I am not perfect & I dont claim to be

Hey Leslee... I like the Isopure clear bottles and it's a high quality protein which I really like...but haven't tried the powder yet either... But here's a little something about protein...It has been said that the average body only absorbs about 30 g's of protein at a time...So anything more than that is a very expensive waste of money...and on top of that...protein is one of the hardest yet one of the most important things to process...and get rid of...For 20 grams to be totally wasted is like eating out at an expensive restaurant every night and paying for a double plate...of which you can only eat and enjoy only one anyway... Just for your info!  Here's a little more info on that by a MD on protein...There are so many articles on this subject...and I don't think anyone really knows for certain as we are all different and absorb differently as we all have varied needs and life styles too.  The typical American diet, as we said earlier, is already providing plenty of protein. There is no value in adding even more protein to that amount, since protein cannot be stored in the body and the excess is eliminated in urine and feces. When people start consuming too much protein (over 2.0 g/kg/d), the extra protein can become a stressful stimulus for the kidney. This is even more of a concern as we get older and our organs are less efficient and effective. Very high levels of dietary protein have also been correlated with increased urinary calcium excretion. The loss of calcium through urine could potentially be harmful for bone turnover, with the added risk of osteoporosis. Finally, protein requires vitamin B6 in order to be metabolized and ultimately utilized in the body. Very high levels of dietary protein increase the requirement for this B vitamin. http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/articles/nutrition/pro tein_2/ Here's another awesome article I  found on another WLS group (i forgot to save the link)...I wish I had a link to the author and their credentials too, but here it is...I found it consistant with other things I have read about protein...This article has some really great easy to understand info and explanations.  By Shannon Clark One common question that many individuals hold is how much protein they really need and what the maximum amount of protein they can digest in one sitting is. First off, protein requirements. This is largely going to depend on the particular individuals cir****tance but there are general guidelines you can follow. Most active individuals will do well on about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean body tissue. For simplicity sake, if you round this up to 1 gram per pound you will get a nice, easy to calculate number. This is assuming that the rest of their nutritional intake is adequate however. On the other hand, if you have someone who is currently dieting and is taking in a very low calorie intake, their requirements are going to increase. The reason for this increase is because as calorie level drops, more protein is going to be utilized by the body for fuel and less will be available for the repair of the bodily tissues. This makes it even more important to get a little extra because dieting itself is a stressor on the body and if you don't, you aren't going to be recovering as quickly from your workouts and a loss of muscle mass will results. So how much should you increase this by? Try going up to 1.2-1.3 grams/lb at first and if you plan on taking your calories really quite low (around the 8-10 cals/lb mark), bump it up even further to 1.5 grams/lb. At this point this amount of protein will serve to really protect you from any muscle mass loss which is exactly what you want while you are dieting. Similarly, people who are 'bulking' - basically eating at a calorie surplus so that they can gain lean muscle mass will require less protein than others since you can be sure that they are providing their body enough energy that all the protein they do eat will be utilized strictly for growth and repair. This doesn't mean they can't eat more protein than the 0.8 grams/lb, but it simply isn't necessary. And as for those people who decide to really overload their system and eat 2-3 grams/lb, that is very much overkill and while it will not particularly harm them if they have no prior kidney damage, it is definitely not necessary at all and much of the protein will go to waste (be stored as fat or excreted). The final thing to consider is this notion that the body can only use 30 grams of protein at one time. So far there have not been any studies to confirm this fact and when you do go over the 30 gram protein intake, all that usually happens is your body then takes longer to digest the protein. Obviously eating 100 grams per sitting isn't the wisest of ideas and if you do have fairly large requirements it will be easier from an eating perspective to spread it out over 3-6 meals, however if necessity calls for it to be centred around 2, that is really fine. The only one consideration to factor in is the pre and post workout period when getting in protein is critical in terms of promoting muscular growth and development. So now that you've got your protein intake all figured out, make the necessary changes you need to your diet in order to see the results you are looking for.

WOW! You always have such a wealth of information. I know you do your research, so I tend to listen to what you say. Thank you! Great information, so I think I'll stick with my EAS for now.. or if I get isopure just have half a serving at a time. Leslee

Leslee, I found out right after my surgery that Vitamin Shoppe has a return policy for their powdered protein. If you try it and hate it, you can return it so long as less than half or it is used up. Look around and see if you have one around OR you can buy on line. I haven't tried the return policy on line but I bought the Peach Nectar and after surgery couldn't even put it in my mouth...yeuck. So I returned about a half dozen jugs of different flavors and types till  I found Designer Whey Choco Cappacino...yumo.

As someone that is also trying to quit the smoking I know how hard that is.  Sometimes I try and kid myself telling myself that if I could just smoke I would not be hungry.  lol lol  Yeah right and it helps with stress to.  lol lol  I am currently 3 weeks out no smoking.  Dont worry about your slip we have and will be there!  You did such a good job on the 5dpt even though you turned it into like an 8 dpt.  lol lol  I can't wait to hear what your results will be! Good luck Denise  

GFU ong the 3wks out!! Thats awesome & a huge accomplishment!! What helps me not smoke is biking to work LOL I think - how lame is it for me bike to work gasping for every breath & then have a cig when i get to the office! LAME!!!! So, when i ran out of cigs almost 2 weeks back, i just didnt buy any more. At first i couldnt verbalize "i quit smoking" - i would say, i "stopped" smoking (b/c i thought there was always that off beat chance that i MIGHT have another - but now, not so much). Now, Ims tarting to verbalize that & say - "my last cig was on X" & even "I quit smoking".

You are sooooo cute!  I love your honesty...I think that alone will help you in the long run because if you can be THAT honest with us, it means you don't lie and play mind games with yourself!  LOL  (I do this to myself)  I can find a way to convince myself that Reese's Peanutbutter Cups are good protein snack!  Well, just until I eat one and then I realize...no...because the sugar kills me!  Peanutbutter or not!  LOL   You did great...You all did! Hopefully you got more out of the 5 DPT than losing a few pounds...In the long run, getting back on track leads to more weight loss...That 5 DPT was a miracle for me...I did it some 4-5 months ago...Changed my entire life back to the way it should be...Now if only there were not things like Carmel Sundays...LOL  (I have a yogurt and berry sunday when I go to Costco)  I make my husband order it and take a several bites...The sugar doesn't bug me in it so much for some reason, but it's just so derned good...I hate myself everytime I go into Costco...The taste testing is free lunch for me most of the time! LOL I have to scurry out the door so not to stop for the sunday or Gawd forbid a GIANT 800 calorie pizza...OMG that is some good pizza!  Okay...I was supposed to give you kudos, not make us BOTH hungry for naughty food....LOL so sorry!   Anita