Great Idea - I will do it right now !!

Hi

I am Janet and I am a recovering food addict :wink2:

I was banded 7/17/07 - My starting weight was 250 - I'm 5'4

Today (just over 10 months out) I am 154 - size 8 pants (was 18/20) Medium tops (was 22/24)

I got banded as I wanted to extend the years that I have left on this planet and to do that I knew that I needed to lose weight.

The band has been the tool I needed. For the first time in my life I have been able to achieve this goal (actually getting to my goal weight)

If you want a buddy - support - help - suggestions - Please feel free to call upon me - I will gladly share my journey with you - the journey is still on going and by helping you I will be helping me (staying motivated and accountable) and then one day you can pay it forward and help someone else.

I hit 86 yesterday morning! Enjoy your time off.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone! I have so much to be grateful for this year, my new lifestyle, my band, my friends here, etc. etc. etc.

Hi Lori! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! I have those same pants in my closet too!!! LOL!!! Have a great holiday. Your wishes reflect my feelings too. Thanks for saying it so well.

Love,

Ellen

Lori - thanks for saying what so many of us feel. I am so grateful for finding my new cyber friends!

I hope you have a great time. What a great feeling to be visiting family and friends far away with your new look and your new life! We are going to DS and DIL for the holiday - and taking the cornbread stuffing and the sweet potato souffle. These are my husband's and my grandchildrens' favorite dishes in that order. The rest of the family likes them, too - I probably would not choose to show up without them, as I might get sent home.

We have so much to be thankful for...

Lori - Safe travels.

I'm back from the doc and my 3rd fill. I now have 6.5 cc's. I hope this is the sweet spot, we'll see. I'm on liquids for a few days, leading up to Thanksgiving. I'm thankful that I have an excuse not to "test the band" since I'll be on soft food Turkey day.

Kathy

Good Morning Gang...

Happy Monday - 3 more working day and I am on PTO for a week - Yea !!!

Going up north to see son & family on Friday be back Sunday - PS consultation on Tuesday :cursing: I don't like pain... So we will see whats up there and how much it's going to cost..

Becky - Sounds like you are at your sweet spot - I am happy for you - It's not about pigging out on Turkey day - but enjoying family and friends - and enjoying what you can eat..

That being said - 16 months out I still miss eating big meals at times - it's all about the mental comfort that food gives us. But I gotta say I feel so much better this year than 2 yrs ago heck even since last yr..

Kathy - 12/7 will be here before you know it - Phyl and I were talking about you (good things ) on Saturday - Thought you might want to go to the Tamale Festival???

You gotta pm me with your info - where you are staying etc

Well gotta get my butt in gear - TTYL :thumbup:

What PS consultation are you talking about Janet? Pain??

I am going for plastic surgery consultation on 12/2. I don't like pain - surgery is pain - I woke up from my LB surgery and thought WTF have I done :thumbup: .

I would like to get a body lift - boob (just lifted no implants) arms - tummy, legs & butt and a little face work to.. But that's in a perfect world - I really don't think I can afford the works - so I will start with my arms they are what bugs me the most and here in the desert I want to wear sleeveless or short sleeve without being so self consiouse about them..

Also - since I am single and all my friends work (and married) I really don't have anyone to help take care of me after a big surgery - so if I could afford the works I would have to stay in one of those recovery hotels..

We will see what I do - but am going to go see how much it cost if nothing else... I have to go to Beverly Hills - we really don't have any docs in the desert who specialize in body conturing - this lady does and my doc went to school with her and refered her to me.. So we will see.

Yep Kathy - being on soft food and restriction will help curb what you can eat on Turkey day - Becarefull of the mashed potaotes & Desserts

How's everyone tonite??? Good I hope ..

I know Lori is gone for the holidays - and I bet the rest of you are busying preparing..

I will make my pies tomorrow - double layer pumkin (sf cool whip sf cheese cake pudding & lite cream cheese bottom layer) top layer pumkin mixed with sf vanilla pudding and a cool whip cheese cake for gs..

Thursday 11 lbs turkey - corn bread stuffing - mashed taters - butternut squash - rolls and maybe something green - need a little color..

I go to the gym tomorrow nite for my weight training and then will go early Thrusday morning for my treadmill workout.- cuz I won't go back til Monday since I am going out of town on Friday.. Well I will be taking GD shopping for her 14th Bday on Saturday so I will get some walking in..

