I live in the Boston area and we have a famous steak house near by, Ken's Steak House. They make great salad dressings and marinades. Are these available in other parts of the country? I say no and my husband thinks, yes. I use their light Caesar dressing on meat, lamb, pork, shrimp etc. I don't use salad dressing on salad. I buy all their dressing for the family, though. They also make wonderful marinades, like their sesame ginger has zero sodium. I had salmon for dinner with the sesame ginger and my husband had one of their dressings on his salad.
Enjoy your weekend.
A few weeks ago I had a coupon from BJ's for jeans so i bought a size 16. They went on but did not zip. Well today they are on the body! I can not believe it. I am happy today. In a short time the hub and I are joining the gym, About time!!!!!!!!!!
Now to put on the Ugg boots to go out in the nasty weather we are having all week.
Enjoy your day everyone.
'eye candy' aka Arlene
My daughter-in-law sent me a copy of Santa talking to my grandson. The site is PNP home page. It is really cute. Santa talked to him and his picture was used a few times. Great for all the young at heart for Christmas.
Good afternoon,
I was on the stationery bike at the gym and the trainer came and talked to me and my husband. He said to really get in shape, no bike, no tread mill but cardio. Do exercise where you move and use weights is the best exercise. At the gym there is a back room where all the body builders go and he said they may be able to lift weights but most are in terrible shape because they don't move
their body. Thought I would share this. He also said walking is not good for a lot of women with bone problems. My advice is also ask your own doctor first about everything.
I stay up very late at night and sleep very late.
So last night's Night Line showed and talked about having a piece of mesh sewed to your tongue for 1 month to control your eating! It was gross. It cost $2000. and was being done by a plastic surgeon in CA. He said you lose 15-20 pounds by having just protein shakes. What happens after he takes the mesh off? You gain it back! of course. They showed 2 women and they were thrilled with their results.
Comments from any of you!
I just told my husband, he fell asleep and he couldn't believe people would pay for this. There is Slim Fast and other protein shakes and they don't cost $2000. People will do anything to make money from over weight suckers, I mean people.
Have a great day everyone.
Arlene
I don't share my numbers, weight/weight loss with family or friends other than here. I feel safe here because other banders don't judge. My husband knows and I have told my sons some pounds lost but have stopped. I feel everyone judges others, I have also, so I know what I am talking about.
I told my sons about me fitting into size 16 jeans but didn't tell their wives. One wife, she has mental problems, long story, she would be hurt because she has gotten heavy and squeezes into a 16. She once made a comment that I was almost her size and her stretchie pants were skin tight. Wearing tight clothes make you look heavier and unkept. You can still look good and dress nice and be heavy.
Have a great weekend everyone.
Hello and happy holidays to everyone. Tonight is Hanukkah and tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Being Jewish always meant fried potato latkes and other non healthy foods. As far as I know we are not doing a Hanukkah celebration this year being that tomorrow is turkey day. Saturday I will be seeing the whole family, plus. My youngest grandson, Max will be 1 on Friday. I don't ask menus because my son's MIL (she likes to run the show) is coming in and she is a cook and baker. She loves to bake so much that she researched her new oven ($12, 000.) She also is very thin and healthy. And she is the most frugal person I know. She likes her stuffing so much she isn't going to my brother's tomorrow. Weird!!
I hope all of you eat accordingly. I am bringing green beans to my brother's because I know that the sweet potato casserole is very sweet with marshmallows etc. and I really hate it, any way. I don't like my SIL's stuffings either which is good. My son's MIL's stuffing is the one I make with Ritz crackers but mine is better because I have added a few things. My DIL said it was much better. It was the great grandmother's recipe. So now you want to know how I have their recipe. Well, my DIL's grandfather and my MIL's brother-in-law were brothers. We are NOT related. We just share cousins and the same aunt and uncle.
Well everyone enjoy the weekend. The food, the shopping deals. MA, where I live, the stores do not open tomorrow. They open mid night, and even that is crazy. I have never gone black Friday shopping and never want to.
