Lucy

I don't buy it, I don't eat it. Too many calories in one little spoonful. LauraJ put it perfectly -- for 190 calories I could eat a bowl of frozen yogurt! (I try not to eat that, either)

Completely obsessive fan here. And I hate TV, so that's saying a LOT. This season looks interesting... I think the girl who got kicked off totally deserved it. It's hard this early in the game because they can only eliminate one when there are still a lot of people who could have been kicked off (like the earth mama with the bad trainwreck dress). Reminds me of being back in art school...sigh...

I live on their unsweetened passion iced tea. No calories and it's delicious. Their pastries always taste like cardboard, so they don't ever tempt me when I go in for the tea. If I'm going to cheat, I want something GOOD.

Eddie, so sorry to hear about your nephew, your family is in my thoughts and prayers at this difficult time.

Lung disease, cancer, neither are a very good option. I'm sure you if you google microwave popcorn and lung disease or cancer you will find what I am talking about. No, it's not the popcorn that caused the problem, it was the bag. And, sure, everything causes cancer and I could walk outside and get hit by a bus tomorrow and die, but if I can choose to avoid problems in my life I will. I mean, that's the main reason why I got this band in the first place.

I don't eat popcorn because 1. I don't like it, and 2. I have diverticulosis. Not really relevant to the lap-band issue, but I think it can be harmful to your intestines. I should add that the popcorn was not the cause of my diverticulosis (since I don't like it and I never really ate it), but I'm supposed to avoid it, along with seeds and nuts (the more likely cause of my intestine issue). After reading about the guy who died from cancer caused by microwave popcorn, it sounds even less appealing to me...

I'm straight and no one has kicked me out yet. Well, I'm mostly straight...

The refrigeration thing is odd -- I suppose it keeps the hormones fresh or something. It wasn't really an issue unless I was going to be out of town on the day that I needed to insert a new one - I went to Europe last fall and that's when I changed back to the pill because my day 1 was going to be during the trip and there was no way I could keep the damn thing cold for the flight over, while I was there, etc. What lengths we ladies go through to avoid pregnancy! When are they going to come out with some BC for men, eh?

I was on the Nuva Ring for a few months and loved/hated it. It was great to not have to think about it every day, but I still felt some effects from the hormones. What I really hated about it was that once you pick it up from the pharmacy you have to keep it in the fridge until you use it. For someone who does a lot of traveling, it was really inconvenient to have to always keep it refrigerated. I've had a really hard time being on the pill -- it really messes with my emotions during PMS. Look into the Mirena IUD, I've been begging my gyn for it but she won't install it since I've never had children (a prerequisite to the IUD which recent studies have actually shown is a bunch of BS). Good luck with whatever you decide.

Easy on the fruit juices, too, they can be full of sugar and empty calories...fyi

Hey all. As of yesterday I FINALLY have some restriction. Before I had 2.5 ccs (in a 10cc band) and could eat anything and everything. Yesterday the doctor upped it to 6ccs and I can definitely feel the difference. I'm still on liquids for another day, but I hope this helps. I've been eating right and working out like crazy and wasn't losing any weight at all so I hope having more restriction finally gets things going again! Argh! Hope everyone else is well, hello to all the new folks. xo

I've had three fills and still almost no restriction and I haven't lost any weight in 3 months! I keep going back for fills and it's not enough. I'm going back next week for another one. I am following all the rules, eating healthy, drinking water, exercising, and nothing happens. So I think some of us need more restriction than others. Sigh.

I have an anchor on my shoulder.

My style leans towards minimalism, but not the completely bare, unlivable form of minimalism -- simple and modern, but intersting. Louis Kahn, Tadao Ando, Christain Liaigre, Toyo Ito. Recently I've really been into mixing baroque/rococo with modern minimal -- taking an industrial loft space with simple modern furniture and throwing in a rococo sofa. Less IS more. But nothing at all is just that. Unfortunately, most of my clients are nouveau riche and they want tacky tacky tacky. They all think they are "zen" and "minimal" and then half-way through the project they drag me in to look at overzealous silk rugs and matchy-matchy fabrics. But it keeps me in business, so I can't complain. $50k for a kitchen? That's nothing. One of my clients just dropped $180K on a kitchen and that was JUST for the cabinets. People are crazy.

I think your dreams are trying to encourage you to loosen up your uber-conservative ideals and relax. Maybe your right-wing politics get in the way of your pleasure. Take a hint from the EU and embrace some more liberal perspectives. Oh, wait, that's not your dreams talking to you. That's me! :car:

I'm totally with Stevee on the no drinking thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I love alcohol and I still have one or 2 glasses of wine a week, but I don't down 5 margaritas at the bar anymore. And I actually feel SO much better the next day. I've been having a hard time losing since my last fill, but I have another fill in about a week or so. In the meantime, I've been working out hardcore -- lifting weights 3x a week and 30-45 minutes of cardio at least 5x a week. I've also cut out sugar and most carbs. I started this 4 weeks ago and the scale has only moved 3lbs, but I think I can see some changes and I feel better, so I'm sticking with it! Anyway, hope all of you are well. Welcome to the newbies and congrats, Pamela, on your new oil change. I mean, car. xoxo

Who's Britney?

Oooh, you know, Eddie, I would drive 6 hours north to use your bathtub!!! I totally feel the frustration of losing slowly -- I keep going in for fills and I still don't have enough restriction! I have the VG band and I know it takes some tweaking, but I haven't lost any weight in over a month! 3 weeks ago I started lifting weights 3x a week and I'm getting the cardio in now 5x a week so now there HAS to be some progress! Hopefully the scale will start to move again. Anyway, just wanted to stop in and say hello and that I hope everyone is well xo

You probably need a drain. There might be codes for drains in your city -- you should look into this. If your garage floods, I would say a drain is not a bad idea. Since I haven't seen the space in person or the plans, I'm hesitant to give you more detailed advice than that. Hire a reputable contractor (who has a license and insurance) and get them to help you.

Apparently, but some of us are actually gastronomic snobs who make everything from scratch. Don't believe everything you hear about Americans It's SO easy to make pizza dough, tons cheaper, and it won't have any of the preservatives and added trans fats and junk that come in the can. Go to epicurious.com, search for pizza dough, and you will find a gazillion good recipes to make your own.

If you really want th eband you will find a way to make it happen. My insurance company wouldn't have covered the surgery if my BMI was 90. So I found a way to pay for it. It wasn't easy and, sure, I would have preferred to not pay for it, but I would rather pay for it than not have it at all.

Call me when you get your news from a more erudite source than USA Today :car: p.s. you conservatives aren't exactly overflowing with honest folk these days

In Coral Gables, FL, it is against the city architectural code to have monkeys in the trees in your front lawn. It's okay in the backyard trees, but don't even think about letting them hang out in the front.

Photography is all about lighting. Turn off the flash mode and take the photos in a well lit-room (light the room as much as you possibly can, more than you would normally). Don't light yourself, light the environment. Or take the picture outside. If you really want to work it, take the picture at the crack of dawn when the sun is coming up, that's the best light. But if you really want a nice portrait of yourself, find a professional. Their equipment is better and they have an eye for what they are doing. good luck.