weight gain while drinking protein drinks

im struggling really hard right now to put a lid on the weight i have gained.  I have almost all but gone back to just drinking protein drinks to see if the gain will stop and stabilize or start losing again?  I cant do to much on my feet - im till trying to get a foot wound healed up.  It is so close to being healed im ready to say f it and go back to the gym but dont want to risk it till it is healed.

If i switched to drinking all protein drinks - would or will the weight gain stop and stabalize?

Jeff

What will stop the weight gain is consuming fewer calories (or an amount of calories equal to) what your body expends over the course of the day.  Whether those calories come from only protein shakes or from lean solid protein and non-starchy veggies, etc. makes no difference to your body.  Keeping the carbs down (as well as the calories) will help.

I get very little exercise because of a really bad knee.  It just means I have to eat less.

Don't risk damaging your foot by exercising too early!

Lora

Ditto Lora. Protein drinks are not a magic weight-loss food. Their main advantage is that they're so filling. If protein drinks will help you avoid other calories, then great.

Drinking protein drinks instead of eating food is a fad diet - and at your stage in your journey you need to have a good lifestyle that you can follow for life.   Good quality food (protein and complex carbs) will keep your digestive system and metabolism going much better than protein drinks. 

Get back to basics:  log your food on something like MyFitnessPal.com, that app will tell you how many calories you can eat in your current sedentary lifestyle.  You will need to adapt the suggested amounts on that app to ensure that you eat protein first 80-100g per day - this will limit the amount of carbs you can consume.  Get rid of all the simple and white carbs from your diet for the weightloss period (white bread, pasta, white rice) and substitute them for vegetables and brown alternatives.

I am assuming you take all your vitamins and get labs done regularly?  If not, get that done straight away.

Exercise doesn't have to be done in the gym.  Simple walking, as much as your foot will allow, is adequate at this point.   It is rare that we are encouraged by our doctors to do NO walking - a completely sedentary lifestyle puts us at risk of all sorts of potential life threatening incidents (DVT's etc) so check what they suggest.

Find a support group or participate here - it really does help to stay mindful and there are always tips we can use from other people on this journey

I understand that drinking protein drinks instead of eating food is a fad diet - what i was trying to accomplish is to put a leash on the weight gain and possibly start losing again.  I do understand that exercise is a big part of the weight loss to.  Im not against that in any way.  In fact I do feel 150% better when i was going to the gym  --  lifting weights and getting cardio in. 

Maybe I was being a bit waffly - you can stop the weight gain and lose the regain if you EAT properly FOREVER. People who have been morbidly obese and then undergo a starvation diet for a year after surgery can stuff up their metabolisms if they do not transfer to a good diet and exercise programme or go back to their old habits of bingeing for a while and then dieting. This surgery is supposed to get us off that cycle!

Existing on a diet of protein drinks only will make your metabolism and digestive system worse not better. You need to rev yours up with good food (protein) and as much exercise as you can. It really is a case of calories in vs calories out and protein drinks are NOT a miracle food (both of these were mentioned by previous posters)

You are getting good advice here from several people who are living as you are - long term RNY'ers. We are not the same as people who are in the honeymoon period.

You have been given good advice - your choices now are up to you!

Obviously take this advice with a grain of salt...

A couple of years ago I did an intense weight loss program (had a major educational piece as well as diet & exercise) and whenever we want to jumpstart a weight loss plan or just kinda "reset" our systems after going too long eating things we shouldn't be eating and/or too many carbs, etc. we follow the Week 1 and 2 plan as follows.

Week 1 is this:
Breakfast - protein shake with 1/2 cup any kind of berries (either blended in or on the side)
Mid-morning snack (this is for guys only) - protein shake w/ 1/2 cup berries or protein bar
Lunch - protein shake w/ 1/2 cup berries & 5-6oz lean protein
Afternoon snack - same as mid-morning snack
Dinner - same as lunch

Week 2 is when you're allowed to add in non-starchy vegetables to Week 1's diet instead of having a shake & berries at lunch and dinner, but no other fruit except what you have in your shake.

I don't know about you, but I'm very sensitive to carbs so when I shift the ratio of what I'm eating to be higher in protein and limit or restrict starchy carbs, fruits, & grains, I lose the best.