tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90031876129275469352024-02-18T23:16:03.933-08:00My BanditaI had my lapband placed by Dr. Roberto Rumbaut in Monterrey, Mexico on December 18, 2008. Please kick back and relax as you share with me tales of my journey with my new foreign friend, Senorita Bandita!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-12838026683986297472012-02-07T16:58:00.000-08:002012-02-07T17:10:18.913-08:00Cipro(floxacin) and the LapbandHi, everyone. <br /><br />I have a UTI and was prescribed Cipro. I forgot to remind the nurse practitioner that I have a lapband. The reason for my complete unfill last year (and resultant acid reflux, swallowing issues, etc.) may have been due to my taking medication (not Cipro) for adult acne. Not wanting to go down that road again, I am hopeful that I can determine whether Cipro is safe at the outset. Since it is too late in the evening to call the lapband doctor's office (plus I have just changed doctors since my doctor retired on the 1st of February), I was curious if any of you have taken Cipro post-band (or heard anything about its use with the band)? What are your experiences? I have tried to look up what I can online, but it appears that there is a dearth of info concerning lapbands and Cipro. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNd5pDSVhPj1oE4QZmnxwzWa8wE9Y9_tkD47xUN6TXVL6HoRbe0-OohtzCLSSnukayQX-YYIEtQwX8E6keVmf2V2nnHpxRdzqh2ifQdBHirmCI22AmE8aaS3Ed8Aznac5hktIVUz5RagJ/s1600/buy-cipro-500mg-online.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 288px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYNd5pDSVhPj1oE4QZmnxwzWa8wE9Y9_tkD47xUN6TXVL6HoRbe0-OohtzCLSSnukayQX-YYIEtQwX8E6keVmf2V2nnHpxRdzqh2ifQdBHirmCI22AmE8aaS3Ed8Aznac5hktIVUz5RagJ/s320/buy-cipro-500mg-online.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706565438375231970" /></a><br /><br />Thanks in advance for your help! And I hope everyone is doing well. <br /><br />P.S. I am still diligently reading all of your blogs...just don't comment as much because of some commenting link malfunctions on this end.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-40936862984458220262011-12-01T08:42:00.000-08:002011-12-01T08:49:57.142-08:00Thankful ThursdayI had a pretty rough Thanksgiving this year. My grandfather passed away on Thanksgiving day. However, he was always thankful for his life and the blessings in it and always reminded us that we needed to be thankful too. With that in mind, my list is about him and his contributions to my life:<br /><br />1. I am thankful that I had three decades with him.<br />2. I am thankful that I was able to experience his silly songs and drawings when I was a kid (he would create these songs and drawings just to get a rise out of us grandkids or to make us smile).<br />3. I am thankful that I lived close to or with him for most of those years.<br />4. I am thankful that he helped instill in me the importance of giving thanks.<br />5. I am thankful for all the other memories I have of my grandfather and the time I had with him...and the knowledge that he is in a better place.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-72307942424495192892011-11-17T06:56:00.000-08:002011-11-17T07:11:27.134-08:00Thankful ThursdayIt's the first Thursday after Veteran's Day, so I thought I'd do a Veteran's Day edition. I am thankful for<br /><br />1. the ability to freely speak and worship, to vote, and to own land;<br />2. those people, past, present, and future, who have served to protect those freedoms;<br />3. the blessing of living in America with all of its many opportunities;<br />4. my family members and friends who have served; and<br />5. especially, those men and women who were injured or died protecting our freedoms.<br /><br />Thank you, Veterans.<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vpWUQ53qRcw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />If you aren't able to watch the video above, which is a very touching memorial to those who fought and died, in it, President Reagan said, “Most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives--the one they were living and the one they would have lived.” There were other poignant things he offered too, but I just wanted to share that for the busy folks that aren't able to watch since I believe it really captures the essence of the sacrifice that was made for our freedoms. I am so very thankful to our servicemen and servicewomen. I hope everyone was able to tell a Veteran, "Thank you," last Friday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-52522340454343480272011-11-02T07:28:00.000-07:002011-11-02T07:36:14.924-07:00Opinions?From http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/26/8472045-desperate-to-qualify-for-weight-loss-surgery-some-pile-on-the-pounds<br /><br />Desperate to qualify for weight loss surgery, some pile on the pounds<br /><br />By JoNel Aleccia<br /><br />At 202 pounds, Steffany Sears knew she was fat, but not fat enough to qualify for traditional weight-loss surgery.<br /><br />Desperate for help, the Gold Bar, Wash., woman did what seemed the only logical thing: She gorged herself on chips and cookies, pizza and fried chicken so she’d gain at least eight pounds more.<br /><br />Courtesy Steffany Sears<br /><br />Steffany Sears, 34, of Gold Bar, Wash., lost nearly 70 pounds after receiving the Lap-Band stomach-shrinking device as part of a clinical trial in 2008. The trial led the Food and Drug Administration to lower the limit for obese patients eligible for the device last spring.<br /><br />“I would have eaten myself stupid,” recalled Sears, 34, who was turned down by her insurance company for the $20,000 procedure. “I know friends who would have done that, too.”<br /><br />In the end, she actually qualified to participate in a clinical trial that led the federal Food and Drug Administration this spring to lower the bar for obesity in people eligible for one form of weight-loss surgery, Allergan’s Lap-Band stomach-shrinking device. Because she had a body mass index, or BMI, of between 30 and 35, the target range of the new rule, she even got the treatment for free, instead of having to take out a second mortgage on her house.<br /><br />Today, at 5-foot-6, she weighs 143 pounds. "I felt like I'd won the lottery, really, with my life," said Sears, a native of England.<br /><br />Send idea Send me your story ideas<br /><br />Facebook Follow us on Facebook<br /><br />Twitter Follow me on Twitter<br /><br />But Sears’ experience highlights what dieters and doctors alike say is a growing dilemma. Spurred by strict insurance policies that limit surgery to high BMIs of 35 or 40, some obese people are actually striving to gain weight -- in order to lose it.<br /><br />Web sites devoted to weight-loss surgery are full of advice and anecdotes from would-be losers who claim they ate piles of bananas, chowed down on burgers and curly fries or swilled gallons of water to nudge the scale to the correct heights.