6 Months Out.. here I am at 143lbs lost. WOW is the word I say the most these days when I get on the scale. It sure beats the other words I used to say when I would happen to meet up with a scale at the doctor's office.. I belive "Oh, Man!" or "Really?" would be at the top of the list..

New Jeans Report.. I know I keep teasing the subject on new jeans but I still have not gone to the store yet so I will stop making predictions on when this will occur. I think part of me wants to bypass the size "36" and go straight to the "34"s.

The Food... I am pleased to report I have been able to eat more different kinds of foods that I have not been real comfortable eating in the past which is good. I still eat small portions and watch the fat intake and I am not really into breads. The fried foods are still not anything I desire. More on food soon..

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

Labor day weekend was amazing and Carol and I spent it doing some DIY upgrading the house.. We had Hardie siding installed all over the house and it looks amazing. We then got exhausted removing both of the old decks (probably 700 sqft) ourselves in preparation for the new super-sized deck that is now under construction.

My new journey is now at almost 6 months and what a live change it has been. My limitations are no longer based upon what I can do because of my weight.. I am up on the roof, sledge hammering the old deck and moving trailers full of deck boards and support beams where they need to be installed.

The photo above is of Carol and me holding old wood siding that came off the house. The ones below are during the deck demolition.

Holy Cow.. Here I am again.. my web updates are going slow as I find myself with lots to do as a skinnier person. I am pleased as punch to report that my 6 Month anniversary is in ten days and my total weight loss is an amazing: 139lbs! ShaZAMM!

New Jeans Report.. I never bought the new jeans and have been having fun with people telling me I "seriously need new jeans". The 38's are so baggy I must wear a belt or risk having the "garbage man incident" again.

Labor day weekend is coming up so the updates should kick up a bit.. Ciao!

This part should be on every post I make:

A Special Humongous Thank you.. goes to God thru the hands of Dr. Rutledge and his staff Jennifer, Trish and Sandy. I would do it all over again and still look back and think how amazing their whole procedure is to me. I can't wait to see them again at my 1 year anniversary.

This post is off-topic but too cute to pass up.. I breed Boxer puppies and have a litter right now and wanted to report on my puppy assistant.. Her name is Camila and she is almost 3 years old. I may be biased but I think this photo is adorable so I had to post it here. Camila helps feed and pet the puppies so they are happy when they go to their new families..

Camila's Mom and I are very proud of her and she never gets tired of playing house with them. Her favorites are "Lucky" and any of the little girl puppies.

See more here: http://www.bonaboxers.com/

Yet again.. I am happy to report that I have now lost another 8lbs. My 5 Month anniversary is today and my total weight loss is an amazing: 128lbs!

I will be celebrating 5 months with buying some new jeans. While some may not get so excited about clothes shopping and new pairs of jeans.. I am happy to report that the infamous "size 36 waist" is the next level down and appears to be very possible since the 38's are now baggy. Once size 36 is acheived I will post the news on the site so stay tuned in the next few days.

Helping Others... One of the main goals of this site was to help others who are trying to make a decision about which weight loss surgery to have. If it were not for those who have helped me I would not be doing as well as I am now. I am happy to say I have had a few requests for information lately from people who are looking into the MGB. I hope more people ask me about the MGB because I will talk your ear off.. It has been an amazing 5 months and I have nothing to regret.

Another Huge Thank you.. goes to God thru the hands of Dr. Rutledge and his staff Jenifer, Trish and Sandy. I would do it all over again and still look back and think how amazing their whole process is to me. Why would anyone have a lap-band with a doctor who has done 300+ of them when you could have a much superior weight loss surgery (The MGB) from Dr. Rutledge who has done over 4500+ surgeries. If my success was not enough of a no brainer this info takes the cake.. (no pun intended).

This MGB Moment is the most amazing event that has happened to me since I had surgery and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

The best way to describe what happened is to let you click on the link below to visit my other web site where you will find more info..

