Please keep Angel in your prayers tomorrow. She is having major Plastics done ( A-Z ) and will be in surgery estimated 10 hours !!! Thank you for lifting her up for blessing, Mary ( a pal from her wls support group )

Hi Pamela, First of all, congratulations! You have done GREAT!!! I hear you about the concerns, too. I sometimes am afraid I'm eating too much. Depending on what it is, I can eat about 4oz at a time. Soft stuff, soup, etc., more than that at once, but dense stuff (meat, bread) often less. Interestingly, no matter what I've eaten and whether or not it is enough (or even too much sometimes), it seems I'm ALWAYS able to find room for carbs! Potatoes, or sweets, an extra pinch of bread, whatever. Grazing is another thing I have to watch out for. If I am not careful I can get into some truly mindless eating. I know that's what got me to 351+ over a year ago (a year on 3/28--w00t!). I use fitday.com also to help me "keep it real" with what I'm eating. Sometimes I will actually skip eating something because I don't want to have to enter it on there and see what it does to my carbs/calories for the day! I like the before-pic idea. I cringe looking at my pre-op photos now, remembering how I was in constant pain for many years pre-op. I've had several gains of a pound or two during this past year, by the way. Often followed by a big drop of 4-6 pounds. It's been crazy erratic like that for me with the weight loss. I'm trying to get used to it! Again, congrats on your progress so far! Best wishes, Kathy

Angela, That is great news. I am so happy for you. Your weight loss has been phenomenal! Becky

Hi Pam.... I can eat half a bagel, but feel stuffed. My problem is I tolerate most everything and I have to fight with myself not to eat more than a 1000 calories a day. I fight the grazing urge. Its hard to do sometimes. I put a before pic of myself on my desk at work. It sounds dumb, but it really helps me not to over eat. I look at that pic and I'm like ..... maybe I'll just have a cup of coffee instead of eating. I also track my food intake on fitday. My nut has me eat 1000 cal per day, 80-100 gr of healthy carbs (fruits, veggies, whole grains) and 60+ gr protien. I am still trying to lose weight, my nut said when I decide I want to stop losing to eat 1200 calories a day. Good luck! Scarlette 309/294/169/150?

1. Could you imagine at the time last year you would be where you are now? Heck no! I thought I would be the one person WLS didn't work for. Thank God I was wrong. 2. What was greatest positive moment this year? negative movement. The best moment was when my 21 y/o son's co-workers thought I was a his girlfriend when I stopped by his job one day. They said I was too hot to be his mother. The most negative thing that has happened was that it has affected some of my friendships. My friends were supportive until I got smaller than them and then they started wierding out. I try not too talk about my weight loss too much in front of them, but they still can't get over that I'm not the fat friend anymore. 3. When didyou know you would be successful? Really not until last week when I had my 1 yr ck up. My surgeon told me I exceeded his goal and anything else I lose is just gravy. I was worried I didn't lose enough until then. 4. What became your favorite food? Strawberries w/ cool whip free. 5. How did you set your weight loss goal? Did you reach it. My personal goal is 150. I weighed 169 as of this morning, so I haven't met it yet. I met my surgeons goal of 70% awhile ago. Good luck...... Scarlette