Hi all,

I am one week post op (Sleeved on 10/11/22). I am feeling like I cant get in the rythm of what is right for me.

Pros:

- Been getting all fluids down

- Have not had much pain, only where they pulled stomach out

-Been able to walk and move around

- Only had gas pain for 3 days

-Normal bowl movement

Cons:

- I don't like the taste of sweetness. So I am having a hard time getting my protein in from shakes and protein water. Any recommendations for other sources of protein?

-I've been able to have some strained soup/ broth. But I am only able to take like 4 table spoons over an hour. How is it expected to get all protein in while trying to get water in as well through out the day?

- The bariatric advantage multi vitamins are terrible. I am not able to take them so I started taking 4 Flinstone vitamins a day. I know these are not good enough for a person who just had bariatric surgery. I am taking my gallstones pills, calcium, iron, and b-12 with no problem. Are there any other recommendations for Bariatric Multivitamins? Smaller or better tasting?

Any input is appreciated. I feel that protein and supplements are very important with the new change to my body.

Thanks guys!!!

I thought the shakes tasted to sweet as well. Try the clear protein waters. These should count as fluid and protein and while they are sweet they didn’t taste overly sweet like the shakes did. I didn’t realize now many options of clear protein there are. You could start with what they sell at your convenience store so you can try a single. I splurged and for a case of premiere protein clear and luckily I liked it. Once you get to purées you can add unflavored protein to things if necessary or purchase some of the protein soups. I didn’t do either of these, just kept doing shakes as well but I’m sure others will have suggestions on specific products.

Hello, glad your recovery is going well.

As far as the sweetness, you can try to add more milk to the shakes or even water. This will thin them out and cut the sweetness. Or, as @ShoppGirl mentioned try clear protein drinks which you can also add water to cut the sweetness. I liked gatorade zero with protein the best but it was sweet.

In the liquid stages, my shakes and everything counted as liquids. So your shake is counted towards your liquids and your protein. Again, thinning it out adds more liquid to your count too.

It is hard to hit your goal only a week out. I hit my protein and fluid goals around 2 weeks and have been able to maintain them since. You will get in a groove and be hitting goals before you know it, be patient.

OHHH those chewable vitamins are the absolute worse. I couldn't get past the smell, let alone the taste and texture. It was horrible, I worked with my team. I tried every brand and flavor I could found, all gross and I wasted so much money. They were not that concerned, at my 2 week follow up the surgeon cleared me to take pills/capsules as long as I could handle them. I was fine and have been taking capsules ever since. Maybe reach out to your team and ask for help.

3 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

OHHH those chewable vitamins are the absolute worse. I couldn't get past the smell, let alone the taste and texture. It was horrible, I worked with my team. I tried every brand and flavor I could found, all gross and I wasted so much money. They were not that concerned, at my 2 week follow up the surgeon cleared me to take pills/capsules as long as I could handle them. I was fine and have been taking capsules ever since. Maybe reach out to your team and ask for help.

Capsules were recommended by my team right out of the gate, so that's where I started and never had a problem. I also agree that the chewables are just plain bad.

1 minute ago, SpartanMaker said:

Capsules were recommended by my team right out of the gate, so that's where I started and never had a problem. I also agree that the chewables are just plain bad.

I wasn't allowed to swallow anything larger than "half of a pea" haha

Until my first follow up.

1 minute ago, kcuster83 said:

I wasn't allowed to swallow anything larger than "half of a pea" haha

Until my first follow up.

I hear ya. I think for some people, they have them open up the capsule and add it to yogurt or something. I didn't have to do that, so didn't worry about it.

Just now, SpartanMaker said:

I hear ya. I think for some people, they have them open up the capsule and add it to yogurt or something. I didn't have to do that, so didn't worry about it.

I was just thinking maybe this was an option. I wonder if you should check with a pharmacist first. I know it’s just vitamins but if they absorb differently that way an overdose of some vitamins can cause issues?? Better safe than sorry I guess. Ask your team first though because I was swallowing my pills in the hospital. Not huge ones, but not tiny either. I was able to do the chewable vitamins and did those for a few months but I THINK I could’ve swallowed the vitamin if I had needed to.

33 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I thought the shakes tasted to sweet as well. Try the clear Protein waters. These should count as Fluid and protein and while they are sweet they didn’t taste overly sweet like the shakes did. I didn’t realize now many options of clear protein there are. You could start with what they sell at your convenience store so you can try a single. I splurged and for a case of premiere protein clear and luckily I liked it. Once you get to purées you can add unflavored protein to things if necessary or purchase some of the protein Soups. I didn’t do either of these, just kept doing shakes as well but I’m sure others will have suggestions on specific products.

Thank you! I've purchased the clear peach protein water. I will check if they have an unflavored one. I definitely have the unflavored protein powder ready for when I am able to go on to puree. Thank you!!!

19 minutes ago, kcuster83 said:

Hello, glad your recovery is going well.

As far as the sweetness, you can try to add more milk to the shakes or even Water. This will thin them out and cut the sweetness. Or, as @ShoppGirl mentioned try clear Protein Drinks which you can also add water to cut the sweetness. I liked gatorade zero with Protein the best but it was sweet.

In the liquid stages, my shakes and everything counted as liquids. So your shake is counted towards your liquids and your protein. Again, thinning it out adds more liquid to your count too.

It is hard to hit your goal only a week out. I hit my protein and fluid goals around 2 weeks and have been able to maintain them since. You will get in a groove and be hitting goals before you know it, be patient.

OHHH those chewable vitamins are the absolute worse. I couldn't get past the smell, let alone the taste and texture. It was horrible, I worked with my team. I tried every brand and flavor I could found, all gross and I wasted so much money. They were not that concerned, at my 2 week follow up the surgeon cleared me to take pills/capsules as long as I could handle them. I was fine and have been taking capsules ever since. Maybe reach out to your team and ask for help.

