I need some help .

Hi ,ok first off i have been on a plateu since christmas .I have done some eating of things i shouldn't and that is stopping but i have also tried upping my protein and if what i just read is true am i wasting my time drinking a protein drink that doesn't taste so great just to get the protein ?I does have 5o grams for a serving. I have had trouble in the past getting my protein so i have been forcing myself to drink this...doing you think i'm wasting my time and would be better off doing something more times in the day rather than this drink at one time . Also I needed to know if anyone can tell me what caffiene will do to us . And I have been concerned that I may have stretched my pouch ,because i see what people post they eat and i eat so much more than that it seems. I had heard about a test that you can do with cottage cheese does anyone know about this ? I would really appreciate whatever help i can get today i just feel so frustrated and stuck....I guess it's just one of those days . I don't always feel this way but it is almost a year now and I'm not knocking what have done this far .....I'm very thankfull...but I just feel alone in this and that those around me don't understand sometimes.I know I'm never alone but the feeling is there,you know what I mean. Thanks for listening, God Bless, Angi 360/193/135

Hey sweetie, first off congrats!!!! Hun you have almost lost 200lbs!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing! It is normal, alot of us are having this problem were we havent lost any thing in months. YOu are doing great, dont let it get you down. Now for your questions. About the protein, from what I gather our bodies only absorb 30grams of protein in a sitting, however, since our surgery, if we have 30grams at one sitting we are only really absorbing about half of that, so if you have around 60grams at one sitting, you should be getting about 30 grams in that sitting. So no you are not drinking it for nothing!! You really need to keep your protein up. Just keep in mind that a body absorbs no more than 30grams at a sitting, so when you have your protein meals or drinks, try to get in 30-60grams of protein in that one sitting and you should be getting in that 30grams of protein. I wouldnt have more than that in one sitting. Still try to get in as much protein as possible a day like the posts from Irish Pixie, just keep in mind only so much works in a sitting, which a sitting is about 30 min to 1 hour after you have eaten that sitting. Then you can eat or drink again another 30grams. Ok caffeine I dont know the whole truth, it can make you hungrier faster is all I know. Now the cottage cheese test- dont have anything to eat or drink for about half hour to 1 hour. Then measure out 8 oz of cottage cheese. EAt what you can till you start to fill full then stop. HOw ever many ounces you can eat is about how big your pouch is. IF I am right which I am not sure on this either our pouches could be about 4-5 oz right now. YOu can do the cottage cheese test, but I would ask your surgeon how big your pouch should be on how far out you are from surgery. Hope this helped some, Keep up the good work, you are doing great!- Melissa

Melissa,thanks for your reply and info.I can eat the whole cup of cottage cheese but I feel over stuffed so I'm sure that means I ate way to much I don't usually eat like that.I was never told before about that whole protein absorbtion thing thank you for telling me.I had seen a couple of people post about the carb count down milk ....I got some today and it's so good it's just like having regular choc milk.Congrates on the baby. Thanks, Angi

Hi Angi, Hey, we all have been there. I have just started losing again, after not losing anything since October!! Ughhhhhh!!!!!! Just a couple of suggestions.... Exercise!!!! I have started walking again...a half hour every day...it took about three weeks, but, the pounds started coming off again. Walking is easy...if you like something else better...do it. It really helps! Food!!!! You know, I know, we have all probably been eating stuff we shouldn't. So stop right now. (ha...easier said than done!!!) But, that is sooooooo important. Protein!!!! Get that protein in!! I have been using Beneprotein...2 1/2 scoops a day, since I started walking again. I really think that has helped. Water!!!! Oh, yeah...feel like you are a sponge...and soak up tha****er. Good luck. Maybe, I will reread this, and send it to myself...sounds like good advice!!!!! Jeannie

Angi-here is my latest post on protein. I swear to you I have never plataued.. See what happens with cutting out the bad stuff ,.. upping your protein and exersise... It works .. I hope this helps Nite - PIx If I drink protein shakes and eat too, won't I gain weight from the added calories? Eating a low calorie diet actually slows down your metabolism. Diets containing more protein can reduce the drop in metabolic rate seen with low calorie diets. To lose fat, you need to cut down on calories, to consume less energy than you expend. But. Here is the problem. Your body responds to this drop in food intake by slowing your metabolic rate, to keep you alive, which makes fat loss increasingly difficult. Our ancestors had to deal with large variations in the availability of food. Those who survived were the ones whose bodies could adjust to this fluctuation in food availability. Those, whose bodies couldn't adjust, died. The result? Our bodies want to hold on to our stores of energy for survival. It thus preserves fat by lowering the metabolic rate whenever food intake drops. High protein diets reduce the drop in metabolic rate, and also lead to a greater feeling of fullness. Dr Scott Connelly writes in, "Body Rx: pages 18-19...."Why do MASS protein? To escape fat-storage mode, you have to eat more protein. If you want to shut down your metabolism and stay in fat-storage mode permanently, stay on the standard diet prescription- the high-carb, low-protein, low-calorie, low-fat diet. Protein is the key metabolic currency of the body. Your body was designed to run on it. Protein molecules drive all the chemical reactions involved in the breakdown and absorption of food, including carbohydrates and fat. In other words, protein drives virtually all aspects of metabolism. Many studies, including some of my own, show that simply adding protein to your diet turns on your fat-burning/muscle-building switch, even if you make no other lifestyle changes. When I gave one group of body builders extra protein along with their normal diet, they gained two times as much muscle mass as a second group of bodybuilders doing exactly the same workout and eating the same diet but without the extra protein. When you're stuck in fat-storage mode, you need a powerful protein boost to jump-start your metabolism back into fat-burning mode. In most cases, you cannot easily get enough protein from food alone to do the job. To fill the protein gap, in addition to increasing protein consumption through food, I recommend a daily high-potency protein powder. It is a simple, safe, efficient way to repair your metabolism and build a lean, shapely body." Muscle uses more calories to maintain itself than fat. Peole who are more muscular (and have a lower percentage of body fat) are said to have a higher metabolism than others that are less muscular. Symptoms of slowed metabolism Fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin, constipation, slow pulse and low blood pressure. These symptoms could be the result of a medical condition rather than low metabolism - MAKE SURE YOU SEE YOUR DOCTOR to rule out any type of medical problem.