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Post by dlappin413 on Jan 11, 2012 20:25:05 GMT -5
I'm almost 2-1/2 months out and I've lost 53 pounds total. I'm losing and very happy about that. My question is... am I eating too much at this stage of the game? I can eat, at most meals, about a cup of food. Of course, it varies with what I eat. Is that too much?
Here's a sample of my meals for a day: Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3-4 strips bacon or 2 slices Canadian bacon; snack: 2-3 oz cheese; lunch: 5-6 oz meat or tuna salad, or egg salad; snack: 2-3 oz cheese or Greek yogurt or 3 oz nuts; dinner: pretty much same as lunch--can also be 4-5 chicken wings buffalo style and can include a little veggies or small salad; snack: cheese or nuts.
I try to stay away from carbs but have begun incorporating complex carbs. I made one of my favorite soups this weekend: mulligatawny, which includes chicken, brown rice, lentils, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chicken broth and sherry. I can eat one cup of that soup and not feel too full.
Am I eating too much?
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 11, 2012 20:43:06 GMT -5
Thank you for this thread, I've been wondering the same thing.
I've been having 3 slices of thick bacon for breakfast(15 grams of protein)...I had reflux this morning so I had a piece of whole grain toast to help with the acid. I had a meat and cheese and cream cheese roll up on a small soft taco tortilla (I have to buy some whole grain ones). For dinner I had 5 chicken wing pieces (either the leg part of the wing part) bbq style and about a tablespoon of green beans with bacon.
Now, I'm almost 2 months. I also had a couple cups of coffee and like 6 oz of soy milk (I'm trying to start my cycle).
I don't really get to feel hungry but I also don't feel full. Eating is like a chore to me, I have to admit I enjoyed the wings but most of what I eat is to avoid the protein shakes. When I eat too much, I don't know it till much later...which is a bummer and is really miserable.
We can find out the answer together!
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 11, 2012 20:43:57 GMT -5
Oh, and I keep my carbs at or below 50, at this point not on purpose, I just can't get carbs in with the protein. What are you doing with carbs?
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Post by Joanne on Jan 11, 2012 21:27:15 GMT -5
I'm curious to see how others answer. I'm over two years out, but I noticed when I'm with other DS'ers that I eat much less than they do. To me, it looks like a little much for where you are, but also remember that with the DS it's not all about how much quantity you eat, it's more about what you eat (protein and fats). There is no need to be hungry, so if you are hungry, eat. Just reach for high protein stuff, which you are.
I really want to see the other answers, because I know I'm not the best person to ask. I still have plenty of restriction. For a comparison, here's what I ate today.
B - Double scoop protein shake Had a doctor's appointment at noon, which ran late. I left close to 2pm and stopped at Starbucks next door for an iced coffee and one petite scone. L - Went grocery shopping and bought a protein bar and ate it in the store while shopping. S - Had about 5 olives, and 1-2 cubes of provolone cheese D - Made Ricky's Kick Ass Chili (highly recommeneded), ate about 1 cup, topped with cheese and sour cream. S2 - Drinking an iced protein coffee now. I would normally not need to have a second shake in a day. Some days I dont do any, just depends on what I eat. My eating got derrailed today with being out at lunch time.
ETA: When I re-read this, I dont want to give the impression that I PURPOSELY eat less. I have pretty tight restriction. I eat until I'm full. I eat every few hours, but small amounts. So yeah, I do eat small amounts, but more by necessity. I couldnt eat more if I tried.
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Post by dlappin413 on Jan 11, 2012 21:37:34 GMT -5
I believe my carbs are below 50 on most days. I pretty much stay away from them so any I get are in the very small amount of veges I eat. I do go out to eat with friends once a week and may have some carbs then in the form of french fries or fried pickles (breaded) but, that's not a usual thing. I suppose I should be tracking them more accurately.
I don't always feel hungry, either, but I have felt that way sometime. There have also been a few times when I can eat more than a cup of food. When that happens, it scares me that I'm stretching my new stomach.
The only food I've found I can't eat is milk (lactose). I seem to be ok with heavy cream, lactaid milk, and greek yogurt. However, I may also have some problem with simple carbs like white flour (white potatoes don't bother me). I'm still testing myself with the white flour products. However, I didn't eat much white flour product before surgery and don't plan to now, after surgery.
