Regained weight after RNY, need help to get back on track
Kudos to you for getting back in the ring! You can do this, and we are rooting for you. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Now, to answer the question you didn't really ask, this sounds like a diet to me, and diets don't work. I would figure out the calories and protein in the shakes and duplicate it with FOOD! I don't see the advantage of shakes over food, other than the fact that it's easier and quicker for the nurse to tell you to drink shakes than it is to help you come up with a food plan. I could be wrong, but I bet your bariatric nurse has never had a problem with her weight. Why do some medical professionals persist in the idea that dieting will resolve our food issues? If that were the case, none of us would be here having this discussion. We'd all be out shopping for size 6 jeans and forgetting to eat.
To answer your actual question, I have been told that whey protein is what we absorb best. The "nectar" line of Syntrax brand is my personal fave, but Unjury is another one I like. Also Pure Protein, which is available in most grocery stores (at least around here), has decent stats and acceptable flavor. More commercially popular brands like Muscle Milk are too high in calories, and often lower in protein. There are some powders especially formulated for bariatric patients, but they are more expensive, and I think it's more of a marketing ploy than an actual difference in how well they work for us. But then, I am a cynical girl.
Congrats on your baby! Now, stop beating yourself up. Time to put on the big girl panties and deal with the issue at hand.
Respectfully, what you were told about "meal replacement" shakes is a bunch of hooey. If you LIKE depriving yourself AND feeling hungry, well, I guess it is a way to go. But this far out, you basically lose weight just like all the other non-surgically altered people on the planet. TAKE IN LESS THAN YOU BURN= WEIGHT LOSS.
You are a smart person and already KNOW everything you are doing wrong. You also KNOW what you need to do...but you are struggling with the required commitment. Only you can be motivated to do this, and only you can find the inspiration to get there. Here are a few tips to help you out:
1) Begin tracking everything you put into your mouth. You can do that here on OH in the Health Tracker, or mobile apps like myfitnesspal.com.
2) Determine your RMR http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php
3) Set your daily caloric level at your RMR - 500. This will set you up to lose 1 lb per week, which is the safest level to shoot for AND it will give you enough food so you don't feel deprived.
4) Make 100-120 grams of protein per day your goal. I eat a 6-7 oz chicken breast grilled every single day. That alone is 53 grams of protein, and it is real food so I feel full.
5) Eat 6-7 small meals each day. This will keep your blood sugar level and will keep you feeling full.
6) Exercise. Everyday. At least 30 minutes. If your heart rate is up and you are sweating, you are good. Don't make excuses to skip it. You have the same 24 hours in the day that I do....make you and your health a PRIORITY. You deserve that and owe it to yourself.
7) Follow the rules of your surgery. Do not drink with meals and do not drink for at least 30 minutes afterward. Limit simple carbs and sugar, but don't completely eliminate them. If you do, you'll feel deprived, and we all know how well that has worked for us in the past.......
8) Come here for support. We are here for you.
At some point you probably started putting other's needs before your own and slowly moved you as a priority down the list. You must be selfish to a certain extent to maintain your weight loss and good health. And let's face it, you are going to be better at everything you do in a healthy, fit body. No one benefits from you being unhealthy and unhappy with yourself.
You really have to make the commitment to a healthy life as much of a family dynamic as possible. I'm not saying force everyone to eat the way you do or to exercise, but try to "bring them into it" by making meal planning and cooking a family affair, and making exercise something you do together.
You did this before, you can do it again. Aren't you worth that effort? Hugs.
I GAINED WEIGHT BACK AFTER HAVING MY BABY TOO. I HAVE BEEN TO MY SURGEON'S OFFICE 6-7 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR. My baby is a year and a half old now. I am still up 35-40 pounds. I was never told to stop eating food! I've seen the nutritionists, the surgeon, hired a personal trainer. I've had two scopes and an upper GI to make sure everything physically was ok. My pouch is still small. Surgeon put me on Adipex over the holidays. I lost 15 pounds. Back to the surgeon's office today. Good luck to you!
