I've been buying GNC's brand of RTD shakes...I started with Oh Yeah! brand, and then switched to GNC's...in my opinion, they're very good, and the prices aren't bad at all if you're a GNC member.

I have ordered stuff from the US...it takes a lot of research to find good prices and places that don't charge through to nose for shipping.  I originally ordered two tubs of Syntrax Nectar powder (I ordered Vanilla Bean Torte and Roadside Lemonade) from the US, but recently ordered another (Fuzzy Navel) from Low Carb Grocery.  They're Canadian and as far as pricing goes...well they're not cheap, but to me it's worth it considering how quickly they can get stuff to me.  I've also ordered from Low Carb Canada...they carry a lot of the same products as Low Carb Grocery, so I always price compare.

You can get Pure Protein shakes in Walmart or Target, they come in cans of 4, they come in chocolate or vanilla.  You can get Premier Protein shakes and bars from Costco, but only the chocolate shakes are available in Canada.

One other company I've checked out is Diet Direct...they ship to Canada, but I haven't ordered anything from them yet (I'm not far out enough from surgery yet)...but I have bee looking into their protein snacks...they have protein chips that would fit into a plan and provide the crunch that you start to miss after weeks of fluids.  

That's all I can think of for right now...if I can think of anything else I will post it here for you.

You're giving it all away??  I emailed you earlier about some Syntrax...now you're making me re-think my whole "I need to get my protein in from food and cut down on powders" thing!  Email me when you can, I will take some stuff from you, and if you want some Syntrax I can give you some to at least try if you like. 

I'm with the Edmonton clinic and I have never had them say to me that I needed to lose 10% in order to have surgery. I got the impression that they need to see that I am making an effort, but there was no number discussed, so I think it is a good question to ask when you go to the Red Deer clinic. 

Also, part of that is having a minimum of two morbidities, like high blood pressure, arthritis, or diabetes, etc; assessing if the surgery is for you, is part of the process. If the doctor thinks that surgery is an option that will improve your health, they will recommend it. 

That being said, my understanding is that the standards are to qualify for a referral to the clinic, not for the actual surgery.

Good luck.

I had my VSG on 12/23.  I'm now waiting to have my gallbladder out.  I ended up with pancreatitis due to my gallbladder and back in the hospital on the 27th for a week.

Hi Mika,

I was referred in October of 2012 and my orientation was in March.  I actually got called up earlier but wasn't ready to go...I got scared ;)