tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35673857755420872382024-02-18T17:53:01.009-08:00The Eternal Optimist“An optimist is a braver cynic.”
― Colum McCann, TransAtlanticMandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.comBlogger601125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-9439614472972765742015-11-02T05:18:00.002-08:002015-11-02T05:18:22.931-08:00Day 117 Weigh In and Halloween RecapPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 103 Weigh In: 196.5<br />
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Change Since Weigh In: -2<br />
Total Loss: 29.5<br />
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2 lbs down in 2 weeks. I'll take it, especially since I didn't work particularly hard this weekend. We had our Halloween party on Friday and it was a great success!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me & Hubby</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kill Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food spread</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar before ice, beer and mixers</td></tr>
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Then Saturday, we got to do the Halloween stuff with the kids.<br />
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After all that excitement, I seriously couldn't handle doing anything else on Sunday so I finished up my first cross stitch project instead.<br />
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Great weekend! And so sad to see it end and get back to work. Work sucked last week so I'm hoping for better this week. I'm also going into my last week of my first class since going back to school. So far, so good on that front. Hope y'all enjoyed the Halloween festivities without gorging too much on the candy. We now begin the silly season. November is sure to be busy! Let's all stay on the healthy train!</div>
MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-11406940660084663132015-10-23T05:45:00.003-07:002015-10-23T05:45:50.670-07:00Doc UpdateI saw my primary care physician yesterday for my arm. A couple notes about this:<br />
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<li>I haven't had a primary care physician since moving to FL so about 3 years.</li>
<li>Prior that, I had only seen my PCP to get a referral to my lapband doc who I had already been seeing for a year.</li>
<li>I had been spending so much time at bariatric docs and gynecologists that I really didn't see the need for a PCP.</li>
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Given all that, this is Hubby's PCP who he likes a lot so I decided to give him a try. I liked him. He actually listened, was personable and doesn't seem to order tests for the sake of ordering tests.</div>
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All that to say, he says I have a torn muscle. He said most likely I have a small tear in my left arm that's contributing to soreness and a bigger torn muscle on my right arm which is causing the shooting pain. </div>
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All I can do is rest it. He said it'll probably take a couple months to fully heal and he said it's like the old joke "Doc, it' hurts when I do this." "Don't do that." He said pay attention to twinges and find different ways of doing it so it doesn't hurt. He said there's good pain (feel the burn) and bad pain and this is definitely bad pain. So there ya go.</div>
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This weekend is going to be a cleaning weekend. Our Halloween party is next Friday so I need the house spic and span. We have a cleaning lady coming on Tuesday to give it a good scrubbing but I want to get as much clean before that as I can as I'm paying her by the hour.</div>
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-13752195832104894072015-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:002015-10-22T07:00:09.469-07:00Cross Stitch and DoctorIt's been a week of cross stitching and doctors.<br />
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I'm making progress and really enjoying my new hobby. It's coming along and I've ordered tiny stockings kit to make stockings to go with the Christmas cookies I give out this year.<br />
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I took my oldest daughter for a consultation with an oral surgeon yesterday. She has braces (her teeth are all kinds of messed up) and the orthodontist suggested this guy. I liked him and he was pretty good with her. We need to extract her last 2 baby teeth on the bottom and help the 2 adult teeth on top come down. Poor kid. I scheduled it for 11/6 and got the estimated cost of $300. Bah.<br />
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I have a doctor's appointment today with a primary care physician to talk about my arm. Soooo...in all my gracefulness I told you about falling off the stairclimber TWICE last month. Well, that last one really hurt. Both of my arms are still sore but my right arm is a little worse. I get a shooting pain between my shoulder and elbow when I rotate my upper arm. I've given it a month and it's not improving so figured it was time to see the doc and see what's what. Fingers crossed that it just needs more time to heal. <br />
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I'm batting around quitting the gym and joining a crossfit gym instead. I don't want to do anything until I get the OK from the doc though because I don't want to risk injuring the arm more than it already is. My old gym stuff isn't working. I just can't seem to get motivated to get there. My neighbor belongs to a crossfit gym and has offered to bring me to "Bring a Friend" day. I think I'll take her up on it and see what it's all about. MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-17977597369993199022015-10-19T06:22:00.002-07:002015-10-19T06:22:52.642-07:00Onederland!PreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 103 Weigh In: 198.5<br />
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Change Since Weigh In: -2.5<br />
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I'm back in Onederland! I've missed being here! I was nervous about getting on the scale despite my food being on target last week, but I was rewarded for being kind to myself. It's so nice moving in this direction and it's motivated me for the week ahead!<br />
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Hubby and I are throwing a Halloween party. We spent the weekend buying decorations, menu planning and getting our costumes. My oldest daughter wanted a family theme this year. We do this from time to time. When the girls were real little, we were a royal family. <br />
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More recently, we were all super heroes.<br />
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This year, we're pirates. Should be fun!<br />
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-32173280334787104122015-10-13T06:24:00.002-07:002015-10-13T06:24:35.647-07:00Being Kind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm taking Shelley's advice and skipped my weigh in this week. I'm allowing myself time to get back on track before I look at the scale. I'm hoping, at the very least, I'll see a steady weight vs a gain. So far, so good. Eating is all planned out this week and I stuck to plan yesterday.<br />
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Not weighing myself this week is the kind thing to do. Last week was uber stressful and being kind to myself was necessary. It got me thinking though. I need to be kind to myself more often. I don't know why I beat myself up the way I do but it's time for that kind of thinking to stop. The other thing I noticed is how often people are harsh with other people for no good reason.<br />
