DivaStyleCoach

You don't see the paparazzi at her house every day? I don't see it dying down any time soon. It won't die down anytime soon because her continued video blogging and other eccentric behaviors encourage the tabloids and the paparazzi. If she conducted herself as normally as possible, they would soon find nothing to report on and leave her alone. People can shelter their children from things that can hurt them in the long run and there are a lot of famous people who do not choose to use their children to make a few bucks. (Definition of a few bucks is relative, of course.) What do they need to be sheltered from? They need to be sheltered from those who would remind them of all the eccentric and just plain dumb things their biological mother did to get them here...they don't need to try and answer the question "So WHY did your mother decide to have 8 more babies when she already had you guys?" No child needs to be faced with those kind of questions, but unfortunately their biological mother is giving the tabloids enough fodder to harass and embarass these children well into their teens - and with her track record, I don't see it stopping anytime soon. Even if she cares not one whit what people say about her, she should care about the eventual effect on the children she worked so hard to bring into the world - as ill-advised as that decision was. Because of the internet and archiving, these children will be able to find themselves on Google as soon as they know how to spell their names - if not before then. And it won't exactly be flattering coverage...She is not trying to raise money to take care of the kids - she is trying to further her own lifestyle. So far, her actions have been selfish, selfish and yet again selfish. No redeeming qualities so far that I can see - no time that she has thought of the kids BEFORE her own needs. The artificial nails are just one more layer of evidence against her - go ahead and get a manicure, get new polish, get your nails shaped, etc - just leave the acrylic nails OUT OF IT. They are a health hazard to her preemies, and she should immediately SOAK THEM OFF and then WASH HER HANDS before touching any of her children!

I just realized what the graphic showed! OMG - that is so funny! :laugh:

PJTP... My DH is on the way home from his business trip to DC and I am so glad!!!! :laugh: I missed the big lug... I <heart> my DD - we were out for our morning walk with DDog, and he looked up the street to our left - the side streets in that area go up a steep hill - and then my DD called out - "Are you okay?" Apparently one of the senior citizens in the area who helps open services at the catholic church near our home had fallen on the downhill portion which leads down to the street we walk on (and to the church). She had on a dark coat, and I didn't even SEE her! My DD went halfway up the hill, helped the lady to her feet and then walked her the rest of the way to the church, helped her up the stairs to the door, and inside the church. We've seen this lady before, and always speak to her - she's really nice. Even the DDog - who normally barks at strangers - didn't make a sound as we walked a safe distance behind them. He's kinda big, so he scares some people. I was so proud of her I could bust! She did all this without being told - and with today's postings about manners and civility and the lack thereof in society, I wanted to post this wonderful story to show that all is NOT lost - some of us are still teaching our children the right things to do, and some of them are listening! Side note: DD said she was channeling her dad, my DH, who definately would have done the same thing...the ear-to-ear grin wouldn't leave my face this morning...still hasn't! Big ups to all the guys and parents out there setting the RIGHT examples!

Afternoon Warriors! Been having a ball with my at-home rowing machine lately...I still walk every morning with DD and DDog. The rower kicked my butt the first couple of weeks, but I'm finding my stride now. I'm up from the base 20 minute workout to 30 minutes now - I add fast-paced music before and after (love my iPhone!) to keep the heart rate and calorie burn up. Started out covering barely 1000m, last night rowed 4413m in 30:17, with a 3:40 split time for 500m. I have progressed quite a bit - it made me wonder what the heck I was waiting for! And I've lost the 2 pounds I gained before my 3-week stall. I've been fighting to get rid of it and since my fill in mid-Feb, I've been logging my food and exercising more, and it is starting to pay off! Looking forward to more losses by the end of the month, and I'll be purchasing the 40 minute workout by the end of the month as well!:cursing:

Exactly MY point - accept help and stop with the constant reports and media mentions. Concentrate on the children - that should be her ONLY priority. I totally agree - stupidity at its worst!

Girlfriend, you ain't neva lied! I am so jealous that I could NEVER bring anyone else to the party. Definately not another woman, and certainly not another man, because I don't want HIM to be upset either. We just keep finding new ways to please, tease and tickle each other!:thumbup: :crying:

Respectfully, PattyGreen, Her actions speak so loudly I can't hear a word she says...

Maybe we could use software to have a 'virtual' toy party online...a webcam to show off the toys, special teleconference logins (with passwords) sent to invited guests, and invoices sent via Paypal for secure payment... Just my techie brain working...

