Thank you for sharing that. That is encouraging to hear.

This is similar to fry bread, (except fry bread is not a yeast dough but can be made sweet as pictured here or savory by topping with chili or taco toppings...absolutely delicious and a family favorite when I make it...which is not often lol)

Good morning, everyone. It is so late that it is technically early Tuesday, but I am still trying to catch up with Monday IYKWIM.

QOTD- I have had that happen with Amazon. Once I had ordered homeschool math materials and received a HUGE case of Bibles. That was amusing. Another Amazon incident was some sort of cosmetic kit for men. It was weird to have that happen.

We had a decent weekend. We planted some more fruit trees, DH and I had a mid-day date, (nothing fancy just adult time + pie and coffee, but it was nice). We also joined a gym so that we could work out as the weather heats up and allergies flare which impacts our daily walks. It has been nice to spend more time together focusing on health and wellness now that he is retired. We joined WW together a few months ago, (he does the diabetic plan and I have found that the GLP1 plan works best for me as it focuses on protein, vegetables/fruit/hydration and not Points. It is helping me be more focused on bariatric basics and is another opportunity for DH and me to focus on health and wellness. He has had great results since he has started WW and checking his blood sugars again. I do the best I can. I still struggle with nutrition because I am being told to eat as much orally as I can, (a challenge), and I have the abdominal feeding tube but if I use that all of the time, I won't be able to also eat orally. The past month or so I have had extreme nausea and vomiting nearly every day as a side effect of a new medication I started but I think that my body is starting to adjust so hopefully that will STOP. It has been extremely difficult. I am still dealing with dental issues since we discovered my jaw had been surgically fixed into an underbite AFTER my entire mouth extraction due to long term impacts have having my broken jaw fixed, (nerve compression had paralyzed my lower jaw and teeth were dying so they really needed to be extracted. I had many xrays of my mouth and no one saw that this lower jaw issue was present and that due to that it would be impossible to fit me for dentures as planned. I am hesitant to go through another face breaking surgery, but it has been really difficult finding things to nourish my body since last Summer when I had that done. It is fantastic to have function of my lower jaw back though, even with everything else. Health before vanity and all that. I can eat things like protein shakes, yogurt, etc. but I get full very quickly even on the protein smoothies. I am hesitant to do continuous tube feeding and lose what oral nutrition progress I have made but if I lose any more weight I may have to do that. I am focusing on more overall health and wanting to gain more strength/muscle back. I am so glad that my DH has finally decided that health is something we can focus on both individually and together. I think that retirement has given him the space to fit that in mentally as well as time and energy wise.

B - soy milk + coffee

L - huge smoothie, **** frozen berries, soy milk, whey protein powder)

D - TBD. I am making baked chicken thighs for the family but I have no clue what I will dig up.

Snacks - usually a Body Armour Lyte, 1 or 2 spoons of peanut butter and Lily's dark chocolate chips, (I let them melt in my mouth. They are a good mental boost with all the food issues TBH. I do portion out about 2 T. though).

Thanks for posting this. I am temporarily changing my supplements based on my program's suggestions for pregnant and nursing mothers, but I like comparing and contrasting and staying up to date on what, when and whys.

I wasn't able to load the link the other day, but it worked today. Thank you! I skimmed it, (baby wriggling in my arms most of the time these days/nights), and there was some information that would have been/is useful to add. I appreciate it.

I did end up calling the dietician from the program just to see if she had anything to add for my situation and lactation and she told me that she had attended a conference a little over a year ago and there was some consensus that breastfeeding, (and pregnant) moms needed more carbs and higher calories, perhaps needing to loosen their restriction or finding a way, (like grazing or small, frequent meals). The estimates discussed were 120-140 grams of carbs a day, (!!!) and at least 1800 calories. Many breastfeeding groups claim that moms need at least 2500 calories. I appreciate the information, but I just don't know. It isn't standardized and I feel that it is choppy waters for anyone who has struggled with weight issues and disordered eating. I need to play around with my food plan/plug in and swap things out and around and see how I feel and how the baby is doing. I just want to be healthy, and I don't want to do anything that would hurt his nutrition. I wish that things weren't so hard to figure out what is "right". This isn't about vanity. I have to show up for myself to show up for the people I care about most. Ugh. Sorry for the mom rant.

Wonderful photos. It looks like it was a lot of fun.

Question - Was the 9-part online nutrition course part of your program? (I can relate about putting it to use. I think sometimes in the era of so much information available that it can be tiresome to discern what is useful at what point. I have been reviewing "everything I have" too and trying to suss out what I need right NOW.) Wish you the best in getting the information you are looking for specifically in all you have available to you.

Aside and in addition to what the others have posted, tracking or writing down what you are eating and when might help you see where routines or schedules need to be adjusted. Those grazing behaviors, (bites/licks/tastes) can really add up. I think regain is similar to losing weight. Those small habits add up to big results over time. You can get back on track. This is a really supportive atmosphere for that.

First, talk to your program about your fears. They are there to help you feel that this is the best choice for your situation.

Secondly, when I was finally ready to have surgery, I knew that the known trajectory for my health was definitely going to lead to a very poor outcome. I had lost weight before but always gained it back with all sorts of programs and methods. I needed different tools. There are very good studies available now about the different types of bariatric surgery and its safety, how to make it as safe as possible, long-term outcomes, etc. I was more afraid of staying where I was than going forward with surgery. That being said, I did have complications. It wasn't my surgeon's fault or my fault. Sometimes people draw the short straw. You increase your chances of success by following your program's guidelines to make surgery as safe as possible. Many hospitals now have the appropriate equipment for heavier patients whether they do bariatric surgery or not due to changing demographics in patient populations. They won't go forward with the surgery if they think you are unsafe, but I do encourage you to talk about your concerns.

That is an understatement, lol. My partner is always telling my preteens and young adults that if they do X behavior, they will be rewarded with X number of burpees, (it is a running joke. I honestly am not even sure if ANY of them, my partner included, can actually do a proper burpee).

It sounds like this semester will keep you busy. I am sure you will do great!

Qotd- The last thing I did as an engaged, Community volunteer was helping run a non-food pantry. It always had lines and lines of people. I am not sure if it is still going but these days I can't imagine how packed out it might be. I really enjoyed being useful in that capacity but these days I doubt I could handle volunteer work that took me out of the home. I try to at least stay in connection with people who do volunteer in order to donate items to places I hope can get items in the hands of people who are in need of them. I would enjoy volunteering in the Community again someday.

B - my soy milk/coffee of the day is a sad memory now...starting in on my water. Will have a watermelon Body Armor Lyte when it is time for my morning multivitamins.

L - ? Maybe this lactation snack/meal bar and some soy milk if I can't nail down anything else

D - Celebrating one of my older teenager's birthday today with pot roast and sides. Their grandparents ordered a cake that is scheduled to be a surprise delivery today. I might be able to handle a few bites of cake if I scrape the icing off, but I will have to see the cake before I decide if it is worth it. And I will definitely have to have my protein FIRST.

I don't always respond lately but the daily meal thread inspires me and helps me to see what is working for other people much busier than me, (so I can cross that off a viable excuse lol)

Our 2 litter mates, (female) don't fight too often but the 2 we adopted a few years ago will fight sometimes. One is the alpha of our cat pack and the other clearly has mental health issues and is at the bottom of the cat pack, (even the kittens don't respect him. It is sort of sad.) I agree that cats can be so odd, (among other things I have come to learn about house cats lol)

That is so scary. I had a brother caught up in some flash flooding in the Midwest years ago out on country roads. It usually isn't an issue in the cities but man, that flooding out in CA right now is just massive. This extreme weather is really concerning.

Good Afternoon Everyone

I hope you can get some rest and relief from the pain Melody. Thanks for starting the weekend thread for today.

I think that I am ready to get my head back in the game with food. I need to lose some weight actually, (crazy after the past few years). Pregnancy hormones are WILD and did some things metabolically in my case. I did try very hard to gain weight for the baby and he was a good weight for being 3 months early, (according to the nicu). I am breastfeeding so I am supposed to be hitting certain benchmarks, but I also am looking to see if I get a restriction more in line with what I should be feeling. I need to be making better choices with my food but also trying to eat through the day even though I am not hungry until late in the afternoon and super distracted. Baby boy is 5 months actual/2 months adjusted now and it is easier to be more of in a routine but sometimes it is still challenging. I am trying to take it as it comes but still make the best choices for the situation when it comes to food.

Breakfast - soy coffee, (half plain soy milk half coffee)

Lunch - oatmeal with soymilk, chia seed, cinnamon

Dinner - Eggs, fried spam, (don't judge me lol)

I also snagged 2 very small baklava squares from the kitchen table. Thankfully my SO will likely finish the rest of them if I can just steer clear of them until then I will be spared from the temptation to graze on something that overall doesn't make me feel as good as I thought it would when I grabbed it and stuffed it in my mouth

One of my adult daughters bought me a new water bottle for the holidays. It is a Cirkul. I like it so far and it supports my goals of better hydration this year, going forward.