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I'm an internet hound. I'm on facebook a lot lurking and reddit religiously. It amazes me how judgmental people can be with anonymity. My sister has become a facebook troll...posting things just to get a rise out of people. Making comments that I know she would NEVER make to anyone's face but, for some reason, feels it's perfectly acceptable on the internet. Reddit is a cesspool of insensitivity. I even see it on here. Judgmental comments and a blogger who I love gets it a lot on her facebook. She's lost an extraordinary amount of weight, has maintained that loss and just had plastic surgery to remove some of the excess skin. People have the nerve to call her narcissistic because she posts pics of herself. Seriously? WTH is wrong with people?<br />
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The trouble is I think this nasty attitude and not knowing how to treat people is rubbing off into the real world. There was the article about the teenage girl who convinced her boyfriend to commit suicide so she could get attention. The two teenage girls who stabbed their third friend repeatedly to appease some imaginary character on a website. This isn't good! We need to remember that in a civilized society, WE MUST REMAIN CIVIL WITH EACHOTHER. Be kind....if for no other reason, you wouldn't want people to come right up to you and say the things you may be thinking of others. <br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-16356565967402296222015-10-09T06:26:00.001-07:002015-10-09T06:26:23.288-07:00New Hobby<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I think I'm going to take up cross stitching. My Grandma Irma (The "A" Grandma) used to cross stitch and was very good. She tried teaching me when I was 8 and it didn't quite take. I probably still have a 3 inch half finished apple pattern somewhere. I ordered a kit for a Christmas ornament and it arrived yesterday. After finishing my homework, I organized my thread and began to work on it. It all came flooding back! Once I figured out how to start, it was easy peasy. Organizing the threat took the longest because they gave me enough thread to do any number of designs so I have more thread than I need for the design I chose. I found it surprisingly relaxing and it relieved a little stress from the day. I think this could be good.<br />
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Why was I stressed. They announced lay offs at work yesterday. My job is safe for now but that group's work is getting pushed on me and my chances of a promotion at the end of the year just went up in smoke. UGH. I hate corporate America.<br />
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No big plans for the weekend. I have accepted that my littlest dog, Roxy, isn't going to get any bigger. The rescue we got her from thinks she's a "Pocket Beagle" so she's topping out at 13 lbs. The trouble is the little stinker can fit through the slats of my fence. I've ordered some deer netting that's going to solve this problem and I'm putting it up so she can roam free in the yard without having to be on her lead. She loves being outside and I hate having to put her on a lead every time she wants to go out there. I'd also LOVE to get a doggy door but can't do that if she can escape. Hounds follow their noses so escape is imminent. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't let this cuteness fool you. She's a pita!</td></tr>
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I tend to laugh at things rather than cry over them. In that light, please don't be offended by my Friday Funny given the circumstances.<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-28905137670771424072015-10-08T09:39:00.001-07:002015-10-08T09:39:07.770-07:00RIP Grandma RoseI haven't disappeared again. I've been out of town.<br />
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Last Thursday, my Grandma Rose died. She was 94. She was my father's mother and never particularly nice to me. My dad was an only child so my siblings and I were her only grandchildren but she was never warm and fuzzy. She came over from Germany as a teenager but the damage was already done, so to speak. She would blame her mother leaving her at the convent in Germany and then again once she had come to the states as to why she wasn't very good at showing affection. I don't know if there's really anything to that. My earliest memory of her is her calling me fat when I was 10 years old. That being said, I really got to know her the last 15 years after we moved her to Arizona. They had always been the Christmas grandparents. Now I got to see her at every holiday and she was always a bit crazy. In the last year, she had really kind of lost it and when I saw her in July, she had no idea who I was. We still had a nice visit and she got to see the girls. Last Thursday, she got out of bed and immediately collapsed. Her heart had stopped and that was it. To live to be 94 and not suffer in the end...who could ask for more? RIP Grandma Rose...I'll miss all the Grandma Rose stories.<br />
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So I went to Illinois for the service over the weekend. It was small as the family itself is small on that side and she had outlived most of them anyway. To say the eating has been awful and drinking has been abundant would be an understatement. I'm not looking forward to the weigh in on Monday.<br />
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On top of everything else, school started on Tuesday. Thank goodness for laptops as there's no way I'd be off to a very good start without one. But start I did and so far, so good.<br />
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I also got to come to these cute little fur<br />
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babies waiting for me.<br />
<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-39475328020627241272015-09-29T05:21:00.003-07:002015-09-29T05:21:21.822-07:00My Big News<br />
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I'm going back to school.<br />
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Make no mistake, I went to college for 4 years. I took lots of classes...no degree. I then attempted to go back twice after the kiddos...no degree. I used to harbor a lot of regret over this. I agonized over missed opportunities and wasted potential. Then I got over it. I really made my peace with it and felt absolutely fine about it. I have a good job making more than some WITH a degree and everyone always just kind of assumes I have one. I don't feel it's held me back.<br />
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All that being said, my company now offers a grant where the entire thing is paid for an online university. Tuition, technology fee, course materials, graduation fee, the whole nine. It's a for profit online university, Ashford University, so it's debatable how much value you get out of it, how employers see it, blah, blah, blah. The fact is this isn't my money. If my company is willing to pay for my degree from this place, then I may as well take advantage of it. The only caveat is I have to get B's in all classes and can only take one class at a time. With work and the kids, I honestly don't know how I'd take more than that anyway. If you attend nonstop, a bachelors degree takes 208 weeks (5 week classes). I've been told a good number of my classes will transfer over from my stint in college many years ago so my time will be somewhat shorter but not positive on what we're looking at. <br />
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My start day October 6th. I'm excited to start something new. <br />
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My other big news that I just completely glossed over yesterday is I'm down 25 lbs! I don't know why this didn't really occur to me yesterday but there it is! Maybe I wasn't as excited because I've seen these 25 lbs come and go and come again but it's still worth celebrating! I've now lost a whole Scrappy worth of weight!<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-19630699113499977242015-09-28T05:35:00.005-07:002015-09-28T05:35:51.237-07:00Day 82 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 82 Weigh In: 201<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -0.5<br />
