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I gained overnight after surgery too. I think it was just water weight gain??

Hi CherieLynne~~ I was, and still am doing great with my band. I had a crisis....and amid it all regained almost 40 pounds! I have a history of nausea with anesthesia. I had 3 surgeries in a year, only related to my band in the way that one of them was a TT. I also had a thyroid tumor, and an intestinal torsion. So due to surgery, I was totally and completely unfilled. I managed fine through that. Was unfilled for over a year, without weight gain. Then my DD began having some issues with her outer ear swelling, and was soon hospitalized, with the most horrendous looking ear you can imagine. Her ear was tomato red, and was so swollen you could not see an ear canal. There was an abssess, that ate all the way through her ear. They were caused because it would swell until the skin popped. The diagnosis come in with it being a cartiledge destroying disease....which is fatal, life expectancy is no more than 7-10 years. I cannot tell you the devastation. I was keeping her 4 year old, who was scared at what was happening to her Mommy, and my DD was, well, like you would expect a 26 year old to be that was just told she would never see her child grow up, and the disease would be disfiguring, disabling, then fatal. The stress caused hives.....which would not go away, so they put me on high doses of prednisone, then tried repeatedly to taper it off, only for them to return. They operated on my DD, and eventually sent her to a different hospital, where they discovered the disease was only a psuedo disease----she too has RA, and this illness mimics the disease, but is NOT fatal. Is usually no more than what she had, but hers had been mismanaged for so long, they expected it to be disfiguring, and prepared to amputate the external ear. End of the story is happy, the meds made a HUGE difference. She had a PIC line at home for 2 months. But she has not lost any of her ear, only the lymph nodes below it which surgeons removed in diagnosis. But.....I lived in the hospital, eating LOTS of ice cream, because it soothed my acid ridden stress related tummy----and also tried to soothe my soul. I have not experienced hunger since being banded. But once the prednisone began, I was ravenous again! I am off the prednisone, and have no hives. Nothing negative to show for the experience except for about 15 pounds now! I NEED to exercise to get them off, I am just lazy about it. I could lose them just as well, by getting another fill, and eating less, but I choose not to go that route. I have a small fill in----less than 1cc---in a band that will hold 4cc.'s. But I do not have tight restriction, mild is good for me, I do not PB, but I cannot eat large amounts. I can eat roughage (salad) and meat, without issue. I can eat some bread. Mostly my portions are diversely different than pre band. I think if I had more weight to lose, I would be more motivated, but I am really OK with where I am. I began in a 22/24 pants, and now wear either an 8 or 10....without elastic! LOL Everything I owned before had elastic everything! I think since your body is used to the steroids, you are used to the things they do to your body----mine was not, and the hunger was so new, and I was so scared, I fell into old habits and tried to eat my way to comfort..... You should be able to get back in the pool as soon as your incisions heal, and I would bet you will be able to add other exercise as the weight drops. So sorry my post scared you----was not meant to!!! Good Luck to you on your surgery---it was without a doubt the best thing I ever did for ME!!!

I think my fat comes from a variety of things: 1. Genetics - ALL the women in my family are heavy. They have been fighting their weight all of their lives. We MUST have low metabolism. My aunt is the thinnest of us all, and she works HARD. Constant exercise and eats very little, yet she is still far from skinny. 2. I OBSESS over food - See below. THats EXACTLY how I feel about food! "When I am stressed I want to eat, when I am excited I want to eat, when I am sad I want to eat, When I am alone I want to eat and so on and so on." As soon as something happens, good or bad, I want to divulge in food! It's definately an obsession and I think the only thing that keeps me semi on track is the guilt of disappointing the people at my surgeons office and frinds and family that have been so supportive of my decision to get healthy. I wish I could say it was for me... Sometimes, I obsess so much about food, I make myself miserable. A friend of mine calls it head hunger. I rarely feel physical hunger. Maybe I could use some therapy too??? 3. I suffer from chronic anxiety and depression - I take medication that is working the best for me EVER, but unfortunatey; one of the side effects is weight gain and increased hunger for sweets. YAY. (one of the reasons I was approved for my surgery) 4. I hate to excerise for a variety of reasons - I dont like to sweat. I am not coordinated, so I look foolish. I have bad knees, so it hurts to do much with them. (one of the reasons I was approved for the surgery) 5. Low self esteem and poor eating habits growing up. I was never told I was fat by my family, but kids were extremely cruel to me as a child. My mom never cooked a vegitable and rarely made meals that didnt come out of a can or box. Corn, pork and beans, instant mashed potatoes, spam and a hell of a lot of hamburger helper. I'd like to place blame on all the above, but I know in the end, it is up to me to help myself. I've no one to blame for my fat, but me. Knowing that doesnt usually help tho. I've been battling my depression again lately, and managed over the course of 3 weeks to put on 7 pounds that i'd already lost! I cant stop thinking about cookies and snacks! I think its self sabotage... Will this obsession ever cease or will I be fighting it till my dying day?:laugh:

