Apples2

I have a suggestion for a good snack that curbs hunger for me. I buy different flavors of soynuts, break them down into 1/3 cup (140 cal) snack pack servings. I keep them in my purse and they really do fill me up and hold me over. Does not seem to be a "slider" snack at all. I truly feel full.

Oh no.........after I re-read my post I think I need to clarify. Happy and death on a tractor should not be in the same sentence.

Julie...you sound soooooooooo much more upbeat today. So good to hear. News of your brother sounds good also. Always scary when family members and friends go through something like that. Funny you find my activities interesting. Just a typical day on the farm! I was DH's right hand man for so many years and now I feel like I don't do enough. Since DS came back to farm with us, I feel like a princess. (3rd season of him farming with us). Long..........we plant corn and soybeans. I do love our life but the stress spring and fall can be overwhelming. We are fortunate not to have livestock so we do have more down time. We run the other business we have starting early spring until right b/4 Christmas so some days I feel really overbooked. But, my choice to run off to the lake for a few days a week and cram so much into the time I am home. No guilt for this old lady though. I've broke my back for many years on this farm and this body needs a break from all the heavy work. Thus reason for all the hernia repairs in the last five years. DH will NEVER retire...it would kill him. Farming is so in his blood and I am very happy to accept the fact that he will probably die on his tractor at the age of 95!

TV...try not to panic. I think it happens to most of us. I think I lost about 1/3 of my hair over a period of about three months. I took Biotin and Vit E long b/4 surgery and also got the recommended 70gr of protien a day. Plus, I always incorporated fats into my daily intake. It will eventually slow down and grow back. My growth has caught up with the rest of my hair now and think it is as thick as it was b/4 loss. I know that others have cut their hair shorter and layered to mask the loss. YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS! I guess the only thing else I can tell you is just try to accept this hair loss as part of the process. My doc said that he's never had a patient that had to wear a wig and he's had lots of patients. Just believe that it will get better. Sending you some calming hugs your way!:thumbup:

Oh yeah...and on the drinks thing. I have to be very careful. I will have one but then switch to water cuz does get to me pretty fast.

I always tell myself I will NOT overpack but usually do. I like to take at least 3 extra outfits for a week...just in case I want to change. Always throw in a couple of dressy outfits. Then I swear on the way home cuz I have that extra suitcase! I, too, never left the house without having make up, clean hair, dressed neat but really fun now to have some options on what to wear. Have a GREAT time!:thumbdown:

Not a huge drinker but do like to have a couple on the weekend at the lake or when we happen to go out for dinner (like twice a year, LOL). I order a vodka/water and pour my crystal lite in it. Just a thought for something a little more low-cal. I'm in a belt for the first time in a long time. Not only do I have long legs, I am short waisted. I LOVE the lower rise jeans. They were made for me. And, slacks that sit at the waist.....well...I may as well just tuck them under my underwires!:thumbdown:

Strike....I second what Long says about the belt...congrats. I had to buy a two new belt hanger that hold a dozen belts each for my new belt inventory. I had not worn a belt for a very long time and now enjoying all kinds. My favorite are "Fossil" brand. As I said in the other thread...have a great trip Long. Hoping you will post some photos when you get back. This thread has been QUIET! Planting season here and this farm is my main job. Have spent a lot of time in my truck running for the guys and pulling the tractors out of the mud. Enjoy it but just crazy some days. Pretty tired by the time 11pm rolls around and up again by 4:40am most mornings during this time of the season. Hope everyone is doing well!

