Apples2

Hey Allie...first of all...congrats on reaching your goal and it's so nice to hear how happy you are. Just wanted to jump in here after reading that you are struggling on what PS procedures to have done. Just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in. I have seen many posts stating how difficult it is to do the TT and thigh lift together. If you go back through the PS threads (As Dr. Schulman), you might find your answer. I think posters name is "Kareyquilts" and there is a discussion about having the two done together. I can't remember if she actually had it done or was advised against it. Something you might want to ask Dr. Schulman or maybe PM Kareyquilts. Just a thought. Hey to the other Junies. Have not posted on this thread for quite some time but have kept up with post. I tend to hang in couple other threads and have had such a busy life lately that just have not had time for much. I am doing quite well. Lost more weight than I intended to. Doc thinks it's metabolic. Anyway, got to goal last Oct and bumped cals up to about 2000 and still lost about 20lbs. Eating about 3000-3500 cals a day and just maintaining. I am post menopausal and thinking that my metabolism kicked back in after being dormant for so many years. I feel wonderful and have all kinds of energy so doc nor myself are worried about it. I am tall but very smalled boned so it all fits. So, Allie, if you are happy with the weight that you are at, really keep on top of getting all your cals. Don't let happen what happened to me. I was not weighing myself after getting to goal. Ate more than adequate cals every day but still lost. It's just has difficult trying to put it back on as it is to take it off. Anyway, like I said, I feel great and do not sweat the weight loss anymore but truly would rather be at more goal weight than under. Sorry I have been MIA for so long. I will make a better effort to stay with this thread in the future.

Sorry, but just didn't take the time to figure it out as far as cals go. It's just something I throw together. I imagine it's about the same as the other soup I listed.

BTW #3....I will NOT be sharing the recipe for the Chocolate Chip/Toffee/Fudge Frosting Brownies I made this afternoon. They are SINFUL!

Another BTW....I have a little trick if you tend to like your soups a little thicker or you might have gotten too much liquid in the mixture. I add about 1/2 cup of Potato Buds to the soup after it is cooked if I feel it is not thick enough. 1/2 cup Potato Buds has about 100 cals and will thicken the pot nicely.

BTW....both of the above recipes are just a 1/4 of the amount I usually make for the crew but should make about 15 cups of soup with the above amounts

Split Pea/Ham Soup 2 cups (about 1lbs) dried split peas 5 Bay Leaves 10 cups water 2 cups shredded carrots 1 medium chopped onion 1 tsp onion powder 2 teaspoons dried marjoram 2 cups chopped celery 4 cups frozen cauliflower 3 cups cubed lean ham Mix all ingredients in stock pot. Bring to boil, stirring every couple of minutes. Stir from the bottom as peas will sink. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Stir every 10 minutes or so. Takes about 1 1/2 hours. You know the soup is done when peas are soft and blend in. (Cauliflower will get mushy and you will barely notice it in soup) 275 cals per 16 oz serving. Guesstimating 17 gr protein.

Broccoli cheese Soup Bring 2 cans FF chicken broth to a boil and add: 2 cups diced carrots 1 medium chopped onion 1 average size can small butter Beans Cook till soft (steam on low heat). Blend the above in blender. Be careful if mixture is still hot. Steam 4 cups broccoli...drain and add 2 cups FF shredded cheddar and 1 cup FF sour cream, 1 tsp onion powder and 1 tsp minced or powered garlic. Add two cups diced chicken. Pour blended mixture over broccoli mixture. I heat in microwave as to not break up the broccoli and to not scorch soup on stove top. Enjoy!

Mornin' Girls (almost afternoon) How's everyone's Monday going? Great....thinking of you today and anxious to hear how things are going for you. Cold and wet here today. Has dropped down the the low 40's this past week. Furnace has been running. Making cold weather food today. Lunch for my crew today is homemade split pea/ham/carrot soup and have a pot of chicken/cheese/brocolli soup on the stove. (All fat free)...will share the recipe is anyone wants it. Phyll...DH's parents spent about six months out of the year down in AZ. I know it was tough on them leaving the kids (7) but was the best thing they did for themselves. DH's mom is very anti-social and dad is overly social. His mom actually made friends and was sooooooooooo good for her. She's one that does not have someone around here that she can call friend (sad). Enjoy it as long as you can. They did 22 yrs down there until DH's mom started dialysis 6 yrs. ago. Just checking in b/4 I serve my guys in a few minutes. Feeling so much better today. Singing while working around the house. Said my goodbyes yesterday and got it over with. Good friends are always in your heart even if you are not with them. Like you guys!

