Bufflehead

You look great and like you are just radiating health and happiness! Fantastic job!

My favorite brands are Jay Robb, Unjury, Chike, Syntrax Matrix, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard, Syntrax Nectar Sweets. and Designer Whey. Least favorite: Bariatric Advantage, Bariatric Fusion, Dymatize Protizyme, Celebrate, Tera's Whey, BSN Lean Dessert. I don't really like any RTD, they all taste like industrial sludge to me. In terms of bang for your buck, both Body Fortress and Pure Protein get really good reviews for both taste and economics, but I haven't tried either of them.

Tera's Whey and About Time are both all natural (sweetened with Stevia) and gluten-free. I've tried them both -- About Time was pretty good. I thought Tera's Whey was awful but some people like it. You can buy individual sized packets of Tera's Whey and get a trial pack of two flavors from About Time. About Time has 10 flavors they sell, so lots of variety to pick from. http://tryabouttime.com/shop/trial-pack/ http://www.teraswhey.com/single-serving-packets/

I was allowed small amounts of nut butter on purees and soft foods. No nuts themselves until I graduated out of soft foods, which for my surgeon is 6 months post-op.

How many calories are you taking in each day? How much (volume) are you eating in one sitting? Is grazing all day long on snacks approved under your surgeon's plan?

What is your definition of losing "very slow"? It seems like sometimes people have unrealistic expectations of how much they will lose. Could you be eating too much? I guess it is possible, but hard to say since we don't know how much you are eating. How many calories a day are you getting? How many grams of carbs and protein? BTW I seriously doubt you are eating too much, but you can't know unless you know how much you are taking in. If you are a slow loser . . . embrace it and keep working your program. I was a slow loser but a steady loser, only one "stall" in almost a year. I just kept plugging away and am now not too far from goal even though I started out at a BMI of 60. Even us slow losers get there eventually, I promise!

There are some people who cancel right before surgery because they are doing so well and believe they can do it on their own. And you know what? I've been around this forum long enough to see what happens . . . they come back six months later and post something like this: I'm starting all over with my surgery process. I thought I could do this on my own (or: I got a terrible case of nerves or: a black cat crossed my path on the way to the hospital and I thought God was sending me a signal not to have surgery - you get the picture) and now I've re-gained all the pre-op weight I lost plus put on another thirty pounds . . . I wish I hadn't canceled etc. etc. Last minute jitters and doubts and episodes of magical thinking of "hey I can do this on my own" (despite a lifetime of evidence to the contrary) are perfectly normal. Keep reminding yourself of why you need and want to have this surgery, and all the positive outcomes you can expect. A couple of quick bits of advice -- not that you asked -- I would give yourself longer than two weeks away from restaurants after your surgery, and I would order a bunch of different samples and starter kits of different protein brands so that you can decide what you like after surgery before committing to a particular brand or flavor. Unjury is great and their Chocolate Splendor has been a mainstay for me in my almost-year after surgery, but I didn't order a full tub until I tried it after surgery. Good luck!

They called my hubby back and I got a precious hug and he prayed with me. I had gotten a **** to relax me I am so sorry for being rude but it's amusing to me to imagine, madlib style, what might have gotten removed by the censor software here! Seriously though, for both you and the OP I am glad your surgeries went fine and you are doing well!

@@CrazyJaney I don't know if it's a special sale or what but right now you can get the 2 pack of liquid calcium for just under $13: http://www.amazon.com/Wellesse-Calcium-Vitamin-Natural-16-Ounce/dp/B001G7R2NO/

Sent you a PM

I don't know if you have a medical reason that bypass would be a horrible choice for you. If you don't, I would encourage you to at least discuss bypass some more with your surgeon. I had the sleeve, I love my sleeve - but I know tons of people with the bypass who have done great with it! It is an excellent surgery IMO, and often it really is a better choice for people who suffer with GERD -- at least the medical experts say so and I have no reason not to trust them.

Are you allowed caffeine at all? If so, lots of people (me included) love the Chike Iced Coffee protein powder. I use one scoop, mix with CarbMaster milk, and add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to bump up the coffee flavor. If you aren't allowed caffeine, try making a iced vanilla latte or iced mocha protein shake by using vanilla or chocolate protein powder and adding a teaspoon or two of instant decaf coffee. Finally, if you want a hot cappuccino type drink, these are pretty good. I like to (again) bump up the flavor by adding a spoonful of instant espresso or decaf. You can also add things like sugar free hazelnut syrup, caramel syrup, etc.: http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/hot-drinks/healthsmart-hot-drink-cappuccino-7-box.html My standard prep for these is mix 4 oz. water + 4 oz. Carb Master milk in a ceramic mug, then nuke that for about 90 seconds. Transfer the heated liquid to my blender beaker, add the cappuccino protein powder, instant espresso, syrups, and use my hand blender to mix it up. Then pour it back into the mug which is still nice and hot from the microwave. Good luck!

