Will_B_Healthy

Paperplane: I have had two fills. I don't know how full it is though. Should I? I could feel the restriction on the second fill but that seems to diminish over time. I consciously shut down the food express by simply stopping rather than feeling full. It isn't always easy but it is important and I feel better for doing it so that is what I choose to do. How much to I eat? My meals are in the 10 oz to 12 oz range. 3 to 4 oz of Protein (with fish I am at 4 oz; chicken, turkey, port loin, or lamb I try to stay closer to 3 oz; cottage cheese about 3.5 oz. Veggies have gotten to be the largest portion of late: 4 - 5 oz steamed with up to a tablespoon of I can't believe it's not butter - light or garlic/herb seasoning. Fruit is alway 3 oz. I know the company line is 1/2 protein, 1/4 veggies, 1/4 fruit. So I may need to boost the protein and shave the other two but for now this is working for me. For my age, weight, height, and level of activity if I keep it under 2000 calories and stay within the limits of fat, sugar, carbs, sodium, and drink 64 oz of Water, I continue to lose weight and feel FANTASTIC. That is not to say I couldn't rip through a German chocolate Cake or a plate of warm fresh-out-of-the-oven Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I just choose not to. The Jello Choc Mousse and Yoplait Light Smooth & Creamy Yogurt seem to be better choices to quell the chocoholic that lurks within. I walk every day with my dog for at least 45 minutes but sometimes longer and occasionally I will go swimming for at least 30 minutes. I will take off or miss a day every couple of weeks or so, but I try to stay as habitual about daily exercise as my commitment to logging everything I push in the pie hole. Believe me when I say, I feel blessed with these results, but I also know I have been honest and diligent. I will be meeting with my nutritionist next month to review my food log, so there may be some adjustments and I am supposed to have another fill after that meeting. So far, so good. Be kind to yourself. Love life and hug a friend.

Spot on, kiddo! You are a living testimonial that lap-banding is just a tool; persistence and conviction made and continues to make your weight loss a reality. And the bonus is FEELING GREAT! There may not be such a thing as the fountain of youth, but I can't think of anything that has made me truly feel young again. 94 pounds -- 4.5 months post-op. Energy, strength, self-esteem, confidence -- all buried beneath layers of goo for too many years. Yup. This is a great thing!

You are spot on, Tommygunn49, for this site is primarily one for the support of fellow fatties but as the banner to this site states "LBT Rants and Raves *** Off-Topic DEBATE AREA." What did you expect to find under the topic of "Bet you're sorry . . ." ? Nonetheless you are equally correct in stating "your (our) problem start (sic) way before . . ." even though your revision of history is a tad tweaked. That group of people to whom you allude were more forced out than "decided to leave" and it was not because of taxes but religious intolerance or so the popular story goes. Those same European outcasts established a beachhead for others who followed bringing their hoard of goods along with the legacy of treachery and debasement (slavery, indentured servitude, male dominance, etc.). The earlier fur traders may have decimated the indigenous unknowingly with smallpox, but the infections of those who fled and founded were far more destructive, chronic, and fatal. That we exist at all given the quality of inheritance is remarkable and fortuitous. But thanks for the post, Tommygun49. It is always nice to have different fish in the pond. As always I close with my respects,

