Globetrotter

Think of it as a gift Carol, getting to see her with you, in you.

no but I take weekly side/back photos of myself in the same clothes and I have some structured clothes (non-stretchy) and none of these things have changed.

Kim - are yorkies yappers? I want to get a therapy dog and a yorkie or a king charles or frenchie are my top picks. If I was going to be in a house with a yard I would get my real top pick of a big sporting breed. Georgia - Those are some important reflections, and wonderfully healthy for you to be aware of your changing role. Coops - Oh man, I needed that roar of laughter your pic gave me! I mean I was smiling and chuckling until I scrolled down and saw the matching slippers, that's when I just lost it! The look on the Rudolph's face .... I do believe there is a Christmas Sweater competition in the States, maybe in New York or Chicago, where they compete for most inventive/ugliest/bizarrest, etc. I was able to Skype with my Mom and cousins and several friends for Christmas which was lovely, I gave myself the day off from Insanity and ate turkey, ham, beef, sweet potato, gravy, cranberries, and a few bites of a caramel apple with nuts. I went to a church service and they sang carols, on O Holy Night, I could feel the emotion coming and when they got to the refrain "fall on your knees.. oh hear, the angel voices" I just lost it, my throat closed up and I wept. I'm going to fast today even though it is an eating day and I did Insanity, and I'm not going to weigh myself until after my usual fasting time of the weekend. Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you were filled with love and togetherness.

Day 18 Insanity: It should be day 19, or 22 if I weren't giving myself a day off every week, but I did not go Insane yesterday, gave myself Christmas off. Christmas Eve I broke through a weight level that had stymied me since beginning Insanity but after the calories I ingested yesterday, I am not going to weight myself until after my next fast!! When I take a shower I try to pick the stall in front of the full length mirror, so I can inspect for any changes being wrought by Insanity. I'm really not seeing any positive changes, if anything I look worse! My skin is actually looser, more water/jelly-like and wobbly.

Fiddle, excellent points that, I think, pretty much go without saying, yes? I for one do not have issues with treating Protein bars like candy bars, I am never tempted to eat more than half a Quest at a time, BECAUSE they are so filling. Calorically they may not be that disimilar to Snickers, but you aren't going to tell me that I might as well eat a Snickers, are you? I don't have the option of eating the lovely clean whole foods, wish I could, but for now, Quest bars, protein powders and the rare piece of fruit are what I have available. I think this is all a tempest in a teacup.

and of course, The World According to Eggface blog, I couldn't paste the link.

http://www.foodiefiasco.com/ http://nouveauraw.com/

some of them are gluten free, and sugar free.

Kim - I like to refer to us as the Island of Misfit Toys!

Oh by the way - I force myself to do Insanity daily, it's not fun times, but what I do like is after it is all over and after I have done my weights, I go to a little set of steps and hang my heels off and do toe-lifts until my calves, psoaz, and glutes are screaming. As I wobble away my body is just FLOODED with pleasure, seriously, mmmm yeah...

Day 17 Insanity: been feeling particularly fatigued the past couple days, and getting a stitch in my side right away at the start of the workout. I don't eat prior so I'm unsure what this is about.. Been trying to find a place to live in Seattle, apparently anyone making less than $60K qualifies for low-income housing!! SherylJane - so you went out and had a carefree evening with an interesting man, cry me a river. Champagne problems, no pun intended, you really are blowing this out of proportion. Have you discussed your control issues with your therapist? I think control is a huge issue with bariatric patients, our success is predicated upon a neurotic level of control and that control can then, ironically, spin out of control. I hope I'm not being too short with you, today is Christmas Eve and this is unbelievably difficult, I cried in the shower yesterday. I can't indulge in any of these treats y'all mention, beyond guilt over bad eating, if I eat anything that isn't pure and clean I am plunged into physical anguish and no, that's not hyperbole; shooting needle pain in my muscles, extreme fatigue, extreme dopiness ... it's terrifying. If I were home ... home what is home ... if I were home, I would be preparing our Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvres; I took over Christmas feast prep once I was done with Santa Claus (I was old, like 11). We always go to midnight mass so I long ago made the executive decision to save the big feast for Christmas day and instead make some light treats for a very late snack before we left for church. Another rule is that I ALWAYS cook from Christmas from the Heart of the Home, by Susan Branch. hors d'oeuvres in the past have included baked brie in puff pastry, hot mulled wine, citrus salad, chicken liver pate, charcuterie, and my very special hot cocoa: I make it from scratch using Ghirardelli powder and whole milk (oh yeah), I make my own whipped cream too with crushed peppermints, I put a peppermint chocolate wedge on the bottom of each cup and put a peppermint stick in each cup to stir with. This is the traditional Christmas Eve drink. then Christmas morning I make "candied bacon" - thick cut bacon drizzled with a mustard/brown sugar mix. And don't forget 24 hours of a Christmas Story! Starts Christmas Eve, and we keep it on the whole 24 hours! Stockings are my favorite part of Christmas, always have been. I'm at work right now, having to listen to some gun nuts waxing on, telling their fairytales of need to gun tote. I'm so over this lifestyle. I ate some chocolate covered pretzels last night that were delicious but caused great pain which is depressing.

