Damn right!

Trenta is bigger than the Venti. It's not new around here. It's a little over 3 cups, which is why I like it--like you said, more fluids.

My kids are leaving for camp tomorrow.

I get a Trenta green tea light ice with 1 pump classic at 5bucks. It's 5 grams of carbs for the entire drink. Love it.

Do you all have Plato's Closets in Cali? They care middle to high end already been loved clothing. Stuff like American Eagle, Hollister, some Ms. Me, Aerostotle. Most of it seems to be in smaller sizes because most of the stuff is for the younger crowd.

I've done pretty well there, especially with pants. Most of the shirts are too young looking for me, but I've also found a jacket or two.

Plato's CLoset might be local, but I bet there's got to be something like it out there.

It's a good problem to have.

My hubby does that, too. So damn irritating. He eats a few bowls of Elina's Chicken Soup and drops 5 lbs in 3 days. ****** me off.

Ron's a keeper. For sure.

The plan - it's the key to long-term success, imo. Even if we veer off the plan, having one allows us to have a place to jump back on.

I did some crap eating this weekend and I wanted to get back on plan yesterday, but it didn't happen. I'm on my plan today and dealing with one meal at a time. Last night, after a pm from a friend, I sat down and got to the core of what's bugging me. When I get down to what's really bothering me, I always am able to get back to a good eating plan. The longer I ignore it, the harder it is to stay on plan.

Now, I can remove the emotion and work on eating what I know works for me.

150 was the weight that my doctor wanted for me, and it really stuck in my head--so much so that I got to 150 and stalled (or maintained) for 6 months.

What I finally realized was that I'd created a mental barrier with 150. If I wanted my goal of 140-135 (I really just want 140), I had to take a good hard look at what I was doing to maintain my weight. Then I had to STOP doing that.

Turns out that it was a few smallish things. I was allowing some things that are fine for me in maintenance, but not in the WLS phase. I'd stopped working out as much--I'd reduced my workouts to just going to karate 2 times a week. Some of this was injury-related, some of it was just me not wanting to work out. I'd dropped my water intake by a cup or 2. I'd allowed just enough extra food into my daily routine to make it so that I wouldn't lose. I was still eating what I ate in the WL phase, but I'd been allowing a "treat" day that taking full advantage of that one day per week.

The weight started to slowly come off again when I started moving (biking, walking, working in the yard) 5-6 days a week. I now get a minimum of 14 glasses of water a day. I'm close to 800 calories a day. I don't feel good when I go lower than that, so I just try to stay as close to 800 calories as possible. I load up on veggies. I make my variation of Elina's Chicken Soup and it packed with veggies. I can eat that as much as I want--even if I go over the 800 calories. I allow veggies to be a "free" food. I had to remove some things: peanuts, protein bars (again). It's not forever, but it is for now.

The weight has started to come off again. I'm getting over a nasty sinus and respiratory infection right now, so my weight is bouncing all over the place--probably because of the meds. SO, I'm just really trying to stick to this plan each day and get healthy again. If you watch my weight on the maintenance forum, you'll notice the bounce. It can be a real head **** but I know it will work itself out if I just stick to what works.

Don't make big adjustments or try shock diets that you can't maintain. This about the rest of your life. Today is just a small piece. I've tried them and yes, you will probably see a loss. Yes, they might reset your carbs craving if you are having one. But, they won't teach you have to hunker down and work through whatever is going on right now. JMO, of course.

Good luck.

Good luck.

I love that you posted this. You are totally rocking it, imo. Taking your lemons and making lemonade. It's so good for the newbies to read this. Thank you for sharing. *hugs*

OP - I regret this every single day. I wish like hell that I would have been one of the less than 5% of people who lose all of their weight "naturally" and then keep it off for more than a year. I wish I would have not chosen food as my personal drug for 20 + years. After 20 months post op, I still get pissed off when I'm eating something really, really yummy and I literally can only eat 2 oz of it. I get mad, and bitter and I require a good self-talking to. I still feel like I'm a fake success --that only people who lose weight  the "natural" way get to be real success.

But, at the end of the day, when the world has beat me down, yet again, I look at myself and I love what I see. I love what I've learned. I love that, today at least, I didn't turn to food to handle a problem. I love that I know I have control, even if I choose not to always use that control.

I'm a 1000 times better of a person than I was on 10/17/2011.

This surgery is only a tool. The tool is only as good as the person using it. Learn as much as you can about yourself so that you can totally rock your tool.

Good luck.

1. I'll let you know when I get there. Still working on it.

2. 87 lost from my highest weight of 236. 66 lost from my surgery weight of 215

3. No trouble with regain. I just lose slowly.

All of the surgeries are just tools. They are only as good as the person using them.

Good luck.

Just thinking out loud here, but could you offer to make all of the meals? I know some people (my grandmother did) consider this a slap in the face.

Your maintenance plan will be there for you when you finish this vacation.

Do what you have to do to get through it.

*hugs* Enjoy your aunt.

I can eat 1 fry and walk away from the rest.

I can't eat 1 M&M, or 1 bite of ice cream, or 1 piece of popcorn, or 1 piece of any chocolate, or 1 bite of pie, or 1 bite of cheesecake.

For me, eating just one of anything would never have forced me to choose a WLS. I wouldn't have needed it. 1 of anything didn't get me to this point. It was the bite after that and the bite after that.

But, see, that's what makes me happy about where I am. I know my limits, even when I test them.  

Thanks Elina.

Elina said it perfectly.

I would only add that a good therapist will have a plethora of tools and strategies to offer you. Obviously, the tool is only as good as the person who is using it. But, they should have many, many different things for you to try while on your own.