What's on Your (photo) Friday Menu, RNYers?

You are all really awesome! 

For the weekend, we are going to a concert, then driving to Mesa Verde National Park for a few days.  It will be a lot of driving, but I hope it will be worth it!

Me:    I grew up in Utah and always thought I would settle somewhere else, but in college I majored in English and Math, and after college I got a good job in the computer industry here, where I met my husband.   I worked as a technical writer and editor, and then was a senior manager of publishing for this computer company for many years.  Eventually I left that and got a masters degree in creative writing.  I have been married for 25 years.  We have 4 children ranging from 12 to 22.  My husband still works in the local tech industry, which is going through another boom right now.  I am a stay at home mom.  I am trying to return to more creative writing again.  I used to run and bike a lot until I got a chronic Achilles injury.  This has been very hard for me, as I love being outside.  I like to kayak and I have two kayaks and like to invite friends.  I like to make handmade books but it has been a long time.  I like to travel and did a lot before having my kids!  My house is currently a mess!  We have a room we call the "room of requirement," and this fall I hope to go through it all and also start remodeling our main floor.  We love our house, but it is 22 years old and needs some updating and repair.  We have lived in this house all of its life--moved in when pregnant with our first baby--we love our house and our neighbors and our view of the mountains.  We love the variety of outdoor things there are to do here in our beautiful state.

Eating plan for today:

B:  Egg with bacon pieces and garden tomato, and a handful of garden raspberries

L:  Baked fish with garden tomato and homemade spicy sauce

D:  Chicken strips with roasted zuchinni hummus

S1:  Garbanzo bean hummus with garden cucumber

S2:  Cheese.  I got a gourmet/artisanal cheese the other day called "No woman" cheese.  It has a Jamaican jerk seasoning and is really good!

I am up 4 pounds since AMAW.  I cannot attribute this to any binges, but I am watching my intake more closely.  I have had a hysterectomy, but I still have my ovaries and have not gone through menopause yet.  I have had this happen before, and if I stay the course, it drops again--possibly water retention.  But it makes me nervous all the same.  I find I still do not feel like I have any control over my weight. 

I am so excited.  I booked a kayaking excursion to the blowhole in La Bufadora, Mexico while we are on a 3-day cruise for Thanksgiving. Doing it in the ocean is a little intimidating, but I am looking forward to it.  Our house is even older than yours and needs lots of updates.  I hate spending money on house stuff.  It nearly killed me to spend $20,000 on a new roof because our shake roof was completely falling apart and you could see sky when you were in the attic.  Our kitchen is in desperate need of an update, but I want to expand it if I am going to spend any money, and that makes it really pricey when you start moving bearing walls.  So, I live with the weird wheat tiles and very old appliances.

Wait long enough and those wheat tiles will be vintage, or at least have nostalgic value!  :)

all that produce in your menu sounds delicious!  

Good morning and happy friday, and happier beginning of a looooonnnnnggggg weekend!  It couldn't get here soon enough!  Happy Anniversary, AV!!!

KQOTD:  I LOVE the get to know you posts.  I'm Stacy.  I live in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles.  I have a siberian husky named Nikolai *****ally, could benefit from WLS.  He tore ligaments in both knees 6 months apart and there is a 2 month recovery for each surgery, so during the recovery period, he became fat and lazy, but I love him.  I am an attorney practicing insurance law, coverage and bad faith litigation.  I had my first WLS in May, 2014 (VSG) and because I loved posting on this thread and was tired of being an interloper (LOL) converted to RNY on 7/1 of this year . . . I kid . . . I really converted to try and cure really bad acid reflux.  I like to run and kick box and am planning my first Triathlon for 2017.

So, I'm going through a bit of food aversion at the moment.  Literally, the thought of eating makes me want to hurl.  I know I have to eat, so I'm doing my best to ignore it and get the food in. Also, my lactose intolerance is getting me down.  Yogurt and cheese used to be a really convenient way for me to get my protein in.  Those foods are now a "no go" if I want to avoid GI distress (even if I use lactaid pills)  So, with the two issues combined, my protein consumption is waaaayyyyyy down.  This is a problem I need to solve ASAP. While I'm grateful that my reflux is gone, I'm not pleased that it was replaced with all these aversion and GI distress issues.  I never had this with my VSG and am pretty bummed out about it to be honest with you all.

Food plan

B: sliced deli turkey (2.83 oz) (I've been at work for over an hour and haven't touched this . . . it's just sitting on a plate on my desk)

L: Chicken breast (there's a pollo loco across the street and I'll probably just grab a piece of chicken)

D: Salmon ceasar salad

S: Decaf, skinny vanilla latte (which I should not be drinking given my GI issues.  It too is sitting on my desk and I haven't had a sip)

Totals: Cal: 600; Protein: 79g; fat: 20g; carbs 25g

I'm being totally honest here, not much of this is actually going to be consumed. . .

Your GI issues: you may have dairy allergies, not really lactose intolerance.  I have(had?) that. I no longer show symptoms (skin scratch test) but my gut still hates cheese. and bread. and soy. and the combination...

Thanks.  I haven't been checked for a dairy allergy, but if this keeps up I will.  I know that allergies can develop out of no where, but I've never had a dairy allergy and this just started.  

the good  news - that things like taht can change overtime - I am not longer "reactive" to dairy or soy... major issue.  I have been working on my gut for over 1.5 years now...   so if you are allergic today - or sensitive - that can change in the future. 

but even before I was diagnosed with allergies - milk in coffee was a huge no-no. major GI distress...and even Yogurt - caused major pain. i use coconut or almond milk. 

No idea if it's true but my program says that lots of people become temporarily lactose intolerant after RNY but most people are okay after a few months. Hope that's true for you! I'd literally starve to death without cheese. 

My surgeon told me that I could become lactose intolerant after conversion.  At my last appt, he told me to use lactaid pills every time I eat dairy.  They don't really work for me.  I tried yesterday (I broke down after court and bought a coffee).  I took 2 pills with my first sip of the coffee and finished it within 30 minutes (following the directions on the box).  Still ended up with GI distress.  I have another follow up at the end of the month and will bring it up then (or sooner via email if it gets worse).  I MISS cheese and yogurt!