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LOL! No rum balls for the 2 month old! Wait till he's at least 1 before you go sneaking him his first alcohol! Uhm.. not sure about spas, I was really surprised about there being restaurants and shops honestly.. it's really out in the wilderness.. very peaceful, but not full of high society things--like spas! (Although plenty of kelp & mud in the river, you can coat yourself.. for free!)

I know my value system, I however don't feel the need to thrust it onto others - and a slam to my morals on an Internet Forum has zero impact on me. Now if my Priest or Husband has issues w/those values, I would have to re-examine myself a great deal. The constant misconception that those who are Pro Choice are in favor of using abortion as a form of birth control - is just plain wrong. Alcohol is legal, people abuse that. Guns are legal, people abuse them too. Many things that are legal get abused - but they are in the minority...but get the press. Stick to your statement - no one here to tell you otherwise. Cheers~

SSDiva: I am so impressed with your ability to express your thoughts and feelings. Some people thought that "The Passion of the Christ" was a wonderful, marvelous, fantastic movie. I believe it exploited the story of Jesus for profit and to try to shame people into feeling badly about how He was treated. The guy (Mel Gibson, an alcoholic - probably with horrible guilt and demons of his own) who made the movie, must feel really good about all the graphic flying flesh and blood that he blew up for the big screen. It was one of the most gory, graphic movies that I've ever seen. It made me want to vomit. I didn't feel guilty, I felt disgust toward the person responsible for such an exploitative vehicle. I also want to vomit when some people try to pull the same profitable stunt by carying placards with bloody photos of dead fetuses outside abortion clinics. They are hoping to guilt women into bearing children that they are unable to love, nurture and take care of. In fact, many of those anti-choice, anti-abortion, anti-compassionate people will use any means to try to convince people that abortion is a hideous, horrific, bloody, painful, regretful, murderous act. They want to believe that each and every woman who chooses abortion will be plagued for life with visions of death and blood and gore over that choice. What balderdash! They believe the ends justify the means, so it's okay for them to use ridiculous "parallels" equating slavery to abortion, or any other thing they can so that they may be able to shock people into believing that abortion is the murder of a living, breathing, viable human being, and not a relatively simple medical procedure that should be made available as a choice. Listen, science is science, and nature being what it is, women must absolutely MUST have it in their power to terminate a pregnancy that threatens their lives. I find it one of the most ironic things in the world that anti-choice people don't care one whit about a woman whose birth control has failed, or who has been raped, or who is simply not able to healthily carry a child to term - for any reason. They care about the baby because the baby has no voice of his own. Uh right, sure. Well what they don't get and never will get is that they have no right, NONE, to interject their wishes upon that baby or that mother. The only person with that right is the mother. That is because without the mother the child doesn't exist. The child is dependent upon the mother-host for it to have any chance for survival. Interjecting themselves between a mother and a fertilized egg while it is in the mother's uterus, is ludicrous. We have had that kind of law in place before and the result was horrific. Like I said, this thing may not go quietly away with a change in the Oval Office, but believe me, many, many of us will never put up with the government interjecting itself into women's uteruses again. By the way, you made an excellent point about legislating bodily functions. What if we passed a law that said that the government gets to decide when and if a woman can have a baby? What if we were so overrun with children that it threatened our planet? What if women were compelled BY LAW to HAVE abortions? Well, if you can force a woman to have a baby, it isn't too much of a stretch to say that we can force a woman NOT to have a baby, given the right circumstances. Neither scenario would be right or good. We just won't stand for it. Nor should we. Thank you for your passionate and thoughtful post, SSDiva. We must stay united to ensure that women never become just a commodity in this country.

Wow Harley, sounds like a fabulous time! The cabin looks amazing! I hope you have a wonderful time.. I am super jealous:) When I read your post about drinking it made me think, and I just wanted to share.. I had a big bash a few weeks ago and made 325 Jello shots with rum, vodka, and tequila (with 3 wonderful helpers). What people didn't know was that more than half of the jello shots were sugar free;) Everyone loves jello shots, right? They're fun, help you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and these were super low cal. They are also easy to make ahead, and to pack. We had 2 coolers full:) I used Barcardi, Jose Cuervo, and Absolut which are all 69 cals/1oz. We got about 20-25 shots out of one box of jello, which had one cup of alcohol and 1+1/4c Water.. I'll attempt to translate that?: 8oz/cup= 552 calories, divided by 20 shots/cup= 27.6 cals/shot. I think.. lol We found sugar free pina colada jello which was fab, and also did tequila with SF lime jello. They were surely a hit! I think there was a total of 22 left over out of the original 325:) Also, when we have people over I drink diet barqs, or diet coke and rum. The soda only takes a day or 2 to flatten with the cap off in the fridge. I have one of each on hand now, ready to go:) Hope some of this is helpful..

