The Lounge

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Haven't been on in a while-- wanted to pop in and wish you all a Merry Christmas! Typical Italian feast tonight- first, we will do the Seven Fishes, mussels, clams, calamari, white fish, lobster, ahi, shrimp each prepared as a separate dish. Bunch of small sides to go with, including a cheese and vegetable lasagna. Then off to midnight Mass, and back to my house after for the meat dishes, antipasti, and more Desserts. I made homemade limoncello about 6 weeks back, so that will be brought out after midnight, as well. People won't leave until 3 am lol. And tomorrow, we do another whole meal, with roasts and the ravioli we made after thanksgiving that were fla…

Lyrics by LittleBill, with apologies to Burl Ives. Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas, And skip drinking egg nog Cause if you do, I'm sure that you, Will have your weight loss bog. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Eat your Protein dontcha know? If you eat carbs, and things with lard, You're waistline's bound to grow! Ho, ho, the mistletoe, at least that stuff's fat free! You can indulge in it, without a calorie! So have a Holly Jolly Christmas, And behave yourself this year. Stay on your course, it could be worse, But better things are near!

Today was one of those days that I had all planned out, and then everything took a left turn, and we ended up doing something completely different. There are many stories, too many to tell. But there is one which some of you may be able to relate to. We were driving down the road to our destination, with a handful of protein bars stuffed in our pockets against the possibility of being out longer than we expected. We were, and well beyond even that. I need even MORE protein bars stored in my truck after today! But anyway, as we were driving along, we passed one of my favorite haunts from the old days - the Dairy Queen. I loved stopping in there for a malted choco…

Hi everyone! I'm currently on track for a February 2017 surgery, and am super excited! I am, however, a control freak and a notorious planner. As 2016 comes to a close and 2017 right around the corner, I am looking for a new planner; as in, the notebook in which my life gets inked on (but if anyone wants to sign up to be my personal assistant to plan my life out for me, applications for that are also curently being accepted ). I live and die by my planner, but am looking for something that can help keep track of my meals and weight loss and notes in one place, too. I don't know if anyone else is into planners like I am. Maybe it's just me. I've tried the Erin Condren…

There is always a steady supply for stories... I will warn you. This is a long one. If you decide to plow through this, you might want to get some food first to make it all the way through. Today I had the privilege of gaining a good look at yet one more facet of our medical system, and so much that is wrong with it. An acquaintance of mine who has MS was in a car wreck a little while ago, and broke his leg in three places. For reasons not germane to the story, he needed a ride to his doctor this morning, and no one to take him, so I stepped in to do a good deed. And you know what they say about no good deed going unpunished… I arrived at his house bright an…

If I could have laid hands on him. We live on a very old farm, or what it left of it. The house is approximately 200 years old. We also own all the outbuildings, one of which has been dedicated to "The Man Cave". We had used it as the place where we homeschooled all our children, but now that they are gone, my wife told me to do with it as I wished. Anyway... We heat the building with a wood stove. There is an old chimney in the building from its days as the butcher kitchen or summer kitchen, and the stove is piped into that. Last week I went in to inspect the chimney prior to firing up the stove for the season, only to discover that a SQUIRREL had made it into hi…

It's been a wonderful day today at the LittleBill compound. I spent the morning in human interaction. Everything that could go wrong did. The only exercise I got at the gym was walking in from my truck and back out again. That, and complaining about my locker breaking - twice. The good news is, I didn't have to go out in the lobby wrapped in only a towel and a dignified poise. I saw it coming this time and was able to wear clothes. But this afternoon was even more fun. I am working on some outside wiring so I don't have to drag my generator across a hill for 150' in snow and ice when the power goes out. The temperature has been in the high 20s much of the day,…

I'm about to have surgery in the next few days anyone have any helpful thoughts they can share??? Or things they went threw before surgery?? Sent from my N9520 using the BariatricPal App

On Sunday's we usually go to my 87 year old Father N Law's house to watch Packer football and spend some time with him. Then we take him grocery shopping after the game. Yesterday while in the car, my brother N law calls to tell us that Jim's sister walked into the ER yesterday morning. She was feeling like crap for a couple of days and it was getting worse. They took one look at her and knew she was in trouble. She suffers from chronic pain and takes alot of pain medication. We have been after her years because she takes too much and does not follow doctors orders. Well, they quickly did some tests and determined she was in complete liver failure. When they did the t…

Today we decorated the house for Christmas. By "we", I mean Mrs. LittleBill decorated, while I hid out up in my shop. We are minimalists for this event. It has a very deep meaning for us, but we choose to avoid the popular culture when it comes to observation. Our tree is a small plastic tabletop version, complete with lights. There are a few decorations on it. One important one is a Santa given to me for my first Christmas back in 1958 by my grandparents. But anyway... We had a sort of interesting event during today's decorating. I was happily working away in the shop. It is a wood shop. It is stuffed with wood of all sizes, from 4' x 8' sheets of plywood, to boards of…