I would like to say that Carol has been by my side for some amazing times.. she was there when I was known as "Big Mike" and has been a great co-pilot in the amazing journey as "MGB Mike". Carol, along with my parents, were the supporters I most relied upon as my quest for surgery started and eventually met with great success. I have many family and friends who also provided the much needed support needed before I made the plunge. They all had to see me at my worst and now I feel like a million dollars. When I think about the event you are about to witness I must say it would have been possible as "Big Mike" but so much more enjoyable as "MGB Mike". Way to go Dr. Rutledge!

If you have some time I invite you to see the following site:

www.carolandmichael.com

I have had an exciting few weeks since returning to Texas and have done a poor job of keeping this site updated. I have always heard MGB'ers say they keep up with updates and then when they "get a new life" from the loss of their weight they tend to be too busy having fun instead of posting updates.. I will try harder.. life is just so good!

Today my weight loss is at a staggering 120lbs. I am now in size 38 jeans and they are baggy loose to the point where I may need to go to get one size 36 to see if I should just wait for size 34. I don't want to buy too many or they will be too big when I finally hit the mark.

As if this was not exciting enough I have some even more exciting news that I will share with you all soon.. I am in the process of updating this site with the announcement so stay tuned in the next few days.

Every day I think how amazing Dr. Rutledge is and how this procedure has changed my life.. every aspect.. in every way.. Each time I see someone who could benefit from this surgery I want to run up to them and tell them my story... Nobody should have to live like that. There is a way to be thin and feel great without the risk of failure. Go for it!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

My vacation to California last week was very nice and filled with MGB moments as you can read below. My family was incredibly excited to see me at 100lbs less than I saw them at my surgery date just over 3 months ago.

I am now back in Texas and have had nice weight loss this week while I have also been increasing the amount of food I am able to eat. Today I am 107lbs down and on my way to my goal weight.

How EXCITING is this? VERY!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

My Brother and I took our ladies to the Beach House Restaurant in San Diego. I had the Seafood Salad and was able to eat most of it before I got really full. I then made everyone else happy by sharing my dinner so they could taste the delicious crab, lobster, scallops, squid and shrimp that was in my salad.

Afterwards we went down to seal beach located in La Jolla and took some photos. It was very overcast but the view was still pretty nice. Climbing on the rocks and going up and down stairs was not a problem even though I think I am a little sore from the Disneyland adventure. I have unoffically lost another 3 lbs since arriving in California. I believe this will be the first time ever that I have lost weight while on vacation. Stay tuned for the official MGB weigh in when I return to Texas.

My Brother's Boxer, Rocco and I went for walk this morning to the park near my parent's house. He is very well trained and does amazing on the leash. We went about a mile or two and it sure feels good to be lighter on my feet.

I gave Rocco to my nephews last year and he has his own web site featuring his adventures. My two Boxers: Vito and Carmella are his parents and are very proud of him.

Here are some web sites:
www.bonaboxers.com
www.roccoadventures.com

Disneyland was a blast.. we spent the entire day going on rides, shows and taking in the wonderful So Cal weather. 100lbs ago I would get tired walking through a grocery store.. NOW, a much lighter me at 250lbs means I am able to go all day long walking through the park and taking in all the rides. That does not mean I was not tired... We all were pretty exhausted but we did go non-stop for about 10hrs.

MGB Notes about the food at Disneyland.. Most of the food is not that great for you (burgers, pizza, fries..etc..) BUT I was happy to see that they had fruit trays available and they were very good and filling. Mine had watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, pineapple, honeydew melon, strawberries and apples. I made sure I had my salt and drank lots of liquids.

As a sidenote: If you plan on going to Disneyland and want to save a bundle$ on tickets send me an email and I will share a ticket secret with you. We saved over $250 on our six tickets!

Here is our photo with Minnie Mouse:

Definitely the highlight and reason for my trip to California.. was to see my Parents and my Brother's family.

