Weekly Weight In 5-12-08

Ok - I'm not CeCe or Wanda but I'll start... I'm sure I can't do as well as Britt though. My favorite author (Jude Deveraux - total trash - I love it!) came out with a new book last week and my daughter got it for me for Mother's day - a little coaching helped. Anyway I read the book yesterday - yes it is a novel and not I didn't get anything productive done! But man was it good. Fun Fun Fun On a side note. Caffine -- my area now that I need to work on - I thought that I might not be the only one. I wasn't a coffee drinker prior to my surgery - Dt. Coke, Dt. Dr. Pepper, and Tea - yum. So drank Caffine but not in coffee. Since my surgery I am loving the taste of coffee. It started with Achieve One, then I started putting some decaf instant with my hot chocolate ... then.... McDonalds iced coffee. I get it with SF syrup and the calories aren't bad but... I'll drink at least two a day if I can. (I'm a little cheap and don't like to pay the 2 bucks.) This morning I tried to make my iced coffee at home and drank it on the way to work - It was OK - not as good as Micky D's but pretty close. I used my husbands left over coffee (Ok I made extra so I'd have some this morning.) so I'm drinking the coffee and taking my pills and BAM.... I hear Dr. Warnocks soft spoken voice when I asked him why we didn't drink caffine... "Yes it is a diuretic and you really need to keep the fluid and yes it stimulates hunger," he said. (You would think that would be enough for me to stay away from the stuff but... we have already established that intelligence is not my strong suit,) Then the kicker... "it also blocks the absorbtion of calcium" he says. Hmmm... here I am this morning taking a calcium pill with my caffine ! When I make tea at home it is decaf and I try to avoid it but recently I've been really sloppy about it. I like to stop by and get a peach or blackberry tea from Sonic during happy hour. So let's see two cups of coffee, a glass of tea, some in Achieve One, and various white or green teas I drink. I know going cold turkey will give me a major headache but I am going to stop before it goes to far. So my promise to you today is that I will not have any more coffee and I will not have tea from Sonic. Now in the morning I will not have coffee - I'll drink my protein with decaf but if I do well all day I am going to allow myself a med. blackberry tea from Sonic. Well that is where I am today How about you? Starting: 358 Today: 167.5 Total Loss: 190.5 I know Britt does weekly but I'm not that consistant. I have been up I think the last couple of weeks - topping at 174 one day but have been going down a little at a time for about a week. YEAH. I've joined the gym and have worked out some but still lack the consistancy that I like to have. BIG HUGS (as we say in my house!) Trudy PS. I have found a home for the foster dog and the people are totally in love with him. YEAH!

Good morning everyone! I will step in and start the weekly weigh-in post in Britt's absence. I hope everyone had a great Mother's day weekend. Did anyone get anything really great or do anything special? How about any Mother's Day horror stories? Share with us please. Let's get some chatter going on our board. As you might expect, I had a busy weekend. Cleaning and painting the "new" home. DH decided to rent a power paint sprayer to do the ceilings. OMG! What a mess! What he saved in time from painting, I will more than double in clean up. As if there wasn't enough to clean before. I spent 2 hours cleaning the stove/oven just to have the thing shoot sparks as I was pushing it back into place. Needless to say, the thing is now sitting on the back deck. I refuse to even take the chance that it has a problem. $300 for a new one is NOTHING compared to my peace of mind. Money gladly spent. Just wi**** had happened before I spent my time cleaning it! Did anyone have any storm issues this weekend? My business was closed Friday due to the street being blocked from tornado downed trees, light poles and debris from several damaged business in our Business Park. It was good to have the extra day off but man what a mess today! We have double the work to get out. Stats: Beginning weight: 349 Last week: 192 This week: 192 No gain/no loss I will be better this week. PROMISE! No more salty snacks- they are my weakness. Have a great week! Hugs, Valorie PS...looks like Trudy beat me to the punch. Now we have 2 posts to answer. Keep some excitement going. I never drank coffee before WLS- now I love it. I like a couple of cups in the am, after my Acheive One, then followed by green tea throughout the day. I definately feel the increased hunger throughout the day when I over endulge. A few weeks ago I swore off the coffee and lately I have been drinking Red Roibos tea instead of the green/white variety. The taste is great and it is supposed to be "naturally" decaf. I highly reccommend it.

