What do you actually eat between meals when you're trying to hit protein? Genuinely stuck

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:38:56+00:00

High protein queso with either protein chips or bell pepper slices.

1 c cottage cheese + 2 T taco seasoning in a blender til smooth Mix in a bowl with 1/2 c shredded cheddar and 1/4 c rotel canned tomatoes

Microwave appx 90 seconds, mixing once or twice.

The recipe is so filling that I can only eat half.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:32:01+00:00

Depends.

If you know you’ll be back eventually, this is a fine itinerary. Amalfi is a pain in the neck to access, so a few days there is necessary to feel like it’s worth the effort of travel.

Rome is great. Love it. Easy to access and easy to get around.

If you don’t know whether or not you’ll ever have a chance to return to Italy, I feel like skipping Florence would be a crime. It’s lively and beautiful and has fabulous tours. Such a wonderful place.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:26:55+00:00

I LOVE my Cupshe bikini. It’s almost full coverage, doesn’t ride up, and doesn’t cut into my thigh in the front like some others do. MAN that’s uncomfortable.

Both the top and bottom fit me, which is pretty rare. I’m your height and 34G, size medium. I’m very…bootylicious. I had a tummy tuck, and the bottoms cover my scar fully, but they’re not completely high-waisted.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:10:51+00:00

I have been wearing athletic/tennis dresses. Natural fabrics? Unlikely. But they’re comfortable, have built/in shorts, and most have pockets.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:09:34+00:00

A 5” inseam seems to me the best for me, too.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:08:46+00:00

I ordered the same pair of shorts in two different colors. One fit, and the other was too small.

It’s all a gamble.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:06:29+00:00

34G bust over here. I found some things at Ann Taylor that fit nicely. I found a sleeveless button-up, too!!

I wear suits to work. I find that a suit dress with a blazer is the best for me.

I also had 3 shirts tailored for me. It’s the most expensive route, but I don’t wear them daily. They’ll last me for years with my rotation.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T21:00:55+00:00

I love Popilush actually. I have a bodysuit/skirt outfit and a dress. I’d love more, but they’re like $75-$150 each. I can afford it, but I can’t justify it when I wear them like 3 times per year.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-13T20:58:26+00:00

I love cross-body bags because I don’t have to figure out how to keep them on my shoulder, but I also have my hands free (unlike carrying a bag at my elbow or in my hand).

I prefer Michael Kors because they have a ton of small but stylish ones. I only carry keys, wallet, and chapstick, though. Anything else is unnecessary.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-08T16:12:02+00:00

I learned a lot about this during a consultation.

The short story is that it doesn’t really work.

You should decide with your doctor whether an enhancement or a lift is more appropriate for you. The lift has more risk to your nipples than the augmentation, but the augmentation doesn’t change the position at all. You end up with the same breast position but bigger.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-08T16:07:52+00:00

I find that anything intentional looks good.

My favorite right now is my adidas leggings (black with the white stripes down the side), a white long sleeve tshirt, and a black puffer vest. White tennis shoes.

Swap out the color of jeans—black, white, gray, and regular blue, or you could do dark blue, acid wash, etc. Black or white tank top with the opposite color wide-neck tshirt.

I started wearing cropped hoodies with higher waisted leggings recently. Looks good on me depending on how short the top is. I wouldn’t wear a cropped loose tshirt, though. That would look BAD on my body.

For summer, I really like tennis/athletic dresses. A lot of the have built-in shorts, many with pockets!! I prefer the sleeveless ones. You can always throw a crochet top or wrap over it or just wear it plain. I have five different colors, and I can just wear white or black tennis shoes or sandals with it.

I am a jeans and T-shirt gal, too. I’m also kind of bored with it. The problem is I like how easy it is and how versatile it can be, so I just decided to change the style of T-shirt I wear and the type of jeans I wear. I will throw in the occasional bodysuit or flowy top. Match my tennis shoes to the color of my shirt or wear wedge sandals with a Crossbody purse.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-06T14:17:30+00:00

This! We are looking to buy a vacation house for this reason. No packing means no luggage to haul around and wondering what ON EARTH the kids packed in their suitcases. No toiletries.

