Search the Community

Eat real food hon. Let your tool do its job. Ditch the crap=Keto Ice Cream and Barney's Almond Butter with Lily's chips, enlightened bar...WAY too much processed junk. This is the time to break up with treats and nut up/knuckle down. Make your meals as lean and protein forward as you can. Don't start using "crutches" at this point. It is WAY early and chances are you will stall out long before reaching goal. This is the time to MAXIMIZE your weight loss. It's the time you will lose the most. Don't squander it. Follow your doc's plan. At this point I was at 1/4c per meal and 400-600 cals. ALL of it was protein + a bite or two of steamed veg + a tiny tiny amount of healthy fat (ie 1/2oz of avocado = 1/8 of an avocado).

Hi Cass. I think of this thread as my weekly therapy lol 😂 Good to jot down what I've been doing and feeling in the last week. thanks for the keto idea. I've read a lot of people seem to be following this kind of eating plan on here. High protein and fat, low or no carb. Reminds me of Atkins. I'm mostly happy to follow something like this but I'm a carb kinda guy as well. Probably what sent me down this journey in the first place. Don't think pasta will do you any harm. Done most of its swelling in the pan. Glad you're doing well. Sounds like a fun time. Cheesecake! I need to get on some of that!! 😂

On Black Friday, I bought a Ninja Creami for my family. The Creami allows you to make your own ice cream pints. You make your liquid mix, place in it one of their plastic pints and freeze it for at least 24 hours. You put the pint in the machine, spin it for a few cycles and you get ice cream. Here is why it is great for bariatric patients: you can make delicious, high protein, low sugar ice cream. Not an exaggeration. For my first ice cream, I mixed a 16 oz Premier Protein 30g chocolate shake, a packet of Chocolate Toffee keto chow, 1 tsp of MCT oil and 4 tbs of 2% milk. I had to put that mixture into a blender to get it all mixed because it was pretty thick. But then I poured it into a plastic pint and froze it. When it was done, it tasted just like a creamy chocolate ice cream and had the following nutritional profile (per MyFitnessPal) 356 calories 9.2g of fat 5.5g of net carbs 4.4g of sugar 57.7g of protein 109% of my calcium 34% of my iron 2,135mg of potassium 27.5% of Vitamin A 26% of Vitamin C (By way of comparison, a pint of Blue Bell vanilla has 640 calories, 32g of fat, 68g of sugar and 16g of protein). The Creami is not cheap (Normally $170, bought it for $125 on Black Friday). But if you can afford it and you like ice cream, I highly recommend it. You can use protein shakes, protein powders, Greek yogurt and a ton of other bariatric-friendly ingredients to make something that tastes like ice cream that you can eat guilt free.

Wow, thank you all for your replies!! I definitely do plan on trying keto at first, but I DO NOT see it working for me for the rest of my life. I love my complex carbs. And keto usually doesn't discriminate. Watermelon, for example, has close to the allowed carb intake for the day. When I speak about carbs, I def mean complex! Thank you all for your replies - I will take every single one into account. I was really nervous posting this question. So thanks!

Nope. I'm not really being guided by my surgeon or a NUT since I'm getting my surgery out of the country. But from the support groups I'm on, and the recipes page, everyone seems to be following a keto diet. (Low carb, high fat, high protein) So many recipes include cheese, butter, etc. Everything is ok in moderation, but eating "sandwiches" where your bread is replace by cheese constantly just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I love healthy fats (avocado, nuts, etc) but too much fat like butter and cheese scare me :x

@Proud2BeMe Nice to see you posting again! I'm glad you worked out your alcohol issues, we were worried. I think that those of us that were super morbidly obese and lose to normal or close to normal size really face special issues. Most of the people that post here now are not and have not been super morbidly obese They start in the 200s if that. So their opinions to me don't carry that much weight (ha!) There are very few people that are in the situation that people like you and I are in. People can't and don't understand. It is a really huge mental trip, and most people will never experience it. I would normally say seek counseling but I am going to be honest, it isn't going to be very useful. Not many of them are going to have experience with what you are going through. You have to really just work through your feelings and emotions in your own way on your own path. I would rather see you abusing carbs than alcohol, but the fact you feel the need to go overboard on anything is an issue. I think time to adjust to yourself is the best and only realistic solution. I eat keto/low carb (less than 25G per day) because it keeps me upbeat and my moods balanced. I enjoy it and it is healthy. You should eat in a manner that makes you feel good and is healthy for you. You probably just lost weight because you upped your calories, not the carbs. So just eat more protein. I'm going to PM you.

@Sara Bronson Yea Whisps are awesome and are a staple in our house as my wife is also running a keto diet. I can't do pork rinds. Never been a fan.

That and there are ambiguous definitions of keto diet.. the only important part is getting the body into ketosis. I find the differences of how to be subjective and irrelevant.

I see. Okay. So.. The keto diet is about putting the body into a state of ketosis. It's effectively tricking the body, particularly the liver, into thinking you're starving, but it realizes you aren't, if you're doing this diet as it should be done. The liver first synthesizes carbs and stores it for fuels, but it quickly can be completely full of it rather quickly, so it then turns into converting those carbs to fatty acids.. those fatty acids get sent around the bloodstream generally to areas rife with fat (in men it's primarily the gut, in women it's a lot of places), but they also infiltrate the liver itself. When the liver is deprived of carbohydrates, it starts producing ketone bodies that tell areas that need energy (the brain, muscles, organs, etc. ) to start looking for other methods of energy consumption. The first method of consumption is protein. The second one is fatty acids. For the muscles, they quickly can run out of fatty acids, so need a steady stream of protein to prevent the ketone bodies from having the body burn up the muscle proteins instead as fuel (replacing them with fat). The organs like the brain, heart, etc. will easily adjust, using whatever protein it can (not much), and then changing over to burning up fat, which, in an obese person, is rife. So it makes sense from a standpoint of a perfectly healthy person to go with a normal diet you suggest, which is in line with what the government typically suggests with their food pyramid, but in an obese person due to the excess accumulation of fat, this processed needs to be reversed. Ketosis is, I find, the quickest way of accomplishing this, and when done correctly, and especially under doctor supervision, is quite healthy. And it's not to suggest eating foods rife with sucralose.. not a good idea. But the body needs protein anyways to avoid burning up the protein in muscles. A high fat diet I think is okay in the short term, because in a state of ketosis the body will burn through that quickly anyways, nothing will come from it. But yes, as a person becomes thinner and requires less energy input to satisfy what their body needs, you'll find that the high volume of ketone bodies and fat will wind up working against the person. So as they get smaller, they must adjust to what their body needs. I find a logical approach is by far what works best.. what you'll see often is people who are religious-like about diets and such.. which is counterproductive.

It was like pulling teeth to get my OB/GYN to prescribe me Metformin, as she said it wasn't meant for use outside of fertility and because of my weight, she couldn't give me the treatment. However, I found a ton of medical studies, kept pestering her, and she ended up caving. She gave me a 3 month supply of Metformin (which runs out next month, so we will have to discuss getting more soon.. Hopefully it won't be so hard for me this time). I assume the Metformin is the reason for such rapid weight loss (besides going on a mostly-keto diet since starting it). However, not too much else has changed -- I haven't even had a period in over 130+ days at this point. Thank you for the recommendations!! I was dancing for 30 mins a day to get my exercise in, but that has stopped since I came back from the states. I need to get back on it. It was a lot of fun and definitely got me to work up a sweat.

My nutritionist said I couldn't take psyllium capsules. She said due to the nature of the sleeve they could get caught outside the stomach and choke me or something like that. I did use psyllium when I did keto and they worked well though. Wish I could use them again. Anyways miralax will help keep things soft but not necessarily moving. Occasionally have to take a laxative to keep things moving.

