I am now down 98 pounds.  I am instructed to keep my proteins at 70 grams range and limit other foods to keep calories down which I do.  I dont exercise as much as I should and weight loss wise I have no complaints.  I am wondering what you others have done for proteins.  I eat cottage cheese, string cheese, yogurts, small amounts of eggs and small pieces of meats, some chili, lunchmeats I hate greek yogurt it flat out sucks.  I have no problem eating unless I try and get 70 grams of protein in by eating meats and cheeses.  I cant nor do I want to eat that much.  My struggle is in my dieticians advice she does not like protein shakes or protein bars, she feels they are expensive, too much sugar and do not promote healthy eating.  I add 200 calories and 25 gr protein for my bar or choice and 250 and 25gr for my shake (6 ice cubes 1 cup frozen fruit, 1 scoop protein powder, sweetn low, and sugar free drink with water to make liquid for about 24 oz.  I usually have one or the other each day.  My calorie count stays around 650-850 give or take 100.  Quite honestly eating is a pain in the ass and a proteinbar or shake is just easier and I like the taste but I suppose long term the goal is to eat normal.  Normal for me seems to not be normal for any nonsurgery person as everyone aroung me is eatinbg brats and beer.   I also have not stuck to the 3 meals no snacks routine I again am not able to eat enough in my opinion in 3 meals so I rely on calories and protein amounts and eat 4-6 times a day smaller amounts.  Everything I eat is under 10gr of fat 10 gr of sugar except the 2 beers I have had this summer.  So can you offer and criticisms or comments, flaws etc short and long term.  I know all about the alcohol dangers so dont need input on that mainly foods, proteins, ,meal times, any snacking what ever you do that gets you through the day.  I have been much more active but I have not been hitting the pavement like I should, working on that.  I am very happy with 100 pounds in 4 months just want to not relapse, stay true and honest with myself and be healthy and happy. drinkin plenty of liquids no issues there and eat some form of veggies each day in small amounts.  All my labs and a1c are excellent and I am no longer diabetic.

Sounds to me like you got a good program going contrary to what your dietitian is telling you.  Find a new dietitian.

 It was 6 months out before I really felt like doing much exercising and such, and when you are eating only 6-800 calories there is just not a lot of energy to WANT to exercise.

Obviously others have done more during that time and it is a good thing if you do, but I really slacked from Sept to April after my surgery.

I also had ZERO desire for food during that time and had to do 2 shakes or so a day just to hit my protein goals.  (As per my dieticians advice...)

As I started getting my appetite back, I also had the energy to workout and wahlah!!

I hated greek yogurt too.. but ate some yesterday for the first time in a LONG time and it was ok.  Not great but ok.  I am also discovering the love for Starbucks drinks with protein powder mixed in (10g per scoop) and getting them LIGHT so they are not too sugarly/fatty.

You sound like you are doing the RIGHT thing for you and your body at the moment!  Low fat, good protein...

I know that we all want to believe 100% of what our medical team says, but sometimes the nut / dietician are too concerned with "how it should be" in order to understand how real life really works. I think no one is 100% at anything, so find a plan that works for you and you are comfortable with. Then, stick with it. You need to live with the plan; and you won't be able to stick to it unless it's comfortable for you.

 Thanks for the feed back.  As I mentioned trying to find my normal whatever that is.  That is why hearing from those of you in the trenches living a life post surgery is so helpful.  I expect everyone has their habits good and bad and trying to find the balance makes me a bit apprehensive at times for concern of returning to a pattern of poor choices. Of course I am a long way away from eating a whole pizza for dinner or a sleeve of oreos for breakfast but I am not going back down that road.

 Hello Compadre,

I could have written your post... I too start my day with a protein bar and that is the only way I make it to my daily protein goal. My hunger has returned which threatens to derail me but other than that I do what you do. I think eating sucks too but we must do it. My day; protein bar, cottage cheese with fruit in it, sandwich on a 100 calorie sandwich thin stuffed with as much meat as I can stand, dinner is meat rich with sometimes a little starch. Get up the next day and repeat...

