georgia girl

Well, I'm going to complain. All the talk about spinach dip make me crazy! DH and I ended up going to Applebee's last night and of course, I ordered the spinach & artichoke dip. Well, it sucked! I don't know if they have a new cook or what, but I could tell when it arrived at the table it looked a lot different than it usually does. It was awful! That is the first time I have ever gotten a bad batch of spinach dip, yuck!! On a good note...........I ordered the french onion soup as a starter and it was absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for the soup tip Laurend!

Well, I went grocery shopping last night to get everything I need for Monday. I am excited to start! I bought a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. I didn't see any free range fed beef so I guess I'll have to stick with chicken for now. I'm gonna miss cooking with ground turkey, which I would rather have than beef anyway. The diet says no processed or packaged poultry :tt1:. I bought some of those Zip and Steam bags so I'm excited to try that out. I also bought some almonds and cashews for Snacks. I love eating nuts with a piece of fruit for a snack and the book says if you eat both of them together it will help stabilize your blood sugar. Has anyone ever tried Lentils? I've never had them but I bought some to try. I went to Wal-Mart grocery shopping and there definitely wasn't very much that was organic. I wish there was a whole foods market near me, but I've never seen one. I also wanted to buy some Jicama but they were out of it. I tried Jicama a few years ago when I was doing the Atkins diet and I really liked it. It reminded me of an apple. Not the taste necessarily, but it was crunchy and juicy like an apple. Anyway, I'm really excited about starting this diet and looking forward to some positive results!

Thanks for the heads up Jonathan! I need one really bad and my appointment isn't until the 24th. It will work out perfectly because my hubby is off that day and he can watch my son while I go. What time will you call to cancel? The cancelled appointments go like hot cakes! If you're calling at a certain time, I will make sure I call at the same time. Thanks again!

We don't go to Red Lobster very often, maybe a few times a year. The only thing I like at Red Lobster is the Lobster Bisque (besides the biscuits). I tried it after I was banded (when on soft foods) and I loved it. If we go there, that's what I always get. My hubby likes the Alfredo and of course, the cheese and herb biscuits.

I am a spinach dip freak, lol! I haven't tried Chili's, but I love Applebee's spinach & artichoke dip! I like Ruby Tuesday's too! We usually go to Applebee's once a week just for the spinach & artichoke dip, I love, love, love it!

I used to love fried pickles! Here in Georgia just about everything is fried, lol! They don't sound so good to me anymore though. Fried stuff doesn't sit too well with me now, which is a good thing I guess!

I pretty much think the same as you across the board. The only thing I think differently about, is David Cook. His appearance doesn't bother me at all and I love his voice. He is my favorite guy for sure. I guess I don't really pay much attention to people's appearances, because I didn't even notice Carly's outfit the other night until Simon pointed it out. I've been told before that I'm not very observant, so I guess it's true, lol. I definitely agree with you about Kristy, such bad sportsmanship!

I agree with Kat, stick with the "health" part of why you want to have the surgery. If she is a good therapist, she won't take it personally and she will see it as an opportunity for you to get healthy and feel good about yourself again. Good luck to you!

It seems very compatible with the band. You can eat lean meats (beef has to be free range fed only, which might be a challenge for me because I don't know where to get it), chicken breast and turkey (no skin), fish and shrimp (not breaded or fried), organic or free range eggs (cooked on the lowest heat possible). You can have a large variety of vegetables, fruits, and nuts (though there are certain ones that are forbidden). No grains and no dairy on this diet. The grains I don't mind, but I'll have a hard time giving up my yogurt, lol. This is not just a losing weight diet for me, I am doing this so my PCOS symptoms can get under control too. So to answer your question, I think it's very compatible in regards to what is suggested by my nutritionist. Every nutritionist doesn't suggest the same things but mine suggests eating Protein first, then a non-starchy veggie, then if there's room eat a piece of fruit, then bread last. So it definitely works for what my nutritionist recommends. Good luck to you however you decide to work your band.

