I totally agree with you. my honey moon is over and now I am back to where I was as far as nibbles and it could go up hill in a heart beat, already I noticed that my clothes are fitting more tightly, but I flat refuse to go back. each day I resolve to stick to the basics and hope for the best. yesterday was a HORRIBLE stricture day. today was interesting breakfast: cream of wheat 24 oz tea lunch: (sample tables at grocery store) micro slice of pizza 2 cheery tidbits 6 oz tea dinner: 1 hardshell chicken taco with cheese, sour cream, and mushrooms 16 oz propel tv dessert: 28 oz tea 3 chocolate / caramel covered peanut clusters

Ok...i don't usually participate but I'm giving this a shot. 1. What am I eating now that I would have never thought in a million years that I would enjoy? I have to say I enjoy most of what I eat, but I guess i would have to say that I order more fish and am enjoying the taste of it much better. I recently had some kind of stuffed fish at a cousins b'day party and it truly tasted delicious. 2. Are there any activities that you do now that you would have never done before WLS? Sure, I went on a cruise in Feb. and went go-kart riding, swam with stingrays, climbed a 600f****erfall and went tubing down a river. I went to Las Vegas, hiked in the canyon and actually rode a horse for 2hrs. I never would have riden a horse previously because I just couldn't do that to the horse!!! 3. Were there any surprising results of WLS that you weren't expecting? My lack of desire to ever eat at a fast food resturant!!! I have tried it on a few occaisons and yuk..., previously I was addicted to Mc Donalds. It just doesn't taste the same. Many of my tastes have changed, some of the bad foods I have eaten just don't taste as good as they did before. 4.Emotionally, what is the toughest part of this journey. Being terrified of gaining back the weight and having all the doubters say " see I knew she'd gain all that weight back". Also, now that I am feeling well, I sometimes can't get that "you can eat anything you want" mentality. When I am out to eat, i get jealous of others ordering diet pepsi, even though I have tasted it and don't like it anymore.

Hi Andi! I thought this post is an awesome idea and I have been totally lurking for quite some time now so I thought I'd answer... 1. What are you eating now that you never thought in a million years you'd enjoy- It's not so much what I am eating that surprises me but really what I hate now that I used to love. I HATE fast food. It is sooooo bizarre to me, I used to live for double cheeseburgers and fries and now if we have to have something even remotely like fast food I always opt for Subway... I would have never imagined this! 2. Are there activities that you do now that would never have entered your mind before surgery? I'm going sky diving this month!! I always thought it'd be kind of fun but I would have never gone through with it before. 3. Were there any surprising results of w.l.s. that you weren't expecting? I am also a unhappy member of the "My spouse and I are fighting a lot" club. He has also told me repeatedly that he liked me better when I was heavier...yeah, because I was a doormat then and didn't dare say anything because I was afraid of voicing my opinion about anything back then for fear of losing him. I mean surely he would have left me if I had said anything that didn't go along with what he thought or felt (probably not but that's how I felt). I wish I'd have had more self confidence before, maybe then everything wouldn't have gotten this messed up in the first place... 4. Emotionally, what do you think is the toughest part of this journey? Learning that I am important and the things that I think and feel do matter and that they should matter to those who care about me. It's hard for me to let go of those self doubting feelings but I'm doing it. Even if hubby doesn't like it... I need to like myself and it's ok to be who I am. I'm not going to hide "the real me" anymore.

Ok...here is the story. I have been working with a personal trainer 3 x per week for 11 months now...love the results...built lots of muscle mass etc...the problem is that my contract runs out next month and I am TERRIFIED of going it alone. To be honest with you I just show up...they kick my #@* and I go home, I don't really think about it too much. I never have done the same routine twice this entire time so when people tell me to just mimick what they have me do, it's impossible. It varies so much! So, what are you guys doing? Deanne, I know you are an avid exerciser so how did you put together your workout? Andi, I know you belly dance and I am gonna look into that. Does anyone know a a good website where you can create a program that includes, cardio, weights, circuit and stretching? That is the routine I am use to. I am really afraid that I will just park myself on some cardio machine and veg., like I use to and lose all the muscles that I have built up. I have started (by starting I mean 1 class) taking a spin class in addition and although I can't say I enjoy it, I will keep it up cause I think it is a good workout. Thanks, Trish

Great post Andi! Very thought provoking. 1. What are you eating now that you never thought in a million years you'd enjoy Cottage cheese! I eat it, I don't dislike it, but would I prefer something else...hmmm duh yeh. But I would NOT have eaten it pre wls and definitely would not have thought it tasted ok 2. Are there activities that you do now that would never have entered your mind before surgery? Walking to work, to pick up daughter from school, upto town. I swing on my daughters swing - couldn't fit before! Run upstairs - I used to have to heave myself up. Wish I could get my butt into gear to do more exercise. 3. Were there any surprising results of w.l.s. that you weren't expecting? Being able to eat the variety and quantity of food that I can- I thought I'd be eating like a freak, yet I can eat 'normally'. (can I mention painful s*x a few months out for a while?? ok now though I might add ) 4. Emotionally, what do you think is the toughest part of this journey? Realising that losing weight does not solve all lifes problems. Realising that people will like me or not like me, and (for me) weight has probably not been a part of it. I put all negative stuff in my life down to being overweight, how wrong was I? Realising that it is still down to me and good old fashioned wise choices at the end of the day. I also thought that my husband would physically fancy me more the thinner I got - though he loves me so much, he is a reserved character, and I am a demonstrative touchy feely person. I was hoping that he would change, but infact with the skin issue, it has become mroe difficult in this area