phyllisc

Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 67 "In my opinion it appears to have made people more obnoxious and self rightious,not to mention condescending". I keep my eyes on the prize and realize that this is a very individual journey for each of us. Just because someone has gotten to their goal in a relatively short amount of time, doesn't make them anymore successful than someone who takes a lot longer. And I think that the successful people who are obnoxious, self rightious and condescending are probably that way regardless and are that way about other things in their lives and have probably always been that way. There are people who struggle more than others and some people can not understand this. But most of us who are overweight do struggle with issues of addicition and that doesn't go away when you are banded. Others are more driven and focused and have the time to concentrate on themselves. They go on a diet just like they did in the past, but now they can no longer overeat and have the band to help keep the weight off. I know that for me personally, I have fought my band every step of the way. Weight loss has been very slow for me. Some of the issues I have no control over, such as age, body type, post menopausal, had hard time getting restriction and I have other issues that came first over taking care of myself. But I could do much more and I am constantly recomitting and working on myself. I don't think all people who get to goal have a superior attitude. I think most are very thankful and want to help others and understand the struggles. Sometimes it just takes longer to click and people have to find out for themselves what works and what doesn't. It takes time to learn new habits and our addiction wants to take over constantly. Right now I am a little impatient with myself which is a good thing because I have been slacking on things I need to do. I really don't know how I feel about tough love because there is a fine line between being helpful and doing harm. I prefer to be supportive by encourageing people to keep trying no matter how many times they fail. I agree that people who are obnoxious, self rightious and condescendiong are not helpful no matter how much they think they are. It is just a big turn-off. Good luck and keep working toward your goal. It is not a race and slow weight loss is just plain healthier for most people.

A drunken Santa!!!!I don't know why but that just struck me as really hilarious. And we just thought he was fat. Turns out he is suffering from cirrohsis. And those rosey cheeks, yup, too much booze. That's why he is always shouting out HO HO HO, Mrs Claus wont give him any because he is always smashed!!!! Horney devil with those twinkling eyes. Shame on you Santa!!!

Oh well, I guess I will just have to burn in purgatory for a while, get a good suntan and move on over the the never ending vacation at the beach.:angel:

"Oh! That's Hell for the Christians. They seem to prefer it that way." Is it too late to convert???

If the joke is being told in front of other racist pigs, it probably is ok with them. If it is told in a group of random unconected people, the teller might get the shit beat out of him or worse. If it is told on the radio, the DJ will probably get fired and never work again, ala The Greaseman. The Islam joke may have been offensive but it did not advocate or mention harming Muslims in any way. So your scenario is not a good comparison. The things mentioned in the car joke come up everyday on the news and in conversations at work, home and just about everywhere else.

Screw the confectionary coffees. I was desperate for a plain coffee with half and half to go when I was in Italy last month. They do have some horrid stuff that they call Cafe Americano. You can not get a cup regular coffee to go in a paper cup anywhere in Italy. Starbucks would make a killing in Rome just on the tourists alone. But the Italians are not going to allow that and I can't say that I blame them. They want their culture to stay Italian and not be Americanized. But tell that to my head when it want what it wants. Next time I bring my own coffee and coffee pot.

Jodie, I don't despise Jodie the person, I despise Jodie the litterbug.

Ok Jodie, now you have crossed the line. I despise litterbugs!!!!!! What does "dissentary" mean. Go get some sleep and take care of your baby.

I would like to know what it is ok to joke about. I find the idea of a car made for Islam or any religion absurd. How about cars for Catholics with a confessional instead of a trunk. That way when you have illicit sex in the back seat you can immediatly be absolved of a mortal sin!!!! Come on, lets get over ourselves. All is fair game with humor. Yes a line can be crossed but it rarely happens in a country famed for free speech, freedom of religion and other freedoms that other countries only dream about. Why is it that millions all over the world want to come here to live. It's about freedom. Of which freedom of expression is cherished. What committee do we have to get approval from before cracking a joke? Yes I imagin a joke like the one in question could get you stoned in some countries. Well not here, and that is the way I like it. Try suppressing free thought and see what happens. Why don't we start burning books too......

Derrick, You forgot to mention automatic pilot for driving around town in your burqa. That would be a very nice safety feature since it scares the crap out of me when I have to share the road. Of course I guess that would be a none issue in some countries since women probably are not allowed to drive.

Well yes, it is offensive. But isn't that what a lot of humor is all about. Stereotypes in the extremes are the main fodder for all of the late night comics. Whether or not something is funny is usually based on your own experience. From an American point of view, a car strictly for any religion would be a ridiculous concept.

I wouldn't attempt any fruit or veggie right now unless it was cooked and mashed or blended. You can have raw applesauce by putting a fresh apple in the blender with a little sugar or spenda, some cinnamon and a dash of lemon to keep it from turning brown. I really liked cooked carrots, chaote squash and other smooth veggies mashed with a little butter. Whole fruits with skins can cause problems this early out. Any veggie should be alright as long as it is cooked soft and mashed or blended. I would wait at least 6 weeks before I attempted salad. You are healing now and don't want to risk getting stuck.

