Yes we are back in Blighty...

But only for 72 hours.

We are off to our hilariously dubbed 'chateau' in France on Wednesday morning. Here is a view of said 'chateau' from inside one July morning...



Yeah, chateau it ain't! But its GREAT! We love it and it sleeps 6 so cant be bad.

So... Moscow was interesting. I enjoyed it greatly. Its amazing to see the things on the telly in real life. To be honest, its like they didn't really exist... they were unreal... and now they're not.

Red Square, The Kremlin, Itzmaelovsky Market, Bolshoi, Lenin's Mausoleum and The Russian State Museum that conveniently covers history just up to 1900 and therefore not bothering with the Tsar, Tsarina and the Russian Royal family that they killed.

It was a pretty chilling place. A definite "Wow" factor but kind of not in a good way. I dunno... I cant really describe it. I am glad I went.

I haven't uploaded my photos to the PC yet, but when I do I will show you some stunners.

My weight? Who knows. I am not going to bother even looking because I know it will be terrible. I am usually sick every day, but after I am sick I can always eat some more. I guess its just a case of fine tuning it all. I feel rubbish about it and have consumed a HELL of a lot of wine over the Russian break. I am likely to do another couple of gallons whilst in France, but then I am on the wagon. Its not good to swill down half a days calories in an evening, let alone what its doing to my guts!

So I am just kind of waiting to meet the Fill Doctor. I want him to actually give a damn.

Right now I am writing this whilst semi choking on some chicken.
Today I have eaten a half plate of garden salad and a handful of cooked pasta with garlic, herbs and olive oil on. I have had a pint of water with lemon and ginger slices, 3 cups of coffee and 4 mouthfuls of curry and rice. I sicked up the first 2 mouthfuls, and then ate a little more when it had settled down (and the meal was cold) and on the second chunk of chicken I had to stop. We are talking 100g of food. No more.

So, I am off to throw this up and grab a yogurt.

See ya all January 7th.

Quotes About New Year's Resolutions

I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. ~Anaïs Nin


I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's. ~Henry Moore


One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~John Burroughs


I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

Poll Results: How Much Weight Do You Want to Lose?

Thanks to the 804 people who answered the first poll. The question was - How Many Pounds Do You Want to Lose?



The results were surprising as I had thought a larger percentage of people would have wanted to lose more than fifty pounds. But it turns out that 65% of the readers here want to lose less than 50 pounds.

I haven't focused too much on weight loss success stories which involve losing less than fifty pounds. So as a result of these poll results, expect to see more of these stories here soon, though I realize everyone (like me) is inspired by the really big weight loss stories and these are also easier to find and write about. But for anyone who has succeeded in their goal to lose 10 to 50 pounds, please let me know about it if you'd like your story featured here.

Thanks again for voting.

Happy Holidays!

Wishing everyone very happy holidays ahead.

I'll be back to posting in a few days. Thinking of New Years resolutions yet anyone?

The poster here is Santa Skiing.

Alli -is it among the best weight loss pills ever!!

Alli is the next big weight loss pill taking the markets by storm. It has a compound called orlistat (also marketed under the trade name Xenical by Roche or as an OTC as alli by GlaxoSmithKline). As you may guessed this is a drug designed to treat obesity. It is marketed in among weight loss pills and some even claim it to be the best weight loss pills ever.

Its primary function is preventing the absorption of fats from the human diet, thereby reducing intake of calories. It is intended for use in conjunction with a physician-supervised reduced-calorie diet. As had been described in one of my earlier posts that it does this by inhibiting an enzyme in the gut and therefore prevents fat from breaking down and eventually getting absorbed. This results in decreased fat absorption and eventually decreased caloric intake. If one is able to exploit this situation to his benefit by increasing caloric output one can easily lose some extra pounds. This is very realistic and it is for this reason why Alli is being considered to be on of the best weight loss pills ever.

Another thing to consider in this regards is that it is one of the few “best fat burning pills” out there which is FDA regulated. Clinical trials have clearly indicated that between 35.5% and 54.8% of subjects on Orlistat achieved a 5% or greater decrease in body mass (not all of this mass was necessarily fat); Between 16.4% and 24.8% achieved at least a 10% decrease in body mass; 37% had a reduction in the incidence of type II diabetes. The problem arose after orlistat was stopped- a number of subjects regained upto 35% of the weight they had lost. Subjects who had lost 5% of their initial body weight in the first three months, lost 16.4% of their weight at the end of the year.

One should be aware although this is one of the best weight loss pills (best fat burning pills) out there it does have some sideeffects and only 50% of these last over a week. These include:

Steatorrhea

Flatulence

Frequent bowel movements

Poor absorption of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K and beta carotene)- it may be a wide idea to supplement these vitamins.

It may interact with some other drugs like cyclosporine.

Before you do commence this drug it is important to consult your doctor to see if you do not have any contraindications to the use of olistat (alli). Experience with this drug has been extensive and for this reason it is being considered as one of the best weight loss pills (best fat burning pills) ever. It should be used like other products to get you out of the woods rather than to be dependent on this for ever.

Farewell for a couple of weeks

We are off to Moscow in about 2 and a half hours!

Its come round really quick. I am still up to my eyes packing and cleaning etc. At least we have Carina to look after the cats and the fish. I hope she will be ok on her own though... I would be really lonely.

So band wise, I still cant eat anything that is dry-ish or eat too quickly, but I am not being very good to be honest. I am going to make a concerted effort in when I get back from holiday to really sort myself out.

I am having a fill a week after I get back, so that will help no doubt.

Hydroxycut(fat burning pills) claims to be the best weight loss pills ever?

Hydroxycut is made by MuscleTech and is one of the most advertised fat burning pills on the market. It is a dietary supplement that increases weight loss when used in conjunction with exercise. It is like other supplements being marketed as fat burning pills with similar claims of being the best weight loss pills in the market.

Hydroxycut (Hydroxy Cut, Hydroxicut, Hydoxycut) once made headlines for containing a controversial compound called Ephedra (now banned by the FDA). Now you can get a Ephedra-free product that claims to increase your metabolism and energy while curbing your appetite, therefore cutting calories and hence weight loss.

Claims by their manufacturers are pretty bold. They claim that this product has been proven to decrease body fat by 8%, and increase norinephrine by 40%. For this reason they consider this to be among the best weight loss pills in market. The ingredients for this product used to be:

1. Hydroxagen™: Hydroxagen ™ supplies a compound which has been shown by several studies to decrease the activity of the enzyme which is responsible for the conversion of excess carbohydrates into fat. This as a result makes it extremely effective for low fat diets and binge eaters. It may also act to curb hunger and cravings for food.

2. Guarana Extract: Guarana, is the herbal form of caffeine. It has been shown to stimulate fat stores. This results in fat being burned as energy. It is also worthy to mention that caffeine accelerates the effectiveness of ephedrine, thus making it a more potent fat burner.

3. L-Carnitine: This is an amino acid that has been reported to carry fats to the interior of cells where the fats can be burned as energy. Due to the increased fat mobilization caused by the Hydroxycut formula, the addition of L-carnitine is an absolute necessity to get fat burning.

4. Chromium Picolinate: It has been shown that dosages of chromium as that contained in Hydroxycut have cause fat reduction and increases in muscle tone.

When combined with caffeine effectiveness of Hydroxycut becomes dramatically increased. Most reviews suggest that this supplement is again good for people are looking to get a kickstart into weight loss. To keep that weight off one has to follow a long term weight loss plan which includes dietary and exercise modifications. These kind of “fat burning pills” weight loss pills are usually good for motivation.

Among the sideeffects, a lot of people say that they get more energy when on Hydroxycut. Some even say that it increases libido and feel as if their whole system is on speed. If you have heart problems, hyperthyroidism etc. then you should stay clear from this product (see all contraindications before commencing)

Although many people swear by it and consider it to be among the “best weight loss pills” ever in my opinion if you do plan to try this then it should not be taken long term rather to be used as a short term booster to get your metabolism going. This is because Hydroxycut is not among the FDA regulated “fat burning pills” and experience with this is limited.

Biggest Loser Finale is Tonight

“The Biggest Loser” finale is on TV tonight. One of the four finalists - Hollie, Isabeau, Julie or Bill will win $250,000.


A lot of people seem to think Bill will be the winner. If you've been following the series and have a firm opinion on who's going to win, go place your vote for the winner here.

