Well, apparently the family member is going under the knife this upcoming Friday to have the gastric bypass surgery. There is nothing that I can do. I was talking to my mom and while she thinks it is a crazy decision that this family member made, my mom was defending this persons choice. Why is she defending it? Because of a 'study' out there that shows that for diabetics they have found that within a few weeks post op that these newly gastric bypassed people are no longer diabetic. (first of all I said, who's doing this study...most likely the same doctors that are getting rich off of performing the surgeries) I started to argue the point that these patients are no longer diabetic because they are no longer eating the foods that cause their blood sugars to skyrocket and plummet! My mom was saying, "no, it's the surgery". I reminded her about the fact that ALL of the diabetics on the biggest loser turn it around and are no longer diabetic short way through the show! And they didn't have surgery. It's diet!!! My mom just doesn't want to hear it...because that pushes the fault of her type II diabetes even more fully onto her shoulders. Breaks my heart.

As expected, my weight popped up a bit this morning. Frustrating, but I know why (TOM) so I'm not worried about it. Eating...still plugging along and trying to be really conscious of points and calories!

Really considering dropping weight watchers. The only thing that is keeping me a member is the fact that if I can just get my weight down a bit more, I'll be back to lifetime status...and that is a good card to have in my pocket! Wimped out yesterday in reference to the outdoor bike ride. I ended up riding inside! :-) Hey, it was cold and windy!

Rambles and deep thoughts

Shhhhhhh don't get too excited yet, but this weeks weigh in looks pretty promising! :-) I'll know tonight at about 5 PM!

Training is going as well as it can be going when the weather outside is freakin' 20 degrees! Come on spring temperatures. I know you are out there. Get here already! Meanwhile, I truck along on the exercise bike as much as possible. I've been nailing some longer rides on the exercise bike...so I feel good about that. Riding until my legs have a little bit of that 'jelly feeling' in them is a good thing now-a-days. How sick is that, that I look forward to that feeling????

You know...I just like the Australian version of The Biggest Loser. they seem to go so much more in depth with the background of why the contestants are the way they are...and eating and all that jazz. I was watching an episode from season three (yep, while riding the exercise bike) and one of the contestants participated in a temptation to win immunity. He ate well over 1000 calories as he participated....and LOST anyway! He was just so upset and bummed out that he went to the kitchen and had lunch (right after the temptation where he ate 1000 empty calories). Ohh it wasn't just lunch. It was lots of bread, 14 cookies (at 100 calories a cookie), cheese, you name it...he had it. He ate something like 4000 calories during his binge. They showed it! Not that we needed to see him eating. But I think it's good to show that even though this guy had lost close to 50 kilos (we are talking 100 pounds here) he still so easily lost control and binged. It happens. And they took the opportunity to talk about how you deal with that. The trainer also talked about how she could tell immediately that 'something' was wrong even before he told her...simply in how his body was performing.

I'm going to revisit a rant I went on a while back about gastric bypass surgery and being bothered about it. Well, that family member has her date set....for the end of this month. WHY WHY WHY!!! Mom told me that in her words she said "I just stay away from food." Well, what is going to be different after you have the surgery? Your stomach will stretch again! Look at the guy (the father Ron) on the current season of The Biggest Loser. He had bypass and it didn't work! Ohh he lost the weight but he gained it back! Same thing with that girl on DietTribe (I think her name was Morgan). Bypass...and right back to 280 pounds! It's not the end all be all answer! I ran into a friend last week and somehow this bypass conversation came up. Turns out her brother-in-law had the lapband surgery back right around Thanksgiving (I think she said between Thanksgiving and Christmas). Two days before the surgery (and the last time he was supposed to eat before the surgery) he went out to Ryans...and totally ate himself silly. What is taht about? So anyway, he had the surgery and has been losing the weight. BUT my friend went on to say that he's figured out a trick. Apparently with the lapband, they leave a small portion of your stomach...so you eat until that is filled...and then when that is digested it passes through the small opening and then you can eat more....but you can't eat more until that is digested and passed through that opening. WELL, apparently her brother in law has figured out a way to beat the system , er lapband. He has figured out that he can eat until that 'space' is full...and then if he drinks a lot of water (quickly??) that it pushes that food past that narrow opening leaving that pouch available for more food...which of course he refills by eating...and then flushing. It took him what....3 months to figure out how to bypass the bypas (ok, a lapband, but bypassing the bypass sounded better)

I'm still really feeling led or called to do something to promote healthy living. To help people see that even though you may dig yourself into a pretty big hole with your weight, that it is NOT impossible to correct the problem naturally. I don't know how....but I'm thinking and I've started to seriously pray about it. The one thing that keeps popping up in my mind is becoming a nutritionist. I had looked at the certification programs...I'm not sure that is the route to go....so that leaves the RD (registered dietitian)...but that is more schooling.....which takes money. So we'll have to see about that. I've looked for non-profits to align myself with...but I'm not finding much. I found one coalition or some such group that looked big and well organized. But upon looking deeper noticed that they have links and support the gastric bypass stuff. And while I do think that there is a time and a place for those surgeries...I feel that it is becoming the 'quick fix' resort....and that is wrong in my book. So I don't want to align myself with a group that pushes gastric bypasses as the common solution. So I'm not sure what route to take...I just know that right now, my heart is really pulled in that direction.

