Congratulations Alise on the children.  How exciting.  I know they are a joy to your life!

I deal with some hypoglycemia from time to time, too.  I think my last episode was last fall.  I try to keep the glucose tablets and a protein bar in my purse at all times. I never seem to know when it might hit me.   I've gained to my goal weight of 134 but would like to be back around 125. I've slacked some on my exercise but not on my food intake.  I'm still pretty careful. 

It's good to hear from you and know that you are still happy with your decision. Me, too!
 Blessings,

Hope everyone is doing well...I miss hearing from you surgery guys and gals from Dec. 2003. luvitsunnyv

Wow, Dec. 16th will be six years since my WLS.  That seems so very, very long ago.  I am comfortable with my life.  I can't say it any better.  I know the things I can eat/do and the things that I can't.  I don't miss any of the things that I obviously, can't eat.  God has given me such a wonderful new beginning thru weight loss surgery...I give praise and thanks first of all to Him, then to my family for thier wonderful support.  (Although, I still have to educate them on the eating/drinking procedure...ha.ha).  I lost fast...I lost well....I lost too much....I am now comfortable.  I have only gained 16 pounds since my lowest weight which was 113 pounds.  Life is good!  I feel great~  I will be 60 in February and I have never felt better~Luvitsunny

Hi,

From one Maureen to another, I would be glad to help!  The Program that I chose was called Weigh****cher Core.  I didn't have much faith in it but several women in my office were using it, and they were offering a free week, so I enrolled in my free week,got the materials and cancelled. The message boards online are free for all to use.

I hadn't logged in a long time, so I went out to check the site. They no longer call the Program Core. Now they have one Program that combines what they think was the best of the two Programs they had previously Core and Flex. Flex was a program where based on your starting weight you were given a point value for foods for the day, with some extra points for activity and a few "free" foods. You could eat anything you wanted as long as you tracked in and counted it. It was very conveinent for those that ate out alot, or ate prepackaged meals, and liked tracking every bite they were eating , and it gave them the added satisfaction of seeing their progress or setbacks in print and seeing where maybe they needed to do some adjustements.

I chose the Core plan. It had a list of what were called Core foods that didn't have points attached to them and I could eat as much of as I wanted, pretty much. Then there were of course the non core foods that I could eat. I had a 35 point bank weekly for those. Couldn't borrow or carry over points so it was in your best interest to use them.The idea behind this plan was for you to learn what full felt like and be able to monitor you eating in relation to the stages of full with the Core foods and to indulge in the other things with the Core points. There were some foods that were  Core like red meat, I think that were limited in portion and how many times per week that one could eat them. Also for things like rice , bread, and potatoes. There was also a list for the things that you were supposed to eat every day to balance out your diet. Truthfully, I didn't folow their program to the letter of the law.

I liked it because it gave me the freedom to eat the  lean protein that I needed, and the encouragement to eat the dairy that I needed, as well as the vegetables and fruit. I tracked some, mostly to keep track of those 35 points. It made me think if something was really point worthy, sort of like if something is "dump" worthy.  It made me pause and think about what I was putting in my mouth, whether it was a Core food of if I was using those precious points. I ate alot, and good stuff, and learned how to make alternative versions of stuff that I liked. I wasn't hungry. If I grazed it was on things like those fruit and vegetables that I was supposed to get into my diet but didn't. Or when I wanted something salty and crunchy, garbanzo beans , roasted in the oven with whatever spices I wanted, until they were crunchy. They are pretty good, and they were considered Core foods, so I didn't have to count them.

The negative points were that it was extremely difficult to eat out, or to eat frozen or prepackaged foods, because they had so much stuff  in them that were not "Core" friendly, and would put me into the "red" with my points quick. I am not a cook and like being able to pick up a hamburger or a taco, or a frozen dinner. Desperation guided me to work outside of my comfort zone, and I was so scared that I would be right back to where I started before the surgery, because I had gotten so sloppy with eating especially with sugar and fat. I'm one of those fortunate/unfortunate (depending how you view it) RNY patients that can eat an amazing amount of sugar or fat without getting sick. I would get that sick feeling and quit then start again later till I got that sick feeling, etc. etc.

Using  that plan brought structure to my eating, put a screeching halt to the sugar thing, was a strong incentive to eat my fruits and vegetables, and let me enjoy yummy things without guilt.  One can graze all day and never feel hungy or full, but sitting down to a  real meal , means the tool of the gastrc bypass, and a small pouch is working for you.  Eating slowly and understanding when I am full is what my pouch is for. I cooked once a week and packaged it to eat all week. I brought fruit and veggies to work every day, just like I had brought my sugary, salty snacks. Because of the smaller stomach and the absorption thing, working this program brought me back to where I needed to be in 5 weeks. I have not gained it back, and I still use some of what I learned, and I know if I start straying very far, that I need to start thinking before I start chewing!

WW is not offering that particular program anymore, and if you join will strongly encourage you to follow the Momentum with the Filling Foods program, as it is their only program. They (WW) say it is a result of scientifc testing , however, I think it is more of a financial testing, to get more people in the door, which brings in more money as they purchase the new material, which is actually the old material with a new name repackedged.

If you want copies of the stuff that I printed out from then, I have them in my desk , at work. Just have to dig to find them. I would send them to you. My email is [email protected]

Darrol....where is everyone?