Keep up what you are doing, energy and stamina will return, so will the desire to eat. Good job, tell your Nut we said so!

 Good luck to you as well.  I started hitting the sandwich thins as well but I can only eat a half of one usually with a little egg salad or turkey.  I eat 3-4 yogurts a day mostly activia as it is below 10g sugar and fat.  I wish protein bars were a little more protein and less sugars and calories

 Hi Davo,

I look at my protein bars like this: I have to eat something for breakfast, 5 days a week I need fast, with protein, while I drive to work... I can't get that much good for so few calories (200) anywhere else! I wa**** down with my home brew coffee and I am full till my 9 am fruity cottage cheese...

Btw, what bar has 25g. and 200 cal?

Brian

 Try quest brand.

Nuts to you!!  No, not that...try some nuts.  Maybe some plain walnuts, almonds, dry roasted peanuts (watch the added sugars), sunflower seeds, roasted soy nuts.  All of these have healthy oils, but have a lot of calories...so don't go hog wild on them.  I keep a few in my pockets...In case I'm in the middle of nowhere. 
You might want to try your own crock pots of beef or chicken with vegetables...Add a ton of spices for flavor.  I do it and freeze 3/4 of it and pull in out of the freezer for later.  Also a good quality chicken or beef vegetable soup can be good...Go with good quality (watch the ingredients).  Brian

Frozen shrimp, tuna or chicken salad (add low fat mayo, Mt. Olive sugar free relish [made with Splenda], salt, pepper), Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish Dinners (frozen)...I add some soy sauce to the fish (avoid the apple dessert).

Yea the proteins were getting boring and sickening actually after a while! I felt for awhile I was running out of options and choices, but it got better! I literally had to try every brand and flavor of Greek Yogurt, and guess what; I actually found a few that I enjoyed, even though most I thought were pretty terrible. I was surprised I actually liked Blueberry Greek Yogurt, especially since I don’t normally even like Blueberries, but it sure is a difference in taste from brand to brand, it’s just such an easy protein option! I’m still sick of cottage cheese, lunch meats, etc. Lunch Meat still feels like is sticks in my pouch! I’ve even tried drinking a glass of plain old milk now and then to get in some Protein, and buying little bags of unsalted nuts. I could not stand any of the Protein Drinks, had a ton of samples and all of them turned me off. The bars were equally terrible I thought. I did buy some South Beach Bars I keep in my desk drawer in case I need in a pinch! I’m 11 months post-op, I really seem to now enjoy salad bars, it’s easy way to get a variety…loading up the veggies and piling on the meats/cheese on top….I love the fact I can go to my local supermarket for lunch and hit up their salad bar….I only need the little container and my lunch is usually under 2 bucks and I still can’t fini**** Today I did go to a pizza buffet for lunch, dangerous?? Hmmm, not really….I could not even imagine how pizza crust would feel in my pouch!! Ouch! I scrapped off the topping on a few pieces of vegetable pizza and picked at some salad/cottage cheese off salad bar. It is getting easier with time; I’m no longer “testing the waters” so to speak and finding more and more protein options. I love the fact its summer, and doing LOTS of experimenting on the grill! I also got into the habit of making my entire family fruit/protein smoothies….I already burned out 2 blenders and a “Magic” Bullet….I buy those frozen bags of mixed fruit, frozen berries, I use milk for liquid, Plain Greek Yogurt or whatever is on hand, and whatever fruit I have in the fridge (you know where it’s a bit over ripped to eat, but not exactly bad yet, great way to get rid of produce before it goes bad). We have a lot of fun making our own Protein smoothies, you can also use cottage cheese in there, I also use lots of frozen rhubarb (I HATE rhubarb but you can’t taste it and it had lots and lots of fiber) Kids don’t even know it’s in there either! I just keep experimenting and there are even a ton of smoothie recipes online, but I like to use what I have on hand. My secret seems to be to include the family and especially if you have kids……otherwise kind of hard to make a little fruit protein smoothie for myself. My blood sugars have been great and I’m down 132 lbs since Sept of 2011. Here are my rambling random thoughts on Protein! Haha Good Luck!

