Shrinkin' Violets Part 3 Read HERE!

[mdrai 3]

((Pam))... sorry to read that you're not feeling well!

Got my lab results from a couple weeks ago... cholesterol, triglycerides are good... but... "Slightly anemic. Vitamin D is low. A, C is up. 1) Stop sugar intake. 2) Take Iron supplement. 3) Take Vitamin D 50,000 every week. 4) Recheck labs in 4-6 weeks."

Ok, I take 1,000 Vit D a day now... how the heck am I supposed to get 50,000/week? And when I take iron supps, then my poop gets all weird. And "stop sugar intake"? Have they met me?? YIKES!! Will I never be "normal"?

Off to bake more pumpkin breads... have done 12 so far, 3 more to go for tonight, I think...

[Jennifur 0]

well said Kat!

Oh, and the new kitchen... well... it is almost done, waiting on my electrician for my oven and since Lowes messed up my counter top - well it is going to be a few more weeks.

I should be able to run the dishwasher tomorrow, and I built a frame for my gas fireplace, i was going to hex it and i made it into a box, I don't know if I 100% like it but i have not tiled it yet either, which I'm sure will help a lot.

I have a huge hole in my bathroom from where the dryer was, so i started working on that today too, and snow blowed.

I'm exhausted

Making some popcorn and probably going to pass out.

fee better Pamela

[irishmae11 0]

Thanks Judy for the fudge recipe, and I promise, no making it for here, only to give away...it started snowing here outside Chicago about 5 or 6pm and the temp is dropping.....afraid it is heading your way Judy and whomever else is east of here....stay warm all!!!

[Teachlady 3]

Good morning, Violets..

Up early for church and the Christmas pageant. We got some snow last night, but no wind yet. We're still under a storm warning till 5:a.m. tomorrow. We'll see what the day brings. I have a slight sore throat this morning. Going to do my Zicam and fix some hot chocolate and see if that helps before choir. I'm singing "Mary, Did You Know" today as a solo. It's kind of a tradition that I sing that each Christmas.

Everyone have a great day. Make wise choices and stay healthy!!

Any word from Jane yet?????

[TerriDoodle 6]

I got a text from her yesterday just saying that she was having computer withdrawals, missing us, but there was no news on her diagnosis! You probably all go it too, right? Poor baby!! I guess they're just giving her those IV antibiotics and watching her white count.

We went shopping yesterday and I'm so excited....we got some Christmas china!! We've wanted to do it for years but finally took the leap. My husband is a sucker for this stuff (believe it or not). Here's a pic:

Still gotta go out again today and my back is hurting so much from being out yesterday and carrying a heavy purse. I just can't DO this anymore!! :tongue_smilie: Well, hope you all have a great day! XOXO!

[TracyinKS 7]

GOOD MORNING!

DH SHAVED! all the way down to just his mustache! He said he would be letting it grow again but shaved for me today...(We start our Christmas gatherings later this morning)

I made mint fudge, Peanut Butter balls and chex puppy chow yesterday.......... I am so bad... I didn't weight yesterday or today..out of sight out of mind..... except that my Christmas shirt I bought MUST be a jr's size because it is very tight accross my chest... its a red thermal with a pic of santa saying "I believe"

I also splurged on myself yesterday....... Kohls was having a really good sale........ I never do this.......

New boots and a new coat. The coat is something totally different for me.. ITS NOT BLACK! Instead it is a camel color..... short (doesn't cover my butt) It matches my hair color and had a fuzzy trimmed hood...... for some reason I just fell in love with it.. and it fit, right off the rack.

Tracy I can so relate....... so many of us are in the Lazy/Complacent/Self Sabotaging phase.......... you know the one where we fail to maintain our losses! The story of my life! We must catch some of the 1st year fire we once had.

OK.. Love to you all......

Happy Day

[Jennifur 0]

morning everyone

Terry - love the china - rest today! ok

Tracyks- glad you splurged too.

Me - i'm getting threathening letters for late payments so i am going to be 100% caught up by the 26th, there goes the rest of my xmas shopping, but i guess there are more important things - but i guess that will start the new year with no stress right?

anyway, snowing here and then going to home depot, i'm returning a bunch of stuff i wont need to get a few little things to hook up my dishwasher, it should not cost me anything i hope

have a great day everyone

oh.. Terry I did get the same text too, I hope Jane is doing better today

[Suziecat 379]

Good Morning Girls.

It's 2 degrees here and the sun is shining brightly. It's only supposed to get to 8 degrees today but with an even bitter wind chill. They are calling for a snow storm on Tuesday, so it looks like a white Christmas for us.