Here I am surprising my Parents at the door when I told them to look for a UPS package that should be waiting for them at their front door. The package turned out to not be from UPS but from Texas. Mom and Dad were definitely surprised and were amazed at the more than 100lb weight loss since I had not seen them since the surgery.

Our last stop before meeting up with my Brother was to Hollywood where we visited the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre. While there we took many photos of the famous foot & hand prints left there over the years by famous actors as well as stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The prints below belong to Al Pacino from 1997. I also got pics of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sophia Loren, Sly Stallone, Will Smith and of course Donald Duck. We saw the stars of Mickey Mouse, Robin Williams and William Shatner. Engage!

After we landed we decided to see some sights before we met up with my Brother to continue on to our Parent's house. The pier at Santa Monica was beautiful and we walked all over taking in the amazing California weather (about 65 degrees and sunny). The pier had many shops and people sight-seeing. The view up the coast was nice and the beach had the kind of sand you do not find in Texas.

Next stop is Hollywood!

MGB Moments here we come.. This moment was brought to you by the seatbelts on American Airlines flight to LAX. How comfy and spacious they are now that I have lost over 100lbs. No more seat belt extenders here. The flight was great and I can tell there will be plenty more MGB Mike updates on this trip so stay tuned!

ps. My parents have no idea I am coming to see them.. What a cool surprise!

Drumroll Please...

I celebrated a huge MGB milestone this week by entering triple digits with my weight loss. Yes, after only three months since surgery, I have now lost 100lbs. Coincidentially, I am travelled to California this week to visit my Parents and Brother's family. We will be going to Disneyland and I can try out my new 100lb weight loss while exploring the park. Feet don't fail me now!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

I am almost into TRIPLE DIGITS with the pounds lost and I am still amazed.  Now 92 lbs down I feel great.  To recap..  I have eaten pretty well in the last week, spent some time swimming and have worked out a few times with my trainer.

For those that did not see yesterdays post (but should read below) Carol & I went to the L' Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles Louisiana last weekend. This trip had many MGB moments so this is the second part in the series of "MGB to Go!" blog updates..

On Sunday morning the sun was out, the weather was nice and it was time for some brunch. I did not know what to expect or where we were going (Carol was in charge). Not being hungry much anymore I no longer wake up and think "what can I eat!?". We ended up going to the Le Beaucoup Buffet at the casino.

But Mike.. A food buffet? what are you thinking!!

I thought the same thing but wanted to be a team player. "Be strong" I told myself.. You see, this is another MGB Moment as I have not been to a buffet since well before surgery for many reasons as you can imagine. The dining portion of their web site speaks of the buffet thusly, "If variety is the spice of life, get ready to live large" and I find that very amusing... I don't want to live large!

Now on to my MGB Experience.. the food was as plentiful as it was amazing.. I can tell how much I have been re-food-programmed because I no longer bee-lined to the Chicken Fried Steak or anything that resembled fried or greasy foods. I amazingly stuck to the salads, fruit, fish, crab legs, shrimp, veggies and more.. I ate tiny portions of lots of stuff and chewed real well. I may have gone overboard a little and felt "semi-uncomfortable" for about 15min afterwards but I definitely outdid myself with the healthier side of buffet eating. Desert was watermelon and some pudding. I wonder what my weight will be later this week? Those of you who are following closely may be surprised.

This past weekend Carol & I went to the L' Auberge Du Lac Casino in Lake Charles Louisiana. This trip had many MGB moments so this will be part 1 in a multi-part blog update.

This is a first in the series of "MGB to Go!" blog updates.. To start with, this is the first time I left the State of Texas since my surgery. It was about a 3.5hr drive but did not seem that long.

The hotel was beautiful and I enjoyed the pool the best. I have always loved swimming, and because of my weight, I rarely felt comfortable going swimming in public pools. My new found confidence due to losing almost 90lbs had me out at the pool swimming all afternoon. It was awesome.. They have a lazy river you can float down in a tube that was pretty relaxing.

MGB Moment: My big beach towel now fits all the way around me! It is the little things that are such a big deal. Swimming in a pool and a beach towel that fits and I am a happy camper. Stay tuned for more MGB to Go! updates.

