New England Bariatric Support

starting up again, moving on with life,

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:17:42 -0700

As one of the greats said in his day said " Oh, the pain, the pain " Dr. Smith: = Jonathan Harris .
And this is a sentiment that I can agree with. Coming up on the fourth anniversary of my surgery and yes, I have let my blog slack, but i feel the need to get it going again.
Part of it is, the pain. I have been having a lot of trouble lately with my joints, particularly my hands , knees, ankles and feet.Enough so that finally I went to a neurologist to find out what was going on. Hands sore all the time, knees had bee a LOT better since losing all my weight , and yes , i now i have added some weight back on, but not enough to cause the pain in my knees .Besides , that wouldn't explain the numbness in my hands and feet. Nope, it's not diabetes either , that has been tested to death.
Apparently, I am one of those lucky people that have unexplained neuropathy , basically nerve damaged that cannot be explained but is there , not lupus or ms, Fibromyalgia or anything that can be really explained away other then the nerves aren't working right resulting in pain. A constant , aching pain. whoopie. On the 1-5 scale , its usually a 1, sometimes it can run at 2 . This is almost everyday, almost all day, oh joy.
So my Dr's have started me on some meds to help manage the aches, its a slow process, its a building up a tolerances to them system, especially the Cymbalta. The other one at least helps me sleep. Is the process effective. Time will tell, during the day my hands are better, not as sore and stiff, but i can tell when the meds wear off at the end of the day, and my knees never really stop hurting , so its still wait and see.

Peace

MiniMarc

Sin City or Its Candy Apple Time Again

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 21:26:14 -0700

ahhh its that time of year again , the fabulous Mini Mich and I are back in the Candy Apple again , making our apples and fudge and whoopie pies. Just what we need. Stress and food.
It can be done , but it is a lot of work trying to keep everything under control , first we both hate candy apples , lol. so from that we are safe! We probably have made 10,000 by now after 30 years of doing this so yep pretty tired of looking at them.
Mostly its the people we love to see and talk to , some of them are actually the children we sold to coming now with THEIR children ! Boy does that make us feel old.
For the rest of the stuff we make , ehh is not bad, fudge doesn't tempt me, but the pies do, mmmmm whoopie pie still haven't got the Pumpkin one quite right yet.
but Mich does make an awesome sugar free apple pie for me

So , we have both been asked to talk at the seminars for the surgical presentations , mine is Sept 28 and Mich is mm, probably Oct 4 . So any one that reads this looking for info on the ups and downs of bariatric surgery can talk to us in person at the seminar , mine is at Benjiman's in Taunton so there you go.

Peace
MiniMarc

Back in the saddle

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 21:15:37 -0700

Hi all,
Well its about time that I get back on the horse and start working on this again
Life is full of ups and downs, life here has been rather stressful and partly I just haven't been in a good place to work on the blog . I know THAT is not an excuse to NOT do it but that's is the truth,. its like everything else. If your going to go about it half arsed , why bother?
Hmmmm, were to start? Our 8 month old grandson is doing ok, after the last trip to Children's Hospital for respiratory failure he is doing good, we are keeping our fingers crossed. The first one was so severe it almost ended up as a Life Flight out of the E.R. The second one managed to be an ambulance ride and only a couple of days in intensive care.
And yep we did see the bill for the first one 73k for a 10 day stay . Thank god for insurance.

My youngest daughter has had here surgery and has done awesome with it !! she has just celebrated her one year mark and made it to 160 lbs down Hows that?!! and now my older daughter is in the program too!!

I am going to start trying to put something in every night or every other night if I can, I have been by BariatricSupplements.com and picked up some new proteins to try so you will be getting my reviews of those this week, along with the couple of restaurants we went to while on vacation this past week.

3 years and counting this month

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 08:35:49 -0700

my goal is to get back on to writing about life again and try and keep things rolling along. Things HAVE been rather hectic around here for MiniMich and me , for the last couple of months . And it really doesn't look like we are going to get much of a reprieve from some of the bull@#$@ that is still floating around adding stress to us .
Tonight when I finally have more time to sit back down I will tell a couple of the things that are driving us crazy .
Some we have managed to work through , some are still banging our heads against.

Peace

am a bad bad boy

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:31:35 -0700

s'okay I have been bad, spank me, take away my debit card. lol
But seriously, I have been bad, the hungers are back. Sigh, It will always happen , eventually, this just means I have to work harder to keep them in check AND watch my weight again even closer.

Grandkids and life

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:13:56 -0700

ahh thats what its all About!! living long enough to actually get to play with the gran kids, that's what it was all about having the surgery for weight-loss.
Fri is the day my wife , the fabulous MiniMich volunteered to watch not one but 2 of the little buggers!! And as I am on vacation this week I get to help. The 2 year old is a handful so we are going to make pumpkin whoopee pies to sell in the Candy Apple , lol and yes we are on face book, soon apparently to be having a website too.
The 8 week old , is a lot of fun, lets face it just sitting and cuddling a new baby is a good thing.
They are what made all the time, effort and stress that we put into this makes it all worth while

WLS and Stress

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 21:03:46 -0700

Yes indeed, its a proven fact, stress and WLS can work , but it all depends on YOU!
I will be the first to say, I am not an angel in Bariatric eating, goodness knows I do try but we all have good and bad days. As my stress levels go up, the will power goes down, it takes a lot of extra work to get through the problems. It is a heck of a lot easier to just find something to eat and snack your brains out, but, and this is the big one, How do YOU feel AFTER? Ask yourself was it worth it? I have to admit , I have said to heck with it and done just that. The after math is oh so NOT good.
So I have to ask myself, WAS it worth it? honest answer , I thin i would have been better off not doing it . Hind sight is a great thing, IF we can but see .
We are supposed to learn from the past, and having the WLS did make that easier, we all have a future now , Lets make sure we are here for it.

Peace

MiniMarc

Fall and Falling

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 23:48:36 -0700

ha, bet you all thought I had dropped of the face of the earth, but nope am still here, been dealing with a lot of crap between work and the house.
The house has been the biggest problem and dealing with an ongoing bullshit from a neighbor that been running for 9 or so years involving cutting the grass next to my drive way on the right of way. (no non no you cannot cut the grass, Its MY land!!!) Whatever.
I will put up some pics when I have a chance to show the kind of BS that's been pulled on us over the last 9 years, but no , no names will be used to protect the overbearing obnoxious a##holes.
I mean , who the heck wants to look at one of those frigging orange snow fences leaning over the drive way for 2 YEARS, ( " I put it there to protect you during construction "says OOA . )funny, only was put on our side of the property along with NO TRESPASSING signs. Whatever.
Yep this all leads to stress, and we all know where that goes, back to food. hmm , wonder if I could sue for that. mental anguish and suffering?

Coffffeeeeeeee ,mmmmmmmmmmm

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:30:21 -0700

COFFFEEEEEEE , mmmmmmmmmmm, "now say it moaning like a zombie!!!"

If you don't know it I am a coffee freak since my WLS, never really liked it before but , oh MY give me that manna NOW!!
I have been a big advocate for cold brewed coffee ever since i found it. For those of you that don't want to make your own to find out the difference , go to a Borders book store , they serve it in their cafe's Seattle's Best Cold BREWED coffee. Give it a shot. If you like it let me know, I will be glad to hear from you and share how I make my own, or just check the old posts and you will find a simple method and links on how.
In the mean time here's a nice work over from our gal pal Hungry Girl, she does a damn good job of working over those bad for us things and coming up with alternates.

Play It Cool...

We're big fans of Starbucks. But when the coffee chain comes out with a drink that's way higher in calories than need be, we bypass the real deal and make a delicious low-calorie swap... much like this one, our Cherry Bomb Iced Mocha!

Ingredients:
One 25-calorie packet hot cocoa mix (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestlé Fat Free)
2 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 tsp. fat-free non-dairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate)
1 1/2 tsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
2 tbsp. sugar-free calorie-free black cherry syrup (Torani's is the best!)
1/4 cup Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place cocoa mix, coffee granules, powdered creamer, and 1 tsp. chocolate chips in a large glass. Add 1/4 cup very hot water and stir until ingredients have completely dissolved.

Add soymilk, syrup, and 1/2 cup cold water. Mix well. Add lots of ice (crushed is best!), and top with Reddi-wip. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tsp. chocolate chips. Now enjoy!