Hello just wanted to share some good information per the Keto Lifestyle! Good luck with your journey [emoji5]!!! https://kickincarbclutter.blogspot.com/2017/06/getting-into-ketosis-after-bariatric-surgery.html?m=1 mybariatricjourney

Hi! As school is getting ready to vamp up, I am trying to prepare for the year. My family is extremely picky and I know I need to start now making changes in their diet so they can support me. I am only 10 days post op but I was looking to build my meal planning box. Was curious if those that are further out see any similarities between keto diets and the eating requirements post sleeve. Do you have a favorite website for recipe ideas? It would be great if I could cook once and eat a small portion and my family could have normal portions. Thanks for your help.

How much you lose after 6 months is basically entirely on the types of food you are eating. The first 6 month it is easy to lose because you are healing still and are at max restriction. If I ate the way that most sleevers and most of the people that post on the forums eat, I am pretty sure I would have never weighed less than 250. The only reason I have been steadily losing for the past 1.5 years is because I eat Keto. I eat DENSE Protein, and it basically leaves no room for anything else and I am satisfied. I have fats in my coffee, and how I prepare my food, and that is about it. No carbs, I am under 20 carbs a day most days unless I have a Protein Bar or something. I have been to the gym maybe 3 times since surgery, Well maybe 10. I walk my dog every day, and I randomly do yoga, and that is it. It is a lot easier to control what you eat than workout, and exercise isn't necessary to lose weight, proper nutrition is. I eat 1300-1500 calories, once a week I eat about 1800-1900 and I am still losing. Low calories for a long period of time destroys your metabolism and holds you back from losing. I got to 1000 calories as fast and possible, and lost most of my weight eating in the 1200 calorie range. I eat more calories now, because of some lifestyle changes. I would just suggest anyone eat under 1100 calories for any length of time. You will end up stuck on low calories for the rest of your life. If you are unsure about how many calories you should be eating. Have your resting metabolic rate tested so you know where your metabolism is, instead of guessing. Also how may carbs do you consider low carb?