Peace to everyone and remember our wonderful troops that make it that we can celebrate all of our different holidays as one country.
Arlene
Last night I went to my nephew's wedding. It was super, at an industry museum. I got up very late yesterday to start my day. I had my protein shake around 2pm. I know very late. I went to the wedding and wore my new suit, size 18 misses. I looked great! After the ceremony we went for the reception. I didn't have any food because of the choices. It was hot and I guess I went way too long without eating. The room started to spin and I felt faint. My daughter-in-law got me a chair, an oj and a roll. I will never go that long without food again. When dinner was served I ate. Awful feeling. I usually have a protein bar with me but thought the veggie platter would be good but the choices were not for me. The pass arounds were not great either for me. The dinner was great for me. I had wonderful melon for my dessert. The dj played a great mix of music. Must have been about 50, 25-30 year olds. Made me feel young again. There was a photo booth. That was fun.
I finally have my first and only niece.
Good evening,
At my last support group meeting we got a hand out showing different things to buy. One was a digital scale to weigh food. Is this a necessary purchase? I don't measure, I guess and have the butcher weigh my food raw.
Clothes, today I wore my new jeans! Misses size not woman's. It felt great.
Have a great week.
I am watching Wendy Williams and Lisa Lampanelli is on about her sleeve surgery. She is down 102. She wore a size 24 and now is around a 6!! Good for her. She had the surgery in April, I think. She looks great. She said she felt the sleeve was better than the band at her age, 51. I am 62. They keeping bleeping her language. Lisa is saying that it is a tool and you have to work with it. Her husband had the sleeve a few months after her. Good for them. She is very funny and crude but that is what I love about her. She is saying her sex life is better and the stomachs can now touch.
We all need people like Lisa to tell the world that surgery is a helper/tool for all of us.
Thank you, Lisa.
I went to the doctor Thursday for my second fill. He is a very important person in my life. I told him all about this wonderful support site and great people I have met. He thinks it great. I also asked about how big my band is and how many cc's he puts in and he asked why and I told him people on this site people talk about it. He didn't think it was necessary to tell me. Should I have pressed him for this? Being on a liquid diet after the fill, I have lost a lot of weight since Thursday, around 5 pounds!
Last night I saw my new grandson, Max. He is very cute for a new born. Max is my 3rd grandson, no girls, yet.
It is snowing lightly in Boston-ugh! I hate snow and winter.
Have a great Saturday, all.
I am from New England, home of great lobster. I was told by many banders that after surgery food can be different. I guess tonight I had my last lobster. It was just too chewy for me. I am sad. I do eat a lot of jumbo lump crab and that agrees with me. I have had shrimp and that goes down fine. The only way I would eat clams is fried, so that is out and I don't do scallops. I find salmon does down super. Tomorrow I am making a pot roast. My husband does not eat meat, only poultry and fish. I guess that means about 12 pot roast meals for me.
Everyone have a great weekend.
Arlene
Surgeries going wrong/bad has been a topic lately. This can happen with any kind of procedures done by the top doctors and hospitals. About 3-4 years ago my dermatologist didn't like a small mole I had. I went to a top Boston hospital to have it removed. Because it was under the belly fat they had to tape my fat belly. I don't do well with tape and got tape burns, aloe took care of that. The mole was removed and I got an infection from the incision. The infection turned into MRSA (I hope I spelled it right). It took 3-4 different antibiotics until the right one was found to get me healed. I was at the hospital every 2-3 days to have them look at it. My husband had to clean it for me 2-3 times a day with saline and medicines. That was suppose to be a no brainer removal. So you just never know. I have had zero problems with the BAND!! Everyone is different. Please stop knocking the Band, I love it, it helps me be under control of my intakes etc. Yesterday I had a stuck moment, it sucks when that happens. I walked and then burped and was fine. My fault, not the band, it just reminds me to be more perfect. No one is perfect.