You go, girl! I love how you get all fired up and start spraying salvo after salvo of facts at the regurgitation (now there is a term dear to many on this site!) -- mental regurg, that is. My screed of the day: In the tradition of Clinton, Carter, and Roosevelt, our President actually processes information from a vast spectrum of resources to determine the best course for the country, a course beyond the immediate, most assuredly beyond the sound bite avarice and feeding-frenzy psychosis of the MM. I also admit to feeling disappointment, but it is not disappointment in the POTUS but rather in the country, we the citizens, we the people, for losing the sense of how really powerful we are when we are supporting a common cause, a shared purpose, when we recognize our differences and respect one another without resorting to the petty and perverse. We have in many senses lost our way. Nostalgic as it is, it nevertheless, these times remind me of how we were collectively hoodwinked before. (The anthem accredited to the Who, sadly turned out to be wrong: We Won't Get Fooled Again! But we were and we will most likely again) The usurpation was sophisticated as it was sweet. This is woefully reminiscent of the late '60s to mid '70s when the Boomers tapped into something magical and dynamic amidst and through the chaos, ambiguous and amorphous forms - the big three "w's": war protests, women's movement, Woodstock, et. al. We rediscovered or "tuned in" to the roots of American strength in the vitality of our diversity, in our acceptance of the imperfect and in our unvarnished commitment and profound belief in making a different and better world//planet/universe/backyard for everyone and everyone's children and grandchildren. But somewhere along the way, maybe just off Abby or Desolation Road, we got incredibly selfish, greedy and stupid. A few blinks, winks, and tabs of acid and the same peace-love-dope crowd morphed, evolved or devolved into the core of the dot com era of millionaires and geeks fueling an endless succession of demonic self obsession, of IPOs without foundation or even tangible products. The bubble engorged, algebraically expanded: it wasn't the Mad Hatter's Un-birthday Party -- it was Thorstein Veblen on steroids. Conspicuous consumption in hyperwarp. We were primed and certainly ready for the likes of Reagan, Bush 1, Bush 2 and cast of ignoble modern robber barons whose mantra of more and more for me and the hell with you. We deserved what we got. Rhinestones and rhinoplasty. Botox and Bangalore torpedoes. Vanity and vericose veins. Sigfried and Roy. Odyssean lotus-eaters -- apathetic, resigned, narcotized. Trapped in a Teflon cistern; the task of Sisyphus inconsequential. Defeated, forlorn, beaten, bedraggled, broken, forsaking dignity, treasures squandered, futures negated -- an entitlement generation of subordinates gravitating towards a communal abyss. Or at least that is what many would have us believe, many who want to tear apart the last remnant of hope, cover us in ashes, carve our tombstones, retreat into the mythos of a fantasy era when things were Edenic. That certainly is not the gospel of the 44th President. No, President Obama is pragmatic, intelligent, resilient, trusting in the innate dignity of the American character, reflective and contemplative, creative and resourceful, self-effacing and humble, a student of history, a promoter of good will, a husband, a father, a leader, a man. As always, I leave you with respect and love.

You can still see it on YouTube.com. Check it out. It is worth the watch. Let's get busy cancelling the 22nd Amendment! :smile:OBAMA 2012. :smile:OBAMA 2016.:rolleyes2:

This is one of those time I actually feel good about being wrong about someone. There are some lingering doubts though. For instance, let's say you are bipolar -- and I don't wish that on anyone -- or you are much cleverer than I took you for. For now I am going with the latter. The deception is more likely the mark of being clever not disturbed. In fact, I can relate to what you were doing. I took on a false image on a blog a little over a year ago; it was one where you could post pictures as an avatar so I chose one of Son of Sam (David Berkowitz). It was grainy and seemed to emote raw evil. I was amused by how many people didn't have a clue whose picture that was, so gradually my posts became increasingly malicious and cruel so the picture and the persona matched up. (I had initially toyed with using Robert Redford but that seemed like it was too easy, too obvious, too simple a connection -- same with Richard Ramirez or Joseph Goebbels). Many a night I'd go to bed laughing after zapping a few with crude and spiteful observations, quips, attacks, non sequiturs, threats and boasts,but the really strange thing was that after a while I started to feel really creepy -- so much so that I just stopped. I admit it was fun but it was also mean spirited. Not one of my proudest moments, for sure. So whatever you are, LB, have a great life and make the most of it everyday. And like that old and dreadful Milton Berle comedy, "always leave them laughing."

Whimsical speculation, LB. Your behavior is like your chronic verbal tics and covert vacant self-esteem: manifestations of deep seeded psychosis. Classic example of narcissistic personality disorder. Get help, LB. Seriously, get professional help. You aren't as bad as you try to come off. For me, I get an image of you, LB, as a scared little boy desperately wanting to be picked for the team, invited to the party, included in the conversation. But you are not picked, you are not invited, you are not included. So you lash out. Belittle others. Abuse of all sorts erupts. Any and every thing to try to level the playing field. How very sad for you. But you know something, LB? The Lord loves you and forgives you. You don't have to believe me or anyone who tells you this, but that doesn't negate this truth. Peace of Christ be with you.

