What's on your Monday menu RNY'ers?
Hi Amber!
A big congratulations to you on your fantastic 135-lb weight loss in 9 months!! 
You've done a wonderful job and I see it in the pictures.
I love your family pictures. Story looks so adorable hugging her stuffed animal. You look like you're hugging your "teddy bear" in the picture where you are hugging your hubby!
I also love the one where all 3 of you are reading "The Night Before Christmas"! And you all have matching outfits!
Your idea to keep your hands busy when you're stressed is a good one. If my hands are busy, then they can't go into a bag of chips or bowl of candy. I have to especially remrmber this at work
You're amazing! 
---Joyce
Height: 5'2" Starting Weight: 260
Surgery Weight: 232 Goal Weight: 140
Current Weight: 179
"Fall down seven times and get up eight."
Mornin' All!
Just a drive-by for now since I didn't make it to the Zumba class this morning that I'd intended to go to, so I've committed going to a yoga class at 9:30!! (not cardio, of course, but good for me in other ways!)
Joyce - I had a horrible few months like that about 18 months ago when my father passed and everything seemed to be going wrong. Fortunately, I happened to be in a 10-month "well-being" study that some of the professors at our university were doing at the time. As part of the study, I had to do either gentle yoga or meditate at least 30 minutes a day, six days a week (I had to mix it up some so I was getting a little of both - otherwise, I probably would have done only yoga since I prefer that!). It was a huge pain some days - I had to force myself to do it, but I swear it saved my butt. I think that year would have been much worse had I not been in that study! (and hopefully I didn't skew their results too much! But I think hundreds of people participated over the five years or whatever that they were doing the study, so maybe my N=1 wasn't too significant!!). SOOO....I now try to step up on my yoga - or add some meditation here and there - when I start to feel like that. I think it helps - or at least makes it more tolerable!
weight is up - too much eating out and too much sodium. I am going to stay on plan this week. I have no more restaurant eating on the agenda until Friday, so I have several days to be on the straight & narrow!!
3 years 5 months out:
B: homemade coconut Greek yogurt, 1/2 mango
MS: coffee with half & half, protein shake
L: cottage cheese
AS: hummus with baby carrots
D: diced chicken breast & tomato with hummus on a Flat Out wrap
RNY 06/03/15 by Michael Garren (Madison, WI)
HW: 373 SW: 316 GW: 150 LW: 138 CW: 163
Hi!
I'm sorry you had such a terrible time when your dad passed away. You seemed to have found a positive way to cope, though.
I think your idea about regular meditation as a stress buster is a great one. My psychiatrist has also recommended this to me.
I haven't been consistent enough with meditation to get sufficient benefit. I think I will schedule a time to do it daily, maybe even a time towards the middle of the day at work when I can sneak away for a few minutes of solitude to re-center myself. I'm sure my co-workers would appreciate, too! 
I've been trying the app "Mindfulness Coach." The VA put it out. I used to work at the local VA medical center and this app was highly regarded.
Now, I just have to follow through . . .
---Joyce
Height: 5'2" Starting Weight: 260
Surgery Weight: 232 Goal Weight: 140
Current Weight: 179
"Fall down seven times and get up eight."
