Happy Thanksgiving to our my February surgery friends. I hope the day is filled with many blessings and that your are surrounded by family and friends. Enjoy the day, count your blessings, and hope to see you posting here again soon. Hugs, Mary

Annette ... thanks for posting the Friday check in. I started back to work this last week and have been busy working, learning so many new things. What a change to be working again after having 2 years of "goofing off" . My new job is something new for me, so am really learning lots and doing lots of research too to increase my knowledge.. Working is taking away from my computer time on-line, but I will try to check in as much as possible. I have found that I need to focus more on getting my water in. I've done great with NOT grazing at work. That has been a fantastic change for me. We can eat at our desks, so the temptation to eat is there but I've avoided it. I weigh daily to keep myself in check. I agree with you about getting in the protein too. It is so important. Mary

She really has some great points ... many have hit home with me too. Mary

The Wt. Loss Minute by Linda Spangle, RN, MA www.100DaysChallenge.com Great idea: You don't have to see results to know they are happening When I was a young child, my mother fastened a tape measure to the back of our family room door. About once a month, she would have me stand next to the tape, then lay a ruler on top of my head and determine how much I'd grown since the last measurement. Since kids grow in spurts and stops, it wasn't uncommon to have many months go by without showing any changes in my height. Now suppose my mother got frustrated with the lack of results, and angrily stomped out of the room saying, "It's not working. No matter how hard I try, you're just not growing. Since you aren't getting any taller, I think I'll just quit feeding you." Of course, she never did this. Most people understand that changes in a human body take time, and that not seeing results doesn't mean that things aren't happening. But now think about this. Have you ever gotten on the scale after "trying" so hard to lose weight, then stomped off to eat a bag of cookies because the scale hadn't moved? Even though you know this isn't logical, it's so easy to give up and quit your program because you don't see immediate results. Beth had been a diet for a couple months and had already lost a fair amount of weight. She usually weighed herself every day, so she knew exactly when the scale changed. During one stretch on her program, she became extremely frustrated because day after day, the scale stayed the same. She said, "It drove me nuts. I couldn't stand the scale not moving, so finally I made it move. I ate a whole carton of ice cream!" Yes, Beth's scale weight changed, but not in the direction she wanted. When the scale doesn't budge, it's normal to become frustrated with your weight-loss efforts. But when you eat because of your aggravation with not seeing results, you simply let the scale win. If this pattern sounds familiar, take another look at how committed you are to reaching your goals. The past couple weeks, we've looked at the difference between being "interested" or "committed" to losing weight. When you're "interested," your results determine your actions. In other words, as long as the scale keeps moving, you stay motivated. But if you hit a plateau or the scale doesn't change for a week or two, you give up because "it's not working." On the other hand, when you're "committed," you take the opposite approach. You remind yourself, "If I stay motivated, of course I'll see results." This takes more effort, because we tend to be impatient and want to see things change quickly. But sometimes, weight loss works the same way as the measuring tape on my family room door. Mom always fed me and took care of me, even during those months when my height didn't change. Look carefully at your self-talk and consider whether you need to reinforce your commitment. Instead of counting on changes on the scale to keep you motivated, push yourself to stay committed, even when you don't see results. Stand firm in your belief that if you stick with your plan, eventually you will see the outcome you want. Note: This is #3 in a series on being committed to your weight-loss plan, not just interested in it. If you missed, the first two, you can read them here: http://www.rapidwtloss.com/index.php?page_id=289 To send feedback or comments on the Wt. Loss Minute, click "reply" and send a note. I always value your thoughts and ideas. Please be sure to add to your email address book or white list. Know others who've got a minute? Forward this ezine and brighten their day. Copyright Linda Spangle, 2006. #1030, Weight Loss for Life, Inc. 5023 W. 120th Ave. #183, Broomfield, CO 80020 Contact: [email protected] www.100DaysChallenge.com 303-452-1545 or 1-800-298-3020 5023 W. 120th Ave. #183, Broomfield, CO 80020 Contact: [email protected] www.100DaysChallenge.com 303-452-1545 or 1-800-298-3020

The 10 to 15 lb bounce back weight is pretty common/normal. Going back on "diet pills" doesn't seem like a good idea to me. I'm really surprised. With the weight gain my questions would be: 1. Are you eating a low carb diet? 2. Are you exercising 4 to 5 times a week? 3. Are you eating enough protein? 4. Are you getting in a minimum of 64 oz of fluids (non-caffeine) a day? 5. Are you following the rules? 6. Are you grazing? If the answer is No, then there is things that could be done with behavior modification that would achieve the same goals. Just my opinion ... I'm not a doctor. I hope she does OK and that her doctor keeps her monitored during the process.