Starwarsandcupcakes

Kids have been begging me to cut up the watermelon that’s been on the table for over a week so I did and we had pulled BBQ beef (Lloyd’s because I don’t BBQ) on king’s Hawaiian slider buns, coleslaw (I poured the dressing on the bagged coleslaw mix. 😂🤷‍♀️), watermelon and Brazi bites (a frozen ready to bake version of Brazilian cheese bread) one of which I ate while making kid plates. For what I ended up eating it came out to about 215 calories.

I ended up eating some non-dairy brownie Ben and Jerry’s and pretzel thins with jalapeño cheddar dip to make up the lacking calories yesterday. So far today I’m at a protein shake and a packet of protein tomato soup. 🤦‍♀️

I went fabric shopping today (11 fat quarters and 29 yards of fabric!)so made a lazy dinner or a fake chicken patty, roasted red pepper dressing, and mixed vegetables tossed with garlic powder, onion powder, and tajin. Also posting calories for the meal and day. And yes, I had Cheetos and a protein iced coffee for breakfast (and ice coffee with skim milk and protein bar for lunch).

It’s the gel in between the layers. You can throw the bottle in the freezer so your drink isn’t watered down. I’ve never done it though because cold drinks set off my gag reflex.

Another work day another “packing all my meals” picture. -Green smoothie (almond milk, kale, spinach, blueberries and lemonade protein powder) -water bottle, protein shake, and beef bouillon packet -romaine and tomato salad with a spicy boca chik’n patty and “dang” red pepper hummus dressing - vegetable soup (like yesterday’s) and triscuit thins -oikos blended strawberry Greek yogurt and a mint chip fit crunch bar.

If you haven’t guessed I have a thing for soup. I ❤️ soup. This one is vegetable soup made with chicken bone broth and TON of veggies (onions, celery, bell peppers, cabbage, garlic, crushed tomatoes, okra, green beans, peas, carrots, corn, lima beans, and potatoes). Ended up eating 2 bowls the same size for about 230 calories. For a grand total of 615 calories today so I’ll need to figure out something later because I’m staying up tonight so I can sleep for work tomorrow.

2 of my nerdlings are diehard mushroom fans so I made beef stroganoff for dinner and since I reheated the pasta in the sauce I picked it out of my plate which a very willing (😱) 6yr old ate. The white stuff is pineapple fluff- sugar free vanilla pudding, milk, cool whip, pineapple (I used a fresh one), and sweetened flaked coconut…. Not as great as I remember. Total at about 250 calories. And seeing as I’m only at 510 calories for today I’ll have to figure out something even though it’s almost bedtime. 😩 So a before, a leftover pasta and an after.

I’m glad I don’t have this problem or if I do get stares or smiles I’m completely oblivious to it. 🤷‍♀️ Unwanted attention makes me uncomfortable because I’m never sure how to respond.

Made soup (again)! This time it was this copycat recipe of Panera’s autumn squash soup. I omitted the cream cheese and used fat free evaporated milk instead along with an entire can of pumpkin purée because what am I gonna do with a half a can I’m bound to forget in the fridge?! I also couldn’t find my nutmeg and instead used pumpkin pie spice and way more cinnamon than it called for but still good.

I used to be a member of the clean plate club and now I prefer the clear conscious club. It’s taken a long time (and some therapy) to realize that leaving food behind isn’t disrespectful or that the food was bad (most of the time it’s not even when I cook. 😂) Sure, I make some questionable food choices but I’m human and sometimes I want ice cream for dinner because well, I can. Restriction means it now lasts a month for the pint instead of one mindless binge with other food on top of it. I’m also still trying to figure out what foods do what with my restriction, even a year out from VSG to RNY revision as I’ve also had some small intestine removed that tried to kill me. Plus, I like being able to see different foods I may not have tried or find some amazing new recipes from everyone who posts.

My work foods for today- 🍍green smoothie with kale, spinach, pineapple, lemonade protein powder, and soy milk ☕️ protein shake for coffee beef bouillon packet 🥗 Romaine lettuce with cherry tomatoes, grated parm, turkey slices and Olive Garden light Italian dressing 🍅 Kale, feta and sun dried tomato mini Frittata (mostly followed this recipe except added 1/4c. each more feta and milk and 1c(ish) more kale and baked in a muffin tin instead of a skillet) 🍆 Pesto marinated roasted eggplant and roasted cherry tomatoes 🍑 no sugar added peaches, Greek yogurt, and cinnamon almond cookie bites Also my diet Arizona ice tea, lemonade crystal light, and Diet Pepsi(s) along for the ride Thankfully, the laundry stayed home to haunt me upon my return!

Salad and goat cheese Mac and cheese (that I found on clearance for $.50 a box!). Most of my kids had their salad with Mac and cheese and baked chicken legs (one is just Mac and a side of cucumbers 🤷‍♀️). Anyway, I was expecting more from the Mac and cheese in terms of flavor. It was just meh. Also, I had a BUNCH of Thai basil so I made some Thai inspired pesto with the basil, sriracha, peanut oil, pecans, olive oil, a smidge of toasted sesame oil, and garlic. I’m currently marinating sliced eggplant in it to roast tomorrow night for dinner along with some buttermilk marinated chicken for the kids. I also have plans for a sun dried tomato, basil, and feta frittata for my lunches for work this week.

