FluffyChix

Hope all goes well today Matty!!! Can't wait to hear the report. You are rocking the gym man!!! WTG! How is the tum feeling? Better I hope?

You'll do it! Can't wait for that! Go girl!

I'm 1 pound away from 100 loss from my most recent high last May 5th! Expect my 100lb loss post tomorrow. Today I'm at 188.6lbs post poopy! And I wanted to post another daily menu, cuz I was just spending morning coffee time with the YOUTUBE and Dr. Weiner and his Pound of Cure program. And he suggests that even bariatric patients should be able to reach 1lb of veggies and fruits per day at 3-6months out from surgery. Tomorrow is the start of Week 12 from surgery (3 months baby! Can't believe it. Time flies.) And I've heard the Atkins style low carb diet repeatedly bashed for being a diet that is SO unhealthy that has wayyyyy tooo much protein, gobs of fat, and void of beautiful fiber and the veggies and fruits we all need! (Now. Please don't misunderstand. This is MY style that suits me and one I've honestly been doing for more than 80% of the last 18 years--it's not for everyone. And I'm not suggesting that this is the ONLY way to a healthy diet. I believer there are many paths and the best one is the one that you can personally stick with for life! And while I couldn't lose all my weight though it alone, it did keep my PCOS and pre-diabetes in control. It was actually dx'd as T2 before I ever started Atkins, but since then, they only ever refer to it as pre-dx since my A1C went from 6.9 down to 6.0 with it and stayed there.) So I wanted to post my menu today. It is indeed Atkins style. It is exactly what he suggested--protein adequate (I am aiming to get to 74g of protein per day per my RD) high in leafy greens and even has some low glyc. fruits (yes, I'm testing green smoothies...AGAIN. *le sigh*), it's low fat due to my food choices. It's packed with veggies and some fruits and for around 29g of net carbs, I will eat about 11oz of veggies and fruits. IDK. Not too shabby, Dr. Weiner. Feeling pretty proud. This is a pretty typical menu for me. The MFP lists it in excruciating detail (sorry), but short hand, here's what I had: (each meal is about 3/4-1c of food) B1: 2 protein lattes with Miralax and Colace B2: 1/4 lo Egg White Delight - no muffin; 50g egg white puff with lite LCow cheese wedge & salsa; 1oz steamed spinach L: 1/3 lo Caprese salad; 2.5oz grilled shrimp; 1/4c pico with avocado and cilantro AS: 16oz green smoothie (after PT) (apple cucumber spinach cilantro psyllium and lemon in vanilla protein powder & uns. coco. milk) D: 2.25oz grilled fajitas with grilled zuccs/ysquash and avocado BS: 1 protein latte Daily Totals: 704 cals; 74g protein; 30g fat; 40g carbs; 11g fiber; 29g net carbs; 11g nat sugars (You can click on the pics to make them bigger if you want to geek out.)

I "think" narrow changes in pH are actually rather large. 7 is considered neutral and hopefully our saliva is neutral at 7. A pH of 5 is on the acidic side of neutral so that's why I refer to it as acidic. A pH of 5 is relatively acidic for "bland" innocuous tasting drink (I'm talking about say lemon aid v. brewed regular coffee). So that means it's 100x more acidic (2 powers of 10--it's a logarithmic scale, hope that math is right chemobrain and math are not good partners) than neutral saliva. (sorry to geek out)

Welcome to the boards!!! I think the qualification process is different in the UK than in the US? But I think we have some folks from across the pond who will hopefully jump in here and help! Cheers!

I could walk the same day and encouraged to walk a LOT! I was released without restrictions to work in a gym and lift weights at 6 weeks.

I walked 45 minutes and 1.8miles at one go yesterday. First time to walk that long without stopping in almost 18 years.

