drugstore.com has True Lemonade, True Raspberry Lemonade and True Lemon Ice Tea.  I just got emailed today 15% off today.  I had to follow a link and I stocked up on the lemonade and the rasberry lemonade from drugstore.com.  I didn't do the Ice Tea because I'm not good with caffeine. 

I think the surgeons out there that people talk about on these boards that try to talk a patient out of making a personal goal of losing more than 60% EWL are the ones that are settling with mediocrity for their own "success rates." 

I think that if I were to say "I'm going to get to a goal of 160 lbs by Thanksgiving" I'm being unrealistic. I think if I were to say "I have an ultimate goal of 160 and I don't care how long it takes me to get there and I know it's going to be hard, but that's what I want to accomplish" then I'm being very realistic.

While my surgeon quoted the statistics of about 60-65% EWL for VSG patients during our consult, he immediately said "Now these are the statistics that we have now and the VSG is a "newer" procedure when you compare it to others. This in no way is a determination of what any single patient can accomplish." I liked his outlook and approach. He gives me the numbers and then tells me that I can do more and it's all up to me. I think it's a good combination of being more realistic but letting me know that I can aspire to surpass that number!

I'm not sure that 5-10 lb weight gain in maintenance is "inevitable." I have been maintaining within a few pounds for the past 2 years. I did go up about 4-5 lbs, but with clean eating, change up in my exercise routine, and food tracking, I have dropped those pounds plus 1-2 additional pounds. I can tell that my body fat has dropped, which is more important to me than a certain number, although , that is also important to me. It is harder and slower to lose the further out that you get and the closer that you get to your goal.

five pounds may be reasonable bounce back, but 10 pounds is excessive . I think it can be less, but it takes very clean eating, weight training, other exercise, and food tracking (for me).

I think this is a tough one. Depending on age, excess skin, etc. how do we know what is our optimal final weight.  If you think BMI is a crock, why then is it so important?  Body fat seems to me to be more based in "reality".   

Personally, and this may be weird, I don't have a "final" goal yet.  My initial goal is to get to 160 - -which is 5 pounds below the weight I was in college.  I was 197 when I got married at 25.  So I have absolutely no clue what is realistic for me, given that I've never been in a normal weight range as an adult (and I'm 55 now).

What is the difference between realism and mediocrity?  If you decide later on that 135 or 140 is right for you, have you then "settled for mediocrity"?  

Just want to make sure that if you change your goal, you won't feel like you failed, since you clearly are AMAZING!

I just saw this photo today!  Completely illustrates the point that wow muscles mass matters...body fat percent matters! Wow!  http://instagram.com/p/Y0C9QzTYgg/