Need snack ideas!! And plastics question

Hi all... been on hiatus from the boards for awhile.  I've been busy with work, exercise, traveling and just life in general.  It's going great!  I am almost 2 years post VSG.  My weight has been stable for the past year or so, +/- 5 pounds.

I picked up running last year and I love it!  Completed my first half marathon in December in Vegas and it was great!  I was burned out from training, though, so I picked up weight lifting and did that most of the winter.  Now I'm running again, preparing for my next half marathon in May.  I definitely get the runner's high and it's pretty awesome!

I am still eating a high protein, lower carb intake.  However, I am stuck in a rut of eating the same things.  My meals are typically a lean meat along with a bit of non-starchy veggies.  However, my snacks are basically string cheese, nuts and greek yogurt.  I need some new ideas!!!  Please let me know what your fav high protein snacks are!!!!!

On another note, I am in really good shape now, and always thought I would not get plastics.  However, I have issues with my inner thighs rubbing together.  Even with all the running and lifting I do, I can't get that area to reduce.  It especially bothers me when I run, when my thighs continually slosh back and forth.    So I saw a surgeon for a plastics consult.  He said it is pockets of fat and a bit of excess skin.  He recommends lipo.  He said it's not bad enough to do a thigh lift.  I'm nervous at the thought of getting anything done but have had it with the thigh chafing.  Anyone in a similar boat?

Thanks all... hope you're all doing fab!!!

Glad to hear from you and that you are doing great!  Get multiple consults - different surgeons have different processes.  I saw three different surgeons for consults.  A number of the surgeons in my area don't do lipo on bariatric patients, at least not at the same time as they do lifts.  My surgeon said I didn't have enough fat to even think of needing lipo.  Let them know you're a runner and that you want the skin to be as functional as possible for that.  I told my surgeon that, and that I wasn't worried about the scars that I wanted more functional legs.  He extended the cuts down my thighs further than he would have normally and got the skin around my knees tighter than it would have been otherwise.  I am VERY pleased with the result.

He took 7.4 lbs of skin just on my LBL.  Maybe another pound or two when I have the Brach+mastopexy.

I ran my first 10k today - so I know how you feel with the running.  It can be exhilarating.  The plastics have really helped my running.  I did the full LBL with thigh lift.  Before I had chafing.  The extra skin, believe it or not, caused a lot of additional stress on my hip flexor muscles and I kept re-injuring them.  It wasn't so much the mass of the skin it was the motion - even with compression shirts and under armour compression shorts.

I haven't had a bit of problem since surgery.  I started running again 12 weeks after surgery.  When it was cold I would run on a treadmill.  Now that its warming up I can get back outside.  No rubbing, no chafing.  Honestly, I have forgotten what it feels like to have my thighs rub together.

Thanks Rob!  That's really awesome you had all that done and it's going so well.  Thanks for sharing... and keep running! :)

Haven't had thighs done - they're next on my list!  But, if he does lipo, doesn't that create more excess skin?  I can't see how you can be having a chafing problem and not need the thigh lift.  As much of a pain as it is, I'd go see another surgeon or two just to get some different opinions.

I can't help with the thigh lift question, I've had just about everything but that .
I do lower carb too. Hard boiled eggs make a good snack. Also if you have a Trader Joes they sell an egg white salad that is good. Cottage cheese is good, with salsa or fruit. Celery with almond butter, or carrots with almond butter. You can look online at the primal blueprint website for other suggestions, there is a blog I think at marksdailyapple. Good luck! Anne

well the snack stuff i eat is like you but i also do beef jerky, those mini sweet peppers with humus, grapes, blueberries, sometimes these reduced carb crackers called doktor cracker, a small apple cut up with some peanut butter and cheese curds. regarding the thighs, when i was fat i really had bad "friction" but now its gone. i still have really saggy inner thighs but live with it. many years ago i had lipo on my outer thighs to get rid of saddle bags. the result was great and i am really glad i did it. still have the benefit today after weight loss as legs have a good outer line. inner thighs i understand may be harder to do but my information is 20 years old. so i say go for it if it bugs you. diane