Globetrotter

OD, have you explored alternative eating? I love meat, total coyote, but because of my autoimmune stuff, I am learning a lot about "raw" cuisine and it is incredibly healthful and tasty and has tought me that we don't have to miss out or deprive ourselves, just play with the ingredients! I mean heck, you can have truffles and cake for goodness sake, via Eggface's Protein recipes

How come I am the only one who ever mentions Click or Chike protein coffee/hot chocolate?

yaHOOO Jane, those booties are IT! Can I take some credit, having sent you the pic of the booties? I'm living vicariously through your clothes since I live in nothing but Goodwill finds. Today my dear sisters I am $h!tt!ng my brains out, I'm sure you all wanted to know that! Today is Sunday, I hadn't had a BM since Thanksgiving so this is welcome, but I don't know what instigated it, IBS? drastic change in diet? Anyway, it was so dramatic I actually went to my room and weighed myself, lol. No joy there, but I can tell by the rumbly of my tumbly that this ain't over ... Hey did anyone catch the Auburn game? That was insane. Also, Paul Walker died (actor). Talk about a lesson in not judging a book by its cover - he was the fantasy SoCal surfer god, so SO pretty, and his most famous roles weren't exactly Cannes Film Festival stuff (Fast & Furious, Pleasantville) but guess what? This exquisitely hot man was extremely dedicated to charity, had his own foundation, worked in Haiti after the earthquake, and was the father of a 15 yr old daughter named Meadow. This was no mere pretty face and it reminds me, everyone has a story. I really don't know how to go about getting on disability, the process apparently takes forever, when it works at all. I don't have the money to hire a lawyer. OD I think you need to tap into some aggression! I think you need to go take a Krav Magah or kung fu class - you know Bruce Lee grew up in Oregon and opened his first studio there! Okay, I'm gonna go poop now.

I hear you, Tizzielish. Of course, everyone approaches this journey differently, and for some, convenience foods are the best option, I'm not going to judge. Having said that, I am battling some autoimmune issues and am eating clean out of concern for that, rather than "dieting". I love meat, love the "paleo" approach, but I also love raw cuisine, it sounds like you do too? There are some awesome blogs like "rawmazing" and "nouveau raw" you might enjoy! Giving up dairy is difficult for me, I adore cheese

My goal is to participate in the new "Insanity" workout that is starting tomorrow, at least 15 times this month. I haven't worked out in a few months so my "insanity" will probably look more like "Mildly Disturbed" but ya gotta start somewhere! This, combined with diet, I would like to acheive the goal of 10-15 lbs lost by New Year's.

I agree OD, 5:2 IS maintenance eating and I think when my body has lost all the weight it wants to lose, it will stop losing, I just hope my body can agree to not do that until 129#!!!! Also, you said you gain weight easily, me too, and you know there is a physiological reason for that, right? This is why I am such a firm believer in lipo or other plastics being a part of our recovery - we have more fat cells than the NeverFats. They may be empty but they put us at a ridiculous disadvantage for gaining weight, so they must be eradicated!

How much salt should a person take in if they are not necessarily watching their sodium intake, but still don't want to take in an excess?

@ Brown - Unfortunately I am not actually "in" the military, I am a federal civilian within the Dept of the Army, which means I get none of the perks and all of the screws. I don't see how I can get disability or medicaid, per the reasons I listed previously. I've done research but if anyone knows of something, please let me know. I ate my leftovers today and promptly passed out - I just woke up and it is 7:30 at night, Thanksgiving dinner is better than sleeping pills!

Hi all, Thank you for you loving words of support. As for disability, it is quite difficult to get it for MS because of the come-and-go nature of the disease. Medicaid/Medicare/MediCal (California) you have to be destitute, no savings of any kind, no portfolio of any kind. My job only exists in theater (military speak for warzone), not stateside, and there is no sort of assistance once the job ends. Also my health insurance will end the same month that I outprocess. Went to Thanksgiving dinner with my team last night, the difac put on an impressive spread, it looked really nice. Everyone else raved about how delicious the food is but honestly, after eating so so clean for two months, all I could taste was salt, which is probably a good thing as it keeps me from gorging. I had a nibble of turkey, dressing,yams, and strawberry shortcake, then packed it up to be leftovers. Eating only one meal today, leftovers, some turkey, pot roast, cranberries, cold mashed potatoes, and dinner roll. I'm not counting my calories yesterday or today, I know that this is not my daily way anymore, I know that I eat incredibly clean, and I'm not even remotely phased by what I saw on the scale this morning because I have 5:2!! Something else to be thankful for ... in my pre-op days, not only would I have eaten a shocking amount of food, I would have continued to do so for as long as there were leftovers. I would have shovelled and shovelled ... so last night I may have eaten dressing and dinner roll and gravy - but it was about a third cup of dressing - not the entire casserole dish. It was about a half cup of gravy - not the entire boat and making more. It was one small dinner roll, not the entire pan with butter. And I think this goes for all of us, does it not? I am thankful for the people in my life, which very much includes this group. I don't know where I would be without your support. <3 And OD - every day I hope your pkg arrives!

I have had some pain, specific kinds of pain, I guess this is an indicator I don't know. Yes the Dr in Germany wants me to come and then be medivac'd home but I can't do that. There is a difference between relapsing remitting and secondary progressive. The Rx that I am on now causes depression. great.

I don't want to speak for others but for me personally the greatest benefit from 5:2 is what Feed mentioned; the notion that, "hey I can always eat that tomorrow". It is really empowering and comforting and breaks down my relationship with food.

@ Coops - it's not rude, I just can't upload any pics because I use a highly restricted gov computer, that's why my profile pic here is the same it's been for over a year and a half. @ SarSar - I thought I had a hernia and went to be seen for that, after some discussion and questioning, the Dr. wanted me to go to neurology so I did. Had a lengthy examination and interview with the Dr there, and he came up with the preliminary dx. Then went to Germany where they did an MRI and an EIR and the neuro there felt confident in the MS dx. Today I have received some bad news - my Dr here and the neuro in Germany have consulted and the Germany Dr thinks I might have progressive. This destroys me. I feel like I've been handed a death sentence. I just hope it isn't true. She wants me to go back to the States but I have no place to go, no job, I need this money. Going to eat Thanksgiving dinner with me team tonight, I will have turkey, but can't really have anything else, including the gravy since everything probably has white flour and white sugar and grain in it. So it is Thanksgiving, and I am supposed to reflect on all that I am thankful for.

I do 1600 on an eating day, 600 on a fasting day.

Well I had sardines in brine today and some kalamata olives so I was thinking I might be puffy tomorrow.

Well that effing sucked - I was almost done wtih my post when the screen went to the new BP homepage and poof - gone! I'll try to recreate, grrr ............ CGJ - Everyone else wears black, why would you want to look like everyone else? You have put a lot of blood sweat and tears into your health and appearance, you have earned the admiring looks and attention of passersby! The pic with the striped dress is sexay lady - minus the black jacket Stacey and Clinton are also big advocates of using dark jewel tones as a neutral rather than relying on so much black. The booties are great but the chunky heel isn't doing you any favors, I should know, at 5'3" with T-Rex arms, wide shoulders and hips, I am all body no leg. This is what I meant ... http://www.dressesdesignyourown.com/S/ClearanceBootsShoesForWomenClosedToeRoundToeStilettoHeelBlackBrownBootsClosedToeOnlineLS26052.htm sexxxxxay Have you heard of a line called DevaCurl? Best curly products ever - I use the No Poo cleanser and One Condition treatment along with the curl reviver. Although I never had curly hair I also did not inherit my Mom's glorious straight thick glossy raven's wing black hair. Mine went curly in my mid-20's, they say it is hormonal. Oh and I really like the military jacket shape, but black only if it is the only black thing you are wearing. Feel like absolute turd today; after the food i said i ate yesterday at the Polish thing, I went on to eat a further 4 servings of almonds, a protein shake, the rest of the slice of chocolate cake, and several more gingersnap style cookies. Every muscle in my body aches, my intestines are writhing, I look terrible. Today I will probably take in 630 cals - 15 carbs 72 protein, or 430 cals if I am too tired to eat the sardines. I haven't seen the scale move in 4 days and am feeling quite grumpycat about it. SarSar - symptoms I felt before my diagnosis: I have had a numb patch on the left side of my stomach for about 5 years, and numbness in my left foot for about 2. I have had bouts of inexplicable exhaustion and in the past year had noticed episodes of airheadedness that I had chalked up to estrogen levels of my cycle. Muscle twitches that I wrote off as anemia, muscle pain that I attributed to the temperature or cramping from exercise.

