Written by Tammy

On May 20, 2010, I had the privilege of sharing another evening in my home with friends, Melinda and Steve, to do a protein/recipe tasting. I think we were a bit too ambitious, though. It wasn’t long before both Steve and Melinda experienced dumping syndrome and had to make use of my ceiling fan, 2 recliners, and oh yeah...  the restroom!! And while I do not experience dumping as a VSG patient, I was a bit nauseous myself. Nothing against the products or recipes we tried – I think it was just too much too quickly. We had some great stuff! Let me tell you about them.

PureFit Protein Bars – as most of you know, I walked the ½ marathon here in Nashville in April, and I was introduced to these bars at the Expo prior to the marathon. I was intrigued because they were advertised as a “gluten free” protein bar. They come in 5 flavors – Berry Almond Crunch, Almond Crunch, Peanut Butter Crunch, Granola Crunch, and Chocolate Brownie. Melinda is having difficulty with the “textures” of food right now in her journey, so she did not enjoy these bars. Steve liked them OK, but I really enjoy them. I think they give a nice new option for protein bar flavors, and I think it’s especially nice for those people who need to eat gluten free. You can get a sample pack on their website to try all 5 flavors – PureFit. Stats are as follows:

Calories – 230; Fat – 6g; Carbs – 26g; Fiber – 3g; Sugar – 16g; Protein – 18g
(Note that the sugars and carbs are natural, from brown rice syrup, agave syrup, and fructose)

             

Atkins Caramel Chocolate Nut Roll and Sweet & Salty Almond Crunch Bars – I had found 2 new Adkins bars that I fell in love with and wanted to share with Melinda and Steve. And they both loved them, too! Pick these up when you really want a candy bar or breakfast bar, and you can at least feel good about the fact that you are getting some protein! The Nut Roll is just like a Baby Ruth, and the Almond Bar is filled with crunchy nuts. Very enjoyable!

Stats for Nut Roll:
Calories – 170; Fat – 12g; Carbs – 19g; Fiber – 8g; Sugars – 2g; Sugar Alcohols – 8g; Protein – 8g

Stats for Almond Bar:
Calories – 180; Fat – 14g; Carbs – 15g; Fiber – 5g; Sugars – 1g; Sugar Alcohols – 6g; Protein – 7g

 Chobani Greek Yogurts – Melinda was fortunate enough to get samples from Chobani of just about every flavor they offer. We had a great time taste-testing these, as all of us enjoy good Greek yogurt. We’re partial to the plain, so that we can add our own sweeteners and flavorings to them, without the added calories and sugars of Chobani’s flavored varieties. But they are tasty – very tasty! Melinda enjoyed the Strawberry Banana and Pomegranate flavors. I enjoyed the Raspberry, Blueberry, and Pineapple flavors best. And Steve took home the Honey and Strawberry flavors. (I also scooped up the Plain ones – YAY!) The flavored yogurts are non-fat and have about 140 calories, as well as 14g of protein. While the sugars are natural, there are 20g of them, so be careful in your consumption of those.

 This picture is Linda Farnsworth's (from her blog)

Linda Farnsworth’s Mock “Rice” Pudding – I decided to whip up a couple of WLS-friendly recipes for my friends who were visiting. Linda had just posted this recipe this week on her blog, and I was anxious about trying it. I HATE cottage cheese! I wish I liked it, because it’s loaded with protein, but I haven’t found anything I can tolerate it in, including cottage cheese pancakes. I messaged Linda and said – “Does this really work? I don’t want to taste the cottage cheese.” She said it works, and I trust Linda Farnsworth in the kitchen, so I whipped it up. YUM!! YUM!! This is such a sweet, comforting treat. I’m convinced that the addition of freshly-ground nutmeg really puts this dessert over the top. I used Hood’s Calorie Countdown for the milk, Fat Free Cottage Cheese and Sugar Free Cool Whip to help the stats on it even more. A BIG thumbs-up from all 3 of us on this dessert. Check out the recipe at:  Eating Well, Living Thin.

