AWOL and other things

I've been AWOL for a while due to a short trip to San Diego (hubby had a conference, I shopped) and now getting ready for our real vacation to Florida. We are driving, leaving this Wednesday and coming home Memorial Day weekend. I think there must be a beach chair with my name on it just waiting for me! Now for the other things. This is just my observation and how it works best for me. On the WLS grads board (for those over 1 yr out), many have been complaining about wt gain. Often 20 plus pounds. It does get harder the farther out you get. The food demons return as does your appetite. You have less episodes of and can pretty much eat anything. Many of these people wonder how this happened. How can they not know? I'm sure 20 pounds didn't just appear overnight! My observation is this - if you weigh every day, then those 20 pounds will NOT creep up on you. I know some can really become obsessed with weighing. But if you don't weigh, how will you know if you are gaining??? I weigh every day. If I'm up more than 2 pounds, I spring into action, evaluate what and how much I've been eating, if I'm exercising enough, and I correct whatever it is. I WILL NOT regain. Ignoring a 2 pound wt gain will send you down that slippery slope. That's how most of us got to the point of needing this surgery in the first place. So figure out what the danger point is for you and follow thru. Take action. Don't just say, oh well, it's only 2 (4,10) pounds. We all know that 2 pounds tend to bring about 10 of their closest friends. There are several of us who have not reached our goal wt. Me, Dixie, Jesi and others. We are all at least 2 yrs out. I'm not sure what it takes to get to goal. My body seems determined to stay at 146-148. I may never get to my goal of 142. But at this point, I'm okay with that. I wear anywhere from an 8 to a 12 depending on the brand. Of course, I'm vain so usually only buy the brand that an 8 fits. But over the San Diego vacation, I got up to 150! Danger, Danger, Danger! Today I'm doing protein shakes and a bar or two only. It's coming off! I WILL NOT WEIGH 150! WILL NOT! So my words of wisdom to those of you who are early out, weigh daily but don't obsess. Decide what is a sane amount of wt you can gain and then be sure to do something about it. Do not stick your head in the sand. We are all proof that doesn't work well. Talk to you all in a couple weeks! Lyn 262/149/142 ( those 2 pounds)