ifyourstomachoffendsyou

Get the fill. It'll help jumpstart your diet. Do the liquids for a few days, then high protein mushies, then high protein meats and veggies. You can do that now,too, while you wait for the fill. Get the crap out of your house and life so you won't be tempted. Cheri

The basic principles of OA are like AA and include the 12 step approach. I prefer the OA's that stick to the steps and principles and that don't add a lot of other restrictive rules. They work much better for me. You have to find what's right for you. And at all meetings and with everything posted here and elsewhere, take what you like and what works for you, and leave the rest. Cheri

So happy everyone's arrived safe and sound. Great pic. I'm off on MOnday so will enjoy my extended weekend. I'm having two grandsons over tomorrow overnite because their father is getting a big award at a dinner at one of the gambling boats in N. Hammond. My daughter is going and they're going to stay in the hotel there overnite. So, fun for all of us. I also have a 30% off coupon for Kohls and am going to go get some more bras and maybe panties. I'll check out the clearance racks while I'm there. Crazy weather all over. Hope Florida ladies can relax. Sounds like the cocktail party will help. I expect fuzzy pics and muddled posts tonight unless they have a designated writer. LOL. Cheri

Hey guys! Good grief! Peace! I'm rolling my eyes (just a little). I like posting about our daily lives. I love the connections we've made. I'm happy to hear about plans for the trip and all the excitement and anticipation. I'm also so sad for those who couldn't go at the last minute. I'm just responding to a suggestion by a newbie to this thread and trying to see things from her viewpoint. Trying to jump in in the midst of all the planning and trying to find parts of posts that aren't details about the trip is a little overwhelming. I've noticed that the people not attending haven't been posting as much. I'm a problem solving people pleaser so I suggested a compromise. So shoot me! I'll just nurse my wounds while all of you who made it to Florida have a great time. I can pack some of this foot of snow we have on the wounds to stop the bleeding. LOL. Good news! I had a skittle and chocolate free day (so far). Yesterday, I had a second-grader that I was teaching how to read and I was making up funny little rhymes to connect similar words for her when she looked up and asked me, "Mrs. Flory, did someone teach you how to teach like that?" Made me feel so good. Hey Jewel! Wait till you can look down and see your feet without having to bend over! That's an NSV (non-scale victory, or no small victory). Duluth or Apple's summer place sound great. Fall would not work for me. Only summer. Or between Christmas and over New Years. Unless I have no job next fall which seems less and less likely to happen. My school is doing so much better. And I don't think they're going to be changing my NCLB program and putting it in the hands of a private vendor. So, I'm relaxing a little on that score. Those of you in Florida have a great time and stay safe. Cheri

I enjoy the excitement and the love flying amongst all of you and I truly wish I could be there. Apples, your anticipation causing you to hyperventilate made me choke up. Wasn't sure if I was laughing or crying. But some of the arrangements between those going as far as airlines, condos, who's picking up whom and when, those things could maybe be handled on a separate thread or by e-mail. I look forword to reports and pictures. Cheri

It is a little overwhelming right now to wade through all the trip stuff, especially for newbies and even for those not able to attend. It might be good next year to set up a separate thread for those going on the trip to make and confirm all arrangements. This thread could keep inviting people and giving some details. However, its dealing with life that often gets us into the food, so putting our issues out there on a daily basis, our struggles, our triumphs, etc., helps us stay out of the food. I'm struggling right now. I was afraid the maintenance stage would bring that and it has. All I want is sugar and chocolate. Not gaining yet but it can't be far behind if I can't get on top of this. However, I have been on a spiritual high the past few days even though I'm struggling with the food. Go figure. We did this amazing song on Sunday called Revelation Song. You can see it on Youtube. Amazing. I saw two sunrises while listening to the song that were amazing. The first had a rainbow to the right of the sunrise. I've never seen a rainbow on the same side as the sun and never at sunrise. I was on my way to choir practice before church, listening to Revelation Song as practice before the practice. The next sunrise was the next morning on my way to school. A straight up and down shaft of tangerine light rose directly from the rising sun like a finger pointing straight up to God out of a mango-papaya horizon. Part of the Revelation Song says: clothed in rainbows of living color and goes on Holy Holy is He. Man! I couldn't stop praising Him or listening to that song. Finally moved my CD off repeat today. There are other songs out there but I'm still waking up with that one in my head and singing it while I walk around the school exercising. Wow! Cheri