Thanks so much! I will try to add more water to the Premier Water I have. And yes, I definitely reached out to my team about the multivitamins. LOL glad I'm not alone regarding those nasty pills.

6 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I was just thinking maybe this was an option. I wonder if you should check with a pharmacist first. I know it’s just Vitamins but if they absorb differently that way an overdose of some vitamins can cause issues?? Better safe than sorry I guess. Ask your team first though because I was swallowing my pills in the hospital. Not huge ones, but not tiny either. I was able to do the chewable vitamins and did those for a few months but I THINK I could’ve swallowed the Vitamin if I had needed to.

Yes I am going to check. My Gallbladder pill is the only capsule but all others are chewable/ dissolving. And he told me to start all of them right after I leave the hospital. LOL That totally doesnt make sense.

Just now, KRod6 said:

Yes I am going to check. My Gallbladder pill is the only capsule but all others are chewable/ dissolving. And he told me to start all of them right after I leave the hospital. LOL That totally doesnt make sense.

My team actually had me hold off on the ursodiol until the 2 week follow-up. They didn't explain why, but I suspect it's just because that's a pretty large capsule.

I could not stomach the multivitamins either, so my team said I could try the patches. I got the PatchMD brand from Amazon (about $18 for a month supply). I also got the endurance patches for extra B12. It's probably mostly placebo effect, but I swear I feel better when I put one on!

First, congratulations on your surgery. Secondly, it’s okay not to be ticking all the boxes in the first couple of weeks. As long as you are making an effort & you are getting closer it’s okay. You’ll find some days are easy & otherwise more of a struggle.

Your shakes, broths etc. all count towards your fluid intake and I used to dilute my shakes (doubled the water) to dilute the flavour & to up my fluid intake. Used to sip on them for a couple of hours or until finished. Also added a little more water to the soups & broths too. If you’re worried about your protein intake you can also add some additional protein powder to your shake & swapping in protein water for drinking water will help too.

I embraced my dislike for sweet & used it to withdraw myself from sweet tasting foods & drinks. Once onto purees & more solid foods, you’ll likely find other foods, even old favourites, smell or taste bad too for a while. It passes.

Vitamins can be a challenge. The taste, difficulty swallowing them, nausea, etc. I took capsules which were easier to swallow (once my swelling reduced around day 4). Some surgeons are strict on when you can begin swallowing meds & recommend chews or patches. So it can be a bit of trial & error to find the right ones for you. Expensive too.

We have the same surgery day. I have been stressing about fluids and protein (just started protein drinks back Sunday). I haven't come close to goal yet on either.

Finally, I just decided that I was 8 days out from having like 80% of my stomach removed. It's just going take time. I have decided to just try to do a little bit more each day and see how my body feels instead of going by what's on the paper. I have gotten a little more each day, so I consider it a success.

I just started back soups Sunday as well, and have only been able to take like 1-2 oz. Also got bloating and gas pain with it (may be the type of soup though). Going to try something different, but I think the amount is on par. I would use unflavored protein in the soup (even if only a little) to boost protein count.

In terms of sweetness, I haven't had that issue yet, so I would have to defer to others. I am trying to do the Fairlife. I like the 26g protein better than the 42g protein, but need more protein. So I mix the 2 to get a flavor I like with more protein.

I think just being flexible and listening to your body is good enough during this stage. I can't take multivitamins yet until I hit pureed/soft per my MD, so I will have to see how that goes.

First of all, congratulations.

In terms of your thread title, I would suggest that you feel like you're all over the place because you essentially are! This procedure is significant, and it results in significant changes to our bodies. I know that I felt very similar in the first weeks post-op.

It is excellent that you're getting your fluids. Lots of people struggle with this at first (I did my first few days) and it sounds like you're keeping up. Likewise regarding your pain and moving around. These all sound like you're doing pretty darn good.

Like you, I little-to-no taste or desire for sweet things post-op. In fact, I wanted more savory things, and they sat better. I drank a lot of broth in the first few days post-op. I finally settled on the Premier Protein Cafe Latte flavor (yes, it does have caffeine, and some providers/programs don't allow that, but it was the only one I could choke-down at first). To me, it seemed to be the least sweet of all the other ones I tasted. The program I am in has a reduced protein goal for the first month post-op, so it is a little easier to get close, but they told me to focus on the fluid first, protein second, doing the best you could.

When I started taking the bariatric vitamins, my nutritionist recommended the Bariatric Fusion chewable ones. They made me sick the first day I took them. Day two of them was no better - epic nausea - so I stopped. I checked in with nutrition, and they suggested Bariatric Fusion one-a-day capsules. I started taking them at about the 3 week mark and they sat/sit fine. You may want to check with your provider to see if that is an okay choice for you.

As time went on, I was able to tolerate different flavors of the Premier Protein without issue. As an example, I start the morning with a serving of the Chocolate powder mixed in 8 ounces of unsweetened almond milk. The almond milk seems to reduce the overall sweetness, at least to me.

I agree about adding some milk to thin out the shakes. I do that. I also add a pinch of salt sometimes. I can do about 4 oz of protein drink at a time.

I also have a good broth that I generally have for "lunch" and "dinner" and I put a non-flavored protein in the dinner one, so that helps me a lot.

I'm just dipping my toes in puree, so I'm not really eating enough of that where it is worth putting protein in it - there's just not enough food. So, for now, I'm stuck with the shakes, clear protein, and broth. There are a ton of unflavored proteins out there, though, that maybe you could put in a warm drink?

I am supposed to do 2 multis a day and I do 1 chewable and 1 capsule. I tried taking apart the capsule and it was worse than the chewable!