Dee_1111

These are good..I make them..minus the mayo..I just add water for creaminess, but yep good stuff!!

Oh, just cuz Im thinkin it...... I don't jump up right away when I feel hunger, I let my self get HUNGRY. In my fat life I'd jump up or order in, immediately when my hunger button went off!!!..now I wait, drink something first, a coffee, or tea, whatever..Then, I attack a (already made in the frig ahead of time) 3 bean salad w/ broasted chicken, mushrooms, blah blah blah..sorry for the babble, I was just thinking..lol

In order for me to "maintain" my weight, I listen to my body..I eat something about every 2 hours..I always drink a liquid first..for me its ALL ABOUT WHAT I eat. I NEVER eat sweets, or just grab something mindlessly..my frig and cabinets are filled to the brim with my staple foods. There isn't a chance in hell that Im gonna grab a sweet treat, or Dead Process garbage, I cant, my life and weight depend on me not doing that. So Im always chomping on something, I carry food with me, in my purse or truck, a banana, or flavored rice cakes. But I listen to my body..otherwise I will eat mindlessly. Or find myself standing in front of my frig and forgot or don't know why Im there!

Sounds delish..but I have found that if I go hunting for foods from my fat past, and tweak them to fit into my thin present, I set myself up to begin old habits. ALTHOUGH, I did find a cauliflower pizza crust I now cant live without!!!..So sadly I have to leave this (which sounds delish) recipe to those of you who don't mind 'Healthy' ice cream :/ (Dee walks away sniffling with envy)

hmmm..yes bread..I don't miss it anymore, I did morn it for a long time, indeed, I did..Here's the problem with bread (except Ezekiel bread). Im gastric bypass, all the breads made with process enriched flour tend to turn into a ball of dough and clog the entry way into my pouch, and I feel throw-uppy. In four years since my surgery, I have tried every bread I could get my hands on..Including the most delish Portuguese Bread, NOPE, But if I do eat bread, which is VERY rare...I eat Ezekiel bread, NO FLOUR in it, I get it in the organic freezer section. But..ho --hum, I do miss my big sour dough sandwich rolls :/

All sounds delish!..unfortunately I am in the 3% who became Lactose (which I had to look up..lol) intolerant do to WLS..so dairy (sadly) isn't an option. BUT..lol.. my fave go to snack ,ok its not GO TO..cuz I eat it all the time. Smuckers Natural creamy Peanut Butter, on banana's (ingred: Peanuts).. OR Quaker Rice cakes (caramel corn flavor) with peanut butter. I think I like peanut butter cuz, in my fat life I ate Reese's Peanut cups like nobodys business!!!..lol

Im right there with you..Im a gym rat, and I don't eat any of the white foods, sweets, red meat, or dairy..thats how bad I wanted it. I has paid off. You'll get no apologies from me...lolol..rock on girl!!!

Yayyyyyy for you. It gets better and better..I found I like walking and Katy Perry..lol..Yes life is AWESOME here in maintanence!!! ..I flew on a plane and put my arms down by my sides and still had room between me and the ARM RESTS!!!!!! little things like that!!!!!..I'd hug you in person if I could

Finally, 4 years out, and I am there..its a lovely place, and it is as close to perfect as it can get. My life around me is the same, no ones changed but me, but what HAS changed is how I look at my life now. My glasses are not longer rose-color ..I can see and feel, as clear as a bell

thank you guys! <3 (that's a heart..lol)

