kittyforet

I've heard a few people mention adding Protein powder to their food, yougurt, etc..... Does anyone do this,like during the mushies stage or even at any time? If you add Protein Powder to yogurt, does it make it taste better? I'm not a big fan of yogurt, but if adding the protein powder to it will make the yogurt taste better AND give me the protein I need then I can try it?? I know there will come a time that I won't be allowed or encouraged to drink Protein shakes, so I'm trying to find out now what people have done to use the protein powder.... Thanks! kristi

So glad it was somewhat of an "easy" fix and that you're feeling a little better. Rest now and take your time to heal. kristi

Glad to hear all is well so far!! Keep us posted on your recovery!!! kristi

How's the recovery so far Khristi? Congrats on the loss so far!! kristi:)

I'm not banded yet but will pray for you. From what I've been hearing via online research, what you are experiencing is not that uncommon...but again I am not where you are. Hopefully once you get to your doctor's office and they remove some Fluid you will recover quickly. Sending postive thoughts your way!!! Please keep us posted!! Prayers and hugs, kristi

Kimmi: I too could have written this. While I don't know my BMI right now, I started this journey at 225 pounds and barely make 5 foot tall, I'm heavy for being so short and severly need to lose the weight. (Go figure, I got the bad "genes" as my sister is about an inch shorter than me and she doesn't even reach 100 pounds!!! UGH!!! And she has 4 kids and just turned 40!!!!) My date is June 20 and as it gets closer, I begin the worry and self-doubt. I am self-pay, so the pressure is really on for me to make sure that I don't "waste" the money by being a failure. I've been trying to stay positive, but then I stumble upon horror stories and negative experiences and then start to panic. I too am worried that I won't lose the weight or will not work with my band and learn how to do the wrong things. I am in your shoes....wanna be "buddies" to support each other? They say it takes a village to raise a child, and I bet this "village" on LBT will be there to support us in our journey too.....I've met several informative and helpful people that offer support and a helping hand, and my hope is that I can pay it forward and be helpful to others. you can also email me kittyforet@yahoo.com good luck! kristi

Wow girl you look great!!!! Awesome!!!!!

Very inspiring to read your post!!! I will be banded June 20 and I'm getting nervous and worried, since there are so many negative posts lately!!! I am hoping to be as successful as you after 1 year!!! kristi

I've tried several brands and here's what I think::::All that I tried were powder form and mixed with either skim milk, almond milk, or soymilk, except nectar, which was mixed with Water...... The Ideal chocolate Milk Diet...tried both chocolate and vanilla and liked both of them. Ordered a sample package first to try it out and have since ordered 1 container of each. Syntrax Nectar brand....ordered the sample box and only tried a few flavors...wasn't in love with them, as they all taste to me like bad kool-aid, and I don't care for kool-aid!! But I only mixed them with water, so they might taste better mixed with some sort of fruit juice or V8. From Walmart: Body Fortress Whey Protein Powder in chocolate....not the best tasting powder, but I could stomach it. Probably won't buy it again, even though it was the cheapest. Jay Robb single packets....bought chocolate (taste is so-so, wouldn't pay money for more of it though), vanilla (I really like this one!! Will order more!!).....also bought the pina colada, dreamsicle, and strawberry flavors but haven't gotten to try them yet!!!!! unjury....bought a sample package and liked both chocolate and vanilla. I also tried the unflavored, used it when I wanted Carnation Instant Breakfast....it allowed me to drink the flavor I wanted but added the needed protein.....I don't remember if I liked the strawberry flavor or not. Also came with chicken Soup flavor but I haven't been brave enough to try it yet. I will likely order more of the unflavored for sure to add to different foods. I am also experimenting with adding fruit to my drinks to make them more like a smoothie. Next week I will buy some of the sugar free syrups to see how I like them. Good luck and let me know if you find something you really like so I can try it too!!!

Welcome to LBT, New 2011!! Your weight loss is very inspiring!! Congrats!! Any advice on pre-op you can share? Have you already posted day-of-surgery story? I get my band June 20 so I am very interested in hearing as much info as I can!! Thanks!

Oh wow! My doctor never said anything about using (or not using) my nuvaring during surgery....I was kinda hoping to leave it in an extra week so I wasn't having my period during the day of surgery..... then again maybe I should go ahead and take it out now and get the dang period out of the way prior to surgery! Guess I need to contact my surgeons' office to see what they recommend......never thought about the ring since half the time I forget it's there!!!

Good job on the weight loss!!! And so funny that you were traumatized!!! I would have too!! I actually weighed myself FOR FUN today....what was I thinking?!?!?!?! Anyway, our school nurse has a scale so I went to her office and hopped on that darn thing....and it said a LOWER # than I was expecting!!! Woo hoo!!! I've lost 10 pounds since April!!!!! I had to check the scale 5 times to make sure I wasn't misreading it!! Starting liquid diet next week.....not looking forward to that!!! Keep up the good work on the weight loss and keep me posted!!!

