christina@MIA

Welcome!

Hello again fellow Military wife,

I have Tricare but I was self pay. I went to Mexico because I didn't meet Tricares requirements. The best person to talk to on this sight is Tiffykins. She had it done on a Military post and knows the ins and outs of Tricare.

Good luck

Well, this is how I feel about your situation.....You can lose the weight (VSG)and your marriage could fail or you could stay the same weight (NO VSG) and your marriage could fail!!!!! But atleast if you lose the weight you will feel better about yourself! The way weight loss has helped my marriage is......I like getting out the house and having a good time again......no more fights about not having anything to wear out.....And Im starting to feel comfortable being on top again(if you know what I mean)......I found my confidence again and my husband finds that sexy! The way I feel is if he doesn't pay attention and treat my the way I should be, I now have good chance to find someone who will. DO IT FOR YOU! Because there is no guarantee you will stay married either way.

Welcome and Best wishes.

BTW, take him to you Dr appt. so they can tell him it is not possible to every weigh that much again after having 80% of you stomach removed.

My daughter has been using it for a couple of weeks and her skin looks great. She has also lost 6lbs. Seem's to have alot of natural benefits. I use it for yeast infections.

Please read........it might help you.

Apple Cider Vinegar or ACV has been around for a long time yet many doctors do not prescribe it for ailments that it is perfectly capable of treating.

* * *

This wonder food is said to help with weight loss, acne, acid reflux, cholesterol, Constipation and heartburn among others.

Apple cider vinegar, also called just cider vinegar, is produced from cider or apple must (crushed and aged apples). The unfiltered product is a kind of brownish to yellow color, the unfiltered cider contains the "mother of vinegar", this is the part that has the most health benefits.

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a natural bacteria fighter that contains minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, phosphorous, chlorine, sodium, sulfur, potassium, Calcium, copper, Iron, silicon and fluorine.

This wonder food is said to help with weight loss, acne, acid reflux, cholesterol, constipation and heartburn among others. it is also said to work wonders for your overall health and can even help fight diseases such as osteoporosis, cancer, memory problems and aging.

Apple cider vinegar will also act as a blood thinner which aids in the prevention of high blood pressure (blood pressure chart).

Vinegar has been used to cure and prevent a variety of ailments for centuries. As early as the time of Hippocrates, considered by many to be the father of medicine, vinegar was used to treat patients.

During the Civil War, it was used as an antiseptic. What makes it so special and why should you use it?

Apples are one of the most nutritious, health-giving foods available, containing a host of Vitamins and minerals like pectin, beta-carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorous and potassium in addition to enzymes and amino acids. Apples are the main ingredient in apple cider vinegar.

Apple cider vinegar detoxifies and purifies various organs in the body. As a purifier, it breaks down fatty, mucous and phlegm deposits within the body. By breaking down these substances, it improves the health and function of organs such as the kidneys, bladder, and liver.

It oxidizes the blood, reducing the risk of high blood pressure, and neutralizes any toxic substance or harmful bacteria that enters the body by ingesting certain foods. Apple cider vinegar promotes healthy digestion, assimilation and elimination.

Research has proven that apple cider vinegar can assist in strengthening the heart, stabilizing blood sugar and reducing the risk of certain cancers. It flushes harmful toxins from your body and assists in weight control.

Try drinking two to six teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with Water every day. It can also be used in cooking or sprinkled on salads, vegetables, etc. You can drink it as a hot or cold beverage and sweeten it with honey.

You might wonder, if Apple Cider Vinegar is so great, why hasn't your doctor told you about it?

I think the simple reason might be that medical doctors are more apt to prescribe medicines than natural remedies.

Pharmaceutical companies spend a lot of money getting their medicines and pills approved and they certainly wouldn't want you using the inexpensive, unpatentable alternative of ACV instead of buying their expensive cures and treatments.

One big problems today that many people suffer from is acid reflux. Consequently, pharmaceutical companies have come up with a plethora of pills to treat this ailment. But before you take pills that may be harmful to you, you might want to consider treating your acid reflux or other stomach ailments with apple cider vinegar.

You see, your stomach needs acid to digest food and when you have digestive problems like acid reflux or heartburn it's not because you have too much acid it's because there is too little. Most medications you would take for these are antacids which diminish the amount of acid in your stomach but this may not be what you need. These antacids may treat the symptoms but they will not address the cause and therefore, will never cure your problem.