I was chatting with a woman here on this site, about how she cooks fish, and how I cook my fish. So I got to thinking (thank you sweet lady )... Because there are a lot of people on this site either considering, have already made their decision or have had WLS, most of the conversations are about before, during and right after the surgery. So we talk a lot about their 'Phase Food's and what is making them sick, very important dialog, and should be addressed ASAP. But for those of us who are passed that (thank goodness..lolol), our roles now are very different. Now is when our lives begin. We've lost the weight, we fit in airplane seats, some of us run all the 'K's (not me). Hike, take uber vacations, even wear bikini's!!!!..love that!!!!.were living life and have stop focusing on weight loss and are focused on LIVING, its what we wanted to do in the first place, socialize with confidence, get dates, get married, have children, whatever ... etc. I on the other hand have settle down more quieter. I don't white Water raft, or climb mountains, or run all the "k"s. But how I remain successful is..I've surrounded myself with women who are 8 years or more out and who are nothing but successful, and that's all they want to be. I love that attitude in these people. We are foodies, we travel, and discover foods from here and abroad. With ONE exception..SWEETS, TREATS, & DEAD food are off the table (no pun intended). We don't share that. Just good food we've discovered in our travels and at home that we can share. We're not vegetarians or extremists, but what we ARE is people who've changed our lives, stick to our WLS convictions, and LOVE TO EAT!!!!...I just discoved on utube, a cauliflower pizza crust. Im the last to know apparently??..lol..But as you get this far out, food takes on a different meaning, all the sugar cravings are replaced with a fruit bowl drizzle with pure raw honey, pizza crusts are now made with cauliflower, ect...When you love to eat AND are a WLS person, you have no other choice BUT to come up with delicious & nutritious ways to keep eating the foods you love and maintain your weight. These people have figured that out. The point of writing this is...surround yourself with like minded people. I never cook 'GOOD' food before WLS, I have a family so food was "Belly Filler" meaLS, not a 'Nutritious' meal, I didn't know better, I do now..Thanx for listening and I scour this site for recipes all the time to share with friends & people at work. so thank you soooo much for that.

I take pics of my food all the time.lol..I like pretty food...ohhhh truckerchic I didn't know that,,headed to instgram now,,,thanx oh sorry... can we put pics in our posts? if so, tell me how..sorry I couldn't help :/

I love the subject of food..My food intake varies..Im visual so all the cups, 1/2 cups, 1/3 cup mean nothing to me. All that measuring and counting became overwhelming to me. It became to stressful jut to enter the kitchen. I eat from a small salad plate. I visually fill it. I have learned the HARD HARD way how to fill my plate! I go over, and discomfort and pain will follow. Now, fruits and vegetables? I can eat way more than my salad plate, why? I chew them down to a pulp. One or two bites of mash potatoes (which I no longer eat) Im full to capacity, and discomfort ensues. So I choose to eat lots of fruits and veg & chicken.

Indeed B-52!!!... Health was my #1 priority. Weight loss the perk. In a perfect world weight wouldn't be an issue. Alas, welcome to our imperfect world.

Well even the strongest of women, I consider my self one, have a lot of these traits. Its part of being human. As women, its what we do, worry, stress, feel inferior at some point on our lives, gossip (guilty). And at some stages we are disconnected, its a survival / coping mechanism, like the 'fight or flight' response. The spectrum is to large. Every person on the planet has had one or two feelings on this gigantic list. The most brilliant minds of our time, are probably every one of those things on your list and more..I think if you narrowed down the list, to what 'disconnected' actually means, then I could make a educated evaluation. Thanks

HI there..I don't know what all that pains about. As the cliché saying goes "If it persists call your Doc right away!''...and if all goes will with that...and you come through this unscaved...IT IS SOOOOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!!...Im 4 years out..holding at 115 lbs..what???? yep so worth it.

Sweetie, Im thinking, if you have 183 lbs still to lose? Will you muster up the dedication, focus, motivation, determination and stamina it will take to get the weight off your legs to accomplish your mission? if so, no surgery needed!!! Not that you wont need that if you have WLS you will...but, WOW if you can do it without WLS...POWER ON!!!! much luck whatever you decide, its your decision alone. After that, were here for you ten fold. Let us know what you decide.

Thank you..just thoughts rolling around my head...No..lol..I don't know how..

Excellent Ladies Excellent!!!!!!