<br /><br />“That happens all the time,” said Dr. Robert Michaelson of Northwest Weight Loss Surgery in Everett, Wash., who was a clinical investigator for the FDA trial. “I’ve seen people come in with ankle weights on.”<br /><br />Sometimes, it works. Elizabeth Marks, 32, of San Diego, Calif., was turned down for surgery once by her insurance company for being less than 100 pounds overweight, but accepted after she gained more.<br /><br />“I just had two weeks of eating all the junk I could,” Mark said.<br /><br />In general, a person who is 5-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds has a BMI of 35. At 250, the BMI climbs to 40.<br /><br />Weight-loss doctors definitely discourage patients from gaining more and instead urge them to pursue non-surgical options, or to find other ways to pay for the surgery. One good reason? Some insurers regard the practice as fraud.<br /><br />“I tell them go home. You don’t qualify,” said Dr. Namir Katkhouda, a bariatric surgeon at the University of Southern California who has performed 2,000 procedures. “They come back six months later and their problems are much worse.”<br /><br />Weigh in on this story on the Vitals Facebook page<br /><br />The dilemma has been exacerbated by the recent FDA decision, which approved the use of Lap-Band in patients with BMIs as low as 30 with at least one weight-related disease, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. The agency left the BMI level at 40 for heavy but otherwise healthy people.<br /><br />The move opened the door to an additional 27 million people eligible to access surgery and prompted experts to predict a sudden rush toward lower BMI procedures. So far, despite great interest, that hasn’t happened, said Dr. Robin Blackstone, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.<br /><br />“The insurance hasn’t expanded to embrace that indication,” she said, noting that less than 1 percent of those eligible for bariatric surgery actually get it. In 2009, nearly 63,000 Lap-Band devices were implanted in the U.S., according to estimates from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.<br /><br />Insurers prefer that people try other less-drastic weight-loss options, including medically supervised programs, said Susan Pisano, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans.<br /><br />“Many, if not most, insurers look to less invasive, less-risky approaches before they move on to the more invasive, more life-threatening approaches,” Pisano said.<br /><br />As far as Sears is concerned, the January 2008 surgery changed her life; she says she doesn’t regret gaining a little to lose a lot.<br /><br />“I would do it again, now that I’ve tasted what it feels like to be normal and not overweight,” said Sears.<br /><br /><object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc90292e" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=45074989&width=420&height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed name="msnbc90292e" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=45074989&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-10252633408921643072011-11-01T15:00:00.001-07:002011-11-01T15:05:09.846-07:00What do you think?I haven't ever watched an episode of New Jersey housewives, but I was wondering what you all thought of the housewife who was donning the 'fat suit' in the video below. Does that help her and other non-obese people open their eyes, or do you think that they still have the biases (like obese people are still lazy, etc. and should do something about it before it gets to that point)?<br /><br /><object id="flashobject" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" allownetworking="all" data="http://www.etonline.com/media/flash/unicorn/tremor/UMInterface_Tremor.swf?at=171a1404-17f6-406e-ae1e-9810c92f7803" height="272" width="431">I <param name="quality" value="high"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowNetworking" value="all"><param name="movie" value="http://www.etonline.com/media/flash/unicorn/tremor/UMInterface_Tremor.swf?at=171a1404-17f6-406e-ae1e-9810c92f7803"><param name="flashvars" value="programID=49e35a056306e&config=http://r.unicornmedia.com/embed/171a1404-17f6-406e-ae1e-9810c92f7803?view=fkey%26view_id=115385"></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-82842055935200297762011-08-11T16:37:00.001-07:002011-08-11T16:40:11.060-07:00Thankful ThursdayI had a couple ideas that began in 'F' initially, so I just continued with that theme. I guess I'm feeling Sesame Streetish today. :)
<br />
<br />1. My family
<br />2. My friends
<br />3. My free time
<br />4. Freebies
<br />5. Fridays (coming soon!)
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-44781405508295866542011-08-11T16:30:00.000-07:002011-08-11T16:36:48.857-07:00We Don't Deserve To Lose WeightYes, here's another annoying article (see<a href="http://lapbandgalsjourney.blogspot.com/"> Lapband Gal</a>'s blog for a couple others from the last week). Evidently, we don't deserve to lose weight. What do you all think about this?
<br />
<br />By the way, I have posted the whole article below so that you don't have to give the <span style="font-style: italic;">Miami NewTimes</span> any more hits than they already have; however, the link is below the posted article if you want to check out the reader comments there.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Weight Loss Surgery Is the Easy Way Out</span>
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">By Ily Goyanes Wed., Aug. 10 2011 at 10:26 AM</span>
<br />
<br />US News & World Report recently noted that gastric bypass surgery not only cuts your appetite but also might reduce your desire for high-fat foods. Over the years, I've had friends who have suffered through gastric bypass or lap band procedures. They've all shed weight as if they had made a pact with Satan -- quickly and what appears to be easily.
<br />
<br />People applaud their weight loss and congratulate them on how thin they've become and how good they look.
<br />
<br />Not I.
<br />
<br />I don't like cheating and I don't like short cuts, especially (at least) when it comes to such a big thing (pun totally intended).
<br />
<br />My weight has yo-yoed during the years. I've been normal weight, thick, chubby, and obese. When I was at my heaviest, 250 pounds, I did the unthinkable. I cut my calories to less than 500 per day and began exercising two hours daily. Guess what? I also lost weight as if I had a pact with "he who must not be named." (Oh, wait, that's Lord Voldemoort; I mean the other guy.)
<br />
<br />It was difficult, especially at first. But every day I -- and my will -- grew stronger. And after three months (in which I lost 80 pounds), I was very, very proud of myself.
<br />
<br />How can I be proud of someone who takes the easy route? Someone who decides that having a surgeon cut them open and rearrange or modify their insides is easier than eating less and exercising more? It's just lazy.
