Hi Denise! I'm doing pretty well too. Had a few 'moments' this weekend, but all in all, I'm staying pretty much on track. Here's my plan for today" B: Isopure Zero Carb protein drink L: green salad with tuna, chicken and green pepper D: green salad with Sloppy Joe turkey, tomatoes and cucumbers snacks: WW Flakes and Fiber, peanut butter pretzels Totals: Calories: 916 Carbs: 25 Protein: 96 Exercise: I'm either going to walk outside or on the treadmill for 30 minutes at lunch time. I'll do the 2 mile WATP when I get home from work. Hugs to all! Nancy

Hi Deejay! Sorry I have not answered sooner but I have had trouble with OH site and signing in. I am doing well. I had on May 24th abdominoplasty, barachioplasty and thigh lift. First couple days I wished I never had it done because of the pain but now no regrets. The arms look wonderful, tummy still too swollen to tell and legs 100 % better but still some lose skin which Dr told me to expect esp. since they were really really bad. I do have some opened areas in the incisions in the groin area but so far healing on their own. Started out with 6 drains, now have 3 and hopefully 1 will come out tomm. I went into surgery weighing 133-134 and gained 12 lbs after with all the swelling. I am down to 1 pain pill @ every 8 hrs. I have been out shopping and went to lunch yesterday. Not driving yet because I am still on pain pills. I plan to be out of work 3 weeks total but still get tired easy but its been only 1 1/2 weeks after 8 hrs of surgery so I know it gets better every day. Again Thanks for asking!!!! Janette RNY 7-13-04 363/133-134 (post op PS 145) total lost prior to PS @ 230 lbs

Understanding & Beating the Carb Monster It's not your fault, but it's yours to control source: email from Kaye Bailey..... Why The Carb Monster Attacks Most weight loss surgery post-ops will tell you that processed carbohydrates led to their obesity. After surgery during weight loss we live by the four rules or guidelines from our bariatric centers concentrating on a high-protein diet. Then somewhere along the line the snack monster attacks and we return to processed carbs. A little nibble here, a taste there. At first it doesn't slow down our weight loss so we test the water and more carbs come back into our diet. The Carb-Monster is not necessarily a mental demon. The Carb-Monster is the body's biological roller coaster that results with a blood chemistry imbalance. More often than not it has nothing to do with willpower or personal integrity. According to Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller in Carb Addicts, blood sugar swings are the leading physical trigger for carb cravings. They write, "High-sugar, refined starch, convenience and comfort foods feed the (carb) addiction like a drug. They produce correspondingly high blood sugar and insulin levels, which leads to more cravings. They also produce higher levels of the brain chemical serotonin. In sensitive people, particularly those who may have low serotonin levels to begin with, a carbohydrate binge is the equivalent of self-medicating, just to get the sugar high." According to The Merck Manual of Medical Information, "The theory behind high protein, low carbohydrate diets is that slower-burning energy sources - protein and fat - provide a steady supply of energy and thus are less likely to lead to weight gain. In addition, people tend to feel full longer after eating protein than after eating carbohydrates, because carbohydrates empty from the stomach quickly and are digested quickly. Carbohydrates also strongly stimulate insulin production, which promotes fat deposition and increases appetite." Morale of the story... PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN... Not that I've got that out of my system!!! Denise

Janette, I hope your doing well, I know you were going to have PS on 5/24 I think? You had a lot at once like me and was just wondering if your doing ok. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help, its a rough recovery. Hugs, Deejay 262/146 (below goal) 1/19/06 - TT, BL/BA, Thigh Lift, Lipo

Thanks Stacy and Nancy! Nancy, I miss you guys! Its so good to hear from you too, I promise I'll never be far off, just busy, but I always keep everything updated and will never leave this site! I would love to see a recent pic of you, your last one was at 193 and I know your much lower then that now! Thanks again for the sweet words, everything really is great for me, couldn't be better actually. I can't wait for you to get to goal because I know how hard you work at it and you deserve it!! Hugs, Deejay