Okay, now I understand the protein thang.

Everybody kept saying get your protein first and you won't have room for anything else.

Well, I am finally beginning to understand.  Today was the first day that I was so tired of shakes (waiting for my new shipment to come and the vanilla I have is bleah), that I got up and ate two eggs for breakfast, chicken tortilla soup for lunch (with one ounce of chicken in it) and an ounce of cheese, salmon for dinner and... I was coming up short on calories but WAY short on protein.  

For my snack I had some Whole Foods Artichoke Spinach dip, which is mainly spinach with just enough "stuff" to hold it together, bits of artichoke and seasonings. It was SO good. I have been craving veggies and it just hit the spot.  I ate 4 tablespoons which is 90 calories, 8 carbs, 6 fats and 2 proteins.  Sigh. I have been craving veggies but clearly I am going to have to step up with the shakes or find ways to add protein powder to them.

Getting 80 grams of protein without shakes will take some doing. 

I know it has been said to make a meal plan...  right now I'm just kind of trying different things, then plugging them into myfitnesspal to see where I stand.  I think I'll probably have a better idea how to plan soon, but tonight I'm going to bed with only 60 grams of protein and tomorrow will buy some sort of protein shake to hold me over until my Unjury order arrives.

Learning process. Yeah.

I'm almost 9 months out ans I still have a hard time getting in 60 grams of protein so I have to drink a protein shake to get anywhere from 60-80 grams of protein a day. Kaiser wants me off shakes but I enjoy my daily shake and will continue to drink one.

Did you get your sleeve through Kaiser?

When I started out vanilla was the only thing that sounded okay to me.  Now I'm so sick of it, I could spit!  I did order a cannister of it from Unjury, but I also ordered their Chocloate Splendor (which I was craving today) and Strawberry Sorbet.  I just need some variety.

Yes, I got my sleeve thru Kaiser Harbor City even though I was originally told I was going to go thru Fountain Valley Regional Hospital but then several appt.'s opened thru Kaiser so I opted to go thru Kaiser instead. 
You definitely need to find a protein shake that you like.  I use chocolate protein power but I also use 1 serving of PB2 so it tastes like a chocolate peanut butter shake and it's yummy.  Just keep trying to find a shake that works for you.  It only took me over 7 months to find one I really liked! 
:)

Only seven months, is that all?  LOL

You know, there may be some I like better than Unjury before it's over, but after trying their samples, their choc, strawberry and vanilla were so much better than what I have here or had tried from other samples that I ordered them.  And of course I love being able to stir the unflavored Unjury into stuff to up the protein.

Lots of people on this board that are 6+ months out still have protein shakes sometimes to get their protein in. At six weeks out, I pretty much have a shake in the mornings on weekdays, because otherwise it's almost impossible to plan enough protein through my day. On the weekends I can usually get it in without a shake, but even then it takes planning.

You'll figure out what works for you. You're still very early out... heck, I'm still early out! Now's the time for us to be figuring out what works for us, our bodies, and our daily routines.

Yep. Definitely a learning process.

Yes, I'm very early on.  I expected to still be on full liquids at this point, and instead I'm eating just about anything. When my doc told me last week to start solids I was startled but I kept testing little things and finally realized, you know what? It's working. So yay for me, and now I'm doing what I didn't expect to do until June, as far as working out daily routines and such.

I'll just take deep breaths and remind myself that it IS still early and it's okay if I miss something here and there while I'm learning.

Thanks.

Please be careful with the working out and all that.  A good-size chunk of people here were not cleared for anything beyond walking until six weeks out.  Just because it doesn't hurt when you do it, doesn't mean it's not slowing down your healing or doing some small damage that may add up to more.

Not trying to sound preachy... but it's easy to get carried away and end up with a real problem on your hands.

Oh, I'm not working out.  He just told me to start eating food.

Although (oh goodness) I have probably done stuff I shouldn't in the yard, pulling a few heavy pots around to get more sun.  My husband was upset with me, and... okay.  I won't do any of THAT again!

Since your craving veggies, why try something steamed or roasted.   From 6 weeks out I have left just enough room to have 3-4 bites of veggies.  For example, tonight I had 2 oz grilled salmon and 1 ounce grilled yellow squash and onions.

I wouldn't call a dip, Veggies persae.  As the others have said, I have a shake daily.  First thing in the morning works for me.  I put a 1/4 of a fozen banana into a blender with ice and a chocolate premier mix with a teaspoon of decaf coffee.  It's great... Reminds me of the frappacino's I had a crack addiction to.  You can also try SF Torani flavorings.

Its amazing you can eat two eggs, why not add some turkey sausage with one egg?  I really had to learn how to plan as well!  Took me a few weeks, but now got it done pretty well.

Oh another suggestion, I take turkey lunch meat, harvarti cheese, and wrap it around peeled cucumbers.  Helps with the veggy craving.