thankyou for all your well wishes people, ohh and due date is 6 July!! It seems that all the books i have read say that most sickness starts to clear up around 12 weeks soooo now at 13 weeks, i only get the odd sick feeling so i can conclude that the sickness was just one of those pregnancy deals that happens with or without WLS. YAYYYYY I have been having trouble exercising.... (and have stopped same as last pregnancy tho... another 12 week symptom, being tired) as i feel theres just not enough energy to go around but have still dropped 10kg since actually falling pregnant so happy days are still here. Hi Marci My baby is 14 months old I and thank god i had this surgury beforehand. there is NO WAY UNDER THE SUN i could keep up with my baby, and feeling all the general associated pregnancy hick ups at the weight i was before!! there is no way i could be keeping up with baby. I am hoping that by the end of this pregnancy i am still way more mobile than i was with the first, as i was able to sit and lounge around and relax at will. this time i dont have that luxury. i have dropped 100 odd pounds since my highest weight and think i am better equiped to not only keep up with my daughter but also avoid some of the joint pain i suffered last time around!! (fingers crossed and time will tell) I think the hardest thing for me so far is going to such extreme to lose weight and just getting my head around getting smaller, enjoying losing weight and considering the concept of maybe buying some smaller clothes to now having to wait/ put on hold that dream. my boobies are already getting bigger and filling out and my 'new' belly shape is also changing. At first i was totally devistated that i was going to be getting fat again, but now i just think hey...what the hell, im gonna lose weight, therefore not get anymore stretch marks. ha!!! lose weight gain baby at same time. ***laughs*** sounds greatttttt in theory... hey deedee I hope everything sorts itself out for you!!! wow! any plans in near future now that you are almost at your goal?? I also wonder about this baby and its size at birth.... it was an unanswered question that was going around my head. my girl was born 9Lbs 14oz so it will be interesting to find out on the day if my habbits have had any impact on birth weight. dont they say that babies get heavier with each pregnancy?? (that maybe for mythbusters) ohhh well the experiment beakers are out and time will tell!! lol cheers till soon Ange

Hey all..sort of good news...didn't gain anything since before Christmas!! That is a shocker...so maybe something was going right..but I sure felt like my stomach was poochy!! Confused...great goals...I'm inspired. And they seem doable. Way to go. Tonya..you are always a inspiration. I think the inches lost are terrific..even if the scale is hard to give up a few pounds. Geez...you work out like a mad-woman. Juno, you rock. Only 25 pound weight gain..isn't that the desired amount for pregnancy? I don't have any kids, but I thought it was around there. You are certainly doing something right.

I had surgery 12/17. The next day I was up 2 lb's. I am faithfully following the liquid diet. Finally today I have lost 5lb's, including the 2 I gained. Can someone tell me why I gained initially? How long before I start losing?

I was banded on the 17th of Dec.I lost 16 pounds on the liquid diet. But now that I am able to eat soft foods I have gained a 1 1/2 in two days. I am getting nervous. I get hungry but I am sticking to the three meals a day one of them being my protien shake. Once I eat I am full which is a blessing. Any words of advice?

