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What is your favorite way to get protein?? I drink protein shakes, eat fish and other meats. Anyone have another way they like to get their protein??

My tip for hydration is to try different temperatures. I found that hot decaf tea with a splash of milk was much easier for me to drink than cold water. Also, one of my favorite options early on was tomato soup with a scoop of plain protein powder mixed in. I bought the organic brand with as little sugar and added ingredients as possible. The one protein shake I could tolerate longer term was Syntrax Nectar Naturals in orange flavor. It reminded me enough of orange juice that it felt like a treat for breakfast and the tanginess kept it from seeming too sweet.

This was really good. I cut the recipe in half and it’s still more than enough for one but not sure you could make much less in the blender and get any out. I didn’t think about it this time but I bet it would be good with the quest protein chips. I forgot the taco seasoning at first and it was good that way too. https://foodwithfeeling.com/cottage-cheese-queso/

Every doctor I've seen recommends whey isolate, but you should check with your dietician. Bone broth is collagen and that is not the same type of protein, at least as I recall it being explained. I was told I could have bone broth but that it doesn't count the same way. I do know, however, that certain brands might be making versions that have the missing amino acids, so that could be an option. Definitely ask a registered dietician or your bariatric team.

Will seriously need to try the sweet recipes. i swear I can smell it cooking with a sugary, buttery, cinnamon mix on it. I have never heard of / eaten squashes this way. Its always savory here. Always in soups or roasted.

Check with your Dr. There may be options to get you back on track and losing.

If you find some protein shakes are okay except they are too sweet try mixing them with coffee. This helps a great deal. Cold or hot. I mix iced coffee with a premiere protein caramel shake and it’s like an iced coffee. I actually kept this habit after all the others went out the window from my sleeve because I like them so much. Well that and the premiere protein caffe latte shake. I just prefer to mix my own now because I do decaf coffee and the caffe latte has caffeine. Both options are good but I’d say the caramel with coffee is less sweet of the two if sweetness is the issue. Also, the change in taste for sweet is often temporary so try again in a month or two and keep checking because this most likely will go away at some point.

Also 59 and agree it never hurts to ask. And if a revision isn’t an option (for whatever reason) ask about GLP-1 meds or other options available to you. You never know the answer if you don’t ask the question. All the best.

I make a roasted acorn squash last night with chicken for my husband and I and he really liked them. I went the more savory route. My dad makes a stuffed acorn squash recipe that is delicious but might need to be tweaked for newer surgery patients (like me), but I thought I would share since they seem to be a big hit!

I used to eat it a lot but stopped when I got obese (reckon that was a cottage cheese curse?). I eat it now but it has to always be savory. I make cottage cheese bowls with chili oil, cucumbers, roasted cherry tomatoes, black and white sesame seeds and herbs, I dollop that and top it with an over easy egg. I also like it with protein toast. I've never had the sweet version (I see people eating it with fruit, nuts and honey) but I don't think that will appeal to me. I also blend it with avocado, chili, lime, cilantro and salt and it makes a great topping or dipping sauce. If you want ideas on cottage cheese combos follow Toasted Table on Instagram, she's the reason I have consistently eaten cottage cheese since my VSG.

A hernia seems really unlikely if it doesn't hurt. To me it sounds more like a keloid, but I agree that the best option is to ask your doctor about it.

What about Milk? Fairlife makes both full fat and reduced fat milk that has extra protein in it. It's not as much as the protein drinks, but it's not that far off. Eggs might be another option? I couldn't tolerate and still don't care for scrambled, but over-easy and boiled eggs have worked well for me for a long time. On the hair loss thing: I don't really think protein intake makes a ton of difference honestly. At least if you are getting the minimum recommended amount per your surgeon. My point is that there are more factors at work here than just protein intake. For most people post weight loss surgery, at least some hair loss is inevitable. Stress and hormone imbalances probably contribute at least as much hair loss post bariatric surgery as protein intake issues. Keep in mind that any hair loss post-surgery is likely temporary, so you'll do yourself well by not stressing over something you may not have any control over. IMO, the bigger reason to focus on protein intake is because it will help stave off muscle loss. This is a bit overly simplistic, but the more muscle you maintain during your loss, the better your weight loss will be because it will help keep your metabolism up.

Coffee wasn’t restricted for me after WLS but I absolutely used the protein shake as creamer work around daily. It was the absolute best option to make sure I got all the protein I needed because coffee made me have even less of an appetite.

Roasting it! Steaming comes second. Winter squashes (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, pumpkins, etc.) provide a much better flavor if roasted I find. It brings out the flavors and you can serve them so many ways. For sweet I usually do cinnamon and clove with a bit of maple syrup l. For savory I like to do garlic and onion powder, salt, pepper and then the last few minutes broil with some kind of cheese.