How's everyone tonite??? Good I hope ..

I know Lori is gone for the holidays - and I bet the rest of you are busying preparing..

I will make my pies tomorrow - double layer pumkin (sf cool whip sf cheese cake pudding & lite cream cheese bottom layer) top layer pumkin mixed with sf vanilla pudding and a cool whip cheese cake for gs..

Thursday 11 lbs turkey - corn bread stuffing - mashed taters - butternut squash - rolls and maybe something green - need a little color..

I go to the gym tomorrow nite for my weight training and then will go early Thrusday morning for my treadmill workout.- cuz I won't go back til Monday since I am going out of town on Friday.. Well I will be taking GD shopping for her 14th Bday on Saturday so I will get some walking in..

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. It is Unamerican to not have green bean casserole at Thanksgiving......or is that a southern thing?

Okay, give us the pumpkin pie recipe....we need more than ingredients. What do you put in your cornbread dressing? My kids love mine. One thing I put in mine that is different is Jimmy Dean sage sausage and slivered almonds.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE. It is Unamerican to not have green bean casserole at Thanksgiving......or is that a southern thing?

Okay, give us the pumpkin pie recipe....we need more than ingredients. What do you put in your cornbread dressing? My kids love mine. One thing I put in mine that is different is Jimmy Dean sage sausage and slivered almonds.

I don't like green bean casserole... We never had it when I was growing up and my Mom was from Texas...

I really don't remember what veggies I had as a child - I remember my grandma's fruit salad with walnuts - it' didn't have whip cream but just the juices from the fruits - I remember apples and pinapples & coconut and maybe some grapes... - but I know that we had butternut squash for the last few yrs when my parents were alive.. So to me I have to have - I remember green on the table - must have been peas - I am not a big pea eater - I have some asparagus & collard greens in the fridge - so I will make one of those 2 for my green veggie

I put sauage in my dressing too along with some milk Besides the regular onion celery butter sage etc.. Never did almond - Heck neither my son nor gs like dressing/stuffing.. They just eat turkey taters gravey & rolls.

Here's the pie receipt

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

*Ingredients*

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup + 1 tbs cold milk

1 tbs sugar - I use Splenda instead

1 tub (8 oz) whipped topping

1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz)

1 can (16 oz) pumpkin

2 pkg (4 serving size) vanilla flavored instant pudding & pie filling

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp gound cloves

*Preparation*

In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, 1 tbs milk and sugar with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread on bottom of crust.

In a second bowl, stir pumpkin, pudding mix and spices into remaining milk. Beat with wire wisk until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Spread over cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate 4 hours. Serve with remaining whipped topping.

Serves: Makes 8 servings

Janet, I don't like it that much either. I like plain green beans with a little bacon.

Thanks for the recipe! I will make it next year.....and thanks for the advice and encouragement. Your a doll!

Hi to all tonight (Tues). I have been cleaning and setting up all of my XMas stuff. Decorated the fireplace mantel. Made pie dough today. Have been very busy. Tomorrow is pies. For dinner on Thurs. I will be having Turkey, Mashed tatoes, gravy, dressing, scalloped corn, brocolli cheese rice casserole and waldorf salad, rolls. Tomorrow I will make Pumpkin pie, apple pies and cherry pie. I LOVE IT ALL!!!. Tonight for dinner I had baked chicken, salad and baked vegetables. Well, guess what. I had my very first PB. DID not like that at all. I don't know if I ate too fast or too much. I did just have a fill last week so maybe it is kicking in now. Janet, I will be interested in hearing about your plastics visit. I sure want to have that but there is no way I will be able to afford it. Mostly I want a tummy tuck as I have had twins and have alot of loose skin which I hate more than anything. glad to hear everyone is doing well.

Beckyo:drool::wub:

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I want to be thankful right now, but I'm not in a very thankful mood. I am just scared to death and I've been eating like crazy, even though I had my second fill last week. I am afraid that it didn't take at all.

The economy's so bad and we don't know if my husband's company will even be in business by the end of the year. On top of that I just found out tonight that he may need heart surgery. My hands are shaking so hard, I can hardly type. Thank you all for being here. I don't know what I'd do without you. My best friend of 33 years died this summer and she was the one I could always go to. So I guess I do have something to be grateful for; I have all of you.

