regarding protein drinks & shakes

Hey Kat.  I tried to order some from bariatriceating.com but the cappacino and mocha java are out of stoc****il more is manufactured at the end of April.  On the other web site they are all out.  I will keep trying.  I definitely going to find something this weekend.  It's my mission now.  Thanks for the advice. Theresa

I am a Nectar Lemon Tea and Unjury Vanilla girl. I also like the EAS ready to drink Vanilla and chocolate. My surgeon also recommends Carnation Instant Breakfast Sugar Free mixed with FF milk. Ensure is too high in sugars.  Now is the time to give up soda's. I'm going to PM you more info.

I had a  issue with  my gag reflex so I would say from experience NOT to buy alot of proteins in the begining until after your surgery, I would get as many  samples as I could to have on hand so you can try first because as others have said the taste buds are going to change and they will believe me they did. Even today at 2 1/2 years out there are things that I ate years ago and loved  I cant stomach now. So dont waste your money ask for samples. Best of luck and  you will do great....

Hi Teresa, you will want to stay away from anything that as much sugar in it and whey protein is the best protein for us. I use the bullets from Profect (www.profect.com) or Liquid protein by IDs - you can usually get samples in GNC or places like that - they are expensive but worth it - if you like them them search the internet for best prices and you will be amazed at the differences between sites.  You will also want to check with your nutritionist that what you are buying is suitable. Also she will want you to stay away from caffeine in the beginning of your journey as it is a stimulant and you need to drink more to stay hydrated with it - we were always told to not count anything with caffeine as liquid. Achieve One has a caffeine free version or one coming out fairly soon. I don't like coffee so I don't like them but they are very popular and people swear by them.  I have always had trouble with protein aftertaste so I find the bullets are quick and easy as they are only 2.9 ounces. But be aware that they do not fill you up like some of the other proteins. Good luck! Jackie

I think the Ensure & Boost are too high in sugar/fat & not the right kinds of protein as the others have mentioned so you may want to check that.  Having your tastes change after surgery is very common & may be a factor in what protein you like.  I ended up getting lots of different samples & just trying a different one every time I went to have a shake for the first 3 weeks after surgery until I found one I like.  I ended up going with the Isopure Zero Carb Dutch Chocolate.  It is powder form, I mix it up with milk.  There are several websites that will sell samples of the Nectar & other brands, google it to see if you can order different ones to try out.  The Achieveone drinks are very popular.  I have never tried them because I am concerned about the caffiene.  My nutritionist said that caffeine was not good for my pouch, especially early out, because it is so harsh, she did say once further out, small amounts of caffiene are okay but that it needs to be counteracted with more water intake in order to stay hydrated.  This is just too hard for me because I struggle to get in enough fluids on a normal basis much less try to get in extra to compensate for the caffeine.  So I just stay away from caffiene or only allow myself one drink with caffiene in it.  Finding a protein can be difficult & take some time.  Just be prepared to go through the process. 

Thanks for the response.. I wanted to let you know I used to drink 5-6 diet cokes a day. Sometimes even more, I would even pull into McDonalds just for their super sized Diet Coke.  I was really scared to give them up , I didn't know how it was going to feel. I will tell you the first few days were extremely hard, but each day got a little easier. It has now been 2 months since I have had a soda,  I do miss it occasionally . But all and all I feel better, even my husband gave up his Coke and now we do not have any sodas in the house.  So keep up the good work and know that it can be done.  Just think about the end results and how wonderful you will feel and look. Rita

My favorites come from www.mydietshopz.com Not the cheapest out there, but convenient (individual packets), and they are generous with their samples.  Also they have variety packs, AND they are the only source I have found of HOT protein drinks.  I like the cap flavored ones mixed in my morning coffee or latte. For the cold, I prefer Matrix Perfect Chocolate (just like a milk shake) or Nectar Carribean Cooler.  But remember this: Your taste buds are going to change post surgery.  You will like something now, and NOT post surgery, and vice versa.  MY humble suggestion is to get samples of as many different kinds as you can, and then see what agrees with you post surgery BEFORE you invest in a huge amount of something. VitaLady has sample sizes available for sale, BTW.  

I echo Jackie - you should ask your nutritionist about consuming caffeine.  Every WLS and or diet handout I have from mine discourages using any products that contain it.  This is why my favorites also come from www.mydietshopz.com  I love their Diet Health and Sport Cappiccino and Hot Choc, both are decaf.  Each premeasured serving is 60 calories and 12 grams of protein.  They are powders but mix easily and I don't have a problem with lumps.  The folks there are wonderful to deal with and if you live near Woodbridge, VA, you can walk into their office and they are very generous with samples.  My first year, I drank 4 cups a day for 60 grams of protein and got the rest of my protein from my food.  At 4+ years out, I have 2 a day. The Ready to Drink (RTD) are OK if I am in a hurry, but tend to be much more expensive.  I also occassionally use the bullets. Taste is such a personal thing.  Focus on reading the labels of any protein product to make sure it is the right type of protein, low carb, and low calorie.  You should be able to find enough variety out there to give you 20-25 grams of protein for 100-125 calories.  Also, most have directions to mix with 4-8 oz of liquid.  I find that too strong so I mix with 10-12 oz.

Get with your sugeons office about the three drinks you mentioned.   i remember my office was very specific to which of the RTD's (grocery store variety) that we could and could not drink because of sugar's and carbs.  Vitamin Shoppe has a fridge section of all their RTD's and you can get a bunch of testers to see what you like.  The key is not to spend lots of money on stuff you won't like and it's so good to get samples.  Powders are much more inexpensive but have the hassle of mixing and some are gritty, which may not fair well for your gag reflex.                          I'm going to load you up Saturday with some of the proteins and samples I have that did not work for me so you can try those too.  :)  I find the protein search to be exhausting and costly, so anything I can do to help, I will!

Awww you really are turning out to be an angel.  I so appreciate you offering the samples.  I am trying some of the carnation instant breakfasts, Isugar free, of course) and hopefully I will like them.  Oh and by the way, just message me about what time on Saturday.  Looking forward to it. Hugs, Theresa