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SO well written! A very sad commentary on our society indeed! It's no wonder why 12 year old girls dress like porn stars, and at 16, already looking to plastic surgery. Pathetic.......so unbelievably sick. And it just seems to get worse.

That was seriously an awesome blog. I can't tell you how many times I've felt exactly what you're feeling now. I see all these commercials and half are for food (because we need more junk food like we need a hole in the head) and the other half are for the diet I supposedly need to undo all the junk food damage. But wait...there's more! I can buy a nifty cami that will make me look 3 sizes slimmer, but then I *really* need the hair removal cream because I can't been seen looking like a bush woman. Oh and then? I should seriously invest some of those videos that will teach me to exercise and look like I'm a stripper doing a lap dance at the same time, because you know, there's a good chance my boyfriend will buy that beer that shows the woman that looks like a rejected porn star falling all over the guy because he's drinking *that* beer. I need to look like a rejected porn star apparently. Seriously, really excellent blog post. I hope more read it because you totally nailed it.

We did a second 5K this morning, a Color Run where they throw powdered paint on you at 4 stations during your walk, and then you can do it at the end. Anyway, I'm hurting now as I ran at the beginning and the end, but walked rest of it. Did it in a little more than an hour. Really pleased with the progress!! My surgery was in Nov. and I'm now 66. Yaa HOO!!!

It has been almos ten weeks since I was sleeved and I have been having frequent moments of thankfulness for this gift: My husband can wrap his arms around me when we hug My feet don't hurt anymore first thing in the morning so I don't hobble around My brain isn't so foggy at work I am gaining confidence I can tie my gym shoes without losing my breath I don't crave nor miss sweets My ankles aren't swollen at the end of the day every day So I bought some cute sandals and got a teal pedicure! My eyes look bigger and not "hooded" anymore So I bought new make up and feel beautiful (lovely husband says I have always been beautiful even - and especially - without make up. Love love love him!!!) No more buffalo hump No one has been negative I don't snore anymore (that one never gets old!) Not one migraine I have more flexibility I am more inclined to go to the gym My husband said I get up from the couch or bed faster and no longer use my arms to brace or balance myself (I never even realized I did that before) I feel younger My friends and colleagues have been so supportive and complimentary, which feels good My clothes are almost all too big, even the ones that were too small two months ago I am just so lucky and thankful for getting through the surgery safely, the first part of recovery that was so scary in the week after, having no complications and getting to this point. If I never lose another ounce, I am so much better off than I was before surgery for so many years. I am now 197 lbs and the size 16 clothes that I have are too big (I plan to go shopping this weekend). When my husband married me nine years ago I was 206 so he has never known me any smaller or healthier. He always said he wanted us to go running together but I never thought that could happen. Now it seems possible. I just signed up for a 5K in January 2014 and have started training for it already. That is a huge deal for me. I am not interested in perfection because that is unrealistic. I am happy to be healthier and to appreciate the mobility that I am gifting to my future golden years. I heard somewhere that thankfulness is essential for good mental health and happiness. So, I am truly grateful for my life and the second chance that I have been given to live it.

My typical day: Breakfast: 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/3 cup egg whites cooked into the oatmeal with 1/8 cup blueberries, 2 pecan halves and 1 teaspoon raw sugar, substitute breakfast, Greek yogurt with 1/8 cup granola ( I love crunch) or small tortilla with egg whites scrabbled with some peppers, onions and tablespoon of cheese. ( I have an addiction for Starbucks SF Nonfat Carmel Machatta on the days I indulge I have my coffee and a protein bar) Snack mid morning: small protein bar or shake depending on how breakfast went or how busy my afternoon is going to be Lunch: 2-3 ozs of lean protein, turkey, chicken, pork. or fish. (early days I ate a lot of thinly sliced lunch meat, other meats were dry and got stuck. 1/2 cup green veggies, or a very small salad with oil and vinegar. If I am going to eat a starch this would be the meal I would do it. Mid afternoon snack, small apple or banana with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or a protein bar. Depends on how portable I need my snack to be. Dinner: Again lean meet around 3 ozs and a veggie. Snack: 1/8 to 1/4 cup of almonds or sometimes 2 cups of popcorn. I have ate this way for over two years, I have always done snacks, I was never able to do just 3 meals. It took me months to work up to a 1000 calories a day and I try very hard to keep my calories around 1200. I am at goal and I still eat this way but now I try to hit 1400 to 1600 calories a day and yes I still weigh and measure my food and I still eat off a small plate with a big fork. I do not drink with meals. I do not deprive myself of anything I want, if I want something that is high calorie and not as nutritious, I eat it and adjust accordingly. I say that now but I am at goal, when I was trying to lose, I rarely indulged. I allowed my self one splurge meal a week on a Thursday. I find weekends, especially Sundays difficult and exercise was the key to continued successful weigh loss for me. Good luck and hope this helps.

I agree with TES. I wouldn't keep my food in the fridge. It has nothing to do with cleanliness and everything to do with keeping healthy by eating the healthy foods brought from home. Pack your food to keep cold in your own space, not in the communal fridge.

We are lucky at having a very clean facility. We moved into a new building back in Feb. And our custodial staff is very vigilant about keeping the fridge clean and cleaned out.

This is at home, but I tell my son it has broccoli in it, no matter what it is, and he doesn't touch it. It's nice to have this limited time in his life where I can trick him like that.

Guinness World Records called me today. It was out of the blue and I thought it was my shameful little secret. But apparently being startled by a squirrel can help you become a Guinness record breaker. I was in the kitchen messing around and heard some scratches in the utility room. Upon opening the door, I was confronted by a dastardly squirrel. Being a normal (sort of) person, I figured if I stepped towards him, he'd head for the hills. But no, he charged me! Squirrels aren't supposed to charge! They're supposed to hang upside down on the sides of trees and play funny games of tag with each other. It's in the Squirrel Manual. Chapter 1 - Squirrels are supposed to look cute, chase each other, and RUN whenever confronted by things that outweigh them by 300 lbs. This squirrel, obviously, was a dropout. He's the kinda punk squirrel that skips squirrel school, hangs around the pool hall, and smokes. I would add that he's a heroine addict, but I didn't have time to check his little squirrel arm for tracks - I was too busy trying to release the squirrel back into his natural habitat. By that, I mean that I screamed like a girl and slammed the door. That's where Guinness comes in. I thought my shameful little secret was my own, until I got the phone call. Apparently Guinness heard the scream and the door slam at their headquarters and tracked it back to me. I wondered how they tracked it back to me, until I saw the fault line (apparently caused by my slamming the door) snaking across my property and down the street. I now have two Guinness records - one for Loudest Girly Scream from a Man and Hardest Door Slam Without Knocking the Door Off the Hinges. P.S. The Man Club heard about it as well. I tried to explain that I was employing my catlike Ninja skills and the scream was my way of focusing my Chakras - but they weren't buying it. They said they had already given me a break on the whole Monarch Butterfly incident, but they couldn't give me a pass on this one. I now have 2 points on my Man Card. One more point and I have to take a refresher class. :-( P.P.S Does setting the world record for screaming like a girl count as an aerobic workout??????