Update: Bill is the winner. He lost 164 pounds for a current weight of 170.

Here's a photo of Bill before his weight loss.

How fine can you cut it...

Still not received the dosh... apparently it was done this afternoon, but obviously it takes a few days for everything to go through.

Trouble is I am going on Holiday on Friday, and it also happens to be pay day. Whoopee. This means that I have to do all the bills and everything, otherwise I will be in Russia without a bean.
This is pretty horrendous to be honest.

I am seriously considering not going to Moscow and cutting my losses. I know its crazy but I just cant seem to work out how it will all happen. DH's wages don't cover our bills, and I haven't been at work this month as you know. My Mum subbed us 2K but that covered last month's bills, not this month too. If the money doesn't go in tomorrow or Thursday then I will have to call it off as I simply don't have enough money. I always account for everything at the beginning of the month. It works for me. I shove all the money for the bills into one account on the 22nd and then I know whats left is all mine to spend on goodies. This is the way we have done it for years. I need to have the money in there to do this obviously. Normally its there. It earns interest all the while its sitting in the other account anyway. I hate to think about it, but maybe I will just have to wait here to sort it out when the transfer finally arrives.

Its just such an awful situation. I don't want to cadge any more off my Mum either as that's just pathetic at my age. Honestly. When someone says they will do something then they don't, what are you supposed to do with that. They have really let me down.

Anyway, it WILL come at some point which is the main thing. At least that is for certain. I received the signed copies from them today in the post.

I am in a horrid place with my weight. I am not thinking about being good, or careful and all I am doing is eating as much as I can of everything and anything without being sick. It normally means not a lot, but I know its the wrong things.

Ho Hum.
That's life I guess.

I will update when I know more.

A Chef Says Goodbye to Muffins and Danishes

Kevin is a chef in a Four Seasons Hotel. He has succeeded in losing 85 pounds in the past nine months. The pounds crept on as he was sampling most of the food that was created in his kitchen. He had a weakness for the muffins, danishes and croissants.

But he finally made the decision to lose weight after he saw how he had no energy to play with his four year old son. He is 6'1 and used to weigh 355 pounds. Today he weighs 270 and his health is greatly improved. See the chef's weight loss story here.

The above poster is Muffin Man by Barbara Olsen.

Lipovarin - Fat Burning Pills?

This will be my first review for a non FDA approved “natural weight loss pills”. You may already have come across the pill called Lipovarin. This is relatively a new class of fat burning pills and its marketers claims it to be among the best weight loss pills ever?

Without doubt fat burning pills are really sought after. People use all sorts of terms to search for this miracle drug which will help them lose weight without lifting a finger. A few of these terms used are:

Weight loss pill (over 650 searches per day)

Fat burner (over 800 searches per day)

Fat burning exercise (over 155 searches per day)

Fat burning food (over 300 searches per day)

I am sure that you can see the trend here- Desperation…This is quite understandable as everyday most of us think about shedding off some pounds even if we are slightly overweight.

Lipovarin is one such pill which has been marketed in the last few years. Their marketers claim that this is among the natural best weight loss pills and works both as a potent appetite suppressant and as a themogenic fat burning product. As you would already know these are two very strong claims as this seems like a perfect formula. No matter what you believe in to lose weight the single most important factor is caloric deficit and these “fat burning pills” claims to do that in two ways- suppressing caloric intake and increasing caloric output (by its thermogenic effect). Too good to be true, you ask.

Fat burning pills have been marketed for ages and to understand this further we should study the ingredients which make up lipovarin:

1. Citrus aurantium (also called Advantra Z). This is the thermogenic compound for something called synephrine. This is similar to ephedra and as you might already know that ephedra was removed from the market for potentially serious sideeffects. At one point it was thought that synephrine offered all the fat burning powers of ephedra without the serious side effects. Here is a snippet from pubmed regarding Citrus aurantium:

(Am J Cardiol. 2004 Nov 15;94(10):1359-61.) had to say about citrus aurantium...

"An extensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS, and the Cochrane Collaboration Database identified only 1 eligible randomized placebo controlled trial, which followed 20 patients for 6 weeks, demonstrated no statistically significant benefit for weight loss, and provided limited information about the safety of the herb."

2) 7-keto: This is a DHEA metabolite and with no apparent hormonal side effects(as it does not convert to testosterone or estrogen). It seems that this has positive effects on thyroid hormone levels -- without any unwanted side effects of any kind.

In quoting a recent study in his study, Will Brink’s says:

7-keto is a potentially promising weight loss agent!

More studies need to be completed to more thoroughly to demonstrate 7-keto's fat burning ability.

3) Green tea extract: A beneficial ingredient. Green tea exhibits powerful antioxidant activity, acts as a glucose moderator, and has shown to elevate metabolic rate. One study showed a 4% increase in 24-hour energy expenditure. This translates into less than 100 calories per day (for most people). Again it should be made clear that if you are overeating then green tea won't help you.

4) Serotain: contains 5-HTP which is derived from Griffonia simplicifolia. 5-HTP is a precursor to serotonin (a chemical in brain) and is therefore often used to treat mild depression. 5-HTP can therefore increase serotonin levels and influence mood. There is also some evidence that 5-HTP may have an effect on appetite, and mood, but these positive results were obtained with nearly 10 times the amount of active ingredient found in Lipovarin.

4) Carnitine: This is a amino acid which helps facilitate the burning of fatty acids. This has not been found effective for anything under doses of 2000 mg (there are 15 mg of Carnitine in Lipovarin).

5) Metabromine: This is a stimulant derived from cocoa, and is also found in chocolate. This may also have a positive effect on mood.

It seems from reviews not many people have had bad experiences with lipovarin. Some have even claimed to have shed off some weight and therefore claim that these are the best weight loss pills ever. It seems to work best for people who are slightly overweight (10 Lbs). As any other system this is no miracle and the most important supplement one can use in weight loss is common sense. Lipovarin is not among the FDA regulated “fat burning pills” and experience with this is limited. If you do plan to use this and try it out then do so at your own risk. Coming back to the question does lipovarin hold upto its claim for being among the “best weight loss pills” and “best fat burning pills”? I will let you make that informed decision.

Carrie Loses 75 Pounds

Hi There -
I love your blog, and read it frequently. It's always such a motivator to see others who have lost weight and taken their lives back. I'd like to share my story with you.

My name is Carrie Falquist, and I'm a mother, wife, artist and online weight loss group leader. In December of 2006, I found myself 230 lbs and trying out for weight loss reality shows such as NBC-TV's The Biggest Loser, and ABC-TV's new show, Fat March. During casting, I ceased all efforts to take weight off, and put on an additional 18 lbs through the 2 month process.

I received call backs, requests for more information, more photos, more video, etc from both casting companies, but at the very end, I did not make the final cut from each show. Having promised myself I would not stay fat long enough to try out next season, I banded together with other reality TV rejects to lose weight on our own. I started Reality of Weighting, which was a blog where we could all come together, share our struggles and offer support.

Support has been key for me, as I have never had to try and lose weight in the past, at least not to this extent. Up until I was 26 (1999), my body was naturally slim. I ate anything I wanted and maintained a weight of 150, which, at 5'10" is a healthy one. A horseback riding accident caused trauma to my thyroid and the result was a weight gain of 60 lbs in 4 months. Having grown up with a super metabolism, I did not know what to do with my body in that condition. Weight loss was a constant struggle, so I just stopped trying. I stayed between 220-230 for years. Until casting for The Biggest Loser and Fat March.

Fast forward to March, 2007. Reality of Weighting forms from 20 other casting hopefuls, and we promise each other "No Drama, No Whining, and NO EXCUSES." We made a vow that we weren't going to hang onto what made us fat, because we were keeping us fat.

I weighed 248 lbs at the end of March 2007 with a BMI of 36.8, and am now, in December 2007, I am a healthy 173.8 with a BMI of 24.8. My goal is to lose another 25.8 lbs and reach 100 lbs lost, and 148 lbs. I believe the group has been instrumental in my success. Not only do I have added accountability as the group's leader, but there are now over 170 members, people I can count on me to believe in myself when I falter.

Others in my group have lost 50, 70, even 90 lbs since March, and we celebrated our first annual get together in Las Vegas in October, meeting in person for the first time as well as being interviewed for a feature in a major health and fitness magazine. Several of us have appeared on local talk shows, the newspapers in our home towns and radio interviews.

