No Protein Shake Reset Diet
A No Protein Shake Reset Diet
For bariatric surgery patients looking to get reset and get back on track with no protein shakes
Many back on track reset plans include several protein shakes. While this method can be helpful for some, it is not always necessary or beneficial. This alternative may be more affordable than protein shakes as well as keep hunger more controlled using food based protein that has more texture instead of liquid protein shakes.
Bariatric Food Coach Members 👉 See Do’s and Don’ts of Protein Video Course! Also this video…”The Highlighter Marker”
The first 3-5 days of omitting breads, pasta, rice and desserts are the hardest days. Your body will likely feel tired and hungry as it adjusts to a lower intake of carbohydrates.
During the 5 day period it may be more helpful to eat small frequent meals and increase your water intake, aiming for 100 ounces a day. I don’t recommend small frequent meals long-term for post-op patients. This is a blog to find out why.
After the 5 day period it is recommended to transition to a post-op eating plan of three meals per day with 70% of the meal coming from a solid protein and the rest for non-starchy vegetables.
This is also more realistic as hunger should be much more manageable after the 5 day period. The same would be true after a 5 day period of protein shakes – transition to a longer term low-carb, post-op eating plan. (Members, refer to the Back on Track Video Course!)
The “food equivalent” of a protein shake is roughly two ounces of protein. Therefore two ounces of low-fat cheese is similar to drinking a protein shake.
The sample plan below showcases 5 small meals of 2 ounces of protein. These are just examples and the plan can easily be moved around and adapted.
As I often recommend, use the Baritastic app to journal your food intake and refer to the pie chart for protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios. The image below shows the common goals I recommend for most of my patients.
*Members, remember to connect with me on Baritastic and email me if you’d like me to review your journal!
Sample No Protein Shake Reset Diet Plan:
This plan is not meant to replace medical advice. This is a sample plan to get back on track and rid your body of the addictive nature of high carbohydrate foods. It is primarily designed for post-op patients but can be used for pre-surgical weight loss patients using slightly larger portions.
Click this link to access the PDF of the plan – better for printing or viewing/saving to mobile
Breakfast: 2 hard boiled eggs
Snack: 2 low-fat string cheese
Lunch: 2 ounces lunch meat, ½ cup raw veggies
Snack: 2 ounces canned tuna
Dinner: 2 to 3 ounces of chicken or lean beef with ½ cup veggies
If you are a member and have any further questions, email me at steph@bariatricfoodcoach.com!
If you are not a member, consider joining for extra help in your journey!
Thanks for the encouragement. I haven’t been feeling very well for months now. I know it’s because I have not been following my bariatric eating tips very well at all. I’ve become just lazy in keeping things going. I need to lose the 30 pounds I have gained, because my body is hurting. So, I was so glad to read this email from you. I’m not very good at all in terms of using apps, but I am going to get the Baritastic app and connect with you so that I can get the process going. Thanks for all of your wonderful tips. I’m so glad that I joined your website.
@Joan N you are certainly not alone! The number one reason members join is for getting back on track. losing re-gain or getting of the last amount they have struggled to get off. Here is a video on how to use Baritastic (you’ll need to be signed in to see it) – https://www.bariatricfoodcoach.com/foodcoachme-on-baritastic/
As a vegetarian what do you recommend I eat in place of the meat? Also how much of protein should that substitute contain.
For vegetarians that eat fish, cheese or eggs I would start with those protein options. I would still recommend 2 ounces of each of those for the equivalent of a protein shake. 3 ounces would be fine if needed. Otherwise the plant based proteins would be edamame, tofu, beans. It’s certainly more limited to find protein based foods that aren’t rich in carbs or fat!
Hi. No dairy options for snacks?
