What's on your Monday Menu RNY'ers?

It is good to review what you are putting in your mouth and whether you are staying honest, but remember that as you get further from surgery, the weight loss will slow and stall more. Focus on your protein, but your body needs some fats too. Keep working on your fluids, I know that's been a problem for you. Just keep with the plan and remember that this is for the long haul and doesn't need to all happen as quickly as we'd sometimes like!

You're doing great!

Thank you!!

Morning, Menu peeps! Happy Monday!

Shauna, you're a peach for starting us out! Thank you!

I had a good, busy weekend, and got a lot accomplished on Saturday, including a lovely walk with my favorite black lab halfway around the lake, over the bridge to the island in the middle of the lake, to it's tip and back again, then the rest of the way around the lake. It's a good long stretch! It was cooler then, but today is already quite warm, so I will wait until the evening to go again.

Yesterday I went to the Anacortes Art Festival, both for fun and because someone I know encouraged me to apply to vend there (my new, as yet unlaunched line) for future shows. It was a lovely event, very well attended, with blocks and blocks of booths featuring paintings, prints, sculptures, art glass (that's big up here), lots of jewelry, fabric crafts, hand-made clothing and milliners, ceramics, artistic metal work, puppets and various types of kids stuff, soapmakers, etc. I think I'd be accepted into the show, based on what I saw. Hopefully I'd also make some money! Some of the vendors were were truly outstanding. I was especially impressed by two of the painters.

I have been stalled for the past 2 weeks - my longest stall ever (I know I am fortunate). I am mid-way through my 14th month. I did have some blackberries earlier this month but always kept my carbs to under 30, and almost always under 20 - yesterday was typical, with 13 grams of carbs consumed. I drink tons - 100 or more ounces per day. My calories yesterday were typical at 545, and I got 68 grams of protein. I walk for exercise, trying to get in at least an hour, plus I do other spot exercises at home. Anyway, I haven't really lost for the past 2+ weeks, though if I go back 4 weeks, I am down 9.4 lbs. But I'm not down over the past 2+ weeks. Without the berries (I won't have more until I'm at goal), the only thing I eat that isn't CAMAW is the cashew milk I put in my tea (It is very low in calories, carbs, etc.). I do however like both Boar's Head smoked gouda and BH Chipotle gouda. I usually melt this over meat. Anyway I frequently will have .6 ounces of either of these, usually the smoked, up to 3 times a day. I don't really want to cut cheese out altogether, but I will pull my consumption back by half.

Those of you who have experienced and outlived stalls, do you have any advice for me? I'd like the scale to move.

edited to fix typos and to add:

I forgot to mention that I frequently will add some SF syrup into my tea, or yogurt if I have that. My surgeon wanted us all to completely eschew artificial sweeteners, but I have definitely failed on that score!

QOTD: I'm still using the Bariatric Fusion multi my doc recommended. They are tasty but I am going to start buying Centrum, calcium citrate, and I guess some iron (I am still in the High category ferritin-wise in my labs). I also take 10000 units of Vitamin A daily, and have been since December. My Vitamin A level has come up, but it's still low. I also take 1000 mcg of subliminal B-12 daily. I really do like the Bariatric Fusion multis, but it's an expensive way to go at around $27 per month.

First: 3 big mugs of tea

B: London broil, smoked gouda

L: tuna

D: Ham with Chipotle gouda

S: Someone brought over a freshly caught, boiled crab. I will eat that - It probably holds 2-3 ounces of meat, very low calorie, high protein, and zero carbs.

Have a wonderful day, my RnY kindred!

How much weight you got left to lose?

I bet a million dollars it wasn't the berries.

Hi Deb! To reach my first goal of being under 150, I need to lose 20 more pounds. However, I think It's a good idea to lose an additional 13 or 15 pounds beyond that, to give myself some wiggle room as I transition into maintenance. I could probably even go a little lower, to place myself lower in the Normal BMI range. Right now I'm still in the Overweight BMI category, by 5 pounds.

So your rapid weight loss time is over. It's gonna be slow. Your eating very low calorie. Make add one more unit of food?

Eat fresh berries in the moment. They are extraordinary here.

Thanks for your response. I have picked quarts of luscious blackberries, and they're in the freezer along with lots of blueberries. I will enjoy them through the year, but not much until I reach goal. Although you may be correct, I am not ready to declare my relatively rapid weight loss phase over. If it is it is, of course, but although I've been stalled for 2 weeks, I've also lost over 9 pounds if calculated over the past 4 weeks. IMO it would be premature for me to declare that my rapid weight loss time is done - most people experience stalls, yet break through them to continue to lose to their goal. I am concerned that by adding in another meal - usually somewhere around 150 calories - I will be shooting myself in the foot, as far as reaching my goal as expeditiously as possible. I do not want to shoot myself in the foot. That being said, yes the berries up here are amazing!

By rapid weighr loss I meant you are not fresh out of surgery with 200 pounds to lose. The rapidity of that goes away. I lost weight for about 24 months..a sudden 3 or 8 outta nowhere. but when you are close to goal it's slower.

I am not discouraging your journey to your goal. It's just not going to be rapid. Oh that could be.

Gotcha! In the end, even if we wi**** would be faster, it takes as long as it takes. Whatever the timing, I accept it. I'll do my best to remain focused and disciplined until I reach my goal (and then comes the hard part!). Here's hoping my stall breaks soon!

Rules about vitamins.

No iron with calcium

2 ADULT multiple vitamins a day. Gummies and cavemen chewies are for children.

Calcium Citrate. 500mg a dose 3-4Ã--day. NO iron with these doses.

B12 has to be a SQ shot or sublingual. NO pills that you swallow.

Vit D,folic acid,and iron are often monitored by labs to see if supplementation is required.

Research shows very low long time compliance with vitamins post RnY.

I take 34 additional meds/day. Many can't be taken with calcium.

I hope the patches turn out to work long term.