I'm guilty. I check daily for new posts but never have anything new to post. I think I am pretty boring and don't think there is anythign interesting going on. I hope all is well with everyone and you are all staying cool. It is sooooooooo HOT here. Shannon

Hi All! I am with you on the hangin' skin, it is gross and even more grossly the price to fix it. But let me tell you my philosophy. I am down 163lbs and last year I had rolls! My philosophy is that this year I have WINGS!!! with my wings I can FLY!!! I can do everything I ever wanted too and last yuear with rolls I couldn't do a thing. So ugly or not I am gonna FLY!!!! FLY BABY FLY!!! Good luck to youall. You all are doing a FANTASTIC job!!!! God Bless Sonja San Diego, CA Open RNY 9/9/04 (334/282/172~goal 150) PS says I am already at goal. WOOOOWHOOOOOO

Mendy, Hey Girl! I'm glad your mom is supportive even if she had/has concerns. My biggest problems stem from the fact I get in too big of a hurry to eat and don't chew well enough - You'd think after one or two times I'd learn but I've thrown up more than I want to think about for that reason. I've also thrown up steak and chicken, - meat needs to be verrrrrrry tender and moist and I have to remember to chew, chew, chew. My hair loss has almost completely stopped and I have new hair growth - thank you Lord! My nutrition rules according to Dea - I have one protein shake a day, take my chewable multivitamin daily - and about 3 times a week sublingual b12. I also use volumizing shampoo and conditioner. I joined the gym and try to go at least twice a week - I'm working on increasing that - but boy oh boy does my life ever get in the way. And YES - being a Mom, wife, and daughter kinda puts me at the bottom of the list to do things for - but I'm trying to convince myself I can be a better mom, daughter, & wife if I take care of me first. Let's keep reminding each other - OK? - hugs - dea

Dea - I am with you about the surgery. I am so glad that I took the plunge. I almost didn't because my mom was sooooo against the idea. Not really of the surgery, but the risks that you take. Plus it didn't help - everything that she had ever read or seen on tv has been the horror stories not the successes. But even through her doubts, she was there with me at the hospital on the day of the surgery and has been a tremendous support since. She has never been happy with the surgery, but she is so thankful of the major changes I have gone through. It helps that I have been extremely lucky - I have had no troubles with any type of food. I have not thrown up once. I have had just one episode with the dumping syndrome - but my dr. told me that you just have to experience that once - know your limit and not do that again. Believe me I haven't. That was one nasty experience. Do you have any trouble with any types of food? How about hair loss? That I have had trouble with, but now I am on a different vitamin and that has helped. But it seems the last two months I am losing extremely slow. Sometimes it is discouraging. But I know that I have to keep up with watching what I eat and try to exercise more. But that can be so hard since I work an hour away from home and work at least 1 sometimes 2 hours of OT a day, working in the 1/2 hour of exercise seems daunting. But I have started to realize I need to do it for me. It's just hard as a mom to put yourself first. Do you have that trouble too? hugs - Mendy

I feel like one of those dogs with all the extra skin. The extra skin interfers with sleep, I have to move it into place. I joke about using duct tape (solve hair removal and flapping skin all at once) but just one time I would like to see what that thinner person inside all this skin really looks like. I really did this for health reasons so I don't want to complain. Except that I think will eventually, need surgery for some of the skin to be removed, so someday I will be able to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time (after about 3 hours I have to reposition all this extra skin). robyns 277/177/150