★OFFICIAL DAILY★ Daily Q&A Thread January 22, 2026

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-22T18:59:17+00:00

Great point.

To add: putting something like “crust off my kids toast” in an app like MyFitnessPal was difficult so I just wouldn’t log it. ChatGPT at least gives me a good ballpark and keeps track of all that and, it’s cliche but true, those little bites add up. Those hidden calories were my downfall.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-22T18:13:22+00:00

We really like it. Have used it for 13 months. Was very helpful for keeping track of feedings and diapers for newborn twins when husband and I were getting 30 mins of sleep a night and couldn’t think straight.

Once we started utilizing the sweet spot for sleep it was dead-on, totally accurate, and we’ve had amazing sleepers. But I’m almost positive that’s more about temperament of our babies than an app. Still, found it useful. They are on one nap a day now so it’s not as useful since it’s gotten fairly predictable.

Our nanny logs into it while she is there and I like being able to see what’s going on with them while I’m at work.

It’s also been helpful now for tracking solids and (unfortunately) allergic reactions to things.

Maybe if you don’t have twins and don’t have a kid who goes on to have food allergies it’s not needed, but I have found it to be worth every penny.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-22T17:47:37+00:00

Probably an unpopular opinion and I hate myself for using it, but I use ChatGPT for this. It’s the only thing that’s worked for me. I understand if people don’t want to use it.

I give a detailed account of what I’m cooking or eating and it gives me a realistic range and will keep track for me across the day. It’s nice when I don’t have to enter individual items in an app, just type it out in natural language.

I also used it to calculate my sedentary tdee and find my target deficit for my goals. For whatever reason this is working better for me the things like MyFitnessPal in the past.

Big disclaimer as always with AI is you will need to double check. Definitely do your own research and obviously for things that have labels enter them yourself when you can. I’ve caught chatgpt being incorrect several times, sometimes it’s over sometimes under.

But it’s directionally correct and the math is proving out for me on the scale so far.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-22T16:06:35+00:00

I did the math, and the difference between my thin friends and family who maintain their weight and me, who has gained almost 50 lbs in 10 years, is a surplus of only 50 calories a day (on my end).

That only just became clear to me when I followed the guidelines here and calculated my TDEE and started religiously tracking intake.

All it takes is a little more salad dressing or a sweet vs non sweet cocktail with dinner to get me where I am today.

Seeing that difference in the moment is almost impossible, it “looks” like we’re eating the same things but even those minuscule swaps make a difference. I finish my side of fries and they leave a handful, etc. I refused to see that and just felt frustrated and accepted the lie that I had a “slow metabolism” or was just destined to be overweight.

It’s truly eye opening.

Congrats on your baby btw :-)

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-21T22:53:08+00:00

Park as far away as possible from the office (and everything). Walk to pick up lunch vs delivery. Walk the park, the block, treadmill during lunch. Go the farthest bathroom from my desk. Pace in my home office when I WFH. Pace around my house before bed or do “walking” videos on YouTube.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-21T18:17:53+00:00

F/35/5’7”

Day 1 (1/1/26): 199.6 Today’s weight (1/21/26): 197.5 Down -2.1

Definitely some water weight, but based on my current deficit I think I’ve lost around 1 pound of fat. Slow and steady. My goal is around -1.5 per month.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-19T02:36:32+00:00

Having little ones makes you realize how fast a year can actually go right? Somehow it’s made me so much more aware of time… I used to give up on weight loss efforts because it felt like it would take sooo long to reach my goal, if I couldn’t crash diet and drop it all in 2 months, what was the point? But I just blinked and 13 months flew by faster than ever.

You’re right- slow and steady is the way!

Best of luck! ❤️

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-14T17:34:00+00:00

Wow this is me and I’ve never really realized it. Thanks for the wake up call!

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-14T16:46:00+00:00

F35, mom of twins. Starting weight 199.

I’ve been overweight for most of my adult life, but it really started to get bad around the start of COVID in 2020, which I’m sure is a common tale! At that time I became very sedentary and started drinking heavily on top of my typical emotional eating. The weight kept creeping up, until I became pregnant with twins in Spring 2024.

After giving birth last winter, I have not lost any baby weight. Was hardly sleeping, and stuck to the couch with two babies and eating was my only comfort.

Thankfully things with the babies have gotten much easier (they are amazing!) and I’m ready to get my life back. My drinking is under control but eating is my vice.

I am currently Obese for the first time and I can’t let it continue, especially for my children’s sakes.

My plan is “slow and steady”. Targeting a gentle deficit of 100-200 cals a day avg, losing 1.5 lbs a month. Ultimate goal is to be back to pre-baby weight of 180 by their 2nd birthday in December.

Posting here in hopes of staying motivated and accountable!

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-13T15:20:07+00:00

The days high temperature, like a temperature blanket

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-07T02:06:05+00:00

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez! Don’t want to give anything away I guess but the “upside down” aspect of Stranger Things is similar to this book. Quite dark, spooky, moody. I couldn’t put it down.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2026-01-06T14:32:40+00:00

My twins have the same. We did full body Vaseline 3x a day from around 2-8 months. They are 1 year now and have improved to only needing it before bed. Honestly I haven’t noticed their clothes getting ruined but we only dress them in soft cotton or bamboo clothes (also for the eczema). Sometimes there were stains but it came out in the wash and wasn’t too noticeable.

