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Brilliant! No jackwagon psychs allowed! Seriously, do the cruze. Have a plan though before boarding. Find out about the restaurants and dining experiences especially the buffets. And choose your day!!! You can do this and make it more than about food and alcohol. Or is that the definition of a cruise? I've never been on one!

Ones I’ve tried and liked- GNC lean bars Atkins bars (but be careful with the sugar alcohols), Bariatricpal bars (specifically the mint chocolate one), Protein One bars as they’re 90-100 calories and 10g of protein (can find at grocery stores near the other protein/granola bars), nature valley protein bars (these do have 6-8g of sugar but also provide fiber (usually from nuts/peanuts) and 10g of protein for around 180-200 calories depending on variety) l. I mostly buy these for my kids but I also eat them on occasion. Ones that are meh- pure protein bars, zone bars (too much sugar and weird texture), quest bars (the crunchy ones are good though!), power crunch (they have a kind of waxy outer coating to me).

Last night I downed three Oreos from the mini bar in my hotel room. Hey, it was either that or m&ms! Or the copious amounts of liquor, wine and beer....at only 2.5 months out I was afraid of the alcohol.

Bahahahaha! He was a trooper, for sure! Texas wines are something of an oxymoron! LOL. I asked him if he thought they grew the grapes for photo ops only! LOL, cuz most get either grapes or concentrate from California. And you gotta think the vintners in CA aren't stupid. Just like in Italy, they keep the "good stuff" in country! LOL. I kid you not, at one place, I smelled each glass and they all made my nose burn!!! I'm like dayum...can you say not fully fermented alcohol and acetone?? *snort* But yes, the atmostphere is soooo lovely and relaxing! Glad to hear you have that too. Cuz you know, mizreh loves company! Hey, how's the charting going? Is that thing which won't be mentioned going down still? ((hugs))

Oprah did a show on bypass and trading food for other addictions - gambling, sex, and alcohol. Now any of the 3 I could do. It just goes to show that all of this is a head game. If you are an emotional eater than that high has to be fed. I've heard of many drug addicts that turned to exercise to get high. I guess its the endorphines that are released during exercise. I buy in to all of this to an extent. It all comes down to we have to heal the total self, not just the food intake. I hate quoting Dr. Phil but you know "it's not what you are eating, but what's eating you". I like getting support from others who are where I am and understand. I also am going to explore finding us a nutrionist that maybe can come help us. I'm sure there would be a fee, but it would be worth it if we had a long term plan. Many doctors have relationships with nutrionists. We just have to find lapband knowledgeble ones that can relate to our unique food requirements. What did we decide on our meetings? Are we back to 1st and 3rd Monday at LaVilla?

I asked about drinking, very important for me as I am going to go back to school in enology and viticulture (wine making and related areas). My doc said I should really try and go a full 3 months with none, and then I'll be able to drink again, but in great moderation. Not only because wine and alcohol are high in calories, but also because the portion of our stomach that was removed is responsible for producing the enzyme that breaks down alcohol. So instead, it will enter our blood stream at an increased strength. Add to that the fact that we will almost always be drinking on an empty stomach and we should be very cheap dates. By the way redsalamander, where are you from? I only ask because I pass by the great wolf lodge often as I travel from portland, where I live, up to Seattle, where my brother lives. So I assume you are a from the northwest.

Watch the sugar alcohol content... Sent from my LG-TP260 using BariatricPal mobile app

All of a sudden this country is sooooooo concerned about the so called 45,000 deaths a year from lack of medical insurance. How come we never heard of this before? Did you know that 435,000 people die every year from tobacco, Thats 7X more the amount of people annually who die from lack of insurance, but does the government step in and take control and outlaw cigarettes and chewing tobacco? NO! How about the people who die annually in this country from alcohol. The number is 85,000 every year. (twice as many than those who die without insurance) But no, you can't take the 'fun' away from society. Give me a break! the government wants to be in control of what we can and can't do. They are not concerned about your health or mine! P.S. I meant to say a million abortions annually.