Snowday for me today. Slept in, took long bubble bath. Read books. Someone asked what movie my DH and I went to instead of SuperBowl. We saw The Book of Eli. It was surprisingly good. Apocalyptic. Nice surprise at the end. Also picked up 2 books at Borders. Came in handy today for my snow day. 1day, so sorry about the trip. So disappointing. Jessica, congrats. I needed two fills before experiencing much restriction--probably because I was really losing weight fast and restricting my diet without lapband restriction. Right now I'm really grateful for a tight band because having reached goal I'm fighting that urge to start eating again. Not sure Vegas is my kind of thing. I have little money to spend on shows and certainly not on gambling. I know my daughter loved all the glitz and thought there were plenty of fun things to do and she's pretty cheap and bargain oriented so it might be fun. Don't like hotel rooms much though. I'm not into shopping. I really like history and art and culture. I like outdoor fests and dancing to street bands and unique boutiques and tend to avoid malls like the plague. If I want to go to the mall, I can do it at home. I like to see things that are unique to the area. Nature things, historical tours or historic areas, architecture, local arts and crafts, artisans, etc. Sitting and talking is OK. Really like to be able to go outdoors and hike in beautiful settings. Maybe we could go to the Grand Canyon. Never been there and always wanted to go. I am not fond of extreme heat anymore than I am of extreme cold. Problem is, I'd need to go on a weekend-Monday type thing, since Mondays are usually when there's school holidays. Or it would have to be during the summer. Cheri

Laura, About the gas. I don't take anything. I just make sure I'm not constipated so I have a "wind tunnel" for it to escape. Was a little constipated (TMI) at work the other day and the back pressure on my band was painful and I even had pain going up into my shoulders. I kept moving around until things opened up. I found that pain was as bad if not worse than the "stuck" pain when there's too much in the pouch. I can't take anything when the pouch is full of gas because I'd just pb on it, so I just wait it out. Gonna go to the movies. Never watch the superbowl and we figure the theatres will be empty. Didn't even know today was the superbowl till I got to church and it was mentioned there. Seems to me its mostly get wasted day and eat crap till you drop day. Never did enjoy it much. Gets way too noisy for me the few times I've gone to a party. I eat because there's nothing else to do. Cheri

Got great restriction since my fill too. Unfortunately I found out that Skittles go through. I must really be needing to feel like my mouth is full and like I'm chewing enough not to mention needing a sugar fix after 8 months without a lot of it. Will get back on track. Am already clearing it out of the house and my classroom. Cheri

Yeah us. You go girls. We rock. Cheri

Sweet Petunia, congratulations. Moving around is the best thing for the gas so you're doing the right thing. I felt like I took farting and burping to new heights after my surgery. My new motto was Feel Free to Fart Frequently. Cheri

We've all been there. Not posting about it is part of the disease. I've found out I can no longer have Skittles in the classroom for rewarding kids. My assistant was bringing it for special treats And I was leaving it alone but then I started supplying it for her which made me think I could eat it too since I'd paid for it, but now she's switched to Now & Laters which don't trigger me. Thank God. In some ways, this tight band really makes me want to eat. Psychologically I fee like I'm not eating enough. Actually, I'm not eating enough at meals. Cause it takes so long to eat. But a mouthfull of Skittles goes through with no problem. Its getting better as I lose a couple lbs. I'm up and down on those last 3 lbs I lost after an evening of dancing. So they're dropping off slowly but surely. I want to build in a cushion so hopefully, I'll go on to lose a few more. Also I think you wanted to know the name of my blog. It's IF YOUR STOMACH OFFENDS YOU, TIE IT OFF You're going to be OK. Progress not perfection. Cheri

Eva, that 10 minutes threw me, too. Like I said, take what you like that works for you, and leave the rest! Man, I woke up in the middle of the night and tried to swallow some water. Big mistake. I was up for an hour. Everytime I tried to lay down I pb'd so there's something to the shifting that happens internally that definitely affects the band. I was up at least half an hour waiting for the tightness and pain to subside. I'm back to sip and burp, sip and burp. This is the tightest I've ever been. I had the warm coffee and milk first this morning while I got ready for work and then drank my protein drink on the way to school. Doing some mushies today. Refried chorizo beans with low-fat taco cheese for supper. Lived on that after my surgery and I still love it. Two protein drinks and chocalate-raspberry yoghurt parfait. I can eat a teaspoonful of dried sunflower seeds here and there as long as I chew them well. I use them to reward the kids. They love them. As I pour a spoonful of seeds into their little hands, I always feel like a mama bird. LOL. I grab a spoonful here and there during the day. Really keeps the hunger at bay. Supposed to be good for ADHD and highly nutricious. Choir tonight. Some really great numbers. Singing Sunday. So, I'm hoping for a good night's sleep. No more pbing on a vitamin before bed and no pbing on a drink during the night. Cheri

I've lost 70 lbs.

