ReneBean

Twice is Nice. Happy Birthday, again!! :]

Ah, Monday. The most delightful day of the week... No word yet from the insurance company - shocking, no? I will call to harass them shortly. I am going to ask them if the rumor is true - that they will no longer cover bariatric surgery after January 1. That ought to stir them up a little. I must confess that I only got three of the six Ikea bookshelves put together - and my DH promptly took one of them for his office!! What's up with THAT? Oh well, he had to go to Ikea, get the bookcases (boxed), and lug them into the house - so I guess he can have one that's all put together pretty. Today, I am feeling pretty pumped up about the whole "gym" experience. The first time I got onto the eliptical machine, it only took 2.5 minutes to send my heartrate to ten points over the optimal "cardio" rate. Yesterday, it took almost a full 7 minutes... That's some progress, right there. Plus, we have bumped up to 40 minutes of cardio as of yesterday. (Woo Hoo!) Of course, my knees are still screaming - but I am ignoring them. Plus, we went to the gym in the early afternoon and I didn't stop "glowing" until I went to bed! I think that is actually a good thing - but it's kind of a pain in the petute. It's so warm here, that we have been using the fan's in our house to keep it cool. This is why I moved from Oregon, people... Sunshine in November. Yee Haw!! I am loving it!! I hope everyone else if having a great day, too! I will check in later. :]

Warm wishes for an easy surgery and a quick recovery! Happy Band Day!!

Take a look at Nana's Costume Thread. I can't remember the exact weight she is at - but it is probably what the insurance companies say is "overweight." Look at her!! She's HOT. Who the heck CARES what the scale says, if you look like THAT?!? Plus, the amount you lose is really all up to you. Kare is willing to work out 90 minutes a day to get where she wants to be. I am in awe. But chances are great that she will in fact get there. (Go, Kare! Go!! 40 minutes is all I can squeeze out right now). So, between the fact that the scales lie and the statistics are stupid, I think that the surgery is well worth it, for the person who is properly motivated. Go Jean! Go!!!

YOU CAN DO IT!!! Congrats and we are all thinking good thoughts for an easy surgery and a quick recovery! :]

Dang. Here I was all set for Eileen in Leathers (oo la la!!) and all I get is that adorable chick pic. lol. :]

HAM - it's all about a thick slab of HAM cooked til it's all brown and sugary on the outside and pink and hammy on the inside. Bacon has to be properly rendered to be edible...

Oh I think we will definitely have to do it again. Especially if Nana comes to Dallas! Let us know the next time you are going to be up this way. (Although Nana is such a hot chick these days I would practically be ashamed to be seen with her!!) I am sure that Mary got a picture of Betty - and if she didn't, Chilito did... What a character! Those boys were awfully cute!! I can't wait to see those pictures, either. And Girls, not only does Betty have a hot bike, but she has a hot CAR too... Woo Woo! We will have to get together a little farther north, next time... I think that will work for all of us. Cindy & Leatha will have to come, too. I can't wait! It was great fun!

Hey Y'all! How goes the battle?? I had a great time meeting Betty & Mary & Dianna yesterday. I would love to get together with them again in the future. I know that Betty & Mary took some pictures. I hope they will post some of them for everyone to see. Not much going on this weekend other than that. DH and I had a hot date to go to Half Price books - and I got a few. Today I am going to finish putting together the bookshelves I got from Ikea. That's all the excitement for me, today. I hope you guys are doing great! :]

It's another Inamed product - their newest thing. You can research on their web-site. I don't think anybody's insurance will pay for it, though. :]

Bummer! Cindy, Makena, we will miss you!! Take care of yourselves! Maybe we'll do this again, soon. :]

Oh Yeah. You should be there.... I might need help with Betty and her amazing disappearing clothes... lol :]

Hey Y'all I just walked Mary through getting to the right place.... It IS a KNIGHT's INN and it is located off highway 183 between North OConnor and Nursery Road. It is at Brittain and the Access Road. You will be able to see the Knight's Inn sign if you take the access road headed east from North O'Connor it should work. 120 West Airport Freeway between N. O'Connor and Nursery Road. I will see all of you beautiful people there in the lobby tomorrow at 1pm. :]

Wow, that IS some cute baggage. But don't expect that to stop Devil De. She is a WILD woman and she's determined to have every male on the board for her very own. Little does she know that I am collecting on the side... Don't tell my DH! (or hers). :]

If they are timed release meds, then crushing them would cause the timed release to be off and cause an OD - which could conceivably kill you. If the pills say don't crush - then don't. Call your doc for different meds.

Hey Miss Estela!~ Happy Bandiversary!!! did you know that you can have your photos put onto a CD when you get them developed? Then you can e-mail the pictures to Penni - or maybe even post them yourself. Have a great day!!