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Down 1/2 lb since last week. I was expecting a better outcome this week but it's moving in the right direction so I'm not going to complain about it. <br />
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This weekend was relatively uneventful. We hung out with the neighbors Saturday evening and the girls had a friend sleep over. Sunday was spent working on Lori's school project and Maddie's campaign posters.<br />
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A couple thoughts about my daughter running for Student Council. She is in 5th grade and she is a geeky kid. She comes by it honestly. Hubby and I... both geeks. She's very introverted and has a hard time making friends. She always manages to make one or two throughout the year...usually other slightly odd kiddos like her. This is fine. I was the same way. Hubby swung the other direction and would have TONS of friends but few very close ones. Anyway, the point is she has NO CHANCE of winning. That's just reality. However, I am so freakin' proud of her for running. She has to give a speech in front of the whole school (she had to do that last year for a speech contest too so she's got SOME experience with it) and campaign and all that jazz. I would never have the guts to run for office in school because we all know it's a popularity contest. It's not about anything other than how many people like you. She's got a snowball's chance in hell but I hope she realizes how awesome she is to take the chance.<br />
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On that note, this is another week and another opportunity to take a chance on myself. Possibly big news coming tomorrow, stay tuned...<br />
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-44811308573131651542015-09-24T05:07:00.003-07:002015-09-24T05:07:50.992-07:00Stuffed Acorn SquashTried this recipe last night and it was DELICIOUS! Even my kiddos liked it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmUxWDfOkhTZskXiMuChv_xorGMTOtrxnBCADJ9Jni2a7q6feMnLVmnyP5dIokUNPUX_nMHe22uc6YpGMC-JFGu_xvI5WIo88gLlCEebNp_iuMUQRndlibNP-ciDaXpLWZK9Yob4bMDg/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmUxWDfOkhTZskXiMuChv_xorGMTOtrxnBCADJ9Jni2a7q6feMnLVmnyP5dIokUNPUX_nMHe22uc6YpGMC-JFGu_xvI5WIo88gLlCEebNp_iuMUQRndlibNP-ciDaXpLWZK9Yob4bMDg/s640/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
It's 375 calories per serving. I did a couple substitutions based on what I had in the house. I used spinach instead of kale, onion instead of a leek and regular breadcrumbs vs panko. Mine looked like this:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNNuVell1xk79B_vUx1HmrxeJlto17Pf9aAWIpVsgrcsMJXq8WLph9O0C5L1EosWxRr4aPjjBwQ3ORQFgSHlDwQfLJTrKz5Tt4LvMMNWkGrPEvVEOP3cIfMvKduX2KKtjLF56Ro_UwrQ/s1600/IMG_4580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNNuVell1xk79B_vUx1HmrxeJlto17Pf9aAWIpVsgrcsMJXq8WLph9O0C5L1EosWxRr4aPjjBwQ3ORQFgSHlDwQfLJTrKz5Tt4LvMMNWkGrPEvVEOP3cIfMvKduX2KKtjLF56Ro_UwrQ/s1600/IMG_4580.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before breadcrumbs and broiling.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final product</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thank you all for the support after yesterday's post. My right shin is so bruised, I fear I may have bruised the bone. My left knee is sore and achy. My right arm hurts when I reach backwards. Honestly, what hurts most is my pride and I'll get over it. I do feel so embarrassed but I will go back to the gym tonight and continue on. <br />
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I need to be more like this cat...<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-20256573804262955702015-09-23T05:24:00.001-07:002015-09-23T05:24:51.278-07:00I F*$&%ing Did It Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I can't freakin' believe it!!! So I went to the gym last night, did my treadmill, did my elliptical, decided to finish strong with 10 minutes on the beast. The one that was broken the last time still as an "out of order" sign on it so I choose the other one. I get up (already made it further than last time) and hit "start." USUALLY, it starts on level 1. WTF?!?!? It started on the highest level!! As if it never reset from the guy who was on it before me. So I'm frantically hitting "Stop" and nothing is happening. So of course, I FELL!!! OMFG!!! Fuck me and my life! Once again, a couple concerned onlookers come over to see if I'm OK. Thank goodness neither of them are the same people who came over last time. Since this was my last work out, I just got out of there and had an emotional breakdown in my jeep. I seriously feel like such a fat, uncoordinated loser. <b>IF </b>I manage to get up the nerve to show my face at the gym again, I definitely will not be using that machine ever again. <br />
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Mailbox guy is coming today. I can finally start getting my mail again. Otherwise, it's the same shit, different day. SIGH. Better attitude coming later in the week.<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-41057501224189532412015-09-21T05:24:00.000-07:002015-09-21T05:24:00.904-07:00Day 75 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 75 Weigh In: 201.5<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -2<br />
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2 lbs down from last week, meaning I lost the 1.5 gain from the week before plus another half pound. Sometimes I really don't think they did anything other than take the band out. The doc had said he couldn't make my stomach as small as he'd like because of the scar tissue and I know people who have already had weight loss surgery lose slower and not as much as "virgin" surgery people. I guess I'm still just a little disappointed in how this is going. I heard things like "I have to remind myself to eat" and "You're never hungry" and "I can eat so little." It's bullshit. I can eat a lot less but I'm constantly thinking about my next meal. Is it in my head? Absolutely. That doesn't help. That must makes me see that NOTHING Is going to work. I'm always going to be fat because I have no willpower and can't get past my own brain. So a little disappointed? Yes definitely but not in the stupid sleeve...just in myself. </div>
MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-17235522170124994832015-09-18T06:03:00.001-07:002015-09-18T06:03:47.301-07:00Setting A Good Example<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I saw an article on BBC about one of the youngest diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. Article is <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/health-34259221">here.</a> The girls was just 3 years old and weighed 35kg. I had to do a conversion on this and for my other metric impaired American friends, that's 77 lbs. For childless friends who really have no idea about what kids should weigh. My oldest weighs 73 lbs and she's 10 years old and mostly muscle. The doctors believe it was caused by diet and lack of exercise. This story has a happy ending. The doctor who diagnosed the child apparently gave the parents a good wake up call and just 6 months after the diagnosis, she's lost almost 9 kg (20 lbs) and no longer needs medication.<br />
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How do we let our children get this way?!?!? The article didn't provide a picture but I can imagine what the parents look like. Most likely, they look like my husband and me. One of my biggest motivators for losing weight and eating healthy to set a good example for my girls. I don't want them to struggle the way I have. I don't want them to get bullied by kids in school. I don't want them to have these types of health problems in the future. I don't know how anyone could look at a 77 lb toddler and think that's OK. That they're doing their job as a parent! Your job is to protect your children and keep them healthy. These parents were failing at that. I'm glad they got the wake up call and I'm glad they changed their ways and this child is now OK, but I just can't believe it took their daughter needed diabetes medication (keep in mind this is NOT Type 1) in order for them to see they were hurting their child.<br />
