Apples2

Great....it is fun when a person reconnects after such a long time. I was contacted by one of my first college boyfriends. We remained good friends after not going together and lost tough after he got married. Anyway, was nice to hear from him and know what he is up to. Also, reconnected with some highschool and college classmates after many years. Janet....hope the tummy has calmed down. I have yet to have had any stomach issues since banding. It's my fear. I do carry anti-nausea meds but have not had to take any. Anyway, hope you are back to normal.. Great...are costco a membership required store? I used to have a Sam's Club membership but the closest one is over 2 hours away and only made it to the store once a year....not worth the membership $$$$. And, now that I am not feeding anyone besides DS and DH (occassionally I do a group...depends on the job going on), I really don't need a lot of extras. We buy 1/2 beef and fill the freezer so we are pretty much set. I do miss the different items that Sam's offered. Like paper products, clothes, lawn chairs, work jeans for DH, etc. Maybe I will check out a Costco when down south.

I wasn't done "talking" when my post just suddenly posted. POS site...sorry... Meredith talking about here painting is making me think about the project I need to get started on after we get back from AZ. Our house is way too big for us but have a feeling we will be here for at least another 5 yrs, or until DS is ready to move to the farm. I want to take one of our 4 guest rooms and make a walk in closet out of it. There was not one walk in closet in this house and no room to to make one in our bedroom without adding one on...not going to do that. DH has been talking about "what a shame" it would be to give up one of the guest rooms for a walk in closet. Well "Hello Mr. 4 plaid shirts, 4 pair of goin' to town jeans, and 3 pair of goin' to wedding a funeral pants". I have clothes that are spread all over the house in seven different closets. I need order and think I have him convinced that we CAN do without one of those spare rooms. All it would take is someone getting a couch instead of a bed if our house was overloaded of ppl. Just might happen ever ten years. So, think I am going to do it. I am a self-confessed clothes horse and consider it one of my hobbies. I don't spend tons of $$$$ but, as you guys know, I enjoy my rummaging and finding good quality sale or consignment items. I'm excited about it and am going to find a website that will help me design and order what I need. Sure doesn't take much to get me excited about the simplest things. I had plans to go to town this morning but am waiting for it to warm up a bit. Have a few things to pick up in town and some Christmas goodie boxes to send to a few friends/family. Roads are in pretty good condition considering the storm we had. Just don't like hauling things to and from the car on slippery sidewalks and parking lots. I have a fear of slipping and falling and knocking my head and being even crazier than I am now. AZ is looking good. DH has a plan that I am trying to put a stop to but once he sets his mind to something, he will do it anyway. OK, we are planning to drive down in my SRX (crossover). His crazy plan is to take our two bikes apart, make a box for them and put them in the car. UMMMMM...bike rack????? Nope. Ugh. He is one of the most innovative ppl and can build anything but how about making a bike rack for the OUTSIDE of the car so we actually have room for the stuff we need to bring and our dog. OK...thanks for listening to my vent. DS suggested buying bikes down there. But....how about just plain ole' walking. OK..enough of my rant.

Good morning all...... OK on the fake grandma thing. I just want to feel it out, out of respect for the real grandparents that are the best in the world to these kids. DS and GF are serious and have been seeing each other for quite some time. Will just let it all fall into place and do what comes natural. No worries...just fun and are enjoying their personalities. I am sure I will have stories on Monday after our day together. Lori....love the simplicity of the dishes and the fact that they are different shapes. I know I have said this b/4 but I have never seen a costco let alone been in one. I remember asking someone on her a couple of years ago what they were. Sounds like a Sam's Club?????? Meredith...Ugh...I really dislike painting. I'd rather clean toilets. I do not have a steady hand and always need someone to do the trimming anyway. Hope it turns out to be the way you want it. OK everyone...let's do this for Melissa. I think she might be struggling with what her menu should be. I think you have parts of it down, Melissa, but might need some ideas from us as to some ideas. And, like Great said, try to steer away from the carbs for now to see what it can do for you without them. I am just going to start with some snack and meal ideas. And, you know what, you don't HAVE TO eat what the family eats. If you have a differenet meal than them, it's making your own statement. Showing that you do care and that you are determined to make this work. OK...low carb snack ideas..... 2 hardboiled eggs Beef Jerky 1/2 Protein bar and put the other out of sight for another time soy nuts (no more than 1/4 cup and they can be very satisfying) Cup of cut up raw veggies in a baggie Couple slices of turkey or deli meat with a LF cheese stick Low carb meals... Just really try to stick to 4oz of good hard protien (fish, chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon at least once a week) and a serving of veggies if you can fit it in. Try to stay away from anything "white". My LB doc swears that his patients that have the most success totallly cut these out during the weight loss stage and tend to really watch them during maintenance. No white potatoes, rice, flour. Alot of breads say whole wheat but they are made with white flour. Try to eliminate all pastas, bread and cracker. None if a good rule if you are carb sensative. Just don't buckle and have them once in awhile right now. Not worth it and could make the scale go the other way. OK....the rest of you guys jump in with some ideas. Might help everyone and will be a bit of a refresher course with the upcoming holidays and the banquets that will be set b/4 us.

