🍽️​​​​​​​ 🍽️​​​​​​​ What's on the Menu? 🍽️​​​​​​​ 🍽️​​​​​​​

[ms.sss 15,561]

5'2", ♀️10m PO, maintaining 116.8 lbs this morning.

Menu for Yesterday, Tue Sep 10:

Totals --- 1768 cals --- 77g protein --- 67g NET carbs --- 119g fat

• 2:15pm (585 cals)
  • salad greens + vinaigrette
  • 95g oven roasted zucchini
  • 12g pepperoni slices
  • 2oz rib eye steak
  • 150g avocado
• 5:30pm (54 cals)
  • ¼ Protein Bar
  • ½ oz rib eye steak
• 7:30pm (474 cals)
  • 3 buffalo chicken wing
  • 2 tbsp blue cheese dip
  • small side apple walnut salad w/ honey lemon vinaigrette
  • 1 vodka caesar
• 10:00pm (594 cals)
  • 39g almonds
  • 39g almond bark
  • ¼ cup spicy peanuts
  • ⅛ Protein ice cream

Yesterday's Exercise:

• 1 hour zumba
• 15 mins strength training (arms)
• 15 mins strength training (core and butt)

[FluffyChix 17,415]

On 9/10/2019 at 2:10 PM, ms.sss said:

5'2", ♀️10m PO, maintaining xxx lbs this morning.

Ok, so I implemented a don't-eat-unless-hungry strategy yesterday to curb what I thought was an increase in unnecessary snacking lately, but it looks like I need the snacking, as I ended up with too few calories by day's end. *sigh*.

Menu for Yesterday, Mon Sep 09:

Totals --- 590 cals --- 71g protein --- 21g NET carbs --- 22g fat

• 10:00am (0 cals)
  • peppermint herbal tea +⅓ Stevia packet
• 2:00pm (152 cals)
  • salad greens + carrots + vinaigrette
  • 5g grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 tbsp diced sun-dried Tomato
  • 87g pan fried chicken in butter
• 4:00pm (35 cals)
  • 1 cup almond milk
• 5:00pm (166 cals)
  • salad greens + carrots + vinaigrette
  • 1 tbsp salted shrimp paste
  • 87g pan fried chicken in butter
• 11:30pm (237 cals)
  • Protein Powder + Decaf instant coffee + benefiber
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • ½ cup full fat miilk

Yesterday's Exercise:

• 3km run + 2km walk

Does a happy medium exist for you? The reason I ask, is that when you indulge, many of your meals still represent very wise healthy choices. Then you fall to the otherside with seriously craptastic extravagant calorie dense sweets.

So in this menu, here's what I see...you say you are "only eating when hungry" and yet, I see some signs of anorexic style behaviors. Instead of legit eating something with dense nutrition and more high cal, you choose instead to indulge in relative innocuous "tummy filling stuff" that takes a person's edge off their hunger.

Examples:

10am - peppermint herbal tea (you sometimes do broth here). Either of those will delay my day of eating with satiety.

2pm - where is your full fat vinaigrette dressing a few seeds or nuts? where is an ounce of avocado and a couple of olives? None of those are volume centric but they will add fantastic amounts of calories with little effort.

4pm - 1 cup almond milk...again, so few calories and a full tum afterward and relative few nutrients in almond milk (per my RD, it's like drinking Water basically). So if you're gonna do that, why not add some PB2 and a little Protein Powder to it, or a squeeze of hershey's Syrup (the sf syrup is pretty awesome), but do something to up the cals in it or switch to another type of meal with dense cals

5pm - see comment on 2pm meal

11:30pm - where are the calories in this? 1/2 cup full fat milk? Why not ditch the almond milk and go for full on full fat milk to up the cals? Add nut butters, or eat a handful of almonds and a 1/2 a banana with it. Blend in 2oz of avocado for a creamy smoothie.

The other thing I see is that you are a late night eater. I really caution you to break that behavior now while you still have your surgical advantage. Cuz think of the **** show on your hands when you start the regain phase and you are still eating a big proportion of your meals late at night right before bed. That's just so hard on our systems. The rule of 3 hours before bed is a real one that has to do with circadian rhythms which highly regulates our metabolisms and cortisol.

Just thoughts here. Not trying to slam or criticize hon! I know people see things in my meals that I don't see cuz I'm just too close to the issue. Right? So feel free to ignore my remarks!!! ((hugs))

[ms.sss 15,561]

@FluffyChix, thanks for your sharing your point of view, its interesting to see your thought processes.