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My sister gives me a hard time when she comes to visit about the kind of food I have in the house and how I don't let my kids have run of the pantry. My kids have to ask if they want any snack other than fruit. Her pantry is full of chips, crackers, sugary cereal, etc. She thinks it's crazy that I make my kids waffles/pancakes/ and eggs or breakfast sandwiches every morning before school. She asks why they can't make their own breakfast and I could just buy some cereal? She really doesn't get it and as someone who LOOKS JUST LIKE ME, you'd think she'd already know. She thinks it's "mean" that I "make" the kids eat the way I do. Yes, my kids eat the same dinners I eat...protein and veggies and very little bread, rice or carbs. That's OK! They aren't deprived. She doesn't see a reason to "push" this lifestyle on my kids since they're not fat. She's right. They aren't fat and with a little luck and a little education, they never will be. Her kids aren't fat...YET. Just wait until their little metabolisms slow down and they aren't running all over the place. I'm not a food nazi. We have treats (remember I had ice cream 3 times last week?). They get to eat their Halloween candy. They get birthday cake and celebrate stuff. There's just no reason to have your day to day diet to be THAT processed and crappy. *Stepping off soapbox*<br />
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This week has been a dud of a week and I'm glad it's nearly over. Get through today and hopefully we'll reset with the weekend. I hope you all get a chance to relax and reset too. <br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-32165669886415466912015-09-16T05:32:00.002-07:002015-09-16T05:32:47.523-07:00Is This Week Over Yet?Where to start. We'll start at the gym. I went to the gym last night and was going to start my work out on the stair climber. It's one of the ones that look like this;<br />
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I have a love/hate relationship with this machine. I HATE it when I'm on it. It's truly the devil but I LOVE how much I sweat the calories I burn on it. Now I have used this machine in the past...no problem. I am short so getting on is kind of a big heave ho to the first step but no biggie. While there is always a little give to the steps when I stand on it, it certainly isn't fast and it's not like it's ON. Well, last night, I went to step on it and it immediately gave way as if the belt was slipping and since I wasn't completely on the first step yet and couldn't get up fast enough, I fell straight down on to the gym floor. The guy next me jumped off his to see if I was okay. I was so freakin' embarrassed. Another gym patron went and got an employee. I felt like such an idiot. The employee looked at the machine, deemed it broken and put a sign on it. At least it wasn't just me being too stupid to use gym equipment but still. So I had this internal conversation with myself as I'm trying to tell everyone I'm fine and get up with as much dignity as I could muster:<br />
<br />
Me: "Self, I cannot believe I did that!"<br />
Self: "Run! Get out of here as quickly as you can. You're such an idiot."<br />
Me: "I don't understand how that happened. Can I not even step up on to a machine anymore? Have I gotten THAT fat and uncoordinated?<br />
Self: "Yes you have. And everyone is staring. OMG. They're asking if you need ice. Answer them. Say no. Say SOMETHING."<br />
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I mumble no to the ice and wave away the very helpful hand of the guy next to me to heave myself up into a standing position.<br />
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Self: "Seriously, grab your keys, drive away and never come back. You can never come back here. Don't let your face turn red. Salvage your dignity woman!"<br />
Me: "You just shut up."<br />
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So I got on the treadmill instead. <br />
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Needless to say, it was a rough workout and by the time I got home. I HURT. The whole left side of my body hurt and still hurts today.<br />
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So this morning, I'm supposed to have my new mattress delivered. They gave me the very specific window of 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Fine. I'm going to be home all day anyway. I'm walking out of the house to walk the girls to the bus stop at 7:20 a.m. this morning when the truck is pulling up. Of course they're early. SIGH. But then...BAM!!! They ran over my mailbox!!!<br />
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I've already called Customer Service and am opening a claim. The HOA here is super strict and all the mailboxes, posts, etc. are identical so I got the number of the company they use and left them a message this morning. And now I have back to back to back meetings until 5 tonight. Awesome. Meanwhile, I'll keep icing my leg from last night's fall and just try to get through the day without killing someone. At least I have an assistant to help me out.<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-14464545499426383922015-09-14T06:18:00.003-07:002015-09-14T06:18:43.722-07:00Day 68 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 68 Weigh In: 203.5<br />
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Change Since Last Week: +1.5<br />
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I gained back the 1.5 I lost last week. A number of contributing factors:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Water retention. I had Chinese food twice over the weekend. The choices weren't bad (meat and veg) but sodium is probably way high.</li>
<li>I am retaining some water. My fingers are swollen and achy. Usually a sign for me.</li>
<li>I consumed entirely too much sugar this week. I had ice cream 3 times!</li>
<li>Work/Family picnic over the weekend. Overindulged.</li>
<li>Too much alcohol throughout the week.</li>
</ul>
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I know where I went wrong. I also know I didn't eat 1.5 lbs worth of sugar this week. A lot of this is water. I'll work to flush it out and keep the food choices in check. Also back to alcohol only on weekends. My planner has a leadership development quote every day. This was today's.</div>
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Yes, this is good advice in general for the workplace. You could, in fact, apply it to anything. Specifically to how I've been doing. I tend to do really well in spurts. I have weeks where I'm spot on and I have weeks where I slip into old habits something fierce. I'll only be successful long term if I make it a HABIT. So this week's all about getting back to good and making it a habit.</div>
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Happy Monday all!</div>
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-57349860022936553832015-09-11T05:49:00.001-07:002015-09-11T05:49:23.486-07:00Week in Review 9/11/15This week has been so/so. I haven't made the best food CHOICES but I haven't grazed and I've watched the portions. I also went to the gym twice. I think I need to go to the gym more often to actually make it a habit. There's a game going around facebook where you type your name and "meme" into google images search and post the first one that comes back. This was mine.<br />
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I've decided it's my attitude about working out that needs adjusting. My attitude about food is actually very healthy right now. I miss feeling strong and fit though. <br />