Here is a pic of the pool..

Normally pants falling down is not a good thing but lately I have not minded much as it has become a normal occurrence with losing 88lbs.

I did recently have an incident that made me think about adding additional belt holes to keep my pants up.

On Memorial Day, I did not realize that the garbage truck would be making the normal rounds.. I figured they had the day off too! So, as I heard the truck come down the street and I quickly rolled my trash can to the curb I realized that my pants were down at my knees. I was halfway down the driveway in plain view. My first thought was that the garbage truck was stopping to let me get my can to the curb (how thoughtful) and then, as i neared the curb, I thought they may be stopping to laugh at my situation. With one hand on the trash can and the other on my pants, I eventually hobbled to the curb with the trash and without my pride. Hey, at least my trash was gone and I bet they had a story to tell when they got done that day.

Now that you have the background story here is today’s MGB Lesson: How to add extra holes in your belt. I found that the best way to make extra belt holes is to use a drill. Be careful to put something under your belt when you punch your hole through. A phonebook or piece of wood works well. You don't want extra holes in your kitchen countertop so please stop and ask for help if you are not power-tool authorized. I hope that helps anyone out there that needs to make a few holes in their belt..

I wish you new holes in your belts for making your belt smaller not larger! ciao!

Holy cow! I blew way past 80 lbs lost on Memorial Day and I am even more "loose in the jeans" than before... more on that later. I am now 88 lbs down and I still feel fantastic and I have had zero issues related to my weight loss. I spent Memorial Day weekend doing many things I used to have trouble attempting including but not limited to mowing my entire yard in 95+ degree high-humidity (2+ hrs) and I did not have to stop once. I had my "Doctor Ordered" Gatorade ready to keep my salt and electrolytes at their proper levels. The magic 100 lbs is only 12 lbs away which is amazing. Stay tuned for updates as I am now more than 1/2 way to my goal weight. Every day I think of how amazing Dr. Robert Rutledge is for giving me a whole new life.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

I have been feeling so good lately that I decided to take my increased energy and apply it to some good. I contacted a friend of mine who is a personal trainer to get me going with exercise and weight training. Trevor Carney with Innovative Fitness has got me started on the path to a stronger and more lean me. I feel pretty sore the next day after working out but it is "a good hurt" like my Dad would say.. I am just starting out so I am taking it slow but it sure feels good to get my blood pumping.. I can see why people would get hooked on working out when they feel better during and afterwards. 88lbs ago I would not be able to do the things I am doing now.. Back then it would be quick and painful.. definitely not a good hurt..

Today's MGB Food Review is going to be one you may not have expected. I have always liked cole slaw (creamy version, not the vinegar version) and am pleased to announce that the Fresh Express Cole Slaw kit (see image) is a key buy when you are an MGB eater. This is normally found in the produce dept. and comes with a packet of sweet/creamy cole slaw mix. I only use a small amount of the mix.. just enough to make it a little moist and taste good. I also add extra SALT which is a condiment that MGB'ers can eat all day long. The slaw consists of cabbage and carrots all chopped up and ready to go! If you like cole slaw give this stuff a try.. At $1.80-$2.49 per 9oz of Cole Slaw it lasts me about 3 lunches.

For an extra kick... add the Ocean Spray Craisins to your slaw.. These sweetened dried cranberries add a nice taste and are healthy too!

Links:

http://www.freshexpress.com/

http://www.oceanspray.com/products/craisins.aspx

I am closing in on 80lbs lost.. in one word: WOW!!. The weight is coming off steady but slower than before and that was anticipated. Pants are even looser and more difficult to keep up - more on that later. I still feel really good and have had many great comments on this site from my family and friends. I also received a few emails from my MGB litter-mates who are doing well and enjoying the journey with me.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This my fith official weigh-in and a MGB Moment as I am now 75lbs down and I feel fabulous!