I agree that the menu on this specific day was not ideal. Luckily these types of eating days are not the norm and come few and far between. Also, not sure about the anorexic categorization based on this one day's attempt to curb the snacking? Though in the end the conclusion was that snacking is needed anyway, so maybe this point is moot.

Going to post yesterday's menu now, which is what I think is my happy medium...

P.S. I also agree with you that I need to stop eating so late, its a bad habit I picked up on a vacation last month. I have been staying up longer now just to digest my food so I go to bed on a relatively empty stomach. Bedtime has consistently been about 2 or 3am for the past few weeks. I get up around 8am, so am not getting enough sleep, and am pretty tired by late afternoon (which Mr. thinks is why I have been gravitating towards sugar at the end of the day). A vicious cycle all of my own making! Need to work on that...

[ms.sss 15,561]

5'2", ♀️10m PO, maintaining 116.5 lbs this morning.

I forgot to take my body measurement yesterday (Wednesdays are body measurement day for me), so I just pulled out the tape and made note of them now. Despite my weight being pretty much stable for the past few weeks, the inches seem to be still coming off (oh, boobs, why are you forsaking me?!?!). The one place that is starting to trend upward though are my things...must be all the running? This now has me thinking that if I take the butt exercises (which i HATE) more seriously, I can increase inches there too.

Menu for Yesterday, Wed Sep 11:

Totals --- 1600 cals --- 127g protein --- 60g NET carbs --- 104g fat

• 9:00am (0 cals)
  • peppermint tea + ½ Stevia packet
• 1:45pm (285 cals)
  • salad greens + vinaigrette
  • 51g avocado
  • 15g almonds
  • 92g pan fried chicken in butter
• 4:30pm (364 cals)
  • salad greens + carrots + vinaigrette
  • 110g pan fried chicken in butter
  • 40g chicharron
  • ¼ leftover Protein bar
• 6:30pm (413 cals)
  • ½ cup hot & spicy peanuts
  • ¼ cup cottage cheese
  • ¼ cup raspberries
  • ½ cup green seedless grapes
• 9:30pm (538 cals)
  • 3 buffalo chicken wings
  • 2 tbsp blue cheese dip
  • 2 tbsp red hot sauce
  • 49g chicharron
  • ½ cup protein ice cream

Yesterday's Exercise:

• 15 mins strength training (arms)

Edited September 12, 2019 by ms.sss

[FluffyChix 17,415]

4 hours ago, ms.sss said:

@FluffyChix, thanks for your sharing your point of view, its interesting to see your thought processes.

I agree that the menu on this specific day was not ideal. Luckily these types of eating days are not the norm and come few and far between. Also, not sure about the anorexic categorization based on this one day's attempt to curb the snacking? Though in the end the conclusion was that snacking is needed anyway, so maybe this point is moot.

Going to post yesterday's menu now, which is what I think is my happy medium...

P.S. I also agree with you that I need to stop eating so late, its a bad habit I picked up on a vacation last month. I have been staying up longer now just to digest my food so I go to bed on a relatively empty stomach. Bedtime has consistently been about 2 or 3am for the past few weeks. I get up around 8am, so am not getting enough sleep, and am pretty tired by late afternoon (which Mr. thinks is why I have been gravitating towards sugar at the end of the day). A vicious cycle all of my own making! Need to work on that...

Hey sweetie. I REALLY didn't mean to "point fingers." I was just making an observation based on that day of food when you said you only ate to hunger. And sometimes we're not even aware we're doing something--which I was I highlighted those events--not to be food policey or Ana PoPo. You know? I only mentioned the Ana thing, cuz I recognize this behavior in some of my meals where I'm trying not to eat food cuz I don't want to let my hunger go cray. So I sub in things that fill me without being caloric or food based. Like my Herbox Soup, Green Tea, Earl Grey Tea, tea with psyllium husks, cashew milk with a few drops of chocolate stevia, That sort of thing.

