roll call

Carol Thank you for the warm welcome and it is always a pleasure to see you too....I know you will meet your resolution cause you have hung in here with us for quite some time.....I wish you luck with the medi-fast I do know you will do it...and I have no doubt that you will meet your goal to lose weight and get health..... oh it so hard not to spend money when you like to shop.....but as of today I have not spent $1.....woooohoooo....I start off good.....hope I can stick it out....I need to save money I want to buy another house... Glad to see you again Carol..... Christine

Hi Christine, My resolution is a continuation from last year's, which was to get healthy. It's 59 days today and although I'm not exercising as much as I probably should or could...I take the stairs at work and park further away from the building. In about 14 months, I will be able to retire from this job with a pretty decent pension and then I want to travel a bit then work at something else that I like. 30+ years at the same place when it's not a mentally healthy place to work with lots of stressors that come and go when you least expect it is not someplace to stay forever ( ) it just seems like forever... to continue to lose and to exercise... Thanks for the post! Linda M

Hi Linda well thats a great resolution and I'm sure you eill get health as you continue in your journey........ Wow 30 years OMG I know that wasn't easy....but if you only have 14 months til penision.......and travel....at least you will be health to enjoy your travels..... I know you will do well...have a great day hun Christine

goodmorning all how are you / hi chris missed you my resolution for the year is to get better (on the 11 i have to have surgery to revise a shunt in my back causing low preasure headaches) to loose the rest of my weight to meet my my goal 145 im at 183 started on 6/20 at 316 and to try to forgive the man who killed my grandbabie and not think of ways to get into the jail to hurt him thats about it hugs lisa

Hi Lisa It has been one hell of a year fo you.....and I'm sorry you have endured so much.....now is a new year and a new time....and time to take care of you.... You must know that you have done your job as a grandma and put your grandbaby to rest and you sought out justice now he is behide bars.....you are a very courageous women to face this lost and fight the fight for him to rest in peace.....and not to mention that you had to have surgery again to alleviate the pain....so I applaued you in all your efforts to get your family and health in good standing....I know it was emotional to endure.... Many {{{{{{hugs}}}}} and to you and your family my prayers and thoughts are with you all... Christine

Hi Christine and all! Just stopped in to say Hi. Hope everyone has a Happy New Year! -Dee I'm still lurking here but I seem to be the only NY lapbander on this board these days

Hi Christine, Well, lets see, I think for this year I will concentrate on getting healthy, eating healthy, and exercising. I have to get back to work first, so that I can afford a membership. This year I will be working on me first then the rest will follow. Have a great day. Shannon Arnold 257/229/130???

Ooops I forgot my resolutions....same as Shannon - to exercise mainly and to continue making the right food choices. Dee

