Apples2

Jess...I keep papaya tablets on hand. Chew three of them and that usually takes care of it. I have been very lucky and have not had to use any for over a year or more. They really do help. I keep some in my purse for when I am out and about also.

Hey Meredith....happy to hear you had a great time at your reunion and congrats on the award. Great idea to follow Cheri's lead in getting back on the horse. And if Janet were here, you'd be getting a lecture, little girl! She'd be telling you that "diet" should not be allowed in your vocabulary. Tell yourself you are getting back to your "newly revised lifestyle plan". Sound good? I am not real thrilled about the new changes to LBT either. And, being so busy lately I have not had time to figure things out. What I did was save my last notification from this thread that I have on email. I just go to that each time and it brings me right to the last post. I had stopped getting notifications and had not deleted the previous ones. I wish that we could at least have that option. Cheri...good going in the lbs. lost and also for finishing up your Christmas shopping (and in a nice orderly way and quickly). Maybe you could post some suggestions for Meredith as she gets back on plan. I know you had some easy chicken options for taking to work...and....your plan worked for you and you got the weight off. A person has to be very tough when it comes to cutting the carbs....not easy. You all have a great Sunday. I am off to church, brunch with DH, coffee with a friend this afternoon that is struggling big time with depression and then home to get some more decorating done.

Chris...sounds like you a struggling a bit and beating yourself up somewhat about the foods you have eaten the past couple of days. You don't have a fill yet and that is going to make a difference for you. But, beware...that first fill might not make a bit of difference for you. Something to prepare for with the rest of the holidays just around the corner. Those darned snack foods are so easy to get down. I know...I walked in the door of DH's sister yesterday and the Chex Mix was staring me down. It won. How did you do with meals? What I did during the holidays when I was in the weightloss stage was have something (veggies, beef jerky) in my purse and pull it out when there were not healthy options. And, I did let ANYONE try to sway me. I am sure you love your mother to peices but do not let anyone else influence what you put in your mouth. Maybe food is her way of showing you some lovin' but this is all up to you to make changes. Yes, would be nice if you were not tempted by so many things but do you really think you are going to change her now????? Let her know how hard you are trying and next time talk to her ahead of time about having healthier Snacks available or have them on hand yourself. Heck, it's better for the entire family but this is about YOU. It really does take a lot of self-control sometimes. Having fills makes a bit of a difference but not with choices made. And, snacks are nasty and evil. LOL. They tend to slide right thru that band. Just try to plan ahead, stay as strong as you can. Focus on your mini-goals and ultimate goal. Sounds like you are having a great time with your parents. Sorry to hear about your father's kidney toubles. Know exactly what you are talking about. MIL was on dialysis for years. But it was amazing what a normal life she did live and how good she felt. Enjoy the folks and safe travels. Stay strong in your food choices.

You most likely are a little too tight (like you didn't know that already) and have some irritation going on that is causing some swelling. Definately would be a good idea to do liquids (with protien) until you can talk with your doc and get a little unfill. It might just take a very small of an unfill to make a huge difference. Even after the unfill, it might be a good idea to baby the band for a bit with liquids. Good luck!

Janet...have a great trip. Get lots of rest and have a foo-foo drink for me. Safe travels. Love you lots. Mornin' Gang... Sham...it's really hard to tell what size you would be wearing. Take a stab, but on the high side. Then you can alter the dress. It's 10 months. With hard work, I would say you could have a loss of anywhere from 50lbs to 75lbs. Sorry not much help with that. So difficult to guess. TX...Ouch on Debbie's finger. For some reason, those fingertips really hurt. I think its all the nerves. Glad she is OK. Good to hear you enjoyed shopping with your mom. Awwww....that's so nice. Kelly...hope this fill continues to provide restriction for you. Good going on the walking and "getting it". Too cute story about you and the dog on the bike. Sounds like she loved it. Cheri....sounds like your Thanksgiving was a good one. Glad everything went well for you. I am not going to try to talk to all even though I am caught up on posts. I just feel so scatter-brained with this new site and not getting my email notices. It's messed with my way of doing things. Just know it's not intentional and I will get back in the routine sometime. We are heading out today for our Christmas get-together with DH's family. His father is taking off for AZ on Monday and wanted to do it b/4 he left. Have my baked goods ready to go. Now just have to go get myself ready. Talke to you all later.