Hey ladies.....I know long time no hear!!!! Been so busy......no excuse!!!! I emailed Donna today...I feel lost.....my eating has gotten out of hand.....I eat whatever I want and I eat till I'm so full. i'm scared that I have stretched my band...yet I still do it...I'm so scared... I feel lost.....I'm down to 183 so no weight gain but its coming...I haven't weighed myself since before Christmas so I probably have gained a little but this started before Christmas....any advise ladies I need help.....I don't want this to all be a waste.....maybe already is...HELp......I miss you guys.......I got to side tracked with going back to my regular life.......It can't ever be regular...right

Well, its sure all quiet here... Had our 2nd Xmas last night in T.O. with DD and DsiL + all his family. It was great fun, DSIL's mother brought her photo album with the only baby phot0s of Bryan that survived her exodus from S.Vietnam after the war. Oh they were just precious... I am getting along with her well. She brought me a HUGE bottle of perfume and I was embarrased cause all I brought her was a box of chocolates (I'm mrs. Gump) We all played Rock BAND and it was really funny. DInner was rare Prime RIB( my fav.) and I brought my SWISS potatoes, Bry made stir fryed veggies, I made the gravy, and for appetizers Bryan(DSIL) made Vietnamese FRESH Rolls with shrimp in them with a peanut dipping sauce.. TO DIE FOR!!! Today, we drove back into the city to attend the Visitation for my GF hubby that passed away last week. Ah it was so sad... he looked gastly in the coffin... I hate that part about funerals.... But Dar was really glad we made the effort to be there, so I am really glad we went.. ... there but for the Grace of God, I know I take my sweetie for granted at times, but he gets extra hugs and lovin today! Karla; I am glad you had a good visit with your girls... have a relaxng couple of days before school starts anew. Phyl: Hope your feeling better about DSon today... try not to let it get you down. I had forgotten that he was adopted, how old was he when you got him? Janet: Good for you throwing out the fudge!!! I have to make a donation to the local FOOD BANK tomorrow... I'm taking all the unused packages of baking things... you know the tiny brown things that are so sweet? I am sure someone else will appreciate the goodies that I no longer want to wear on my ass!!! I have been so tight, and I know its because of the weight gain, more importantly the amount around my stomach... this is causing my band to be tight... So a few days of PROTIEN only and lots of shakes should get me back on track. Today I've eaten 2 eggs, 1 ww toast, tea/milk, insides of a pulled pork sandwich(threw away the bun) and now I'm on TEA again....I only have to hang in for 4 more hours....:biggrin: Oh yeah, forgot to mention that MY KNEE went out on me last night... perhaps too much at the gym with the weights....argh Limping everywhere today, we'll wait a couple of days to see if it settles down.. If not then Ill have to go visit the doctor agian...

Banded on July 7, 2009. Lost 52 pounds but holidays hit and I've gained back 7 and am scared to death. I've had one tiny fill and I have to keep reminding myself that there is a reason I had the surgery. If I could have done it myself...am too embarrassed to call surgeon but I don't want to slip slide back into old habits either. Some uplifting words would totally rock right now!

Good Morning-Question for you experienced banders--I had surgery on 12/16/09 and as of 12/23/09 lost 19lbs!. I was doing so well they only had me on full liquids for 2 days then to purees (which i am on now). Since then I have gained 2 lbs! :smile: I am not overly concerned about the 2 lbs, but is this normal??? Will the weight gain stop? I am following how much they tell me to eat (even though I know I could eat more I am not!). Like I said 2lbs I am not gonna lose alot of sleep over, but I want it to stop! I am doing what I am supposed to be!

:Dancing_wub:Has anybody on this site had a thyroid issue hypothyroid/thyroid cancer/ and had a thyroidectomy? The reason I ask is I wonder if it effects how a lap band will help you lose weight? I have had a thyroid removal due to cancer and I weighed 148 before its removal. I now weigh in at 226 and I can't seem to stop my weight gain. I am so scared that the lap band won't help me cause of the thyroid thing. Is anyone out there going through this or blazed the trail. I really need to know if this is worth going through if it will help me.

:drool:Has anybody on this site had a thyroid issue hypothyroid/thyroid cancer/ and had a thyroidectomy? The reason I ask is I wonder if it effects how a lap band will help you lose weight? I have had a thyroid removal due to cancer and I weighed 148 before its removal. I now weigh in at 226 and I can't seem to stop my weight gain. I am so scared that the lap band won't help me cause of the thyroid thing. Is anyone out there going through this or blazed the trail. I really need to know if this is worth going through if it will help me.