Yeah, the frustration element is definitely a part of getting into yoga, for sure. I have a love/hate relationship with pidgeon, hurts so good!!

DAY 17, INSANITY: It's Christmas Eve and I did Insanity, I've earned my gluten free cookie and sugar free apple cider! I am not going to do Insanity tomorrow. I've been getting side stitches that last 3 days, right away at the start of the workout. I don't eat prior to working out so .... ? Thanks for the hugs guys!

who wants a choo-choo, with square wheels?!!! Or a Charlie-in-the-box!!

since I am following a strict autoimmune protocol I do live life sugar and flour free and it is easy peasy! *white* sugar, and *white* flour are pure poison to my body and the effects are immediate and painful. Instead, it's all about the stevia, the coconut sugar, and ground flaxseed/hemp flour or almond meal or ground chia. Not only do I never have to give up my cakes, now I also don't have to deal with refined white food coma!

I actually look forward to the holiday "challenges"; I take a leaf from Eggface's book, she finds ways to make high Protein low carb treats that are also visually appealing. protein truffles, protein cake, protein DOUGHNUTS - I love the idea of having my cake and eating it too!

"no one likes a skinny Santa!" name that quote ......... Day16 Insanity: double sesh, the pain goes deep. too tired to eat. Not seeing any difference in clothes fitting or in my weekly photos .

a woman should be getting -minimum- 25g fiber a day. Without a Quest bar, I get around 7g.

Fiddle - one of the first rules of yoga is to only do what your body will do, don't try to do more than you are ready for. HOWEVER, the other first rule is that when you are in a pose and your body starts talking to you, that is when you are supposed to go deeper into the stretch, because only then is it starting to happen.

I'm wary of jumping on these kind of attack bandwagons. The bars work for me on workout days, half before, half after, very filling.

Ha Denise, I wouldn't be mad if the scale was down 5 pounds - I was peeved because I got off the scale, got back on and it was at the "original" weight, the one I have been stuck at since I started Insanity. It was a cruel joke on the part of my scale, "here you go, victory! HAHA just kidding sucker!!" I am so glad I got to fast yesterday and today (non-Insanity days) because I am sick and tired of eating!

wow. I rely on Quest bars to get in my fiber.

Tis the season for tamales, I like to dig out the centers and leave the masa. Denise - congratulations on the baby and congratulations to your daughter for going natural! SherylJane - don't discount easy to talk to (Bruce) that is not as common a quality as we might think and is really important. Experienced a cruelty of the scale this morning - got on and it showed a 5 lb jump down, I stepped off, let it recalibrate, stepped on again, and nope back to the weight I've stayed at! @##%^**(!!!!@#! So cruel.

I really can't recommend Pilates enough, I know I've mentioned it before on other threads for you Fiddle, it was created for injured ballerinas who didn't want to lose strength during recovery. Pilates and yoga do incredible things for the body and releasing toxins, I also recommend acupuncture.

Brittu - when were your procedures? can you post pics? how is your healing going? do you have feeling in your nipples?