Cheri...you could be our Frasier Crane....I would love, love, love that!!!

Look at all those shiney little faces! Cute. So sorry to hear your rash is worse. Have you introduced anything new into your household? Carpets cleaned? anything like that. I have a friend that fought rashes and blisters (even on the bottom of her feet) for quite some time. They finally narrowed it down to her new cabinets...what they were treated with at the factory. She even had many trips to Mayo (who finally figured it out). Just think if there was anything at all in the last month or b/4 that has changed. Hugs. Happy I could help with the place setting number, Great. Any more $$$ I can help you spend???? Gosh, Arlene, wish we could borrow a bit of that warm weather. But, I do know that getting down in the lower temps really gets to you. AZ is looking soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good right now. DH is even pushing for getting that 30,000 bu of corn delivered this month....which usually would not be allowed to be delivered until contract date in Jan. We want to get on the road immediately after our last tax appt on Jan 4.

My motto with dishes and cookware....more is better. I have a service of 24 and did all the serving dishes to add to it little by little. I have a mix of ruby and some celery green. By buying more and you plan on using them for a very long time, buying extras allows for breakage, etc. And...when I buy dishes, I use them for every day life. Makes me feel special to set the table every meal. Makes my family feel special too.

I know who can give you good advice on what kind of wine to buy...our resident wine expert. I am sure Phyll will be able to give you some suggestions.

Woohoo, Kelly...way to go on the weight loss! All that walking and eating right is paying off

I have always pretty much eaten most things but I make sure they are healthy. I do not like fatty foods or sweets. Just feel so much better eating whole foods. I do have a bit of luck on my side in that my metabolism switched over to be what it was when I was in my early 20's. I am not real limited on what I can eat.

I have been at goal for over 2 yrs now. The way I see the band and maintenance is "Never too tight and never too lite" is the way to go...try to be able to eat "normally" but smaller amounts. If you are very restricted right now, you might want to wait till you get to maintenance and see how your scale does. Not a lot of difference between maintenance and the weight loss stage. Just had to figure out what it took for sure (calorie-wise) and go from there. I have kept my band fairly loose during the entire LB process and even now. I would rather get hungry every few hours than suffer the affects of a too tight band. Just my take on it.

Forgot to add....I usually pick up "Yellow Tail" wine. Others might have suggestions?

First of all, don't worry about the conversation or if it lulls....Great trick....everyone loves talking about their kids or their pets. There's always that question to ask. That could fill up an entire evening with some ppl. Just be gracious and listen. Be prepared for "brag books" pulled out of purses. Try not to yawn as the stories of their pets and children go on and on and on..... You asked about drinks. Depending on how many ppl you are serving....pick up 3-4 bottles of wine to serve. No wine glasses? Good time of year to get a good deal on some. Other than that, just have ice water in some goblets on the table and a pitcher of water ready for refills.

