Tip of the Day: Protein Pudding YUMMY

THIS IS AWESOME and filling You will LOVE LOVE THIS ~This makes a GREAT Snack, if you are like me and do not like the taste of protein powder, you will totally love this i promise.
This is my friend Vicks Recipe and its to die for . I suggest putting this in little 1 cup servings .
So you can just grab one serving at a time. I top mine with a dap of FF Cool Whip its yummy ! ENJOY !!!


Protein Pudding
1 small box s/f pudding (chocolate or vanilla)
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 scoops protein powder (chocolate or vanilla)
3/4 cup lite sugar free Cool Whip

Mix together and stir until starts to thicken.
5--1/2 cup servings
100 calories
20 grams of protein

New Thing: Tip of the Day

So im going to try to do a Tip of the day . Something related to weight loss , life, ect.
I always find interesting things that I think others can relate to . So I will start sharing them and make them my tip of the day .

Todays Tip of the day I found on a new Blog Called Sugar Savvy. Amazing Blog, has all kinds of interesting Tips .
Tip of the day : ( Ok its actually 10 )
1o Tips for Saving Money on Groceries
http://www.savvysugar.com/2728452

Check this Out

Thanks April Showers for showing this to me .
She found this at Wordle.net.
These are the words that are most used in my blog !! GO FIGURE Protein !!! To funny !
thanks April .

For Shaggs and Other Newbies : Your most Valuable Tip

Shaggs is on Day 3 of pre op optifast.
So I thought for her and any other newbies reading this we could give her each a tip or 2 for either post op or pre op that helped get us through ...
So either email them to me or post them on comments ..

Here are mine :
1. THE best advice I can give to ANYONE newbie or not is to follow your doctors orders to a T .
2. If you have any questions, concerns ect call your doc that's what your paying them for .
3. Protein is the key pre op and post op for hunger to ward it off. Eat plenty of protein and you wont get too hungry !

Everyone else please give a tip or 2 !!!

Want to know the nutritional l info on your favorite dish or restrurant ?

Do you want to know the nutritional info on your favorite dish, resturant or drink ?
Email me your request, i'll look it up for you and post it on my blog.
I think some things you might be surprised about . Those "Salads" and healhty alternatives are not so healthy sometimes.

So ask away !

More Nutrional Info on Food to Go

For Wanting to be thin
Macaroni Grill Chicken Scalappine

Calories 1010
Fat 64 g
Saturated Fat 28g
Sodium 2650mg ( HOLY COW)
Carbs 65g
Protein 35 g

Here is Chipolte's
http://caloriecount.about.com/cc/search2.php?searchpro=chipotle&search_type=foods&grp_id=&manu=&s_order=&spell=1

Here is Pick up Stix
http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/pick-up-stix

El Pollo Loco
http://caloriecount.about.com/el-pollo-loco-nutrition-m172
Mindy

Options for eating on the run

Finding some good articles on Spark People today :
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=you_can_eat_fast_food

Food on the Run: Wendy's and McDonald's

By: Tanya Jolliffe : 1/19/2009 5:45:13 AM : 160 comments

Sometimes you have to eat on the run.
Sometimes you just want to eat away from home.
What can you eat while maintaining a healthy diet?



Here are two of the most famous fast food restaurant chains and the healthy options you can find when you have to eat away from home.

Most of these options are below 250 calories and 10 grams of fat and can be included in a health diet once in a while.




Wendy's





Jr. Hamburger
Calories - 220
Fat- 8 grams
Protein - 13 grams

Mandarin Chicken Salad (skip the almond, noodles and substitute the dressing)
Calories - 180
Fat - 2 grams
Protein - 24 grams

Chicken Caesar Salad (skip the croutons and substitute the dressing)
Calories - 180
Fat - 4 grams
Protein - 28 grams

Side Salad
Calories - 35
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Calories - 90
Fat- 6 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Fat Free French Dressing
Calories - 70
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Small Chili
Calories - 190
Fat - 6 grams
Protein - 14 grams

Strawberry Yogurt Squeezerz
Calories - 70
Fat - .5 grams
Protein - 2 grams

Mandarin Orange Cup
Calories - 80
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Low Fat Milk
Calories - 100 (white) 170 (chocolate)
Fat - 2.5 grams
Protein - 8 grams



McDonald's




Hamburger
Calories - 250
Fat - 9 grams
Protein - 12 grams

Grilled Snack Wraps
Calories - 260 (Chipotle BBQ or Honey Mustard) or 270 (Ranch)
Fat - 9 grams
Protein - 18 grams

Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken
Calories - 220
Fat - 6 grams
Protein - 30 grams

Side Salad
Calories - 20
Fat - 0 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad
Calories - 210
Fat - 8 grams
Protein - 4 grams

Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
Calories - 40
Fat - 3 grams
Protein - 0 grams

Newman's Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing
Calories - 60
Fat - 2.5
Protein - 1 gram

Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
Calories - 90
Fat - 2.5 grams
Protein - 1 gram

Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
Calories - 160 (130 without granola)
Fat - 2 grams
Protein - 4 grams

Apple Dippers
Calories - 35 (additional 70 with caramel dip)
Fat - 0 grams (.5 with caramel dip)
Protein - 0 grams

Low Fat Milk
Calories - 100 (white) / 170 (chocolate)
Fat - 2.5 grams (white) / 3 (chocolate)
Protein - 8 grams

Now that you have all these options, the fun is putting together a meal that best meets your nutrient needs. Here are two meals that I would put together.

Wendy's Jr. Hamburger
Side Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Mandarin Oranges
Water
Total = 445 calories; 14 grams fat; 15 grams protein

McDonald's Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad
Side Salad with Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette
White Milk
Total = 370 calories; 13.5 grams fat; 13 grams protein

I will share other restaurant and meal ideas in the future. Let me know if you have a specific chain you would like to learn more about.

Share your meal combination ideas. Will you keep any of these ideas in mind next time you find yourself needing to eat out?



