Thoughts on weight loss and protein

[Guest guest]

Thanks Laurie..I am fighting the good fight

With Love,

Lara M. Akin (BMI 61)

Getting my weight down

to do the dance with Dr. Rutledge.

423/417/413

Waist 51/45

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I have been faithfully reading all the posts. I get the digests and

sometimes I think of something I would like to say and by the time I

get all the way through several full digests, I can't remember. And

I am only 36! HA!

I really wanted to add my encouragement to Lara, Melody and Bob on

the weight loss struggle. It is so tough and we so want to see you

all make it. I am struggling to keep mine from soaring up which is

what it does whenever I have no plan of attack. I know you all are

trying everything you know and everyone has had good suggestions. I

just wanted to add that I have had temporary success with 2 types of

calorie blocking product in the last 6 months. There are lots of

them on the market and I will share my brands if you are interested,

but one is a fat blocker based on Chitosan which is a shell fish

product fiber that binds with fat and bile and send it directly

through your system so that it cannot be absorbed. It works well

with an Atkins type diet, especially. Then the other also has

chitosan in it, but is more of a starch blocker based on legume

protein and something else ( I would have to look it up if you are

interested). It blocks certain carbs from being absorbed and again

they just go striaght through the system. So people have some bowel

changes with them like we hear about here with the malabsorption

after surgery. I have great response, because I have irritable bowel

syndrome and they completely reverse that for me ( probably all the

fiber). They idea is when you are eating healthy and doing all you

know to do that they help carry away a little more of the calories

and add fiber. Chitosan says it blocks about 30% of fat. They have

helped me stay at or below 300 and may be just another tool to

consider. They are not drugs, but fibers and herb supplements. You

can read about them on line. i get them online, but you can get

simiilar products at GNC and other health food stores. I do not know

why you don't here more about chitosan. I think it works better than

Xenical and it isn't a drug.

Next, I worry about getting enough protein post-op , too. I think

the bars sound like a good option. I also liked the balance bars with

a good protein content. Right now I love smoothies, but who knows

afterwards. My husband has a friend that had open RNY over a year

and a half ago and she lent him her nutrition manual for me to look

at. It has more suggestions and recipes. They strongly suggest

addingdry powdered skim milk (extra) to shakes, puddings, yogurt,

soups, mash potatoes, oatmeal, even skim milk to up the protein

content daily. I have no idea what it would do to the taste, but

that is there main suggestion besides protein powder when you are

doing soft foods.

That's it for what it is worth. Fight the good fight:) We are all

worth it.

Laurie