green

PS. I loved the word "twatwaffle." LMFAO, eh.

This was the only reason why I found it weird. The notion of having my boobs praised fulsomely while on TV strikes me as strange. Come to think of it though, the Green ma did tell me never to make a personal comment unless it was a compliment. And, in exactly this spirit, I would like to say that I have enjoyed your posts, Jachut, MacMadame, BJean, and everyone else who has posted on this subject.

Now, that is very, very deeply weird!

We both like Obama.

I disagree. I don't think that Oprah is ignorant. In fact she makes a point of being well informed. I don't agree with her opinion concerning weight loss surgery and I suspect that I would have little interest in many of the topics that she deals with. This is because I am not raising a family, I don't cook, and I don't have spiritual or financial problems - and these seem to be the issues that she deals with on her show. Apart from the fact that we both like to read, Oprah and I have little in common, I would guess. But she is certainly not an ignorant woman.

There are additional ways in which to measure the success of your weight loss. These are called NSVs (non scale victories) and they often arrive when your scale is delivering disappointing news. For instance, you will find that your scale has gone up by two lbs but your belt can be cinched in by another notch or two. Or you have gone down a size. Actually, to tell you the truth, I am thinking about buying myself a scale. It is winter here and very, very cold. I am thin (since reaching goal I have lost a lot more weight due to a medical problem) and am feeling the cold and have been eating. I suspect that I have been packing on the pounds. Ugh! It would probably be a good idea if I could monitor myself........

Overall I lost about 55 lbs in 10 months. I was on the lower end of overweight when I got banded at the age of 57. I was always a sturdy grrl, but I started gaining weight once I hit menopause. Every year I got fatter and fatter. In this I was just like my mum. In fact I gained weight in exactly the same way she did thus proving that genetics play a role. We were both apples with skinny arms and legs. My mum would say that she looked like a pregnant spider. So did I. People would often ask me if I was pregnant even though that ship had long since sailed! lol I personally found the band a very good tool for losing weight. My problem was that I was a glutton. I ate fairly well but I just loved eating. With the band I filled up quickly and did not feel hungry for hours and hours. I did spend a lot more time reading the nutritional facts info on prepared foods - this info must be printed on everything up here in Canada by law - and was often surprised and dismayed at how hi-cal and empty of nutrients these often are. Even such items as soups are fairly empty of vitamins and other nutrients! My personal challenge became finding stuff to eat that did not require a lot of prep (because I am lazy), was healthy for me, and that I like to eat. I am lucky that my husband, who is still working, makes his own meals. We usually eat at different times. I also made a point of doing a lot of walking. It is the only form of exercise that I really like. I would combine this with doing a chore, like walking to the store in order to pick up fresh vegetables....

But, Pattygreen, aren't you curious about why people indulge in gluttony?

Oh, Pattygreen, there is just a general miasma of judgementalism that comes off your posts. I was trying to point out examples of this to you but if you don't see it, then there is no sense going on with this exercise. It will merely be destructive and painful.

Thanks for the kind words, DaMomb. I see that you have already lost a bunch. This is cool. What helped me during the journey was that I didn't weigh myself too, too often. This way I had those fabulous weight loss surprises when I did jump on the scales. And I cut way back on the carbs and fats (my personal faves, eh) but ate lots of proteins and fresh vegies. Because I am very lazy and I don't have to cook for a family, I relied on my microwave quite a bit. I ate a lot of eggs because they are lo-cal and yet rich in nutrients and I ate a lot of tuna. Stir fried vegies and eggs were another biggie. Come to think about it, I ate a lot of eggs.... lol Anyhow, I reached goal about 10 months after banding.

Oh, I would so love a ci-gar, eh.

Here is another example of your judgementalism, Pattygreen. While it is true that many unbelievers do cherrypick, not all do. Some whom I have met have studied the Bible closely; some were former believers; and some have been sufficiently curious as to study the Bible in its original languages - that is to say, ancient Greek, classical Hebrew, and, I believe, Aramaic. I am not one of these scholarly folk, by the way. I have met folks who were atheists and who became converts and I have met folks who were cradle Christians who became atheists - upon studying the Bible and belief. It is a rich and complicated world out there. Those of you who do believe in God may wish to thank Him for this very thing, this wealth of difference. I also believe that both believers and non believers can and do act in a fine and ethical fashion. We have all seen scandals where professional men of God have behaved very badly. There have been Catholic priests abusing altar boys and fundamentalist preachers unmasked for their unsavoury practices. There were the Christian nations of Europe participating in the Holocaust, not so long ago. Belief alone is not a shelter against evil acts, Pattygreen. It is very important to understand the mechanics behind human behaviour and this includes those activities which you would call Sin.

Nope, theys the mos fun, eh.

Well, Pattygreen, take this post for example. What I would have done, had I been you, is merely point out that according to the Bible, which you happen to believe is the final word, prostitution is wrong. And then I would cite the relevant passages in order that others might see this material, too. It is important, I believe, that folks read this material for themselves. As you have pointed out in one of your posts, once you read the Bible you chose to leave the Catholic church; its teachings no longer made sense to you. It is possible that other readers may have different interpretations of the relevant passages in the Bible concerning prostitution. In general, showing folks is an important tool in instruction. Statements which are not backed up do alienate adults. We are fond of thinking for ourselves. And, as has been noted before, your comments concerning this issue do not take into account that prostitutes are fellow human beings and that their Sin, as you would have it, may have complex roots and cannot exist in a vaccuum. It takes two people to make a prostitute. I guess what some of us might find frustrating is your harshness and your lack of finesse. I don't believe that God wishes us to be unkind to each other even though this is both easy and fun. It is easy and cheap for both you and I and, I suspect, for most people here to judge prostitutes; practically speaking, it is not one of our temptations. Why not substitute the term "fatso" for prostitute, eh? Afterall, glutttony is a Sin, too.....

Yep, Donna is right, best to see your bariatric doc about this one.

I think it often helps to have an explanation for the post-op dietary restrictions. It is often difficult for us folk who love to eat to abide by the rules when breaking them results in no immediate damage. I speak as one who broke all the pre-op rules that my band docs laid down. Instead of trimming back on my food intake, I went on the blonde ambition farewell food tour. And I continued smoking right up until the night before Big Day. My post-op behaviour was much better, though. I did stick to the rules and lost 11 lbs before my first fill. Anyhow, you are back on track. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy the weight loss journey as much as I did. You too, DaMomb.

Unsure, when I was banded I was on clear fluids for the first week, fluids for the second and third week, and mushies for the following two weeks. That is 5 weeks of careful eating. The theory behind this is that it will allow the surgery to heal and your band to "seat itself" properly. This will minimize your chances of problems further down the road. What problems? Well, slippage is the big one. Please, do try to eat carefully during this post-op period and think about getting some counselling for your food issues. That can't hurt and might be of help.

So I guess missionary is out as a vocation for Pattygreen....?

Pattygreen, in my opinion Beth's comments to you make a lot of sense. There is something awfully alienating about your judgemental style. I am certain that your God did not appoint you to be His hall monitor, nor His judge. It is the practice of most judges, when sentencing felons, to look at the circumstances behind their crimes/sins. Someone who kills a burglar who has invaded his home and is threatening his family is unlikely to get the same sentence as rapist-murderer. Your comments indicate your lack of flexibility and, yes, kindness when viewing the activities of your fellow man. Most of us who have posted here feel that it is wrong for you to smack us with your Bible. Should you wish to teach, you must do this by providing explanations to back up your statements. If you are not up to this task, then perhaps you should consult your pastor. You could even reread your New Testament: Jesus was an excellent teacher. Simply announcing to us that according to your God and your Bible prostitution is a Sin and no mercy should be shown to those who Sin is terribly counterproductive. Prostitution is a complex issue and has been around since the beginnings of civilization. It is possible that many of those women who turn to prostitution have done so because of earlier Sins (to use your term) against them: rape, incest, child abuse, poverty.... Why should we, as a society, seek to further punish them? And do remember that there would be no prostitutes without men eager to buy what they are selling.

What I am saying, Pattygreen, is that mankind is a social organism. One single man cannot survive on his own. We need each other in order to survive. We need, as a society, farmers, the folks who bring the food they produce to market, manufacturers, labourers, doctors, dentists, etc. Man can only survive as a tribe. Therefore, those good practices that assist in the survival of the tribe - no stealing, no murdering, helping one another out in times of distress, etc - will logically form the basis of our morality and these strictures will be taught by all religions, I think you will find. Why does man do those very things which are counterproductive to the survival of the tribe? It is because he, as an individual, also has a desire to survive and he may feel that his chances of surviving are enhanced by theft and murder. Thus we see these two contradictory urges in our human tribe. (It may be argued that these two contradictory and very human urges are well displayed each and every time a woman decides whether to carry her foetus to term or not.) Anyhow, I happen to believe that we are hardwired to be fairly moral individuals and that is why all religions teach us more or less the same lessons concerning our behaviour. When a society is treating its own members badly, murdering them and stealing from them, this is a sign of a dysfunctional society.

Thanks, girlfriend.

Survival of the species tailors our moral code although we often do not realise this. We behave just like the rest of the species. When our survival is best served by co-operation, by loving, giving and kindly behaviour, we will do this and we are hard-wired to feel good about it for we are pack animals. If this will lead to our individual/collective demise then we will attack, we will go to war.

Yah, we Torontonians do have an easy time of it. TLBC is only 6 subway stops away from my house, a longish but pleasant walk with lots of shopping! along the way.

Doddie, you have been a great help and inspiration to a lot of fellow Canucks on this forum, you know. I think that you are very cool.

I agree with you, gingerb.