Laura...sorry your parents didn't get the news they wanted to hear. Sad. Sorry for what you have been through. I hope you were able to focus on family and fun for at least some of the time you visited. I know this is so tough for you. Thank you for updating us and for sharing your photos. Sending the love. Hugs.

Arlene...plans changed and I did not get out to shop and actually was not looking forward to going out at all on the busiest shopping day and a cold day like today. Had more fun with my little guy. I forgot to mention your weightloss, Julie. Way to go...keep it going. I know that would make you happy to0. Also, Joyce, as Sandi said, way to go on maintaining during vacation!

This site sure does not feel like "home". Just something about it.

Good Afternoon to All... Hope all that ventured out for Black Friday sales had fun, got good deals and did not get trampled. I was very happy when my friend decided she did not want to go. Would have loved to spend the day with her though. She's been my friend for 31 yrs and love her to pieces. I had a very special day. DS brought his GF's 5yr old son out today thinking he would want to got along and watch the machinery work. He didn't even think twice once I got the toys out and started playing "farm" with him. He's been with me since early morning and we've had a really great time. What a smart little stinker. He went into our bedroom to watch a movie on the bed. We have a super thick mattress and the bed sits up very high besides. He was only in there for a couple of minutes when he came out and asked "How do you old people ever get up on that bed"? Almost choked on my cocoa. Went into the livingroom where he was playing with Legos asking him what he was building, etc. He said "You know, I think maybe you are hovering. How about if when I want you to come and talk to me, I'll let you know". So funny. This afternoon he has been helping sort through Christmas bins and counting my Santa collection. He was sure to grab one of the Christmas stockings (even though it has one of my youngest son's name on it) and claimed it for his own. TX....what a guy! Black Friday???? My DH would run the other way. Joyce...good to see you posting again. Hope you had a wonderful time with family in Guam. We missed you around here. Janet...have a great trip and hope you get the results you want from the injections, etc. As someone else said, you are beautiful the way you are but we all need to decide for ourselves the little nips, tucks, etc. that we want. Kind of like the mini-TT I have been thinking about. I have decided to sit on it till after we come back from the South. I am weighing the pros and cons. Hey Julie..nice to hear that you had a good TG with family. Get that Christmas list going...how fun to have another little one to buy for this year. This is our first year with the kids at our house and I have to keep slapping my own hands when I want to add to what I already bought for them. Don't want to spoil them too much. It's fun being a "fake" Grandma. Love your photos, Plyll. Love when ppl share their photos. Have not been on the site much since the change and have not even looked to see if photo app has changed much. Can our "resident techie" share that info with us...if not too much trouble. Sounds like you had a great birthday. Hope you at least had a taste of wine. Kelly....too much sodium really affects me also. I found out over the summer that over-doing the sodium causes me to have many, many more hot flashes than normal. And, all those broths and bullions and Soups have to be watched. OK...gotta go for now. I am swimming in Santas and snowmen waiting for their place on a shelf. Later.

Good Evening to All. Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving with family and friends. Not a chance to get on computer at all today. We took pies to friends home and joined them for dessert at 2. Then home at 4pm and DS, GF and her kids drove up the same time we did. Other friends got here about 5 and all just left. Was a great day. I am feeling the affects of eating things that I usually do not but so good. Happy Birthday, Phyll. Hope you relaxed and enjoyed your day. Heading to bed. Going to get Christmas stuff out tomorrow. Had Black Friday shopping planned (she planned) with my friend as they were going to stay over night. Change of plans and I am not sad at all. Beastly cold here and did not want to go out but would have for her. Sooooooooooooooooo, starting the Christmas decorating tomorrow. I go way out on it but it makes me so happy and my family loves it. Good Night all. Will try to visit tomorrow. I am so sad that I have not taken the time to figure out the newly revised site. Maybe tomorrow. Love to all

I really miss paging down the current threads and seeing the OP directly under the thread title. In order to see it, you have to travel over to the middle column and to see the last poster, again, a different column. Maybe will get used to it but where OP's name is now, I get it mixed up with the last poster. Ugh

Bob...just wanted to wish you good luck with your panni. Not sure if you have a thread going so we can follow but would love to hear how everything goes for you. I have been considering for a bit and have decided to put off until early spring. I am about 2.5 yrs out and panni seems to hang more and bug me more. I had an initial visit with doc about a month ago and he will do a mini TT similar to what Alienbandit had. I will have a scar in the same area as my Csection scar and would be from hip to hip. I would much rather have a scar than tuck this thing in when I get dressed and pull it out from under my hip bone when it wakes me at night. Not to mention the rashes that I got over the summer months and during harvest season. (Farmers).