Serving Size: 1 large drink with whipped topping (entire recipe)
Calories: 114
Fat: 2.5g
Sodium: 193mg
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 1.5g
Sugars: 9g
Protein: 4g

POINTS® value 2*

compared to the original Star$

Serving Size: Grande (16 oz.) w/ 2% milk and whipped topping
Calories: 370
Fat: 17g
Sodium: 70mg
Carbs: 55g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 46g
Protein: 9g

POINTS® value 8*

and yes i noticed the difference in the protein, but hey add Chocolate Protein powder instead of instant cocoa or just use a unflavored protein , just make sure you check the calories

Good for you Summer time food

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 10:23:20 -0700

Lets eat summer time food , one of my favorites is a German potato salad, HG has made a good change up for you to look at !!

ingredients:
1 head cauliflower, cored and roughly chopped
10 oz. baby red potatoes, roughly chopped
3 cups dry coleslaw mix
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
3 tbsp. precooked real crumbled bacon (like the kind by Oscar Mayer)
2 tbsp. Hellmann's/Best Foods Dijonnaise
1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash black pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Directions:
Place cauliflower and potatoes in a large microwave-safe bowl with 1/3 cup water. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes. Stir, re-cover, and microwave for 8 minutes, or until tender. Once cool enough to handle, drain excess water and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add coleslaw mix and onion. Stirring frequently, cook until soft and slightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add contents of the skillet to the bowl with the cauliflower and potatoes. Set aside.

To make the dressing, combine all remaining ingredients except scallions in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tbsp. water, stir, and microwave for 1 minute, or until warm. Mix thoroughly.

Add dressing to the large bowl with veggies and potatoes, and toss to coat. Add scallions, gently mix, and serve! (P.S. If you're making this ahead of time, refrigerate and then warm it up just before serving.)

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Serving Size: heaping 3/4 cup
Calories: 85
Fat: 0.75g
Sodium: 324mg
Carbs: 16g
Fiber: 3.25g
Sugars: 6g
Protein: 3.5g

POINTS® value 1

Compare that with the original German Salad

Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Calories: 305
Fat: 12g
Sodium: 555mg
Carbs: 42g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 14g
Protein: 6g

POINTS® value 7*

and here's a link to the original

Hg German Potato Salad

summer time blue

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 09:52:38 -0700

Ahh gotta love summer, 60 degrees to 106 , only in New England !! LOL,
in my business , HVAC , this is a big deal for us and a big problem for Gastric bypass people in general . Its all about the water. Hydration is the key . We work in 135 degree attics and more, the other day i got a156 degree reading on a roof with the infrared gun , its WAY to easy to dehydrate in those temps,. And i cant stand taking salt tabs to help retain the moisture.For some reason the really upset my stomach, Gatorade , ummm, I know a lot of you are thinking that, but make sure you check the sugar level in in a lot of its is extremely high with fructose and glucose .
We have to make sure we drink more then 64 oz a day, because we lose it too fast, and lets face it a lot of time just getting any wheres near 64 ounces in a Gastric . It usually means that to get enough liquids , I have to cut back on solid foods.So yes , that means the dreaded protein drinks, at least Its a liquid with a lot of proteins and does double duty. Hydration and pushing the proteins high so that at least I can eat a meal at home when i finally get there.

life, food and stress

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 07:25:36 -0700

how many people actually know themselves?
I thought that after almost 2.5 years that I would not be having any problems with life, I mean lets face it the big thing was to have made the choice to have the WLS and work to keep it off after.
Its still easy to fall back into the old habits even after that amount of time. Stress is one reason why. We all get it in different ways, business, the economy, health, just plain worrying or anything . Family trouble, life in general.
It's way to easy to fall back and frankly just UNDO all the good that you have done for yourself . So don't reach for that cookie or pastry or cup of coffee. [my big thing right NOW]
Look and see what's the problem and make an effort to figure out whats bugging you and then work to find a way around the problem and still be happy.
Try just writing your thoughts down , even if after you do you shred the evidence .It helps. Start writing your food journal again, and add your mood when your eating, it helps.Talk to people, don't go and sit and watch tv or veg, stay active and social. It helps. Make sure you don't stop taking any meds WITHOUT talking to your Med posse, that can be a major problem, and yes I am guilty of this one myself , i scaled back my antidepressants and life was miserable, so yes I am taking them the way I am supposed to again. It helps.
You are stronger then you think. You took the hardest step , and you can prove to everyone that you are not taking the easy way out , stick to the program. They easy way would be to just eat what we used to, and not redo our life the way WE want.
This is hard, food is the only addiction that you can NEVER totally get away from.Live to eat, eat to live. Hard cycle of life for sure.
We are stronger then you ever believed , we all can do this. remember that, you are not alone , that you can talk to people who are doing this , have done this and still are doing this.Together we are able to move mountains, and not just the mashed potatoes ones