Wishin you the best, Great, and a speedy recovery time. You are lucky to have Phyll here to "walk" you through it. God Bless:wub:

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday. Had me a good cry on the way home today. We locked up the lake place for the winter. I am always fine once I get home but hate saying goodbye to good friends and locking up my peaceful place up there. Anyway, it's done and now I am in the middle of unpacking what I needed to bring home. My friends call me the "Condiment Queen" and each year when I come back from shutting up the lake place I need to deal with double the condiments. Luckily we have a second kitchen in the basement and have room for them down there. This thread has been pretty quite this weekend. Will catch up with you all later.

As I said, Jen, be patient and see what comes of everything after a year's time. I do some weight training and think that really did help with putting the girls back up to where they are supposed to be. I never go without a bra (except for sleeping) and believe that it contributes also.

Boo Boo...My true self comes through and do not feel I am guarded when potraying what I have to say in a conversation. I share my feelings, my opinions and most generic things that are going on in my life. I just never want to share enough to be in that risk category. There are just some personal things...i.e. photos, name, city, etc. that I have as a rule not to share "out there". (See my signature line). We all have our opinions and the right to share them. Not everyone is going to agree with what a person has to say. But we should all have the common curtesy not to pick on a person or gang up on an individual. Unfortunately, it does happen and feel for those of you that it has happened to. The info provided in this thread is a heady reminder to all of what can (and does) happen. I have always appreciated how quickly our LBT moderators come to the surface and take care of business.

Mornin' Everyone, Janet...happy to see that you are going to make it to Auntie's funeral. Will be thinking of you. Have a safe trip. Going to make this quick...on my way out the door. A couple of days on the road doing farm stuff and then one more weekend at the lake. Happy to have this last one. DH will be up when he can. It's extremely cold (frost in the mornings) but I am a happy clam at the lake and have been there when we had 7inches of snow on the deck last year in the spring. (Frost on the nipples in the morning though! TMI) Funny how we can get on a subject and make it last for a couple of days, i.e.....clothes. I, too, like 3/4 length sleeves. I think it is a menopausal thing. Plus, my arms are long and feel the same way about that as I do about too short of pants. Can never put a pair of slacks in the dryer for fear of them shrinking. Started the seasonal transfer of clothing from closet to closet yesterday. I DID A LOT OF SHOPPING IN THE LAST YEAR. But, done now and have everything I need. I do not buy trendy clothes so know I will wear them for a long time. DH encouraged me to do the clothes as my reward after reaching goal. As I have said b/4, I am a scrounger and a sale shopper and I get a real high from a good deal. OK, don't have time to comment on everyone's posts cuz gotta hit the road....dog is takin' a ride with momma for a couple of days. Laura...you can contact me on my cell this afternoon. I will PM you again with that # to make sure you have the correct one. Happy to hear your knee is better. Ta-Ta xoxoxo

Susan...thanks for sharing the info. I have always been a little aprehensive about putting too much personal info "out there". Do we really know what someone would do with what we share? Nope, I think not. Whether it be with children or adults we all need to be careful how much is shared. Personally, LBT has been a great way for me to meet friends, compare life stories, etc. But, I only trust personal info through email after "knowing" someone for some time.

Jenno...happy to hear you got some explanation. Hopefully your pain will subside on it's own. You are only a month out? Be patient, get some walking in, mind your doc's rules and let us know how you are doing

Phyll...do you have a fabric shop in your area that does tailoring and sews for people? We have one in our little town that is great. You go in and pick out the fabric and pattern and just go in for the final fitting. It used to be so frustrating b/4 longs were available. I made my own slacks from the time I was a teen until just a few years ago. Too difficult to fit my bod!

