SUZABEAR

Well Hello - I am so there with you. I am new to this "posting" thing so I just found your post. I had my surgery in Aug 2003 . . .lost about 60 pounds my first year & now have "re-committed" to the process. I got lazy & learned to eat / drink and that wasn't keeping me full. "Plus" side is that I have kept the weight off but the sad side is I want to be heathly & it seems the only way is to lose weight. Last year, 2009, I started again, in one year I lost 35 ponds so over all i am down a good 90 pounds from my orginal weight. I want to lose to fit into a size 16/18 comfortably - what ever weight that was. Thanks for letting me vent now to suggestions that you might want to consider. The program that my doctor promotes is the a high Protein one. He wants us to have 60/80 grams a day & then other intake. I have never been able to handle lettuce (salads) so I am not of the loss there. Last year when I started again, I found myself totally bummed b/c I tried to change EVERYTHING at once. I needed to do small steps to get my body back into the habit of smaller & better. Maybe try baby steps like for me - I cut out all sweet tea (southern style with 100% sugar), then I got some peddles - Wal-Mart ($24.97) to use while I sit & watch TV or movies or read a magazine. I don't break a sweat but I do that about three times a week and it has helped. I have followed the plan to a "T" ? No but I am working on getting back to the plan, back to the to the basics of surgery. I finally came to the realization that I spent (insurance paid) a lot of money for surgery & I haven't done squat with it. Time I did. Try the baby steps, think about the little things that you can change then after a while they will not seem so challenging. Good Luck - I am in TN but holler at me anytime - daytime e-mail suzanne.ginter@HCAhealthcare.com

Off the Wagon - I like that better than I have failed again. I have been off the wagon for over 4 years. Total before last year i had lost over 70 pounds which is nothing compared to what i should be losing if I followed the plan. My downfall is drinking with dinner. Yep & it is dinner only. My other meals I don't drink & most of the time forget to drink. Long & short - you are not too far off. Last year for what ever reason I made a new me. I thought hard & explored why I had had surgery & decided that I was NOT going to fail again at something that is easy. Easy in the sense of food restriction still have the food thoughts but the portions are so much smaller. Ice Cream ? I got on that kick too until i found myself still starving b/c there was nothing in there other than soft, sweet & creamy fuild. This past year (2009) I lost over 45 pounds. No I should still be losing more than that but I look at it is 45 + pounds lighter than I was 7 years ago. Explore why you fell off & why you spent (you or insurance) the money for surgery, that helped me a lot for a new start. Hope it helps & glad to know that I am not the only that has struggled with the wagon.