ms.sss

Yep u r right...i looked it up and its almost double the milk fat than plan greek (9% vs 5%) and almost twice the calorie content as well! And to add insult to injury, it only has 5g protein vs. Plain’s 15g. But still unbelievably delicious 😋

I don't normally buy flavoured yogurt...I prefer to get plain greek yogurt and just add my own fixins. BUT...picked up this lemon flavoured one by request and OMG its delicious! Gonna make a sweeping declaration here and state that this is the best store-bought pre-flavoured yogurt I have EVER had. Yummer. 189 calories for this cup with 10 almonds...ate it all

Met up with BFF for a nice long hike this morning, and on the drive home, spotted a Popeye's, and thought, why the eff not. I'm in the mood for some fried chicken! (Especially since I am not a consistently good producer of fried chicken...YET). Ate a thigh piece with some Frank's Red Hot Sauce and a coffee martini before hand (not shown): 421 calories for all of it. Ate/drank it all.

Ok. @OAGBPal (& others)...I feel like I'm walking into a confrontation here so I want to tread lightly. I have a catholic grade-school upbringing, AND I'm Canadian so confrontation is my kryptonite!) I guess I just want to clarify where the perceptions that there is ordering around and telling others what to do comes from? I'm on these boards ALOT (and I mean ALOT), and I honestly don't see this. Which is why I was surprised (shocked, really) that someone is hassling @Creekimp13. I read opinions, suggestions, expressions of feelings and stories of a person's experiences. Sometimes someone will post something a little tone-deaf, but I don't see widespread maliciousness/bullying/pressure to be a certain way. Of course there was a thread or two that got pretty ugly. But these are the exception and not the rule. Obviously I don't see everyone's PM's*, so I dont know what is going on behind "closed doors". I dunno, maybe I'm naive, but I really don't see/read people "basically telling others to starve themselves to death to be 'okay'." on here. Honestly, the members on here I find to be very PG-13. Wanna see some real fighting/bullying/ordering/pressuring? Go on a Reddit board. Edited to add: UGH. Of course, as soon as I post something saying that I believe we all generally play nice on here, I immediately read a couple threads where we aren't. Sigh.

Well this is new one. And I thought I've seem/read everything already. I'm surprised there are actual people that would have the audacity to send messages like that. I'm glad you can let it roll of your back, but maybe you could report it case this person(s) directs their vitriol to someone who is not as thick-skinned? Just a suggestion. For what it's worth, in my insignificant opinion, I don't find you "outspoken" in an sort of negative way at all. You have your opinions yes (we all do), but you read pretty cool about it all. Granted, there are the few here and and there that come off as a bit abrasive at times, but you aren't one of them. Keep on keepin' on. ❤️ Regarding goal weights: its a personal decision. We all have different ideas on how we want to look/feel/etc, and how we want to go about it. What anyone else says is irrelevant (unless of course you are in immediate danger to yourself or others!)

Weird observation: in the couple months leading up to, and immediately after, weight loss phase my extra skin was all above my belly button as well, by the time i got around to my plastic surgery date (6 months later) the extra skim seemed to had moved down below the belly button. I suspect it had to do with the additional 12-15 lbs lost during that time? I dunno...

Small tupperware or glasslock containers! (to store all your leftovers/partially eaten food) Insulated water bottle! (to keep ur cold water cold or your hot water hot) Another water bottle with one of those ball mixer thingees for your (powder) protein shakes! A timer (or use your watch or phone)! (to time your bites or remind you to eat/drink/walk around) Fibre supplements! (to keep you regular...constipation sucks the bag) oh, and a fancy shmancy body composition scale so you can monitor your muscle mass/body fat percentages and not just weight! (might not be your thing, but just thought I’f put it out there...)

I basically give about 90% of it away. The other 10% the fam eats (there are 3 of them + me)....I also sometimes eat some of it myself, though there are lots of times I don't even have any of what I make. I just find baking therapeutic! 2 or 3 times a week, I go out for my "dessert fairy" delivery runs and drop and dash goodies at friends' and families' doorsteps...gives me all the feels 😎.

Take pictures! You may not see it the mirror, but seeing the difference of two pics side by side is hard to deny. I took pics every week for 7 months. One of my favourite pastimes back then was comparing the progress between pics. Also, I didn't get comments/reactions about weight loss until I lost about 60lbs....then the comments wouldn't stop for about a year (it does get quite annoying). By the first year into maintenance the comments basically dried up (thank goodness).

