momyshaver’s Posts
on 2/1/23 10:46 am
Thanks for posting this. I am temporarily changing my supplements based on my program's suggestions for pregnant and nursing mothers, but I like comparing and contrasting and staying up to date on what, when and whys.
on 1/22/23 7:34 am
It is funny you mention this because I literally just was reading this in my news feed in another tab. I know several medications are in seriously short supply right now.
With growing popularity of new weight loss drugs, doctors emphasize potential risks (msn.com)
on 1/22/23 7:29 am
I wasn't able to load the link the other day, but it worked today. Thank you! I skimmed it, (baby wriggling in my arms most of the time these days/nights), and there was some information that would have been/is useful to add. I appreciate it.
I did end up calling the dietician from the program just to see if she had anything to add for my situation and lactation and she told me that she had attended a conference a little over a year ago and there was some consensus that breastfeeding, (and pregnant) moms needed more carbs and higher calories, perhaps needing to loosen their restriction or finding a way, (like grazing or small, frequent meals). The estimates discussed were 120-140 grams of carbs a day, (!!!) and at least 1800 calories. Many breastfeeding groups claim that moms need at least 2500 calories. I appreciate the information, but I just don't know. It isn't standardized and I feel that it is choppy waters for anyone who has struggled with weight issues and disordered eating. I need to play around with my food plan/plug in and swap things out and around and see how I feel and how the baby is doing. I just want to be healthy, and I don't want to do anything that would hurt his nutrition. I wish that things weren't so hard to figure out what is "right". This isn't about vanity. I have to show up for myself to show up for the people I care about most. Ugh. Sorry for the mom rant.
on 1/20/23 5:49 am
Congratulations on reaching 75% of your goal!
Thank you for sharing the photo from your bariatric program. I have been through my binder forwards and back, but I don't think I have a page like that. I wish programs were more standardized in that way sometimes. My partner is type 2 diabetic and I think that maybe thinking about meals and snacks in terms like I see there could help with things alone the line of seeing weight management in terms of a moving target depending on where we might find ourselves in life, (especially after bariatric surgery long term).
Do you purchase your protein oatmeal, or do you mix it up yourself?
on 1/20/23 5:43 am
Wonderful photos. It looks like it was a lot of fun.
Question - Was the 9-part online nutrition course part of your program? (I can relate about putting it to use. I think sometimes in the era of so much information available that it can be tiresome to discern what is useful at what point. I have been reviewing "everything I have" too and trying to suss out what I need right NOW.) Wish you the best in getting the information you are looking for specifically in all you have available to you.
on 1/20/23 5:14 am
Friday already?! Ah, I am old enough to remember when weekends meant a break but these days so many people than I remember seeming to have alternative schedules.
JB - Goodness on that schedule you have going on. I have no doubt you can tackle it, but I am sure it will be a feat of a different kind. That is sweat that Grim surprised you like that. In a theater!
on 1/20/23 4:29 am
Aside and in addition to what the others have posted, tracking or writing down what you are eating and when might help you see where routines or schedules need to be adjusted. Those grazing behaviors, (bites/licks/tastes) can really add up. I think regain is similar to losing weight. Those small habits add up to big results over time. You can get back on track. This is a really supportive atmosphere for that.
on 1/20/23 4:25 am
You speak the truth. Side note on hydration, I was listening to a podcast the other day and the host was talking about imaging that showed how hydrated people had an increase in a type of bodily function where fluid came and washed over the brain during sleep. I thought that was something to think about. (of course, I know a lot of the other stuff that happens to your body when you are dehydrated and hopefully, I will avoid that. Full stop.) Thank you for the encouragement. I have worked in water bottle goals in my daily routine and so if I stick to the routine it computes. All of it, (the hydration, vitamins, etc.). I just have to stay on the narrow path. It works for me like nothing else and too many people are counting on me to show up for myself to let it go. It doesn't matter that I am not thirsty, or it doesn't come naturally or any other excuse. (Do it.)
on 1/19/23 7:05 am
First, talk to your program about your fears. They are there to help you feel that this is the best choice for your situation.