Enjoy your weekend everyone. Stay dry-Boston is heavy rain for the next 24 hours.
Arlene aka Eye Candy
Hi fellow Banders. Can we wear Spanx after surgery? For some reason I think I heard you should not wear them.
Also, I went to my PCP today and had my first Flu shot ever, at 62. The doctor said there is a new version this year and if you get it expect 7 days in the hospital. That heard, got the shot.
Enjoy your evening, all.
I was bad with my dinner last night. But I loved every bit of it. Today is another day and I will be better. I did not over eat, I just ate the wrong things. I had 3 coconut shrimp, great bread dunked in oil and cheese pizza. The local restaurant has a great football special when the N.E. Patriots play. Yes they won!!!
On one of my other WLS groups one person spoke of her friend and by pass. The woman had by pass about 10 years ago and was doing great for a while. She is now in the hospital for revision. She stretched out her pouch and when the doctor went to sew her insides it was like cotton candy, her words not mine. The woman is on ice chips for a few days and in the hospital for at least 10 days. If that doesn't scare the S**T out of you, nothing will.
I never was a drinker. In fact the last frozen Girl Scout cookie I had I broke out into hives and never had a drink since. That was over 15 years ago. So drinking was never anything I was going to miss with my journey. I never liked fast foods and yet I was and am obese. Fast food was always a comfort food but not for me. Give me bread and more bread, ice cream. I now have bread in restaurants and maybe once or twice a month in my own house.
I think we all went into this new journey to get healthy, be thinner and move our bodies that were just sitting around. No one forced us but we need to be smarter with choices. Like CG always says, Listen to your doctor!! Listen to your dietitian and finally listen to your body.
Have a great week. October is tomorrow and before you know it Halloween. I only buy candy I hate and I hate more candies than I like. I never had a problem with buying candy. Yes, I hate Snickers!!
Arlene
Hello Lap Banders,
I have said before I am computer challenged, or I would re post an article. On Yahoo just now I read that a waiter in CA named a table of 3 women on their check, Fat Girls. How awful is that?? Do they call me and my over weight husband the 2 fatties.
Have a great Hanukkah to all who celebrate.
Happy Thursday. My question is-do you tell everyone how you really lost your weight? I have only told a few people other than a few family members. Next week I have the Jewish holidays and my nephews engagement party and I don't know how to answer people. I am thinking of just saying I am dieting with the help of a dietitian. I hate my husband's sister, so she will never know about me. She's a long story and I've been married 42 years and she has been mean to me almost all those years.
Today I went to Kohl's and tried on a size 18 misses not womens jeans! They fit and looked good. Tops I still need womens 1x, better than 3x I was wearing.
Have a great weekend everyone.
I am finally coming into the technology world. I just upgraded my phone to an iphone. While at the AT&T store I saw they sell Fitbits. I have wanted one for a while but they are $100. They had them for $75. and I have balls and asked for it for less and they sold it to me for $50. Another new item I need to learn besides my computer. The salesman said the iphone has an app for the Fitbit. I am on my second laptop in about 8 years and still don't know how to work one. I don't work so I have no excuse for learning technology.
Have a great evening all.
Today my husband had an appointment in downtown Boston. We never go there even though I live about 10-15 miles from there. If you know Boston there is a real tourist trap for non-stop eating, QUINCY MARKET. Very famous place since the beginning of our wonderful country. My idea to go walk around and have lunch. After walking up and down and looking at pizza, ice cream, candy, Italian pastries, clam chowda, lobster and other goodies, I had a very boring salad. I was good. Hub had a chicken & cheese Philly sub with fries. After we went walking around and my idea, again, we stopped at the Boston Chip Yard. Fresh homemade chocolate chip cookies. They are small and I did eat 4 of them over an hour. I was bad. About 32 years ago we had a push cart at Quincy Market in front of the Chip Yard and Carmel Corn popcorn. I ate both every day and at closing the Carmel Corn people would give us the left overs for free. I didn't see them today, happy about that.
