Ava324

Thanks! Yes, it works now. Next time, I'll start my own topic. This time, starting my own topic was my technical issue. Lol. I could only hijack or message you.

Back in college, I could do the most damage in private. A pint of Ben & Jerry's. 1/2 tub of icing. A jar of queso with corn chips. A frozen pizza. Two rows of Oreos. When I got married, I cut back, but the two of us still "put away" tons of food at one sitting. We'd rarely ever have leftovers, and we'd quickly fill the trash with pre-made food packages... It's hard to wrap our brains around that now, and dear hubby didn't have surgery (he's lost 65 lbs as a byproduct of being supportive ). It's like night and day for both of us.

Better'n Peanut Butter: http://www.betternpeanutbutter.com/index.php Yummy yummy! 100 calories a serving, and varying flavors. I've purchased banana and Low Sodium. I also do PB2. I'll reconstitute it with a flavored SF Torani syrup instead of Water.... And you can also find Peanut Flour in bulk. Like PB2, but no salt or sugar added.

I've dreamt of wearing almost any and every dress from Modcloth.com. I've window shopped on that site for literally years. There was no way I could pull off those styles "before"! I'm 3 lbs from goal today, and I play with the idea of treating myself to a Modcloth dress. Can't bring myself to, though... I can't imagine being able to pick one. I've never ordered clothes online before and would fret and fret about picking the right size and the headache to return. They're pricey for me, even if I can find the exact $100 Modcloth dress for $65 on ebay... Since I've flown through sizes in the past year, I've only been shopping at Goodwill for clothes. My Goodwill rocks, and I find the very best stuff. Can't beat $3.59! Still, I'm drooling over these two: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ryu-Anthropologie-LACE-DRESS-W-CROCHET-MIDDLE-BELL-SLV-/261674870336?pt=US_CSA_WC_Dresses&hash=item3ced09a640 and http://www.ebay.com/itm/Modcloth-Ryu-Mocha-Cream-Lace-Turtleneck-Dress-Size-S-M-L-NWT-/171471154500?pt=US_CSA_WC_Dresses&var=&hash=item27ec7a2d44.

Sorry, I'm having to hijack a thread. I can't start a new thread in any forum. I get the same error in Chrome and Explorer. One work computer and at home... What the heck does this mean, and what can I do about it?... "Warning: require_once(Google/Api/Ads/Common/Lib/AdsUser.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/bpal/domains/bariatricpal.com/public_html/ips_kernel/Google/Api/Ads/Dfp/Lib/DfpUser.php on line 32"

Oh, how I suffer with this! I have a desk job, and outside of designated exercise time, I'm rather sedentary. But I exercise a lot. Today is my only rest day for the week. Two mornings I went for a jog/walk, four days of bootcamp, a personal training session, and Sunday I have a 4 mile race. Bootcamp is the real killer, because we do a lot of core exercises on the floor. I have to roll up a mat for under my tail bone, and it's still very painful. And not just weight-bearing pain. If I poke it, it's sore. Bruised? Not sure when it'll have a chance to recover from the abuse..

I thought "un-laws" was intentional and a new term for in-laws you don't get along with. Lol. I've been pretty open about surgery, but for sure I've never had someone who didn't know comment about my portion sizes.

142. Yay! I'm kicking serious exercise butt in order to reach my big goal by my one-year mark (12/10) and to maintain through the holidays and the end of this challenge. Sorry to ask this for just one pound, but can my challenge goal be changed to 139?

You may already be doing this, but drinking from a cup with a lid (not through a straw though) helps. The smell of the Protein can be a big contributing factor. I haaate cleaning blender bottles if it's sat for 6+ hours. Gag. I'm a big fan of the Healthwise/Nutriwise drinks. This website has the best prices I could find, and they carry the full collection (unlike my surgeon's office): http://www.bariatriclifestylediet.com/brands/NutriWise.html. The classic hot chocolate is mah jam (15 grams protein and only 80 calories). I've tried most of their drinks, so PM me if you have any questions.