I definitely think you may be in a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation, exhaustion and hunger. The bad thing about eat so late at night then staying up later and messing up circadian rhythms is that it raises your cortisol which raises leptin and grehlin and downregulates the satiety hormones. So you really are hungrier! Then your brain clues in that if it raises only a little ruckus, you'll give in and eat snacky/high reward food giving it big calories and also big hits of dopamine and seratonin...so it gets fat and high. And the longer you do it, the harder it imprints the behavior in your brain and body. ((hugs)) No preaching. Swearsies. I've been being bad about snacking at night too. And am trying so hard to break up with it. I still eat mostly low cal foods and no sugar sweets, but I still am getting a cephalic insulin response from it--even if sugar free. My first step to quitting should be cold turkey, but instead, I have to use reason to determine if I'm legit hungry and if I am, my choices are now either decaff coffee, Herbox soup, egg (hard boiled), or cucumber/radish/Greek Yogurt mixed with WF Dressing, or a turkey rollup, sf Jello cup, sf popsicle. That's it. That's all I get. And if that doesn't do me, then I'm not truly hungry.

Loved yesterday's meals!!! Textbook perfect you rockstar!!!

[Sheribear68 3,200]

My menus have been so very boring lately.

Almost every dinner this week was 3oz Protein + veg/salad mix.
I had 3 days this week with just a 6 hr eating window so I did iced coffee +premier protein and a p3 as a snack.

Next week my goal is to actually meal plan different foods instead of being lazy with it.
I mean, I had rotisserie chicken and salad mix 3 of the last 5 nights!

[ms.sss 15,561]

12 hours ago, Sheribear68 said:

I mean, I had rotisserie chicken and salad mix 3 of the last 5 nights!

Same!

Every. Single. Day. at least one of my meals is pan-fried/grilled chicken breast with salad! I recently gave in and got a costco membership just so I can buy chicken breasts and salad greens in bulk.

[ms.sss 15,561]

5'2", ♀️10m PO, maintaining 117.4 lbs this morning.

Didn't eat past 7:30 last night! Yay!

Menu for Yesterday, Thu Sep 12:

Totals --- 1526 cals --- 117g protein --- 37g NET carbs --- 109g fat

• 9:00am (0 cals)
  • peppermint tea + ½ Stevia packet
• 12:30pm (140 cals)
  • salad greens + carrots + vinaigrette
  • 90g pan fried chicken in butter
• 3:00pm (188 cals)
  • salad greens + vinaigrette
  • 11g almonds
  • 100g pan fried chicken in butter
• 5:00pm (505 cals)
  • avocado smoothie (130g avocado + 2 cups almond milk + 1 tsp Stevia)
  • 50g chicharron
• 7:30pm (685 cals)
  • 19g beef Jerky
  • 35g almonds
  • 50g chicharron
  • 125g green seedless grapes
  • 20g dark chocolate

Yesterday's Exercise:

• 15 mins strength training (arms)
• 15 mins strength training (core & but)

Edited September 13, 2019 by ms.sss

[FluffyChix 17,415]

2 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

Didn't eat past 7:30 last night! Yay!

Yay!!!!! WTG!

Your menu looks beautiful! What type of spicing do you do on your avocado smoothie? Is it savory or sweet?

I was "ok" yesterday but ended up having a sugar free popsicle last night at 9:20pm. Grrrr! Progress not perfection.

[samusaurusrex 35]

Yesterday was a busy day for me, had some job shadowing for potential new job, taking dog to the vet. Lots of walking which was good. I am experimenting with trying to not do any heavy exercise to see if that was making me way hungrier than i needed to be. I'm going to start some light exercising with my Mini-bands instead of weights. When this freaking heat wave is over i'm going to start walking the dogs every evening. so far, I'm less hungry so hopefully this works. I figure I will start heavy exercising when I'm around 150 lbs, maybe, we will see. I'm going to also start phasing dairy and gluten out of my diet. I have fibromyalgia and from what I read, these cause inflammation and more pain. Also going to cut out artificial sweeteners, switching to stevia and Monk Fruit. also, i need my husband to stop buying the pretzel crisps, i love crunchy lol