<br />
<br />And if you're too lazy to cut calories and exercise, you don't deserve to be skinny.
<br />
<br />Before I get a ton of comments about how some people are so obese they don't have a choice -- chill, please. You're the type of person who enables drug addicts and criminals. I have the Learning Channel. I've seen those shows about the heaviest people on the planet, including Manuel Uribe from Mexico, who weighed more than 1,000 pounds and was dubbed "the Fattest Man on Earth." He began losing weight by exercising and cutting down on eating. Sure, his exercise consisted of doing arm circles while lying in bed, but it burned more calories than lying there eating tacos.
<br />
<br />And if the fattest man on Earth can say no to food and yes to exercise, so can all of the self-indulgent, overweight, spineless jellyfish who take the easy way out.
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<br /><a href="http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2011/08/weight_loss_surgery_is_the_eas.php">http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2011/08/weight_loss_surgery_is_the_eas.php</a>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-70569935419425138112011-07-03T21:21:00.000-07:002011-07-03T21:27:53.249-07:00Happy Fourth of July!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFALoWJZvoHOdGZCetg9EGIfhpPpdP6Hg-LwkWs_YH_zJSEOeOqS4OqyAr1TiXW3aKdLAz7X35PW1Xm4wjkKce-toRDUew8Lui9IXk2QLUMpE1I9QO4moAuwDSGjA5YAE5GKx9khHIsYF1/s1600/264410_2038178547413_1032723061_32018047_8367376_n.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFALoWJZvoHOdGZCetg9EGIfhpPpdP6Hg-LwkWs_YH_zJSEOeOqS4OqyAr1TiXW3aKdLAz7X35PW1Xm4wjkKce-toRDUew8Lui9IXk2QLUMpE1I9QO4moAuwDSGjA5YAE5GKx9khHIsYF1/s320/264410_2038178547413_1032723061_32018047_8367376_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625349102761530706" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-23810031161030120602011-06-18T10:54:00.001-07:002011-06-18T11:12:10.411-07:00The Adorable Blog AwardLacey at <a href="http://www.buchorn.com/blog/">http://www.buchorn.com/blog/</a> gave me The Adorable Blog award.<br /><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buchorn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/adorableblog.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-4983];player=img;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4984" title="adorableblog" src="http://www.buchorn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/adorableblog.jpg" alt="" height="188" width="188" /></a></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Rules of the Award</span></strong><br />*Thank the person who gave you this award, and link back to them in your post.<br />*Tell us 10 things about yourself.<br />*Nominate your bloggers.<br />*Contact these bloggers, and let them know they received this award.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Just as a preface, I will probably not be detailing too much of my personal life since I am always worried about people finding out about my blog and my WLS. But it will all be a good recap of what I have posted in the past (plus some) for those folks who are newer followers.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">1. I was banded on December 18, 2008.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">2. I have been blogging since the summer after being banded.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">3. I live in the same neck of the woods as Amy W. at <a href="http://cheeseandsunkist.blogspot.com/">http://cheeseandsunkist.blogspot.com</a>/, Mary at <a href="http://maryslapbandjourney.blogspot.com/">http://maryslapbandjourney.blogspot.com/</a>, and Melly at <a href="http://mellylovespizza.blogspot.com/">http://mellylovespizza.blogspot.com/</a>. Lacey at <a href="http://www.buchorn.com/blog/">http://www.buchorn.com/blog/</a> used to live near us too. I have had the opportunity to meet three of these lovely ladies (Amy W., Mary, and Lacey).<br /></p> <p style="text-align: left;">4. My husband and I had a formal wedding last year but were legally married the year before due to my lack of health insurance and kidney stone issues (we were already engaged, so it wasn't a completely mercenary act on my part--LOL! :) ).<br /></p> 5. I have been having problems with my band since January, which resulted in a complete unfill in early February.<br /><br />6. I am still having heartburn. It's annoying.<br /><br />7. I have a lot of skinny family members.<br /><br />8. This week, I mentioned to a CLOSE family member that a girl we both knew was getting gastric bypass. My family member didn't even want to talk about it because a doctor fairly close to the family had expressed that "Getting weight loss surgeries was one of the worst things a person could do." My family member also said that people always gain the weight back. When I tried to explain that there were different kinds of surgeries and different results, the family member stopped me from talking about the subject entirely. This is yet another reason I keep my band to myself.<br /><br />9. Speaking of which, I have only told two other real-life folks about my band--a friend and my husband. In fact, sometimes I wish I'd have only told my husband just for more peace of mind.<br /><br />10. On a more positive note, even though the band has been causing me frustrations, I am optimistic about weight loss surgery in general (and the band itself has been great for many people--the proof is in the Blogosphere Pudding). I hope that if things don't work out with my band (I'm giving it my best efforts in remaining unfilled as long as possible and trying to eat things that won't aggravate my condition), I will have the opportunity to undergo another type of WLS in the future.<br /><br />And again, I nominate all those who want to participate!