Monday, January 18th

I think it is 121.  But, tell me, what happens if I hit 121?  Even with hitting 122 I was thinking I should be adding a few more calories.  I can feel an ease in clothes that I bought about a month ago that is interesting considering that I am just a few pounds lighter. They all still fit, so no worries with that. 

I ate out tonight and enjoyed a few extra calories. The salt alone is good for at least a couple of pounds.  But thats OK, even if it was just for a day, it felt great to be at goat-weight!

I honestly think it is time to add back in some more calories. I would start with 100 more per day for a week and see what happens.

Good morning fabulous friends! With all the talk here this morning we could be sitting around having coffee together.    Looking at tattoos, swapping funny stories, sharing trials and tribulations and having a good laugh. 

Scale god offered a gift this morning with a nice 113. Yes! A few days earlier than I will honestly earn it but it's nice to know its there. My food choices have been really really good this past week so I feel like I'm on a roll now. 

The trip down east we have planned for next month will be a total food and drink challenge so it will be good to start it at the lower end of my weight range.  And while I intend to be 'off plan' for the trip, I still need to define some parameters because I'm not terribly happy about how I finished off the Christmas season. My behavior looked rather binge like during those last days and that's not okay. I'd love to hear any suggestions you may have. 

I got up early to drive DH this morning and then went back to bed. Nice treat to sleep late. DH will be away until Wed evening so I'll have to be careful not to get too lonely or bored. Also I have some unpleasant stuff to do this afternoon that I've been avoiding so feeling a little anxious  about that. But if I get it done, I'll definitely feel a sense of accomplishment. 

The weather has warmed again to around the freezing mark and it's sunny and bright as usual.  

Paula I second Shel's caution about getting a tattoo pre surgery. Something to check on 

Hi Linda,

First of all, I am now on a quest for 18% creamer.  I think it is a Canadian thing --- I haven't spotted it (yet) in my usual grocery stores.  Might have to make a run for the boarder :)

About your trip, is this the one to your hometown?  Going home to Iowa is a huge trigger for me, I don't think I have ever not over-eaten there. I haven't been there since VSG.

Anyhoo, I am only 3 weeks into maintenance, but darn it, I am at 122.7 today so I'll give you advise. Maybe aim to be mindfully off-plan?  There will be a lot of ho-hum routine meals that don't matter as much --  keep the ones you don't care so much about simple.  I think that might make your less structured, off plan meals more enjoyable. 

On a 2 week trip last summer, I was able to lose weight.   We were on the Eastcoast and simple seafood was my staple.  I also kept VSG friendly foods from the grocery store available in the car/hotels.  I bought a cheap cooler/lunch box to keep stuff cool while traveling.

For my head, I thought a lot about how I wanted to feel when I got home from vacation. There was a lot of driving on this vacation so I had a lot of time for reflection.  I do think this helped when I was ordering meals in restaurants. 

No matter what, I like that you are thinking ahead! 

Hey Shel thanks for the response. Yup this is the trip 'home' which I should have specified involves staying with three different a groups of family in different locations, so all meals will be lovingly prepared and provided by and for large groups. So it's one of those situations where whatever arrives I will have to deal with. Fortunately there's always a protein element which I may have to dig through to find!  

Also, many of the things they prepare for guests like us are old standards that everyone enjoys.  Thanks for the reminder to bring along my Quest Bars and beef jerky stash to cover my protein needs. Check!  

The challenge will be the sheer volume and variety offered at every opportunity, as well as it being accompanied with evening drinking and eating. Again, cultural and enjoyable, so the challenge will be to enjoy and indulge a little without going crazy!  And three different sets of friends and family who want to 'love' me and celebrate my rare return. Our arrival at each homes will be a new occasion, so to speak!

Ah, food made with love is worth some off plan attention!  That reminds me that I had my daughter freeze some of the goodies out of my mom's Christmas care package..  I will gladly find room in my plan for that eventually. 

Oh the 18% stuff is called 'Coffee Cream' here in Canada. I find I use less of it than the Half and Half so the calorie difference is minimal but even more enjoyable!

Hoping that the unpleasant stuff wasn't too bad for you today! Nice job on getting that Holiday weight off!

Paula, you better double check on that tat before having surgery. One fellow I know from a support group I used to go to had is VSG postponed because his cat scratched him the day before. A woman in the same group had to reschedule her VSG because she got a WLS celebratory tattoo the day before her pre op. Her surgeon saw the fresh tattoo and cancelled her surgery. She had to wait an entire month before he'd do the surgery! Something to think about given that most gallbladder surgeries are "elective" and non emergency. 

Shel, wonderful milestone of 122. I enjoyed the story. Where did you serve in the Peace Corp? 

Diane, I'm so looking forward to the comparison between the bod pod and the dexa scan. Can't wait to read about the experience and the differences between the two methods for you. 

Lorna, I've never had the courage to do a tat, though I've toyed with the idea. I think Ron would be pissed, if I did. I love how meaningful your tattoo is and how much thought went into it. If I ever get one, I want it to have that kind of personal meaning, too. 

Linda, great that you can look at doing something unpleasant as getting it behind you and being able to move forward without it looming over your head. That is something we can all strive to do. Good luck accomplishing that today.

Scale was a tad lower today, but still up the 2 pounds from Friday's low. Considering all the dining out I did this weekend PLUS movie popcorn last night, the scale showed a reasonable number. 

Interesting phenomenon: last night after the movie I was not overly hungry. I had eaten a late brunch with Ron (finished eating around 3:30) and had a mindless, unmeasured amount of popcorn at the show. However, I had a great desire for a "proper meal". I had 3 oz. left over steak and made a broccoli slaw salad. I felt completely satisfied (not full) on a nourishment level after eating. I enjoy being able to actually hear the messages my body is sending about my nutritional needs. Anyone else find this happens to them? (This is very different from the binge drive. No urgency, just a nudge that sort of says, "Dude, protein and fiber would do me up right. How about it?")

Thoroughly enjoyed a late morning. I got up for the dogs at 6:00 (for little Lucy) and then let the rest out at 7:30. Went back to bed and dozed until almost 9:00. Absolute heaven! The sun is shining, the air is clean, and the ground is saturated. After 4 years of drought it doesn't get much better than this! 

Therapy session at noon. Then the rest of the day to do as I please, which will include a solo workout and maybe some house work. 

Happy Monday! 

I was in The Gambia, a tiny West African country.  Lovely place!  Do you remember the mini-series Roots?  ****a Kinte (the main character) was from the Gambia.