Can't Get Enough Protein And Water

Hi everyone. I guess you could say I'm a newbie. I was here probably back in 2005 when I had the Lap Band, but couldn't find my login info from that time. They were never able to settle on the correct fill level for me, so I had them remove the band and give me the sleeve. I'm in the 7th week post VSG. I'm struggling to get the water and the required amount of protein in. I'm feeling abdominal tightness and heaviness before I get 2 ounces in. I'm trying to stay in ketosis, so that's just protein. If I just stop when I feel uncomfortable, I'll never make the total for protein for the day. It's really mostly baked fish, turkey cold cuts, and peanut butter for now. I'm not even having chicken, beef, or pork yet. Since I have to get as close to the total protein as possible, I've been having a lot of misery but thankfully no vomiting yet. I've mentioned this to the dietitian, the PA, and the surgeon. No one is at all concerned at this point. Any suggestions on how to get the protein in? The protein shakes are not much easier. An 8.5 ounce shake will take me 1.5 hours. 64 ounces of water? Yeah, right! Needless to say, there is no room for vegetables/fiber so you can just about guess the other problem I'm having. I'm very discouraged. Only 20 pounds down and I'm in my 7th week. A couple of people say I look smaller, so maybe I lost a few inches. Or they're just being nice because they see my suffering. I never measured my starting inches, but my clothes aren't that loose. I've also had esophageal spasms so I take the Hyoscyamine when needed. The scale has been stuck for weeks, and I'm a bit weak from lack of protein, but I do what I can exercise-wise. Has anyone else had these problems? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

Seven weeks out from surgery is not that long eating dense protein can be rough. The crockpot can be your friend.. it keeps things moist. Don't be afraid of Greek yogurt. Lots of protein and goes down easy. Keto doesn't mean no carbs. I know yogurt has some, but it's worth it.

keep trying Protein. Vitamin Shop and GNC will return open protein if you don't like it. 30 days with receipt.

Schedule. I know I had to keep water on my bedside and start drinking as soon as I opened my eyes in the beginning.

Good Luck

Thanks. I'm so discouraged because it was my understanding that we lose the most at the beginning and then it tapers off. So my weight loss will get even slower. I was thinking I should have gone for the RNY. I didn't want to have anything switched around but at least I would be able to see results. That would motivate me. I'm super bummed because my lousy insurance had a no bariatric surgery clause, which meant it wasn't touching anything to to with bariatrics, labs nothing. I should have gone to Mexico but had it in New York. I could have bought a car instead, or even a small house down south. I'm only able to consume 50 or even sometimes 40 grams of protein per day. I don't want to lose my hair so I know I have to get more in. I'll try the Greek yougurt. I had tried it before during mushies, but the plain one is an acquired taste. I know I should be able to drink faster since I have a sleeve, but how fast were you able to drink a bottle of water in the beginning? Did it get faster as time went on? Thanks for letting me vent. I'm taking your suggestions. I have my water bottle here and I'm sipping as I type this. I guess there's no harm in taking a few sips if I get up at night to go to the bathroom too. Thank you so much!

Hugs...

Yes you tend to lose more in the beginning but the beginning is not just one month- it?s more like 9 months to a year. Not everyone loses big right out of the gate, doesn?t mean you won?t get there.

I know a young girl who screwed around her first 3 years after VSG, lost some but only maybe a third of what she needed, and then lost it all in year 4. She got her head on straight and still had a tool.

I prefer plain yogurt because then I can flavor how I choose- if I want more than sweetener and vanilla extract, SF pudding powder is a good add-in. One TBSP is 25 calories. Personal favorite lemon.

I also use the yogurt to make chicken salad, tzasiki sauce, ranch dip... so just more convenient to have plain.

I did count all liquids towards my liquid count for a long time- so it included my protein drink, coffee etc. obviously further out that?s not necessary.

Be consistent. It will happen.

I am obviously from NY too, so I know paying for your own surgery doesn?t come cheap.

What protein shakes are you trying? There are clear protein drinks you can try if shakes feel too thick. Also, your protein drinks count against your 64oz of liquid. But if you want the constipation to get better, increasing liquid is a big part of that. Best of luck..I'm sorry you're having a tough time.

Hi. I tried Premier Protein, Isopure, and a host of others. Either they were oversweetened with artificial sweeteners or I hated the taste, or they contained carrageenan which I'm trying to avoid. I'm currently using Unjury ready to drink shakes and also their powders including their unflavored one. For the constipation, I saw that a lot of folks like Smooth Move tea. I bought a box of it but then noticed that some people had severe cramping to the point of passing out. I became too terrified to drink it. To complicate things further, I'm even still trying to find a safe sweetener that tastes good, but it seems that all they can offer bariatric patients are either fake overly sweet artificial sweeteners or incredibly bitter natural sweeteners. I know I'll have to quit being so fussy and picky, or I'll never succeed. I feel like just grabbing some Haagen Dazs, but I'm hanging in there. Thanks.

Agree the shakes can be grossly sweet. I cut my isopure with the fairlife skim milk to dilute and add coffee?the bitterness counters the sweetness. I don?t like artificial sweeteners either, but I?ll tolerate them once a day if it mean****ting my protein needs. I find it annoying that all the bariatric stuff is so sweetened?I guess they think all fat people are sugar monsters who will die if we don?t have something sweet in our mouth (I mostly got fat on the savory kind of carbs).

Why not just drink Fairlife skim milk? It has none of the artificial sweeteners, or carrageenan. Or eat Icelandic skyrr (like Siggis or Icelandic provisions)?neither have artificial sweeteners or thickeners.

I have the same Smooth Move story as you. Ordered some and then started reading he amazon reviews. I threw it out and am glad I didn?t try it. To make the constipation go away, you?re going to have to find a way drink more. You can use miralax and MoM, but increased water is needed even for these to work well.

I hadn't heard of Icelandic skyrr. I'll look for it. I'm better on the water today. I'll see if that helps on its own. Thanks for the great ideas.

Try different shakes - different protein powders, different powder to liquid ratio. Set a timer for every 10 minutes to remind yourself to drink. It's your number one job right now. Don't force yourself to eat more solid food than is comfortable - you might be better with liquids for longer. Yogurt might be a good option to try as well.

I worry about protein requirements because I don't want to lose my hair. I also feel weak a lot of the time. I've always hated drinking water but I'm doing better with it today. I was so happy to leave liquids and mushies, so I could have real food but I guess there's no rush. I'll keep trying with the shakes and see what happens. Thanks so much.