Jodie, I'm just really confused as I'm sure others are. You say your boyfriend in essence repeatedly raped you and underminded you (hiding your pills) yet in recent previous posts you have said he's a great guy, you love him very much and planned on marrying him. Also, you have said he is irresponsible and an alcoholic so how do you expect to be able to depend on him for money? Further, it sounds like it's a matter of time before he'll wind up in prison since he's an habitual felony-commiting criminal. It's probably not a real good idea to count on him for any kind of support--financially, emotionally or morally. In fact, it's not a good idea to even have him around your baby ever..period.

Hey Hanne, Sorry for delay! Been a busy few days. Yes, I've had alcohol a few times now - mostly I'll get a glass of wine and sip on it, which I've done 3-4 times. I had a wedding in December where I had 2 glasses throughout the whole day/night. I read a lot about alcohol hitting you a lot quicker after surgery, which is why I've been very careful and sipped only. Can't say it felt any different to me than normal but I do find it can give me heartburn now. I love wine and I'm sure they'll be times where I miss being able to join in like a I did before, but I can't say it's been an issue for me yet! Your perspective changes when you are forced to think much more carefully about everything you put in your body and the things you think will be hard just . . . aren't.

Thanks for the support guys I really appreciate it. And it is Kelly with a y M2 I think a friend is hosting a superbowl party - I am sure it will be a festival of bad for us food so I will do my best to prep for hubby and myself. It is very exciting for our teams to be competing! Best of luck to your Bronco's and I hope that my team will do well - I think it will be quite a show with our strong defense going against your powerful offense. We both know we display seriously addictive behaviors with food - this dysfunction runs in both of our families with obesity, drug and alcohol and co-dependency issues. I have felt better since my venty post - The house is cleaned out of crap and I have had a bit of a mental reboot - I tend to go right to the place where I feel that I am a failure even when I have had incredible success, even though I have yet to hit that elusive goal weight, I need to work on telling myself that I am till a success! Hard work. My husband works out lke a demon an hour a day - 6 days a week. He runs on the treadmill like a contestant on the biggest loser at 16 weeks in, he can run at a full on sprint which he can maintain for quite a while - it is freakishly impressive. I have an old friend from NYC that I met when I lived in the city - she had/has a serious issue with sugar - we would go to the magnolia bakery in the west village and she would order 5 massive pieces of cake - eat them all and then workout like a madman every day so she could eat that way - she looks very fit. I have seen this woman buy two carrot cakes and skin them of their cream cheese frosting like a wild animal. Brent, my husband has said that he is on the "Kendall" plan lol. He tends to follow my lead and I can get militant with keeping our home safe with good foods so I know things will get back to normal. The good thing is experiencing the crazy food thing over the holidays and coming out the other side - I will prepare accordingly. It starts to get rough in September with the kickoff of all of the family females birthdays, each one of us has a birthday mid-month September, October, November, and then we are well into holiday season. So the fall/winter third of the year, when comforty foods and food focused socializing gets going and the weather gets cold and rainy and blah is when it gets harder for me. I think OA is something I will like - I think that one reason that the lapse of our normal program of nutrition and exercise has been so scary is feeling out of control again. It isn't just about the lbs..the weight is the symptom. I spent so long with my head buried in the sand and not taking responsibility for my health that feeling a loss of control is frightening. My resolution for the year has been to work on my resilience....Clarity is another one that seems to be presenting itself again and again. It feels as if I am learning to be a better advocate for myself - with my health, my job (which more and more I realize is a corrupt system - academic/adjuncts, which I wont be able to change.) Healing and mindfulness for all of us Thank you guys for your kind words and thoughts.

