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Thought I would share this information in case anyone might find this helpful. I was at WalGreen's this afternoon & stumbled upon a potential new source of protein snacks. I only bought 2 items but there were 4 or 5 different snacks that seemed to have some good protein. Brand name is Kays Naturals Here's some nutritional on the 2 items I bought: Protein Chips Crispy Parmesan (just ate this after dinner & they were tasty) 1.2 oz bag Glutten free Protein: 12g Total Fat 2.5g Total Carb: 15g Dietary Fiber: 4g Sodium: 240g Protein Cereal Apple Cinnamon (I was thinking this might be great combined with some Greek Yogurt for breakfast) 1.2 oz Glutten free Protein: 12g Total Fat: 1.5g Total Carb: 19g Dietary Fiber: 4g Sodium: 150g

This is VERY true...does Activia have the protein that the non fat Greek yogurt has??

Mine told me three meals, too, but also added that if I feel like I need it to add a protein shake or half a protein bar as a snack in between. I typically have a protein shake for breakfast, a banana or a yogurt mid-morning, my lunch, half a protein bar or a little cottage cheese mid-afternoon and then my supper at night. I am still amazed that I am not hungry at night. That was always my downfall pre-band. One thing I have come to realize that a lot of times I used to confuse thirst with hunger. I sip the flavored Dasani or a Crystal Light all evening long and I have come to realize that I probably wasn't really hungry for (fill in the blank here -- ice cream, popcorn, cheesesteaks, cold pizza, you name it) -- but I was probably just thirsty all along. Anyone else have the same experience?

I think there is a huge difference in taste. I adore sour cream, so plain yogurt doesn't even come close. However, I also love plain yogurt, which requires a more grow-up palet. If you can get used to the yogurt taste, then you probably won't miss the sour cream. Or mix both of them together for awhile to ease into yogurt, then eventually nix the sour cream altogether.

heres a tip: Take a small wire mesh strainer, line it with cheese cloth, and put your yogurt in to the cheese cloth. This will drain all of the Water and liquid from the yogurt, and you will come up with the same texture and thickness as the sour cream, and it tastes close to the same! iamcanadian25

