Electrawoman

They were probably just speechless because they couldn't find anything to criticize you about. And listen, you do what you feel is best about the holidays but let me share this with you: What if you refused to waste the happiest time of the year on people who are going to ruin it? We have been tricked into thinking that we HAVE to spend it with family but you don't! Spend your happy times with the people you want to be around. It will change your life. And don't let those bitches get you down! If all they have to do is make you feel bad for getting healthy, their lives are pathetic and none of your energy should be spent on anything but pity for them. You can always pity them from afar (while you are flitting about town in your pretty new body)

YOU CAN DO IT!

I also took that same spinach and made a dip out of it by mixing other veggies (mushrooms, tomatoes, green onions) and a little plain greek yogurt into it. The whole bowl had less than 300 calories in it!

I spent most of this morning, walking the floor of an auto auction (where I got to see Pam Anderson's Airsteam Playboy Love Trailer) trying to think of what to eat for lunch. Hubs was already working my nerves and I was itching to stick my face in something gooey just to relieve the stress. Instead, I opted for the healthy choice. I was very proud of myself for ordering a one-trip salad-bar-and-soup plate at Jason's Deli. I chose all the green and colorful stuff, none of the meat, one egg for protein and 1 whole grain cracker instead of croutons. I even went easy on the dressing, using about a Tablespoon for the entire salad. I skipped the free ice cream, opting instead for 1/2 c of the chocolate mousse on the salad bar. Then, I used my iPhone to log what I had eaten on myfitnesspal.com That stupid Mousse cost me 800 calories and put me way over fat grams (+30) for the entire day. It had 80 grams of fat in it! What I want to know now is, who thought it was a good idea to put that on the SALAD BAR????? The whole meal left me only 300 calories for the rest of the day and night. Not cool, Jason's. Not cool.

Well, I started out good with a very yummy less-than 300 cal, hi-pro, low-fat, veg breakfast. I came up with it on the fly so I thought I would share: 1/2 c Egg Beaters 1/4 cup chopped bell peppers 1/4 c sliced raw mushrooms 1/2 chopped green onion 1/2 cup leftover spinach/pine nut/garlic mix (I got this at the Market Street Deli. But you can just add fresh spinach, a little garlic, and a little red pepper to taste. If you have pine nuts, add 'em. If not, it's no big deal) Mix all in a microwave take-and-go container with a lid. Lightly place the lid on top but don't latch it. Cook in microwave for 2 minutes. Then, take out and mix. Cover and let sit. The egg mix will continue cooking in the steam while you pop 2 morningstar farms veggie breakfast patties (tastes like mild sausage patties) in the micro for two minutes. I was tempted to add cheese but I decided to try it first. It was awesome even without cheese! You can also add tomatoes and a spoonful of plain greek yogurt (which tastes like sour cream) Cal: 231 Carbs: 14 Fat: 10 Protein: 33! Now, I am going to get cleaned up and try to find something to do with myself and the family today that involves exercise. Maybe I will break my "no more plus-size clothing" rule and buy a new bra at the mall. Since I hurt my shoulder, I can't fasten them in the back anymore. I am tired of hunting down my husband to fasten them for me or going bra-less half the time. It's time for a front-loader, I think.

My doctor wasn't real clear on the calorie intake for preop. My instructions just say low-fat, no-fat, low-carb, no meat, no white bread, etc. So, I used my fitness pal to set up a basic plan. I ended up finishing the day of Jason's with calories to spare, but went way over my fat intake. Mark,I bet you can still have that gumbo and the salad, just stay away from the chocolate mousse! It's evil!

WOW. I dont know how you did it! You are giving me hope. Thank you.

