Rachel, You should call your surgeon and ask his opinion. I thought (and I could be wrong) that there were possible malabsorption issues with the pill after surgery. I'm 52 so haven't had to worry about the BC issue. Mary

Linda - When else have you managed to drop 119 lbs in 10 months? Go pick up something weighing 100 lbs and walk around with it for just 5 mins. I think 116 is AWESOME. I'm only down 97 so far. And I know there's a bunch of us down below the 100 mark still. As for coffee, I admit, I'm biased; I couldn't live without the stuff. But if it's not bothering your pouch and you're drinking enough water to offset the diuretic effect then you shouldn't necessarily** have a problem. As with all things, doublecheck with your surgeon. That's not saying you might not lose more without the coffee; but if you like coffee, there are a lot worse things you could be getting into, you know? As far as jump starting, increase water, increase exercise, maintain food intake at current, and that should help some. Hang in there! ...Nick

Just received my order of Power Crunch bars from: http://www.smarthealthstore.com (sponsor of obesityhelp.com) I had previously had tried the Wild Berry Creme (found it at our local Vitamin Shoppe). They were good and I bought a box of them. I had also tried the Cookies & Creme one but felt it had an aftertaste so only bought the one of it and would not recommend it. Well, this week I decided I wanted to try the Peanut Butter Fudge and French Vanilla. They are both exceptional in taste. I was really amazed. I like them so much berry than the Wild Berry Creme. Definitely would recommend both of these and would buy them again. The best part for me was that it did not contain any sugar alcohols (a major plus in my book). Creme Filled Wafer Cookie High Protein, low carb snack, lite, crunchy, incredibly delicious... Each 38g cookie contains 14 g Proto Whey Protein, 9g fat, 85mg sodium, and 4g sugar. ? High Protein Energy Snack ? Made with Proto Whey® Protein ? Glutamine Enriched ************************ I also do protein shakes and add frozen unsweetened strawberries to a vanilla shake to change the flavor and made it thick like a milkshake. Keep chicken, turkey luncheon meat (fresh, thin sliced from the deli) in the fridge to help. Hard boiled eggs are good tuna as is tuna. So many good protein choices that are easy to fix. Mary

Hi Delainya, Some of my favorites are: beef jerky (14 grams per 1 ounce) pork rinds (11 grams per 1/2 ounce)--I buy microwave pork rinds for less fat Q-Smart bars made by Quaker (9 grams per bar), they may be in the cereal aisle. If you can tolerate tuna, it is packed with protein--I mix in some mayo & celery and roll it into a lettuce leaf or a spinach leaf I have not had a problem getting my protein in, I find that those foods keep me full for longer. Now, my problem is remembering to take the vitamins and getting enough water. I wish you the best on trying to up the protein. Good luck and great job so far, Dorothy 325/202/170

okay, well ya gotta love a poll.. So here we go What is the last movie you saw in the theater? *Polar Express, having kids is a wonderful excuse to see all the movies our inner child really wants to see. What 1 thing do you hope to accomplish in 2005? *For the first time in many, many years losing weight is not a priority for me, I am happy where I am for now. I too would also like to get pregnant. Be nice if we could both do it around the same time. What size clothing were you wearing this time last year? *I was laying on the bed, sucking my stomach in to do up my size 26 Jeans. What size clothing are you now wearing? *I am so loving shopping these days, anywhere from a 6 to a 10, but usually an 8. I have not worn that size in well over 10 years. Describe your hair loss during the past year. *Not long after the surgery I had really long hair and it started falling out by the handfull, so I went and cut it all off really short, which I regret very much. Describe your hair now. *Now it is slowley coming back into its own and I have seen its natural color again (very shocking). It now is at the horible in between stage, long enough to be annoying yet not long enough to tie out of the way. Have you updated your profile during the last year on OH? *Yes, I do that as often as I think about it, even if there has been no weight loss. Have you read other profiles of Feb. 2004 brothers and sisters? *Yes, I read everyones. I like to see how everyone is doing. Whose can you identify with? Nearly everyone's. *Denise S, We both seem to be on the same mission. Lee