What's on your Saturday Menu RNY'ers?

I second the monthly pictures, but I wouldn't recommend more than that or you won't see much change. I sometimes don't even see much change from one month to the next.

I ahop primarily at thrift stores and clearance racks, and if I see nice things I'll buy them a size or two small and save them for later. I only buy underwear new (didn't worry about a swimsuit since I don't swim often and I was able to get away with my old one earlier in the summer when I did go) Bras are my biggest annoyance right now though. Nothing fits properly, ever, but I'm also buying cheaper end bras since I'm going through them fast enough to not want to spend money on them.

Me three on used clothing. I especially had to have appropriate work clothing, so I would buy 2 pairs of pants and 1-2 skirts at each size in black or grey and a couple of black sweaters. Tops can go longer between replacement so the sweaters and shell's under them (especially the ones underneath) didn't need to be replaced as often. I didn't have time for poking around multiple consignment shops (we only have small ones here), so I used ThredUP.com mostly, plus some Swap.com. I still buy clothing from the online consignment places because I was so happy with the quality/prices (I also use Poshmark.com now). I bought things in "like new" or "new with tags" condition and I would also buy the next size down if a good price. Sometimes I would only have 2-3 weeks in a size as I got smaller.

In addition, I used my sewing machine to take in clothing (nothing fancy, just seaming down the sides). You can go smaller by 2-3 sizes before it just doesn't work anymore.

Just yesterday, I was examining a brand new, never worn dress that has been hanging in my closet waiting for me to be able to wear that size again. I shot right by that size without thinking of it, and now it's too big to wear. I was examining it to see if I might be able to take in the side seams. The tricky part is the sleeves and armholes, I think, plus it is a knit which will require a zig-zag stitch. The interior of the body has princess seaming, but I am not going to fiddle with those, just the sides and hem - it's too long as well. I will take my new sewing machine on its maiden voyage! Hope it works.

As mentioned, I'd just stitch down the sides, deepening the seam. Nothing fancy and it usually looked fine when on even if the inside didn't look tailored. It allowed me to wear some stuff longer (or still wear it now), when I would have had to give it away otherwise.

Oh my goodness Peachpie that's not healthy head space. How about taking a picture from before wls and one now. Compare the two, I believe you will see the difference. Also I've seen on the boards your posted pics, girl it's night and day. Before wls would you have ever said in a sentence "I went for a run"? Lol. Your beautiful. Thank you for taking on the menu thread.

Some positive mantra hmm. I guess we could all use that. How about every time you go for a run make that positive. Did you run before wls? If not, then every time you go for a run state it. "I'm going for a run". That's a Huge accomplishment. I run to and can't believe I take it for granted now. But people around me are amazed that I run, I forgot that I didn't used to and for me it's only been a year and a half.

Happy autumn equinox to one and all! All, that is, except for our friends down under the Southern Cross - to them I say happy spring equinox!

Lightly raining and misty on the island today. My neighbor is burning leaves and cedar branches in his yard, and the smoke is so beautifully fragrant, and so redolent of fall. Just now the sun has broken through, gilding everything, and I am hoping for a rainbow.

This next bit may be TMI, so fair warning! Over the past few days, I have been experiencing a hot rush of pain along the rib side of my breasts when I bend over. It feels like a hot, tingling rush of blood of blood in to vessels not large enough to contain the ru**** is very painful and when I stand up it remains sore as if I was cut or badly bruised for a few minutes. Nothing looks amiss from the outside. If I massage the area by my ribs/side of breast it is sore to the touch. Then it goes away. The pain is more pronounced on my left side. Crucially, it only happens when I'm not wearing a bra. I recently bought myself some new, super supportive bras. Wacoal is amazing! If I'm not wearing a bra but hold my ribs and breasts in as I bend over, the pain is much reduced, or absent, as well.

I remember experiencing this before when doing the HMR diet, which I did several times. I kept my calories then too to 600 or so. It wasn't an issue until I weighed about what I do now, then it started. After a while it just stopped happening and I forgot about it until now. I talked to the MD who was supervising the program there about it. He had no idea of why I would be experiencing that, but he was not alarmed.

I have had a mammogram within the year, and do not feel this has to do with breast cancer. Maybe it's a tear in the muscles there or in other connective tissue exacerbated when I bend over, or some sort of nerve issue? Is it related to desperately needing a breast lift? Has anyone else here experienced this? I looked a bit online, but the only similar hit I got was on a pregnancy board where some of the women described an identical hot, tingling, fast rush of acute pain now and again.

This doesn't scare me, but it is painful. It would be nice to understand the cause.

QOTD: When I look at myself in the mirror, I feel that I look quite slender. I caught a glimpse of myself in my glass French doors yesterday, though, and thought I looked big girl chunky. Clothing sizes are confusing and I often don't know what size to buy. Plus now size 8 (what I'm wearing in pants and sheath dresses) seems simultaneously huge and small to me. Small - stunningly so - because I'm down from 3x, and 8 in pre-vanity sizes was quite tiny (not now though). Huge because it isn't size 4, 2, or 0, and I still have in my head the "ideal woman's weight" idea I grew up with (125#). I don't know where I should be sizewise and I don't know how much narrower I will get. It all is a bit dizzying.

Meanwhile, I am still stalled at 155.8#. I wish I had been taking my measurements once a month, but I didn't do so. It would be encouraging to see a change there, while I'm waiting out this stall. I will take and record my measurements starting today! I don't think I will remain at this weight and feel that sooner or later the scale must reflect a drop. I hope that my daily maintenance calories won't be less than 10 per pound, and I'm only taking in 650 per day, so eventually things will shift. Almost certainly. Won't they? I'm hoping so! That being said, I'm only going through what so many of you have endured earlier on, so I will stop whining now!

First: tea, 57 ounces

B: tuna with a little melted Swiss

L: sardines

D: chicken

S: an egg, whisked with water, with a small bit of cheese, dehydrated onion and pepper, nuked until fluffy in a mug sprayed lightly with Pam.

Wishing everyone happiness today!

re: the sun gilding everything - my husband and I were talking this morning about how the September sun seems so different - it has a different look to it. We couldn't think of words to describe it, but we both understood what the other was trying to say. Gilding everything is a great description - it makes everything look golden..

Yes, I know what you mean! It's very beautiful. My very favorite light, though, appears in the winter, in late afternoon, just before dusk. The sun is at a low angle, and the light it casts is amber, burnished gold, gilded tangerine. It paints itself across the winter landscape, and glows. When it illuminates a person's face, it bestows upon them a rare and profound beauty. It never lasts for long, but it is transformative and exquisite. I love painting portraits of people, whether in oil or pastel. That fleeting light is the most beautiful of all to me, and I've tried - and largely failed - to capture it in portraits several times.

I had a weird pain similar to yours on the left side on my left breast when I bent over w/out a bra when I originally got to about 160. It was quite painful. It didn't last that long each time but man it could bring a tear to my eyes. Your description of a connective tissue pull kind of thing sound about right. Pre op, I was very large on top (46DDD), wore very restrictive and supportive bras. I'm a 36D now so I'm guessing my body needed to adjust? It went away after a couple months.

The calorie thing worries me too. If I struggle to lose at 600 calories, then what will be able to eat in maintenance? I see a huge variance for the crew on here - 800-1700ish. I'm hoping to be 10 per pound too, so 1450ish I don't want to feel deprived long term. I don't have true hunger - only head, but man that desire is strong sometimes.

My mom always made me scrambled eggs with dehydrated onion growing up, I loved it. Enjoy!!