when did you begin eating lettuce again?

 I really am missing a crisp green salad.  I don't see it on the list of foods to begin eating.  I know there are a lot of empty calories in lettuce and we need to focus on protein first.    Is there a time frame when it is safe to start enjoying a green salad again?  I can add grilled chicken or grilled fish to the salad.  Or even a lettuce wrap?  

Actually, there are very few calories in lettuce (and in many/most salad veggies)... and almost no nutritional value of any kind.   The problem, though, is that the lettuce takes up a lot of pouch space while offering no nutrition (and, contrary to what many people believe, very little fiber) and you need that space for protein.

I was allowed to start eating lettuce (but encouraged to avoid it for the reasons stated above) at a month or two out.

Lora

 My doctor say's I can begin eating lettuce at three months post op. 

I am like you, I have really been missing a good salad, I know I will not be able to eat
very much due to pouch size, but I just really want a bite. LOL

I was allowed all green leafy veggies at 7 days post-op, not that I ate much of it because once I ate protien first there wasn't much room for anything else.  Lora is right there isn't much nutritional value to lettuce, if/when you try it be sure that it's after you eat your fish or chicken.

 you may find that once you do eat it that it does not sit right.  I have problems with iceberg.  

I always love having veggies or a salad with my protein because I can't stand to just eat meat.

Fortunately, I was cleared to eat everything just 6-days post-op and I've eaten lettuce, sauteed onions, snow peas, mushrooms, brocolli, beans, zucchini, carrots so far without any issue.  Just make sure you chew everything well before it goes down the hatch.  

If I don't get in all my protein through food, then in the evening I take a protein shot (26g protein).  

 Those protein shot you are relying on to make up your protein deficit are useless.  They do not have all the amino acids needed for your body to absorb the protein.  They are primarily collagen with just a small amount of whey protein.  So you are getting maybe a couple of grams of protein, NOT 26.

Lora

I brought the body fortress protein box containing the ingredients to my doctor and he and the nutritionist both told me that the shots would be just fine for me to supplement my protein until I'm able to get my protein through food intake which I'm now able to do.  

I also purchased the Baractric Advantage brand of protein shot, but those shots taste even worse than the Body Fortress brand.

Below are the ingredients of the Body Fortress shots:

Purified Water, Proprietary Protein Blend (Hydrolyzed Collagenic Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate, Casein Protein Isolate), Malic Acid, Branched Chain Amino Acids (Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine), Natural Flavors, FD&C Red 40, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose.

Maybe not all of protein absorbs, as you suggested, but it's better than nothing during those early stages when it's hard to get anything more than liquids down.  I couldn't get the protein shakes down because they made me feel too full.

Not much better than nothing.  The PDCAAS score of these shots/bullets is less than 1 on a scale of 0 - 100!  S if you get only 1% of the protein absorbed, tht's almost nothing.

Did you ask your surgeon and nutritionist about the amino acid issue (having SOME of them is not enough... your body requires ALL of them for it to be a complete protein and therefore absorbable)?  Most surgeons and nutritionists, if asked, admit that they are not even aware of it.

Lora

Hi Lora,

I didn't ask my surgeon or nutritionisht about the amino acids because I'm not that educated on all the things that our bodies no longer absorb, or what it needs in order to maximize absorption of protein...etc...though, I'm getting more educated through posts like yours.

I'm surprised that my surgeon and nutritionist would not know what you mentioned about the amino acids and that I'm absorbing less than 1% of protein with the Body Fortress shot.  I have my 2-week post-op appointment tomorrow and will ask for more clarification as to why they think it's okay given the absorption issues you noted.

Do you know of a protein shot that does absorb in bodies post-RNY?

I tried the Baractric Advantage protein shot exlixir, but can't stomach the taste.  I'm able to get my protein in now through food, but I'd like to have a staple go-to protein shot for those days I just can't get the protein in.

Any suggestions?

Dana