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-14957299249904953042011-06-08T10:05:00.000-07:002011-06-08T10:37:33.065-07:00Things We Should Have Never Stopped Doing (Weight-Related Version)Cosmo recently published an article about 50 Things You Should Have Never Stopped Doing. I thought I'd do my own weight-related edition...although I will just get the list started with ten of my own thoughts (which may or may not apply to your own childhood experiences...but might help you remember some fun you had). Feel free to add on as many things as you like so that we can try and reach 50 things!<br /><br />1. We should have never stopped spinning around in circles as children. I remember I always loved to spin and watch my 'poofy dresses' float up in the air :) .<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyGyfwXE_NCPt8pW05Jzo2zPdygh-Hx7ipouInfB3KS-AUmSou_Fk32A_79gJBfh8AHPLkXimUsBUK-TnyLfyKH5uQN-ibF703jC9GUoUYDb6sp-cdwB4S9QUY42bziGGPcp0nULUGyRx/s1600/Girl+Spinning.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 145px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxyGyfwXE_NCPt8pW05Jzo2zPdygh-Hx7ipouInfB3KS-AUmSou_Fk32A_79gJBfh8AHPLkXimUsBUK-TnyLfyKH5uQN-ibF703jC9GUoUYDb6sp-cdwB4S9QUY42bziGGPcp0nULUGyRx/s320/Girl+Spinning.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615896989875021634" border="0" /></a>2. We should have never stopped playing kickball. This was on the Cosmo list, I think, but it is such a great game for adults too! My group of friends had a kickball party in law school. It was so much fun! I wondered why I hadn't done it earlier (and, now, why I haven't done it since) in my adult life.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOweqZr_wXRA8wu3DTY1oXl9LxHkBLqbZgdwyr78IFXrrn2cZY-FX6pvcJIbcfZov1vnA-8Q7IA1XtTK6E2OR7EFuQo-_kEghe8KGL_ML5YuB7ibiZ784mtvvhkpmvdBrpGkDEin1GJ1Yc/s1600/Kickball.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 169px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOweqZr_wXRA8wu3DTY1oXl9LxHkBLqbZgdwyr78IFXrrn2cZY-FX6pvcJIbcfZov1vnA-8Q7IA1XtTK6E2OR7EFuQo-_kEghe8KGL_ML5YuB7ibiZ784mtvvhkpmvdBrpGkDEin1GJ1Yc/s320/Kickball.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615898509608722706" border="0" /></a>3. We should have never stopped swimming when we went to the beach, pool, river, or creek. I know that many of us even avoid places where we have to don anything resembling a bathing suit. But if you can muster up the courage to go, have fun. Get in the water and splash around some!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQrxuTPnbbtO_Iv9NtQ1oFGoV6nCVLJvlTV3AG8Ifdr6N3cKbzPlr72xi5On_x11G7raeo6p4xz1j7ucPT7G2arvc5lFv7qY13xU70cCCL6yYnG_nLHrXfZbNlV_U6InkMuqo_n1UecmL/s1600/Swimming.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQrxuTPnbbtO_Iv9NtQ1oFGoV6nCVLJvlTV3AG8Ifdr6N3cKbzPlr72xi5On_x11G7raeo6p4xz1j7ucPT7G2arvc5lFv7qY13xU70cCCL6yYnG_nLHrXfZbNlV_U6InkMuqo_n1UecmL/s320/Swimming.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615898504569671490" border="0" /></a>4. We should have never stopped playing hopscotch.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4SA7zGu72kTf0tjwQ6J1qbAGY9qePUPqg6o4KkJzhw4rnCqcuB8Cr790GmoS4I4LtLBCNu09siOt0eB_Fn0JNMMi6neN5fmZrOgDRnC0AeXHuiHShNM1r_csSOQPjJ9D1aBeHm_f8HRA/s1600/Hopscotch.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 264px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_4SA7zGu72kTf0tjwQ6J1qbAGY9qePUPqg6o4KkJzhw4rnCqcuB8Cr790GmoS4I4LtLBCNu09siOt0eB_Fn0JNMMi6neN5fmZrOgDRnC0AeXHuiHShNM1r_csSOQPjJ9D1aBeHm_f8HRA/s320/Hopscotch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615896994210698546" border="0" /></a>5. We should have never stopped jumping rope.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gJO6LHSzg3_SPsCGZXKwJCQHxpUFCoZUuCdwMjg3lDQsliMXB8O57cgoFR_INJMFFNSPDKI5YqYHo0n4os_wDGPRxbhesgKpaFCpVNAsJ1cjyCy6f-RQ_HVfAw3sLpuzgW3wMWmlUWfK/s1600/Jump+Rope.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 251px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2gJO6LHSzg3_SPsCGZXKwJCQHxpUFCoZUuCdwMjg3lDQsliMXB8O57cgoFR_INJMFFNSPDKI5YqYHo0n4os_wDGPRxbhesgKpaFCpVNAsJ1cjyCy6f-RQ_HVfAw3sLpuzgW3wMWmlUWfK/s320/Jump+Rope.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615898493082463026" border="0" /></a>6. We should have never stopped occupying our time with hand-clap games and other activities that kept us busy thinking about something other than food.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtkzYkRIhMMIkuIqlytoLaS0lOzb24KY0_UTnQauu8bpOb8h_TaXLZMQAGureRFPJ5QPc2RPtTyH_9T7zX-JrnSdhU3EunOLM_2XSsnvt8U0C6JCdbkVNsm7cI5S6XFNrkeMNYBAHoKdI/s1600/Handclap+Games.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 172px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtkzYkRIhMMIkuIqlytoLaS0lOzb24KY0_UTnQauu8bpOb8h_TaXLZMQAGureRFPJ5QPc2RPtTyH_9T7zX-JrnSdhU3EunOLM_2XSsnvt8U0C6JCdbkVNsm7cI5S6XFNrkeMNYBAHoKdI/s320/Handclap+Games.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615898516158505586" border="0" /></a>7. We should have never stopped choreographing routines for ourselves and our friends. I think that something like this was on the Cosmo list too, but dancing is a great way to be active. Add a creativity component, and BAM! What an awesome rush of energy from all directions!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUUAtcCRew0IaOO_yeWTwfWID1FqyfGhcmVq46aAUiFDFANbDoAHcasO8Bp-MWAitzQFaEyk2FXhPRNi96dPw7dgLOtcb8aUoRNWDPEK_COW1vXgX9LH3VfMcZC0WBY9ke6lE6Th0Lqq9/s1600/Choreographing+Kids.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWUUAtcCRew0IaOO_yeWTwfWID1FqyfGhcmVq46aAUiFDFANbDoAHcasO8Bp-MWAitzQFaEyk2FXhPRNi96dPw7dgLOtcb8aUoRNWDPEK_COW1vXgX9LH3VfMcZC0WBY9ke6lE6Th0Lqq9/s320/Choreographing+Kids.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615900253358064418" border="0" /></a>8. We should have never stopped NOT finishing our meals at fast-food chains so that we could go and play in the at-restaurant playlands as soon as possible. It's such a different perspective to think of activity as the much-anticipated end goal itself and not as the routine necessity to attain a different goal.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9lUDgpM5U4cx6t-kaFC04pIxMWmvGaHhAbBZ3iZPJvftpFDki7mp3msI4WqRsnIf2v-qw12A7iO2ASSBJAnh2Nlba9_jx1enF_tyBxG4XHFxxv_Y3B-BkyKNBcE6DGvhrXUbJd8PbeQ4/s1600/Playland.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9lUDgpM5U4cx6t-kaFC04pIxMWmvGaHhAbBZ3iZPJvftpFDki7mp3msI4WqRsnIf2v-qw12A7iO2ASSBJAnh2Nlba9_jx1enF_tyBxG4XHFxxv_Y3B-BkyKNBcE6DGvhrXUbJd8PbeQ4/s320/Playland.