I seriously doubt that the benevolent and loving God that I know would be happy about her trying to make money off of her innocent children. They did not ASK to be brought into this world - she, of her own FREE WILL (a wonderful gift from God) chose to circumvent HIS set-up of this situation. She was unable to have children naturally (without help from IVF) - who's to say that was NOT God's will because he, in his infinite wisdom KNEW what kind of irresponsible, selfish, overwhelmed, unintelligent mother she would be? **EDIT** The above statement was in no way intended as a dig against those who undergo IVF or other treatments because they truly want children. Infertility is a horrible situation when you want and would love to have children, however I believe Nadya was NOT prepared for her first group of children, and is NOT prepared to take care of her second group of children. **END EDIT** I have VERY LITTLE sympathy for her and her predicament, because she chose, of her OWN FREE WILL to bring about this situation. She should have seen her first precious children as the Gift that they are and endeavored to take the best possible care of those children. They are HER responsibility, and since it is patently obvious she was NOT taking sufficient care of her current children (home in foreclosure, etc) it was no less than criminal for her to continue to pursue more children. I chose NOT to have more children when it was obvious to me that I was struggling with the one child that I had. I was unable to provide a home for him without help; I also had to accept assistance at first to help feed and clothe him. I accepted that assistance, but then put myself through school and a rigorous training program in order to find a job that would allow me to take care of myself and my son. I had help - and she will NEED help. Her plan to continue her education is a good one - she will need to generate a really good income in order to take care of her large family and NOT continue to be a burden on the taxpayers. If she truly wants to make a good life for her children, she needs to stop seeking celebrity (the love of the "world") and focus on HER CHILDREN. I personally would be doing everything humanly possible to make a home for my children (all of them) and lining up support to help with their care - NOT seeking celebrity, publicity, or how to sell my story to the highest bidder!

Congrats on the shopping trip, Tap! That must have felt awesome... I'm disciplining myself not to shop any more until I drop at least another size...I'm down two sizes so far, but I had so many multiple sizes in my closet I still have clothes to wear! :ohmy: Once they are falling off of me (or maybe before that) I'll buy a few things for Spring - knowing that by Fall I will be too small for them and have to do it all over again! Yay! Can you tell I LOVE to shop? :crying::w00t::thumbup:

Afternoon Notorious Novembers! I'm posting to report a victory - I lost the two pounds that I've been struggling with for the past few weeks! I had gone down to 237 from a high pre-op of 265. When I had my surgery, I had lost a little, but not much. I have been stalled for about 3 weeks, but I re-examined my eating habits, started measuring my food more, stepped up my exercise, and got a fill on Feb 18th. Since that time, the scale really didn't move, but I held strong. My scale this morning showed that I'm down two pounds, and I'm claiming it's only the beginning of much more to come. For all those who are struggling with their bands right now, please, please, please hang in there! A couple of years ago, I did one of those Body Transformation challenges with an exercise plan - the workouts were great, but what I took away from it was a piece of wisdom from the trainer that sometimes women don't see immediate results from workouts and eating right. We sometimes don't see results from the changes we've made for 4, 6 or even 8 weeks...right about the time we're ready to give up. I agree with several of the other posters - I could NOT have gotten back to this weight (I've been here before) without my band (I named her Jillian) and I know that with the band and my own willpower, I will make it this time! I will be healthier, thinner, and stronger!

ROFLMBO....thanks, Beth - I just spewed Coke Zero all over my computer screen...

Mumof2boys - I would certainly consider a visiting nurse for a few days while you get back on your feet. Is there anyone else (friend, relative) who could stay with you for a few days or a week to help out? I know money will be a concern for you... You CAN do this! I pray that it will be an easy time for you and for your husband. It's not going to be easy, but at least you are not seperating with a lot of venom being expressed on both sides. Stay strong, girlfriend! You are stronger than you imagine and it will be okay...

Yeah - what others said...we missed you Tap! Luluc - your hubby sounds like a definate keeper! Made me remember when my DH and I got married...money was tight, so I had a band but no diamond ring. It was okay - I got the man...well, he re-enlisted and got a sizable bonus. He bought me a beautiful diamond engagement ring with part of the bonus...even though I thought at the time that there were other things we needed more. He said I was the most important thing in his life...I've never been loved so well. Through all our ups and downs, he is a wonderful constant iin my life.

Hi Plain! :crying: No problem with you asking...right now, he is not into "penetration". Probably part of his very conventional male upbringing...he will allow me to touch him there, but penetration is right now out of the question. I say right now because who knows what the future brings? I have heard that some men find extreme pleasure in penetration with a finger or other slender object, because it can provide additional stimulation. Haven't yet tried it...if he was willing, I'd give it a shot...I'd do that for my lover!

