OH Juli

naw, he's a stalker. Just Kidding. B, I love ya. Yesterday I was calling you a dirty ol' coot. Now a stalker. I'm very bad. See JC hasn't been around to take all of my abuse. XO!

Gwen, I've got the black hat on and running under the finish line all by myself in one shot. Look for the same clothing in the other one! I've got a blue jacket on with a white stripe across the front. Thanks for checking them out. My sweetie was there and my Ex brought my DD and they cheered me on. Also, a friend from work who started to train with me but pooped out showed up to support me. It was great to accomplish something I never thought I'd be able to do. I was actually very emotional a bit after the fact. Like, wow, I've got my life back. There was a time when I was ready to be done. I was too heavy and depressed to really think about the future as anything positive. Now you can't stop me from being positive. Losing weight has transformed me in more ways than just the size of my clothing. Gina, About the candy, IMHO there's something going on that's bigger than craving candy and sticking it in your mouth. Are you seeing a therapist? Can you talk about this with someone? There can be all kinds of reasons from fear of being successful to I don't know....Good luck. I feel for you. Juli

Off line for far too long. IT came and hooked me back up. I'm down for a party in Texas. The only things missing are our bikes and a ride. Oh, and a workable date. wink, wink.

J You are sweet and accurate, saying it doesn't matter. But there are parts of the universe and people out there working in it who don't feel the same as you. I'm an out at all costs kind of gal with a woman who is very slow to share with people she is a lesbian. It's a struggle, internally, for her and for many. Each person does what is most comfortable for them in every situation. There are times I wish I could wear a lesbian lable so I wouldn't have to tell another person yet again. It is tiresome. I've got to say things are always getting better so hopefully there will be a day soon where ones sexuality is no long considered anywhere but the bar when you're looking to hook up. :cursing: xo Juli

bump bump bump

The typical reaction to MSG is headache. You sound like you ate something you weren't allergic to before but are now. The puffiness and the loose bowels make me think so. Shell fish is a big culprit as are nuts. Good luck figuring it out. Sorry, ugh.

People sure are odd.

That made me laugh too hard! The Accidental Sodomite, could be a movie. Talking PC, there was a time, when I was the cook at the vegetarian restaurant when I was uber PC. I call it my humorless lesbian phase. Man o man, we could turn anything into a PC slur. Many of the young tattooed and pierced people working with me were college teaching assistants...the conversations were priceless. Oh and there were the stoners too. I could write a book. What a mess. :thumbup:

B, You dirty ol' coot. And that's right on the lack of history, but it's completely wrong on the willingness to give it a shot. There, TMI from me too. BG has corrupted me.

I didn't see that TX was a moderator now! Well look at her! Hottie McModerator Hottie that she is! TX, what are the rules about talking sex and over sharing? Do others have to complain first? I know we go pretty raw at times. Curious. I was asked to do it but when I said I had no history doing it, they said nevermind. eh. I just thought it'd be nice to add one more obligation to my already overflowing life. Fighting head hunger right now. I'm reading boring text book and all I want to do is eat. I've eaten, I am not hungry...I guess it's hot tea time.

yes, yes it would.

They are far enough apart...as we all well know. Like you apparently like to say, it's "Putting the P in the Va-G" NOT "Putting the P In the Va-G or the ass whichever you find first." They are so going to kick us off this board.

Comment all you want. Don't be less crude on my account...you just don't have anything to say.

Gwen, I'm trying to make Soups this week. My band is particularly tight, so Soup it is. As for exercise, do it, do it, do it. You'll always feel better when it's done and it's a great way to invest in yourself. I love that you have your meals measured and ready. You are inspired! I'm lucky if I know in the morning what I am making for dinner! (Tacos tonight, my DD's request. I'll just eat taco salad, maybe!) It has been quiet. I did run my first 5K this weekend. I was going to post the pics here, but I can't from work. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f81/has-anyone-taken-up-bicyling-35343/index337.html#post726845 I don't know if you can see the pics on this post. I can't but I did put them up. Anyway, happy third week of February everyone!

That made me snort. It's too freaking cold in O-H-I-O as well. Thanks for all the props on the run/pic. As for peas tasting like ass, I don't know where you put your tongues, but I'll trust you on that. I must like ass then. As for soups give me a short list of your favorite things and I'll come up with a few recipes. It's what I used to do. Even when I met Alison it took a while for me to tell her I worked as a cook, (I don't say chef because I wasn't trained as such). She was like,"that would have hooked me sooner." It's just a piece of me I don't talk about much. But yeah, I can cook and bake especially well. BG, I do what I can to keep my crassness at bay... TX, I got the AA joke right away. HP, Hey girl! The weather will break soon and we'll all be outside and losing again. B, C, Thanks for reading our history...we are a mess, but a fun loving little mess. XO

And BG, you vegan girl you, If you want some ideas, toss me a few ingredients and I'll toss you a recipe. Kind of fun. I used to run a vegetarian restaurant for years and years and part of what I did was cook...and it's a place known for soups so I have a bunch of soup recipes in my head...

I like lentil soup cooked with a can of diced tomatoes, a diced onion, a few carrots sliced up, garlic, s&p, one bayleaf and a lemon cut in half. Boil it till it's all squishy. No fat. Split pea: Bag of split peas 3 carrots, sliced 1 onion, diced garlic S & P and a Tablespoon of dried sage. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for a few hours. I made a pot of Potato Leek soup today too thanks to you. It's my lunch tomorrow. Not much protein. Ideas for adding some? Eat tuna and cracker with? Thanks for sparing us "snatch". It's appreciated.

You are so crass. Really. Very. But like you said you'll flirt with anything...

awe shucks.

And for contrast Top one has today's cut. The bottom was was March last year. I had already lost 23 pounds before that shot.

Oh and they say, "It's being employed by the state, not being a state worker. That implies you actually work." Not funny, well sort of.

Apparently you like it rough. Damn! Good morning everyone. I'm off work for President's Day and finally getting my hair done. There's lots of reading for school and a happy day of hanging with the kiddo. I love being a state worker on days like today!!!

I see you say you are depressed, starting South Beach and not eating a strawberry for a very long time... Well, once banded you'll be eating strawberries. Really there isn't much you can not eat. But the strawberry seems like it's a metaphor for all the ways you ate before. You are sad because those ways are not going to be available to you and the comfort those ways gave you isn't going to come. That is very sad indeed. But those same eating behaviors are the ones that have made you obese. The logic follows change the behavior, change the outcome. But logic doesn't feel the same as emotion. The process of getting the band disrupts all of that emotion/logic stuff. All that gets put on hold and you can exhale, catch your breath and really think about how you and food work together. You are adding a new mechanism into the mix and it really does change things. Physically you are just not as hungry. And emotionally you've added many things, Like 'I've had surgery to change, I'm not going back! And I can't go back unless I try really hard.' I'm rambling...my point is, Yeah this is hard but so worth the work. And if it were easy everyone would do it. And even some people go through the effort of having surgery but not the work of changing their behavior or thinking and they are the ones who are not successful. You will be successful.

BG_ And no kidding about the last 33. You're going to be smokin' when you get that skinny!!!

Soup sounds delicious...It sounds like nearly the only thing I can get down at the moment. That's not entirely true....I had eggs and refried beans, but whew boy, am I tight with that fill on Friday! I feel good after the run, C. Thanks for asking.