 

 This picture is Ree Drummond's (from her blog)

Brandielle’s Molten Chocolate Lava Cake – I’m a BIG fan of Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman) and her Tasty Kitchen website. In a recent blog, Ree highlighted the Top Rated Recipes on the entire site, and this was one of them. As I read it, I began to see where I could tweak this to make it more WLS-friendly. And I’ve always wanted to see if I could make a chocolate lava cake and make it work. This is so simple to make, and yes – it really, really works! Best thing we ate all night (and what probably put Melinda and Steve over the edge). I used sugar free dark chocolate, Whey Low, and sugar free Cool Whip for the topping. Absolutely delicious! I will make this again for friends and family, because they’ll never know it’s better for you. Here’s the original recipe with no tweaking:   Ree Drummond

Melinda and Steve also taste-tested Trader Joe’s Sprouted Wheat Protein Bread (photo unavailable), which I’ve already reviewed, along with our friend Freddie’s delicious Whey Low Pear Preserves. Big thumbs up there, too. I appreciate Freddie giving me the courage to make my own sugar free jams, jellies, and preserves. I made some fabulous Strawberry Freezer Jam this week, and it’s setting up in my freezer right now!

As you can see, it was another successful evening together with some great friends and some great products and recipes. I encourage you to get out there and hunt down products that will make your journey even more successful and enjoyable. And get in the kitchen, too! You’ll never know what you can accomplish until you try (and maybe fail a couple of times, too!).

And now for the moment you have all been waiting for.....(drum roll please)

 

 

Written by Tammy

I’m excited about writing this review for the Slimpressions “Have” shapewear garment. My dear friend Melinda received one and was gracious enough to offer it to me! Thank you, Melinda! I’ll be forever grateful, and here’s why.

I’m pretty happy with the way my body bounced back after WLS. I don’t require an abdominoplasty, although I do suffer from a minor case of shrinkles on strategic parts of my body. I’m OK with that. However, the one place that I’ve really fought to accept on my body is my arms. They’re not awful, but they’re not the toned arms I’ve always dreamed of having. I don’t really have enough hanging skin to merit the pains of brachioplasty, so I’m opting to learn to live with them. But I’ve really been searching for a good shapewear garment to help compress my arms. This is not an easy task! And I’ve tried several. And then, Melinda (and Slimpressions) came to my rescue!

You can check out the information and pictures of the Have garment here:  Slimpressions Haves

 You’ll note that it’s much like a T-shirt with “gentle” compression. (Actually, the compression is pretty tight, which is good!) In fact, the compression is so nice that I am not wearing a bra when I wear this garment – it’s really not needed. I’m a 38B, so if you’re larger, you might want to try it with a bra. The sleeves come down to my elbow, so it’s not a garment you can wear with really short sleeves, unless you make it look like a T-shirt under another shirt for a layered look. That actually would work. Most of my clothes are three-quartered sleeves or long sleeves due to my cold-naturedness post-surgery, so this works for me. And wow, do my arms look fabulous and flab-free!

The directions for putting this on state to “step in, slide up, and slim down.” Not happening for me. I’m larger on the bottom than the top (always have been – didn’t change after WLS), so this has to go over my head. I won’t lie to you – it’s a bit of a struggle to get it on. All good compression garments are that way, though, and this one is a Size 1, the smallest size they offer. It is well worth the effort, however, to see toned arms in the mirror. I just tug it around my body until it fits like a glove.

I also thought it would make me feel hot, as today is a nice summer day in the 80’s, and I’m wearing it on a busy day at work. But it’s quite comfortable, and the mesh armpits give nice breath-ability. It’s really comfortable and tagless for even more comfort.

Yes, it’s $72, and yes, mine was given to me. But I’ll be buying another one! This puppy is fantastic, and I can now say Hello to some of those smaller shirts I’ve been wanting to try, but couldn’t get on because of my flabby arms.

Thank you, Melinda, and thank you, Slimpressions! This is a great find!

Note from Melinda:  I love the Slimpressions Skinny Minnie garment which has the spaghetti straps, no sleeves.  I have not tried the tanks-a-lot but think that this too would be among my favorites.  There is a Slimpressions garment designed just for you depending on your trouble areas.  I encourage you to look at their site to find wonderful products that are great quality, and actually work.

Compiled by Steve, Written by Tammy, Edited by Melinda (a team effort!)