Sweet Petunia, I hope its a cakewalk, but if its not, this too shall pass.

Wow! I accidentally posted my last post long before I was done with it and editing it took forever. Thought the material was interesting and helpful. Just a pain to type. I don't have a scanner so had to type it all. I was the tightest I've ever been when I got up this morning. Almost gave me a panic attack. I had to keep reminding myself that I was able to easily drink my protein drink the previous night and my band always opens up as the day goes on. You almost feel like you can't breathe when its that tight. Like--what am I going to do if I can never eat again or if this never goes down? But I switched from trying to swallow my cold protein drink to having hot coffee with milk in it and that opened up the band. So I'm OK and was able to eat just fine today. We'll see tomorrow morning what its like, but I may drink coffee first while I'm getting ready and the protein drink on the way to school. But I'm really wondering why, for so many of us, the band feels tight in the morning and loose at night when we really need it to be the other way around? I did read an explanation for flying and its effect on the band. Less air pressure at higher altitudes allows the air in the band to expand, but maybe they meant the liquid expands. So, when we sleep, does the liquid expand? Or does our stomach swell and make the band tighter? School is making me nuts. Kids are making me nuts. I've got to get my mojo back, but January and February are long teaching months without much of a break. I'm just plain crabby. Testing is first week in March and I thought it was closer to or actually in April. I'm always looking to get more time to teach them more and get them farther along. Aargh. I am less than patient with them right now because I care about the test results a whole lot more than they do. I also think that this year NCLB is requiring us to go back to testing the kids on a whole different test than what the whole school does. So my kids get tested twice, and its the worst headache I've ever had trying to test 1rst through 8th grade kids on the same days. The scheduling is a nightmare and all the teachers are angry that the kids are out of their classrooms. Aargh. Cheri

I got a sheet featuring "Useful Information Following Adjustment of the Lap-Band®" after my fill yesterday. Thought I'd type it out for all of you. Useful Information Following Adjustment of the Lap-Band® Care following your adjustment: Consume liquids (i.e. water, skim milk) for the remainder of the day. Progress soft foods over the next 2 days, then resume your healthy, low-fat diet. FAQ's you may find helpful for continued success: When do I need an adjustment? Tolerating larger volume Satiety less after a meal. Gaining weight. Increased nausea, vomiting, heartburn. What is an acceptable rate of weight loss? Approximately 1-2 lbs/week What if I stop losing weight? You may need an EATING adjustment You may need a BEHAVIOUR adjustment You may need an ATTITUDE adjustment You may need an ACTIVITY adjustment Lap-Band EATING guidelines: Eating 60-70 gms protein/day Eat protein foods first. Avoiding liquid calories--this includes ANYTHING that melts. Make healthy food choices--each poor choice replaces a healthy choice. Drink 64 oz. hydrating fluids daily, choose 0-calorie. Limit length of meal to 10 minutes. Lap-Band BEHAVIOR guidelines: Eat only when you are hungry. Do not chew more than you normally would. Eat at 3-4 hour intervals, including protein at each feeding. Have you 'cleaned' your eating environment of distractions? Avoid eating in front of the TV Designated a place for eating in the home--the table, not the couch. Separate eating & work time--your desk space is not your serving platter [*]Are you following the 3x30 minute rule? Lap-Band ACTIVITY guidelines: Participating in at least 30-45 minutes of additional physical activity daily. Increase your activity intensity so you are unable to whistle a tune or sing a song. Consider adding resistance training, to increase your energy burning potential. Lap-Band ATTITUDE guidelines: Are you committed? Are you totally honest with yourself re: how much you are eating & exercising: Are you 'using' food to deal with your emotional issues? Are you attending and participating in support groups? Do you have realistic expectations of your weight loss? Are you obsessing over food, weight, dieting, eating, adjustments? A few things I found interesting or want to add to: If we're obsessing we're in the disease even if its over our food plan and I would have added obsessing over exercise. There comes a point at which the returns from increasing your exercise intensity diminish. I can climb forty-seven steps repeatedly and still sing a song. I eat while watching TV and simultaneously posting with my support group or blog and I eat less because I eat so much slower and just stop because my mind and fingers are busy. 60-70gms protein is a lot of protein. Not a lot of room for a whole lot more if you eat that first. Milk is a liquid with calories. I put it in my coffee to add protein and other good things. And I count it towards my total liquids which I've read from my health insurance is just fine. You don't need 64 oz of water on top of whatever other caloried drinks you have. That's a myth. Liquids that melt? I know ice cream but what about sf pudding and yoghurt? And protein shakes? Limit meals to 10 minutes? Yeah, maybe after I get done pbing on the first bite. But what about the 3x30 rule? 30 minutes no liquid, eat 30 minutes, 30 minutes no liquid. Do not chew more than you usually would. Wow! All the advice on LBtalk to chew, chew, chew. But I can see the reason. We can eat around the band and keep on eating way too much if we overchew our protein or complex carbs and make it go through the donut hole. As always, take what you like and works for you, and leave the rest. Cheri