@Cara jerky, shaved deli meat, boiled eggs, tuna, edamame
Hi! I needed clarification on the goals you have above for macros. Up top you said 70% protein and 30% vegetables (2 bites protein to 1 bite vegetables), however then there’s another chart lower down saying 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs. So I’m confused as to which one we’re supposed to follow and put in to Baritastic. Also, I haven’t seen any mention of fruits. Do we just include those in the vegetable/ carb section? I know fruit is high in sugar, so less is more, but it also has a lot of nutrients and a good replacement for a sugar craving. Thank you! And thank you for giving balanced advice rather than pushing keto, which is all the rage right now, but not sustainable.
Oh, and is it ok to be under your macros? Or is it just as important to hit them, as it is not to exceed them? And from what I read, after a year out, our daily caloric intake should be between 1000 and 1500. Since we’re fighting regain (I’m 14 years PO RounY) should we aim for the 1000 for a bigger deficit? Or start with 1500, then lower it later… like to 1250 after a month, then 1000 after another month? Or would 1500 cal be for higher activity levels and 1000 cal for more sedentary folks?
And I see I the reboot that the objective is to lose the sugar/ carb cravings by omitting them, but in other locations on the site, it advocates whole grains. So is whole grains after we’ve gotten back to goal?
Thank you!
@Amanda Great questions!
1. Think of it as food groups versus nutrition groups. A food group is lean meat, vegetables, fruits, fats, grains, etc. A “nutrition group” is protein, fat and carbohydrates. The food groups break down into a macronutrient in the body. A lean meat is typically a protein, but it does contain fat. So when you look at your plate of food, you eat two bites of the lean meat to one bite of the vegetable. 70% lean meat, 30% vegetable. Then you log what you ate in your food journal and the macronutrients will come through on the pie chart as protein, carbs and fat. The aim is to be around 50% protein, 30% fat and 20% carbs. It is confusing wording on my part when I say eat 70% protein and 30% fat and that’s only because there are other sources of protein other than lean meat. I hope that clears that part up.
2. Fruit is okay once a day with a protein. If you had scrambled eggs and fresh berries at breakfast, you would do the same 2 bites eggs to 1 bite fruit. Then avoid fruit at other meals. Another great question. I cover that more on my “How to Succeed with Gastric Sleeve/Bypass” courses on the videos tab.
3. I don’t use calorie counting in my nutrition approach. This is why I use the macro pie chart. I like setting a good meal pattern, 3 meals per day. Making good meat and veggie choices and doing the ratio for 2:1 protein to veggie bites. Then listening to your own fullness cues on when to stop. You won’t find portion sizes or calorie counting on my information because I prefer this approach of listening to your pouch and then journaling your intake and using the macros to learn from your meals. I find it works itself out and calorie counting can be a hard long-term solution for most. Journaling foods and watching how it changes the pie chart can often be a better learning experience so you remember going forward how to fill your plate instead of calorie counting which is easy to forget or get confused. Again, hope that makes sense!
3b. I didn’t answer specifically yet but the goal on macros are just that – goals. I find the pie chart is a great learning tool. “Oh my fat is high because I put cheese on my salad and I didn’t even taste the cheese so next time I won’t bother.” It doesn’t mean you “failed” that day because your fat was higher, it means you reviewed the day and took lessons on what went well and what to change. Similar to keeping a budget, it’s just gathering information so you can make more informed decisions in the future!
I hope that helps! Wordy answers but fantastic questions. Feel free to ask more as you need! You can also email at steph@foodcoach.me
Thank you so much! It does make sense, and understanding the why is important to me. I appreciate your responses. I’ve tried contacting the nutritionist from my surgical center a couple times over the years and never got a response. And since my pouch doesn’t really give me dietary restrictions, I can eat just about anything but rice, it really comes down to portions and stopping when I’m full, rather than continuing to eat. I’ve also learned I’m a stress eater and the more I focus on what I can’t have, the more I’ll eventually binge (tried keto. Lol). So the balanced approach is much more sustainable for me.
One of the big reasons I haven’t considered the reset diet was the shakes post op I haven’t found one my tummy tolerates, it’s iffy on most meats too, but cheese and fish no problem I will try this. Thanks