Hey Jackie.... it is great to see you posting.... HAPPY HAPPY NEW YEAR to you as well.... I was just thinking about you the other day, wondering where you were... You are doing such a great job... Sounds like everything is going great for you.... You look terrific!!!!! Keep up the good work.. I hope you have a wonderful 2008!!! I am sure we all will.... Things are plugging along here for me.... Been sick with the flu, but other than that, all is well... The good thing about getting sick is it jump started my weight loss again, LOL... now I just have to keep it up so I can make goal.... Only 15 pounds to go.... We are so close.... Keep me posted on how you are doing... I Have a myspace too... maybe you can add me as a friend? http://www.myspace.com/geachgang I have pictures from my son's wedding on there... Oh and I found out I am going to be a Grandma in August... Can you believe it... I just turned 37 last week and I am going to be a Grandma.... I was in shock at first but now I am thrilled... I just wish they weren't 20 hours away in Louisiana. We need to see you posting more girly... Try and got on here once in a while and give us an update, even if it is only on the weekly weigh ins.... You are missed.... HUGS, Shawn M.

Hello again its me the disappearing Jackie who pops in every once in awhile. I usually myspace more than I stop here but I wanted to pop in and check in on a few people who cross my mind and want to see how they are doing. Britt for one and Kim the dancingjudge and Shawn. I hope everyone is well or beginning to feel better. I haven't had any problems medically, maybe its the band. Emotionally, YES ups and downs with friends and family but working on it on a daily basis for sure. Sometimes I have to learn to put me first, it just isn't my nature though I am such a giver. Anyway I am doing well, 51 lbs to go and it's been slow but certainly worth it. I feel a million times better than when I weighed 246 lbs that is for darn sure. My famiy is well my children are amazing. I also started following a heavy metal rock band with my bad self LOL............they so RAWK!!! Giggle. I am going to post a healthy salad I made for my office on my page. Check it out and let me know if you try it. Love to you all! Jackie in Michigan

Thanks for the post, Wanda. I have some goals for myself that I would like to accomplish this year (and forever). 1) Pay off my credit card and keep it paid off! That's my problem - every time I pay it off, I end up putting charges back on it within a couple months. Drives me crazy! 2) Keep my weight off. 3) Exercise more often (going for 4-5 times a week) 4) Make time to sit and read with my son every day. He needs to read more and I need to make him read more. 5) Fall in love with someone. I've been looking but I keep getting disappointed after the first hour of meeting someone. Yes, I'm in therapy - there's got to be something wrong with me! 6) Get back to church! I fell off the wagon about 6 months ago and really need/want to go back. 7) Declutter my house/garage/shed. I want to simplify my life. Hugs to everyone, Susan

Britt, Last year we were so new to WLS that the holiday season was a breeze for many of us. I was only on pureed food during Thanksgiving and with people who knew I'd had surgery during Christmas so I took it very easy. This year, as I've said, I broke my rule of no sugar and ate way too much almost every meal. It scared me because I was feeling so out of control so I'm glad it's over too! I did well until our family party and even then I did well until the desserts. My SIL had made some Paula Dean dish that was lemony and since WLS I LOVE lemon flavoring! I eat lemon yogurt and drink lemonade all the time! So, I got a square of that intending to take one bite and give the rest to my husband. WELLLLLLL, it was SO good that I ate it all and ended up getting more later! Then, on Christmas day, we went to my sisters house. She had various desserts but my heart was into the lemon meringue pie! Again, I asked for a small slice to share with hubby but, after taking off the meringue (full of sugar), I just about stabbed him with the fork every time he went for a bite! I ended up taking a slice home and stuck my finger in under the plastic wrap and ate the filling out on the ride home! Neither of those made me sick but a couple of bites of bread pudding REALLY got me a few days later and when we got home and had a Christmas package from my inlaws with stroopwaffels (one of my favorite Dutch treats!) and I dared take one, I got yucky sick. Actually, I was happy that sugar still bothers me because I feared I was going to start eating it like crazy again! So, Britt, the holidays are over and reality is back! The gyms aren't as full as I expected but it has been really cold here. I've been to two gyms. One was early morning and it certainly wasn't crowded but Gold's wasn't either and I was there a couple of hours later in the morning! Britt, I know you LOVE working out so getting back into the groove will help you forget how hard the holidays were on us and you'll be strong as ever again. 2008 will be the year we really have to start working to maintain our resolve and our weight loss. It likely won't be as easy to do this year because our bodies are adapting to the shorter intestinal route and the smaller stomach. Pouches are probably stretching no matter what we do. Those good habits we've been forming are going to have to be standard not optional! We won't be able to get away with as many slips. Like I said, reality is back!!! No matter what, we can reach our goal weights or maintain our losses. It's just going to take more work! We're up to it, aren't we?! Oh, yeah, Britt, you asked how the family responded to the new me. It was strange, uncomfortable at times but I knew that my husband was really proud of me. One old family friend told my mother that I was now the smallest one of the three sisters. I'm not sure that is true because my two sisters are and always have been thin. They are taller than me too. My younger sister wears a size four and seemed threatened that I was going to wear the same size as her! Well, yesterday I bought a size 4 pair of jeans!!! My size 6 ones that I'd bought at Nordstrom's and the size 6 Daisy Fuentes ones from Kohl's were both able to be pulled on and off without unzipping or unsnapping them so I bought a size FOUR!!!! I don't think I could have imagined wearing a size FOUR jean in my wildest dreams. As I was teaching my class yesterday morning, I was facing the mirror so I could get a good view of the class members doing their lunges and squats. As I was supposed to be watching them, my eyes kept going to my own image because it shocked me so to actually see myself as "normal." Oh, yes, one more thing that happened yesterday that's never happened before!!! When I went to try on those above mentioned size 4 jeans, the woman working the dressing room and the store manager were talking about the holidays and how they were glad they were over. I entered into the conversation and made the comment that with all the food, I actually got tired of eating! Well, the woman said: "Hey, at least you are small." What a shock! I didn't know how to react and while I don't normally tell strangers that I have lost weight, I found myself telling the woman that I wasn't always "small" (and it felt so weird to say "small") and I'd lost 100 pounds and was trying to protect my loss! It's a world turned upside down and I'm so happy to be living in my new world! CeCe

Thanks for the welcome home, Wanda! It sure feels good to be home and back on our own schedule! All that eating out or eating at other people's houses was getting to me! I swear we got sick of eating (but I still ate way too much!). What wonderful news about your son! I pray that his unit won't be called up but, as you said, the reserves are doing heavy duty over there. It's also sad to think that regardless of whoever wins the next presidential election, not much is likely to change. I was totally against us ever going into Iraq and the whole thing has made me ill ever since. It's just a total mess for us and the Iraqi people. On a happier note, has anyone at work said anything about your perky boobs? Or, are you still trying to hide them? Since my tummy tuck, I'm no longer wearing loose tops and my boobs are looking really big (after I lasso them and pull them up into my bra!!!!). A couple of people have asked if I had a boob job along with the tummy tuck!!! CeCe