Well ****  I so don't want to be driving behind you when your driving out of a drivethru, throwing effing half sandwiches back at my windshield. Damn!

Actually, this made me feel kinda healthy.  If i eat out it's gotta be a white linen tablecloth or it's just not worth it. Having said that fast food was never a siren call for me.  I've had one Big Mac in my life.  I've had 3 or four in n outs though, it was mostly the fries there that beckoned me.

Ugh...this exactly.  It drives me up the wall.

It may not be known for food or sweets, in that it does not have it's own cuisine but I'm here to tell you, I've been all over the world and had some of the best food there.  Butter is big, cheese is big, seafood is big, really good meat and produce that taste amazing.  I don't know how you stretch your budget for food, but there are several Michelin rated restaurants there, lots of sauces.  Bread may be an acquired taste as soda and Brown unleavened is big.  but every morning Irish brown bread with butter and smoked salmon was breakfast. Desserts I'll just let you sort of for yourself but pretty spectacular.  I'm not big on sugar but i was tempted a few times. By the way they are big breakfast eaters, and i love a good full Monty (heavy heavy meat eaters and a full Irish breakfast is served as part of the price of a hotel night stay) which is why this was the meal i most needed to avoid but in reality a bite of everything on the plate is probably about all you could eat (fully aware I'm making assumptions about your capacity but it was true for me)

If i had advice it would be because our capacity is so small and i was there last year for 5 months, i saved my calories for the evening meal.  In Ireland much like the drinking, it's not eating or drinking it's a real social occasion.  The other problem you may run into is that an evening meal if you meet people can take place over a number of hours and of course this is a problem for us. We may not be able to get a lot in at once but over a long stretch with drinking, it changes the lay of the land.  Be on the lookout for this.

I had breakfast as above, a really light lunch couple shrimp maybe, although i searched could not find a Greek yogurt with low enough sugar, so i had brought quest bars and then in the evening i had what i wanted mostly but it was always an appetizer and wine and alcohol.  I didn't gain, but i didn't lose.  If i ate something off plan early in the day then i changed my strategy for the evening,  I had great food but i was there a long time and so had to figure out a way to weather it.

I didn't do potatoes but only because they are almost never with an appetizer and also i just did't have the capacity.  I was about 9 months out when i went there, so probably at the same point you'll be.  I've never been a beer drinker so that was fine.

I did split an odd fish and chips with 3 people because i could eat so little but it's so above and beyond any fish and chip you've ever had in America that it may be worth it to you, it was to me.

But for a vacation of a lifetime and just a week, I'd say basics before and basics after.  The big thing i find about vacations is that you have to stop them when they stop and not get caught up in the tomorrow syndrome.

Enjoy

Stay off the scale for at least 2 days I always pick up several lbs for a couple of days.

Hey, my slow as molasses sister in the struggle.  Love you. Couldn't do it without you.

Well I clearly do not have access to the porn section of the before and afters because nary a nipple or a vagina have i seen.  And let me just say for all those arbiters of good taste...no one thinks they look bad when they step outside and are you really sure you look as good or as you think? You being the universal you.

The world is full of people who look at others and point out their flaws.  Isn't it possible they too have them but just can't see them. Because the amount of tongue biting I've done in my life while listening to someone talk about someone else's attire, while not quite appearing to my eyes as if they belong on the cover of Vogue is substantial.

Yeah there's lots of mean girls in the world with faulty eyesight, taste and decorum.  So wouldn't we all be better off just taking care of our own vajayjay's? Instead of slamming people on something they clearly have a great deal of pride in I.E., dropping hundreds of pound and photographing it for their community.

Hey Jenn,

That chicken sounds delicious.  could you post the recipe when you have a sec.

Thanks.

What's the difference?  I can't speak for the poster and maybe it was the baked potato i had pre-surgery, or maybe it was the 16oz steak i had with that.  I've never eaten processed food and the only white thing in my diet was potato and cauliflower and i still gained.  And as for what is a healthy amount? Well amounts are what we trade in with tiny stomachs, so less than protein. But what is the fear of healthy carbs.  Outside of Atkins Induction, i don't see a lot of healthy eating with a fear of plant life.

Now i eat carbs (not processed) and they are not sliders for me.  15 years ago i lost 100lbs and kept it off for 12 years, i ate what is called a balanced diet, with starches and grains.  I never had a problem, my weight loss with low carb has been slow and frustrating and i do believe my body liked my pre wls habits, however once on a path, one gets scared to switch, especially with slow weight loss.  Sure i gained the weight after 12 years (not all of it) but i still had 11 years more under my belt than i have now and certainly in terms of sleevers, I'm pretty sure i beat there time in too, so I'll have to reserve judgment.

I do feel if i hadn't started off with 600-800 carbs and 30-40 carb i would have had steps down to take and these last pounds would have been gone long ago. As i see it now after 18 months at these low numbers, this is it.  this is what maintenance will look like, so yes i feel like i wrecked my metabolism, since a glass of wine or a latte is an increase of a lb.  the 3500 cal = one pound just does not apply when your body is used to such deficit over a long period of time. So yeah i wish i had of taken another path.

Bottom line is there is no one diet that suits everyone.  We used to have quite a few people on here who got to goal not counting carbs.  The idea that there is just one path is what gets to folks.

The poster said she loved carbs, not tortilla chips. i fail to see how for some reading it it was the same thing.

I've seen a couple of your posts but i must have missed something.  Why are you eating less than 500 cals? Is is that you are new and can't get any more in? If so, that is you are a new VSGer why do you need an accountability post? I guess I'm not sure if you are trying to meet your nutritional goals and cannot or are purposely eating so little?

Well what is the surgery that does, because that's the one i want.

what she said, exactly. I am not a resentful person but i would not appreciate being in competition if i felt it were not a level playing field.  think Lance Armstrong. It simply would not be worth the feelings it would agitate with your co-workers.

Yep,

Today was day 1.  It was as expected.  I'm fine all day but night after 8pm is hard but I'm totally wrecked because i had a big night last night so I'll probably knock off early as true gift.  I really only have a problem the first 2 days.

Damn but you're chipper MS. Shell.

Well since I'm still struggling somewhat with post Holiday cravings (maybe it's not cravings, just permissiveness, I tend tend to find it hard to get back on track when i break the habit.  So need to get in the normal habit._) I'm doing the 5DPT. 

I know there are those on this thread who feel it's a waste of time but it ha always worked wonderfully for me.  What i need is less the craving killing, although i can use that but it always resets my hunger and i find myself eating a little more than usual this past week. So that's my goal.  Plus strength training 4 days this week.