Out With the Old--In With the New!

[Sleeved36 356]

Good for you! Don't let anyone deter you from your goals or try to tell you that you are being "extreme" when you are 100% compliant.

And. . . . Can I come over for Breakfast? 😃

[MIZ60 1,291]

Your menu looks great....well, except for the sardines.....ewwwww. I ate one with my grandpa when I was about 6 and never again. You do have a lot of cards in your deck but you are the exact right person to tackle all those issues with your commitment and precision. I feel very fortunate to have no comorbidities other than back pain (resolved) and asthma (much better).

I just know you are going to reach your goal and keep moving forward.

[FluffyChix 17,418]

2 hours ago, MIZ60 said:

Your menu looks great....well, except for the sardines.....ewwwww. I ate one with my grandpa when I was about 6 and never again. You do have a lot of cards in your deck but you are the exact right person to tackle all those issues with your commitment and precision. I feel very fortunate to have no comorbidities other than back pain (resolved) and asthma (much better).

I just know you are going to reach your goal and keep moving forward.

Thank you! LOL. My dad and I used to eat sardines together when I was growing up. It's a sorta stand at the kitchen counter, leaning over the can or over the sink, in your bare feet, and eating the meal or having the full "experience!" LOL, to this day, that particular lunch is eaten that way. Caveman style. In the dark, barefoot, leaning over the can--the way God intended! hehe.

So congrats big time on the asthma being better!!! Mine is too! For the first time in 18 years I am off all asthma meds including ALL inhaled steroids and the only pill I take for symptoms right now is a nightly Zyrtek. Hallelujah and thank you Lord!!!

Edited May 15, 2018 by FluffyChix

[FluffyChix 17,418]

Hey y'all, this is a super cool opportunity for us to contribute to science! One of our very successful long term vets is working on her masters/phd and is need research help with a questionnaire. Super convenient, privacy protection--why not chime in and tell your story!!

Will you please drop by and read about it and participate if you feel it's right for you?

TIA!!!

[Apple203 1,314]

You are highly motivated for sure, and it is NOT a bad thing to give a project 100% effort -- this is 'Murica and we Celebrate success!! My diet macros are the same as yours -- my RD would be happy with you :-)

[FluffyChix 17,418]

3 minutes ago, Apple203 said:

You are highly motivated for sure, and it is NOT a bad thing to give a project 100% effort -- this is 'Murica and we Celebrate success!! My diet macros are the same as yours -- my RD would be happy with you :-)

I you, your RD, AND 'Murica! Yes, in THAT order! Bahahahaha!

And we're weight loss twinsies! Guess we're testing if your RD's formula for success is repeatable in an n=2 evidence based setting? hehe.

[newself 98]

oh my gosh! I got teary reading this; I had no idea. You are such an inspiration and such a fighter! Sending you nothing but love and good vibes! I love your posts- I've been super busy lately and only have a few minutes to check this per day but your thread is always the first I read!

[FluffyChix 17,418]

@newself Now you made me cry! I'm verklempt.

[clsumrall 535]

Hope you are feeling the love Fluffy. We look forward to all your messages and more thank you

[FluffyChix 17,418]

TY sweetie. You are each so kind and affirming! Thank you. I'm enriched by each of you. I hope you all will post freely here--anything you want! Your rants! Your raves. Your happy updates and struggles too!!! Let's just make this a safe zone to be demented. Of course, for me, we all know it will be a very short trip!

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

You go Fluff!

[debbie89 93]

Fluffy, the changes are very clear. Keep up the good work!

Sent from my SM-G950U using BariatricPal mobile app

[Biddy zz 🏳️🌈 1,004]

Two things.

A. How fo you make a Protein latte? Hot? cold? What. My forever breakfast. I use a Nespresso pod chilled, 1 scoop vanilla protein, slurp of milk and 7 ice cubes, in NutriBullet. coffee slushy. But interested in variations from you!