Hey Holly....great goin' on the excercise program. Takes a little bit of work all around to keep this weight loss journey going. A little band, a little will power, a little exercise, a little self-confidence that you CAN actually do this, and a whole lot of pride in the end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oops...don't know why that last one posted b/4 I was done. Long...maybe part of that weight gain is Water weight? Really push the fluids today, when you fly and while you are on vacation. You might notice that the weight falls off. But, absolutely don't let it be a cloud over your head while you are on vacation. Eat healthy just like you would at home and you will do just fine. Do have one foo-foo drink for me though! (That is if you partake...not sure). Good Morning to everyone else....I am buried deep in book work, farm stuff, cooking, gardening, etc. today and then heading for the afternoon at volunteer job. Think I need to cut back on that a little during the summer. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed and they want me to take on more. Nope...can't swing it. Still maintaining my weight which is very important for me. Can't gain though. It will come. Being very patient. Yesterday had 2700 cals. and was not easy to get it in. My DH says he knows I eat more now than b/4 surgery. At least I am not continually thinking about getting that weight back on. Just amazed that I am only maintaining. And...what's really weird is that even with no weight loss, I have gone down a pants size in the last two months. Now, don't get the wrong idea. I DO have meat on my bones and feel good and DH and most friends say I look good and healthy. You have all seen my photos and know I have some meat. I am VERY small boned. Even when I weighed 249 I wore a medium yoga pants. I am down to a size 0 or 2 in my pants now. Long...you talk about finding a good fit...I need at least a 34' or 36' inseam due to my pony legs. I think you have mentioned that you need talls also? I really like NY & Co pants for that reason. OK...enough about me....hope everyone has a great day. I need to get my A$$ back to work and keep my fingers crossed that I don't get called out to the field to pull out yet another tractor out of the mud!

JoAnne...so happy to hear that you are enjoying your trip and ALSO down 7lbs! That's great. Enjoy your last days with your family. Hoping you have made a lot of memories you can carry with you. Long...........ENJOY YOUR TRIP!!!!

Just caught your last statement, Linda....thanks for the compliment but I think we are ALL wonderful and ALL give each other the support we need. I've gotten more out of this thread than any other...just cuz we have such a great mixture of people and all at different stages. Makes it interesting. Sleep tight, everyone. This farm girl has had a looooooong day and is headed for bed!:thumbup:

Janet...I've never missed a day of taking my vitamins for the last 18 months. Just a habit and I panic and run to the cupboard if I forget them at breakfast. Just a routine at our house. Now I really am confused....so...you get the B12 in the vitamin isle????????????????

Congrats Jonathan! So nice to see success stories such as yours. Isn't it amazing how much better a person feels physically and also how much self-confidence we gain? Way to go!

Hey Denise.....happy to hear that your revision is over and everything went well. As Janet said, please stay in contact with us on this thread. Will be interesting to hear of your journey. Speaking of bras.....just have to recommend a brand that is an absolute dream. Hardly know you have it on it you buy the right fit. Had no clue it is the brand that Oprah brags about wearing. Came accross it at the recommendation of a little old lady shop owner. It's called LeMysterey Rouge. I ended up as a 38D. I did try a C cup but just didn't work for me. Hi to all the newbies and welcome!

Hey kids....just got caught up on this thread but not my others. Got home from the lake about noon today. Got up there Thurs evening. DH came up on Sat nite and left Sunday afternoon to come home and start planting corn. We are expecting rain tomorrow morning so he is going as fast as he can. We have very heavy, rich soil and most springs have delayed planting. But, we always get it in the ground and get the crop out in the fall. All my worrying about this farming does pay off! LOL. DH thinks that for as much worrying as I do about it all, I should take an ad out in the paper and worry for hire. Anyway, had a GREAT few days at the lake and now is time to catch up with things at home. It's worth working 14 hour or more days at home to be able to take the time I do up there. Always nice to see our "lake friends" come back for the season. I love the little ones and we have a huge variety of ages. Very well-rounded group of people. Laura...you asked what I was planting for flowers. We live in MN so I have to start my seeds indoors and transplant about the first of June. I do something different every year. This year I have a huge variety of marigolds to start with. They are all planted and should all be germinated by the end of this week. You were saying that you felt nauseous. I would be willing to bet that it's your fill kicking in. It's a feeling we are not used to and I remember after my last fill (the 2nd one) I felt that way when it finally kicked in after a month's time. Give it time and let your body adjust to it all. You kind of have to learn to recognize these feelings for the first time ever. You will get there. I am always fairly tight in the a.m. and then loosen by afternoon and get pretty hungry late afternoon and evening. Be aware that this may be the way it is for you also and plan your meals around this. I, for one, need my solid protein in order to stop that hunger. Have always been going to tell you, Laura, that your little guy is such a cute kid. And, the name Nelson is adoreable. Janet....happy to hear that you are feeling better and sounds like you had a VERY productive weekend. You sound like me when it comes to shopping. If I find a pair of jeans, etc. that fit me great, I will go back and get another pair or different colors in the same thing. I am very hard to fit so when I find a good fit, I go for seconds. I was going to ask you about the B-12. Have you always taken them or is this something your doc recommended? Are the capsule form? Just wondering. You know I have all kinds of energy and feel great but just wondering if they were recommended for LB patients. My doc only recommends Flinstone gummies. Speaking of reading...I have always been an avid reader. Mostly biographies and true crime books. Ann Rule is my favorite. Julie...sorry to hear about your brother but happy to hear his prognosis is good. It's not going to hurt that little granddaughter to spend a few days with a sitter while you recover. Take care of yourself so you can have the energy to take care of her again. 1 Day......Go out and find yourself a cute summer dress!!!!!!! I, too, had not worn a dress for years. Now I have a few cute summer ones. Found them on clearance online at Macys, Amazon, Chadwicks, etc. Have a few spring, summer and fall weddings this year and cannot wait to wear them. Gotta run. DH is calling and needs me to run to the field with something he needs. Time to crank up the 4-wheeler, grab the dog and haul A$$ out there!

