WL WARRIOR

One last thing, the body fortress lawsuit summarizes that the powder is only worth purchasing if the price goes below $15. I actually saw it on a big display at a local Wal-Mart last week for $14.97. However, they were sold out of the Whey Isolate chocolate (vanilla is not recommended unless you can hold your nose while drinking it), so I went ahead and bought the Premier Protein powder. Also, my nutritionist had Body Fortress on a display of protein powders that she recommends. Muscle Milk (also available at Wal-Mart) was also displayed on her recommended protein powder table. If you are REALLY strapped for cash, a friend of mine actually gets Muscle Milk with her food stamps. I haven't seen this first hand, but I've heard that it is true from a few others as well. I guess the reasoning behind it is that Muscle Milk can be used as a Meal Replacement (like Ensure), so EBT actually pays for it like regular food???

I've tried and tried and could not get the picture to appear. Sorry!

I only used the Super Advanced Whey Protein Isolate formula from Body Fortress. I still have my leftover canisters in my basement because I saved them for art projects. The label says that 2 scoops has 260 calories and 60 grams of protein. I read the Body Fortress lawsuit and agree about the statement that the label is confusing. I've read the label over many times when using it because it was so confusing. Most of the reviews were not good for it on the Wal-Mart website mostly due to the taste and inability to mix with Water completely. I agree with all this, I just can't complain too much because I lost a lot of weight using it. Then again, that was around 3 and 4 months post-op. I probably could have still lost weight drinking kool-aid. Wal-Mart also has a Pure Protein brand (in pic below) that is pretty good. It has 30 grams of protein per scoop and is $18 per jug at Wal-Mart. The picture below also has Premier Protein (at Sam's) on the far right. If you want to save money, then buying the powder instead of the ready made formula is the way to go. There are 29 servings and I honestly can't remember the price. You may have to look it up on the Sams Club website.

I've tried Body Fortress whey Protein Isolate from Wal-Mart. One serving actually has 60 grams of protein isolate, which is hard to beat. A jug runs you about $19.00, which is a great price compared to others on the market. This kind of Protein powder kept me full for about 3-5 hours, but did not stir or blend together well. Wal-Mart also carries the Muscletech brand which comes in whey protein isolate and is also inexpensive. This was the first kind of protein powder that I used during my pre-op phase. If you have a Sam's in the area, you can save even more by buying a larger quantity. Sam's also carries Premier Protein powder in a very large jug. Many people that I know tend to like it.

There are so many Premier Protein fans on this site that I think I am going to make the switch. My only concern is that Premier Protein DOES NOT contain a whey protein isolate. Every Protein Drink I've had since surgery 10 months ago has been a whey protein isolate drink. Does it make much of a difference really?

I wouldn't eat too much of it as it is probably very hard to digest.

I recently got to see my past and current medical records because I am trying to overturn my insurance company's decision to cut me off since I will soon be going over their income limit with my salary raise. Before I tell you what I found in my records, let me take a moment to highlight the real truth: I am moderately healthy. The only physical/mental issues I am still plagued with are hypothyroidism, mild to moderate anxiety/depression, and a mild skin condition. However, my records indicate that I suffer from a long list of diseases and inflictions. Many of these were problems I had over 15 years ago and that I consider conditions that I have RECOVERED from. I totally understand your repulsion with being labeled OBESE. My gosh, you have gone through sweat and tears just to get that ugly label off your plate. But the truth is that you will probably carry that label the rest of your life even if you became anorexic. I compare this to my "drug addict" label that I have to carry around even though I've been clean for 15 years. About 17 years ago, I had terrible inflammation in my joints because of rheumatic fever. The Vicodin that was prescribed not only alleviated this pain, but also instantly relieved me from anxiety and depression. It was like letting go of the100 pounds of bricks that had weighed me down for over 10 years. I felt optimistic, awake, energetic, and hope for my future. It took over a year to finally get help because I did not want to be forever labeled as a drug addict. I wasn't in a back alley shooting up heroin with dirty needles after not sleeping for days or taking a bath for a month. However, that is the image many people get when you have a drug addict label. Even at NA meetings, you have to present yourself as a drug addict. You can present yourself as a recovering drug addict, but the truth is that you will be recovering the rest of your life even if you never touch substances again. As a teacher that works with children with special needs, I could debate endlessly the pros and cons of labeling. Like lipstick lady mentioned, a label does tell a doctor what you have been through and an awareness that certain symptoms have a chance of returning again. A doctor shouldn't prescribe codeine syrup for my bronchitis due to my past substance abuse tendencies. Likewise, a doctor probably shouldn't prescribe Zyprexa (for depression) either, since a side effect is about a 20 pound weight gain. One could say that having this kind of opinion helps me to feel better about turning in my appeal with all my past health conditions and diseases. If they took the time to really read through my past medical file, they should be able to gather that I'm not afflicted with most of these problems anymore or not to the same extent. My doctor has filled out the insurance paperwork already and has informed me that she has put all my past health conditions onto the current health problem report. I would like to believe that she did this because she believes that past medical problems will always stay with a patient or because related symptoms could someday return. However, I think she may have done it so that she can continue getting paid.

