ruh - roh!

As part of the pre-op process we meet with a Eating Behavior Specialist- which has been great- she is wonderfully helpful and compassionate. If we are 'breakfast skippers" she suggested drinking a protein shake in the morning which will get that meal in and get us to jump into the protein pool.

Well, the pool is disgusting. I tried my 1st dip this morning. Specifically with the widely adored mint cookie protein mix. How in the heck will I be able to choke this stuff down when I am nauseated with no appetite after surgery?!  The off-putting smell is a cross between medicine and cat food and this brand is supposed to be the best tasting.

I am in serious do-do.

Please tell me that after some practice these suckers get better.

I tried a LOT of samples.. the only ones post op I could handle were heavily diluted Syntrax Nectars and unflavored in other stuff.. A shaker cup with a small opening helps cut the smell, keeping them ice cold helps too.. I actually love my protein now, have it first thing in the am (Bfast skipper here) and look forward to them, but I make my own flavors many times.. good luck & get lots of samples!

I bought a sample pack of the nectars- those are next on my list.

I need to get a hermetically sealed cup to keep those 'vapors' from escaping! Yeesh!

Good to know that you actually look forward to them- there's hope! Thank you!

The only brand I could drink was Premier Protein RTD shakes.  They are pre made and cost a bit more than the mixes.....but they taste better (imo) and are very portable and don't need a fridge (although they taste better cold....like most things I guess).

You can get them at Costco or Sams Club.  I still have one each morning.

OMG, I hated protein shakes immediately post-op. I would literally gag when I took every sip of a protein shake. I remember I was shopping at Home Goods with my sister at about a week out and some guy say me gag after I took a sip of my Premier shake and he said, "Um, do you really have to torture yourself to drink whatever you are drinking"?? OMG, embarrassing.
But dang, I cannot believe you don't like the mint cookie shake. Did you mix it with milk, almond milk or water? 'Cause water ain't gonna work. It's got to have a creamier texture like almond milk which is low in calories & carbs.
I'm sure you will like something. Great idea about getting the Nectar samples. Keep us posted if you like any of them.

that's funny-
 at least you guys are making me feel better- I took a second sip of the mint and "heeve!!"  right into the kitchen sink- that shake went down the drain. I mixed it with 1% milk and even zinged a couple ice cubes in there too make it super cold- but alas... no go. I will try again tomorrow, just to be sure.

I am going to try the Roadside Lemonade nectar at lunch- we'll see how that goes. I'll keep ya posted!

the only flavor I can take with milk is orange/mango... otherwise I need to mix it with water & add stevia and tell myself its Kool AId...

I can drink the Isopure RTD watery stuff ONLY if its iced cold & I gulp it non stop.... since its been 90+ degrees thats not a biggie... not sure how I will deal with it next week when Im post op and not able to gulp...

The caribbean cooler with coconu****er is pretty good.  Tastes like a pina colada.  The Nectar's are pretty good because they dissolve completely...or maybe I'm just lucky and can tolerate them all...

Hope you find something you like...

You might want to try some of the broth versions (Health Wise and Unjury make them).

I promise you will find a protein shake that you like! There are SO many out there and your taste buds do change quite a bit after surgery. It is unpredictable how they will change. Everyone is different. That makes it hard to predict how any of them will taste after surgery.

My suggestion, which I sort of did, is to collect as many different samples of every kind of protein shake out there...ready made, powdered, concentrate, etc. Make sure the protein source is WHEY PROTEIN ISOLATE since that will be the best absorbed after surgery. You can try them now to get use to that for breakfast, but also you want to save that collection for after surgery and then try them all. Remember you can water them down or thin them with milk or water. If you get large jugs of protein powder, invest in the unflavored like Isopure or Syntrax Nectar. You can do anything with that and add it to anything after surgery so you won't waste it. There are a ton of ways to add flavors that are sugar free. My favorite is adding sugar free/fat free pudding mix to either the vanilla flavored or the unflavored. About 3 tablespoons added to 8 oz is yummy and you have lots of flavor choices.

Some quality brands I have tried and what I found:

Premier Protein Shakes (ready made from Cosco and Sam's) - very handy on the go. I have even used it in place of the milk when making Cream of Wheat (2 1/2 minute, whole grain) and really like it. Easy way to get some fiber.

Unjury - online at Unjury.com - they sell sample packs. I really like the chocolate splendor but found the strawberry sorbet to be ICK! They also have a chicken soup flavor that isn't bad. I'm just not into broths so much. They also have unflavored.

Isopure - They make powdered and clear. The clear ready made protein drinks (GNC) are kind of nasty but they got me through my 3 day clear liquid diet and many people like them after, especiall watered down. Isopure powder (Amazon.com sells it with free shipping) is also not a heavy gritty taste. It is very light. I liked it a lot before surgery with Torani SF syrup flavors in it. After surgery I am liking the thicker protein shakes more...go figure.

Syntrax Nectar (powdered, online) - They have a ton of flavors and sell samples. This is another thinner powder that to me tastes similar to Isopure. You really don't notice the unflavored powder. It doesn't change the taste of whatever you put it in. I have not tried their flavors it seems everyone finds a couple they like.

Remember that you get what you pay for. There might be cheaper brands but READ the labels. What other stuff do they have in there. This is your main source if nutrition at least for a while after surgery. So make sure it is quality that is recommended for those with bariatric surgery. They might be great source otherwise, but these are serving a specific purpose for us post op and really the rest of our lives possibly.

I hope that helps. You've got this!

I hope I find one- my thinking is that if I hate it before surgery, I'll detest it after- but *****ally knows! My taste buds could do a 180-

I am definately going to try the unjury- that seems to be popular. The weirdness with the smell/taste is definately something I need to get past but everyone's suggestions are very much appreciated. The unflavored you mention looks promising!!

Thank you!