Like anything, it's a combination of things as to why I'm fat. I know this always sounds like a copout, but some of it is genetic. My aunts are heavy; my female cousins are heavy. No one is super-obese, but over 200 is the norm. Usually after having kids. I can lose weight, of course I can, and I have, but have found that I have to go to such extremes (strict dieting and strict amounts of exercise (1-2) hrs a day) to get a steady weight loss or maintain the loss that I can't or don't keep it up long-term. I know some people down an egg-white omelette and then hit the gym before a salad for lunch, but I can't maintain that and my sanity at the same time. The foods I like are not diet foods. They are savory - cheese, milk, protein, rice, pasta. I don't eat huge amounts, for example I almost always eat only half a restaurant portion and take the rest home, but I eat just enough of the "wrong" foods to result in a long-term slow weight gain. I am also notorious for not being able to sleep on an empty stomach, and late night eating is not the greatest idea. I don't like "diet foods" I can be an emotional eater - don't taste the food, just eat. So ... the usual ... too many calories, don't exercise enough to keep the calories off. Not the best eating habits. And probably some metabolic stuff that makes for it being more difficult for me to keep the weight off without more effort than I am comfortable putting out long term. Basically, I don't mind eating less or exercising regularly. Sometimes I think I could go without eating at all .... if I could just do it without the hunger. But, I'd rather eat small portions of the foods I like, and be satisfied with that.

Well I did pretty good for my Christmas dinner and dinners... I had a little turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberries.. I also had pie for dessert and then a small piece of rice crispy square. I told everyone that after new years junk food and sweets will no longer be allowed in the house. I have to hard of a time staying away. Tonight there is still pie and other desserts on the counter but I have stayed away.. Congrats to me... I choose not to weigh myself. Just because I have started more solids and have a sinus infection which does not allow me to walk due to asthma.. I do not want to have a weight gain and be upset with myself.. So I will weight a week or two.. I am going shopping tomorrow and will be buying more healthy food since I have been having no problem with the mushy stage.. Anyways all congrats on being banded and all of us keep up the good work..

I really think this list is "at first". Once you find your sweet spot which can take to up to a year, your pouch will be able to tolerate about 1/4 cup of food. Thats when you'll be able to digest a little better. You just gotta remember to chew chew chew. Also, every doc. is different, like mine says NO dairy product ever...like ever. Not even almound milk or soy because it's a slippery slope to dairy which = weight gain. So everyone is different, you just have to be patient. It's hard, I know.

