Feeling Meh!

SW⟫ 207.7 | CW⟫ 152.6 | IGW ⟫ 139.5

Transition to Normal Food⟫ Ongoing

Well to say that I am disappointed in the scales is minimalising things more than a little. I can’t believe that at this point in time, I haven’t even managed to lose 1 kg in February. It’s driving me slightly insane and I am STRUGGLING.

I have moved onto more ‘solid’ food – I am eating 1 chicken skewer and 2 mozarella sticks on average per day, as well as having protein pancakes and yoghurt for breakfast, so perhaps it’s the quantity of food that I’m consuming? I have decided that I need to get back to basics: three meals per day, chew each mouthful at least 20 times, no meal lasting longer than 20 minutes – basically rereading all of the original instructions. I finally received my letter from my appointment on 20th January and apparently my cholesterol is raised so they want me to book in with my doctor to see if they want me on some medication. I might also look into what can cause high cholesterol to see if it’s a particular thing that I’m eating.

I’ve managed to get quite a few different clear whey protein powders to try so that if the Vimto becomes unavailable, I still have choices. I don’t know – basically I woke up this afternoon (after 12) and just felt meh and the feeling hasn’t lifted. It’s meant to be a writing day and I think that I might kill someone in an attempt to feel better. Ah, the joy of being a fiction writer!

Stripes is dropping off Vee’s birthday present – decided to gift her a new jigsaw puzzle because she didn’t say what she actually wanted and I know she does puzzles. I think Book_grim is waiting on a delivery – a new water bottle to replace the one she left in Sainsburys. And I have a chapter to write for ‘Burning Love’ and then an ARC to read. I should hopefully be able to get through today without literally killing someone but perhaps I should minimalise my contact with people just to be sure!

I used Microlax again this morning and feel a little less bloated but then I dread to think what the scales would have said before I did that! God, does this ever get easier? The bitch stitch is still causing issues, I feel like I have so little control – despite its’ side effects, Ozempic feels like it was SO much easier!

Review: X-tone Fitness Clear Whey Protein - Pineapple

X-tone Fitness Clear Whey Protein - Pineapple

My first impressions of this was that it was very zingy! Definitely identifiable as pineapple although it does have a slightly artificial aftertaste. Seems a little high in calories compared to other clear whey protein I’ve had, but that might just be because I’ve become very aware of how much more that I am eating now. It is balanced by a decent protein content.

It was easy to blend using the hand whisk, but Stripes said that it had a lot of froth and ended up sieving it into my cup because she was wary of lumps of unmixed powder. There actually weren’t any lumps and like I said, it was a nice refreshing zingy drink that I can imagine I will very much enjoy come the summer! I liked it enough to order the apple version to see if it's as good and Stripes found it for me in Home Bargains.

Review: BodyFuel Blue Raspberry Beef Isolate Protein Powder

BodyFuel Blue Raspberry Beef Isolate

I was a little worried that I would be tasting cold beef using this, but I saw it whilst shopping at Home Bargains and decided to give it a go because I was struggling to get my hands on my favourite Clear Whey Protein.

This has a very fruity flavour – not sure I’d say raspberry, but definitely fruity. Maybe tropical is a better description!

It makes up easily – whether using a hand whisk or a blender. There isn’t a lot of froth no matter how you mix it compared to other brands that I have tried. I would consider getting it again if I can’t get my favourites – it’s not my favourite taste but not offensive, although I would imagine some people might find it too artificial or plasticky tasting.

Review: MyProtein Vimto Clear Whey Protein Powder

MyProtein Vimto Clear Whey Protein

During my first post-op meeting with the Bariatric Team, I was I a group of about ten people. We were all at different stages post-op so were able to pick up little tips from people who were further ahead.

Someone mentioned the Vimto Clear Whey Protein and I decided to give it a try – I had been drinking the Vieve Protein water but it was getting expensive and I wasn’t enjoying the flavours. I have personally found the Vimto to be a game-changer in terms of getting in enough fluids and upping my protein intake.

Very good Vimto flavour, very light and refreshing, it is better when made using a blender rather than a hand whisk. It does froth up quite a lot so you have to wait for the fizzing and frothing to calm down before you can pour it into your cup. In my 1.2 l cup, I can get in 800 mls with lots of ice.

My biggest problem has been getting hold of it! I originally ordered it from Boots and got three tubs of 251 g for £30 (individually they would come to £47.25 as of 10/02/25) but it was out of stock when I went to order more.

