[SunDeck]

Congrats on losing the weight! I dropped about 10 pounds last year through a combination of more exercise and a few changes to the eating habits to cut down on the empty calories. Those weekday beers add a lot to the mid forties spare tire! I have never tried any protein drinks, but it seems to me that you've done well with your diet, so why change? You can improve strength without necessarily adding a lot of bulk...as I'm sure you'll find out in Basic Training.