Hi everyone, Hope you're having a great end of the week. Time goes so quickly. We have discussed getting back on track, or staying on track, with our vitamins and water. Now let's talk about protein...the main component of our post-surgical diets. We all know how crucial it is to get in a great deal of protein, preferably dense forms of it that fill our pouches well. Some of us supplement, others do not. Recommended amounts at nearly two years out range from 60-120 grams. I would see what your doctor recommends for you. I know there are lots of calculators on the Internet which offer suggestions as to how much protein you need, though I don't know many that take our altered systems into effect. Please reply to this and list some of your favorite protein options. Let's find ways to help get or keep us out of our protein ruts! Some of my faves are typical snack options: Nuts and cheese. I eat cottage cheese for breakfast lots of times, and my favorite supplement is Nectar brand Iced Tea. I mix it with half water and half lemonade. One drink is 23g of protein. I try not to do this too often, since my doc wants most of our protein to come from food, but some days just call for it! I have bought Power Crunch bars but haven't tried them yet. People rave about them and can get wildly addicted to them! My main "meal" proteins are chicken, some red meat and some fish. Not a big pork fan! I'll eat eggs on occasion, though they're not my faves. What are your protein choices? And how is everyone doing on our Summer Challenge??? Take care, Kathryn

My day was fairly typical too! A good day - I got a lot done at work - but nothing terribly sinister occurred! I remember the earth was supposed to end, according to someone, on 6/6/86. I was in high school and we all thought it was pretty humorous back then too. Life does go on! Hope everyone is doing great. Kathryn

666,does it mean anything to you? Is the rapture here? Or is it coming? Personally for me this day will come and go like any other day. There will still be crime. We wil still be posting messages about our weight. Just for fun post a message.

Hi everyone, I hope your weeks are off to good starts. It's going to be a hot one here in Texas! Hopefully by now you're back on track with your water and have learned how much you need to drink every day: http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm. This is even more crucial in hot weather! For the next few days, let's be sure we're on track with vitamins. We all know the importance of supplementation after surgery. Remember to take those vitamins every day! Doctors all have different opinions of what multi-vitamin is best. Mine recommends Optisource, developed specifically for the post-WLS patient. http://www.novartisnutrition.com/us/productDetail?id=354 Since we no longer have access to intrinsic factor in our "old" stomachs, we can't absorb vitamin B12 like the rest of the world. Adding a form of B12 that we can absorb (sublingual or shots) is absolutely vital, because too little of this vitamin can cause irreversible nerve damage down the line. Also remember that we absorb Calcium Citrate better than Calcium Carbonate (but carobonate is better than nothing - it's found in Viactiv if your doc recommends those). And never take the calcium with your multi-vitamin, since calcium and iron compete for absorption! If your doc has recommended iron or other vitamins/minerals, make sure you're on board with all of those as well. Please respond to this post and share any ideas/tips you have for water consumption and/or vitamins. Let's support each other! Water - check Vitamins - check We're on our way to a successful, healthy, fun summer! Take care, Kathryn

Hi Norma I started out at 360, and my surgeon said it would be impossible to lose more than half my body weight, so his goal was 180. Well i am now 162!! I am 5'3 and really big boned. My pcp says to stop losing now since i am literally skin and bones, but i want to at least get into the 150's, so that will be my challenge. My surgeon hasn't seen me since February 05 ( i know that's bad) so i plan to surprise him and start doing his seminars starting this month. I am hoping to encourage anyone that these goals are obtainable and it just takes dedication and hard work. Check back and let us know how you're doing, you look fabulous by the way. Hugs Linda