Hello! My dietitian has been preparing me for the pre op diet for months now. I started it on 10/8. My surgery is on 10/22. The first few days weren't that bad, but around day 4-5 I was really hungry and craving my go to foods of cheesy-type stuff. I missed just being able to eat savory foods. I reached out to my dietitian and she said I was ok to drink some pickle juice and even eat one. It has helped tremendously. She even said if the craving is too much I could eat a small piece of lean protein, as the pre op diet is really a liver shrinking, high protein, low carb diet. I have stuck to just a couple pickles, but it is really hard. I suggest keeping in contact with your care team. They are very helpful. This diet is not easy. I am struggling and just want to eat a bowl of macaroni and cheese! Good luck on your surgery!

Thank you both so much for sharing flir stories and wisdom. I meet w the doc tomorrow to discuss options. In the meantime I was due for my wegovy shot on Thurs. Have been ravenous since Sat evening. Which is making me painfully aware that I may need a more permanent solution cause what if something changes and I no longer can get the meds via insurance. It's a lot to process. But now I guess I need to research more about sleeve vs band vs other options. Thanks again. Gina.

Some people can just have a taste but I learned after my sleeve that I am not one of them. I can’t have one slice of pizza or one brownie. Even if I manage to have just one that day I will crave more unhealthy stuff the following days. At bedtime I have been doing the sugar free popsicles. That seems to be working. If you have actual hunger then something with protein would be a better option. Like a Greek yogurt maybe. Can you budget the calories so you can do that. I think the triple zero is only like 80 calories. That should keep you full through the night though.

Plus it will give you options. Sometimes it’s good to switch it up just because of boredom but it also uses different muscles and all of that. Not to mention little things like a blister or a strained muscle or whatever may slow you down if you only have one option, but sometimes another option will do. That’s what I have found anyways. Congratulations on your loss and feeling the energy to get back to your activity.

@SpartanMaker I love butterscotch! Sounds delicious!! My go to's are: 1Cup FF Fairlife 1C Unsweetened Almond milk 1Tbl of FF SF pudding mix 1 scoop of Isopure- usually vanilla or chocolate Swerve to taste *if I do chocolate I'll add PB2 for a peanut butter taste Or Ill just do a fairlife protein shake and add the pudding mix My favorite one that I made thus far has been: 120ml of lite unsweetened coconut milk 285mil of unsweetened almond milk 1 scoop of vanilla isopure 1tbls of SF FF chocolate fudge pudding mix 1 tsp of cake batter extract 1 tsp of raw cacao 1tbls of swerve brown sugar The coconut milk really elevates the flavor and creaminess. Its higher in calories but in my option worth it! My recipes always makes 2 large servings!

Gastric Balloon placed on Oct 24th. Sleep is the only thing saving me mentally right now. I was so good with my preOp diet- and thought I'd be great postOp....nope. Protein shakes- my go to is Protein Premier....and trying Isopure flavored drinks make me feel like barf! Drinking electrolyte water is good, but Gatorade zero is kinda barf to me too. I guess the thickness of those makes it hard on me. So my brain is like, sip some water to get that thickness feeling in my throat away. Mental battle is....I want savory- but bone broth is nasty to me. I want some protein mashed potatoes- so I ordered some from this websites store. Hopefully they are delicious. Headed to my followup tomorrow with my surgeon. Praying I get a clearance for my puree/soft food stage. Pretty excited to see my current weight at 214! I am looking forward to feeling physically up to and not feeling like gaggin' with liquids in my stomach. I look forward to getting back to exercising which will help a lot...especially with my mental health- to get out and feel alive again Whats your suggestions on pureed meat.. I was thinking some of those bariatricpal mash potatoes and puree up some ground turkey with taco seasoning. nom nom...can you tell I'm eggar for the next food stage

Got the cheesecake flavor and made it with fair life and it’s so thick and sweet I can’t have more than a teaspoon sofar only savory option is Panera broccoli cheddar soup from which I pick out the veggies and have 4 oz

