BigViffer

I have this at least 3 times a week. I make my oatmeal like normal, but I like mine a little runny. After pulling it out of the microwave and letting it cool to an edible temp, I add a scoop of my protein powder. Doesn't matter what flavor to me anymore.

Does it have to be a supplement? Can you increase your food intake of foods rich in iron? I have liver and onions about once a month and spinach pretty frequently for that exact reason.

How do you measure a portion size and log it in an app if you don't weigh it? A portion of ground turkey one day could be 2 ounces but 4 the next meal. There is about a 12 gram difference in protein there. Not picking on you, just curious.

Yep, 2 kids. I don't find it to be time consuming at all. There are many BM tracking apps available for various reasons. Sit down, start the timer. Finish up, stop the timer. At the end of the year I export the data and put it into my personal matrix spreadsheet. Been doing it now for about 2 years. There are examples on my profile page in the gallery. I keep track of my major lifts, my food, and BM's.

I have no recommendation for unflavored protein powder, just about anything is decent as long as it is not Genepro. They were just recently successfully sued for their misleading marketing practices. There is not 30 grams of protein in a serving. They used to say that magically compressed the protein then they changed their story to say that it is the equivalent of 30 grams of protein because of the rapid absorption. Here is a better post about it because I don't feel like typing it out all over again"

I had this problem early on. I believe the issue is not so much that they are gross, but they do not taste as they "should" It's like picking up a Sprite and taking a huge gulp only to find out it is water. The wrongness of what you were expecting vs what you were tasting causes an immediate urge to spit it out. My recommendation would be to try a food you have never had before or a food you like but prepared extremely different than what you have ever had before. For example, you say you can't stand chicken. If you have never had Indian (dot not feather) cooking before, you may find that curry chicken appeals to you. The spices are not something you have a preconceived taste associated with so you have nothing to compare it to from pre-surgery.

I often see the question, "What's the best protein (powder/shake/bar)? The answer is always the one that you will use. I don't remember if I tried Inspire or not, but I personally really like Gold Standard. I'll recommend it to anyone, but in the end it comes down to personal preference. Except for Genepro. It's just crap.

They are simple to make. Here are some fancy ones: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/5-insanely-delicious-protein-mug-cakes.html

Genpro is snake oil and a crap product. They were successfully sued starting in November of last year and ruled on in June of this year. Their claim of their protein being "medical grade" and being equivalent to 30 grams of protein were debunked. At best you are getting 10 grams of pre-digested protein enzyme. Yes it is still being sold, even on this website. It's the same as the 8 minute workout videos that promise fantastic results with little effort. It is a product that preys on the trusting and uninformed. Avoid it.

Making the preparation of a meal can become the substitute ritual that becomes a habit. Instead of eating being the focus, the preparation becomes the ritual then the habit.

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I disagree. I am 2.5 years out and I still use powder and protein bars to supplement my diet. Of course I am using it to help with my weight lifting so my protein goals are much higher. They do not limit your intake of nutrients unless you are using them for your sole source of food. As for encouraging thoughts about other sweets, I find the opposite to be true. Why bother with a chocolate chip cookie when I can have a protein bar? Why have a milkshake if I can have a protein shake? Cakes don't interest me when I can make a coffee cup protein cake.

Not really that bad. The salami and peanut butter are fat dense, but that is no where near enough to cause a stall. Since you are still so soon post op, I would recommend taking measurements. Measure your arm circumference, neck circumference, tummy and waist circumference separately, then thigh circumference. Pick a day of the week to do that and do it every week on the same day. That is a better way to track your progress than the scale IMO. It is the one thing I wish I would have done the first year. Those measurements will carry you through the stalls.

The average US female is 5'4". The average US female weighs 166.2lbs The average US female consumes 2.5 servings of alcohol a day The average US female sleeps 6 hours & 41 minutes a day. The average US female wears a size 16. The problem with averages is that they are so homogenized that they can no longer be applicable to the individual. Unless you meet all the average statistics spelled out prior to surgery, there is very little chance the average weight loss will be applicable to you as well. Weight loss is strictly a matter of diet. Fitness comes from exercise. So even if you are not able to work out like some, you will still lose the weight if you stick to the plan provided by your surgeon. Testing your limits or tolerances or experimenting with food and/or alcohol will hamper your progress and could lead to bad habits forming. Relax, stay the course, and remain vigilant!

Buying a house is exciting and completely time absorbing. Totally get it. Best of luck man!

It is not all for naught though, collagen is good for bones and joints!

Yes they have protein, but it is collagen. It does not count towards your daily protein goal. It does nothing for your muscle tissue. Just FYI.

Yo @BigTink2LilTink! Where you at?! How goes the lifts?

I found this picture on a Facebook flashback and thought it was a perfect reason to update my Before/After shots. No idea what I weighed, but it was a lot. Easily 330. As you can empathize, I didn't really step on a scale back then. This is from Fridays form check video I submit to my coach. I actually like the fact that my excess skin causes a "muffin top" above my belt. It's a constant reminder that no matter how much I train, there is nothing I can do about that skin. It's not going away unless I have plastic surgery. Makes it impossible for me to forget where I came from. This is a different angle I used to check my back angle on the dead lift. I chose this picture because even though I looked leaner last year at this time, I am far stronger. and I think I still look good enough. Even relaxed I look pretty fit. Every day that I lift there is a small part of me that wishes I could lift more, but I quickly remind myself that 2.5 years ago I couldn't lift my left leg or tie my shoe much less put 200lbs on my back or pick up 250lbs off the floor. Remember who you are and how far you've come to maintain your perspective!

I eat pork rinds and cracklins frequently. The fried aspect is not really a concern for me since the calories to serving is within allowed tolerances for me. I used to count the protein towards my daily goal, but after realizing that it is merely collagen protein, it doesn't really count. Collagen is the lowest quality protein out there. We use them frequently to "bread" chicken breast or fish fillets that we air fry.

Nope, it's still snake oil and should be avoided.

First off, that cabin is awesome. When I was a young boy, my dad tried to show me so much that I had absolutely zero interest in. Now that I am an adult I really wish I had paid more attention. Luckily he is still around and I can gain a small amount of his wisdom. But it feels as though I will still have missed out on so much. So good on you for having that experience to share with the grand kids. Secondly, yep.. PC correctness strikes again. I used the word r e t a r d in the definitive term; "delay or hold back in terms of progress" and it was replaced with "intellectually challenged" So the sentence read as follows: Ugh.

25K walk/jog and 50 mile bike? Honest question here, why do you need gastric surgery? What comorbidities do you have that the surgery will help with?

lol... uh-oh. You're going to be on the ****-list for pointing that out. I speak from experience: