BJean

Tiff, I have trouble with anything overly processed or artificial flavorings, etc. There's a certain taste in some of the packaged frozen foods that is overwhelming to me. I used to eat Lean Cuisine meals and Healthy Choices. In fact, my husband and I dieted on Health Choice meals for about a year when they first came out. We both got our fat levels down with them but I got to the point where I would rather have eaten the box than the food inside. But I'm all for whatever works for somebody else! I think if you've found something that works for you and you're getting decent nutritional value doing it, then two thumbs up! I had half a Marathon bar for breakfast and somebody else would probably gag on that. :001_tongue:)

I agree with Llyra and LeighaMason. Both good points but especially the one saying this poll is distasteful -because it has some bias built in.

Nope, looks can be deceiving. They haven't been removed, just closed. Try to post on SOME of the political and religious threads. The ones that were the most lively. The ones that "heated up." The duller ones are still there but no one seems to be interested in them.

I saw a friend for the first time since my surgery (I've lost 40 lbs since she saw me last) and btw she's well over 200 lbs herself. She complimented me nicely and was very sweet and then she launched into a rant about how wrong these people are who lose weight from having surgery! I was stunned. If I told her I had surgery what was she going to do, take back all the compliments? I'm a chicken because I just listened and didn't straighten her out. I should have at least said something like... I'm impressed when anybody can get the extra weight off no matter how they do it. She obviously doesn't understand that weight loss surgery is NOT the easy way out to the very complicated and dangerous health problem of obesity. *end of rant*

I read on some other thread somewhere that some people grieve for the loss of their former way of eating. They get depressed thinking that they can't eat large quantities of food at one sitting anymore. We have often used food for comfort and even just for fun and taking those things out of our lives means big time change. And many people resist change because they are uncomfortable with finding something new to replace the things they miss. I am not a psychologist and am just tossing this out there because it has not only crossed my mind but I know it's been a problem for some VSG and Lapband patients whose capacity for food is so restricted. It may have nothing to do with your depression at all. But if it does, recognizing a problem is part of the battle of solving it. I hope you figure it out right away and become happy and thrilled with your new healthier way of eating. Because being happy is a huge motivator for changing your behavior. Good luck!

If I were new I would think the same thing. In fact, I have gone to bat for someone when I thought they were being picked on when I hadn't read all their posts. Then I read more and learned where all the mean spirit came from... it was always provoked. People are mostly very nice here at LBT. But this is a Rants and Raves section and things do heat up from time to time. Some people thrive on that kind of controversy - some people cringe and are disgusted by it. I consider every thread and every post a quick little insight into people's thoughts and beliefs and I find all of it fascinating. And sometimes it is the most fascinating when people get personally invested and say what they're really thinking. It's obviously not for everyone, hence the recent spate of thread closings by the moderators. To each his own, I guess.

Sorry, I know you don't think you need help, but you really do need help. And I think that perhaps I have been linked up with you here on LBT to help you. But I'm not asking you to allow me in your head or heart. I'm asking you to allow everybody in. Because right now, you're slamming the door faster than people can knock.

No, you lecture. You don't discuss. You aren't open to discussion. You criticize anyone who doesn't share your beliefs and you tell them they are wrong, wrong, wrong and you are right, right, right. I pity you, patty. You doen't even realize that God is you, he lives within you and that he knows when you've been bad or good. He feels it. So you really should be good for goodness sake. You think that because of Jesus, you're expected to sin and it's okay because you're forgiven. It's all about heaven. What you need to learn is that it is all about what you do here. You need to deserve the reward you're seeking, not just by reading the Bible and declaring how you've accepted Jesus as your savior. Those are only words. You need to be worthy personally everyday in everyway. Your deeds are what define you. Just like George Bush's deeds defined him. Stop justifying your wrong-thinking. Stop saying the words that allow you to justify your mean spiritedness toward others. Just stop being so angry and mean and judgemental. You really need to learn how to be humble.

Cleo's I see you remember our little cowboy's adventures on the ranch too. Can you believe the nerve of Republicans? They never cease to amaze, do they? I've heard Jeb Bush is going to take a run at the office. Swell. I wonder if Republicans have forgotten that his wife went on a shopping spree in Europe and then lied at Customs and said she didn't buy anything? They busted her butt. That's the kind of people the Republicans admire, right? They've probably all done it and think it's just what the privileged folks do. While the rest of us honest people list our purchases and pay the freaking duty taxes.

Talk about your revisionist history! Good grief, patty. Angry much? "...spend cash flow"? How does that work? The first year Bush was in office he took more vacation than anyone could imagine! I remember early in his administration, a 5 week vacation to Crawford that people were stunned by. Do you have a clue how many of your tax dollars were spent on buildings and revisions for the secret service at Bush's ranch? And it is amazing to me that Republicans have the nerve to criticize Michelle Obama for going on that trip to Spain. She's a person. She represents America as our First Lady but she's also a person. She was unable to attend the funeral of her good friend's father and she wanted to spend some time with her friend and also let her daughter lend some emotional support and friendship to the man's granddaughter. The people who are criticizing her are heartless. It isn't her fault that there's an American policy that requires a full complement of secret service personnel when she goes anywhere. You want her to be a prisoner in the White House? And if George W. Bush was such a caring individual why did he send our men and women off to that godforsaken country to be put in harm's way in the first place! Two words: greed and pomposity. In fact, if you go look in the encyclopedia his picture is right beside those words. Or should be. If he didn't have a guilty conscience maybe he wouldn't have a need to try to make himself feel better by glad-handing the returnees. Sorry, his actions speak loudly and we will never, ever forget, no matter how hard the crazy right wingers try to change voters view of him and his administration. How'my doin' Cleo's?

