Gumdrop, I got it 2 days ago and mixed it with some of my vanilla bean torte powder, ice and water, mixed in blender and drank 16 oz on the way to work. Had to pee 5 times in 2 hours!!! Lol! Mixed it with some Crystal protein mix today :).
I guess I should tell my coworkers I'm doing a protein diet because I'm in the bathroom a lot! :)
I haven't officially joined yet- I have an appt next Monday. They left me a message and said it would be $99 for 12 weeks to rejoin.
So are the HNS drinks still $-13 a box for 7 drinks? Or if they have 10 box sale for $100 I'll probably do that to get started.
Going on vacation in September so would love to be 10 lbs lighter by Sept 6! :)
Summer is crazy fun here. We just had a 10 day festival with bands and beer trucks every night and boating every weekend. After I get started on the metabolic plan though I do well if I'm doing at least 3-4 HNSs a day. I mix the vanilla bean with diet orange soda - tastes like a dream cicle. Diet Dr Pepper with Chocolate Truffle is like a chocolate float. Yum!! (Syntrax Nectar)

I do want to add that the Great Lakes Hydrolized Collagen powder makes me feel a little nauseated. Does it affect anyone else like that? I've been using it for a few days. I may stop for awhile and see if it's something else.
I was hoping it'd be a good substitute for the HNSs and cheaper :)
and of course I bought 2 containers ($21 each) from Amazon....
or maybe i'll get used to it? let me know how it's working out for everyone else.... hope everyone has a Thin week! it is supposed to suppress your appetite so maybe that's the plan :)

Both the MRC HSN's and the Great Lakes can make me very nauseous - that is very common for me. It is all about the timing - I cannot drink them too far ahead of a meal or use them to pop vitamins or supplements - my stomach is way too tender. I've not tried any of the other supplements you refer to - syntax nectar...I'll look into it. I'm going to splurge on the big tub of hot cocoa mix from diet direct (proti-diet) as that is a GIFT when I just NEED something in the evening. I'm not currently at the center but I know the prices have not changed on the HSN's. I live a bit far to go regularly and our budget just doesn't have room for me to purchase them in the volume needed to effectively stay on plan. I am able to stay on plan with the alternatives and lose just as well. Once school gets started and we're back on a relatively normal schedule, I may look at a rejoin to really get on track and balanced out. I'm back on pre-con after a few weeks off plan so will be starting back with the supplements next week after detoxing. While hitting the restroom so frequently can be a pain - I LOVE knowing I'm flushing out the fat!!!

Great Lakes & Proti-diet Hot Chocolate
 

I've been using the Great Lakes Collagen. I find it has almost no flavor or texture...especially when you let it sit for 5 minutes. When you first mix it it has a cloudy look...just keep stirring every 30-60 seconds after the first mix and when it looks translucent/clearish rather than cloudy/opaqueish it's ready...then add your flavor...I get drink flavors from Walmart and other places that use stevia as the sweetener...sometimes I get Splenda ones (sucralose)...but I try to avoid asasulphame potasium...and avoid almost exclusively aspertame. I put it in chocolate milk a couple of times and you can't even tell it's there...just a little thick/smoother feeling (of course that was a cheat...someone had given me some milk they didn't want and I indulged...but now on the new menu I can have almond milk, so I'll try that and see if it is the same...maybe I won't even have to add flavor ;-D).

Sometimes it can have clumps if I'm stirring with a spoon...if I put it in a water bottle and shake it it usually doesn't have them...but the clumps aren't grainy...just kinda jelly textured.

The Great Lakes Gelatin has a strong cow hide smell (not the collagen...just the gelatin) that the Bernard Jensen Gelatin doesn't have...but it mostly disappears when you make jello with it...Bernard Jensen is cheaper I think...and it can be bought locally at Vitamin Shoppe. It just doesn't have the collagen option...and I drink most of my protein...can't eat jello all the time!

I use the Grams to determine the serving size...not table spoons...I've found the table spoons to be grossly inaccurate. I calculate how much protein I need and then measure on my food scale...17g of Collagen is a 15g protein serving.


The Proti-diet Hot chocolate seems the same nutritionally for the most part as the HNS Hot Chocolate...and much cheaper if you buy the tub. I bought at Nashua Nutrition.

I love the Protidiet Pink Lemonade and the Hot Chocolate. No side effects at all and it tastes great! This is funny but I'll mix the pink lemonade mix with tequila, fresh limes and lemons for a beach cocktail and still lost weight on vacation :)
The Syntrax Nectar Chocolate Truffle is really good too. I mix the PB2 and ice in a blender and it's a peanut butter chocolate milkshake. High protein, 0 carbs, 3/4 scoop - approx 70 cal same as clear HNS. Vanilla bean torte w strawberries blended is sooo good! I get Syntrax powders from Vitacost

I really want to rejoin w the deal $99 for 12 weeks but don't know if I can go through their high sales pitch again. I would leave my pocketbook in the car when I was a member before because every time I'd go weigh in they would tell me to buy their pills, HNSs, tests. I did well w the diet alone and bought my own "HNSs" and lost 2-3 lbs a week. At first when I'd lose 2 lbs a week they would push their pills and I'd tell them that I was very happy w 2-3 lbs loss a week :) and didn't want to take pills. I have a very low tolerance to meds....
Sad to say but I need that accountability of someone weighing me each week....

I was never pushed to purchase supplements - I have always been very pleased with the gals at my center - super encouraging, empathetic, and compassionate. When I asked about the alternatives I was considering, they were on board and enthusiastic because of the cost savings - lol!

Thanks Gumdrop for saying that. It's a new center so I will be positive and not think about the last center I went to in another town.
I'll call today and make an appt for Monday. My DH won't like it but it's not about him it's ALL about me!Lol!! Him being a Chef, hates when I can't eat certain things but whatever.
Ok making that call :)