PdxMan

The reason why your taste buds are off is because your body is in a state of ketosis. Google it or do a site search on here for lots of good posts. You're burning fat in ketosis, but it causes acetone to be secreted in your mouth which is just nasty. Once you get your carbs and calories up, it goes away and your taste return. You just have to push through it. Drink and eat because you HAVE to, not want to ...

Liquid is liquid. You use 8oz of water to make a shake, you just injested 8oz of liquid. It counts. Popcycles ... not much liquid there, a couple ounces. I wouldn't bet the bank on that. Broth ... vitamin water ... it's liquid. Count it. When you use two scoops of protein powder for 60 grams of protein, however, you cannot count all 60 grams. This is because there is no way your body can process all 60 grams at once. Everyone is going to be different, of course, but 30 grams is generally accepted. I'm guessing the directions on your powder say 1 scoop and you are just trying to get it all taken care of at once. Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Google protein absorption to learn more.

Yeah, I had to keep the incisions from getting wet, but I showered a couple hours after my surgery. It was pure joy.

Let me get this straight. You have lost 40 pounds in 6 weeks? Yowsers! That is a lot. For how long do you really think you can lose a pound a day and still be alive? And now your body is kinda catching up with itself. The best way to avoid stalls is to stop weighing yourself. Seriously. The scale lies. I'm sure you are losing inches. How do you feel? I see you have tons of posts, so I am guessing you have also done tons of reading, too. You know this is normal, so ...

Stay away from the Protein shots. They are usually a combination of Collagen protein (does not absorb), casein protein (absorbs slowly) and whey protein (quick absorption). Bottom line, when you do have protein, try to use whey. But FIRST, ensure you are getting your liquids in. You won't end up in the ER due to lack of protein, but you will get there if you are dehydrated. Once you get healed a little more, you will be able to meet your protein needs.

I hope everything works out for you on this route. But know that self-pay is also an option. My insurance didn't cover any form of bariatric surgery, but I knew the consequences of my obesity were ravaging my health. I took a second mortgage on the home (some places offer financing) and plopped $10,400 to have it done in Vegas (baby!). Had a wonderful experience there and my restriction is still awesome. While that is a lot of money out of pocket, I was able to itemize it on my taxes and I know my healthcare expenses over the past year have been reduced because of it. Also, my food bill is greatly reduced, too, not only grocery, but when we go out to eat, I have a couple bites off my wife's plate and am sated. So, the surgery will pay for itself financially and needless to say, your health will greatly improve, so there is HUGE benefits there not to overlook. So, if insurance isn't an option, check out the self pay route. Good luck!

Just curious ... what were your expectations? Why do you think you are doing something wrong?

Don't worry, your definition of starving will change ... for the better. How many calories would you estimate you were eating prior? So, here is how it works, in VERY basic terms. 1 pound = 3,500 calories Expend 3,500 more calories than you take in, you lose 1 pound, take in 3,500 more calories than you expend, you gain 1 pound. Everybody has a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) which is different for everybody. It is the amount of calories your body expends just doing whatever you do during the day. Walking to the mailbox. Taking a shower. Vaccuuming. Knocking boots ... even sleeping. You can go to specialized places where they put you in a chamber and measure all sorts of things to find it, but there are also estimators out there in the GoogleVerse. So, mine is 1,750. That means that if I eat 1,750 calories each day, and do nothing extra exercise wise, then I will maintain my weight. But, if I eat 1,500 calories per day, I am running a deficeit of 250 calories. 3,500 / 250 = 14 days. After 14 days of maintaining this EXACTLY, I will have lost 1 pound. That is 1 pound in 2 weeks. If I were to add exercise, say, walking where I burned 250 calories, then I cut my time in half, or lose 1 pound in 1 week. Add more exercise (but not more food) and I will lose that pound even faster. So, use MyFitnessPal as honestly as you can. I think it is common to underestimate portion sizes, so if anything, add a bit. It really is a cup and a half of Pasta you just ate, not one cup. Yes, that glass of wine does count and using half and half in your coffee does need to be recorded.

Ah, yes, pre-sleeve forum ... Sorry. So, what foods are you eating and in what quantities? Do you use MyFitnessPal, or the like and do you enter everything honestly? What exercise are you doing? How much, how often? These are the factors for basic weight loss. Give us this info as accurately as possible, and we can point you in a direction.

When were you sleeved? Can you list out an "average" day of eating? What foods and quantities are you eating? Do you track in MyFitnessPal or the like?

What we're talking about is mainly for the early sleevers, not those in maintenance mode. Those looking to just make quota because they are not able to get in enough through foods. Body building and other applications need to assess their own needs, for sure, and use the best protein applicable.

And Profect: Ingredients Pure Deionized Water , Actinase (31.5%) , (Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Collagenic Protein Isolate (Predigested) , Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Collagenic Protein Isolate (Predigested) , Whey Protein Isolate (Milk) , Casein Protein Isolate (Milk) , Casein Protein Isolate (Milk)) , Less than 2.0% of: Amino Acids , (Tyrosine , Leucine , Lysine , Isoleucine , Tryptophan , Threonine , Methionine , Valine) , Malic Acid , Vitamins , (Ascorbic Acid © , Niacin (B3) , Pantothenic Acid (B5) , Pyridoxine (B6) , Riboflavin (B2) , Thiamin (B1) , Folic Acid , Biotin , Cobalamin (B12)) , Natural Flavors , Sodium Bicarbonate , Acesulfame-Potassium , Sucralose , Red 40 , Blue 1 Not for me, either.

Here is the ingredient list for New Whey: Ingredients:Pure Carbon Filtered Water. Complete Protein Matrix (IDS Proprietary Blend of Collagen Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Isolate and Casein Protein Isolate), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Red 40 and Blue 1. Proprietary blends ... gotta love that. Needless to say, stay away, sleevers.

No, probably just caught a bug or something. Did you introduce any new foods?

What brand of shot is it?

I think it was about 3 to 4 weeks out. Just make sure you get your liquids in. It will come in time.

If he is selling them in his office, he is getting a cut of the action. Needless to say, never buy stuff out of the Dr office. Same thing goes for hair salons ... know what I mean?

I've been avoiding this thread for fear of being mis-judged by my comments. But this summarizes it for me, too. The person eating doesn't disgust me, it is more the over-eating which I participated in, too. The mindset that this is "totally normal". I remember my own participation and it has taken being sleeved to become an objective bystander ... to watch from the outside at the two different portion sizes. I used to think the huge portions were what I needed to survive, and then I look down at the portion I am eating and am amazed at the difference. If I am judging anyone, I am judging myself. Wow! I used to eat like that and think it was normal.

Nice! I hear ya, I couldn't wait to get out of "morbidly obese". I hated that title. Congrats!

They will say "Whey" in the name and contain something like 5% Whey protein and the rest is casien, which is fine for body builders, not sleevers who need absorption a little quicker than what casien provides.

Let's try a different approach on a response to this question, as it is asked a lot ... To find out what you are "doing wrong", tell us ... what are you doing right? What instructions have you been given and are you following them?

Just make sure they are whey Protein with no casein protein. That stuff is worthless to us sleevers. Search the site and Google for casein

OTR, I love your approach to advice. It is straight-forward and honest. Gentle when needed, but always honest. You have the tact that I lack at times. You are a great, needed member on the board. Thanks!

Had one on the way back to my hotel from surgery. I was outpatient. So, go ahead and start.