BigViffer

You might want to mention that unflavored does not mean no flavor. It means that nothing was added to the powder to mask the taste of the whey.

Big fan of squats and dead lifts. I know it is because prior to surgery my back was in constant pain and my left leg was being dragged behind me because of nerve pain. Just being able to do the motion of a squat or pick something up off the floor is novel. Doing it with heavy weights is surreal. @dusky goddess - what type of squats are you doing?

There is definitely a science to lifting/diet/sleeve. Wish I could say I have it figured out, but it is always being tweaked. You say you are lifting, what are you doing specifically? 1200 calories of what? When are you eating? If your surgery date is correct, you are only about 6 months post-op. Right now (only in my opinion) I would be focusing on losing the weight and trying to keep what muscle you have. You just cannot take in enough protein/calories to start building a lot of mass. Establishing the routine and habit is the most important thing. I used to lift everyday, but once I started getting into heavier weights, I needed more recovery time. So now I am down to 3 times a week. The other days I just try to get my steps in to maintain my weight.

lol, whoops! April... August... Close enough? Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

Aside from the fact that I thought they tasted awful, I mean gelatinous cough syrup/jolly rancher hybrid really really bad, their primary source of protein is collagen, then whey, and lastly casein. Collegen protein is technically a protein yes, but it isn't much more than a nitrogen donor. Casein is a decent protein though. Whey is still the reigning king for muscle mass retention and growth. Even with that low opinion of the protein shots, they are still better than genepro. As a list, I would go like this: Whey Casein Beef or Bone powder Soy Egg (the powder, not the real thing. Real eggs rock) Pea Collagen Toenails Dirt Velveeta Cheese or aerosol cheese spread Genepro

@zippyskippy - two years I have been repeating the same thing. People want to believe that they are doing something that works or helps, even if it is not true.

If you are only going to be having sips instead of cups, you should be fine either route you decide. Isn't Pass Over around August? If you are 10 months now, you'll be well past the year mark by then. The alcohol will not be a risk by that time. It may burn a little like normal alcohol, but not the stinging discomfort of a new patient. And the sugar content of grape juice would not likely cause you dumping syndrome.

Yikes, those are incredibly low! You definitely should speak to your doctor. In the interim, buy some natural orange juice. When your blood sugar is getting low, sip on that. Don't gulp! You'll go from low blood sugar to dumping syndrome in record time. Orange juice has been a old standby for Type 1 diabetics when they have used too much insulin or if their blood sugar levels crash from some other reason. They also make sugar pills. The are available in the pharmacy section I believe. You may also want to ask your doctor about adding dried figs, dates, prunes, or apricots into your diet. They are naturally high in fiber as well as a good source of natural sugars.

I'm not being sarcastic, what are you wanting to know? You didn't ask anything. Are you wanting to know why it is happening? Are you wanting to know how to keep your blood sugar levels elevated? Are you truly hypoglycemic or are you just not eating enough? Is this a problem with some history or is it just since surgery? A little more detail would be helpful.

I just cannot understand why this discussion won't die. The ingredients specifically say it is made from whey protein. I don't care what "magic" they allegedly perform, it is impossible for there to be 30 grams of "equivalent" protein in a tablespoon serving and only 98 calories. The thing that is so hard to understand is that there are so many real protein supplements that there is no question or debate on the efficacy of the product. The only thing that Genepro has going for it that is not up for debate is how well it dissolves in liquid. That is not enough to warrant wasting money on it.

And... ?

You are definitely going to need carbs for weightlifting. It's a juggling act to find the right carb before a workout. Since you have had surgery and can only take in a small amount, I would recommend oatmeal about 30 minutes prior to your workout. Heavy lifting expends an incredible amount of energy. People think that only cardio burns fat for some reason; but if you lifting at your limits it will keep your heart rate up for hours after you are done. I have read many people swear by the chocolate milk, but I think that the sugar would cause you to feel awful. I know I can't drink it. I just have a dense protein after workout, but carbs pre-workout. It will be a struggle to add mass since you just cannot take in the calories necessary for growth.

