I drink diet soda a few times a week. Here is what I noticed. At home, I have canned soda. I put A LOT of crushed ice in a TALL cup and poor it in. I nurse it and I have no problems. By the time I am finished, the ice is gone too. I've had no problems with soda in this way -- even drinking it with a straw. That said, I was out running errands with my mom and picked up a diet coke in a bottle from one of those little refrigerators. I took three sips and thought my pouch was going to BURST! I was in pain! I'm not sure if they have more carbination or if pouring the drink over the ice helps some of that to dissipate? Anyway, I learned a huge lesson that day. I'm sticking with diet soda from a can poured over a huge cup of ice! Best, ~V~

The last time I checked --1400-2000! *gasp* I'm pretty active chasing around a 2 year old and running around with the aliens(teenagers) thought I don't exercise. I lift weights for my arms in the privacy of my own bathroom and that's it. I have to requirements in life. I don't like to sweat and I have to be able to get to a bathroom fast! I need to get back on fitday.com and start tracking better. I think this game of having to gain weight is OVER!!!!!!! Ugh! Perhaps ask your nut or surgeon about daily calorie intake. We're not meant to survive on 2 oz of food and 1000 calories a day forever! Sometimes you can be eating NOT ENOUGH to lose. Best, ~Vanessa~

Vanessa, Thank you for your post and honesty. By the way, you are absolutely gorgeous! I will join you, my twin, to try to get back on track. I'll cut out carbs, get back to Curves, drink water, and up the protein. I'll stop kicking myself when I'm not 100% successful but I will get back on that pony! I hope you get some answer for your pain situation. That's no fun. Let's keep in touch. Shelia

OMG! We have the same date! TWINS! I've never "met" anyone with the same date as me! OK..here's the deal.....Ugh.......I hate the posts - "I think I can eat too much!" But, I think I can eat too much! Then again, I know that I eat a normal portion size but what scares me is that I only occasionally truly overate before surgery. I had a long history of hypothyroidism, metabolism issues, sickness that caused inactivity, etc. So it's scary to me. Of course, I am much more active but lately I've been a bit concerned. That said, we do HAVE to progress to more eating. We're not meant to live on 2 oz forever. What has me concerned is that I had lost too much weight and then had to practice some bad habits to stop it. Then I gained oh -- 5-10 pounds depending on what day it is. I can FEEL the weight and I don't like how it FEELS. My husband tells me that I'm where I should be and when I asked my mother who visited last week if she could tell I had gained she didn't know whether to laugh or throw me out the 2nd floor window. That said, I know that these habits that I developed trying to maintain are getting the best of me know. The REALLY scary part is that I've stopped weighing b/c I FEAR what it will tell me. And THAT is a death sentence for me. Not funny but funny. Anyway, I don't think the issue for me or you is our pouch size. The issues is that we can eat more and we may be taking advantage or disadvantage if you will of this new physical trait. That said, I've decided to detox off carbs. I decided two weeks ago and haven't been able to do start. I know I have to drink a TON of water and protein, protein, protein, to get off this ride. I was going to start today and I woke up eating carbs! Then my husband brought home a cerel bar and I ate that. Carbs. Ugh. So then I think -- OK Monday-- tomorrow, right? WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! I have to start RIGHT NOW! So that is what I'm going to do. Start RIGHT NOW! Want to join me? Here's the deal: Water, water, water, water....protein, protein, protein, protein. If I start to get the dreaded headache and shakes, I WILL allow a viable, healthy carb such as a small slice of whole wheat toast or oatmeal with protein powder b/c of the low carb impact it actually has on the diet. I'm not sure that I'm saying the Plauteau buster b/c it's not a plateau I'm fighting but rather a back to basics so I can get some better habits going. Who's in with me? Anyone? Ugh...I can't believe I just admitted all of that! On a side note, I'm still having the upper right quadrant pain and I FINALLY see a Bariatric Surgeon who agreed to see me in my new location of Houston, TX on Tuesday. The pain doesn't help things for me because I tend to "graze" when I don't feel good. Anyone dealing with the same thing and want to come along? Sheila? Anyone? Best, ~Vanessa~

I need help. I had surgery 11/2004 and to date i lost over 100 pounds Im trying to lose my last 20 because my surgeon does not expect me to get any smaller than that and neither do I because I am what they call big boned but the help i need is with my nasty stomach. I have pcos so I always had a big pooch on my lower stomach but I swear over the past few months it has gotten worse. Click on the links to see the pcitures. I feel worse than I did before I had surgery because at least them it had fat to hod it up. I have to wear a girldle with everything and this just upsets me. I look at my early pictures from after surgery and it was fine but now everything has dropped and I know I still have some fat in there but most of it looks to be excess skin the way it hangs. Please take a look at this picture and tell me if it is normal. I keep going back and forth between a few pounds and with the stomach looking like this it has made my clothes a little tighter. I have started doing abs but do they help for bigger people? My next appt my doctor is going to discuss Plastic surgery which I thought I would never have to have but I see now that I do. I know you guys are follow Weight Loss Surgery members so please help anyway you can because I am getting really depressed over this. These are the two pics I took yesterday: http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1768/7/24/48/39/58/0/58394824709_0_ALB.jpg http://images.kodakgallery.com/photos1768/7/24/48/39/78/0/78394824709_0_ALB.jpg Please help