Did your doctor's office suggest/push their brand or a brand that they carry or did you find and do your own? I'm asking because I had my final pre op meeting the other day and the nurse was pushing the Bariatric Advantage that the office carries. I asked if I could just use the Premier Shakes since they have that listed as an acceptable shake and I already have a few cases handy and she said no, those are only for AFTER surgery. Not really explaining why or what the different was between them and why they couldn't be used pre surgery but could after.

Anyway, what did you buy/use for your pre op? The paper she gave me to order the Bariatric Advantage lists 6 flavors and it says to pick two and the price is $90. I'm assuming that price is the total amount for BOTH. I guess compared to Premier it's cheaper to get that anyway. But looking at the nutrients they're not too far off from one another.

So, what did you all use? I have to have 4 high protein shakes a day and 4 servings of non starchy veggies. NO MEAT!

Thanks for your input.

I am on pre-op now but my doctor only provided a list of suggested protein shakes and Premier was one of them. What I would do is ask your doctor (bypass the nurse - no pun intended haha ) and tell them that you had already purchased XYZ and your budget is not permitting (or struggling with) the purchase of Bariatric Advantage. And ask the doctor if that is a deal breaker for your surgery.

At the very least, perhaps they can discount the cost to something less than $90.

The good news is that you'll be drinking these even after surgery so maybe buy their product for pre-op and save the Premier shakes for post-op.

Yeah my office had several listed too and Premier was one of them and something we happened to already have on hand since I've been planning and dieting for the last month ahead of surgery/pre op diet. Plus my husband also drinks a Premier each morning cause he's not a breakfast eater usually. So yeah, we just happened to have them.

If I have to buy the BA brand I will. No biggy. I was just wondering if there was really any difference between that and other stuff.

My husband is all, well they must suggest that for a reason. Don't do anything that will get you in trouble with the doc or stop you from being able to have the surgery. LOL Yeah, he's a by the book kinda guy. Me............not so much. LOL

34 minutes ago, SummerTimeGirl said:

Did your doctor's office suggest/push their brand or a brand that they carry or did you find and do your own? I'm asking because I had my final pre op meeting the other day and the nurse was pushing the Bariatric Advantage that the office carries. I asked if I could just use the Premier shakes since they have that listed as an acceptable shake and I already have a few cases handy and she said no, those are only for AFTER surgery. Not really explaining why or what the different was between them and why they couldn't be used pre surgery but could after.

Anyway, what did you buy/use for your pre op? The paper she gave me to order the Bariatric Advantage lists 6 flavors and it says to pick two and the price is $90. I'm assuming that price is the total amount for BOTH. I guess compared to Premier it's cheaper to get that anyway. But looking at the nutrients they're not too far off from one another.

So, what did you all use? I have to have 4 high Protein Shakes a day and 4 servings of non starchy veggies. NO MEAT!

Thanks for your input.

My pre-op was a 10 day liquid diet. My surgeon's office did have a suggested brand but it didn't agree with me (made my stomach sick). On my own, I researched and found a vegan protein shake that didn't upset my tummy. The macros were almost the same, so they gave it a thumbs up.

My office gave suggestions but it wasn’t requirement to use a certain brand. I told them I have serious issues with taste (cannot stomach broccoli, no matter how much cheese you drown it in, and the thought of fish makes me nauseous) and they recommended the core power by fairlife as those seem to be tolerated well. The only requirements were no more than 200 calories per shake and there was a carb limit as well that I cannot recall of the top of my head.

Red flags popping off in my head…

1 minute ago, Slightly Less Fatty Matty said:

Red flags popping off in my head…

About?

Sounds like everyone's offices suggest their own brands/brands they carry but no one really says it's mandatory to buy the kind they sell. I'll probably end up just sticking to what I have. The only "goal" was 108 grams of protein each day while on the pre op diet so, I'm sure any protein drink will do. Then of course the 64 ounces of liquid and 4 servings of non starchy veggies.

On 04/22/2021 at 17:45, SummerTimeGirl said:

About?

It just seems really shady, like car dealers who try to tell you you need to get your oil changed with them to keep your vehicle warranty… some questions I’d have for them..
Why is this particular protein product medically necessary. Are they forcing you to buy from them, you can get the same product on your own. If it is mandatory you buy from them are they profiting off of the sale? If they are is it due to financial struggles or greed? If so are there any other cost cutting measures not typical in the industry that could negatively impact your care before during or after the procedure?
I’m sure it’s fine, if they’re using it to make money it’s probably just to pitch in to help pay for the holiday party or whatever, but I’d be really curious as to their real motivation, and “we like it” isn’t a valid answer if they make you buy it direct from them.

My surgeons office gave me all the shakes/soups etc that I need for my preop diet, as well as my first months worth of vitamins. It wasn't presented as optional, though admittedly I did not ask. They have a $500 charge that covers the preop diet and post op appointments for the next year.

1 minute ago, Slightly Less Fatty Matty said:

It just seems really shady, like car dealers who try to tell you you need to get your oil changed with them to keep your vehicle warranty… some questions I’d have for them..
Why is this particular Protein product medically necessary. Are they forcing you to buy from them, you can get the same product on your own. If it is mandatory you buy from them are they profiting off of the sale? If they are is it due to financial struggles or greed? If so are there any other cost cutting measures not typical in the industry that could negatively impact your care before during or after the procedure?
I’m sure it’s fine, if they’re using it to make money it’s probably just to pitch in to help pay for the holiday party or whatever, but I’d be really curious as to their real motivation, and “we like it” isn’t a valid answer if they make you buy it direct from them.

LOL Yeah nothing was mandatory. They just mentioned theirs, of course, which seems to be the norm for every office to do from what I'm hearing from others. The paperwork for the pre-op diet only says I need to have at lest 108 grams of protein a day (via shake/meal replacement), 64 ounces sugar free/non carbonated/decaf liquid and 4 servings of no starchy veggies.

I used premier protein as well. It was in the list of recommended shakes. I would agree with others that you ask the dr directly if it really matters. If money isn’t an issue and you will drink them eventually I would just let it go (but that’s me and I am a “rule follower” to a certain extent as well).

Hi. I’m still a newbie and going through the beginning steps. But if it helps you any my office gave me ensure and premier as samples and told me to start using using them now. And the just gave me a list of the different ones that are good.

My diet did push a couple brand, but the coordinator of the center told me what specs the protein shake should have (in terms of lipids, carbs and protein contents) which I appreciate. They do push a lot for one brand of multivitamins

My office sold stuff but didn't really push it onto people. There's a lot of stuff out there that is perfectly fine to use so if they are outright saying no to something it seems a bit sketchy. My doc's office sold a lot of Unjury products and that's what I use to this day. The flavors are great, and while still pricey it's cheaper than the premade bottles like Premier. Recently I've taken another liking to Premier because of the convenience of it.

Thanks everyone for your input!