Dianne, They've all said it well - my flex is about 5-15 lbs. I can lose/gain 2 lbs in a manner of hours if I'm being a butthead and tracking my weight like an obessessed teenager. I'm celebrating that I'm back down to 191-193 from getting all the way back to 199 (my lowest seen weight is 186) and FTR I STILL consider myself as maintaining - even with this minor fluctuation - because my clothing all fits the same (it was getting a bit snug on the higher end, and gets a bit loose on the lower end). Don't torture yourself - but rather acknowledge your mistakes and/or poor choices and move on. You're doing GREAT! ~Lara

Peg, I send you many prayers to help you on your journey. We are always here to support you in anyway that you need. God will get you through this. Best Regards! Donna

Hi everyone. I think this is going to be my last entry for awhile because I have some serious health issues going on. When I saw my gastroenterologist last Tuesday, May 31st, she recommended that I have the rest of my stomach, all 1/10 of it, removed. That would leave me with NO stomach, but rather a small pouch made from two loops in my small intestines. I am getting second and third opinions this week...one from an oncologist my doctor recommended, and one from a surgeon at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington. I go there on Friday. If there are no new procedures to alleviate the risk of this condition I have turning cancerous again, then I will opt for the surgery. It will mean a whole new way of doing things....many health issues to deal with, but hopefully, no more risk of cancer unless there are some cancer cells that are lying dormant somewhere. If I have this surgery, I will for sure lose weight because there just will not be enough room to hold much food, and it really won't absorb as well because there will be no stomach acid to break down the food. I will have to rely on the small intestines to do the work, but at least I will be alive! So, that being said, I am going to move ahead and get on with my life. I wish all of you well, and I hope and pray that you will all be successful with your weight loss and maintenance. Take care, and God bless us all. Peg

thanks for all the ideas. I may also just have to wander around the market looking at stuff...lol Donna

Other thoughts.... nuts/seeds, healthy trail mix watermelon strawberries with a little whip cream unsweetened applesauce with cottage cheese (add splenda, chopped walnuts and cinnamon for a decadent tasting dessert!) yogurt (with or without granola) Good for you on the weight loss! Way to go! Aylene