NMJG

Good for you getting back on track. We all drop the ball now and then, it's human. Personally, when I do stuff like that, I throw everything in the trash afterwards so I don't keep binging (as I am likely to keep eating it until it is gone).

Isn't it amazing how you can eat only a few ounces of chicken but dozens of chocolate eggs, jelly Beans, and Peeps? ;p

Lots of people don't need plastics. I really wouldn't let that stop you.

I'm cruising for a week the end of May. Really excited. It's my first cruise. I plan to eat moderately and will stick to Protein first. Jamaican jerk, anyone? Will also make use of the beautiful gym on board and do walking tours in port.

Older women definitely lose slower, especially after menopause. I lost around 2 lbs a week at my fastest rate the first 6 months. It's been slowing down the closer I get to goal. Now I see only a couple of pounds a month loss. I'm 53.

I missed beer, too. Used to love craft beers. This weekend I decided to let a beer go flat and then try it. To my surprise I found I didn't like it at all. Tossed the bottle after one sip. Guess I won't miss beer anymore after all.

Not such a bad thing in the end, as good craft beer is loaded with carbs.

A great way to "tighten" your sleeve is kickstart yourself with three days of just Protein shakes. It's hard, but it is just three days and you will be amazed at your restriction afterwards. I keep my sleeve tight with Protein shake days at least once a week and I continue to have excellent restriction at 8 months.

Good luck!

Nice post, Ely.

When I started I was an apple. Now I'm a banana.

You'll find a lot of variance on this. Doctors and nuts all have very different plans.

My doctor had us all on around 800 calories a day, 75-80 g Protein, 27 g fat, and no more than 60 g carbs. I followed that for 4-5 months and did well.

Now that I am near goal I eat 35 or more g of fat and fewer carbs. Protein is around 65-70. I am also eating more like 900-1000 calories a day. Fats help with satiety.

I used to not like stevia until I found out that the taste varies tremendously by brand. I currently use Sweet Leaf liquid drops. Much better than Truvia or other big brands. You may find that stevia works for you after all.

Amazing Meal has some good hemp and pea Protein shakes. Also try unjury chicken broth flavor, it is not sweet.

But when I asked her about carbs she did say women need a minimum of 130 grams of carbs a day.

That's really interesting and a little unusual. I am looking forward to watching your progress. So many different plans out there, it's fascinating. Please continue to post.

You'll be fine. Just get back in the saddle. Lots of us had holiday eating outside of our plan. Monday is gonna be a good day

I'll have to look for those, sounds good. The mini turkey meatballs at Trader Joe's are tasty, too. We had them with spaghetti squash and prego light Pasta Sauce (lower carb) with some mozzarella melted on top.

We bought a small quart size slow cooker that is great for smaller quantities. Try some Carne Adovada, specialty of New Mexico!

In your little slow cooker (or in a heavy pot on the stove), put a half pound of pork chunks or stew meat, some chopped onion, a garlic clove, a quarter tsp of ground cumin, a spoonful of Mexican oregano, a quarter cup ground Red chile - available in Latino markets (not chili powder), a bit of salt, and a cup of Water or enough to cover the meat. Simmer in the crockpot for 8 hours. If doing it stove top, simmer on low heat for 3 hours. When done it should be falling apart.

We use medium or hot chile, but you can get mild if you prefer. This will provide around two servings for a sleever. It reheats well.

It is always best to follow your doctors recommendations, however I feel some doctors are telling patients that has had multiple procedures to resume normal activity a little too quickly in my own personal opinion.

I know I had to wait many months. I was instructed by my plastic suregeon to stay off my feet as much as possible. Plastic surgery recovery is slow. The body expends a lot of energy healing, so even if you feel like exercising your body will not have enough energy to do it early on. Your will feel tired a lot.

It took me about 7 months before of could resume exercising the same way I did before my surgery. Don't get me wrong, I was exercising, but I was taking it slow and easy. After having multiple procedures, it is not a good idea to rush recovery by exercising too soon. Exercise will always be there once your body is ready and you have recovered.

Sweet Pee

Sweet Pea, without being able to exercise, how hard was it to not gain weight during recovery? Did you keep calories below a certain level?

I think I'll just sit here with my cup of tea and watch the fireworks. Been a while since we've had such a good stirring of the pot

Some folks on here have done it. It's not recommended. IMHO you should try and avoid it. Best of luck to you.

@@Sweet Pee you look awesome!

@@Bandista try Barlean's fish oil in lemon flavor. You drink it and it tastes good.

Great topic. When I first started after surgery I went "diet" and low fat everything. Now I don't do low fat anything. I discovered that when they take the fat out they increase the carbs.

I do go for sugar free and low carb, however. Low carb is my new lifestyle. I do eat carbs on occasion, but i would rather spend my carbs on something real that I really want. I prefer stevia, as it is a natural sweetener, but will have splenda on occasion if it is in something sugar free.< /p>

I plan to use Dr. Sauceda in Monterrey. Others on this site have used him with excellent results. Check out Cowgirl Jane.

When considering Mexico for PS, remember that there, they keep you close by for up to a week or longer after PS surgery and the doctor visits you daily. In the US, you go home the next day.

Bariatric surgery and plastics are very different from each other in how they are handled in Mexico.

Of course, there is always a chance of complications, regardless of where you go.

@blackie220@blackie220

Complete your profile . Then we will know more about you.

Xylitol can cause diarrhea. Stevia may be a better choice if it is available.

@LipstickLady I am allowed to eat meat.... I just cannot eat it without discomfort..... I can eat chicken salad but can't find a sugar free mayo.... I have used non fat yoghurt instead of mayo but it's not the same.... I'm not so crazy about it..... I probably need to get a food processor to grind up my meat into very small pieces or even shredded...... I'll keep trying....

I agree with Lipstick, real mayo is fine. I don't worry about sugar free. I eat such a small amount of it I don't even bother with low fat. Makes your chicken or tuna salad much more enjoyable.

I agree with watching the carbs. I lost most of my weight on max of 60 carbs a day, and those carbs were from dairy and Beans mostly. 60 is pretty high for low carb. 20-30 g carbs is best for weight loss. Fats are fine with a low carb diet, I don't worry about them at this stage, although I did limit fats early on.