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I'm feeling very tired lately. I'm having a hard time getting up and going in the morning. I'm no the only one though. Last night, the dogs were in bed before I was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQgCYmsH8fifxBbv-soYvQX_DbijxRNBGn_jxX3T-h5aUkHKHRp1mEPCDMn4q9pePMAztZ-QRF2GWZlU65IEf8f84SaPmHcZuVu-3u-cY7P0NSR6XDuY07_qEsbAOjEwT6F4FifY5ThI/s1600/IMG_4550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQgCYmsH8fifxBbv-soYvQX_DbijxRNBGn_jxX3T-h5aUkHKHRp1mEPCDMn4q9pePMAztZ-QRF2GWZlU65IEf8f84SaPmHcZuVu-3u-cY7P0NSR6XDuY07_qEsbAOjEwT6F4FifY5ThI/s1600/IMG_4550.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are two dogs here. Can you spot the 2nd one?</td></tr>
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The girls' school bus was late this morning so I had time to do their hair. This is a very rare thing for me as we're usually somewhat rushed in the morning and I've never been particularly "girly" when it comes to hair styling. I've never been particularly good at it. They liked their looks for today though.<br />
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No big plans for the weekend. Hubby has a work event on Saturday that I'm trying to get out of. We'll see. It seems his work group does a lot of work events during off work hours and it's starting to get irritating. Supposedly it's for morale purposes but if that's the case they should be doing this during work hours and not during employees' family time. Just my opinion. The weather is supposed to cool off a bit over the weekend so I'm hoping we can do something outdoors, maybe the dog park now that little dog has gotten her stitches out or maybe the beach.<br />
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I usually do a Friday Funny but as it's 9/11, instead I leave you with a request to never forget.<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-8744919605431669332015-09-09T09:02:00.002-07:002015-09-09T09:02:24.549-07:00Labor Day Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 63 Weigh In: 202<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -1.5<br />
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1.5 seems to be my lucky number. Honestly though, I will lose 1.5/week all year if I could and be very happy with the end result. The good news is I'm only 2 lbs away from Onederland again. I'll be very excited to see that. </div>
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The weekend was good and extra long. I took yesterday off to finally use my Mother's Day present of a massage and facial so that was very relaxing! I'm not loving being back at work today but tis life. </div>
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My mom's cousin started a private facebook group for that side of the family and I joined over the weekend. She has some really wonderful old pics of the family. I don't know most of them as we moved out of the state when I was very young but it's fun to see all the pics. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-JO4OeC8qJGUMHkAz2a2LJewVIUSvrNhJcFyGlEmQij_Ws2x_WBmtc88FGCokQONhy8OZEp88Xm-niOhLAFzhAqY3AS7dMerGHm6Hi-HHH01KV24VtdB_kTBVfvt0GN6x65Itfk8lcE/s1600/IMG_4542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-JO4OeC8qJGUMHkAz2a2LJewVIUSvrNhJcFyGlEmQij_Ws2x_WBmtc88FGCokQONhy8OZEp88Xm-niOhLAFzhAqY3AS7dMerGHm6Hi-HHH01KV24VtdB_kTBVfvt0GN6x65Itfk8lcE/s320/IMG_4542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Granmda Irma. She died in March of 2012. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c2FvkP69wp2jfjCQd3hm9UtweK7TQxThP_ra_NuQhU648rBCpJLa4FGFv2Av7-dHH6ZC5nI9pNrhNKJctPH-7JLhyYpiBAn9r-emie3zAW9YErty2xJBLswkMSWlJxJJnfTTKzgNipU/s1600/IMG_4544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c2FvkP69wp2jfjCQd3hm9UtweK7TQxThP_ra_NuQhU648rBCpJLa4FGFv2Av7-dHH6ZC5nI9pNrhNKJctPH-7JLhyYpiBAn9r-emie3zAW9YErty2xJBLswkMSWlJxJJnfTTKzgNipU/s320/IMG_4544.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The baby is the same Grandma in the picture above it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdZaM8z6TVneM9qOa-v_5GYtSsnc4nkZuoYLLWPkqigtE0p-KSBvQhiakGYkUa1QyCZ7_WM6zj7KFp-uB3jwkPo6J3dD4MQhbTWqljl8MbMJg_qFDyVxo4qjs-dg3HXCIicBbBwH44-U/s1600/IMG_4545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdZaM8z6TVneM9qOa-v_5GYtSsnc4nkZuoYLLWPkqigtE0p-KSBvQhiakGYkUa1QyCZ7_WM6zj7KFp-uB3jwkPo6J3dD4MQhbTWqljl8MbMJg_qFDyVxo4qjs-dg3HXCIicBbBwH44-U/s320/IMG_4545.JPG" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A-Th1A7qU_hrejL63DYpky5_B4NJQmV6ANRNZJe3owPusruMc-xKQ65TeglJpequRkUlWHd3J5SlGJl0cEVBPcHSuIUv5oR_uo-E39i4YlYgmBgKJ-vNc2ge69NL8L2BGGsfKAQxFvg/s1600/IMG_4546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_A-Th1A7qU_hrejL63DYpky5_B4NJQmV6ANRNZJe3owPusruMc-xKQ65TeglJpequRkUlWHd3J5SlGJl0cEVBPcHSuIUv5oR_uo-E39i4YlYgmBgKJ-vNc2ge69NL8L2BGGsfKAQxFvg/s320/IMG_4546.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Grandpa Bill and Grandma Irma at her last family reunion. </td></tr>
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I had a parent/teacher conference with my oldest daughter's teacher this morning. She's doing well but has a few things to improve on by the end of the year. I actually liked the teacher giving us goals to work towards. Makes my job easier. She also talked about how quiet Maddie is. Unfortunately for my dear daughter, she inherited my introverted nature. She's REALLY shy and kinda socially awkward. SIGH. </div>
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Hubby had his 4th interview yesterday for the job he really wants in Savannah. Fingers crossed for him. He'll be devastated if he doesn't get it. </div>
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But it is Wednesday and I've only got 3 workdays this week so WAHOO!</div>
MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-79666194605788084402015-08-31T05:18:00.003-07:002015-08-31T05:18:47.481-07:00Day 54 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 54Weigh In: 203.5<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -1.5<br />
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Better. Much Better. I know what did me in this time and it was the weekend. We hung out with the neighbors. There's a couple across the street who are very much like Hubby and me in personality so the party moved to our place and we drank WAY TOO MUCH once they got here. I also had Chinese on Sunday which brought the Sodium level a bit high. I am NOT complaining about this loss. I just know it COULD'VE been better. I'm also not beating myself up. I don't have many friends here in Florida...any friends really...so it was nice to let loose with some folks and open up a bit. I just need to learn how to do it without as much booze. Foodwise, the gathering was alright. From start to finish, it was about 7 hours and I had 1 wing, 1 small sloppy joe w/bun and 1 spring roll. Not terrible.<br />
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In speaking with another neighbor..Jen & Jeremy, I realized that I was a little judgey. Jen&Jeremy (and yes you almost HAVE to say their names together) are crossfit people. Serious crossfit people. Jen&Jeremy don't have kids and don't have family in the area so they basically eat, breathe and sleep crossfit. Jen easily has at least 50 lbs on me but I had noticed her really starting to lean out since the new year. I made a point to let her know how fabulous she's looking these days (not in front of everyone because you never know if they really want to talk about it) and she told me that she actually hadn't lost any weight in the last couple months but she's lost inches and it's redistributing. You can really tell. I recall first meeting her at the end of last year and she'd been doing crossfit for a year already and I thought "Hmmmm...really?" Because she was still SO big. People like me should know better. Last night we were talking about her progress and she made a comment that my clothes were looking a little baggy so I confessed that I've back to try to lose weight and told her a snapshot of my history...basically that I lost and have now regained 70 lbs. She was very sympathetic and invited me inside. She keeps her "fat picture" up on the fridge and wanted to share with me how far she'd come. Holy rolls batman! She was a really big girl. She went on to tell me that she lost all of it, got the plastic surgery on her arms and boobs and then proceeded to regain most of it back so she totally gets where I'm coming from. She invited me to "bring a friend day" at her crossfit gym to try it out. She kept it open ended because she knows people like me aren't great with follow through and it may take time to build up the courage. But I've decided to take her up on her offer. I don't know when. Maybe not for a little while, but eventually. It also reminded me to keep my judgment in check AND to not be afraid to reach out to people. You can find support where you least expect it.<br />