Hi everyone! This is a long post, but I am really, really searching for advice and opinions so if you make it through the post, I would greatly, greatly appreciate your time. This is the 2nd biggest decision I've ever made in my entire life. I'm not a risk taker (because I have BAD luck. I'm a walking Murphy's Law. NO joke!). So I just want to put out as much info on what I'm going through as I can.....which means this is a book. I also posted in some other forums on here so sorry if I upset anyone but you just don't know how much everyone's input means to me. I'm in the beginning stages of researching the band. Right now I'm leaning toward Lap-Band and went to a seminar last night. The surgeon who lead the seminar wasn't completely anti-band but he was definitely pro-bypass. Some background, I'm 25 and have been overweight since 3rd grade. I don't eat a lot of junk, I actually don't even eat a whole lot at all. I don't make the best food options, one reason is veggies make me want to throw up. Just the smell makes me sick. I've read that I might have very sensitive taste buds but someone told me I just spoiled my taste buds because the veggies I do eat are starchy. Over the past year I've also went through some life changing events. The first was my divorce-on one hand I did lose about 30 lbs due to the depression and it made me want to get a grip & start living a better life so I joined the gym about 4 months after our split. Then 3 days later I had a bad ankle injury. A very rare one at that. I've been dealing with that since April of 2010 and just had surgery May 24, 2011 and I'm still not able to walk. So for over a year I've been in and out of casts & leg braces and only able to walk very short distances which has sent my weight through the roof. Well, a few months before my ankle surgery (I had a bone transplant-I had over half of my talas bone replaced with the bone & cartilage of a cadaver. I had a cartilage lesion which caused a 2 inch hole in my bone) I was totally done with trying to milk my way through the ankle stuff because it hurt when I walked, every single step so I said screw it and started going to the gym. I was ready to change my life, I was done with feeling so ugly and fat and wishing I could be different but I was also done with the crash diets, starving and diet pills. So I started eating better (although it wasn't a diet, I would indulge every now and then) but only drank Water (no more sodas, not even diet due to the preservatives in them & fake junk) and started going to the gym about 4 times a week, 1 1/2 a day. Well, I did that for almost 3 months and no results. I was doing over 10 miles on the cycle (random hill so it had peak, valleys and PEAKS) and over a mile on the treadmill (very brisk walking, about 3.5 mph with a small incline) plus lifting weights for my arms. So while I've been out of work I have been researching the Lap-Band. I researched it some a while back (pre-divorce) but my husband said he loved me no matter what but didn't want me to do because his mother had bypass and it was just awful. I feel more comfortable with the idea of the band because it doesn't involve removing and/or rerouting your internal organs. I also am very impressed with the healing time, which is important because I don't want to tell people at work what I'm doing and I'm using 10 weeks of my 12 weeks of Family Medical Leave. The reason I don't want to tell people is because I don't want that stigma, and I can admit I have it too sometimes. You look at someone or comment, "Wow, she/he looks great! They've lost sooo much weight!", "Oh, you didn't know, they had that weight loss surgery."..."Ohhhhh". People think it's the easy way out and it isn't. I am 100% against gastric bypass because I've seen several people in my own family that have had it and it was so awful. Several of my mom's coworkers have had it and now they have to have Iron infusions and it is just awful. Now, the weight loss was amazing but the after effects were almost too much to see someone go through. Not downing it for someone who does it, but it is NOT a choice for me. So here is where I'm on the fence. The surgeon said that if you have a lot of weight to lose, 100 or more lbs, than the band may not get you there. He also said that in a majority of patients they don't even get into the 20's for BMI, they end up still in the 30's. He kept saying that if you want significant weight loss then he opted for bypass or the sleeve. He said the sleeve is in between (results, risks & recovery) bypass & band. He said you lose more weight than with the band & your eating habits aren't significantly altered (such as with the band with bread, rice, Pasta, eating & drinking during your meal, how fast you drink water and how you have to eat your food slowly & chew, chew, chew). BUT I have seen so many people just on this site that have lost 100 lbs, or are right at it or have even surpassed it. I may not ever want to lose that much weight because 60 & 70 lbs is a lot of weight. My mom asked the surgeon if I chose the lap-band & he felt I would lose more with another surgery would he still do it, he said he would. My mom also told me 2 important things that are sticking in m mind: 1.) maybe all I want to lose is 60 or 70 lbs because that's a lot, some people may not want to lose 100 or more lbs & 2.) they're all about the numbers. They want to be able to say that their patients have lost X amount of weight. That's important to a clinics reputation. I also know the band is a tool and I was already willing to change my life for good. Not just a crash diet, I want to be able to be "fit" (or "fit" for me, I know I'll never be a Track and Field star or maybe never be able to be in a marathon or triathlon) but I want to be in shape enough to run. I don't know why, but maybe it's because it's something I've never been able to do. After just reading one blog on the sleeve & the length of recovery, I'm almost back 100% at the band. My major problem is the hunger factor. When I got serious about eating better & working out my main problem was the hunger. I went to GNC to talk to one of their nutritionist and told him that since I started to eat better it was a different kind of hunger. It was PAIN!!! I asked for an appetite suppressant, not a diet pill because I told him if the hunger would just stop I'd be fine. He told me nothing would stop hunger craving but caffeine, that's all 99% of diet pills were, so he suggest Oxy Elite Pro as well as CLA (which "supposedly" helps shrink belly fat over a longer period of time (very slowly) and it's safflower oil (I found a lot of medical sites & Wikipedia had a lot of info on the studies that did show in a lot of animal trials that it did decrease the fatty deposits and overall mass). Y'all just don't know!!!!!! I was hungry ALLLLLL the time & I was eating! But I was able to tell there is a different in getting full on healthier food & on junk food. When I say I was eating better I would eat a Breakfast of fruit, oatmeal and low fat yogurt. For lunch I would usually have grilled chicken and fruit (maybe a grilled chicken sandwich on wheat bread or a grilled low-fat wrap at this cafe I fell in love with, Tropical smoothie Cafe, they served nothing fried-and maybe a smoothie-always checked the fat & calories). Snacks were usually fruit, low fat-low cal yogurt, or string cheese. dinner was whatever my mom cooked, with moderation (after my divorce I'm back at home, which is a little depressing but my ex-husband was physically & mentally abusive & I wasn't allowed to see them -and I'm an only child- so I love being here with them). But I was so hurt that with eating better & excercising so much I didn't get hardly any results. Now i didn't weigh myself, I went by how my clothes felt & how I looked because a number isn't really important to me, it's how I see myself in the mirror. When I go to the dr., I close my eyes on the scale & tell them not to tell me because I can't do anything about it (at that time) and it's only going to depress me. I dread getting on the scale so bad that I almost get sick to the point of vomiting. I don't even have a primary dr. and I know it's because of that one reason. So I know it's time to change my life & I'm willing to put in the effort with added diet and exercise. I blame a lot of my problems on my weight, and of course going through divorce did not help, especially since he left me for another woman. She's thinner than I am but she's not thin or skinny. I was expecting Barbie so at least I didn't blame him leaving me ALL because of my weight. But I joined a few dating sites and I didn't get almost any e-mails. Guys don't flirt with me, except the occasional look & flirt at a red light when I'm driving, I was driving my mom's convertible one day & this guy (on a two lane road w/ a turning lane) drove in the turning lane yelling at me to give him my phone number because he "liked what he saw". And it was at the next red light when my brain gave way to the butterflies & giddy-ness. Ummmm, really? It's so bad that you got all excited and giddy over some stranger putting both our lives at danger? Has it really come to this?!!! I'm so not use to it that I was giddy about that?!!! And my mom tells me I don't get very many "bites" online because I'm not someone that sleeps around & I basically say that on my profile LOL but I just hate my weight. All I've ever wanted was a husband, home & family and now that I'm thrown back out into this lonely world, I'm panicked because even though I'm told that I'll meet someone my weight is a huge downfall. If I was thinner, more guys would talk to me & I would probably be asked to do more things. That isn't the only reason I'm doing this, I'm ready to change my life but it would be nice for a change to feel pretty & to get to shop at more stores in the mall other than plus size stores or stores that have a women's department. I'm scared out of my mind. Now I don't know which surgery is right for me, my insurance covers the sleeve & the band. After reading my semi-life story, what is your opinion? Would the band be something that sounds like would work for me? Why did you chose the band over bypass? If you could go back, would you make the same decision? THANK YOU FOR READING!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

