♥LovetheNewMe♥

I wish I could take credit for these words but I can't... I found them deep and thought provoking as I deal with life and try to remain positive. I hope you enjoy! The Obstacles of Life by Bill Nelson Life presents us with a wide array of opportunities. Life provides a great deal of enjoyment and happiness. Life teaches a variety of lessons And life brings its own set of challenges. There is probably nothing here you don't already know. But what about those days when everything that can possibly go wrong does. Those days when things just go that little bit left of center to the point of annoying the daylights out of you. Hopefully these types of days are very few and far between, but the reality is we have to deal with a day like this every now and then. What are some of the key obstacles of life and how do they have an ability to influence each other? Rather than try and cover every possible scenario and situation that could cause these days of frustration to come about, and then to grow and get worse, we are just going to focus on four areas: Four areas that as single entities can slow you down; and four areas that also have the ability to flow from one to another to create a decrease in momentum of quite significant proportions. These four obstacles of life are: o Fear o Worry o Anger o Doubt Let's first take a look at each one individually and then also see how they can lead from one to the other. 1. Fear Most of the time fear comes about because we believe that we are about to suffer, in some way or another, from what the future will bring The fear can sometimes be generated by fact, and at other times, by perception. But the bottom line is, we know how we feel when we are fearful. But how do we overcome this fear? Face your fears and overcome those fears. Sounds great in theory but is a lot harder in practical reality. Nevertheless, the concept is probably not far from the truth. A word of caution: if you are going to face your fears, just take your time and do it slowly and methodically. 2. Worry Life can somehow get us to worry about many different things. Some of us worry a lot and some of us have the ability not to get to worried about anything. But what is it that causes us to worry the most? Well we all know that there are a million answers to this question, but let me share this with you: our fear, or what has generated that fear, also can get us to worry. So the cycle gains momentum from one obstacle to the next. Fear can make us start to worry. 3. Anger Not sure about you, but I can get angry about some things that would not affect anyone else; while on the other hand, I don't get angered by things that I know drive others into uncontrollable tirades. A great many things can generate anger, such as situations, thoughts, people, failure and frustration. But sometimes anger is generated as a defense mechanism: a mechanism that is supposedly trying to help when we sometimes get spooked by other emotions, such as fear and worry. So now our cycle has three stages to it: Fear triggers worry Fear and worry can generate anger 4. Doubt Life continues to roll on, and as it does there can be many reasons why the element of doubt could be generated. o Doubt about our ability to be successful o Doubt about our ability to get the job done o Doubt about our ability to reach the levels to which we aspire o Doubt about what the future holds o Doubt about whether you can be a great Partner/Parent/Friend Once again, my doubts are (no doubt) different to your doubts. And our friend's doubts would be different again. So doubts can be generated by many different reasons, which are not necessarily right or wrong. But what about when our doubt is generated by our fear, worry, and anger? What happens then? Well what happens is we continue to add another negative element into our cycle of obstacles of life. Individually theses emotions can slow our progress through life. But start to see them together and they have the ability to apply the brakes to life and apply them hard. My message through all of this is to make sure that you are not your own worst enemy in this. Take care that you are not generating and perpetuating a cycle of emotions that will see your obstacles of life become stronger and longer. The Journey Continues Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/584787

We totally understand, food always comforted me. I still remember the first argument hubby and I had post band, i use to use food for comfort and when it was not there, oh wow. I had to deal with every emotion, frustration and feeling I had. I was so angry with the band, me the doctor and my husband. it takes time to develop new coping skills but with patience and believing in your self you can do this. You went through all of this to make your life better, you will have some loved ones in your life that support you and some that tempt you. I will pray you find strength to pull you through your sadness and give you encouragement for your journey.

Katie, I was exactly where you are two and half years ago. Those feelings are normal, it is called grief. your grief for food is just as normal as grieving the death of a person or event in your life. Food was a big part of all of our lives. I guarentee you, you will get through this phase if you remain strong and focused. It is Ok to do a little self pitty but may I suggest you use that energy for postive attributions. To be thin you must think thin and you must be positive. This journry is by far not easy, the journey has it's ups and downs and many obstacles along the track but if you remain focused and strong you will be fine. Check out my profile of my before and after, the band works, it you work the band and are willing to change your life. Good luck to you, I know you can do this and really change your life.

Lori Jo, I think you may have a platter not a plate! Your postive attitude will take you far in your journey. My wish for you is strength and success as you move forward. Please let me know how I can support you during your journey, best wishes and good luck.

