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

Someone help me imbed that pic,  can't do it from my phone 

I can't see your picture!!

I'm not gonna lie, these early months are dark days and the learning curve is steep, for sure.  LOL  I remember having the exact same jumbled kind of thoughts early out.  Like I didn't want to eat because nothing tasted good and at the same time being mad I wasn't able to finish what I had in front of me anyway.  I was positive I was never going to enjoy eating again.  But somewhere around the 4-5 month mark something shifted and I felt mostly normal.  Some people are all "I eat because I have to, it's for fuel, etc." but that is not me.  I still enjoy eating, and I've found some new favorites.  LOL  And I know people push low carb, but I'm more moderate.  If I want a piece of toast with my egg, I'm going to have a piece of toast with my egg, dammit.

It gets better!

I kinda fixed it.  sneaky from my pc at work. 

Back to the phone! LOL

Is see it now, nice picture!

Sorry you are feeling bad and blue... it does get better. I, too, have the up and down days, still at 6 months out.  And, I still try to continue to eat chicken and it just does not sit well. I feel yucky after I eat it, unless it is canned chicken... but I will keep keep trying! And, rice tears my stomach up... I just cannot eat it anymore. I know there are some that "rice" cauliflower and I have a head at home that I am going to work with this weekend to see if it does work. 

Are you taking any Prilosec or any kind of acid reducer. My doctor prescribed it for me because supposedly sometimes acid mimics hunger. I am not sure about that but I really have no bodily hunger... but I do have the scorned head hunger. I personally try to avoid a lot of carbs because I don't lose quite as much if I have a high carb week. Also, I LOVE bread... but, it no longer loves me.  Sometimes I cannot accept this and I will eat bread... only to be either very nauseated after or throwing up.  And, crackers are my crack!!  I try not to have them in the house... but that is kind of unfair to my husband and son, so I deal with it.

You will enjoy eating again. And, cooking again. I love to cook and it is kind of fun to experiment will all the recipes out there. Eggface's site has some great recipes and there are lots of bloggers who have healthy recipes.

Hang in there!

I don't actually feel physical hunger, I just want to eat.  It's all in my head.  I'll get it worked out eventually.  Just have to stay strong and on track. 

I'm a work in progress and is not going to be easy, but it sure will be worth it.  

Sweetie, we are ALL works in progress!!!  

You will get there... sometimes my head hunger is bad, really bad. 

And, only a month out, you probably are still not feeling your best, physically.  Give it a month or two, and you start really seeing a difference in your body and your pouch will be less pouty!  I can remember just feeling yucky at only a month out. 

It does get better and keep looking at that cutie in the picture... you will be able to be so much more active with him.  It will be great!

Deanna your feelings are totally normal and most of us have been right there where you are. Just like others said,about 5 moñths out I began to be more comfortable eating. I don't focus on it like I did but I once again enjoy eating and trying new foods. Even my cooking is much more varied than it was pre surgery. When you begin to have amazing results and start to feel better it will all be worth it! You will be amazed at the new things you can do and how much more fun life is. And your kids will love you being able to do more with them! I started at 272 pounds and have now been at 118 to 120 for over two years. I feel like a different person for sure! And you will too! Hang in there it does get easier!

First of all-love that cutie pie you are holding. Second, when you aren't far out I remember going through many gyrations over the first 6 months, esp the first couple months of what I could eat, not eat and what agreed with me. To this day I usually only have a protein drink for breakfast because once I eat solid food it is harder to get the liquid in. I usually drink 16-24oz tea, 16oz protein drink, and 16oz water before real food enters. That way I don't have to stress over my fluids. Hang in there!

Hey Deanna,

As someone who is not quite 2 years out, I am by no means an expert, but my advice (based on my personal experience) is this:

Take advantage of not wanting to eat.  Eat to fuel your body during this honeymoon.  The weight will be melting off, your knees will stop hurting, you just have to focus on eating things like chicken, turkey, shrimp, etc.  Leave out the rice and the toast.  I know the things we all think taste good (cuz they do) are those crappy carbs - stuffing, bread, crackers, etc.  But now is a time to experiment with cooking high protein things that are on your plan - try lemon and chicken and garlic in the crockpot, or shrimp and pesto sauce, or a buffalo chicken salad, or turkey chili.  There are SO many delicious flavors that you can add to protein to make it really really satisfying.

I remember being about a month out and I had a stressful day at work, and when I got home, I wanted to eat a pizza (what I would have done before RNY).  Instead I cooked a chicken sausage and could eat about 3/4 of it.  I felt so unsatisfied!  That is when I realized just how much of my eating was emotional and head hunger!

Being 21 months out, my capacity is much bigger than the 2 oz that you fit in now.  I struggle to stay under 1,600 calories a day.  I know, I know...people will be horrified to read that, because I see people at 1,000 calories in maintenance, but I just can't do it.  I still enjoy food, I still enjoy cooking.  But it's harder the further out you go to make good choices - you've lost the weight, the compliments stop because this is your new normal, and your stomach is larger.  So my personal advice (and feel free to take it or leave it) is to weigh your food, eat protein forward 100% of the time, and enjoy all of the new activities you will be able to do as the weight melts off.  Cross your legs!  Buckle the airport seatbelt!  Tie a normal towel around your waist!  Sit comfortably in a booth!  These things, I promise, are so much better than the taste of stuffing.  You just have to wrap your head around that :)

Good luck - and keep up the great work of eating protein, drinking your water, keeping up on vitamins, and walking.  It gets easier and easier I promise.  I remember at 5 weeks out my life revolved around planning, weighing and frankly obsessing about my menu and everything.  Now life is normal.  But a new normal, where I feel energetic and want to live forever!

You can do this!!!