Not managed to fit in a fast yet over the holidays, though I have managed to exercise twice. Out tonight with friends which no doubt will involve alcohol and food. Tomorrow house it to be cleared of any cakes/sweets etc and all alcohol will be put in the garage for the month of January. I am also going to commit to using mfp every day. For everyone who is having difficulties this holiday, especially Globe, my commiserations and prayers. Tomorrow is a new start (everyday is a new start , it does not have to be New Year) and it is the year I am going to hit my personal goal, help hubby start his own fitness trail so he can reach good health, move house(?) and support hubby while he looks for a new job. I'm sure there will be many more ups and downs, hoping for the downs to be just in the weight department. Happy New Year everyone.

It isn’t THAT much but it will be if I keep going like this. Have to put the brakes on now before it’s too late. A distal is where they take one part of a tube and stick it somewhere else... lengthening the limb so that there is more malabsorption. That’s kind of the idea haha. I’m planning on staying on the Saxenda till my surgery - it’s really holding me accountable especially with alcohol. I had a drink on it my first night and felt terribly ill - my guess is my blood sugar went very low. So, I’ve given up alcohol and I have to say it’s really hard! It’s been my go to, to destress. Doing a lot of deep breathing and positive self talk lol.

Dubchild I'm 3 1/2 weeks post surgery, lost 19 lbs. I have a group of friends who we get together once or so a month for a few beers, wings, watch the game and generally BS. As you can see from the various posts doctors orders vary widely. From reading posts from other threads it is apparent that many men are able to have a occasional drink. I would check with your surgeon and explain the situation. My plans are to try a lite beer in a few months, I'm more concerned about the carbonation rather than the alcohol content as most of the light beers have minimal alcohol content. With the wings peel off the skin and enjoy one or two, with both moderation is key. Until a few months pass I would simply say to the guys that you have been on a doctor ordered diet and no booze right now. Make use there is some non carb drink to enjoy. People aren't going to count how many wings or drinks you are having. Rest assured the best is yet to come, don't miss the good times- just make a plan. Congratulations on your success! Curiously I believe that you, Marine, and I are the only men in the feb group.

Okay so Anna, I’ve seen your recent pics and it’s possible that instead of having 9 pounds til goal, you’re already there. Not saying you should quit, but just saying please don’t beat yourself up if that 9 pounds takes a while. You’ve lost so much excess fat and that coupled with the fact that you were just at 35% BMI on surgery day that it’s gonna be a struggle. My college graduation weight was 132. I was 5’7”, in great shape and was upset because I’d gained 7 pounds from my all-time low from a year before. Looking back I was pretty darned skinny and I felt fat. SMH. My goal will be to end up somewhere in the 145-155 range. Of course I’d feel better about it if I live at the lower end of that range, but since I’m still in the upper 160’s now I honestly have no clue if that’s achievable and/or sustainable. One thing for sure though is that ever getting back to 132 just isn’t realistic and I’d just be setting myself up for a lot of mental angst to even try. Re snacks for your daughter: Mostly that depends on her personal tastes. I’m completely a savory freak. One reason this program is working so well for me is that I love meat and dairy and cheese. My snacks are p3 packs, beef jerky, cheese sticks, a handful of olives and feta cheese, cottage cheese and pumpkin seeds, hummus and pork rinds with veggies, etc... If I have something sweet it turns my hunger into overdrive and I start craving things I don’t need and it takes half the day to get it back under control. Therefore I don’t even dare have things like flavored yogurt or protein shakes or fruit. Don’t even get me started on wine and other alcohol. Sadly those things also turn on my hunger.