Mornin' girls! Awwww, Janet, sorry you are in a pissy mood. Happens to all of us sometimes. You have the right attitude though about just getting that 1.5lbs off. It's amazing what a little bit of weight can do to the mood. It will come off. You've had a lot of extra going on this last month. The cruise alone should have put on pounds but you walked away from it pretty good. Just put a few CD's in, crank up the music this weekend and dance and sing your troubles away! LET'S ALL MAKE THIS A "SUPPORT JANET DAY"! Let's to everything we can to show her we are behind her like she has always been there for us! LJV...Good luck moving to that new position. Have my fingers crossed for you. Meredith and Lindsey. Hope you love banded life as much as I do. I cannot believe the difference in my life and that I got everything back in life that I used to have as far as my health, fitness and just plain happines with myself. And, self-confidence! Phyl....hope you made it home safely and are settling in. Working like a crazy women this morning. Have to be to the hospital by noon for volunteer job and then heading back up to the lake till Monday morning. Was there Thursday thru Monday, went back up on Tues morning and stayed till yesterday afternoon and now am heading back. This will be my schedule until late Oct. Hoping to get wireless up there this year. Will feel contected with the world! Gotta go finish planting my flowers (starting them in greenhouse on my sun porch). Finally warm enough to get going on them. Wising everyone a great weekend!

Mornin' girls....sorry I haven't checked in much. Spent from Thurday evening till Mon morning at the lake. Went back early Tuesday morning cuz new furniture was delived up there. Stayed overnight wiht the dog and came back yesterday afternoon. Since that time have been racing around the house doing laundry, cleaning, baking, cooking, etc. so I can head out again today until Monday morning. I volunteer from noon till 6pm and then will head up. That pretty much will be my schedule till Oct. 31. Long...I, too, will enjoy this summer so much more because I am so much more active. I just cannot believe how I can run a set of stairs and never become winded. Can take the dog on a five mile walk and come back feeling refreshed. Clean the entire house in a day and have enough energy to go out in the evening. Etc., etc., etc..... If I don't have a chance b/4 Tues, Long, have fun on your cruise. Sounds like a trip of a lifetime. Also, have a good time with GM at the casino...how cute, 100 and playing penny machines. I can envision it! Allie...good going on the continued weight loss. Nothing wron with shooting for that 155lb mark. Your body will know where it should be. Good going on joining a softball team. I'm 53 and honestly think I could do it again. Last time I played with a team I was 21yrs old. Isn't it amazing how much energy a person has? I believe a lot of it is making good choices and getting the nutrients we need. Not all the refined sugar and starches that make a person feel sluggish. Hunzi...will forward b/4 and after a.s.a.p. Congrats on your 11lbs lost. You are on your way and I hope complications stay away!!!!!! Yep, we can have the M.K. party at my house! Also, congrats on the 20 yrs with M.K. and nearing your goal of getting a car. Sounds like you really love what you do. I wonder some days. I really miss having my own business. I knew when I sold that it was best for our farm and other business we own. There are days where I feel like I've been lost in the shuffle and there is really nothing for ME to accomplish. Then, I look back on our crazy busy life when I was running two insurance agencies, we were farming and operating another business...I am crazy to think I would ever want to go back and disrupt the life we have now. So...........I need to feel satified with what I do NOW. Just really miss the interaction with people every day. Well, better get back after it so I'm not late for my volunteer job. Hope you all have a good weekend and will check with you all next week.