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Post by dlappin413 on Jan 11, 2012 21:42:58 GMT -5
I'm curious to see how others answer. I'm over two years out, but I noticed when I'm with other DS'ers that I eat much less than they do. To me, it looks like a little much for where you are, but also remember that with the DS it's not all about how much quantity you eat, it's more about what you eat (protein and fats). There is no need to be hungry, so if you are hungry, eat. Just reach for high protein stuff, which you are. I really want to see the other answers, because I know I'm not the best person to ask. I still have plenty of restriction. For a comparison, here's what I ate today. B - Double scoop protein shake Had a doctor's appointment at noon, which ran late. I left close to 2pm and stopped at Starbucks next door for an iced coffee and one petite scone. L - Went grocery shopping and bought a protein bar and ate it in the store while shopping. S - Had about 5 olives, and 1-2 cubes of provolone cheese D - Made Ricky's Kick Ass Chili (highly recommeneded), ate about 1 cup, topped with cheese and sour cream. S2 - Drinking an iced protein coffee now. I would normally not need to have a second shake in a day. Some days I dont do any, just depends on what I eat. My eating got derrailed today with being out at lunch time. ETA: When I re-read this, I dont want to give the impression that I PURPOSELY eat less. I have pretty tight restriction. I eat until I'm full. I eat every few hours, but small amounts. So yeah, I do eat small amounts, but more by necessity. I couldnt eat more if I tried. Thanks for your response, Joanne. Your input is always welcome. I hope we'll get many more responses that include how far they are from surgery and, perhaps, what they ate at 3 months, 6 months, etc.
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Post by Joanne on Jan 11, 2012 21:45:16 GMT -5
The quantity is really a variable thing, depending on what you eat. You cant really judge a plate or a cup of something. Think of it this way - if you have a cup of potato chips, picture them all chewed up, that's the way they sit in your stomach, taking up much less room. A cup of chicken breast..well chewed up that would stay the same size. So could I eat a cup of potato chips? Hell yeah, I could probably eat a whole family size bag. But a cup of that chicken breast would stuff me silly.
Your stomach will let you know when you pushed it too far. Feeling full might feel different than it did before - pressure, tightness...that's what it feels like for me.
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Post by Girlrocker on Jan 11, 2012 21:48:53 GMT -5
Ah, the 'eating too much' post; I can't help but smile, I remember this from my first time around, and remember dissolving into hysterical laughter at the irony that we would even ask such a question :-) I'm way too new, 5 weeks, to probably contribute anything worthwhile. I did notice a few days ago though that all of a sudden I could eat more after struggling for 3 weeks. I'm actually having trouble embracing full fat food, it's too much for me. But here are some things I've observed:
Morning - I can eat the most because my stomach is empty. 1-2 hardboiled eggs, short breather, than 1/4 c of Go Lean Kashi Crunch with almond milk. Or 1 scrambled egg with ham and cheese, and I saute in butter now.
Lunch, Dinner - 3oz ground turkey meatloaf or half a soy chicken patty (and I usually melt cheese on everything), 1/4 c tomato soup with tofu pureed into it, great protein boost, and it makes it thick and creamy
Snacks - my go to of choice at the moment is protein nachos - soy-flaxseed tortilla chips (9g protein a serving) with melted cheese (10g) and a dollop of plain greek yogurt; half cup cottage cheese
I do notice, as I did with my RNY, that for me, the more dense the food, the less I need to eat of it; lighter, less dense I can eat more. I'm also under 50 carbs, I need some for the weird taste in my mouth and acid too, but it's usually the kashi or the soy-flaxseed chips.
I'm supplementing wit protein bullets and shakes in my feeding tube, which will come out next week (and the tube is cuz I'm a revision)
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Post by dlappin413 on Jan 11, 2012 21:50:22 GMT -5
I understand what you mean, Joanne. Type of food will affect fullness. I just want to be sure I'm not overdoing it.
There was one time when I ate my meal and felt full, not too full, just the pressure and tightness. I was thirsty so I drank about 4 oz milk and that did it, it came up. Not all of it, just what I would call the overflow. It's not happened since and I hope I don't do it again.
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 11, 2012 21:50:26 GMT -5
I can't handle milk but I don't have a prob with 1/2 and 1/2 or cheese or butter. I've eaten white flour (my tortilla today), a nibble of rice (never figured out how to cook and ate roast beef and corned beef hash when I wanted something soft and it has potatoes. I seem to be able to eat almost everything, damnit!
It's going to be interesting to see what everyone has to say....