I’ve decided just to do this “my way” and ever since I’ve been at a lot more peace. I may not be getting adequate nutrition and vitamins but I am giving myself a break and letting my body adapt. Vitamins were making me puke so I switched to vitamin patches. I ate HALF a scrambled egg (which foamed up in my throat) so I am mostly just drinking a protein water and a shake here and there (but never getting in the required 60-80 grams). I have been weighing myself every morning first thing when I wake up. I have been consistently losing a pound a day but now I’ve decided to stop weighing. I am sleeping like a freaking rock. After drinking a bottle of wine every single night for years (a habit that I slowly phased out during the weeks/months leading up to surgery) I am feeling and sleeping better than ever. I have no pain/no nausea whatsoever but a very very small capacity for food. I do get hungry now and last night I ate a pepperoni from my families pizza delivery order. And I squeezed it till it was bone dry with no oil and chewed it up thoroughly. No problem whatsoever with that. Figured if I only ate one pepperoni for the whole day yesterday I was OK. And most exciting I have zero desire to drink alcohol. It is actually somewhat repulsive to me. I feel good now!! The first week was a nightmare. I’m doing my post op visit this week hopefully (I may have to reschedule because my car is still in the hospital parking lot from almost 2 weeks ago - three hours away). Otherwise I’m doing great. My personal goal is to get out and walk more frequently. I have been taking only one real walk a day. Hopefully none of this catches up to me because I am not following the doctor’s orders to a T but I have had to tweak it based on what I can and can not tolerate. Please don’t judge! Anyone getting in real walks/exercise yet?

They still have sugar alcohol in them

CGJane - Yes, 20 lbs with the nasal tube but unfortunately I cannot continue with it; I am simply too delicate internally, my nasal passages, my esophagus, couldn't handle the trauma. So, that 's 20 pounds off which is great, but I am still 50 lbs over my target weight, the target weight that I never got to, even though I got to surgeon's (prior to regain). I always want to eat, I eat to soothe anxiety, even anxiety about becoming anxious. Like an alcoholic, I don't need a reason to want to eat. v_v I am most likely the third category of Cathy's test, wherein I require physical restriction that makes me incapable of overeating.

We can do it, Laura! I'm detoxing. Turns out that I'm mid-cycle now and the weight jump isn't too surprising, nor is the desire to snack. Was back to my same 'ole number this morning. The very day after I reported my loss here I bounced back to the number I've been pretty constantly seeing (142.4) for several weeks now. I got a little up, go a little down, but I always settle right back here. Dang it. At least I'm not up like yesterday. So, confession: I've been logging my food at the end of the day instead of at the start of the day. This is not working for me! So today, I already have my food planned out. I am drinking two Protein Shakes today and eating Protein heavy meals all day. I'm hoping to kick the carb cravings - I got some bad habits while the kids were here because they eat a lot of snack foods we normally don't have in the house. Why can I walk past an entire container of homemade Cookies or danishes but not a bag of salt and vinegar chips? All that stuff is leaving the house - usually it's not here, if we want chips, I make them. So the processed stuff needs to leave because right now I'm having a hard time staying away from it all. Introduce any stress and it gets much harder for me to abstain. Sure, I only eat a handful of chips. But I do it EVERY day. That can't be good. Secretly, I'm scared that one day I'll just lose my mind and hide in a closet and eat them all. The fact that it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it can't happen. There is no longer a skinny woman inside me screaming to get out. There's a fat woman inside me and she wants the food. ALL OF IT. So I have to shut her up with protein shakes. chocolate ones. I've got my limits. Anyway, I'm also curbing my coffee intake. I've been drinking quite a bit of it and want to see how I feel without it. You know, besides tired. And I'm proud to say that once I decided a few weeks ago to stop using alcohol daily I have only had a drink here or there. Nothing regular and there's no time of the day where I just feel like it's beer or wine time and I need a drink. This is a good thing. Hope everyone is well. Happy Weekend! We're dragging the kids off to tot Shabbat (ugh...as if spending an hour with thirty other kids six and under wasn't bad enough we're doing it outside in the muggy buggy woods) because hubs insists and I've been finding excuses not to go for the last two months. Ah well, I knew it couldn't last. ~Cheri