I was prowling about the store on the site here a few days ago, and came across Click coffee protein mix. I like coffee, and I like chocolate, so I ordered a canister of their Double Shot Espresso Coffee mocha. It arrived today as the saga of the squirrel was winding down. I had been out in the cold all morning long, so I thought this would be a great time to try the stuff out. I made up a cup according to the instructions, and it was very tasty. But then I got to wondering. Is there caffeine in this stuff? Naw, there couldn't be, right? It's supposed to be good for us, right? They probably sucked all the caffeine out of it, right? So THEN I decided to read the lab…

I've gotten a number of comments on some of my stories/posts, so here is one I wrote about our dog almost 10 years ago. For the faint of heart, this story mentions Christians, guns, black humor, dry humor, and perhaps worst of all, DOUGHNUTS as comfort food! So if anyone here is triggered, you have been warned. Oh yeah. Jester is still living with us, so no dogs were harmed in the making of this story. I titled this story A Bullet or a Bath. It has been put up on a couple of different sites. This event took place on Friday, Feb 13. I am not one to believe in superstition, but when things happen on days like today, it is hard to gainsay the naysayers. I had…

This afternoon Mrs. LittleBill and I hauled ourselves off to the grocery store to procure victuals for the coming days. Sunday afternoons are always an adventure. The store is stuffed with high energy professionals, harried mothers herding small children, and a few geezers thrown in to make it all interesting. We like to forego the list. It helps with exercise. "Oh, we forgot this" adds to the step count since "this" is always at the other end of the store. It only ceases to be amusing when "this" is not discovered until we are home in the driveway, and I am sent back to find it. Dodging the other customers sort of makes the event into a cross between Mad Max an…

Warning! There may be dry humor contained within this post. I'm a big guy. That sort of goes without saying, or I wouldn't be here, right? Well it ain't all fat. I really am big boned. I have size 15 feet. I have a big bone head. At least, that is what I am told from time to time. One of the other issues I have that WLS is NOT going to help is the size of my hands and wrists. The biggest gloves I can find are 2XL, and they are almost always tight. When I used to wear watches, I always bought the flex band style. Then I had to buy an extra band so we could add several links to make it fit. I could officially reach anorexia and none of this will change. …

Hi guys! We started a LuLaRoe WLS Destash on Facebook! We would love for you to join us and post the clothes you have for sale, even if they may not be LuLaRoe! Invite your WLS friends! https://www.facebook.com/groups/139717016466688 Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using the BariatricPal App

Well all, since I hit goal this week, things took a turn for the better. I've been looking to go back to work now for a while. I won't go back into actively practicing dentistry, but want to go into practice management and consulting. My hope was to travel quite a bit, and I've had several options present themselves that I've been interviewing for. After speaking with a long time colleague the other day, he made a few suggestions that I acted upon. The result? I've received four more calls to interview for positions I never would have considered before, each challenging in their own right and outside my comfort zone, but hey-isn't that what this new life is about? …

Where does everybody buy their clothing?

Okay, I was going to make my "Ring of Fire" chili, but Mrs. LittleBill wanted to use up the turkey(s) we made for Thanksgiving. We smoked one and roasted one in the oven, so we had lots left over, even with sending a bunch home with other family members. The credit for this recipe goes to @@agirlhasnofluff, who posted it in another thread just a few days ago. We started out with one pound of shredded turkey, mixed white and dark meat, mixed smoked and roasted. I added one cup of Sweet Baby Ray's Buffalo Wing Sauce, one pound of cream cheese, and one package of powdered Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. The calorie count per ounce is 45, with 2.8 grams of Protein per o…

I figured it out. With all the money I am now saving on toilet paper, I had enough for a membership at the local gym. I signed up yesterday for a month by month deal. That way I can see how it goes, and when summer comes, and I have yard work to do, I won't have to pay to sweat and work hard. Today was my second day there. Most of the people I have encountered so far have been geezers or thin, indolent housewives looking for something to fill their days in between collecting the kids and soap operas. There are a few muscle heads pumping themselves up, but not too many of that. I ignore the women and they ignore me. Even if I was on the prowl, they would probabl…

Are there any [East] Asian men on here?

