Morning! Happy Monday! It's CHILLY here today; I woke up and it was 55 degrees in our house! I ran and turned on the heat, haha, and it warmed up quick. My poor nephew had to come curl up under my blanket until it warmed up. I wish the hot, cold, hot, cold would stabilize.

QOTD: I LOVE TEAS. When I'm sick, I like a mint tea with honey and lemon. The Jade Citrus Mint from Teavana is a good choice, and Starbucks used to carry it, as well. I like chamomile tea with a couple splendas in the evening, if I'm in the mood. Other than that, I usually have a brewed green tea with splenda on very hot days. I should vary my tea drinking. I may go poke around for something different at the store today! Does anyone have any online sources for some fancy teas??

B: nonfat, sugar-free vanilla latte

L: I brought a small pouch of tuna and a premier. We will see what I am in the mood for, since tuna and chocolate definitely don't go together

D: The family is having smoked BBQ chicken over loaded baked potatoes; I'm having a salad with the chicken and SkinnyGirl dijon dressing (NO SUGAR or fat...a little vinegary, but it's good!)

Snack: leftover ham from yesterday with some 2% sharp cheddar (yum)

Exercise: I am about to do my 10 minute aerobics video now during my planning, and the wife and I have been walking about a mile in the afternoon after work

It's not weird, actually.

Every surgeon and clinic has their own regulations.

Two weeks post op, I had a protein shake for breakfast and 1 cup steamed veggies and 4 ounces of baked chicken or turkey for lunch and dinner.

One week, I went to four shakes a day. 48 hours prior, clear liquids only.

I started soft foods (scrambled eggs, oatmeal, cheeses) 7 days post-op.

Your posts always make my mouth water!

Is your Thai soup a curry?

I had some wine and vodka on vacation, and I didn't notice much of a difference, either! I also made bad food decisions. In fact, I've noticed the ONLY time I make bad food decisions are:

A. When I am Inebriated (with anything!)

B. When I am in a group setting *friends, corworkers, etc.

So, shortly after my surgery I let all my friends know that while I appreciate their treats and their baking skills, I no longer want treats or to be the recipient of said skills unless I specifically ask for something. All of the other teachers on my hallway are super respectful and they're even eating much healthier (when we potluck now, someone always brings veggies, sliced turkey, low carb dishes, etc. It's actually really sweet.)

Anyway, I know most people will say that you shouldn't be drinking at all until you've met your goal weight and you're maintaining well yada yada yada... But I'm a realist, so I would say since you know you make unhealthy decisions while drinking, limit drinking to special, celebratory occasions for a while and try to pre-plan your food choices :-) or just don't drin****il you hit maintenance that's it. That's kind of what I'm leaning towards right now.

We got this.

Since coffee/espresso is so acidic, I set a limit for myself. I'm allowed to have three lattes or coffees a week. The rest of the time, I have my premier shake. It seems to work pretty well. I don't get addicted/unaddicted repeatedly, I haven't had any stomach issues, and I still get to enjoy it occassionally.

I am so glad that you're back! I think it's important to realize that we all have demons (which is why we allowed ourselves to get so unhealthy in the first place!) That's why I make it my priority to stay up to date on checkups and I go regularly to my therapist. Sometimes, we need a reality check or a point of view OUTSIDE of ourselves to help us.

I was gone for about two weeks when we went on vacation, and I did not eat according to my plan. It was devastating to think that I may have went through all this to only get down to 293, which is nowhere near my goal. I'm back on track, losing again, and being "good!" I beat myself up for several days (I even had ice cream and chips in the same day when we were in Hot Springs) and then I realized that that was NOT helpful. Getting back to plan IS what helps.

YOU GOT THIS!!!!!!!!

I think of this site as a phrase that I used to hear a lot in AA at the end of meetings. (My mother is an alcoholic and I would attend with her once a week.)

"Keep coming back, cuz it works REAL GOOD."