My name is Leslie, i've been obese since i was a little kid, i weight over 200 pounds starting in fifth grade, never really had any friends, kids were always so mean...but my family was worse......my own grandparents don't even have pictures of me up on the walls in their home, and they only have 2 grandchildren.....and pictures everywhere of my lesser obese cousin....it really saddens me when i visit them and see that....when i was 18 and graduated high school i decided i wanted to loose weight, i stopped drinking sodas, and ate alot less, and only once a day, and stopped eating sweets, and i lost 80 pounds, weigthed about 250, was able to fit into blue jeans that didn't have ellastic that was like the best feeling, but it wasn't good enough for my famiily, they told me i had to keep loosing, and not to eat this and not to drink that, and them harrassing me just got me down, my entire life they harrassed me on my weight and they couldn't have just been proud of me that i lost 80 pounds in only 3 mothes, so i got what i wanted out of the weight loss ( a boyfriend) and then started eating and drinking whatever i wanted again, and gained all the weight back, luckily not right away, it was about a year or so before it all came back, and as i was in and out of relationships the weight would come on and off, i'd loose weight when i wasn't in a relationship and gained weight by being comfortable in a relationship, of course most of the guys i went out with were also overweight so they liked sodas, sweets, and fast food restaraunts, not a friend to someone trying to loose weight.....but then i met my husband moved from san antonio to dallas after knowing him 1 week, and after 1 month living with him i gained 30 pounds, weighing 300 when i met him, we lived with his parents the first month, and they had sodas galore in their house, and all the sweets you can imagine, and every chip available, i love them to death but the temptations in their house are awful to someone who needs to loose weight, so yea i started drinking sodas again, before i met my hubby i was off sodas for a while, and the first 30 pounds came fast....then we got our own place and started trying for a baby, we weren't having any luck getting pregnant, i wasn't having regular periods, i haven't had regular periods since junior high, so after we married in nov we went to the doc to find out why we weren't getting pregnant, and after being treated horribliy by the obgyn telling us there was "no magic pill i can give you to get pregnant" those are her exact words, and not what we were looking for......we had tests done....found out i had a thyroid problem, but oddly enough i had the thyroid problem that affects skinny people, which happens to also be the thyroid problem that the meds you have to take are not safe to get pregnant on, so that left us with only one option, to kill off my thyroid and have me become hypothryoid....so that happened about a year after we met plus a few monthes, and i was bed ridden for about 3 monthes, in horrible pain after i had my throid killed off waiting for the meds to level off and have normal thyroid levels....i could barely move, my neck would cramp up my back would cramp up, it hurt to lay down, to sit up , to do anything so this was another 30 pounds added to my weight gain.....so now the biggest i've ever been in my entire life and can't do some simple things that i used to be able to do i'm so misserable.....then all the meds i'm taking to get my hormones in check to give me periods and to make me ovulate cause me to gain another 20 pounds......so now i'm really uncomfortable, i mean i was always used to being a big girl but 80 pounds on top of what i was used to being is ridiculous and so uncomfortable, i told my husband a few weeks ago if the clomid didnt work this month to make me ovulate that i want to have the lapband surgery, and of course the clomid did not work.....so i talked with my obgyn and she said having the lapband surgery would be a very good idea.....and go figure a week later and i have my first period on my own in probably about 2 years, my husband was thinking about trying just in case i ovulate on my own too......but i told him no, i decided i want to have this surgery, i don't want to try till after i have this surgery and get the ok to start trying.....it was just so depressing all those monthes trying and thinking maybe this time....and then getting a negative pregnancy test, i just want to feel like me again, and if i loose more then the 80 pounds to get me back to the "me weight" the weight i'm used to, then thats just an extra bonus.....

My name is Leslie, i've been obese since i was a little kid, i weight over 200 pounds starting in fifth grade, never really had any friends, kids were always so mean...but my family was worse......my own grandparents don't even have pictures of me up on the walls in their home, and they only have 2 grandchildren.....and pictures everywhere of my lesser obese cousin....it really saddens me when i visit them and see that....when i was 18 and graduated high school i decided i wanted to loose weight, i stopped drinking sodas, and ate alot less, and only once a day, and stopped eating sweets, and i lost 80 pounds, weigthed about 250, was able to fit into blue jeans that didn't have ellastic that was like the best feeling, but it wasn't good enough for my famiily, they told me i had to keep loosing, and not to eat this and not to drink that, and them harrassing me just got me down, my entire life they harrassed me on my weight and they couldn't have just been proud of me that i lost 80 pounds in only 3 mothes, so i got what i wanted out of the weight loss ( a boyfriend) and then started eating and drinking whatever i wanted again, and gained all the weight back, luckily not right away, it was about a year or so before it all came back, and as i was in and out of relationships the weight would come on and off, i'd loose weight when i wasn't in a relationship and gained weight by being comfortable in a relationship, of course most of the guys i went out with were also overweight so they liked sodas, sweets, and fast food restaraunts, not a friend to someone trying to loose weight.....but then i met my husband moved from san antonio to dallas after knowing him 1 week, and after 1 month living with him i gained 30 pounds, weighing 300 when i met him, we lived with his parents the first month, and they had sodas galore in their house, and all the sweets you can imagine, and every chip available, i love them to death but the temptations in their house are awful to someone who needs to loose weight, so yea i started drinking sodas again, before i met my hubby i was off sodas for a while, and the first 30 pounds came fast....then we got our own place and started trying for a baby, we weren't having any luck getting pregnant, i wasn't having regular periods, i haven't had regular periods since junior high, so after we married in nov we went to the doc to find out why we weren't getting pregnant, and after being treated horribliy by the obgyn telling us there was "no magic pill i can give you to get pregnant" those are her exact words, and not what we were looking for......we had tests done....found out i had a thyroid problem, but oddly enough i had the thyroid problem that affects skinny people, which happens to also be the thyroid problem that the meds you have to take are not safe to get pregnant on, so that left us with only one option, to kill off my thyroid and have me become hypothryoid....so that happened about a year after we met plus a few monthes, and i was bed ridden for about 3 monthes, in horrible pain after i had my throid killed off waiting for the meds to level off and have normal thyroid levels....i could barely move, my neck would cramp up my back would cramp up, it hurt to lay down, to sit up , to do anything so this was another 30 pounds added to my weight gain.....so now the biggest i've ever been in my entire life and can't do some simple things that i used to be able to do i'm so misserable.....then all the meds i'm taking to get my hormones in check to give me periods and to make me ovulate cause me to gain another 20 pounds......so now i'm really uncomfortable, i mean i was always used to being a big girl but 80 pounds on top of what i was used to being is ridiculous and so uncomfortable, i told my husband a few weeks ago if the clomid didnt work this month to make me ovulate that i want to have the lapband surgery, and of course the clomid did not work.....so i talked with my obgyn and she said having the lapband surgery would be a very good idea.....and go figure a week later and i have my first period on my own in probably about 2 years, my husband was thinking about trying just in case i ovulate on my own too......but i told him no, i decided i want to have this surgery, i don't want to try till after i have this surgery and get the ok to start trying.....it was just so depressing all those monthes trying and thinking maybe this time....and then getting a negative pregnancy test, i just want to feel like me again, and if i loose more then the 80 pounds to get me back to the "me weight" the weight i'm used to, then thats just an extra bonus.....

