Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc...name the worst thing you've eaten so far during the holidays.

[csziggy]

16. I had to lose 40 pounds to get my back operated on

And I managed - about three months in I hit a plateau so I cut out almost all carbs and dropped the rest. Got the operation and my back seemed OK. Then I spend nearly three months in he UK, at whatever I wanted, but hiked 2-6 miles a day. Since I got back, I haven't been hiking so much and my back is giving me problems again. I'm doing physical therapy which is mostly stretches to try to relieve the nerve impingement I still have. I've got to get back to hiking but it's hard right now with business and other things keeping at the computer.

As for staying on the low calorie diet - make make my own muffins with stevia and/or Splenda, substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil. Lunch is usually a smoothie, again using fake sugars, though sometimes I splurge with celery and pimento cheese. Dinner is lean meats, chicken, or fish with lots of vegetables, no carbs, sometimes with a salad and vinaigrette dressing. Since I seldom eat out and do most of my own cooking, it is easier to keep to the diet. I put everything I eat into MyFitnessPal.com which lets me put in my own recipes and gives me the nutrients per serving.

My goal now is to lose another 40-50 pounds. The big challenge is keeping it off!

My husband goes to the store for me a lot since he goes to town while I stay home. He is very good about not buying junk food - or if he does, he hides it upstairs where I don't see it.