Linda, I think Apples may be right. You look a little low on protein. Increase the protein a lot for a few days--more meat maybe, and cut your carbs. Your overall calories need to be higher. You really can put your body into starvation mode where it conserves energy so well that losing weight is almost impossible. Jessica, great pic. Lori, your Dr. is absolutely right. I saw the picture of you with Apples. You looked fantastic. (I have the right person don't I? My memory is for sh!!) Julie you're scaring me. I really think I'd get a lawyer to write a letter to your insurance co. and I'd report them to whatever powers-may-be that control the ins. co. I sure hope the democrats and republicans can get their act together on better regulation of the insurance companies. I think I'd stick with massage and as little manipulation as possible and no traction. You should do as little as possible to your neck until you have that MRI. Nobody really knows what they're dealing with. They may damage your spinal cord permanantly if they continue to treat you without a good visual on what's wrong. Poor baby. The Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you his peace. The Lord heal your body and kick that insurance co. where it hurts. Cheri

Janet--its all that cognitive therapy and self-talk that gives me the courage to say that I'm beautiful the way I am. If you saw my sisters, especially my 6' tall model-beautiful baby sister, you'd understand my need to do that. I know that my teeth are a little crooked, my nose is too big, I'm a little knock-kneed, and my stomach still sticks out a little. We won't talk about me naked. Or my varicose veins. But I choose to focus on my health and vitality and my smile and to walk with confidence and to enjoy smiling at people and the fact that people smile when they see me. Being happy with my physical appearance is one of the best weapons I have in the maintenance phase. I know how dissatisfaction with it has sent me back into the food, like feeling that no matter how much weight I lose or how great a shape I get in I'll still have a double chin and a stretch-marked flabby belly and varicose veins. So I focus on the overall impression I give and on those things that are assets. Or I take what once seemed like a drawback, like my solid, thicker upper arms and show them for what they are, strong capable arms that were part of my Dutch heritage and my love of swimming. Part of my body style. There are plenty of things over which my self-esteem wavers. One of my hardest battles has been to see my ADHD as an asset and not a drawback. To accept that that's the way I was made and to use it instead of fight it. To not feel shame over needing other people to keep me organized and take care of details for me. To know that to be successful in my weight loss and maintenance I have to use my ADHD and not try to be good at stuff I'm not good at. That means daily rejecting shame and rewriting old scripts to actually be proud of the gifts I have that are a result of having ADHD and being a very right-brained person. One thing about being in Alanon for 17 years and in OA for a few as well, I really worked on knowing my strengths and weaknesses. Being a Christian, I know very well that I sin and fall short of God's glory every day. I know that every day is a struggle with food and somedays the food wins. But my confidence is in the Lord and knowing I am utterly loved despite all my shortcomings. In fact, I think he smiles when I strut my stuff. Cheri

Thanks for the congrats. I agree with the go slow, go for the BMI, go for the appropriate size. Stay in decent shape but don't make a new addiction out of exercise. I got my fill today. I love the barium/floroscope because it takes all the guess work out of fills. He said the band was wide open and he filled it tight. Said if too tight to come back. Liquids only for 3 days. I had no trouble with my protein drinks so after I lose a couple lbs (I'm going for a 5 lb below goal range) the band should loosen enough to allow me to eat small portions of food instead of being wide open, especially at night. ELCEE that's fantastic about the trip. So glad it went well, and only a 2 lb gain. Sounds like you and the band handled it well. Cheri