I visited the MyProtein website and got very confused because they were selling Vimto Collagen Protein Powder, which I believe is something different and I found it all very confusing. Transpires that the clear whey protein is out of stock on the MyProtein site so I went back to refreshing the Boots website until I got lucky! I ordered six tubs for £60 and am just hoping that (a) I don’t go off of it before I use all six tubs and (b) that it’s still in stock when it’s time to make my next purchase!

Review : MyProtein Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

MyProtein Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

I bought these so that I could have a ‘cake’ on my birthday. Thick doesn’t even begin to describe the consistency – it was like New York Baked Cheesecake but even thicker! I wouldn’t have managed this during the puree stage, and possibly not even during the mashables stage.

It has a lovely texture in the mouth with a very subtle salted caramel taste running through it without it tasting artificial. I’m ten weeks post-op and barely managed to finish the whole thing as a full meal. It was very filling, tasty and definitely satisfied my desire for a sweet treat. I can definitely see me getting more of these. One word of warning, they take approximately six hours to defrost in the fridge, so make sure you plan ahead if you want one!

Review: UFit White Chocolate Protein Drink

Ufit White Chocolate Protein Shake

I’ve seen these recommended on the Bariatric Surgery subreddit and various YouTube videos so I asked for one as part of my birthday hamper.

Maybe it’s because I had it luke-warm/room temperature, but I am not a fan. The white chocolate taste was faint and very artificial; there was a slightly cloying aftertaste that coated my mouth and throat in a most unpleasant manner, and the burps and wind began almost immediately. It also made my stomach rumble loudly and threateningly although as yet, I haven’t had diarrhoea so maybe it’s not going to get that bad.

I suppose as a quick hit of protein on the go, it would be alright, but I can’t see me having another one if I have a choice about it – shame, because I really liked the idea of these.

Review of some MyProtein Products

SW⟫ 207.7 | CW⟫ 151.4 | IGW ⟫ 139.5

Transition to Normal Food⟫ Ongoing

It’s my birthday tomorrow so I got myself some birthday food as we discovered that MyProtein have a small product range at Iceland. I have tried a few of the products so here are my reviews so far.

MyProtein Salt and Pepper Chicken Skewers

You get four in a packet and I’m not sure what I was expecting but these things look like humungous chicken thighs that have been skewered! It was really nice to sink my teeth into something so solid – I hadn’t really realised that even though I’m meant to be transitioning to normal food, a lot of what I eat is kinda ‘soft’ – like Babybel, cheese strings, etc. Stripes cooked my dinner in the air fryer and it took less than fifteen minutes to make. The skewers are not too heavily seasoned but definitely flavourful and you get a lot on one skewer. I’m so glad I decided to only start small because I managed a third of one for my dinner along with a mozarella stick! Because of how solid it was, it made it easy to get my 30 chews in without it feeling like it turned into mulch and it didn’t ‘stick’ in my throat or chest. I finished the skewer later in the day and it tasted just as nice reheated.

MyProtein Cheesy Mozarella Sticks

I was a little wary of these because obviously they’re coated and I haven’t had anything even resembling bread crumbs since well before surgery. They were nice – not too greasy but very cheesy, didn’t stick in my throat or make me feel sick and were lovely accompanying the skewer. I managed one for dinner and had the second one later on. I will say, when it was reheated in the microwave, it turned into less of a mozarella stick and more of a pancake as it lost all of it’s shape but that didn’t affect the taste in the slightest!

MyProtein Protein Pancakes – cocoa and original flavours

I wanted to try something a little different for breakfast because I have just been eating cheese strings and Babybels and I wasn’t sure if they were having a detrimental effect on my stomach, so Stripes originally picked these up at Tesco. I added a tub of Mueller Light Greek Style yoghurt in coconut and vanilla flavour, with a couple of teaspoons of mango puree on top. The pancake didn’t taste of much but it did provide some nice texture – spongey, not too hard, but quite filling. With the yoghurt and puree, it definitely was a full meal – I can almost manage it all in one go but it does take some time, which is probably good because yoghurts can be a bit of a slider food on their own. I’ve since tried the cocoa flavour, and again it doesn’t have a particularly strong taste but provides a nice base for the yoghurt. I am thinking about getting some pancake mix to see how that turns out, but we shall see. You get four in a packet for around £2.35 and they last in the fridge for a week, so two packets will more than cover seven days worth of breakfast, which I think is quite a decent price.

I placed an order for some Galentine’s presents for the girls and included the BodyFuel Clear Beef Protein Isolate in Blue Raspberry and I’ll see how that tastes after I’ve finished the MyProtein Vimto (which is absolutely lovely and very thirst quenching as well as providing a decent chunk of protein).