Apple cider vinegar will mimic the acid level of your stomach and help you digest food properly which can help to treat that burning sensation. In addition, you might also consider taking digestive enzymes that will help your stomach digest the food.

If you suffer from acid reflux, heartburn or nausea, try taking one tablespoon of Apple cider vinegar prior to each meal. You may see your symptoms go away in as little as three days. However, you'll want to continue this practice for three to nine months and you may see the problem disappear altogether.

You don't want to use just any kind of ACV, though. What you need is organic apple cider vinegar that still has the enzymes in it (called the "mother"). This is where the healing properties are. The "mother" will show up inside the bottle as stringy globs floating around. To get the most out of your vinegar, shake it up each time you take a swig so that the mother can be dispersed throughout.

What's that you say? It tastes terrible?

Certainly most people do not take to the taste of ACV right away but it can be somewhat of an acquired taste and I know many people (including myself) that slug down a tablespoonful of the stuff all by itself. If you can't stomach this, space however, there are some things you can do to make it a little bit more palatable.

Apple cider vinegar can be taken in many various ways including in salad dressings, making Mayonnaise, or sprinkled on chips and fries. It also can be sweetened with natural honey to make it taste better, a method often used in India where physicians will often prescribe apple cider vinegar with Gotu Kola (a herb) to help in the revitalizing of the skin.

You might try making a tea out of your Apple cider vinegar by heating a couple of water and then adding a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to that.

While it's best to take ACV before each meal, you can also take it anytime your stomach feels a little upset and it will have immediately curative effects. Some people swear by it, and drink it for everything including the onset of cold and flu. Apple Cider Vinegar is also a cure for bad breath or halitosis due to its acidity.

An additional benefit is that many people who have taken apple cider vinegar before each meal have seen a moderate weight loss as well. Some theories for the weight loss benefits of apple cider vinegar suggest that ACV may help to speed up the bodies metabolism.

Medicinal uses of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Honestly, natural apple cider vinegar is one of nature's own, true miracle health elixirs. The long history of its use demonstrates, rather clearly, that using vinegar was once highly revered as a practical medical application long before Johnny Appleseed graced North America by planting apple trees.

The healing powers of vinegar has been traced back as far as 3000 BC, Hippocrates, Babylonia, and to 15th century England as a means to ward off dangerous and infectious diseases, to keep one's general health fit and strong, and used as a simple antiseptic/disinfectant.

When deciding to use ACV for medicinal purposes, be sure to select only a raw, non-distilled vinegar. You may be able to find this type of vinegar in your regular grocery store. But more likely than not, you will probably need to look for it at a local health food store.

Clear distilled vinegar is easy to find in any food store and is relatively inexpensive. This type of vinegar is great for regular household cleaning chores, but it is not so wonderful for your internal health. Non-distilled vinegars are definitely going to be more expensive and nutritionally potent than the distilled varieties, but isn't your health worth the price difference? Plus, you are going to have the satisfaction of knowing that you have chosen the right mixture that will work hard to enhance your health.

Most commercial brands (whether white or brown) have been pasteurized, filtered, and refined or distilled in order to make the final product look more attractive to please the consumer. The manufacturers are only giving the consumer what they apparently seem to want. Unfortunately, unbeknown to the average consumer, this extra processing actually destroys much of the natural health restorative properties of the end product.

Look for ACVs that have been cold pressed and made from whole, organically grown apples, with no added chemical preservatives, and in which the 'mother' of vinegar liquid has been retained. This 'mother' substance, as it is lovingly known, is the gelatinous liqueur that is naturally formed during the final fermentation process.

This milky, cloudy, and stringy looking stuff at the bottom of the container is what contains the healthiest part of the mixture. It also lets you know that the important vitamins and minerals, enzymes, and naturally occurring good bacteria have not been compromised due to over processing, filtration, or excessive heating. Before consuming, shake the the bottle gently to thoroughly distribute all of the nutrients, pour, and serve.