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Post by Girlrocker on Jan 11, 2012 21:54:45 GMT -5
The quantity is really a variable thing, depending on what you eat. You cant really judge a plate or a cup of something. Think of it this way - if you have a cup of potato chips, picture them all chewed up, that's the way they sit in your stomach, taking up much less room. A cup of chicken breast..well chewed up that would stay the same size. So could I eat a cup of potato chips? Hell yeah, I could probably eat a whole family size bag. But a cup of that chicken breast would stuff me silly. Your stomach will let you know when you pushed it too far. Feeling full might feel different than it did before - pressure, tightness...that's what it feels like for me. Soooo helpful, exactly, thanks. I was typing the same time you were. I ate the turkey meatloaf today (regular ground turkey, not lean or white breast) and a little went a long way, I know I won't be able to handle chicken or meats just yet, it was a good test run. I won't keep chips or crackers in the house for exactly that reason, can eat wayyyy to many, cuz they're light as feathers. I was happy that I tolerate whole milk cottage cheese, it's filling, it can be savory or sweet; I'll dollop it on other things, or use it as dip with the soy-flaxseed chips; or add sf pudding mix and cool whip and it tastes like tiramisu :-)
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Post by callmeEJ on Jan 11, 2012 21:57:10 GMT -5
I was right about where you are now when I started to have the "I'm really eating ALL THAT?" thoughts. I think it comes from a combo of eating so little for so long and the swelling in your sleeve finally going away entirely, allowing you to get more food in. I think your meals sound like just the right quantity, and you're doing GREAT at keeping the carbs at bay!
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Post by Girlrocker on Jan 11, 2012 21:59:23 GMT -5
I understand what you mean, Joanne. Type of food will affect fullness. I just want to be sure I'm not overdoing it. There was one time when I ate my meal and felt full, not too full, just the pressure and tightness. I was thirsty so I drank about 4 oz milk and that did it, it came up. Not all of it, just what I would call the overflow. It's not happened since and I hope I don't do it again. I'm having to do some trial/error with re-learning full too; doing fairly well, but have missed a couple of times and threw up,same, just those last bites that couldn't go in. I know that pain, hate it, but I barely had to cough and it all came up. Supposedly, it takes 30 mins for us to start to digest, and my surgeon warns about not drinking 30 mins before or after eating, this early out. I can see why now. I try to eat a little less to be safe, I know I can always take those extra bites later.
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Post by dlappin413 on Jan 11, 2012 22:02:40 GMT -5
Thanks, EJ. That's comforting and encouraging.
I'm wondering, too, what people's doctors said they should be eating. I checked dsfacts but didn't see anything on amounts, only what was being eaten. I also checked a couple other sources and they say "1/2 to 2/3" of what you ate before. I'm not finding that very helpful. Have any input from docs anyone?
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Post by jjthejetplane on Jan 11, 2012 22:18:37 GMT -5
I use small plates so I think Im eating a lot of food but in reality I am not. Somedays I can eat a cup and a half full and others I can barely get a shake in. Every day is different. Christmas I could eat and did eat lots of protein and then the 3 days that follow I could hardly eat anything. Im glad you are able to get in food, just don't forget your fluids. Sounds like you are doing great.
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Post by vangy04 on Jan 11, 2012 22:30:14 GMT -5
I believe most of your responses here are going to be more of the same: It's not about how much you're eating but what you're eating; and eat until you're full. I think unless you start eating nothing but potato chips and Reese's cups all day every day, you're probably on the right track.
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kingy
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Post by kingy on Jan 12, 2012 2:09:53 GMT -5
I'm 9 weeks out and always astounded at how much others around the same timeframe can eat. I'm positive that my surgeon goes heavy on the restriction. I can seem to drink a large amount of fluids but I'm lucky if I can get through one poached egg in the morning without feeling like I'm about to pop. I can get down maybe 1 - 2 pieces of streaky bacon in a sitting and so little dense protein (eg. slow cooked meats), that I have to rely on protein shakes or I'd be in real trouble. I say good on you for being able to get that much quality food into yourselves, it all helps with the weight loss, the food you consume gives your body energy to convert the fat to fluids and then get rid of it. Maybe one day my teeny weeny tummy pouch will expand enough so that I can actually eat a small meal.... a girl can dream
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Post by bookfaerie on Jan 12, 2012 3:13:54 GMT -5
I had a protein bar, a bowl of cereal with milk cheerios, a chili cheese omelet, 4 slices of toast, hashbrowns, coffee, half a chocolate cupcake, a quarter pounder with cheese, and a fruit and walnut snack from mcdonalds, as well as a handful of cinnamon toast crunch.