You will earn 3 SparkPoints

11 Worst Foods of the Year

Some of these are a No Brainer , but a few of these are some of those foods that restaurants try to play off as "healthy" or you would think would be "ok" and they are not.
http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=the_11_worst_foods_of_2008

The 11 Worst Foods of 2008

By: Stepfanie Romine : 1/5/2009 10:28:01 PM : 655 comments

Fast food and chain restaurants have evolved significantly over the last few years. Burgers, fries and sodas are still the status quo for many diners, but those who seek healthier foods have plenty of options, from fruit and yogurt parfaits and baked potatoes, to apples cut like fries and grilled chicken. Trans fats have been reduced and eliminated; lowfat milk, fresh fruits and vegetables grace the menus at even the most ubiquitous roadside eateries; and more companies are disclosing nutritional information.

Despite those changes, fast foods menus remain dichotomous: Healthy choices reside next to triple-stacked burgers and extra large fries.

We've rounded up 11 of the worst foods we've seen this year.

Stay far, far away from the foods listed below, and instead select from the plentiful healthy choices at each of the restaurants included in this article.



Starbucks Signature Hot Chocolates

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know you need your caffeine fix. And yes, we know, Starbucks is delicious. But these Signature Hot Chocolates are drinkable desserts, plain and simple.

The no-frills version has 430 calories, which has more than three times as many calories as a grande skinny Caffè Latte and almost twice as many calories as a skinny Caffè Mocha. (You save a few calories by getting iced hot chocolate, but in the middle of winter, who wants to drink that oxymoron?)

Hazelnut Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
510 calories
22 g fat
14 g saturated fat

Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
550 calories
24 g fat
14 g saturated fat

Signature Hot Chocolate (no whip)*
430 calories
20 g fat
12 g saturated fat
(*calculated for a grande with 2% milk; add 70-80 calories and 7-8 g fat for the whipped cream, and save 30-40 calories and 3-4 g fat by asking for nonfat milk)



Wendy's Gourmet Mushroom Swiss Burger

Wendy's worked hard to class itself up in 2008, giving its namesake a tuxedo in ads and stressing the freshness and "gourmet" items on its menu. The home of the fresh-never-frozen-burger earned a respectable B rating on its restaurant report card, thanks to a variety of salads and healthy side items such as yogurt, chili, baked potatoes and mandarin oranges. After last year's Baconator, we thought Wendy's had learned its lesson.

Then Wendy's came out with this:
"A 1/4 lb. of fresh, hot 'n juicy beef, topped with natural Swiss cheese, sautéed Portabella mushroom blend, hickory smoked bacon, a savory peppercorn sauce, crisp lettuce and red, ripe tomato."
Gourmet and gourmand aren't synonymous, Wendy's. This burger would be better named the "Glutton Mushroom Swiss Burger." A regular 1/4 pound hamburger has 170 fewer calories and 16 fewer grams of fat! Stick with the chili and a baked potato if you want to watch your girlish figure, Wendy!

600 calories
36 g fat
14 g saturated fat
1.5 g trans fat
110 mg cholesterol
1,090 mg sodium
37 g carbs
2 g fiber
35 g protein




Burger King Mushroom Swiss Steakhouse Burger

Wendy's, we take back what we said. Yours is not the worst mushroom Swiss burger to show up on fast food menus this year. That award goes to Burger King, which relied on Simon & Garfunkel style warbling ballads to sell its upgraded burger:

"Flame-grilled Angus beef, tender mushrooms, warm, melted Swiss cheese,* crispy onions, golden corn dusted bun. (*Processed and pasteurized cheese)"

Burger King doesn't mess around with lettuce and tomato on this burger and nixes the bacon, too. I'm not really sure where those extra 220 calories come from, but they're certainly not helping you reach your five a day vegetable and fruit quota!

Maybe, instead of naming each of these burgers to our list, we should have just named "Mushroom-Swiss fast food burgers" the worst food trend of 2008.

850 calories
48 g fat
18 g saturated fat
2 g trans fat
130 mg cholesterol
1,950 mg sodium
54 g carbs
4 g fiber
41 g protein



Romano's Macaroni Grill
Seared Sea Scallops salad

Why bother even calling this a salad? Could we ask restaurants to have a calorie and fat limit for the salad section? I'd like to be able to order salads without worrying I'm consuming an entire day's worth of protein and fat. Judging from the Macaroni Grill menu, it's impossible to create a salad with more than lettuce and dressing for under 500 calories. Macaroni Grill flunked the Men's Health restaurant review.

"Seared sea scallops, tender leaves of spinach, arugula, feta cheese, crispy prosciutto, toasted walnuts and Parmesan crisps with light citrus dressing."

Psst… vegetables and lean protein taste good. You don’t need to douse them in fat for us to eat them. (Don't you just love that it comes with a "light" citrus dressing? Nothing in this salad is light, judging from the nutritional info!)

1,270 calories
94 g fat
27 g saturated fat
2,740 mg sodium
42 g carbs
76 g protein
6 g fiber



Butterscotch Rocks Pancakes at IHOP

That IHOP doesn't provide nutritional info should be enough reason to skip breakfast. Most of the foods gracing the pages of its large glossy menu are desserts masquerading as breakfast and have more toppings than a banana split!

We shook our heads at the "stuffed" French toast, dropped our jaws at the coffee cake pancakes and finally threw down our forks at the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes:

"Four fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with pecans, granola and butterscotch chips, then topped with whipped topping and drizzled with caramel sauce."
Needless to say, these pancakes didn't find their way onto the "IHOP for Me" healthier section of the menu. This dish seems to be the winner of a "how many sweet-and-sugary-toppings-can-we-cram-onto-a-stack-of-pancakes" contest!

We conservatively estimated the nutritional content of these pancakes based on menu description.

1,310 calories
52 g fat

A standard 4" pancake has just 80 calories and 3 grams of fat; however, IHOP's flapjacks would dwarf your homemade ones. You could eat more than a dozen regular 4-inch pancakes with a 1/4 cup of syrup and a tablespoon of butter for the same calories.



KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal

Nobody needs a box of food. Chances are good that if your restaurant food comes in a box, it should be shared or just avoided. KFC made our Worst Foods of 2007 list with its Chicken & Biscuit Bowl. Now, the folks that brought you a chicken dinner in a bowl bring you the "KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal." It comes in a Guitar Hero box, but we're slightly confused. Are you supposed to eat this while playing Guitar Hero? When I think about rocking out to a video game, I don't conjure an image of myself holding a drumstick seasoned with 11 herbs and spices.