My goal, through Reality of Weighting, is to spread the message of empowerment to others who feel like they need some sort of magic formula to lose weight. I want to lead people to a healthier lifestyle, and help them reach their goals without extreme measures, without tv shows, pills, surgery, etc. I've recently been invited by a previous Biggest Loser contestant to join them in coaching people online and creating healthy nutrition and exercise plans. It's an honor to be working with some of the past BL contestants as well as one of the trainers in this project. I'm always looking to meet other health minded folks, so anyone is welcome to friend me on myspace! www.myspace.com/carriefalquist.

www.carriefalquist.com
www.realityofweighting.com

_______
Also see Carrie's beautiful artwork here

Dropping Sugar to Beat Fatigue

A few months ago Yin Teing started trying to avoid sugar in her daily life. She says she discovered that her eating habits were contributing to increasing fatigue and yearly weight gain. She started a blog about Saying Goodbye to a Lifelong Addiction. In Goodbye Sugar she details her journey, discoveries and slip-ups to her way back to health and shedding pounds along the way.

She has only lost about 12 pounds but her clothes fit so much better since she started her eating and exercise plan. Although her main reason to change her eating and to start exercising was to beat fatigue, she says looking better in clothes is definitely a great bonus and motivation to continue.

See her story at Goodbye Sugar.

Jeremy Loses 25 Pounds

Jeremy has lost 25 pounds in about four months. He kick started the weight loss with a simple diet plan recommended by one of his coworkers. He stayed on this diet for two weeks and this really helped to lessen his appetite for big portions. Since then he's added other food to his daily eating but is still managing to lose a pound every ten days or so.

See his diet plan here.

See a good recipe for chili at the World's Healthiest Foods.

Come on now......!

Grrr.

The Company have been annoying me greatly.

However, I FINALLY received the agreement form; the document is signed and I should be very happy tomorrow.

In view of this I have been busy. I got DS a new winter coat as his has lost its oompf... I don't know but its like the duck down evaporated in the cupboard over the summer.

So I got him a coat, some of those bibbed ski trousers that are warm and toasty, thermal undies, and a pair of cool fleece lined boots. I bought DH a pair of snowboarding pants to keep him warm too. I have still got to get myself something, but I don't know what yet. I think I will have to go back to the shop and buy myself some but I know I will never wear them again. I dunno. I will have to see if the lined trousers I bought from eBay turn up and are good enough.

DS also got a hair cut and it looks super smart. They thinned it all out with those funny scissors and it looks amazing. Poor DS. He has soooooo much hair! Its actually too much because it makes it all stick up in a bouffant! But it looks cute as a button now. Yay. He is back to having the beautiful 1950's boy hair cut that I love.

Went out with Mimi this afternoon and we had a cool time. Lovely long chat, but no one was about today...? Very queer I thought. I think we passed one woman in an hour. I thought this time of year things should be buzzing...

I have had a weird eating day...

I had a Muller corner at about 4pm and then we had dinner at 6pm.
I managed 1/4 cheese and onion quiche, 1 duchess potato and some salad (lettuce, tomato, chick peas, garden peas and dressing)

Not a lot for 1 day huh. I was still full from yesterday I think.

Right, now I am off to bed to catch up on some well needed reading because DH is away tonight. Cup of hot chocolate, book, the whole bed to myself and no snoring! A rare treat!

Holidays And Diabetes: Six Tips For Enjoying Season’s Treats

Tired of Dieting and Losing the Battle?Learn how to increase your metabolismwhile eating pretty much anything you want.Check out our top rated weight loss plan.Check out this video on Contolling diabetes:Diabetes and Diet Holidays And Diabetes: Six Tips For Enjoying Season’s TreatsThe holiday season spanning November to January is a special time for many. Whenever you celebrate Thanksgiving,

BLACK WEDNESDAY

Exactly 10 months since banding.
4 weeks since re surgery

Weight this morning: 17 stone 5 pounds - 243lbs

CRAP

I feel gutted.

When you think you have lost more and find out its not true... its wrenching.

But hey, this blog is real man!
I have know idea how the scales read such different results but they were obviously wrong last time.

Today has been random.

I have booked a holiday to Hungary again. We are going on 24th January for 5 nights. Thought it would be good to go somewhere and my friends are coming too. It was really really cheap, so what the heck.

We also insured our German guest on our car and she took it for a spin. The first and the last one... She hit a wall. Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

So my NEW car is down at the body shop being touched up can you believe. Little dent and some scrapes. Bummer. She felt terrible about it. I felt terrible for her too. I couldn't care less about the car to be honest, I just hope she doesn't feel bad. She doesn't want to drive in England any more. I can understand that. Its a real shock for her.

Ho hum... what a day.

I wanted to thank Tina ... for your comments. Thanks honey :o)

*Update at 11:45pm*

We just got back from bowling and dinner. We had a cool time, and went to the Chinese afterwards for all you can eat. Yeah! HA HA.

I was sick in the toilets!! Oh MY!
I am so glad that happened. I am really feeling it now.

I was a bit naughty though as I felt full after the starter, but had 2.5 duck pancakes and a tablespoon of noodles and about 5 prawns in tempura batter and sweet and sour sauce.

If I had not had a drink with my meal, I could not have eaten this much, but I was following every couple of mouthfuls with a swig of juice because I wanted to eat the Chinese so bad.

I wont do that again. Its so obvious that it really helps the food go down. Its just cheating.

I have also booked my fill with Dr Chris De Bruyne in London on 17th January.

Which Habit is Your #1?

Thanks much to everyone who answered the first poll. The results are surprising, I'll sum them up when the poll is finished.

Now for the second poll, I'm wondering if most people share the same habit in terms of what is keeping them from losing weight faster.

If you were to state only one habit that was MOST responsible for you not being able to reach your goal weight, what would it be?

It will be interesting to see whether a couple of habits really stand out with the majority of readers. Please consider your answer to be as honest as possible.

(Don't worry about the reasons why you have this habit, we can go into this later.)

I'm leaving this poll open for just six days. The poster above is Kitchen - cupboard.

Bunny and the peculiar chain of events...

I AM ON A HIGH.
The Company have been true to their word. They have been totally cool and I am being PAID OUT! Also its MORE than I asked for! YAY
Things are on the turn.

BUT

Hmmm.
I am a little bit weirded out.

I heard from The Company yesterday morning.

This was shortly after I heard from 'The Informer'... remember her? She was the lady who helped me to realise there was a problem with my band and to get my carcass back over the Belgium pronto.

I haven't posted until today because I honestly didn't know what to write, or handle the chain of events that panned out from Monday morning.

Talk about false comforter.

The Informer made me feel totally rubbish. Over the course of 30 minutes she basically told me I was a money grabber and obsessive about my weight and weight loss and that I should get a life.

I couldn't believe it.

Compared to a month ago when she was bemoaning her problems and all the strife it had caused, now she was saying what a wonderful company they were and how glad she was that she chose them... bla bla. Then she told me that I shouldn't bother claiming for 3 months lost wages, or my emotional compensation because "After all they have had 100's of people in the situation and they know if a claim is over the top". She also noticed that people like me who talk about their band a lot don't do so well with the band (!) and the best advice she had had was to "consider it like going to the dentist" and forget about it.

Then told me its life and we have to get on with it.

Hmmmm.

I was stunned. I was even agreeing with her as I was so flabbergasted that someone could so brazenly rubbish the way I dealt with upset, stamp all over my feelings and tell me I was obsessive - and all this on the phone to boot!

Well I think you were the stupid one. What you said was rubbish and obviously The Company think so too and I wanted to let you know that because, literally, 15 minutes after you put down the phone, The Company called me and told me that they are going to settle out of court and are paying MUCH more than I claimed. I think maybe you should not have been so hasty...

More fool you.

So I have been considering why you would tell me such stuff and make me feel so rubbish...

I have no idea. Maybe you get a handout every time you 'find' one of us that's had the same problem? Maybe you work for them? Maybe you are just plain cheesed off that you didn't claim enough and lost out on thousands (YES! Sorry about that!) Maybe you are even the person who leaves those nasty comments...?

Whatever.

All I wanted you to know was that I am THRILLED that you told me about your problem, and helped me and my Bunk Mate both get our bands sorted out. I will never forget that you ended 8 LONG months of frustration, pain and suffering, tears and gave me the key to get back on track.

