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Just a Protein drink....not milky like most. If you pour it over tons of ice it's not horrible. They sell sample packs, just google it! Fuzzy navel is my favorite ( don't love it, tolerate it -) I also prefer the Syntrax sweets if I'm going to do a shake. HW 312, pre-op (lap-band) 294, pre-op (RNY) 255, surgery date 2/11/13, goal weight 154, current weight 219

Hey Barb! Mine has slowed down too. I'm still having a very hard time getting my Protein shakes down. They cause spasms in my esophagus. Dr. Spaw is having me take hyosciamine (sp?) for those, but I still have trouble. He just told me to keep trying, that it would get better. Purees are my friend. They are warm and feel good going down. I start mushies the day I go back to work, but I'm a little bit scared about that. I think I'm going to stick with purees at work during the day and then try new mushie stuff at home in case it doesn't want to stay down. We are going to Knoxville this weekend to visit my oldest daughter. It will be the first time away from home since surgery. I plan on taking my Magic Bullet and if the restaurants we go to don't have anything I can eat, I can get something to go and puree it when we get back to the hotel. I'm really nervous about this trip. See you tonight!

I was disappointed to discover that Syntrax Nectar Sweets protein powders have wheat in them! I sometimes get Tera's Whey Organic protein powder but it is pricey for a tiny tub, does anyone know of some wheat-free, casein-free protein powders?

As you can see from the title, my doctor has not been sending in my records in to UIC (my hospital) and it has gotten my dander up. I've asked for my records more than a month and a half ago. I know she is violating IL HIPAA and also her ethics. I really don't know what to do, other than call my insurance and tell them that she is not giving up my records. I've even asked for them myself, but no go. And I've talked to UIC and they have exhausted all options. Does anyone have a clue on what to do next?:smile: Thanks, JRG

I love injury protein shakes

You will get varying answers but it has for me. I do feel "full" after eating 3-4 oz of food, particularly Protein. A lot of times I could go longer without eating but I eat so that I get enough calories for the day. (However I was not a revision).

I was vegan for a while a few years ago and my dietitian told me NO for at least the first couple of years out. Protein wise though, Beans are your friend. So is tofu. Silken tofu is also a good egg sub in baking. While I'm pre-op, I've been relying more on plant than animal Proteins because they come with less fat and other stuff. This site: http://vegweb.com/ is a lifesaver because it has TONS of really yum vegan recipes. Also hit up http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ her stuff is awesome.

I'm four weeks from surgery today. I start adding foods tomorrow, but have been eating sashimi the past week. It's soft, delicious and solid protein. Yum!

This morning I am trying a Cytomax protein water. 20oz, 40g protein 160 cal. even has 25% of your calcium. Not too bad, but super sweet. I am cutting it with water. My nut said it can count as my water after surgery. I tried the Tropical flavor. Kind of pina-colda tasting. I might try freezing some into icecubes and then running through a slushy machine. Would be kind of like having an icey. Mother's day was kind of a bummer. Had to get up and make breakfast because my daughter had a friend sleepover and she had to leave early for church. I say "had to", I didn't "have to", but I always feel like Ineed to take care of guests. Kids gave me cards, then I think hubby was feeling bad, so he was trying to whisper to my son to go up to the store and buy me some flowers. Don't bother. After the fact don't count with me. A little thought before hand would have meant more. Oh well, no time for a pity-party now. I am taking back my life, and the rest of them be damned :cursing:

YAY for finding a new protein, what's the carb count on those? And, is the calcium citrate or carbonate? I got totally screwed on Mother's day too. My kid wanted to play outside with the neighbor kid all day, my husband was worn out from playing softball for about 8 hours on Saturday, and he is sunburnt to a crisp, so he felt horrible, I got nada for Mother's day. And, the kiddo ruined going out to dinner by being a jackas$ and not coming home when he was supposed to be home. Dad grounded him, and we had italian delivered which is not what I wanted, but I didn't want to cook. Sorry for the hijack, but I wanted to let you know we can be bitter about Mother's day 2010 together.

Hello all! I am just over a month outside of surgery. I have been recovering very nicely with no setbacks at all! My doctor placed 4.5cc in my band when he inserted it, Then I got my first official fill at my two week checkup. 2.4cc more went at that time, so i'm up to 6.9cc. I still felt zero restriction, I was able to eat well over a cup of food at a time with zero problems at all. My weight loss had all but stopped as well. So i went in for my month checkup last Thursday and got another 2cc of Fluid into my 14cc band, bringing total to 8.9cc. Now.. since that fill.. I've had no problems eating softies, drinking liquids etc.. I DEFINITELY can feel more restriction. But I also notice when I lay down to sleep at night, and only then.. I get horrible gas pressure in my stomach! I can usually shift around, roll to one side or the other and it relieves it temporarily. But it usually comes back. I don't have problems during the day, I've eaten only limited solids since the surgery (1/3 of a chicken breast, a couple Protein bars, some wheat thin crackers..) without any problems. So.. What im asking is.. is this normal? is this just an "adjustment phase" where my body and stomach are adjusting to the new tightness and restriction imposed by my band? or is it possible The nurse and I overdid it and I have too much fluid in my band? Thanks for reading, any input is greatly appreciated!!