I've read somewhere that generally, the first place you gain weight, is the last place that you will lose it. For me the first place to shrink during weight loss was my boobs, the last were my legs. Hang in there ❤️

Alot of folks already said more or less the same thing, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway: I chose sleeve because: I was afraid of dumping (but...I dump anyway) I wanted to continue using NSAIDs (but...I ended up not needing them anymore anyway) I was personally freaked out a bit by the re-routing of my intestines (but...not cutting out my stomach? lol) I DID NOT have GERD. I only had a choice between sleeve and bypass cuz those were the only ones covered by my insurance, so I didn't consider any other procedure. I think that one's results with WLS has more to do with the person, than with the type of surgery. I'm convinced I would have had the same result if I had the bypass. But that's just me. Some background and current statuses: I'm 5'2", almost 50yr old female, started off at 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2 week pre-op diet...2.5 years ago. I got to goal of 127 lbs in 7 months (108 lbs lost at that time). I settled into 115 lbs by 10 months post-op and stayed there basically since...but not without a bit of effort on my part. 3 times I got up to 120 lbs for a few consecutive days, and subsequently made efforts to get back down to 115. And 4-5 times I went sub-110 lbs for a few consecutive days, but didn't have to make any effort at all to get back to 115, go figure. This morning I was 109.2 lbs. I consumed very little calories during weight loss phase, and exercised regularly starting month 3 (running/walking mostly, and minimal strength training daily). No complications, nor issues other than those expected (dump with sugar, foamies/chest pressure if I eat too much or too fast, need to barf if I drink with my meals, burp like a teenage boy) At 2.5 years out, up until a month ago, I was averaging around 1800 cals a day with regular exercise (running & strength training 4-5 times a week). Currently I'm playing around with calories as I'm sidelined on the exercise front, which explains my lower weight these days cuz I haven't figured it out yet. I mostly eat salads (by choice, I LOOOVE salads!) , but I also eat desserts, spicy stuff, fried stuff, fatty stuff, drink coffee, alcohol and carbonated water. On rare occasions I eat bread or potatoes, but I don't eat rice nor regular pasta. I max out at about 1 to 1.5 cups of food per sitting (more if its salad) My lab results have consistently been uneventful (my last one was in November last year). So....so far so good. I have no illusions that I will be like this forever...but that's on me, not my sleeve.

No, no one made us any (nor did we have any at any of the gazillion restaurants we frequented). I see I totally missed out. I asked Mr. if he remembered if he/we ever had any, and he doesn't think so either, at least not anything that was called a Rissole. We got to reminiscing about all the different food-related stuffs that we scratched our heads upon hearing them uttered by the locals: Capsicum, Flat white, Rocket, Avo, Chook, Lolly, (and so many more I can't remember, LOL). It took us a while to use the food course term Entree correctly. Not food related, but then there was the time the Kid came home from school in tears because her new friends told her to meet them at the "Oval", and she didn't know where that was. Its funny now, but poor thing was SOBBING, lol. And a Ute. Man, we were clueless in those early months. Ah, good times, good times.

And that is all we can really ask of ourselves. You've got the right attitude ❤️ P.S. Thank you for all your efforts in battling this pandemic for us...and to all the other front-line workers out there. Mwah.

Tonite's baked item: Chewy Italian Ameretti Cookies! Ameretti cookies are by far my FAVOURITE COOKIE OF ALL TIME, and i used to always make the 40 min drive to my fave Italian bakery to get them. Tonite I made them myself for the first time, and they turned out pretty effing awesome *brushes imaginary dust of my shoulders*. 79 calories each. I ate a whole one. Here is the recipe I used. If you like almonds, or marzipan, or cripsy-on-the-outside-chewy-on-the-inside cookies, try this out! I reduced the sugar to 1 cup total, added 1/8 tsp almond extract, and roasted some whole almonds of which I pushed one into each cookie as they were set out to cool. Sooooo easy to make and soooooo yum. https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chewy-amaretti-cookies/#wprm-recipe-container-10875

Most times I think Mr. is not really listening to me as I prattle away about this or that, but sometimes he reminds me that he is. A week or so ago I mentioned in passing that I miss eating a good bowl of poke and wondered if cauliflower rice would make an acceptable substitute. And tonite he brings home poke bowl take out with cauliflower rice for me. Awwwww, he does listen! LOL. It was/is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo yum, despite the fact it doesn't LOOK picture-ready. Shoyu salmon, spicy tuna, sweet shrimp & crab slaw over cauliflower rice, with shoyu sauce, yuzu mayo and what looks like every topping known to man (woman). It was unbelievably filling and I while it looks like I barely made I dent, I assure you I ate LOTS. My leftovers are in the fridge and I already declared HANDS OFF to all cuz I wanna eat more later. BTW, I thoroughly enjoyed looking up all the components in MyFitnessPal to come up with a calorie count (don't judge me). 521 calories for the whole thing. I probably ate 20-25% of it so far.

