The protein saga continues

Just had to share a funny with all of you on my never ending quest to find an acceptable protein drink!  Last Saturday, day one home from the hospital, day three post op, I felt optimistic and made St V's protein shake with a couple spoonfuls of sugar free instant chocolate pudding for flavor.  I had passed gas in the hospital, so felt OK trying it.  Tasted good, but within an hour I had horrible painful gas.  Sunday, no protein supplement....I decided to wait for a bowel movement.  That happened that evening, so last Monday it was back to the St V's protein mixture.  Yummy...but awful painful gas.  I cried that night, my belly hurt so badly. Tuesday Mom took me out shopping to find an alternative, and I picked up some 100% Whey protein packets at Meijer, in chocolate and vanilla.  Made the chocolate with water, because I was thinking the milk was causing the gas issues.  Nasty, but I drank it.  On Wednesday I made the vanilla with half a banana and water and ice, trying to thicken it up...even nastier.  I was really getting discouraged. Wednesday my brother took me to GNC and I picked up a pound of their unflavored whey protein to add to my Crystal Light.  This was OK...funky aftertaste, nasty smell...breath, bathroom, everything stunk.  Embarrassing, but I had to drink something! Friday evening I decided to try just a glass of milk.  The GNC protein was going to be darn pricey, and I was having a hard time with the stench.  The milk went down just fine! Saturday and Sunday...no problems with the milk at all...no gas no nothing. Then yesterday I read Sherri's post to someone about St V's protein mixture, and that it needs to rest after blending to let the air bubbles dissipate.  Ooooooops.  Guess what little detail I had missed out on? That one!! I was blending it up and trying to drink all those tiny air bubbles....my poor baby pouch!  So this morning I get home from the Y and at 7:45 pull out the blender to whip up a batch of St V's protein drink, figuring I would have my first sippy of it around 9:30 when I took my daughter to preschool.  Added a whole package of instant sugar free vanilla pudding for flavor, whipped it up, and stuck the blender jar in the fridge to chill and rest while I showered and had breakfast. At 9:15 I went to pour it in a cup, and it was PUDDING!!!   I was able to stir the lumps back out, but Oh my...I laughed so hard....guess adding the full package of pudding was a bit of overkill.  No foamies or frothy air bubbles, but it's like drinking liquid pudding.   the saga continues......not to find a protein supplement I like....I LIKE this one...just to get the mixture process correct so I'm not drinking air or pudding!

Dont know if this will help ..krogers has carb master yogurt  that has 12 grams of protien in it...its usally under 50cents... also try lactaid milk and you might do better with the milk..

Amy, I couldn't drink St. V's mix with the dry milk.  It really made me sick.  What they give you in the hospital is just milk and carnation instant breakfast.  I drink the Body Fortress in chocolate.  I get it from Walmart and it's a huge canister for around $14.  It last forever.  I use a shaker instead of the blender, which also helps.  I was really happy when I got to start eating protein bars, because they are easy to carry in my purse and taste pretty good! Also, try freezing your drink.  It's kind of like ice cream, which is nice in the warm weather! Hope this helps. RobinV

Amy

I am going through the exact same thing. I can't find a protein drink I like. I am forcing my self to drink the carnation instant right now but the taste is YUCK! But since running out of my ready made isopure my weight is at a stand still and I know its because I am not getting in my protein. Ugh! so like you the the protein saga continues. I may just have to break down and buy the isopure ready made drink at least until I can eat regular food and have protein bars and such like.

So here is to finding a protein we like

 

Robin 

Oh, I'm not looking for another protein option...the whole point of my post was for laughs that after going through all the different things last week, my original option works for me if I A) let it sit long enough to get the air bubbles out, and B) don't use so much pudding mix for flavoring that my drink becomes pudding!

I drank lots and lots of milk (still do).  AND I drank SKIM!!!  They say right after surgery to drink 1 or 2%.  The skim worked better for me, so I did it. It was either drink skim or nothing.  Proteing shakes killed as did the St. V. recipe.   I cannot push the Hood Calorie Countdown Milk enough!!!! YUMMO!!!

Can you share the St V's drink? I am still looking for the right one for me :)

4 cups of 1% milk 1 cup nonfat dry milk Blend well, and you can add sugar free instant pudding, jell-o, coffee flavoring or other things to it to taste.  I'm going to use just a teaspoon or two of pudding, and I've also tried sugar free caffeine free Suisse Mocha (from International Coffees) and it tasted yummy! Just be sure to let it sit in the fridge for a bit after blending.  60 grams of protein in the whole thing.

Amy,  Since you like the vanilla flavor, you might want to try adding some of Divinci's (or another brand) liquid sugar-free vanilla to the mix. You can usually find them in the coffee aisle. They would add flavor without thicking the mix up. At Divinci.com, they have several sugar-free flavors....good for decaf coffee/latte's, protein mixes, or with summer coming up, sno-cones!                               I don't know why some of the very good things  I  was told when I was a newbie has kind been dropped along the way. I thought & think it is so crucial to let people know  to let their protein mix settle after blending it.  The magic bullet that was the craze for awhile is great as long as the mix is allowed to settle long enough so the bubbles don't become a bullet to your pouch..and beyond.           At the hospital, they usually start folks off on the CIB...I couldn't stand that stuff! So it is always a good thing to experiment and find your own tastes....and textures. One person's yummy protein pudding may be another persons 'Man this crap is too thick!' garbage. Myself, I would had been adding skim milk to the pudding mix....I couldn't have handled it thick. I can imagine your surprise when you went to 'drink' it though! LOL!!!    Sherri

Sherri, I'll have to look into that stuff, I know Meijer here in town has a great selection of DiVinci liquid flavorings!  Yeah, it never occurred to me to let the protein mixture settle, but after you mentioned it, I swear a 1000 watt lightbulb went off in my dim head and I thought "DUH!!!"...and like this morning, I blended it up and looked at all the foamy bubbles, and promptly stuck it in the fridge.  I was never offered CIB in the hospital...for liquids, it was Fruit20 or Crystal Light. I've heard so many conflicting opinions on it though, I think I'll stick with what I know tastes good!