Love,

A very scared, a very tired,

Ellen

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I want to be thankful right now, but I'm not in a very thankful mood. I am just scared to death and I've been eating like crazy, even though I had my second fill last week. I am afraid that it didn't take at all.

The economy's so bad and we don't know if my husband's company will even be in business by the end of the year. On top of that I just found out tonight that he may need heart surgery. My hands are shaking so hard, I can hardly type. Thank you all for being here. I don't know what I'd do without you. My best friend of 33 years died this summer and she was the one I could always go to. So I guess I do have something to be grateful for; I have all of you.

Love,

A very scared, a very tired,

Ellen

Ellen

Oh darling hugs & prayers are being sent your way.. I am so sorry for your troubles - OMW it seems like so many Dh's are getting laided off - have a couple on the 50 thread too (orea & someone else I think it's long's dh job may be in jeapordy) and then yours may need heart surgery.. OMW beside taking care of your parents - you do have a mountain on your shoulders.. I wish so much that I could help in some way - I am hear for you when ever you need !!! You may not have your BFF any longer but you have us..

Hugs, Prayer and as the saying goes - God doesn't give us more than we can handle - I know it doesn't seem that way right now, but it will be reveiled in time..

Omw I sound like a holy roller - I am far from that but I do believe in God - the power of prayer and faith that he will get you through.. Also, drugs help at time of tremdous stress (xanax is great - talk to your doc - my gf gave me some after my brother died - i took it them for a few days they helped me get through those rough days)

Know that we are here 24/7 for you.. OK..

Hugs & Love

Janet

Janet, I don't like it that much either. I like plain green Beans with a little bacon.

Thanks for the recipe! I will make it next year.....and thanks for the advice and encouragement. Your a doll!

Oh ya Charlene

Green beans & bacon (pork fat rules in my book well it use to:redface:) but when I make collard greens I still use pork fat the diff now a days is I don't eat it - just season my greens with it..

Thanks for the complement - you are making me blush :wub:

Hi to all tonight (Tues). I have been cleaning and setting up all of my XMas stuff. Decorated the fireplace mantel. Made pie dough today. Have been very busy. Tomorrow is pies. For dinner on Thurs. I will be having Turkey, Mashed tatoes, gravy, dressing, scalloped corn, brocolli cheese rice casserole and waldorf salad, rolls. Tomorrow I will make Pumpkin pie, apple pies and cherry pie. I LOVE IT ALL!!!. Tonight for dinner I had baked chicken, salad and baked vegetables. Well, guess what. I had my very first PB. DID not like that at all. I don't know if I ate too fast or too much. I did just have a fill last week so maybe it is kicking in now. Janet, I will be interested in hearing about your plastics visit. I sure want to have that but there is no way I will be able to afford it. Mostly I want a tummy tuck as I have had twins and have alot of loose skin which I hate more than anything. glad to hear everyone is doing well.

Beckyo:drool::tt2:

Becky your dinner and pies sound wonderfull :wub:- a slice of apple pie with ice cream sounds really good.. I like a good cherry pie to - I can't say I am a big pumpkin pie person..

Your pb' could be that you took a big bite, didn't chew or ate too fast - we forget about our bands and then again sometime I stil take that one bite too many - a pb will make you a little more mindful the next time you eat to follow the rules - and you will learn to read your body signals.. - some time I can eat it some times I can't even moist - but heck pple say they can't eat shrimp - I have never had a problem with shrimp

I would like a tummy tuck to - but what bugs me is the top part of the tummy - the muffin that jiggly skin bugs me - heck it all bugs me - but we will have to just wait and see..

One thing at a time...

Dear Janet,

Thank you so much for your beautiful message. You are exactly what I needed.

Love,

Ellen

Ellen -

Warm cyber hugs to you. Hang in there. Stress is one of my big eating triggers. I know it's easier said than done but I try to step back and be thankful for all I have.

Everyone's turkey day prep is making me envious. I am going out this year with mom and dad. It's really the best since the place we're going to is having a buffet so I can control what I eat better. And, no leftovers at home. I had my 3rd fill this week so I supposed to be on mushie foods.

I'll be thinking of all you. I'm thankful I've found you all!

Kathy