Did I say cutting off the poor? I said give aways. I have always said that there will always be some poor who will need a hand up, and the government should give it. It is when the government decides to give away to those who DON'T need it. Like home improvements mentioned earlier, and cash for clunkers, and up tp $8,000 towards your house and a playground, and well here, take a read: The 102 worst ways the government is spending your tax dollars: 102: Protecting a Michigan insect collection from other insects ($187,632) 101: Highway beautified by fish art in Washington ($10,000) 100: University studying hookup behavior of female college coeds in New York ($219,000) 99: Police department getting 92 blackberries for supervisors in Rhode Island ($95,000) 98: Upgrades to seldom-used river cruise boat in Oklahoma ($1.8 million) 97: Precast concrete toilet buildings for Mark Twain National Forest in Montana ($462,000) 96: University studying whether mice become disoriented when they consume alcohol in Florida ($8,408) 95: Foreign bus wheel polishers for California ($259,000) 94: Recovering crab pots lost at sea in Oregon ($700,000) 93: Developing a program to develop "machine-generated humor" in Illinois ($712,883) 92: Colorado museum where stimulus was signed (and already has $90 million in the bank) gets geothermal stimulus grant ($2.6 million) 91: Grant to the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to support the traditional arts apprenticeship program, gathering and festival ($30,000) 90: Studying methamphetamines and the female rat sex drive in Maryland ($30,000) 89: Studying mating decisions of cactus bugs in Florida ($325,394) 88: Studying why deleting a gene can create sex reversal in people, but not in mice in Minnesota ($190,000) 87: College hires director for a project on genetic control of sensory hair cell membrane channels in zebrafish in California ($327,337) 86: New jumbo recycling bins with microchips embedded inside to track participation in Ohio ($500,000) 85: Oregon Federal Building's "green" renovation at nearly the price of a brand new building ($133 million) 84: Massachusetts middle school getting money to build a solar array on its roof ($150,000) 83: Road widening that could have been millions of dollars cheaper if Lousiana hadn't opted to replace a bridge that may not have needed replacing ($60 million) 82: Cleanup effort of a Washington nuclear waste site that already got $12 billion from the DOE ($1.9 billion) 81: Six woodlands Water taxis getting a new home in Texas ($750,000) 80: Maryland group gets money to develop "real life" stories that underscore job and infrastructure-related research findings ($363,760) 79: Studying social networks like Facebook in North Carolina ($498,000) 78:18 North Carolina teacher coaches to heighten math and reading performance ($4.4 million) 77: Retrofitting light switches with motion sensors for one company in Arizona ($800,000) 76: Removing graffiti along 100 miles of flood-control ditches in California ($837,000) 75: Bicycle lanes, shared lane signs and bike racks in Pennsylvania ($105,000) 74: Privately-owned steakhouse rehabilitating its restaurant space in Missouri ($75,000) 73: National dinner cruise boat company in Illinois outfitting vessels with surveillance systems to protect against terrorists ($1 million) 72: Producing and transporting peanuts and Peanut Butter in North Carolina ($900,000) 71: Refurnishing and delivering picnic tables in Iowa ($30,000) 70: Digital television converter box coupon program in D.C. ($650 million) 69: Elevating and relocating 3,000 feet of track for the Napa Valley Wine Train in California ($54 million) 68: Hosting events for Earth Day, the summer solstice etc. in Minnesota ($50,000) 67: Expanding ocean aquaculture in Hawaii ($99,960) 66: Raising railroad tracks 18 inches in Oregon because the residents of one small town were tired of taking a detour around them ($4.2 million) 65: Professors and employees of Iowa state universities voluntarily taking early retirement ($43 million) 64: Minnesota theatre named after Che Guevara putting on "socially conscious" puppet shows ($25,000) 63: Replacing a basketball court lighting system with a more energy efficient one in Arizona ($20,000) 62: Repainting and adding a security camera to one bridge in Oregon ($3.5 million) 61: Missouri bridge project that already was full-funded with state money ($8 million) 60: New hospital parking garage in New York that will employ less people ($19.5 million) 59: University in North Carolina studying why adults with ADHD smoke more ($400,000) 58: Low-income housing residents in one Minnesota city receiving free laptops, WiFi and iPod Touches to "educate" them in technology ($5 million) 57: University in California sending students to Africa to study why Africans vote they the way they do in their elections ($200,000) 56: Researching the impact of air pollution combined with a high-fat diet on obesity development in Ohio ($225,000) 55: Studying how male and female birds care for their offspring and how it compares to how humans care for their children in Oklahoma ($90,000) 54: University in Pennsylvania researching fossils in Argentina (over $1 million) 53: University in Tennessee studying how black holes form (over $1 million) 52: University in Oklahoma sending 3 researchers to Alaska to study grandparents and how they pass on knowledge to younger generations ($1.5 million) 51: Grant application from a Pennsylvania university for a researcher named in the Climate-gate scandal (Rep. Darrell Issa is calling on the president to freeze the grant) ($500,000) 50: Studying the impact of global warming on wildflowers in a Colorado ghost town ($500,000) 49: Bridge built over railroad crossing so 168 Nebraska town residents don't have to wait for the trains to pass ($7 million) 48: Renovating an old hotel into a visitors center in Kentucky ($300,000) 47: Removing overgrown weeds in a Rhode Island park ($250,000) 46: Renovating 5 seldom-used ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border in Montana ($77 million) 45: Testing how to control private home appliances in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts from an off-site computer ($800,000) 44: Repainting a rarely-used bridge in North Carolina ($3.1 million) 43: Renovating a desolate Wisconsin bridge that averages 10 cars a day ($426,000) 42: 4 new buses for New Hampshire ($2 million) 41: Repaving a 1-mile stretch of Atlanta road that had parts of it already repaved in 2007 ($490,000) 40: Florida beauty school tuition ($2.3 million) 39: Extending a bike path to the Minnesota Twins stadium ($500,000) 38: Beautification of Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard ($1.1 million) 37: Colorado Dragon Boat Festival ($10,000) 36: Developing the next generation of supersonic corporate jets in Maryland that could cost $80 million dollars each ($4.7 million) 35: New spring training facilities for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies ($30 million) 34: Demolishing 35 old laboratories in New Mexico ($212 million) 33: Putting free WiFi, Internet kiosks and interactive history lessons in 2 Texas rest stops ($13.8 million) 32: Replacing a single boat motor on a government boat in D.C. ($10,500) 31: Developing the next generation of football gloves in Pennsylvania ($150,000) 30: Pedestrian bridge to nowhere in West Virginia ($80,000) 29: Replacing all signage on 5 miles of road in Rhode Island ($4,403,205) 28: Installing a geothermal energy system to heat the "incredible shrinking mall" in Tennessee ($5 million) 27: University in Minnesota studying how to get the homeless to stop smoking ($230,000) 26: Large woody habitat rehabilitation project in Wisconsin ($16,800) 25: Replacing escalators in the parking garage of one D.C. metro station ($4.3 million) 24: Building an airstrip in a community most Alaskans have never even heard of ($14,707,949) 23: Bike and pedestrian paths connecting Camden, N.J. to Philadelphia, Penn. when there's already a bridge that connects them ($23 million) 22: Sending 10 university undergrads each year from North Carolina to Costa Rica to study the rainforests ($564,000) 21: Road signs touting stimulus funds at work in Ohio ($1 million) 20: Researching how paying attention improves performance of difficult tasks in Connecticut ($850,000) 19: Kentucky Transportation Department awarding contracts to companies associated with a road contractor accused of bribing the previous state transportation secretary ($24 million) 18: Amtrak losing $32 per passenger nationally but rewarded with windfall ($1.3 billion) 17: Widening an Arizona interstate even though the company that won the contract has a history of tax fraud and pollution ($21.8 million) 16: Replace existing dumbwaiters in New York ($351,807) 15: Deer underpass in Wyoming ($1,239,693) 14: Arizona universities examining the division of labor in ant colonies (combined $950,000) 13: Fire station without firefighters in Nevada ($2 million) 12: "Clown" theatrical production in Pennsylvania ($25,000) 11: Maryland town gets money but doesn't know what to do with it ($25,000) 10: Investing in nation-wide wind power (but majority of money has gone to foreign companies) ($2 billion) 9: Resurfacing a tennis court in Montana ($50,000) 8: University in Indiana studying why young men do not like to wear condoms ($221,355) 7: Funds for Massachusetts roadway construction to companies that have defrauded taxpayers, polluted the environment and have paid tens of thousands of dollars in fines for violating workplace safety laws (millions) 6: Sending 11 students and 4 teachers from an Arkansas university to the U.N. climate change convention in Copenhagen, using almost 54,000 lbs of carbon dioxide from air travel alone ($50,000) 5: Storytelling festival in Utah ($15,000) 4: Door mats to the Department of the Army in Texas ($14,675) 3: University in New York researching young adults who drink malt liquor and smoke pot ($389,357) 2: Solar panels for climbing gym in Colorado ($157,800) 1: Grant for one Massachusetts university for "robobees" (miniature flying robot bees) ($2 million) GRAND TOTAL: $4,891,645,229 Imagine how many poor people you could help with that total!

