TGIF

Good Morning OFF Family,

I want to welcome our newest Newbie.  Sorry I didn't welcome you yesterday.  My bad.  I am Trish, and I am 8 years post-op.  I haven't reached my final goal weight, but plan to.  I will gladly answer any questions.  Post whenever you need to.  I had RNY surgery, and can only encourage you right now to stay as sugar free as possible, because I was more than a year post-op sugar free when I gave in.  It's a B***H to try to get off of it.

For everyone else, I went back to the doc yesterday, and got prednisone to open up the sinuses.  Praise God.

I also got a ton of laundry done.  Slowly making progress here.

More later.

Love and Prayers,

Trish

Good Morning Trish and everyone who shall follow:

Tri**** looks like you and I are both doing the steroid shuffle.   While I hate being on steroids, I could not make it through spring or fall without them.   I am going into my second month but hopefully when I go back to my allergists next week, she will provide me with some alternatives.   We'll see.   

Today, if I can get motivated, I am going to cut out me a couple of pairs of capri pants and a couple of smocks for wearing on our little mini vacation.   We are taking our granddaughter to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and then on to the Mark Twain museum and memorial place not far from Wilder's museum.   Our granddaughter loves the little house books and she and Mathew are both loving Mark Twain, so we thought we would take them for a weekend visit to see some interesting things in their museum.   Plus, you actually get to paint the picket fence that Tom Sawyer had to paint...well, in the book that is.   I hate wearing sleeveless shirts with all my saggy skin so I started making me really cute smocks that are not to loose and I make the sleeves just long enough to cover my flabby upper arms.   I also like a shirt that is long enough to cover my rear end.   And,I am cutting out a bunch of pairs of skorts for my granddaughter.  She loves the skirts with shorts attached and they are so easy to make.   I have enough material to make her two weeks worth.  I went to the last parent/teacher conference with my daughter and my granddaughter's teacher said that she gets such a kick out of the outfits that my granddaughter wears and can always tell when she has spent a few days with me because she comes back with shirts that match her pants that match her bows that match her bags that match her jackets....yep, I'm that grandmother. LOL

Well other than cutting out and hopefully sewing, I have nothing new planned for the day.   My husband said he might take off work early and I said, please don't.   Today is the last day of spring break...while I worked a couple of the days, I have enjoyed the quiet in our little college town.   Monday, the students will be back, and I will be back at work in full force....the end of the semester is near.    

I hope you all have a good day and a promise of a good weekend. 

Oh, Jeannie, I am so JEALOUS of your sewing time today!  I love to sew and I never seem to have the time or space to do it!  Sounds like a wonderful day to me.  Enjoy it!

Hi Jeannie,

I am so jealous of your sewing skills.  Mine aren't quite there yet, but I will get there.  When Izzy was two, I made dresses for her.  Since, then, I haven't been as ambitious.  She's coming up on her 8th birthday in June.  I think I better get to Joann's next week.  I need to get back to it.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Good morning Trish and Jeannie and all my sistas!

So, how do you eat an elephant?  One Bite At A Time!  That is quickly becoming my daily mantra.  LOL!

Yesterday I had a very successful meeting with the granite guy.  I just went into it with no preconceived notions of what I wanted.  I just wanted to see what samples he brought and if I would like any of them.  They have several in-stock granites that are way cheaper than the exotic or rarer types of granite.  He started pulling the samples out of his case and in my head I was like, "No. No. No." And then he pulled out this one and I said, "YES!"  Thank goodness.  I think it blends very well with the existing tile backsplash, which I like very much.  

So I got that job done with a minimum of fuss and bother!  AND it came in under my allotted budget, which was fabulous!  CHECK. Next step will be for the template guys to come out and make a template to cut the granite pieces.  Then will come the installation.

Then I went to the post office to get mailbox keys made.  CHECK.

Next I stopped in at Lowes and Home Depot to see what I could find in bathroom vanities for Mom's new bathroom.  The current vanity in that bathroom is very pretty, but it's not very practical for everyday use.  The lady obviously just used it as a guest bath.  But my mom needs a working bath.  LOL!  Anyway, I think maybe I found something that will work in there at Home Depot.  I need to go back to the house and take very careful measurements to be sure.  CHECK.

Sam, the handyman, is going to meet me at the new house on Sunday afternoon and we're going to go over my list of jobs that I need done. CHECK.

(I hope Butch will feel up to going with me that day.  I hope I can establish a good rapport with Sam.  I'm going to need someone I can rely on over the years when I need things done, you know?)

So God was listening to me yesterday and the neighbor/plumber called and couldn't come by our house last night after all, so I didn't have to do the blitz cleaning!  LOL!  He is coming by tomorrow, though, so today's chores all involve cleaning and packing here.  Another busy day, but at least I don't have to put on a bra or makeup today!  LOL!