Well Good Morning to all of you LapBanders! Are you having a wonderful day, are you having a successful lap band journey? Well I am choosing to have a wonderful day and I have had a wonderful lap band journey. If you can't answer yes to both of those question, you need to ask yourself WHY the H E L L NOT! Hi, my name is Diane, Love to all my BFF's on lap band talk. I have been banded since October 2010, and yes I am a successful lapband participant. I set her dormant most of the time, surfing the site, occasional liking a post or making a comment. I don't really get caught up in all the Bull S H I T that goes on in the blogs or on the forums, because honestly people are going to do what they want and you can't fix stupid. My philosophy on life is to live to the fullest and you get out of life what your willing to put into it. There are times in life when we all ask the question,"Why is this happening to me?" God, why do you put so much burden on me? Seriously, how much more can I take or can I do? Seriously folks don't ask those questions because, life is just that LIFE and it will always throw you curve balls and it will always put obstacles in your path, it is how YOU chose to deal with the curve balls and the obstacles that defines your path. If you want to be successful or optimistic about anything it is your attitude that is your defining grace. Let me explain: What is a pessimist? a person who habitually sees or anticipates the worst or is disposed to gloomy. What is an optimist? the tendency to EXPECT the best and see the best in things, hopeful, confident. Now I want you to read both of those definitions and take a good internal look at your self, stand in front of the mirror and ask your self, Am I a pessimist or an optimist? If that person staring back at you from the mirror is a pessimist, I am here to tell you, YOU WILL FAIL at this WL Journey. You will never lose all your weight, you will struggle at every obstacle the band throws your way. You will whine about being hungry, you will whine about being stuck, you will whine about not losing weight, you will blame the band, the surgeon and everyone on this sit who has been successful or is really trying. Face it everyone, trying to lose weight sucks, and it is hard whether you have Lap Band or some other tool helping you. It is going to be hard work but if you believe in yourself, NOT the BAND, you can and WILL be successful I know because I was and am! So the next time life throws you Lemons, instead of crying over split milk, Make a nice cool, refreshing glass of Lemon Ade sugar free of course. Today, I dedicate my blog to my mother. My mother is 84 years old and is dealing with Dementia. Well maybe I should say we are dealing with mama having Dementia. Honestly I never thought we would be here, my mama was always such a vibrant lady, always a on the go, the life of the party. But now she is scared and lost and what is the saddest is she knows she is lost. She woke up yesterday morning at my house and walked out of her room like a frightened 2 year old waking from a bad dream. She was disheveled and crying. "Di, how did I get here? I went to bed in one place and woke up here? How did I get here?" She was sobbing, it broke my heart to watch. It took us the better part of the morning to reconstruct the night but with time and patience she was able to put her night back together and realize why she was with me instead of at her place. You see we are relocating my mama to be closer to me and my brothers, she had spent 4 days of hell, saying goodbye to all her old friends, her great grand children and grand daughter. She had packed her 84 years up in boxes and loaded them on a big truck. She spent the night in a hotel, had lost her suit case and drove for 8 hours, unpacked a truck into her new home, went to dinner in a strange town, went to bed in a strange bed and woke up scared. Now I ask you, What would you do or feel? Lost, scared, unsure of what is happen, Yes you would and so would I. I told my mama it was going to be OK! She said to me" Di, it may be OK but it will never be the same!." WOW what a powerful statement, and you know what she is right, it will never be the same. But it will be OK, and why will it be OK, because we are choosing to be optimistic. We all know the end result of Dementia, you slowing lose your present, live in your past and forget that there is a tomorrow! So why not make the most of what time you have left of today and continue to enjoy life. We could all give up on mama and just pretend this isn't happening or let others deal with it but is that really fair? So you see, life has now thrown me another curve ball or more lemons, I have whined, I have cried, I have asked those questions, Oh why me and my mama but today, today I am choosing to be hopeful and confident that my mama will slowly descend into the shadows of darkness known as Dementia, I am choosing to be hopeful that she can remain independent with minimal assistance from her family. I am choosing to make Lemon Ade. I know the odds, I know what the final outcome will be but it truly is about the journey and I am choosing to make this a wonderful, hopeful journey for me, mama and my family. So friends I ask you again are you a Pessimist or an Optimist and if you are a pessimist may I suggest you look really long and hard at that person staring back at you from the mirror and ask WHY?

lol, I sooooo...needed this laugh this morning. I love my friends and AJ you are the best.

I am so sorry for your lose and I think we can all identify with your feelings of depression and yes we all resort back to what used to make us feel comfort. As Missy stated the plus for you is recognizing your situation and moving forward. We are all human and bad times bring out bad behaviors and unfortunately that is human nature. I know you will get back on track, be good to yourself and love your self you know that is what the women in your life would want for you. Good luck to you and I am so sorry for your loss.

