Thumper79

@@CheleLynn45 1st Sleeve buddy! Haven't seen anyone else on 10/27 yet. Looks like you are rockin' the sleeve! Great job!
@@Thumper79 Have you tried just drinking milk? A few cups of lowfat or skim milk has quite a bit of Protein as well. That might be a way to get it in without having to use the shakes you don't like. My NUT also said that skim milk with some added powdered milk can really boost the Protein per cup...I haven't tried that yet myself, though.
I've actually started drinking lowfat buttermilk (something I remember liking as a kid, but never had as an adult because it just didn't sound all that "healthy" :-)) I know now that each cup has about 9 g of protein, 2 g of fat and the same carbs as regular 1% milk. A cup 1st thing in the morning, a few throughout the day, and it really helps me avoid the Protein drinks.

Protein is good for your kids, too. Plan your shopping and your meals a week ahead of time. If grocery money is an issue, look for what is on sale and plan your meals around that. Have one day a week for batch cooking, like Rachel Ray does with her "week in a day" process.
For example get a couple of whole chickens (You can buy the roasted ones from the deli because they are already cooked.) One chicken you can use right away for dinner that night. Steam some frozen veggies and throw some melted cheese on it. Dessert? Maybe apple slices and Peanut Butter. Sometimes I thaw out some frozen berries and mix it with vanilla Greek yogurt,
Take your other chicken and tear it apart and make a casserole with it or a family pot pie. When it is time to eat, just don't eat the crust. Take the carcasses and loose bits and make a big pot of Soup.
Take a dozen eggs and make a big pan of scrambled eggs and throw in some ham and cheese and whatever veggies you like. In this house itis mushrooms, peppers, avocado, and Tomato. Or you can mix your scrambled eggs with salsa and cheese and make a dozen Breakfast burritos. When you eat yours, just don't eat all of the tortilla. or you can use store-bought pie crust and make a beakfast quiche just don't eat the crust.
If you take a large beef roast, you can have roast beef one night (with your veggies), save some back to make stew or Soup in the crockpot, or take some shredded and re-cook it in some beef boullion and Italian seasoning. Put that on Buns, maybe with some melted provolone, and you have an Italian beef sandwich - just you don't eat the bun.
If you get creative in the kitchen, you can get a lot accomplished in one day, and the rest of the week is just heat and serve. If your boys are old enough to help, they should be helping and learning how to cook and clean a kitchen. You can get them involved in the process by having a little sit down meeting once a week to discuss the plan ahead based on how to adjust their favorites into something healthy the whole family can eat. Maybe let them help with the shopping and pick out one crap item apiece
They can have spaghetti and meatballs, just you don't eat the Pasta. Meatballs with sauce and parmesan hits the spot and I don't miss the spaghetti at all. Yes, you can have pizza. You just won't want as much as you used to eat. Thrown some veggies on your slice, maybe even extra meat and cheese, and then - don't eat all of the crust. I may have two bites, and then scrape the rest off and eat it that way.
I have made fake-out buckeye candies by blending chocolate Protein powder with Peanut Butter, roll it into balls (about the size of a chocolate covered cherry) and dipping them in melted dark chocolate. Shoot, you can even dip strawberries in melted dark chocolate.
You could make a huge pot of chili and it will last all week. Taco salad is good and skips the chips. You could make a dozen hamburgers with cheese ahead of time. Kids like hamburgers. So, find something they like and cook it all in one afternoon. Get creative.
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Well, you are all just awesome. I have been on countless "diet" websites before and they are just awful (MFP is the worst). So many clique's and people who act like they're better than you. I have never before experienced an online environment that is so welcoming. Even when people disagree, they usually don't get catty or ugly. I think that speaks volumes to the nature of people on here. So, "thanks" to all of you. It gives me a warm fuzzy as I look forward to surgery knowing that you'll all be there for me, just like you are for everyone else.

I waited the extra day and it was totally worth it!

I waited the extra day and it was totally worth it!