Right now I am on liquid Proteins only. The shake I am drinking is 100 calories per serving, 20 grams of Protein, 5 carbs. I drink it 3x a day. I was told not to take in any other drinks with calories.

This is only 300 calories a DAY!!! Starting next week I need the energy to teach first grade (lots of activity!!!) This last week (surgery was on Monday) I was very lethargic and slept a lot. I have not lost any weight.

I am really worried that on 300 calories I will not have the energy to last the day at work. I feel ok generally, but think I should be getting at least 800 calories a day. The doctor said I should be getting 800-1000 calories a day on the band, but right now with only the shakes, I am not getting anywhere near that.

I have lactose intolerance and dairy allergies so it was hard to find a shake I could drink. This has been the only one that makes me feel ok.

I want to add Odwalla Superfood, Soy Protein or their other drinks to my diet. They have about 150 calories. I think if I drank 3 of these a day instead of (or with) Water or crystal light I would feel a lot better.

Any thoughts????

You are right.. youre not getting enough ccalories. If you're still on the liquid stage I would add more of the shakes or something like odwalla. Be surethey have protein in them though.

I ran into the same thing the first week after being banded. My dr requires 3 weeks of "modified" full liquids, which is basically Clear Liquids plus Protein drinks. 2 ounces of a high-protein liquid every hour while awake and two ounces of any non-carbonated, non-caffeinated liquid every 15 minutes after the hour (not high-calorie and with or without protein). The goal is 48-64 oz of Fluid a day and 40-60 g of protein.

I was doing fine till one week after surgery - staying towards the top end of the ranges for fluid and protein, but I had not counted calories at all. But by that 7th day I found I was really weak and shakey and even a little dizzy. And my stomach was growling so much it felt like it was trying to eat itself. So I sat down and figured out how many calories I had been getting each day; I was shocked to see it was only about 300. I called my doctor to see if this was normal and he said yes. So, I decided to find a Protein Drink with a few more calories and add that to my daily rations. Muscle Milk RTDs fit the bill...I got my calorie count up to 500, which is still low, but better than 300.

My daily intake is something like this: 12 ounces of Labrada Lean Body shake, 12 ounces Muscle Milk shake, 8 ounces of Protein Blitz fruit drink, 8 ounces of beef or chicken broth for "supper" and at least 28 ounces of straight Water. Yes, I'm a bit hungry most of the time but it is bearable. As for having the strength to teach 1st grade..nope, wouldn't want to try it on so few calories (I used to teach elementary music - 35-55 children at a time...by myself).

Have you asked your doctor for any recommendations on getting your calorie count up? How much longer do you have to be on this stage of the diet? I move to soft foods this week, thank goodness!

I hope you can figure something out for this. I can sympathize with you.

That is about how many calories I was getting when I was on the "clear liquid" diet. It sounds like you are getting plenty of Protein and as long as you are getting the protein you need and enough liquids your body won't be compromised. Remember that you are still healing from the surgery and that may be what is making you feel weak. Did your doctor tell you to take B-1 and extra B-12. My clear liquids was only about 10 days and then I could add Soups and puddings. Try adding Isopure Clear to your Crystal Light to bump up the protein a little more. I found that walking helped me build up my strength too.

Good luck with your first graders, I taught second grade for 12 years so I know how exhausting that first week of school is both for the kids and teachers.

My Protein shakes are about 240 calories each with 52 grams of protein. My daughter is lactose intolerant and vegan. She drinks shakes made with 2 scoops of soy protein and uses brewer's yeast as an additive to soft foods to add protein. I have heard others complain of the weakness from lack of calories at this stage. I think you should listen to your body and do what seems right to you.

Good luck!