Miricle Monday!!!! Font, colors and size are all working. I feel like I'm back home. Maybe things are on the up swing with this site??????? TX...how you doing....time to check in. We're curious women and just "gotta know" how our guy is doing. How's Debbie doing with all the changes in the household? It's gotta be good for both of you since you are now both banded? Julie....I wish for you to find the ONE doctor that would study your case. Strip it all down to the beginning and start over. Take all meds away and be knowlegable enough to put you on the meds needed and get rid of the mish-mash of this that and the other meds all the other docs have you on. You are our LB Sister and we care for your well-being. This rollercoaster ride has you not know which way to turn and who to turn to. I truly believe that most of your doctors have done you wrong. But now you need to take the reins and find that one doc and push for a more functional way of living. You just cannot make this your way of life and accept what comes from 10 different doctors. Push for those answers. Make it your mission. Hugs. Busy day. Tax appt., visiting a friend later today that just got a new job after being laid off for 18 months and anxious to hear how it is going. Even room for advancement once another position opens up in a few months. She deserves the break. Don't know how she kept it all together but she's strong and now so happy. Great Christmas gift. Also have some housecleaning to be done. Have Christmas with our little family on Sunday and want to be prepared ahead of time. First year with our "fake" grandchildren and I can hardly breath with all the excitement. I could have gone way overboard on the gifts, stocking stuffers, etc., but didn't. Appropriate gifts for what they are into and interested in. Have a fun day of letting them cook the meal (they got to pick out the menu) and MAKING the adults eat what they cook. Have a line up of age appropriate board games, etc. Could it be? Could I maybe be a real "fake" grandma in the near future????? No pushing on my part but, oh my. Good news, Meredith. Hoping your band works the way it should from here on out and they don't have to tweek it any. Take good care of it. Better get busy and run my tax reports and get on with my day. Hope everyone has a great week.

Well Melissa...you've got the love from all of us and I think you have been kicking yourself around enough the last few months so that is something you really don't need from us. In order to be successful and get back on the LB wagon, you are going to need to let some of that go (beating yourself up) and get into a positive frame of mind. Boohooing will get you nowhere. Here comes the tough love.....GET YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES ON!!!!!! Leave the mistakes of the last few months behind you and somehow....anyway you can....find the part of you that was able to stick to this and take off the weight in the beginning of this journey. Get rid of certain ways of thinking. Example: Eating because of stress, eating sliders because of being too tight, eating because of a new job, eating certain things because DH and DS bring them into the house. Stop THAT way of thinking and replace it with postive ways. Example: I WILL NOT eat because I am stressed, I WILL NOT eat sliders (I will go and take care of problem at hand with my doc), I WILL NOT give myself the right to screw up just because I have a new job, I WILL NOT eat those trigger foods just because they are in my house (alternative is to toss them in the trash....pretend you are Janet). Nothing would make me more happy than to pop on here in two weeks to see a post from you that says "I have stuck to this new plan and have not waivered for two weeks and I am seeing results"....now, that would bring tears to my eyes. Get back on that old horse and start riding. Was that tough enough love???? Love ya and sending hugs. OK....Let's get started on the two week plan....hurry up....let's go...come on Melissa....time to start.

Welcome Swan....just wanted to wish you the best as you start this new phase of your life. It really is life changing and in a very positive way. The only advice I have for you to is follow your doc's advice and orders what he expects of his LB patients. It's so important to get into that frame of mind. Put your nose to the grindstone and follow the rules. It will make it so much easier down the road. Determination and planning are the things that kept me on track. Another thing that helped me immensly was to be very diligent about keeping a daily food journal. And, if I was close to going over my allowed calories for the day, I was done eating for the day. It helps to keep a person accountable. Now that I am in the maintenance mode, I no longer journal. But, keeping that journal for over a year taught me how to eat and how to eventually fit into eating in a healthy manner each day. I also weighed and measured my food to be sure of what I was putting in my face. I no longer have the need to weigh and measure. Fire away with any questions you might have. As 1 Day stated, there's ppl here in all stages of the journey that can give you advice (sometimes whether you want it or not.....we are kind though). Stay strong during your pre-op diet. It's all worth it. It sets the tone for what is to come and we will be looking forward to hearing how you are doing.

You said it....don't beat yourself up. Just have a plan the next time to grab something healthy instead of something that you know you should not have. There are room for treats once in awhile if you plan ahead and allow for them in your daily calorie count. Just start tomorrow more determined than ever. Did you get the 20" of snow? Out here in WC MN we had a storm...not very good visability and housebound but not a lot of snow to move and clean up.

Welcome...just wanted to wish you luck and congrats on taking the steps to a new and healthier you. Keep your eye on the prize (being around for your family) as you go through this process. Follow your doc's rules and be strong. It's not a quick fix and can be a lot of work at times. Just take it all day by day, get out and move daily and you will be on the other side of things b/4 you know it. All the best.