Trudy, Valorie and Everyone, I'm glad you guys started the thread this morning. I've been LAZY! I was up early because my husband flew out on business this morning but since I don't go back to wor****il Wednesday and it was rainy and dreary, I crawled back into bed and got up later. When I signed on I suddenly remembered I should have started this if it weren't already started. So, GOOD for you guys! First of all, I'm so happy you found a good home for the beagle, Trudy, and to finally hear from you again. You have been MIA! Valorie, I was wondering about all the bad news out of North Carolina with the weather and it's good to hear there wasn't further damage to you "new" place and that your business was only closed due to nearby damage. We had terrible rain and thunderstorms last evening and I found myself stress eating as I was preparing dinner. The weather people on TV just go on and on and I know they are helpful but it does make you frightened too. Before surgery, I drank my decaf Diet Coke and my caffienated Cafe Au Laits that I bought daily at my favorite coffee shop. When I would finish the au lait (with skim milk), I would refill my cup with coffee to bring home to make more au laits at home. After surgery, I still drank the au laits, just not as often. I didn't start back right at first but the habit came back. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it!), the skim milk or the Splenda combined with the skim milk started getting to me and I would dump if I drank a whole cup. I switched to the Lactaid skim milk but that still bothered me. So, I drink very little coffee now. I do love tea as well but the majority of my fluid comes from my eating shaved ice or drinking Crystal Light Lemonade. Sometimes I REALLY miss coffee!!! I bought a case of Achieve One but it wasn't the flavor I think I would have liked best and I hated the smell and taste. I took it to the OH event and gave it away. Which flavor do you like? However, I do make a sort of protein coffee smoothie. You could easily make it with decaf coffee. I just use coffee, skim mil**** protein powder (I use unflavored but your favorite flavor would do) and Splenda, of course!!! Valorie, how terrible to have to spend Mother's Day cleaning! Hey, I know a new stove is an added expense you don't need right now but it will be nice to start cooking on a new one. Deb, congrats on your weight loss but what a terrible way to lose it. How old is the sister in law? I'm so sorry for the situation. Where's Deidrah lately? And, Phyllis and everyone else? Alan? Seems like there's fewer and fewer of us each week. I got flowers from my daughter and SIL for Mother's Day. That was nice! The card said "Happy Mother's Day, Skinnie Minnie" WOW! Yesterday we ate breakfast and read the paper at Panera. Yes, I drank coffee and yes, I got a little sick! It was good though! Then, we went to Kohl's where I intended to buy nothing because my husband was looking at Chap's sportscoats. Well, he suggested we walk through my section after buying him a few things and he insisted I buy a couple of tops (buy one get one free) and then found me a fantastic coat that was over $150 and was on sale for $28!!!!! Now, I had already bought SEVEN coats over the fall/winter season. YES, SEVEN! I sure didn't need another but my husband is a sucker for a good deal! We then decided to go to Nordstrom's - not to shop, but for lunch. I love the Grilled chicken and strawberry salad in their cafeteria and figured it wouldn't be so crowded because it was Mother's Day. Well, it was but we enjoyed it anyway! After that, we saw "The Visitor," a movie I had been wanting to see. We enjoyed it! So, that was my Mother's Day! We ended up having to grill our steak indoors because of the horrible weather last night. It wasn't as good as it should have been but the asparagus was great! Stats: Beginning Weight: 245.25 Last Week: 126.50 This Week: 126.50 Total Loss: 118.75 BMI: 21.7 I'm still fighting with grazing. I feel like I eat constantly. I'm eating when I'm not truly hungry. CeCe

Deb, WOW! What a couple of weeks you had. I know you were elated when you saw the scale this morning. It is too bad about your SIL. It is nice that she has family members there with her at this time. I will remember you all in my prayers. Keep up the good work. You must have been doing something right even if you did have too much sugar. Hugs, Valorie

CeCe, or should I say Skinny Minnie? I guess you deserve to be lazy this one day. Back to work on Wednesday so take advantage today and tomorrow. How are things progressing? I suppose the bruising and swelling have subsided or you wouldn't be out and about. Do you like your results? Would you do it again? Sounds lke you really had a great weekend. If I could maintain the way you have been, I don't think I would even worry about grazing. Obviously, it is working for you. Hugs, Valorie

My SIL is 44 she has 3 kids 24, 21 and 12 and a 10 month grandson. She is doing wonderful and her numbers are going up every day when her white blood cells get to 1000 for 3 days in a row she can go home so maybe the tentative date of May 19 she actually will get to go home. It's so nice to get back into my routine, I went to exercise class last night and group and out to coffee with two of my friends last night. I don't drink coffee and never have I do drink Chai tea mixed with a vanilla protein drink every morning. I got a gift certificate to my favorite spa for a pedicure for Mother's Day so I'm looking forward to that if it ever gets warm enough here to wear sandels. Deb