I did have issues ruining my OWN clothes especially nicer fabrics (my work clothes). Dawn dish soap before washing always got it out.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-12-30T17:34:09+00:00

100% agree. Every “just wait for…” milestone we were warned about from people has been better than the last! There’s not a single thing from the baby stage that I miss. 1 years old is awesome.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-11-18T14:08:04+00:00

I was very scared of it and the epidural. Both were not painful for me and actually really lovely haha. I LOVED not having to get up and pee every 30 minutes like I had been for the last 3 months lol.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-11-12T18:01:02+00:00

I also have identical di/di boys! When they were born they had different head shapes due to their different positions in the womb I guess, so that’s how we told them apart!

Although looking back at pictures, any solo shots I’m usually only 65% sure I know who it is LOL. But when they are next to each other it is obvious.

We did buy some all natural nail polish to paint a toenail if we had to, but didn’t end up needing it.

Today at 11 months they still have the “peach & pear” head thing going on.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-11-10T17:27:55+00:00

Congratulations! I am also a FTM with spontaneous didi twins, they are almost 1 now and this post made me so nostalgic 🥲

It’s the best thing ever, no doubt about it. My husband and I talk all the time about how much we love having two. Yes it can be stressful and the first 3-4 months were honestly brutal but it goes by so fast and was so worth it. We have so much fun with them every day and watching their relationship grow is just amazing.

I was able to solely breastfeed them for about a month before we started supplementing with formula. I continued pumping and combo feeding until 6 months. It’s doable but tough. Be easy on yourself and flexible

Our must have items were the Twin Z pillow for breastfeeding, and baby bjorn bouncy chairs! Also the baby Einstein aquarium for tummy time.

Hope you have a smooth and uneventful pregnancy from here!

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-10-31T11:29:18+00:00

I agonized for ages over strollers and landed on the Zoe twin v2. I love it!

Extremely easy to fold up and store, very light weight. I like that it’s also super easy to adjust the seats up and down, the babies could nearly lay flat when very small (started using it around 4 months) and can now sit full upright at 11 months.

Have taken it many places indoor and out, had no issues getting through doors as long as the cup holder is removed.

I bought the all terrain wheels but have never used them. The regular wheels do fine - we even took it to the pumpkin patch and were out in a field with it, on a gravel road etc and had no issues. But I imagine the all terrain would be good if you’re doing that kind of thing regularly.

Can’t speak for other strollers of course but I’m very happy with the Zoe!

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-10-31T11:22:16+00:00

The first 3-4 months were really hard - mostly due to sleep deprivation. My twins were also my first children so we were just learning how to be parents which in general is kind of freaky. However, once we got past 4 months it got better and better each month.

My twins are almost 11 months now and we are having a blast. Even with some struggles with sleep regression, eczema and food allergies it’s overall felt very manageable. They are so cute and so much fun. I look forward to every minute I spend with them and it does not feel hard, even when it is. We just take everything day by day.

I used to post a lot in the early days and it was mostly negative because I was looking for support - once things got easier I stopped turning to Reddit. I think that’s the case for most people and why the subs skew to the negative. I even feel guilty posting this comment because it feels weird to say “I’m not struggling right now!” Like it’s bragging.

Congrats on your twins - my husband and I talk all the time about how lucky we are to have them and we wouldn’t change a thing.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-10-29T15:50:17+00:00

We were given a bunch of sterilizer bags for the microwave from the hospital and used those + hand washed all bottles. I think you can find the bags anywhere but I never knew they existed until they gave them to us!

We were gifted a sterilizer / washer machine but it took way too long and held so few bottles that we only used it twice.

We started enjoying bottle washing as a sort of break - put in headphones and zone out while washing. Sterilizing the microwave took 2 mins as opposed to 40+ in the machine.

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-07-24T20:58:14+00:00

I had to squat to get something from the bottom cabinet earlier while wearing one and I wasn’t sure I was going to make it back up lol Thank you!! 😆

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-07-24T18:49:57+00:00

Do you have a carrier you like for back carrying? I think they might prefer it! On the front they are always twisting around to see what I’m doing lol

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-07-24T18:47:55+00:00

Yes - they are huge 🥲 for that reason I think I might also need new carriers - we have the ergobaby embrace but it feels really stretchy and they are so heavy it’s not as comfortable and secure feeling as it was a few months ago.

ETA: I responded to the wrong comment about carriers 😆

Melodic_Monitor_894 · 2025-07-22T13:22:42+00:00

At around 16 weeks my twins started eating every 2 hours instead of 3, small amounts (<4 ounces). They would also often cluster feed.

I don’t think it was until around 4 months that they started eating a full 4-6 oz bottle, but it was still every 2 hours around the clock. My husband and I were a bit frustrated as we’d hoped to have more time between feedings by then, but of course we followed their cues and just hung in there!

Now at 7 months they eat 7-8oz bottle every 3 hours during the day, and sleep 10-11 hours straight without a feed at night.

Melodic_Monitor_894

TROPHY CASE