to you to make it work.

Exciting times ahead. Enjoy them as best you can.

Tek

Thank you so much for this helpful and great advice! I will pray hard about the word compliance! That keeps jumping out to me!

Going to get Genepro today!

How about Isopure? I use those instead of shakes because I hate the shakes, too.

Did you have any issues with protein shakes pre-op? If not, the issue may just be a temporary one as many people find their tolerances for different foods to be different in the post-op period. If you had issues with protein shakes pre-op, you should definitely have spoken with your doctor about it prior to surgery.

That said, it is not the end of the world, but you definitely need to inform your doctor about this issue ASAP. While you say he won't be understanding, he may have other suggestions for you to get your protein in. There are MANY protein fluid options out there and there is certain to be one that works for you.

The most obvious one that comes to mind is Protein Water (Premiere Protein Clear, Protein2o, etc), but you absolutely need to be consulting with your doctor on this.

1 hour ago, mrshenry said:

Hi All. I'm new to the group as of today! I am a week postt op and I can't get down Protein shakes! They make me gag to even smell them. I literally gag. I have tried several flavors and varieties in different forms...even making my own. Nothing works. For my pre-op doctor's visit , my doctor is going to flip his lid of I tell him I can't do the Protein shakes....HELP!!!!!!

Watered down or blended (Low/No Sugar) Yogurt & Kefir

Edited September 22, 20205 yr by GreenTealael

5 minutes ago, MsMocie said:

At a week post-up the least of the things one should use energy on is drinking Protein Shakes. And I don't understand WHY one needs to stuff the Protein shakes, or WHY one MUST follow this rule. This is about finding a way that works - the first 4-6 weeks though is kinda a force majure with the liquids. But it reallly does not one incling matter if it is broth, protein shakes, or Soup one digests.

If the program is protein shakes, then this is what was agreed to pre-op. At least, I agreed to my post-op program before surgery. Does anyone NOT know what their plan is post-op? Unfortunately, not enough people actually think about and ask detailed questions about their early post-op programs. Like a typical 5 year old I asked "why?" a lot. By time I had surgery, I understood Doc's thinking so I understood how to replace one example of something with a different thing that also satisfies Doc's program.

I think most docs go with protein drinks or liquids because they think it will be easier. It doesn't always turn out this way.

Putting energy into whatever the plan calls for *is* worth the energy.

But, you are right, it is about finding a way that works... WITH the Doc. Which get's us to advocating for ourselves when difficulties arise. Make a plan together, make a plan together for monitoring, make a plan together for what happens. When changes are made with the Doc, you are still on program.

Tek

On 09/22/2020 at 10:37, mrshenry said:

Hi All. I'm new to the group as of today! I am a week postt op and I can't get down Protein shakes! They make me gag to even smell them. I literally gag. I have tried several flavors and varieties in different forms...even making my own. Nothing works. For my pre-op doctor's visit , my doctor is going to flip his lid of I tell him I can't do the Protein shakes....HELP!!!!!!

You mentioned the smell. One of my issues after surgery was was a crazy super-sensitive sense of smell. I had a hard time getting anything down, and everything made me gag (or worse). It lessened pretty quickly starting at about 7-10 days and everything got much better. I can drink or eat just about anything now at 2 months post surgery. Hopefully yours will go the same. In the meantime, breath through your mouth or hold your nose, or try to distract yourself while taking in those protein shakes. And some of those clear protein waters can go down way better in the beginning.

I recommend Premier Protein protein drinks Mango flavored. It is not a shake. YOu may prefer it. It is more like a juice drink.

36 minutes ago, The Greater Fool said:

If the program is Protein shakes, then this is what was agreed to pre-op. At least, I agreed to my post-op program before surgery. Does anyone NOT know what their plan is post-op?

Things are not always that cut and dry. For my lap band surgery 9 years ago, yes, I knew the post-op road map before surgery and what my diet plan would be.

For the revision surgery I had in July, I THOUGHT I knew what my post-op road map was because I had a 2 hour long pre-surgery class where I received what my program refers to as the "Bible" - a 61 page handbook that details general instructions pre-surgery, what to expect the day of surgery, what recovery will entail, and, of course, the diet plan road map for their Phases 1 through 6.

I went through that handbook cover to cover multiple times leading up to surgery.

I had my surgery. I woke up. I started in on Phase 1 which was 1 ounce of water every 30 minutes. Phase 2 would start once I got home which would be 1 ounce of water every 15 minutes. Phase 3 would start after my first post-op follow-up (1 ounce of Protein shake every 15 minutes, twice a day and then 1 ounce of water every 15 minutes whenever I wasn't doing protein shakes).

The morning after surgery, my doctor came to check on me and to get my discharge going. It was then that he told me to ignore what the handbook says and to not follow it. That he would be giving me instructions directly that he felt would be more successful. Did I mention that he WROTE the handbook? Because he did.

