I am back!!

Hi December Lovelies! I have missed all of you! How are you? What is new? Looks like I have some back posts to read!! So glad you guys are staying active on this board supporting one another! Great job! I have had many emails from those of you on this board wondering either where I have been or asking how my trip was.. how great it feels to be so loved. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I had a terrific time on the cruise! The Bahamas was absolutely beautiful and the temperature was in the 70s and sunny, couldn't have been any better I do not think. I took many outfits with me and changed probably 3 times a day.. yes 3 times! I loved that I could change my clothes up and get excited for what I can wear now! I will try to upload some pictures to my profile here in a bit.. I need to figure out how to link it to the pictures I have all stored in a folder on my computer, suppose I have to upload it somewhere first.. i will be working on that next week. I have to work tonight and I have PK (Plump Kitty, now Paradise Kitty) from the RNY board staying with me until Thursday. She is from Canada and we are just having a lot of fun together. Wishing I didn't have to work tonight but that's ok.. we still have most of next week together also. We are going to be putting together scrapbooks (or at least starting them) from the cruise.. how fun eh? I can't wait as I have never scrapbooked before and looking forward to learning a new hobby! The food on the cruise was subpar. They had some "diet" options but you could tell they were still very calorie laden and prepared in ways that we normally do not prepare food postop (with butter, creams, etc) or they had significant sugar alcohols in the SF desserts they offered. Many of us found that a few bits of a regular dessert was a better option most days. Many of us did take our turns having some "ick" stools or dumping.. not gonna lie. We all just sorta let go and took our turns trying different dishes from each other etc.. and there is just food everywhere on a cruise.. all hours of the day and honestly it makes it very.. extremely hard to not "let go" especially when (even if you have bars u get so sick of them after a while) you don't have your good foods at your fingertips like you do at home. My scale has been up and down.. I was up a couple before the cruise then did the 5 day pouch test (as you may remember) and it went well for me but I did put on a couple pounds on the cruise. When I first got back not change really 133ish (131.6 my ultimate low but wasn't there for long). and today was 136.. it will be hard to say.. weight doesn't "gain" overnight just like it doesn't come off that way for the most part either.. the next couple of weeks will tell me for sure. I am doing much better at home with my eats now.. not totally 100% back to where I should be but 85% of the way there.. at least if I am overconsuming a few hundred cals (yes few hundred.. was more like 1000 or more on the cruise.. no lying) its GOOD food and I know what I am putting in my body rather than the cruise food.. ick.. I know that this opportunity was a chance in a lifetime for me. I prob will never get to do this again... however the girls have decided they would like to do it annually at each others houses to save money.. I think that is a fabulous idea. Meeting others who are in my same shoes was good for me. It made me realize that many of my fears, anxieties with food issues are the same for everyone.. they just may not be as "open" about as I am on the boards. It was very satisfying for me to share and just enjoy my journey as well as others with those who truly do "get it" and understand... so awesome. I plan to be back on the boards full swing after the following weekend. PK leaves thursday, and that is valentines day.. I have some plans with my husband but will try to check in on friday after otherwise.. im back into the swing of the message boards on Monday after I work. Life slows down incredibly for me then.. almost goes from mach 3 to screeching hault.. which is nice. I do plan to try and find some hobbies or join some interest groups or something. My husband took on a couple more jobs.. a boy scout field recruitment and leader support position and also received the high school softball varsity coaching position here in town so I will need to try to find things to keep me busy. Hoping to take a class on scrapbooking and maybe even join Tae Kwon Do here in town in addition to my gym routine. Enough rambling from me... if you know me at all.. I just never can shut it! I just missed you guys so much! I am glad to be back home and will be getting on regularly in about a week... thanks for the love and concern all... you guys are just the best! (((((Group Hug)))))) Melissa

A hug for you too! {{{{{{{{{}}}}}}}}} We have missed you and I am sorry to say I didn't keep up with the daily eats...it was just so busy around here and it didn't happen. Oops... Can't believe that on an *ObesityHelp* CRUISE the cruise line didn't have a proper food selection available. AMAZING!!! Hello? The cruise line who hosted this knew who they were selling tickets to, didn't they? I love the idea of trying to get together in various cities instead of a cruise. Maybe that will be more affordable for everybody and maybe there will be able to be good participation. Will you and PK put together a scrapbookers dummy's manual for the rest of us who haven't done it either? The closest I've come is my little motivational sign project. It has been fun buying those fancy papers but I'm fairly clueless as to the 'correct' way I should be putting it together. I've gone to cropping nights with local friends and while they scrapbook I either work on a quilt or just put pictures in a regular old photo album. Heaven knows I've got about 20 years worth to get caught up on...yikes! My little flip sign album is a fun project but it would surely be much better if someone who knows something about scrapbooking was doing it instead of me. Have a good night at work and enjoy the rest of PK's visit. Molly

Welcome Home, Mel!!! Hi, to PK!!! Wow... about the food... must have taken a lot of strength not to over-indulge! Happy Scrapbooking.. Ro

Welcome BACK...we missed you on the boards. You always have the BEST responces!!! I am glad you had a GREAT time. I went on a cruise YEARS ago (like 25) and at the time I was doing WW and I lost 8 pds. I know ..shocking! I said it was because we were LOST on the ship all the time and walked more and we were YOUNG and skipped the food part and drank to much and did bad things My husband keeps saying we need to go on one and we will someday I am sure. Glad to see you back. Diana

I have missed you so....it seemed you were gone forever!

I missed you, I try to get on here when I have the time, which is very little lately. You look great glad to have you back....my 1st PS consult is on Friday I'll let you guys know how I do.... Hugs, Erin