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615898494392308610" border="0" /></a>9. We should have never stopped going to and using the equipment at the park. I personally love swings (when I fit comfortably in them)! They are the best!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRrJGDJlu1n-7XUUkOmVqf6ZWzA7lyhYq-Rco0_Gd4RkUi2_5WwpIy9jCglYF6FSRr27iGF0_tFpBjScQSR7POS0h6EM9PamRnhU55uYEGbma6BdOykxzWbo5BiDIJQLvPBOAV5NLPORW/s1600/Swinging.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 251px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRrJGDJlu1n-7XUUkOmVqf6ZWzA7lyhYq-Rco0_Gd4RkUi2_5WwpIy9jCglYF6FSRr27iGF0_tFpBjScQSR7POS0h6EM9PamRnhU55uYEGbma6BdOykxzWbo5BiDIJQLvPBOAV5NLPORW/s320/Swinging.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615900239034574674" border="0" /></a>10. We should have never stopped imagining that our goals could take us wherever we want to go in life (and ideal weight attainment is just one of these goals!).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Bu6o008n6fC-sPw7HJYq7cOr9bDZLwwqqicBCMYsMIXTiKUSWn8Mfdy4-fovqXQ4XTnAkoMt2dqDinPE4WsfTN3BaHsfbK7Et8PwRRYfMNGm-D5kAQMus91yIdrVNr8fPneL4SKeOG8r/s1600/Goals.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Bu6o008n6fC-sPw7HJYq7cOr9bDZLwwqqicBCMYsMIXTiKUSWn8Mfdy4-fovqXQ4XTnAkoMt2dqDinPE4WsfTN3BaHsfbK7Et8PwRRYfMNGm-D5kAQMus91yIdrVNr8fPneL4SKeOG8r/s320/Goals.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615900234576712722" border="0" /></a><br />Don't forget to add to the list of things we should have never stopped doing!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-90750251896462453792011-05-31T22:09:00.000-07:002011-05-31T22:27:22.285-07:00Good Riddance, Bad Day!Wow! Yesterday...ending a few minutes ago...was not my day. Everything I touched or looked at turned to cee-rap!<br /><br /><ul><li>I woke up at my highest weight yet since surgery (although I've bounced up and down to it for a while now, so it didn't make me cry this time).</li><li>My computer caught a virus that took me half the day to diagnose and fix.</li><li>I had a personal issue that consumed the latter half of the day...and that will continue to frustrate me for years to come (not exaggerating).</li><li>I accidentally changed my Blogger settings to Arabic and then to an Indian dialect as I was starting this post. This language problem didn't take too long to fix (especially compared to that virus nonsense), but dealing with that ended my day on the same note that it started.</li><li>Oh, and I have a major sunburn, which has served as background fun all day.</li></ul>But I'm looking ahead!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-66797540335534387972011-05-30T17:52:00.001-07:002011-05-30T17:57:13.990-07:00Happy Memorial Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PlQvPo3Qa3R4TGmZi9bFn_d6Sr9H6jCmjYeQTSE_wOCE1JPNp0ynrXhrLaeh7Mr7HRA6rXFXWMwcQdlCVLNiQfXo2ktH4jYd45zjwqscgPOo7WHstnTAnNaKFjnLWNlYvRHtpNy1Zbtw/s1600/American+Flag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PlQvPo3Qa3R4TGmZi9bFn_d6Sr9H6jCmjYeQTSE_wOCE1JPNp0ynrXhrLaeh7Mr7HRA6rXFXWMwcQdlCVLNiQfXo2ktH4jYd45zjwqscgPOo7WHstnTAnNaKFjnLWNlYvRHtpNy1Zbtw/s320/American+Flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612677874458136466" border="0" /></a><br />Happy Memorial Day to everyone out in the blogosphere....and a special thank you to all of our service men and women, veterans of the armed forces, their families, and the families of fallen soldiers. Thank you all for your sacrifices.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-14312607820293071952011-05-29T12:07:00.000-07:002011-05-29T12:12:09.638-07:00Why I Write?I was tagged to discuss my reasons for writing a blog. Please see the instructions and my reasons below.<br /><br />Why You Write?<br /><br />*Please also tag 5 others and offer them 3 pearls of wisdom for other writers/bloggers.)<br /><br />1. I write to give and receive support from this community.<br />2. I write to release my thoughts.<br />3. I write to share my life (although I do withhold some elements of it :) ) and to participate in others' lives.<br />4. I write to give and receive information.<br />5. I write to motivate myself and others.<br /><br />Three Pearls Of Wisdom:<br />-Be appreciative for the things you have.<br />-Take life by the horns.<br />-Don't let anyone make you feel not good enough.<br /><br />I tag everyone who wants to participate. :)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShnl7Z2qyrSkvWMA7jExNT9U8vmkzYOCoQ3ZnmxjvOl69sFNzHkb34k3EuVrlAAEIQh19H4kuMkMPW6eO2zcCI_zzCg8Se3w-9Tfo5qrUHDpjcHJNzcur0p9K-8d42vSzcZO3q3vEiABC/s1600/Pencil+and+Paper.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 235px; height: 215px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShnl7Z2qyrSkvWMA7jExNT9U8vmkzYOCoQ3ZnmxjvOl69sFNzHkb34k3EuVrlAAEIQh19H4kuMkMPW6eO2zcCI_zzCg8Se3w-9Tfo5qrUHDpjcHJNzcur0p9K-8d42vSzcZO3q3vEiABC/s320/Pencil+and+Paper.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612217793556145858" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-13374897339585377902011-05-26T10:16:00.001-07:002011-05-26T10:16:39.298-07:00Thankful ThursdayThis week, I decided to go with a theme: Modern Conveniences. When I was a little girl, I used to wish that I lived in an era with big poofy gowns and balls galore. Nowadays, I'm thankful I don't. I wouldn't want my world to be without<br /><br />1. indoor plumbing,<br />2. central heating and air,<br />3. electricity,<br />4. modern transportation, and<br />5. WLS.<br /><br />What is your favorite modern convenience?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-81560600300023069482011-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:002011-05-24T19:28:21.261-07:00Why I Am A Non-DiscloserI haven't talked much lately about the reasons why I don't discuss my weight loss surgery with anyone (minus two) in the real world. I know that many post-ops do. My reasons for keeping my WLS to myself include the following.