I also want you to know that what you said yesterday was hogwash and this was no 'little thing' for me. Yes, we all deal with things differently... do you really know me? If you did, you would know WHY I handled it the way I did and why I deserve to claim far more than I actually did.

Oh, and don't bother calling me again ok? I don't think I need that kind of person in my life thanks.

Ayres' Huge Weight Loss Story

Ayres topped the scales at 550 pounds not too long ago. It was in early 2006 that he started a drastic program to lose weight. What finally motivated him to do it was that he started losing his vision due to diabetes. This really frightened him and got him motivated in a big way. A year and a half later, he was down to 225 pounds. That's an amazing weight loss of 325 pounds!

He completely changed his lifestyle and what he ate. These days a weekly exercise regimen includes going to a personal trainer at VQ Fitness four times a week plus an additional four sessions a week of aerobics at the YMCA. And on weekends he walks as much as 10 miles.

Because he lost so much weight so quickly he has a great deal of sagging skin. He wants a surgical body lift at this point and he'd like to go on the Oprah show to help him pay for it. But maybe this sagging skin would also disappear after a couple more years of regular exercise?

See his incredible weight loss story here. The main page of his website is here.

Changing Attitude for Weight Loss

The New York Times has a perplexing but interesting story today about how a study showed that women (hotel maids) lost weight and decreased their blood pressure without increasing their daily exercise but by just being more mindful that they were getting some exercise.

See the mindful exercise story here.

Weight Loss for a Kidney Transplant Patient

Not Sure Which Diet is Best for You?Check Out Our Diet Reviews===========================By John TiniakosA client recently came to me for help with weight loss. He was the recipient of a kidney transplant one year ago. He was extremely overweight for his body type (he carried the majority of the weight around the mid section) and was desperate to lose the excess fat. His name is Ted.First of all

Watching me go BANANAS

WHAT???

?

I don't know what is going on any more.

I weighed myself on Wednesday. I nearly launched the scales on a trip to Mars.

I cant even remember what the scales said, but it was a load of RUBBISH.

On Monday ( a sneak peek at the scales) weighed 16 stone 6. That meant another 3 pound off. I was ecstatic. I didn't record it though as I was waiting until Wednesday - my weigh day.

On Wednesday 5th December the scales said

17 stone 9.

WHAT????????????????????

Impossible. ITS UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE.

I have been so totally disabled by this weigh gain/ or no gain/ or no loss or whatever it is that I can barely breathe.

Thursday I have a breakdown and ended up at the doctors and had my Prozac upped to 60mg and since then I have tried to not think about the weight at all...

Today I thought, right, I am naked. Its the morning. I haven't had a coffee. I have been to the loo.

I can handle it.

Lets get weighed.

17stone 5.5lbs.

What a crippling joke. Its lower that Wednesday, but now I don't know which way to think. Are they right? DH weighs correctly every time.

So was the scale right (even though I checked 5 times on Wednesday 28th November) when it said 16 stone 9??? Or was I imagining it?

I am so upset. I don't know why its bugging me so VERY much, but it really really really really is.

So My weight as of today is 17 stone 5.5 lbs (243.5lbs) PANTS.

Theres no way I could put on 14 pounds in 2 sodding days.

Wednesday's lovely entry must be wrong.

CRUD!

How Many Pounds Do You Want to Lose?

I've been featuring weight loss stories here for many months now. A lot are about people who have lost a huge amount of weight (over 150 pounds). But I am curious about how many pounds the typical regular reader here wants to lose.

Do most people just want to lose less than twenty pounds for example? Or is the average number more like 50 or 100 pounds of desired weight loss?

Please vote in the poll at the top right of the sidebar. I'm leaving the poll open for 16 days and it will be interesting to see what people's desired weight loss numbers are.

Thanks!
Isadora

Feeling less than sad

Forgive my weaknesses and the strange way I display them.

I am feeling pretty darn rubbish.

I went to the quack today and told them how I was feeling and they prescribed me a higher dose of funny pills.
YAY. I am a nutter. Its confirmed.

I am now on 60mg of Prozac. Thats the highest dose apparently. Hmmm...

I am gonna watch telly and not think about:
weight
my self loathing
guilt
chocolate
lack of self esteem
weight
being a loser
being a complete faliure
being ugly
weight
being a crap mum
being a crap wife
weight
or any old stupid tripe like that.

Dark Chocolate May Lower Blood Pressure

Good news for chocolate lovers: a small German study reports that a daily nibble of dark chocolate containing 50% or more cocoa may modestly lower your blood pressure without causing weight gain or raising cholesterol or glucose levels.The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association monitored participants who ate a 6 gram square of dark chocolate each day for 18 weeks. Dark

Rubbish day

Was a greedy pig today.

Forgive me Lap Band master, for I have sinned...
It has been a while since my last confession...

Today I have eaten:
2 Muller crunch corners
1 giant twix
1 giant kit kat chunky
1 packet of crisps
1 McDonald's cheeseburger happy meal
1 cinema size bag of minstrels with a couple of fistfuls taken out by TB.

Holy cheese.

Today's calories, are staggeringly low considering: 2341.

I consider myself castigated enough by my own guilt and self loathing.

Tomorrow is weigh day. *Weeps into coffee*

Fat Burning Pills

In this post I would like to focus on fat burning pills. There have been a lot of debates regarding fat burning pills, fat burning exercises and fat burning workouts. I will cover fat burning exercises and workouts in another post. All of us yearn to be slim. It is completely natural to dream of miracles in a capsule that will melt all of our extra pounds away. Be assured that there is no such capsule which will “melt” away ones fat, but instead we have fat burning pills which will help one to lose fat effectively. It is for this reason that they are being referred to as best weight loss pills ever.

Fat burning pills work in three different ways. They all utilize body’s normal physiology to assist one in losing fat and get rid of excess weight. One way is to breakdown fat internally and this involves releasing it from fat cells, which is then converted to free fatty acids that are then transported to muscle cells where they are consumed. The second way is to suppress appetite and finally the third option is known as fat blockers. This third option is gaining popularity very quickly and they do exactly as they say. As said in my previous post that it helps prevent fat absorption in the gut and therefore causes decreased fat absorption. This results in decreased caloric intake and therefore forces the body to cause fat breakdown and hence fat loss. As you already know a popular medicine in this category is Xenical.

Many have asked and so it should be told that one should have no doubt that the best way to get a lean physique are nutritious diet, exercise and adequate rest. We should all understand that following a healthy diet and exercise regime during a weight loss attempt is crucial. It is imperative to understand that fat burning pills should be used as part of a weight loss plan rather than the only plan, especially when one has reached a plateau in losing weight these pills come in handy. It is important to understand how fat burning pills work so that one does not end up using something unsafe or wasting time.

It should be clarified that fat burning pills assist one in either breakdown fat stored in body or prevent fat from being absorbed in your body. They assist one in losing fat and weight but a change in lifestyle and dietary habits to utilize maximum benefit from these fat burning pills is still required. It is only then that there claim of being the best weight loss pills will be justified.

To learn more about online reliable pharmacies email me on m98075@gmail.com

Carol Alt Eats Like a Horse

Carol Alt celebrated her 47th birthday a couple of days ago. She looks absolutely amazing. (See her in person on the video below). Her skin is radiant and she has masses of shiny hair for someone who's almost fifty. Her figure is also incredible.

Could this all be the result of her raw food diet regimen? Alt has long been an advocate of eating raw foods and she has written a couple of books about this. She says she 'eats like a horse' but eating raw enables her to stay slim.

The Raw 50 contains her favorite raw recipes — 10 breakfasts, 10 lunches, 10 dinners, 10 snacks, and 10 drinks.

Fighting Fat and Acne at the Same Time

The author of The Clear Skin Diet recommends people who have acne try switching to a diet high in fiber, fish, vegetables, lean protein and matcha green tea.

The typical teenage diet often contains too many burgers, pop and donuts.

Alan Logan, a New York naturopath says the wrong diet is not the only cause of acne. Stress is also a critical element in acne flare-ups.

See more about his food recommendations here.

Do I need a fill...?

Hey! Its paranoid girl here.

I really feel like I have been thrown in at the deep end with this band.

One day I am choking on my tablets, and the next I can eat a Sunday lunch and pudding.

Oh I am so worried. Its wrecking my mental balance completely.

