Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Lisa

Hello Donna, I am so sorry to hear about your health issues. Is ther anything the docs can do to help with the malnutrition and iron? Are you feeling any better? May I ask what tests they ran, beyond our regular blood work? I never understand how my labs always come back perfect, yet I constantly feel like crap. It seems that something must be wrong somewhere, but they don't know what it is, or care to find out. I know, I am a food addict too. Every minute of everyday, I do my best to control myself. Having surgery didn't change that. And I have had rather bad episodes with my surgeon and his nutritionists, so I don't really rely on them for anything. I seem to do better with my PCP, who has worked with several WSL patients, actually does read up on what is best for us, goes to seminars and tries to learn. I hope I didn't give anyone the wrong impression either. God knows I struggle every day to maintain, but I am actually 10 pounds below my surgeons goal. I just want to lose the weight for me, because I want to. My surgeon, PCP, husband all think I shouldn't lose anymore. But I want to do it, fo rme. I would still be in the 'normal range', and knowing my track records for slow weight loss, flucuations and cheating, it is pretty much an impossibility. But I want to try. One of the things I did learn from the surgery - I am much stronger and more capable than I ever thought I could be. And I can sure live through alot more than i would have ever given myself credit for. So it makes me think if I just try hard enough, I could do it. Difficult as it may be. I just have to figure out how. Realistically, how. I won't make changes to my new lifestyle that I know I cannot continue for the rest of my life. I have seen 6 PS in person, and 6 PS via email/pics - all of them have told me to not even bother with the insurance. That as bad as I think I am, I am not even in the running for insurance coverage. Plus, my company just switched to an even worse policy with less coverage for more money. Seems that someone ran up the bills on the good insurance having surgeries, seeing specialists, needing lots of tests and things......hum....can't imaging who. What insurance company do you have? What sort of process did you go through? Maybe I should consider it, I have a year to argue with them, what could it hurt? Thank you so much for your thoughts and support! Lisa

Hi Dawn, Thank you for your thoughts. I agree, I need to cut out some of the fat in my diet. I focus so much on low carb, high protein, that I don't notice the fat numbers rising. When I took a closer look, they seem to be coming from my protein bars and SF candy addiction. Obviously another thing I have to work on. God, will this ever end?! LOL!! No, I guess not. Like you, I have to be accountable for every bite that goes past my lips. I can't NOT let that be an issue. In fact, I 'confess' if I eat something bad, usually to my husband or secretary, or both. (I think they are pooling their money for a therapist to get them off the hook.) Again, thank you for your thoughts, best of luck to you too. Lisa

Welcome to the Board - hope to keep hearing from you! However I don't have any ideas for your diet, I am not too good in that dept, I still eat two may carbs and I know in just a few months it is going to catch up with me and I will have to struggle hard. Toni Open DS 20 April 2004 360 Pani Removal 9 January 2006 285/132/129

Hello All! First post on the April 2004 board. I don't know why I never discovered it until about three days ago. I have been going back and reading through post after post, and it has been so incredibly comforting. Just knowing that what I have experienced, others have too. That what I struggle with, is just as hard for others, makes me feel more normal. More sane. I had a bad weekend, where I discovered that the last piece of my WLS puzzle, getting plastic surgery, fell apart. The last $$$$ I needed in order to get my plastics - which I consider to be the 'end of my journey' so to speak - will not be a reality this year. To say I am depressed by this is an understatment. To say I flipped out and had a complete melt down this weekend is also an understatement. Anyway, since it appears I have another year to wait, I figured why not put that time to good use and try to drop 10 pounds. Yeah right, go ahead and laugh. Like maintaining isn't hard enough! Why not torture myself and try to lose?? Well, I am depressed as can be and have a year to kill, so I figure at least this will give me something to focus on, a new goal. Since you don't know me, here is my story - the short version. Obese my entire life, tried every diet and failed, not had an easy time with WLS, lost very slowly, still feel like crap, constant hunger. Sound familiar???? I do religiously take my vitamins and chart my food intake - one of the few good things about OCD - consistency. I follow the Atkins, low carb, high protein diet, I have also become lactose intolerant since surgery and can no longer digest pretty much anything dark and leafy. Obviously these numbers reflect the 'maintenance stage'. Since I despise exercise - but still force myself to do the elliptical every day - I know realistically that I won't increase my exercise and stick with it. (Just being honest here.) Which leaves my diet. Since I track everything on Fitday, I have a very good idea of my breakdowns: Average Calories Total: 1260 Fat: 60 543 48% Carbs: 33 112 10% Protein: 117 469 42% Typical Day: (with a mix of water and coffee and tea throughout the day) Breakfast = 1/2 cup Phomeal (flax seed cereal w/a few berries) Snack = Protein bar Lunch = 6oz Protein (I am a huge carnivore, usually Tuna or Chicken) Snack = 2-3 pieces of Low Carb Candy (they may suck, but they keep me from killing people by the end of the day) Dinner = 5oz protein (more meat) with about 2-3 oz of low carb veggies Snack = Instone protein pudding or SF jello Here is my problem - the maintence diet I have been following is litterally the bear minimum I think I can live on and not lose my mind, so how do I decrease my calories/fat/carbs with out dropping the protein and not become even more hungry? Does anyone have any good ideas for how to adjust my diet and not be driven insane with hunger? Any advice? Sorry to be so long winded, but I do appreciate your listening and your comments. Thank you! Lisa