An energy boosting way to drink ACV, without it taking your breath away, is to mix about 2 teaspoons with an equal amount of raw honey in a small glass of warm water. Stir to dissolve the honey and drink one to three times a day. You can sip on this drink during a meal for extra digestive power, or you can drink this ahead of a meal. Refrain from drinking to much water or any other beverage during your meal, and for up to an hour afterward. Give your gastric stomach juices enough time to fully break down the food you just ate, on its own, without weakening their effects with added liquids.

Why use apple cider vinegar?

Because, when it is used medicinally it helps the body rid itself of harmful toxins, has wonderful disinfecting properties as a natural bad germ fighter, and is a very biodegradable substance that does not pollute the environment.

With regular and continued use, this wonderful liquid helps restore and balance the body's pH, taking it from acidic to neutral in a short amount of time. Normally, it would be hard to believe that such an acidic substance could normalize, or lower our pH so easily. As far as I know, this only applies to vinegar, as our digestive system will naturally convert it to an alkaline based substance.

An acidic internal system is directly caused from eating excessive amounts of meat, grains, and sugar by eating and drinking too many processed foods and beverages. This will provide an invitation, internally, for unwanted illness or disease to set up house. Otherwise, a neutral or more alkaline system will promote an enhanced emotional and physical health state.

Raw, ACV contains over 40 different naturally occurring substances from vitamins and minerals, to enzymes and beneficial bacteria. It has been used for generations to treat a variety of different human health conditions such as,

arthritis

high blood pressure

all types of skin problems

chronic fatigue and insomnia

heartburn and other digestive abnormalities

high cholesterol

maintaining normal body weight

This is not exhaustive list, by far, of common health maladies that ACV has been known to eliminate. As with any new diet addition, your expectations may be too high in the healing effects of vinegar. Keep in mind that it is not to be considered a panacea for all ill health evils.

Although many individuals have achieved a more improved physical state by using vinegar, without modifying their daily dietary habits, serious diet modifications need to be considered in some hard-core cases. Doing so would further enhance a partial response when combined with a healthier diet.

This is, especially, a key factor when using vinegar for serious weight loss. You simply must reduce or eliminate your consumption of over processed foods, eat more raw plant foods, eat smaller meals more often, and step up your effort in getting regular and moderate physical exertion. These strategies combined with ACV will take you a long way in seeing the results you are hoping for, and quicker. It is possible to lose up to one to three pounds a week.

Remember too...that diet modifications include increasing daily liquid intake. Apple cider vinegar works best when adequate liquids are supplied to help carry out the toxins we ingest and are exposed to every day.

Not just any liquids, but read this to mean WATER exclusively. Start reducing the amounts of other beverages you may be drinking instead, such as soft drinks, coffee, tea, fruit juices, and alcohol. Moderation, in occasionally consuming these, is absolutely crucial in maintaining a healthy body weight (even if your underweight), or if you are trying to lose weight.

When used as a flavor seasoning, or drinking as a healthy tonic, ACV could have your current health issue becoming a thing of the past. As with any type of natural or conventional health treatment, be realistic. Expect a reasonable amount of time for vinegar to take affect. This may be only a few days, a week, or it could be longer. If you are really committed to giving it a real chance, you may look forward to a much different health reality sooner than you think.

Related Articles about Apple Cider Vinegar

Magic of Apple Cider Vinegar as a Natural Home Remedy

Brenda Skidmore has spent over the last five years actively researching natural health care alternatives. She can attest to the many positive results natural practical cures and preventive strategies bring to human health. Along with the many medical professionals whose public works she has studied, it is her sincere desire to empower others by sharing this important information. To improve your health today visit: (link)

Link To" Apple Cider Vinegar"

<a href="http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/apple-cider-vinegar.shtml">Apple Cider Vinegar</a>

Email Article Printable

This site is intended for your general information only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment.

Read more: http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/apple-cider-vinegar.shtml#ixzz11PR3zLr7

Hate it. Don't try to fix whats not broken!!!!!! I like being able to see all post. I don't want to search each forum.

New pair of walking / running shoes. And home made coupon book......put things like- good for 1 massage after first work out - coupon good for 1 day work out buddy - coupon good for etc. etc.

Christie, I love your blog! You look great! Your info on weekly loss patterns are very interesting. Also Ian looks great too. Way to Go!

Christina,

Did you have the lapband or the sleeve ? Please keep in touch. Let me know how you are doing?

