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This made me giggle. YOU are brilliant......quick witted and a good story teller. Kudos to you!!! I hate them, I know it's their job, but that's tough!!! There is not a DNC list for businesses, which is too bad. My husband, who is the IT Director for a SW company loves, LOVES messing with them when he gets one.

I don't ever want to feel like I'm on a diet again. Like you 'Supersweetums', I have treats/sweets, in fact, I had ice cream twice last week when our granddaughter was here visiting, and I don't gain, but I am aware that I could and if I went back to the quantity of food I ate previously, it can and will happen. I am real torn, I don't feel guilty, but I don't want to ever feel overly confident. I've never been one to think 'It can't happen to me' (whatever IT is) because I know "it" can.

Something I read on here over three years ago, when I was pre-op. When you're out with a friend, your spouse, family member.....have them point out someone who is YOUR size. It is shocking, seriously, to see a stranger and see THEIR size and hear that is how others see you. It is still surprising to me.

Hi Cheri - first of all, congrats on the new addition to your family. Second, congratulations on the weight loss. I reached goal quickly, five months to reach my doctor's goal and a month later to reach MY personal goal, five pounds less. 145 give me that 5 pound pad! I THINK more like Lynda though. MY goal is 145, but I don't wait until I hit 150 to cut back a little, if I weigh 147 in the morning, I know I need to 'adjust' my calories, just for a day or two. I've been maintaining for 2.5 years now and although like you, it's been easy for me......I'm like Lynda, I am vigilant. The fear of regaining keeps me a "little" obsessive. I weigh every morning, and I know that I should weigh between 144 and 146. I also weigh again at night, it's kind of a game I play, then I guess what I will weigh in the morning! I do not let the scale dictate my mood though, it's more like a "dashboard" for me, it lets me know if things are 'running' right, kind of like the dashboard in my truck!! lol At night, I will weigh between 146.5 and 148. I am not a exercise guru, but I have made 'life style' changes that are second nature to me now. Like I said, I weigh every morning. I weigh or measure my food when I'm home. I log it all on line. (MFP) This is not what I just do, it isn't a chore, it isn't a choice. It just is.....it's how I stay in check. I am accountable to ME and after 30 years of dieting, I know how quickly eight or ten pounds can sneak up on us. Losing weight has never been a problem for me, keeping it off has been. Not this time and now I'm equipped with the knowledge of what works for me, I really can't imagine this 'routine' wouldn't work for everyone. I am missing 85% of my tummy, self control is much easier now, at least it is in my case. I don't feel like I have sacrificed anything. I make choices. I do not skip extra cups of coffee, there are line to draw Cheri!!! About two months ago, since fear of weight gain seems to never leave us, and I personally think that is a good thing.....I just wanted to 'test' and see if I could still lose weight if need be. I need 1300 to maintain, give or take 50 calories. I cut that back by 100 calories and in 2.5 weeks, with just one hundred less calories, I lost 2 pounds. I was happy, I know I can do it. I don't get hungry, so cutting back and/or resisting when I should or when I want to....is not difficult. You and I are lucky. I don't do what Lynda does, but I am soooooo glad to see how SHE is. I thought I might be the only one who is a bit on the obsessive side, I love it!!!! I do not have everything planned down to how much protein, veggies etc per meal. I track and plan ahead, but not quite like that. I get in between 65 and 100 grams of protein a day. During the losing phase, I had NO bread, but now, if I want my tuna fish on a piece of bread, nothing but cokes are off limits, although there are thngs I choose to avoid most times. When I did my "test" a while back, I did make sure I was getting at least 85 grams of protein a day, I know that helped. You will do fine, don't stress out, just be diligent with tracking your food, that is something I personally believe we have to do forever, track and weigh/measure. The things I do, are MY keys to success. I don't ever want to forget what it was like to shop for size 20's in the ladies dept. Been there, done that and I don't want an encore!!! It keeps me humble, and keeps me motivated. Good luck, I predict you are going to do just fine!!

LoL No, I have only gone to chat a couple of times, and I am not sure if I said anything. Just checking it out because I hadn't previously! I use to attend the Forest Park groups, that's where I had surgery.....but I found so many that I like just as well right here in the area, I haven't been in a while. I love Sarah, I spoke to her last week, I'm going in to see Dr. D for my three year appointment next Friday. Everyone is NOT from right here in the Plano area. One lady, Kris, is someone I'd been talking to and invited, she came from Waxahachie and some others that aren't right here. I suspect you and Tracy and Kris and her husband, Tom traveled the furthest!!!

Heck, I think it'd be great to find one who can write and it be legible to someone besides a pharmacist!!!!

Hiccups, some people sneeze......my nose starts running like I've eaten something spicy, but I've eaten enough is all it's telling me. Weird!!

I recognized the humor, I'm a Virgo.

Mine used a 32, I also asked.