If you ever visit Boston this is wonderful place to visit, they have street entertainment, tours, Old Ironsides isn't too far away and the wonderful Aquarium is near there too.
That is today's tour of Boston and eating.
Enjoy your weekend.
Arlene
I was out today driving with my husband and we were talking about food. He is a diabetic. He said he would love a bowl of hot fudge and said to me, I am sure you do too. I said no, don't want to even have a taste. I am clearing my head of all my old favorites. Like buying fresh made bread and eating a loaf before I even get home from the store. Or having wonderful bread in a restaurant and eating more than one basket full. Bread is my very best friend. I still do have it in restaurants but have totally changed how I eat it. One restaurant I only eat the end crusty parts of the bread not the doughy parts. I know, it is still bread but it takes me longer to eat and I need my friend.
Another friend of mine was my pint of ice cream almost every night and I added almonds and sometimes chocolate chips. I only have my SF Popsicles now.
I hate fast food places so that was never a problem. I do miss really great french fries but I now have a small amount of mashed potatoes instead. I really really want to be thinner. I don't know why this time is different than the other 100 diets/weight loss programs, but this time I am going to be healthier and thinner. I hope you all agree and let's do it!!!!!!!! together.
Have a wonderful evening everyone.
Good evening,
I have a very over weight son, age 34, and he finally wants to be on a diet. Good for him. He mentioned that he is going to use coconut oil, which is spreadable, on his english muffin. Are we allowed coconut oil? It is not on my list. His wife looked into the spread and I guess it has a lot of health benefits..
Today I ate too fast, again. I always say never again and I still do it. It hurts, it's very uncomfortable.
Have a great sleep, all.
Happy Sunday evening. I wanted to tell everyone I really enjoy reading your blogs. They help to keep me going and show that anything is possible.
I am in stage 4 of my food plan. I make a super turkey stuffing with Ritz and cooked vegetables. Since I am allowed those, can I have some stuffing? Or is it too heavy? I am torn. I know I can eat the turkey.
One food that I really enjoy and eat too much of is jumbo lump crab. Does anyone else enjoy this? I eat it as is, no mayo.
Thank you fellow Banders, you're all great.
What is a normal weekly weight loss for a bander? I was banded 7/30 and have been losing 1-3 lbs. per week. Is this normal or just normal for me? I see my surgeon and dietitian this Friday. I have not had a fill yet. I hope to go onto stage 5 of the meal plan also. I miss salad, bread, pasta and pizza. I hope they are allowed. I know small amounts but I would like to have them back. I do miss my Dunkin Donuts ice tea, which had caffeine. I brew my own decaf every day, I drink a lot of ice tea with Splenda. I also like Dairy Queen soft serve ice cream.
What do others miss that you gave up when you were banded?
Have a great day.
Happy New Year to all.
Tomorrow I see the doctor and may get my first fill. I am nervous. I am doing fine as is. After the doctor I have a dietitian meeting about new foods. I miss bread. I went to Olive Garden today, no bread sticks, no pasta and no salad. I ate a small piece of chicken grilled and mashed potatoes. Tasted great but it was Olive Garden, home of the endless salad.
It is 2 months since my banding and I'm doing super. I don't get enough exercise in. I can't afford the gym right now but hope to join one within the next month or so.
Next week is my birthday and I would like to go walking around down town Boston and window shop but my husband isn't well enough to walk around. He has health issues. Last year on my birthday I took him home from the hospital after open heart surgery. The heart is fine, it's the rest of the body that isn't doing well. He's another whole story.
I just needed to vent-thank you for listening.
I saw my PCP today and went over my meds etc. She said that about 6 months ago a study said that there is no evidence that fish oil helps against heart health. I see my WLS doctor Friday and I am also going to ask him. Has anyone heard of this? I have been taking fish oil gummies since the Band in July.
Have great Tuesday everyone.