"The KFC Original Recipe Fully Loaded Box Meal brings all your favorites together for an over-the-top concert of flavor. Each box is jammed with two Original Recipe Strips pressure-cooked in the Colonel's famous 11 herbs and spices, plus an Original Recipe Snacker, your choice of a drumstick or thigh, 2 individual homestyle sides, a famous KFC freshly-made biscuit and 32 oz drink. Man that's a lot of food!"

1,320 calories (calculated with barbecue baked beans, cole slaw, a drumstick and a Pepsi)
43 g fat
8 g saturated fat
3.5 g trans fat
100 mg cholesterol
2,740 mg sodium
196 g carbs
40 g protein
13 g fiber



Taco Bell Fully Loaded Nachos

If there were 10 Diet Commandments, somewhere on that list would be this sage piece of advice: Thou shalt never eat the receptacle in which thy food is served. Nothing healthy comes in a carbohydrate bowl! Taco Bell has taken the edible food vessel one step further. Their "Fully Loaded Nachos," which are already a big pile of greasy chips with "double the seasoned beef, fiesta salsa, guacamole, hearty beans, three cheese blend and nacho cheese sauce," are served in a giant fried tortilla. Nachos served in a nacho. Na-cho best idea, Taco Bell.

Parent company Yum! had been making tremendous progress on the healthful fast food front, by touting its Fresco menu at Taco Bell, adding lighter items at Long John Silver's and volunteering to post nutritional info. This, along with that whole "Fourth Meal" campaign, is a giant step back across the border, Taco Bell!

1,390 calories
83 g fat
17 g saturated fat
4.5 g trans fat
70 mg cholesterol
2,190 mg sodium
15 g fiber
34 g protein



Olive Garden Chicken & Shrimp Carbonara

Carbonara pasta is essentially bacon-and-egg pasta. Delicious, yes. Healthy, no. The simple dish is traditionally made with "egg, pancetta (Italian unsmoked bacon), black pepper, and parmesan or pecorino" cheese. Olive Garden's version "combines chicken and shrimp with bucatini pasta in a pancetta and parmesan cream sauce." It's then "baked and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs."

UPDATE: Olive Garden now lists nutrition info! (Score one for the Olive Garden! Thank you!) However, we now know that this pasta has 1,440 calories, 88 g and 3,000 mg sodium! Olive Garden doesn't release its nutritional info, but this dish is rumored to have upwards of 1,400 calories . Picture fettuccini alfredo--an Italian fat bomb on its own--with bacon and breadcrumbs, plus shrimp and chicken. The photo on the Olive Garden website shows pasta swimming in sauce, so this clearly is a high-calorie dish.

Maybe someday Italian food in America will no longer be drowning in butter, cream and cheese. Plenty of traditional dishes contain those rich ingredients, but Italians have learned a word that's been lost in translation: moderazione, or moderation.



Jack in the Box Egg Nog Shake

Jack must have been knocked in his noggin before he came up with this eggnog shake. Egg nog, that delicious yet caloric holiday beverage chock full of eggs, sugar and cream, is blended with ice cream for a seasonal treat. That's almost an entire day's calories in a glass. You could eat four Jack in the Box hamburgers with cheese for about the same calories and 23 fewer grams of fat. Pretty hard to swallow, isn't it?

1,450 calories (large shake)
68 g of fat
24 g of saturated fat
3 g trans fat

Quizno's Prime Rib Cheesesteak

"It’s the sandwich your mouth always wanted," says Quizno's. It's the sandwich your heart always feared, we say. This beefed-up cheesesteak boasts "prime rib, Swiss, sautéed onions, mayo" on toasted bread. Let's return to the list of Diet Commandments for a moment. #4:Thou shalt not eat anything thy can't fit in thy mouth. No one needs to eat sandwiches so big you must unhinge your jaw like a snake to consume. Pass them by, Dagwood, unless you want to eat an entire day's worth of sodium and saturated fat in one meal.

Large sandwich
1490 calories
88 g fat
21 g saturated fat
2,675 mg sodium
(Small: 640 calories, 37 g fat, 8.5 g saturated fat)



Chili's Texas Cheese Fries with Jalapeno Ranch dressing

Whose idea was cheese fries? They're delicious, sure, but really, did we need to top deep-fried potatoes with greasy melted cheese and bacon and dip them in dressed-up mayonnaise? No, we did not. Now they're a staple at chain restaurants, who try to one-up each other with signature ranch dressings, extra toppings and, ultimately, more fat.

Chili's boasts: "homestyle fries topped with melted cheese, jalapeños, applewood smoked bacon & jalapeño-ranch dipping sauce."
These fries lost the contest for the worst cheese fries in America (that dishonor went to Outback Steakhouse's cheese fries), but it was a tight race.

One hundred and sixty grams of fat. One-six-zero. 160! (Oh, and you'll get 1 1/2 days' worth of sodium in one meal!)

2,070 calories
160 g fat
73 g saturated fat
73 g carbs
85 g protein
8 g fiber
3,730 mg sodium

Eating away from home--even when you're on the run--doesn't mean eating unhealthfully. We've got 11 ways you can slim down your fast food order.

Have you tried these foods? Do you intend to try them? Know of a food that should be on our list?

Virus that causes Obesity

Obesity Caught Like Common Cold

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090126/sc_livescience/obesitycaughtlikecommoncold

• Yet another claim that a common and contagious virus is linked to some cases of obesity is in the news today.

Studies on humans show that 33 per cent of obese adults had contracted an adenovirus called AD-36 at some point in their lives, according to an article in the UK's Daily Express, whereas only 11 per cent of lean men and women have had the virus.

The research, to be presented in a BBC television special, is not big news to scientists, however. Further, some worry that the portrayal of obesity as something you simply catch could obscure the fact that overeating remains the biggest driver of obesity.

The facts

The National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that about one-third of U.S. adults are obese, as are 16 percent of children and adolescents age 2 to 19.

Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and other illnesses.