Went to the gym again this morning and here's what I did: 15 minutes on treadmill 30 minutes on the elliptical (I was able to go a good bit faster today) Yesterday was my first time working out in months, so I will have to build up again.

I'm glad you all like the recipe! I love this dip! I use it on my burgers for a topper, on a chicken breast as a topper. While I was on vacation, I bought some whole wheat pita bread, brushed a little EVOO on it, sprinkled some garlic salt on it and cut it into pieces and baked them in the oven until crispy. I used them as chips for dipping with the spinach dip...........it was sooooo gooooood.

I have not heard about all that! That's just crazy! He He He, I would love to see his dad and Simon in a run-in. You're right, that would be some great TV!

Glad to hear the plans are going well! I think I need another fill too! I'm able to eat a lot here lately, even bread, so I know I am in need of one. My appt is not until April 24th so I am hoping to get someone's cancellation.

Okay, I haven't weighed in a few days and I am not going to until Monday. But I joined the gym yesterday and I started this morning. I did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill, then 45 minutes of strength training (arms, abs, and legs), then 30 minutes on the elliptical. I feel really good today, tired.....but in a good way. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow, but I feel really good today, lol.

I agree with everyone about Kristy's attitude! It sucked!! What a sore loser! I hope she goes next! You guys probably aren't going to like my opinion about David A, but here it is. I don't like the guy very much. I think he's a good singer, but I just don't care for him. I think it's his personality. It's over the top for me. Too goody goody for me. I still think he's a good singer but I hope he doesn't win. He just gets on my nerves! [ducking for cover now] :bolt:

I'm soooo glad to hear that I am not the only one who does that. In my pre-band days, I did that everytime I went there. People think I'm nuts, but it's sooooo good. Chocolate covered potato chips was another one of my favorites! :biggrin:

Today was my first day at the gym. I started out with a 10 minute warm-up on the treadmill, then I did 45 minutes of strength training, then 30 minutes on the elliptical. I am soooo tired..........but in a good way!

I don't really care for Sonic's food, but I love their drinks. Before my band, I used to order a diet cherry vanilla limeade everyday! I love their slushies too! I don't like the food because it's just soooo greasy. Even before I was banded, I thought it was too greasy and it always left my stomach feeling uneasy. But I still love to get the slushies occasionally!

Hi Jami! I have PCOS too! I was banded 9-20-07 and have lost 76 lbs so far. My weight loss has been pretty consistent but has slowed considerably. For a good bit of my banded journey I have tried to stick to a low carb lifestyle. I just recently switched to a low calorie lifestyle. I just joined the YMCA today and I start with my orientation tomorrow. I hope that exercising on a daily basis will help me get to where I want to be. I still have a long way to go, but I am very pleased with my results so far. Good luck to you.

Bandster 1007, I am so sorry for what you are going through. I can't even imagine. I just wanted you know that I'm sorry and you are in my prayers. Take care of yourself and please keep us updated.

Mia- How's the wedding plan's coming along! I thought about you last week while I was at my sister's beach wedding. I hope things are going well for you.

with the fur................... with the strap................ hehehe. The echo is my favorite part.

Yay!!!! Ramiele is gone!!!! BJean- lol! I'm sure you are right about Simon! But he would be the one missing out! Oh, I fast forwarded through Dolly.

I was food Network the other day and Giada from Everyday Italian showed how to cut an orange so you don't get any of the white stringy stuff. I couldn't find the instruction on Food Network, but I found one that I think is the same. To avoid getting the unsightly white pith, use this method: Cut a slice off both ends so you have a flat, stable surface. Then, with one of the flat surfaces on a cutting board, run a sharp paring knife down from the north to the south poles, slicing off strips of skin and pith as you do. In the beginning, you'll probably take off a little bit more flesh than you'd like, but after a few attempts, you'll be getting only skin and pith. When you've gone all around the orange, turn it upside down and slice off the small amount that was hard to get on the bottom, and then cut the orange into sections or slices from the outside in, using a V shaped cut for each section. I haven't tried it yet, but I don't like the skin or white stuff anyway so next time I eat one, I will try it.