switching the life

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:59:52 -0700

my daughter had the surgery week ago , and MiniMich and I couldn't be happier. We have been really , really trying to not pressure her into this and she finally had decided to have RnY on her own.
After losing the gained water weight she lost 15 lbs in the first WEEK!! she has already lost 6 more in 3 days , so we are really really pleased with her effort for this .
She had been having a little trouble like we all do, finding the time to get everything IN! Drinking all that water, taking all her vitamins and calcium , remember those days?
I have to admit in a way its helping myself with helping her by being supporting of her efforts, after a little over 2 years you kinda get stuck in your patterns and its easy to slide a little and eat the wrong things for the wrong reasons. All the more reason to keep a food log and journal everything !

For a quick review I bring you

Gotein Protein To Go
Simply Add to Your Water Bottle
Gotein™ Protein to Go, helps refuel the body, and improves lean muscle mass while burning fat. Perfect for the sports minded person of all ages on the go. Whether engaging in a high energy sport, exercising or just looking for a healthy boost. Gotein™ is ideal at any stage of your day.

Drink approximately 1/3 of a 16.9 fl. oz water. Add complete packet of Gotein™ to your water bottle, swirl and shake well until completely dissolved and enjoy a tasty, low carb shake!

Best to use Gotein™ between 20 to 30 minutes before and after exercise or active sport. Can also be used 30 to 45 minutes before meals to help curb your hunger. Available in three delicious flavors - Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla.

OK lets give it a wizz, I made it EXACTLY the way it said to, the vanilla , which is one of my favorite flavors, after pouring it in the bottle it actually looked like coconut milk, watery and kinda weird but heck i drank it anyway, lets just say I tossed the bottle in the fridge to get COLDER, after a couple of hours I tried it again, sigh another failure, it had that nasty protein taste and a weird after taste so i dumped out the bottle and recycled it.
I did buy a chocolate too , and gave it to Mich and my daughter J to give it a try. Mich made it up and handed it to me after she sampled it, all we both had to say was , yuck.
It LOOKED like yoohoo chocolate flavored water but man it was just to weird for us, she ended up dumping it out so I can definitely say this is NOT going to be on our to do list again. so lets do it

easy of making 5, lets face it , how hard is it to dump this in your bottle?
general appearance 1 , didn't even look appealing
taste 0 , yep , pretty ruff on this one , couldn't stand it

so we have 6 out of 15 ,
my opinion? not worth the money or even more, the calories

ca la vie

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 14:53:37 -0700

ok havent been updating lately , been busy with work for once and family life > Our daughter is going for r-n-y next week so I am going to have a lot more to talk about with this.
Lets get into the cruise we just did . It was totally awesome. The food was a little strange sometimes, but it was on the most part good. The NCL cruise line was so so on the food, the dining rooms did end up repeating themselves after a week but hey that's the paid for ones, the WANT you to go to the extra pay ones, kinda explains the slow service and mediocre food to me.
We did end up going 2 time to the sushi bar and Mexican restaurant and had fab meals in both .
For the most part even though we did a cruise Mich lost a .5 lb when we had gotten back and mine stated the same, so ITS possible to NOT go nuts on he cruise ship and eat yourself stupid and sick. the only thing we really didn't got to on the ship was the grand chocolate buffet, btdt, to much temptation and besides NCL is only so so hehehe.
For the most part the weather was like here, despite being the med. cold, and rainy.
Later I will try and get into a day by day for each country and what we ate.

Hola from Spain!!

nospam@example.com (MiniMarc) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 08:28:09 -0700

Hola everyone!!! MiniMich and I are in Spain having dinner and taps , I ordered a chicken salad and this is what poped out

chicken salad?

Needless to say Mich and I both had a good giggle over this one , a runny egg on a rice bed surronded with french dressing? chicken salad?