It is increasingly clear, several experts say, that viruses might play a role in some obesity cases. There are 49 known human adenoviruses. They cause everything from the common cold to gastrointestinal problems and eye inflammation, pneumonia, croup, and bronchitis.

Your Favorites

Ok lets get things back on track for me and anyone else who needs some help.
Lets start thinking positive !!!!
What are some of your favorite healthy things to drink or eat ?
One of my FAVORITE things to drink on a daily basis Vitamin Water. I like a few flavors:Orange, Lemonade and Raspberry Apple.
Also I am very sensitive to protein powders , the ONE kind I can drink that does not give me migraines is Bolt House Farms. They are SO YUMMY . I have one every morning for breakfast.

For a snack , I like granola bars . And for meals and sometimes snacks I love my "veggie mix" which is squash, bell peppers, red onions, zucchini and olive oil stir fried together. its YUMMY I can eat a TON Of it .

So what are some of your favorites ?

SOB

Im SO Tired of gaining. or not losing. I gained another pound. Im back up to 141 !
Seriously . I still cant afford another fill. But im going to have to SOON !!!
I dont see how I can get one anytime soon though . Next week is my son's birthday , the day after that is our anniversary , the week after that is my husbands birthday.
UGHHH So another 2 or 3 weeks before i can afford it !
I cant afford my antidepressants , So i dont want to do ANYTHING ! But i have got to get off my ass and work out if i cant get my fill !
This just sucks ya'll ! Seriously . I have not been in this much of a funk in a LONG TIME !

Update On Move Part Deux

Well, we are not moving. Even though I loved that house . We just cant do it right now! :( Im so upset . But we are going to have to move soon . So we are going to have to get ready for that. So i guess this is better ?

Move Up date

Well looks like we are going to be moving. I spoke to the land lord of the new house yesterday , She wanted first, last months rent plus the deposit.
But I asked her if we signed a 2 yr lease if she would be willing to just do deposit and first months rent. She said YES ! SO hopefully we can come up with the deposit in the next day or so and we can get the house !!!!
Im very excited but trying to not get too excited !

Change ! To move or not to move ?

(This is the house i want )
You ever feel like you want/ need a change and want to start over ?
I dont really feel the need to start over, But I feel like im in a rut.
one thing that has me REALLY frustrated is im still renting the same damn house I have been in for 5 yrs ! The house is "ok" But my boys are growing out of it at the seems!
Im frustrated we have not been able to financially build a house yet .

Our lease is not up here until June but I am looking for houses already .
Ideally we need to move in June ! Mentally I need to move NOW !
Realistically we need to move in June. The other issue is the area we live in , is VERY HARD to find bigger houses , once they come up they are gone. The area is small and the schools are REALLY GOOD . So if you find something ya gotta jump on it .
I found a house today , 2000 sq feet ( im living in 1500 now ) and its the SAME damn price as my house and its newer ( like 2 yrs old ) the house we are in now was build in the 80's . They only want a $600 deposit to get into the house !
I dont know what to do . But I worry if i dont jump on this house now in June when EVERYONE is looking for a place before school starts I wont find something AGAIN !
We really cant afford to move right now . But CRAP I dont know what to do ! SORRY I just had to vent .

Mindy

Me tips. Our time is NOW !

Bel, Of the Miss Piggy Chronicles inspired this post . Here is her post that lead me to mine :
http://misspiggychronicles.blogspot.com/2009/01/me-whinge-never.html

Weather it be before surgery or after at some point i think we all get back to what we had surgery for . US , me , myself , I , numero uno !
After all if anyone is like me for so many yrs I neglected myself, put myself on the back burner. I was a mother first, a wife next and a woman last.
After I had surgery I slowly started to get some confidence . I slowly wanted to look better. But I realized too , i was not quite sure how to do that .
It had been SO Long since i had any style. The last " Style" i had was in high school and I was a "cowgirl" , or that was my style. Wranglers and Boots.
NOW , let me say this .. I am BY NOW MEANS a style expert. At ALL . I laugh really about giving any kind of advice in this direction . However, I think its a good idea to know where to start again .

My first venture , make up . It could be cheap ( or not) it did not require me to constantly buy new stuff as i went down in size.
So a friend told me about a few sites on youtube.com .
Make up tutorials if you will. A W E S O M E !
I dont have a ton of money to spend nor will i spend a ton on make up . If i get somthing on sale im SO HAPPY .
I found this one ... this guy tells you which paint brushes , every day brushes you can get that are exactly like MAC brushes. NOW If your like me and dont know WTF MAC is , its an expensive form of make up . The brushes can run $30 and UP for ONE ! 2 words for that .. HELLLL NOOOOO will i spend that on make up brushes , STUPID !
SO here is this site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9lPfKzQAXE&feature=PlayList&p=BC93C2326DC9FA07&playnext=1&index=6
He also has a tutorial on how to make brush cleaner ! As well as make up tutorials on cheap alternatives to MAC .


This one ,,, Awesome make up tutorials . She's so cute and funny . I wish I could do half the stuff she does.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCmhj4NHylM

The next one is more "every day" looks that's just great.
http://www.youtube.com/scalmat

You can also just go on youtube.com and search "Make up " or make up tutorials"
Its very useful . Its a whole new world. Or at least it was for me .

Clothes. I am ALL about cheap clothes. I am REALLY all about CHEAP designer clothes.
Now the closer you get into "normal" size clothes ( non plus size ) the cheaper they get. The best advice someone gave me ( granted I am a stay at home mom So i dont need a lot ) is to get 2 or 3 pairs of pants and multiple shirts. Old Navy ROCKS for this.

Once you want to start buying designer clothes 2 words CONSIGNMENT SHOP !!!
I recently got 3 pairs of Seven for all Man Kind Jeans ( retails for $200 each ) for $20 each . Also got a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans again retails for over $200 for $15 at a consignment store. It takes digging and hunting but take the time it works !

If anyone else has any "ME Tips" to add feel free !

What is your blog spot ?