Poor patty. You do not understand the respect involved in the president honoring those flag draped coffins. What he did was personal and important. And very respectful. Did Dubya do his little cheerleading dance on the tarmac and yell through a megaphone "Mission Accomplished!" again? Sorry if we can't respect someone who recklessly caused the deaths of many more Americans than died on 9-11 and then shows up to act like he in some way, had a hand in bringing them home. As Bugs Bunny would say, What a Maroon!

You see I tried to open up to you and instead of having an exchange of ideas on the subject, you get fully emersed in a lecture. And I've heard it all before. More than once. And stated better (even though I know you've just copied someone else's writings.) And I would disagree with your characterization of the fear you feel. Your words belie the fact that you are fearful in the way that I mean it. You costantly speak of fear and evil and I suppose from what you've posted above, you aren't even aware of it. And I don't doubt that you love and are in awe of the God you describe. But we are God and God is us and the way you speak of Him, is the way you feel about yourself. You just don't know it. You do not understand these things, you parrot. That is, at least, how it seems to me although I know you think differently. C'est la vie. It's what makes the world go 'round. I will continue to discuss religion if I decide to but it is silly for me to go one on one with you because I have heard all you have to say on the subject - and much more. I know what I know and I know what you do not know and it is obvious that you are content with not knowing and I cannot change that nor am I motivated to help someone who is so terribly closed minded and judgemental.

"If asked privately and repectfully about my beliefs, I might share them, but I believe the interaction between the Great Spirit and an individual is sacred and not something to spoken of lightly in a forum as a subject for debate." I like the words you used to explain here, Llyra. I believe that the discovery of one's own spirituality and beliefs is a process unless one simply accepts the Bible at face value. My process began when I was first exposed to religious teachings in the Methodist church when I was very young. It has progressed as I have learned and grown after having been exposed to many more faiths and many more teachers. I dare say that over my life, I have probably been exposed to more religions and belief systems than many people have. I have mostly kept an open mind to other doctrines in order to explore what inspires and comforts people, spiritually. And to discover truth - my truth for my life here and for eternity. If a person is open to learning from others; other people, other books, other philosophies, not just what is presented in the most popular book, it can be incredibly enlightening. But this is not something one can teach another - it is a process. And it is a process that some people completely close themselves off to because of fear and ignorance. When scripture and preachers put the fear of God in a person, it is very hard to understand anything else. But having said that, I mean that it's is true for me. I am but one person on a journey to enlightenment, I am certainly not a teacher or prophet and I'm not even on a mission. On the other hand, I would be happy to think that something I said inspired someone to open their minds and hearts and to understand that true spiritual enlightenment is not something that is separate from their God, instead it is all-encompassing. And once the fear that has been so thoroughly instilled is quieted, it opens one up to much greater love and a life focusing on good things instead of judging others and thinking so much about fear and evil.

Just so's you know llyra, this is all going to happen real soon too. All signs point to it. Nevermind that they've been saying that since I was a wee little lassie. The fundamentalists live in an odd fugue state of mind where they appear to rationally quote scripture that supports their beliefs but in that moment can't seem to remember a thing about the scriptures that contradict their beliefs. Although when confronted with the contradictions, they snap back with interpretations that to you and me might sound convoluted, but to them make total sense. They have it fully mapped out as proof to the world that what they believe is the ONLY acceptable interpretation of the Bible. It is interesting to read and watch. One of their favorite sayings is that if they're wrong, what do they have to lose, whereas if we're wrong we'll burn in hell. They are so buried in their little world, so covered up with words and claims of righteousness, they will probably never understand the spiritual truth that many loving, beautiful people have learned and experience. They do not know they do not know.

We do indeed need to celebrate the return of many of our troops. I can't help but wonder if they will pretty quickly be re-routed to Afghanistan after a brief home visit though.

Fox has some of the deepest pockets on earth. So a million is chump change compared to how much they invest every day in furthering the cause of the very wealthy in this country. And I have no idea how they get away with all of the dishonest things they broadcast. Although deep pockets explains a lot of it. But then I've said for years that preachers tell people how to vote and yet they get to operate without paying taxes. Politics is a dirty business. That's one of the reasons why we must understand the reasons why separation of church and state is vital to a free nation for all its' citizens, rather than having just one select group rule over all the others.

You like Glenn Beck but you don't like his show? If you like him, what's not to like. You should get a real charge out of his rants since you like him and agree with his politics.

