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 & Ken M).jpg "(from L to R): Melissa Mermaid, Me, Sandy (SaMaRo), & Ken (Melissa's Husband)")
.jpg "Melissa Mermaid & Me")
.jpg "(from L to R): BT, Me, Cheryl W, & Melissa Mermaid")
on September 1, 2006 12:00 am
The following have proven invaluable to me as both a post- and pre-op:
4C Iced Tea has always been one of my faves but I never really got to enjoy it in its full sugar version (I ALWAYS drank "diet" drinks but was taken over to the dark side a few times ... Boy was the "dark side" delicious!). Then 4C developed a sugar-free version that for some reason still had 4 carbs per serving ... too much for me when you need 8 x 8 oz per day. So now 4C has come out with "Totally Light" ... Even DH loves the way the Decaf tastes ... What a lovely way to stay hydrated! We also enjoy it in the Tea2go version (fits perfectly into a 16.9 oz water bottle ... and, best of all, completely dissolves in the coldest of water)!
AquaCal
Beats the heck out of the competition -- and that means Propel (which isn't too bad but does have some sugar carbs) and certainly Fruit H20 (which I detest with a passion -- triple yuck).
Bariatric Bytes
Ruth aka "Tooter" is an inspiring friend of mine. She has created this website chockful of information for weight loss surgery patients that many non-ops will also find helpful and extremely informative. Her info on vitamin supplementation and what vits blend well with others, along with her research about soy and thyroid alone has proven so invaluable to me that I never forget to remember her in my prayers. Then there's the recipes ... yum! Don't hesitate to bookmark Bariatric Bytes in your favorites. (Love ya, Toots!)
Bariatric Eating
Susan Maria Leach saw a void in the weight loss surgery market and filled it -- with panache. Aside from being an accomplished author, she developed a physical store in Pompano Beach, FL and a website thru which she sells many products that we as weight loss surgery patients find helpful (and tasty!) ... Many WLSers and dieters will find her methodologies and products incredibly helpful.
Calorie King
Nutritional Info including Restaurants/Fast Food
Cigna Squeaky Wheels
Support for Fighting the Evil Cigna Empire
Cal-Snack
Most economical and delicious way to get in my calcium. Only one chewable wafer 3x a day (spaced at least 1-2 hours apart, since we can only absorb 500mg of calcium at a time) for a tasty bone-satisfying treat.
Fitday
Keep track of everything you eat ... Really helps you when you're early post-op and wondering if you're "eating too much" once you're further out
Fuze (Rhymes with "Lose")
I started drinking the Fuze Slenderize formulas at about 10 months out. (Be careful as they do have many other versions as well which are full of carbs and sugar ... So read the label very carefully!) I'm so glad I did. First of all, they are chock full of flavor (especially the Tropical Punch) and amino acids/vitamins that aid in your weight loss efforts. Stick a bottle in the freezer for about a half-hour before drinking and it is super refreshing. I drink between 1 bottle every couple of days to one bottle a day -- especially when I am less active, as the amino acids help my body metabolize like I've been working out. Can't explain how it works but I can tell you that, for me, it just does!
The Gopher
EXTREMELY useful tool in general -- but an absolute Godsend to the early post-op
Fun Juice
Economical and delicious juice concentrates (currently made with aspartame but they're switching to Splenda shortly) ... mix a portion with water for a juice-like drink ... Really excellent!
Le Nature's Flavored Ice Waters
Especially fantastic after about an hour in the freezer
Maxi Hair
Great product for keeping post-op hair loss to a minimum. Complete with a healthy dose of B-vitamins, I continue to take it at two years out. They are part of my daily regimen.
Netrition
Decent prices on a wide variety of low-carb stuff, supplements, sugar-free syrups, Just the Cheese (no carb, hi protein crackers) ... Never more than $4.99 shipping -- no matter how much you buy!
Nutrition Data
Look up nutritional info for all foodstuffs
Perfectly Sweet
If you're able to portion your maltitol properly, this is the site of your dreams. One item is better than the other to have that sweet tooth satisfied without compromising your eating plan or turning to real sugar (sugar is my heroin and I know it but the sugar-free items at Perfectly Sweet let me have my cake, eat it, and keep my waistline ... Hooray! (Just tell 'em the Mermaid sent ya!)