Well if you’re only eating one salad every two days and buying another on the third you are probably eating too little calories and your body is in starvation mode which sometimes you can actually gain. BUT, if you were to eat THAT same salad a couple of times a day and had breakfast too you would probably be eating too many calories to lose. Salad is very deceiving. They can actually have more calories than a bacon cheeseburger meal if you just add the good tasting stuff without measuring and counting and nutrition wise you aren’t getting a whole lot of what you need in a tiny portion of one salad as prepared. If I was you I would talk to a dietician about what choices are healthier options and how much protein you need. What you’re eating even though it’s a salad which sounds good is not the most nutritious option. First start by measuring and tracking what you’re having in an app. You would be surprised what you learn about what you eat by doing that. Most prepared salads have more than a serving of things like full fat cheese and croutons and the dressing packets they give you is far more than one serving as well. it sounds kinda silly but if you bring home your favorite salad and take the time to deconstruct it just once you can measure each thing and figure out exactly what’s in it (assuming they make it the same way each time). It’s always best to make your salad at home if possible so you can use lean or reduced fat protein and lower calorie dressings and choose healthier toppings but if you have to get it while your out you can use less of the dressing and ask for them to go light on the cheese and skip the croutons. Also, opt for grilled chicken and if possible ask for an extra fillet of chicken or two and add that to your leftover lettuce for your next meals. I do that at chic fila all the time. I make two meals out of a salad by getting a second fillet of chicken and making a grilled chicken Cesar salad with my leftover lettuce. But your focus will always need to be protein first since you do have a tiny stomach. Ask your doctor your personal goal but You should get probably be getting around 3-4oz of lean protein a meal and then fruit and veggies and then the lettuce is a filler if you have room. I prefer to bring my salad home so I can take off all the toppings and add just a tiny bit of lettuce and put that into a container. I prefer the toppings to the lettuce anyways. Also a good way to use less dressing is to mix any salad in a bowl like you would do ceaser salad and you get a bit on all the lettuce using less than you would if you just pour it over. And try to avoid the sodas like mentioned above. If you must eat and don’t enjoy water, try to find a drink mix that you like and keep a box of drink packets in your car to grab when you go in. Order water and mix in your drink packet. It’s way less calories and it’s cheaper. Note that the drink packets do have artificial sweeteners and there is evidence they aren’t the best for you either so plain water is best but they do have some made with stevia which my dietician says is the best option if I must have them. Tru lemon is one of the better ones. So many of us think we are making good choices when we are eating a salad or soup but they are not all created equal. And just eating a tiny portion of a less nutritious food isn’t the best option because you may lose weight this way but you’re not getting all the vitamins and protein your body needs. If you don’t get enough protein you may actually just be losing muscle mass and as we get older that is really hard to build back up. If you aren’t doing strength training this can be really bad. Measuring and putting things Into the Baritastic app and really looking at how much protein is In something and how much fat and carbs are in there as well as added sugars has really helped me to learn what foods are more nutritious choices. I think my protein goal with my sleeve was 60 grams minimum and with the SADI revision it is 90 grams. I was told that protein was the very most important thing but you also need to get fruits and veggies for the vitamins. And check your labs regularly to make sure you are getting what you need. I hope this helps.

Great ideas above but if that doesn’t work for you or for others reading this later, What if you were to just divide your alloyed macros or calories into meals/snacks. Like if you were allowed 1200 a day you do meals around 300 calories and 3 100 calorie snacks. For macros just don’t routinely eat any food over X grams of fat or added sugar. You can break it up differently. I did a protein shake for breakfast so I could have what felt like a little more substantial lunch and dinner. It should’ve be as hard forever. Once you figure out a handful meals that are within this plan you most likely will just sorta remember what meals work. I know I did and I live my life by alarms and reminders. Sometimes I joke that if my alarm didn’t tell me to wake up one day I just may not…ever. That’s how reliant I am on them. Anyways, I have a handful of my common meals that I know will work if I don’t have time to think about things. And if I’m having a less ideal lunch then I already know it’s chicken breast of fish for dinner with a veggie. Every meal for me has protein unless it’s a real odd day out and then I do my best to make up for it with a Greek yogurt or shake for snack. Another option would be to do the guess work the night before and pre plan what you eat the next day. You can play around with options and log it all into Baritastic or another calorie tracker app and know if it fits you plan and then just eat what’s on your list the next day. That may actually take a little stress out of it as well just having the decisions already made the day before. The meal prep mentioned before seems like a great way to achieve this as well. I know that I have single serve meals like that in the freezer. My regular and chicken chili are really great because they can even be defrosted in the microwave so they are good for days with zero planning or time.

Lucky kids to be growing up tasting healthier options. I know firsthand that those habits are difficult to change.

Not sure what your coverage is for them but I strongly suggest you talk to your doctor about the GLP-1 if eating different is the cause for regain. Your tool is still there, you most likely just need help switching your diet back and the GLP-1 should take your appetite away almost completely making that a great deal easier. I have a friend that lost all of her weight and was actually losing too much and had to back off of them because she wasn’t getting enough nutrition. I had to keep reminding her to get in her protein and fluids. She has great coverage for them through her work insurance (she pays $25). I actually wanted to do them when I did my revision this year but I didn’t have adequate coverage for them and financially they just weren’t an option so I went for the revision. I talked to my doctor about waiting but she thought it would be a couple years before anything changed in terms of coverage and my labs were creeping up so waiting wasn’t a good idea. I am doing great in terms of weight loss but faced with another medical issue now, the gastro changes I’ve had aren’t making things any easier for me. Losing the weight is for sure the goal but if you can do it without surgery that’s always better. As far as I know revision is for people who gain without any real known reason. You are saying that you’re eating different for an emotional reason so you probably just need help changing back to your better habits both mentally and physically. Honestly, I think the GLP-1 will be the first option for many people in the very near future. They are considered safer at this point. It’s just a matter of them becoming more accessible for people. Take it with a grain of salt but it’s something I would at least consider before jumping to the surgery option.