I've actually decided to switch back to Wellesse liquid calcium. I was really struggling swallowing even the Citracal Petites. I researched what would be the best chewable or liquid for me to take, looking at prices on Amazon since that's where I would buy from. Based on my research, here's what you would have to spend in terms of calories, carbs, and money to get 1000 mg/day for 30 days: (and keep in mind that most post-wls patients are advised to get 1500 mg/day). Also my pricing was based on the fact that I have Amazon Prime, so shipping might be more for you if you don't have that or don't buy from Amazon at all. Solaray sugar free Orange: 30 calories, 7 carbs, $26 Bariatric Advantage Calcium Chewy Bites: 80 calories, 20 carbs, $30 Bariatric Advantage 500 Calcium Chewy Bites: 30 calories, 8 carbs, $25 Celebrate Calcium Chews: 15 calories, 3 carbs, $17 vitacost Sugar Free Calcium Chews: 25 calories, 2 carbs, $17 Rainbow Light Chewable Calcium: 60 calories, 15 carbs, $24 Wellesse Liquid Calcium: 15 calories, 2 carbs, $12

In my opinion (and my surgeon's) there isn't much other than time and patience that will help hair loss associated with wls . . . but those things do help just about everyone! In the meantime, check out Toppik or Nanogen fibers to cover the thinning parts of your hair. They work great! I used them for years prior to surgery because I lost most of my hair just due to bad genetics.

This is a great group, I recommend it - please come join us! You can also message me here and I will link you

lol, God gave me a malignant tumor in my right arm and no one told me they were sad for my missing malignant tumor when I had it cut out. I'm an atheist but I'd like to think that if I were religious, I would believe that God found my surgeon for me and blessed my surgeon with skills, dedication, and compassion. God also gave me wisdom teeth and no one was crying over those when I had them yanked, either. Whoever told you this -- if they dye their hair or bleach their teeth or anything like that, tell them that God gave them beautiful mousy brown hair with gray streaked in, or blessed with with yellow teeth, and you are crying for the way they destroyed God's handiwork.

My thoughts on bananas: my thoughts on bananas are not relevant to anything or anyone, including myself. I didn't get myself morbidly obese by being smart about food, so who cares about my thoughts on bananas? You sure shouldn't! My thoughts on following my dietician's orders: critical. This is the only way I have success.

I keep my carbs under 60 so bananas are off the table for me. The only fruits I eat are berries, prunes, small servings of peaches or nectarines, and occasionally a little unsweetened applesauce . My staples are meat, green veggies, protein shakes (I do not add fruit to them!), beans and lentils, and dairy. Most fruit, starchy veggies, and grains are just not in my diet except under very rare circumstances.

I would contact a dermatologist if you can afford it (most health insurance will not pay for hair loss). They are the ones who are experts in this area. Biotin is supposed to help with hair regrowth -- but it won't stop it falling out. If you aren't already, check out fill in fibers such as Toppik or Nanogen to cover up that bald spot. They really do work well!

Maybe try the Unjury Chicken Soup protein powder? Also, some of the Syntrax Nectar powders are not as sweet - flavors like Roadside Lemonade, Lemon Tea, and Grapefruit. And since you mix them with water, they are not as thick and hard to swallow. For other protein powders, try mixing just a half scoop instead of a full scoop? Or if you are using RTD, cut them 50/50 with ice water or cold skim milk? It's not the full dose of protein, but it's better than nothing!

@@Krystal0528 I used the Wellesse brand multivitamin, a double dose. I did still have to take additional calcium and iron, both of which I took in liquid form.

@@Josh2xh there are all sorts of liquid calcium out there, here is just one: http://www.amazon.com/Bluebonnet-Liquid-Calcium-Magnesium-Citrate-blueberry/dp/B00028P0ZK

I always have yogurt, eggs, little pouches of tuna, and Trader Joe's frozen meatballs on hand. My standby for when I've been too lazy to plan is scrambled eggs (1 egg + 1 egg white + a little cheese). But sometimes I'll make tuna salad, have a couple of those meatballs, or have some yogurt with peanut butter or PB2 stirred in.

I don't know about faking tests. But have you actually been tested for sleep apnea? In my experience, everyone who walks into a sleep disorders clinic is diagnosed with sleep apnea. You'd think we'd all be dead by now.

I think a lot of us could have written this post . . . or at least we could have if we were this well-spoken So many of us have spent a long time dealing with various emotional issues with food, and thinking we knew how to solve our food-related problems at the same time. That we knew better than other people. At least I did. It was humbling to come to the conclusion that I am NOT smart about food or health and I do NOT have the answers. I need to find experts and listen to them and not make assumptions and judgments. That was a bitter pill for me! I do think you hit the nail on the head at the end there when you call yourself out for not being kind to yourself. I can see you are an incredibly bright, thoughtful, and caring person just from what you've written here. Be good to yourself and patient with yourself, forgive yourself for what you see as your past errors -- you deserve it!