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

Welcome to the menu thread Seren!

I would like to take a minute to respond to a few of your comments. First off I don't "confess" here on the menu thread, I just tell it straight up how life is post RNY and how incredibly difficult it is post surgery (I am almost 4 years post op RNY) to maintain my weight loss. I think you are wrong to assume that your previous exchanges with people was to shame and criticize, the exact opposite, people who post back do it because they care and want to pay it forward. You know these people have lives and could be doing better things with their time and not give any feedback. So if someone posts back to you its because they want you to succeed (as what I am doing right now).

I am just being honest and frank here but I agree with whoever it was that wrote to you in previous posts "you are only three months out from surgery and you put that in your mouth?" You state that "early on" you would eat a plain rice cake for the crunch. Rice cakes are made of rice and it should be no where on your menu yet alone at under three months post op. I am almost 4 yrs post op and would not eat rice or a rice cake. Popcorn as well should not even be on your menu until you are at or below your goal weight. Its a slider food which means that we RNYers (and VSGers) seem to defy the laws of our small pouches/sleeves and can eat boat loads of popcorn and yet feel no restriction. Its nothing but empty carbs you are consuming. Stay away from CARBS in your losing phase. That includes anything that falls into the following food groups: crackers, cereal, oatmeal, bread, wraps, rice, couscous, popcorn, pretzels, full carb veggies & fruit, sweets, sugar, protein bars, potatoes and alcohol. Avoid all those until you get to goal. Then feel free to have at it in moderation.

Are you losing weight yes, will you continue to lose if you still eat rice cakes & popcorn, yes because you are so fresh post op, but you will slow or stop your weight loss if you continue on this way, guaranteed. No one got to goal by eating rice cakes, cereal or popcorn.

Your menu today is amazing, that's what I love to see new post ops eating. But have you ever heard the expression "BLTs?" I learned that when I used to go to WW (Weigh****chers) years ago, "Bites, Licks, Tastes." That's what got me to being MO. Maybe popcorn is not your trigger, but as you state cereal is, we all have a trigger. Mine is birthday cake/sweets. I can't even have one bite, it leads to a slice or two or three yada yada yada

We all have some form of disordered eating, that's what got us to being MO/SMO/SSMO and needing WLS, so yes WE GET IT, you are damn right its a lifelong struggle. And yes we do have to eat to live, totally agree and for me to "live" I have to eat high protein (100+ grams a day), low calories (950 or less a day) and as low carb as I can go (40 or less a day). Its not pretty but that's how I "live," there is no way I could maintain at a weight of 125 lbs with extra "bites" of things and not gain. This post op life is HARD.

I wish you the best of luck post surgery Seren. I responded back to you because I want to see you succeed and because I have walked this path before you and letting you know what has worked for me and many others. Best of luck.

ETA: fixed some spelling

Super well said, Daisy.

Thanks for your input Daisy!

Well said Daisy.

I weep every time I see someone who claims to be able to control their eating. None of us could. Not a single one of us had a healthy notion of what a proper portion should be. We think we are eating something in moderation, and the rest of the world looks at us like one of those guys in a hotdog eating contest.

Sure, having 2 ounces of whatever at this point is easy. But that two ounces at one or three months out will be 8 ounces at 2 years, I guarantee it. If we could truly control ourselves, we would NOT be here.

Yes, we can't go cold turkey from food like an alcoholic can quit booze. Yes, we do have to eat. But that's always a ridiculous argument. We do NOT have to eat cereal, ever. We do NOT have to eat pizza, ever. We do NOT have to eat rice cakes, ever.

After a year or so this gets hard. And harder in year 2. Even harder in year 3. Giving in to crap in the early going is like saying an alcoholic can have a beer now and then. They ALWAYS think it will be fine. But it never ends well.

Welcome aboard! I hope you find it useful to you. I know for me this menu thread is a great resource. I also have seen some folks get "nannied" or chewed out on OH in general but it is like anything, take the good spit out the bad.

~Elizabeth

Yep, need to learn to let it roll off. Not good at that right now.

Welcome to the boards!

I'm almost 10 months out and I took the advice I got here and that you're being given as if it were gospel and my daily job. That got me to my original goal in 9 months and now I've lowered it again. If you're in the right space to do this please heed the wisdom the vets are giving. It's truly a gift you won't regret.

I want to like this post x 100. Wise words, Daisy.

Hi all!
Late today. Home today, doing school with my kids and doing the cleaning I procrastinated all weekend.

I have lost four pounds in the last week, a better loss than I've had in quite a while, and I know it's because I've been faithful in coming here to this thread!

Accountability- fair. We have a potluck at church most Sundays, and it actually works out nicely for me, because it lets me have a bite of this or that and not have a whole recipe's worth of something at home. I can even make something I've been craving and just have a tiny portion. There are rarely leftovers as the teens and college kids rove through for seconds and suck it all down, hah! Anyway, I went through and took literally a forkful of whatever looked good and then I was very full for hours.

QOTD- I do bruise more easily, actually! Nothing worrisome. Also, I'm super graceful. Just this morning I was walking down a wet grassy hill in these rubber sandals and slid down on my dignity.

B- Just now having it, I made a quiche with turkey italian sausage and zucchini

L- I already made that so my daughter could take some to work, these greek ground beef patties and a salad of tomato, cucumber, balsamic vinegar dressing

D- This recipe of italian ground beef and veggies. Rather too similar to lunch I guess. I usually pick and choose meals based on how much time they take to make and how much time I will have on that particular day, so sometimes I end up with too much similarity in a given day. Oh well.

S- Finally bought some sugar free popsicles so as to stay out of my kids'. coffee and tea as needed.