Hi guys! Just caught up and I am so glad I am up to date with this busy thread - I get busy during the day and tell myself I need to login or I am going to have a heck of a time catching up - I am sure is it the same for us all. Okay first off - does anyone have our list of names - I spent 45 minutes one day trying to dig through our massive thread and find it to no avail - I would be hugely grateful if anyone could share Or even give me an idea of what number of pages it might be located. Coops thanks so much for the Amazon link to the menopause book - I am going through it though I still am having somewhat regular periods - gonna be 50 this year in October woo It really feels like an emotional rollercoaster somedays - just like I have lost my mind haha. Beautiful corsets ladies - Feed and Jane you look lovely! I am still getting used to having anything touch my middle with clothing - I spent so long in tent-sized clothing, right at the edge of 5x and needing specialty clothes that I think that only now am I realizing what clothing that actually fits looks and feels like - even things that fit perfectly sometimes make me feel very exposed and afraid people will stare and make fun on me (when my squishy is very well hidden in clothes.) As hubby says "no more hobo clothes" (you must image the little designer from The Incredibles saying this lol.) Sarah - I am so sad to hear that your dear friend is struggling with drugs. My ex before my husband, whom I was with for many years was a recovering heroin addict - we lived in NYC and I experienced him falling off the sobriety/clean wagon which was agony for all of us around him (an episode of Intervention is about the level of madness I am talking about). I also grew up in a home with alcoholic family members - I seriously believe I am an addict with food - its just my drug of choice. Know that she is the one who has to want it - no matter what, she will be the one that does it for herself. I know that if I can quit smoking after 28 years of 2 packs a day then anyone on the face of this earth can stop their addictions too. One day at a time. That same partner also came out of the closet during that time - (I call this time my floral dress era - desperately trying to feel pretty again) and within a year he had contracted AIDS - he is still living with aids but doing much better - living in L.A. and seems happy. I feel like I dodged a serous bullet with that one. Speaking of one day at a time - I went to my very first Overeaters Anonymous meeting last weekend. I enjoyed it very much and plan to keep going - I was inspired by the honesty and sharing of the group - when I spoke I bawled like a little baby haha (maybe its those pesky menopause demons) and the group was very accepting of the fact that I had surgery - they were very interested in hearing about my experience. There were big folks and little ones - many had lost 100's of lbs and gained them back - some had maintained - just like all of us. I will check out other meetings around my area and see what those are like - it felt like a good reboot and have been seriously detoxing from the sugar since that meeting last Saturday. Here's a question, what are your guys bounces ranges and how to do determine them? Florinda - I am sorry you felt that you had to conceal your losses, but I am thrilled that you have lost your regain and then some! Learning to be kind to ourselves is just as big a part of all of this as anything. Lets all work on seeing how far we have come - I know I look to all of you as wonderful, inspiring successes, each and everyone one I can confide in and reveal the best and worst - the hardest of my struggles. I had great success off the bat with 5:2 then have struggled a lot with the holidays - it is my own fault really - it has been an orgy of baked carbs...I never used to like this stuff, but now it is the easiest thin to crunch up and goes down easy -I then I get lightheaded and woozy, oftentimes sick...just like a needle in the arm lol. I never got a goal weight from my docs or nutritionists, but one of them did mentioned that he thought I would end up at around 175. So that has been my upper limit with this recent gaining frenzy - or I should say that is my freak out weight lol. My husband just wants me to be happy at any weight around where I am - he seems to love my body - squishy and all - trying to come around to his viewpoint. I have noticed that cutting out even a bit of the sugar has helped tremendously this week with cravings - I have a milk issue with lattes, and when you get right down to it milk is a carb/sugar even if it is loaded with good stuff - I swear I would go drink milk from a cow on the side of the road if it was an emergency haha. I feel very successful at not having latte's on the way to work, at work, or on the way home from work every day this week - remember this is Seattle, that is a HUGE deal haha Love you guys

The scale was unforgiving, I put on more this week than I did when I went on my 2 week trip to Mexico/ cruise last April. It has shown me how much easier it is to eat the crap and how volume has increased. The good thing is that the cupboards are bare at home and I won't be bringing any snacks or alcohol in for some time. It went on in a week I just have to work at it and see what I can lose in a week.let battle commence..

