PollyEster

salad for Breakfast 😍

Your continued restriction is insane! You hit the jackpot 😍

Trader Joe's brand turkey burger (each burger: 180 cals 22g protein) on Ole's Extreme Wellness tortilla w/ avocado, spring mix, onions & ketchup

I have been totally MIA as of late!
So much delicious looking food, but @Sophie7713 you're really bringing it! Quarantine has brought out the best in your cooking and food styling. I want to eat it all up 😍

That's the fake salmon I talked about. Whipped up a honey mustard sauce and made a sandwich kind of thing.

Garden Gourmet Falafel with self-made tzatziki.

Comfort food after 24 h shift.

Welcome! 😁

Welcome Cat7! Peaches rule, right!? And, they have been sooooo good this year shipped from California and Georgia. Very nice presentation, by the way. Looks delish! ;]

I eat Greek yogurt with strawberries a lot this time of year, too! In fact, that's probably my most frequent breakfast this time of year...

my first time posting on this particular thread - it came highly recommended!
this is my Breakfast - a grilled peach topped with vanilla Greek yogurt and sprinkled with cinnamon (a food photographer I am not, obviously!). I love this dish in the summer during peach season, but I usually have it for dessert or a snack. But I woke up this morning wanting it for breakfast. So...here it is!

Stuffed portabella mushroom. I cut it in half and ate the whole thing !! YUMMY

Oh, don't be fooled! 🤣
It doesn't taste anything like Lebkuchen/Spekulatius at all. It's too heavy on the aniseed for that - some people reviewing it compare it more to "Pfeffernüsse" and I agree. I personally think it's absolutely undrinkable on it's own but it adds a really nice flavor to a chocolate Protein Shake when used sparingly. I'm thinking of trying the pumpkin Spice one next time.
I already had this idea a while ago. Unfortunately only the same limited selection of products one can get in Germany. Oh, well...

Man, these pics belong in a magazine!

Enchiladas ! Made with carb counter tortillas
(Don't judge my choice of cheese 😂)
Boyfriends plate vs mine

Money pockets were filled with spiced mini-cubed sweet potato, peas and corn. I usually eat one (just the filling) and hubby eats the other three intact. And, my empty pocket! Haha. I freeze the candied pecans and they last months. Walnuts, too. Love nuts on my salads. Had an acorn squash I needed to bake before spoiling. It will go good with Thai leftovers tonight.

Tomato Soup. Later on spelt cooked in the microwave with almond milk, vanilla Protein Powder, cocoa powder, dark almond butter and a bit of sea salt. banana on top and a little bit of chocolate sauce for decoration purposes.

Definitely continue to share! We do appreciate and value your craft + art immensely. Your food content and styling is exquisite, PE. Continuing to style + photographing is a worthy and great goal in this pandemic. As is your commitment to eat clean, healthy and lean. I'm a creative professional, too. An interior designer trying to remain relevant, positive and creative by doing the same around the house + garden. Illustrating, baking/cooking (hubbies strawberry rhubarb 4th of July pie a few years back - we don't eat this way now...) and staging simple vignettes. I get it! LOL. All the personal and career cancellations and postponements are daunting and a lot to process. Just on a perpetual "ON HOLD" button. LOL. No longer able to plan ahead with confidence. Along with striving to maintain and commit to our new WLS lifestyles. And, many of us were so excited to come out of the closet with fun, new, down sized fabulous fashions after recently arriving at our goals. PollyEster, your posts are timely and inspiring! I feel honored. Thank you.

After bariatric surgery 👍👍👍👍:
Before bariatric surgery 😂😂😂😂:

Yesterday was Canada Day. There were no public celebrations because of the pandemic, but we spent most of the day with friends who are part of our small social bubble. I brought a picnic-style lunch for everyone: vegan banh mi with oil-free cannellini bean miso mayo in coconut wraps, green salad with oil-free blueberry vinaigrette, and various flavours of smoothies. We ate grilled peaches with orange blossom Water, pistachios, and tofu ricotta for dessert.
Most of my friends are foodies, and a few are chefs. A vegan chef made dinner, so it was fairly spectacular: kale Caesar salad with roasted chickpea croutons, smashed roasted potatoes with garlic avocado aioli (I skipped this), and black bean, mushroom and walnut burgers with caramelized onions and roasted Tomato chutney (sugarless) on raw dehydrated onion and mixed seed (pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seed, psyllium husk) zero carb Buns. Dinner was lovely, but I enjoyed not having to make it even more. We ended the day with homemade raw vegan coconut ice cream bars (sans caramel; I only had one bite). Whew!
Even though I still can't -- and don't want to -- eat much, participating in a food-focused social gathering was exhausting. This formerly well-worn neural superhighway of mine has been "road closed / detour" since surgery, and will remain that way save for one or two days per year, at most.