For all our new sistas, please pay attention to what Trish said above.  If you can, get off the sugar NOW and stay off of it!  My two main weaknesses before WLS were Coke and chocolate.  I had a Coke for breakfast every day of my adult life and I ate chocolate every day, too.  Well, I managed to give up Cokes (4 years and counting), but the damn chocolate weaseled it's way back into my life and it is a B***H to give it up again.  I'm trying.  God knows, I'm trying.  For most of us, the WL demons that we've fought all our lives are still there.  BUT--WLS is a marvelous tool for losing weight and maintaining that loss IF you remain compliant with the new dietary restrictions.  More than half the battle is mental, you know?  It's very hard to give up and change the patterns of a lifetime.  So be patient with yourselves as you learn how your new tool works this upcoming year.  When you want to eat something you KNOW you shouldn't, most of them time you'll be able to overcome that urge.  And if you give in and eat something "bad" occasionally, forgive yourself.  (Besides, your body will probably rebel and you'll feel like hell the next day with dumping syndrome.  Doesn't take too many episodes of that to change your mind!)

Go****'s already 9 a.m. and here I sit.  I've got to get off this computer and get busy!  Love you all!

Hi Vickie,

You are making great progress.  Good for you.  

Just want to let you know that I plan to order Thrive on the 31st, and I am already registered as buying under you.  I like it, and it definitely helped curb the sugar cravings.  I researched the ingredients I didn't recognize, coz I wanted to know what was in the shakes.  Everything, that wasn't regular nutrients, is stuff our body uses to digest and metabolize food.  

Do you have anyone else buying under you?

Love and Prayers.

Hi everyone, happy Friday!

i am just completely exhausted today. It must be the weather, the illness I've had, and everything just catching up to me.  But I do surely feel blessed.  This surgery will give me the tool I need to make lasting life changes.  I firmly believe I made the right choice of waiting for the surgery, over jumping into a new job.  My life, and my health, will be so much better for it. 

Vickie, Trish, thank you for that very good advice. I have been trying to live the WLS. Rules over the past three months but I've allowed myself some"food funerals" this week including chocolate. Now it's all I think about! It's a demon, that sugar. And starchy carbs too (for me at least). 

I have a long list of projects so I am going to pick one and get started.  And I need to make some time to practice my singing - I haven't practiced for 10 days due to my sickness!  Not sure if I ever told you about that hobby of mine... I am the lead singer of a classic rock cover band. (That explains my screen name.) We are all people 50 and over, and we perform in local restaurants and bars about once a month. We perform those 60's and 80's classic rock staples like the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and so on. It is so so so fun, like a blast from the fountain of youth! And our kids (and grand kids) sure get a kick out of it.  But I am so looking forward to getting a blast of stamina that will come from getting 110+ pounds off these legs! Lol

Anyway, I had better run. Have a great day everyone!

christine

Hey Christine,

I love to sing, and mostly sang in choirs in school and at church.  I did a few solos when I was younger.  Would love to get back to it regularly.  I sing during church, and in the car, but nothing cool like a rock band.  That sounds like so much fun.

I got my surgery date six weeks before it.  I followed the no sugar, low fat diet religiously, except one day a week, I treated myself to either a chocolate milkshake or hot fudge sundae, from a local ice cream place.  That was it.  Post-op, it was easier to stay away from it, till I gave in my second Christmas.  Huge mistake.  I now buy Klondike no sugar added ice cream bars now and then, and the local stand offers no sugar added, fat free yogurt that is very yummy.  

Big warning:  Beware of sugar free candy.  It is full of sugar alcohol, which will have you in the bathroom, reaching for the Immodium.  (Can't take Pepto Bismol post-op.)

Hugs.

I'm back.  Finally woke up enough to chat more.  I am watching the boys tonight for Colleen.  She and Izzy are heading to see Pinocchio performed by local children, part of a community theater group organized by a friend from church.  She began this to help kids develop skills in speaking, and confidence.  A few kids from church, plus one of Izzy's cousins, are performing.  Izzy has wanted to participate in these plays, but she already has so much on her plate.  She takes piano, does sports, is a Girl Scout, plus the children's program at church.  Busy girl.  Her cousin is homeschooled, and only takes violin and comes to the program at church.  She had some health issues, and was born with six toes on one foot, due to some chromosonal issue.  She was born right before Colleen found out she was pregnant with Izzy, so Colleen was checked for the clotting disorder I have, because it's genetic.  Cousin has since had surgery to remove that extra toe, and has also been given growth hormones, because she was tiny compared to Izzy.  Izzy is nine months younger, but at one time stood a head taller than her.  Granted, Izzy's gene pool has tall in it.  I was 5'9" till recently.  Colleen is 5'8".  Trent is over 6 foot, as are both my sons.  Trent is the tallest in his family.  

I was doing some cooking this morning and managed to burn two fingers, and cut another.  Cooking is definitely not for sissies.

Must scoot.

Love, Hugs and Prayers,

Trish

Good morning Trish........I am so glad you went to the doctor. I hope the Prednisone helps with your sinuses. Prednisone helps me but I won't take it  until absolutely necessary! I can eat nonstop on that medication. I graze all day and all night long. I crave chocolate really bad too!! My doctor always apologizes to me when she has to give it to me.

You must have been energetic to get all that laundry done...good for you!! Slow wins the race!!

WELCOME SUZANNE....I am happy you have joined us!!!!

As for me....my phone has been ringing like crazy....I spoke with almost all my grands...my hairdresser...a girlfriend and Tony called three times...he is upset about his ex wife....nothing new with that!!! Pam just stopped over...I am in shock!! Daylight and we are going grocery shopping!!!!

Vickie...hope Butch is having a better day!! Love you!!!

Best go for now. Have a good day. I will be back later. 

Prayers for our wonderful Off family and their families.

Lots of love and hugs to all....connie d