FluffyChix

Oh trust me, I'm not the cracked nut in this conversation. And I said it before, will say it again...if you don't post pics, you don't exist and at this point...I'm thinking you are probably just a BP zombie out to eat our brains (oddly enough...ALSO fat bombs). (and continual props to @GreenTealael for teaching me the importance of "if no pics it didn't happen" concept! Woot!)

Yes. You are absolutely correct. But. In a world where we have to keep the quantities low, you have 2 options to increase calories. You can either add carbs (which kitty loves) or fat (which kitty also loves). But the recipe of death is to add them at the same time. So if it was me trying to increase my calories to maintain when I can't increase my food (or at least shouldn't). I would choose to add fat to my meal cuz it's so calorically dense (and nutritionally dense) and has the smaller impact on my blood sugar and insulin over time. LOL. Hence the fat bomb salad. But hey, it will get those calories in. And btw, walnuts would be perfect on that salad and would add very heart healthy omega threes as well as more calories. Good call!

Well you could have it look like this which is about 3/4cup of salad unless you mush it down really well, then it "could" make about 1/2cup. That's a hefty little caloric salad.

Congrats on figuring out the weight fluctuation!! Woohooo on shark week! (NOT) LOL. It is NOT an easy balance at all! The time frame does make it more difficult to be sure! I'm toying with the idea of doing 5:2. If things don't start feeling easier with the 16:8 where I'm SURE I'm getting in all the food I need without overeating, I may look at 5:2. But the thing with 5:2 is that 2 of the days your cals need to be 500 or under. And it's still really difficult to get all your nutrient needs met on 500cals. It can be done, but it's still difficult. For peeps with little tummies, it's better cuz you can eat your 6 small meals. But you still have to maneuver how to fill the tool with the best most nutrient dense, calorically lite food on earth. LOL. Ugh!

Can you "tart out" your meals? Like say for the smoothie, add peanut butter and blueberries and spinach? Then blend the hell outta it with ice? So that could add 250cals right there. You could even add a couple ounces of avocado for another 100cals and it makes it very buttery and thick like a shake. For dinner, could you add a small 1/4 cup of salad with homemade blue cheese dressing? That adds another 140-180 cals. For Lunch, could you add a veg with butter or sesame oil on it? That could add another 100-150 cals right there. Then add a small snack of 1 oz of nuts of some sort? Or a meat/cheese stick? Or a P3 or something like that to add plenty of fat?

VPL anyone?

So my sis is very competitive. And she is now heavier than me. Where I know she is proud of me...she is also a blabbermouth. And I think she told all her friends (who also know me) cuz the other night at her party, I caught them all looking at me and staring at me. Then looked away when they saw I caught them staring. She was evasive when I asked her how many people she had told. (And she knows this is a confidential matter.) Point being...I've struggled to forgive her and move on. I'm not the poster child for WLS and could give 2 beans what these people think of me. Living well will be the best revenge. But I do feel like she is so insecure, that the only way she can justify me being smaller than her is to tell people, "Well of course, she had WLS. She would be smaller. Right?" All we can do is live our life proudly and as privately as we allow. If we tell one person--then honestly, we have violated our own trust. And you just have to take that risk. No man (or woman) is an island. We all depend on mutual support systems. Forgive her. Her insecurities and pettiness are her own. You only get soiled when you roll in the mud with her.

Jenn that almost looks like my kitchen! LOL!

Thank you sweetie! That really helps me! And BTW, it looks FABULOUS!!! Like I wanna bathe in it! I've been being "so good" (for me) with keeping to 1cup total. Trust me, that's hard. I can eat. Then last night all hell broke loose at our fam Christmas party. *sigh* I ate probably 4oz of chicken fajita meat wrapped up into 2 jicama tacos filled with pico and guac and a squeeze of lime. I also ate prolly 1/8c refried beans and 1/8c Mexi rice. *sigh* I don't think the damage is horrible from that amt of calories. But I'm disappointed that I could eat that volume. Cuz I overate according to the docs. I felt comfortably full after that...UGH! I'm such a hoser. And conversely, scale is down to 147.6lbs this morning.

I'm not "hard core". LOL, see? I said so in that statement. I don't claim "keto". I am LC. We just got one for Christmas but I haven't wanted to blow into it until I'm sure I'm over my cold. Those levels are very hard to maintain.

No one asks. They just comment, "Oh my gosh! You look so great! You've lost so much weight." I just smile and agree with them. I'm not the poster child for WLS awareness. My response to something like that would have to be, "Noneya..." as in "none ya bidness".

LOL, I think you wore us out on your last RD thread.

Any liquid is good liquid at this point. Right? I don't think they're making PP Caramel until spring? But try it with the vanilla! You might like it. Also Nestle makes Crema Media which is like really thick unsweetened evaporated milk, you might be able to come up with a solution. Miss my Vietnamese coffee from Tee Wais in Denver (closed now).