Thank you both so much, I really appreciate the compliment! Confession: I do sell photos (just not for a living) and also had a food blog for many years, so have taken a food pic or two before 😉. I haven't updated it for a number of years now, but let's just say that I never used tricks such as hairspray or glue to enhance anything: I cooked the food, styled it naturally, then ate it afterwards... now here I am on a bariatric forum, so we'll leave it at that 😂😂😂😂. I kept a few of the food styling props like dishes and bowls, and have a good camera, lenses, lights, reflectors, etc.
Since I haven't been able to do photography outside of my home during the pandemic, I set a goal of taking a photo a day during this time just to keep up -- and hopefully improve -- my skills. Sometimes it's food, but usually it's not 😊.

The amount, and speed, of weight loss in the first six months after bariatric surgery is mainly determined by genes, so one person's results are in no way predictive of anyone else's. There are gender-specific differences in weight loss that you'll also likely benefit from.
Genetic expression, however, is dependent upon environment, so we can all help our DNA along after surgery -- and for the rest of our lives -- by following key evidence-based bariatric rules such as no liquids 30 mins before or after meals, staying hydrated, practicing Portion Control, mindful eating, Protein first veggies second, chewing food extremely well before swallowing, not slipping back into old eating behaviours and food habits, reading labels if you eat packaged foodstuffs, getting in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity per week, getting enough sleep, and taking all of the required Vitamin and mineral supplements.
Wishing you well with your surgery!

This excellent annual conference is available for free online for everyone this year because of the pandemic. Great opportunity to learn from experts in obesity and bariatric surgery, thanks to the Obesity Action Coalition. Online registration details are here.


Event Details
The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is excited to announce that our 2020 Your Weight Matters Convention & EXPO has been transformed to YWM2020 – VIRTUAL! Once again, YWM will be bringing together the most sought-after health and weight industry experts to present science-based information in an easy-to-understand format, designed to help attendees navigate the complex topic of weight management…. all easily at your fingertips in a VIRTUAL PLATFORM!
YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is offered as a FREE virtual event series that is crafted with a one-of-a-kind program designed to help individuals seeking answers about their weight and health. This year’s virtual program will allow you to dive into the science behind weight, while learning key strategies and gaining access to valuable tools. If you’ve simply wanted the answers as to why weight can be such a struggle, then YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is an event you won’t want to miss!

Events Program Agenda and Schedule
Click here to view the full schedule.

Event Dates
Event 1: Saturday, July 11
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 2: Saturday, July 18
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 3: Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 1:00 pm PST

This excellent annual conference is available for free online for everyone this year because of the pandemic. Great opportunity to learn from experts in obesity and bariatric surgery, thanks to the Obesity Action Coalition. Online registration details are here.


Event Details
The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is excited to announce that our 2020 Your Weight Matters Convention & EXPO has been transformed to YWM2020 – VIRTUAL! Once again, YWM will be bringing together the most sought-after health and weight industry experts to present science-based information in an easy-to-understand format, designed to help attendees navigate the complex topic of weight management…. all easily at your fingertips in a VIRTUAL PLATFORM!
YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is offered as a FREE virtual event series that is crafted with a one-of-a-kind program designed to help individuals seeking answers about their weight and health. This year’s virtual program will allow you to dive into the science behind weight, while learning key strategies and gaining access to valuable tools. If you’ve simply wanted the answers as to why weight can be such a struggle, then YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is an event you won’t want to miss!

Events Program Agenda and Schedule
Click here to view the full schedule.

Event Dates
Event 1: Saturday, July 11
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 2: Saturday, July 18
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 3: Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 1:00 pm PST

This excellent annual conference is available for free online for everyone this year because of the pandemic. Great opportunity to learn from experts in obesity and bariatric surgery, thanks to the Obesity Action Coalition. Online registration details are here.


Event Details
The Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) is excited to announce that our 2020 Your Weight Matters Convention & EXPO has been transformed to YWM2020 – VIRTUAL! Once again, YWM will be bringing together the most sought-after health and weight industry experts to present science-based information in an easy-to-understand format, designed to help attendees navigate the complex topic of weight management…. all easily at your fingertips in a VIRTUAL PLATFORM!
YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is offered as a FREE virtual event series that is crafted with a one-of-a-kind program designed to help individuals seeking answers about their weight and health. This year’s virtual program will allow you to dive into the science behind weight, while learning key strategies and gaining access to valuable tools. If you’ve simply wanted the answers as to why weight can be such a struggle, then YWM2020 – VIRTUAL is an event you won’t want to miss!

Events Program Agenda and Schedule
Click here to view the full schedule.

Event Dates
Event 1: Saturday, July 11
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 2: Saturday, July 18
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 12:00 pm PST

Event 3: Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST/10:00 am – 1:00 pm PST