I have an ice-cream maker that I never use and decided to drag it out and see what I could come up with. Here's a VERY simple recipe that is fat free and sugar free: 3 cups of Greek vanilla fat-free yogurt (toss the liquid) 10 packets of splenda 1 tsp vanilla extract THAT is the basic recipe (easy enough?). LOL. You mix all the ingredients and then follow the directions on the ice-cream maker. Each cup is 180 calories and has 11 g of Protein. You can "kick it up" by adding whatever you like the last 5-10 minutes of processing such as: - Dried fruit - Fresh fruit - Peanut Butter - Nuts of your liking I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to the basic recipe and it was delicious. You can also make the basic recipe and serve it over fresh berries, etc. Enjoy!

I make my own Greek yogurt using the regular fat free plain yogurt. What I do is take a coffee filter and place it in a strainer which in turn is placed over a bowl. I put a cup of yogurt in there and keep in the fridge overnight. In the morning it is like yummy fat free creamy Greek yogurt. I bet you can even make cheesecake out of it, its that good. Bren

I don't get nauseous, but I really dislike the taste of whey Protein. I bought the unjury unflavored and mixed it with crystal light and Water and t took all I could to get it down. I also bought Syntrax strawberry kwi proten powder (to-go packets) and is is bearable but I still don't like it much. I read somewhere on here cottage cheese is very high in protein and so I will be making a trek to the grocery store to stock up on the nonfat version. Eventually I can mix it with a bit of fruit to make it tastier. I found "Powerful yogurt" in my specialty grocery. It packs 21grams of proten in one cup. It's kind of high in carbs but I may sacrifice that to get the protein in at this point because I'm getting only about 20 gms in a day

I bought a Ninja from QVC just to puree my foods. Two days ago I tried the banana ice cream! YES! Freeze some cut up banana ( half is enough!) Drop it in with a four blade and a splash of milk ( 2 T ) pulse then run it a bit. It is absolutely the texture of soft serve. It was a devine treat. - I had to share with my son and husband, a whole banana; it was way too much for me to eat. Now to be a good RNY revision girl, ill try my chocolate protien shake instead of the milk, should give me my Protein, a new flavor and yet, the creamy treat! I suppose yogurt would do the trick also. It is worth the Ninja to have the ability to have " banana cream"

Tonight was my first night off post op liquid. I tried refried beans and a little salsa, within 10 mins I was regretting my choice. Tight chested and belching feeling upward pressure for the next 60 minutes. I thought I was going to throw it up, but managed to keep it down. I learned a couple of things, I eat to fast and I need to reduce the portion size a little more to get started. I have been having no issues at all the last 2 weeks with water, protein shakes and plain yogurt.

betterme38 I lost a decent amount of weight before my surgery. This is what I did. 1) I started eating like a bariatric patient - protein/veg - cut carbs drastically. I also drank no Water 1/2 before or after meals. I found that I was less hungry doing this. 2) I drank a ton of water at other times. I have a 32 oz bottle that I filled twice and made sure I drank throughout the day. 3) I replaced one meal (breakfast) with a Protein shake. I found one I liked and stuck with it. On weekends I would have scrambled eggs instead of Protein shakes. 4) Healthy Snacks - yogurt, string cheese, etc. 5) I hit a plateau and was stuck at a certain weight for a few weeks...the only thing that helped me get through it was upping the intensity of my exercise. You can do it! Oh and practice CHEWING each bite 20-30 times and put the fork down between bites. The other things I did - I bought smaller forks/spoons and plates. I still eat off them now. It works.