My last thought of the day. (maybe) is why do we feel as if we need to eat something just because it's the consummate diet food. I was reading a post just recently where the author was talking about oatmeal. And how she never liked oatmeal...but she wants to eat it...and did we have any ideas how to make it more palatable. I threw some ideas out there (things that I do to my oatmeal) but then finished with "don't make yourself eat something just because you think it's healthy'. We need to eat what we like...otherwise we will NEVER have any success....at least with any longevity! Soooooo today, just a few minutes ago, I started eating my lunch....and what did I find in my lunchbox (yeah yeah yeah...I packed it..so I knew what was there beforehand) but yogurt. Ohhh goody! My favorite thing! NOT. I really do not like yogurt! So why do I continue to buy it? Is it because I have coupons and get it cheap? Well, even though I have coupons sometimes for the yogurt, the coupons alone do not make me buy the item. I mean, after all, I get coupons for Depends (yeah, the adult diaper) and I don't buy them! (thank goodness I don't NEED them) I dont' buy diapers and baby food..but I've had some good coupons. So no...that can't be it. Ohh wait, do I buy them and choke the yogurt down because it's healthy for me???? Ohhh yeah, that's it!! Even though my own advice was to not force yourself to eat foods that you do not like....even though it's healthy for you, there I was doing it! I thought about my advice and I just didn't have it in me to choke down that yogurt....so into the garbage it went. It's about time I started following my own advice!

Lunch is over now (yeah, I was eating while I typed that last paragraph). And like I promised, I'm done talking (typing ) for now.

Got up early this morning. Much earlier than I needed to be up in order to get to work at 9AM. Why? Well, I had some exercising to do. I rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes and then I pulled out the step and did 30 minutes of step aerobics. I haven't done step aerobics in ages. I was surprised. I thought I would struggle a bit more than I did. Tis all good. 1 hour down!

I'm a bit bothered today. Well, not bothered but just disturbed. I have a family member (through marriage) that is planning on having gastric bypass this year. I know, from talking to friends that have had this procedure done that they went through intense counselling and diet work in preparation. This family member has had NOTHING. They are just doing the surgery...pushing this person through. I wonder at how this person will handle the major change in their life that this surgery is going to bring. And I don't mean the obvious of now they are thin. I mean the changes in emotions. The changes in their eating. Let me also say that this person is not one of these 500 pound people. They are probably low to mid 200's. If you have to change your diet anyway due to the surgery...why not just do it naturally.

Ok...that said...that is NOT what disturbs me. Yeah, I don't agree with the quick fix surgery....what bothers me is that this person has a child. I wouldn't categorize the child as fat...but the child is ....well. Some of the words to describe this child would be sturdy and stocky. NOT good words for a girl. This girl is well on her way to having a weight problem. I can see the path that she is on and it breaks my heart. And then to hear that her parent is setting an example of getting the surgery....I'm just blown away. (as a side note, a while back this parent was trying to diet and eat healthy......great opportunity to feed your children healthy foods also right??? Nope.....the children continued eating the fried foods, fast foods, junk food, while this parent ate frozen 'healthy choice' dinner. I wanted to scream at that point). I worry about this little girl seeing that this is the 'fix' and not being taught and shown a healthy way. I worry about her.

Meanwhile, the American Cancer Society is doing some kind of thing locally (technically in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia...but since my bank is based out of WV, we...in the Sharpsburg branch are included) between all the banks in that you earn points based on healthy things that you do. 3 points for each flight of stairs you climb, 1 point for each minute of exercise, 1 point for each 8 ounce glass of water, 1 point for each serving of fruit or veggies. Basically things promoting a healthy lifestyle. The banks are all in competition. There is no prize...other than bragging rights. :-) My branch...we are all excited. First because we all have been talking about being healthy...and there are people in our branch that have been saying that they need to start. Secondly, there are a group of us that are HIGHLY competative. So it shoudl be fun. The problem....we may not have a snowballs chance in hell.....we are a small branch...which means we have to work double hard ...to make up for our lack of people! But it should be good for us!