Cheri....you have the right attitude with not sweating the small stuff. I'm doing a bit of that myself. I would rather have a nice, relaxed time with family than to be stewing about what I did not get done. It is what it is. But, the food and entertainment and time with family and friends is what it is all about. You have a great Thanksgiving. And to all....same goes.....Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Hope everyone's travels are safe. Have a few treats if that's what you feel like doing and get back on the horse with your next meal. But most of all, enjoy the ones you are with and think of those who cannot be with you. Love you all.

Ok...thanks, Cheri...for some reason, I finally got the green goin' on. Did nothing different than b/4. Whew. I was ready to give up. And, if anyone knows me, I give up on nothing!

Thanks Kelly...did it yesterday and today and still get the black. Won't enable it.

Well....I'm ticked. Still can't figure out why my color does not work. Any ideas? I've tried it all. Just got back from driving 70 miles one glare ice (left at 7am) on way, had my appt, and headed back 70 miles on glare ice. My new vehicle handles better than my truck. Go figure. Anyway, nerves are frazzled after that. Thought this would be my last appt but came back home without the permanent crowns (8 of them). Needed to be sent back to the lab and have my next appt on Dec. 1. Still getting rain mixed with snow and high winds. Watching my poor fellows out in the yard trying to get machinery put away in the machine shed. Too bitter to be out there but needs to get done TODAY. Going to finish my cleaning this afternoon and then bake my pecan, pumkin and mix fruit pies. Total of 8 pies. Tomorrow I will make the chili, chicken wildrice Soup, homemade garlic breadsticks and appetizers. Making chicken tenderloins on a skewer, smoked cheeses and a fruit plate with fruit dip. Non-traditional this year as everyone coming will have had a big turkey dinner prior to coming. Sad...youngest DS will not be here nor will be be coming for Christmas. Sad. Got my big girl panties on. Had to put 'em on last night after spending entire bday by myself. Work seems to always get in the way of life around here. Had a 30 second pity party and then got over it. Had lots of calls, cards in the mailbox and many bday wishes on Facebook and you girls (and our TX) were just the best. Whine....thanks for listening. No sympathies, please....I am fine. I guess I am really tired of being isolated on this farm and my guys gone from b/4 light and way after dark. Soon it will be better.

Joyce...I think I missed you this morning when thanking for bday greetings. Thanks. So your doc did nothing even though you are pbing a lot????? Do you feel that your band is too tight?

Happy to hear you are doing well and good to see you checked in with us. Getting lots of fluids? Any problems:

Chris...I forgot to comment about your fear of needes and your fill. Honestly, nothing to worry about. If you have a fear of needles, just make a point of not looking. Put a picture of your wife and kids in your head and think good thoughts. The most important part about a fill is to follow your doc's instructions after the fill. My doc said we could eat solids right after our fills, but I babied it a bit for a couple of days just to be safe. I can almost guarntee that you will make a post after your fill that says it was a breeze.

I feel so blah and necked. Where's my green ink for junking up this thread? (*&^%#@#*&())^$#%&*

Chris...they all say that to be truly happy in life, you should be in the field that is your "passion". I have had different jobs that I did love but if I could do anything in life and call it my passion, I would be a chef/pastry chef. I missed my calling so don't let that happen to you. You gonna have a senior menu in that restaurant of yours?????????????????????

Does that competition start now???? Let's ask Cheri....I'm sure she'll tell us what she thinks! LOL

I have tried EVERYTHING but my font/color/size will not change

Arlene..thanks for the birthday greeting...OMW...a new thread just for me....Funny I have tried everything. I do just as I used to to change font. States it's all set up and I see black. I am doing it EXACTly as b/4. Will have to play with it

I am hoping my freaking users manual will show up in my mail box today