And Now For Something Completely Different....

I've decided to do a little side project that goes along with my GB surgery to better prepare for the post-op effects, and hopefully, to help out others who are going along the same journey as I am.  At St. Joseph East, where I am having the operation, we are required to see not only the run-of-the-mill physician to see to your needs and requirements, but also, a nutrition therapist, and Exercise Physiologist, and a Psychologist to round out the other needs that go along with having the surgery.  As per my nutrition therapist's orders, I am supposed to try out the many and various methods of supplementing protein, such as shakes, mixes, meal bars, etc. just to get a taste for what I enjoy so that I'm not stuck drinking a grainy, chalky protein shake to get my 60-80g minimum in. So here's what I'm doing. Once, weekly, I'll purchase a different kind of protein supplement and write about it, telling it's pros and cons, and then place it, based on my good taste ;), on a scale from 1-10. Things I'll take into consideration are: -first and foremost- taste, texture, aftertaste, price, etc. and hopefully it will turn out to be helpful down the road sometime. I've decided to forgo giving my opinion about the amounts of protein, carbohydrates, sugars and what have you, simply because I am not fit to give that kind of advice. However, I will list the Nutritional Facts along with the chart that I'll make for that particular product.


So far I've only tried a few supplements, the majority of them not being great...but here's what I have so far...

Muscle Milk Light - Chocolate

Taste- 5 -Combines a fake chocolate taste with a fake milk taste.  Not bad, but it's painfully obvious that you're drinking a supplement shake dressed up by a mediocre chocolate milk rip-off.
Texture- 4 - Kind of chalky, but not as bad as I've tried.
Aftertaste- 4 - It has that calorie-free aftertaste kind of like drinking a diet cola after you're so used to drinking regular cola.

Price- 6 -(18 cents/ounce -$6.00 for a pack of four at Wal-Mart)

Total Average: 4.75 - On the lower side of just average.

LeanBody Protein Shake - Chocolate Ice Cream
Taste-  5It holds up to it's name...it actually tastes like chocolate ice cream...diet chocolate ice cream, however. Very obviously flavored with cheap artificial sweeteners.
Texture-6 Thick, chalky...but not too bad. Would probably drink again if I were totally out of more preferred supplements.
Aftertaste- 5 -Diet-y, but not nearly as bad as Muscle Milk Light.
Price- 6 (around 18 cents/ounce -12 pk for $36.95 at netrition.com)

Total Average: 5.5

Atkins Advantage - Mocha Latte Shake and Milk Chocolate Delight
Taste- 9 -Tastes like something you're not allowed to drink! I actually have one when I'm getting crabby because I'm craving something sweet, but can't have junk food. Very little diet-y flavor, if any at all.
Texture- 9 -Smooth, creamy, very, VERY little chalky flavor.
Aftertaste- 10- None.
Price- 7 -(12 cents/ounce - $5.25 at Wal-Mart)

Total Average - 8.75 -LOVE this product. Yum!

Isopure Liquid - Mango Peach

Taste- 3 -Fruity to start, which is nice, but then the protein-y flavor hits you. Like a train. It ends up tasting a bit like vomit. DH had to use mouthwash after trying.
Texture- 10 - I have to give it excellent marks for this. The product itself is a thin, transparent fluid that has the same drinkable texture of Kool-Aid. The taste however...
Aftertaste- 3 -Vomitey. Blech.
Price- 6.5 (12.5 cents/ounce - around $5.00 (!) per 20 oz bottle)

Total Average: 5.275 - I honestly wouldn't give it that, simply because the taste is absolutely atrocious...but numbers don't lie. The Pineapple Orange Banana has a better taste, but is still pretty bad.

ARGHFLARGHDAMNITALLTOHELL

It seems like more and more of these posts begin like that, huh? Maybe it's because of the utter incompetence of 99% of human beings in the medical field.

Let me back up and tell you the whole story.  It's been almost a month since the whole sweet tea ordeal, where I received the official "OK" from my doctor that I am ready to have this blasting surgery.  That day, I was given a form for my primary care physician to fill out and return saying that I have, indeed, been dieting for 6 months or more. So, to make a long story short, I took it to my doctor, and she almost flat-out refused, until I convinced her to write down everything I'm saying. So I had it done. But it turns out, she didn't fill it out correctly.  The WLC sent it back so I had my DH run it back to her and ask her to fill it out correctly. She refused to work with him, even though he has the permission to access all of my medical records. She claims I need to make an appointment to see her to fill it out correctly, you know, to get her $10 co-pay and all, and then she tells me that she can't write down anything that wasn't already included on the form, insinuating that I'm asking her to LIE for me.  Now, allow me to backtrack a little and fill my readers in on something.  MY doctor is a wack-job. However, she is the only doctor in the area that isn't a legalized drug-dealer, but she is an alcoholic...like, big time. She comes to work reeking of booze. Ew, right?

Once again, to make a long story short, I decide to make yet ANOTHER appointment with her, and lo and behold, she is out for the entire week...this happened on a Monday, FYI. So I decided to get a copy of my records and just hand write everything out myself. It technically is not fraud because I wrote down everything that was already previously documented.  I send it to the insurance coordinator today, and get a call back saying that everything looks great except for the fact that the 6 months documented weren't 6 MONTHS IN A ROW. I have to have proof of a doctors visits every month for 6 months. I had no idea I needed to do that until NOW. How much crap is that? Like I have the money to be shelling out for a doctors visit every month for 6 months. I don't have the TIME, either!

What irritates me is that they ask for a history of your health, then go on to tell me I can't have the surgery because I don't have enough proof that I've been dieting for the past 6 months of my life? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? You know, considering I've been battling being obese since FREAKING AGE 8!

GAH.



/rant




As a side note: And now I've been so upset, I've eaten like, 180% of my daily carb intake.  Mongolian Beef has a way of hitting the spot when you're pissed off at the entire medical profession.