B.. Anyway, back to me. I am 7lbs off goal. Still averaging 2.2lbs a week, so nearly ‘there’. I am alternately being taunted by two thoughts. firstly “struth, how do I STOP this? I can’t really lift my food consumption unless I add a meal, but I don’t feel any desire to do that. Eating around 750 calories as standard. 3 months ago I was worried it is all too slow. Now I am worried I can’t slow it. (I know. I specialise in worry. I have also worried he didn’t do the surgery, just the incision. I alone would not lose weight post 3 weeks. My breasts would stay huge. My breasts will become golf balls in socks.)

2. Maybe more seriously, there is a voice in there yelling ‘don’t increase calories.” I just had traveller tummy in China, lost 6lbs in 4 days. Mostly Water but a bit of me says “don’t resume eating, don’t let that 6 lbs come back” and other mad stuff. Do you have any of that too, my friend?

[FluffyChix 17,418]

11 hours ago, Biddy zz said:

Two things.

A. How fo you make a Protein latte? Hot? cold? What. My forever Breakfast. I use a Nespresso pod chilled, 1 scoop vanilla Protein, slurp of milk and 7 ice cubes, in NutriBullet. coffee slushy. But interested in variations from you!

B.. Anyway, back to me. I am 7lbs off goal. Still averaging 2.2lbs a week, so nearly ‘there’. I am alternately being taunted by two thoughts. firstly “struth, how do I STOP this? I can’t really lift my food consumption unless I add a meal, but I don’t feel any desire to do that. Eating around 750 calories as standard. 3 months ago I was worried it is all too slow. Now I am worried I can’t slow it. (I know. I specialise in worry. I have also worried he didn’t do the surgery, just the incision. I alone would not lose weight post 3 weeks. My breasts would stay huge. My breasts will become golf balls in socks.)

2. Maybe more seriously, there is a voice in there yelling ‘don’t increase calories.” I just had traveller tummy in China, lost 6lbs in 4 days. Mostly Water but a bit of me says “don’t resume eating, don’t let that 6 lbs come back” and other mad stuff. Do you have any of that too, my friend?

Ok. First don't hate me. My protein latte is like the most simple thing in the world. But sadly, you don't have Premier Protein do you? Do you have any RTD drinks that are zero sugars, low carb, Protein Drinks that you like? Cuz if so, then it's pretty simple dimple.

Also, can you order SF Torani Or SF Da Vinci syrups? Cuz if so, then you can make a crap ton of flavors. I drink them hot in the mornings and now that it's a scorcher, I'm having them in the afternoon or late evening as my snack to finish my protein needs out for the day. They are oddly satisfying and refreshing over just ice cubes, crushed ice is even better. Frappacino is divine--but I'm fairly lazy right now. Sorry not to razzle dazzle. LOL. But these are my "easy button" drinks. Oh and we just brew our favorite blend of Decaf which is a blend of 3 different coffees. Can't tell you which ones, Mr. F. is the barista around here. I will pour any leftover coffee into a jar and save in the fridge for ice coffees. So convenient!

Basic Latte:

6oz decaff

1.5oz Premier Protein

3/4-1oz SF Torani or DaVinci Syrup

8.5g Miralax (generic - optional)

Basic Iced Coffee:

3-4oz Premier Protein

6-8oz decaff

1oz SF Torani or DaVinci Syrup

3-5g whole psyllium husks (NOW! brand) (optional--start VERY slowly if your doctor says you can have this)

ice (I fill the glass up, then add the PP, the sweetener, and top off with coffee. If adding the psyllium, will stir that into the mix before the ice, then pour over the ice.)

Great Combinations:

Bananas & Cream with Coffee (SF Syrups: cinnamon vanilla, s'mores, vanilla, marshmallow)

chocolate with Coffee (SF Syrup: chocolate, white chocolate, bailey's, peppermint, cinnamon vanilla, s'mores, marshmallow)

Vanilla with Coffee (SF Syrup: see any for the chocolate + pumpkin spice)

I'm sure there are other combinations, but those are the syrups I have and that I've tried. The Bailey's and the white chocolate syrups are SO damn good! In the old fat days, we would mix those syrups together with vodka and cream to make white russians. So good. So deadly. LOL.