So, there I went from knowing exactly what my post-op program was to being completely clueless about it because it would be parsed out to me every 1-2 weeks by my doctor instead.

Based on the handbook, I should be in the tail end of Phase 5 which would be me eating soft foods.

Realistically, I am still in some hybrid phase (4.5?) where the 3 meals I get a week are mostly blended/pureed with the occasional attempt to at soft food to see how I tolerate it.

In two weeks time, I should, according to that handbook, be in Phase 6, which is the return to "normal" foods and being able to eat one meal a day, with protein supplements making up the rest of my intake.

Except that doesn't seem likely to be what will happen because my doctor threw his own handbook out the window.

So...nothing is ever set in stone, in terms of post-op diet plans.

20 minutes ago, Pandemonium said:

So...nothing is ever set in stone, in terms of post-op diet plans.

As I keep repeating, it is critical to stay on plan. That your plan changed from your Doc's "bible" is exactly the point. The Doc knows what he did better than us strangers on the interwebs. You did the plan your doc gave you.

If we encounter issues on Doc's plan then we need to work with Doc to adjust as may be appropriate. This then becomes the plan with which we need to remain in compliance.

Making our own changes is a recipe for problems now and for the future. Changing our plans ourselves, or because people on the internet have a different way that worked for them, is ruinous. It's a trap.

My Doc's plan didn't take a bible to convey. It was 9 simple rules (principles). Yet...

When I began binge running I could not maintain both the plan and the binge running. I worked with my Doc on adjusting my plan. I then had a plan that would have been off-plan for his other patients. As I progressed my plan changed still more: I was his only patient allowed to supplement with protein drinks. My plan no longer resembled my Doc's standard plan. I still focused on staying on plan.

But, the changes you and your doc made, or me and my doc made, don't change the fact that everyone should work their plan with their doc. And stay in compliance with it.

Tek

3 hours ago, mrshenry said:

Hi All. I'm new to the group as of today! I am a week postt op and I can't get down Protein shakes! They make me gag to even smell them. I literally gag. I have tried several flavors and varieties in different forms...even making my own. Nothing works. For my pre-op doctor's visit , my doctor is going to flip his lid of I tell him I can't do the Protein shakes....HELP!!!!!!

I had this problem. So apparently the protein shakes in my program were full meal replacements with things like potassium vitamins (bariatric advantage). My intolerance to the shakes is high but my hands & feet began to tingle (potassium deficiency) and i was like “wtf am i doing drink the shake” we arent children! So now every morning i get up i fill that blender bottle and i plug my nose as it goes down. I have done this for two days in a row now. The newness of it all can really throw you off track but remember you know what to do thats what all those appointments were for they were drilling it in. I also want to add my shake flavor is orange and its much smoother going down with some diet cranberry pineapple juice mixed in. I also ordered a bag of chocolate flavor which i intend to put pb2 in (peanut butter chocolate). Plug thy nose and get it downn sometimes thats how its gotta be. I do have unflavored protein powder as well that i bought on the side of my program shakes that i use in jello. I also take bariatric advantage once a day ultra solo w iron as instructed. It might be good to watch the news or something while you are choking it down. This close out from surgery you know what you are supposed to b doing and my advice is to just do it!

Edited September 22, 20205 yr by tarotcardreader
Typoooos everywhere

2 hours ago, The Greater Fool said:

My Doc was very firm, which many took to be lack of understanding. He was not interested in excuses, he simply required compliance. Even the slightest deviation from the rules got a firm lecture about following the rules.

Pre-op, we found reasons why our current diet wasn't working, or why we just had to go off plan. We don't want to repeat this post-op.

Even if you can't stomach your program, you MUST do it. Figure it out, it's up to you. You've had your plumbing rearranged so even good excuses won't help. You have to make your program work. You really have no choice.

At one week post-op, you are still dealing/suffering with the effects of surgery. Things are swollen and painful, which tends to gum up the works. So be patient with yourself. You need to figure out how to do your Protein Drinks (if that is your Doc's program). Week one, it's not the end of the world if you don't eat or drink every bit of whatever is on your program, just do your best. You may not be able to drink a whole or even half a Protein Drink at one time and even then you may have to take small sips. Try thinning or thickening the Protein drink. What physically works does not always make sense. Make sure it is mixed well, as any lump could get stuck. Small sips. Take your time. You can do this.

You need to do what your Doc says. Compliance is critical to long term success. You didn't get to needing surgery by doing things the right way. Not being able to eat or drink easily is your gateway to learning success. Small sips (whatever your doc says), go slow. When you get to food, small bites, chew well, then chew some more.

Your first 6 months are when you learn everything, both good and bad. No excuses. It's up to you to make it work.

Exciting times ahead. Enjoy them as best you can.

Tek

Spoken straight and is pretty much the right thing to do. As someone who struggled with this Exact problem i agree that following the program is what resolved the issue. Have the will to get the nasty shake down