Merry Christmas to all!

I just want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and say thank you for being such a wonderful group of friends. You're support and advice have been so helpful during this big change in my life. Many thanks! And....I had a few minutes to kill this morning and came up with this little ditty. I'm not a writer...but hope you enjoy it! 'Twas the week before Christmas, And all through my house, Not a cookie was present, No crumbs for a mouse! My stockings hang now, 'round my ankles so fair, And my skin sags and wrinkles under my derriere! I eat smaller meals and take fewer meds, While visions of bikinis dance in my head; Foods taste different now, some are even quite smelly, My legs once so firm now jiggle like jelly. I get smaller and smaller, with each passing day, An 80lb weight loss, what more can I say? Merry Christmas to all and to all a good life! Michele

Dear Michele, Merry Christmas to you too! That ditty is so dear! WOW! 80 pounds by Christmas - do you have to pinch yourself!?! I bet there are some new outfits in your holiday season. There are lots of cookies present in the Cassady household. Every year I declare after frosting the last of the zillion cookies that next year I am not doing cookies! This should have been the year, but for my family the big bake day is a tradition they would never part with. Also, have been getting gifted by neighbors. I would like to report that I didn't eat any, but I cannot tell a lie. I didn't eat any dough, which already means life ain't normal anymore. The few forays I have made into eating sugar haven't impacted me at all (darn - I think). Now it is official...I ate enough cookies in the last two days to confirm that fact. I can tell though, that I have had enough. That is the big difference post-op. I have found that I can have a day here or there where I eat something I shouldn't, but I don't think "oh well, I might as well eat until New Years Eve is over, and then go on a diet" like I used to. My body seems to gratefully return to my "normal" healthy habits I have gotten used to. I hope I don't end up eating my words! I am down 140 pounds, and although I always desire weight loss, so long as I don't gain anything, I am not going to worry about some X-mas cookies and X-mas dinner. I felt the same way about Thanksgiving. I didn't worry about what I ate that day, other than making sure I didn't feel bad physically by overeating. I had the pumpkin pie (not SF). I got right back to normal, and have lost about 8 pounds since then. I get so scared of the forever part after the "honeymoon" phase, but like Dr. Hong says "just use common sense". Have a wonderful holiday! Patty

Patty, Yes...the 80lb loss is amazing. And when I figure in what I lost from my high weight...I can't even believe it...209lbs! This is all so cool, isn't it? And you're down 140! Can you believe it? I can because your pic's show it! You don't even look like the same person. You look so much younger and happier in the new picture. You're an inspiration! I used to make huge trays of goodies for friends and family...but I haven't done it since Xmas 2000. When I seriously started to change my lifestyle in May of that year, my baking days pretty much went away. I knew if it was around, I'd eat it. This year, the girls were really wanting me to bake something so I had everyone in the house pick one thing they'd like and I made only those 4 things. And, like you, I feel completely comfortable with a very small piece....it's now all I want. I don't dump on sugar as long as it's under 20grams...so I can have a little if I want to. But generally, I don't want to and that's made me feel more in control of myself so I have it if I want it...without guilt. I just don't over do it. I had the tiniest bit of everything I wanted at T-giving and I plan to do the same for Christmas. I'm doing a huge, fairly complex dinner Christmas eve at my house; but for myself, truthfully, I couldn't care less about having a big fancy dinner. That didn't use to be the case...a huge focus was the eating part of the holiday. I was raised that way and my family is still that way. Just about have everything wrapped up for the holiday (pun intended!). I woke up at 5am so I got up and finished my "perishables" shopping. I had to go to 4 stores for star fruit...and then paid $2.99 apiece, ugh! And, I'm heading out of the office around noon today and won't be in tomorrow so my stress level is doing really well. No worries! I wish you and your family the best! Michele BTW...when we have our get-together in January, you should try to come. I'd love to meet the wonderful lady that you are!

You are such a character! Loved the poem. I was not the best one could be considering I didn't even really cook this Christmas. But alas I did eat cookies. I paid dearly once, but the other times I got by with just a little rapid heartbeat or nothing at all. Depends on how bad I blow it and if I have eaten anything at all before hand. And Pez. Holy cow....my DH and son are into Pez. I have eaten enough Pez to make me comatose. Yikes....you know, the old sugar cravings really come back with a vengence when you let yourself slip into that mode! Dina