I have a nice bathroom scale that I did not step on until I hit goal. Like others mentioned, I kept to only knowing my weight once or twice a month when at a medical office. It was like a little party twice a month when I would see the new reduced numbers. The only time I ever noticed a stall was during the first month since I had more trips to the bariatrician and my physician. I was happy not knowing whether I was in a stall or not during the rest of my weight loss phase. As long as I was following the rules, tracking, and exercising, then there wasn't much I could do about a stall anyway, other than get worried, stressed, and feel like a failure. Now in the maintenance phase, I have decided to weigh myself daily so that I'm certain that my weight has stayed the same. Due to bloating, hormones, or constipation, the scale will go up a couple pounds some morning. Even though I know deep down that the gain is only due to those factors since my diet has not changed, it still messes with my head. I might just throw the scale away too.

I eat cucumbers or spinach at night when I'm hungry. If I don't feel like eating some type of green vegetable, then I know I'm not really hungry. Pickles are also good since they usually have 0-5 calories. I'm trying to break out of the habit completely, however, since digesting food at night can disrupt your sleep. Although I've yet to gain any weight whatsoever from night eating.

I'm 10 months post op and haven't had my period for 6 months. At 38, I am now going through menopause. It is suppose to be from losing a large amount of weight quickly.

I am on a small device, so I need to write my post as a reply. Please wait 5 minutes.

Are you even eating enough to even have a BM? I was severely constipated the first four months post op because my calories were so low and I was taking in mostly liquids. I didn't go for three weeks straight during my second month post-op. It was a little irritating, but once I started eating fresh fruits and vegetables around 5 months post op, my troubles subsided.

The best book if you want to learn how to think differently about food and overcome sabotaging thoughts is Dr. Beck's The Complete Beck Diet for Life. She uses CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) strategies to help change your thinking so that you can overcome food addictions. Reading through the book is like therapy lessons from a diet coach. Its a 5 stage plan in which you make notecards that you read over every morning to help you handle hunger and cravings while giving yourself credit for the changes you make along the way.

My heart rate was 55 today at my PCP visit. She wasn't sure why it was so low, but it seems to a re-occurring problem these past few months. My heart rate was in the 90's before surgery.

I'm actually going to my PCP today. I do agree that most people don't realize anymore what someone at a healthy weight actually looks like. My weight was at 130 about 11 years ago and many people that knew me then don't have the same "you're too skinny" comments. I think the others just got use to me looking a certain (obese) way. I do feel tons better at this weight with much more vitality and stamina. Part of the problem is that I only told two people about my WLS: my sister and mother. The bad part of that being all those stupid comments I overhear about the "real" reason for my massive weight loss (cancer, eating disorder, drug addiction). Why can't they just accept that some people actually try really hard to get healthy? Nevertheless, I don't care anymore. There are more important things to worry about other than what neighbors and relatives think. What is most important is getting healthy, which is why I started this weight loss journey in the first place.

That would be great if you could share the list in order to motivate or influence others to donate healthy food. Thanks!

Great job on reaching your goal! Our stats are similar, so I'm going to ask you an odd question. Do any others around you comment that you are too thin? I have seen others at my same height look healthier than me at 128 pounds. My cheeks are sunken in and my eyes tend to be a little bulgy. I'm wondering if my body will eventually adjust or shift so that I look better at this weight. I did lose my weight quite quickly, so that may have something to do with it. Otherwise, I may consider going back up to 135.

The baked goods came from two bakeries located in nearby grocery stores (Schnuks, Hyvee). They were most likely donated because they were going to expire in 0-2 days. I guess its better than throwing them out. I had never heard of pantries giving out food cards. There must be a huge demand for those.

The three foods I miss most are homemade bread right out of the oven, homemade cinnamon rolls, and all you can eat pancakes from IHOP. At ten months out, I haven't tried to eat any of those. It may be best if I don't in hopes that I will forget what they taste like.

I chewed sugarless gum at 9 months out because I was terribly hungry and that was all that I could find in the car. After only 5 minutes of chewing, I started getting a terribly tight feeling in my stomach (air bubbles) that didn't go away for over an hour. It was very painful. I do pretty good about sticking to the guidelines, but this was a stupid slip I will never try again.

I loved ASCENSION! This was the best series in a long time. If you like science fiction, then you have to check it out. The ending is so unexpected and will blow you away.

My bariatrician said the same thing during my initial consultation in mid January 2014. It took me until the end of September 2014 to jump through all the hoops to get approved. My bariatrician (whom I hadn't seen since the initial consultation in January) was ecstatic that my weight stayed the same for eight months even though he told me I didn't have to watch my weight while waiting approval for surgery. He said most people gain anywhere between 5-40 pounds while waiting.

I could eat as much as 6 oz of meat IF I wasn't eating any veggies with my meal or only eating three large meals for the day. This doesn't happen often. I do know that it is quite easy for me to eat a whole can of tuna. My capacity is quite large, so I try to make smart choices. I can eat two cups of spinach quite easy, but that is not very dense and can be chewed down to a small amount. I'm still losing weight slowly (one pound a week) while eating larger amounts and increasing calories. I've started to document better to figure out why this is happening. My best guess is that I'm much more active than usual since I now have more strength and stamina. I'm afraid to add extra carbs to my diet, but may have to do so in order t achieve stability with my weight.

I agree. I never had to crush a pill or take liquid form even the day after surgery. You do need to be careful and take one pill at a time.

I had the gastric sleeve. One of the reasons I chose this surgery was so my meds could be absorbed fully. I had no trouble taking the Wellbutrin before, during, and after surgery.