What's on your menu today (Photo Friday) RNYers?

Great job Carlr- happy for you!

You have done an amazing job. Thank you for being here.

You look fantastic, CarlRay! And I love your chocolate mousse idea!

You look so lean and so good! What a difference!

I think its wonderful that your hunger hasn't returned! Certainly makes things easier!

You've done an incredible job!

Everyone's before and after is blowing me away! I haven't posted on the menu thread often lately, but I am compelled to today, since I love your QOTD. I am both a success story and a cautionary tale!

I have learned ERRYTHING, as the kids say, on this site. My surgeon's office is a center of excellence and did a great job cutting (as far as I can tell) but had crap support before and after. I came to OH and saw these incredible, successful vets who had starting weights in the 300s and were now in the 100s and I started to believe, can I do this? I used to come here every single day, posting questions (oh god, I cringe at my initial posts!) and I drank up every single piece of advice. I went from 351 lbs day of surgery to my goal of 160, about a week shy of my one year surgiversary. I did this by:

Weighing (on a digital scale) every bite that went into my mouth, and logging those bites into MyFitnessPal

Staying low carb (under 30 g a day for probably 9 months, then 50 g a day for the next 3 months)

Prioritizing protein - lots of chicken breast, ground turkey, shrimp

Not a sip of alcohol until goal

No drinking with meals or for 30 minutes after, and at least 100 oz of water a day

Exerecised to help strengthen my body and tone, and for mental health

Daily support here on the forums (and I have made some lifelong friends!)

Now, here is where the cautionary tale comes in. WLS is an incredible tool. I could have never lost 200ish lbs without it. If you follow your program and the advice here, you will lose weight. And while the weight is seemingly melting off, you get full from half of a sausage rather than the medium pizza you used to eat, you have this pep in your step, and those around you are complimenting you, and you move through the world so much lighter, and you post things like, "100 lbs gone, never to be seen again!" and you are thrilled that this is so EASY and omg life is good.

Then maintenance sets in. I feel like such a doom and gloomer here, but when the vets on this site say "take advantage of the honeymoon period [12-18 months post surgery] it's no joke! Maintenance is so freaking hard. You have more capacity in your pouch/stomach (sometimes I can and do eat rather normal sized plates of food). Your lower weight is your new normal (no more daily compliments). Life goes on as normal (maybe you thought losing weight would change X, Y and Z but often it does not). The high of "I can run a mile on the treadmill - I love the gym!" might wane, and busy work/life gets in the way. All I can say is, from my goal of 160, I am now in the upper 170s and though I weigh daily and try to make good choices, it's a struggle everyday. Good on you if you are one of the people who says "Food is fuel, I never think about it!" but I think about it every day, most of the day. I am a food addict and I have come to the realization that I probably always will be.

So please, those of you who are in the weight loss phase, follow your plan. Lose the weight. Try to make mindful choices. Try to make life changes that are sustainable. Come here for support. Don't be one of the people who comes back trying to get "back on track" after a 50 lb gain. Losing even 5 lbs right now is hard as hell. I used to lose 5 lbs a week. So take advantage of your tool and be good to yourself. Ok, stepping off soapbox now ;)

Before pic: November 2013 (month before surgery, probably 360~ lbs) | After pic: November 2017 (one month before my four year surgiversary, 175~ lbs)

I love how much you changed, but kept that same sparkle in your eyes...

Your story of maintenance is so true!!! While I'm not even at my 2 year mark, I've already felt the difference in the capacity to eat (wow, those egg bites from Starbucks used to be 2 meals... now they are one!), and over the holidays I gained 7 pounds... I've only managed to lose 2 of those. No, 7 pounds isn't a monumental change, but it still messes with you. I too think about food ALL OF THE TIME! I drive my husband crazy, asking what he wants for the 'next' meal, usually minutes after we finish one! I have to be mindful constantly because my brain is always hungry - so envious of those that 'forget' to eat. I never ever forget to eat!

Admitting to myself, and then to those here on this board 'out loud', that I have an eating disorder was hard for me to wrap my brain around... I was one of those, pre-WLS, that truly thought I didn't eat 'that much'. Boy was I wrong!

I always knew I ate a ton, but I didn't define it as an eating disorder. I am so much more aware now of how disordered my thinking about food is! Like you, I am always thinking about food and what we will eat. I wi**** would wane but alas, I've had to come to terms with the fact that I may spend my life battling this battle and being thankful every damn day I have a smaller pouch!

Wow - just wow- great job and you have offered alot of great advice and food ideas for me in the past..thansk for being an inspiration!

you're right. I'd love to lose five lbs now and get back into the low 140s. It's hard as hell (I've managed to lose two in the last ...oh...four weeks or so...by really working my butt off). I used to be able to do that in a week no problem!!