Ok Guys - Tomorrow is Chip Day for me - tonight is my 30th night of No Snacking After dinner and I have already started working on my new project. I started attending the local gym for 30 minutes on the treadmill on November 1st. For this month's project, I will continue the "No Snacking after Dinner" thing for a 60 day chip and I will start a new 30-day chip-quest for Exercise 4 Days a Week. Chips! Chips! CHIPS!!!!!!

so, maybe this is where my old college motto helps me... *&%k 'em if they can't take a joke. If they don't want to see my fat @ss they don't have to look. I am at the gym to work out (Yes, 3 days so far this week!! Go Me!) and so are they. We are all equally sweaty & gross at the gym. I pretty much ignore that paranoid delusion that everyone is staring at me because I am so huge. If I don't acknowledge it, it usually goes away. And I would caution generallizing the Thin and Beautiful as "twits". I have to work very hard at it - but on occassion, I have been rewarded for my ability to see the T&B as normal humans. Some of them are really quite nice. Besides, some of them are former fatties!! :]

You need to go into "User CP" and edit your signature. You can find that at the top of this page on the blue bar. There are numerous threads about how to post your ticker - if you search the word "Ticker" or "Tracker" you will find some instructions. The Search feature is also located on the blue bar. If you need any help with the signature stuff, feel free to PM me. :]

It's not too late.... Come One, Come All. We are just going to descend upon a nearby restaurant that is likely to have suitable things for all food stages... I was thinking Applebees or like that. They should have mushies and liquids galore, for those who need them. Thanks for the warning, Paula. We'll keep an eye on Betty. :] 1pm at the Howard Johnson's lobby. Be there! :]

Aw, Heck. I stole Dreadmill from Eileen!! She's the clever one... I just plagarize at opportune moments. :] Aside from the constant burning feeling in my knees, I don't feel too bad after 3 days of excercise. (I am continuing based on the belief that eventually, it will stop hurting...) Maybe that is what I will do for my next Chip. 4 days a week at the gym. We will call this week one. (yep, we are going tonight...) Although, I suppose if I wanted it to mean something, I would make it FIVE days... Hmmm. I will have to think about that. I have the "no snacking after dinner" thing down. Now I just have to maintain that... Cindy - I hope you are at home resting... Take care of yourself, first. Well, it's another glorious day in mortgage lending... Nothing new here and no exciting plans for the weekend other than the little visit to Irving tomorrow. Anybody else have exciting plans? How is everybody? Check in, People. :]

I have heard that it all depends on your age, and how much exercise you do while you lose weight. AND, if you lose to fast, there is no way for your skin to keep pace with the fat loss... So, presumeably, if you lose at a nice even pace 1-2 pounds per week, and you exercise while you do it - and you are still young enough to have some natural elasticity to your skin - you might not need it. :]

Dang, Daddy! You're pretty energetic for a guy with no Caffeine... Here is your chip for 30 days without Caffeine. (aka "go juice") Here's your chip! Everybody give Jon a big old pat on the back!! GREAT JOB!!! chip 30.bmp

Well, I did the right thing by bucking the system and forcing an appointment with my surgeon prior to insurance approval. One of the documents I need to have completed in order to send off to the State Insurance Board needs to be completed by my doctor... the one I have never seen, yet. YAY - I have an appointment with him on Tuesday and I can have him complete it then. So, I will be all ready with the paperwork completed and copied and ready to put into a fed-ex envelope and ship to the insurance board the day I get my answer. Can you say OVERNIGHT 8am delivery? Sure you can. I WILL get a band - and my insurance WILL pay for it. (See my cynicism and my optimism walk hand in hand on this little journey. They are becoming best friends). Way to go on the Chip Betty! I must confess that I ate of the evil corn only today. Eileen - you still down from that cold? I hope you get to rest some this weekend. How's the whole Band thing going? Everything healing up well? Cheated on the liquids!! ooooooo, I'm telling your doc! (lol) I just don't know how I will manage that whole thing - but I have always said that I could do ANYTHING for two weeks... It will just be nostalgia for those long ago times when I was young and poor and occassionally hungry. (Thank goodness I worked at a restaurant - I knew I would get at least one meal a day, no matter what!) Cindy, I understand your fear of the dreaded PB - but I hear that they CAN be avoided with care. I have been sort of observing myself lately when I eat. Chewing is going to be the hardest part for me. When I get hungry, I INHALE the food... I am trying to work on it now - but it is hard to do if there are no consequences to worry about. Well Folks, I have to run. Another glorious night on the Dreadmill.... I tried the bike, I really did - but I could only hack it for THREE minutes. My knees just would not take it. Plus, they kept hitting my big ol' belly - pretty demoralizing, and even painful. *sigh* I guess tonight I will have to embarrass myself on the eliptical machine... Just be sure and watch the late news... I might be on it as a point of humor... :]

So what do you need, Carrie? A boot to the butt or a big ol' hug?? Either are available as needed, here. :] Can you replace with some other cruncy thing like celery or other veggies and a mix of FF cream cheese and salsa? It isn't the salsa that is killing you, you know... Just a thought.