Question for those 6+ months out

[scgal21]

I'm curious how many people that are out 6 months or more are relying on protein drinks or getting their protein from food sources. I'm almost 5 mo out and only have a protein shake occasionally (or protein bar). I can get my 80g per day with careful eating, and supplement when I have trouble getting enough protein. I'm wondering if the ones still drinking shakes vs. the ones getting it from food are more successful in their weight loss.

[Shugaplum]

I very rarely do protein shakes anymore. I snack on or just eat high protein foods and that seems to be working for me. I am just now 6 mo out, but I am fighting a huge stall at the moment! Blah!

[jerzeygirl]

I rarely rely on protein shakes anymore, as I didn't like them when that was the only things I could eat/drink..lol... I will suppliment on busy days or those days when I'm not hungry (which is often). I rely on foods that contain protein and snacks that are protein, i.e., nuts, cheese sticks, yogurt, etc. Continued success and I personally think that it makes that much difference to the success of the program since it's not a diet, but a lifestyle change.

[leesooim]

I wouldn't say I rely on them, but I do tend to have one in the morning at least 4-5 days a week. Why? It's quick, easy and I dislike most breakfast foods. Eggs make me gag, and sit painfully in my stomach ever since surgery, and I was never a fan of oatmeal or sausage.

When I get sick of protein shakes though, I don't worry that I won't meet my protein goal. I tend to eat dinner foods at any hour of the day, so it's not unusual for me to munch on chicken, pork or beef 3 times a day either lol. I also try to stick to complex carb foods that are higher in protein like beans (esp. soy) and plain Greek yogurt. Currently I am fighting a stall/water retention, so I can't say if my diet needs serious re-evaluation or not. Lucky for me, I meet with a new nutritionist in about an hour, so maybe I'll get some answers/tips there lol.

[Dee Leshuz]

Do you like yogurt, lee? That 22 grams of protein that I get from Greek yogurt helps me out a lot for the day ahead.

[leesooim]

I really don't like yogurt, but I've been incorporating it into my diet more and more just so I can have more options. The fruity ones have too much sugar for my liking though. I am going to try plain this weekend

[Dee Leshuz]

That's what I eat-plain Greek yogurt, no sugar, it can be made either sweet or savory.

[jerzeygirl]

I love the plain non-fat greek yogurt. I eat it every morning w/fresh berries and some low-fat granola. I heard Dr. Oz eats the same for breakfast, so it must be healthy I also make dips, both sweet and spicy w/the yogurt and dip chicken, fruit; depending on what's being dipped determines the sweet or savory of the dip.

[Dee Leshuz]

Granola tends to have a lot of sugar in it; do you make your own?
2 chocolate calcium chews, so so. The caramel, lemon, and cherry are much better.

[Shoppingbeemom]

I drink New Whey, I get my water and my protein in for the day. I often don't get hungry and it makes sure I get what I need. I like yogurt too and started making my own ( Greek yogurt ).

[leesooim]

So interesting visit with my new nutritionist today. This woman is an RN and a dietician, and all 3 of her daughters struggle with weight (one actually had lap band performed), so I really liked where she was coming from and her background.

I told her how I've been stuck and ping-ponging for the last 6 weeks or so and not sure what to do. It was fascinating to listen to her philosophy about foods and proteins. She told me that the recommended 60 - 80 grams of protein a day is not really grounded in concrete hardcore science (yes, there are tons of nutrition articles out there, etc), and that excess protein gets stored as fat (well obviously, since calories are in protein, fat and carbs and ALL excess calories are stored as fat!). The reason that struck a chord with me though is this:

Her suggestion? Cut back on the amount of protein I eat per meal. Instead of shooting for 80 grams a day (and I can't hold more than 6 ounces of soft food at a time, or 4 ounces of "hard" protein like steak or chicke), why not 60? It's been a struggle for me to get in my vegetables ever since surgery, because once I was done with my protein, I didn't have room. LESS protein? *gasp* This may sound like common sense to some, but to me it was like an epiphany.

She also told me that eating a lot of dairy/fruit/legumes could slow weight loss down as well because they are high in NATURAL sugar and complex carbs and YES, they ARE healthy, but they can slow you down! This was so interesting to me! Her recommendation for veggies were the low starch veggies, like broccoli, cauliflower, squash, leafy greens, etc. Guess I better get out and buy Beano!

She deplored my lack of fat intake *laugh*. She wants me to carry olive oil around with me and have 8 - 10 grams per meal. Mostly my meals are practically fat free just based on the nature of the foods I tend to eat (I don't even count fat, it's not even on my radar), but this was interesting to me as well. Her recommendation was a MINIMUM of 30g per day, and she felt more comfotable with 40g instead.

She also noted sometimes people who drink their meals can get stuck. Now obviously this is not the case for everyone. There are plent of people on here who have a liquid shake for 1 or 2 meals a day and are cruising along in their weight loss. She was slightly concerned that I have a protein shake 3-5 times a week for breakfast, but when I explained it's because it's fast and easy and pre-surgery I NEVER ate breakfast and don't like most breakfast-type foods, she agreed it was a way better choice than some of the other options out there. However, I think I will try to find something solid for a little while and see what happens.

To address the original question this thread posed: I can tell you now that I've met with 3 different nutritionists, they all seem to agree on one thing: post surgery and once all food restrictions are lifted, they would FAR rather see patients get their protein from solid food than a shake, and my goal now is to see if I can get rid of the shakes entirely.

[leesooim]

Oh, and she told me to avoid yogurt. Which again, might work for some, but since I don't even like yogurt, I am happy to stay away from it based on her recommendation. She said it's because this particular practice views yogurt (along with soup) as more a slider food for post-op patients, and esp. for post op patients like me who might be experiencing stalls or are stuck.

[scgal21]

Thanks Leesooim for sharing. I only have a shake when I'm too busy to get my protein in with good food and will stick with that. I'm also starting to focus more on veggies to make a more "rounded" day. I do eat greek yogurt almost every day, but I measure it out and believe it's a good source of calcium since I don't drink milk anymore. Sounds like you got some good info from the nutritionist...My hubby recommended that I add some olive oil every day. Like you, I wasn't getting any fat at all (or nearly none) so I'm going to take his advice. Hope this new advice helps you get things moving along. Keep me posted.

[zsarahz]

I rely on shakes when I'm too rushed to eat. In Minnesota, we have a variety of herbalife stores (Avid Nutrition, Health Nutz, etc) that serve 35 different flavors of shakes with 24 grams of protein. My favorite are Banana Split and Almond Joyful. I usually drink about 4 per week. It satisfies my sweet tooth and packed with a lot of nutrients.

[TammyG]

I was stalled for a while and my dr recommended switching my breakfast to a 30 gram protein shake. It really helped! Down 25 lbs in 2 1/2 months. He also said to make sure that my snacks are actually snacks and not mini meals. That really hit home! I also was eating too many nuts. He said a serving of nuts should be one layer that fits in the palm of your hand.

My next visit the dr recommended trying to eliminate one snack a day. (I was doing one a.m snack, one afternoon and one evening. I eliminated my a.m. Snack and have taken more off recently.)

My drsaid I'm still behind in my weight lose by about10-15 lbs, but I feel great and know as long as I'm getting closer to goal, that's all that matters.