Happy New Year!

Here's to a Healthy & Happy 2011!!   This is the first New Year's that I have not made a resolution to lose weight or start a diet on January 2nd.  I know that my band will keep me in check in 2011 & I am looking forward to losing the rest of my weight and getting to my goal sometime this year.  It will happen, I just need to go back to the band basics:  More protein, no sliders, smaller portions & I will get there.

I am still amazed at the changes that the band has made for DH & me.  We are satisfied on so much less food - yet we enjoy EVERYTHING!  When we were in our surgery prep stage, I was afraid that we would never be able to eat the same again after we got our bands.  That is so not true!  Yes, bread & a few other foods give us trouble, but if we chew & eat slow we do ok.  Our portions are just so much smaller & we are satisfied on less.  Food tastes better to me now.  I think I appreciate it more.  Speaking of food, you should see my kitchen!!!!  DH & I hosted a New Years Eve seafood dinner.  There are tons of leftovers including Chocolate Peanut Butter cake.  I cooked New Years day dinner yesterday.  Here in PA we eat Pork, Saurkraut & homemade (ie: lots of butter & milk) mashed potatoes on New Years day.  There is PA Dutch Folklore that says if you eat this on New Years Day it will bring you luck the rest of the year.  EVERYONE I know in my area has this meal on the first day of the year.  My mother in law made the desserts - yes plural!  Homemade Cherry & Apple crumb pies with vanilla ice cream and Emily made cupcakes that she decorated for New Years.  WOW - This is bad!  But we can only eat a small portions so we are doing ok.  Still, there's a lot of food around!!!!

DH took Emily ice fishing on Friday.  Emily caught both of these bass (it was her first time ice fishing):

They caught a lot of fish!  DH said the ice did not need to be as thick this year in order to hold him - lol!