You're having trouble with liquids and pain. Please tell me you aren't drinking caffeine, right? Coffee is pretty acidic so it can irritate if you're having probs. But that being said, my doc let me have decaff from day 1. But, she says no caffeine from any source--even now. Detox from caffeine sux, but makes you feel so much better once the monkey's off your back!!! Hang in there!

bags of their rotisserie chicken breast meat for cheap! natural and uncured deli meats jennie-o turkey (ground, cutlets, tenderloins, Italian sausage) baby bel, laughing cow, string cheese canned salmon, chicken whole frozen green beans that are delish when cooked again parmesan cheese crisps jerkies, nuts and of course, everything else that was added here by others

No sweetie. Def not you. ((hugs))

hahaha! Yeah but what about spray cheese with the cute nozzle? In my old world, put me in an inner tube on the Frio with a beer and a can of spray cheese and a box of chick n' a biscuits and I could have ruled the world. It's almost a 4th food group. bahahahaha!

pobre 'cita! ((hugs)) I share your pain!!

Maybe that's a question for @jenn1 or any of your guys that have hit your magic goal? Can't wait to hear the answer!!!

@jenn1 I so agree with @Apple203. That is COMPLETELY amazing!!!! You are such an inspiration for me!!! TYTYTYTY for hanging around to help so much!!!

This is SO understandable and gives a great window into your weight history, so thank you for sharing!!! ((hugs)) And love your motivation! And I completely agree for some it's a number and other's it's a range and still others it's measured in things you can do or significant improvements to quality of life. And we all have different goals. And that's A-okey dokey with me. Vive la differance! For me, the number is a symbol that encapsulates ALL of those things. But what it mostly does is it marks that transition into maintenance. And for maintenance in my private Idaho, that's hopefully more calories. It's walking a carb ladder on low glycemic healthy carbs to see what my bg meter tolerates and where my personal threshold for maintenance resides. It's having a little more wiggle room each day if I want to have a casserole for dinner rather than my strict low fat protein + veg + healthy fats (ie a meal with more cals and gooeyness for lack of a better term). It's perhaps a tiny bit extra healthy fat in the form of avocado, or olive oil or nuts/seeds. Also, I feel certain people making a judgement on my personal goal being a number--or for having issues with this first statement in the article. When I was quite clear to outline that this was MY issue and that I wasn't expecting anyone else to follow my rules or make my goals and views theirs. I want to be VERY clear that I am judging no one here. But I don't think that respect is being returned. And whatevs. LOL. Whatever floats their boat. Thankfully their opinions do not determine my self-worth. I am determined! However, I'm not inflexible. Also, I am no longer a perfectionist. I'm a "just good enough"--except when it comes to me capitalizing on this amazing gift and chance I've been given. Cuz when I hit normal weight, when I hit my goal, it will ALSO mean I have a 38% less chance of recurrence of Stage IIIC high grade hormone positive (aka fat mediated) breast cancer. It means less asthma (medication free). It means hopefully normal bp and good bye to the last 2 of 3 meds. It will hopefully mean my A1c goes lower and remains out of my prediabetic range. It means a lessening of PCOS and will hopefully confer a lower fasting insulin number. It means hyperinsulinemia is in remission. It means a lessening of DDD pain and other osteoarthritic changes. It means a lessening of my left arm lymphedema from the BC treatments. It means a whole bunch more health things will also be corralled and I might possibly be able to live medication free save for my breast cancer drug and supplements. I'm willing to not stop until I hit that magic number because of those things. They were the motivation for this surgery in the first place.

What Am I Eating Today? B-decaff protein latte 2nd B-3/4 egg white delight with extra egg, no McMuffin + 5g baby spinach leaves + 15g grape tomatoes Lunch-Caprese Salad + hickory smoked turkey BH AS-1/4 egg white delight with extra egg, no McMuffin + leftover spinach leaves D-grilled tilapia with homemade pico de gallo + avocados and Mexi Caulirice and a couple bites of grilled zuccs/y squash BS-maybe decaff protein latte if there is any room left in the inn. Nutritionals: 717cals; 64g protein; 40g fat; 26g carbs; 5g fiber; 21g net carbs; 9g nat. sugars Vitamins: on board Water: 120floz Exercise: Walked 2.75 miles today + housework (if you can call it that)

Oh no! That's the fish belly white part! ROFLMAO! And the freckledy part! hehe

Haha! yes, I'm like 70+% Irish per the 23 and Me test.

