Hi everyone! This is our first thread for daily menus. I borrowed this concept from another support board and it's a very popular thread. I am hoping it may help us with accountability and also help other to help us when we may get stuck or have food issues to work through. To begin we will just do a weekly thread and anyone can join regardless of their surgery status or type of surgery. Just follow your own plan as given to you by your doc according to where you are in your journey. To participate, just hit reply and type in the day's menu. You may want to take part in the discussion that goes along with it.

Here's an interesting article in the Bariatric Times about Mindful Eating and Bariatric Patients.

For the next few weeks, I thought it would be fun to look into the concept of Mindfulness as it applies to bariatric patients! I don't know about you, but that's one of my top rules from my surgeon and nut. I must eat MINDFULLY. I can't eat in front of a tv, standing up at the counter, in front of the computer, while talking, etc. I have to be present and focused on the bite of food in my mouth. It's harder than it sounds! I've been practicing Mindful Eating since May and it has really helped me hone in on only eating set meals each day per my RD. Per the RD and surgeon, they want me eating 3 meals and 3 organized snacks daily. Wow! That's a lot of eating, but it's on a set schedule and is helping me prepare for my post-RNY life.

Ok everyone! Let's get started. Please feel free to post your menu for each day. (Each day of menus will be a new reply to post entry for each of us.)

So here's the QOW (Question of the Week): Mindful Eating: Why do you eat?

Edited November 8, 20178 yr by FluffyChix

3 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Seriously with the elephant and the circus tent?

Aaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!

I use these two emojis to emote the following:

elephant = 60 lbs of weight loss = joy of losing the equivalent of an elephant penis

circus tent=party (any type) (I would prefer to use an emoji that has a noise maker in its mouth, wearing a party hat, but we don't have one)

8 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

I use these two emojis to emote the following:

elephant = 60 lbs of weight loss = joy of losing the equivalent of an elephant penis

circus tent=party (any type) (I would prefer to use an emoji that has a noise maker in its mouth, wearing a party hat, but we don't have one)

I love that!

(I was imagining those were in direct response to my definition of CBT, which is why I was laughing hysterically!)

ha! you=pervy! bahahahahahaha! (Seinfeld: "Not that there's anything wrong with that...)

Y'all are too funny!

*thinking to self a bit of torture might make us forget about that pie*

As for the scale.. doesn't affect my mood at all. Well.... I should say it has the power to improve my mood, but not make my mood worse. So far, anyway.

I never had much history with the scale. When I was on a diet, I'd weigh, but when I wasn't, I wouldn't. So watching the scale has always been associated with positive feedback while trying. Negative when not trying.

Ok, I'm feeling pretty strong (like Russian bull or East German female shotputter) today. I'm back down to 231.2 (only 0.4lbs away from my published weight). Yippee! And I'm post TG! Shoop! Der it is! One holiday down, 3 to go! I made a ridiculously easy pan roasted venison last night. I forget how easy moist roast is when you're cooking a small muscle. We separate the venison into individual muscles the shape of tenderloins and cut them to about 1lb each. So this was a small rump muscle (like an eye of round). Season then 2 minutes per side in olive oil to brown. Then into a 375 degree oven for 15minutes. Remove from pan and let it rest for 10 -15 minutes. Perfect medium rare, beautiful warm pink/red throughout, oozing juice. Tender as could be! You can do this same method with chicken breasts, turkey breasts, and small meat roasts of all kinds. Just adjust the amount of time in the oven.

I am happy the scale is moving down again and I'm almost back to my published weight. My low was actually 230.4lbs, but I hadn't changed it on my ticker. Last weekend's pity party and eating fest really shocked and saddened me. I've been "in recovery" since May and despite a cancer recurrence scare with 2 months worth of heavy duty medical tests like multiple MRIs, CTs, PFTs, echos, etc, I was able to muddle through without eating for comfort and without deviating from my daily food plans. So I grew complacent. Complacency is the enemy of purposeful living. So now I'm minding my p's and q's.

