Hi Donna! 1. Are you bouncing around on the scales? Yes, I weigh in more often now just to keep an eye on things. I go from 140-144 and back down, up, down, up 2. Are you currently losing weight? and if you anwsered yes, What is the average lb loss at this point. I haven't lost weight since the end of may (other than my bouncy pounds). But I'd like to get to the 130's just to say I was there 3. This is just a fun question... What are your current clothing sizes? Currently wear a size 8 pants and Large top, my bra size has finally gone down a bit to 36D. 4. Are you craving? Do you give into the cravings? I have had cravings since day one. I give into the cravings if I'm pmsing or otherwise I'd just keeping eating. 5. What is your best defense against cravings, plateaus and bouncing of the scales? EXERCISE!!!!! I have a great work out routine right now. Training for marathons keeps me quite fit. And now I work for a local gym as a fitness trainer (were they encourage me to workout while working) so I do weights 3x's a week...not to mention biking and tennis on the weekends. Also, though I get hungry, I'm not crazy hungry like I used to be, so I can work around my cravings (some of the time) just by destracting myself with something else. it also helps to have my eating plan pasted to the fridge...then I can't pretent I don't realize I'm off track. 6. Have you reached your goal? I reached my goal 4 months after WLS. I got rid of all my co-morbids then. The rest of this is just for fun! However, weight wise my docs goal was 155, mine was 145 (cuz it puts me in the normal range). I have exceeded goal. 7. Do you still feel fat? Nope, I feel fit. I certainly don't fit what the world calls thin. But I couldn't be happier with were I am right now!

Donna. Great Post. I too feel the same way as you do, so your not alone. Here are my responses. 1. Are you bouncing around on the scales? Yes. Day of TT weight was 154, lowest was 145 a few weeks after. But currently I'm back up to 155.5 as of this morning. I weigh myself everyday so I can keep track of my fluctuations. I go up and down between 5-8lbs too. 2. Are you currently losing weight? No. 3. This is just a fun question... What are your current clothing sizes? I have jeans/pants from the Gap that are a size 6 which I fit into comfortably. But, my sizes range from 6-10. I have a pair of shorts that are a size 10!!!! Tops are Small to medium. Depends on the type of top. I am currently a size 34-36 C to D bra. 4. Are you craving? Yes. Cheese Its YUM... Do you give into the cravings? Sometimes. But, I try and stay on track if I know the day I weighed myself I am higher. 5. What is your best defense against cravings, plateaus and bouncing of the scales? Today, I started the "Plateua buster" Am overloading the water and sticking to strickly protein today. As a matter of fact, it's reduced my hunger and I've only eaten 6 oz all day. 6. Have you reached your goal? No. My goal is 135. That's 20lbs I need to lose, even though everyone tells me I look good. Maybe, because they are used to seeing me at 254 7. Do you still feel fat? today I do. But normally NO I feel thin and sexy. It's hot here too in Green Bay, WI but I love it too...... I'm cold all the time and am enjoying this weather. Take care

Hello everyone! I just want to pose a question to everyone. Maybe before I ask the question I should say my reason for the question. Today I'm currently bouncing around on the scales and have been for probably the last 3 months or so. Give or take about 8lbs at any given time. It's very frustrating. Plus the fact that somedays I can really eat. However, I've been having nausea and some pain. Have no clue what this can be. I crave food in big time way. So my questions are 1. Are you bouncing around on the scales? 5-8lbs 2. Are you currently losing weight? and if you anwsered yes, What is the average lb loss at this point. Not in a while. I had lost 3lbs but have since bounced back from 161lbs to 165lbs. 3. This is just a fun question... What are your current clothing sizes? Currently wear a size 12 pants and Medium top, some smalls in tshirts, Barely able to wear blouses due to my 36DDD boobs that won't go away no matter how much I lose. I accidently forgot the other day and put on a pair of my size 11 underwear and they fell off. LOL 4. Are you craving? Do you give into the cravings? I have major cravings and can't seem to stop myself 5. What is your best defense against cravings, plateaus and bouncing of the scales? At this point my defense is broken and I feel I'm losing the battle. 6. Have you reached your goal? Still have to lose another 20-25lbs just to reach my Dr.'s goal another 30-35lbs to reach mine. 7. Do you still feel fat? YESSS!!!!!!!!! I amstill a plus size women. Perhaps reducing my breast will help make me feel smaller but for now I just feel FAT. Hope you guys are having a great summer so far. It's hot as hades outside but for some odd reason I'm always freezing to death. 339/164 as of today.

