Pretty darn good protein shake!

I often like to do a protein shake for breakfast, but I'm limited in my protein shake options since I can't handle most artificial sweeteners! I use Spiru-tein, but it's powdered and that's a pain to do if I'm at work. I tried a new pre-made shake I found at Whole Foods that is sweetened with Stevia and it was really good! Better than average I would say. I've tried both the chocolate and cappucino flavors and they were really good! And they have fiber in them! 260 calories and 16 grams of protein!
http://sveltebrand.com/

  I may order some.
Thanks for the info.

Thank you for sharing about the protein shakes.  I feel better knowing there will be some tasty options.  

I am waiting for my lap band surgery date (probably mid august).   I have been looking @ obesityhelp.com the past several weeks &  I find myself getting discouraged  by all the negative comments. 

Your post caught my eye because it is positive and your highest weight and surgery weight are very close to mine...and most importantly you seem to be doing very well and have had your band in place for a considerable amount of time.

If you don't mind me asking, do you have regret about the band?  I am getting cold feet.   The thought of not being able to eat certain foods scares me.   And, I was just reading another post about someone who was having trouble taking meds.  The "don'ts" seem to be adding up quickly.

I would be very interested in hearing your opinion.

Thanks for your time.  I really appreciate it!

Donna

 With any surgery you can choose from, there are going to be risks and the possibility of complications. You have to decide for yourself which risks are acceptable to you. Some of the "horror" stories are true, really bad things can happen with any WLS, although the really bad complications aren't that common. More common are the minor to moderate complications, such as reflux, getting stuck on foods, slips that are repairable, and simply eating "around" your band. are you willing to accept those risks? 
I've had my band for over 5 years, but I did experience a slip which meant I had to have a second surgery to repair it. You can't assume that you won't have complications, because you can have complications even if you do everything right. I would say that the only regret I have is that I really wish I had insurance that covered WLS at the time I had my band. I had to pay out of pocket and it is only after 5 years that I now have insurance that covers it. That means I've had to pay out of pocket for 2 surgeries. 
You can have trouble taking pills, especially if you take things that can't be chopped up or crushed. I just break up my pills if they are bigger than a sudafed. 
Some people do have a hard time with certain foods once they have restriction. The biggest culprits are usually bread products, dry meats, and really fibrous veggies. Personally, I can't eat french fries no matter how loose my band is, they just won't go through (yet other potato products are just fine). I do OK on most other things, but something with too much bread or meat that is too dry will cause me problems. Honestly though, I've never especially missed any of the things I can't eat anyway. Every once in a while I will really want some french fries, but when I do get them they never live up to my memory of what a good french fry is so I'm not that disappointed when I can't eat more than 1.