What's on your Sunday menu?

Thanks for sharing your experience, White Dove. Wow, you've done great to still be so close to your goal after so many years, and it sounds like you are comfortable with yourself. You're right, there is no perfect way to do this and normal eating isn't necessarily in our futures (those who have had bariatric surgery, I mean). I doubt I ever fit that category anyway. In the past year, working with a counselor for binge eating disorder (BED), I've stopped thinking of myself as having an eater disorder but rather that I have disordered eating. That has helped me take it out of the shame-inducing and into the something I can work on category.

The few times I lost significant weight in my past was through OA and that is where my home seems to be now. The writing I do comes out of a daily meditation book and is helping me gain perspective and work on focusing on my own needs. Coming here and posing questions in the archives is also helpful and has shown me so much wisdom from the people who have been around for a long time. It is bringing home what I keep hearing, that the surgery was on our stomach - not our brains - and that part is up to me to address.

I am hopeful for the time coming when we can all be in the same room again (the "on the train" pic was totally me except I still wear an N95 mask in public). The social isolation has been challenging to say the least, but the warm weather is coming again so neighbors will be outside again, etc., along with more outside activities!

Yesterday I decided to go into some stores for the first time without wearing the N95. The first thing I noticed walking in the door of each store was the strong smell of cigarette smoke. I never smelled it with the mask on.

LOL! File under "the things we didn't miss during Covid"!!

White Dove,

I am so glad that plan works for you- and for anyone..

It never worked for me. If it had I would NOT have required WLS!

I tried it and as diligent for a year, I lost a few lbs,stalled for 10 weeks.I Was berated for not loosing and told i "was not on the diet,i was wasting their time.". even tho i knew i had been diligent. I CHOSE to NOT pay for being Berated!.I had enough of that from elsewhere...and it did not cost me a penny... with in a few weeks had regained the "20-40#"- too long ago don't remember exact amount- plus ballooned overnight.

Later, (12-15 years after)I connected it with hormonal(PCOS)imbalance and stress but never got back down to my personal set goal again until after WLS,(12-15 years later) which gave me a "prescribed life" plan.

Dr George Cowan,Jr and team, did a diet study and my metabolism was in the gutter, even tho I was active.He found my initial PCOS.It is easy to diagnose with bloodwork.

I suspect that most of the Obese have underlying medical conditions that are un diagnosed. The answer is not a diet plan !!!.All the dieting messes with metabolism.. to overcome OBESITY EACH person must find a "life plan" that works for each of us.

The only "diet plan" that worked and maintained loss for an extended time, i as on for 9 months and wt stayed off for 9 mo. after... was called "Calories don't Count". In doing that diet, i shrunk my stomach size, and at high protein and low car*****anged my lifestyle for an extended period..

Pregnancy changed all that. No, i did not gain much weight with pregnancy-25 lbs total. There is more to our weight and health than diet and exercise alone. They are important but not the key.

With each weight regain i have had over 25 years it has always been health issues limiting OR stressors that in hindsight began that spiral... Hormones, stress, external habits and conditions all can affect each of us.

Years later when i had WLS my Surgeon put me on specific diet w/ protein, water and carb. counts.Doing that daily protein calculation became automatic...and easy.

Calorie counting is never automatic... because of gravy/ sauces, recipe changes.( with multiple diet intolerances I rarely find a recipe that does not have to be modified) .a heavy protein breakfast @ noon or later, sets me up for a successful, non hungry, high energy day.supper is by 7, and i do not snack. have 3 meals in 7 hours or less. no hunger...and gives me time to get supplements and water in. It is just easier than counting calories .I don't have to be aware of additives, sauces for many foods,I use seasonings heavily, garlic, onion powders heavily. rare ketchup or bbq, i simply do NOT use them..I like a variety of meats and flavors, but not hot, mustard nor raspberry( got sick on last two..)

In thinking about your approach to limiting calories i see WHY it works for you.. It gives you greater flexibility. I don't have flexibility options.

I have many diet intolerances so MY choices are limited

.No /almost no dairy...milks(i can use 2-3oz day/ of lactose free),( cheese,yogurt sour cream,ice cream(can tolerate-one oz w/ lactose free milk), cottage cheese, even extra sharp cheese which is considered lactose free)No artificial sweeteners- (cause intestinal distress and make me hungry..)...NO nuts, very limited legumes, so far only black beans are tolerated. NO Spicy food.

Things must limit due to tolerance ie digestion: seafood, "healthy choices"-ie green leafy's, incl.cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, +nightshades,

Oats and corn/cereals mess with blood sugars.Been hypoglycemic for 40 years. orig diagnosis was made at age 21, .. i was out of nursing school, when i figured it out and had confirming labs...a GTT( glucose tolerance test) followed the 2 hour post paradial,(was 19, asymptomatic til 2.5 hour)will be 63 soon.Sugar still drops but controlled with diet/herbals...mostly.

I don't know how much you know about hypoglycemia, but the fact is: it is now called prediabetes.To be pre-diabetic for that span of time is extremely rare. Dr.Dukes,(a DO) scared me into compliance. What she said has stuck with me all these years."Control your blood sugar NOW, or you WILL be insulin dependent on 4 shots a day within 5 years". She gave me no diet to follow, ... generally higher protein...She said people had different foods that were moderately reactive for them and I would have to find my personal tolerances...for each carb food..I had to do a lot of finger sticks to find how my blood sugar reacted to foods.. .I began by cutting many foods to 2 oz portions. then i began eliminating carb sides together .If i had sweet peas we did not have carrots, unless they were mixed as one small portion. Tomatoes and string beans were my best choices for many years.

When i add the carb restriction..and there is little left but meat.,eggs, .. a side of rice and pc toast, or sm baked potato.. with a 6 oz pouch. I am full.Most of time, i have no cravings. Generally i am not hungry til noon or later...if i have maintained the high protein.night meal,....12p-1p til 7pm works well for breakfast, small protein (3-4p) and heavier protein meal @7. Hubs does a similar schedule,sometimes his fasts are longer... and is on much the same diet, except he has prescribed amounts of greens/lettuce/cabbage and broccoli.-on certain days.( edited for mis pell or partial words.dh)