I feel like such a failure at this point. I have gained 6 pounds in 2 weeks. All of the candies and people bringing in wonderful foods for the Christmas holiday. I am so weak. My restriction is not yet where I need it to be. Only had my first fill on Dec 17th. I can eat and only feel uncomfortable, not yet been sick. Oh I am so bad. Please tell me I can get through Christmas and move on back to my weight loss as usual. I vowed today to do better and to not eat the sweets. Only to eat what makes me feel satisfied even if it does not seem like enough food. My head is not listening to my tummy. I am still working out every other day or two. I am still kind of tender with some of the workouts from the surgery on Nov 25th. Sometimes I feel like I am pulling an incision when lifting or pulling at the gym. Anyway please tell me I can get through Christmas with no more huge weight gain. OH I am doing so bad. I had lost 11 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. NOw I have gained 6 in less than 2 weeks. :tongue:

Teacher, A sudden weight gain could mean you're just holding more Water weight (possibly close to your menstrual cycle?) or just too much salt the day before or the scale gods are just messing with you. If you've been exercising and working out a lot, it could be you're buildilng muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat. Don't let it get to you. Just keep on with what you're doing. If your caloric intake and caloric output are the same as they were before the unfill, you'll start losing again (assuming you were losing before the unfill). Hang in there. .

Well I recieved a call from carters office and was told they were wrong about the sleeve, aetna believes it is dangerous and too new so they don't cover it. Sucks for me because I am not looking forward to getting the band, I mEan I will be content and do everything I can with it but really hoping for the sleeve. But like you said, it has to be a psycological thing withthe weight gain because I cannot diet nor get to the gym, every time I try i cannot stay on it and I too eat like it is my last meal. If you don't mind can you let me know the cash price for the surgery, you can send in pm if you like but I wonder because dr Carter charges 12,000 for th sleeve and I don't want to pay that much. Good luck and please keep us all informed on your surgery and be safe!

Hey, Don't feel sorry for me. I am happy with the way things are going for me. I have the money right now, I am happy with my choice in doctor, and will let the cards play out the way they are supposed to. I don't think your weight gain has anything to do with the time of year. I too have gained weight, and I think it is more psychological than anything. Every meal has been my last time to have this type of thing, you know. I was thinking these thoughts three months ago, LOL. I wish I could have had the surgery three months ago but travel plans wouldn't let me. My time is coming, and your's is too. Bill

