What's on your menu today, RNYers?

Good morning and HELP! Despite saying yesterday that I was going to wait until my official surgiversary to raise my calories, I decided to go for it today. I'm going to be moving to 1,100 calories a day to see if I can see some more weight come off. I've read posts and know some people who found at certain points when they upped their calories, the scale started moving.

But the HELP I need is in regards to carbs. I know as my calories go up, my carbs might go up a little, but my NUT's recommendation and what I am personally comfortable with is under 100 a day. Yesterday when I sat down to plan my menu for today, it was VERY difficult for me to come up with 1100 calories and stay under 100 carbs. Much of that is simply due to what I have in the house right now and the fact that I have a meeting that will be right over my normal dinner time so I'll be eating a Quest bar. Anyone have any thoughts on staying lower carb? Should I give up my beloved morning Greek Yogurt for something lower carb? What are some snacks you enjoy? When did you try celery (I was looking at low carb snack ideas online last night and celery with peanut butter or cream cheese sounds good to me, but I know it's one of those things a lot of people have trouble with)? 

Time since surgery: almost at the 7 month mark!

B: L&F Greek yogurt with sliced almonds and chia seeds (for just 2 tablespoons of Fiber One there were 7 carbs, which I wasn't thinking about so much before...)

S: Fiber Gourmet Thinables and peanut butter (CARB ATTACK, but again, I'm working with what was in the house today)

L: Deli ham, cottage cheese, fruit cup

S: almonds and a Babybel

D: Quest bar - I'm trying the Apple Pie flavor

S: Smartfood Delight popcorn and Strawberry Dippers

TOTALS: Calories 1070, Protein 83, Carbs 100, Fat 14

V/W: started

E: my rest day

I officially DID complete my 50-gym challenge yesterday and my new bag is on its way, should arrive on Monday - yippee!

Good Morning!  This may not be a popular opinion, but I really don't sweat the carbs.  I figure if I'm not eating processed junk and the carbs are coming from real, fiber rich foods, I am not doing myself any disservice.  My doctor and nut never really gave me any kind of numbers to shoot for (calorie, protein or carb-wise) so I find myself creating my own plan from several different sources, including you guys.  I try to eat protein forward, I include fresh fruits and veg in my menus, I cook from scratch using real ingredients as much as I can, I drink my water like a good girl and take my vitamins.  I don't have a problem modifying my plan even further if I need to, but right now it's working for me.  As far as snacks go, I do tend to err on the side of protein:  string cheese, turkey pepperoni, deli rollups, edamame, jerky...you get the idea.  And celery with PB sounds really good; that was my afterschool snack when I was a kid.  But you have to put raisins on it.  LOL

B:  coffee and L&F Greek in chocolate raspberry

L:  Pure Protein Chocolate Caramel Nut bar and an apple

D:  Skinnytaste recipe baked chicken nuggets and zucchini tots

S:  Dole banana dippers

TOTALS:  Cals:  758  Protein:  54  Carbs:  84  Fat:  22

Here's to a great day!

Morning!  I have been MIA and on vacation.  I actually lost two lbs on vacation!  Woohoo!  And tomorrow we are off to another weekend getaway...a house with 15 other couples, this may be challenging, but I am bringing my own food, as well as protein shakes/bars/kays chips for snacks.

Anny I am no expert, but I always struggle to fit the quest bars in because they are so high in carb.  I really only eat them if I am low on carbs for the day.  I have never heard of the apple pie flavbor though, I need to buy a variety pack!

My stomach is way off today, and doesn't want to tolerate anything.  We'll see if I can get anything down this morning, I'm about to go to the "secret" bathroom in the building :(

I don't worry about carbs either Anny and didn't when I was losing. However I didn't add crackers(whole wheat****il I was in maintenance. I still stay away from pasta,rice,bread and potatoes even now. My snacks tend to have at least some protein. Lily and I walked three miles at the park this morning and I will do another mile on the treadmill and 20 minutes on the bike. Here's my eats for the day: B 1/2 c steel cut oats with nuts and half a banana with peanut butter L 1/2 c chicken salad and 1/2 c applesauce S apple with peanut butter D 31/2 oz shrimp with garlic butter and 1/2 c green beans D Greek yogurt with nuts.  Hope everyone has a good day!

Hi everyone!  Today is my 10 month surgiversary and I am 12.2 lbs from goal.  Crazy.  This past month was my lowest loss yet, but thanks to great loss in the last week I was down a total of 11.2 lbs in month 10.  I will take it.  Though my goal of 160 lbs was an arbitrary number I chose, and given how big my stomach still seems to be, I may reach it and keep going.  I am up to 1,200 calories a day now because I do NOT want to maintain at 1,100 calories per day.  I would rather maintain at 1,400 or 1,500 if possible!  