I love eggs. I have been enjoying them again at least once a day since I was allowed scrambled eggs on my puréed diet. But I like variety. In the past, that variety was supplied by adding bacon, sausage, scrapple, Spam, and various kinds of bread to go along with them. While I plan to reintroduce some of those eventually, things have been getting a little tedious. Scrambled, fried, scrambled, fried. Hard boiled, scrambled, fried. You get the idea. So, I was standing in the kitchen this morning and decided I would try something different. I would poach my eggs! I have not had a poached egg for a looong time, and the last few times I did, someone else (i.e. the c…

I am six weeks plus out from my surgery, and doing well. I have been off work (I run my own small business) since surgery because of lifting limits, so I have been goofing off and doing hobby stuff or light duty around the house while I heal up. Today will be a big day, and a test for how well I have been healing. The little monsters, aka my four grandsons, will be arriving with their parents for Thanksgiving. The boys are seven, five, three, and one. Papaw (that's me) is one of their favorite people. They love to attack en masse. Wrestling with me is a huge thing for all of us. I am doing very well with my incisions healing up, but I will be interested to see ho…

Obviously prior to surgery I was way too heavy to ever join the military. I'm an RN and will be finishing my bachelor's this fall which means I could enter the service as an officer. I'm tossing around the idea of Air Force or Navy reserves - just a weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. Anyone else considered this? Thoughts?

Ok-- in the spirit of, well, keeping us connected, here is a new topic starter... Post-op, what is the tastiest, most creative meal/dish you have prepared? Get ready for people to ask for the recipe and post pics if you have them! And for goodness sakes---no ricotta bakes lol. Be CREATIVE!!! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Getting close to Thanksgiving, always gets me feeling grateful for what I have. Thought we could post what we are feeling thankful for currently! For me when things get rough, I like to look back and remember what there is to be happy about. So here's mine as of today: My husband. What a rock..funny, supportive, smart, sexy, and genuinely the nicest person I've ever met. I do not know how in the heck I got so lucky. My pets. The most unconditional bundles of love I've ever experienced. They are very much my "kids"! My parents. Always there for me, wonderful people all the way through. My daughter. Brilliant, compassionate with a heart of gold. She's had my heart…

Shame on me for not posting this yesterday - just wanted to send a HUGE thank you to any of you who are veterans or family members of veterans. We owe you such a debt of gratitude! A sincere thank you from a Navy wife!

We are quite sexually adventurous. My weight has a degree in psychology and studied abnormal sexualality. We aren't out there and we don't do multiple partners but we'very tried a lot of what she studied. Think of the kamasutra for modern day. I swear that I'm a thesis paper. Anyway fast forward to last night. We are having fun with my weight loss. We set sex goals together which keeps me going and excited about the next goal. It was unexpected but I now wear 32 jeans so we had to come up with a reward. This is our first food reward. Mix PB2 with sugar-free Hershey syrup and apply to your partner. Then lick it off! 52.5 calories, 7.5 carbs, 1.5 fat, 5 protein Of on…

Ok, it's been quite a while since I've posted a new topic starter... So this time, the question is--- What is one thing you are currently obsessed with? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Saw this, using it right now in FB cover and thought it would be an interesting Friday commentary.... So, go for it! (And if yours is the same as someone else's, that's ok) Mine would be- Harmony Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am taking a class this morning with an afternoon planning session related to prepping for NaNoWriMo (which is only one month away). Is anyone planning to participate this year?

I've never been good about being on a date. I'm deaf/hard of hearing and it makes social interaction difficult sometimes. Especially if the person I'm with doesn't really understand how to act (normal btw). I'm kinda socially inept, I guess you could say. Point of this - I've been asked to go out for a beer with this older gentleman (he owns the used tire shop across the street from my house) I've never been out with someone just as friends unless they are family. Roommate and I don't go out socially ever - mostly because he's to afraid someone will think we're together. I don't know how to act. I have the tendency to be too nice and some guys think I'm interested in …

We are in our new open enrollment for our insurance. This is a copy of what I sent up the chain. We are a company of 15000+ employees, there is no reason why the company can't get better rates. Needless to say, I'm pissed.

Ok- we got through "intro music". So, staying in the music theme for a bit- what was the very first concert you went to that you WANTED to go to? How old were you? Mine- Ozzy Osbourne Crazy Train, circa 1981. I was a freshman in HS It was freakin awesome! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I watched the Hamilton special last night. Since it was a beautiful fall day in central Kentucky I decided to take a road trip this afternoon to a state park and listened to my Hamilton CD all the way there and back, turned way up! This is an NSV because a year ago I could never have taken a spontaneous road trip like that!