I love Christmas. I love the hustle and the bustle of all the preparations and I love the feeling of togetherness that develops as the season wears on. This weekend was a particularly fantastic weekend! Friday night my hubby and I met up with one of his oldest friends and his girlfriend who were visiting from Denver. We went to our favorite Mexican place and ordered the world's most fantastic fajitas. I could only eat one. Wow! Saturday I spent the day baking and candy-making. I baked up two batches of my family recipe of sugar cookies which probably makes up 140 some odd cookies. I baked up two batches of gingerbread men (another 60 cookies). I baked up three batches of pecan butter balls (my fave - and another 80 cookies). I made up three bathces of english toffee (about 300 pieces). And finally, I made up two batches of fudge - one with nuts, one without. I was on my feet in the kitchen for 15 hours. After all that - I can pretty much bet I will eat barely any of it. I don't sample while I cook. I don't nibble while I bake. I don't eat bits and pieces while I decorate. Almost all of this will get given away. Somewhere around the 27th of December I will wander into the kitchen and grab a glass of milk and a pecan butter ball. And then it will all be over and I'll grab 2 or 3 each day until they are gone. But by the time I start, there will only be about 10-20 left and so this won't last very long for me. I can't explain it - but if I make the stuff, I don't eat the stuff. If I leave it for someone else to do...I will nibble on the stuff then. Furthermore, I spent so much time in the kitchen doing all this that I burned off two pounds. Add those two to being down because of the gastroenteritis two weeks ago and I'm really down for the month. So I can eat those pecan butter balls and not feel too badly for it. Wouldn't it be nice, though, if I weren't trying to lose this weight for good? If just in the normal cycle of things I lost weight and then put it back on...because I was trying to maintain a weight? Wouldn't that be awesome?!?! I have a whole collection of tins I've bought through the getting ready for the season outtings and my hubby and I will load those up with a sampling of the goodies and then take them around to friends and family. We are giving out about 20 tins and 40 baggies this year. I'm telling you...there won't be much left for us. I have always baked like this. My mom did this when I was a wee little one and when I was about 2 she started putting me to work. When I moved out and got set up - I couldn't not bake and make so I kept it up even while she was doing her own batches. Most years we were back together and did all this together but there were two where we did things separately and then joined up for the holiday. But now, with my mom gone, I'm glad I never lost momentum on this. It IS an undertaking and it WOULD be so easy to say "not this year". But the first year I say that will be the year after the last year I do this. And I won't give this up. Especially since this has never been a source of weight gain - I don't eat the stuff. Ok...I do nibble on a piece or two of the toffee and a piece or two of the fudge. And I do eat the pecan butter balls. But I very honestly do not eat very much of it and I have never gained weight from it because the calories do come off of other items through the days and the activity level is way up right now, anyway. But I won't give this up...Saturday night, after hubby and I slaved away and got the kitchen back to clean we (literally) crawled into the hot tub, which we were wise enough to start heating at just the right point so that the hot tub was perfectly ready exactly when we were. While we were sitting in the very perfect water on a very chilly night we were chatting away at each other, as we do. And he told me...he loves that I do this. Anywho. I won't give this up - even when I have a band that is so friggin tight I can't drink water - I will STILL be in the kitchen baking and candy-making! (Hopefully I am never in a situation where the band I will have next year is so tight I can't drink water. I'll have other issues then...and might have to say - I'll bake tomorrow but not today.) :cursing: Sunday was another fantastic day. We got to see the oldest friend and his girlfriend again for a brunch. The brunch was at the friend's parents house and it was great to catch up with his parents. After the brunch we took them up to the airport since we live much closer to it than his parents do and were on our way there anyway. And from there I went home and got to work on my etching. I am loving all of this glass. Each piece I have done I want to KEEP FOR MYSELF! It's all so beautiful. And I just hope that the people I give this stuff to appreciate it! Each piece is personalized in two ways. One - in the design I pick out and two - I am putting their monogram on, as well. And so here we are, on Monday. Back at work with nothing to do...I'm just waiting for today, tomorrow and Wednesday to be over so that I can finish getting all this stuff made and then wrapped - so that it can be unwrapped. I do hope this year is good for smiles. I love giving gifts more than I love receiving gifts and I think I've got a great year on my hands - I just hope it pans out as I think it will. What a wonderful time of the year!

