Thanks Rebecca! Yes we had a blast! I can't remember the last time my hubby & I had that much fun. I also wanted to share with you that my hubby got accepted to the US Customs academy and will be leaving in September to Glenco, Georgia. How far away is that from where you live? I am so sad that we'll have to be apart for about 4 months but it's all for the best. He really wants this job and I want it for him too if that is going to make him happy. I know time will go fast but I am going to miss being with him for the holidays and even his birthday. . Anyway, if all goes well and he makes it through I will be going over there to see him graduate, maybe it can be another opportunity to meet again? Elisa

Hi Rebecca, sorry I didn't reply sooner...I just got back from L.A. I went back up with my hubby for a convention he had to attend. I had so much fun and I didn't gain which I am so very happy about. I think you eat very healthy meals. Everything you listed sounds so good...I don't eat as good as you. I tried going back to eating cottage cheese for breakfast and I found I can't stomach cottage cheese anymore. LOL I guess I ate so much of it early post-op that I am fed up with the taste. All in all I feel that my eating is a lot better than it used to be pre-op. I decided I am happy and that the key for me to maintain is knowing my weight everyday. I am going to weigh myself daily because thats going to be my only indication of how I am doing. I thought about how before the surgery I NEVER got on a scale. I was scared of knowing the truth and thought it was better not to know. I didn't want to know because I the truth was ugly...I was MO. Now, I am not scared of the scale and I am glad I know my weight. Anyway I still need to work on getting more exercise... Elisa

Hi GG, I really need to focus on liquids. That is amazing how much you get in. Excellent. I do the exact things you do. I have a tendency to want to eat less in the day, and snack or graze in the evening. I make myself eat breakfast, but i rarely really want it. Then at night, I feel like a bottomless pit. I'm not of course. I eat until I am full, then eat again. Night seems to bring out the emotional hunger I guess. I found sugar free Dove chocolate for my semi-compliant evil food, lol! It is better than splurging on the real stuff. I have the same issue with exercise, lack of motivation. I should be, I think about it, like you said, then I just don't get my butt moving. I need to figure out what will work for me. Thanks for being so open. Rebecca

Hi Rebecca. It looks to me like you are eating right when you are "compliant" - I think that's probably a problem for lots of us, and we probably should focus on a pattern of eating that is healthy and satisfying so we don't go off the wagon, so to speak. I can't compare my food to you because I still do a lot of protein supplements. On a 'normal' day I have 1 scoop in 32 ounces of water twice a day. Now that the summer is here and I'm busy and drinking more, sometimes I have it 3x a day. Friday I had three plus another 32 ounces of water for a whopping 128 ounces of fluids for the day. I *do* feel like the 'water' loading satisfys me during the day - for the most part - I mean, I do get bored or emotional and want to eat for other reasons than hunger, but during the day I don't find it as hard to make good choices. Nighttime for me is a different story, I am still very heavy on the snacks. I actually KNOW what is contributing to the problem, but right now I just don't feel like addressing it. So I compensate by making sure I'm super good during the day. It's working now as far as maintaining a normal BMI, but it's not doing anything for me as far as losing the 10-20 pounds more I'd like to lose. I started a sort of new job [basically back to the old job in a new store] this week. Last time I started working [January] I lost 15 pounds that month with the extra exercise and less opportunity to eat. I doubt that will just spontaneously happen again, but I do think the extra activity will be good. I have to bag groceries at this job [in my last store I wasn't in a position to] and that is helping with my arms. I admit, most days I don't remember to do the circles. Some days I remember and I just don't {shrugs} I don't know what my issue is with exercise, but it's ever present. I feel like I need to work on one thing at a time, and right this minute, that's not it LOL. Today I had a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast. I rarely eat breakfast, I mean less than once a month. I usually have no problem starting off my day with a shake. Today I just didn't want to. And then I was thirsty and kicking myself because I had to wait an hour to drink something :P Anyway, when the hour rolled around I found myself thinking about what I could eat, remembering I have these awesome pretzel nuggets in the house and how filling they are. But I was able to make a deal with myself to have my 32 ounce shake first and then think about it. Well, it's a half hour later, I've got about 4 ounces left of shake and I feel way super full - like there is no way I could eat anything. Now I know this will pass [cause the liquids go thru so quickly] but I'm happy to have made the choice not to have the pretzels [well, YET, anyway]. I have to work today at 3pm, so I'm off. Keep on truckin', Rebecca, we CAN do it, but we STILL have to CHOSE to

I just read Elisa's troubled about food thread. Wow, that was like a whole support group meeting. Everybody really offered up a lot of honesty, which is great. I'm glad we have known each other long enough that we can just say it like it is, and really help each other. Each of your posts really helped me. My friends say my eating fluctuates. I agree that I often feel I've eaten too much, because I graze. Like GG I can eat quite a bit somedays, other days I wonder if I am getting enough. I swear by the following things when I'm being most compliant. This would be a tyical good day Breakfast 1 cup of coffee with Cremora and Splenda Breakstones 2% cottage cheese 4 oz. cups-I eat 1 or 2 at a time for a meal Dannon light and fit yogurt with splenda-l for a snack or Body Fortress whey protein-vanilla flavor from Walmart mixed with 8 oz. skim milk Snacks-day or night raw almonds-1/2 cup for a protein snack Mayfield light fudgecicles with Splenda-snack lunch and dinner items I choose from chunky peanut butter on rice cakes with a touch of honey and sliced banana-I eat 1 avacado sprinkled with sea salt and lime juice-1 whole tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt-1 whole lemon pepper chicken wings-I eat 3 whole, or 6 halves 4 oz. of meat, fish, shrimp, or poultry other snacks oranges-2 clemantines, or 1 naval fresh ripe cherries-(I can eat 15 in one sitting, then i'm very full, I just did...lol) edamame- 1cp. with salt for a snack Dasani water A non-compliant day would have more sugar and carbs in it, like chips, crackers, pretzels, a bagel with cream cheese, french bread, pizza, or popcorn, or fried shrimp. Today I ate a hot dog, and baked beans, yikes! I may also have sugar like chocolate, or a regular Coke, or cake, or a cappucino. Finally I might have one mojito, or a margarita, or a glass of wine if I go out to dinner. These are the days my weight goes up a little, but it goes back down when I eat like first listed, I do need to exercise more. Arm circles, right, GG? Love all of you! Rebecca