Delightful, you will find the negative people every where including on this site. I feel we have a choice and I chose to succeed and I did. You can lose the weight it is slow but it is possible, never give up and your victory is proving all the negative people wrong.

Honestly you may sometimes not be eating enough food. I went through a period a year ago where i was stuck, i went up and down with 3-4 pounds and also always tracked my food on MFP. It was not until I increased my protein to about 80-90 gms perday and consistantly ate around 1100 to 1200 calories that I started to lose again. I had over analized everything I put in my mouth and like you could not understand why I was not losing. I exercised like crazy and watched what I ate so why not lose. How much protein do you eat per day and do you fall below 1000 calories often, if so your body will hold on to the fat. You actually need food to turn your body into a machine to burn fat.

I am a successful bandster and have been at goal for 6 months. The head hunger game can really be an issue all along the journey. I eat small high protein meals all day long. It is actually kind of funny, because on the days I do my best I am constantly eating about every 3 hours. I only eat protein for snacks, peanut butter, sliced turkey, nuts, soy nuts, etc. I do try to eat at least 1-2 small pieces of fruit a day, usually a small banana, cutie or small apple peeled and sliced but when I eat the fruit I always add a small amount of protein. I eat very little zero or low calorie foods, like lettuce, cucumbers, carrots,( I call this rabbit food) To me I think of this as diet food and I am not dieting. I do count calories and I do measure and write down all food intake, I have done this my entire journey because it helps me stay focused and honest with myself.You say you have busy days, I would suggest you start your day with a very good high protein and carb breakfast and energy. I know a lot of people frown on carbs but they give you energy and fuel and if balanced with complex proteins you will stay full longer. My typical day of eating. Breakfast daily is 1/2 cup oatmeal dry oats cooked with 1 cup water, 1/3 cup egg whites, and 2-3 tablespoons of SF Brown sugar syrup. I add 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/8 cup chopped apple, 2 pecan halves and 1 teaspoon of raw sugar. It takes me about 30 min to eat this and most days I can only eat about 3/4 of this. It is less than 300 calories and very nutritious. Mid morning I usually have a protein bar that is around 180-190 calories with 9-12 gms of protein or if band is tight I may drink 1 scoop of protein powder which is 140 calories and 25 grms of protein Lunch consists of 3-4 oz of protein(usually chicken, turkey, fish, or lean pork), some green veggies, lettuce, green beans, zucchini a splash of olive oil and vinegar and some days I add half a sweet potato, no butter or additives. (I have used a few of lean cuisines salad creations lately and they are around 19gms of protein less than 300 calories and I use about 3/4 cup lettuce) Mid-afternoon, I have a small apple or banana and 1-2 tablespoons of natural ground peanut butter. Dinner: Lean protein 3-4 ozs and veggies On days I work out I always have an additional dose of protein by drinking a shake. I eat about 1200-1500 calories a day. If I am starving at night, I drink more liquids and rule is after 8pm I do not eat. to help me stay focused I have kept a picture of fat Diane on the fridge beside thin Diane. A picture is worth a thousand words and I am trying to never go back wards. I do have grazing days, they are usually Sunday's but I tend to eat same amount of calories and my protein intake on Sunday's usually sucks. Do not get discouraged, this is a life style change and it takes time to change bad behavior.

Awesome Jim, it is so very easy to get discouraged and to have unrealistic expectations as any of us that have been banded for a while have come to realize. I am so happy for you, sending you lots of positive affirmations for continued success.