Before I carry on let me tell you today's food:
Breakfast: 100g Quaker granola
Lunch: glass of fruit juice and 100g cashew nuts slice of bread and a small piece of Serrano ham
Snack: Muller corner
Dinner: thick slice roast beef (equivalent to size of 1 chicken breast), 1 tbsp cabbage, 2 tbsp runner beans, 1 half roast potato, 1 roast parsnip, 2 broccoli florets, 1tsp horseradish sauce, bisto, 1/4 of syrup sponge pudding (home made) about the size of a fist with custard.

All in all about 1800 cals today.

Now, I think that last meal was a lot. I was chewing well, and I must admit I was thinking "am I full? What about now?" throughout it, but the answer was not a complete or definite yes.

I know that I would definitely have eaten more this time 5 weeks ago. Maybe it was because I had not had much food throughout the day...?

I am now fretting about the following:
1.) The band is broken and I am going to put on weight
2.) I am going to put on weight
3.) I need a fill and I will stop losing weight until I get one
4.) I am going to put on weight
5.) The band is broken (does anything hurt? any clues?)
6.) Oh no, what if I don't lose weight?
7.) Maybe its not going to work for me
8.) The band is broken and I am back to square one
9.) I am going to put on weight...Do I need a fill?
10.) Will I ever lose weight?

etc etc etc etc

Does this happen to anyone else? Does anyone else find they can sometimes eat loads, and other times nothing at all? I mean yesterday I had just the smallest amount of my dinner and I HAD to stop. in know there was no way on this earth that I could have eaten another mouthful. But today... different story.

If this happens a lot then I can handle it. Its just not knowing what to expect that is messing my mind around. Is it truly possible to wake up one day and feel no restriction at all and know you need a fill or does it creep up slowly over a few weeks and you realise that you are not so satisfied at every meal?

I am guessing that what happened to me today was just one of those things and the fact that yesterday I could not eat my dinner at all means that my band is totally cool and I have good restriction. I am sure you cant just wake up the next day and everything is slack. its not possible surely. That why now I am worried again that my band is busted, and I have to talk myself into believing in it this time and trusting that it will go the distance (HELP!). I don't have any pain like I did back in May. I don't have any pain like I did after my fills. I am a bit sore around my port area, but I can bend, stretch, shower, walk, sit and do a lot of things that I couldn't just a few short weeks ago. I really think the soreness is simply down to being plain sore after an operation and a little bit to do with being a bit bloated from my * week.

Ok, I have talked myself out of my worries.

Or have I?

Oh dear...

1st day back to work for real!

Right, I have a bloke booked to come on Tuesday to clean and polish and deodorise my filthy new car and that has made me feel heaps better. He is a valet guy I found in the yellow pages and lives nearby, doesn't cost the earth and will do a sterling job I am sure.

Today's work went fine. I did 7 lessons today, no problems. All went really smoothly and everyone was really pleased I was feeling better, and consoled and commiserated over my spate of bad luck of late. It was nice to see them actually.

Well, I have the dreaded curse again, and with it usually comes pain. Well it did all the while my band was broken. This month I am a little bloated and I can feel pressure on the stomach wall, but its not too dreadful. It kind of feels like my port area has tuned into a plank of wood... sort of immobile and bleugh - but not painful. THANK GOD

I had been dreading it to be honest. They have been so horrid of late that I really was hoping the sudden weightloss and stress would put an end to it for a while. No such luck on that score.

So, today has been pretty hectic. I had a bowl of granola and milk for breakfast at 9:00am and I lasted all day until I got home at 4:30 without any major worries actually. I had intended to have a lunch break, but it didn't work out that way - that's the only trouble with my job... chatting about stuff after lessons eats up my time.

So I got home and hurriedly made 2 slices of toast with baked beans and cheese and a small dollop of coleslaw. I ate it really easily and quickly, and *PARANOIA* struck again.

I tried not to think about it, but just couldn't help myself, and found myself feeling sorry for myself and worrying that the band had gone pop again. A quick snap back to reality from DH saying "Are you in agony like last time? No! Its fine honey" worked sort of OK, but you know what I'm like.

So it was fish and chips from the chippy tonight for tea. I optimistically ordered cod and chips and mushy peas. I ate 1/4 of the fish, 4 chips and a couple of mouthfuls of peas when I felt the stickiness. I just stopped and handed my lovely full plate of food over to DH. I must admit this is the first time I have been sad when I couldn't eat. Not bad I guess.

I had a bottle of wine over the course of the evening and a muller corner.
Today's calories total = 1674.

off to bed now.
night night.

Another day, another choke...

This morning I made a mistake.

I always ALWAYS have coffee in the morning. Its my first instinct when I open my eyes to seek out coffee from the nearest source. I drink a cup practically before drawing breath... so when i DIDN'T do that this morning and decided to take my tablets (Codeine, Prozac, paracetamol and multi vitamins) with ice cold straight from the fridge orange juice a problem ensued.

I know we should all take pills with water, but I don't get it. I have always taken them with coffee. So this morning as I gobbled down my hitherto untroublesome tablets I felt it... the pain and heaviness...

I was burping and gurgling and hiccuping and spitting and having a HORRID time with DH punching my back to help it feel better.. when I puked up one of my pills. It took a while for this to happen, but it was a relief when it did. I had to leave my orange juice for later and sipped at a warm coffee and when I had managed to get the cup down (by 11:30) I decided to try the pills again. This time they went down fine. I threw my 2 slices of cold toast in the veg bin as I just wasn't hungry after all that. Its funny how the chokes make me feel full. I never expected that.

When I had a sort of episode before I had this sorted out, it never made me feel full. I guess its where the lining of the stomach is irritated or something. I am not knocking it at any rate! Its working at LAST thank GOD! I will remember to have a drink of something before I take my tablets in future. I think it helps it not be so tight in there to be honest.

So I made some lunch around 1:30 and it was Pasta and one of them stir in sauce things. went down ok and filled me up. I also have had 5 German lebkuchen. I don't know how much they are calorie wise... but I have put 60 each. I haven't a clue though to be honest. They were home baked by our new lodger Carina's Mum. They are scrummy. She is a really sweet girl too which is nice.

So today's food:
75 grams of pasta (dry weight) and 1/3rd of a pot of dolmio sauce
5 biscuits.

That's the lot so far, and I am not hungry yet either.

TB is making a paella for us tonight. We are due over there at about 6:30 so looking forward to that. S (TB's daughter and my adopted sister) is going back to Russia tomorrow so we are all going to be sad later :o(

Especially DS. He loves her to death. Hopefully with the arrival of Carina, he will have his mind taken off of it for a little while. We are going to Moscow in 3 weeks now anyway, so we can always use that line I guess!

So dinner tonight is going to be paella. I don't know how much I will consume, but its pretty stodgy so I guess not much. We shall see.

The Easiest Way to a Flat Stomach?

What's the easiest way to a flat tummy? One reader wanted to know this and so she paid $20 for an expert on Google Answers to find the answer for her. She specifically asked if sit-ups would be the fastest way to trim her waistline. She got a pretty detailed answer and if she followed the instructions, she probably has a flatter stomach now.

Here's an excerpt from the detailed answer;

What sit ups does do is tone your abdominal muscles. However, it does not "target" the fat in your tummy any more than any other form of aerobic exercise. In fact, if you only do situps as your aerobic exercise, what will happen is that you will build up abdominal muscles in your abs, but it would be still covered in the same layers of fat as before.

"The first place we usually lose fat is on our face (so our mothers can tell us we look too thin). Unfortunately, it is not possible to direct our bodies to burn fat from a particular area."
"Take sit-ups for example. It is important to keep your stomach (and back) muscles in shape, and firm abs can even help to hold in your stomach. But to reduce the size of your mid-section, you would do just as well to perform any exercise that you enjoy."
Source: http://www.eatwellandexercise.com/faqs_spot.html



Check out the easiest way to a flat stomach here.

Google Answers was a great service, but unfortunately it has closed down for now.

Another day on my journey

Breakfast: 100g granola with apple and blackberries, and skimmed milk
Lunch: 85g of boiled pasta (this is half of a standard portion), passata and 5g of Parmesan
Dinner: 2 potato croquettes, 1/4 cheese and onion quiche and green beans.

1200 cals.

It is a heavy day because of the Granola which was over 350 cals on its own. I needed it though as I have done a spring clean (not sure if its late, or early...?) on the house. I even washed the shower curtain!