And now a shout out.. Happy Mother's day to my wonderful and supportive Mother. This journey would not be the same without you. I Love you!

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This MGB Moment is brought to you by: LEVI JEANS


Some of you will relate to this post more than others. This morning, as I was dressing for work, I found myself in a delima that I have never been in before.. You see.. I have spent all of my life dreading getting dressed simply because it was torture to play the "find something that still fits" game.

Today the game is over.. I could not find a dang pair of pants that was SMALL enough for me to wear.. After trying on about 8 pairs of pants, I finally had to just pick one and tighten up the belt as much as it could go.. What a wierd feeling it is to wear pants two sizes larger than necessary. I guess this weekend I will be shopping for some new jeans as I am now smaller than all of the pairs I have. It is a good problem to have indeed.

This entry is going in the column of MGB Moment and Not too proud at the same time. Yesterday I had the pleasure of driving Carol's little girl to see her Grandparents and she asked me if we could get something to eat.

I have not been to McDonalds since February 2009 so I was reluctant to go but decided I would be strong. As I was ordering thru the drive thru I found myself adding a McFllet of Fish sandwich to the order subconciously.. Just so you know.. the McFillet of Fish was my favorite McD's sandwich despite the fact that I am fully aware that fish are not square..

Ok, now that you have the background info you will be happy to know I could not swallow one bite of the thing. No offense to McD's but I now find the sandwich totally disgusting.. greasy and not in any way tasty. It was just after the one bite that I remembered my discussions with previous MGB patients who said.. "You will discover that the food you ate before will no longer be as pleasing to you as it used to be.. in fact, you may be unable to eat some foods because they will no longer be appealing to you." Well, this is so true.. I am not usually one for "testing the system" but this was one test I am glad I failed.

For those of you who think you will be missing out on that oh-so-favorite foods after your MGB, be aware that you may find yourself reaching for fruit cups, salads and anything not fried afterwards.. The good news is you will make this decision because you no longer like the taste instead of the "I can't eat it because I am on a diet" reason. This MGB stuff really works.




As a sidenote.. McD's does have healthy items on the menu like yogurt, fruit, salads and water.

As I mentioned in the last post.. I had the honor of being in my good friends Patrick and Whitney's wedding this weekend.. It was awesome and an incredible time was had by all. The food was amazing and I was able to taste just about everything. I danced for hours with energy and self confidence I have been missing for some time. As if that was not enough to make the whole event perfect, I also had the pleasure of having my girlfriend Carol by my side and that made everything even more perfect. Carol is an amazing woman and she has been an incredible support for me prior to and after the surgery. I am a lucky man. (Thank you God!). This picture is of us at the wedding rehearsal dinner. I am wearing a suit that I don't remember the year it was last worn.

MGB Notes: This weekend was the ultimate MGB food test thus far. I faced many a food situation this weekend.. from the rehearsal dinner at Christopher's to the beautiful wedding catered by Global Event Group, to the Sunday Lunch at the Ruffino House (we had delicious lasagna). I ate anything I wanted to eat and stopped when I was full. I did not feel cheated or dissapointed because only the quantity was different from usual.. I did forgo some foods (like breads) so I could make room for more salad and fruits but I did that subconciously... it just happened that way. I am truly a changed man.

As a side note.. At the wedding I learned that I have more web site followers than I expected and that is great! I was told, however, that the web site updates need to be more frequent so I will do my best to get that done. Thank you for your support.

This my fourth official weigh-in and I STILL don't seem to be slowing down with the weight loss yet which is fantastic and exciting!

Drumroll please...........

I am now 72 lbs down and I feel really great. I had the honor of being in Patrick and Whitney's wedding this past weekend and wore a suit I have not been able t0 fit in for many many years. I also wore a tuxedo and felt better than ever. I will post pics after this post.

See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This my third official weigh-in and I don't seem to be slowing down with the weight loss yet.. I am now 62 lbs down and feel fantastic. See My MGB Scale which is a graphical chart of my weight loss to date.

