3 days so far! No soda no candy no snacks.

I'm a BIG reader and studyer of labels !  You only have to do it ONE time really foreach category of food but it does take some time the first time .  Its very interesting and informative though ! 

For instance - prepackaged spaghetti sauces .  Most ( more expensive) jarred sauces have added oil ( and 4 grams of invisible extra fat a serving) - not much else .  I prefer to buy a very lowfat one like Hunts cans- usually a dollar for a big can with less  than a gram of fat per serving -  and if I want I can add high quality olive il in my own kitchen ( or not ) .

 The oil in the pre made sauces is going to be the cheapest available corn oil or the dregs of hot pressed olive oil .. fattening pesticide and preservative laden  and without the health benefits of the virgin cold-pressed real thing . ( I usually actually add real OLIVES rather than just  the oil for the taste and to get the most flavor out of my calorie and monetary buck) 

Same thing for macaroni and cheese .  You can buy an expensive ready made version or so called " deluxe" version in boxes I personally find to be the exactas thing as the 4 fora dollar cheapest ones on the bottom shelf .  I usually throw the pasta away but make the cheese sauce like Velveeta ... only with skim milk powder, fat free  american cheese slices and freeze dried fat free butter solids ( Butter buds ) that taste exactly like butter .

Many cookie mixes muffin mixes brownie mixes are  almost fat free too .. keep reading . You can usually make them taste just fine without any added oil just using powdered skim milk . I like to add butter buds too.  My guests have NEVER complained lol- you do't miss the oil .  ( post op I rarely eat sweets but prep I craved them and still make them for guests ) 

There are great fat free ornery lowfat ice cream products out there .. I like skinny cow ice cream sandwiches but they're ridiculously expensive .. Aldis has terrify frozen yogurt bars that are both cheap very low fat and low sugar .  Aldis also has very inexpensive meats fresh vegetables and most gluten free low calorie snack bars very cheap .  I'm nota fan o ready made snacks but if i ate them I'd buy them at Aldi's .

(((())))) Enough lecturing ! You can make a huge difference in how easily you lose and how easily you maintain your weight loss with smart food choices .  I avoid hidden fats like the plague .. and interestingly find I am most often buying very inexpensive but healthy items - often the most inexpensive in that category .  With those savings I can afford luxuries like organically pressed olive oil, spices and fresh veggies .  I also really recommend sugar free Toani and Da Vinci syrups .. here like 3.99 fora quart bottle and you can use them event make caramel apples or to sweeten your tea.  

Hey Dawn - do you want lose  and keep off a permanent 10 lbs ?  Switch from coffee to drinking tea .. not iced tea mixes but hot black tea you cook yourself.  Tea speeds the metabolism and keeps you working/walking a lot longer than coffee which brings you up and down and requires more coffee ... . The whole hardworking nation fChina runs on tea lol- people drink it like water there  and there are virtually no overweight people ..   Since I made the switch from coffee to tea a few years ago, my body settled at a significantly lower setpoint and I found it much easier keep working and exercising without adding more caffeine ..

Also I find fiber pretty much negates some calories . When I have a snack attack I can indulge in air popped popcorn or a fat free whole wheat cereal like  frosted mini-wheats without wearing it the next day . You basically poop it out . along with whatever else you ate .  Its " forgiving " food .

These are the  things that work for me.  In a pinch I can eat the lowfat offerings even in a Chinese buffet- crab legs without butter , chicken n broccoli , any  soups but cream soups .  Wendy's chili is also another good nonfattening food -on-the-go option because they skim the fat off as they make it .Adding a cup or two fresh vegetables and leaving out most of the fat in any recipe really reduces the calories and increases  the fiber ..

You can do this !  Learning to make non-fattening food choices  gives you so much more leeway with snacking and portion size ... even preop. Like Ms. Batt says you can't out-exercise poor food choices /overeating .  It IS mostly about what you choose and what you refuse to put in your mouth .

hugs