Yes. I'm now eating to fullness. I weigh everything and from time to time put it in a measuring cup. I'm at between 3/4-1cup of food depending on density and texture of the food. I have about a 4-4.5oz by weight capacity right now.

And what are you prepared for in 6 months when you wake up and overnight you can now eat more? And you no longer feel a big restriction in your quantity? Suddenly moderation is gonna take on a whole new meaning.

Don't you think that represents a food issue?

Well first off, I fully am grateful we live in a diverse world and that people have their own unique perspectives and beliefs. The power to choose is a blessing. And my choice will and should never be anyone else's but my own. And God bless on that! For me, there is EXTREME danger in telling myself right now at this point in my very TOUGH journey that it's just "hunky dory" for me to opt out of reaching my goal, excelling, and doing my personal best (which is goal--because I know I am fully capable of that being my personal best). It's dangerous and deceptive to allow that little whisper that says...."Psssst, hey dummeh, over here. Wanna buy a watch? Want some crack? This one tiny bite will make you feel good. It will ease your pain. You don't wanna process life without this Little Debbie do you? A Little Debbie will do you." Would you honestly give a drug addict that same advice relative to their disease? Would you give an alcoholic that same advice? Oh...you can self-regulate! You can self-moderate! Obesity has now been classified as a disease. It has. I am MO. Won't matter my goal weight or not. Once MO, you will ALWAYS be MO internally. You will always have a gazillion empty fat cells helping to regulate your hormones and who will be working against you. Seriously. I can't make this stuff up! Hells to the no you wouldn't! LOL. I am no different. I've had a lifetime of obesity. I am a junkie. I have a forked up mind and forked up (permanently) biochemistry. I have empty fat cells littering my super highway, just waiting for a slight of hand to send some new fat their way. And it turns out, that I can't even lipo it out cuz once the body recognizes that you once had X number of fat cells, it's so smart that it REGROWS those mother fuc*ers in a new place. Isn't that a kick in the teeth? That's how smart our bodies are and that's how much it wants to stay in homeostasis. So yeah. I feel FOR ME, that I must realize that for me to get to goal is an imperative. And for me to maintain, I'm gonna have to change my brain, my habits, my thoughts, emotions, and DEF behaviors and relationships for the better. It will be a daily lifetime walk. One day at a time, sometimes one step at a time. And it may border on the obsessive. I don't know yet what that toll will be. But simply declaring that I'm gonna be balanced is just plain magical thinking because of the brokeness of my body. Does that mean I will be devoid of happiness or joy? Oh hells no baby! I'm loving the crap outta life right now and doing things I've not done in 18 years. LOL. It gets better and better every day! Thank ya sweet baby Jesus of the golden fleece diapers!

Yeah. Sounds like. It bites big ones. You just have to focus, stay the course, not look too far ahead, and get through it. Forward through the storm. ((hugs))

I'm about to be bare-assed buck nekkidy. LOL. Everything is literally falling off me--even my magic pants. Great advice everyone and cudos to all you big ol' losers!

Ok. Got it! That makes sense. So did you gain pregnancy weight and were never able to lose it and it compounded? Or did you have one and gain excessively? What caused you to gain weight with pregnancy? Were you hungrier? Did you eat anything you wanted? Did you fall into the myth of eating for two? Just curious. Cuz that's absolutely something I can see happening. And goes to the "two types of people in the world thing" from Dr. Vuong. Those who've been obese since childhood and have NEVER known what it feels like to be and live at normal weight (ahem, me... ) and those who have adult or sudden adult onset obesity. The two different types MUST take completely different paths re: weight loss/maintenance.