Good morning! I'm happy it's Tuesday...one day closer to FRIYAY! During April, the kids are a bit wild and everyone is ready for the end of May. It'll be here before we know it. ;-)

QOTD: Hello, I'm Amanda and I am a 28-year-old high school English teacher that lives in north Mississippi (about 10 minutes south of Memphis.) I've been super-happily married for almost two years to my wonderful wife. We are hoping to start trying for a baby this June and we hope to purchase a house or find a bigger rental by the end of this year. I just got my Master's degree last year in Secondary Education: Curriculum and Instruction (my B.A. is in English Lit.) On the weekends, I work at a Circle K and I hope to pursue National Boards when I can get the funds together. I have been obese since I was about 10 years old, and I got VSG 3.5 months ago. I've lost about 86 pounds, and I have about 100 more to go. I'm doing my best to stay positive and keep on keeping on! I am looking in the area now for group exercise classes. I was thinking some sort of aerobics class would be nice. For exercise now, I go walking around our neighborhood or I do a Bodyfit video on YouTube. My end goal is 190, although I wouldn't mind going a little lower. Ultimately, I want to be healthy and happy for the duration of my life! That may be at 175 or that may be at 195, we will see. :-)

B: premier protein chocolate shake

L: probably tuna and crackers unless the cafeteria has something better

D: Either chicken taco casserole or baked BBQ chicken with pineapple

Snacks: Probably a salami stick or some greek yogurt after work

Good morning! I'm at my second job today, and it's so slow that it's sort of nice. I'm sure once all the churches start getting out but I'll be busy though haha. We are not religious, but when I get off we will be doing a small egg hunt with the kiddos. We dyed eggs yesterday and my four year old nephew thought it was the coolest thing in the world!

I am exactly 3.5 months out from VSG, as of today

Well, I first learned about weight loss surgery when my friend Meranda from high school got it about 3 years ago, when we were both 25. I watched her success over a couple of years on FB. Last year, I hit my highest weight ever of 393. I was shocked when the doctor weighed me... I'm not really sure why. I knew that I'd had to buy bigger clothes. I knew that I no longer fit in the chairs at our favorite movie theater. I knew I had to get an Altima instead of a Sentra because I couldn't fit in the Sentra. I was also diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and started metformin.

Around that time, three different women that I know got vsg. Two were co-workers at my different jobs, and the third one was a very good friend of my sister-in-law. They all got it done in Mexico because their insurance didn't cover it and they were all super happy, slimming down, and had very little complications. Notably to me, they were all smaller than me. J hit 355 pounds, but that was the closest. I started to feel panicked, like I couldn't control myself and like I was going to die. So, I went to a free seminar at St. Francis in Memphis, where I learned about RNY, VSG, AND LAP BAND. The doctors there rubbed me the wrong way and were rude, so after a month or so looking I found a clinic that I really liked about an hour and a half away in Oxford, Mississippi. It was a bariatric center of excellence and when I met Dr. Byars and discussed the surgeries with him, I just knew that I was sure. My primary doctor, who has recently moved away, was on board and we immediately got my 6 months paperwork underway and I found a therapist that I really like. A dear friend's mother died after complications from RNY, and a coworkers mother was bedridden after nutritional deficiencies put her in the hospital for three weeks. She's 56 and still fragile. I'm also paranoid about the acid, especially since gerd runs in my family. I just felt right with the decision, which is unusual for me, so I did it. My wife and I worked extra, paid the 2 grand (rest covered by insurance) and I got it done.

Who knows? One day I may discover that I should have went with a different surgery, but for right now I'm happy and I'm healthier and I'm in remission and I'm still losing weight and even though I stumble every now and again... My quality of life is tenfold better.

B: reduced sugar apple oatmeal

L: 2 salami and mozzarella sticks, Greek Yogurt

D: Half a toasted English muffin, with a sunny side up egg and turkey bacon

Good morning! I'm looking forward to getting off work today and seeing my therapist. It's causing me some stress, since I'm a little behind on my bill there, but I'm trying to think positively.