Rate it All
If you've got an opinion on just about anything or everything, than this is the link for you!
Spirulina
Cured my pre-op cravings for sugar/carbs and upped my metabolism, practically saving my life pre-WLS
Swanson Vitamins
Get your supplements at a discount
Ultra Nourishair
This supplement helped me go from losing a fluffy palmful of hair 3-4x a week at 2-1/2 months out to no significant hair loss by 3-1/2 months out.
Vintage Fruit Refreshers
Sugar-free juice-like beverage made with Splenda, no calories or caffeine. Absolutely the best thing on wheels! So far I've tried the Lemonade, Cranberry, Kiwi Strawberry, and Peach Citrus … with the latter being my favorite … but they're all really good. There is no web link for them but they are distributed by Cott Beverages. You can call them at (866) 260-3776 for info on where to find them in your area.
Vita-J VitaminJuice
By far the most extraordinary product for us (thanks, Track McCreary!). A full 16 oz. bottle of Vita-J delivers more than 100% of minimum daily requirements of vitamins. Mostly full-juice flavor with 2 carbs, 2 g sugar, 8 cals per serving. Two of the flavors -- Orange & Pink Grapefruit -- supply 300% of the quantity of Vitamin C, which is extremely useful to promote healing. The second I was allowed liquids in the hospital, my nutritionist approved it and I started sipping. I recommend this for everyone -- but most especially early post-ops who can't stomach the idea of vitamins!!
Vita Cost
Yet another great vitamin/supplement source, with some excellent prices ... Especially for my Calcium Citrate Chewable Wafers w/ Magnesium and D and Pure Protein 35g Shakes (no protein smell, palatable enough for the benefits of the product, and no sugar alcohol!).
Vita Lady
A great bariatric vitamin/supplement source, including powdered calcium!
Vitamin Shoppe
Another great vitamin and supplement discount site. I find their "Supreme Green Tree Extract" to be very helpful as an antioxidant diuretic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Spirulina?
(This was written pre-op.)
I posted recently that Spirulina removed my cravings for carbs or sweets. Now despite this all sounding as if I'm contradicting myself ... The cravings are gone. I still get hungry and do have to deal with that. But instead of reaching for foods that are empty calories and really not good for me, I am able to make decent decisions because it's not a matter of "If I don't eat someting sweet I'm going to lose my mind." And if it's sweet stuff I must, well I'm really okay with having a more carb-free/SF product.
I opt now for carrot sticks or celery instead of pita bread when I eat hummus. I eat a 1/3 cup of cous cous instead of a whole cup with my protein at dinner. I'll eat salad or spinach instead of mashed potatoes ... Get it? When I get a head craving or thought about a foodstuff not in my best interest, I don't wrestle with myself for hours. I'll think "hmm ... a slice of 7-layer cake" ... Then I think "what for?" and get past it. It used to roll around in my head until I baked it or put it on the shopping list.
Probably most miraculous was my new absolute love of water after starting the Spirulina. I was a latchkey kid who grew up on Tab and rarely drank milk ... For most of my life, the only water to hit this mouth solo as what I used to brush my teeth or ice water put in front of me at a restaurant until I got my Diet Coke with Lime. In other words, it seems as though the Spirulina helped me in ways I never predicted.
The real reason I had started taking it is because I have a thyroid-affected autoimmune disease (nearly bedridden) and I was desperate for anything that might help my metabolism realize it's not time to completely die yet. All the recognized side effects have been benefits I didn't count on but have been a pleasant surprise. This may not work for everyone the way it has worked for me but it really can't hurt because Spirulina is actually a great "food" (I say this because although it is considered a supplement, it is also considered plant food -- as in a plant foodstuff -- not as in food for plants!)
I have no stock or financial interest in Spirulina or Solgar ... I just love to share what works for me. I may be unique; but I'm not so unique as to be the only one who benefits from certain products.
Vitamin Shoppe usually has Solgar on sale for a decent discount; I buy the large bottle (250 tablets) for maximum savings.