This post will answer some of the questions about what I have been eating since surgery. I have only recently added non-liquid items to the diet VERY SLOWLY.. I have listed them here just so that others thinking about surgery will know what to expect in the 3rd-4th week post-op.

The hunger I felt before surgery is now completely GONE. I have to remind myself to eat now. So, when you read below keep in mind I am simply eating for nutrition and because it is dinner time, etc.. The days of eating as a sport are gone but I do want to get back to eating with friends as a social gathering.. it will just take a while before I can eat more different types of foods. NO COMPLAINTS HERE!

Foods I have had very little trouble eating:

Soups:
Too many to list but all were very brothy.

I will list the memorables here:
- lipton chicken noodle in box (best ever)
- campbells soup at hand (convenient, not best taste)
- Jason's Deli - Fire Roasted Tomato (wow)
- Miso Soup

Yogurts & Puddings:
- danactive
- activia
- HEB Active
- vanilla instant pudding (sugar free and regular)
- rice pudding
- tapioca pudding

Non Soup Items (recently added to diet):
- 1/4th of one (1) taco bell soft taco
- 1/2 of one (1) chick-fil-a chicken tender
- small bowl orzo pasta with meat sauce
- orange & vanilla dreamsicle pudding
- 1/2 vietnamese spring roll at Pei Wei
- 1/3 children's chicken lo-mein at Pei Wei
- 4 sushimi tuna pieces with rice.
- scrambled eggs with asparagus
- grits with salt
- oatmeal with some brown sugar
- cream of wheat
- avocado half with lemon
- small salad with dressing
- very small piece baked tilapia (yum)
- baked chicken leg
- split Pea Soup
- one very small bite of a ribeye steak
- a few asparagus stalks
- carrot, celery, beet, apple juice
- no-sugar added fruit popsicles

I will add more to this list as I go..

This my second official weigh-in and I have hit two new MGB Milestones in less than one month from surgery. The first milestone is I am now at 50lbs lost so far and the second is I am now under 300lbs. Both are exciting and I will post more weigh-ins once a month from here on with the exception of any MGB Milestones.

On a related note, look for new sections of the site starting soon called My MGB Closet and My MGB Scale which will cover clothing and weight changes that can be easily clicked on to see the status in those sections..

MGB Food: I need to eat yogurt every day and thankfully I like yogurt so that is very good. I decided to do some yogurt reviews. This review is on Dannon's DanActive. This yogurt is not thick as average smoothie type drinkable yogurts but I like it because it is more like a drink than a smoothie. The flavors are all tasty and I like the pomegranate the best. The only thing I wish it had was a reclosable top. It has a peel back foil that, once removed, you can't close it and finish later. To a normal person this would not be a big deal as it is just about one gulp anyhow.. but I don't gulp anymore.

MGBMike Rating: 4 out of 5 stars (I would add one more star if it had a lid)

More info can be found here: www.danactive.com

MGB Reporter Michael Bonafede here at the Atami Sushi in College Station, Texas. I had my first pieces of Sushimi today and it was great. I ended up having a total of three pieces of tuna like the ones pictured here and I even ate the rice and wasabe. This is a big deal for me because I love sushi and was hoping I did not have to give it up. The quantity has considerably changed but I was full and satisfied with my three pieces when I left so that is what I call perfect! The dinner came with miso soup which was also delicious. I can't wait to come back and try out some different types of Sushimi. For those of you who are not familiar with Atami it is a very nice place to eat, has hibachi tables which are fun for parties and just so happens to be where I had my first date with my girlfriend Carol (who is amazing). Good things happen for me at Atami.. :)

Here goes.. I told everyone I would post my weight loss this week and am proud to say I am now at 42 lbs lost so far. Eleven of these pounds were lost in the liquid diet I forced myself to do in the 2 weeks prior to surgery which was March 11, 2009. From here on I am supposed to lose 10 lbs per month until I get to the target weight and I will post new weigh ins each month or so.. Thanks to all who are emailing with encoragement and well wishes..