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Other than get drunk, we did very little over the weekend because I have strep throat. Bah! I've been drinking a lot of hot tea because I'm trying to avoid cough drops at 12 calories a pop. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGiLEQYwgreR-y52-C1LZSWDsmGgFAzl6fwedvEep633oLox13oyasd4ZphyphenhyphenUhGJzlN1yaGIgjAHqGY4pPFycRh6I4j8-xwGa4Hpd11lVY1fSFLAhCJkzoN9i2dkwczKNhkVJ5PbcKp8/s1600/cough+drops.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsGiLEQYwgreR-y52-C1LZSWDsmGgFAzl6fwedvEep633oLox13oyasd4ZphyphenhyphenUhGJzlN1yaGIgjAHqGY4pPFycRh6I4j8-xwGa4Hpd11lVY1fSFLAhCJkzoN9i2dkwczKNhkVJ5PbcKp8/s1600/cough+drops.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've had about 6 of these this weekend. UGH.</td></tr>
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I also geeked out a little bit over the weekend. I bought a Star Wars sweater in an XL because it was a mall store and they run small. Honestly, I'm scared to try on the XL, worried that it won't fit. It's the type that looks better bigger and since it's still 90 degrees out, I can hold off a little. The other piece I got, I can wear now.<br />
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Told you I was a geek. <br />
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Maddie was sick last week so I totally blame the little petri dish for getting me sick, but I'm feeling a little better today. It might because she and I had some awesome nurses.<br />
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I walked the girls to the bus stop so I got my first mile in this morning and I'm going to make Hubby walk with me tonight to get my second mile. And so we begin another week...<br />
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-55888040983797863862015-08-28T05:46:00.004-07:002015-08-28T05:46:20.935-07:00Gym Etiquette QuestionFirst, Can I get a Hell Yeah for going to the gym? HELL YEAH!<br />
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Alright, so the workout wasn't GREAT but I went, I did, I sweated and that's SOMETHING. It's been over a year since I went. It's only the beginning. I'm starting slow. I'm going just twice a week and continue walking on the days I don't go. I'll build up from there. At least that's the plan. I was bribing myself to go yesterday, promising myself a small Starbucks coffee after my workout. I ended up not getting Starbucks and instead bought one of these. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too lazy to rotate it. Sorry. But this is a flavored water drink with 0 calories and 0 sugar but a few vitamins. Tasted pretty good.</td></tr>
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But this leads me to my etiquette question.<br />
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So I love watching TV while I do cardio. It makes the time go by faster. My old choice was trashy reality TV but I can't even stomach that anymore. Instead, I decided to try Game of Thrones. Hubby watches it and loves it but I've never seen it so I started with Season 1, Episode 1. <br />
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Not sure if you all are familiar with this show but there is A LOT of violence and A LOT of boobies. And some scenes are basically softcore porn. I didn't realize that before I chose this particular show. Trouble is, I like the show. I watch it on my phone while I'm on an elliptical or something with my headphones in. So my question is if it's gym appropriate? I mean...there aren't any kids in my gym but I could see where some people might be offended by it if they look over and see particularly risky scenes. On the other hand, it's on an iphone with headphones so they'll only see if it they actually look over to see what I'm watching. In which case, they get what they deserve for their nosiness, right? I don't want to be a bad gym person though so please let me know what the rule is on this.<br />
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No big plans this weekend. A neighbor is turning 50 so we're having a little gathering for him. My oldest daughter is sick so she's home with me today. I'm trying to get an appointment with the doctor to make sure it's not strep throat. I'm starting to feel crappy today too so hoping we don't spend the whole weekend sick. <br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-30834337222315188642015-08-27T05:54:00.000-07:002015-08-27T05:54:00.756-07:00Thirsty ThursdayAs part of my return to healthy living, I have given up alcohol during the week. I still enjoy a couple glasses of wine on the weekend, which includes Friday night but that's the goal. During my hiatus from banded life and really just not giving a fuck, I was having at least one glass of wine every night. And I especially enjoyed Wine Down Wednesday. The girls had gymnastics so I would hit a happy hour with Hubster or even by myself and enjoy a glass of wine and some appetizers. (Seriously...can't figure out how I've regained all my weight. Facepalm!) Anywhoozle, breaking this routine has proven more difficult than I thought it would be. The girls' gymnastics days moved so over the summer, I started Thirsty Thursday with the same basic premise as Wine Down Wednesday. I'm proud to say that since surgery, I haven't partaken in the festivities but I still find myself wanting to. SIGH. Oh well. <br />
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Eating has been on target this week. This is what I've been having for lunch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAttLLbVkmRevDKs272FNbMmKk8FURSKTXlnJMBg7TCCi6QoI26735ZSRsn6JH68o3FNvPOfRQV5OV3Q4GksQknbi8HHNw4EndC41ODFwGbsGpB_ezUzmUgQf4UaXfyyKXN7L9Hqn8TyU/s1600/IMG_4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAttLLbVkmRevDKs272FNbMmKk8FURSKTXlnJMBg7TCCi6QoI26735ZSRsn6JH68o3FNvPOfRQV5OV3Q4GksQknbi8HHNw4EndC41ODFwGbsGpB_ezUzmUgQf4UaXfyyKXN7L9Hqn8TyU/s1600/IMG_4522.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp (only 6 after the first day) and Veggies with BBQ sauce.</td></tr>
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This week, I've been eating 3 times a day. My first meal is brunch around 10:30 or 11. I have a snack around 3 or 4 and then dinner between 7-8. Meal sizes are about the size as the lunch above and the snack is usually a turkey cheese roll up or some raw veggies with ranch. I feel good about this plan but I suppose we'll see what the scale says next week. I've been walking 2 miles a day with the dogs and I've noticed my bigger dog (I say "bigger" but that's only because the small dog is SO small. My "big" dog is less than 25 lbs) is starting to lean out a little so that makes me feel like a good pup parent.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ga2NaFUKpGGYWmw3l0s-2I32PuUk9M3XHRuCHZazriKWFyWDT6OnX3Wm1CM5RMUo7c7F6_oeexCYVBnFP6pXGJZOKW8Cb0tCZD3e-WCr6yZnm6iGnMlHPLLQUmVCsGvwgQUiuJyonoI/s1600/IMG_4521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ga2NaFUKpGGYWmw3l0s-2I32PuUk9M3XHRuCHZazriKWFyWDT6OnX3Wm1CM5RMUo7c7F6_oeexCYVBnFP6pXGJZOKW8Cb0tCZD3e-WCr6yZnm6iGnMlHPLLQUmVCsGvwgQUiuJyonoI/s1600/IMG_4521.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They love their new toy. Passed right out after a rousing game of tug of war with it. </td></tr>
