Thanks, Lucy! I need to get the hubby to chase me around with the camera and get some more pics.... just in case this is short-lived - those pictures will be all I have! Lord knows I never thought I would get to this point! That in itself is a miracle.... it will take another miracle to keep it here! Love ya Luc! Pam

Hi Wendy, you sexy little thing I'm with you on the dealing of issues and not eating the right stuff. I've been so stressed and feeling pressured to get to my weigh****chers goal, work issues having a new part-time employee, home issues with my mom (she has always been a high stessor for me), my upcoming trip to Hawaii and cruising (the first time in my life) and my upcoming plastic surgery on November 29th. I have also been working every Sunday and holiday since September, except for the Sunday I was in Atlanta and the Sunday I'm going to be in Hawaii. I don't have any time off and get up early every day. It's getting to me physically and psychologically. I have been eating too much and the wrong foods. So I decided not to focus so much on getting to my weigh****chers goal. I told my leader that I wanted to blend in with the group and not be the focus at my weigh****chers meeting. When I get to goal, everyone will know. If I don't do it before my plastic surgeries, I'll definitely get there afterwards with plenty of pounds to spare. I'm so afraid of what I did to my pouch by eating too much and the wrong foods. I'm going to concentrate on following pouch rules to the T and hopefully, I will succeed. Thank goodness the surgery will give me some restriction afterwards and that will help get me back to basics. My problem is that I want to eat the way I did pre-op and I know in my mind that I can't think like that. It's such a struggle right now. Boy, I sure can understand what others have said and shared about the post-honeymoon phase. Take care and I'm rooting for you! Hugs and Love, Lucy

Girl, I feel you on the spending habit. I have an addictive or obsessive personality. Since food hasn't been my "fix" - spending has replaced it. I didn't even see it happen. I worked myself into a system of shopping non-stop. EVERY other Friday off from work - shopping....EVERY single Saturday & Sunday - SHOPPING... Mon - Fri nights EBAY! It didn't hit me what I was doing until this month when I had to pay my mortgage payment late AND I got a pink notice from the electric company with a cut off date.... me with NO money left to pay it.... and no groceries in the house to boot. Had to borrow money from my in-laws. How humiliating. All my fault. I did this to us. I've been thinking about it all week. What I SHOULD do with my improved new income is become an addict at saving money and paying extra on my mortgage. Can I do it? I don't know. Do you think I can become addicted to saving???? I wonder if I can... like if I research it all the time and get obsessive about balancing the checkbook and making and sticking to a budget... meal plans to cut down on food expenses... I just wonder. I mean, SHEESH - why do we always end up with BAD habits?? How come I always pick something that will get me in trouble? I just wonder if I can get fixated on something good for a change.... like going to the gym? On the PS ... my arms were just "out there" - you could see them in everything I wore. I was so self-concious about them. I felt "successful BUT..." NOT successful - because my arms to me were just as bad as before.... worse really, because they were so disproportionate to the rest of me and sooooooo interesting to those around me. People are just curious and some are just rude. There are scars. No doubt about it. The placement of the scars isn't bad though - you can only see them if I move a certain way.... whereas before, they were covered with stretch marks and flapping around. I'm perfectly content with this long scar on the inside of my arm and in my arpit in exchange with what I had before. The cool thing about the scar in the armpit, is that he removed MOST of the skin in my armpit. So I have a tiny stripe of armpit hair that only takes one swipe with the razor! And I've forgotten to wear deodorant and had no problems. No to mention... I LOVE having thin arms!! I envied women with small arms since middle school and I just feel so dang sexy finally having a set of my own!! I chose the arms because they were the one thing that i really couldn't hide well with clothes. I chose the breasts because they were just empty skin and wouldn't even stay in a tight bra.... they just kind of oozed out all wrinkly and sad.... and obvious in a lot of clothes. 'specially when a nip is pointing in some freaky direction! (so embarrassing!) I'd love to get my tummy, butt and thighs done.... but no one can see the problems in those areas when I'm dressed. My thighs are HORRIBLE. It was kinda funny at the pool this year. When I was in the water waist high - guys were checking me out like "yeah baby!" but when I got out of the water and walked around the pool, you could just SEE everyone looking at my thighs like "what the hell happened to her!?!" BUT I don't go to the pool very often... and I'm not looking for a man. Part of me really wants to spend the money on the legs, butt & tummy - but the other part thinks I'm a dumbass because summer is only a few months out of the year. Though I really HATE the way my belly button looks like a tunnel running south to north with sandbags hanging from it. Then again, only Mike & I see it - sooooo I'm gonna make myself a deal not to plan anything yet. I need to give this part some time. I can't help but think a little face work might be better to think about (for me) in the next couple of years. The skin on my face is sagging so bad, my eyes are sunk in, I have a turkey jowl and my eyelid skin is laying all over my eyelids. It's so bad on my right eye that it interferes with my vision at times. BUT I keep reading about how peoples faces fill out again as time goes on as a longer term post-op. SOOOOOO I won't plan anything there yet either. Besides, when I wanted my arms/chest done, there was NO doubt about it - I wanted it more than anything. So I don't think I possibly could make a decision about more PS until I feel that way again. There I go again.... just babbling on and on..... sorry! Hugs Pam

I am sorry you are having a hard time. I wish that I could help. I understand how you feel. We will all continue to do this as long as we have eachother we can do it. I will keep you in my prayers. Michelle If you need to talk I am here for you.

Michelle, This is a very hard time for us. Up until 2 months ago, I continually lost weight and so I felt I could eat whatever and not bother to excersize. Now that we have lost the forward momentum from the surgery we have to work HARD! I am glad you are so close to your surgery! We can get where we want to be, but it will take determination now and that is a hard thing for most of us. I will be rooting for you. Wendy