QOTD: I suppose it would be working. I've worked full-time since I was 15, and I've had two jobs since I was 18. I traded Pizza Hut and Circle K for Teaching and Circle K when I graduated college, but sometimes I feel just so...tired. During the summer, it's not so bad. I work 3 days a week at Circle K and have 4 off. I just LOVE that feeling of the day belonging to ME. I can putter around the house, work on projects, clean, lay in bed, shower slowly, take my nephews to the park, etc. Sometimes, I wish I could have a year off work but I doubt that will ever happen. If we can afford it, I may finally quit Circle K this year so that I can have weekends off during the school year. I feel that this may help my quality of life.

M1: low sugar cinnamon oatmeal

M2: steamer bowl at work (chicken and veggies)

M3: Greek Yogurt or a latte

M4: Chicken and broccoli

Good morning! I'm really dragging today. It's the final countdown (45 school days until Summer) and I have too much material to fit in and not enough time. I really could use a couple days confined to my mess of a house to clean and reorganize. Oh well!

QOTD: I'm a great reader, and that's about it. It sounds strange, but it's the only thing that I've been consistently good at my entire life. I started reading when I was 4, maxed out my AR points every year in school, and I made a 35 in Reading on the ACT in 10th grade. I like to think I'm a decently proficient writer, but I don't play any instruments or do any singing or dancing. (Trust me...you don't want to hear me sing!)

B: apple oatmeal

L: BBQ chicken and veggies

D: Chicken and Broccoli

Snacks: Beef Jerky, Greek Yogurt

Exercise: I did most of my cardio video at the beginning of my planning, but I got interrupted about 12 minutes in. Hopefully, I'll have a walk this afternoon, as well.

Good morning! Gwen, I can't imagine your disappointment, but hopefully you still have a pleasant trip anyway! There's a 5K in Memphis that I want to walk this summer, and it would be my first one. :-)

QOTD: Well. I would like to have more time for my wife and I , actually. I hope my life changes so that I can spend more time relaxing and enjoying myself. I would also like some time to pursue my own interests--reading incessantly, traveling, and writing fiction and poetry. We support my two nephews and my mother with dementia, so between the both of us we have 5 jobs. I want to get to the point to where we can just BE...and have afternoons and weekends for our own leisure. I don't mean to whine. We both have Spring Break off, and we have decided to hit up Hot Springs and Lake Oachita for a few days. We are lucky to be able to do this. This summer, I hope to spend a lot of time writing.

B: Steak, eggs, cheese, onions

L: Unsure. I have hummus here at school, but I forgot to bring something else. I may have hummus and crackers unless the cafeteria has something suitable.

D: poached salmon and broccoli unless we go out

Snacks: Greek Yogurt (coconut..yum!)

Good morning! It's final exam WEEK, which means next week is Spring Break. The wife and I are SO excited. I really need a vacation. We STILL haven't discussed whether or not we are going to the mountains, but we have until Saturday to cancel our room for free, so we will see. I almost want to save the money and get the house cleaned up, but I know I could use a getaway. Decisions, decisions.

QOTD: I never watched TV or movies before I met my wife 7 years ago. I was always a voracious reader, and I always had a book with me, literally. She loved TV, and now I'm sort of interested. We have watched: Will and Grace, Friends, That 70's Show, and many other shows that I missed out on during my anti-TV life.

Right now, we are watching/have recently watched: The Fosters, Grey's Anatomy, The OA, Dexter, The Following, Criminal Minds, Fear the Walking Dead, The Walking Dead, The 100 (ALYCIA DEBNAM-CAREY is my GIRL), Bob's Burgers, Masterchef, Masterchef, Jr. and Superstore.

I don't do romances or lovey-dovey crap unless it's strongly entrenched in something else.

B: Special K protein cereal with skim

L: lemon pepper chicken and broccoli

D: Buffalo Chicken Salad on spring mix with tomatoes

Snacks: Part of a banana, beef jerky, greek yogurt