Good Morning,

Dolores!

I am just loving the family portrait! It is so beautiful! All three of you look wonderful! I used to help my aunts and grandma make tamales when I was little, but those ladies could do it fast!! MMM, I love homemade tamales, none of the storebought stuff. I can't eat them this year, but maybe next year. Have fun!
Hugs,
Michelle

Thats a wonderful picture!  How fun to take pictures and feel happy about them huh?  you guys look amazing!    I know what you mean about cold.  I remember having the AC on even when it was cold out.. these days Im freezing a lot lol.  I sleep with a heater on, I feel like Im crazy! but its a nice change to be able to wear sweatshirts and sweaters again rather than sweating in the winter :)

Hugs!

Jackie

Dang it Girl!!! What a GORGEOUS family!!  Looking so forward to seeing you all Saturday ^_^
Nancy aka Sunray

You guys look like you clean up real well!!!  Great picture, and that man of yours is very handsome. 

On the cold thing, yes, for some reason WLS causes us to freeze what we have left of our butts off.  I had a friend tell me it was the loss of an enzeyme, but heck I don't know, all I know is I can't believe how I pray for hot flashes now.  I don't get them now when I need them only when it was 104 outside!  Just have to learn how to bundle in layers now.  Now we can walk around like those little kids that are all stuffed in those winter clothes that look like mummies...now that is us!

Take care, great pic, thanks for sharing,

Hugs Diane

Hi Di and California Peeps!

Sorry I have been MIA.  I have gone back to work and am feeling overwhelmed with working and trying to keep up with getting the right food in and maintaining my protein and packing lunch and blah.................

Things are going good.  I lost another 6 pounds from last week and when I saw my surgeon for me 1 month (a little late) post op they were happy with what I was doing.

Other than that I could really use some suggestions on transitioning from pureed into soft foods and packing lunches in to work.  I am so frazzled with trying to be perfect.  I get to a place where I can't see being able to maintain this.  I suspect I am making this much more difficult than it has to be or not giving myself a break - one of the two both of which are very much like me.  Any help would be really appreciated.

Thanks and its off to work I goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Les

Ok, some suggestions for soft foods:

Chili
Egg Salad without the celery or very finely chopped) and LF or NF mayo
Tuna Salad same as above
Soups - use your imagination.  Personally I love chicken soup and veggie soup
Cheese (cottage cheese with salsa, ricotta cheese with tomato sauce), string cheese
Sauteed ground turkey in spaghetti sauce over ricotta cheese

That will get you started.  Keeping in mind that you won't be able to eat alot of anything so watch how much you make.  This was and still is a big issue for me.  I just don't know how to cook "small".

Stephanie

Oh I LIVED on Wendy's Chili . . . love it love it love it . . . cheap . . . portion control . . . it was perfect . . . don't forget FF refried beans . . . with cheese and/or salsa . . . that was another staple . . . gee I should get back on this bandwagon and maybe I'd make onederland finally!

Hang in there . . . this is SUCH a head game as much as portion control . . . I STILL fight wanting more than I need . . . it's getting better . . . but it's taken 2 years!

Good luck . . . great job so far!

Chris

Wendy's Chili and Taco Bell Refried Beans with Cheese.  Those were the days.  Actually I used to get the refried beans and a Taco.  Throw away the taco shell and mix the meat and cheese into the beans.  Oh it tasted so good in those days.

Back to basics.  What a novel idea.  LOL  You can see the sarcasm dripping off of me right now.

Steph

I hate to burst your bubble..dear lady..but that ain't sarcasm..it's Taco Bell cheese...from the refrieds doing the dripp'n!   I love Mexican...but now adays, Taco Bell is all I 'do'..as regular restaurant fare is wayyy too much in portions LOL
Nancy aka Sunray

Oh you are just too funny.  And as far as the big portions go.  It took me a long time to reconcile going to eat someplace "nice" because I couldn't eat very much and I can't eat leftovers.  They are too dry for me.

Then I realized, you know what, I need to go out, enjoy myself and stop worrying about it.  If I ordered the stuff before and I enjoyed it, order it again and eat what I can/want and then push the plate away.  There are no food police going to come over and yell at you for not eating every morsel or for not taking it home if you can't eat leftovers.  So of course then I said, but it's a waste of money.  Well you know what, we are worth that money to eat foods that are good for us and that we like.  It's not a waste of money if you enjoyed what you had, you are satiated when you leave the resatuarant and you can go home and say, that was good. Denying yourself the things you enjoy are a sure fire set up for failure in the end.

Steph