AWWW..the elegant Mr.Coggin..I couldn't have said it any better Hello cb..I'm Dee..4 years out...Remember the foods you were eating while you were in 'Maintanence'?..You might want to start there. The pouch test is a different thing than what your looking for, I should think, although I suppose its an option also. When I neglect my eating (which results in weight loss not gain)but it's still frightening. I stop, slow down, gets my thoughts to line up (not always easy) and look back at my log..which I kept diligently the first 3 years. Its my sounding board. My ACCOUNTABILITY measurement. The foods I eat (and still eat) while in maintenance (which I suppose I'll be in for the rest of my life) are what I eat, and always revert back to. Unforturnately or fortunely weight loss takes focus and disciplined. I've kicked the word "willpower" out of my vocab..I have the willpower to do anything I put or set my mind to..but DISCIPLINE is a whole other ball game, for me anyhoo. Be watching your success with utter joy. Thanx for listening...much luck. Talk often. P.S. I am a (lifetime) recovery sugar addict. And that my dear is where the DISCIPLINE comes in. soooooo not easy. But "This Body Feels Better Than food Tastes"!!!!!

OMgosh!!..get better soon :/

This post should probably be in the 'Rant' section. So tonight I'm at my WLS support group. The subject was Food Addiction. I like this subject a lot. I over came my sugar addiction BEFORE surgery. So I'm very sympathetic to this subject. Right up until this (large)woman started talking about her lack of will power. Then she starts crying, at this point I'm thinking this poor woman needs to get a handle on this before she has her surgery. Wow she's really in a lot of pain over this. Then she says "IM 2 YEARS OUT AND I CANT GET A GRIP ON THIS AND I'M NEARLY BACK TO MY STARTING WEIGHT" My sympathy FLEW straight out the window, I think I gasped out loud. Here come the rant and the High Horse again!! Aarrrrrhhhh..ok, I'm not angry because she was back to her starting weight, it happens. I'm appalled because she DID NOT ask for help when she felt the situation was getting out of hand. What the hell!!! she shows up at a meeting when she is so beaten down and ashamed she doesn't know what to do. she says she never went for help before her surgery for her food addictions BECAUSE SHE WAS ASHAMED OF THAT!!!!..Now I thinking what Doctor/hospital allows a person to go ahead with this surgery before they are totally cleared. Then she says, she hid it from everyone. I almost exploded. Let me tell you why (riding my High Horse). This is a body altering/life changing event. A life time commitment to that change. Why on this God given planet would one attempt such a thing without getting help first. I know its judgmental, and I am being harsh, but that's one of those "GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW" thing I'm always talking about. I had a horrible sugar addiction, I know it's a shameful secretive thing. But the opportunity to get help is encompassed and obtainable when applying for this surgery. I don't think better late, than never, applies here. Sorry Im really angry. I didn't approach her. I couldn't. Maybe at a later date if she keeps coming. Am I being to harsh & judgmental? Just need a sounding board here? maybe at a later date my compassion will return for her. To snarky on my part?

awwww...thank you so much!!!

So Im at the gym, earphones in, doing my own thing, I see the trainers office door open. So I go in there and ask her to use her scale. She's busy at her computer. "Sure go ahead"..I say 'Thanks'. It's one of those digital jobbies, so I tap it, wait for the 00.0 to show up on the little screen. I step on it. It reads: 113.6 lbs. That's NOT right. So I get off it, wait, tap it with my foot again, again 113.6..So I tap Karlie ( the trainer) on the shoulder and tell her, her scales broke. OH NO she says, so she picks it up and shakes it. So again I step on it and it reads 116.8..She tells me digital scales will sometimes keep memory of the previous stepper on'er. Ok sounds reasonable to me. Honest to goodness, she looks at me and says, " Did 113 bother you?, I thought you'd be glad"...Here's my response to that, " Are you kidding, I don't wanna be 113 lbs, that's to far down the scale for me darling"..She says " your 116.8, 3 lb different isn't that much. I preceded to tell her that in the WLS world, YES IT IS!!!..3 lb's up, 3 lb's down is a WORLD of difference, in my world...lolololol..I walked out of there feeling ok that HER BROKE scale added just a pound to my ACTUAL 115 lb scale at home, BUT 3 lbs, down..NOOOoooo..funny how this life is sooooo different from my previous life..lololol..Good times!!!

Right after surgery, of course, I did chewables, and Bariatric Advantage, but HUNDREDS of dollars later, and 4 years out, I get my vits at Walmart or CVS, my lipid test are perfect, so I decided to stay with Walmart & CVS,,WAYYYYYYY cheaper!!!