I was also told the Carnation No Sugar Added .. my issue is I don't drink milk. It makes me feel bloated and gassy but have never been told I am Lactose Intol. I can eat yogurt, cottage cheese etc like its going out of style .. its just milk.. I am hoping to find an adequate protein drink, non gritty, non slimy and can mix with water instead... otherwise I might have to experiment with Lactain or Silk or something..

i was on liquids (slimfast, tomato soup, yogurt) for 1 week then mushies. I'm on solids now.

I would suggest eating high protein/ low carb things right before bed. Greek yogurt usually was good at tiding me over at night. Or string cheese. These foods help me level out my blood sugars when I stay up late during the weekends.

fruit with fruit dip any fruit you like, melon, strawberrys, oranges, peaches, what ever you like. 1 500ml. coolwhip 1single serving of flavored yogurt (i like strawberry or raspberry or peach) and 1 box of Jello (same flavor of yogurt) mix the coolwhip, yogurt and jello together, let it sit in the fridge for a bit to get real cold and set. serve with chilled fruit to dip in.

plateaus are a normal part of weight loss. I just stuck to my program, stayed off the scale for a few days, and my weight loss would eventually start back up. Plateaus usually last 1-3 weeks. re: Greek yogurt. I've had that almost every day for breakfast for the last six years - that's been my usual breakfast since soon after I had surgery in 2015. A denser protein does tend to keep you satisfied longer, but there's definitely nothing wrong with eating Greek yogurt! and yes - I usually have a morning snack and an afternoon snack - I just make sure to work the calories in to my meal plan for the day. I eat all the stuff you mentioned - beans, seeds, fruit. I can't remember when I added them - but probably around where you are now. Check with your clinic and see if it's OK to start adding them.

Not trying to be smart or mean when I say this. You will have to make changes after the surgery without the wight lose suppressants. You will have to change eating habits and drinking habits. It is hard to do this even after surgery. A lot of times we are not stomach hungry but head. I am three months out and still fight it. You see someone with something and think I am hungry also. Stick to your two shakes and high protein meal. This is how you will eat after surgery. I had to do a two week clear liquid diet before surgery. During this time my family had a get together for three days. I watched them cook and eat all of my favorite meals and did not eat a bite. I knew my life was changing forever. You can do this. Get you some Greek yogurt, unsweetened apple sauce, chicken broth to drink and eat between shakes. They will help you.

Go here: http://www.vitalady.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?search=action&keywords=protsamp&SortKey=sku&SortOrder=ascending It has samples for $2.99 each of most of the major favorites like nectar 100%, BSN Desserts, etc. and just pick some flavors you think you will like, pay $5 for shipping and you can figure out which ones work for you. BUT, don't try them until after surgery, we aren't kidding when we say your taste buds will change! I didn't like anything from unjury..ick! I use IsoPure unflavored when I need to and in tomato Soup it was pretty good. I prefer actual shakes though. You can also try the IsoPure pre-mixed bottles at GNC or The Vitamin Shoppe but those never worked for me. They are fruity and very thin so I can see why some people like them. I usually added greek yogurt, sometimes frozen fruit, PB2, etc. to my shakes to change them up. Good luck!

Before surgery I like premier protein, EAS and pure protein but boy after surgery the pre made drinks made me sick way to sweet. I did find Unjury chocolate splendor powder after surgery and that is my go to now. In my liquid stage I had sugar free Popsicles, cream of broccoli soup (no chunks), decaf tea and coffee, applesauce and yogurt. I also got some crystal light, mio to flavor my water. This helped me get down my fluids easier as it didn't feel like I was always drinking water.

For me I like the fusion unflavored meal replacement. I mix it with my yogurt, crystal light, etc.

For me I like the fusion unflavored meal replacement. I mix it with my yogurt, crystal light, etc.

I can't believe I'm 4.5 months out and still struggle with an appropriate dinner. It seems any meal I prepare makes me bubble up with gas and become nauseous. My breakfast is a shake. My lunch a yogurt. I can't seem to break old habit and eliminate "the dinner meal". Should I really have yogurt for dinner and walk away?

Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.

if you go to Wendy's their chili is delicious. At McDonald's I can get down most of a filet-o-fish (no bun), or a fruit and yogurt parfait. Some Burger King's have chili too. Side sald's are OK too if you can get them down easily, just watch the salad dressing calorie content.