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Post by bb212 on Jan 12, 2012 3:41:56 GMT -5
I had a protein bar, a bowl of cereal with milk cheerios, a chili cheese omelet, 4 slices of toast, hashbrowns, coffee, half a chocolate cupcake, a quarter pounder with cheese, and a fruit and walnut snack from mcdonalds, as well as a handful of cinnamon toast crunch. That's a lot of carbs. Are you getting in your 100g of protein per day? the QtrP w/cheese is 29grams, so your omelet and protein bar would need to total 71 grams- depending on what's in them it might not. Not trying to be the food police or anything, just want to make sure you're aware of the protein DSers need to eat per day.
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Post by newyorkbitch on Jan 12, 2012 9:19:53 GMT -5
Thank you for this thread, I've been wondering the same thing. I've been having 3 slices of thick bacon for breakfast(15 grams of protein)...I had reflux this morning so I had a piece of whole grain toast to help with the acid. I had a meat and cheese and cream cheese roll up on a small soft taco tortilla (I have to buy some whole grain ones). For dinner I had 5 chicken wing pieces (either the leg part of the wing part) bbq style and about a tablespoon of green beans with bacon. Now, I'm almost 2 months. I also had a couple cups of coffee and like 6 oz of soy milk (I'm trying to start my cycle). I don't really get to feel hungry but I also don't feel full. Eating is like a chore to me, I have to admit I enjoyed the wings but most of what I eat is to avoid the protein shakes. When I eat too much, I don't know it till much later...which is a bummer and is really miserable. We can find out the answer together! Are you taking a PPI for your reflux?
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 12, 2012 9:36:32 GMT -5
I'm taking two a day. I'm going to talk to the surgeon about changing to one that works better. I only have a limited time with this one anyway, after about 4 months it gives me diarrhea. Last night was my fault. I read this thread and it made me hungry again so I had tuna salad right before I laid down...I know better I see him Tuesday.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 10:07:18 GMT -5
It's not been mentioned much, but amount you can eat is going to depend on the size of your sleeve. Some Drs give a short CC and fair sized sleeve, some do a longer CC and a smaller sleeve. Mine was 2oz I believe. I'm now 3 years out.
A recent food day for me was:
Breakfast: 1 cup of coffee with heavy cream (and I use real sugar), 1 egg, 1-2 oz ham, sprinkle of cheese
Lunch: 1 can progresso soup (generally without noodles, I like rice based 12-16 grams protein)
Dinner: 3/4 of a small chicken breast with mushroom sauce, small bowl of ceasar salad
I don't snack unless I'm hungry. I prefer eating meals over snacks. I just don't always have the time. I always have nuts, cheese and the like for snacks. I am also a fan of popcorn. Sometimes I'll just have a bag of popcorn for dinner.
I will sometimes throw a protein shake in for protein if I've not had much. When I don't eat wheat based items I tend to eat very small amounts of food. If I eat any wheat items I tend to eat 2-3 times that amount above. I don't watch my carbs as much as I watch my wheat intake.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 11:31:04 GMT -5
I'm almost 2-1/2 months out and I've lost 53 pounds total. I'm losing and very happy about that. My question is... am I eating too much at this stage of the game? I can eat, at most meals, about a cup of food. Of course, it varies with what I eat. Is that too much? Here's a sample of my meals for a day: Breakfast: 2 eggs, 3-4 strips bacon or 2 slices Canadian bacon; snack: 2-3 oz cheese; lunch: 5-6 oz meat or tuna salad, or egg salad; snack: 2-3 oz cheese or Greek yogurt or 3 oz nuts; dinner: pretty much same as lunch--can also be 4-5 chicken wings buffalo style and can include a little veggies or small salad; snack: cheese or nuts. I try to stay away from carbs but have begun incorporating complex carbs. I made one of my favorite soups this weekend: mulligatawny, which includes chicken, brown rice, lentils, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, chicken broth and sherry. I can eat one cup of that soup and not feel too full. Am I eating too much? Basic answer: No, you are not eating too much. Just beware of adding in too many carbs, even complex ones, during the rapid weight loss phase. You have the rest of your life to eat carbs. That's more than I could eat two months out. But you are losing weight well, and you are eating a good strong protein based diet. That's what counts.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 12:05:35 GMT -5
What EN said.