Ok Im working on mine but after seeing a post by Doc Sly who was inspired by Nola I thought this would be fun for all of us on here.
Post a pic of what your blog spot looks like . Where you sit to blog .
After seeing Doc Sly's cute little , clean office spot I am in the process of cleaning mine up . SO ill try to post mine by Monday .
Would love to see everyone else's ! OR if you do not want to show your office how about the favorite room in your house.
Mindy

Getting Back on Track : The Shame

I have not been a good bandster lately . I know its hard for me to admit that to ya'll because i preach so much to everyone about following rules ect.
But i thought maybe if i came here and admitted what a loser ( and not in a good way) i have been I would stop. As i mentioned in a previous blog about being in a funk lately. Well its not getting a whole lot better. It is and it isnt.
My eating is suffering. I either do not eat until late, late in the day because i have been in bed all day ( until my kids get home) or I am not eating the right stuff.
And the worst , my confession. Ice cream ! I have been eating a bowl of ice cream every night. I know its probably not a HUGE deal . But for me it is. Granted im not eating the whole thing, I have never been a binge eater. But Im eating 150 extra calories i do not need.
My youngest son has been suffering in my funk . He's always been a picky eater. But he also will try anything and eat some pretty healthy things. But in my laziness I have not wanted to make good dinners for him or my oldest.
I worry , since my youngest is not in sports yet ( I did just sign him up for baseball) that he will get over weight. ( just a fear of mine)


SO yesterday i went to the store. I told my youngest NO MORE , no more junk , no more waffles for dinner , no more waffles for snacks ( he would eat them all day if i let him ). I did get him 100% whole wheat with flax seed waffles he can have for breakfast and breakfast only . I got him yogurts , granola bars, fresh fruit and other healthy snacks. Also I got myself one pint of sugar free fat free ice cream and will allow myself one of those every month. ( If my kids do not get to them first)
I have got to snap out of this and start doing things right again .
Not only am I suffering but my kids are too.

On a side note our grocery store had these light whipped yogurts for 5 /4 packs for $1.00 each . I got 5 of them 5/$5 . I am not a big yogurt fan at ALL . But one flavor they had was key lime pie and it was VERY GOOD. So i think i might lets my kids have the ice cream and replace my midnight ice cream w/ the yogurt until i get it out of my system at least.

How tight is too tight ?

Ok so i dont spend much time on OH , dont care for them too much. But they have quiet a few good articles on the site today .
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/ADJUSTMENTS-Life-with-an-Adjustable-Gastric-Band-How-Tight-Is-Too-Tight.html

I am a bariatric surgeon who does gastric bands, and I have done a lot of them—over 1500 in the last four years. As you can imagine, I have had many thousands of conversations with patients after surgery regarding whether or not they have reached their “sweet spots.” When I ask a patient if he or she needs an adjustment, the answer is universally a resounding “Yes!” From the patient’s standpoint, more restriction always seems appealing, because it’s only logical that it would equate to greater weight loss, right? In actuality, nothing could be further from the truth.

What we are talking about here is over-restriction—the point at which a band becomes so tight that healthy, high-protein foods are no longer an option. Instead, the patient gravitates towards calorie-dense, high-carb soft foods: things like chips, pretzels and ice cream that taste really good and slide down really easily. I call this soft calorie syndrome. Patients who have this syndrome have suboptimal weight loss because they are not getting enough protein; their daily calorie intake can actually be too high, even though they can barely eat any solid food. This is because of these calorie-dense soft foods that don’t keep you full for any length of time.

When I see patients in this zone, usually they have gained weight or remained weight-stable since their last visit. It can be very difficult to convince a patient who hasn’t lost any weight that the band needs to be loosened and not tightened. What I always tell them is that they need to be loose enough to eat three-quarters of a cup of solid protein at one sitting. Meat is ideal. In fact, in my experience I find that band patients who are loose enough to eat most meats lose the most weight.

So keep this in mind when you are seeing your surgeon. Be straightforward and honest, and don’t try to skew things so that you end up getting more saline in your band. If you are over-restricted, you will be less successful in your weight loss and at higher risk for a slip or an erosion. You can be successful without being super-tight!

Trace W. Curry, MD, is medical director of the Center for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery and JourneyLite of Cincinnati. Visit www.thebanddoctor.com.

December 2008

5 Worst Foods for WLS patients

This article says for "Bypass patients" in the title but it talks about lap band patients. Thought i would share it .
From www.obesityhelp.com


TOP FIVE Worst Foods for Gastric Bypass Patients



Watching what you eat is important for anyone who wants to lose weight, but those with adjustable gastric bands need to be even more careful. These are five food categories that band patients should steer clear of:
Ice Cream

This tasty frozen dessert is high in fat and calories and should be a rare treat for anyone. However, for a gastric band patient, even an occasional serving of ice cream can have an adverse impact on weight loss. The average patient should consume about 1000-1200 calories per day. A half-cup serving of ice cream typically contains 275 calories and 15 grams of fat, but do you think the band will stop you at a half-cup? Think again. Ice cream passes through the band very easily, allowing you to eat well over half a cup at one sitting, which could mean up to 1000 calories or more. Let’s not forget about the enormous amount of heart-clogging saturated fat, either. So don’t fall victim to the ice cream temptation.
White Bread (Flour)

This can encompass a whole spectrum of foods, all of which are weight loss killers. Some of them do not pass through the band easily (doughy bread) and some pass through the band too easily (crackers, cookies). Consuming a highly processed white flour product is a complete waste of valuable “pouch space” for a gastric band patient. White flour is a whole grain stripped of its essential components, the germ and the bran (fiber), leaving only the endosperm. It is then “enriched” with vitamins and minerals because the endosperm is so nutritionally empty. White flour is also often treated with potentially unhealthy chemicals that whiten and mature the flour.

Many patients avoid white breads, pastas and rice because they can be painful when passing through the band. Most bariatric surgeons recommend avoiding white flour completely for at least the first year after surgery.
Creamy (High-Fat) Soups

Soups made with heavy cream should be avoided completely. These are extremely high in fat and calories and go through the band easily, which allows the patient to eat more of them at one time. Broth-based soups, especially chunkier soups full of beans and lentils, are acceptable as long as they provide a feeling of satisfaction for a few hours. So, if you see heavy cream as an ingredient in the soup you are about to eat, put the ladle down and choose a lighter meal.
Tough, Chewy Red Meat

Red meat can be a healthy addition to anyone’s diet. Unfortunately, most red meat is very hard to digest and does not pass easily through the band. The leaner red meats will have the word “round” or “loin” in their names, such as beef tenderloin or ground round. Less expensive red meats require a lot of chewing and still may not pass through the band once they are swallowed. Most patients choose to avoid chewy meat due to this.

