Congrats to you and here's hoping that your will always be a success! :)

Thanks so much for your thoughts and advice.  I appreciate your help.

JA

Sixteen years ago today, I had my surgery -- a Vertical Banded Gastroplasty, how much in the dark ages is that?

A lot of things, good and bad, have happened to me in that time.  Both of my parents have passed -- exactly twelve years and one week apart.  My sons, who were 13 and 9 when I had my surgery, are now 29 and 25, both graduated from college, the eldest living on his own and working in the film industry, the youngest home temporarily and about to embark on his MBA this fall.  I'm still married to the starter husband -- oh, miracle of miracles, considering how out of my mind I was for most of our marriage -- and coming up on 37 years this September 21.

I no longer have to invest in new wardrobes twice annually.  I can tie my shoes without requiring oxygen therapy.  I can go through turnstiles and sit in plane seats and movie theatre seats and stadium seats and not have to spend my time calculating the structural integrity of furniture.  I can walk more than a block without collapsing.

I can wear bright colours -- like red, a colour that I insisted for years I hated -- and bronze, and neon green, and fuschia.  I no longer go into a room and look around to see if I'm the largest person in it.  I can sit in chairs with arms -- something I avoided like the plague for years. 

I don't do shorts -- some things are just better left covered up -- but I do do capri pants -- with patterns.

My life is full -- and, for the last 16 years, I've been living it, no****ching it.

Regrets?  None.

Try cross posting on the rny forum, not too many people come here. There's a back on track forum that can help & give tips on losing the regain. Also check out the What are you eating threads, it can give you an idea of what people are eating to either lose/maintain their weight.

They just finished up an AMAW (all meat all week) challenge, take a peek at the thread & maybe join the next challenge.

Not much I can suggest either than going back to the basics of putting protein first etc, it sounds like the challenges you face is more of a mental one, which is tough, sometimes you just gotta make up your mind & just do it. Put up little sticky notes thru out the house reminding you of your goals. Write in a journal, take some time out for you & put your feelings out there. Seek therapy/support to deal with any emotional attachments you have to food.

Finally put you first, its ok to say no sometimes. I know you want to help your friend but don't let it come at the cost of your health. Good Luck to you. 

Congrats!!