Chris R

Mine told me you want to look for the most Protein with the least volume - since your smaller stomach can't take large amounts, and you need to make sure you get your protein in. I use the Syntrax Nectars because there's 23 g protein per scoop, and you can mix it with as little as 8 oz of Water or milk (up to 16 oz.) With milk, that gives it an additional 11 g protein boost. They have a lot of different flavors, and you can get sample sizes to try them out. My favorites are Double Stuffed Cookie and chocolate Truffle (yes, I'm a chocoholic) but they also have several fruit flavors.

I found it more sickening than amusing. Apparently the patients have an open port into their stomach? Sounds like it's begging for an infection. I agree with the reviewer who said it's an enabling machine, and horrifying!

I really think what anyone who is contemplating this surgery must do is weigh the potential risks and benefits of getting the surgery against those of NOT getting the surgery. For myself, though I had never even considered having weight loss surgery an option before I started the process last year, I finally decided that if I didn't do something "drastic" to lose weight, I was quickly going to reach the point where I was no longer mobile, and would probably not live long enough to see my children grown, married, and with children of their own. My BMI was over 68. I had type II diabetes, my blood pressure was borderline high, and I have severe arthritis in both knees (no cartilage - bone on bone) which made (still makes) every step painful. I'm 50 years old - too "young" (and still too heavy as of yet) to have my knees replaced, but hoping the weight loss will help me bear the pain longer. I still have too much pain to walk for more than maybe 10 minutes. I will seek that surgery when my orthopaedist says I've lost enough. However, I have been off all diabetes and blood pressure meds since surgery, and those levels have been great! I'm down a total of 100 lbs since starting the process not quite a year ago, 40 of those since surgery 9 weeks ago. I feel much better about my chances of living long enough to help care for my future grandchildren in my retirement, and be able to keep up with them, too! So the surgery was well worth the risk for me. If my weight was not causing the other health problems? I really don't think it would have been.

I get my Syntrax powders through Nashua Nutrition. They're local to me, but their website is nashuanutrition.com. They sell sample packs (1 scoop per sample) so you can try out flavors before you buy the big bucket. I think they charge 2 for a sample. The 2 lb canisters of syntrax nectars are 36 there. The 5 lb bags of syntrax matrix are 46.

As of today, I've lost 100.6 lbs since I first began my gastric surgery program on May 5, 2012. I lost 60 lbs in 9 months pre-surgery. I've lost 40 in the 9 weeks since surgery on my 50th birthday, February 12, 2013. I feel more restriction now, 9 weeks out, than I did at 3 weeks out. I'm no longer using Protein shakes regularly, though I do occasionally add unflavored Protein powder to a smoothie when I need to get a little more protein in. I shoot for about 35% protein, 35% carbs, and 30% fats, and under 1000 calories per day. I still have a long way to go - another 200 lbs to goal - but I feel confident that I will get there. I never used to think I wanted surgery to lose weight, but after losing up to 85 lbs at a stretch at least 3 times before in my life, and then gaining it all back again, plus more each time, I'm glad I made this decision and found a tool that will help me keep this up for the long haul!

I'd rather be 'fat fat' than 'one of those REALLY obese women... *sarcasm*

My surgeon said NO Nsaids after surgery BUT he did say that I MAY be able to take the Meloxicam that I took before 6 months after surgery, if I can tolerate it and have no other issues. I think in general they don't want you to take anything that could irritate your much smaller stomach lining, which Nsaids do.

I'm 9 weeks out, on phase 5, where I can eat whatever I can tolerate. I haven't had any foods that gave me a problem - no dumping, sliming, vomiting. I did notice today after a couple of bites from a turkey club that the bacon was not sitting well. Not making me sick, just a little stomach turning. I took the bacon off (hubby ate it). I only ate half of my half-sandwich before I'd had enough. I'm getting 800-1000 calories a day, and have lost 38 lbs in the 9 weeks since surgery.

I was 450 when I started the program, lost 60 lbs in 9 months pre-op, and have lost 38 more in 9 weeks post-op. I feel confident that I will be able to reach my goal of 150, a 300 lb total loss. The sleeve is a great tool, you just have to follow the directions!

I thought that was FAST loosing...

Just playing

Breast feeding really helps take off post-pregnancy weight - not to mention the excellent benefits for the baby! Congratulations!

My NUT tools me that people often hit a stall when they reach a weight that they stayed at for a while on the way up - like their body recognizes a familiar place and wants to linger there. As others have said, she said to mix things up when a stall hits.

You wish...

food addiction. It really does exist. Maybe some can't understand it. However, I think it's harder to overcome than any other type of addiction, because you can't give up eating cold turkey - you HAVE to eat to live! How easy would it be for a drug addict to overcome it if they still had to take some of the drugs every day?

Well, the rule of thumb is you need a 500 calorie per day deficit to lose 1 lb per week. So if you generally require let's say 2000 calories a day to maintain your weight, if you ate 750 calories a day you should lose an average of 2.5 lbs per week in the long run.

31 lbs in 4 weeks is "super slow"? That's almost 8 lbs a week - over a pound a day! Don't get unrealistic in your expectations - you're doing amazingly well!!!

I've been told that it's the only word in the English language that contains all five vowels in order. And if you make it 'facetiously', you can also count the "sometimes y".