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The Key Points: The main key is the power of the motor. The more powerful the motor, the faster the blades rotate. A motor that is 900 watts will mix much better than a motor that is 300 watts. An evenly smooth texture is more likely with more powerful blenders and mixers. The products listed are ones our patients use more frequently. Look for a blender that is in your budget, works well for what you want to use it for and how easy it is to clean. Keep in mind how much space you have in your kitchen, too. Some of the blenders/mixers can only pulse and may list a time limit on how long to pulse. Products listed are for making protein shakes or smoothies only. Shaker Cups Widely available in many retail stores and in the BariatricPal Store. Prices range from $6-$20. Made to mix protein powders with fluids. Easy to carry with you. Great for traveling. Sometimes it’s more difficult to mix the protein powder completely in a shaker cup. PROMiXX (original) and version 2.0 Vortex Mixer Original lists for about $30 on Amazon. Needs regular batteries. The 2.0 has a rechargeable, lithium battery that requires a USB port. Starts about $50 on Amazon. Great for mixing protein powders and liquid. Great for traveling or when you are just on the go. Although this is not dishwasher safe, it is easy to clean. Vitamix Systems The product has been around since 1949. Prices range from $400-$720. Can make smoothies. An extended warranty is available. Ninja Systems Ninja Fit 16 oz. Blender – Comes with two blender cups. Motor is 700 watts. One speed. Starts around $60. Nutri Ninja Pro 24-Oz. Blender – This is just for blending shakes. Motor is 900 W. Comes with 18 oz. and 24 oz. blender jars. One speed only. Starts around $100. Nutri Professional 3-Speed Blender – Comes with 72 oz. pitcher and 16 oz. cup. Price starts around $140. Ninja Auto-iQ Blender – There are several models that have the Auto-iQ cycle. This pauses through the cycle to allow food to fall towards the blades. These will have different speeds and may have both automatic and manual settings. Designed to make blended (“extracted”) smoothies using vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruits. Prices range from $120-$160. Magic Bullet/NutriBullet Systems Magic Bullet is the original product in the line. The original can blend protein powders and fluids to create smooth protein shakes. Does a fairly good job pureeing soft, fresh fruit, canned or frozen fruit that has been thawed. Don’t expect the Magic Bullet to provide a completely smooth texture for blended or extracted smoothies. Motor is 250 watts. Starts at $40. Check to make sure whether you are buying a new or refurbished machine. NutriBullet Series comes in several models. Check websites and advertisements to find discounted prices. Most come with recipes. Check to see if parts are hand wash or dishwasher safe. NutriBullet (Original) – Eight or 12 Piece Sets. Starts around $80. Motor is 600 watts. NutriBullet Pro 900 – Nine to 15 piece sets. Starts around $100. Motor is 900 watts. NutriBulletRx – 10 piece set. Starts around $180. Motor is 1,700 watts. Has an extra heating feature to make soups or warm beverages. Could use other NutriBullets and heat product in microwave. This is larger than the original and Pro 900 machines. Other Smoothie Blenders: Look for other personal blenders by Oster, Farberware and Elite. Immersion Blenders are hand-held blenders that you immerse in your cup or glass to blend. These can also be used to puree soft cooked vegetables and soups. More Options Consider using a hand-held mixer to mix your protein powders and fluid together. Get a work out by using a whisk to blend the protein powder and fluid together.

You’re Starving, or Not For some WLS patients, hunger goes away. For others, hunger is reduced enough so that you can keep it in check, even if you were constantly hungry before WLS. Some patients, though, still need to fight hunger. It is still a struggle to pass up certain foods and to keep portions small. Your Head Gets Hungry “Head hunger” is when you think you are hungry, but you are really just bored, the food looks good, or you feel like eating for some other reason. It is important to learn to recognize head hunger so that you know when it is not time to eat, but it is also important to realize that it may not be time to eat every time you are physically hungry. That is because you are losing weight, which means you are eating less than you burn, which means…your body is hungry. Pizza and Ice Cream Taste Great Often, your sense of taste changes after weight loss surgery. You may be one of the lucky patients who stops loving junk food. Pizza and French fries may be too greasy and salty for your new taste buds, and ice cream and muffins may be too sweet. On the other hand, your taste buds may be just as enamored with the food groups of sweet, salty, starchy, and greasy. You may need to work just as hard as you did pre-op to keep pizza, ice cream, fried chicken, and bagels from overwhelming your diet. Salads May Not Work Your game plan for weight loss may include a huge salad once or twice a day. It is filling, healthy, and low-calorie – the perfect weight loss combo. The problem is that many weight loss surgery patients can no longer stomach salads for months or longer after surgery. Instead of lettuce, a protein, and some dressing, consider building your meals with cooked vegetables, a protein, and a small amount of healthy fat such as avocado or peanut butter. Creativity Is the Name of the Game Many other healthy foods may be off-limits because your tastes change or they are too stringy or they make you sick. You will have to be flexible to find healthy substitutes for them. Here are some common trouble foods and some alternatives. Popcorn: try Protein Cereal as a quick snack. Celery: opt for Bean Crisps Lean beef and poultry: try fish, veggie burgers and other soy and bean products, and lentils. Cheese: try peanut butter or hummus. The good news is that most WLS patients tend not to develop aversions to vegetables, so pile your plate high! What Happened to Water? Water is the one calorie-free and free from cost food that is actually a nutrient…and it may have tasted great before surgery. Afterwards, not so much. Some patients have trouble drinking plain water after surgery. It just does not taste good anymore. Now that diet soft drinks and carbonated flavored water are off limits, you have fewer choices for hydration – but they are there. Flavored water without bubbles. Decaffeinated low-acid coffee and tea. Ice water with lemon or lime. Malnutrition Happens Malnourishment may be far from your mind when your goal is weight loss, but it happens quite often. It can be a deficiency of protein, but also of vitamins and minerals. You will have to get enough protein every day and take your nutritional supplements every day, probably for life. Sit Near the Bathroom You just never know when you may need one when you sit down to eat a meal. Dumping syndrome strikes fast and without warning. By the way, you also cannot predict how full you will get and when you will be able to finish your entire plate. You can make your weight loss surgery journey a tad easier by aware of what to expect, and there may be a few things your doctor does not tell you about.

You may also be wondering how in the world do I become more active? I don’t even know where to start, and the gym just isn’t for me. We teamed up with Myriam, a local kinesiologist, to give you tips on how to start to get your joints moving when you’ve been inactive for too long. A kinesiologist is a highly educated health care professional who is an expert in body movement. They’re experts in preventing and managing injuries and help people to get fit and perform at their best, among many other things. In these videos, Myriam will show you exercises that you can do at home to improve the health of your joints and movement to start getting you on a path to being more fit. Practice these exercises in the comfort of your own home. All you’ll need is: A chair, A belt or resistance band, A broomstick or long stick. These exercises are great to start BEFORE surgery, early AFTER surgery, or even LONG TERM after surgery. It’s never too late to start being active. Remember that the number on the scale is only part of the story – fitness and exercise is the other half of the equation when it comes to living a longer and healthier life. How did this activity go for you? Let us know! – Lisa & Monica