New Date and Protein Liquid/Powder

First, I have yet another date.  I have something at work that only I do and really need to get one of my coworkers trained on it before I can be out.  I'm in the process of doing that, but didn't think I'd be ready by May 22nd so I've pushed it off for two more weeks and am now scheduled for June 5th.  I hope that is my final date.

Now, on to the protein thing.  I think a ton of us struggle with the liquid/powder forms of protein. It seems to be a contanst topic of discussion on the support boards I frequent  I know this issue had me struggling bigtime.  I just couldn't find anything tolerable despite having tried quite a few different things.  I am probably the pickiest person in the world about what I eat and drink. I like absolutely no type of artificial sweetener which presents a huge problem in finding a protein source for the preop and postop diets. I just cannot find one I stand.  They all make me gag. Needless to say, I have been very stressed about what to do and was even trying to figure out if I could do this without having to use a protein powder/liquid. Yeah, I know, not a good thing and I knew that. However, in being totally honest, it crossed my mind to try and avoid the liquid/powder forms of protein and just start getting it in once I could do it post op with food.

I totally understand that we all have different likes and dislikes but in all my reading and trying to find something that could work, I noticed that for every person who recommended a protein powder/liquid, there were just as many or more that said they couldn't stand that particular protein source. But, recently I noticed so many posts recommending Premier RTD Protein. The opposite though wasn't true. Unlike the other protein recommendations having just as many or more hating a particular recommendation, I didn't see that trend with Premier RTD Protein. I thought there just has to be something to these things so I made a decision to try yet another protein recommendation. However, you can only get it at Sam's or Costco and I don't have a card for either of those places but my Mom does. We had plans to hang out today so I asked her if we could go there to get some so I didn't have to buy a membership only to find out I don't like the darn drinks. Don't ya just love my positive attitude??? :-) Anyway, we made it to Costco and I picked up a case of chocolate Premier RTD protein.  As soon as I got home, I put one in the freezer to get it cold quickly. After about an hour and a half it was nice and cold. I opened it up knowing I wouldn't like it, but I was wrong. Yippppeee!!!!! I've never been so happy in my life to be wrong about something.

The chocolate has no vitamin, protein, gritty, lumpy or chalky taste. I cannot taste any artificial sweetner and it has absolutely zero aftertaste. It tastes just like a chocolatey chocolate milk. Just like the full flavor stuff with all the calories and sugar and fat but without all that.  It only has 160 calories, 3 grams of fat and 1 carb.  Man, it was really good.  If I had to pick one thing "negative" to say about it, it would be that it is very chocolately. That could be good if I'm having a craving for sweets. If I'm not, I could tone it down with milk. The benefit of that is I've added even a little more protein to it by using some milk. I totally cannot wait to try different things with this drink like making it more of a shake and by adding some banana and/or PB2 to it.

So.....If you have yet to find a liquid/powder protein souce and you haven't tried Premier RTD protein, I highly recommend you try it.  I seriously cannot tell you how picky I am and the fact that I'm highly recommending these is something else. Now, all this being said, I know not everyone will lke these. I just wanted to tell others my experience in hopes it can help someone else like others helped me by what they posted about it.

~Amy

Sinus Surgery Update & Protein Powder

So, I had my sinus surgery Wednesday before last.  All went well except I woke up to find out I had two splints in my nose.  Boy, were those not very comfortable and they kept my nose stuffier than it would have been had they not been put in.  However, the splints are out now as of three days ago.  I am still dealing with stuffiness and drainage which my doctor said is normal.  I go back next Friday for a recheck and another cleaning out.  Gross!  I don't even wanna think about what they suck out. 

I'm back to my obsession with protein powders.  I just cannot find anything yet that I can tolerate.  Heck, maybe I don't know how to mix them in something to hide them.  The nutritionist told me my preop diet needs to be low fat, below 1200 calories and less than 90 grams of carbs a day.  I'm thinking about trying the Gladiator Smoothie from Calorie King.  The powder itself only has one gram of carbs.  The fruit they add to it however will have more.  I'm just gonna have to see if I can do it and still stay below the 90 grams of carbs rule.  If that works, it will only be good for the pre op diet.  Post op has to be more in a liquid format.  I sure need to learn to hide the powder in soup.,  But how the heck do you get a huge scoop of protein powder in about 3/4 cup of soup and it not taste disgusting?  I haven't tried it, but I'm not sure it will work.  UGH! UGH! UGH!  Don't they have a pill to put me out two weeks prior to the surgery through several weeks after it?????

Sinus Surgery & New Date

Yesterday was my sinus surgery that I should have done long ago.  I've had sinus issues for more years that I remember.  My usual issues began in October and ended in March the following year.  During that time, I would average 4 to 5 sinus infections.  This year was a bit different.  I had 6 sinus infections involving 6 prescriptions for antibiotics, a steroid shot and two different prescriptions for steroid dose packs.  That is just a lot of medince.  Yesterday, I felt like my doctor took a mallet and wacked my nose.  I found out too that my surgery was a bit more than what I thought.  Besides widening all the pathways and correcting my deviated septum with a cut and some stitches, I found out it acutally required a splint and that because of the splint, I will have more swelling.  The pain today is much better although I have taken some pain meds so as to not let it get out of control.  I think the most "annoying" part of all this is that I feel like I need to blow my nose all the time and, per my doctor, I can't do that.  Truthfully, I think it would hurt like heck if I did it anyway. I'm happy I finally did this surgery.  Although it isn't considered a forever cure, I am looking foward to the relief I should get from it.  Even if that relief could be temporary.

On the WLS side of things, I changed my date to May 22nd from May 29th.  My niece is graduating high school on June 4th and I want to be able to be there for that.  And, besides, it is better work wise too.  I'm excited for that upcoming journey but sitll very concerned about the protein shakes.  I have really just told myself over and over that I have to get over and do it and besides, it isn't something I have to do for the rest of my life.  Really, I hope to get used to the artificial sweetner so I don't mind the shakes.  They could be very useful long term for getting in a lot of protein.

All right, I'm done for now.  The pain meds are making it hard for me to concentrate on this any longer.