WB, we missed you!!! It's too quiet around here when you're gone! Wooooohoooo on late night dinner delays due to cardio!! You know, when you're 56, that statement takes an alarming (much less charming) turn. LOL! Yay on being at 48oz already. Kitty! You're a drinker!!! Does black tea of coffee help kill hunger? If a bottle of water won't kill it (head hunger)--for some weird reason, a hot unsweet/bitter beverage does it for me every time! So happy you're down a little from pre-vaca. That's an enormous victory!

Congrats!!! Popcorn is evil. (don't ask how I know). Way to stick the landing, Boss!

OH gosh! Yes! Great ideas! And I can't watch cooking shows either unless I've just eaten and am full! I even close my eyes and mute the TV when food commercials come on!

Pictures!!! We want pics!!! Let us see your progress!

Yikes. Sorry to hear this. You really need to talk to your doc before surgery!!! Cuz here's the thing. Taking calcium after bypass is not negotiable or optional. And you need to know if that's gonna be an issue for you. But it's something only your nephrologist and surgeon can help you with. It's totes out of our wheelhouse!

You all rock and are gorgeous! Love the piccys!!! Keep em coming!! @sillykitty I'd cut a bi*ch for that outfit! It looks FABULOUS on you!

You know, you guys have a difficult deal with the whole 1/2c food restriction. So personally? I would not bother about the cream in the coffee until much much further down the road! Keep it! You need it (unless you can replace it with protein shake to get your protein for the day up). For the last hour, I'd do a protein shake (a few ounces), or some lunchmeat, a cheese stick, an ounce of almonds (or a 1/2oz), a tbsp peanut butter...that sort of thing. Small and <100cals but with at least 6-7g of protein. Once you get through about a week of this, you will no longer fear hunger and caving. You will realize that hunger is a cycle that ends in 20mins or less and does best when you drink water in response to the cue to eat. You will realize that you have fewer and fewer hunger events and are satisfied fully with your meals. It's a pretty free-ing and amazing thing to experience! I am kinda back sharing a bit of that angst you feel about getting all your protein in. What I'm experiencing since going back to meals consisting of 1 total cup of volume: 2oz of meat by weight = 1/2c by volume and 1-2oz of veg by weight = 1/2c by volume is that I'm still full when it's time to eat my next meal! Oy! So I am forcing myself to eat during this eating window and I don't think that's necessarily healthy. If you're not hungry at this stage, then don't eat. Right? So last night I forced myself to eat dinner when I was still full from lunch and forced myself to drink a cup of decaf with 2 1/2 oz protein drink to get my protein in. I'm having some deficiency issues, so I was told I need to eat my full target if possible... Theoretical schedule for me in a 16:8 scenario: 10am Protein drink in coffee (1/4-1/2 of a bottle; then a repeat of the this meal for a second cup) 12-1pm 2nd Brekky (2oz meat + 2oz veg) 4pm Lunch (2oz meat + 2oz veg) 7:30pm Dinner (2oz meat + 2oz veg) 8pm If necessary, the second drink from the morning to get in any lost protein for the day. If I do a 18:6, then I delete 2nd brekky which makes it even harder. Yesterday was an 18:6. It was hard as hell to get everything in but I did it.

That is so awesome about your dedication to your mom! I believe she see's you guys and knows and will recognize you (hopefully years from now)! Said it before, you're such an inspiration and so supportive! And you look so much like her!!! Wow! Congrats! You look beautiful and have great language skills! 🤣

Wow. Natori Robes. Who knew? Beauties!!!

So CICO (calories in/calories out) isn't a purely valid concept according to the biochemistry. But let's pretend it's close enough for government work. Ok? In theory (and this is from one of the leading Keto docs who trained under Dr. A.) keto IS putting our body in fat burning state rather than being a sugar burner. There is between a 200-400calorie advantage for doing that because it takes more energy to convert energy from protein/fat than it does to burn sugar. But still..that's sorta insignificant. What keto is great at is making your feel energetic so you move more! (This is after you get past the 2 week keto flu.) Also, it's a great appetite suppressant. So the deeper into ketosis you are (ie the more ketones you are burning for fuel), the lower your hunger. AND the fewer your cravings (lower your head hunger). So by defacto, you DO end up eating less. And he said, that's what they want you to do! They want you to naturally moderate and reduce your calories! So it really isn't a "free for all" food fest. It's only EVER been intended for people to eat just to the point where hunger is abated, but not to fullness. Sound familiar? Sounds a little like our weight loss surgery rules. Yes? This is part of why I think WLS + Keto/Low Carb = Match Made In Heaven. Why not reduce your hunger as you eat healthy healthy and take in as few calories as you can without the pain of hunger?

It's official. Today says it is. Best day to weigh is Wednesday so it must be true! https://www.today.com/series/one-small-thing/weigh-yourself-day-week-most-accurate-reading-t87046?fbclid=IwAR3gP6dPHldDrGp8E7WH7jFgMum7y_WyyEmY5LCNXXebfXQRX5f8fsOY84A

I'm fully on board having a hernia repair. Why? Cuz that's what I used. Bad GERD...not lying about that either.