Hi sexymoma00. I'm sorry to hear you're having it rough!! Hopefully it will get better soon!!! I'm near Houston too! Who was your surgeon? I'd love to hear more about your pre-op and your day of surgery info, as I get banded June 20!!! Feel free to email me also at kittyforet@yahoo.com Looking forward to hearing from you and hopeful your recovery becomes smooth! kristi

That drives me crazy too!!!! Although I'm so used to my iPhone auto-correcting my errors that sometimes I forget to check when I'm on the computer!!!!! Too bad it's not an automatic feature on LBT!!!!! LOL

Hey browneyedgirl89!!!!! I didn't see your message til today! So far I'm liking the unjury chocolate and vanilla, and the "Ideal Chocolate Milk Diet" both in chocolate and vanilla......still trying to find a nectar brand that I like the taste of. How are you doing on the pre-op???? Your new day will be here next week!!! WOOO HOOO!!! Keep me posted!! Feel free to email me too!!! kittyforet@yahoo.com Kristi

I am not yet banded (June 20 can't come quick enough!!) but I heard conflicting info from my doctor's office regarding the pre-op......the patient advocate told me if I didn't lose 10+ pounds before surgery, they wouldn't operate, but then at the pre-op appointment with the surgeon, I questioned him as to how much he wanted me to lose and his response was "no set amount, but the more I lose before surgery, the better my chances to lose more afterwards." He did NOT say he would cancel the operation if I didn't lose, which contradicted what the patient rep. said..... SO, I will do my best on the pre-op diet anyway just in case!!!!! I think that there are people that don't lose on the pre-op and still get the surgery. But I agree about the frozen meals...they have lots of sodium, so try adding more Water. My doctor's office recommend I have 2 shakes and 1 small meal, so maybe drop down to 2 shakes daily instead of 3 to see if that boosts your loss. GOOD LUCK!!!

Good luck!!!! Can't wait to hear your post-op reply!!!!

Thanks for the info!! I ordered the book yesterday after you recommended it, and can't wait to read it!!! I already subscribe to theworldaccordingtoeggface's blog and find her very informative and funny! I am not banded yet (June 20!) but looking forward to being part of the Bandsters group. I am addicted to LBT and want to find out all I can for pre-op AND for my life after jumping on the Bandwagon! Thanks for sharing!!

Hi Befree11!!!! I will be banded by Dr. Reilly at True Results Houston and will be a self-pay. I had my initial visit in mid-March, was going to do surgery in May but couldn't get a qualified sub (I'm a teacher!) so now my date is June 20. I had to have 2 sleep studies, and the place kinda dropped the ball on that, but if it all would have been a little smoother, it would have taken about a month from first office visit (I did the personal visit as opposed to the seminar, that way they started the ball rolling righ away) until surgery. I've already done my pre-op with Dr. Reilly and he seems really nice. Very informative and easy to understand/ask questions. Let me know how you are doing and we can keep in touch!! Glad to know someone else going through TR!! Good luck!!

Thsisme, Where's your strawberry festival?? There was one not too far from my house this weekend but we didn't get to go. kristi

Hi Crista!!! I bought a sample pack of the nectar drinks and so far am not impressed....maybe I'm not adding enough extras to them, but so far, making them with cold Water, they are nasty! Maybe it's just me??? They sorta taste like bad kool-aid, and I'm not a big fan of that!!! Maybe if I add some fruit and crushed ice they will be better???? I too like the unjury and the ideal chocolate milk diet....today I made a REAL shake with the vanilla flavor from ideal chocolate milk diet, 8 oz. of silk soymilk, mixed it in the little blender, then added almost 1 cup of frozen strawberry/banana chunks, whirred it up in the little blender, and it was so thick and creamy and yummy!!! It was a little too-banana-y for me, but I will make it again!!! Next time I will try it with the frozen berries... I also have 2 packets of the Unjury chicken broth and I'm NOT looking forward to trying that now, especially after you said it was super gross!!! I heard that Campbells has some of those Soup at hand Soups that are good and are more broth-like but I haven't gone to look for them yet. Let me know what you find!!! kristi you can also email me, kittyforet@yahoo.com

MsTheBandit, Yay for June 20!!!!! I have to have 2 weeks of 2 Protein shakes per day plus 1 low fat/low carb meal per day....the doctor's office gave me suggested guidelines on what to eat. I am also going to see a separate nutritionist right before I start the "diet"....thankfully I don't have to have the all clear liquid diet!!! I've started to incorporate 5 Protein Shakes per week, either with skim milk or coconut milk....I also just bought a carton of soymilk to see how that tastes.....in the process of trying several different brands of protein shakes to see what I like best. I will be having 2 last meals, probably before I start the diet.... one will be to go to this fancy Brazilian steakhouse that i LOVE, but it costs like $60 per person but you go and get meat DRUNK there!! It's one of those "only go there once in a blue moon" kind of places!!! the other will be to a newly-found seafood place called The Boiling Crab that sells boiled seafood (shrimp, crawfish, and crab) by the pound and it is so freaking good!!! Those will be my 2 "LAST MEALS" and I can't wait to go!!! I have a feeling it won't be worth it to go to either place after I've been banded....will cost too much for me to eat so little. How about you???? Found anything you like so far for the liquids???? kristi

CONGRATS on that NSV Jacob!!!! That is wonderful!!! I can't wait to have that same feeling of not being able to eat a small amount!! But eggs with chili???? LOL