Are you lifting weights at the limit of your strength at least 3 times a week as well as hitting 100+ ounces of water a day? If not, pass on the creatine. It is hard on the kidneys if you aren't keeping them flushed. And creatine is only going to force the excess fluid into the muscle if you are lifting heavy. Not playing around trying to "tone". Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

I had zero luck with any of the unflavored powders. They were all vile unless I mixed them with strong soups like tomato or curried lentil. What I do recommend is finding a place called Vitamin Shoppe if there is one around you. They are incredibly helpful. But best of all, if you buy any protein powder from then and don't like it for ANY REASON, return it for full value in-store credit. I told them about my surgery and they never one questioned me when I returned many different powders. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

@Christina.Rose - I feel as though I should explain a little better. A short answer like the one I gave doesn't really help you any. And if you have tried searching on this site, you probably aren't having much luck with the abysmal search function this place has. Here is a better explanation of my opinion from an earlier post:

It's safe to use, just pointless.

Yeah, because McDonald's would be so ridiculous and unbelievable to hear that it couldn't possibly happen. Now, Taco Bell? Yeah, that happened. Seriously; on the way home from the hospital where the person had gastric surgery less than 24 hours earlier. Huge stink here on the forum when some of the more vocal vets had an apoplexy and posted accordingly. It got so bad I think the thread got locked or removed. My reason for bringing this up is that you cannot project your situation, the the situation that you are familiar with, unto a person you know nothing about. Many members on this site are so positive and helpful and want to believe the best about everyone. But the truth is that not all people deserve that assumption. Me personally, I don't think there should be a mandated waiting period. I believe that a person should be responsible for their decisions. If they don't want to follow plan, let Darwinism sort it out.

13 months? lol, that's not the success of the calorie variance day by day. That is the definition of the honeymoon phase. So you are eating more on the days that you expend more energy? I don't think the key of your weight loss is the "no two days with the same amount of calories" thing, I'm betting you are just fueling your activities at the appropriate levels. Seriously though, I'm glad that whatever you are doing is working for you.Too many times people are complaining they haven't goal but are still eating Ho-Ho'sand Ding-Dong's. I don't care if a person comes up with a eating habit of pickled pigs feet and veggimite, if they are getting healthy and maintaining, more power to them.

[emoji15] Wow... Seriously, you look great. Great job and keep doing whatever you are doing. Sent from my phone. Please forgive brevity and spelling.

Pass on it. I don't want to type it all over again, so here is the last thing I type on it: long story short, it's crap. Shakes are hard, but they are at least not selling unicorn farts and fairy burps.

That runs contrary to everything I have read outside of fad diets. The one key ingredient to a lifestyle change is consistency. The idea of trying to confuse the body to achieve a goal weight just doesn't sound good long term. I would think it would drive the metabolism into a state of holding onto every fat cell. A long term plan to force the body to adapt would be a better idea. I agree with the idea of finding the goal weight macro.

I recommend only shopping at Goodwills and Thriftstores until after you hit bottom and rebound. once you are in maintence mode, then start looking for wardrobes.

It's funny, we were fat for years but after surgery we want that instant gratification. Have some patience. You'll have to get rid of the excess fluids and then start being regular and it will happen. The hard part for the coming month or two will be the flood of hormones making you emotional. The feelings of failure and "it's not going to work" are normal. Search the forums for hormones and you'll find tons of posts with people feeling the same as you.

Who said you were "supposed to hit 135 by April"? There is no way to map out where and when you will obtain an arbitrary weight within set amount of time. The big thing about any WLS is that it enables people to lose something like 70% of their excess weight. Not total or gross weight. The last leg of the weight loss is going to be all up to the individual. Also, the timing will be different for each individual. I didn't hit my weight goal in the first year but my surgeon was still thrilled with my progress. I eventually hit it and surpassed it, but it was around 15 months. There have been many men on here with similar stats to mine that hit goal weight or even "onederland" well before the first year. Sure I had a pang of envy, but there are far more that never even achieve my results. Don't focus on what you have not obtained, rather celebrate what you have already accomplished. So in short, just keep on doing what you are doing and focus on maintaining your habits you have spent the last 8 months establishing. This isn't a race to the finish line, it's a lifelong marathon.

Gum chewing is not usually recommended post WLS. Even though you are not eating anything, the mouth starts producing digestive juices and the stomach prepares for the arrival of food by increasing acid. Heartburn is the normal result, but in extreme cases ulcers can occur. Of course, I am not talking about a one time deal, rather a repeated habit of gum chewing.