4 month labs -- interesting !!!

OK.  I admit it.  I don't take my vitamins often enough.  Like, if I'm really good about it, I take them maybe once a week.  So when my surgeon suggested doing labs, I figured that I would just say ok, and bite the vitamin bullet, and find out how low I can go......

And to my surprise, so far, my labs are not bad at all !!! 

I do not and have never drank protein shakes or drinks.  The artificial sweetners make me vomit. So this is 100% on what foods I eat. 

My Vit D is low normal , which was higher than it was pre op !!! Pre op, I was prescribed weekly vit D for very low off the chart low Vit D. 

My calcium has not dropped at all.  Potassium was normal, vit B-12 was unchanged.  Everything so far has come back quite "normal". 

I will try to get in more vitamins....I know I should. But knowing that what I am eating is supplying my body with enough of the basics is a really neat outcome !!!! 

Do you mind telling me what you eat to get in your protein intake??

Excellent!  So now you can only get more healthy.  After my surgery, I had to go on the Vitamin D too.

 That's great to hear because I'm terrible about taking my vitamins too!  I just forget and I've always been like that so it's going to take some time to fix that.  I drink protein drinks as much as possible but (while I do manage to keep them down) I don't enjoy them much at all so I don't manage to drink them every day.  I'm coming up on my four months too so we'll see how that goes. :)

 I would love to know your diet in case I cant stomach the nasty protein stuff.

Awesome news for you!!!

As a person who doesn't do protein drinks because they make me sick, I would strongly urge anyone who is pre-op and just post-op to DO YOUR PROTEIN SHAKES!!!! While I have my opinions and done research on amounts of protein needed, I feel very strongly that for the first six months, atleast, you need to get as much as you can and very few will be able to get it without protein shakes. Please don't take the example of one person who has gotten by without them. You and your surgery are different from every other and you may not be able to do without them and be healthy.

I also strongly urge anyone to stay on vitamins. In general, you are much better taking too much than too little and if you get behind too far it can be dangerous and difficult to get back ahead and maintain your health.

I will say for me, I am able to eat all my protein but I think on my absolute best day, I have gotten 75 grams in. That is very difficult and takes extreme meal planning. On a bad day, I may only get 30 grams in and yes that is far too few. It can be very dangerous and should not be taken lightly. If you do intend to not drink protein drinks, please talk to your nutrionist so that he or she can tell you how ignorant that will be at first.

That is a good warning. So what kinds of foods have helped you meet your protein intake?

Thats easy....meat...all kinds....lol...

I start my day with 1 egg(from the chickens in the yard), generally 2 links of turkey sausage or 2 pieces of center cut bacon(cooked on a George Foreman or in paper towels in the microwave to drain/absord as much fat as possible).  I have a snack of lunch meat mid morning, then early lunch I will cook either chicken, beef or fish/shrimp on the foreman grill, usually about 4 ounces which takes me two seatings of about 30 minutes each to eat.  I only choose the most lean cuts of meat, whichever it may be.  After I eat all of that (and wait) which usually is about 2 in the afternoon, I snack again on some lunch meat or twice weekly I eat a fruit like an apple, banana, or orange.  For dinner it is another grilled or baked meat.  Sometimes I will stuff the meat with some cheese and bake it.  I'll snack about an hour later on either some more lunch meat or once or twice weekly some peanut butter.

Also, even though milk seems to not agree with my stomach anymore, I have been able to add about 1-2 ounces to each cup of coffee throughout the day.  Since on an average day I drink atleast 12 cups of coffee and often times twice that, I can get in an extra up to 24 grams of protein just from the milk.  Not to mention the added benefit of calcium and all the other goodies.  I do only drink fat free milk.  I do not use any sugar but do use two splenda packets per pot of coffee.  The milk sweetens it up enough with its sugar, which is more carbs than I wanted, but I am ok with that since it is giving me a source of protein throughout the day.

I also will try atleast twice weekly to incorporate some beans into a meal.  Sometimes I will do more than that.  Like last night, I had fajita meat with beans and topped with fat free cheese.  Great complete source of protein and if prepared properly, low in fat.

Doing this without protein shakes is very very difficult at this stage and I'd say I don't reach my recommended 65 grams on about 1/3 of the days.  While that is obviously a problem, I feel comfortable with it knowing that the added milk to my coffee gives me a source of protein throughout the day.  I do not recommend anyone take this as advice on how to treat their post-op.  I can't stress enough how important it is to set your own plan with your surgeon and nutrionist and stick to it.  For example, mine would kill me for doing this my way.  But I have researched and feel comfortable doing this.  I have discussed this with a friend and doctor who I respect very much and am under his advisement on my diet.  Unless you have the same, please don't try to get away without protein shakes until you get advised to do so.

 Thank you for the reply.  I think I have ordered samples of every protein product under the moon. LOL I know if none of them taste ok I will have a really hard time following the diet.

Wish me luck that my protein journey won't be filled with nastiness ;D

One thing to remember is that your tastes will change after surgery and what is good now for you may be bad later, so don't buy any big containers just yet.