This is such a sad story...if she's having trouble keeping track of her children when there are only 6 of them, how is she going to handle it when there are 14 of them? The fact that she stated over and over again in front of her children that she was going to kill herself is reprehensible. I can understand being overwhelmed - I've been there - but I have NEVER threatened to kill myself - and would NEVER say such a thing within earshot of any of my children. Why, oh why did they allow this woman to undergo IVF in the first place? It does not seem to me, with everything we've heard about her, that she is fit to parent so many children. Her reasons for having children were ill-advised at best, and now that there are 14 children to have to deal with, she is clearly not going to be able to handle it. Yeah, I know - some might say that no one is ever truly prepared for a child, but my goodness! I was a single parent - not by choice - and if I hadn't had my family to help me out, I would NOT have made it. My mother was there to help me, my niece-in-law babysat while I worked, and my grandmother was a fount of wisdom and experience that I tapped on a regular basis. This is what I needed, and with just one child who was perfectly healthy and had no learning or behavioral issues. I do not see anything that Nadya has shown the world that makes her capable of even minimally parenting 14 children. She is not parenting the 6 that she has! I sincerely hope that CPS does not send the preemies home with her - they will not be safe there.

Kat - I *heart* you...you make such good sense, and temper your tough love with compassion. I agree that she needs parenting classes - perhaps a mentor relationship with another parent with multiple kids would help her. She needs to stop seeking the limelight and put her children first. I don't know how she expects to handle 8 additional children when she's having trouble with her autistic child (if indeed that is the child that was on her lap) and with caring sufficiently for her other children. It's been reported that the other children are already showing signs of being jealous of the new babies, and she can't watch all of them 24 / 7. All it would take was a moment or two of inattentiveness, and the next news story would be about one of her older children smothering one or more of the babies. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, and I pray it does not happen, but without her taking on some help, I just don't see how she'll care for all of them. They deserve better - the babies and her existing children. Perhaps when they are all older and more independent, they would be able to better accept each other and be more help to her, but right now, they need the freedom to be children. The paparazzi stalk stars like crazy - can you imagine how difficult life will be for these children? It makes me shudder to think of it...

Crystal525 - I'm glad I could help...when I post to motivate others, it motivates ME too! I read on another thread that someone mentioned they know they are messing up when they don't post every day - it's accountability and when they come to the site and note everyone else's efforts, it makes them work harder. One of the great threads is in the Exercise area - there's one where we post our exercise activity and duration on a daily basis - you can probably find it by looking for the current month (or past months if you want to read some of the history). Some of the posters are real athletes - they work out every day and post some really big numbers. I'm not to that level yet, but I'm working on getting there by summer. Check out that thread and see if it inspires you further!:confused:

Checking in... Still have good restriction from my second fill...that part is going pretty good. I still need to make better choices! I am a confirmed carb addict - if it's crunchy (crackers, chips, etc) then I'm there... I have been doing a bit better, because while my numbers on the scale haven't made a dramatic drop, all my clothes are getting looser and I feel lighter. The rowing machine and the work out I found are awesome - I started just doing the 20 minutes and now I'm adding music before and after to get the workout up to 30 minutes. I am up to 4000 m on the rowing machine, when I started I was barely getting 1000m. I feel like a breakthrough is coming - I've just got to stay consistent and keep moving, and I know that weight is going to fall off eventually. Aloudwhisper - something that I've found has helped me lately is to eat "bulky" veggies and nothing but fresh fruit. I was eating canned fruit cause it's mushy, but that's the very reason it didn't fill me up! I bring in bags of baby carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes with me to work, and munch on those. I also bring in one or two pieces of fruit to help with the sugar cravings. The fresh produce makes me chew more (jaws get tired, I stop eating!) and they also fill me up more quickly. I'm working with my head hunger too - it's my constant companion and I have succeeded somewhat in dampening the voice, but not eliminating it entirely yet. sxevan - check your workout shoes - as bountiful beauties, we put more stress on our feet and joints than less-well-endowed individuals, so you may have to splurge and get fitted / analyzed - go to foot locker and have them work with you to find a shoe that gives you maximum support and comfort without a lot of weight in the shoe. Once you find the right ones, then go on Ebay and buy future pairs there. It will save you some money - it's where I get my shoes now that I know which ones to buy. You may also have to replace your shoes more often while you are training and losing - your feet take a real pounding when you are heavy... I can't tell you how much better my knees feel just since I lost the little that I have - I can only imagine the 'spring' in my step when I reach goal! :confused:

Congrats, ddgalarza! Isn't it funny how we crave restriction and when we get it we're so happy! :confused::confused: Crystal525 - I'm right there with ya! I don't always make good choices either, but since my second fill recently, I make a lot fewer of them! I will encourage you to up your workouts to 3 - 4 times a week. I think if you do that, the results you will get (realizing that Non Scale Victories - NSV's are as important as losing pounds) will encourage you to keep going. I used to be a 4-day a week gym rat - when I worked in the same town that I live in. Now, with my hour-each-way commute, I wasn't able to get to the gym as often as I'd like, and I've had to discipline myself to work out. I now have a rowing machine in my house and have fallen in love with rowing. I think I have a borderline addictive personality - once I "made the decision" to row, I don't want to stop...it's something I now do 6 - 7 days a week, when prior to that, I let the machine sit for a couple of weeks before I even got on it. I was like that with swimming too, when I was a lifeguard - not a day went by that I was at the pool and didn't swim at least a mile (72 laps). I miss those days...of course, since I was still making bad food choices, it didn't keep me from gaining weight, but I'm committed to making better food choices to go along with my commitment to exercise. I've been off my feet before - I had an irregular heartbeat that actually caused me to pass out on the treadmill - and my doctor at the time recommended that I stop working out (it would 'stress' my heart, he said) and go on cardiac meds for the rest of my life. I refused - started walking again as soon as I got even a hint that it was okay, started slowly, and now I'm up to rowing 30 minutes a day (I cover about 4000 m in a workout now, I started at less than 1000). It's definately a process - and you just gotta keep putting one foot in front of the other until you reach your goal. Talk yourself into working out for just 15 - 20 minutes as many days in a row as you can...when that gets easier, add a few minutes a day until you are at 30 minutes, and then add to that when you can. I'm now doing a 20 minute rowing program with music before and after to get me to 30 minutes. Once I hit 40 minutes, I'm moving up to the next level rowing program, and then I'll add more music until I reach 60 minutes. That's probably where I'll stop - I get bored just looking at nothing but the walls when I row, but the alternative isn't pretty, so I do it. Hang in there - sounds like you are moving to the right mindset and it will work for you!

Cosigning on what Ceradad and Luluc said...this is one of the hardest things I've EVER done...and I really resented the statements! Shar-pei Dad had that fat deposit pattern WAY before his WLS...you can see it in every picture of him from "before"... Not giving the uninformed in the audience valid information is just wrong...they may inadvertently stop someone from investigating WLS who COULD be helped by the surgery! That's just irresponsible...is there a way we could protest? And...do you think they'd even listen?

:confused::confused::lol::lol: EbonyRose eagerly awaits response from Plain...:eek:

Amen, and I say again, Amen...it's just too bad when government has to legislate common sense. Both for the prospective "mother" (in quotes because I don't consider Octodummy a real mother) and for any other "doctor" that would consider using the shotgun approach for implanting embryos. I pray it passes and then spreads to other states. Who's to say there isn't another idiot practitioner out there doing the same thing but that hasn't had the light of reason aimed at them yet? Maybe the spectre of national legislation will encourage some of the clinics to change their policies pro-actively...

PJTP... WAY TO GO CERADAD!!!! That is truly awesome - now you, your story and your gorgeous family will be inspiring others for a longer period of time...how awesome! Some of us will be blessed to touch even one life in a significant way - you have the potential to help hundreds or thousands of people because of your willingness to share your good results. You Go my Banded Brother!

AllThings, I feel for you...I would try talking to him seriously about how his treatment "plan" is affecting you and if he continues to be unwilling to adjust or help you more than he is, I would request a referral to another provider. Did you go through insurance? Perhaps they could help you with finding a new practitioner - don't they have a Patient Advocate? Is there a State board or Patient Advocate that you could talk to? The line I bolded is the one that stands out for me the most - NO doctor should make you feel like a failure - have you told him what his attitude / bedside manner is doing to you and how it is affecting your mindset? If he doesn't respond more appropriately to that, I would have serious doubts about his ability to work with you efficiently. I do follow a lower carb plan because I'm diabetic (type II) and a confirmed carb addict. I crave things like crackers, chips, etc. Crunchy and salty are my downfalls! I do eat more than 2 oz per meal - I was banded Nov 17th. The first phase was liquid only, then mushies for a week or two (I don't remember and my paperwork is at home), then a slow introduction or solid foods. I have had two fills, and the second one, I really felt good restriction. My doctor does not eliminate any food group, but he does tell me to emphasize protein, then veggies, then carbs if I have room. I do eat less than before - probably 1/4 to 1/2 cup of anything is enough to fill me up now. It depends on what it is and how slowly I eat it. I'm getting more sensitive to the feeling of "okay that's enough" that I get from my band, and after an initial couple of pb's, I haven't done THAT again - it's just not fun! I am not a doctor, and since I don't know your health history, I can't say if what your doctor is doing is right for you, but it certainly sounds like he's not easy to work with. Perhaps sitting down with him and having a serious talk about this will help, but if not, I definately recommend contacting a Patient Advocate who might be able to intercede on your behalf.