What's on your menu today (Photo Friday) RNYers? Day 5 of AMAW/CAMW!

Happy Friday menu crew!  We did it we made it to the weekend!  And for my AMAW/CAMAW crew we did it we made it Day 5 of meat week! So what is everyone up to this weekend? I have plans in the sense that hubby and I have things to do (pick up dog food, go to the gym, groceries, going to a provincial park to hike the dogs this weekend) but no formal plans.  Its Photo Friday you can post any pic you want or if you are in meat week post your days eats!

So can we talk about AMAW/CAMAW for a minute?  I am honestly blown away by how you all are doing.  I am loving the feedback, the stories, the pictures of all your awesome meat. I am so thrilled and I hope you all get as much out of this as I do.  I will be honest with you that last night while reading through all your responses I felt like a proud Mama Bear because you all are doing so well.  I know some of you are waiting until today to weigh and see if you lost any weight but I wanted to give a shout out to our menu poster cc583 (Chris) who yesterday said he broke into the 300s (398.5lbs) I honestly got teary eyed when I read that Chris. I am so PROUD OF YOU that you embraced this challenge and are doing so well.  We can together as a supportive community by helping and encouraging one another and by eating the "mantra" of  Protein, Protein, Protein really work out WLS tool and get to our goals weights!  I am PROUD today to be your MC Daisy (Meat Coordinator)   On my weight news I am 124.1 today down a total for the week of 4.7 lbs from Monday's weigh in of 128.8.  I love eating the AMAW way and I love moderating this challenge for you all.  Some of you love this meat week so much you are going to do it for the full 7 day week, you go!!

QOTD: I am dying to know your thoughts on "Meat Week - AMAW/CAMAW!"  How did you do? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about your eating habits?  What are you now going to do going forward?  Will you continue to eat this way and just use AMAW as a "reset" when you think you need to get back on track and feel the carbs are out of control. Did you realize that the detoxing from carbs was going to be as bad as it was (for those that experienced it)? Were you aware how much dense protein is so filling?  And my biggest question is: Why do you think you strayed from this way of eating?  How much of what we eat off plan is our mind telling us we need that XXX fill in the blank with your favorite "treat" etc.  I love meat week, I love how it shows our newbies the power of protein and eating on plan, I love how much energy I have, I love that I am so full that I am not grazing and looking for extra snacks, I love ease of cooking/eating this way.  I know I "allowed" myself to stray off plan because I justified it was the holidays and I can have treats. But then the holidays were over and the carb monster in the form of sugar for me had a hold of me and that is so hard to break, SO HARD, so this reset was a big deal for me too! I can totally eat AMAW for the most part but what I will do is go CAMAW, I need milk in my coffee, eggs & cheese so starting tomorrow hubby and I are going to our fav diner for brunch and I will be getting a few coffees with milk and a nice big cheesy meaty omelette! ha ha

Time since surgery: 3 yrs + 2 months

I am literally eating the same menu as yesterday because I loved it so much!!

B: can of tuna + 2 tbsp balsamic dressing

L: can of tuna +2 tbsp balsamic dressing

S: 4 deli slices of over roasted turkey breast + 1 tbsp honey mustard

D: 4oz of grilled top sirloin steak + 1 tsp A1 sauce

S: 4 deli slices of over roasted turkey breast + 1 tbsp honey mustard

TOTALS: 915 calories, 129 protein, 23 carbs

V: patches are on: multi, iron, B12, vit D & calcium

L: thank god this is the last day of nasty black coffee ha ha + lots of water with SF cranberry juice mixed in

E: walk on my lunch at work, hike the dogs when I get home and giving them a bath tonight

Thank you all again for doing this fun challenge with me! I will review the week of AMAW/CAMAW on the weekend and announce our winners next week, can't wait to see who wins! And I am thinking that the next AMAW/CAMAW will be just after Easter, we will all need to detox from the Easter chocolate madness, did someone say Cadbury Easter Cream Eggs!! LOL LOL

Be Fabulous today 

pics are the same as yesterday and since I am eating the exact same thing I am just recycling the pics! Tuna for breakfast & lunch, top sirloin for dinner and turkey breast slices for snacks

Good morning!

You all did excellent with the AMAW challenge.  Maybe next time I will be able to join in...but it may be too soon after surgery depending on my surgery date.....we shall see.

Today is really hard to plan for because my husband is off and I don't know what are plans are for this evening.  Plus for lunch we are eating together at work and I am not sure what is being brought.  I bought my typical P3, yogurt, and moon cheese just in case.  Breakfast was the typical protein shake.  Did make it to the gym this morning (walked and weights).  