<br /><br />1. Many folks seem to want to hear that weight loss is a result of the traditional, non-surgical approaches. They're a part of The Biggest Loser culture where they are enraptured by contestants who set all else aside and focus only on weight loss. It is somehow gratifying to watch the Blue Team eat Subway and work out until they are forced to go to the doctor for overexertion-induced injuries. (I myself have watched many seasons of TBL--see what I mean!).<br /><br />2. I don't feel any compulsion to debate/butt heads with or even worry about what others think about the merits of WLS if they already have their minds set. Lots of people state that they would never choose WLS for themselves. I don't have the time or energy to deflect criticism such as that I have chosen an easier method of weight loss.<br /><br />3. Moreover, I don't want to be associated (especially professionally) with any unneccesarily negative thoughts. I am not defined by my WLS and don't need others to agree with me about it. According to one social science theory, when someone disagrees with us, we like the item of disagreement more and the person less (and if they agree with something we like, we like them more). I know that this gives more fuel to my already fully fired problem of people pleasing, but in my professional life, I have a need to be liked and don't need most concepts and opinions irrelevant to my work to jeopardize that.<br /><br />4. I don't want the constant scrutiny of others paying attention to my weight fluctuations, exercise, and food types and portions. My family does this enough without my help.<br /><br />5. While I know we say things like our weight is 'gone forever,' bounce backs unfortunately happen. People have complications. Prioritizing weight loss can become difficult. We rekindle some bad cravings. And the list goes on and on (or, to be grammatically correct, "On and on goes the list." :) ). I have observed others through their own accounts who've had regain struggles, and I can personally attest to my own issues since I've had my unfill and have had to prioritize things other than weight. I feel like my audience of three (including myself) is enough to watch me regain without purposefully inviting more to my weight-gain freak show.<br /><br />6. Similarly, some people seem to WANT people to fail and to regain. I don't like satisfying that sort of crowd moreso than I'll already be doing if I gain.<br /><br />7. My health and my body are my business. I can't keep people from commenting about my weight gains, bulges, and the like, but I can choose not to contribute to their attacks with a background story.<br /><br />8. I'm not ashamed of WLS and definitely would try to steer others toward it if I felt that they could benefit. I just wouldn't be their picture of a success (or unsuccessful) story. I would have to be a bit more creative in how I approached recommendations, but my not laying it all out there doesn't completely prohibit me from sharing wonderful things and results with WLS.<br /><br />9. I haven't shared my deep thoughts, feelings, or actions about gaining weight to many people in my life, so I don't feel I need to do the same with how I've lost the weight.<br /><br />Of course, the decision to go public or to tell anyone at all is completely your own. I am not trying to advise any newbies or to speak from any sort of superior pedestal. I understand that different people might have a different dynamic in their lives and require a larger support system. Some people might need financial support for surgery or after care. There might be any number of other reasons TO tell. The decision is one's own. However, I would say to give it a little thought before you decide to confide in people. Once you tell, you can't ever un-tell.<br /><br />Has anyone told anyone and regretted it? Does anyone have positive comments about their decision to go completely public? Is anyone a non-teller like me?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-3243816505912988012011-05-22T22:02:00.000-07:002011-05-22T22:19:32.674-07:00Strange Sex: FeederismI watched a TLC Strange Sex episode tonight. I can't remember watching this show previously, but it came on right after Sister Wives and had me hooked from the beginning (hate it when that happens!).<br /><br />The first part of the program was about a couple in a feederism relationship. Call me ignorant, but I didn't really know that this type of relationship existed. In case you haven't heard of it either (???), feederism is "deriving sexual pleasure from encouraging another to eat, being served large quantities of food, and/or gaining weight."<br /><br />The couple on the show met online in a forum for overweight females. The woman in the relationship is the feedee. She weighs around 600 pounds. To her significant other, she is perfection. He likes curves, cellulite, and a bigger body. He likes to feed her to anticipate where the weight will go. The woman likes to be fed and to feel like the man's Perfect 10.<br /><br />The narrative briefly discussed health consequences, but the woman said that she hasn't had any blood pressure or other issues and is 'smart about it' ('it' referring to what she eats). She said that she tries to control sodium intake (although it showed her eating a BIG bowl of chips, soy sauce, and lots of other high salt content food). While she stated that she doesn't believe that she is doing anything unhealthy, bacon and chocolate cake were also a part of what she ingested during the show. And her portions were enormous.<br /><br /><div>I know that I shouldn't be one to judge particular eating patterns as I have my own problems with resisting certain types of food (chocolate cake being one of them)...and I really hate judging people in general, but this woman's scary weight goals made me more closely scrutinize her food choices out of complete concern for her health. She has a goal weight of 1000 pounds although it doesn't sound as if she wants to stop there. Both she and the man also have an ultimate goal of her immobility! The narrator discussed how this is typical in extreme feederism relationships for power reasons--the feedee wants to become completely reliant on the feeder and the feeder wants to have complete control over the feedee. The woman said her dream was to do less and have fewer responsibilities.