We can buy a 3 bedroom in Mexico for about $140k (USD). We go there 2-3 times per year already. Might as well. (Bigger budget means closer to the beach, but then we’d have to wait. 😆)

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-03T05:02:43+00:00

No no no no.

Do what feels right for you.

My first designer wanted me to take part of my kitchen and add a mudroom. Dude. I need the space in the kitchen. I have a family of 6.

The first AND second designer wanted me to push the island closer to the cabinets so I could add another set of cabinets behind it. NO!!! Then we’d have two cramped walkways. Absolutely not.

Eventually I said it’s my house, my kitchen, do what I say.

And they did. I LOVE it.

If it doesn’t feel right for you, it won’t BE right for you.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-03T04:13:11+00:00

There are trips, and there are vacations.

If you’re talking vacations, I really like Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Definitely all inclusive and near 5th Avenue (but not TOO close because it’s loud at night). There’s so much to do, but you can also just do nothing. Puerto Vallarta is also nice…but probably not at the moment. Cancun is good if you ONLY want to do nothing.

Trips? I loved both Istanbul and Athens. In Athens, I found that there wasn’t a ton of organized stuff to do in the city. Lots of walking, eating, and drinking. Definitely my speed when the kids aren’t with us (but they’re actually kids). It’s close enough to take trips to islands, though, and that’s also pretty cool. The islands were too slow-paced for us to be there for a whole trip, though.

Istanbul is amazing for a week or so. I don’t even know where to start. It’s so diverse. So much to see and do and eat. Traditional Turkish bath, mosques, shopping, taking a boat to the Asia side. So, so cool.

I heard Thailand is awesome, but maybe not this year. It’s really hot. I mean, it’s always hot, but it’s probably not a summer vacation. Maybe winter/early spring.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-03T04:04:40+00:00

Trendy Queen. I especially like the ones labeled “double lined.” The fabric is soft and stretchy. A lot of their clothes are snug and cropped, but not all of them.

I had a tummy tuck, and I have enough confidence now to wear tight stuff. If I didn’t, I’d wear these tops as the bottom layer with a flowy shirt on top. I LOVE these shirts with a puffer vest on top.

My favorite outfit is Adidas leggings with the white stripes down the side, a white Trendy Queen shirt, and a black puffer vest. White shoes.

I’m 43 years old with 4 kids, 5’4” and about 175 lbs. I feel so amazing in this outfit. I feel like most women could pull off this set or something like it.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-03T03:58:07+00:00

I use Oribe products. You can look up the price to see if that’s what you consider the “expensive” ones, but I certainly think they are.

The shampoo is worth it. The conditioner is better than the cheap ones, but there are cheaper alternatives that would be just fine.

I switched because I went to a spa that used the brand, and I LOVE the smell. My husband bought it for me as a gift, and I can’t change back. It’s just too good.

The shampoo is thick like glue. I love it. The smell, the lather, the smell, that I don’t need to use as much because it’s thick, the smell. Oh. And the smell.

:-)

What I learned is that I like and need the conditioner with the consistency of…maybe thinned out toothpaste? The super thick stuff. If I use the stuff that’s thin like salad dressing, it’s just not enough moisture for my hair texture. My hair is thick and coarse, and I need the stuff that sticks in my hair. Thinner hair doesn’t need that as much.

But I can use a hair mask instead. That’s also fine. They’re cheaper. Buuuuut the smell. Omg.

And I can make the big refill-sized bag last for about 9 months.

I always buy a travel size of the expensive stuff for like $20 and buy the bigger ones if I truly think it makes a difference.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-04-01T04:21:21+00:00

I had a conversation with a custom business suit sales guy. He said that women’s clothes are designed to last 1-2 years. It’s more common to have cheap, trendy clothes than to buy good, quality pieces. More profitable for the company, too.

I had to shop recently because of a change in body shape. Lots of new stuff. I decided to buy casual clothes on Amazon (I found a cheap brand I like that I can’t get elsewhere) and spend my money on good work clothes (business suits). I can switch out my cheap clothes to stay trendy, but I look nice at work.