Today we're going for Texas BBQ with my sis and BIL to the #6 place on the Texas Monthly top 50 BBQ Restaurants List. It's in Tomball, so just basically in our back yard. I adore this place and if you can believe it, I'm excited to have their smoked turkey wedge salad. They have THE best smoked turkey breast--no sugar, moist, and fall apart tender, and a kick-ass cilantro salsa/dressing that rocks my world. So I know I will be able to enjoy the time with my fam while still being faithful to the diet plan for today. What's going down your piehole?

Mindful Eating Question: How often do you still eat for comfort?

Friday's Menu (November 24, 2017)

B: cottage cheese frozen blueberries and fiber cereal bowl (57g HEB FF Grk Yogurt, 85g Daisy 2% cottage cheese, 1fl oz Fairlife Skim milk, 35g frozen blueberries, 8.5g toasted slivered almonds, 6.5g Fiber One cereal)

MS: 28g hummus, 2oz baby carrots

L: 3/4c broccoli cheese protein soup

AS: 2tbsp LS peanut butter, 1.75oz GS apple, psylli tea

D: 4oz venison roast, 1/4c homemade dressing, 1/2c roasted brussels sprouts, chopped salad (2oz romaine, 1oz baby spinach, 1.25oz cucumber, .75oz rbp, .5oz red onion, 1oz avo, 1oz gr toms, .5oz blue cheese crumbles, 3tbsp WF Italian Dressing)

BS: pumpkin yogurt (56g HEB FF Grk Yogurt, 61g Libby's canned pumpkin, liquid stevia, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, 14g toasted walnuts)

Daily Totals: 1475cals; 97g prot; 75g fat; 96g carbs; 29g fiber; 67g net carbs (dayum! gotta get my protein down!!)

I have been reading in the WLS clinic's recipe book for two months of these high-protein PASTRY-LESS quiches, so yesterday/Saturday when I got home from the pool after nearly three hours breaststroke and 30 minutes of chest-deep wading, I decided to give it a go.

I made up the egg and egg-white base and added some vegetables (spinach, tomato, capsicum) and tiny cubes of meat (ham & chicken) and poured it into a 4 x 3 muffin pan lightly sprayed with EVOO.

I ate ten of them (in pairs) between 11am and 9pm ... 41 calories each. They are each 8g protein, 3g fat and 1g carbohydrates.

Different to straight out meat, patties, egg meals or cold cuts that I have been on for a couple of weeks.

Very different to eating QUICHES with pastry. (I am actually NOT YET missing bread, crumbed foods or pastries at all.)

It's 6:45am Sunday and I have two left for breakfast today. Sadly the pool does not open until 8am on Sunday so my breakfast will not be until 11:30/11:45 am.

I like that the pool opens 5am Monday to Friday and I can sit down to breakfast at 8:50/9:10am (or the 6am opening on Saturdays which means breakfast at around 10 o'clock.)

@Rainbow_Warrior Those crustless quiches sound delish! I heart them and forget to make them!! Thanks.

Had a successful lunch yesterday and stuck to plan 100%. Had my turkey wedge salad and didn't even finish it. I ate the balance as a snack 3 hours later and had far fewer carbs than anyone other than Mr. F. at the table. Win one for the Gipper! I felt like a champion--so successful for that meal! NSV much?

I ran across this HuffPost article that was interesting. For me, the "Where Did It Come From" question would look more like: Is it pre-made, pre-packaged, fast food? Rather than was it raised ethically. Right now, my budget does not lend itself to ethics. I eat CAFO meat. The end, it's all I can afford and it's way better than the $1 menu at a drive-thru. I only can afford to eat a few things organic (not even the full dirty dozen list). But the other 3 questions were really interesting.

She claims she asks these 4 questions before she puts anything in her mouth:

1. What am I eating? (the ingredients rather than the name of the food--processed chemicals, etc)

2. Where did it come from? (ethically or factory produced; OR straight ingredients prepared at home v. pre-packaged/pre-made/fast food)

3. Why am I eating it? (hunger, fuel, emotions, boredom, head cravings/hunger, because it's there)

4. How will I feel after eating this? (physically, emotionally, behaviorally, spiritually)

Mindfulness Question: Do you practice mindful eating? What questions do you ask yourself before sitting down to eat?