We had a ball yesterday. It was so much fun and I am a total idiot. My hand to mouth diesese was in full effect for the day. But we all had a blast. Here's some pics of Abby and some of her Cookies she made.

Terry, I am so jealous of your new china. It is absolutelty georgous. I've always wanted to do something like that. Right now all I have is two snowman plates that hubby and I use during the holiday. Your so lucky.

OK, It is my vow that as of today I am going to give it the old college try again. I have to. It's out of control again. One thing I did do good yesterday was drink my Water, other than that it was out of control. I told my family that we are making some major changes around here. One of them being that we no longer eat at 8pm. It's no later than 6:30 now. More fruits and veggies and back to following the rules.

Speaking of the rules. Where can I go to find the list of them again. I tried looking on my Doctor's website but couldn't find them. Do any of you have the rules? Thanks if you do.

Have a great day. I'm off to church here pretty soon.

[Suziecat 379]

Here's a few more pics. She had such a good time.

[mdrai 3]

Good Morn, Vi's~~

TracyKS... LOVE the jacket avatar -- so glad you treated yourself... you deserve it!

Suzie... Adorable pictures... looks like it was fun!

Jen... I think I need to hire you to come down and finish my basement! You amaze me with your carpentry abilities!

Judy... I wish we could hear you sing... I bet it's beautiful...

Terri... LOVE the china! I'm w/Suzie... all we've got is some "winter" everyday items that we enjoy... snowman plates...

Already have the first batch of pb's in the oven... need to do 12 or so today... Am going down to my Mom's this afternoon (an hour away) because my aunt & her family are there and 'tis the season to see folks, right?

Am trying to make CONSCIOUS food choices today. That doesn't mean that I'll be "good"... but I want whatever I put in my mouth to be a conscious thought. I have decided to TRY to keep it lc & low sugar if at all humanly possible... so piehole report so far = B: 2 hb eggs w/a little light mayo & mustard; S: 1 vanilla Atkins shake

Make it a good one, dearies!

[kity 2]

Morning Ladies~

I am tired of this head cold. Wouldn't mind the snorting, blowing etc if my head didn't feel like it was 50 pounds! I just woke up after 10 hours of sleep, and I am ready for a nap! I took a hot shower, and am still drinking coffee...but thinking about laying down.

We had a problem yesterday w/ one of our breakers that kept tripping. We called an electrician, and on Tuesday (or today if he can come by) we will get a new "mother board" and something w/ a surge protector...TO THE TUNE OF $1800.00! But, the house is old...and it needs to be updated desparately! Just a bad time of year...and a bad time of month!

Oh well...

Have a great day!

xooxoxoxox

[Teachlady 3]

Good afternoon, Violets..

I am on such a high, I'm soooooo enjoying it!! And it's not drug induced. The choir did such a fantastic job today with their singing. We had 8 pieces to sing and they were fabulous. I was so proud. And my song was the best I've ever sung it ( don't mean to sound boastful ) and I figured out why. Usually there is time between the end of the pageant and the time I need to sing and I fret about starting on the right pitch and being able to hit the high part in the middle. Well, this time, it was end the pageant, sing the song... just like that. I just let 'er rip and it felt so comfortable and I really enjoyed singing it even after all these years of performing it. It was just a beautiful service and I'm still smiling!!

TracyinKS.. LOVE the new avatar and the coat. It looks soooooo cute on you!!

Terry... beautiful china. We have some Christmas china, but it's from Walmart and cost about $10, but it really is pretty. Not as elegant as yours, though.

PamELa... hope you're feeling better soon. We had a new mother board put in our house when we had the hot tub put in. Big bucks, but at least we don't trip the breakers much anymore.

Michelle.. what the heck are you putting PB's in the oven for?? Yer gonna COOK them?? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Oh, you mean pumpkin bread. Nevermind.

We had a potluck after the pageant. I put a couple of meatballs, some Jello, a slice of ham, and a couple spoonfuls of casseroles on my plate. My friend Kathy who was banded in October loaded up her plate. I just rolled my eyes (not so she could see) and knew what was going to happen. Sure enough she excused herself and when she came back said... "well, THAT was interesting!!". She'd had her first PB. I was feeling the same way and made it to the bathroom and got rid of my meat balls and jello. That was it for me. Now I'm home and will have some yogurt, take a nap and get ready for the flute playing tonight.

We have TONS of snow. At least a foot on the ground. The new snowblower got fixed yesterday, thank goodnes.. Some defect from the factory that they were able to fix. Now it has to go back because the cord is frayed from trying to start it so many times on Friday.

Everyone have a great afternoon. Stay warm, stay healthy and make wise choices!!