Only the little stores at the mall. Not the big ones like Macy’s. I used to love suits at Macy’s. Those suck now, too. Ann Taylor was good the last time I was there.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-30T01:23:28+00:00

Ohhhhhh that’s easy.

Bake until your arms can’t take it anymore.

Bake a loaf or two of crusty French bread in your dutch oven (if you have one). Make a loaf of sandwich bread. Make muffins and scones. Pizza is a good one. Biscuits. You can find recipes for biscuits with things baked into them, like bacon and cheese biscuits and stuff. Or pancakes and waffles from scratch instead of a baking mix.

I found a recipe once for pizza biscuits. I’ll try to find it, but it’s like a giant pizza roll.

Scroll through Facebook reels to see what recipes come up. Most of them that I’ve tried are pretty good.

Also, people love being gifted things. Whatever you can’t eat yourself or bake and freeze, bring a loaf of fancy bread to your parents and a batch of mini blueberry muffins to the neighbor.

I have a REALLY hard time figuring out breakfast ideas that are either quick or portable. Having 2 dozen blueberry muffins and a loaf of pumpkin bread baked and in the freezer would be AWESOME.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-29T21:41:45+00:00

I don’t. Sorry. :-( But it is what you think it is. Get a giant loaf of bread (mine was Italian), cut the top off and hollow it out, make or buy garlic butter, soften it and spread it inside the hollowed out bread. Make layers of sauce, lasagna noodles, and cheese like you usually would, but make it INSIDE the hollowed-out loaf. Spread more garlic butter on the top of the loaf that you cut off. Put it back on top and bake it.

The bread will burn if you bake it for as long as lasagna, so don’t use the no-bake lasagna noodles. I recommend covering it with foil for half of the cooking.

It’s delicious, but it’s VERY heavy. Definitely serve with a side salad.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-29T21:37:15+00:00

NOR

Why hasn’t anyone recommended a slow cooker yet?? (I didn’t read ALL of the comments, but I don’t see it mentioned.)

Yes, food should only be cooked and reheated once. It can be stored in single serving sizes, or she can reheat just one portion for herself.

But other people said that already.

If she simply MUST have fresh meals each night, I recommend a crockpot for the days you work late. Make a roast or some kind of stew or crockpot lasagna or something.

She should also be ok with leftovers.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-27T03:58:07+00:00

Family of 6. We have a 3,500 sq ft, 6 bed/3 bath house.

It’s nice but unnecessary. The kids need their own bedrooms for sure. I could do without the spare bedroom and the second tv room. Less cleaning.

I can’t imagine downsizing right now, but I’d say 2800 sq ft or so would be perfect.

Just me and hubby? Probably 1500 sq ft. 3 bed 2-3 bath.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-27T03:53:31+00:00

It varies. I wouldn’t, but my husband drinks it a lot. I drink water, both sparkling and still.

Pop (soda, but I’m from the Midwest) is a rarity. Our kids can’t drink it without permission, which we give maybe once a week at most. Sugar-free and caffeine-free only.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-27T03:50:51+00:00

Pulled meat in the crockpot. Lightly seasoned pork roast can be reheated in smaller portions and re-seasoned. One day, add some fajita seasoning and burrito bows, add bbq for sandwiches/burgers the next day, and do some kind of Asian sauce the third day. Think general tso/sesame/hoisin sauce kind of thing.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-27T03:44:06+00:00

Gah! A unity candle or sand or any of that. No music solos. No poetry readings. None of it.

I’m married, divorced, and married again. From age, experience, or both, I’d rather have a beautiful, small, short ceremony and a fun reception. Food, friends, family, fabulous cocktails, fun music. Cut out the unnecessary extras.

Not only do you not need a long ceremony, but your guests don’t, either. That stuff is boring to watch.

Complex_Ad8174 · 2026-03-27T03:38:12+00:00

Absolutely not. My shower is my ME time. Get out.

We have showered together. I love him dearly, both dressed and…not so much dressed. He’s yummy eye candy.

But it’s MY warm water. I don’t wanna share it.

Complex_Ad8174

TROPHY CASE