MamaMc3 Member

I switched to Nut Pods, which is a non-dairy creamer. I will admit that I'd rather have a sugary creamer, but I use a significant amount of it and it takes too many of my calories! This one tastes good enough to me. :)

How much strength training do you need to do to make a difference over time? My goal is health - not strength, not thinness, just health. Should I be aiming for a certain number of minutes of strength training each week?

8 lbs is awesome!! I also have a sweet tooth, and I build it into my diet because I am happier when I treat myself! That being said, I know from experience that eating sugar increases your cravings for sugar. You can definitely force yourself to give it up, and the cravings will eventually stop. It's a choice - are you ok…

No reason to restrict carbs unless you have a medical reason or feel better eating fewer carbs. If anything, I'd suggest focusing on protein and letting your fat and carbs fall where they may. If you aren't feeling good or are hungry, adjust fats and carbs.

Have you tried something to replenish electrolytes like Gatorade or Powerade? That's where I would start.

That's probably it. Are you drinking plenty of water and watching sodium? Dehydration or too much salt could be causing you to hang onto fluids, too.

I have arthritis in my neck and back, bursitis in one leg, and sciatica in the other. Doc told me to stay off the treadmill, so I have been doing more cycling. I need to start doing some stretches to get the sciatica under control, though. I have a lot of pain when I am on my feet for long.

I had gastric sleeve surgery two years ago. It is a bit different because they make the stomach smaller, but they don't reroute anything. You still absorb what you eat fairly normally. I have lost 100 lbs, and I am working to lose 40 more. My surgery went well, and I had no complications. It is absolutely NOT a shortcut to…

Cheese, beef sticks or jerky, tuna packets, deli meat, pickles, boiled eggs, Premier protein shakes (chocolate is the best, drink cold), Whisps

I was going to tell you it's likely water weight due to muscle repair from your new workout, but I see you found that on your own. :) If it makes you feel better, anytime my muscles hurt from a new exercise, my scale stops moving for awhile. It eventually drops again when my body gets used to the exercise.

Pickles!

If you ask for opinions, please don't get mad when you get them. Also, if you post a confession (ex. I just ate an entire cake) don't be surprised if you get some negative feedback. It's a public forum, and you're going to get a little bit of everything.

I keep getting attacked by Girl Scout cookies, so I completely understand. :)

I had bariatric surgery, and I know they have you go on a low carb diet to reduce fat around your liver before surgery. I'm not sure if that's helpful long-term, but it might be worth researching.

Look up the DASH diet. It's a pretty solid plan for people with heart issues. If you cut most processed foods out of your diet, you will be able to manage your sodium intake much more easily. Try to plan your meals around lean protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Use salt-free seasoning (there are some awesome ones…

I can think of two things that might help. First, budget calories for that time of day, and make sure you have a planned snack. Second, make yourself busy at that time of day, so you won't be thinking of food. Make that your exercise time, take a walk, play a game . . . whatever gets your mind off of food!

At our house, we have the kids try everything we serve. If they don't like it, they can choose not to eat. They don't get to pick something different to eat, and they don't get a snack later in the evening unless they ate dinner. If I let my children choose an alternative, I have one kid that would literally eat string…

Baby carrots!

I have not given up chocolate, but I did give up my beloved Pepsi (all soda actually) last fall. I still miss it, but it's a trigger food for me. When I have one, I want one more . . . and then I want chips, sweets, etc. to go with it. You can definitely give up chocolate if you want to badly enough, but it will be a…

Mini Babybel Light - one of my faves! I also like pickles, a few crackers with Laughing Cow cheese, clementines, mandarins, baby carrots . . . now I am hungry!

My family likes high caloric foods, but ultimately, if you are doing the meal planning, shopping, and cooking, you get to decide what they are eating! :) You could still do some of their favorites, but incorporate some lighter dishes, too. Healthier food can taste just as good as high calorie food. At my house, I am the…

I love creamer in my coffee, but I figured out that I was using about 100 calories worth of creamer every day! I replaced it with 1/3 of a Premier protein shake. It's about 53 calories and gives me 10 grams of protein. I figure that way I'm at least getting some protein for the calories I'm consuming! :) I had bariatric…

Breakfast - Special K Protein Bar, BIG decaf coffee with 1/3 of a protein shake as my creamer Lunch - leftover Cheeseburger Macaroni that my son made :), Mandarin Dinner - Hamburger soup, salad, maybe a piece of french bread Snacks - 2 mini Babybels . . . I have 100 - 150 calories left over for something tonight, too.…

Hamburger soup, salad, french bread . . . yum!!

I've lost about 90 lbs, and I'd like to lose about 65 more. I am losing it proportionately, too. I've always been an apple shape, and I'm definitely still the same general body shape. I don't expect to ever have a "small" waist, but hopefully working out and losing the rest of my weight will help improve my waist/hip ratio.

You definitely don't want to cut out protein. Eating adequate amounts of protein helps you maintain muscle mass when losing weight. Eggs, Greek yogurt (love Dannon Light & Fit Greek), Premier Protein shakes, Tuna Creations packets, chicken, turkey, shrimp, fish, low fat cheese . . . some of my favorite proteins!

Add me up! I started at 320 and am 233-ish now . . . headed to 165. I am from Nebraska. :)

I have Fitbit synced with MFP, and occasionally Fitbit will pick up the wrong values. It's usually close, but the other day it was off by like 600. Just a heads up if you are syncing! :)

I had gastric sleeve on 9/21/17. Feel free to add me as a friend and message me with any questions. I am down a total of almost 90 lbs (30 before surgery, 60 so far afterwards). I am thankful I had it done. The important thing to remember is that you still have to do the work - you still restrict your portions, count…

I agree with building the evening snack into your plan for the day. Sometimes I just want to munch on something at night, so I budget about 100 calories for a snack. Sometimes even something like a sugar free popsicle is enough to get me past that craving. :)