Not having the depressing thoughts about being fat going through my brain as I go to sleep at night and not having depressing thoughts about being fat as I swing my legs over the bed to get up in the morning. Now I just wake up and hit the floor on a dead run to start my day.

OMG, Jodi....they are going to track the scent on those coats right back to your place! LOL. Hey, they might be hot but you are kind of innocent, right????? Sounds like a great weekend with your friend....even if a part of it was with snobbish ppl. Sounds like the second go-around with deciding what you will allow with your LV friend Jeff. Stick to your guns and look out for you. BTW...we didn't get the 20 inches. Didn't post that. Mpls got 20 inches. We just had an average snowfall but lots of wind that made visability awful and kept us snowbound. The cold was minus 5 but windchill minus 24 this morning. Felt warm after church when it got up to 2 degrees.

Gosh, Cheri...I just had a good bawl while reading your post. It's so tough with all the kids and parents wanting independence,etc. We are going through this with FIL...not quite to the point of needing to do something but having to be prepared. It's tough. I feel for your family and Sandi's family and anyone having to make a rash decision on what to do.

First of all, Lori...as Arlene stated...serve buffet style. You can have the silver, centerpiece and drinking glasses on table but have dishes on buffet table. Just so much easier...takes the pressure off of serving. I asked DH what his favorite meal is that I cook when we have company. Recipes to follow: Sauteed Asparagus 2 Tbls butter 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules 1/8 tsp celery salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 and 1/2 lb fresh asparagus 1 tsp soy sauce In large skillet, melt butter. Add bouillon, celery salt and pepper and soy sauce, mix well. Add asparagus and toss to coat. Cover and cook over medium heat for 1 minute. Carefully flip over once while cooking. Pour in covered glass baking dish. 30 minutes b/4 serving dinner, place in 350 degree over. Never, Ever Fail Beef Roast... I would buy a good cut of roast beef (at least 2 roasts at 4lbs each...limit the fat or have store cut it off for you)....you can always use leftovers. 8 lbs chuck roast 2 (1.9 oz) pkt. onion soup mix 2 can cream of celery soup (low sodium) 1 can real Coke Brown roasts. Place in covered roaster. Sprinkle soup mix over, then celery soup. Drizzle with Coke. Bake for 3.5 hours at 350

Great...BREATH!!! You can do this. I would have everything made ahead of time and in the oven. Let me think a bit to see if I can come up with something. Do NOT ruin your week worrying about a couple of ppl coming over to your house. YOU CAN DO THIS. Don't worry about thinking that someone else is judging your way of doing things. You choose the way you want to entertain and go with it. If you have any kind of dishes, you can entertain. Heck, put out your everyday stuff. That would make anyone feel at ease. And....plan it so you can visit at least a half hour b/4 serving and, yes, let them bring something. Life I said to Cheri last night....an at ease host puts guests at ease. And, maybe that friend of yours is not what you think....maybe she just comes off that way. Maybe she would just like to not be doing the entertaining and enjoy someone else doing it. I am always relieved when I go to someone else's house for dinner and they make it simple...not fussy cuz I never want to ever have to out-do them. I'll do some thinking and get back to you. Cut photos, Phyll.....hope you girls (Zoey included) and DH are having a nice afternoon together.

During the weigh loss phase, I weighed and measured and journaled EVERYTHING....and....very happy I did. It set me up to trust my way of eating. Now that I have been in the maintenance stage, I trust my good judgement from the things I learned while weighing and measuring. Now I eat when hungry....make good/healthy food choices and don't stress about it. I do make room for treats on a daily basis and love my stress-free way of eating. I also am a believer of every day getting adequate amounts of protein and fueling my body every 2 hours with some kind of snack. Learning how to eat by weighing a measuring taught me how to "wing it".

Banded 6/17/08....down 136lbs and have maintained. In fact....easy job.

Lellow...have you tried PMing a mod to find out? I know that even after 2 weeks, there's a great deal of work to still be done on this site. Very frustrating. Have noticed on a thread that I frequent that it's not possible to click on a photo without complications. Either it does not come up at all or it kicks me back out of thread. Ho Hummmmmmm....enough already!