Sorry to hear about your mother's stroke. I hope she makes a full recovery. I will be 54 in less than 2 months and am so thankful I made the move to do something about my weight problem. Had numerous comorbidities, including extremely high blood pressure. I now could run circles around any 19 year old and do it day after day. I never thought going into this that I would actually feel this great. Again, wishing your mom the best in her recovery and congrats on your success as a lapbander!

Lori...will keep the day after Thanksgiving open. We'll work out the details closer to that date. I've also found great deals on pants at NY&Co and find them to be nice pants. No Bass Pros in our area that I know of. I need the low rise pants also due to the fact that I am short waisted. You will do fine with the laptop and will occupy some of the time spent in the hospital. We take ours to FL with us. Have to drive out of the National Forest for phone service so it is a great way for us to keep in contact with the DS's. You will feel so much better when this is behind you. I had my hernia surgery one year ago tomorrow....I was anxious but not afraid. Just wanted it over and on the road to recovery. Sounds similar to the way you feel. Just keep next summer in mind and how much better you will get around on your camping trips.

Pretty sure that Fashion Bug only has the long length online. At least that's what the clerk told me at the store I went to. I tried on in the store and loved the fit so went home and ordered the longs. Have a fun day with Mimi.

BTW Julie....the Fashion Bug jeans and dress slacks are quite reasonable even when not on sale. I think at full price I paid $21 for jeans and $17 for the dress slacks. I like the quality and fit as well as my more expensive 7 for All Mankind jeans.

Julie..yes, I love harvest time. Always have. Just doing soybeans right now. Not sure when corn harvest will start. Happy to hear that your shoulder pain is not a mechanical problem. Hoping that the shot gives you some relief in the near future. Fargo is only 2 hours away for me. Let's see what we can do about meeting this fall. Would love a day trip up that way. Maybe there's a halfway point for both of us???? My trip was canceled for today. Needed here so will have to get it done tomorrow. Probably the only thing I do not like about farming is the unpredictibility. I am a "schedule" person. So, up early again tomorrow to plan and make meals and then hit the road. Really difficult to find long length pants in the stores, Julie. I have noticed in the last year it's a little easier but I usually have to order online. I have a 34" inseam and am picky about how they fit in the hips and waist. I was able to do some clearance shopping at the end of last spring and am set for along time. Have you tried Fashion Bug? They have three different styles which depend on your body type. I was able to find the perfect fit with them. I think it's a choice of yellow, red or blue fit. It explains every fit to a tee. Give it a try.

Actually, Lori...after looking at the map, it's not such a big deal for me to drive even farther. You pick a place and a time and I will be there!:tongue2:

Great...we are about 2.5 hours from Watertown. Would be worth the trip to see you:thumbup:

To satisfy my crunch cravings and to curb the hunger I snack of dried edamame and soynuts. I just order them online from Amazon.com. Seapoint Farms Dry Roasted Edamame: 130 cals, 4g fat, 8g fiber, 14g protein per 1/4 cup Sensible Foods organic soy nuts: 110cals, 5g fiber, 8gprotein in an ounce I am on the road a lot and I also carry 1oz snack of Worlds Kitchen beef jerky...many flavors and also order on Amazon.com. I also break my snack down into the snack size bags. Also eat Pure Protein Bars and Myoplex Lite to satisfy my chocolate craving. Both from WalMart or Amazon

Great...try not to doubt your decision to have your knee done. It's been reallly bothering you for a long time and your surgeon would not go through with it if he thought it shouldn't be done. Yes, you're young but you will be so happy when all this is behind you and you have more mobility. Where do you guys go for pheasant hunting, Lori? Maybe I can swing a trip out for lunch or something while you are there? Meredith...I ditto what Phyll and Great said...find a new realtor. No one should have to sit for days waiting for a call back. On the run today for the farm. Need to drive a 65 mile radius to get conservation program contracts signed. Meals are made for the day so just need to be back to serve the nighttime meal. Maybe a stop at WalMart for supplies for the pantry and that's about it. Harvest is going good. Hoping that we will be done earlier than normal this year. Earliest we've had is Oct 21 and latest Dec 24. Never know...dependent on the weather. Wishing you all a great day!