Many of you may know that when I started my WLS journey I was on disability. After losing over 200 pounds (with a ways to go), I am starting the process of returning to work. Up to now, I have been making do with my existing wardrobe with a few cheap additions here and there. Before I moved to Kentucky I had a friend who sewed and made me skirts. I am harder to fit on the bottom off-the-rack and via catalogs due to my bottom-heaviness and lymphedema. My top is smaller than my bottom so even dresses are hard to fit. But, I can generally find tops online and now in stores. I finally found someone here who can alter some of my skirts. I am going to see how she does and…

Did you ever see the movie "When Harry Met Sally" In the beginning of the movie he says men and women can't stay friends, because they will always end up in bed. I have this guy friend who wants to be more than friends. I just see nothing but red flags with him as far as relationship material. As far as a friend goes, I value his friendship and hate to lose it. He told me the other night that by us staying friends, I am just teasing him. I asked him if wanted to stop hanging out, and he said no. I've gotten to the point now though that I've realized I can't be alone because he will always start with the touchy-feely stuff and start asking me why I won't at least '"g…

The list starts with 1930, proving that the popular book in the year I was born was neither carved into stone tablets atop Mount Sinai nor written by a scribe on papyrus from the banks of the Nile. http://www.drozthegoodlife.com/healthy-lifestyle/g560/most-popular-book-year-you-were-born/

What new this shows are you watching this year? I am loving BETTER THINGS and ATLANTA on FX. QUEEN SUGAR is pretty good. Of course, POLDARK on PBS is back! Any suggestions?

Thought many would appreciate knowing soma is having a great sale now. You should sign up for email as I was able to use discount code on sale (not clearance though) items. https://m.soma.com/store/?CAWELAID=120218660000778633&CAPCID=75728956832&cadevice=m&agid=3938777552&catci=kwd-55712931&gclid=COW-qMz0yc8CFdcegQod834C-Q

I have been on Plenty of Fish (POF) for about three months now and it has been an interesting experience. I have met (face to face) about 10 women during these 3 months. For the past month I have been seeing some one about twice a week. I am tempted to concentrate all of my attention on this person, but I keep getting sucked into POF's messages and likes. I am tempted to delete my profile on POF. Any suggestions or guidance?

http://www.npr.org/2016/10/11/496859538/for-fashion-designer-christian-siriano-no-size-is-out-of-style?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=2037

Hi everyone! I am opening up the chat window in hopes that somebody wants to talk. We can talk about our surgeries, our relationships, or anything you feel like talking about. It's doesn't have to be all about Weight Loss. We can talk openly about anything!

Ok. Seriously. What's with all these ladies with flowers in the top of their head?? On their profile pic? And does it "mean" anything? I don't get it... And yes @@LipstickLady I know you have one, as well, so chime in! Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

This might be long, so brace yourselves, lol. >_< If you don't agree with LGBT discussions, then please turn away now. Thank you. So, I am bisexual. I've known this since I was 14; I'm 25 now. I started dating a woman about my age when I was 22. We were in a long-distance relationship (she lived in CA and I live in AL). Her parents were 100% supportive of her sexuality, but my mother is not, and she doesn't know either (I can't tell her because she is very conservative). Anyway, we dated for almost a year and I fell in love with her. She claimed to love me, too. She ended up moving to Idaho, then to South Dakota, because she couldn't find a job in CA or Idaho. She …

Hello! Warning this will be a little long. My husband and I love the fall holidays and I am looking for advice on new traditions. There are lots of creative people on here, so I thought I would get your opinions. We have lots of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas movies. We read a book together in October. Halloween Tree this year. We do a lot of other Halloween/fall stuff like corn mazes, crafts and pumpkins. Thanksgiving- we normally do snack foods, make popcorn in the fireplace, play games/puzzles all day and start our Christmas movies. Next day we go get our tree. We have done a potluck dinner a couple of times. We round up other people who don't have som…

So, I am seeing the surgeon tomorrow about a revision to either sleeve or bypass. I think with either I will likely lose a lot of weight, and I'm worried already about the excess skin. I didn't worry before my first surgery because hubs and I didn't have sex very often at all. I figured if I looked ok in clothes, it would all be okay. I didn't plan on being with anyone else. Long story short, hubs and I had sex exactly twice since my lapband in 2009. However, I'm in a different relationship now. I have asked my boyfriend of 2.5 years to give me his serious opinions on how he will feel about the excess skin I will probably have. I even sent him some pics to consid…

We have had a terrible terrible ski season in the Pacific Northwest. no snow.... seriously, even in the mountains. In January we had a pittance at Stevens pass so I got all excited and headed up after a half day of work to an afternoon of skiing. My son is an advanced snowboarder, but i am still skiing the bunny slopes so we parted ways. I have to pick up rental gear whilst he owns (thanks Mom) tuned gear just right for him. so, I am in a huge hurry to make it to my 1 o clock lesson, and the place was pretty dead on a Thursday afternoon on a crappy snow season day so I decide to multitask, dash into the restroom whilst putting on my snow pants etc. I leaned the s…

I don't know about you, but after WLS I go through an awful lot of yogurt cups, Water bottles, and even have empty tubs of Protein powder on occasion. What are some creative ways you have upcycled after surgery? Have you upcycled clothes or other things you no longer need now that you are losing weight? Have you found new uses for old things? I would love to hear your ideas and even see pictures!