Hi ladies! Lordy - just got back from a few days at the coast with friends who were up from San Diego and it is kooky how off track my hubby and I can get when we are out of our home element. Going to an unfamiliar grocery store seemed to completely discombobulate the both of us. We both nibbled our way through more calories than we should have - I certainly had more carbs and processed food than I am used to and whoa what it does on the scale - poof up 7 lbs in one day from puffy bloat, salt and not enough fluids. M2 I have had my Fitbit flex since last October and I love mine - still need to work on getting all of my daily steps in though. 10k a day every day is a goal. I have been recovering from the BS from end of semester stuff - I basically walked away from my teaching job two weeks ago ( I turned down the offer to compete for my old job after the new administration brought the hammer down and dismantled the art department at our college - the music dept is next.) Basically half of all of the core faculty contracts were bought out - meaning teachers were threatened to either take a severance package (which was 75% of their salary) or possibly have nothing - they basically worked the collective bargaining agreement to eliminate professors who made the most money - which at our college is not that much. My ethics told me not to keep subjecting myself to a new corporatized situation that cares nothing for anything but money. I had started taking my anti-anxiety medicine (usually reserved only for long car trips) just to go into work, and crying every day. Its scary but I no longer feel sick to my stomach every day. Anywho - enough of that. I have been reading a new book on clean eating after reading about a program of eating called Whole30 - which I had no heard of. Its basically 30 days of hard reset - no wheat, sugar, dairy, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, etc - and is focused not so much on WL but rather elimination of inflammation, breaking the carb addiction, etc...All pretty common stuff in the food literature that we read. The dairy part would be really rough for me - I like a bit of 2% milk, and my favorite sweet is light and fit Greek yogurt - hi dairy and artificial sweet lol. If you slip up you have to start the 30 days over again lol. I am frankly dreading the fall (my most difficult part of the year for food and activity) and want to whip things into shape this summer to be better prepared. I just need to knuckle down! I too like our little group the way it is - I trust you guys and that is a big deal to me - I don't trust very many people

Sheryl, I am really happy for you! He sounds so great! How old is he? If he's fit, and not on medication, he probably won't have an ED problem. My last bf was really good in bed, and rarely had problems, but if he did, I could "help him" Alcohol is another story, but he rarely drank any. As far as Bill goes, I do love Bill, but it shouldn't have to be this difficult. We have nothing in common. He can't hike because of his health, he hates the kinds of movies I like, etc. We work around it, but it's difficult. I've already shared with you that he has ED problems and the sex is not great. The other guy is older, and I know nothing about him and could have ED as well. I just want to talk to him, for now, and find out why we went out before and all I remember is talking to him on the phone and him sitting on my couch. Maybe it was because I was fat. I JUST can't remember and it's driving me nuts. Bill is really bugging me to buy a motorhome together because he loves to camp. We would both put equal amounts for a down payment and split the payments and it would be in both of our names. I am SO not ready for that. Florinda, you need to talk to Jack about sex,and things not being right with each other lately. Do you video chat, or talk on the phone? Is it possible for you to take a train to Eugene? or How about meeting in Portland? Tell him it's important that you two talk, and you can't live like this!

Laura, the test I took that may indicate higher cortisol is the: EOSINOPHILS ABS 0.1-0.3 K/MM3 0.05 L A lower-than-normal eosinophil count may be due to: Alcohol intoxication (not! in this case) Over production of certain steroids in the body (such as cortisol) so really, I am only guessing here... will find out more next month some time....

Dee - I think that one step at a time is a good approach. I have also been drinking too much wine, I am not sure why exactly. Well, some of it is alot of partying and socializing. I have had both the best summer ever (fun, friends, activities) and a pretty freaking rotten one (death, sadness, that mournful feeling of a whole life just ending in a trainwreck - Betty). So, then maybe the glass of wine also becomes a "decompression" from the pain which is the bad part. Anyway, I don't get drunk and don't feel like an alcoholic, but there really isn't a good reason for me to have a glass or two everyday. I don't wish to quit, but I can cut back and feel good about that. I am now doing that. I personally feel that dependance on junky food is actually worse. I work very hard to keep soothing foods out of my life (ice cream, cakes etc) because they make me feel physically horrible and trigger over eating in general. I am blessed that since the sleeve ice cream makes me "dump" - it is hellish and I tell you cured me of reliance on my favorite "sedation" - ice cream. I know how stressful travel can be - especially when you do it alot like you do (I used to). when I was obese I used business travel as an excuse to basically eat whatever whenever since time zones and plane schedules makes for an even more "disorganized" view then my daily eating life was (it was disorganized already, travel made it worse!). I don't have a good answer, but when I travel now, I put on my "be tough" mindset because it is so easy to fall into overindulgence when I am lonely, stressed and overly tired. Anyway girl, I hope you can turn your work life into something happier. I really believe that having a life you love is one of the keys to success over the long run... and we are likely to live longer too!