Today I did ALL the washing (6 loads) and all the drying and my whole house smells like lenor. I am currently on the last load, which is just a massive quilt... I cant seem to get it dry so I am going to drape it over some chairs next to the radiator in the hope that it will.

I have done so much housework today, I actually got up a sweat. I don't think I have ever had sweat dripping off me before. I really felt the need to CLEAN and be CLEANSED.

Everything is lovely, every room and it took me all day long. *blows fringe out of eyes*

My port area feels pretty fine considering. Its quite sore actually from where I had the crash (seat belt injury I think) but other than that its fine. I know everything's still connected which is my main worry! I didn't have a choke today, but I was really hungry at about 4 when I realised I had missed my lunch, so I started to eat my pasta too quickly, and I felt it. I let it rest and then I could finish my meal. As it was I only ate half of the plate. Cool.

I have noticed I am better having a big breakfast rather than a big dinner. This may seem obvious, but one doesn't get this size without having a few rogue eating problems, and one of mine was definitely eating late. It still is to be honest, but I don't have a lot of choice in that respect, but I DO have a choice of what I eat at this time. I am finding that in the evening I am not actually that hungry. I eat my dinner, don't get me wrong, but I am not starving like I use to be. Things seem to have turned around... I am hungry in the morning (never used to be) so I seem to be having granola or porridge and stuff quite a bit more than I ever used to.

Today's excitement?

We have our lodger arriving tonight. YAY. Money!
She is arriving at the airport and we are picking her up and she will be with us till the beginning of March. She is coming to do a course for 3 months as shes only 18 and her Mum and Dad thought she would be better renting a room with a family rather than be on her own. Seems like a nice girl. We shall see!

Other than that, I found out my new car is classed as a disabled car for taxation, so I have to trek all the way to a DVLA office to change the taxation class on it before I can get my tax. Why is NOTHING in my life just easy?

Another little loose snagged thread in the tapestry of my life is that I found out today I cannot drive other peoples cars under my insurance policy. Every other policy I have EVER had I have been able to do this. But no, apparently not. So this means I cannot use my friend's car that she so kindly said I could borrow until mine is taxed etc. It was only brought to my attention today and I have had the policy for 11 months!!! So I am as immobile today as I was yesterday, and I might as well not bother taxing the car until next week as then its a new month.

I am trying to think of something cool that happened today to balance it all out, but nothing springs to mind. That's life!

BIGGEST WEIGHTLOSS EVER - 9 POUNDS

This week, yes just this week, I have lost a staggering
9 POUNDS

This is the most weight I have EVER lost in 1 week and I am totally flabbergasted.

I got on the scales this morning and I actually screamed - out loud - when it told me the wonderful blessed news. I got on another 4 or 5 times just to be sure.

So my couple of bad days, actually weren't that bad for me obviously.

However, talking about bad days... What is wrong with my family huh? We are just such a lucky bunch aren't we.

The insurance company phoned me up this morning and told me the news that it was a total loss. Oh goody goody gumdrops. Just what I need. They then told me they would give me £700 for it. *sad pathetic sigh of the royally shat on* and then told me it was subject to my excess which was £520. Well what did I expect...? Miracles? So I am getting £180 back for my lovely car which I paid £2000 for.

I am not bothering with fully com insurance any more. I cant be bothered. What is the point seriously? I would have been better saving £150 a year on my car insurance and putting it in a savings account. I would actually have had more money that way. So I am going 3rd party only on my next nadger. If I bought a new new car it would be worth it, but I only drive a banger. I bought a new car today. £300. Its actually a better car than my old one, but a bit older. Its done less miles and the body work is metallic and in a great condition with no dents. Mine had quite a few bumps and bruises on it as it really was just a run about. But it was MY runabout and I really liked it. You get sort of used to it don't you. So I will just have to adjust to this new one now. Its a nicer colour... that kind of metallic blue green.

So it was with a lightened heart that I answered the call to The Company this evening. They apparently deal with each claim individually, and they apologised for their standard letter and making me think (quote) that they would only pay "1 nights hotel accommodation and travel at 30cents per km". Apparently they deal with each case individually and they are going to take care of everything and it will all be sorted out within a week - 10 days.

SO WHY DIDN'T THEY PUT THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Cheeky scumbags.

If I had gone

"Oh honey, a letter from The Company... It says we only get one
nights hotel and the bus fare... Oh well. That's a shame. Never mind, that's
£150 we get back then. That's nice of them isn't it"

Do you really think they would have sent another letter saying...

" Oh No, you don't understand. My dear people, this means that we
treat every case individually and we will of course refund you £5000 - we really thought it was quite a simple letter. We always say things and mean something else"

Yeah, of course they wouldn't. NO WAY. So some poor wretch might think that's all they are getting, and The Company get to wipe their hands and go

"Phew... that's us off the hook with that one!"

If I had not written back to them, then I wouldn't be getting anything more than £150 for my trouble. So just shows doesn't it.

And he had noticed that I had CC'd the email to 'INFORMER' and 'Bunk Mate' and asked

"So... erm... do you... err... *SQUIRM*... know many people who have had the same kind of...err... difficulties...?"

"Yes mate, as a matter of fact I do!"

*High five*

He was also quite insistent that they really wanted me to be pleased with their product and enjoy my band and that it will definitely give the results I want bla bla. He said, we just want you to be happy and we will take care of everything, and just forget about it all for a couple of days and everything will be fine... "We don't want you to be angry or distressed because of this case... it was just a standard letter" Yeah yeah. Whatever, just GIVE ME MY DAMN MONEY TOUT DE SUITE

Right then, back to business.
Today's calories are 1160

Breakfast: 2 slices toast with jam (mild resistance felt)
Lunch: Smoked salmon and dill sauce
Dinner: 50g chips and approx 325g chicken curry. Couldn't finish plate tonight.

3 glasses of pineapple juice
3 coffees.
2 pints of s/f squash.

Cooooool.

Supremely Fit at Age 48

Tosca Reno is supremely fit at age 48. Tosca's heaviest weight was 204 and this was when she was in the middle of divorce and after having three children. She gained the weight at that time by turning to comfort foods. Today she weighs 75 pounds less.

She initially lost the weight by regular workouts on a treadmill. But her body lacked any muscle definition though she was now very slim. That's when she started weight training.

She has written a book called The Eat-Clean Diet: Fast Fat-Loss that lasts Forever! See her fitness story here.

Writing whilst having a nervous breakdown...

I have had a terrible day.

I wrote my car off at 2pm.

This is like the LAST thing I need

I cannot believe it.

I have numbed the pain with Wine and Amaretto...

Today's food =
yogurt
banana
yogurt
quarter of a quiche
peas
sweetcorn
chips (50g)

I have also have most of a bottle of wine and a serious helping of amaretto. I am really feeling the affects and typing is slow.

I cant believe the last few weeks.
My car is a write off, and so that has completely f***** me considering I don't have any f****** money because of those band ********'s.

I said to DH tonight I actually what to end it all its been that bad.

I am normally a pillar of strength, but everyone has the straw that breaks the camels back.

I laugh it off, but this time I am so worn down I cant carry on.

I feel like I was born under a wandering pile of s***. SHOVE the wandering star! Its a pile of manure.

Today I'll be mostly.... Chillin'

Another day of chillin' out.

Ahhhhh

I have decided that low fat yogurts taste like scuzz. They are also only 50 cals less than a normal yogurt. So rather than have 2 lacklustre low fat mingingly sour yogurts - and still end up feeling unsatisfied - I am gonna be done with the things. I bought muller corners today. I love them! They are well creamy and yummy, and you can have crunchy chocolate bits in them and stuff and there are loads of varieties... all for an extra 50 cals. I am enjoying a kind of crunchy tropical fruit one as we speak! YUM YUM YUM.

I am fed up with being conned by packaging and stuff and when you really look at the labels its a load of rubbish. Take this muller yogurt for instance.

Muller corner 'healthy balance' Tropical
It says: Only 2.1% fat
- in fact it has 3.15 g of fat = 4.72% fat.
The figure they quote is just for 100g of the yogurt. Its so misleading.

Also I actually had to get a calculator out and work out how many calories were in the whole thing, as its only got nutritional info for 100g of product when there is 150g in there.
WHY DON'T THEY JUST PUT IT FOR 150g???
As if someones going to just eat 100g of yogurt and leave 50g. For goodness sake.

So this whole yogurt has 169.5 cals in it. (113/2x3=169.5!!!)