GNC lean shakes. I bought the Girl Scout cookie flavors and I use them in my coffee when I work. They’re great at room temp but might be a little sweet on their own or right after surgery. Syntrax nectar powders- they have an individual packet variety pack you can try. They mix well with water or as part of a smoothie. Bariatricpal beef bouillon packets- I take one with me every day I work. 70 calories and 15g of protein plus it’s a savory option.

If I don’t finish something and I know I won’t eat it later I offer it to a kid before tossing if no one wants it. Usually it makes it into a stomach and not the bin. The only things I find myself really saving are quart jars of soup from when I make it and on occasion the random stuffed pepper or beans as I’m the only one who eats those in my house.

Things I still use almost 2 years out- protein shakes- I have one almost daily in my coffee as creamer food scale- if I’m not confident in portion or need a reset to stay in maintenance then I use it, otherwise I’ve gotten pretty good at eyeballing it (I’ve used a scale for years before surgery for baking and portioning dough). blender- I use it almost every day. I make a green smoothie with spinach, kale, almond or soy milk, frozen fruit and protein powder. Travel mug- I enjoy warm liquids more than cold so I have broth almost every day along with coffee (not mixed together) so the mug keeps things warm. My C3PO thermos- holds 10oz so it’s perfect for soups (I eat soup a lot!) and it fits great in my lunchbox standing up. Blender bottles- these are more for portability than mixing as I might have the balls somewhere in a drawer 🤷‍♀️ They just make it easy to take my smoothie or a blended coffee with me on the go. As you go along you’ll eventually find what works for you and keeps you successful. I think it varies a bit by person but the end goal is the same- being healthy.

More eggplant because it’s a new favorite. So it’s either mini eggplant pizzas or eggplant parms without breading. Sliced eggplant into 1/2” slices, sprinkled with onion and garlic powders and some black garlic sea salt, roasted at 400 for 12 minutes. Topped with a mixture of 1 cup jarred sauce and way too much basil for a sane person (1/2 cup). Then topped with Parmesan, ramano, and some vegan provolone that was hanging around in the cheese drawer. Baked at 350 for 15 (I think) minutes. Served mine with some leftover sauce. They were good but next time I’ll skip the provolone (the lumpy pile on the after plate) and use something else as that provolone is better on sandwiches. A kid is currently eating the one leftover on my plate. 😂🤷‍♀️

😂 Chinese food for dinner. This is a reenactment of what I ate. Turns out redoing your living room doesn’t make for increased stomach space no matter how hungry you are. Also, turns out that for my family of 5 we only need a large sweet and sour chicken (kids) and a combo plate of what I want and there will still be leftovers even with 2 teenagers! 😱

Oh, so easy! I used canned crushed tomatoes (what I had in hand), left out the peppers, and roasted the eggplant and zucchini (tossed with garlic and onion powder and some olive oil and sea salt) at 425 while making the sauce with the other ingredients after browning the ground beef. But the rest is about the same(ish) as this recipe. Oh and I probably used a half cup of Thai basil because this plant is insane (on the left)! https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/ratatouille.html#tabbox

I worked almost all of this past week but the most interesting thing was a skillet version of ratatouille I made with ground beef added. I mean that and I’m still on a green smoothie kick- this one is unsweetened vanilla almond milk, kale, spinach, frozen strawberries and bariatricpal protein one peanut butter meal replacement powder (has daily vitamins in it). Tastes like a PB&J!

Varied up the veggies in the zuppa toscana I made. Added green peppers, carrots, and subbed half the potatoes for sweet potatoes. Had with a copycat Olive Garden salad. My mistake was snacking on 3 olives, a pepperocini, 4 pickle slices, and 3 tater tots while making and plating dinner for kids. I can’t wait to have more soup though. 😍

I tend to eat a lot of plant based meals now. I do have the occasional animal protein but it’s mostly grains, dairy, and veggies now. Plant based proteins just sit a whole lot better for me since surgery. I know I’m not the only one on this thread who does the same thing.

Ordered a salad for dinner before work and I’ll be taking at least part of it with me. Romaine, iceberg, and carrot blend with mandarin oranges, strawberries, dried cranberries, candies pecans, blue cheese, and grilled chicken with balsamic dressing.

Made the kids pizza rolls for dinner. I had part of a bag of sad looking Caesar salad that I added some equally sad looking kale to. 😂 Topped it with some sesame, pumpkin, and hemp seeds. Ended up eating a total of 2 pizza rolls with the salad one of which was eaten screaming hot out of the oven while serving kids dinner. 😂🤷‍♀️

I’m usually never hungry when I wake up for work but I’d already been up a couple hours before making the kids dinner. They had sweet stuffed sweet potatoes and sloppy joes made with TVP. I chose a savory loaded sweet potato instead. The black beans are tossed with cumin and tajin and the sweet potatoes had pumpkin pie spice on them when roasting. I’ve only managed 4 bites so I'm packing the rest for work along with some roasted bell pepper strips.

Kids had pigs in a blanket and since I haven’t willingly ate a hot dog made from an animal in years so I had about half an imitation crab stick, 1.5tsp honey mustard dressing, and 1/4 cup Brussels sprouts tossed in Parmesan and olive oil. Included is a rough estimate of the calories. After dinner I’m still about 500 calories short for today 😩 so who knows what I’ll have for a late night snack.