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Hubby has started walking with me on Mondays and Wednesdays so that's been good for him too. He's trying to eat more how I eat and he's even talking about seeing the doc for a fill (he's banded) so we'll see if he actually goes through with it. It seems we're never motivated at the same time which makes everything more difficult but I think we might actually be in sync this time. <br />
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Only one more day until Friday. Can't wait!MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-36771260306384776942015-08-24T05:03:00.004-07:002015-08-24T05:03:25.405-07:00Day 47 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 47 Weigh In: 205<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -1/2<br />
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ARGH! I tended to graze this week and I think this ultimately led to small loss. I will work to limit that this week and find other ways to deal with my stress!<br />
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-2020419533988037582015-08-21T05:14:00.002-07:002015-08-21T05:14:30.206-07:00Emotional Eating<br />
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I don't know why but I was feeling crazy low yesterday. It was brought on by a series of small yet irritating things that I just couldn't seem to let go of. Things like arguing with the School District's Transportation Department regarding the location of the girls' bus stop, dealing with a ridiculously condescending attorney at work, forgetting to email my insurance renewal to the mortgage company (did that again today), fretting over the state of the house (it's a mess!) and then eating my feelings. <br />
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I grazed more yesterday than I have since before the preop diet. I had my coffee in the a.m. but had an early lunch of my glazed pork chop and rice (correct portion). I don't know if it's because I ate early but then I had an early afternoon snack of cheese and crackers, THEN stopped at Starbucks and got a Tall Caramel Light Frappuccino and chocolate chip cookie! And THEN I still ate dinner. Dinner was healthy...steak kabob and mashed sweet potatoes. I tracked all that on MFP and came up with 1160 calories for the day with WAY too much sugar. Is this a better fuck up day than before? Absolutely. Is this why I got cut open again? Absolutely NOT. I've got to find a better way to deal with my emotions.<br />
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That being said, today is a new day and my meals are planned. I'm going to power through any hormonal urges to drown sorrow in food.<br />
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<br />MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-90727721651618679072015-08-17T06:32:00.001-07:002015-08-18T05:21:02.589-07:00Day 40 Weigh InPreOp Diet Weigh In: 226<br />
Surgery Day Weigh In: 218.5<br />
Day 40 Weigh In: 205.5<br />
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Change Since Last Week: -2<br />
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Another 2 lbs down and officially 20 lbs down from presurgery weight! Very happy about that. The family and I went camping over the weekend. This is not my favorite activity. Don't get me wrong. I like the outdoors. I like hiking, kayaking, nature walking, the beach...the works. But I also like air conditioning and my bed. A LOT. But the kids and Hubby love it so I sucked it up. I did indulge in s'mores, about 3/4 of a hot dog, some chips and a muffin top. But still 2 lbs down. So loving it!<br />
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And so it is Monday... Maddie had an orthodontist appointment today. I can't get over how expensive these braces are but it went well...we're seeing good movement and she'll most likely be getting her bottom braces on before the end of the year (she only has top ones so far). Hubby has a job interview tomorrow in Savannah (2 hours away) so it'll just be a girls' night tonight. I hope the interview goes really well. He's pretty miserable in his current position so fingers crossed they offer him the job. We would definitely have some logistics to work out but I think it would be worth it. <br />
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I don't find camping relaxing. I'm absolutely exhausted today and have a fully packed week ahead of me. But I'm looking on the bright side and always searching for that happy place.<br />
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-59051970765652773882015-08-14T05:52:00.001-07:002015-08-14T05:52:28.022-07:00Week in Review 8/14/15This has been a tiring week despite not doing a whole lot. The kids are back in school so we're trying to find a routine that works for us. I learned a couple things as the first week of school drew to a close:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Some parents are crazy lazy.</li>
<ul>
<li>Let me elaborate on this one. My girls are taking a bus to school this year. The bus does not come into the neighborhood and instead picks up the kids at the entrance to the neighborhood. We are pretty much the furthest from the entrance as you can get. We are the ONLY ones who WALK to the bus stop. Every other parent drives their kid to the bus stop and then drives home. It's not even like they are their way to work or something. I just find this insane. We're the furthest and it's .4 miles to the bus stop. That isn't THAT far. If my fat ass can walk down their with the kids, so can yours. So, of course, my little one (she's almost 8) asks why I won't drive them to the bus stop like the other parents. I looked at her and said "Because it's just laziness. There's no reason to drive to the bus stop."</li>
</ul>
<li>Some parents are just crazy.</li>
<ul>
<li>Most of the parents think I'm nuts because 1) I'm letting the kids walk home by themselves and 2) I don't actually stand there and wait for the bus to pick the kids up before walking home. My oldest is in 5th grade. I was staying home ALONE by the time I was in 5th grade. And it wouldn't be so awful for my kids to walk home alone (it's just residential...they don't have to cross a street or anything) if YOUR kids were walking too instead of you picking them up. And all you other drivers are causing a hazard with your line of cars waiting for the bus. I walk the kids to the bus stop in the morning because I don't trust them to keep up the pace necessary for them to get to the stop on time. But once we're there and there are 20 kids and approximately 30 parents, I see no reason to stay to make sure they actually don't go wandering off away from the crowd (they know better) and to get their butt on the bus. They know if the bus doesn't come, they're supposed to walk home and get me. I don't see what's so difficult here.</li>
</ul>
<li>I've been walking 2 miles a day this week! </li>
<ul>
<li>Doing the math of .4 miles to the bus stop and I've taken them and picked them up for the first week, I've been walking almost 2 miles a day! It feels good using some of those muscles again and the dogs are loving it!</li>