Karri- You are pretty sane if you ask me - I had a mentally challenged mother too (she committed suicide when I was 15 - found her on the floor with her wrist slit when I was 5 ) So from one to another who had mentally challenged mom's you come off pretty darn normal to me - you seem to know your issue and are working on them - We are pull your self up by the boot straps kind of girls - you gotta move forward..... Heck we all are a little crazy at one time or another in our lives. But hugs to you on how your mom treated you - that's pretty bad.. What's the most I have eaten at one time well the 1st thing that stands out that I really remember was I ordered 2 super size submarine sandwiches and ate them both on a Friday nite. These are big sandwiches - I did not eat them ate all at once but thru the course of the evening they were gone. Made brownie batter and ate it raw in bed (and I wasn't in the raw ) I know that I have fished stuff out of the trash to eat - that's why the xmas cookie I threw away - I made sure that they were unwrapped and contaminated by the other trash. We do love you - and props to you for no more sneaking... I guess my problem is since I don't have a dh or bf - I don't have to sneak - but that in itself isn't good either cuz I could and would eat anything and everything I wanted in the privacy of my own house.. Well Karri from your Band Mommy hugs and kisses to my little girl.. I'm the kind of Mom that will try and make you feel better about yourself not worse...:seeya: .. Phyl – I was teasing you that cuz you told me once that DH let you have your wine – if he could have a ciggy - Imho you gotta have what makes you happy in moderation – it’s not like you are drinking a gallon every night if you were then Karri & I would have to become the Alcohol cops on your butt – and you would be throw in the rehab house..