Anny, funny that today's topic is carbs because yesterday was my highest carb day since surgery - just over 100 g.  I am not sweating it but I am making sure to cut out the crisps and popcorn today that added to that!

Time Since Surgery: 10 months today!

B: Chike and a coffee with french vanilla creamer.  I really can't buy this again.  It's too good and adds 70 useless calories to my day.

S: Banana creme light and fit greek yogurt with almonds and chia seeds

L: Trader Joe's wine country chicken salad with cranberries and almonds, on some Fiber Gourmet thinable crackers.

S2: Kay's Naturals honey mustard jalapeño sticks

D: Lemon crockpot chicken and roasted cauliflower

E: I did an hour on the Arc Trainer this morning - I was sweating like a BEAST!  It says I burned 700 calories so I will take it :)

Totals are around 1,000 calories, 95 g protein, 85 g carbs.  Hmmm.  May have to revisit the menu.

My copycat gym bag hasn't shipped but I am super excited for it!!!  Also exciting, I ordered BOOTS.  Like, knee-high boots.  I got the Johanna Wideshaft boots from Naturalizer and found a 30% coupon online so for $199 boots, it took $60 off!!!  I don't have the free shipping that Zappos offers but I am SO excited.  

Congrats on you weight loss!

Good Morning Everyone!

Anny, I agree with AngryViking and the others, I think if your food is coming from non-processed whole food sources don't sweat the carbs.  I find that the carbs really kill me when I'm eating processed carbs.  In fact at times I up my carbs with something like a sweet potato and I notice I'll lose a little.  I think our bodies like whole food sources, not sugary processed crap.  That being said, I also play the numbers game and will drop my carbs to below 50 when I feel like I'm in a stall and that seems to really work as well :)  Who knows...the human body is a mysterious thing!

Time since surgery: 8.75 months

B - string cheese

L - ANOTHER work lunch (this is killing me!)  I'm hoping for waba grill b/c you can sub out rice for veggies with protein and my body seems to like it when I eat there

D - OMG, Em, I discovered your cruciferous crunch last night (I never knew what that was and it was a new item at my TJ's last night).  So good!  So my take on it is: cruciferous crunch, just chicken, tbsp of peanuts, and the spicy peanut dressing from TJ's.  It was my dinner last night and it was so filling and so good.

W/V - On track

E - I'm going to try and get spinning in at home.  I host book club tomorrow and I have 25 ppl coming over (AGGH!), and I can't get off work early so I need to do all the prep tonight, we'll see if I can work it in.  I hope so!

Have a great day everyone!

Yay, Shannon!  I am so glad you like the cruciferous crunch!  I always top it with grilled chicken, goat cheese, dried cranberries, sliced almonds and the TJ's light champagne vinaigrette.  Your salad sounds awesome too!!!  I can only eat a little because those greens are filling.  But for me, it's awesome and more exciting than lettuce.  Plus kale has lots of health properties :)

Good luck with the work lunch.  I used to have multiple work "events" and meals per week and it was a calorie killer!

In Chicago with my son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. They are very considerate, and exercise will not be a problem. I went to the Y with my son yesterday, going to walk around Chicago today, zumba with my daughter-in-law tonight if we make it, and Saturday morning and the Y again with my son on Friday. Maybe this will get me onto a good schedule when I get home. :)

As far as carbs go, there is the whole total carbs vs net carbs which is something to consider. In Quest Bars they have a large amount of fiber which we don't digest. Also when I was on my initial pre-op diet (not the liquid) they told be 100g protein a day and not more than 100g carbs not including vegetables. So that maybe a good way to count also as the vegetables are your good/high fiber/unprocessed carbs. Just some food for thought. (haha-pun not intended)

B- poached egg, WW toast, 1/2c coffee

S- Fit Frappe Coffee

L- Persian Restaurant - in Chicago, my son felt it would have good choices for me

S- Coffee or tea- A coffee shop my son wants to try

D- lentil tacos - lentils and toppings, maybe 1 corn tortilla if they are not too many carbs and calories.

S- Found some Kays Naturals at the local Walgreens- so if I need it, A cinnamon toast pretzel

This is the first week I am not weighing myself. My son doesn't even own a scale. Imagine :) I go to the surgeon's for my 3 month follow-up the day after I get back, so it will be interesting to see what happens. 

How awesome that you are being so active and eating so well on vacation visiting your son!  Amazing how our lives change - I bet a year ago when you visited you weren't going to the Y and doing Zumba.  I am so happy for you and it's really great to read :)