I think we spend too much time feeling guilty and beating ourselves up for being fat or having been fat. I bet nearly every one of us is a people pleaser of some sort or another. In my case, I make sure everyone else is happy then I eat to relieve my own stress and anxiety. It got out of hand and has caused me to hate on myself more than once for "destroying my body". But here's the deal. Even skinny people and people without addictive eating behaviors crave sweets and certain other foods that make them happy. You are not doing anything wrong, nor should you feel guilty for feeling this way. Depression may or may not be caused by your new lifestyle but if it is chronic and there really is no concrete reason for it, it is probably chemical. Short-term meds and a little counseling may be all you need to reset your brain and feel better. Overeating and eating certain foods releases lots of feel-good chemicals in your brain like dopamine and seratonin. You brain isn't getting high off food any more so yeah, you might need a little help getting your brain chemicals balanced. There are also ways to trick your brain. Exercise releases those same feel-good chemical. So does eating hot peppers! (Jalapenos will give you the same shot of dopamine that you get from jogging).

that's grrrrrrreat!

Keep at it! You're doing great! Now, tell me about this travel trailer! Where are you? How much is it? And do I want it? I am obsessed with getting one right now because I just saw Pam Anderson's playboy trailer at a car auction today.

I spent most of this morning, walking the floor of an auto auction (where I got to see Pam Anderson's Airsteam Playboy Love Trailer) trying to think of what to eat for lunch. Hubs was already working my nerves and I was itching to stick my face in something gooey just to relieve the stress. Instead, I opted for the healthy choice. I was very proud of myself for ordering a one-trip salad-bar-and-soup plate at Jason's Deli. I chose all the green and colorful stuff, none of the meat, one egg for protein and 1 whole grain cracker instead of croutons. I even went easy on the dressing, using about a Tablespoon for the entire salad. I skipped the free ice cream, opting instead for 1/2 c of the chocolate mousse on the salad bar. Then, I used my iPhone to log what I had eaten on myfitnesspal.com That stupid Mousse cost me 800 calories and put me way over fat grams (+30) for the entire day. It had 80 grams of fat in it! What I want to know now is, who thought it was a good idea to put that on the SALAD BAR????? The whole meal left me only 300 calories for the rest of the day and night. Not cool, Jason's. Not cool.

Here are some ideas for December group names: Santa Babies Skinny Santas Frosty Foxes Blessed Bandsters Stone-Cold Hotties December Dudes and Dames Holiday Hotties December Snowflakes (each one different and beautiful...) Jingle Belles and Beaus Twinkle Twits The Stars of Bandlehem Merry Bandsters slogan: Trading Stocking Stuffers for Trimmed Trees

I would like to join this group! My surgery is scheduled for November 30, but if I join November's group, I will be behind. Is everyone okay with that? And for all of you trying to quit smoking, please check out the e-cig! You can use it with or without nicotine and all of the liquids come in flavors. It smokes like a regular cigarette but you are really smoking steam and it will not cause cancer or stink breath or any of that stuff we hate about smoking. You can use it everywhere. I have even smoked mine in a doctor's office and all the nurses and doc went crazy for it. I got mine in March and it was 2 weeks before I even realized that I hadn't had a real cigarette in that long. These things are amazing. My doctors think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread because remember, nicotine doesn't cause cancer...it's everything else. Nicotine is still a stimulant but so is coffee. You should use caution with anything but I think it is better than smoking. I have tried to smoke a real cig since and it makes me sick. I smoked for nearly 25 years, too. You can get them anywhere online and even in some malls, but here is a link to my favorite shop. This is the cheapest price for the best version and they ship super fast. Customer service is great too. e-Smokey Treats Oh, and I haven't finished reading everyones' posts but your diets sound quite different than mine. My surgery was scheduled on the day I should have started the preop diet. Since I didn't have a copy of the diet, the bariatric coordinator told me to wait until I got it. My surgery is in 10 days and I just started my preop diet today. I was not told to lose a specific amount of weight and my diet is low-fat, low-carb AND vegetarian. Basically, I get fruits and veggies plus protein shakes, sugar free pudding/jello and crackers for carbs. It is the end of the day and I have plenty of calories to spare. But I do wonder how important the preop diet really is, if each surgeon is so flexible about it. I'm not going to let it worry me. I know the purpose is to remove some of the fat from your liver, making your stomach more accessible. It helps the doctor get done faster and more efficiently. Some folks were talking about before pics. TAKE THEM. Take lots of them from different angles and get your entire body. You might feel uncomfortable now but you will be glad to have them later. I took mine a couple of months ago because I TRIED (and failed miserably) to do the P90X program. They give good guidelines for how to take those pics. I took mine in a somewhat modest swimsuit. I figured that if people saw me like that already in public at the pool, it wouldn't hurt to put the pics out there too.