Mindfulness Question: Do you practice mindful eating? What questions do you ask yourself before sitting down to eat? Honestly, I ask why am I eating this? And then after I do inventory--How did this meal make me feel? If I can't answer "hunger" on the first question, I do my level best to put the food down and walk away. I'm successful now about 90-95% of the time. I'm a serious work in progress. The times of failure are less ugly than they used to be, but ugly none-the-less. Instead of a full pan of Stouffer's Mac n' Cheese, it may only be 1cup--but the consequences still can last over a week and are still devastating both physically and emotionally/spiritually! And it reinforces the behavior/habit, which sucks! The after question will hopefully end that my meal nourished me and made me feel sustained, healthy, and energetic. It used to be that most things made me feel bloated, sluggish, and uncomfortable in my body. But that's changed dramatically since I've really focused on getting great fiber (soluble and unsoluble).

Saturday Menu (11.25.17): I was "off-schedule" due to family lunch and shopping for gift supplies to begin making corporate gifts. I ended up only eating 2 large meals and 1 snack. And I had to take a nap.

B: none

MS: none

L: Smoked turkey wedge salad (1/2hd romaine, 4oz smoked turkey, 2slices applewood bacon, 1.5oz sliced onion, 1oz avo, 2tbsp creamy cilantro dressing, 2tbsp tomatillo salsa

AS: remaining salad from lunch; 1oz cheddar; 14g toasted almonds; 2oz GS apple

D: 1/2c homemade 2Alarm chili; 1/2c red kidney beans; 1pck Miracle Noodles; 1/4c shredded cheddar, 1 tbsp grated parm; 1tbsp sour cream, 56g hatch salsa roja

Daily Totals: 1169cals; 67g protein; 66g fat; 81g carbs; 32g fiber; 49g net carbs (cals too low today)

On 11/25/2017 at 8:14 AM, FluffyChix said:

Ok, I'm feeling pretty strong (like Russian bull or East German female shotputter) today. I'm back down to 231.2 (only 0.4lbs away from my published weight). Yippee! And I'm post TG! Shoop! Der it is! One holiday down, 3 to go! I made a ridiculously easy pan roasted venison last night. I forget how easy moist roast is when you're cooking a small muscle. We separate the venison into individual muscles the shape of tenderloins and cut them to about 1lb each. So this was a small rump muscle (like an eye of round). Season then 2 minutes per side in olive oil to brown. Then into a 375 degree oven for 15minutes. Remove from pan and let it rest for 10 -15 minutes. Perfect medium rare, beautiful warm pink/red throughout, oozing juice. Tender as could be! You can do this same method with chicken breasts, turkey breasts, and small meat roasts of all kinds. Just adjust the amount of time in the oven.

I am happy the scale is moving down again and I'm almost back to my published weight. My low was actually 230.4lbs, but I hadn't changed it on my ticker. Last weekend's pity party and eating fest really shocked and saddened me. I've been "in recovery" since May and despite a cancer recurrence scare with 2 months worth of heavy duty medical tests like multiple MRIs, CTs, PFTs, echos, etc, I was able to muddle through without eating for comfort and without deviating from my daily food plans. So I grew complacent. Complacency is the enemy of purposeful living. So now I'm minding my p's and q's.

Today we're going for Texas BBQ with my sis and BIL to the #6 place on the Texas Monthly top 50 BBQ Restaurants List. It's in Tomball, so just basically in our back yard. I adore this place and if you can believe it, I'm excited to have their smoked turkey wedge salad. They have THE best smoked turkey breast--no sugar, moist, and fall apart tender, and a kick-ass cilantro salsa/dressing that rocks my world. So I know I will be able to enjoy the time with my fam while still being faithful to the diet plan for today. What's going down your piehole?

Mindful Eating Question: How often do you still eat for comfort?