Hi Everyone, Sorry I've been MIA, my brother had knee replacement surgery last week and I spent the time I wasn't working running to the hospital. Then he came home last Thursday, and I've been busy helping him out. He's doing pretty well considering. I wish I could have talked him into WLS(he's 378lbs), I think it would have helped him more, bt you've gotta want it and he didn't seem to want to go to that extreme. He has agreed to let me help him with a diet and exercise later when he gets mobility back, so that's a change. As far as the coffee discussion goes, never drank it, never liked it. I, however, used to drink a gallon of iced tea a day before surgery. Now, if I make tea anymore, it is decaf, or green tea decaf. Mostly, I drink Crystal Lite Peach Tea or water. I cleaned out closets on Mother's Day, but it's ok, cause I'm not a mother and mine has been gone for 7 years. Glad everyone else had a good one. AS for my weigh-in, haven't been doing that great because of the fore mentioned busy time, I spent a lot of time eating fast food, cause I'd get home too late to cook. Starting weight 349 Last week = 182 This week = 186 Loss this week = +4 Total loss = 163 Working on getting back on track. Have a great week. Phyllis

CeCe - I don't think you've been Lazy - TIRED!!! Heck if I wasn't at work I wouldn't have been up that early. I really haven't had anything major going on - just the normal. Running back and forth to gymnastics, my son went on a band trip, work, and chasing kids. I am walking in a 5 K this weekend. My original goal - and still a goal but I have to wait until I'm a little more healthy - was to run/jog it. I will someday. But Sat. I will walk with my daughter and son - it should be a good day. My protein drink recipe is... - I usually use my magic bullet - 1 packet Health and sport wise hot chocolate (it doesn't smell), 1 cup soy slender, ice, decaf instant and sf syrup of my choice - I had an irish cream one once that was so yummy. Buzz and go. I have made me a snack in the evening using ff/ no sugar added ice cream, syrup, protein powder and coffee - a really nice treat in the evening if I'm really wanting something sweet. I'm a sucker for a good deal too. I bought two shirts this weekend at Sams - they are really cute. I also bought an IPOD Nano accessory pack for my son there for less than 10 dollars. It had a wireless FM thing so he could listen in the car, ear phones, emergency charger, arm band, several silicone cases of different colors, and other stuff I doubt he'll use much. I love a good deal! Isn't it wonderful to buy a coat now and know you'll be able to wear it next summer? Amazing - I could never buy things for myself on clearence. Now I have a harder time because 12 seems to be a pretty popular size! Wow it sounds like you had a great Mother's day. Once where your were pampered. You sure can't get any better than that. My 9 year old messaged my feet/legs and arms/hands - it was the best gift ever! Staying the same is winning!!!! Grazing - I hate it! I too constantly battle. Trudy

I know it is REALLY late in the week to post but I actually got on the scale Monday morning with all intents of posting then. But my week has been hectic both at work and at home and this is really the first time I have even been able to lurk around the internet all week. I'm glad to hear everyone is doing well and I fully understand about Brit needing a break. We all need one from time to time. Coffee has become a staple of the morning with me. I used to drink black coffee all day long when I was in the Navy. Then I cut down on it for the last few years to just about 1-2 cups a day. I would wait till I got to work to have any and so on the weekends I wouldn't even miss it because I wouldn't make it at home. Then, I stopped drinking it all together right before surgery and up until about 6 months ago. Then I started drinking it with creamer and splenda so I could have something sweet without the calories. Now I am addicted to that and have it every day. My ex bought me a Keurig for Christmas last year and I make a cup every morning to drink on the way to work. Every blue moon I drink a cup of black coffee but I prefer my sweet treat! Mom is doing okay. We ended up putting a catheter in on Tuesday because she wasn't making it on the bedpan at all and then she hated for me to change her sheets. It was a mess but I finally convinced her that this would be for the best. She has been sleeping a lot and not eating much but this morning she was alert and actually wanted something to eat. So I fed her before I came to work and now Debbie is trying to get her to eat a little more before she leaves and the Home Health care aide comes at 11am. My Mother's Day was alright. My sister and her husband, and my brother, his wife, and 2 kids came for the day to see my Mom. I fixed dinner and we all had a decent time, I guess. We are still upset with my sister but she doesn't seem to be phased by it at all. She's so clueless! But Mom wanted the family to be together so I made it happen. My daughter and son gave me a gift certificate to Victoria's Secret, a T-shirt, and a cute card. Just the fact that they thought of me was wonderful. My stats: Starting weight: 233+ Last week: 138.8 This week: 135.8 Loss: 3 Have a great week! Susan

Phyllis - you want it so I'm sure you will get back on track. I wish my mother would have the surgery - she'd be lucky to find someone to do it. Diabetes, CPD, Hight blood pressure, rheumatoid Athritis, Fibro -- and the list goes on. I know it wouldn't cure her - but I just think she would feel millions times better but she says she knows she can't do the eating part of it.... Sad. I know though that you have to be ready and I appreciate it when people know that they aren't ready. Have a great week! Trudy