I get up at 2am tomorrow and fly from San francsico to San Diego, then the hospital driver picks me up at the airport. ...nervous.....about doing this alone, but I will be OK.

Oh yes, when I had the band I had a difficult time in the beginning while eating out socially. My small meal seemed to stick out like a sore thumb in comparison to everyone else was eating.

It was quite a learning experience and I think it takes some time and patience to change your lifelong eating patterns. So, go easy on yourself.

Take Care,

sara

Thanks Sara, I have the sleeve. At first I was going to get the band and then I started reading all the problems people were having. I was like hell no! When I was in Mexico there was a girl who only had hers for six months and she had problems with the port already. Just six months out and she was having a revision. Anyways please keep in touch. Maybe if you start to gain weight you can do the pre-op diet off and on. Have a safe trip.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my concern. It was very informative and helpful. I've been looking through forums for around six months now, but just had the courage to talk. I'm a 34 year old female that is 4 foot 11, and weighs 230 lbs. I'm diabetic,insulin dependent for 15 yrsm, high blood pressue, and elevated cholesterol and an extreme case of GERD. So I really need the surgery. I am married but don't have the support of my husband about the surgery. He likes chunky women and feels I look fine. My personal goal is around 230 lbs. I like the curvy look but not the excess of weight or the health issues. So I know if I lose to much weight there will be added problems in the marriage with not a lot of support. And to add I don't want that sick look. So that's my story and why I have concern. Thanks again everyone, I just felt I needed to release that.

Do you mean your goal is around 130lbs?

Why not get a wig.....all the hottest looking chick's on TV wear them or have clip in's or weave. Do you think that is all Kim K's hair or her sisters. Jessica S - clip in, Drunk Lohan - weave, Carrie Underwood - clip in's etc. etc. GO for IT!

Sorry to tell you this but it probably will happen no matter how much Protein you take in. Look for the tread "hair loss poll" I think it has more to do with having Surgery and Anesthesia. =( You will find people on that tread that took Vitamins, did all required protein, special Shampoo and still lost hair.< /p>

Christina,

Thank you for the reply. I have made the decision to wait on the sleeve and return to my original MD rather than Dr. Almanza. No negatives, just that I trusted my original MD and now all he is going to do is remove the lapband.

I will continue to research on the sleeve and maybe in the Spring, return to Mexico and get the sleeve if I have had no luck in losing the weight on my own.

I need to get emotionally ready. Too much grief in my Life right now to undertake the weightloss journey. But I do plan on keeping myself in check by not letting myself GAIN more than 5 lbs, hopefully.

Thanks again for your input,

sara

Hello Sara, I understand. This journey is not easy. It has a huge emotional side you still have to deal with. Ooh have I been moody. I'm 5wks out and I have my good days and my bad days. I am very happy with the weight loss part. Im still having a hard time with enjoying cook outs and B-day parties and just enjoying going out to dinner with my husband. I get a little down at these times. They say it gets better. I guess time will tell. Well I hope eveything works out for you. I have A teenage daughter too and it is tuff.

Best wishes,

Christina

Check out Costa Rico. They have a lot of plastic docs.

Well I woke up from surgery with mine on Aug 18th. And today i got it just like clock work....I was looking forward to not having it this month =( No wonder I've been such a B the last couple of days.

I've looked everywhere for Magic Powder around here. They just don't sell it :w00t:

They sell it at Wal-mart. Its usually is the section where they sell bump stopper and stuff like that for black men. I guess this is another reason to be happy for weight loss...we can actually reach those area down and around there....lol

I wish I had been warned. For some reason I didn't have issues with my Lap Band causing wacky periods post-op. My OB/GYn refuses to trust the pill though with me ven though I made it clear I had a VSG. I go Thursday for a Mirena IUD. Not real excited as I had a bad experiences with constant spotting previously with this but we shall see. I'm trying really hard to be more positive and open minded. :w00t:

Hey Carrie, Have you had this before? When I had it it was terrible! Heavy periods that lasted for 7days or more, back pain like I was having back labor. I hated it! It lasted for 4mos and I had my tubes tied. All I can say is UGH!