Go for it Sheryl! You need to find out how compatible you are with him. Everything is always great at first. You need to the through that honeymoon phase with him and find out who he really is and how you to get along. The only way you can do that is to spend time together. Yes, it's a balancing act, but you said you enjoy being with him. Take dance classes together. They're so much fun when you have an automatic partner. have you ever seen West Coast Swing? Watch it on Utube. It's hard, but that means a lot of lessons. East coast is easy. I find Salsa and the Hustle to be really easy too. There should be a place that offers a few weeks of this and a few weeks of that. And why would he not go horse back riding? John has turned into an ass. He's always tired, works too much, and basically has about 2 hours where he's off work, eats dinner watches some tv and falls asleep. I have been avoiding him. Maybe I should try welbutrin. I am extremely depressed about the weight, and the time, it's going to take to get back in shape. Doctor said it's a one year recovery from this surgery! Yikes! I am going to go out on a date with Owen, who is the alcoholic. he's so cute, and I was really falling for him, when he majorly screwed up. He's been staying sober, and wants to take me to dinner in a couple of weeks when he comes in from Tuna Fishing. Why not . I have nothing better to do. Then he will go home to his place which is an hour away, so I have no desire to drive that far but if he's willing to, I'll see how things go as far as another dinner. Sheryl I can't believe how we're both in the same boat. I've lost so much muscle, and I have no way of doing weight training again for months. I hate that none of my clothes fit. I have a muffin top, and my thighs are much bigger. I am not supposed to diet while I am waiting for the bone to graft. UUGG!

Yes, I am Sheryl but I answer quite nicely to Jane so don't worry about it! I worked at a restaurant once with fellow waittresses Carol, Merrill, Cheryl and Sherrie - we were always mishearing each other's names...haha! Laura, seriously, how can you see yourself as heavy? I judge us to be quite similiar in size and I am HOT...haha... so by definition you are too! Really, I don't mean to be insulting, but have you considered counseling for body image issues? You look awesome and beautiful. Sarsar - love those pics! You are also quite a beauty!!! Susan, I didn't know you were a revision. My surgeon is an arrogant SOB and one of the things he said was that he "did a really good job" creating my sleeve. What he told me is that sometimes due to the scar tissues left by the crapband (big fat lie it is a completely reversible procedure - it leaves damage!!!) they can't make the "pouch" the same was a virgin sleever. I am not a big religous person and not sure I believe in devine intervention BUT, I think somebody was looking out for me when it came to my sleeve journey. I still sometimes pinch myself to make sure it isn't just a fantasy and I will wake up obese... What I will say is that eating low carb and 5:2 both help me keep that "tight" feeling. When I started going sideways... say about 8 months post op, I was hungrier than I am now. Some of it is mental, I am in a headspace now that I just don't care that much about food and I think low carbing helps with that. I worry that if I ever go completely off the rails, I won't be able to get back, but I do allow myself small quanties of potato or bread or alcohol but basically stay away from other junkie carby food.

Well, let`s start with the pre-christmas week challenge, when I weighed myself last friday i had lost 3lbs. Not 5lbs as predicted but it felt good having those 3lbs come off because I knew I was going to over-do it during the X`mas period. That said, the band did not allow me to binge! I`m so greatful to it. I drunk a little and ate a few chocolates. Well, when I say a little, I mean about 4 glasses of mulled wine (heavier on brandy than orange juice since it was home-made), half a litre of baileys, 2 large glasses of white wine and a glass of champagne over the course of the X`mas week. Believe you me, this is a tiny fraction of what it would have been two years ago. The band took well to the alcohol until yesterday when I tried a glass of mulled wine and it came right up again. I guess I`m done for the holidays. I also had just about 50gms of chocolate! Go figure. The food intake as a whole was brilliant. I guess I should say tahnks to my band. It`s gone pretty tight since yesterday though. X`mas was good but busy as usual. The in-laws stayed for 4 days. Well, enough about me. How did the X`mas go, Girls? Hope it was enjoyable and not guilt-ridden for any of you since we all need space to enjoy life. Please let me know how it went. If I don`t read from you prior to the new year, I wish you a successful and peaceful one.

I am so freakin excited. I went today for another fill. I have eaten plenty of candy, drank some alcohol, and my appetite has been out of control but I managed to lose 4 pounds in two weeks. I can even feel a little bit of restriction with my new fill. Woot woot go me go me go me!