Can't speak about the safety of them, but I agree about the carbs. I haven't touched traditional noodles (or Pasta, rice, or bread) in about a year. Last weekend I made shrimp pad thai with theeese: http://www2.netrition.com/sea_tangle_kelp_noodles.html (6 calories per serving, and obviously, we don't have regular sized servings - so maybe 3 calories) http://www2.netrition.com/nooodle_angel_hair.html (0 calories! made out of pre-biotic Fiber, so they're good for you) So even if you stay away from noodles during recovery just to be safe, you can still look forward to healthy noodles that fit in your plan.

Honestly, I think there's been a negative effect on my cognition.. Since surgery, I suffer from frequent afternoon "fuzzy brain". I'm pretty much zapped at the end of the work day and I make many more mistakes. Especially typos, and I'm often kicking myself for sending a team-wide email with gibberish. Or I'll create a calendar entry with subject "Deadlineinee to..." What?! It's similar with getting a point across verbally in the afternoons. I'll have to take long pauses because I lose train of thought and am trying to get it back..

9W to 7.5 medium. I can't even wear the shoes I bought when my pre-op shoes got too big.. Also my ring size went from 8.5 to 6.

Morning and directly after work on my way home. Different types of exercise though. I run into energy issues if I try lifting weights in the morning. I'll get very queazy if I try before 10ish. Morning is my preference though, so that's when I do my cardio, and I do my best.

145. No change, which I'll take, because I was up to 152 during the week. Apparently fluids (IV during endoscopy) + TOM + salty foods = 7 pounds in 3 days. ><

Currently 145 Goal 140 I hope to hit goal beforehand but the trick will be to come out of the holidays holding it... Or back to it.

Yessss! Last week: 146 Goal: 145 Today: 144

I'm at goal today, but I want to sustain for the end of the challenge tomorrow.. Will post then! @@Evolving Here's the next challenge. http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/322801-holiday-challenge/

My PCOS has been in remission since month 3 post-op. My PCOS doc now treats me like a regular patient, and I only have to go in for annuals. I cried at that news. I keep track of my food, exercise, and weight daily (minus a month+ "vacation' from it..), and I definitely stay on plan better when I'm writing it all down. I'm 6 lbs from my goal, and these are the biggies that helped me get to where I am now: supportive and encouraging spouse that is completely on board with keeping temptations out of the house (he's lost 70+ lbs "second-hand") my gym (I go at least 4 times a week, which includes working with a personal trainer and boot camp classes) Couch to 5K app (also known as "C25K". This got me in touch with my goal driven side and now jogging is therapeutic, and I look forward to running events that I register for well in advance. I'm training for a mini-marathon (4 mi.) now.) local support group (luckily mine meets weekly just 20 mins away, has about 10+ regulars, and is led by a social worker) keeping calories between 600-800/day (this works for me... My intake is actually a little higher, because I don't count my chewable Vitamins, mints or tums. If this was "too" low, I'd feel bad, but my energy is pretty good. I don't get headaches or blurred vision anymore. I know what blood sugar issues feel like. Also, the lighter and more fit you are, the lower your BMR (basal metabolic rate, i.e. calorie need) is. I'm still working to get these last 6 lbs off, and I'll probably switch to the 5:2 plan for maintenance.) various food/recipe blogs (I honestly love food more than ever. There are so many creative options, and I generally have fun with cooking dinner. Mini hamburger meatloaves, "cupcake" meals like lasagna and chicken enchiladas, philly cheese steak stuffed bell pepper, etc. I also have a raging sweet tooth, and I find "skinny" deserts.) Diet wise, for Breakfast and lunch, I eat like a little kid. I had a cup of Protein hot chocolate for breakfast, and I have a bento lunch box in the fridge today. It has 4 almond crackers, 1/2 serving of tuna salad (1 pack low-sodium tuna, 2 tablespoons plain yogurt - no mayo, a diced hard boiled egg, and seasoning), and 4 small strawberries. All that will put me at 203 calories. I'm contemplating half a gladiator smoothie before boot camp for the extra protein. Dinner will be 4 oz of butternut squash quinoa salad and two slices of deli honey ham rolled up. Probably followed by a serving of Arctic Zero.