Secondly, when I was finally ready to have surgery, I knew that the known trajectory for my health was definitely going to lead to a very poor outcome. I had lost weight before but always gained it back with all sorts of programs and methods. I needed different tools. There are very good studies available now about the different types of bariatric surgery and its safety, how to make it as safe as possible, long-term outcomes, etc. I was more afraid of staying where I was than going forward with surgery. That being said, I did have complications. It wasn't my surgeon's fault or my fault. Sometimes people draw the short straw. You increase your chances of success by following your program's guidelines to make surgery as safe as possible. Many hospitals now have the appropriate equipment for heavier patients whether they do bariatric surgery or not due to changing demographics in patient populations. They won't go forward with the surgery if they think you are unsafe, but I do encourage you to talk about your concerns.
on 1/19/23 5:50 am, edited 1/18/23 9:51 pm
QOTD - My multivitamin, calcium citrate w/ D and iron are all with Bariatric Advantage. I am more consistent with my multivitamins, (1 dose is SIX CAPSULES!!!) than my iron or calcium; however, I was able to bring my labs up over the course of a pregnancy despite being in a state of malnutrition prior to the pregnancy with iron and calcium, (protein too, but that isn't in a pill of course). I track my labs pretty closely so I can see what is actually making a difference. I hope my iron stays up because the infusions are rough with my veins collapsing.
Meals... Well, the consistent is the soy milk and coffee in the morning and if I feel stuck, I drink more soy milk and water, (since I am breastfeeding and I know how important hydration is on top of my chronic tendency to be dehydrated I am really trying to focus on this). I am trying to really pay attention to first hydration, then protein, etc. and have a huge headache this morning. My fitbit didn't even give me a sleep score today. I am trying to make good choices. The scale is dropping but I am pretty sure that was water weight due to putting a hard stop to the slider foods that I allowed myself so freely during the pregnancy. (That might explain some of the headache and grumpiness today too). I joined WW to instill some structure and try to make sure I wa****ting a basic benchmark (blue bot goals!) during lactation but without the sliders it is frustrating. I am not really hungry in the mornings until early afternoons and by that time my blood sugar symptoms are wonky. After being told to not listen to my cues or my body I am trying to listen more to my body to get a pulse. Keeping a close eye on how that goes. My body doesn't always respond the best to actual food, but I am trying to at least make dinner actual food like meat and vegetables. I am wondering if I need to temporarily splice in a quality protein drink.
on 1/18/23 9:53 am
That is an understatement, lol. My partner is always telling my preteens and young adults that if they do X behavior, they will be rewarded with X number of burpees, (it is a running joke. I honestly am not even sure if ANY of them, my partner included, can actually do a proper burpee).
on 1/16/23 4:18 am
Welcome back! I hope that you find that posting on the forums helps you achieve your goals.
on 1/16/23 4:16 am
It sounds like this semester will keep you busy. I am sure you will do great!
Qotd- The last thing I did as an engaged, Community volunteer was helping run a non-food pantry. It always had lines and lines of people. I am not sure if it is still going but these days I can't imagine how packed out it might be. I really enjoyed being useful in that capacity but these days I doubt I could handle volunteer work that took me out of the home. I try to at least stay in connection with people who do volunteer in order to donate items to places I hope can get items in the hands of people who are in need of them. I would enjoy volunteering in the Community again someday.
B - my soy milk/coffee of the day is a sad memory now...starting in on my water. Will have a watermelon Body Armor Lyte when it is time for my morning multivitamins.
L - ? Maybe this lactation snack/meal bar and some soy milk if I can't nail down anything else
D - Celebrating one of my older teenager's birthday today with pot roast and sides. Their grandparents ordered a cake that is scheduled to be a surprise delivery today. I might be able to handle a few bites of cake if I scrape the icing off, but I will have to see the cake before I decide if it is worth it. And I will definitely have to have my protein FIRST.
I don't always respond lately but the daily meal thread inspires me and helps me to see what is working for other people much busier than me, (so I can cross that off a viable excuse lol)
on 1/12/23 7:08 am
Our 2 litter mates, (female) don't fight too often but the 2 we adopted a few years ago will fight sometimes. One is the alpha of our cat pack and the other clearly has mental health issues and is at the bottom of the cat pack, (even the kittens don't respect him. It is sort of sad.) I agree that cats can be so odd, (among other things I have come to learn about house cats lol)
on 1/12/23 5:46 am
My Dad has been in the industry for decades and one favorite memory I have is the time he came home from one of his trips and tossed us kids a new product and asked us what we thought of them. (It was Starburst jellybeans before they went to market!) He was always bringing home things for us to try and asking us what we thought. Sometimes things were really strange but sometimes...jellybeans! I agree with your assessment that those events are always teaming with information like up-and-coming products, food trends and so many interesting seminars and demos. I wish I had the time, money and energy to do something like that, but I don't. Food network has some interesting shows from time to time though.
on 1/12/23 5:41 am
That is so scary. I had a brother caught up in some flash flooding in the Midwest years ago out on country roads. It usually isn't an issue in the cities but man, that flooding out in CA right now is just massive. This extreme weather is really concerning.
on 1/11/23 5:37 am, edited 1/10/23 9:37 pm
Wednesday already?! (I had the tab from yesterday opened but never put fingers to keyboard if that tells you anything.) I hope that you are able to get those tickets to the cookie convention. It is really fun to read about what Everyone is doing in their corner of "doing the things".
QoTD- No. (I did find the answer to if the one show had always been on a Tues. night very interesting though.) I don't care for a lot of tv. My SO has to really pull my arm to get me to sit and watch and sometimes I do end up watching and enjoying things. I enjoy listening to what was going on socially when certain shows or movies were released, especially in light of what we see around us now.
B: soy milk with coffee, (half each)
L:?
D:?
S: salted almonds
The kids have been on a kick with creating things using the air fryer and want me to try everything! They try to be sweet to include me and know that sometimes Mom feels sick if she eats certain things or too much of one thing or another, so they try to make things in a way that works for me, which I find super sweet.
I honestly need to just find a template menu where I can swap things I will actually eat out because I am in a season where I am finding that really challenging. I did end up signing up for a special with WW so that I could have some more structure with where I am, but they don't account for bariatric surgery, so I have to take that into account along with medical issues/lab results, etc.
Editd to add - I am hoping to incorporate things in to my menu that will continue to promote a healthy milk supply like oats, dried apricots, (I specifically have these on hand for some reason and I so I want to use them. I have 4 huge bags.) I have a lot of targeted, nutrient dense powders, nuts and seeds that I just have to decide how to best use. I have the pinterest tab open
on 1/8/23 11:23 am
Good Afternoon Everyone
I hope you can get some rest and relief from the pain Melody. Thanks for starting the weekend thread for today.
I think that I am ready to get my head back in the game with food. I need to lose some weight actually, (crazy after the past few years). Pregnancy hormones are WILD and did some things metabolically in my case. I did try very hard to gain weight for the baby and he was a good weight for being 3 months early, (according to the nicu). I am breastfeeding so I am supposed to be hitting certain benchmarks, but I also am looking to see if I get a restriction more in line with what I should be feeling. I need to be making better choices with my food but also trying to eat through the day even though I am not hungry until late in the afternoon and super distracted. Baby boy is 5 months actual/2 months adjusted now and it is easier to be more of in a routine but sometimes it is still challenging. I am trying to take it as it comes but still make the best choices for the situation when it comes to food.
Breakfast - soy coffee, (half plain soy milk half coffee)
Lunch - oatmeal with soymilk, chia seed, cinnamon
Dinner - Eggs, fried spam, (don't judge me lol)
I also snagged 2 very small baklava squares from the kitchen table. Thankfully my SO will likely finish the rest of them if I can just steer clear of them until then I will be spared from the temptation to graze on something that overall doesn't make me feel as good as I thought it would when I grabbed it and stuffed it in my mouth
One of my adult daughters bought me a new water bottle for the holidays. It is a Cirkul. I like it so far and it supports my goals of better hydration this year, going forward.
on 8/31/22 2:39 am
QOTD - Bringing baby boy home once he syncs up. I am running on fumes between trying to recover, playing catch up at home with the other kids/household stuff and preparing for bringing baby home, pumping, going to NICU, etc. I will be happy when we are in the "next"
B - morning coffee w/ 8 oz soy milk
L - some sort of protein, (probably leftover chicken thighs I seasoned and cooked in the crockpot earlier this week), maybe some extra sharp cheddar
D- lately it has been 1/4 cup dry oats, water, cinnamon + 2 T brewer's yeast, 1 heaping T. sunflower lecithin, frozen blueberries, 2 packets of splenda, 1/3 bar of Lily's extra dark chocolate, splash of soymilk
S - I really need to revamp my snacks but I am addicted to baked lays. I am trying to reign that in and boost my nutrition a bit more strategically right now.
I am on track about 75% with vitamins - I need to do better with my calcium. My labs are off but mostly due to the demands of the pregnancy. I am continuing to work to improve my labs WRT low protein, low iron and low calcium but it will just take time and diligence. I take Bariatric Advantage of multi, high dose iron, calcium and recently ordered their probiotic to help with my gut after weeks of "nuclear" antibiotics.