ooh i wanna do some glamping too before it gets too hot and mosquitio-y!!! Sounds like perfect Friday all right. Can I be one of your friends?!?!?!? But I may stay out a little longer.... ah yes...forgot about early morning runs when there is no one around but me and the birds...ahhhhhhhhh

I skipped the puree stage altogether....stayed on full liquids an extra week, then straight to soft foods. I tried to puree some beef once, took look and a whiff at the stuff, and was all um, no thanks. Though I did have cottage cheese as well as scrambled eggs made with lots of milk.

Oh my goodness, what AREN'T I looking forward to??? patio season dress weather driving with the windows/sunroof down and the music turned waaay up patio season daylight beyond 8pm smell of cut grass patio season walking to the corner store/grocery/coffee shop instead having to drive open toe shoes and pedicures ...did I mention patio season????

Snacktime! 25g of chicharron and some white vinegar, enjoyed outside on a lovely-ish afternoon (4ºC): 137 calories

I find that even with what a person is advised, there is still some tweaking to do at the individual level. There really is no one-size-fits-all method. I got to goal in 7 months as well (yay, goal sisters!), and it took me about 3-4 months to figure out what my maintenance calories were, eventually dropping another 12-15 lbs until I did. Granted, I have no real intention to get back up to that original goal weight, so am totally fine with losing those extra few lbs. For me, I credit my figuring stuff out by tracking everything (I recognize this isn't for everyone). Its in my nature to track/gather data, discover trends/patterns, fine tune stuff, etc....I'm anal like that. I figure i'll always have to be making adjustments (or make acceptances) and its just part of life. Always learning, always changing. Weight maintenance is no exception. Case(s) in point: I thought I knew what my no-exercise maintenance calories were, but obvs not. I also track my activity (well, at least when I had activity, sigh), and I realize I have greatly overestimated how many calories I burn during dedicated exercise....so PSA to those out there, don't but blind faith into your fitness trackers to tell you what your energy expenditure is. I also learned that ultra-low-carbing made little (if any) difference in my weight in the long term. All that my body seems to care about is total calories (though my stomach does still care about volume). In any case, kudos to you for recognizing an opportunity to tweak your behaviours and acting upon it. Eventually it will be second nature...until you have to tweak again. ❤️

On Fridays, I usually do an inventory of the perishable stuff in the fridge/pantry and cook stuff up before they go bad (or throw stuff out if they have). There was tofu, green onions and a bag of defrosted frozen clams on the need-to-use-now-list. So I give you: Agedashi Tofu, and Fried Clams w/ homemade cocktail sauce (who knew it was just ketchup and horseradish? not me.) I had 2 pieces of the tofu, and 5 clams: 145 calories.

Yasssssss!!

Even cheaper than that. An "in-better-shape" property has gone for 10-25K, but then renovations would probably bring it closer to 100-150K. Still a sweet deal though. Plus, ITALY. https://www.case1euro.it/ https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/italy-one-euro-home-buyers/index.html

LOL, yeah, not even on a Friday afternoon at the desks. But once we left the office, it was fair (and big) game. ... the more i learn, the more I realize I grew up on the wrong continent. I wonder if they are still selling those 1 euro parcels of land in Italy???

I had my first couple sips of wine 3 weeks post op. I had maybe 5-6 drinks the entire time I was in weight loss phase (and not even close to a full serving each time). Note: my weight loss phase was 7 months total. I took an NSAID a few times in the first month, but none since. Also, I think you are correct about the diff in surgeries. One of the reasons I chose sleeve was because I wanted to continue with NSAIDs with no issue (but jokes on me, I didn't need them anymore). Pot: I tried to smoke a joint in the first week after surgery cuz I didn't want to take pain meds (gives me constipation), and after 1 drag, I had an unbearable coughing fit that felt like I was busting my stitches, so that was the end of that. Didn't have any until almost 2 years later. Nicotine: I was smoke free for over 10 years until 2019 (1 year post-op) when I started again on vacation. Kinda regret that, but obviously not enough because I'm still smoking today.