You don’t need anyone’s support, CM. You are a strong person who defends herself well, principled, and frank. As you and others have observed before there are just so many logical fallacies in PG’s posts occasionally we have to call her on them. I don’t know if shining a bright light on a few of the more obvious ones will prove prescriptive but having done so the cat is out of the bag (portions of this post are purposefully dumbed down so LoserBob can follow along; notice his penchant for the foul and ad hominem? It is like encountering a prose version of Tourette syndrome). As to the grade level question, I worked primarily in the extended day program at three community colleges so the students ranged from just out of high school to retired and keeping busy. An overwhelming portion were working people who found out the piece of paper -- a degree -- was something needed to advance in many lines of work and the harsh realization of the real world of work. Like Thoreau's famous observation, the vast majority were living lives of quiet desperation, in jobs lacking their personal passion; so unlike the day students I seldom needed to address motivation. Two thirds of the courses I instructed were remedial courses in grammar and composition; I had a few regular freshman comp courses and every so often a literature or film class. But mostly remedial English. The really tough thing for them was this course offered no credits toward graduation, a prerequisite to enter the credited freshman comp class. So for a semester it was a life on hold. Knowing that I vowed to provide them quality and purpose. And to my surprise I truly loved it. There was just something magical about seeing someone push aside all the previous negative and artificial barriers, all the baggage of failure and disappointment, and finally get it, knowing they did it themselves. My task was to become a meticulous gardener with varying tasks like pointing out the weeds to remove, how to get more sunlight, what nutrients made them develop and which ones made them wither. I approached it pragmatically, but at the core I came to understand it was poetry or at least a heavy reliance on metaphors and similes (sorry, Bob, I can just imagine how you are spinning and spewing tic after tic right now). By this I mean I was using the known to explain the unknown. You don’t need to know what a dependent clause is; what you need to know is how to use one. Process over product. There is so much non-sense in the structure of composition when fundamentals are clearly the foundation and in that foundation are basic, simple and easy elements that you and I already know by the time we are adults. Arrangement and selection will determine how stable a foundation and that takes some practice, but it is something everyone can master. Later on comes experimenting and having patience -- finesse skills like mastering a topspin return in tennis or shaping a ball in golf. This is the drywall, plaster, and glue for constructing an essay. Then there are choices like texture and fabric but without everything that came before these adornments are pointless. Interim and later Final inspection follow: learning to review what you have done with a critical eye is a matter of understanding exactly who is your audience and what is your purpose in writing. Editing is the fun stuff. The heavy lifting can become fun but it is founded in work, repetition, and the basics. Sorry for the waxing there. In short, I loved teaching, and since I held them to the same standards as the day classes, I was very tough on all my students but empathetic, too. Most importantly they earned everything they accomplished. It's the same lesson we learn when we work to buy a car, a new suit, a present for someone we love: when you work for something important to you, it means more than if someone simply hands it to you. You are a great cyber friend and kindred spirit. God’s peace and love to you, CM.

I am confused by this post. I went back to see what Cleo's Mom actually stated: Cleo’s Mom wrote: "I understand your posts. On these boards I sometimes feel like the character Gus, the Texas Ranger, from "Lonesome Dove" who was well read and who spent much of his time going after Mexican horse thieves and who said: "Just once I'd like to shoot at an educated man". And later in response to your alternative and colloquial version of Proverbs 16:18 that "Pride cometh before the fall"; [“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (King James Version)] Cleo’s Mom said, “I absolutely am proud of my education for which I worked hard both in terms of studying and paying for. I certainly will NEVER apologize for it. I am also proud of my children's accomplishments for the same reason.” What you say CM said is simply not what she said in her post. Why do you feel you have to be the final arbiter when you falsely attribute what others say and then attack it? In doing so you create a straw man fallacy: an informal fallacy based on misrepresentation of an opponent's position. At least play fair when you engage in discussion! I often told my student's that a wiser person than all of us confessed that the greatest impediment to my education was going to school. I say this now not to discourage the pursuit of knowledge; rather, to encourage its discovery outside the common constraints. Wisdom has no simple formula nor does age dictate its presence or absence. Peace to all.

