I have the same problem with the carb cravings. I do a 3 day protein fast every month. I think of it as a maintenance check, like an oil change with the car. It kills the carb craving for a week or so then it creeps back and gets full blown till the end of the next month. Sweets just go down so easy. I started at 297, lowest was 116, which was too low, didn't feel healthy, now between 125-130 and hope to maintain there. Sure wish I had better luck with the Man thing! Good luck to all! Terry

Join us on the 2ND ANNUAL WLS CELEBRATION CRUISE leaving out of Jacksonville, FL -Thursday January 31st on the Carnival Celebration Ship! Please call Carnival Group Vacation Planners at 866-721-3225. Our group booking # is 8S3R21. You will need this when calling Carnival. This is a 4 day cruise leaving on Thursday from Jacksonville, Florida at 4pm EST. You can arrive at the pier and begin boarding at 1:30 EST. Friday we will be arriving in ..... THE BAHAMAS! The ship will dock in Freeport at noon on Friday where we will be able to disembark and explore the beautiful island and area of Freeport. The ship will not leave out until 7pm that evening allowing us plenty of time to enjoy ourselves and have a GREAT TIME. Saturday we will visit Nassau and arriving at 8:00 am. This will be a long day of activities on shore. Many on the last cruise had wished that we would have been able to stay at Cozumel longer in the evening. Well, our wish has been granted as we will be able to stay in Nassau until 10pm on this evening. Sunday is the Fun Day at Sea where we get to enjoy all of the wonderful activities onboard. From contests, casinos, day spa... there is something for everyone. No matter what you want to do, something is available to suit you. While at port in Nassau and Freeport, you can take shore excursions offered through Carnival. Visit Carnival.com to see what shore excursions are available. Monday we will arrive back in Jacksonville at 7 am. Plan on joining us on the 2008 WLS Celebration Cruise and contact Carnival today to reserve your spot. Pricing information is found on my profile page. Please check in to see the great value on this cruise. Here are the bonuses - each cabin will receive a $50 onboard credit. (An onboard credit is money that you can use onboard the ship for drinks, spa services, photographs, etc.) All food, teas, juices and coffees are included in your cruise rate. You can expect to pay for any alcoholic beverages or soft drinks as they are not included in your cruise rate. **Group space is not guaranteed until full deposit is received. So what are you waiting for? E-mail me so that I can get your name on the distribution list! As the organizer and Group planner of this trip, I want to be sure that all of your questions are answered prior to boarding the cruise ship. Please check with Carnival as they are now stating that Passports are required for cruises as of 2008. We are not getting a clear answer as to when the passports will be required- so please prepare accordingly. I am suggesting to everyone to get their passports. Beth Merchant WLS Celebration Cruise Organizer 225.993.6524 [email protected] Everyone is invited. We will celebrate together with our friends, family and fellow wls friends. Join us Jan 31- Feb 4, 2008!

Hello Wendy Hello Robin Robin I too shell take your advise. I have not reached my goal but I will. Wendy in one way it is good to be aware of gainned weight so that you don't let it get out of hand. In another way you cannot let it stress you to the point of emotional eatting. I feel that because I have not reached my goal weight I'm a fine one to give atvise but I will pray for all of us to be victorious for Christ for our bodies is his temple. With God's love and banding success/Coke

Hi Jennifer, Don't beat yourself up about the weight gain. You did have surgery so I'm sure that slowed you down in exercising and loosing weight. When I find myself starting to gain weight. I go on the FAT SMASH Diet, by Dr. Ian Smith. You can find the book at amazon.com for 10 bucks or any local bookstore. In the book, phase I is a 8day detox of eating mainly fruits and veggies and no meat. When I followed it, I lost 9 lbs and this was a great start with getting back on track. With respect to exercising, I say start off gradually, get a 20 min aerobic or strength training video and do it for 10 min, then build up to 20 min and so forth. Also try lifting small hand weights, this will help give your metabolism a good boost. Let me know if you need anything else. Take Care, Lavina

Hi again I was wondering had you checked to see if you are a diabetic. I am and numbness and tinging are definitely symptoms.