Hi Laura, I am also in pretty much the same boat you are in. I am 15 pounds from my goal and my loss has really slowed down. I think we could really support each other....plus, we are both in MN!!! My eating habits have been pretty good......I have been a little lax in the exercise. I did lose a pound this week so, maybe things are moving again. Maybe we could exchange phone numbers and support each other that way as well. If you are interested, e mail me. Deb 10/24/2003 250/147/135

So far today, I've eaten a biscuit and my daughter's leftover Froot Loops (half a dry handful) - the new 1/3 less sugar kind. To drink: Tea sweetened with Splenda (always!). I'm starting to think that I'm one of those "lucky post-ops" (ha!) who tend to dump after consuming Splenda (since it IS made with sugar). I almost always have diarrhea after drinking coffee, tea, or whatever sweetened with Splenda. But still - it's a better alternative than sugar, tastes the most like sugar of all the no-cal sweeteners out there, so a little extra "bowel activity" won't kill me! *lol*

Happy Anniversary!! Great job! Amy

Okay, normally I wear black socks with my uniform. What color are your socks today? I decided to wear orange and black striped Halloween socks!

It seems that there are a lot of us who share the same re-birthday. I went for my one year check up today. I took my picture and journal notebook with me to show Dr. Scott my progress. There were several people in the waiting room who wanted to look and they all seemed impressed. They kept saying,"You don't look like the same person"! It was kind of weird having all these strangers staring at me and my pictures. I am not one of the big loosers, in fact since my highest weight I have lost 96 pounds but only 82 pounds since surgery. Still, I am very happy with my results so far. I have gone from a size 20-22 to a size 10-12. I am able to walk for miles and exercise for hours without feeling like I am going to die. My back pain is much improved. My feet and legs don't hurt all the time like they used to. My weight has been pretty much stalled for the past 3-4 months and I have not been happy about that. For a while I would just beat myself up everyday and think that it's all my fault and I have to be doing something wrong. I finally had a good long talk with myself and decided that I will NOT compare myself to anyone else. I will do the best that I can for myself to become the healthiest that I can be. I just want to be the best ME that I was meant to be. Congratulations to ALL of you with birthdays this month. Keep up the good work. The quote that I have included is one of my favorites that I hope you will find insprirational. I love quotes and have a huge collection. If you have a favorite, send it to me. : ) "Far away, there in the sunshine, are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead." Louisa May Alcott I hope you all have a great evening. Sheila