Good monday morning all..

Well I hope everyone had a great weekend.. I was so busy all weekend I am just sitting down for the first time to gather my thoughts for the upcoming week. It's gonna be a busy one for me so I will be running around with my head cut off through thrusday for work and than again at home. I had a great birthday although it was tiring I enjoyed every minute. Saturday we went to the OH event and had a great time. It amazing seeing some of these ppl there. They loose all their weight and than because the loose track of the rules start gaining it back.. I think it's tragic. It keeps me focused on my goal to not do that and continue to be successful. Of course the event circled around food and everything there other than chicken was a carb. I watched many of the people there start eating from the time we got there until we left.. They never left the food area. I looked and couldnt really find anything in to eat as far as following the rules. I ended up with a piece of chicken and some beans out of all the food that was there.. wow.. I couldnt believe it. Saturday night I went out to dinner for my birthday.. prime rib and lobster.. yummy I love that stuff. of course I had plenty of left overs but it didnt matter.. thats what I wanted for dinner. Afterwards Jo took me out to go dancing.. she hates to dance so she brought a friend to dance with me.. Wow.. did I see some serious jealousy going on at the bar..lol.. dont even think of dancing with someone else and one person talked to me and the next thing I know she was right there letting them know I was with her..lol...I had fun.. and it was kind of funny watching her be so attentive to me for a change.. Sunday was my actual birthday and we went to grandma's to ride horses. After that we went out to lunch to celebrate my birthday. I stayed on track, but the menu wasnt wls friendly. I had to alter my food to make it work, but it was good and the family had a good time. I got a day spa certificate, which I am very excited about. It includes the works and I am so ready to spend a day in a robe being catered too.. I hope to go soon and have a day that is just about me.. I also received gift certificates for a few clothing places.. yeah.. i love to shop and plan to use those soon.. all in all it was a great birthday for me... I do have to think back to my last birthday. It was the last day I could eat food before my surgery and as always I went to my favorite resturant for prime rib and lobster. I was excited and scared at the same time because I knew at midnight i couldnt eat again and would begin my fasting day for the surgery that would.. in my hopes change my life.. My birthday last year was a mixed bags of emotions cause I didnt know if I would survive the surgery to see another birthday. Fast forward to this birthday.. wow.. what a wonderful day. My family has mended many of the problems from last year, I feel healthy and strong.. and I enjoy being part of the world again. It was truely a blessed day for me. So how did everyone else's weekend go. Do tell..

Happy birthday beautiful ! You are amazing!

Happy Birthday Carla! Wow, you had a FUN weekend and got great gifts!!! I've been noticing a lot lately that places I go don't have food that works for me. I went to the TOPS convention this weekend and you would think they would have healthy food there. But they were serving brownies, cookies, coffee cake, donuts, candy bars, etc. I was APPALLED! There was NO protein at their breakfast bar at all. And the lunch bar only had sandwiches with a very small amount of meat on them. I was very glad I brought some protein meal replacement bars with me! It's kind of nice though, isn't it? Realizing that you don't want to go back to old habits? I got a good dose of that this weekend too. I really don't want to gain my weight back ... it's not worth indulging on bad food because I know it will lead to old habits and I don't want that!!! I'm so proud of you, Carla! I just love your positive attitude ... you help keep me inspired and I'm grateful to you for that! Deanna

That is so true. I have been to a few OH events and have noticed the eating habits of those who have had wls before me.. I asked at the first event and they said.. dont worry.. you'll be able to eat like this again.. and I thought.. why would I want to.. I thought we did this to be healthier. i am pretty lucky that Jo, my partner has always been health oriented. She has never been over weight and preferred chicken and healthy foods to other things. I would always make healthy food for her. I just ate bad when I wasnt around her. Now that she is home more and I am making better breakfast and lunch choices on my own.. I am sure I will be fine. She and I are a lot alike in that respect now.. as she was going through the line at the OH event on saturday she couldnt find anything she would eat either and even commented on the food intake of some of the people there...lol.. I know I wont head back down that road. I love who I am now.. I know what to eat.. I always have.. i just got lost for a while and with Jo and my family now making better choices at all our meals.. we are gonna do just fine. It's tough to see all these ppl after all they did to get healthy just loosing site of that.. and going to these events gives me that much needed reality check that if I dont continue to do what I am doing I could be in the same place they are in down the road. It is very eye opening for sure..

I just don't get it. Isn't the for sure one place you know you will get to see good behaivors model is an OH event???? Why would they even serve that type of food. I mean everyone can tolerate different portions, that's one thing, but it sure would be a great opportunity to showcase healthy high protein recipes and stuff. Not all of us have the same rules, and some can have rice and pasta etc, but we all seem to agree on protein. How hard is it to have baked lemon pepper chicken or poached salmon and steamed veggies on a buffet. How about showcasing some sugar free dessert recipies to sample? This just seems odd to me.

Thats what I thought too.. Lots of pasta dishes with pasta.. I make tons of pasta dishes and dont use the pasta. all the deserts where full of sugar.. brownies, cookies, chips. It was crazy.. I couldnt eat anything there..

Happy Birthday Carla What a difference a year makes. This is your 1st re-birthday!

Happy Birthday (belated) sounds like you had a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! about the OH thing I saw the same thing. I went for a friday night dinner/ hello thing and OMG! what they ate!, I tried a bite of chicken and left with my DH, we went out for dinner.... it was making me ill...like a big pig out...