Hi everyone! I am back! Vacation was amazing! Hubby and I had the BEST time at JB & Grim's place! Its bittersweet to be home.

It's JB's birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIRL!!

Accountability: yesterday I didn't have a "plan" as I was busy doing laundry & cleaning and got an unexpected call from my MIL that she has to put her dog down (so sad, I adore this dog) but I did eat protein forward at each meal & snack.

QOTD: What do you use now that we can't use Advil? For months I have had this right side neck/top of my shoulder pain. It comes & goes, today its bad. I use a heating pad and Tylenol and something called Aborbine Junior, its like Bengay an OTC topical pain reliever. It works good but its messy and medicinal smelling. So looking to you all to what you use.

3.9 years post op RNY - maintenance food

B: tons of decaf coffee with vanilla PP used as creamer

L: tuna/peppers/balsamic

S: two marble cheese strings + 1/2 cup of fresh raspberries

D: 1/2 cup of homemade egg salad + 1 deviled egg

S: skyr vanilla yogurt + 6 raspberries

TOTALS: 989 calories, 128 protein, 40 carbs

V: patches are on

L: 120oz a day is my minimum

E: I have missed the gym while away - tonight is my fav night - 60 min step class + 60 min muscle pump

PHOTO FRIDAY - post pics of the fav thing you have done this summer so far - can be a vacation, can be a home project like building a deck, can be a bbq with friends, can be your flower or veggie garden

Have an awesome day fellow protein peeps! Be fabulous!

ETA: Thank you to those who did the menu thread while I was away (Teena D & Librarian67)!!

B: Full fat cottage cheese + tomatoes

L: Salad and fruit +yogurt dessert (Training over lunch)

D: Tacos with homemade pico de gallo (Made by a friend. We are having a pico de gallo challenge)

Exercise: Bodyshred at 7 am + getting in my 12K steps.

Addendum: bought 2 hard boiled eggs to put IN my salad because I recollect them only having crumbled bacon for a protein in the past. They also serve with pizza but I am not in a pizza mood today after body shred. Gotta keep it clean!

Welcome back Daisy! We missed you, and I'm glad that you had a great vacation!

The weather is cool enough that I plan to go on a long walk at lunchtime.

QOTD: Fortunately, I haven't had much pain since surgery, but I have tried Tylenol a few times. I've never found that it worked as well as Advil or Aleve though so I'm not looking forward to having that be all that I can use. As for Absorbine Jr, my grandparents always used it and it seemed to work well.

Menu:

Breakfast: hard boiled egg, 2 pieces turkey bacon

Snack: Lemonade protein shake

Lunch: TJ's Vera Cruz swai, baby carrots

Snack: 2 oz turkey breast

Dinner: hamburger, cucumbers

Exercise: long walk, deep water aerobics

Welcome back home. So great that you guys had a good week! It is a grey, rainy morning here on Cape Cod MA. I guess it will be easier to go to work in my home office in a few minutes...

QOTD: Nothing really yet as Tylenol doesn't seem to help. I've had a fair amount of achy shoulder pain this week but haven't taken anything. I think VSG can take ibuprofen sometimes, but I'm really not sure because my surgeon gives the same instructions for RNY and VSG. I am going to ask at my next appointment.

16 months post-op, 8 months in maintenance.

B: eggbeaters and cottage cheese

L: tuna salad, pickles and cottage cheese

D: pork kabobs and peppers

S: protein chips, yogurt

Love kaboobs..especially if they ahve lots of peppers and onions on them!

Morning! And welcome back Daisy!

We are heading home shortly. Looking forward to getting back. But wish we had a few more days here too.

qotd: I haven't needed much pain relief, but I've used Tylenol.

accountability: fine. Although there was much cheese consumed. My mother in law doesn't eat much meat, but they usually have a lot in the house. Deli meat at least. That was not the case this trip. I'll be better prepared next time.

Menu:

B: protein bar from Costco. Tried the chocolate one yesterday. It was ok. Will give peanut butter one a go .

LD: no idea . Depends on when we get home. Will prob stop at the butcher shop.

Happy 11 months!!

Thanks!

Aw thanks, Daze! Miss you already.

Today I am off work and pretty soon we are heading up to Maine. First we'll hit Kennebunkport and do a little shopping and lunch in the area. Then we'll keep driving up the coast and settle in Ogunquit, where we will have dinner, see a play and settle into a hotel room. Tomorrow is beach day in Ogunquit :)

Accountability: I ate perfectly yesterday, except that there was a HUGE medical emergency on the train I was on and I was stuck on it for hours not moving last night. Needless to day, when we got to the movies (45 minutes late), I was starving and ate 1/2 bag of popcorn before my chicken came. Ended up okay with 1150 calories, 39g carbs and 125g protein. I've had worse days, but the scale didn't agree, sadly. No birthday present from the little b***h today... :(

QOTD: When my achilles was at it's worse I discovered Salonpas patches with lidocaine instead of nsaids. Miracle product. I later discovered a roll on with lidocaine gel. Again, miracle. Wouldn't work for a headache, of course, but for muscle or joint pain, I think it is great.

Menu: I know I should be bucking down since I am feeling so sorry for myself with this new high weight, but we'll be on the road and away form home so no solid plan. We'll be in Maine though, so I see lots of seafood in my future.

Happy birthday JB! Enjoy all the seafood for me!