What's on your menu today (Thursday) RNYers?

Love the pics!!

Good morning!

I'm back and trying to get back on track (thank you all for the words of encouragement that I so desperately needed)!

QOTD: when I was at my highest weight - I would avoid photos at all costs, hated clothes shopping (especially bras because I've always been particularly busty, even when I was smaller), clothes shopping almost always ended in tears and self hatred, I never would have hiked an Alaskan mountain or done a 12 mile hike through a beautiful valley to a gorgeous lake, and on and on and on. Basically at my highest weight I never would have lived my life the way I wanted/want to.

Menu of the day:

b: 1.5 scoops of syntrax powder

l: 1 scoop of syntrax powder (maybe mixed with plain Greek yogurt for extra protein)

d: grilled shrimp and baby kale salad

s:water water and water... and something else healthy if I can find time in my day

v: patches

hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Good morning Daisy and gang!

QOTD- This is making me think. My weight gain was rather sudden (from 2000 - 2003 I went from 140 to 245). I guess the big thing that comes to mind is being hyper aware of not squeezing into anything that was floating on water, like a kayak or an inter-tube where I might get stuck then have it flip. I have an issue with dying while looking like a fool; dying looking like a fun crazy fool is OK, just not looking like an idiot :)

Last night I met my Akron roommate here in Columbus for dinner. She was supposed to come to my (sister's) place where I was going to make venison tacos served in lettuce cups. Instead she was running late due to bad traffic. Her only reason for coming down here is to deliver her daughter to soccer practice (can you imagine having a kid in a travel team that is over 2 hours away???). Anyway, this meant that instead of having taco meat in lettuce I was splitting beef enchiladas and I had a few chips with salsa. My calories were still close to 620 but my protein was horrible, worst yet- at only 27 grams.

After dinner I rushed back to the house, changed and took my sister's dog Porter for a 12,000 step walk (five miles ish?) It was dusk when we started out and the mosquitoes were pretty bad down in the river area so poor Porter didn't get to run around in the dog field because I didn't trust him off leash alone in the almost dark, and I didn't want to stand around while he was running and get eaten alive! I didn't jog at all but we did get some hills in and OMG last night I was HURTING when I tried to go to sleep. I convinced myself that the lack of protein yesterday combined with the long walk was at the root of the pain but in the harsh light of morning I realize that's pretty unlikely!

What do you do on days when for what ever reason you're super low on protein? Do you supplement with a bedtime protein shake? Eat a protein bar? Just vow to do better the next day?

9 Wks Post RNY/178.4 lbs this AM/Weight Loss Honeymoon

B- Plain lowfat yogurt with 1 scoop Protein Powder

MS- skipped/missed already

L - tuna packet

AS - tuna packet

D- Venison taco meat in lettuce wrap

ES- hard boiled egg

Total Calories 643 Protein 93 Carbs 36 Sugar 4 Fat 14

Vitamins staggered throughout the day (3 tums plus D3, Centrum chewables, iron, biotin, probiotic...)

Exercise: walking (minimum 8000 steps) plus day two Couch to 5K plus at least ten flights of stairs (generally do two or four every hour to keep active during the work day)

I'm still not getting my water in. I feel like I'm always butting up against a meal or a vitamin (don't want to 'wash' them out of my pouch).

I would do both- have an easy to eat protein snack at night, and vow to do better the next day.

Easy to eat as in greek yogurt/cottage cheese...I have gone through different phases with night time stuff- the premier protein can be heated like hot chocolate. I also use a protein hot chocolate called bariwise I buy on Amazon. Has 15g protein.

I am not sure how one meal set your protein so off kilter for the day...unless there were other things you missed too. I realize plans don't always work out....

One meal threw me off because I used up my calories at the Mexican place, thus didn't have room to fill in with protein. I've been trying to stay under 700 calories every day and that doesn't (for me) leave a lot of room for errors. I kept thinking it would make more sense to go over in calories to make sure I have the protein my body NEEDs after a decent workout but I've been warned to keep them lower than the 1000 mark I had been using. Last night I sold out for garbage (chips) but sometimes I cave for things that used to be healthy choices like fresh strawberries and spinach with a little goat cheese and balsamic dressing... it takes up space in my pouch, PLUS it adds in calories that need to be spent on protein.

Now I'm all about protein to total calorie ratio! If the grams of protein are less than 1/10 the total calories, I no longer think of the food as a good choice. Even higher carb items like a PureProtein bar (17g) still give you 21 grams of protein for 180 calories... But canned tuna and salmon are the clear winners, as is sashimi (tuna or salmon!). But sometimes I just can't stomach fish...

It is good to have a plan to stay under 700 calories, but it is also OK to not eat exactly the same amount of calories every day. Calories can vary widely depending on choices. A steak day will have more calories than a fish day. Both are OK.

Edited to add: Chips should not be a consideration at this stage of the game. And while that salad sounds wonderful, it should only come if you have enough room after your protein. Really the first year I rarely had room for more than one of two bites of veggies if that...

Good Morning ya'll

Yay June LOL. Today is the first day of my new school term so I'm excited/nervous about that. Yesterday was no the best with food choices BUT I mowed the lawn (back and front) used the weedeater, cleaned all the junk off my back patio, and put together my hammock that I got for my birthday maybe 3 years ago. Now that may not seem like a lot but previously I would always try to mow the back and front yards on separate days, would never weedeat unless it looked terrible, and that patio has not been cleared off since before my kids (9 and 6) were in school. The hammock that I asked for and got 3 years ago has been sitting in my garage in its unopened box because I could never work up the energy to clear a spot for it on the patio. I can't believe the energy I have right now and I know this is just the start!

QOTD: So I'm still within 30 lbs of my highest weight so a whole lot of "I never woulds" I still won't. However I will go with When I was at my highest weight I would never lift my arms in public. I am still in the same size clothes as when I started this diet but this morning I discovered I can lift my arms without feeling a breeze inside my belly button. I think that is pretty huge (the arm lifting thing, not my belly button, although...)

Menu:

B: Coffee w/ premier protein and SF Cinnamon Dolce

L: egg and bacon cups

D: Smoked sausage and green beans

S: Muscle Milk light, Protein fudgesicle, Salami and mozzarella rolls

Good morning DD2 and crew!

QOTD: Wow. So many. When I was at my highest weight, I would never go somewhere without finding out if there were stairs involved. I would never get on a bicycle. I would never allow pictures of me... I was the picture taker. I would never ever say my actual weight.

B: Premier Protein vanilla with coffee and Miralax

L: Dannon greek yogurt

D: Chicken satay with peanut saucw, salad with bleu cheese and Walden dressing

S: 1 oz peanuts, diet cran something in water, Syntrax fuzzy navel

Totals: 771 calories, 95 protein 27 carbs 32 fat

Have a great day everyone!

It's funny... I NEVER EVER said my weight out loud to anyone before surgery either... not even the hubs...

Now, with my friends (close friends) I tell them all what I weighed, and what I weigh now... I say it out loud, and it makes me cringe, but I feel some kind of accountability when I do it.

When I stop telling them what I weigh, I should ask them to call me out on it, because I sure hope it doesn't mean I've gained some of it back!

Yes. When you hide it, it has power over you. It is so freeing for me to say my weight. Exactly my weight... not 15 pounds under. Not even a pound under. I weigh 172 today. Oh my.