Weighed in at 250.0 this morning.  I am still having mixed emotions about my weight loss.  I like seeing the weight come down but don't want to give my insurance any reason to deny my surgery.  My last weigh-in before being submitted to insurance is Tuesday so I know I won't be below a bmi of 35 but for some reason I feel like the closer I am to 40 the quicker they will approve.  I don't know maybe it is just me worrying for no reason.   

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  

Now, I'm in now way saying that you shouldn't continue to eat the way you are - because you are ROCKING this! However, I too had worries with my surgery, especially since the only comorbidity I had was sleep apnea (and that was on the low spectrum anyway), and I was so scared they wouldn't approve. I didn't lose any weight AT ALL until my pre-op diet (actually gained 3 lbs at one point, but I didn't have any requirements to lose either)... Looking back, I really wish I would have jumped on board earlier... it's sad what our health insurance companies can make us do out of pure fear! But, I am so happy with my results! So I guess it worked out for me. I DID jump on board with really watching my food intake, measuring, and keeping carbs really low almost all of the time for the past 8 months, so that helped tremendously.

I have diabetes but it is pretty well under control.  But it is a comorbidity.  I also have PCOS but don't know if that counts.  My insurance says bmi of 35 with co-morbidities so  I feel as that should end the discussion but in the back of my head I think what if it doesn't!  Luckily I didn't have to do the 6 month weight loss or anything!

I know they said some insurance companies go by your consult weight and others by final weight when submitted.  I don't know which mine is or how to find out easily.  

Just call them and ask... they'll let you know :)

A nice chinese meal the day before weighing and don't pee before the weigh you... I can "gain" 5-6 lbs of water in any 24 hours... just saying...it is not cheating if the weight is in you not "on you" .

Ha!! I thought the same thing -- but HAM is my go-to.  I swear to god, something in ham (more than other salty foods) makes me swell up like the Blueberry girl in Willie Wonka.   

I wouldn't consider that "cheating" -- just mindful eating before a final weigh-in...

Oh great! Thanks Kat...I just bought a spiral ham and now I'm gonna blow up like the Blueberry girl!!! Just kiddin! LOL!

Hopefully I won't retain water.(fingers crossed!)

Well I actually chugged a lot of water before my last weigh in and was about 2.5 lbs heavier than my scale.  Just in case. I may do it again lol!

MOTD: So this week I realized that I have picked up a terrible habit. I get up at 5:30am on weekdays to get my 3 grandsons up and out the door for school.

Both of our girls are back home with their babies, and we love it! I made them a promise that I would be the full-time caregiver for our grandsons as long as they were in college, whether they live with us or not. Well, both of them are back in school working on a second (or third) degree.  The younger one is a licensed nail tech, working toward a full cosmetology degree. Her plans are to go back to school to get a Small Business Entrepreneurship degree next. She wants to open her own salon. The oldest is back in school after completing her degree in culinary arts. She focused on the baking and pastry career path and is head baker at a popular bakery in downtown Charleston,  Cupcake Downsouth. She's now getting her Small Business Entrepreneurship degree with plans to open a bakery or buy a food truck. She wants to get back to the healthy baking aspect of her degree. They really make this momma proud.

Back to my bad habit! I usually - without thinking - pop a dropped cheerio or goldfish cracker in my mouth while getting the boys breakfast and lunch ready. I didn't think much of it because it's just a few calories here and there, not even enough to track, right? How do you track 3 cheerios?? Well, meat week was eye opening. I almost ate a goldfish yesterday, I caught myself just in time! 

I have realized that meat week is all about accountability. I could easily not mention that cracker, I mean who would know? Well, I would know!

The real struggle is my girls. They are 5'6" and 5'7" and both weigh in around 120 lbs. They don't struggle to maintain a healthy weight. None of the grandsons are even slightly overweight. The eat tacos and pizza at least once a week and cupcakes a few times a week. Unfortunately, there is almost never a day that we don't have amazingly delicious and beautiful cupcakes in my house. :( 

I do not eat the cupcakes! Or the pizza. Or the tacos. Well, I don't anymore. -sigh-

Okay, enough rambling for today. The only weekend plans are to take the grandsons roller skating on Sunday. I hope everyone has a great one!

On today's menu:

Coffee: 1 decaf with 2 tbsp cream (60, 0)

B: Snickerdoodle protein, 1 scoop, 8oz Fairlife skim milk (190, 37)

S: 1.5 Deviled Eggs (141, 9)

L: Slow cooked pork loin chops (222, 32)

S: Sargento cheddar cheese stick (60, 6)

D: Slow cooked pork loin chops (222, 32)

Shakes: ---

Calories: 895 Protein: 116

(Edited to mention beginning and ending weight. 1/13/17 weight 123.2 and 1/20/17 weight 119.8)