Is that only coffee, or any drinks with caffeine? I was under the impression that we should avoid soft drinks (soda) and anything with bubbles for at least a month and possibly forever. I have never liked coffee and don't drink much tea, but I did have a soft spot for Pepsi max and other sugar free sodas. But I haven't had any since the surgery. I realise this is a good opportunity to quit for good, but I miss it. I could stay off alcohol indefinitely, that doesn't bother me.

[quote name=Lynette617; About the addictions' date=' I hope if I have to change to another it will be sex!! It has to get better as we get smaller, right!!! Not that it's not good now, just meaning wanting it more, a better libido!! But in all seriousness, I know people tend to do this, and I'm glad I still have a physicologist to get me through this part, because I was absolutely addicted to food.[/quote] Lynette- I'm thinking a sex addiction would be a good one. No calories like alcohol, not like rx drug......I think I want to morph my addiction to a sex one too!!!

Thanks Pamela, my neighbor also told me that prednisone gave her a voracious appetite for many things, food among them! She swears that is when she became an alcoholic!! I have no alcohol craving....just food, and lots of it! Got the things I need to make Kinseys star mask. Mom dropped the things by and I swear the piece of elastic they brought with it---looks like it is OLD and used, I keep imagining it coming out of someones pants-----I bought new elastic to make hers. Good grief there are only half a dozen kids, if they would have told me, I would have bought them a package of decent elastic...give me a break! Saturday night, we had to go in and buy some more bricks for Rick's woodstove in the shop, and after that we drove through the luminaria display at the college, it was so pretty! They had a lot less than in previous years, but it was still impressive. This year they only had 30,000 luminarias when in the past it was over 50,000. No need to worry over the sun here today Pamela, it is overcast and gray, and rainy! I keep thinking it will turn to snow, but not yet. I ask Rick what he wanted for dinner....he paused a half second and said Chili dogs. What??!! He said one of the guys come back at lunch from Sonic and had one and it looked great. Definitely not something I would have thought of to have, and not on my list of things I would have wanted, but hey it is easy, quick....and I have all the makings!! So guess we will go that route! I have to go out and bag potatoes here in a minute. I forgot I had ordered potatoes from these kids. They go out to NAPI (Navajo Agriculture Products Industry) and get truck loads of potatoes and sell them. I buy them usually before Thanksgiving, because I always have so much family to cook for---til this year!! So I buy a BIG bunch and just divide it up among the family. So I have 100 pounds of red potatoes in my garage! That cost me a whopping $12.00!! I break them down into bags and give them out! To go to my local Safeway to buy a 10 pound bag of red potatoes (which is what DH prefers) costs $6.00! Wonder what people would think if I wrapped them up with a bow?? LOL ok, no potatoes for gifts!!! Well I have tried for 3 hours literally to get this posted, and everytime, someone comes in or calls, and when I walk back by I see my half finished post! So here it comes!! Kat

Ah, crackers! They're much more challenging for me than alcohol, sugar or chocolate combined. Most crackers are unnutritious, processed slider foods that do not promote either weight loss or weight maintenance and invite me to keep nibbling on them. However, once I'd lost my weight and wanted to add nutritious calories for maintenance I found a few nutritious crackers with more Protein and Fiber (fewer net carbs) than others, including: * Wasa crackers (although not all Wasa-branded crackers are nutritious -- read the labels!) * Doctor Kracker Three Seed Crackers -- my fave. One big cracker has 100 calories, 11 grams of carbs, 4 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fiber. I pair one of these crackers with 1 ounce of very sharp thinly sliced full-fat cheddar cheese and a little sugar-free Smuckers strawberry jam. I swear, it's better than cheesecake -- so satisfying and, best, I never want a second helping. Then there are those nasty crackers so popular because ... yeah, they're slider meth with little nutritional content: * Wheat Thins * Saltines * Club crackers And then there's the destructive chips / crisps transfer addiction! I can't even type those words without shuddering.

I received my syntrax Nectar Fuzzy Navel today. I mixed it up added frozen strawberries, blended. It tastes like I'm drinking a fuzzy navel without the alcohol :-) I think these will work for protein for a while. Can't taste the strawberries. Gen :-) 12/15/12

Thanks Karri. It really does help to know I'm not alone. That's what keeps me around here. I need to change on the nuts as well. I've only been trying them out for 3 days now but I find I will graze on them. They set off my appetite. I try to drink instead, but the nuts call to me. :wub: So they've gone down the garbage disposal. I picked up some Omega 3 Fish Oil capsules today, so fingers crossed that will help me out instead of increasing my food intake. Geez Louise at times I wish I had a different addiction to deal with rather than food. At least with alcohol or smoking you never touch them again. But with food you still have to eat. :sad: I've been out most of the day. Went and got my hair colored. That took an hour and a half. It was nice and relaxing. Then I went looking for some shampoo/conditioner that my hairdresser recommended to try and get my growth started again. Then I went to lots of different clothing stores. I didn't buy any new clothes, I just get such a buzz out of trying on size 10s and having them fit. Some of them loosely. :w00t: Being out and about stopped me from thinking too much about my weight. I'm SO tired of thinking "fat". I know I'm not fat. At least not as fat as I used to be. I'm overweight. I'm not always the fattest person in the room. I don't get stared at when I'm out. I don't feel like everyone's watching me when I order food. I can tie my shoes without passing out. I feel great when I exercise. I need to be grateful for these accomplishments because I worked hard for them. So why can't we lose fat girl thinking along with the weight? I need to invent a pill that will do that. :tt2: I'd be filthy rich if I did.

Yes I need one of those... and today it needed the alcohol to go along with it! Got another 16 oz down. That means that I am up to 48 oz today. 1 more and I will be good to go!

