Boy - harder than I thought. I am not currently ill. Occassionally I have a littel acid reflux - but not if I avoid fatty foods. My main symptom is that for ten years I've been trying to shed this excess 50 lbs through diet & exercise & cannot. The most I am able to take off is about 6 - 7 lbs at the outset of a diet - I usually don't have a problem with self discipline regarding food & so have stayed with these diets for 6 mos to a year at a time - and after that initial weight loss nothing happens. I admit that at this time I am not exercising regularly - I was very ill last year with a late in life pregnancy & severe asthma due to allergies & poor living conditions. Those problems were dealt with & I basically experience no health problems except being tired. I expect that being 44 and having a newborn that doesn't sleep through the night, a 6 year old, & a teenager in the home. I am not currently working. I don't smoke & intake very little alchohol. Usually I don't keep junk food in the house & we don't have meat everyday - maybe 3 times a week. I like lots of fresh fruits & vegi's - pastas - lean meats. I limit myself to 1 or 2 cups of coffee a day - drink around 3 glasses of water. Don't go in much for soda pop at all. I have not substanially gained any weight since the surgery - except in pregnancy & lost most of that right afterward. Exercise I do not do: running reeks havoc on my asthma - the same with power aerobics & the such. I have access to a pool & liesurely swim laps if I have someone to watch the baby - plus I like to walk & have a weekly regimen with my family. Most people do not think that I am that overweight & are shocked when I tell them how much I weigh. But I remember being a very comfortable & active size 7, now I am a 16 -18.