<br /><br />Did anyone else see this episode? Had you heard of feederism previously? What are your thoughts?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rt_9OnqB4ObsjqBVBRLjTIIepx9OjEzFWr8Hg3FDGQ_NhcMuFhckocKR3q7VjLkX3BuPKkghG9WGFvIXSq1rnBRUwBZL2Bc8axvp8jbYZ5JGVd17ov9YeD8B0nj1ACshb1MGQV3yR7Ye/s1600/1000-Pound+Scale.bmp"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 197px; height: 131px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8rt_9OnqB4ObsjqBVBRLjTIIepx9OjEzFWr8Hg3FDGQ_NhcMuFhckocKR3q7VjLkX3BuPKkghG9WGFvIXSq1rnBRUwBZL2Bc8axvp8jbYZ5JGVd17ov9YeD8B0nj1ACshb1MGQV3yR7Ye/s320/1000-Pound+Scale.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609772792662109442" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-81103143242400052132011-05-19T09:27:00.000-07:002011-05-19T09:45:23.676-07:00Thankful ThursdayLacey, a fellow bandit and blogger who I've been fortunate enough to meet in person, does a Grateful Friday post that recurs most every week. I have always thought that this was such a great idea (one of her many great ideas!). I thought I would start my own Thankful Thursday (I hope Lacey follows the line of thought that repetition is the sincerest form of flattery?!). <br /><br />I may not contribute to my Thankful Thursday every week, but I would like to do so as much as possible since recounting those things for which I am grateful always helps remind me how much God has blessed me. So I guess there's nothing left to mention other than to share my first week of things for which I am thankful.<br /><br />1. My wonderful family<br />2. My supportive online friends<br />3. My health<br />4. My abilities<br />5. Lacey for reminding me that we should remember to be thankful even when life throws us some major challenges (for those who don't know, Lacey is a cancer survivor and military spouse in addition to a bandster--she has definitely faced her share of obstacles but does so with a grateful heart). <br /><br />Check out Lacey's blog at <a href="http://www.buchorn.com/blog">www.buchorn.com/blog</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-60739680045194810532011-05-17T14:06:00.000-07:002011-05-17T14:09:42.993-07:00Get Up!Maria at http://lasttrainoutoffatland.blogspot.com/ posted this about the dangers of sitting. I wanted to repost it just in case anyone missed it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills"><img src="http://images.medicalbillingandcoding.org.s3.amazonaws.com/sitting-is-killing-you.jpg" alt="Sitting is Killing You" width="500" border="0" /></a><br />Via: <a href="http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org">Medical Billing And Coding</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-9733684838038978482011-05-16T13:08:00.001-07:002011-05-16T13:14:54.655-07:00Roasted Marshmallows, Anyone?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjeVDd9jzr60wbRpG-k_AnlEH5p1izutsWU5hkLvYDz9VfirxksV0dDbt1PvfT96Vvj11JscKP2A1cMzhKldfhU13DHfEwftlnxej53lHWoy-0ua60S4sY4KPVB112-5_UZY826g6dk95/s1600/Camping.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 183px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjeVDd9jzr60wbRpG-k_AnlEH5p1izutsWU5hkLvYDz9VfirxksV0dDbt1PvfT96Vvj11JscKP2A1cMzhKldfhU13DHfEwftlnxej53lHWoy-0ua60S4sY4KPVB112-5_UZY826g6dk95/s320/Camping.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607409510845264354" /></a><br />It's been a while since I had one, but a couple of nights ago, I had another dream about our blogger group. We were having a group camping trip. Somehow it turned into a lock-in at a church gymnasium. I remember many of us exchanging numbers and information. <br /><br />Our online community is never far from my thoughts.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-67438096087624956242011-05-14T20:59:00.000-07:002011-05-14T21:00:50.801-07:00True or False?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZnrZExqcHm6sRCJM1lBT-nXzGr8-Cdj4DQ0BS1kVM94yU2gg71e7qz8k6Kn4J1BdPSbR21c7_EiKApW_N0P1cOqOElbFgUxwlRUPGGKUFBQJICkWdk-zFR95P5EidaBXGcos4pph4HOE/s1600/Less+Money+%253D+Less+Weight+PS.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEZnrZExqcHm6sRCJM1lBT-nXzGr8-Cdj4DQ0BS1kVM94yU2gg71e7qz8k6Kn4J1BdPSbR21c7_EiKApW_N0P1cOqOElbFgUxwlRUPGGKUFBQJICkWdk-zFR95P5EidaBXGcos4pph4HOE/s320/Less+Money+%253D+Less+Weight+PS.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606787791858542210" /></a><br />What do you think? Does less money equal less weight?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-62601279788629249372011-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:002011-05-10T18:56:56.597-07:00Black Swan Diving Into Scary SkinninessI watched Black Swan last night. It's really not my type of flick. Very disturbing.<br /><br />I was in ballet as a child--from the age of five up through my teens. I had aspirations of achieving pointe (toe shoe-level) from early on in my endeavors. The year after I made pointe, I stopped. Pointe is pretty from an outsiders' perspective, but it can be pretty painful for the participant. I developed all sorts of feet issues (painful--and sometimes gross--stuff...although it's all gone now).<br /><br />Anyhow, while watching the movie, I remembered an interview a few months back with Natalie Portman about the hours and hours of exercise she had to put in for the role.<br /><br />I also remember in footage surrounding the interview that there were brought to light real life accounts of the severe eating disorders of professional ballerinas (bulimia was shown in the movie...and anorexia was at least alluded to). It's sad that in a lot of the 'pretty professions'--ballet, modeling, acting, etc.--there are so many sad accounts of women partaking in illegal substances or developing eating disorders...not very pretty when you look really closely at them. :( <br /><br />Did you see the movie? Did you like it?