Got my fill today. Dr. said the band was wide open. So he gave me quite a fill. No wonder I've been struggling a little lately. I have to stay on liquids for 3 days. He said it might be a little tight, to come back if it was. I love having the barium with floroscope to help guide the Dr. for a fill. No guesswork. He can see the restriction or lack thereof. Very cool! Cheri

I'm just really confused at this point. Case in point -- dinner last night -- could only eat about 2 oz. of tilapia and about 3 bites of my cooked zucchini -- had no snacks yesterday - total of 700 calories. Lori, sorry about DD -- that's gotta be very hard on her and we all know when our kids are hurt we hurt too. Hope it gets better. But the minister must feel very strongly about it to make that statement. Jessica, hope your nephew is doing okay -- hope you will get to spend some time with him -- if for no other reason to give him a break from your SIL - is she your DH's sister? Just curious. Cheri, hope your tweak goes okay. I think I'll join you in maintenance since I can't seem to really lose any more no matter how good I am -- I'll just call it maintenance and then if I lose okay and if not okay too. Like you mentioned before, at our age we look darn good at where we are now -- size 12 is pretty darn good for almost 60! Eva, good going on the eating and the pilates -- wow. You keep it up girl. Laura, hope your dad is doing okay now that the storms are over -- are they able to get out and about now? Jodi, hope you get your surgery date soon -- sounds like you're getting close to getting all the hoops jumped through. Julie, hope all is well with you and Mimi today -- how is she feeling? Well, still at work, so this is short will try to write more later. Love, kisses and hugs to you all. Linda Linda, I've been thinking about our bodies and their difficulties (Apples excepted) with losing weight after a certain point. I do think that as we get older we have to be content with a higher weight unless we want to drive ourselves nuts and end up at a weight that may actually be anorexic for our height and build and age. We can also become addicted to exercise and overstress our aging joints. This is still part of the disease. Our goal should be balance. We may not look as thin as we'd like, but our body images are so distorted by society that we can't trust our own judgement. But be comforted by this. The exercise we do makes us look at least 5-10 lbs thinner than those who don't exercise but are our height and build and age. So, at 167 lbs, I look closer to 160. If they cut all the loose skin and attached tissue off of us that would be another 5-10 lbs. So I actually look (as long as I'm not naked and I disguise the loose skin) like I'm 150-155 lbs. which is quite slim for 5' 9". So our goals may actually be very unrealistic. Size 12 and larges are actually a little loose on me and that's a very slim size for 5'9". I am broad shouldered with upper body development enhanced by years of swimming. I'm also the Dutch peasant type of build with denser bones and thick, solid, not wiry muscles, and broad butt (I don't have the featherweight bones and skinny, highly defined muscles of a runner which my two sisters and one brother have). I am more the statuesque type that, when younger at least, looked like I could kick the shi!! out of you. It gives me command presence as a teacher. When I fold my arms across my chest or put my hands on my hips, broaden my stance, and raise my eyebrows and give kids "the look", I get compliance. Not something I use on a regular basis, but in an emergency situation it can come in handy. So I don't believe I'm "settling" at all. I can walk at a 4 mile per hour pace on days I choose to do that, without getting winded. I can bounce up and down 47 steps at school without getting winded. When I sing I can hold a note as long as the choir director and give him tremendous volume when needed. I can pick up, hug, and "airplane" my younger grandkids. And I can dance! I don't need to get in better shape than that. And if the men and women at church's and school's faces and 2nd and third looks and comments are any indication (as well as the looks I get in stores and and other public places), I'm looking terrific. The trick for me is to not let it get to my head and set me on that road to trying to look even better and weigh even less that inevitably backfires for me, because where will I stop? When will I ever be good enough? That kind of thinking can drive me back into the food. I have sisters who are taller than me and have that featherweight build and I absolutely cannot get into comparing myself to them. I have my own type of body and my own type of beauty and I am content. I think its very possible, Linda, that your body is trying to tell you something. You may have put it in starvation mode by eating so little and exercising so much and it's conserving every lb you have left as self-protection. Let go just a little, and you may be surprised. You will not be as obsessed with weight and food and exercise (which is still a manifestation of our disease) but a few more lbs may drop away once your body thinks you're feeding it enough to survive. All of you, whatever stage you're at, I'm so proud of you all. I really can't add much to what Linda has said to you all. We're all getting healthy, we're all dealing with family and personal issues with honesty and working at not letting it drive us into the food. Having a balanced life takes work but its part of getting healthy with the food. Again, I just want to say ditto to all comments. I did get my fill today. He said my band was wide open and filled it quite a bit. Said if it was too full to come back and to do liquids for 3 days. I'm having no trouble with the liquids. We'll see in three days, but my band has such a tendancy to open up at night that I'll be happy to be restricted at night and not just during the day. Having a floroscope and drinking the barium really takes the guesswork out of getting a fill.