Yup....proven in every P.G. thread!:ohmy:

#1....I don't know how you can make the statement that no one is born gay. Are you going by some scientific evidence when you state this? We live on a farm and a few years ago we had a cat named Charlie. Charlie had a preference for male cats. Do you really think that our sweet Charlie preferred "Toms" because it was a "learned" thing? I think not. You make the statement that none of us are born gluttunous.....I can honestly make the statement that the reason I was obese is because I WAS BORN HUNGRY! I see this as a disease...not a sin. I WILL NOT ask God for forgiveness for my "so-called" gluttony. And any gay person should feel no shame for a natural intinct that they were born into. It's judgements like you are making, Patty, that cause sooooooooooooooooo much shame and hurt in this world. How would you react if your child came home and informed you he or she is gay?

Not EVERYONE say their vows to "Him". I will have to give it to you, Patty, that you agree gays should have the same rights as married couples. I do not agree, however, that their union should be "called" anything but a marraige. A couple in love is no different if they are man and woman, man and man, or woman and woman. I am in hopes that in the near future, ALL couples will have the same rights in each state of our great country.:thumbup:

Hey Girls! Back from a weekend at the lake. Had a GF arrive on Friday night. We were the only ones in the resort ALL weekend long. DH came up on Sat night and stayed till Sunday evening. I am hard core. I stayed till this morning and was absolutely the only one in our huge resort. Had soooo much fun with GF. Was a cold weekend. Usually around 40 but dipped to 30 at night. I would be up there with snow if I could (did it last year!). Back home and catching up and dreaming about running back to lake tomorrow. Have new furniture being delivered for our place up there and think I will spend the night. Will come back Wed morning to do books, etc. and then meeting another GF up there on Thursday evening for our Girls Night Out and will stay till next Monday morning. That's usually my schedule until Oct. 31. Congrats on your 122 total weight gone, Long!!!!!!!!!! I heard that Woohoo!!!!! You deserve to scream it from the mountain tops. Speaking of sizes of clothes....I tried sooooooo hard to be frugel and hit WalMart, Target, resale, etc. I, too, thought I would be done losing and then have to go down to a smaller size. Point is....don't spend a lot on anything unless you KNOW you are going to stay that size. Some of my friends and Salvation Army got some pretty nice clothes that we not even worn or worn a couple of times. We have a great overstock store in our home town. Most name brand items are under $20. I have three Ann Taylor dresses in my closet from that store and they are sooooooo cute. Cannot wait to wear them. I am a self-confessed clothes and shoe horse. Just nice to be able to slip into "normal" sizes and have clothes that are cute again. Used to be all black elastic waist pants and tents for shirts and usually a jacket to cover all of that up. Off to finish supper for the guys. Taco pie on the menu with banana/blueberry/apple/strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting for dessert. Oh yeah...homemade garlic/cheese bisquits. Hope everyone had a great weekend. Have caught up with this thread and, sorry, but in too much of hurry right now to respond to any post.

Have a fun trip, Susan. I have my fingers and toes crossed that you have no symptoms while you are down. Hopefully, doc took care of the problems. Enjoy the grandkids. Hope this is a trip they remember for a lifetime!

Way to go, Elayne!!!!!!! Sounds like you know where you want to be in the life and that you can do it without being dependent on someone else. You head and your heart seem to be in the right place. So good to hear that you are moving right along in the LB process. For me the thing I always kept in mind was the LB rules. I figured there is a reason for them and I was going to stick to it. I followed every rule and had no trouble losing the weight and being able to eat without much trouble. Well girls...I'm heading to the lake. It's 45 degrees here but still going to enjoy the weekend. Rain is predicted. But, there's needle work I do, crosswords, cards to play with friends, a truck load of dvd's to watch and a couple of foo foo drinks waiting for me. Everyone have a great weekend!

Not going to share what I have been eating. All healthy choices that total 2500/day. Been eating this amount for a few months now and just maintaining. Not worrying though cuz I know I am getting everything I need and I feel really healthy and have lots of energy. Heading out soon....driving 75 miles for farm parts, stopping for a volunteer luncheon, driving parts back to farm from there, coffee with a friend (her son just left for Iraq and needs to talk) at 2pm and then volunteer till 6pm....then............OFF TO THE LAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bye-Bye! Everyone have a great weekend!