Queen Melinda invited me and Steve over to her house recently to do some product reviews.

Melinda:  "Wait a minute!  Queen - - How did I get that nick name? Have you been talking to Tim?"

Since I love protein AND free food, I was more than happy to attend. And of course, we wanted to share our findings with all of you as well. So buckle up…we tasted a lot of stuff, both good and bad.

The kind people at Kay’s Naturals asked us to do a comparison taste test of their Cookie Bites with the PowerBar Energy Bites. We had both flavors of Kay’s Cookie Bites (Cinnamon and Honey Almond), and 2 flavors of the Energy Bites (Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter). While we were asked to do a "comparison taste test", none of us saw a comparison.  The products are completely different in taste and texture.  (We were NOT paid for this review, but we did receive the products free from Kay’s – there’s your disclaimer.)

Kay’s Cookie Bites (Cinnamon and Honey Almond) – it’s no secret that everyone in the WLS world loves these little bites of joy, especially the Cinnamon. Melinda and I have even been eating these as cereal with milk, as they taste a lot like frosted shredded wheat. With 10g of protein in a snack-sized bag and only 100 calories, it is definitely a healthy, low carb, low sugar way to get your snack on!  And, if you use Rf's promo code "recover" when ordering online, you can receive 20% off your order, everyday!

 Melinda:  "My favorite is the cinnamon flavor.  Immediately, cinnamon exudes from these little bites and fills your mouth with goodness."

PowerBar Energy Bites (Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter) – these bites are round, chewy balls, with the texture of a Tootsie Roll center. None of us were fond of these, although we preferred the Chocolate over the Chocolate Peanut Butter. The PB version had really no PB taste at all, and had a funky aftertaste. The Chocolate had the same aftertaste, and when chewed, you ended with a sawdust texture in your mouth. The PB had 20g protein and 34g carbs (yikes!), while the Chocolate had less calories and only 11g protein (and both had 16g of sugar!). This makes sense, as the PB had that “protein taste” that WLS patients dread in many products. There was no comparison here – Kay’s Naturals won this contest hands down!

Melinda:  "The peanut butter tasted only of protein with a slight cocoa powder flavor from the dusting on the outside.  The chocolate on chocolate did have more of a chocolatey flavor of the two, but didn't enthrall me."

PowerBar Energy Gel Blasts - It should be noted that we also tried a sample of PowerBar’s Energy Gel Blasts that Melinda received in the mail as a free sample.  Not much protein here – it’s a simple energy snack. But this would be an absolute NO-NO for WLS patients, as this is a ball of a gummy substance filled with sugary fruit gel. We feared to eat this completely, as it would probably clog up our pouches and sleeves beyond repair. With 130 calories and a whopping 24g of sugar – fuggetaboutit!

Melinda:  "This reminded me of a huge gummy bear with a soft fruity center!  But...  I was very afraid to swallow it as it could get stuck in my pouch.  Plus, I didn't really want a dumping episode that night."

The Kitchen Table Bakers Cheese Crisps - We then proceeded to taste test some new cheese crisps that Melinda ordered off the internet.  I also saw them at my local Fresh Market. We tried 3 flavors – Aged Parmesan (mini crisps), Rosemary Parmesan, and “Everything” Parmesan, both of which were cracker-sized crisps. These are simply baked cheese with flavorings. Melinda preferred the plain parmesan, while Steve really liked the "Everything" parmesan.  I enjoyed the Rosemary and more highly flavored “Everything” version. What a treat these are! These can replace crackers in your daily diet, adding a great crunchy texture to your salads. Or have a few with some pimento cheese. The uses can be endless, and they give a great replacement to high-carb, crunchy snacks. They are a bit pricey for the amount you get, so look for a good sale. We highly recommend these – 3 crisps are 80 calories, 6g fat, 2g carbs, 1g fiber, and 7g protein – and they come in several other flavors. Check them out at http://www.kitchentablebakers.com.

 Melinda:  "It's amazing how each of us liked a different flavor.  The flavors seemed to suit our personalities.  I liked the simple because, well I'm just a simple person with simple tastes.  Steve enjoyed the one with lots of flavor, and he is the more eclectic of us all.  Tammy liked the Rosemary, as she is truly a gourmet foodie.  Steve said they were a bit salty for him, but I crave salty foods sometimes and this would be perfect for that occasion."

