MacMadame

The main thing is to take your Calcium away from your Iron. Actually calcium inhibits the absorption of a lot of things, so that's why I only take calcium with Vitamin D and Magnesium (which help with the absorption of calcium). You should take the other stuff within 2 hours of taking the calcium.

If you take Iron, Vitamin C helps with it's absorption. I don't take Iron. The stuff in my multi is enough for me.

Your calcium should be calcium citrate, btw, not carbonate.

Also, there is no reason we can't start more threads.. Like one for 150+ and one for 200+.

I think the issues of people with around 100 to lose are different than those in the 150-200 range. I know on the OH VSG board, the 150+ people started their own group because they couldn't relate to some of the stuff the 100 and under group were going through.

I didn't have to do one either.

Hey, I said "I'm out" and I haven't responded to the latest tirade and don't plan to.

Does that tell you anything?

The way I see it is: you asked for info on this doctor. I told you what I had read. You then accused me of being a gossip while simultaneously demanding I provide you with all sorts of information and "proof". I ignored your accusations and your tone and provided you with a few links that were easy for me to find (Because, frankly, I don't care nearly as much as you want to believe I do -- certainly not enough to do your research for you or spend hours trying to find all the links that are out there.) I also offered to put you in touch with someone who could give you more info. You then pooh poohed the links I provided, made more demands and never PMed me to get the name of the person who could provide more info.

My conclusion is that you are determined to go to this doctor and will continue to spit and hiss at me if I provide any more info. Therefore, I'm out...

It bugs me too because it means people don't care enough about me to pay attention when I talk to them.

It will only make your stomach hurt if you drink too much. (Same with Water.) It will make the chicken go through you faster though. (Same with water). However, unlike Water, it does have calories and nutrition, which is good if you are low on calories for the day.

I only eat Soup by itself and I treat it like a mushie ... i.e., I accept it will go through me faster than a solid meal.

Wow, you certainly inferred a lot from my post that wasn't even remotely there.

I noticed you haven't taken me up on my offer to put you in touch with someone who has more info about this doctor. That tells me all I need to know.

Yes he does have a lawsuit against him. If anyone wants to know more about it, send me a PM and I'll hook you up with someone who knows the family.

It seems to me that you are determined to explain away all the negative information you find about Alvarez, andi. When it comes to Mexican doctors, some have excellent reputations and some have squirrelly ones (and some have outright horrible ones). Why keep a squirrelly one on your list when there are plenty of other doctors in Mexico who don't have these sorts of complaints against them?

For example (in alphabetical order): Aceves, Joya, Rumblaut and Ungston.

When I was making my list, I crossed off any doctor who didn't seem completely trustworthy. It's my body that's being cut into and my life that is on the line and I'm not willing to give any surgeon the "benefit of the doubt". It's not like taking a chance on a new book or movie. Only the top of the top were acceptable to me. IMO Alvarez is merely competent and no where near the top of the top. He got crossed off my list early on, in fact.

I have in fact been reading many many many boards and posts. I really haven't seen anything negative having to do with Dr. Alvarez himself.

I've seen plenty. Here are two that stuck in my mind:

cuzimthebaby's Profile

http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/politicaljunkie2/uzone,blog/action,comments/blog_id,156709/blog_post_id,194651/

The later one stuck in my mind particularly because of the threat if she told people what happened to her.

I've found better luck taking it at noon. I get my acid in the afternoon, though.

Helen, I have tried three times to watch the UK version. I can't understand what they are saying. The thick accent combined with the local sayings, I am just lost.

Have you tried turning on the closed captioning? That works for me when I watch a show with accents and mumbling.

With running, good form will prevent most problems. Your friend needs to learn to run in a way that doesn't hurt her knees. Something like POSE or Chi running might work for her.

I've had fitness goals for a while. Here are some I've completed:

Run a 5k

Complete a triathlon

Move up from Sprint to Olympic distance in triathlon

Run a Half-marathon

My uncompleted fitness goals are:

Podium at the Sprint distance

Complete a Half-Ironman (will do that in two weeks)

Do a Century Ride (I've done a metric century - 100k, but I want to do 100 miles too)

Complete an Ironman (next year?)

Qualify for Kona (Ironman World Championships) (Probably take a few years)

I've had this secret triathlon dream ever since I saw Kona on tv in the 80s. It looked like so much fun but I never imagined I'd have the ability to do it. It's like a dream come true once I was able to successfully run.

I think it's important to use this period to learn to eat properly for the rest of your life and develop a love for something exercise-like.

I kept my weight loss up there by exercise -- every time my weight loss slowed down, I upped my exercise. I think that's better for the long term than phentermine, which I worry is not as safe as people think. (All the diet drugs up until now have ended up being taken off the market due to safety issues.)

I read somewhere that the fat that is nearer to your blood goes first. So arms and legs before torso. That's my experience. I also lost from the top down first. So I was pretty scrawny in my upper body before I lost that last 20 lb. from my tummy, breasts and thighs.

I didn't find the Wii Fit to be very good for cardio. It's not enough exercise for me. Their "jogging" isn't really running at all. I can do it forever, but I can't run forever.

At lot of people like it though. I think the game aspects make it interesting to them.

They pick the tests based on your medical history (and, to some extent their philosophy).

I had a cardiac stress test because I told my surgeon that sometimes I get a pain in my shoulder when I exercise. Most people in my surgeon's practice don't get one. Some get a chest x-ray and some an Upper GI. I got the Upper Gi because of suspected hiatal hernia.

But it turns out I really didn't need the stress test. My heart is in great shape. :biggrin: But better safe, than sorry... I did have a hiatal hernia though. It's good to know that ahead of time.

1) Weekend plans?

Watch as much of the Ironman World Championships (Kona) as I can. A picnic with an old friend and his son who just got a lapband. A dinner dance tonight with my Ice Dancers group. Open Water Swim/Run brick tomorrow AM.

2) Beatles: Overrated or Musical Geniuses?

Geniuses. I went through an Overrated period but my family has been playing Beatles Rock Band for over a month now and I'm not sick of it and have been enjoying the variety. There are very few artists out there that have their body of work and that you don't get sick of after a month of constant listening to.

3) Name something positive that happened to you this week.

Apple replaced my iPhone that was acting up and now I have cell phone coverage again! Oh and I fixed a bug that I've been working on for over a month. (It's more of a feature than a true bug.)

4) Do you like your job?

I like the work, but I hate my work situation so much that I can't even enjoy the work lately.

Okay, new weekend, new questions:

1) Weekend plans?

2) Beatles: Overrated or Musical Geniuses?

3) Name something positive that happened to you this week.

4) Do you like your job?

The Hawaii one is happening tomorrow. You can watch it on the web!

I remember when 30 min. on the treadmill was my max. You just have to build up slowly.

There are still roller skating places around, but not as many as there used to be. If you hate the gym, how about Crossfit? My group meets in parks and we do something different every time. It's intense but SHORT.

I went up a cup size too at one point. Thankfully, I lost on top eventually so that I'm now well-proportioned and not overly top heavy.

My only complication was also from not getting enough Fluid. I passed a kidney stone. Yuck. But no blood or long-term damage.

Guys... it's REALLY IMPORTANT to get enough fluid!

You definitely need to find something you love to do or you'll stop doing it. I love to swim and bike and I was willing to run because I wanted to do a triathlon. I'm totally hooked now and I even like the running! I never thought I'd say that.

But there are other things. I like Pilates and Crossfit and TRX. There is also ballroom dancing and all the different classes at the gym where you workout to music. Some people like team sports and join leagues. There are so many choices out there!