Hey Cleo's, I love reading your posts - especially when you're telling us your own stories and perspectives! I have a lot of respect for you. You're obviously an educated, thinking woman who is not selfish or single minded at all. You see the big picture and you care about others and this country.

Good post and I agree!

Sometimes I come away from rants and raves just totally perplexed at the things that right wingers post. They make no sense to me and when those posters claim to be Christian righteous folks, it is incredibly depressing and discouraging. Then something political comes up at home or with friends and I'm primed and ready to hop on anyone who parrots that same right wing extremist political rethorical bull$$$ that is broadcast daily on the Limbaugh show and on all the shows on Fox and in the newspapers Rupert Murdoch owns. Sometimes I've found myself saying things that sound very harsh and judgemental. After the audible gasps I've realized that I have to be more sensitive to others feelings when we're face to face, than when I'm on an anonymous thread of people duking it out here at R&R. But one of the good things about this free for all we call Rants and Raves, is that we can tell life stories, like Bob about his 7-11 guy or about his wonderful mother and like Cleo's telling about some of her trials going through hers and her husband's illnesses but then about the happiness she feels when she sees her husband's dimples recreated on her grandson's cheeks. These personal stories are the reasons I come here. I like the discussion of politics, but I learn from personal stories about life experiences and how those experiences have come to mold their political ideology and their spiritual beliefs.

patty: "You have a "leader" at this very moment who is alowing war that you feel is unnecessary. I hear no griping about him." The sitting president is not lying to me. He hasn't misrepresented anything. He has been open and forthright about what he thinks is best for this country. I haven't always agreed with his plans but I respect him for telling us what he believes is the right thing to do for America. My only complaint about this president is that he has been trying too hard to work with the opposition party. They refuse to work with him and he's wasting precious time. And if it were up to me, I would bring all the troops home from Afghanistan immediately - whether it seemed prudent or not. I would cancel all the contracts that we've made with Blackwater and other contractors who are working for us and being paid by our government in Iraq. I would allow our military to do the work that needs to be done there and then I'd bring them home as soon as possible. I would get rid of the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and I would incentivize corporations to do business in the United States utilizing American employees and American resources. And I would continue to work toward coming up with a great plan for universal health care in the United States. The list is much longer, but you get the idea.

patty: "Where, in this president's plan, does he change all that from happening? No where! " Good Lord. I didn't say that it does. What I said was that the president and congress have been trying to fix the nearly hopeless system that we have. You are using that sentence to defend the current system that we have? I dunno about you, girl. As for the double billing, I may have used that term incorrectly. What they have done (not the hospital, btw) is bill for the same service more than once in the same month. I don't believe that is fraud. Now if they got paid for the goods or services and then pretended they didn't and billed me for it separately, then that is fraud and there are laws that prohibit them doing that. We have an extremely lousy health care system in this country. I've explained this before. It is a system that has evolved and was fueled by the greed of insurance companies. They figured out that if they insure everyone, they can make money in spite of the people who get sick. Then they got even greedier and figured out that they could get away with denying claims for legitimate health issues of the people they insure. Another issue that caused them grief was that they were getting hit hard for malpractice suits that they were losing and they also figured out a way to make money in spite of malpractice suits. And of course they figured out how to employ hot shot attorneys who are experts at winning malpractice lawsuits for their defendants. The answer is not in doing away with malpractice lawsuits. Although capping the awards might be worthy of discussion. But we the people have little recourse for a situation where a doctor is grossly negligent and cuts off the wrong foot or takes out a healthy organ or prescribes contraindicated medicine that causes our demise. We need to be able to #1) shut down negiligent doctors and 2) be compensated for having to sustain injuries at those doctor's hands. And as for the rising cost of insurance premiums with less and less coverage, it is breaking the backs of hard working Americans and small businesses. This is why the president and congress has worked hard and long to make some changes and the Republicans are doing their best to misinform the public about it.

And before you claim that we were all for it in the beginning again patty, I was never, ever, not even for one second in favor of our bombing Iraq. I was not fooled and there were many, many, many other Americans who were never fooled by the disinformation that was used to influence congress and Americans. We wept the night we watched what our president commanded our military to do to that country. We wept when he coined the phrase "shock and awe." We continue to weep for our fallen military men and women who have given their lives on that foreign soil just as we weep for those who gave their lives in Vietnam. We know that there are times that evil men make war necessary and we will gladly take up arms to defend our country. But when the evil has taken hold of our leaders, we must protest and we must not follow them into the abyss.

That's exactly right, Cleo's. Furthermore, it is wrong to use scripture to justify what was done during the Bush administration. If we were so concerned about saving the Iraqi people from the evil dictator there, why did we kill so many innocents? And what of the American lives that were sacrificed? There is nothing just about that war and nothing good has come of it. In fact, our enemies have been strengthened by it. You can't stem the acts of terrorism commmitted by one group of people by bombing a completely different group of people. It makes no sense. And it certainly does not make sense to take scripture out of context and apply it to that war to proclaim that God would sanctify the atrocious actions committed by our country.

Do as I did and trade your menstural cycle in on a Honda. Sorry. That's sick post menopausal humor. I have no answers on this one but I do hope you figure it out and feel better soon!