How long after the band can one drink alcohol? I know beer is out of the question due to the bloating it can cause but my doctor never said anything about drinking afterwards and I never thought to ask. Wine with dinner is nice but if it effects the band, the it's not something I will do. Thank you.

Laurend it looks great. I saved it. Now IndioGirl you need to please post the updated calendar. Thanks. Dini, there is so much problem with alcohol in my extended family, I stick to the occasional wine and margarita. There has to be so heredity to this.. I didn't know you will an Italian Irish. How unique. I bet you are beautiful..

Sunny - Thanks for the encouragement! I really DO need some support out here. I know there are a ton of folks in Nome that have had WLS so I'm putting together an actual LIVE support group. It will be helpful to have "close" friends. I'm going to also suggest that we get our own "specialist" out here...a doc at the hospital that is "up on the info of WLS" just in case someone has an issue....maybe it can be dealt with here instead of flying to Anchorage! Chimboree - At work already! I'm glad you're doing well! Yes, use the drugs! I know that when you're able to MOVE it helps heal, but you can't move if you hurt! Good luck sister!:clap2: Tinkerbell - Yep, the excitement is gone and now I have to "get on with my life". I'm not getting depressed, but I was on a good high for a few months and now that's gone...gotta find a replacement for it....that's NOT food! LOL! Brumbie - Wecome! You're a day ahead of me, but closer to my time zone! Yeah! Everyone goes to sleep too early around here and I end up missing out! I figured you weren't American since you had your surgery on July 4th (our Independence Day)...Good for you, hope your recovery is going well! I'M HUNGRY PEOPLE! My husband asked if I was really hungry or I just wanted food...I had him listen to my stomach grumble to prove that I really AM hungry! I can't wait for the fill! I'm actually thinking to have him make me a little extra tight to get rid of the hungry feeling! Scary thing is...I'm eating more than the rest of you! HOW ON EARTH CAN I BE HUNGRY?!?! I KNOW the band is there because of last weeks' chicken "incident", but, man, I hope it gets better....ok, having a bad night. I'll get out of this funk tomorrow!:help: I was just thinking, wouldn't it be great if we all could get that little ankle bracelet (like Lindsey Lohan's alcohol bracelet) that measures how much we've eaten and if we eat too much our surgeon calls us and "talks us down"? Yes, it is a sad, sad life that I lead sometimes! Just gotta find the humor in retarded things like rich socialite girls....

Hello ladies, made it through graduation and actually had a good time. We won't talk about how much money I spent. Fortunately my sister and daughters helped out, but by the time I was done I probably spent over $400 for food etc. When did things get so expensive? Part of the money was spent on a new battery for the Beast (my old 1977 crew cab Chevy pickup). I had it all loaded for a dump run and to pick up the shrubs for the stage at graduation and the Beast wouldn't start. It ended up needing a new battery. For the most part I had a nice visit with the family, glad to see my sister go, hard to see my girls go. I didn't even end up crying during graduation. Alexa's dad ended up being a jerk, he drove up from NV on Saturday and left immediately after graduation. He refused to come to the celebration because "he didn't want to be the most hated person there". So Saturday evening he stopped his car in the middle of the road and honked the horn for Alexa to come and get her gift and told her that since SHE couldn't make time for him to go to 'hang out' he was going to leave and not go to graduation. We have been divorced for 15 years and quite frankly he isn't important enough for me to hate, only pisses me off when he messes with the girls. The weather cooperated and it was beautiful and the yard was gorgeous as well. I hope that some of the pictures turned out and can post them on facebook. Anyway, I will weigh tomorrow at school. I did have an alcoholic beverage this weekend and a 1inch cube of carrot cake. Basically as busy as I was I only ate Breakfast and dinner, but I could see how easy it would be for me to slide back into bad eating habit. For the most part I didn't think about food (strange for me) but, the unhealthy food sure went down easy when everything else sticks. Damn, I just remembered that I had a smore also, what a selective memory. Don't we still have another week on the challenge??? I got my mountain bike fixed so I will be riding for exercise. Janet, I am so sorry about Angel, what a heart break. My babies came from private breeders. Jordan and Simon were free because male doxies are not as desireable as females. Breeder was VERY responsible and lives next to my parents so I was lucky to get them. Molly...well I bought her, not from the same breeder, but from a parent of a student. All the babies had to go to the kennel for the weekend, it was molly's first time. All went well. Well, I am going to go plant something on the farm, I couldn't plant before the weekend.