Syntha-6 RTD Chocolate – while we’ve been a fan of the Syntha-6 powders for awhile now, we had yet to taste their RTDs, and it was worth the wait. I must tell you – this was a joy to drink. It tastes just like chocolate milk, with no protein smell or aftertaste. It may be thicker and creamier than some of you prefer, but it can easily be thinned out with a bit of water. It just tastes SO good, and it will be my preferred RTD from now on. (I had been using Labrada, and no offense to the Labrada folks, because I love you – but this drink is by far the best I’ve tasted.) Three BIG “thumbs up” from our committee! And with a whopping 40g of protein, you get ½ of your daily protein needs in the most enjoyable way! (280 calories, 6g fat, 16g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g sugar)

 Melinda:  "This drink was so smooth and creamy!  As soon as I removed the lid, I smelled chocolate milk, not protein or vitamins.  The consistency was just perfect, not too thick or thin.  Just right.  I wish my parents had raised me on Syntha 6 Chocolate instead of regular dairy chocolate milk!  I'd have ended up a body builder instead of a size 24/26!  I liked the drink, but I'm a die hard Labrada fan through and through!"

Met-Rx Protein Plus RTD51 Vanilla – remember my recent protein bar review, when I stated that one of them was just YUCK? This was our “yuck” product of the evening. Don’t even bother. Both Steve & I spit it out immediately. It comes in a can, and you could taste the metal from the can. Horrible, just horrible! What are these people thinking? Get a focus group, for God’s sake!

Melinda:  "I wish we had a video of this taste test.  I didn't want to taste it because of the strong vitamin smell exuding from the can.  Tammy was the bravest one of all, as she went first.  She immediately spit it out!  Steve's face turned from expectation to disgust in one second flat.  I made the mistake of actually swallowing the little bit I took in."

Whey Up Wild Berry Protein Drink – we sipped on this one, too. Do you know that feeling on your tongue when you’re drinking heavy protein? You know, like your tongue has grown fuzz? Isopure and Protein Blitz both do this to me, and so does this. Melinda and Steve agreed. The flavor of this drink is actually quite good – a lot like Cherry Koolaid – so if you’re a fan of fruity protein drinks, give this one a whirl. We just didn’t like the protein feel in our mouths. Only 90 calories and 20g of protein per bottle. Melinda even mentioned that it might be more tolerable if you break it down with some water or make a slushy out of it.

Trader Joe’s Low Effective Carb Chocolate Bar – YUM and double YUM! I’ve tasted a lot of sugar free chocolate since my surgery, and this one beats them all. Tastes more like a Hershey’s milk chocolate bar than anything I’ve had. Use caution – it is made with maltitol, which can cause a mild laxative effect in many people (and that’s an understatement for WLS patients), and there are FOUR servings per bar – so keep that in mind when you read the stats – 120 calories, 9g fat, 5g carbs, 3g fiber, 2g sugar, 9g maltitol and no protein. But protein isn’t what this is for – this is for pure enjoyment and indulgence. If you’re PMSing, ladies, just one piece of this will keep you happy for hours. Find a Trader Joe’s and buy this chocolate! I’m gonna see if I can melt it for other types of enjoyment (smile).

Needless to say, we didn’t need dinner after all the taste-testing we did! Steve and I also took home some sample protein powders to try, so keep an eye out for even more product reviews soon. We love doing this for you, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions. Just let Queen Melinda know what your thoughts are. See you soon!

Melinda:  "There ya go! Calling me Queen again!  Overall, it was great to spend time with friends with like interests.  And, we had fun trying new products - even though a few were not so hot."  

Written by Tammy (T2Nashville), Product Guru

While visiting a new Max Muscle store near my office building with some WLS peeps, I noticed they offered some “new” protein bars that I had never seen before. I thought my Vitamin Shoppe’s “Wall of Protein Bars” was extensive, but I’m always pleasantly surprised to find new bars on the market to taste and review. I picked up 4 new ones, and here’s the scoop.