I'm starting to realize that I have a raging case of dysmorphia - I look at photos of me at my heaviest, 120# ago, and I genuinely think, "she's fat but not *that* fat, and not much bigger than me now". I would love to get help for it but I actually think I am still too fat to be worthy of that kind of help - how awful! I would have recommended those sites except that they aren't really trustworthy, people lie about their weight and size. Some people here on VSG have posted another option which is to get a trusted friend, go to a public place like a mall, and have them point out someone that they think looks about the same size as you. That way, you are seeing your size through someon else's eyes. As for what is skinny - I don't think my body type allows for it, even if I weighed 90 lbs and had no loose skin, my bone structure is wide shoulders, wide hips, genetically big boobs lol.

Yes, it is amazing how intermitent fasting brings back the "tightness" of post-op, love it!

This is my morning coffeeklatch for sure! I curl up with my hot protein/coffee shake and hear all your "voices" Feed - the bananas remind me of banana slugs, they are a special slimy creature endemic to my region of the coast, Mendocino, named so because that is just what they look like.... Oh and hey I meant to ask you, have you ever had any pieces in galleries in Mendo or Ft Bragg? I went to your site and your work looks SO familiar ... Laura - my psychological fixation is on having something sweet just before bedtime, it's not something I've been able to shake so I came up with a work around; boil hot water, pour 4 oz into a travel mug (the kind with a lid), then mix in less than a teaspoon's worth of cocoa (NibMor - sugar/gluten free dark) then one decent squeeze of a box of milk, it's about 1 fluid oz worth. A dash of stevia and I have a hot sweet drink that is satisfyingly chocolatey and milky, without having to pay the price in calories, this whole thing is about 20 cals and it does the trick. Also, the travel mug with lid is important because then I can't see how much is in the cup and for some reason that allows me to be satisfied with less. Oh and that vanity sizing? It is psychologically cruel to me, because it actually allows me to continue to be mean to myself, the horrible voice in my head can say "You haven't really succeeded, this is just vanity sizing" and more such venom. CGJ - I concur with the consensus that boots or booties would be better for that outfit and that bootcut is not for you but that you rick the **** out of the skinnies. Also I am not a fan of so much black on you, I think you are more suited for jewel tones, amethyst, cobalt, emerald... the black is harsh and washes you out. Have you considered a change in hairstyle? Looking at your face and body, I think you could really rock a super short spit-curl style, like an updated classic Elizabeth Taylor crop or Betty Boop Coops - yu-UM!! Enjoy a spoonful or ten for me! I think you might like this link, actually all y'all will like it ..... http://www.foodiefiasco.com/ This girl is only 15 and her website is the ****! Her recipes are little miracles of calorie/ingredient conscious gluttony, I mean, hello - butternut squash soup with CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS?! yes and yes. gluten free cinnamon buns that are only 40 calories each! Yes please! Swizz - I'm on board with all your advice for Jane! Laura and Coops - booties with a stilletto heel or riding boots, for sure, for CGJ. I just ordered a wierd asymetrical sweater tunic thingy online at Modcloth, I will wear a turtleneck underneath it, jeggings or thick tights, and boots (if my Mom get's them for me for Christmas!) I will try to post the outfit here. Today was a big ceremony for the Polish military which means fresh dark brown bread, pickled herring, sauerkraut with beef, potato soup, a variety of cold sausages, a variety of cookies ... I ate about 3 oz of the herring (honestly I'm just guessing it's pickled herring) a little gingersnap style cookie, and 1 bite of chocolate cake. That was about an hour ago and I have the most crashing headache now. Could be the herring, too much salt. Could be that I haven't had any caffeine today and I've been having a little regularly lately in my protein so I'm having withdrawal. Could be the "toxins" in the food, stuff I haven't had in 6 weeks - white flour, white sugar, potato, tomato, bread. all I know is I am not a happy camper, my left eyeball, cheekbone and temple hurrrrrt. As for the cap, I don't think we should because there are still some wonderful vets out there that we are all friends with that are within our cohort range who just haven't found 5:2 yet. Or if we do cap it, have it be at 30. I have these fat little bags under my eyes and raccoon circles v_v oh Brown, this is for you - here, go here !! http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/30-delicious-low-carb-thanksgiving-recipes.html