Jessica, I'm glad the state is investigating. I hope they don't minimize anything in order to keep him with your SIL. Hope they insist on counseling and regular frequent visits before your SIL does even more damage. Any breaks you give them from each other would probably be good, and a good way for you to get to know him better. Getting my tweak tomorrow. Like many of you, I have little restriction at night. Hope this helps, especially heading into maintenance. Was in a meeting till 8 p.m. at school. My bed is calling my name. I do get up to pee but usually go right back to sleep. The weight loss has really helped--no snorting myself awake, much less arthritis pain, I don't have to wake up to shift positions, etc. Ah to sleep, perchance to dream. Night, Cheri

If you really want the blow by blow, you should check out my blog from the beginning which was last June. IF YOUR STOMACH OFFENDS YOU, TIE IT OFF I use the blog and a few threads on lapbandtalk as my support system. I am ADHD and am very upfront in my blog about the complications that condition causes. Studies have shown that we are the least likely to succeed at any form of diet because we can't sustain an interest in nor are we organized and focused enough to do things like food plans, weigh and measure, journal food or count anything. In fact, trying to be rigid about things tends to backfire and send us back into the food. I am totally incapable of being anal about anything. That's why I went with the band, so it would do most of the measuring for me. I still had to white knuckle it through bandster hell and between fills when the stomach shrunk and the band got looser. But I still had some restriction and that got me through and gave me hope. I did the high protein low carb thing because it works so well with the band and is recommended by most bariatric surgeons and is the easiest lifestyle change to make. No counting anything. Just eat the meat and only have a little carbs once in a while as a treat, and I happen to love Atkins dark chocolate royale protein shakes. I did add some vegetables but not much fruit. Leaner meats for the most part, some eggs, low fat cheeze on refried beans. Kept a lot of foods at work. Peel off cans of tuna and chicken. V-8 in small cans. Small applesauce containers-no sugar added. Also ate some Kashi bars at night. I did eat more at parties but restricted before and after so I wouldn't gain and wouldn't feel guilty. The same thing if someone brought treats to school. I'd have a little and then do without something else or eat a little less of other stuff. I exercise 30-60 minutes 5 days/wk--mostly walking and stair climbing at work before work in the cold weather, and a lot of walking outdoors in decent weather. I built up slowly, increasing my pace and lengthening my stride and covering more and more distance, then added the stair climbing this winter. I rely on God and on working on being content, no matter what my circumstances. I work on having an attitude of gratitude. I try to focus my thoughts on whatever is good, true, pure, and lovely and that includes humor. I've been meditating a lot on the book of Phillipians in the Bible which is where I get the being content in all circumstances from as well as the good, true, pure and lovely focus. Instead of journaling food, which would drive me back into the food, I journal about my issues with food and with life. With situations that come up that could send me back into the food. With my ADHD and codependency issues. My blog has really been important to me, as has posting on this and other threads. I had only 70 lbs to lose but I was on a boatload of pills for blood pressure, acid reflux, arthitis, high cholesterol, etc. and my blood sugar was going up in the borderline range. I'm down to taking prescription Niacin to raise my good cholesterol and I've cut my anti-inflammatories in half. I'm off everything else. I feel great, I like myself in my clothes (not without-snicker), I've gotten my face back (it was being held hostage by the fat) and I can see my feet when I look down. I still struggle with the food and undoubtedly will the rest of my life. But God is good all the time; all the time God is good. Cheri

Amazingly, yesterday I was at goal. I slept late and weighed much later than usual and I'd been dancing the night before--so it'll probably take me a few days to really rope that weight in and get it to stabilize. But still, I'm very happy. Get my fill Tuesday, just a tweak but I'm hoping it helps with the maintenance phase. I can just plain eat too much--especially at night.