What's on your menu today (Monday) RNYers

Morning! I think we've finally found a solution for our mortgage snafoo that will work for us. Luckily, it includes the lender covering a significant portion of our closing costs. I'm headed to the eye doctor to pick up contacts. I've only had them one other time in my life, for my wedding in 2007 and I hated them. But, she had me try a pair while I was there last and they sure have come a long way in comfort. I'd love to be able to buy cheap sunglasses and not worry about my glasses while running!

QOTD: I also was a "machine" and lost 96lbs to get to goal weight (which I had set at "ideal" weight for my height) in about 5.5 months. Then I immediately had the terror of regaining and I didn't really start to add calories in any quantity and lost another 20lbs. Then I had plastics and lost another 5lbs during that recovery.

If you had asked me, I would have said I was happy. I mean, I was a size 0, why wouldn't I be? But, the reality was that I was spending all my mental energy on being that thin. Literally, it was all I thought of most days. Weighing myself, weighing my food, tracking my calories, planning my meals, worrying about going off-plan because my family opted for a social event I hadn't counted on. I was body checking constantly - pinching my stomach and ribs and arms to see if I thought I was still that thin. I replaced meals with gum, mints, or calorie-free drinks to stave off hunger. I knew it was becoming a real problem when I started waking up at night thinking about the scale in the morning and dreading it (even though it had only gone down) and when I had a major freak out on my family when they opted for Frozen Yogurt one day that I hadn't planned for.

I sought therapy and a new PCP and in the process figured out I had some pretty serious medical things going on related to my low BMI and low body fat. During that process, I was told I needed to restore weight. I put on about 15lbs over the course of a few months and then plateaued. I now intuitively eat and haven't gained any weight since about October of last year.

I will always be aware of my weight. I still weigh myself about 1-2 times per week. I will never be one of those people who can be body positive by claiming that obesity isn't an issue. But, I also know now that obsession over food/regain potential is not more healthy than the opposite end of the spectrum.

Sorry for the long answer!

My Food:

• (2) Eggs, (1) Cheese Slice in a low-carb wrap
• Pepperoni, 1,000 day aged gouda and cucumber
• Cube Steak w/ Veggies
• Protein Bar, Yogurt, Apple w/ PB

Thank you for your honesty and sharing your story.

An important story.

Thanks for writing that.

Hello all,

It's almost 8 PM here in Seattle, very late to post, but better late than never!

I weighed in this morning at 126.0. Feeling good. Last night I had a desire for some tomatoes and salad greens - not part of my everyday menu, so I picked up a pre-made, fresh little bowl of Greek salad with a bit of feta, a couple of sliced kalamata olives, and a couple of cherry tomatoes. Had that along with a little ham. Really felt like I needed the vitamins from the salad, and enjoyed more of it today.

At 20.5 months post-surgery, mostly I still don't battle hunger, thank God. I really do however try to impose adult budgeting standards on my desire to shop for new clothes - I need to be conscientious about my spending and overall it's been okay, but only because I am firm with myself and my magpie nature. There is a bit of crossover addiction trying to break through, and I feel it and am aware of it. As long as I am not stupidly over-straining my budget, which thus far I have not, I'd really rather be a clothes hound than be battling the nagging temptation to overeat. Fingers crossed that I won't be plagued too badly by the desire either to overeat or to make poor food choices in the future.

QOTD: I'm not ****y but I am cautiously (very cautiously) optimistic that I will be able to avoid regain unless it is for healthy reasons (building more muscle, basically). I started at 353.6 on May 28, 2017, as I began my 2-week pre-op diet. I had surgery on June 12, 2017, and one year later to the day had lost 184.4 pounds (from the start of my pre-op diet), to 169.2. On Oct.14, 2018, just barely over 16 months out, I hit my first goal of weighing under 150 pounds. Since then I have continued to lose, and today I weighed 126.0. I was a machine. I still am rather bionic! But I am essentially maintaining now, which thus far has been good, though I recently had to adjust my cheese intake to make it be so!

My starting BMI was 53.76, every bit of which was miserably palpable. One year after surgery, at 184.4 pounds, my BMI was 28.03 - still in the Overweight category. I entered the Normal BMI category on August 22, 2018, 15 months and 10 days post-op. I hit my 2nd goal of being under 140 on October 14, 2018, hit my 3rd goal of being under 130 on January 7, 2019, and today at 126.0, my BMI is 19.16, on the lowish end of the Normal category, but still normal. I don't have any desire to lose more than at most 1 more pound, and it's not a burning desire, just a whim. Though it really doesn't much matter, I have had a desire to weigh 125, as I did in my 20's, because I grew up with the notion that 125 was the perfect, proper weight for a woman. It is silly, I know, as we come in all heights, shapes, and sizes, and 125 on a 4'11" woman is different than 125 on a 5'11" woman's frame. I will hit that number, most likely, maybe this week - or maybe not - it's truly perfectly ok with me to maintain between 125-130, though I do not want to go either above or below that range. I am 5'8" and feel wonderful here. I am genuinely slender, 75 pounds under where my surgeon told me he could get me, and I am just so incredibly grateful to have had this chance to reset my life.

First: massive quantities of tea

B: ham

L: leftover Greek salad, roast beef

D: ham, a couple of cherry tomatoes

Most of you won't read this, but I wanted to post anyway. Wishing you all a peaceful night.

I'm usually the last to bed. You machined that weight off! Congrats.

Thank you Deb!

I have no goal weight. Once it was 260 to get a kidney. Got that one and more.

I ate well today. I may be overdosing on EverRoast chicken. The kitchen in our house is going to change over Lent. No sugar for me and vegan for the boy. The Mrs. will just be suffering silently and eating cake at bakeries.

That ever roast is so good! I think I have to get a microwave for home so I can go back to numing it with a little cheese!

Warm is the best! I wish my store for Boars Head wasn't so out of the way!