Hey Davo,
Bottom line is at this point and time for those of us just a few months out from surgery eating is to nourish our bodies and if your labs and protein for sure is at a good level then I'd not worry a bunch right now. You will need to eat more lean meats as time goes on and if you look at what you can eat for 200 calories like your shakes and bars you can get in a good ammount of solid protein which stays in the pouch longer which is way better for you. Funny thing is some of the best athletes in the world suppliment with protein shakes so they can hit their lofty protein goal especially weight lifters. Congrats on the 98lbs cause that's the name of the game!!!!
Stoney

Isn't it funny how one center/surgeon differs from another. The biggest issue seems to be protein shakes. Ideally they want you to get your protein from food, but initially you just don't have the appetite or capacity to eat that much protein. If you don't get enough protein, your body will use muscle.. so continue what you are doing.. sounds like you are doing great.
Eventually your appetite will return and you should be able to "eat" not "drink" enough protein.
I'm surprised that you were told not to snack. I was avoiding snacking because I didn't want
to get back into the old habits (and I wasn't that hungry).. My Nut told me that I need to snack. We
can't eat enough at a meal to last us through to the next meal. Just make sure the snacks are
healthy and include protein.
I've never been into sports or exercise, and going to the gym was just pure torture. Walking, biking and just generally moving are easy alternatives. As the weight drops it's just so much easier to
move your body. I used to drive around a parking lot looking for the closest parking space, I would never climb stairs if an elevator was available,  Now I just grab the first available parking spot, I'll always choose the stairs (if it's only a couple flights) I used to get my kids to fetch stuff for me, or pile stuff at the top of bottom of a flight of stairs in order to avoid the painful exercise. Now I don't even think about running downstairs to grab a screwdriver and it's no big deal when I have to run back down again when it turns out I choose the wrong sized screw driver.  There's lots of ways to get exercise without walking on a treadmill.
Sounds like you are doing great.. keep doing what is working for you.

In my program the golden rule is nothing over 10gr sugar or 10gr fat,  that rules out about 85% of the yogurts and protein bars, shakes and so called health snacks out there but since we are tossing protein around, here are a few things I do eat.  Diet hot chocolate with milk or powdered milk or water.  I generally do 2 packs which is 50 calories and a sweetn low- adding in some 1% milk or powder ups the protein and adds 50-90 cals for a total under 150.   I eat Pure Protein bars from walmart 20gr protein 200 calories under the 10gr of fat and sugars, I like the chewy choc chip.  I drink a walmart brand protein powder 26 gr protein a scoop usually vanilla with frozen fruit 3/4cup sweet n low, water or milk, a single sugar free drink pack usually orange, ice and blend.  i also always liked potato chips with cottage cheese so now I eat special k cracker chips and cottage cheese and get in 8-10 gr protein doing that. I eat lunch meat usually turkey, light miracle whip., egg salad and cheeses, yoplait light, and a few nuts here and there and the occasional small piece of jerky.  I eat a little chicken and some salmon which is great on the grill but most meats I have to eat really slow and really small bites or i will foam up. My tastes have changed since surgery and even during recovery somedays nothing tastes like I want it, doesnt tast bad its just kind of blah so I try to change it up but if nothings working cottage cheese and special k crackers (i usually eat about 10 and 1/3 cup of cottage)or yogurt and string cheese are always good to me.

My go to food is a bowl of Kashi Go Lean cerial.  With milk you get 20-21 grams of protein.  I have it for breakfast and for a snack after supper.  There's 40 grams for you, and the sugars are non processed so we can digest them and not dump.