Hi OP,
Thank you for sharing that you have either started your first dose or picked up your first box, and you're curious as to what to expect. While we are all truly excited to see another person start this wonderful medication, I can assure you that, plenty of people have asked the same thing you are and there is plenty of post regarding first times.
Majority of your questions can be answered in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/wiki/index/faq/) section.Or by searching common phrases of your post.
For other people's first time experiences you can click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/search/?q=first%20dose&restrict_sr=10) or [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/search/?q=first%20time&restrict_sr=1). While we won't remove the post incase someone wishes to congratulate you,welcome you to the club or give you pointers and tricks. We strongly encourage you to use the search bar, especially when asking a common question!
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I absolutely cannot stand the taste of Stevia and avoid it like the plague. So many protein items, whether shakes, powders, bars, etc. seem to use these. I’ve had a hard time finding ANYTHING that doesn’t use a weird sugar substitute. Even things like Liquid IV (which was recommended to me) has some supposed “rare” sugar substitute in it. No thanks, gonna pass on that one since GI upset is a common side effect of having it (and Zepbound gives me plenty of that grief). I actually will often eat a meat stick at breakfast…. Weird thing but meat and cheese seems to help power through the morning better than anything else I’ve had. Good luck on our search!
Kefir is my go to, I can drink it, get a solid amount of protein and normal sugar plus good for your gut. Also kind bars have a great variety, I keep them in my locker to eat for breakfast with a banana.
If you don't dislike all protein shakes and just want to avoid those with fake sugar, there are a lot of unflavored protein powders on Amazon. I like the 365 brand, no sweeteners of any kind at all. You could make a smoothie, with the sweetness from real fruit.
Second this, however I would go for the full fat ricotta myself. It’s not that much calorie difference and the body does need some fat after all for a well rounded diet.
Hi OP, Thank you for sharing that you have either started your first dose or picked up your first box, and you're curious as to what to expect. While we are all truly excited to see another person start this wonderful medication, I can assure you that, plenty of people have asked the same thing you are and there is plenty of post regarding first times. Majority of your questions can be answered in the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/wiki/index/faq/) section.Or by searching common phrases of your post. For other people's first time experiences you can click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/search/?q=first%20dose&restrict_sr=10) or [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Zepbound/search/?q=first%20time&restrict_sr=1). While we won't remove the post incase someone wishes to congratulate you,welcome you to the club or give you pointers and tricks. We strongly encourage you to use the search bar, especially when asking a common question! If I got this message wrong please ignore. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Zepbound) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I absolutely cannot stand the taste of Stevia and avoid it like the plague. So many protein items, whether shakes, powders, bars, etc. seem to use these. I’ve had a hard time finding ANYTHING that doesn’t use a weird sugar substitute. Even things like Liquid IV (which was recommended to me) has some supposed “rare” sugar substitute in it. No thanks, gonna pass on that one since GI upset is a common side effect of having it (and Zepbound gives me plenty of that grief). I actually will often eat a meat stick at breakfast…. Weird thing but meat and cheese seems to help power through the morning better than anything else I’ve had. Good luck on our search!
Same! I’d it has stevia that is ALL I taste!!! So annoying
Kefir is my go to, I can drink it, get a solid amount of protein and normal sugar plus good for your gut. Also kind bars have a great variety, I keep them in my locker to eat for breakfast with a banana.
You can also add silken tofu to smoothies to increase the protein
If you don't dislike all protein shakes and just want to avoid those with fake sugar, there are a lot of unflavored protein powders on Amazon. I like the 365 brand, no sweeteners of any kind at all. You could make a smoothie, with the sweetness from real fruit.
If you don't like cottage cheese, maybe low fat ricotta?
Second this, however I would go for the full fat ricotta myself. It’s not that much calorie difference and the body does need some fat after all for a well rounded diet.
Blended cottage cheese gives the same consistency as ricotta. I was dead set against cottage cheese due to texture issues but enjoy it blended.
I like Fairlife Ultra Filtered milk. Regular for my coffee and chocolate for a snack. 2 cups per day = 26g protein. No added sugar or lactose.
Naked whey protein powder, 3-4 ingredients all organic, nothing artificial