I found an interesting article on this Old Testament "truth": For the record, I believe that there is a good kind of pride and a bad kind of pride. Many Christians, after reading what some of the verses from the Bible has to say about this toxic quality, try and remove all sense of pride from them and their lives. As a result, they end up reducing a lot of their own natural joy in the Lord. Webster’s dictionary, and some of the other different Bible dictionaries describe this good kind of pride as follows: Proper respect for one-self, self-respect A reasonable or justifiable self-respect Sense of one’s own dignity and self-worth Delight or satisfaction in one’s own or another’s achievements If your child comes home and tells you that he has just received straight A’s on his report card – your first natural and instinctive response will be to want to tell them “how proud” you are of them and what they have just accomplished. If your husband comes home and tells you he has just received a nice promotion and pay raise at work for the good job he has been doing – again, your first natural response will be to want to tell him how proud you are of him and his efforts to try and make a better life for your and your family. This is the good kind of pride. There is nothing wrong in having this good kind of pride for what your children may be able to accomplish and for what you may accomplish in your own work for the Lord in this lifetime. I believe that God Himself wants you to have this good kind of pride for the blessings and opportunities He may bring your way. If God has just blessed you with a nice new house, there is nothing wrong in being proud of that house and wanting to take good care of it. If God has blessed you with a wonderful marriage with a beautiful mate and beautiful children, there is nothing wrong in taking pride in all of them and what they may accomplish for the Lord in this life. This good kind of pride that you may have in the actual work that you are doing for the Lord and with whatever blessings He may want to pass your way in this life all help to contribute to your own personal joy in the Lord. It helps to give you a nice sense of approval, and it also helps to motivate you to want to keep on pressing further on with the Lord in whatever He has called you to do for Him in this life. However, as with anything else that may start out good – there is always the danger of possible excess. What starts out as a simple and a humble type of pride can start to grow into something much more deadly if a person does not properly keep on top of it. Pride Will Come Before the Fall - a Biblical Point of View Let PG spew and selectively eviscerate -- that is her MO. She is secure in her belief and that is wonderful; we should all find that sweet spot. It is when PG judges or imposes her view without concessions to the contrary that make her posts so dreary and predictable. Many of us see our walk with God as a process not a product, something that changes and grows with time, experience, and understanding. Others find the walk tedious, tenuous, and threatening. I am comforted by those who are confident enough to remain quiet and offer reassurance and insight rather than pedantry and parsimonious love. Peace out.

CM: You go girl. There are many things in my life for which I am proud and I have often fallen; the correlation in the passage is where the fault lies. See my next post for more on this.

Phillistine. It was "duped" not "stupid" stupid. Pity the Rethuglians . . . you couldn't turn a corner let alone a political party. Furthermore it is "farther" not "further" -- cretin. Now scurry back to the dark corners with the other cockroaches. :scared2:

If you feel I was "mean and nasty" as your buddy PG says, I offer this simple apology: I am sorry to have ruffled your sensibilities with what I posted. Perchance I was projecting my own sensitivities for our mother tongue having majored in and later taught composition; consequently it is a tough nut to swallow seeing the written word butchered with regularity on posts here and elsewhere not to mention emails, tweets, and the cryptic shorthand (LOL, OMG, etc.) of cyber-writing. Your observation about the world spinning reveals more than I first observed. My pettiness in pointing out the flaws of your post mean nothing in the perspective of the larger picture. Had I paid more attention to Ecclesiastes I wouldn't have been so pretentious. Here's a news flash: we are all imperfect but you know that from your own insight from the Bible. Happy trails.