our food Diary For: Thursday, 9/12/19

Thursday, September 12, 2019

	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Breakfast	Calories kcal	Carbs g	Fat g	Protein g	Sodium mg	Sugar g
Honey bunches - Of Oats, 1 cup	160	33	2	3	187	8
Blue Diamond - Almond Milk (Unsweetened), 0.25 cup	8	0	1	0	45	0
Add Food Quick Tools	168	33	3	3	232	8
snack 1
pretzel crisp - snack , 42 gram	150	36	0	3	0	0
Starbucks - Iced Flat White- Almond Milk, 16 oz	70	6	4	2	105	3
Add Food Quick Tools	220	42	4	5	105	3
lunch
Add Food Quick Tools
Snack 2
pretzel crisp - snack , 42 gram	150	36	0	3	0	0
Add Food Quick Tools	150	36	0	3	0	0
dinner
Kirkwoods - chicken Breast, 3 oz	83	0	2	17	165	0
Green bean, 0.13 cup	4	1	0	0	1	0
Earth Balance - Vegan Butter, 1 tsp	30	0	3	0	300	0
g Hughes sugar free BBQ Sauce (8/2019) - Bbq Sauce, 1 tbsp	5	1	0	0	100	0
Add Food Quick Tools	122	2	5	17	566	0
Snack 3
Halo Top (dairy free) vanilla Maple - ice cream, 136 gram	140	30	5	6	150	8
Add Food Quick Tools	140	30	5	6	150	8
Totals	800	143	17	34	1,053	19
Your Daily Goal	1,000	50	32	128	2,300	47
Remaining	200	-93	15	94	1,247	28

[ms.sss 15,561]

3 hours ago, FluffyChix said:

Yay!!!!! WTG!

Your menu looks beautiful! What type of spicing do you do on your avocado smoothie? Is it savory or sweet?

I was "ok" yesterday but ended up having a sugar free popsicle last night at 9:20pm. Grrrr! Progress not perfection.

Smoothie was definitely sweet. I put in a teaspoon of Stevia, which i realized after made it a little too sweet. Will cut the amount next time. I've never heard of a savory avocado smoothie...what would you put in it?

...and on the other note, a sugar-free Popsicle surely is OK, no matter what time..?

[ms.sss 15,561]

3 hours ago, samusaurusrex said:

i love crunchy lol

I know I keep saying this, but chicharron, baby! Crunchy, salty, high in Protein, fat and ZERO carbs!

Edit to add: of course probably only when you are out of the losing phase as its really high in calories...

Edited September 13, 2019 by ms.sss

[samusaurusrex 35]

3 minutes ago, ms.sss said:

I know I keep saying this, but chicharron, baby! Crunchy, salty, high in Protein, fat and ZERO carbs!

Edit to add: of course probably only when you are out of the losing phase as its really high in calories...

I love Pork rinds but yes, probably too high in calories although that doesnt seem to stop me lol they'd be better than all the carby things my husband likes to get. I'm still working on my will power lol

[Sheribear68 3,200]

On 09/13/2019 at 12:46, ms.sss said:

I know I keep saying this, but chicharron, baby! Crunchy, salty, high in Protein, fat and ZERO carbs!

Edit to add: of course probably only when you are out of the losing phase as its really high in calories...

I’m still in my losing phase and partake a couple times weekly.

For example, I make a mean salad with southwest ranch dressing and use chicharron instead of tortilla strips to jazz it up.

[ms.sss 15,561]

5'2", ♀️10m PO, maintaining 117.3 lbs this morning.

It was a cottage getaway weekend with friends and I was prepared to eat and drink out of the norm and I pretty much did. Guilt-free, may I add (getting better at this, not sure if this is a good or bad thing) WARNING: Sunday (yesterday) was a food/drink free-for-all and my not be suitable for all viewers.

Fri Sep 13 --- 1136 cals --- 25g Protein --- 94g NET carbs --- 60g fat
Sat Sep 14 --- 1958 cals --- 100g protein --- 71g NET carbs --- 107g fat

Menu for Yesterday, Sunday Sep 15:

Totals --- 3519 cals --- 179g protein --- 172g NET carbs --- 254g fat

• 9:00am (276 cals)
  • 2 cups coffee
  • 2 strips bacon
  • 1 square of dark chocolate
  • pumpkin seeds
• 12:00pm (846 cals)
  • salad greens + carrots + cucumber + Parmesan crisps
  • Chunky blue cheese dressing + blue cheese crumble
  • 2.5 oz of various cheese
  • 3oz ribeye steak
• 2:00pm (465 cals)
  • salad greens + green apple slices + vinaigrette
  • ⅛ slice quiche Lorraine
  • 3 gin and tonics
• 5:30pm (255 cals)
  • ½ slice apple pie
  • coffee
• 8:30pm (1677 cals)
  • 1 slice quiche Lorraine
  • 10 kale crisps with 2 tbsp of nutella
  • 150g chicharron
  • ¾ cup almonds
  • 10g dark chocolate
  • 1 gin and tonic

Exercise:

• Friday: 1 hour hot yoga + 20 mins on the treadmill
• Saturday: NONE
• Sunday: NONE