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My food has been pretty on target with a few exceptions. The portions look good. They've been looking like this (before and afters):</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZLlL7vpWPBvY19n5LWTe0ZtCdTn9XffVsQwbc15vgvNLM5JNkI4EMYaIQGs1N00afISPCZCnkWPgqpfO5LCnB8di6t2w7KoN5gOwFpjtGNuqrxTHQWQg9GGUWmRc6WHGnyQxSdQnnEU/s1600/IMG_4467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFZLlL7vpWPBvY19n5LWTe0ZtCdTn9XffVsQwbc15vgvNLM5JNkI4EMYaIQGs1N00afISPCZCnkWPgqpfO5LCnB8di6t2w7KoN5gOwFpjtGNuqrxTHQWQg9GGUWmRc6WHGnyQxSdQnnEU/s320/IMG_4467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I ate the chicken but left a little rice. Keep in mind, this is a small plate, not a dinner plate. And those are my pups begging for food. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh827AX92QvFbd2NSkONBEt8eQ0riki22v0p2V6rocG6HSVXUZp5YoWbR7Am-fMN1wqwFyaMWqRzxzLm23Pbt3hep2dl6IyK8AnxKgl3G6bI7Dt9hZpVZm8wI7QY0GRXtwcqBj8RTTkfTw/s1600/IMG_4471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh827AX92QvFbd2NSkONBEt8eQ0riki22v0p2V6rocG6HSVXUZp5YoWbR7Am-fMN1wqwFyaMWqRzxzLm23Pbt3hep2dl6IyK8AnxKgl3G6bI7Dt9hZpVZm8wI7QY0GRXtwcqBj8RTTkfTw/s1600/IMG_4471.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken on top of half a potato.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeIDhsQwm9uvaTZ6GLZxrNmjF0IesZgMpKS8FRUZr6_wxInYuTjunmBDyST59_wpZAEHdi3ZUFfeI7W1GdyszFG5sVRDYSE1iTRNWAuKJzgQLWr0eKR2qttgFrRZ1M6Qqi_M9jAx-zNE/s1600/IMG_4472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAeIDhsQwm9uvaTZ6GLZxrNmjF0IesZgMpKS8FRUZr6_wxInYuTjunmBDyST59_wpZAEHdi3ZUFfeI7W1GdyszFG5sVRDYSE1iTRNWAuKJzgQLWr0eKR2qttgFrRZ1M6Qqi_M9jAx-zNE/s1600/IMG_4472.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My girls love smoothies but I made way too much so decided to have one too. I would say I drank about 4 ounces of it before I was full. Ingredients: Spinach, frozen mixed berries, 1 scoop banana protein powder and a little green tea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I did NOT go back to the gym as I had planned. As I've been walking the girls to school, I realized my shoes are no bueno. I've got blisters all over my feet! I'm buying a new pair this weekend so that should help.</div>
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Weekend plans including a camp out Saturday night. I'm not big on camping. I love the IDEA of camping but not so much the sleeping in a tent thing. Then Sunday we have a cookout in the same state park with Hubby's coworkers. I just hope the weather holds out.</div>
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Friday Funny:</div>
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3567385775542087238.post-19632491839773480032015-08-11T06:15:00.003-07:002015-08-11T06:15:28.428-07:00Coke For Weight Loss?No, not THAT kind of coke. I saw this article in Fortune about Coca Cola funding a study to show that weight loss is about exercise and not food. The link is <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/08/10/coke-weight-loss/">here</a> but it's a short article, so I've copied and pasted it below. I've added my comments in purple. <br />
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<h1 class="article-headline" itemprop="headline" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #151515; font-family: 'Miller Display Roman', georgia, serif; font-size: 56px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 56px; margin: 32px 0px; padding: 0px;">
Coke is funding scientists with a controversial weight loss message</h1>
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They say weight loss is more about exercise and less about your diet.</div>
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Coca-Cola is providing millions of dollars in funding for a non-profit group that argues weight-conscious Americans should be paying more attention to exercise and less attention to their diet, <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Miller Display Italic', georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The New York Times</span> <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/coca-cola-funds-scientists-who-shift-blame-for-obesity-away-from-bad-diets/?_r=1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">reports</a>. <span style="color: purple;">This is why you should always, always, always look into who is paying for a particular study. They aren't often completely unbiased. They are looking for specific results so they will engineer a study to get it. </span></div>
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“Most of the focus in the popular media and in the scientific press is, ‘Oh they’re eating too much, eating too much, eating too much’ — blaming fast food, blaming sugary drinks and so on,” says Steven N. Blair, vice president of the group, known as the <a href="https://gebn.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Global Energy Balance Network</a>, in <a href="http://www.sharewik.com/portfolio-items/the-global-energy-balance-getting-the-word-out/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">a video</a>. “And there’s really virtually no compelling evidence that that, in fact, is the cause.” <span style="color: purple;">This is actually just a bold faced lie. It's not just that people are eating too much, it's WHAT they're eating. And as far as compelling evidence goes... Try this study on for siz</span>e <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3044163/">here</a>. <span style="color: purple;">This is a metadata study meaning it's a STUDY OF STUDIES. To lose weight, food is the biggest piece of it. </span></div>
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Two universities that employ leaders of the Global Energy Balance Network told the <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Miller Display Italic', georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Times</span> that Coca-Cola had donated $1.5 million last year to start the organization, and that the company had provided close to $4 million in funding for other projects spearheaded by two members from the group. <span style="color: purple;">That's a lot of money to throw in there to get your way. </span></div>
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Health experts are calling Coca-Cola’s motives into question, especially in a<a href="http://fortune.com/2015/03/26/soda-sales-drop-2014/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">longstanding era of declining soda sales</a>.</div>
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“The Global Energy Balance Network is nothing but a front group for Coca-Cola,” Marion Nestle, author of the book <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Miller Display Italic', georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Soda Politics </span>and a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, told the<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Miller Display Italic', georgia, serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Times</span>. “Coca-Cola’s agenda here is very clear: Get these researchers to confuse the science and deflect attention from dietary intake.” <span style="color: purple;">Eh. She obviously isn't in favor of soda companies based on her book but she does have good credential so this one could go either way. </span> </div>
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This isn’t the first time Coca-Cola has tried to popularize the idea that its products are healthier than believed. In February, it was <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/food/coke-makes-push-to-market-soda-as-healthy-snack-113779741886.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">reported</a> that fitness and nutrition experts wrote Coke-endorsed online pieces for American Hearth Month arguing that a mini-can of Coke could be a healthy treat. Last year, the American Beverage Association, which represents Coke and Pepsi, <a href="https://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/oby20737.pdf" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">published</a>findings of a study that suggested diet soda could aid in weight loss, a result that’s been <a href="http://time.com/3746047/diet-soda-bad-belly-fat/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 50%; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec412e; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">refuted elsewhere</a>. <span style="color: purple;">I won't get into all the bad stuff diet soda can do to you. I think we all know that calorie wise, it's better but there are a lot of other effects of aspertame that aren't healthy. </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple;">My personal view on this is that people should exercise for their health and it can aid in weight loss. However, I'm of the opinion that food is 80% of the battle for weight loss and that's where the focus should be if your main goal is lowering the number on the scale. </span></div>
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MandaPandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03362923550051566309noreply@blogger.com1