**********************

Ok, so now about the losing. I think I would start adding calories. And the way I would do that is to start slowly adding a couple hundred cals in 100cal increments until I start seeing a cessation or slow down of loss. I "think" the body is supposed to establish its own level of equilibrium when you reach your new low set-point. That's theoretically supposed to be the "end" until the magic 2-3 year mark when you start gaining. I have no idea if this is reality--these are just from anecdotal stories I've heard and read.

I think for you where you are, 750cals might be on the lower end. I'd want to maybe be up around 850-900 right now with only 7lbs left, but I personally would not want to stop losing yet. I do want to be about 15lbs below where I want to end up and want to stay there for a couple of years until the natural regain stuff starts. I want to end up around 140-145 on the high end of panic mode. After a year, the fat reapportions itself so that you fill out again and don't look drawn.

I would do that by adding fat, as long as you are getting most of your food from protein and getting your 60-80g of protein per day (probably more on the 75-80g per day rather than the 60g per day end.) And if your carbs are low (<40-50g per day), then the best thing will be to add fat. But you don't have to do fat bombs! It's small switches! 1 tsp of olive oil is about 120cals! 2tbsp of Peanut Butter is about 200cals! 1/4 avocado is around 100cals. 1/2oz of almonds is about 90 cals. Using whole milk cheese rather than 2% will be 100cals/oz rather than 60-80cals. Fattier cuts of meat rather than super lean will make a diff quickly and should still be tolerable. So in no situation would I need to be adding a fat bomb or bulletproof coffee.

All of these things will add calories and add to satiety without adding volume. Right now, I'm maxed on volume too and am happily at 650-800 per day depending on my protein choices and if I have any nuts or nut butters or avocado for any meal.

Once I reach my goal, I also intend to start experimenting with things like fruits/root veg and winter squash in small quantities/beans/legumes/brown rice, quinoa, low carb tortillas, stuff like that. Cuz my plan for maintenance is to hopefully see what calorie level puts me in maintenance. The way I'm sure it's cals versus blood sugar and insulin is to get my calorie levels up by fat. Cuz fat is not supposed to raise blood sugar as much as other foods. Once I know where I am, then I can re-apportion macros. I will always want to meet my protein goals. Then it's a matter of balancing your carbs and fat cals out with the remaining cals for the day once you have your protein needs accounted for. You might want some higher carb days (which will mean you have to lower your fats). Or you may want to just keep it where you know you're comfy and aren't losing or gaining. For me, I will want to know how high carb I can eat before my bg meter starts rising out of the normal range-and without wt. gain-then I will use that to determine my carb threshold for maintenance and the fat will fall to the level it does to remain iso-caloric.

You may choose to have a couple of "huge cheat days" where you eat freely what you want, then take it back down to a 800-1000cal level for the rest of the week. So many variations! And as long as it doesn't jack with bgs or insulin, you can determine the type of maintenance works best for you.

Hope that helps? I am personally gonna see where my body takes me down to once I'm firmly at around 850 cals per day. If it takes me to 125, then I will begin to formulate an escape plan cuz I know all too soon it's not gonna be about losing, rather about stopping regain?

But I'm just a schmoe on the internet! So don't trust what I say! Do your research!!!

And of course, all of this is null and void if you become a serious exerciser! Cuz then your needs are different and I've NO idea how to address that with myself! That's def a Jess and Jenn and Big Viffer, Mike question! And I will read and learn. Cuz I'm pretty sure you need a crap ton more cals, and maybe even more carbs, etc! To me, their scenario feels way more complicated and challenging to keep them out of starvation mode!

Edited May 16, 2018 by FluffyChix

[FluffyChix 17,418]

I forgot to do my other meals for 12 weeks yesterday. Derp! Oh well!

So here's a pretty standard lunch for me at 12 weeks:

turkey swiss roll-up (Boar's Head) - (42g hickory smoked turkey breast, 26g lacy swiss-red fat/sodium, Lowensenf Extra Hot Mustard)

veggies (23g rbp, 26g baby carrots, 33g peeled English cucumber)

bari ranch dip (30g Grk ff yogurt, WF Italian, parsley, granulated garlic, bp)

Nutrition: 169cals; 21g protein; 6g fat; 5g carbs; 1g fiber; 4g net carbs; 5g nat. sugars

Edited May 16, 2018 by FluffyChix