himself with activities instead of food. He now smokes a cigar instead of eating a bag of chips, or plans a big weekend getaway to celebrate a work success. He orders an appetizer instead of an entree when he goes out to play cards with friends during the week. His daily diet routinely consists of Greek yogurt, protein bars, soup, popcorn, cheese and crackers. He does n't eat large meals, just smaller portions whenever he's hungry. In some ways, his wife has had to alter her lifestyle to fit his. It has n't been easy, the couple says, but it has been worth it. I 'm 57 going on 37, Benzine says with a laugh. No pun intended -- I 'm like a kid in a candy store. He plans to attend his 40th high school reunion in June with pride: I know I 'll be one of the only people who can say they weigh less at that reunion than they did in high school. More importantly, I will have my husband and best friend around for a long time, his wife says. Follow Dale's '10 Commandmentsof bariatric surgery 1 -RRB- Set your goals early, both in pounds to lose and the date by which you want to achieve this loss. Keep a daily log or scorecard of your weight loss. 2 -RRB- Trial and error of foods and liquids will be necessary, but painful. Blueberries were terrible for me, but butter-free popcorn worked. Go figure. Hint: Keep your anti-nausea pills close by -- you will definitely need them in the