FEELING GOOD ABOUT MYSELF! :w00t:

Hello Tim, She is so wrong. Our spouse's seem to think that we will have this surgery and everything is easy going. NO! This is not easy at all. We are so in to our heads about food its not funny. A lot of thought goes in to meals, fluids, Vitamins, Protein, exercise etc. etc. I don't have a moment that I am not thinking about it. What I have found helpful is that I now cook different and make smaller meals for everyone. My husband lost 131bs and my daughter lost 11lbs. And just tell her " hey baby sex will be better"! :w00t:

I want your cute little ticker!

Thanks. Just go to Weight-loss-center.net on the right side you will see the link for tickers. I had a hard time getting it set up so I just copy and paste. They have a lot of cute ones.

I am 5'4 and started at 215, BMI 36.9. I am 4 1/2wks out and down 26lbs. to 189. The first three wks I would take little naps, but now I'm starting to have more energy. I didn't have any pain that required pain meds once I left the hospital. I was sleeping on my side by wk 1. Now I sleep on my tummy. I had a little acid reflux and heart burn the first couple of weeks. But it seems to be gone. I started at the gym walking on the treadmill for an 1hr, 3 miles without any problems last week (4wk). I plan on starting light weights for my arms this week 5. I've read that us light weights dont seem to lose much hair and that makes me so happy! I eat almost anything. just a few bites. When I hit a stall I'll up my work out and calorie in take to see if that helps. I don't think there is any magic solution when it comes to stalls because we are all different. Its all trial and error. Best of luck to all.:thumbup1:

I went alone. I really didn't want to worry about the needs of another when all I wanted to do is sleep.< /p>

My husband had to buy a pull up bar, these circle things that help with push ups, and that thing that looks like a jump rope but is not.

I thought this might provide some answers.....

Weight Loss, hair Loss and Low Carb

In ANY weight loss program that you follow, Hair loss often occurs at the same time. This is a natural result and the hair will grow back in once you reach your target weight. Often the hair is even thicker than before!

In fact, compared to other diets, the low carb diet is BEST for your hair. Three key Vitamins to take to help your hair are Protein, Iron and zinc - and these are in high supply on a low carb diet. Note that these Vitamins will not STOP the temporary hair loss while you diet. The hair loss is a normal part of your body's reaction to losing the weight. However it will help the hair grow in more fully when you have reached your target.

Two things that impede Hair growth are an excess of Vitamin A, and stress. So a way to reduce the hair loss situation is to find ways to relax in your life, and to make sure that your Vitamin A intake is not overabundant.

First, It's good to note that a hair doesn't simply grow forever. Each hair on your head grows for 4-5 years, then falls out. So your hair is always renewing itself. The long growth stage is called anagen and the short stopping phase that follows is called catagen. Then the hair falls out, which is telogen. The hair follicle then goes back into anagen and makes a long hair for the next 4-5 years.

What happens during weight loss is Telogen effluvium. It also happens after any stress to the body. Some of your hair follicles go into catagen to conserve body resources. So the hairs stop growing and "rest". Once your body feels safe again, those hairs go back into anagen - but because there was the pause in the middle, the brand new growing hair pushes the old hair out of the follicle. So in reality you have just as much hair as you did before - and it's probably far healthier hair. But the new hairs are short

Normally around 10% of your head of hair is in the catagen or telogen phase, in essence resetting itself to prepare for new hair to grow in. Because you have so much hair on your head, you don't even notice. During weight loss that percentage gets higher, but this is only temporary. Your body starts creating new hair in its normal cycle once it settles into a healthy weight and those hairs start growing again. Remember that hair doesn't reach a long state overnight! So all those new, healthy hairs need time to grow out to whatever length of hair you have chosen.

Usually it takes 6 months for your head of hair to have grown back out to typical fullness. Hair grows around 1/2" per month, so at the 6 month mark, the hair is around 3" long which is enough to seem thick on most heads. Again, it's not that the hair is MISSING during this intermediate time. It's just that it is brand new and growing from scratch.

DermNetNZ.org on Telogen effluvium

InteliHealth.com on Telogen effluvium

| Related Articles | Previous Features | Site Map

What a wonderful thing that has happened to you, both in health and love. I am truly happy for you! Now make sure you find that gym ASAP. Do you have a Curves or YMCA in your area? I find I dont like gyms that are big like Ballys and LA fitness. I also feel like the Fit people are judging me.