Midget Peanut Butter Crisp Protein Bar – this was my favorite. It’s a peanut butter coated Rice Krispie treat – seriously! I’m going back to get more of this one. Here’s the blurb from their website:

"The all natural Midget bar is Low Glycemic and contain only 190 calories. Midget is proportional in protein, carbohydrates and fat. Following a good nutrition plan means paying attention to what you eat. At only 190 calories, Midget makes that easy to achieve.

•    First all natural protein bar designed with portion control in mind.
•    At only 190 calories, Midget’s delicious Peanut Butter Crisp satisfies every appetite.
•    Low sodium
•    Gluten free
•    Low Glycemic
•    High fiber
•    All natural
•    High protein
•    Does not contain sugar alcohols”

Stats are 190 calories, 11g fat, 14g carbs, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 14g protein. That’s a bit high in sugar for me, but I usually only eat a bite or two of a protein bar each day to curb sweet cravings. I could easily eat all of this one, though, so use caution!

Max Crunch Peanut Butter Perfection Protein Energy Bar – I also bought the Chocolate Rage flavor, and this was my 2nd favorite of the 4. Max Muscle touts this bar as the “1st ever Protein-Probiotic Bar.” Here’s the blurb from their website:

 

 

“First and foremost, we engineered Max Crunch to satisfy your cravings for a delicious candy bar, yet deliver the benefits of proteins from multiple sources along with the functional benefits of beneficial probiotics. The key features of the Max Crunch bar are:
• High Protein Energy Bar
• Powered by Ganeden BC30 TM Probiotics
• Ganeden BC30 TM (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086), 250 Million CFU/bar
• Supports Immune and Intestinal Health
• Promotes Enhanced Protein Breakdown
• Amazingly delicious Chocolate Rage and Peanut Butter Perfection Flavors”

This is also much like a Rice Krispie treat. The peanut butter coating (and the chocolate) is only on the bottom side of the bar, whereas the Midget bar is completely coated. It’s not bad tasting, but it does leave me with a bit of a “sandy” aftertaste in my mouth, probably from the soy crisps used. I would buy these again, but not if a Midget is nearby. (Or a Supreme Pro, which is my # 1 favorite protein bar of all time!)

Stats are: 210 calories, 11g fat, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 5g sugar, 17g protein. Actually, pretty good stats for most protein bars.

Nitro-Tech Hardcore Chocolate Crisp Protein Bar – I’m not sure why they call this Chocolate Crisp. It’s really more like Chocolate Fudge. This is a very chewy texture, truly almost fudgy, with a few “crisps” scattered in the bar. This is promoted as more of a muscle-building protein bar with immediate anabolic effects, and only 6g of net impact carbs. (I always look at net carbs with a skeptical eye, and you should, too!) If you like a fudgy bar, this one fits the bill, but for me, it has quite a bit of an aftertaste, much like I get when I eat anything with agave syrup in it. I looked for agave in the ingredient list, but they use malitol and sucralose. Not really sure where that agave flavor is coming from, but it’s there.

 

 Stats are: 250 calories, 5g fat, 31g carbs (see what I mean?), 4g fiber, 1g sugar, 30g protein. Yes, this one packs a protein punch!

And finally…Zero Impact Chocolate Peanut Butter High Protein Mealbar – I only have one word for this bar – YUCK! I have tasted a lot of protein bars in the past year, and I have yet to taste one that I actually spit out. Doctor’s Carbrite came close, but I did swallow it. NOT THIS ONE! As I bit into it, the texture was actually spongy. Gross! There’s no chocolate to be seen, unless it’s inside the bar somehow. It has a peanut butter color to it, a chewy texture, but it is just so nasty. I chewed about 3 times, and that’s all I could do. Don’t even bother with this one. If anyone out there actually likes this bar, I would love to hear your thoughts on WHY?

Stats are: 410 calories, 17g fat, 35g carbs, 6g fiber, 10g sugar, 30g protein – yeah, I’m GLAD I don’t like it!

And there you have it. There are a lot of protein bars on the market, and you should find one you really enjoy for those times when you need one. Protein bars can be dangerous, though, so use caution in your consumption. Dividing them into bites or baggies always helps me control my intake, but satisfies my sweet cravings when they attack!