Sure, Susan Maria is a sales person, but she is not just selling the stuff for the heck of it. She is "one of us". She had the surgery. She's "been there, done that" and she's always finding stuff that's nutritious AND edible But that's besides the point. Even if she's a sales person, she's pretty much on target, I say! Angie

...I would like to share this month's rant from Susan Maria. I think we all need to read it. I can honestly say that while I may not be so good with the food sometimes (but I think I am most times , I take my vitamins RELIGIOUSLY, and I make sure my protein intake is AT LEAST 80-100 grams a day. Take your vitamins, please. And don't forget: Protein is KEY for us. Not enough protein=muscle mass loss. If nothing else, think about this: The HEART is a muscle. Does that give you a good perspective of what can happen if you neglect your protein intake? I sure hope so! ----- http://store.bariatriceating.com/thismonthsrant.html I just had the privilege of spending a week attending the American Society for Bariatric Surgery annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. Engaging in casual conversation with the top surgeons in this field, discussing vitamins, protein, calcium, and compliance issues was an opportunity that I won't soon forget. I was as excited to meet some of the 'famous' surgeons as I would be if Mick Jagger stepped up to my pink and black BariatricEating.com booth. Now... why this is a rant! These surgeons cannot fathom that after they save our lives that we have the audacity to be picky about nutrition! The way many of them see it is that we are NOT living up to our part of the deal. They perform life altering surgery to save us from a certain early death from morbid obesity, their office staff does battle with our insurance company to pony up tens of thousands of dollars to pay for our surgery as it is surely the only means by which we will survive, yet we are lackadaisical about putting a small pile of vitamins and minerals into our body every day, and are boldly noncompliant with protein requirements. The docs are even more incredulous about our pickiness with protein. When I would give them a taste of Vanilla Very Berry or Fuzzy Navel, their eyes would have a twinkle and they would love the taste but they would question as to why this was even an issue. It is cut and dry with the surgeons; they think it is a given that we do what we are supposed to do. These are no-nonsense men and women; when something is broken, they fix it. Some of them could not believe the letters and stories I related to them and had no idea that noncompliance was so widespread. Here is a message from your surgeon... Pick up the protein drink, the calcium, and the multivitamins and take them. There is no negotiating, there is no looking for a compromise, and there are no valid complaints about graininess, taste, or smell. Pick up the glass and drink the protein. Chew the tablets. Swallow that mouthful of calcium or vitamins. Period. We saved your life on that operating table, now do what you are supposed to do to maintain the health we have worked to give back to you. Fortunately there are drinks that taste good but as I have said before; if in order to be sitting here in size 10 jeans I had to drink a glass of toile****er every morning, I would gladly do it. In fact, if I had to drink a glass of water from my neighbor's toilet every day I would do it. Why is this so difficult to comprehend for some of you? Do you take the label morbid obesity so lightly that you don't think you have to perform certain tasks, that you have a responsibility as a post op. Look up the meaning of MORBID. That should be enough to scare you. Why would anyone not do what they were told when given a new lease of life with so few strings attached? I used to think that making pre-ops jump through hoops for weight loss to qualify for surgery was cruel but I have changed my mind after a year of speaking to thousands of pre and post ops. With so many people facing insurance rejection, how can we make sure that the ones who will not hold up the end of the bargain are put at the end of the line for approval? I think that strict compliance goals are a great way to weed out the disobedient. If you can't lose 10% of your body weight before surgery, you don't deserve to have it. If you can't stop smoking, you don't deserve this procedure. If you can't manage to choke down vitamins, calcium, B-12 and protein; too bad, let someone have the surgery that will. We all can mange to stick to a program short term. We are all experts at losing weight. We just can't keep it off; which is where the surgery comes in. It gives us the means of control we lack. As you can tell, this is NOT the week to write me an email and tell me that you cant 'tolerate' the taste of your protein, or that you cant 'tolerate' your chewables or your stomach feels 'icky' when you drink your protein. I have little lenience for weakness and whining. It will take a long time before I allow much room for the helplessness that I so often hear. I can't stand the word 'tolerate'... it is pure baloney. About 3 years ago I read a 'tough love' essay by an OH member named Leilani, and one line in particular resonates in my head; 'If this surgery doesn't slap a backbone in you, nothing will', as it is so true! Just do what you are supposed to do. Figure it out and make it happen. Thank goodness we have products that make it easier to stick with the program but the bottom line is that it shouldn't even matter. Ciao, Susan Maria ----- Angie http://www.geocities.com/tiger_angie