A pound of beef tenderloin can cost $18 per pound, but most bariatric patients can only consume two ounces per sitting, which works out to $3 per serving.
High-Calorie Liquids

There are very rare circumstances when a bariatric patient should consume a high-calorie beverage. Most of the time, these are completely useless and can hurt weight loss. Sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages are usually high in sugar and calories and should only be consumed in extreme cases, such as after intense exercise. Simple, plain water is always the best choice.

Artificially sweetened drinks can increase appetite, resulting in a higher consumption of food, not to mention the questionable effects that artificial sweeteners have on our bodies. High-protein beverages such as skim milk or protein shakes can be counted by themselves as a meal or snack.

So what should you eat? A basic diet high in lean proteins (fish, chicken, low-fat dairy, beans), fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be the emphasis for good weight loss and overall health.

Michael Murphy, RD, is the bariatric dietitian for The Weight Loss Institute of Arizona in Tempe, Arizona.

Weigh In Starts on Monday

Come on ya'll I have 1 follower for the weekly weight in blog !!!
I need more . Lets go MOVE IT MOVE IT MOVE IT !!! We all need the support !
Dont make me go drill sergeant on your ass' !!

COME JOIN !!
http://mindyntexas-wlsweekly
weightins.blogspot.com/

OMG A New "Before" picture of me

My mom found this "new" before picture of me ! Hold on to your lunches my friends !
My 7 yr old son said " EWWW MOM " when he saw it LMAO I am pretty sure I am bigger in that picture than my original "before" picture .
YICK ! Nothing like seeing that to perk ya up . Before pictures do not make me feel good about myself though. I am obviously I am glad i have lost the weight. But I do not like looking at them that's for sure ! Does that make sense ?

Funky Monkey

I am in such a funk right now . A combo of gaining weight, stuff going in w/ the family, stress from money , hubby and I not getting along ( stress from him working out of town ) ect , ect life in general . I cant get out of this .
I am not eating healthy things right now either, which makes me feel like total crap.
I am not sleeping well at night either. Last night I went to bed at 1am (typical time for me ) I was watching TV for a while and thought i heard something or someone out side my window. Well that was it for my night. I did not go to bed until 4am then had to get up at 6 to get the kids off to school . It SUCKED .
I dont sleep well w/ DH being gone to begin with . This just stunk .
I know i just need to try to do something to get out of it , but i just do not know what .

Weekly Weight In Blog : Come Join us

Ok here it is ! http://mindyntexas-wlsweeklyweightins.blogspot.com/
Might take us a month or 2 to get the "System " down . But this should be fun !
Mindy

Weekly Weight In's ?

I weight myself every Monday . Its a habit I have gotten into since day 1 of surgery .
So I got to thinking if everyone ( who reads my blog ) would want to start a "weekly " weight in post . We use to do this on a board i was on . Kind of keep you accountable thing.
But we also set "goals " .
For instance , at the start of the month we would set goals for how much we wanted to lose and some would set goals for how much they wanted to work out ?
We can do this I can start a Weekly Weight in Blog for everyone ?
Since Jan, if half way over we can do what we can now and start fresh in Feb. It might help with "new yrs resolutions" anyone made ? Anyone game ?

I'll start working on a blog for it . If anyone is interested.
Mindy

The Evolution of Shopping

Aggie98, a Fellow blogger gave me the inspiration for this post, she was talking about shopping before surgery and it brought up some feelings, and memories that I thought I would share.
Shopping was never really my thing, I have never really been a "girly girl" so shopping didnt appeal to me much. Even in high school when i was thin . Sure it was fun to go to the mall . In high school i was a "cowgirl" boots and jeans were my thing. That does not require much style or thought. That remained my style until i got married for the most part. Then I got fat.
While i was fat, well anything that resembled a burlap sack did just fine . Plus for the most part i did not have much money and lets face it Walmart does not have the most stylist or flattering fat people clothes. (Note my before picture courtesy of Walmart and that was a dressed up outfit )
Shortly before my surgery we started to do a little better money wise. So i got tired of looking like crap all the time and decided " Im not going to shop at Walmart anymore " . So i started spending a little more money on my fat clothes. Went to Lane Bryant and The Avenue.
That helped me gain some self respect back, lets face it the clothes just look better and are as flattering as fat clothes can be .

After I had my surgery shopping at first did not interest me . But as I started to drop sizes I obviously had to go get more clothes. The smaller i got the more fun it became.
Then one day i went into the Avenue to buy jeans and guess what ? Everything ... was TOO BIG !Could it be ? Normal sizes ? My dream was to walk into Old Navy and NOT feel like the fat ass in the store of skinny biotches ! So i thought " Should i try it ? Should i try Old Navy ? "
Across the street I went .. Tried on a 16 they had in there , STOP THE DAMN PRESSES !
TOO BIG ! Then I Tried on a 14 ! It FIT !! Dare i run through the store screaming ? NO instead with out realizing it I (apparently rather loudly ) said " Shut the F*C* up " Well the lady in the dressing room said " are you ok is there something i can help you with " LMAO I said " No thank you I am just in shock that these fit "
That my friends was the start of a very dangerous habit !
Old Navy is bad news ! In a good way . Do you know you can buy shirts there for $2, 4 and $6 , No WHOLE Shirts, that fit over your whole body !
Pants for under $40 ! Hell you can buy 2 pairs of pants for $40 !