Karen, girl , don't be digging! That will, without a doubt, lead to a hernia. I had a large hernia repaired during my second banding. Don't lift anything over 10 lbs. for six weeks after surgery. Believe me, hernias are no fun. Even incisions can become herniated. It is so hard to do everything exactly like we're told, but I am proof that things can go wrong for whatever reason. If you lose the band, the weight is doubly hard to keep off. In 6 mo's between losing the band and rebanding I regained 33 lbs. Let's all keep on track. I'm really fighting the urge to eat chocolate ding-dong cake/rum cake/cheesecake...I am surrounded by sweets at my house. My mother-in-law and Mom wanted me to have Christmas treats for company. Tomorrow I am freezing slices for the future when my stomach is shrunk enough not to devour the whole bakery! LOL I feel like an alcoholic in a liquor store. I could o-d on sugar if it weren't for you all helping me to stay on track. We all have our good and bad days. Sweethot, I was open banded and I am still sore! I take liquid Loritab at least once a day, usually close to bedtime because that is when I feel zapped and sore the most. It will take time to recoup, but don't get discouraged. Rest as much as possible; this is a really stressful time of year, so let your body heal, take whatever you need to relieve the pain, and walk at least 30 minutes each day to build up stamina. Dianne

Kat, you are a phenominal grandmother. Lindzie (and the rest) is lucky to have you! That is such a thoughtful gift. I bet it gives her an interest in art that she will carry all her life, along with that precious and cherished memory Bluehill noted. That's so cool. And Bluehill, you're so right -- the correct emotion is envy, not jealousy. There's no resentment in the April bandsters' successes. I want all the success in the world for all of us. With the band, I know we'll get it too, no matter the order. I was at a work function tonight -- it was a Texas Hold'em contest between a bunch of lawyers. I've got to tell you, it was a whole different world from other functions I've been to -- even at just 30 or so lbs heavier than I am now. First, remember I'm a 34 year old single woman. Then think about the fact that my profession (particularly my sub-field) is 95% men. Throw in beer (for the men -- I had to hit the treadmill later so no alcohol for me) and poker and somehow all my jokes were funny! There were only about 4 women there out of 40. I was up $3500 (fake) dollars and was one of about 12 left in the game (i.e. who still had chips left) when I announced I had to go to the gym, handed my chips to the cute guy to my left, winked at him and walked out. It was a blast! Usually work functions are such a drag, but they're getting better.... And, I did go to the gym to make it exactly 40 minutes on the treadmill before they kicked me out (closing time at 10 pm)! Hey Kat, maybe I'm the one who dropped a dumbell on my head -- winning at poker and leaving a group of cute boys to go to the gym?? Nite,

It was hard to stick to the plan, but I did it. 2 months out and I can basically eat anything with the exception of citrus fruit, dried fruit, caffeine, alcohol (@ 3 months) and steak, pork steaks, ham steaks, or liver (@ 6 months, but for the record...I will not be eating the liver). Not judging, but in my personal experience...I did everything that I was told to do, because each step was so fleeting in the grand scheme. If I can't do something hard for 1, 2, or 8 weeks, how am I going to survive the rest of my life? I was really fat for 23 years. It was really hard to live fat for that long...really easy to get that way, but HARD TO LIVE that life, physically, emotionally, and psychologically. If you want to live something different, you've got to do something different. End of story.

Been drinking sodas since I've been about 3 months out. I'm out now heading into 3 years. They are diet sodas of course and in the beginning I would always defizz mine and take it really slow. . now i don't defizz but still take it really slow. I also have my coffee, alcohol drinks and everything else. . . I'm living my life and am lovin it. . AND LOOK GOOD AT THE SAME TIME! yAHOO!!!! Good luck!