I love Christmas. I love the hustle and the bustle of all the preparations and I love the feeling of togetherness that develops as the season wears on. This weekend was a particularly fantastic weekend! Friday night my hubby and I met up with one of his oldest friends and his girlfriend who were visiting from Denver. We went to our favorite Mexican place and ordered the world's most fantastic fajitas. I could only eat one. Wow! Saturday I spent the day baking and candy-making. I baked up two batches of my family recipe of sugar cookies which probably makes up 140 some odd cookies. I baked up two batches of gingerbread men (another 60 cookies). I baked up three batches of pecan butter balls (my fave - and another 80 cookies). I made up three bathces of english toffee (about 300 pieces). And finally, I made up two batches of fudge - one with nuts, one without. I was on my feet in the kitchen for 15 hours. After all that - I can pretty much bet I will eat barely any of it. I don't sample while I cook. I don't nibble while I bake. I don't eat bits and pieces while I decorate. Almost all of this will get given away. Somewhere around the 27th of December I will wander into the kitchen and grab a glass of milk and a pecan butter ball. And then it will all be over and I'll grab 2 or 3 each day until they are gone. But by the time I start, there will only be about 10-20 left and so this won't last very long for me. I can't explain it - but if I make the stuff, I don't eat the stuff. If I leave it for someone else to do...I will nibble on the stuff then. Furthermore, I spent so much time in the kitchen doing all this that I burned off two pounds. Add those two to being down because of the gastroenteritis two weeks ago and I'm really down for the month. So I can eat those pecan butter balls and not feel too badly for it. Wouldn't it be nice, though, if I weren't trying to lose this weight for good? If just in the normal cycle of things I lost weight and then put it back on...because I was trying to maintain a weight? Wouldn't that be awesome?!?! I have a whole collection of tins I've bought through the getting ready for the season outtings and my hubby and I will load those up with a sampling of the goodies and then take them around to friends and family. We are giving out about 20 tins and 40 baggies this year. I'm telling you...there won't be much left for us. I have always baked like this. My mom did this when I was a wee little one and when I was about 2 she started putting me to work. When I moved out and got set up - I couldn't not bake and make so I kept it up even while she was doing her own batches. Most years we were back together and did all this together but there were two where we did things separately and then joined up for the holiday. But now, with my mom gone, I'm glad I never lost momentum on this. It IS an undertaking and it WOULD be so easy to say "not this year". But the first year I say that will be the year after the last year I do this. And I won't give this up. Especially since this has never been a source of weight gain - I don't eat the stuff. Ok...I do nibble on a piece or two of the toffee and a piece or two of the fudge. And I do eat the pecan butter balls. But I very honestly do not eat very much of it and I have never gained weight from it because the calories do come off of other items through the days and the activity level is way up right now, anyway. But I won't give this up...Saturday night, after hubby and I slaved away and got the kitchen back to clean we (literally) crawled into the hot tub, which we were wise enough to start heating at just the right point so that the hot tub was perfectly ready exactly when we were. While we were sitting in the very perfect water on a very chilly night we were chatting away at each other, as we do. And he told me...he loves that I do this. Anywho. I won't give this up - even when I have a band that is so friggin tight I can't drink water - I will STILL be in the kitchen baking and candy-making! (Hopefully I am never in a situation where the band I will have next year is so tight I can't drink water. I'll have other issues then...and might have to say - I'll bake tomorrow but not today.) Sunday was another fantastic day. We got to see the oldest friend and his girlfriend again for a brunch. The brunch was at the friend's parents house and it was great to catch up with his parents. After the brunch we took them up to the airport since we live much closer to it than his parents do and were on our way there anyway. And from there I went home and got to work on my etching. I am loving all of this glass. Each piece I have done I want to KEEP FOR MYSELF! It's all so beautiful. And I just hope that the people I give this stuff to appreciate it! Each piece is personalized in two ways. One - in the design I pick out and two - I am putting their monogram on, as well. And so here we are, on Monday. Back at work with nothing to do...I'm just waiting for today, tomorrow and Wednesday to be over so that I can finish getting all this stuff made and then wrapped - so that it can be unwrapped. I do hope this year is good for smiles. I love giving gifts more than I love receiving gifts and I think I've got a great year on my hands - I just hope it pans out as I think it will. What a wonderful time of the year!