What's on your menu today PHOTO FRIDAY RNYers?

Happy Friday, my RnY kindred!

Thanks Daisy for starting us off. Your labs are beautiful!

Weight this morning is 131.4 - down .5! I can actually tell the difference even a small drop makes in how my clothes fit, which is so odd to me! I have a pair of Joe's Jeans on which fit nice and snugly the last time I wore them, but today they are distinctly looser in the legs. It's just odd! I washed them inside out in cold water and let them air-dry - that shouldn't have stretched them out. The care tag inside advises dry cleaning, but also details the method I followed. (I dislike dry cleaning as the chemicals used and the off-gassing creep me out. I try to avoid it if possible, aside from for coats, suits, cashmere, etc.)

But the less we weigh, the more noticeable small amounts of loss become, I guess because they represent a larger percentage of our overall weight. I preferred the way these used to fit! That's the downside of weight loss - the cost of replacing clothes which no longer fit! These jeans are still wearable, they're just a bit baggier than they were.

QOTD: Thus far I'm doing okay with The Resistance - but I'm sure times will come when I struggle more intensely. I did overeat compulsively twice (though I kept to high protein and very low carb) following the recent incredibly strange attacks by the woman living upstairs - but I will not do that again, and will be in a better environment shortly. Other than those times, I've been pretty good about resisting the lure of over- or off-plan eating. I gave myself permission to have 1.5 glasses of champagne on Christmas Eve, which taught me that I must be very careful from now on with alcohol if I do drink at all, since it made me very sick. If I have to be that careful why even bother, is my theory. I have now and then experienced strong hunger which I was able to resist for a few days but which I eventually caved in to. However, in those cases, the hunger was real hunger, not head hunger, and though I eventually ate more calories to quiet my hunger, I kept to foods which were on plan, and even then did not exceed perhaps 850 calories instead of 600 or 650. Additionally, those times were followed by significant drops on the scale, not by upticks. Now I am eating around 700-750 calories per day and am still, very gradually, losing: I am down 3.6 pounds from one month ago today. My intention still is to lose another 4.4 pounds, and then formally enter maintenance, which actually won't be very different from what I'm currently doing, except my intention will be to maintain rather than to lose, and I will begin to add in more veggies and, very carefully, when I feel I need to, a cautious few more calories than I currently consume.

At 18.5 months out, I still feel my restriction and often am pretty disinterested in food and cooking. I have been so much happier in my body and in my clothes, which helps me to stay calm about eating, too. If I crave more food late at night, I lay down on my white couch to read or watch tv - I don't eat on that white furniture for obvious reasons (butterfingers here). So I just get super comfy, pull a pretty red velvet blanket over myself, nestle in with the cats, and my location helps me to not focus on enticing tidbits. I also never stop drinking hot tea, all day and until I go to bed, and the tea's warmth, comfort, volume and yummy taste all are helpful too. But basically, as long as I am calm within myself and not feeling attacked or intensely worried, thus far I have luckily been able to just keep on with my plan. Exercise also helps.

First: several huge mugs of tea

B: ham and some smoked gouda

L: shrimp with some Greek yogurt with a bit of Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip powder in it - thanks Em for that idea, it's excellent!

D: scrambled eggs with a little dehydrated onion, dried chives, cracked black pepper, diced ham, and a bit of smoked gouda

Have a wonderful Friday, my friends!

I am on the hot tea wagon too. It is so warm and comforting and I love the different flavors. I tried an orange/tangerine yesterday but my all time favorite is peppermint. I may treat myself to a different flavor this week.

I love peppermint too, and chamomile, as well as various black teas and black/herbal blends. I find tea so pleasant and easy to drink that I virtually always manage to stay very well hydrated with minimal effort!