I thought this would be a good place for all of us to start posting some band friendly recipes for our group. I pm'd one out this morning in celebration of St. Paddy's Day. So let's share and see how creative we can be to remain focused and reach our goals. My theory is variety in food keeps you from craving the old life style. Edamame Dumplings serves 2 adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook INGREDIENTS: filling: 1 cup edamame, shelled, cooked, drained a big handful of basil leaves (about 10 big leaves) 3 scallions, white and green parts, coarsely chopped 1/2 garlic clove, minced 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced 1 teaspoon miso paste 1 teaspoon tahini squeeze of lemon splash of sriracha (or to taste) salt, pepper, to taste other ingredients: 18 wonton wrappers (plus a few extra to allow for mess-ups) 1-2 cups pre-made veggie broth, for steaming toasted sesame oil, for drizzling sprouts and sesame seeds, for garnish METHOD: In a food processor, pulse together all of the filling ingredients. Taste and adjust seasonings. Don’t over blend, the filling needs to be somewhat chunky. If yours is more watery, add some more edamame or more basil until you get a thicker consistency. Lay half of the wonton wrappers out on your work surface. Set the rest in a pile next to you, along with a small bowl of water for dabbing your fingers in. Spoon about a tablespoon of filling in each. Use your finger to wipe a bit of water on all 4 edges. Place a new wrapper on top and gently press down, adhering each edge. Simmer broth in a medium skillet. Add enough broth so that it covers the bottom of the pan at least an inch deep. Drop wontons in the pan in a single later (you can do this in multiple batches if they don’t all fit. Cover and steam for about 2 minutes or until the wontons are cooked through but still al dente (like pasta). Divide steamed wontons among plates, pour the broth from the pan on top. Drizzle with some toasted sesame oil and garnish with sprouts and sesame seeds. Home made Dumpling Wrappers Ingredients for making dough and wrappers: All purpose flour, 4cups Water, 1.8 cup Salt, 1/3 teaspoon 1. Mix 4 cups of flour, 1/3 teaspoon of salt, and 1.8 cups of water in a large bowl. Mix until you get a smooth dough. 2. Cover the bowl with a cling film and let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes. 3.Remove the dough to a clean flat surface. Cut it into 20 equal pieces. 4. Use your hand to gently pound a piece of dough into a small circular disc, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a circular wrapper about 3 inches in diameter. 5. The wrappers can be used to wrap the filling immediately. For storage, they should be coated with flour so that they don’t stick together. They can be stored in the fridge for several days, or frozen for long-term storage. How to wrap Chinese dumplings 1. Place a small spoonful of filling in the center of each wrapper. 2. Smear a little water on the edges of the wrapper, then fold the wrapper over filling and pinch the two edges together, forming a half-circle. 3. Place the wrapped dumplings on a plate coated with a little flour so that they don’t stick. How to cook Chinese dumplings 1. Add a dash of salt to a pot of water, and bring to boil. Slightly salty water will give the dumplings more flavor, and help prevent the dumplings from sticking to the pot. 2. When the water has begun boiling, add the dumplings to the water. Wait 5 minutes for the water to come back to a boil, and then turn down the heat and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. 3. Drain the water from the dumplings and serve with your favorite dipping sauces. My first attempt at these dumplings I used wonton wrappers and did not like the outcome, so home made is how I am going with the recipe because I can not find dumpling wrappers in South Carolina. Plug the ingredients into MFP recipes and it will break it down into serving size. I usually only eat 2-3 dumplings so the amount of servings is more for me. ENJOY and Oh, Happy St. Paddy's Day Friends!

I found this interesting, I was googling body image and WLS and this just kind of fit for me. I seem to struggle more and more lately with the excess skin I have been left with after losing 100 plus pounds. When I look in the mirror sometimes I find it hard to see the thin me, I seem to be more critical of my body now than when I was obese. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31489881/ns/health-womens_health/t/phantom-fat-can-linger-after-weight-loss/

Good luck and glad you did not give up, even with the band WL is hard. We are trying to undo years of bad behavior.

The low calories in the first few weeks is normal but it is key you get some protein onboard. There are lots of good protein shakes out there, I like Pure Protein, the vanilla you can add some fruit, peanut butter or sugarfree syrups to to add some flavor and cover the whey taste. Also the chocolate is not bad. Unjury which is also another good product, you have to order this one. I also used to order from a site, bariatriceating.com, There shakes are awesome, I especially liked the peanut butter cookie and the carmel latte. They are not as sweet and did not have as much aftertaste. I am over two years out and occassionally I still do shakes to supplement my protein. Good luck.

Glad you have done well. Good luck on the stop smoking, I know you can do that if you can beat this.

None of us are perfect, no need to yell, you have already beat yourself up. I recommend what you said, restaurants are hard in the beginning. You would laugh but I used to take my measuring cups and spoons with me, my hubby told me he drew the line at my bring the scale alone. lol I was obsessed in the beginning and so afraid I would not lose or would over eat. Give it time and keep remembering why you did this. None of us want to keep doing the same things over and over again that caused to fail in the past. Good luck to you.

I was very addicted to diet coke's, I gave them up 3 months before surgery and yes it was hard. After surgery I still had some cravings for soda and I would occassionally allow them to go flat and try to drink them but it defeats the purpose and tast of a good soda. I have tasted carbonated beverages and they do make you burp, and cause you to be very gasey and my band is just not work the potenital harm carbonation can cause. On the international coffee stuff, look for SF and FF. If you use it occassionally as a treat than it should not be a problem. While trying to loose weight I was very strict with my diet, since reaching goal I do allow myself occassional indulgence in coffee;s treats etc but I am very careful and count the calories/ Good luck to you on your journey.

Nuts of any kind are a real weakness for me, they are kinda like potato chips were to the old love so I have to be very careful with them Your recipe sounds yummy.

Awesome to have a great relationship with your surgeon! Good luck!

Mine was pretty deep when i started this journey but now it sticks out.