Personally, I don't let words or names bother me even if they are offensive. When I was a kid I was called deigo, wop and guinny on numerous occasions by other kids and adults. I would just look at them like they were crazy because I was very proud of my heritage and I just didn't even get where they were coming from. Being called fat doesn't bother me either. Every group of immigrants who have come to America, except possibly the English have been discriminated against. Definitly blacks who were forced to emigrate have suffered the most. But I believe that everyone should be proud of their heritage and consider the source when people are name calling. It is the name callers who are the inferior ones because of their ignorance and intolerance. By holding your head high you defeat the purpose of those who would put you down for any reason. Jodie, I take it that you are pregant. You have a lot of growing up to do. You really should be doing good things for yourself and your baby instead of arguing with people on this board. It really is not good to have negative feelings when you are pregnant. You are very young, but it is time to put away the childish things of the past and become the person that your would like your child to grow up to be. I am not judging, just offering some motherly advice.

Spaghetti squash is worth a try. I poke a couple of holes in it them and microvave it until it gives a little when you press on it. Then I cut it in half and pull the the stringy center out with a fork. It is a bit of a pain to separate the seeds though. I recommend Dreamfields. It is high in protien and Fiber and low in carbs.

Depends on where you live. Sea scallops are my favorite bandster protien. I also like crabcakes, crab imperial, and chowders. I can do shrimp, but have to be done right.

I had some trouble with lettuce at first, but now I eat salads often. I just chop everything up real small. Sometimes I will put everything but the lettuce on a few pulses of a food processor to get it done quick. After I put on the dressing, I cut everything up to mix it well.

Kathy, My sentiments exactly. Anyone bringing harm to any of my children will meet up with their bad karma sooner rather than later. Forget about forgiving, it just would not be possible. I hope I never have to experience the horror that some parents have been put through. My children are grown, but no matter what their age, I would still feel the same.

This year is the first year in a long time I will not be cooking for the family. My Mom is in a nursing home and I will let them cook for us this year. With my kids being scattered all over the country, son in CA, daughter in NYC and other son going to his inlaws, I decided to escape. After I visit with my Mom, I will go to our condo at the beach and relax for the rest of the long weekend without the leftovers. Last year was my first TG being banded. I found it to be very band friendly and my band kept me from making a pig out of myself.

There are certain subjects that I have no interest in participating in. Not becasue I don't have opinions, but because I could care less about others' opinions on the topic. I don't argue/debate religion or politics. I am going to believe/not believe the way I do, regardless of anyone else's opinions. I may find it interesting to read about others' opinions, but not enough to jump in. I would never treat anyone any differntly based on their political or religious beliefs. Certainly not in an online debate since their opinions do not effect me. However, in real life if they were trying to force their beliefs on me in ways that would effect my life, they would be in for a fight. I have found that some people are just plain pig headed and are cyber bullies. Those people, I just find amusing.

Depends on a lot of different factors. Some people I will not forgive and feel no need to, but I will forget and not even think of that person again. To me they might as well not even exist. I don't have time in my life for resentment. Revenge will come in it's own time without any effort on my part. If I love someone or have a close bond, I can forgive a lot. No one I have ever really cared about has harmed me enough to not forgive them. I have a brother I would like to forget, but I have to deal with him because of our Mother. When she is gone, I will definitly distance myself from him, but will not spend a lot of time thinking about him in one way or another. So the short answer is all of the above. I can forgive and forget, forgive and not forget, and just plain forget.

Girls with pretty faces get away with having fat asses. If you are ugly, you are just ugly, so maybe a slender body earns you brownie points.

I definitly consider myself a food addict. One of the benefits of losing weight slowly is that I am able to work through this. When I was first banded it was really hard to deal with things that I would have smoothed over with food. Over time I find myself dealing with "issues" in more constructive ways. I would have easily swapped shopping if I had zipped through clothing sizes like I had hoped. There is still time to pick up the shopping habit when I get to small for all of the various sizes in my closet.

Green, I thought all women were sneaky, otherwise how would we get over??

I hate it when people think that just because you are Italian, you must be a mobster. That kind of attitude makes me want to fit them with some cement shoes for a long sleep with the fishes!!!

I can not answer questions about your insurance. I was 56.5 when I had the surgery. I think it has slowed the ageing process for me since I feel better physically and about my appearance. The food issues are very individual. I can say that whatever weight you take off will most likely stay off, bar any problems. The band does not stop you from eating junk. Icecream, cookies, chips and dip are the easiest things to eat. You must make a conscience effort to eat solid protien and veggies for most of your meals. Head issues will not go away with the band, but it does put more pressure on you to work though these issues if you have them. You will not longer be able to stuff you emotions away with food. Do a lot of research with both the insurance issue and banding. You can learn a lot from a site like this, but you must do independant research also. The experience of others is most helpful but nothing can totally prepare you for your own experience, you just have to live it and work through it. Good luck with the insurance and you decision.