Barbara, I'm not going back, no way. WE've come too far to have those worries again. I can relate to each of them and I made myself a promoise that if I had this surgery I would never have to worry about those things again. Thanks for the reminder of how things used to be and will never be that way again. Have a great weekend, Rick

Hi Jannine. Thanks for sending the email. I haven't had a chance to get on the site with work being so busy these days. I do not really have time today but I am taking time because I miss everyone so much. Truth be told, I have gained 10 lbs and am really FREAKING out because if it. I can't seem to stop snacking and I know that those snacks are really adding up to a lot of extra (not to mention empty) calories. I do not get full from the snacks so an hour later I am snacking again. I am just not making good food choices and by my behavior, it seems that I do not WANT to make good choices. However, I am going to get these 10 lbs off and get back to basics. I have to. I can not gain the weight back - I think the depression from that would be too much to handle. I like who I am and how I look too much to go back to the old me. I am keeping up with exercise though. I am hoping that the strength training I have been doing accounts for a couple or three of the lbs. I will try to pop in here more often. I hope all is well with everyone. Hugs, Robin

Good morning my friend! I'm back from the big city. It's so difficult to be out of the office for a couple of days. I think I'm going to work tomorrow just to catch up! However, I'll be working at home due to the 4" to 8" of snow anticipated tonight! UGH!!! Will we ever see green again? Our snow banks in our yard are as high as our vehicles. I'd like it all to melt in one day, but then I suppose we would wash away! I'm so glad I don't need to worry about those things you mentioned anymore. It's such a relief to simply live life instead of thinking about whether I'll fit in chairs where ever I go. What a blessing! I've been negligent about vitamins this week so I'll get back on track today. Hugs, Stephanie

The difficulty in life is the choice.....George Moore No truer words could be spoken...how many choices we make in life determine the difficulty of living? Sometimes there are no choices, difficulty just happens regardless and for those things there is nothing we can do about it. BUT, I still believe we have choices to make - good choices - that will detemine whether our journey on this weight loss train is successful or will end in failure. None of us want to be in 5 years in the same place we were 2 years ago and we have to make the choice as to which direction we will go. Think about it - is grazing, or eating the wrong things the choice we want to make? I don't think so...how difficult it would be if we had to return to those heavy, ill bodies? What if - you didn't want or feel like walking up a flight of stairs, you had to worry about fitting in a booth in a restaurant, worry about asking for a seat belt extension on an airplane and perhaps being made to purchase another seat, worry how you would get up off the floor (if you ever got down there), worry about sitting down and breaking a seat? Are all those things worth making poor choices today? So MAKE good choices today...go take those vitamins right this minute as you get another glass of water...eat nothing but protein for lunch and dinner today, walk a little further, go up a flight of stairs, move to lose or rest to rust...YOUR CHOICE! Hugs to all...Barbara

Nanette, You are looking great, Thanks for stopping in. Good luck on the knee replacement surgery. That will greatly improve your life. Have a great day, Rick