That is the million-dollar question, isn't it? If it's truly boredom, then try to distract yourself with things that aren't boring. However, most food issues go deeper than that. I am still waiting on the answer to your question and the closest I have gotten is that you have to figure out why you really overeat and make peace with whatever that reason is.

You look great! COngrats!

I wouldn't be satisfied with waiting until December 28. Your doctor needs to at least examine you. If he refuses, go to the ER. This is not something to mess around with, especially because it is making you nauseous.

I believe that when something is meant to be, it will be easy and everything will fall into place. You go, girl!

That is sooooo amazing. I could actually feel your excitement from here. Next step...belts!!!!!

You can do it!

That's awesome! It's good to know that a quick recovery is possible. Now, you have made me hungry for seafood!

I think this is yet another case of the Food Monster fighting against you. Mine keeps telling me that if I am going to go through all this trouble anyway and strictly dieting, why CANT I just keep going on like this and forget about the band? The answer for me is...because I can't. I have tried. I keep on for awhile and then I quit. So, now I am placing those Food Monster thoughts in the adversary category of my brain and liken them to the alcoholic who hears "oh, one more drink can't hurt you. You've been sober for 6 months. You have a handle on your drinking and you are not an alcoholic like the others. You're cured so now you can drink socially." No I can't.

I have not tried the Isopure but if it's that yucky, I don't want to! I am curious about the protein shots. Anyone tried those?

I started my pre-op diet today after two days of last-mealitis and binging. I tried to fit in all of my favorite foods just in case I never get to eat them again. Let's see... I went to two fast food places, Taco Cabana and Jack in the Box. I don't know why I chose Jack in the Box. I never eat there! But I loaded up on tacos, chicken sandwiches, flauta, fajita taco, cake, eggrolls and more. Then last night, I hit the bakery at Market Street for a lemon torte and a fruit tart. I bought an eclair and a napolean but never got around to eating them. I also bought a shitload of diet food, fearing that I would be deprived if I didn't have everything I could possibly want at my fingertips. Today I am have a protein shake for breakfast. The new diet is low-fat, low-carb, and vegetarian. So basically, I can eat protein supplements, veggies, and fruit with an occassional cracker. YUUUUUUMMMMY! [she says with intense sarcasm] I think my biggest problem right now is the overwhelming fear that this, like many other things I have tried to lose weight, will not work. My brain is scrambling with the question, "What if I change my body and put myself through all of this and remain fat?" It happens. And it would be just my luck that it would happen to me. That is very negative thinking but I am afraid, nonetheless. I am also cranky and stressed out about losing my food "friends". I know that in a couple of months, I can still enjoy them, just in smaller portions but I am not sure I trust myself to have a bite or two of something I love (like a bagel) or that my body won't reject something that I love (like a bagel). Speaking of Bagels, I went to Einstein Brothers Bagels twice this week and loaded up on lox, asiago bagels, pumpkin bagel and bagel dogs. Now, back to the protein shake. I am using Herbalife Formula 1 shakes. They are really good and as much as I hate to admit it, really satisfy my hunger. They are not too sweet and you can use the powder in other recipes. I get mine from Ajay's Fitness (home of the 4-minute workout...no kidding. It's amazing). Nutrition products are available for shipping anywhere. I am also logging my food intake at Myfitnesspal.com. It's free and has a good library of foods to add to your food journal.

Thumbs up! I call mine the Food Monster. I told him (yes, it is a HIM) that he could have free reign over my diet for two last days and then it was over.

Ok I am sorry for laughing at your pain but NO HE DIIIIINT write his room number with a sharpie. I am so glad you bailed. Ha Ha!