I look at it this was everything in huge amounts is not healthy or side effects..unhealthy food...junk..sodas..coffee what ever put us in this position...health issues the meds we take for diabetes..blood pressure ..cholesterol all has side effects.....My nutritionist and doctor recommends the 60 to 80 g of protein to help muscle mass and also with weightloss...I know someone who did the surgery and stop taking her protein and she wasnt losing a pound...

I like Premier Protein Chocolate...but it tastes like chocolate milk so you might not like it.

Are you happy with your decision to be banded? I am only 2 1/2 months post-op but so far yes I am very happy. Do you have any regrets and if so what are they? No, none at all Would you do it again if you had the choice to make over? In a hearbeat! What are some of the physical difficulties you've faced post op..such as diet, health? My health has already improved...I am already off one of my two prescriptions. Other than recovery which wasn't too bad there have been no physical difficulties. There still is head hunger but it has been easier to combat. Did you have any complications and what was the outcome? No complications from Lap Band, I also had Hiatal Hernia repair and had a few minor complications from that (breathing problems and pain) but I am fine now. Do you feel better or worse now compared to pre banding? I already feel sooo much better. Once the weight is all gone I imagine I will feel like a new person. Did you tell people you were having or had the surgery? I hadn't planned to but I ended up telling family and co-workers. I do not have any regrets in doing so. How did your friends and acquaintances react? Mostly with curiosity, lots of questions. My mom had some concerns but she is OK with it now. Hubby has been very supportive. How hard was it for you to stay on the pre and post op liquid diets? Very hard. Pre-op was harder than post-op when I had less of an appetite but it was hard. But it was only a short time and worth it. How hard has it been for you to learn new eating habits? Very easy. I am not hungry like I was pre-band and the band keeps me from eating too much and that makes all the difference. How do you overcome eating temptations or do you even have them anymore? I think most of my head hunger comes from my addiction to Carbs. I also have PCOS so carbs are truly the enemy. Pre-op diet was low carb high protein so I was able to get the carbs out of my system and have stuck with the low carb not allowing myself any sugar or white flour (I do eat whole wheat wraps sometimes, oatmeal, fresh fruit but no pasta, starches, sugars and I can't tolerate soft breads). I really think that avoiding bad carbs is helping a lot. Why do you think this surgery was successful when so many other dieting attempts failed (assuming you are like me :crying: in this regard) I have dieted my whole life. I have lost up to 50 pounds on my own more than once then lost my willpower and gained it back and then some. In order to lose weight I had to deprive myself of food and endure constant hunger. The key now is that I am not hungry and I can't cheat without feeling discomfort. I really don't feel the deprivation I have always felt on other diets.

Banded 10/2 and doing ok. This is day six and im getting in my creamed Soups which are yuck to me. Cream of mushroom just doesnt taste yum without the casserole. But im doing it. I finally resorted to putting some spices in it. Similary, the liquid Isopure, im putting crystal lite in it. If anyone of you have done the ready made Isopure, you know what a dreaded taste it has, but with a lil flavor it goes down nicely and you get your Protein. For Breakfast yesterday I had cream of wheat diluated with silk soy milk with one spoon of splenda. It was nice and my first carb. Im only getting in 4 oz of liquids at a time but i seem to do much better with Water now. Im not as dehydrated. I was nervous like most of you, but you will find its a breeze, as long as you walk, walk, walk, to get the gas pains out. Good luck to all..will write more.. Aloha and God Bless, Miriam

Just try to get back on track for the pre op diet. The idea is to shrink the liver. I was able to have a meal replacement for breakfast and small portions of meat and vegetable for lunch and supper (2-4 oz meat with 1/2 cup vegtable and 1/2 meal replacement) for day 1-7. Snacks were a protein bar or liquid. At 3 days prior is when I had to have only clear liquids with no caffeine or carbonated drinks. As much as I felt hungry, the idea of giving my surgeon the best conditions possible for sucessful surgery kept me focused. My nurse who prepped me for surgery said they see the pre op weight loss average of about 20lbs.