Everyone bleats on about clear packaging, but they just bumble us off in a load of jargon.
I mean, this yogurt is also called Healthy Balance... Hmmm... Why?
I cant see anything in there that makes it particularly balanced, but its probably not. They are probably using it as a name rather than anything else.

Ok, moan over. At last I can work it out. And i like them :o)

**Band CATASTROPHE Update**
No news yet. No response to my mega email. No clue as to whether they are going to pay up. Nada. Rubbish. So, the credit card still remains maxed out and bunny is not a happy rabbit and all is not well in the warren.

Will update later.
Breakfast: Muller corner and a banana.

Cream of Turkey Soup

From Low Carb Recipes this is a quick and healthy way to use some of your left over Thanksgiving Turkey. Use for Days 1 & 2 of the 5 Day Pouch Test.Ingredients:1/2 stick unsalted butter1 large onion, chopped10 ounces cooked turkey, finely shredded (discard skin)2 1/2 cups chicken stock1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon1/2 cup heavy creamCroutons (optional)Directions:Melt the butter in a large, heavy

17 days post having band sorted

Breakfast = nothing as I was asleep
Lunch = 1/2 cup of boiled pasta shells, grated cheese and tomato passata
Dinner = 100g chicken pie, 2 duchess potatoes and 60g peas. I'm IMPRESSED with self!
Total cals today so far = (and it never includes coffee's 'cos I cant bothered to count 'em)
661 - how cool

I just did one lesson today - an exam pupil. Her exam is on Wednesday and she should do brilliantly. She is a teenager that has been able to be really cool and in the 'in crowd', yet play an instrument to an extremely high standard and be in all the top sets for all subjects. How did that happen. We were nerds and geeks and squares. I will never understand school mentality.

So today has been mostly sorting out the house. I did a little bit more tidying up today. Swept the floors, did 2 loads of washing and put it in the tumble - WOW! and fed the cats once as well. This really is a result for me. I am beginning to think that maybe just maybe I wont be in pain this evening from it like I would have been 3 weeks ago...

I had enough of the little bit of sticky out cat gut that was on my big scar. I got my tweezers and pulled the blighter... then quite a lot came out... then I just snipped it off as close as I could to the skin and bingo! All gone. I hope I don't unravel!

YAwwwwnnnn....

cals today = 1500

Mood: Feeling depressed and scuzzy.
Breakfast: 3 chocolate digestives (and improvement on a whole packet I guess)
Lunch: egg noodles, tomato, pepper, onion all mixed together with a little sugar and vinegar to make it kind of sweet and sour style.
Afternoon snack: 150g of those WRETCHED sweets of DS'
Dinner: baked potato with cheese and beans
late night stress eating: 3 bowls of coco pops. Would have been more but packet empty now.

:o(


I'm gonna throw those sweets away and be done with it.

Oh yeah, and I worked out the Thai food last night probably had about 600 cals in it all told. Not good either. PANTS

More foods that aren't behaving

Right now I am having a semi choke on by breakfast. DH is doing a 24 hour badminton tournament starting at midday so he wanted something more sustaining than cereal so I made him 2 fried egg sarnies. I hadn't had one in ages, so I made myself one too. Yeah. Not good. I had 4 bites and then started to feel the hardness. It kind of went away after a couple of minutes and then I had another bite. ooops. I promptly puked that back up in the kitchen sink and now I am really having PB type burps - not good with egg I'm telling you.

To think that yesterday I thought it was all wrong again and that it wasn't working.
So brekkie consisted of a third of an egg and half a slice of bread.

So another thing to add to the list... fried egg sarnie.
will update later

*update @ 1am*

I have had a seriously bad day today - food wise that is.

It could have been worse, but can't it always.
Today I had the strange egg/sarnie/choke problem for breakfast and was still choking as we drove to badminton. By the time we got there it was better.

I promised DS a McDonalds after we had dropped Daddy off as a treat, so I got him a happy meal. He ate that on the way home but I had nothing. GO ME! No seriously, I didn't want anything otherwise I damn well would have. I love McDonalds. :o(

We got in and I discovered a packet of Mars bars on the floor of the car. They must have dropped out of the bag when we bought them. DH was taking them into the badminton thingy, but there we go. I looked at the calories. Yes I did. 284. "Hmmm..." thought I. I stuffed one in my fat gob. It slipped down like silk and soothed my poor choked throat and filled my tummy and made me fell GREAT. That would have been ok, but then I had another one. I couldn't stop myself. I just wanted that feeling. The sugar rush or the feeling of food in your mouth, or the feeling when it slips down your throat. I dunno. Just *That Feeling*. Then I spent the next hour feeling miserable and trying to forget I had done it by buying things on eBay. Not good either. Buying stuff also makes me feel guilty. I think I have a bit of an addictive personality. I used to smoke loads, then quit. Then I used to buy things loads until I had a wardrobe full of duplicate clothes in 2 or 3 sizes that I didn't like with the labels on and DH told me I was being crazy and took me to the doctors for Prozac and counseling - it helped. I still have a tendency to buy stuff though, especially shoes it seems or stuff for DS or DH or MAD purchases like a new kitchen when there's nothing wrong with the old one! Its not the price, its the item and the feeling I get when I buy it. I have to stop myself.

So after ramming my face with Mars bars, we got back home and I tidied the house a little bit. Its easier to do stuff (YAY!) and I fed the cats for the first time in months and it didn't feel like I was going to die. I also did our bedroom which is always a pigsty and has forever been a pigsty except for the few weeks Mina was with us when it was immaculate. I doubt that will ever happen again. *sigh*

I cleaned the kitchen and even sorted out a pile of washing. I didn't actually do the washing, but I kind of got a bit further towards it.

I got tired and sleepy and decided to go and read my book for a bit while DS played with his mate from next door with his Lego. Its so cute listening to kids playing. I wish we didn't lose that as we grew up. Its so cool. They were "health ministers and slaves (?) and were saving the world from doooooom!" How that tied into the multi coloured monstrosities they produced and the cars with wings that sped around the "sonic hospital" I don't know. I love kids they are so cool! A complete entertainment system. Sod the telly, just watch your kids! Its wicked!

Reading on the bed whilst DS and play mate play cheerfully in his bedroom would have been a really wholesome and relaxing thing to do, had I not grabbed a handful of sweets on the way up. Oh dear. WHY????? I guess its a case of thinking I have blown it, so blow the whole day!

Well at 6pm DS wanted to see how Daddy was getting on, and we trekked back over to the badminton marathon which is about 10 miles away. We gt there and stayed and watched for a bit. I had already decided we were having either Chinese or Indian as I was in a foul mood with food. But, when I got a shopping list for Tesco to stock up on lucozade and teabags and dextrose tablets and bin liners and other guff, I decided I would go to the Thai restaurant on the way there. It was lovely as I haven't had Thai for ages. Ds and I ordered a mixed starter for 2 and a Thai red king prawn curry with steamed rice for me and a spicy chicken satay type soup for DS.

I ate the following:
1 mini spring roll
1/2 prawn toast
1.5 mini fish cakes
1 tiny sliver of a chicken wing (it was yuk so I left it)
2 small filo pastry coated prawns
2 tablespoons of rice and 5 tiger prawns and curry juice on the rice.

I was impressed. I was also impressed with the bill. Only £30! That included 2 and a half pints of pineapple juice too. I drank my pineapple juice with my meal I had to admit, but I have been sticking to the guidelines with every other meal I have had since coming back from Brugge for the 2nd time. I thought that it might change how much I could eat, but it didn't seem to wash the food through as I thought it would, but I think it actually helped me not to have a PB or choke in the restaurant. So I was pleased.

So today has been a bit of a food disaster... I have no idea how many calories I have had today, but mars bars and the egg sarnie came to 707 cals alone.

A rough idea of the calories as best I can manage is: 1367 without the Thai starters or curry counted at all(but including everything else and the pineapple juice)

So its not good, but there we go.

I'm going to get back on track with a new day.

Just wanted you all to know...

I AM LIVID

I don't know if I can tell you all the details or not, but lets just say its about the compensation claim for my SHAGGED UP BAND.

I received a 'standard letter' as an attachment to an email (!?!? CAN YOU CREDIT IT?!?!?) from the General manager of The Company. The contents were an insult to my intelligence and existence as a human being.

They will wish they hadn't messed with this fat girl.

OK, I am a blithering idiot

Geee, why do us mortals stress out so much.