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl8vWVbSPwUNS7I8p0wagm3VN80iatxtCbbsSQ4nDy1Fx1VpMjTzw1_lZNYH-uFmNfbhvTwERO2Wn00TK5BZ23900WevJU0dkue8mtSmKvpXHp6e5mMEvutCLHO-oITOquPGmQ56kvnvv/s1600/Black+Swan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkl8vWVbSPwUNS7I8p0wagm3VN80iatxtCbbsSQ4nDy1Fx1VpMjTzw1_lZNYH-uFmNfbhvTwERO2Wn00TK5BZ23900WevJU0dkue8mtSmKvpXHp6e5mMEvutCLHO-oITOquPGmQ56kvnvv/s320/Black+Swan.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605268675642000354" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-6780153169025146192011-05-08T20:07:00.000-07:002011-05-08T20:12:24.983-07:00Happy Mother's Day!Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB0ChUyMDJzz0ZorQZeYQQPXRN_voBuvPFIpigrfkNzo1Kouuf5vSg6mIAzMhpeoFuGq2fc6kjA-AH_0-JmoR4WcSKomcRyTLeWHY8ywjaof2iX5LYUTi3RKPcKHW6PBjrdDCD1eiw6jy/s1600/Happy+Mother%2527s+Day.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 192px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjB0ChUyMDJzz0ZorQZeYQQPXRN_voBuvPFIpigrfkNzo1Kouuf5vSg6mIAzMhpeoFuGq2fc6kjA-AH_0-JmoR4WcSKomcRyTLeWHY8ywjaof2iX5LYUTi3RKPcKHW6PBjrdDCD1eiw6jy/s320/Happy+Mother%2527s+Day.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604548640813695042" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-6198432968204461302011-05-05T22:38:00.000-07:002011-05-05T22:42:43.748-07:00Skinny Family Members All AroundDoes anyone else have them? The folks in your life who have never had to worry about weight issues? My family is stacked, and I'm certainly not one of the lucky ones. <br /><br />I spent some time with my sister today, and I probably shouldn't say this, but I was just wracked with jealousy over her size at several points during the day. She drinks two to five Starbucks frappuccinos a day and has somehow lost about 10 pounds (from a HEFTY--to her--125 to a NORMAL--to her--115...at 5'7) in the last couple of months (still drinking the same amount of Starbucks and not really exercising). And don't even get me started on the food she eats (but I will say that there is lots of candy and BAD carbs in the mix). Ugh! And she was trying to give me weight-loss advice. So frustrating (although I didn't tell her that)! Please don't get me wrong: I love my sister, and we have loads of fun together...but I just wish I could quash the envy-inspired thoughts because I know that jealousy doesn't help either of us or our relationship.<br /><br />I really think I could handle the situation quite well if we were not related and did not see one another a lot. Does anyone else have 'that skinny family member' or 'that thin friend' that you are around all of the time or very frequently? What do you do about the situation, or what is your self talk to handle it?<br /><br />I hope I'm not the only jerkfish out there who thinks this way. :(Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-56783728788603151092011-05-04T20:09:00.001-07:002011-05-04T20:09:33.159-07:00Eating VegetarianWhat do you think? Could we achieve bodies like this if we ate vegetarian only? LOL!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYETGk-Ylbx9IJJ5qs22CWEd1GlPv41X6kdRVH_S4_csNmZRiT2jd8BWIPZCQKdrbQ7m5JM1uA74A5dLczJf95dhpWJnpU942LQ_v1XNIfXjhlx0o5djFZhRGzozBq193RY0l6U7XjbQoU/s1600/Vegetarian+Body+Pic.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYETGk-Ylbx9IJJ5qs22CWEd1GlPv41X6kdRVH_S4_csNmZRiT2jd8BWIPZCQKdrbQ7m5JM1uA74A5dLczJf95dhpWJnpU942LQ_v1XNIfXjhlx0o5djFZhRGzozBq193RY0l6U7XjbQoU/s320/Vegetarian+Body+Pic.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599568586170612786" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9003187612927546935.post-78365910278959513732011-05-03T16:29:00.000-07:002011-05-03T16:33:44.564-07:00Khloe Kardashian's Weight StrugglesIn case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty much a sucker for reality TV. I recently watched an episode of Khloe and Lamar (a Kardashian spinoff on E!), which focused on Khloe's impression of her weight. While she initially said that she was okay with her weight in spite of the criticism she faced (in fact, she believed it was a testament to her self confidence and desire to be a good role model that she hadn't engaged in extreme efforts to lose weight), she later changed her tune somewhat and admitted to insecurities. <br /><br />In some ways, I can relate with Khloe. I've mentioned how I have some VERY skinny and beautiful family members who don't seem to 'get' the weight battle. Khloe seems to be similarly situated in that she has four slim and beautiful sisters and a mother, all of whom don't really seem to 'get' it either. However, she is probably more painfully encumbered by a sense of deep insecurity being surrounded by Hollywood types as well. <br /><br />The episode also reminded me how glad I am not to be in the public spotlight with my weight issues. While publicity MIGHT serve to get me in the gym more frequently, it would be so frustrating that every gain or loss would be so closely scrutinized. I can't imagine. My family is bad enough, I think. And since I choose to keep my surgery to myself, it would be even more frustrating. Now, saying that, Khloe does live a glamorous life...great house and furnishings, great clothes (and beautiful engagement ring!), great connections, money at her disposal, etc., etc. If forced to choose, would you rather have the privacy or the fabulous lifestyle?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pcIREaB8pyE-6njNVTTVq0mJ2FtuBF2J5lKVnWcZRg4CGmvtk3m5E9B65EurjMgm2_NnUJsTfPoE1eYzZOdXeHTzVaAvm5blU_-Vi597NBnGz5WCF6dGt1aBfZRGks-2ivKdcEeQHCyd/s1600/Khloe+Kardashian+Weight.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 169px; height: 154px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pcIREaB8pyE-6njNVTTVq0mJ2FtuBF2J5lKVnWcZRg4CGmvtk3m5E9B65EurjMgm2_NnUJsTfPoE1eYzZOdXeHTzVaAvm5blU_-Vi597NBnGz5WCF6dGt1aBfZRGks-2ivKdcEeQHCyd/s320/Khloe+Kardashian+Weight.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601958902182268658" /></a><br />Above are a couple of pictures of Khloe. She has yo-yoed a bit with her weight in the last few years as the pictures show.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2