Yesterday was the worst day so far. I was in a significant amount of pain and finally got a new subcription from the doctor. I couldn't take the original pain killer because it made me itch all over. Took my first shower since surgery last night. I have to admit that I cried a bit before going in. I was afraid. - I guess that's what pain does to you. But it was fine and I felt better afterwards. I had my first bowel movement since surgery this morning. I was very excited about that. I know - it's a strange thing to be excited about, but I'm glad to know that my insides are starting to function again. Woke up feeling much better this morning. Less pain, less bloated. I'm hoping today will be better than yesterday. I actually consumed 1/2 of one of those whey protein shots this morning. It only took me an hour and a half to do it, but I'm already doing better than yesterday. I bet I only consumed about 5 oz of anything yesterday. I know that's not enough, but I was so bloated and so sore that I just couldn't do it. Hopefully today will be better. I'm getting closer to my pre surgery level with the lung incentive apparatus. So I'm doing pretty well with that. For three days it's felt like I've had to hold my insides from falling out while walking by using both hands or a pillow. Today was the first time I could walk with only slight pressure with one hand on my tummy. Woot, Woot. I just know things are going to start getting better now!!!!! :thumbup1:

Which one worked best for you?

I get getting ready to order some samples from My Bariatric Kitchen. I have a nectar sampler in my cart and a Pantry Selections hot chocolate sampler. 1. Any additional items I should try? 2. Suggestions for other sites to get samples? Thanks

I have been using ExerciseTV since January and literally have been obsessed with it. I have tried everything to keep me motivated but these workouts work and there are so many options! I feel super lazy when I don't work out because I have no excuse, it is in my living room. Bikini bod here I come!

I started back to work today...administrative in an adult day care. Loved getting back to what i love but tired a little easily. Am two weeks post op tommorrow. drinking and eating pudding and potatoes is too easy for me....i can't help being scared that i could just keep on eating, even though I am following instructions and taking 30 minutes or more to finish 2 oz. of creamed food or 1 cup of liquid. My doctor assures me that if I ate fast or more i would know i couldn't. Maybe i should just try to stop this crazy worry. years and years of having success and gaining back has made me worry that this isn't going to work either. Is that crazy? any councel out there? another thing- when did you start soft protein like tuna or salmon? I started my journey at 300 pounds and now I am at 276 so I am happy with that, but just afraid I will just stop losing. I probably needed to get back to work:001_smile:

This is normal. Some foods are difficult to eat and will fill you up really quickly e.g solid Protein such as meat/chicken. Other foods go down really easily so it takes lots to fill you up. They are called slider foods and you should try to avaoid them. They include crisps, chocolate, icecream, Desserts etc. Some sliders are OK in small quantities as they provide imprtant nutrients e.g yogurt. I am not surprised you got stuck on a hard boiled egg. I have always found them dry and really difficult to eat even preband. The thing is to always eat slowly, small bites and chew really well. If you do get stuck stop eating and don't try to drink as it makes it worse. I generally try to burp or cough the stuck item up as when it comes up you get relief. Some people guzzle a fizzy drink really quickly. Apparently this unblocks you and brings iit up really fast so only do it near a toilet or sink!Others swear by papaya enzymes but for me they do nothing. In time you will figure out what works for you. Also the optimum level of fill to achieve restriction is different for everyone. Some people have 10 cc bands with only 1 or 2cc and they are restricted. Others have overfilled bands. As for the scale............ I still jump on it EVERY morning!

Justin, what I would say is do research on all of your options. I was 304 and want to get to 155. It can be done. You have to consider all the facts including all the pros and cons of both.

Dehydration can cause the dizziness as well as lack of nutrition. You don't state how many grams of protein or liquids you are consuming. A deficit of either will also cause the stall to last longer. If you work retail, how often are you able to eat/drink during your shift? You need something every hour to drink and every 3 to eat in these early stages. How is urine ouput and color? Try warm tea, or popsicles for fluid or crystal light half and half w a clear protein drink in a thermal cup.

Hit the food/recipe forum for the place to order samples of Protein powders. As for stuff to take to the hospital, I believe in packing light, but to have some essentials to make the stay more enjoyable. 1) Chapstick, Blistex, lip balm of some sort (I know you're a man, but believe me, chapped, dry lips suck) 2) comfy undies, and lounge pants to wear home 3) I took my own slippers to walk in, non-skid bottom 4) I took some lotion, shampoo/conditioner all travel size 5) Toothbrush/toothpaste/mouthwash I didn't take books or magazines, nothing to keep me occupied. There is typically a tv, and you'll be walking, sipping and sleeping so no need for all that other crap in my opinion unless you really like that kind of stuff. As for stuff to have at home, it kind of depends on your diet progression. sugar-free popsicles, broth cubes (so I could control the taste), Gatorade G2, those flavored herbal decaf teas were lifesavers for me, warm fluids worked so much better. Cream Soups, greek yogurt, sugar free pudding packages (not the pre-packaged stuff, the powder stuff in the box) Here's a link I send to everyone in the pre-op/prep stage: http://vsgfaq.wordpress.com/ A heating pad is pretty awesome for the gas pains, as is Gas X strips. Best wishes ! ! !