[Teachlady 3]

Ooops.. forgot. Suzie.. the pics are great. Abby is just precious!!

Rule 1: Eat only when you are hungry, and no more than three small meals a day.

Your new small stomach pouch can hold only about one-fourth of a cup of food. If you try to eat more than this at one time, you may become nauseated or vomit. If you routinely eat too much, the small stomach pouch may stretch. Frequent vomiting will cancel the effect of the operation and can also cause certain complications, such as stomach slippage. To avoid this, you need to learn to listen to your body and stick to your plan.

Rule 2: Eat slowly and chew thoroughly.

Food can pass through your new stomach only if it's been chewed into very small pieces. Always remember to take more time for your meals and chew your food very well.

Rule 3: Stop eating as soon as you feel full.

Once your stomach is full, your body receives a signal that you have eaten enough. It takes time, though, for you to become aware of this signal. If you rush through your meal, you may eat more than you need. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. Take time to enjoy every bite of your meal. Try to recognize the feeling of fullness-then stop eating at once.

Rule 4: Do not drink while you are eating.

The LAP-BAND® can work only if you eat solid food during your three meals. You should not drink anything for one to two hours after a meal. This allows you to keep the feeling of fullness as long as possible.

Rule 5: Do not eat between meals.

After a meal, do not eat anything else until the next meal. Eating Snacks between meals is one of the major reasons for weight-loss failure. It is very important to break this habit. If you have proper "fill" levels (you eat the right foods, slowly) you will not feel hungry in between meals. If you are still feeling hungry, this may be a sign that your LAP-BAND® System is too loose and you should tell your clinician.

Click here for more information on information on adjustments and "The Green Zone", which ensures that you will stay satisfied and full!

Rule 6: Eat only good quality, nutritious food.

With the LAP-BAND® System in place, you should be able to eat only a small amount so the food you eat should be as nutritious as possible. Follow the nutrition guidelines in the previous section and specific instructions from your surgeon and/or dietitian. Also, ask your doctor or dietitian before you take any Vitamin supplements. Click here for more information on nutrition and what you should be eating.

Rule 7: Avoid fibrous food.

Food that contains many fibers, such as asparagus, can block the stoma. That's because you can't chew this food well enough to break it up into small pieces and your saliva can't break it down. Fibrous food should be avoided. If you would like to eat asparagus or other fibrous foods once in a while, then be sure to cook them well, cut them into very small pieces first, and then chew thoroughly.

Rule 8: Drink enough fluids during the day.

Drinking enough fluids is essential for staying hydrated and for flushing waste products out of your body. Individual needs will vary, but you should drink at least six to eight glasses of liquid a day. Remember: Drink only non-carbonated/zero calorie liquids such as Water, tea, or coffee (without milk, cream, or sugar). Also, keep your food and drinks completely separate during the day.

Rule 9: Drink only low-calorie liquids.

Drinks, including those containing calories (milkshakes, sodas), simply run through the narrow outlet created by theLAP-BAND® System. If you drink liquids high in calories, you will lose little weight, even if you follow all of the other dietary guidelines.

Rule 10: Exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Since physical exercise consumes energy and burns calories, it is a very important part of any successful weight-loss program. Obviously, exercise can also help improve your general health. In addition to adopting a routine exercise program, you can increase your activity level in your everyday life. For example, stand rather than sit, walk rather than stand, be outside rather than inside, walk rather than drive, climb the stairs rather than use the elevator. If it's too hot outside to walk, go to the mall. It's as easy as finding a parking space away from the entrance to the mall and using the stairs, not the escalator! If you don't have time before or after work, take ten minutes out of your lunch break and walk then. Remember that you should always check with your doctor about the amount and type of exercise that is best for you.

[Suziecat 379]

Oh Judy, Thank you so much for the rules. I've been looking for them and I guess just not looking in the right places. I'm going to print them out and post them on my fridge.

So far today......

2 scrambled eggs & 1 piece of toast

2 celery sticks with blue cheese

For dinner a chef's salad

Oh, and all my Water.< /span>

TracyKs. Love the pic and and the jacket looks too cute. Yesterday Hubby came out to the kitchen while I was getting things ready and paid you a very nice compliment. I was so proud of him.

Jane, Thanks for the text.

I will be gone most of the day tomorrow. I'm taking my older Sis and driving down South to Joplin. Our Aunt lives there and we are going to take her out to lunch. I'll be back later in the evening.

Have a great evening.

[TracyinKS 7]

Back from my dads! Both my sis and my BIL told me how thin I looked! Gotta Luv it!

Here is a pic of Robby and I today.....

Edited December 21, 2008 by TracyinKS