Hi everyone who is having surgery in October 2014. We can start a new topic for those of us who have had surgery already.

This is the spot were we will all end up, were we'll share our stories and recovery. It will be a new dawn for so many of us. Let's stay close as united we will conquer anything that comes our way!

BEST WISHES GLADIATORS

as soon as I stopped using myfitness pal religiously is when junk started sneaking in and then becoming more and more.

Yes I agree we need accountability!! I am completely down to do a 3 day challenge. I know I need to rid my diet of the extra sugar. I hate feeling controlled by it again!!

as soon as I stopped using myfitness pal religiously is when junk started sneaking in and then becoming more and more.

Yes I agree we need accountability!! I am completely down to do a 3 day challenge. I know I need to rid my diet of the extra sugar. I hate feeling controlled by it again!!

It is amazing what the holidays will do to us. When thanksgiving came around it was like an alarm went off in my head saying "ready, set, eat." Just not fair. I've eaten a few cookies that someone brought to my house. If my stomach gets weird, I either drink peppermint tea or chew mint gum. I think I should just let myself suffer. My new stomach is still sensitive. I'm grateful that it really won't let me eat much. On Christmas I had steak and roasted veggies. An hour later I had half a baked potato with some butter. That was my planned indulgence. I'm so grateful that I haven't had a drink of alcohol since before my surgery. I had my annual Christmas party that I've been throwing for ten years. The same people every year. They all know the whole story and don't even try to entice me (for the most part). I am still using my fitness pal. At least I start out that way each day. My weight has been stuck at 172-175 for months. My PA says that is normal for my AGE. I don't like weighing that, which is so silly. But wouldn't 160 be "sexier?" I'm a nut!! happy holiday everyone.

This might be my favorite post of all time. I east too fast too. It is my worst action around food. I don't eat and drive, I live alone and that makes things easier. But I do like to have my dinner with my television. I eat raw almonds because they are slow. But I do need to slow down. And focus on chew chew chew. I'm really good with my yogurt and fruit that I have every morning. But after that, I turn into Mario Andretti. The good part for me is that I remain very conscious of what I eat. I don't "blackout eat" anymore. I don't want to be one of those people who gains it all back. Thanks for being here. And Beni, thanks for starting this group.

Wild goose - great comments... Yes, slow it down... How many of us are not drinking enough water? Forgetting to log food? Not exercising? Drinking while eating,? Not chewing? What else ladies,? Come on? We've come a long way being honest with each other. Let's clense before the new year.

One huge change I made after my surgery was that I started drinking tea. I used to be a Diet Coke addict, and that was how I got my caffeine. After surgery I just could not stand the taste of water so I started on the herbal teas. And I often have some black tea in the afternoon. Every morning I have lemon water first thing. Lucky for me I tend to get enough water/tea. Peppermint tea has been a life saver. I love the check list of habits we've either adopted or not. It is good to remember what we're supposed to be doing.

Beni emailed me this morning with a question and I realized how much i miss all you guys. I have been off track too since my tummy tuck and returning to work, up 9 pounds from my low, though Dr says some could still be swelling, but it's all in my derriere, that not all swelling, it's Andersons pnut butter filled pretzel bites. I'm addicted and they don't sell in single servings. Argh. I was good today and will be again, tomorrow, one day at a time.

Edited December 29, 201510 yr by smiley922

Funny thing with me blowing my diet I weighed yesterday & I have not gained or lost but I feel huge. I swear the fat is creeping back in. My husband said either pick better food or stop complaining. Poor guy I am driving him nuts because I continue to complain about my fears of being so fat. Yet he sees beauty & keeps telling me you don't get it. My mind is my worse critic. I got off my butt & went cross country skiing. First exercise since Thanksgiving. Yep I'm ready to get it together.

I have started thinking about counseling, my self sabotage, I know I am doing it.

as soon as I stopped using myfitness pal religiously is when junk started sneaking in and then becoming more and more.

Yes I agree we need accountability!! I am completely down to do a 3 day challenge. I know I need to rid my diet of the extra sugar. I hate feeling controlled by it again!!

Same here! I need to get back to journaling on My Fitness Pal too!

The good news is we are all aware of what needs to be done, so let's do it!! We can't let one Holiday mess us up!

@wildGoose--I say, yes--let yourself suffer. That's what I do, and it truly does deter me from eating whatever made me sick. It sucks, but it works!

I'm able to drink some "higher end" beer. :-) No wine, or anything fruity. But I do get tipsy quickly.....although it also doesn't last long, LOL.

I have started thinking about counseling, my self sabotage, I know I am doing it.

Counseling REALLY helps me!! I am definitely a self sabotage! But I've gotten SO much better with counseling.

We have all come SO far. I just love you all and all of the support here. I know we can do this friends!

I have not worked out in over a month! I am making a promise to you all that I will get back at it. I seem to have lots of excuses, and some truly are legit.

I started college (on break now), work full time, and our 2 15 year old boys are in wrestling and basketball, so most evenings are FULL with games/ meets and homework. Jan. 11th I start classes again, and I'm taking one more than I did last semester.

But I know I need to be doing "something." I will have an hour between a couple classes this next semester and I have free access to an amazing gym at school, so I plan on at least walking during that time!

By the way, I got a 4.0 my first semester!! Yay!

Ok, food for yesterday::

Snack was raw veggies and a little dill dip.

Lunch: Subway, flat bread w/ ham, cheese, spinach, green peppers

dinner was homemade spaghetti sauce/meatballs. (left overs from Sunday) Although, I ate a larger portion than normal...ugh.

Then I had half an apple with some Peanut Butter.

This morning:

Whole wheat toast w/ peanut butter

Snack planned: Raw veggies

Not sure what lunch or dinner are yet :-)

I just wrote a whole reply to this post on my phone and then I lost it. I am going to try again. I guess I need to say all this stuff twice.

At the support group offered each month by my surgeon, there was a speaker who had gained all his weight back. He did it by eating a loaf of bread (with something on it) every day. I don't know how long it took him to gain the weight, or at what point in his recovery he did that. But I really don't want to go there. I'm 62. By the time I had my surgery I had already had diabetic-related health issues like retinopathy. I have ruined my knees and I have major mobility issues. If I regain the weight I have lost, I believe I will become one of those people who needs a special ambulance to get me to the hospital. I am so terrified of this. About 6 months ago, I started seeing a therapist who deals with body issues. I spent the last 15 years not looking in a mirror. Now I have homework that requires me to look in a mirror for several minutes a day. My goal in therapy is to not live like a fat lady no matter how much I weigh. I do a lot of things right. But I find myself slacking off. I slack off on my physical therapy. I don't go to the pool often enough. Those are my biggest weaknesses as a person recovering from obesity. I have had flirtations with foods. Raw almonds. Popcorn popped in coconut oil. I am always looking for ways to get more oil my nutritionist says two tbsp of oil a day. I think I am better off with my love affair with herbal teas. I'm trying to get back in to sugar free popsies. They aren't nutritious, but I'd rather have those than some of the stuff I decide I can have. I'm over the almonds, mostly. I'm over the popcorn. But I find myself looking for some other way to sabotage myself. even the best intentions can turn into self sabotage. I have to press add reply now before I lose this again. Thanks for being here.

Thank you all for sharing your struggles. I know we can all do this. Loving our bodies and choosing to take care of them will be done. One choice and one step at a time. Thank you all for your support, and I can't wait to see what new fun ways we learn to love our bodies.