Friday's Menu (November 24, 2017)

B: cottage cheese frozen blueberries and Fiber Cereal bowl (57g HEB FF Grk Yogurt, 85g Daisy 2% cottage cheese, 1fl oz Fairlife Skim milk, 35g frozen blueberries, 8.5g toasted slivered almonds, 6.5g Fiber One cereal)

MS: 28g hummus, 2oz baby carrots

L: 3/4c broccoli cheese Protein Soup

AS: 2tbsp LS Peanut Butter, 1.75oz GS apple, psylli tea

D: 4oz venison roast, 1/4c homemade dressing, 1/2c roasted brussels sprouts, chopped salad (2oz romaine, 1oz baby spinach, 1.25oz cucumber, .75oz rbp, .5oz red onion, 1oz avo, 1oz gr toms, .5oz blue cheese crumbles, 3tbsp WF Italian Dressing)

BS: pumpkin yogurt (56g HEB FF Grk Yogurt, 61g Libby's canned pumpkin, liquid stevia, pumpkin pie spice, ground cinnamon, 14g toasted walnuts)

Daily Totals: 1475cals; 97g prot; 75g fat; 96g carbs; 29g fiber; 67g net carbs (dayum! gotta get my protein down!!)

I'm asking not judging so is it safe to eat venison rare? I am not a fan of venison but I do like Elk steaks. Is it because venison is similar to beef? Just an inquiring mind that needs to know!! LOL

1 hour ago, shedo82773 said:

I'm asking not judging so is it safe to eat venison rare? I am not a fan of venison but I do like Elk steaks. Is it because venison is similar to beef? Just an inquiring mind that needs to know!! LOL

Hahaha! Ask away!

Medium rare should be theoretically safe for "whole muscle" cuts, especially if you don't observe any cysts on the meat--which could be signs of worm or tuberculosis. I sear it on very high heat to brown all cut sides, then roast in the oven to finish it. So the cut sides are exposed for to about 750degrees for 2 minutes. This was loin shaped but "flatter" like a thick flat iron, so I just did the 2 sides.

The other big thing for me, is that we live in Texas and there have been no reported cases of CJD in deer in Texas (or elk--which I think most are farm raised in Texas). But for elk in other states, or deer for that matter, it would be really important for me to know if you have that disease as well as tuberculosis in your state. That would determine how I would prepare the meat and to what degree of doneness.

I also know that no bones, brain, nor spinal tissue were exposed, cut or broken when butchering. We cut off the whole carcass, then trim into single muscles. I'd probably feel more concerned if it was or if we used a deer processor. I also know that the lungs looked clear and so did the tongue, eyes, coat (wasn't tick infested), and liver of this deer. So I don't have a whole lot of concern eating it medium rare. But I would not eat it rare. Between rare (cold center) and medium rare (warm center) is about 10-25 degrees of doneness difference--roughly. Don't know if that's enough from a biological standpoint, but it "calms" my nerves. LOL. I hate medium or beyond meat of any kind--especially game. It begins to taste like liver at that temperature! *blech*

Does that help? (I would not eat rare moose or elk in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, or Canada--maybe even Alaska? )

The mindfulness questions are great!

I'll admit that I've been having one food funeral after another the last month or so. I'm not a believer in "i can never eat x, y, or z again" unless my pouch won't allow it or it is specifically bad for new digestive system (like soda). But I do know there is food I will choose not to eat because doing so in a way that I really enjoy and/or in the quantities I enjoy would do me a disservice. So not only have I not been eating mindfully, I've been especially not connected to my food of late. Since I expect surgery will be in about a month, I need to get my ass in gear!

41 minutes ago, Subaru said:

The mindfulness questions are great!

I'll admit that I've been having one food funeral after another the last month or so. I'm not a believer in "i can never eat x, y, or z again" unless my pouch won't allow it or it is specifically bad for new digestive system (like soda). But I do know there is food I will choose not to eat because doing so in a way that I really enjoy and/or in the quantities I enjoy would do me a disservice. So not only have I not been eating mindfully, I've been especially not connected to my food of late. Since I expect surgery will be in about a month, I need to get my ass in gear!

Dayum! Aren't you afraid of gaining? My surgeon told me that I had to show a loss on the scale when I see her next. (I was up 4lbs this last visit.)

1 minute ago, FluffyChix said:

Dayum! Aren't you afraid of gaining? My surgeon told me that I had to show a loss on the scale when I see her next. (I was up 4lbs this last visit.)

They did not tell me I needed to show a loss, and I have not had to do any sort of weight loss prior. My insurance doesn't require it. I have shown that I completely understand how to follow a healthy program, and I've done it in the past and been successful for decent periods of time. Nevertheless, I need to start being mindful pronto, for all the same reasons I'm doing the surgery in the first place!