I thought I would share this with those of you that need Protein drinks and different options :crying: I had this emailed to me a long time ago, and while cleaning out my inbox of the 2000 emails I stumbled across it again. I do not know the original author/creator/inventor or I would give proper credit. pumpkin Protein shake This is a wonderfully decadent way to get in your protein! Spicy, creamy and icy-thick.milkshakes never had it so good! 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup skim milk or soymilk 1 scoop vanilla Protein powder (such as Matrix Simply Vanilla) 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/8 t. cloves, 1/8 t. ginger) 2 tablespoons Splenda Granular 1/4 cup Cool Whip or NSA Vanilla yogurt 1 cup ice cubes Place pumpkin, milk, protein powder, spices, Splenda, cool whip or yogurt, and ice cubes in blender container; process until slushy. Makes one Meal Replacement serving. Per Serving: 230 Cal; 28 g Protein; 5 g Tot Fat; 13 g Carb; 1 g Fiber; 2 g Sugar; 115 mg Sodium banana PROTEIN NOG 1 scoop Matrix Simply Vanilla protein powder 1 cup skim milk A one inch chunk of banana 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth. Banana/Peanut Butter Shake (12 grams protein) 8 ounces fat-free milk 1 tablespoon creamy Peanut Butter 1/4 - 1/2 banana Blend until smooth in blender. Orange Dreamsicle (28 grams protein) 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (20 grams protein) 1 scoop (individual serving) sugar-free Sunrise Orange Crystal Lightâ powder 8 ounces skim milk Alternatives: substitute 4 ounces orange juice for 4 ounces milk; substitute 4 ounces yogurt for 4 ounces milk; add 1/2 tsp. orange zest to shake. Sunrise Smoothy 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup orange juice (or orange tang) banana (peeled) 1 carton Low Carb Vanilla Yogurt 1 tablespoon Splenda 4-5 frozen strawberries Mix in blender until smooth Cherry Vanilla 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 4-5 maraschino cherries 2 scoops low carb vanilla ice cream 1 cup cherry sugar free kool-aid Mix in blender until smooth Peach 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup Crystal Lite peach tea 4-6 frozen peach slices 4 ice cubes Mix in blender until smooth Strawberry-Lemonade 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 cup sugar free lemonade kool-aid 4-5 frozen strawberries 4-5 ice cubes Mix in blender until smooth Cherry Vanilla Coke Float 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 2 scoops low carb SF ice cream 1 cup diet coke 4-5 cherries Mix in blender until smooth Apple Pie Frosty 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 vanilla protein powder 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced (or 1/2 C no-sugar-added applesauce) 2 packets Splenda 1/2 t cinnamon 1/4 t nutmeg 3/4 C Water 8-10 ice cubes Blend thoroughly and drink up Butterscotch Pecan liquid Pie 2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 8 oz cold water 2 T sugar free butterscotch pudding mix 4-5 ice cubes 1/4 C pecans Blend protein powder, water and pudding mix. (The pudding mix thickens the liquid considerably). Add ice cubes and blend till ice slivers. Add pecans and blend again for a few seconds. Pour into nice huge parfait glass and enjoy. (about 300 calories). Cherry Vanilla Protein Shake 1 scoop vanilla powder 1/2 cup SF cherry yogurt 4 ice cubes splash water vanilla extract (to taste) cherry extract (to taste) Put all of it in a blender and hit liquify! Enjoy Choco Mint Shake 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder 1 packet sugar free hot chocolate mix 1 teaspoon mint flavoring 1/2 cup of soy milk 1/2 cup of water 6 large ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender And mix to desired consistency. Serve cold. Chocolate Almond Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 1 cup of soy milk 2 T Sweet N Low chocolate syrup 1 t almond flavoring 1/4 cup of almonds 6-8 ice cubes Blend all ingredients, Except almonds and ice cubes, Then add nuts and cubes and blend again Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter De-Lite 3/4 c. cold water 1/4 c. Toasted Marshmallow s/f syrup 2 scoops PS IOO Chocolate Protein Powder 4 packets. equal 1/2 small banana 1T. low sugar Peanut Butter 1T. s/f White Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix Put everything in blender And whirl till smooth. Scrape down sides if necessary And whirl some more. Chocolate Banana smoothie 1/2 cup banana Fat-Free NutraSweet Sweetened Yogurt 1/2 cup Non-fat Milk 1/2 cup ripe banana peeled and sliced Dash of Vanilla 1 Scoop Chocolate Protein Powder of Choice Put all ingredients except ice in blender, Blend until smooth. Add ice and blend To give it a frozen smoothie consistency. Chocolate Coconut Shake 2 oz Coconut Milk 6 oz Cold Water 2 scoops Chocolate protein powder 1 tsp Chocolate or Banana Sugar-Free pudding Hand Shake well. Chocolate Covered Banana 1 scoop Chocolate Isopure 1/2 c 1% milk splash of sugar-free chocolate syrup 1/2 banana 4 maraschino cherries 2 handfuls ice Blend Chocolate Covered Cherry Shake 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 chocolate protein powder 1 cup soy milk 2T Sweet N Low chocolate syrup 10-12 cherries - (no pits please) 8-10 ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender And mix to desired consistency Chocolate Frosty Shake 1 rounded scoop Optimum Nutrition Pro Complex Chocolate Protein Powder 1 rounded tsp. fat free sugar free French Vanilla International coffee 1 rounded tsp. fat free Creamora (non-dairy coffee creamer powder) 10 ice cubes Use a blender to get a shake-like consistency Chocolate Fudge Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 2 T chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix 8 oz water 5 large ice cubes, tiny silver spoon (optional) Blend ProScore, pudding and water, add ice cubes, Blend till crushed with ice slivers still un-melted, Pour into insulated cup (makes about 16 oz) And eat it with a tiny silver spoon. Chocolate OrangeSicle 1 1/2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 1/2 Scoop OrangeSicle protein powder 8 oz water Shake very well Chocolate Peanut Butter Death 2 scoops PS100 Chocolate Protein Powder 8 oz Cold Water 2 tsp Chocolate SF Pudding Mix 1 packets Splenda 1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Peanut Butter Syrup 1 Generous splash (probably 1 1/2 ounces) of SF DaVinci Cookie Dough Syrup 1 Heaping Tablespoon (Daloop) of Fat Free Cool Whip Light 1 Heaping Teaspoon of Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter approx. 6 oz of crushed ice Mix until entirely smooth - pour - sit back and enjoy pure indulgence Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1 tbs. peanut butter 1 cup skim milk 2 handfuls ice Blend thoroughly Chocolate Raspberry Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 8 oz water (or skim, lactaid or soy milk) sugar free raspberry syrup Blend and enjoy Chocolate Vanilla Swirl 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder splash Vitamite splash water ice Blend thoroughly Chocolate-Banana Shake 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1/2 banana 1 cup skim milk 2 handfuls ice Blend thoroughly. Hint: if you can't use a banana, Try banana extract...tastes good! Coco Loco 1 1/2 scoops 100%Whey Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz Vitamite 6 packets Splenda splash Luzianne Peach Mango Ice Tea flavoring 2 drops Coconut extract 2 drops pineapple extract 1 drop Rum extract (optional) 5 ice cubes Blend and chop ice thoroughly Cookies & Cream Splash of Cookies & Cream coffee Splash of Vitamite Splash of water 1 tsp. Sugar Free DaVinci Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Syrup (optional) 1/3 scoop ProBlend 55 Mocha/cappuccino 1/3 scoop Pro V60 Chocolate Thunder 1/3 scoop Pro V60 Vanilla Crm0065 ice Blend Creamy Peach Melba 6-8 frozen peach slices 4-6 oz water 1 tbsp peach mango Luzianne Tea Flavor 1 tsp DaVinci Raspberry flavor 2 packets splenda 1 tbsp heavy cream 2 scoops Keto Peaches & Cream Protein Powder Blend peaches, Water, flavorings, & splenda until liquid. Add protein powder. Drizzle in cream last. Blend well. Donna's Delicious Protein Smoothie 6 to 8 oz sunrise orange crystal light (premade) 3 ice cubes 3 frozen raspberries 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder Optional: tablespoon of light cool whip Mix crystal light with the ice cubes and frozen raspberries, Add the scoop of vanilla protein powder And mix only for a few seconds (mixing the protein too much causes it to foam) Double Chocolate Fudge cup skim milk 1 packet, no sugar added hot cocoa mix 1 scoop Chocolate protein powder 4 ice cubes (or - 1 cup crushed ice) Mix in blender. Egg Nog 1 scoop of Vanilla HDT 5+1 vanilla 1 cup of soy milk 1 teaspoon of rum extract 1/2 teaspoon of all spice 4-6 large ice cubes Put all ingredients into blender and mix to desired consistency. Serve cold. Elvis IS IN MY KITCHEN RIGHT NOW making a PB & J Milkshake 2 scoops ProScore Vanilla Protein Powder 1 Tbsp. vanilla sugar-free instant pudding 8 oz cold water 1 Tbsp or to taste berry, raspberry or peach (or other) sugar-free syrup 3-5 ice cubes 1 Tbsp. crunchy peanut butter Combine the protein powder, Pudding, and sugar-free syrup into blender And blend for 30 seconds. Add 3-5 ice cubes, blend until ice slivers, Add crunchy peanut butter, Blend for a few seconds. Pour into 16 oz glass. Eat with a small silver spoon, savoring each spoonful. Extra spicy ProScore Mocha Chai 2 oz of any strong (i.e. Starbucks) left-over cold coffee with half & half piece of fresh ginger 4-5 cloves few peppercorns 1 oz cold strong unsweetened Chai tea 4-5 ice cubes 2 scoops ProScore 100 Chocolate Protein Powder pinch nutmeg splash vanilla extract in a COLD blender, add cold coffee, ginger, cloves, peppercorns, cold Chai tea. Blend, adding 4-5 ice cubes one at a time until ice cubes are broken up. Add 2 scoops protein powder while blender is moving. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract. Frappachino 1 tbs. instant coffee or a splash of cold coffee 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder 2 handfuls ice 1/2 cup skim milk blend thoroughly. Frappucchino On-the-Go 1/2 can Blue Luna light _mocha (or Starbuck's light Frappachino brand) 1 scoop chocolate protein powder Shake in Blue Luna can and pour over ice. Fruit Freeze cup skim milk (substitute water if you don't do milk) 1 scoop unflavored protein powder 5 strawberries, frozen, no added sugar 2 peaches, frozen, no added sugar cup pineapple, canned, packed in juice (or Lite syrup) 4 ice cubes (or - 1 cup crushed ice) Mix in blender. Fruit Smoothie 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 4 fresh strawberries frozen and sliced 1/2 fresh banana frozen and sliced 1 scoop Vanilla or strawberry protein powder of choice Put all ingredients except ice in blender And blend until smooth. Add ice and blend until frozen smoothie consistency. Fudgesicle 1 1/2 scoops chocolate protein powder 12 oz cold water 10 packets splenda 1 sugar free fudgesicle 1/2 oz DaVinci sugar free vanilla syrup 6 ice cubes put all ingredients except protein into blender- blend on high until no more pings from ice on blades- turn down blender until top of mixture is moving but not splashing-add protein-replace cover and whirl- but not too high or it will puff up to about 40 oz! Good Morning Smoothie 1 small banana 3/4 cup skim milk 1/2 cup non-fat sugar free strawberry yogurt 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice Put all ingredients except ice in blender and blend until smooth. Add ice and blend until frozen fruit smoothie consistency. Iced Mocha Latte 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate, leftover cold coffee (decaf Hazelnut) 1 T fat free sugar free vanilla pudding mix a splash of sugar free hazelnut coffee syrup and a few ice cubes Blend Light and Dark Symphony 1 scoop ProBlend 55 _Mocha Cappuccino splash coffee splash water ice Blend thoroughly for light symphony; for dark symphony add 1 tbs. white chocolate SF syrup and blend Luscious Pina Colada 2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 2 T vanilla sugar free pudding mix dash of coconut flavoring dash of pineapple flavoring ice Blend and enjoy Mango Morning Smoothie Juice of 1/2 of a fresh lime 2oz cold water meat of 1 mango small piece fresh ginger 1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract) 7-8 ice cubes 2 scoops ProScore Vanilla Blend lime juice, cold water, meat of mango, ginger and vanilla extract until smooth. When blended, add 7-8 ice cubes, one at a time until blended. Add ProScore Vanilla protein powder one scoop at a time while blender is still moving. You can substitute soy milk instead of water and soy ice cubes instead of plain ice, but you will need to watch calories with those substitutions. Mocha, Ginger & Cinnamon 2 scoops ProScore 100 Chocolate 4 oz left-over coffee with half & half a few good sprinkles of cinnamon small piece FRESH ginger 6-8 ice cubes Blend on low, then on high. Add about 6-8 ice cubes, one at a time chuck each one HARD into the blender while blending. Blend until creamy. Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Shake 1 1/2 scoop GNC 100% Whey Vanilla Protein Powder 4-5 packets of Splenda 1 capful DaVinci's Sugar-Free Vanilla Syrup 5 oz Vitamite lots of ice cubes Blend syrup, Splenda, and Vitamite together. Add protein powder; blend until mixed. Add Ice and blend until chopped well. Orange & Cream Shake 8 ounces (or less if you wish) Stewart's Diet Orange & Cream Soda splash Vitamite 1 scoop ProV60 Vanilla Cream protein ice blend extra thoroughly to get rid of all of the carbonation Orange Banana Smoothie 1/2 cup cold water 1/2 cup pulp free OJ 1/2 banana sliced 1 rounded scoop Keto Shake Orange Crm0065 protein powder 1 rounded scoop Keto Shake Banana Crm0065 protein powder 1 cup ice Blend all ingredients except ice until smooth. Add ice, blend until smoothie consistency. Orange Julius 8 oz non-fat plain yogurt 1 can (6 oz) Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate 2 1/2 cup skim milk 1 Tsp vanilla extract 2 scoops Protein Powder of your choice Put ingredients in blender, blend until smooth, fruit smoothie consistency. Orange Julius Aint Got Nothing On Us Smoothie 2 Scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 6 oz water 1 T sugar free vanilla pudding mix 1/4 c real orange juice (preferably hand squeezed with pulp, or from store with pulp) 1 t good vanilla flavoring 3-4 ice cubes Blend all ingredients except ice cubes. Cold water will cause pudding mix to thicken. Add ice cubes and blend till ice slivers. Pour into tall glass and use straw to sip, dainty, a little at a time, really taste it. Don't guzzle (grin) Peach Creamsicle 6 oz Crystal Lite Peach Tea 2 tablespoon SF Instant Vanilla Pudding 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder 6 packets Splenda ice cubes Blend thoroughly Peach and Strawberry Yummy 3 slices frozen peaches (or 1/2 frozen banana) 3 good sized frozen strawberries 1/4 - 1/2 cup water 1 packets Splenda 1 rounded Vanilla protein powder Blend Pina Colada Smoothie 8oz can refrigerated crushed pineapple in natural unsweetened juices 1 Tsp coconut flavoring 1/2 cup crushed ice 1 packet artificial sweetener 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice Combine in blender and blend for 2 minutes on high Pineapple Vanilla Ginger Shake Meat from 1/2 SMALL COLD pineapple enough cold water to blend small piece of fresh ginger 5-6 ice cubes 2 scoops ProScore 100 Vanilla Protein Powder cinnamon and fresh mint In a blender put meat from pineapple, enough COLD water to blend, and ginger. Blend until smooth. Add 5-6 ice cubes, 1 piece at a time and blend until creamy. Add 2 scoops of ProScore 100 Vanilla while blender is in motion (OK to substitute different brand). Pour into a brandy glass, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top and add a piece of fresh mint. Real Root Beer float 1.5 scoops of diet, sugar-free vanilla ice cream 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 3/4 can diet root beer Stir thoroughly Root Beer Float 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1 can diet root beer Mix thoroughly and pour over ice Enen Better Root beer Float 2 scoops Vanilla Carb Solutions Protein Powder 1 12 ounce can Diet Root Beer (A&W is best) open and let soda go flat 4 or 5 ice cubes 2 envelopes Splenda Throw it all in a blender and enjoy! S'Mores splash coffee (optional, but really does taste better!) splash Vitamite splash water DaVinci Sugar-free Toasted Marshmallow syrup (to taste) Chocolate protein powder (something milk-chocolaty seems to taste best , like ProV60 Chocolate Thunder) Sans Sucre Cinnamon Sugar (to taste) ice blend thoroughly Snicker splash Snicker doodle coffee splash Vitamite splash water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder ice Blend thoroughly. Don't have Snicker doodle coffee? Substitute regular coffee, SF hazelnut syrup and the SF cinnamon sugar. This one is excellent!!!! Snickers Candy Bar splash chocolate caramel coffee splash Vitamite splash water 1 tsp peanut butter or SF peanut butter syrup chocolate protein powder ice Blend thoroughly. Don't have chocolate caramel coffee? You can substitute it with regular coffee, SF caramel syrup, SF chocolate syrup (optional) if you want even more of a chocolaty taste. Strawberry Berry Berry 1 scoop of Strawberry Pro Blend 55 4 strawberries (frozen or fresh) 1/4 cup of blueberries 1 cup of cranberry juice 1 cup ice or crushed ice Put all ingredients into blender and mix to desired consistency. Serve cold. Strawberry Chocolate Milk 2 Scoops Strawberry Carb Solutions 1 Scoop (use the Carb Solutions scoop) Carnation Fat Free Hot Cocoa 14 ounces water Mix in blender with ice for a "shake" or shake inshaker for a more milky consistency Strawberry for Protein Dummies 10 frozen strawberrys 1/2 small banana 1 scoop (23g) Biochem's Ultimate LO Carb Whey (Natural Flavor) 8 oz Water 1/3 cup Carnation Nonfat Dry Milk Splenda to taste *Note: I found the protein by going to a local health food store and asking for a whey protein with the LEAST taste and that mixed easily into water* Tropical Breakfast Smoothie 1 cup fresh cut-up strawberries 8 oz pineapple chunks in natural juice 1 fresh banana sliced 1/2 cup cholesterol free egg product 1 scoop vanilla protein powder of choice Put all ingredients except ice in blender, blend until smooth, add ice and blend to frozen smoothie consistency. This recipe yields more than one serving Two Berry Delight 1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries 1/2 cup raspberries 1/2 cup water 1 cup ice 1 packet of sweetener 1/2 cup milk 1 cup orange juice Vitamins or protein powder Put all ingredients except ice in blender and blend until smooth. Add ice and blend to give it a frozen smoothie consistency Vanilla Butterscotch 8 oz cold water 2 scoops vanilla ProScore 1T butterscotch sugar-free pudding 4 ice cubes 1 T vanilla sugar free pudding 4-5 ice cubes blend it all, and let it set up a little, and it tastes all custardy. Vanilla Chai Vanilla protein powder 8 oz iced Chai tea (made from tea bag and refrigerated) dash of cinnamon little Splenda splash of soy milk Blend and enjoy Vanilla Frosty 1 1/2 scoops HDT 5+1 vanilla protein powder 1/2 to 1 container Dannon Fit and Light yogurt (any flavor) 3/4 c water or soy milk 10-12 ice cubes Blend in blender until the consistency of a Wendy's frosty Vanilla PB Fruity 2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 1 T sugar free vanilla pudding mix 8 oz water, 1T or to taste berry or raspberry or peach or other sugar-free syrup (0 calories) 3-5 ice cubes 2 t peanut butter-crunchy kind Blend before adding peanut butter, add peanut butter and blend again till ice slivers. Note: (if you put in too many ice cubes, it will dilute the peanutty taste)... Vanilla Spice Freeze 2 scoops ProScore 100 vanilla 2 T vanilla Sugar Free pudding mix pinch of cinnamon pinch of cloves Blend, store in freezer until it gets thick. Yummmmm Vanilla vanilla citrus 2 oz of refrigerated water 1/4 lime, (including rind) cut up in about 4-6 pieces Piece of fresh ginger to taste About 1/2 t. vanilla Blend. 45 Chuck in about 6 cubes, one at a time, till dissolved, add 2 scoops of ProScore 100 Vanilla, swirl in a little cinnamon, while still blending. Add all except ice, ProScore and cinnamon. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend again. White Chocolate Mouse Mocha Frappachino splash Vitamite splash water 1 scoop PB55 Mocha Frappachino 1/2 tsp. SF Jell-O White Chocolate Mouse Pudding handful of ice Blend thoroughly, sweeten to taste (Optional) Peanut Brittle Protein Shake 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 2 tbsp sugar-free instant butterscotch pudding mix (dry) 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (smooth or chunky) 8 oz. water (or low-fat milk) 3-6 ice cubes Add all ingredients to blender, whip, and serve. I like to use chunky peanut peanut butter and add it last so that it it stays chunky (like peanut brittle) but it tastes just as good with a smoother consistency. Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 1 tbsp sugar-free instant vanilla pudding 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp imitation vanilla (or 1/4 tsp extract) 1 packet artificial sweetener a few dashes butter flavor sprinkles or butter-flavor extract 8 oz. water (or low-fat milk) 3 ice cubes Add all ingredients to blender, whip, and serve. The Hulk Protein Shake 2 scoops vanilla protein 1 tbsp sugar-free pistachio pudding mix 1 mint leaf or a few drops peppermint extract (optional) a few drops green food coloring (optional) 8 oz. cold water (or low-fat milk) 3-5 ice cubes Add all ingredients to blender, blend, and pour into cup. This tastes great without the mint so don't worry if you don't have it around. Instant Breakfast 1/4 cup orange juice 1/2 cup milk skim 1 package of carnation instant breakfast 1 scoop of protein 4 ice cubes Blend Strawberry Instant Breakfast 1cup skim milk 1 packet of instant breakfast 1 scoop protein 1/2 cup frozen strawberries blend 45 seconds Mocha Instant Breakfast SF Carnation Instant Breakfast 2c. NF low carb milk 1 tsp decaf coffee 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/2 scoop protein powder Mix until smooth This gives you 38g of protein! Chocolate Fudge Shake 2 scoops ProScore 100 chocolate 2 T chocolate fudge sugar free pudding mix 8 oz water 5 large ice cubes, tiny silver spoon (optional) Blend ProScore, pudding and water, add ice cubes, Blend till crushed with ice slivers still un-melted, Pour into insulated cup (makes about 16 oz) And eat it with a tiny silver spoon. Berry Berry Smoothy 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1-2 scoops low carb ice cream 1 cup skim milk (or 1% milk) cup frozen fruit medley Mix in blender until smooth Banana Mocca 8 oz milk (carb countdown, 2%, or whatever you use) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 banana 1 tbsp. instant coffee Ice Blend Chocolate-Banana-Coffee Shake 1/2 tsp coffee (I dont like coffee) 1 small scoop low carb ice cream 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup water 1 scoop chocolate protein 1/2 banana then I hit blend... Lemon Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt 1 scoop unflavored protein powder 1/2 cup lite orange juice 1 & 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 cup crushed ice 1 T. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. lemon zest Combine all in blender until smooth. Colossal Cranberry Smoothie Serves: 2 1 1/2 cups lite Cran-Raspberry Juice 2 cups frozen mixed berries 1 1/2 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt 2 scoops unflavored protein powder Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie 8 oz skim milk 1/3 small banana 1 tbsp natural peanut butter 2 packets of splenda 5 ice cubes 1 scoop unflavored protein powder (Could use chocolate if you wanted a choco banana PB smoothie) In blender combine milk, banana, peanut butter and sweet n' low. Add ice cubes and pulse. Double Berry Smoothie 1/4 cup orange juice 1 cup vanilla or plain low-fat yogurt 1 ripe banana, peeled and broken into pieces 1/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/4 cup blackberries, fresh or frozen 1 scoop unflavored or vanilla protein powder Chocolate Peanut Butter Supreme: (Lean Mass Gain) 12 oz. water 4 ice cubes 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter 2 scoops chocolate protein powder Mocha Shake: (Lean Mass Gain) 6 oz. water 4 ice cubes 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 6 oz.. coffee* 2 scoops chocolate protein powder *You may use 12 oz. coffee and no water for an extra pre-workout or morning kick! Frozen Chocolate Banana (Lean Mass Gain) 12 oz. Water 4 to 5 ice cubes 1 banana 1 tablespoon heavy cream 2 scoops chocolate protein powder German Chocolate Cake: (Lean Mass Gain) 12 oz. water 4 ice cubes 1 tablespoon heavy cream 1 tablespoon cream of coconut 2 scoops chocolate protein powder Tangerine Cream: (Maximum Fat Loss or Lean Mass Gain) 12 oz. Tangerine Diet Rite 4 Ice Cubes 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 to 3 scoops vanilla protein powder Root Beer Float: (Maximum Fat Loss or Lean Mass Gain) 1 can Diet A&W Root Beer 1 to 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream 4 ice cubes 1 to 3 scoops vanilla protein powder Pineapple Blast: (Lean Mass Gain Fat Burning and off Season) 4 ice cubes 12 oz. water 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup pineapple chunks Pina Colada Passion (Lean Mass Gain Fat Burning and Off Season) 12 oz. water 4 ice cubes 3 scoops vanilla protein powder 1/3 cup Pineapple chunks 2 tsp. Coconut extract Ultra Oatmeal: (mix ingredients after cooking) (Lean Mass Gain Fat Burning and Off Season) 1 serving cooked plain oatmeal (1/2 cup precooked) 1 to 1 scoops vanilla protein powder Power Fudge: Vanilla or Chocolate (Lean Mass Gain Fat Burning) 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream *mix together in a bowl until ingredients reach consistency of cake icing. May be refrigerated or frozen. Peanut Butter Muscle Balls: (Lean Mass Gain Off Season) Follow directions for power fudge. Form peanut butter into small balls slightly larger than a marble. Coat with Power Fudge by rolling together to create a chocolate covered peanut butter ball. Refrigerate for 2 hours. May be frozen to speed up process. Chocolate Banana Shake 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 8 strawberries Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Chocolate Banana Shake 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 1 banana Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Chocolate Strawberry Blast 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 8 strawberries Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Vanilla Banana Creamy 1 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water or whole (or 2%) milk 6 ice cubes 1 banana Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Rasberry Chocolate Thick 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of whole (or 2%) milk 6 ice cubes 8 rasberries Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Drink or eat with a spoon! Banana Cheerio Quickfast Great for a super fast morning meal 1 to 2 scoops of chocolate protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 1 banana 3/4 cup cup or original cheerios Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Orange Creamsicle 1 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 1 to 2 peeled oranges Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Blueberry Blaster 1 to 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder 6 to 8 ounces of water 4 to 6 ice cubes 20-30 blueberries Mix in a blender on medium for 1 minute. Pour into a tall glass. Enjoy! Mocha Surprise Save some leftover coffee and add about 1/2 cup to your next chocolate shake. Adds 0 calories but lots of taste. Orange Tangy Add a dash of sugar free Tang to a vanilla protein shake. Adds less than 10 calories and brings back childhood memories of enjoying the real thing. Grasshopper A few drops of mint extract will turn your chocolate shake into a chocolate mint treat. Eggnog Add a dash of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg and a sprinkle of butter buds to a vanilla shake to create a yummy eggnog flavor. Protein & Oatmeal pancakes Ingredients 1/3 cup oatmeal 2 or 3 egg whites scrambled (or 1/2 cupe eggbeaters) 1 scoop vanilla protein 1/2 tsp baking soda dash of pumpkin pie spice 1/8 tsp sweet-n-low brown Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and allow mixture to thicken for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour onto preheated frying pan or griddle. Cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Gamish with fresh strawberries or sugar free syrup. Makes 1 serving. Variation- Add 1/2 pack sugar free apple cider mix. Lots of flavor and only 8 more calories. Peanut Butter Balls Ingredients 1/2 cup all natural creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup honey 1 1/2 scoop vanilla protein Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Roll by hand into 1" balls and chill until firm (about an hour). They make great high protein Snacks and are an excellent source of healthy fats. Makes 4 servings. Protein Pudding Shots Try mixing your scoop of protein with 2 tbs fat free, sugar free pudding mix and 1 oz ice water. Allow mixture to thicken and eat it with a spoon. Adds 50 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates. Chocolate Monkey 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein 1/2 a banana Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Strawberry Banana Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein 1/2 banana 3 whole frozen strawberries Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Banana Split 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/2 banana 1/4 cup chopped pineapple 2 frozen strawberries Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Blueberry Bonanza Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Chocolate Covered Cherry 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein 10-12 frozen or fresh cherries optional: 1 tsp. of SF Cherry Torani Syrup or a drop of cherry extract Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Silky Latte 4 oz. Silk brand Mocha soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Silky Mocha 4 oz. Silk brand Mocha soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mint Chocolate Chip Protein Smoothie 4 oz. Vitasoy Peppermint Chocolate soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Pumpkin Spice Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (chilled) Dash of pumpkin pie spice Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Berry Berry Good Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup frozen or fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mochachinno 8 oz. cold coffee 1 scoop chocolate protein 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Egg Nog Protein Shake 4 oz. Silk Nog soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein Dash of nutmeg Place liquid in the blender first, then powder. Blend on low then high till well blended. Dash of nutmeg on top. Pina Colada 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup pineapple 1 Tbs. SF Coconut Torani Syrup (I've also used 2 T. of unsweetened coconut from the health food store or Baker's catalog) Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Peanut Butter Cup 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1 Tbs. peanut butter (smooth or chunky) 2-3 ice cubes Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Cherry Vanilla Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein 5-6 maraschino cherries 1 Tbs. SF French Vanilla Torani Syrup Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Chocolate Caramel Protein Shake 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1 Tbs. SF Caramel Torani Syrup 3 Ice Cubes Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein 1/2 cup frozen blueberries 1/2 banana Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Strawberry Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein 3-4 Frozen Whole Strawberries Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Lemon Meringue Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 T. SF Jello Lemon Pudding Powder 2 Ice Cubes Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Green Giant 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 T. SF Jello Pistachio Pudding Powder 2 Ice Cubes Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Butterscotch Shake 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 T. SF Jello Butterscotch Pudding Powder 2 Ice Cubes Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Strawberry Cheesecake Shake 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1 T. SF Jello Cheesecake Pudding Powder 3-4 Frozen or Fresh Strawberries Place water in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Vanilla Spice Protein Shake 4 oz. Silk Spice soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop vanilla protein powder Dash Cinnamon Dash Nutmeg 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 4 oz. water 1 scoop chocolate protein powder 1 T. Almond Butter 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mango Madness Protein Smoothie 4 oz. water 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Banana Joe Protein Shake 4 oz. water 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 banana 1/2 shot of espresso or 1/4 cup fresh coffee or 1 tsp instant coffee 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Carrot Cake Protein Shake 4 oz. water 4 oz. Silk Spice soy milk (if you use Vanilla or Plain Milk add more cinnamon and nutmeg) 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup frozen sliced carrots 1 Tablespoon Cream cheese Dash Cinnamon Dash Nutmeg Place liquids in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mango Banana Protein Lassi 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 4 oz. water 1/4 cup Greek yogurt 1 Tbs. SF Vanilla Torani Syrup 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 Banana (fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Banana Protein Smoothie 4 oz. water 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 Banana (fresh or frozen) Dash Cinnamon Dash Nutmeg 2-3 Ice Cubes 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mocha Banana Joe Protein Shake 4 oz. water 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 1 scoop Chocolate protein powder 1/2 banana 1 tsp 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Mocha Joe Protein Shake 4 oz. water 4 oz. vanilla soy milk 1 scoop Chocolate protein powder 1 tsp instant espresso powder 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Peach Cobbler Protein Shake 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup frozen sliced peaches dash cinnamon dash nutmeg 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended Mango Banana Protein Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/4 cup frozen mango chunks 1/2 a banana 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Gingersnap Protein Smoothie 8 oz. water or 4 oz. soy milk/4 oz. water 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder 1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1 Tablespoon Starbuck's SF Cinnamon Dolce Syrup dash of cinnamon 2-3 ice cubes Place liquid in the blender first, then powder, then additions. Blend on low then high till well blended. Basic Instructions: 1 scoop of protein powder, 4-6 ounces of water, natural low sugar juice or skim milk. These drinks are excellent by themselves or when blended at low speed for 1 to 3 minutes with 4-8 ice cubes or the equivalent amount of crushed ice. Vanilla Blush 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. water 1/2 TBL Carob Powder Pinch Ground Cinnamon 4 - 8 ice cubes Iced Expresso 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. water 1 1/2 TBL instant Expresso Coffee 4 - 8 ice cubes Apple Pie 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz. Apple Juice & 4 oz. water 1 graham cracker (4 sm squares) 4 - 8 ice cubes Double Apple 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz. Apple Juice & 4 oz. water 1/2 Apple, chopped or sliced 4 - 8 ice cubes Orange Creamsicle 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Orange Juice 4 - 8 ice cubes Orange Monkey 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Orange Juice 1/2 banana 4 - 8 ice cubes Lemon Squeeze 4 scoops Vanilla Protein powder 3 oz. Lemon Juice & 5 oz. water 1 TBL Honey 4 - 8 ice cubes Pink Possibility 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Pink Grapefruit Juice 4 - 8 ice cubes Tangy Tangerine 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 1/2 cup Tangerine Non-Fat Yogurt Fresh or canned Tangerines 4 - 8 ice cubes Strawberry Supreme 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. water 1 cup frozen Strawberries 4 - 8 ice cubes Rapsi Rumble 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz. Orange/Pineapple Juice 4 oz. water 1/4 cup frozen Raspberries 1/2 Kiwi 4 - 8 ice cubes Creamy Cranberry 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Cranberry Juice 1/2 cup Vanilla Non-Fat Yogurt 4 - 8 ice cubes Cran-Strawberry 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz. Cranberry Juice 4 oz. water 1/4 cup frozen Raspberries 1/4 cup frozen Strawberries 4 - 8 ice cubes Berry-Berry 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. water 1 cup fresh or frozen Mixed Berries 4 - 8 ice cubes Peach Paradise 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. water 1 Peach, chopped or sliced 1/2 Banana 4 - 8 ice cubes Hawaiian Holiday 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Pineapple Juice 4 or 5 frozen Strawberries 1/2 Banana 4 drops Coconut Extract 4 - 8 ice cubes Papaya Pizzazz 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 oz. Papaya Juice 1/2 Peach, chopped or sliced 1/2 Banana 4 - 8 ice cubes Mango Mambo 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 4 oz. Pineapple Juice 4 oz. water 1/2 cup Passionfruit Mango 1/2 Peach, chopped or sliced 4 - 8 ice cubes Coke-Float 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 - 12 oz. Diet Coke 1/4 cup Non-Fat Vanilla Ice Cream 4 - 8 ice cubes Black Cow 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 - 12 oz. Diet Root Beer 1/4 cup Non-Fat Van Ice Cream 4 - 8 ice cubes The Un-Cola 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 - 12 oz. Diet Sprite or 7-Up 1/4 cup Non-Fat Vanilla Ice Cream 4 - 8 ice cubes Orange Delight 1 scoop Vanilla Protein powder 8 - 12 oz. Diet Orange Slice or Orange Crush 1/2 Banana 4 - 8 ice cubes Chocolate Banana 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 4 - 8 oz. Skim Milk 1/2 Banana 4 - 8 ice cubes Chocolate Truffle 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 8 oz. Cranberry Juice 4 - 8 ice cubes Chocolate Almond Oasis 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 8 oz. water 1/2 Banana 4 drops Almond Extract 4 - 8 ice cubes Ice Blended Mocha 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 8 oz. water 1 1/2 TBL instant Coffee 4 - 8 ice cubes Blended Mint Mocha 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 8 oz. water 3 drops Mint Extract 1 1/2 TBL instant Coffee 4 - 8 ice cubes Black Forest 1 scoop Chocolate Protein powder 8 oz. water 5 - 10 frozen Strawberries 4 - 8 ice cubes Protein Balls Recipe The pb and oatmeal balls are VERY easy. (Great Recipe *****) 1 cup Peanut Butter (I use no-sugar-added Peter Pan) 1 cup rolled oatmeal -- not the instant stuff 1 cup protein powder (I use Matrix Chocolate, but you can use other flavors) 5 packets Splenda Warm the peanut butter in microwave about 30-40 seconds -- it melts it and makes mixing in the other ingredients much easier. Add the oatmeal, protein powder, and Splenda and mix well. (If needed, you can add a little bit of water to make it easier to mix) Roll into walnut sized balls, refrigerate. Store in fridge in zip-lock baggies. This recipe makes 20-24 balls. CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE (All stages except clear liquids) 12 ounces of water 12 ice cubes 1 scoop of chocolate coconut protein delite and 1 teaspoon of peanutbutter JIF Blended well in blender. ~~~~ BANANA NOG (All stages except clear liquids) 1 scoop vanilla protien powder 1 cup skim milk A one inch chunk of banana 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp vanilla Whiz up in a blender until smooth. ~~~~ nectar PROTEIN COCKTAIL (All stages) Makes 64 ounces of drink mix Serving Size 12 ounces, calories 120, protein 18g, carbs 0, fat 0 1 tub Crystal Light 4 scoops Nectar, fruit juice flavored whey isolate Prepare the Crystal Light in a plastic pitcher using 64 ounces of water, or to your taste. Using a silicon whisk or large spoon, blend in 3-4 scoops of Nectar. Keep chilled and consume within 24 hours of preparation to ensure freshness. Stir before pouring as some settling occurs. Great flavor combinations include: Crystal Light Fruit Punch and Nectar Twisted Cherry Crystal Light Sunrise Orange and Nectar Fuzzy Navel Crystal Light Pineapple Orange and Nectar Fuzzy Navel or Caribbean Cooler Crystal Light Peach Tea and Nectar Lemon Tea Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade and Nectar Roadside Lemonade, Strawberry Kiwi or Twisted Cherry Crystal Light Pineapple Orange and IsoFruit Delite Pineapple Lipton SF Green Tea Honey Lemon and IsoFruit Delite Apple Pumpkin Protein Shake (All stages except clear liquids) 1/4 c. pumpkin puree, unsweetened 2 T. Splenda Granular pinch of salt 1/8 t. cinnamon 1/8 t. ginger scant 1/8 t. cloves OR 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice instead of other seperate spices 1 cup milk or soymilk 1 scoop Matrix Vanilla pro powder 1/4 cup frozen Cool Whip or NSA Vanilla Ice Cream 1 - 1 1/2 cups ice Throw all ingredients into blender and whiz up. Pour into a tall glass and drizzle with Caramel Sauce, if desired. (Cinnamon Bliss is fab!!) HOT COCOA (All stages except clear liquids) 1 tablespoon Splenda 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 2 tablespoons dried milk powder 8 ounces non-fat milk Dash salt Few drops good quality vanilla Blend Splenda, unsweetened cocoa, dried milk powder and salt in large mug. Blend in milk, stirring until dissolved. Microwave 1 minute on high or until hot. Can also heat in saucepan on stove. (13 grams of protein) BUTTERCREME TOFFEE ICED VANILLA LATTE (All stages except clear liquids) 2-3oz crushed ice 4oz Mice Milk Vanilla - 9g 2-3oz water 1/2 packet Big Train Vanilla Latte mix - 1g 1/2 scoop Elite Buttercreme Toffee flavor- 11g Dump it all in a Magic Bullet or blender and blend away! Add a blob of SF Cool Whip or RediWhip if desired. This is really good! It's sweet, but not super-sweet PINA COLADA SHAKE (All stages except clear liquids) 1 container FAGE 2% yogurt 8 oz skim milk (could be done with water, I suppose) 1 scoop Isofruit Pineapple 1 oz s/f Coconut syrup 6 ice cubes Process in blender or bullet. Makes a 16 oz shake with 46g of protein CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE (All stages except clear liquids) Frozen Vanilla Yogurt Scoop of Chocolate Coconut Protein Powder 1" brownie (BE Low Carb Brownies, i freeze in 1" squares) Put in Blender with just enough vanilla soymilk to blend. CARAMEL HAZELNUT SHAKE (All stages except clear liquids) 2 scoops vanilla Zero-Carb Isopure 1 c. ff Lactaid Milk 3 T. Coffee Mate sf Hazelnut non-dairy creamer 1 oz. sf Torani Caramel syrup Ice (I use an entire tray) Add everything in blender but ice and blend together to combine. Add ice cubes one by one to create consistency you desire. Calories: 335 Protein: 59 Carbs: 16 Fat: 3 Notes: I like using the sugar-free and fat-free Coffee Mate creamers, but I often have a problem in which the amount needed to solicit the flavor I want is too rich for my tummy. CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BROWNIE SHAKE (All stages except clear liquids) 2 scoops PD Alpine Chocolate 1 cup ff Lactaid milk 1 shot Torani sf caramel syrup 4 Joseph's sf brownie bites Ice cubes Blend liquid ingredients until smooth, add brownies with ice cubes and pulse until same thickness as a Dairy Queen Blizzard (I use an entire tray of ice cubes). It's important to note that this is not a low-calorie meal. This was yummy, but I would not add the brownie bites in the future -- they add 100 calories and 14g of carbs, which isn't worth it for the minimal flavor boost. Also, I typically use ff Lactaid milk, but dh brought home reduced fat and I didn't realize it. So, the reduced fat milk has 130 calories per cup, versus only 80 for the ff version. The caramel syrup has no nutritional value for a 1-oz. serving. So, here's the stats for what I actually drank this morning, though you could easily cut 150 calories by making the substitutions mentioned above: WHATEVER-FLAVOR-YOU-WANT LATTE (All stages except clear liquids) 1 1/2 scoops Matrix Vanilla 16 oz cold brewed coffee (I like Starbucks Sumatra blend) 4 oz milk (I've added a little half-n-half to make it creamier) skim or 1% are best your favorite SF syrup..chocolate, caramel, vanilla.. the possibilities are endless! lots of ice PROTEIN CHAI TEA (All stages except clear liquids) Mixed 1 scoop Elite Vanilla 1 dash cinnamon 2 teaspoons Chai tea mix 8oz water. mix well and heat in micro till steaming. Yummy PEACHY FUZZY NAVEL (All stages except clear liquids) One scoop Nectar fuzzy navel Made 2 quarts of SF peach (crystal lite knockoff from wally world) Used only 8 or 9 oz in the fuzzy navel added 3 slices of SF peaches which are the carb smart friendly kind... add ice Place in blender or bullet and process till smooth VANILLA STEAMER (All stages except clear liquids) 8oz Mice Milk warmed in Microwave about 1-2min-not too warm. 1-2 shots of Davinci SF Vanilla Syrup A squirt of Reddi Whip A Sprinkle of Nutmeg or Cinnamon or both Warm the MM in the microwave 1-2 minutes. Pour into Blender. Add Vanilla syrup to taste. Blend on Mix-but take caution to vent it as the heat could cause the lid to explode. Mix 1-2 minutes until frothy. Pour into large mug. Top w/ Reddi whip and sprinkle w/ nutmeg or Cinnamon or both STRAWBERRY VANILLA SHAKE (All stages except clear liquids) 1 scoop Elite vanilla powder 1 cup low-carb milk 1 cup ice 3 strawberries Whiz in blender or bullet. CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BANANA (All stages except clear liquids) 2 scoops Whey Gourmet Choc peanut butter powder 1 cup water 4-6 ice cubes 1/2 banana Process in blender until thick and smooth. ROOT BEER FLOAT (All stages except clear liquids) 1 scoop Whey Gourmet Vanilla Ice Cream pro powder 1 - 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons DaVinci sf root beer syrup Shake until well blended. GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE (All stages except clear liquids) Chocolate Mice Milk DaVinci German Chocolate Cake Syrup. Poured over ice. GINGERBREAD (All stages except clear liquids) Vanilla Mice Milk<