I was feeling so crap I cancelled work (thanks for the message Tina, and yes I do know what you mean about felling better after I have gone, but I just couldn't face it today).

Then I went to bed with a bowl of noodles.

Then I had to get up and go and be sick in the bathroom because they got stuck! Not a bad one this time, but I just didn't chew it properly.

So the band IS working. I know I am a stupid fusser but I am so stressed out and worried that after all the problems I have had something is BOUND to go wrong again. Why? Because of the law of Sod.

But, it would seem that I do still have everything intact, connected, joined or whatever. I guess its just gonna be a little bit like this for me for now. I am scared that it will come apart again to be honest, and I don't know what I would do if I had to go through that again and all that pain.

So today's food has been 1 banana and a bowl of noodles. The choke was really small so I continued with the noodles and chewed properly and slowly ate and everything is fine.

Maybe, shock horror, I have managed to learn how to eat properly with this band and am starting to master the texture the food has to be before you swallow it. If that's the case I am actually quite pleased with myself. I think today's lesson with the noodles proves that.

So I am not feeling quite so rubbish. I have started taking vitamins again as I had not bothered doing that for ages, but I am not really taking much food on board now, so I think I should supplement it some how. I am also finding that I am looking about for food to eat. Fruit is good, but I cant seem to do apples that well. It just takes too damn long to chew them up, and I certainly cant be bothered to peel the things. That's just too much faffing to be doing with.

So I think weetabix are going to become my hole filler. I have decided that I am going to go and see the new fill guy Dr. De Bryune on 15th January whether I need a fill or not. Just simply to get a check up and see if he is going to actually give a fig. I am paranoid that I wont find anyone who gives a damn. I am putting my life in their hands at the end of the day, and I think I have been too trusting simply because they have a D and an R at the beginning of their name. They are human at the end of the day. So I need to know that they are on the ball, interested and going to be interested in ME as a person too.

So crisis avoided. Sleep and noodles works wonders.

Today's food:
Banana
packet of Noodles
Chicken korma and pilau rice (tesco)
total cals = 1150 (most of that was the korma good grief!)

Yesterdays food was quite a lot = 1226 (after taking off cals burnt in exercise)
cheese and pickle sandwich
kitkat (4 fingers)
3 nagiri sushi
1/4 plate Japanese fried noodles
prawn dansak
rice (half carton)
bottle of wine

I think this is a lot considering the amount of food I have eaten recently, but there we go. Looking at it like this it doesn't seem very much actually!! The bottle of wine was the killer. I just needed a drink after travelling to London and back on the train. *shudders* It was good to be with my sister and DS though. Shame we didn't accomplish anything more than sore feet and blisters, the knowledge that DS would rather chew his own arm off than eat sushi and that the Russian consulate is dumb.

I thought it was hysterical to flag down a taxi outside the Russian Consulate and ask them to take us to the nearest sushi bar though!! HA HA HA HA

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Getting all gittery about the band

I am in a really bad place at the moment.
I am getting very worried about the band/port etc.
I know I am probably being ridiculous and there is nothing to worry about but I simply can't help it.

Its most probably because of all the problem I have had, but I am terrified that its not going to work anymore.

Whenever I eat a meal I am now waiting to feel if there is restriction - well really I am waiting to see if I feel that hard pressure and warning sign of a choke. I also know that I should NOT eat to that level each time I have a meal as I can stretch the pouch. But by now I am worried I dont have a pouch anymore because of all the problems I have had anyway. GRRRRRRRR

If I don't feel that sign, then I think that it must not be working. I am really getting messed up by it.

The other day (Wednesday) was the last time I felt something a little sticky in the band. It was when I was eating Pea soup and a little bit of bread. It was the bread that stuck a little, but it soon passed and I felt able to continue.

Since then I have had no problems. Now here's the problem:
Should I think that this means its gone wrong and I have no restriction (which obviously is crazy)or should I feel like this and be happy that I am obviously conforming to the 'rules' and chewing well and thereby saving myself from problems.

I am guessing its the latter, but I still feel like there is something wrong.

I read everywhere that puking, choking and p'bing is not usual and should be avoided and it will stop once you get used to the band and the way it behaves for you. So does this mean I have actually learned something? Does it mean I am doing it right?

I don't have pain like I had when it all broke apart, that's for sure. Everything seems like it did when I fist had it done.

I am just finding myself WANTING to choke just to confirm that I am still restricted.

Does anyone else struggle like this? I am really beating myself up for no good reason, but its making me so depressed. I just want to get into bed and stay there and let the world carry on around me and forget I exist.

I know there are lots of things to deal with emotionally when you have a band, and when your food is restricted, but is this whats happening to me? If I knew it would mean I could tell myself that in a few weeks I will be OK.

I just feel completely minging.

I also want some serious advice and I would like everyone who reads this blog to give their opinion by posting a comment PLEASE.

I am about to cancel my piano pupils for the 3rd week running. They are all aware that I had surgery, and they are all sympathetic people as far as I can tell. What I mean is that they aren't people who get stressed out too much if I cancel the odd lesson.

However, would you get annoyed with a teacher who canceled 3 times in a row, or would you just hope she was getting better soon?
Basically I am self employed and fearful that I will lose my pupils (whether its rational or not). I have been teaching some of them for over 4 years, and others only a couple of weeks. I just want the joe public's response and not one that is clouded by what I think they might think...

Your advice would be appreciated.

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John has experienced massive weight loss success. He used to weigh over 400 pounds and has lost over half of this weight. Last year, in just 12 months, he lost the biggest portion of his excess weight, 150 pounds lost in one year.

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See more terrific before and after photos as well as his story here.

Fiona Falkiner Does Triathlons

The beautiful Fiona Falkiner has succeeded in losing a lot of weight. Again.

She first lost a lot of weight on the Biggest Loser TV program in Australia, but soon gained it all back again, and now has lost weight again and completed her first triathlon.

brrrrrrrr

Kak day.
cals = 900

3x banana's
1 x bowl pea soup made by TB with half a slice of bread
1 x chicken dopiaza from tesco
6 finn crisp dipped into jam

I ate my tea at 10pm this evening when I got home from work. I ate it all. Go figure. then I still felt hungry and had some finn crisp thins with jam. Am I getting too good at this chewing lark, or is the band always this fickle?

I mean...take this afternoon - I had pea soup at TB's and the little bits of bread I was chewing to death stuck a little bit even with soup so I had to go slow, then this evening I ate a whole microwave meal.

There isn't a phrase to describe how I feel at the moment, but kak sort of gets near.

I keep thinking somethings gonna go wrong, or that its not going to work in some other way or ANYTHING. I feel like this life sucks right now and I am just waiting for it all to come crashing down. I dread most of all that this band is going to go wrong again or that somehow I just wont get any restriction because I am useless. I think I am beginning to feel the effects of the lack of food. I feel quite down this evening even after this afternoons escapades to try and cheer ourselves up - which were quite frankly MADCAP and straight out of the Circus Big Top!

I didn't go to work for my first 6 pupils. I rang DH and told him to cancel them and then went to TB's to try and cheer myself up. We had a good old chat, and then started mucking about as usual. TB's daughter put on a red beret and red leather gloves and an overcoat and drew a curly French style moustache on herself with eyeliner. It looked hilarious.

I then made myself some really arched and grim eyebrows. then I put a load of lipstick on all around my mouth like it was really badly done. Then I over exaggerated my lip outline with black eyeliner and filled them in completely with bright red lippy and put two spots of rouge on and a beauty spot! I looked like a drag queen.

Then we all got in my car and drove to the local shop to buy a Terry's Chocolate Orange but they didn't have one, so we bought orange matchmakers instead.

It really did cheer me up but I am 31 for goodness sake. How long can I go about being a complete and UTTER idiot just to make myself feel better? It was like I was 18 again at college or something.

All that without a drop of alcohol! I know I am actually a complete head case, but I am glad I can be *totally random* sometimes.

We stopped off at home and showed DH our mad crazy get up which he thought was hilarious, and what do I find...? MY SON HAS A MASCARA MOUSTACHE AND BEARD ON AS WELL!!!!!!!!!! How funny is that. My own son was feeling in the mood to be weird too. I am sure some psychoanalyst would have a field day with our family. We are all as batty as fruitloops.

Then I took all the rubbish off my face and went and did 2 piano lessons.

Anyway, I am really cold so I am going to bed.