Barbara, Thank you so much, it was so nice to have support. I cannot express how much it meant to me to have everyone be so kind. Thax again Tara

Thanks Brenda for the info. I sent the link to myself at home and marked it here at work so I can check it out. Yes, this truly is an amazing journey and our own personal miracle.

In the middle of the night, the tornado sirens went off here in town. I woke up my ten year old daughter, scooped up the four year old, and put them in the bathtub. Then I got in behind them. I sat there for a minute, and then started laughing and crying at the same time. My girls looked at me like I was crazy. Through my tears, I told them, "This is the first time in your lives I am IN the tub with you, not kneeling next to the tub! I can fit in the tub too!" They started laughing and crying too. That was a truly surreal wow moment for me! Thanks Dr. Warnock! Just thought I would share...have a wonderful day everyone!!!!!

Hi everyone! I got an email newsletter from LivingAfterWeightLossSurgery.com today and it's a wealth of information. I love it! I'm going to post one of the featured articles: Issue: 5 April 2008 Secrets of Day 6 and Beyond Greetings - Recently I was asked, "If the 5 Day Pouch Test is such a miracle, why do people have to keep doing it over and over again?" Great question! The 5DPT is a small block of time in which we take control of our eating habits and rediscover our surgical weight loss tool. But, the 5DPT is just a launching pad and it is up to us to make reasonable dietary and lifestyle choices that support our post-surgical way of life. Because we spend five days focused on food choices and listening to our pouch we become empowered to stay on track, make smart choices and avoid pitfalls. We are aware of the liquid restrictions and the slider foods that lead to over consumption and weight gain. And we have a renewed faith in our pouch. So how do we sustain the momentum of the 5DPT? Here are some smart ideas that work for me on a daily basis so that I can stay on track and avoid a backslide: Lean Mean Protein: take advantage of the Diabetic Exchanges listed on many foods and even menus. Good food choices are those that are 2-4 Lean Protein Exchanges, 1 vegetable exchange and less than 1 1/2 starch exchange. Avoid or limit fats, sugar and alcohol. As recovering morbidly obese people many of us are in remission from diabetes. Eating behaviors that caused diabetes complications before gastric surgery will continue to cause problems after surgery. Avoid these foods. Remember your liquid restrictions and avoid non-nutritional slider foods. When eating out do some pre-meal research by searching the Internet for menus and nutritional information. Plan your healthy selection prior to dining and stick with it. Read about Lori: she's going out tomorrow night and making a plan. Order meat, poultry and fish that has been roasted, baked, broiled or grilled. Be sure to ask for gravy or sauce on the side. Avoid heavy cream soups and fried food. Remember, weight loss surgery is not like any other diet plan: you live with your tool 24/7. You cannot take the night off for a birthday party or a week off for a vacation to Maui. You have the tool - for life. By simply accepting that reality you empower yourself to find the line between pleasure and pain: working your tool or fighting your tool. Weight loss surgery is for life. You Can Do This! Cordially yours, Kaye Bailey I just thought some of you might like this information. I can't get enough information about my new lifestyle! I read something new everyday. It's an amazing journey. I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did. Here is a link to this site, it's an AWESOME site. http://www.livingafterwls.com/ God bless!! Brenda

starting weight 328 surgery weight 299 last week 199 this week 193 total loss 135