Well said, Arabesque. If we continue eating the foods and snacks we used to eat or look for Keto snacks (which are heavily processed foods), we are very likely to regain all that has been lost. Even though "bariatric/keto snacks" and "protein bars" are sold on some bariatric sites does not mean that they are appropriate or good for us. Instead, look to whole foods, healthy foods, while avoiding those that lure us into eating more--sugar, flour, rice, pasta, processed foods. Read nutrition and ingredients labels like a boss! Lest you think I'm preaching, I can only tell you that I speak from experience. I've done all these wrong things in the past and paid the price--and I'm still tempted by them.

Sorry for the novel folks, but maybe before getting to tips and tricks, let's talk a bit about what causes plateaus: First, the most common reason for any stall, including the dreaded 3-week stall is simply that you are retaining more water. There are a few reasons this happens, but around the 3-week mark it comes down to the fact that your body is adjusting to a low carb intake after converting from glycogen to ketones for energy. More water is needed to burn glycogen, so you were retaining more water pre-surgery than you are now that you're using primarily ketones for energy. At about the 3-week mark, your body eventually recognizes that the water loss is long term, so other mechanisms have started kicking in to start holding on to more water. This water loss due to the change between glycogen and ketones is the primary reason for "keto flu", and something that increases your risk of dehydration early after surgery. The other "reasons" for plateaus really don't apply as much at the 3 week mark, but will become more important later in the process. Let's cover those too though so you're prepared: As you lose more weight, your overall metabolic rate will slow down. People sometimes think fat is not metabolically active, but that's not true. Less fat means your metabolism slows down, even if you retain the same amount of muscle. As you lose weight, it takes less effort to move, so the amount of calories you burn from activity also drops quite a bit. As you progress, you'll be able to eat more and especially if you're not tracking intake closely by weighing and measuring your food, you can easily be eating a lot more than you think. This one may be TMI for some, but you may simply be retaining more stool. This is going to be hard for some people to hear, but I can tell you one thing it's not, and that's hormones. Yes, various hormonal processes negatively impact weight loss in a myriad of ways, but they don't overcome basic physics: if you eat less than you are burning, you'll lose weight. What these hormones can do if they're out of whack, is not good things like slowing your metabolism, increasing your hunger, screwing with water weight, or even fooling you into thinking you're eating less than you are. So, with all that sciency stuff out of the way, what do we actually do if we're in a stall? Well, I think it depends on when it happens and how long it lasts: If it's early (a.k.a. the 3-week stall), just keep doing what you're doing and you should be fine. I know people don't like that advice, but as I said, it's just water, so don't worry about it. Later on, especially if the stall is lasting longer than 2-3 weeks. that's when I think it's important that you look closely at what you are actually burning, as well as really tracking what you are eating. If you don't know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate), you should. The closer you are to goal, the harder it is to get the balance right between intake and output to make sure you're not eating too much, so fixing this starts with knowing your BMR and accurate food logging. There's a lot of anecdotal advice thrown around about "ways to break a stall", but there seems to be little scientific evidence for any of it. Most of it certainly won't hurt to try, e.g. breaking up your routine in terms of diet or exercise, but just understand that this change may or may not have had any impact. If it makes you feel better to be proactive, go for it. Longer term, there is one piece of solid advice that's backed up by lots of research: Even if you don't really like working out, do it anyway. Those WLS patients that make a regular habit of exercising for 45 minutes to an hour most days a week are significantly more likely to reach their goal and maintain the weight loss. (One caveat here: significantly changing your exercise routine can make you retain water and possibly even add muscle, so don't freak out if you see a stall or even a gain.) I'll take that exercise advice one step further and say you really should be doing some form of strength training. This is also backed up by lots of studies, but the great thing about strength training is that it makes your burn more calories even at rest (in other words, it increases your metabolic rate). There are lots of other benefits, but the metabolic benefit is the most germaine to the stall question. Those that do strength training are less likely to stall during weight loss.