if you are ready for maintenance or looking to lose some regain, I think 5:2 is reasonable. It is actually nice, twice a week, to take a break from thinking about food. There is also ADR, alterntae day fasting, a version of 5:2, which is what I have done because I had some regain AND hadn't gotten to goal yet.

Stop "shoulding" all over yourself Jane, you are doing great!

I did have a "farewell" dinner but it wasn't junk food or high volume, I just had my favorite thing in the world because I genuinely did not know if I would ever be able to have it again - bruschetta, on real sourdough, with garlic, fresh basil, and heirloom tomatoes!!

Thank you everyone, I can't believe I let that toxic poster affect me so, and I actually had a really great day the rest of that day! To anyone who was curious, it is Lipstick Lady who trolls me, I don't know what her issues are and I frankly don't care, I have enough to deal with. Happily, others have come forth on that thread (thanks CG!) and recognized that we must be careful about assuming what the "tone" of a post really is, it is so easy to misconstrue the tone of email, text, etc. My face has been puffy lately and I don't know why except that it might be the new MS drug I'm on. I want to say that I enjoy "hearing" from you guys, it doesn't matter if it is in response to something I posted, I save the 5:2 group for last when I'm going through my notifications and I settle in with my tea to enjoy the gabfest Chimera, glad to see you back! We've all talked about Thanksgiving and holiday food, it got me to thinking that "traditional" turkey day foods don't have to be calorie laden packets of evil; turkey, roasted vegetables and tubers, jellied fruits and pies made of squash. It is probably the view from my autoimmune protocol island but when you switch out all the "poisonous" ingredients, the white sugar, the Karo syrup, the vegetable oil... you have some pretty nutritious and delicious fare. Turkey is a wonderful moist protein, all the classic Thanksgiving side dish veggies like yams, brussel sprouts, green beans, are so nutritious. And we don't have to give up the sweet glazed yams or the ubiquitous green bean casserole, just get creative with the ingredients. use applesauce instead of sugar in cookies and breads, sub in chia seed for a jelly thickener, gluten free stuffing ...Did you know that pumpkin has more potassium than bananas? thank god, because I cannot choke down bananas, they remind me of slugs :/ http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2013/11/spicy-sausage-and-cheddar-stuffing-low-carb-and-gluten-free-freshfestive.html

CGJane, my respect for you has ratched up another notch, and you were already high up there!

Most Protein powders come in chocolate so that helps. you can also buy tiny squares of extra dark chocolate at most supermarkets.

Read this!! http://www.thepaleomom.com/2013/11/fiber-manifesto-k-insoluble-vs-soluble-fiber-smackdown-part-3-5.html