I personally need the gym for accountability. I change into workout clothes and stop at the gym before going home. My gym, a small Anytime Fitness, will actually call if you stop showing up. I got the call early in my membership when I missed 10 days in a row. I loved that. The staff knows you by name, and there's a comradery between the regulars. I love my personal trainer and the 3xs a week boot camp I joined. You mentioned building strength, and I don't believe I'd be lifting half of what I do without the motivation and routine my gym membership provides me.

Love Quest bars! My favorites have changed, so I highly recommend revisiting some if you don't like them at first. I didn't like the white choc. raspberry one, and now it's my favorite! chocolate chip cookie dough was my favorite, and now I find it a bit too salty. I order mine from luckyvitamin.com, which lets you order by bar or by box, and it's still the same $2.09/bar. My husband is a Quest bar hater, because he doesn't like the texture. Basically it's Protein powder held together with a thick fiber syrup. But he likes them cooked/incorporated into another recipe. These are delish!! I've made them a whole bunch of times.. Quest Bar Peach (or Cherry) Cobbler (4 servings) Ingredients: Crumble: 1 Quest Bar Vanilla Almond Crunch rolled flat 1 teaspoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon dry oats ¼ teaspoon butter extract (optional) Filling: 2 medium peaches or 37 cherries 1 scoop Protein Powder (I use Body Fortress Vanilla - 30 grams of protein/scoop) ¼ teaspoon cinnamon Optional Topping: 2 tablespoons Fat Free whipped cream Method: Preheat oven (I use a tabletop toaster oven) to 400 degrees. Roll Quest Bar out with rolling pin (I put the bar in a folded piece of wax paper so it doesn't stick to the pin), spray pan, and bake for 3 minutes or until slightly browned and crisped. Remove from oven and cool. Reset oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, stir together the peaches, protein powder, stevia and cinnamon. Divide between 4 small ramekins. Take the Quest Bar and pulse in a mini blender FIRST then add coconut oil, butter extract and sweetener. Stir in dry oats. Sprinkle on top of the peaches. Bake for 15 minutes. Pro: 13.75; Cal: 126.5 (peach) or 135.5 (cherry); Carb: 8.5 (peach) or 10.5 (cherry); Fat: 3.5 Fat Free Whipped Cream: 0 - 5 - 1 - 0 There are many more recipes. Check out Quest's "cheat clean" videos! Like I mentioned before, Quest Bars are basically protein powder with a fiber syrup. It's called VitaFiber, which you can order from here: http://vitafiber.myshopify.com/. I haven't tried them yet, but there are a whole bunch of options for making your own "Quest" bars. Pecan Pie Quest bar- 1/4 cup caramel flavored protein powder - 2 tbsp VitaFiber - 7 pecans - 1 tsp vanilla extract - 1/2 baby cookie, crumbled into small pieces

Count me in. Thanks so much for this! Love the holiday colors of the spreadsheet too.

Just have to say again that it's a process. Your body will get there on its own time and in its own way. If you stick to your plan, it WILL get there.

26 years old here, and I had everything going for me except for genetically good elasticity. I'm young, I wasn't that that big and not that big for that long. I've hydrated, dry brushed, soaked in coconut oil, taken Gelatin, etc. for months. Bottom line though.. the skin on my arms and thighs are ripped to bits. Poor elasticity, tons of stretch marks (scars), and irreparable saggy wrinkly damage. No regrets here either! And I keep up with the skin care and supplements anyhow. Love dry brushing.