on 8/31/22 2:11 am
Just posting for those *****member me - I gave birth to my baby. The birth was 3 months early and his prognosis is a bit of an ongoing issue, (obviously); however, the Drs remarked that for his gestational age he appeared very "well nourished", which considering my health issues gave me something to be grateful for despite the situation. He is about a month old today, (adjusted gestational age 34 weeks today), and had progressed to an open crib and room air until a few days ago when he had to be put back on high flow oxygen again due to bradycardia episodes induced by a combination of reflux and his prematurity. In time he will outgrow these issues, and, in the meantime, we just have to wait and work on supporting his needs. The next big goal will be feeding, and just waiting for his brain to "sync up". We are both very fortunate to be doing as well as we are, and I am extremely grateful for that. I am doing my best to meet both his needs and my own needs as I recover from everything. There isn't much guidance for postpartum moms of very early babies, especially those who are dealing with malnutrition and trying to build a milk supply. We are both doing ok, considering, though. I am focusing on increasing hydration and resuming my vitamin routine + being the best version of a bariatric mama that I can manage. I am craving the carbs, but I am trying to keep that protein in mind as well. It is a bit of a hectic time and the urge to stress eat or just "grab something" is STRONG right now; however, I am trying to keep the long term in mind. I am going to try to catch up on posts. I appreciate you all ~
on 3/16/22 7:09 am
I hope your surgery goes well and I hope that the rest from exercise allows a break from the pain.
on 3/16/22 7:07 am
Good Day Everyone, the rest of the week will fly by now. We are doing catch up dental appointments for some of the younger kids tomorrow and then it is the weekend and the weather has been pretty nice.
QoTD - I do not enjoy conflict. I heard a pretty good analysis of agreeable people vs. disagreeable people by Jordan Peterson and that is when I realized that I am definitely agreeable, perhaps to a fault.
It has been a while since I have participated in the menu thread but I am hoping to take better use of the ideas again because I finally have my appetite back and have been able to eat, drink and put on the weight that I needed to do to. I have been working very hard but I cannot take all of the credit - We received some unexpected news and will be welcoming another family member early this Fall! A bit of a shock but we are taking it in stride. Also - to anyone who has a uterus, assume it is possible, even if unlikely.
I have been adding protein powder wherever I can in my meals. It is a little hard mentally to accept that the hunger is ok and necessary after the past few years but I am aware of what needs done and just focusing on those issues right now with gratefulness that I can actually eat again. It is a weird headspace!
on 2/2/22 2:48 am
Sorry you aren't feeling well. Sinus issues are rough. Whelp, after avoiding the 'vid all this time and being triple protected, it ha**** our home. I was in the ER because my GJ tube dislodged but I tested negative then, a few days later my partner was pretty sick. They could have caught it at work though because it is going around there. I worry because they are type 2 diabetic but after a few rough days (like a bad flu) they seem to be doing better. We are still all quarantined of course, probably for the best because we are about to get a winter whallop. We have been doing what we can around the house to make sure we are ok if we lose power because it seems like we are going to get rain, ice, wind and LOTS of snow. Lovely. Try to stay safe Everyone
on 1/10/22 12:51 pm
QOTD - I feel like I know so many people who have a huge spectrum of beliefs. I have lost friends to this virus and it is so incredibly sad. I have friends who are nurses who I trust to tell me the truth about what they are seeing bedside. I see the divides happening in families and long time friends and what this is doing to our already fractured country. We are 2 years into this and from the inklings late 2019 I knew this would be life changing but this has just changed everything. I am health compromised and I don't leave my home often, even canceling needed medical appointments due to fear borderlining on agoraphopia. I am working on it. I live in a red state and when I go out I feel ostrasized for masking. Like they think I am brainwashed and ignorant. I feel like - what in the world does it hurt to put on a mask if there is any chance it might help someone? I just try to keep to myself at home and my friends online. Even online I see fractures in shared beliefs and it is so sad to me more than anything.
I am working on staying consistent with my vitamins to continue to reverse my malnutrition. I had some PP in my coffee this morning and some oatmeal just now. I am going to try to eat something light for dinner but nothing sounds good. My feeding pump has been acting weird so I haven't been able to be as consistent as I should but I am making an effort to do even a little better each day than the day before, if that makes sense. Self care is really difficult for me but I am doing what I can. I do check in with my therapist by phone when I really need to, probably not often enough but I feel life is just really hard for so many people right now. I would like to work on trying to go out more but I really feel like it just isn't safe right now. It annoys my partner a bit, I think, but I really feel strongly about this. He is diabetic anyways and with the ways this new variant is infecting so many people and making underlying health conditions worse I feel very protective of him. I know he thinks I worry too much but I have been very concerned about this since before news broke mainstream and through all of it my fears have been founded, so I don't think it has been me being overly anxious especially considering how many people have died. The denial and strange behaviors and beliefs around this virus have just blown my mind. My kids, my cats and my chickens help keep me grounded lol - and Jordan Peterson's motivational talks, (for when I am wallowing in my own self pity lol). Anyways, it is good to see familiar and new posters. Here is to trudging through what we will be collectively facing in 2022.