Now.. prepare yourself !! Ladies and Gentleman its the Mother Ship: THE MALL


Its a WHOLE Building full of stores to explore ! This my friends was a whole new world for me.
By time I ventured to the mall I was well into normal sizes . What FUN this is.
I have a 17 yr old sister and she has opened my up to a whole new world.
Stores I had never set foot in . Gadzooks , Buckle, Macy's ect. Clothes that you can get for so cheap. I have to warn you though, This can be habit forming and addictive , you have to watch it. Seriously . People can switch from one addiction to another , food to clothes. I have seen it happen. I would have to say I came CLOSE to having a problem . But i stopped myself.
Oh yeah and you would have to have money in order to do that LMAO .
But seriously . I cant tell you how fun it is to know that you can walk into ANY Store in the mall and buy nearly everything in that store. OR the BEST , they don't have your size not because your too BIG but because that size is GONE from it being "too popular " ! Oh my !
If ya'll do not look forward to anything, look forward to shopping !
Now the closer to goal i get the more i am trying not to shop because once i get to goal i want to get a ton of new nice clothes.
One of my weakness' that my lovely teen sister has turned me onto , Designer jeans.
You know the one's that cost $200 a pop ! Lucky for ME , my mom buys her an ass load of them and i get her hand me downs now ! But I would love to buy some nice ones for my own .
Also consignment stores are the best for cheap designer clothes.
See I love expensive clothes, But i love buying expensive clothes that are CHEAP ! I like getting a bargain !
Anyway , i have rambled enough I thought I would tell you my Evolution of Shopping !

Stop , Dont feed the piggie !

Ok So i am not a pig but damn do i feel like one lately . I told my dh tonight i have GOT TO GET A F'ing fill SOON ! I honestly have not felt this fat since i have been banded. I feel like everything i have put in my mouth im gaining and gaining.
I have not had to go this long w/ out decent restriction since my total unfill and let me tell ya'll it sucks big fat ..... well you know . It SUCKS !

Hubby swears i'll get one soon . But DAMN IT !! I know im bitching about this a lot . But unless you have had good restriciton for a long time then been this damn hungry for this damn long you have NO CLUE how badly this sucks. I refuse to let anything in this house that is junk .
I cant have it right now . The only thing close to junk food is granola bars.
I hate this ya'll. I get SO DAMN close to my goal then i gain and gain ! SON OF A BITCH !!!

Ok sorry i just had to vent !

Drinking While You Eat

 I have noticed some other people have some issues kicking this habit. (this might be a repeat somewhere else on my blog if it is sorry )
This was something I worked on before surgery . Here are some tips that someone gave me and some tricks I picked up on my own that might help . Keep in mind I am allowed to drink up until I eat and then an hour after my meals. If your docs orders are different than go by what they say .

Eating at home :
1. Drink while you cook . I think while im cooking . It hydrates you so your not so hungry during meals.
2. Do not even bring a cup to the table with you with your meal.
3. Set a kitchen timer for 30 mintues at first . Once it goes off then get something to drink. Then try 45 mintues and then 60 . The longer you can wait to drink the longer you will stay full .

Eating out :
1. Drink up until the meal comes.
2. Once the meal gets there Tell the waiter " Please do not bring me any more beverages and you can take this one " have them take your drink away , out of sight out of mind .
3. Later on I started having them make me a to go cup . I would write the time i could drink ( an hour out ) on the cup .
4. If you do the to go cup thing DO NOT Get a straw. Its easy to just grab it and drink out of habit, So the straw reminds you " No cant drink it yet "

Hope this helps some . If anyone else has some tips for Newbies Or not so newbies please leave them !

My thoughts on the Biggest Loser

Ok ya'll can smack me , flame me , disown me off the blog sphere for this one . BUT I have some thoughts on the biggest loser. I caught it tonight for the first time in a long time.
Over all I like the show, i think it can be a great motivator , starter to lose weight. And most of ya'll should know ( if you don't i will say it now ) that I do NOT think that WLS is the only way someone can lose weight nor do i think that the Band is the ONLY surgery that works. Lifestyle change and working out works for some too.
Now, that being said, here are my issues with TBL. Its JUST NOT REALISTIC .
Ok here is why .. First off these people are working out 24/7 basically while they are there.
Ok fine, i can deal with that. But my biggest issue w/ TBL ... The weight loss.
Tonight someone lost 30 LBS in a WEEK . Are you freaking kidding me ? That's not even "Normal" for someone with bypass . I am not even sure its HEALTHY not to mention when someone else comes along and their "totals' add up to more, the guy who lost 30 lbs in a WEEK is disappointed and that number was no longer Good enough for him . What does that teach people ?
What does it teach people who are sitting at home wanting to change and they lose 3lbs in a week ( which is awesome) ? They are surely going to be disappointed . These people are losing DOUBLE Digit amounts of weight in a week . Its just not realistic.
THEN for that to not be "good enough " ! How sad !

I think this show is sending the wrong message . If your going to do a show like this lets be realistic . Make it realistic so people at home have something real to go by . Not this bullshit of losing 10,15, 25, 35 pounds in ONE WEEK. Correct me if I'm wrong , but i have yet to see anything on the show, a disclaimer that says " THIS WEIGHT LOSS IS NOT TYPICAL " Because we are working their ass's off 24/7 !

Im curious what others think of it ?
comments ?

Review: My Fitness Coach for the Wii ( DAY ONE )

I have a Wii and the Wii fit. LOVE it all. The only thing i don't like about the Wii fit work out routines is there is no " routine" . You have to start and stop start and stop .
So i asked hubby for the My Fitness Coach for Christmas. I had heard the Jillian Michael's one was crap so i did not even bother.
So I used the Fitness Coach for the first time last night . The first thing is does is ask you to do a fitness evaluation . OH BTW you do NOT need the Wii Balance board for this .
Anyway , it asks you to do some exercise to assess your fitness level . Jumping jacks, Sit ups, push ups, ect. It also asks you what equipment you might have to use at home. Balance balls, dumb bells, heart rate monitor ect. You check which ones you have to use and it incorporates that into your work out. Then you do a stretching move to test your flexibility . So after you do that it tells you what it thinks you should work on . It gives you options of cardio, flexibility, strength training and a few others i cant think of . It will then ask you how many days a week you want to do the work out and for how long. Then you begin the work out . I did 15 minutes of cardio .
I really like how you can do a full 15, 30, 45, or 60 minute cardio work out non stop and not have to keep selecting things like on the Wii fit . The work out I did was not easy . It was probably a jazzercise type routine . it was not easy at all . My butt muscles hurt today from it , and my legs.