I also start my pre-op diet on the 5th but my 2 weeks are split. The 1st week I can have 1 meal (high protein, low carb ) per day but the second week is only liquids. I also have to keep my calories under 800 per day - yuck. You sound very much like my twin. I have 4 different kinds of premier shakes,5 yummy sounding keto shakes, several different types of broth and canned soups that I can strain, pudding, jello and I'll buy yogurt when it gets closer. I also have a clever fox journal that has spots for pictures and measurements to keep me motivated. I'm as prepared as much as I think I can be. Thinking and preparing keeps me busy and makes the time pass faster. I get more and more nervous the closer it gets, but excited too. Can't wait to have a new me

I just bought some soup mixes from Keto Chow, haven't tried them though. They're high protein and low carb and despite the name, the dry mix is low fat as well.

Could be. "Keto Flu" is pretty common when people start eliminating carbs.

It’s really strange but I’m 6.5 years out from VSG and I get all those dumping symptoms sometimes 3-4 hours after eating. It doesn’t seem to matter what I ate, although I’ve noticed peanut butter seems to do it frequently. I’ve been eating low carb/semi-keto for months so I’m not sure why it’s happening. I’m going in for a ph and manometry screen soon, hopefully that will give some answers!

I'm sorry you have to deal with that on top of surgery as well! My periods have become irregular as I have gotten older, so you are now living my fear. With caffeine I had a headache for 3 days when I gave it up, with my keto diets in the past I never got headaches but I heard the keto flu is common and ranges in duration. Whatever it is though, I hope it passes soon. The diet is bad enough without adding pain to the mix. Oh no!! I'm so sorry! That really is horrible to get that close and have to start over. Hugs!

I'm 3 months out from surgery and the only person I told was a friend I used to work with who lives in another country (I felt somebody should just in case something went wrong). She's been very encouraging, but then again, she's lives (and I used to live there too) in a country where being even slightly overweight is seen as a failure. My family doesn't know, and none of my friends or co-workers know. However, I have lost over 60 pounds, and it's very noticeable (to them at least - what I see in the mirror is a different story), so I get a lot of questions. But I have been consistent with my story throughout - no carbs (bread, pasta, rice, etc.), no added sugar, no alcohol, no dairy (except cheese). High protein, low carb, don't worry about fat - even though I'm not specifically doing keto, my daily macros are pretty close to what a keto diet should look like (except that I'm usually higher in protein than fat). I explain (if I need to) that when the body stops getting carbs from food sources, it forces it to go to it's own fat (glucose) stores for energy. And I have a huge pantry (belly, thighs, and butt) full of glucose!! I don't feel that this is a lie. It is what is happening to my body. I lost a pound a day while I was pre-op doing this kind of diet, while post-op it's been more like a pound every 2.5 days. Surgery is a tool, but you have to know what kind of tool it is and how it works. Basically I see the surgery as a body reset - it gives my body a real opportunity to lose weight, without all the handicaps that obese people face (low metabolism (and metabolic set-point, in which your body will fight against your weight loss efforts so that you end up gaining more weight that before you started), food addiction, insulin-/leptin-resistance, etc) that most regular-sized people have never experienced. But I still have to do the work (eat right, exercise), and I will for the rest of my life, or that reset will have been for nothing. Now, if someone I know is struggling with their own weight and they asked me about WLS, I would be honest with them, but of all the people I know, only one or two people fit that bill. For the rest, it really is none of their business (and, like many others here, I'm a private person so would not share intimate details of any surgery with just anyone).

Some of us eat a ton of grains and carbs for maintenance. LOL. I do. I eat a lot of plant protein. I don't eat refined carbs much anymore...no sugar or white flour in my normal diet. But I do eat oats, potatoes, beans, chickpeas on a daily basis. Some people do really well with a keto approach to weight loss, some are more like me. You'll find lots of both in the weight loss surgery crowd:) Like most things in life....one size fits all....is pretty much a falsehood. Whichever road you take, wishing you terrific success and great health:)

Wednesday, Jan 15 Maintenance : 5'2" / 1yr PO Sleeve / 115.4 lbs ---------------------------------------- Had a couple late night visitors last night and my day's menu went out the window. I had given up halfway into the night logging into MFP cuz I knew it was going to be crazy, but I then I relented later on and logged the rest anyway after the fact. I'm pretty sure I got everything... NOTE 1: I hesitate to post these kinds of days on here cuz I'm not sure how it is going to be received or influence, but it is what it is, so just remember, I am NOT in weight loss mode and eating a menu like the one described below may/will affect you differently than ME. ---------------------------------------- 9:30am - 1 black coffee + 1 skinny chai tea latte 12:30pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + carrots + jalapeno + 1 oz apple + 6 green grapes + 2.5 oz avocado + 3.5 oz pan fried chicken 3:30pm - 1 skinny chai tea latte + 1/3 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 oz pumpkin seeds + 1 oz blueberries + 1 oz dark chocolate + 1/3 cup cashews 6:00pm - salad w/ vinaigrette + cucumber + carrots + 6 green grapes + 1oz avocado + 1 oz apple + 2 tbsp Pico De Gallo 9:30pm to 3:30am: salad w/ vinaigrette + 3.5 oz pan fried chicken + 2 tsp spicy crunchy chili oil + 1/2 avocado 1/2 cup cottage cheese + 1 fl oz pumpkin seeds + 1 oz blueberries 3oz deluxe mixed nuts 3oz various cheeses 1 slice prosciutto 1 tbsp fig jam 1/2 tbsp balsamic glaze 2 After Eight chocolate mint wafer 1/2 oz candied ginger 4 KETO chocolate cookies w/ 1 tbsp almond butter & 1/2 tbsp gingerbread cookie butter 3 skinny amaretto sours << I got mild symptoms (slightly racing heart, lethargy, though I was pretty tipsy by then) after the second mixed drink around midnight, went away in about an hour and then drank a 3rd one over a longer period of time with no ill effects...unless you count the small watery-ish poop I had this morning...?) 2.5 glasses of wine ---------------------------------------- Totals: 3573 cals - 161g Protein - 201g NET carbs - 203g fat