My chicken, broth, stock, whatever you want to call it, was Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. I strained it through a strainer, NO CHUNKS at all.....and then added a can of water. I like it, it's good. I never asked, but I can't imagine it wasn't ok, it really never occurred to me that it might not be. Yikes!!

Logging AHEAD of time, that's something to think about. A good idea, thanks! I have "searched" for something that I may eat later, to see if it's "worth it". I like your idea though.

I have only been into Sees twice. I manage to avoid even walking by it now!! I'm with you, IDK about the old habits, but I AM developing new ones, so hopefully they'll be the norm one of these days!!! All the 'head' stuff is the most difficult, but it is easier than it was 2 years ago, at least I "recognize" myself now!! LoL I'm telling you, going shopping takes our mind OFF wanting to graze!!! Good for you!!

I'm not a wine fan at all really....I get migraines, so I have to be careful. I like Sangria, IF I make it, and I like Manischewitz wine.....cheap and sweet!!! I am pretty sure this is what was served at a church we were visiting with a friend one time....for the Lord's Supper.

There were two other women, who sat over closer to me, that I met here in the forums and told them about the group....oh, and Michael, or is he the one you're talking about? I can't remember what are you are here in the metroplex, but there are several other really good support group meetings. Today was the third one I've been to this week.....but normally they don't all seem to fall together like this! I'm an addict I think!!

false false false false true.

OMG - I was really 'good' but the rule about drinking from a straw, I had too. I started at 2 weeks, for some reason I found I could or would drink more. The 'air bubbles' never happened, if anything I had less. Exercise, let's not go there. I never went over and seldom got over 800 calories a day the whole time I was losing, I reached goal in six months. I hope this isn't true. LoL I seem ok, but who knows! I'm not sure what a port is, but as far as I'm concerned, nothing is off limits. There are things I choose not to have or not have often, but other than carbonation, the doctor said, this is a new way of life, not a diet. I took that to heart.

OMG - what an awesome post, thank you. My thoughts exactly, plus some!!! Two thumbs up, kudos to you for sharing!!

It was nice meeting you and your wife today! Great meeting, don't you think?

Happy anniversary, almost! Protein, like someone suggested, grilled shrimp or grilled chicken, ask them to please not brush it with butter. Steamed or grilled veggie, again, no butter. I'd stay away from potatoes or bread. Have fun!

You make up for it in clothes shopping, which will go from depressingly NOT fun, to a LOT of fun!!! We still eat out just as much, but I'm a cheap date. I order ala carte or we share.

Isn't shopping FUN now??!!! Shop because you want to, not because you NEED something!!

I'm sorry.

I'm really not sure of the reason, I know my doctor says no, never. I wasn't ever a big coke drinker, maybe five or six a YEAR, and it had to be fountain over ice......but I know some doctor's say carbonation is ok after a certain length of time. I agree with what the previous posters said....the bubbles may be uncomfortable and it wasn't a habit and Lord knows I don't need to risk starting a habit I didn't previously have. Also, I know that since there is so little tummy left, you don't want to risk irritating it. Aren't soft drinks hard on our stomachs, diet or otherwise? I was at a support group meeting this week and we had a speaker from Whole Foods, she had worked there 14 years and spoke to us for an hour and a half. Labels, what to look for, how we should not believe anything on the front of a box, can or carton.....it's marketing!!! LoL She specifically mentioned how hard sodas are on our bodies and even with diet sodas, our bodies are not benefitted at all with them and in fact, the sodium amount is alarming. If the doctor says no, I'm fine with it, it's not like he said I could never have coffee again, or a medium rare steak!!!

Now I wish we'd planted jalapenos this year. I love growing them!!! Everyone is different, but I really haven't heard anyone at the support groups talk about not being able to handle spicy. I'm optimistic that you'll use ALL your jalapenos. The ONLY things that I am careful with is rice and pasta, very little, it is like both these things triple in my tummy. I'll make pasta and spaghetti sauce and not mix them. I'll measure out about a fourth cup of pasta and then add plenty of sauce to make sure I don't eat too much. Same with rice, just a little, not even a fourth cup, and I'm three years out. My taste for food hasn't changed, it's still fun....even though I am not hungry and I eat much less!!!

You should be able to get a good shrimp cocktail just about any place you go. Sounds so boring, but I bet it will be good. See if you can get some gumbo without rice, rice seems to "triple" when you eat it....the roux isn't good for you, but if you don't eat it more than once or twice.....you can get right back on track. At 7 weeks out, you won't be able to eat much of anything anyway! Enjoy, I've only been once, and we parked in a parking garage and WALKED everywhere in the French Quarter. I am certain we did 10,000 steps or more, every day. I was at goal, and ate a little of anything I wanted, including one beignet, one time. I didn't gain an ounce, I'm sure it was because of how much walking we did.