So over all I really like this so far. We'll see how i like it tomorrow night when i do it again .

I am SICK of this !! Please listen up !

OK I am going to have a little vent ! This is not directed at any one person so dont get pissy with me ! This is something that comes up and probably something i have been guilty of myself.
OK here is how a conversation would go :

Me: Gosh i have gained 5lbs over the holidays , I am so upset , i need to get this weight off once a gain to get to goal , im so close .

Someone else : Oh you are just fine , You should be glad you have lost so much weight .
Someone else B: OH you will get it off , dont worry
Someone Else C : You have lost so much weight 5lbs is nothing to you
Someone else D : OH 5lbs I only wish ! You have lost so much weight I wish I could look that good ! ( actual comment not being stuck up )

You get the idea ?
So here are my points !

1. Just because someone has lost 50, 70 ect pds does not mean their gaining 5lbs does not freak them out any less than someone who still has that weight on !
2. It is NO LESS upsetting to someone at or near goal to gain weight or have a "set" back just because we have lost most of our weight.
3. giving a compliment followed by " 5lbs is no big deal " does not make us feel any better.
4. Im tired of my feelings being minimized because people think I should be grateful that I am close to goal, lost over 100lbs ect.

Telling someone ( me) that I look "good enough" im " small " enough does not make my feelings any different than anyone elses for gaining 5lbs.

About me and those 5lbs , I have lost and gained those 5 lbs since JULY !! I FINALLY Got them off before the holidays and gained them back AGAIN ! I have been 20 pds from goal since August ! That is SO FRUSTRATING I cant tell you . Am I grateful that i have lost the weight I have . YES . But does that mean I dont want to or should be at goal by now ?
Why is it "ok" for someone is has lost 20,40 60 lbs to be frustrated by a plateau but its not ok for ME or someone who has lost 100lbs or more ? I am not any different than anyone else that has had this surgery . I want to be at GOAL ! Just like everyone else !!!!

Sorry if this is pissy but frankly im a little pissed. I am tired of getting comments from friends, family , ect about this . If anything learn from this and dont do it to someone else !!!

Mindy

Is that normal ?

Im wondering if some things are normal . You ever wonder if YOUR normal of things you do or happen to you are normal ?
What got me thinking is since this last slight unfill on 12-18 i have gained about 5-7 pds ( depending on the day ) I crave sweets and just plane crap now . So in about 2 weeks I have gained say 6lbs . that's a lot to me . SO im wondering , do "normal" people do this ? Do "normal" people gain that much weight over the holidays ? Do normal people want to eat junk and sweets all the time ?
I dont crave that shit when im not unfilled or need a fill.
Also , that's quite fast to gain that much . Is that normal ?
I KNOW IM not normal . I have known that for quite some time. But Im just curious , is what happens to me when i start eating carbs and not have proper restriction normal ? If not then what ever happens to me is why the hell i got fat !

Responses to Things to change in 09

I will add the responses to things to change in O9 Here :
BeverlyDiane said :
OK, I have gone from being a foodacholic to an internet shopacholic. So, I too want to spend less. Especially on stupid things that go on a shelf and just add to the clutter! My goal is to simplify my life. I hope it is one I can keep!

Mindy's:
For me I want to change NOT working out . I want to do at least 2 days a week of SOME kind of work out . Also I know A WHOLE YEAR But i want to get these last 10 ( OK 15 now ) Pounds off.
So my goal for 09 , to be at goal ! OH I have one more , to save more money !

Marivonne's Response :
Definately I want to move my body more.. and I want the f'cking scale to move too.. downwards! I have a goal.. I want to lose 100 pounds for my oct 25th cruise.. why not? is not unrealistic.. just 10 pds per month.. just need to move my ass everyday and to shut my damn mouth and not eat junk.. easy eanough huh? NOT! anyways.. that my motivation.. I am so sick of been fat all my life.. really sick of it.. but I guess I can lable myself and food addict.. yes.. thats it.. others are addicted to drugs and alcohol.. I am to food.. sad, because we need food to live, but we dont need drugs or alcohol to live.
Anyways.. thats my goal.. hopefully, with my self control (and i need MUCH of it) and God's help I will make it.. one step at a time.

Someone stop me

From eating everything ! O GAWD do i need a fill and soon ! Hopefully i can get in ( money) in the next week or so . Because I can surely eat nearly everything . And the worst is the damn hunger ! I am freaking hungry all the time. I want to eat crap , plan and simple crap ! Part of it is probably close to my TOM and i want to eat shit when its that time. But DAMN .
I hate this i really do. The last few months i have felt like i have done nothing but 2 steps forward 1 step back on my weight loss.
Sorry I will get off my pitty party !

Ask me anything ?

OK I thought this would be fun ( Humor me im bored) I saw this on another blogger's site ( Ok i stole the idea from her LOL) . Granted she's got a HUGE following . But I thought this might be fun .
First I wanted to say that all the comments and emails that i have gotten lately are SO nice and very important to me , they keep me motivated. I want to say thank you to everyone .

NOW the "game" . Ask me anything ! I have noticed lately I have gotten comments from lots of newbies, some emails as well. So send me an email ( Or post the comment ) and i'll post it on the blog to answer your question the best i can . The whole reason I started this blog is because i was getting emails w/ the same questions over and over , I figured " lets put them in one place" .
Buts its become so much fun and therapeutic for me as well. Im not an expert but just enjoy helping others the best I can . So go ahead , let me have it .

Ask me anything , It does not have to be weight loss related if you dont want it .
Shoot Im an open book !

Mindy

What do you want to change in 09

I hate new years resolutions ! No one ever keeps them . But those of us under this WLS journey all im sure have something we want to do or change with ourselves.
SO if you want , send me a comment about what you want to change in 09 and i'll post them on my blog ( If its ok with you ) .
For me I want to change NOT working out . I want to do at least 2 days a week of SOME kind of work out . Also I know A WHOLE YEAR But i want to get these last 10 ( OK 15 now ) Pounds off.
So my goal for 09 , to be at goal ! OH I have one more , to save more money !
So lets here it ladies ( probably some men too ) whats your change for 09 ?