Just watch your carbs. There are a few people that can eat a large amount of carbs in the 'losing' phase and still lose. There are a LOT more that cannot and the carbs slow the weight loss to the point that you will not get to goal or lose the amount of weight you want.
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 12, 2012 12:23:38 GMT -5
50 carbs about right? The only bad girl thing I've done since surgery is that I made those peanut butter cookies and added some chocolate chips on my birthday just because You only turn 50 once, but I turned 29 like 5 times LOL I went to the store and bought those flatouts...I'm gonna try them
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Post by bookfaerie on Jan 12, 2012 13:05:02 GMT -5
That's a lot of carbs. Are you getting in your 100g of protein per day? the QtrP w/cheese is 29grams, so your omelet and protein bar would need to total 71 grams- depending on what's in them it might not. Not trying to be the food police or anything, just want to make sure you're aware of the protein DSers need to eat per day. My protein bar had 30 grams and the omelet had 30+ grams. I'm one of the few that requires quite a few carbs to lose and feel good. When I low carb...I gain weight.
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Post by bb212 on Jan 12, 2012 13:50:24 GMT -5
That's a lot of carbs. Are you getting in your 100g of protein per day? the QtrP w/cheese is 29grams, so your omelet and protein bar would need to total 71 grams- depending on what's in them it might not. Not trying to be the food police or anything, just want to make sure you're aware of the protein DSers need to eat per day. My protein bar had 30 grams and the omelet had 30+ grams. I'm one of the few that requires quite a few carbs to lose and feel good. When I low carb...I gain weight. Ok, cool!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2012 14:30:52 GMT -5
I believe my carbs are below 50 on most days. I pretty much stay away from them so any I get are in the very small amount of veges I eat. I do go out to eat with friends once a week and may have some carbs then in the form of french fries or fried pickles (breaded) but, that's not a usual thing. I suppose I should be tracking them more accurately. I don't always feel hungry, either, but I have felt that way sometime. There have also been a few times when I can eat more than a cup of food. When that happens, it scares me that I'm stretching my new stomach. The only food I've found I can't eat is milk (lactose). I seem to be ok with heavy cream, lactaid milk, and greek yogurt. However, I may also have some problem with simple carbs like white flour (white potatoes don't bother me). I'm still testing myself with the white flour products. However, I didn't eat much white flour product before surgery and don't plan to now, after surgery. OOOO FRIED PICKLES!!!! I'm by no means a carb Nazi, never was, and don't advocate for it. The few times I tracked my carb intake in the first few months, I almost never exceeded 100 grams per day and that worked fine for me. I simply concentrated on working up to a meal portion of 30 grams of protein from food before eating anything else (except for sauce and veggie stuff in a combo entree), then veggies, then a bit of whatever carb was around. The restriction kept my intake of carbs nice and low that way. So just how much carbohydrate intake works for you is individual. That being said, I think I'm seeing in your posts here that you are at risk of underestimating your actual carb intake. So I want to encourage you to take a couple of weeks or even longer to really track what you're putting in your mouth. Weigh and measure some if not most of your portions if you aren't doing that already, even if you are generally quite good at estimating those sizes. I just did a bit of this with my hubby, who is about to hit 200 lbs. for the first time in his life and so finally got motivated to learn a tiny bit about what he's eating. My portion estimator is very finely calibrated, having started learning how to do it when I was 7 (first time the *@&$*&@( doc put me on a low calorie diet), but I saw I was underestimating quantities on carby stuff. It's a great exercise for all of us to repeat once in a while. Mindfulness about intake is a HUGE tool for keeping accountable.
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Post by bldeck on Jan 12, 2012 14:48:14 GMT -5
****Disclaimer**** I am done losing and just maintaining.
Breakfast - 3 eggs and 3 pieces of cheese toast with lots of butter Snack - I need to eat with my iron so I will eat a piece of fruit today was a Kiwi Shake - 8 oz half n half and protein powder Lunch - Rotisserie Chicken more than a cup and the inside to a twice baked potato - but I have had a whole small chili from wendys with a few fries Snack - Maybe summer sausage w/cheese but could be 1/4 c peanut butter on toast Dinner - Tonight is pork chops will probably eat around 3 of the thin cut variety unless we have pork fried rice then I pick out the pork and have about a half a cup of rice with all my pork.
I make sure that I hit 100 for protein at the least, but I don't count my carbs. My 2 year surgiversary is in April.
Betty
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Post by hoosiermama on Jan 12, 2012 15:07:31 GMT -5
OMG, that cheese toast sounds good
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