Christine: I am happy that you found posting and the support helpful to your shifting focus on YOUR health and wellness! Although I don't do New Years Resolutions per se, my goal is to continue being as healthy as possible and keep within my goal wt 10#+/- this yr also... I save a neat article on NYResolutions..take a peek. HUGS J~ Resolutions You Can Keep The classic "New Year's Resolution" has become so cliché and so over-used, that we joke about how quickly we break our resolutions, completely ignoring the fact that we are, indeed, breaking a promise to ourselves when we do so. It's likely that resolutions for the new year suffer a great deal of misunderstanding. They are seen as throw-away promises to ourselves, and it's pretty common for most folks to break the resolution a week or two later (completely forgetting it was ever a promise made at all...) The truth is, if you don't take the promise seriously when you first make it, there's no real reason to continue to try to keep that promise. If it's done as a joke or on the spur of the moment some New Year's Eve, why would you expect yourself to hold to that promise for an entire year? But there's another sort of New Year's Resolution... the kind we definitely should pay close attention to and do our best to stick to. These are the kinds of resolutions that come as the result of introspection and reflection, of a true desire for change or goal attainment. If your resolutions this year truly affect your health, your life (and the way you want to live it) and your family and friends, then perhaps it's worth a good look at ways to make such promises more than empty good intentions. The most common resolutions every year, worldwide, are to lose weight and to stop smoking. Both terribly important to your health, well-being, and ability to be here year after year to keep making resolutions at all. There are others as well... and many of them affect your day-to-day life. Perhaps you'll resolve to read books that will help you deal with anger or depression or self esteem issues. Perhaps you might even resolve to get counseling for certain things that you've been trying hard to deal with on your own, but haven't been quite successful with. But how do we stick to these resolutions? Here are some tips to help make your resolutions for 2005 more than just empty promises: 1.. Be Specific. Instead of saying "I'm going to lose weight this year," or "I'm going to stick with my low carb diet this year", say "I'm going to take an active roll in counting my carb grams and calories each day until I find what works for me." Or instead of "I'm going to have more willpower to stay away from temptation this year", say "I'm going to have a plan for how to deal with temptation this year and how to tell people 'no'." Then write up the plan. Prove to yourself you've done what you said. Have a contingency plan for when you are tempted. For instance, if you want to smoke, go for a walk instead, or call a friend. If you say that you're going to write more letters to friends you may or may not do so, but if you say that you're going to write at least two letters a week to friends, you have a specific goal that you can measure and verify, and you'll have written over 100 letters in 2005. Make your resolutions quantifiable and verifiable. b.. Be Realistic. Don't promise to lose twenty pounds by Valentine's Day if you can't do it. Very few people can safely lose that much weight that quickly. Don't promise to always clean your house every single day. Don't promise to give half of your earnings to charity if you can't afford it. The more realistic you are, the more likely you'll be to stick to your resolutions, and the more pride you'll get out of having accomplished something valuable. c.. Be Prepared. Lasting change means being prepared to make sacrifices. If you're resistant to making the necessary sacrifices, ask yourself why. Many people resist change because they're afraid of the unknown. Unhealthy habits may be harmful and detract from your quality of life, but they're familiar, and for many that's reason enough to keep them. The best way to overcome this fear of the unknown is to make yourself fully aware of the consequences of not changing your current habits, and the advantages of adopting new behaviors. Make a list of the pros and cons of smoking, for example. A "pro" might be the relief from tension smoking brings you. A definite "con," however, is the greatly increased risk of cancer and heart disease; and its interferrence to making a lowered carb diet work to its best ability. Seeing the consequences of a bad habit in black and white may make fear of the unknown less imposing and make change more desirable. d.. Be Others-focused. If all of your resolutions focus on yourself and what you want, you'll be ignoring one of the great truths in life -- we find happiness and self-satisfaction in doing things for others. Want a happier life? Then don't resolve to become happier. Instead, resolve to do one good thing every day for someone else, with no recognition or reward. These can be simple deeds such as helping a stranger carry something from the store to his or her car, or donating a dollar when the person in front of you in the check-out line comes up 95 cents short. Simple things that cost us very little in life and invariably bring us happiness and better self-esteem. e.. Keep Reminders Visible. Write down and post these resolutions where you'll see them many times every day. Remind yourself constantly that you have a goal this year, and that you're working to reach this goal. f.. Get a Support System. Form a support system of friends and family, who will cheer you on and also challenge you to stick to your goals. g.. The One Resolution Everyone Should Make. Find time for yourself, and spend it doing something you enjoy. It might be reading, painting, hiking, writing, playing an instrument, making crafts. almost anything. If you don't have a hobby you can do by yourself, find one! Being able to enjoy time spent alone is important; it helps you remember who you really are. Take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed. You do get to try again and can make behavior changes throughout the year, not only at New Year's. Remember that there's nothing wrong with Easter resolutions or Birthday resolutions! Neil and I wish you a Healthy and Happy 2005! http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/magazine/lclnewsvol06-no1-pg1.html Take Care, Jamie Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh 320/163 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"