MGB Food News: Breakfast is getting better.. I have been experimenting with eggs and have a really nice pan to cook them in that my cousin Nicole gave me.. What a thoughtful and very useful gift as it cooks just one egg which is enough for me.. The photo to the right shows my attempt at egg with asparagus which was tasty and went down nicely. Notice the handle of the pan has a smiling egg.. pretty cool and non-stick too. Nicole has made the one egg omlette fun with this cool new pan. Thanks Nicole!

MGB Food Notes: I am now qualified to be a professional soup reviewer. Today's soup review is about Campbell's "Soup at Hand" soup. It comes in various flavors and I am particularly fond of the Chicken and Stars flavor. It is cheap at about $1.20 and 2min in the microwave you have Soup at Hand. The taste is good and fills me up perfectly. I can't eat the cream flavors just yet but I bet they are good too. I would like to suggest they also do Spaghetti at Hand, Chili at Hand and maybe Chicken Pot Pie at Hand too. If they do this I get credit for mentioning it here first. Campbells please feel free to send me coupons or cases of soup.

For breakfast I changed things up a bit and had a scrambled egg. Notice i did not say scrambled EGGS (plural). The egg was good and went down very well. I topped it off with a new creation that my friend Jim gave me for taking in the necessary Whey protein. He mixes vanilla whey protein with sugar free vanilla pudding and then puts it in the fridge to make it real cold. It tastes like cake batter.. yum. Tomorrow I will try yogurt instead of pudding mix and add the citricel fiber stuff i need to take. It might just taste like a dreamsickle..

ok. that's it for the MGB Food Channel until next time..

While my Mother is still visiting I decided to take her to Houston to visit some friends. I have known the Gedeon's for about 35 years and it was great to have dinner and catch up with them. Our Moms have not seen each other in about 5 years so it was a nice surprise. Laura made some delicious tortilla soup and I had quite a bit of it (about 1 bowl) before I felt full. I even had one oatmeal raisin cookie. Yum. The trip was only 65miles which is great for weekend road trips.

I went back to work on Friday and caught up with all of the things I could not do from my hotel room but I did not update this site until now.

MGB Update: I am feeling pretty good and have had no problems with food yet.. The only thing I dislike is the pepto-bismol that i must take for a few months until my stomach is back to 100%. I have switched to the swallowable pills instead of the chewables or liquid to see if that helps..

NEW UPDATE: 4/6/2009 The swallowable Pepto pills made a huge difference.. no more chewing and no more BLACK TOUNGUE.. (yes it makes your whole toungue black). If you need to take Pepto regularly ask your doctor if these pills will work for you too!

Alternatively and as a side note: The swallowable Citricel pills are NOT a good idea and have been abandoned.. For a normal person they would be great.. but for my MGB tummy they seemed to swell up and cause some uncomfortable feelings.

Soup is still on the menu so we went to Jason's Deli and had a nice dinner. While there we ran into Matt and Becky with their little one Mark. We had a good time visiting and playing with Mark. This photo is Mom playing "Pat-a-Cake" with Mark and he laughed and laughed.

MGB News: I can now eat just about any consistency soup and my favorite so far is Fire Roasted Tortilla Soup (without Tortillas).

Mark's web site can be seen here: www.monstermcgarr.com

I landed at 5:30pm on the 19th and was greeted by my own little parade of supporters. Brian was there as was JJ and Cherry and Katie.. The plane ride from Dallas to College Station was only 31 minutes and that was good because the smaller plane made it even more uncomfortable. I am so glad to be home and excited to see my friends..

It has probably been more than 25 years since I travelled on an airplane with my Mom so it is nice that I am taking care of her instead of her taking care of me. I barely got her through the airport security! Just kidding.

On to MGB news.. I won't say yet how much weight I have lost but I will say the seat is noticably more comfortable. I want to use the scale at my house to be exact and I am anxious to see what progress has happened so far. We are about halfway to Dallas and the flight seems like it is taking forever. I can't wait to get home!