Melting Mama | life after weight loss surgery, because it is for life.

Bring me some grits.

They say nobody does it like the folks down in Georgia.  That Southern Hospitality is at it's best there.  We shall see.  I found New York cold, fast and creepy, let's see about Atlanta.

Can I haz grits?  That's all I give a damn about.  Where Are The Grits?  Beth wants a tiny baby bowl of grits and bacon.  Please.  It's got to be tiny, because the love I have for grits does not outweigh the death they bring.

I guess this is to say - if I don't post again before then - I am getting up at dark o'thirty to leave at dark o'clock tomorrow morning.  I'm going sans laptop because, I think I left my umbilicus for it in Rye Brook.  I'm bitter about that hotel because they charged me for the interwebs which I never used, and bounced my checking account that I never use that I put "on file" for "incidentals."  I don't use "incidentals."  I know better than $The MiniBar$. 

I'm trying to finagle a few freebies for give-aways at the event - and finding my super-duty generic Spanx to shove my 15 lbs. of buttered bagel into last year's dress clothes. 

All I can say about that is, at least it's an Obesity HELP conference, because, I FIT THE HELL IN.  We ALL look like ME. 

I should feel the urge to let my bat wings fly there.  I should.  I don't.  But, I should.

If you're coming - see you there - talk to me. I don't know anybody - and even if I do - I won't remember you - so say HI!

Lap Band Surgery Effective For Morbidly Obese Children, Study Finds

Lap Band Surgery Effective For Morbidly Obese Children, Study Finds

ScienceDaily (Nov. 3, 2009) — A surgeon at Children's National Medical Center and his colleagues from New York University have found laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap band) to improve the health of morbidly obese adolescents.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, involved nearly 50 girls and boys ages 14-17. The participants showed significant decreases in total and android fat mass 2 years after surgery. Android fat has been linked to the development of obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and insulin resistance.

"This study is the first to demonstrate the improvements in overall health and distribution of weight loss after Lap band surgery in adolescents," said Evan Nadler, MD, the lead author and pediatric surgeon at Children's National. "While weight-loss surgery should always be a last resort for adults and adolescents, these findings show us that surgery in adolescents reduces the risk of significant health complications."

The study found that Lap band surgery improved glucose metabolism, reducing the adolescents' risk of developing insulin resistance. Additionally, bone mineral density was not impacted by the surgery, suggesting that bone growth is not affected.

Dr. Nadler is the co-director of the Obesity Institute at Children's National Medical Center, which is comprehensively addressing the epidemic of childhood obesity. Staff includes pediatricians, nutritionists, psychologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, and surgeons who treat patients and families in a clinical setting. The Obesity Institute also includes researchers looking at genetic differences and racial disparities, particularly among children and adolescents, as well as community-based research among different ethnic groups.

Dr. Nadler was an investigator for Allergan, which makes the device used in the study. Funding was provided by the Harris Obesity Prevention Effort at New York University and performed at NYU Medical Center.

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Journal reference:

1. Evan P. Nadler, Shivani Reddy, Anthony Isenalumhe, Heekoung A. Youn, Valerie Peck, Christine J. Ren, George A. Fielding. Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding for Morbidly Obese Adolescents Affects Android Fat Loss, Resolution of Comorbidities, and Improved Metabolic Status. Journal of the American College of Surgeons, 2009; 209 (5): 638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2009.07.022

Carnie Wilson Gets "Unstapled"

Uh, what?

It's not a revision, it's a reality television show, on the Game Show Network, which I admit that I have never even seen, but, Game Show?  My initial reaction is, "Why?"  Others are quite harsh.   I get that she's already done the Newlywed Game on this network, and I would totally watch a Carnie Reality Series, that is, if it's REAL and not game-show-y.  I loathe game shows.

As for the title of the reality series, I have to admit THAT is what sucked me in to the news article.  I was like, "WAIT, WHAT?  Is she anti-WLS now?  Are they making a series about a revision?  On the game show network?"  You see, "Unstapled," like, as in, "stomach stapling" an outdated term for weight loss surgery, and Gee That's Funny, Ha Ha?

Source:

Wilson, who has a newborn, Luci, and a toddler, Lola, with husband Rob Bonfiglio, said viewers will see her trying to take off about 50 pounds of "baby weight."

Besides her TV shows and music career that includes solo releases, Wilson is a spokeswoman for liteandhope.com, a support site for those suffering from morbid obesity. The "Unstapled" in the reality show's title is a play on Wilson's gastric-bypass surgery, which can involved stomach stapling, a GSN spokeswoman said.

Wilson also makes a line of desserts for a Los Angeles area candy shop SweetHarts, owned by actress Melissa Joan Hart. Wilson said that's a "passion" as much as a business. She likes feeding people, she said.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/carnie-wilson-unstapled-s_n_328270.html?view=print&cp

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/21/carnie-wilson-unstapled-s_n_328270.html?view=print&cp

Simple Slow Cooker Pea Soup

It's fall.  I crave fall-worthy foods in fall, and I seem to enjoy cooking more in the fall because of the experience.  The food smells.  The warmth?  Maybe. 

Pea Soup is one of my fall favorites, even if nobody in my house will touch the two quarts of it I end up with and eventually lose in the depths of the deep freeze.  But, it's SO inexpensive to make, I don't ever feel bad about losing it, even if I only eat two bowls worth.  ;)

Tyra's damned if she does or doesn't. Tyra Banks' Weight Loss.

Don’t beat yourself up with what-ifs

From motivational speaker Loretta LaRoche in my local paper:

It’s all well and good to visit the past if it serves as a way to learn valuable lessons that make life more meaningful. Unfortunately, most people act as if they are prisoners of their pasts. Albert Ellis, a renowned expert in the field of cognitive behavioral therapy, coined a phrase I absolutely love. He calls getting stuck in what-ifs – “should-ing on yourself.”

I should have gotten a different job. I should have married someone else. I should exercise more, eat better, and on and on. If you can relax and stop “should-ing on yourself,” you’re going to enjoy life much more.

Here are some steps to help you live more in the here and now:

– Whenever you get caught up in thinking about what you should have done, stop and think about what a waste of energy that is. You can’t go back and redo it, because that period of time has passed. As long as you’re still breathing, there’s a possibility that you can do it now. However, if you have no intention to follow through, give it up and move on.

– Buy yourself a whip and keep it handy. Every time you start to drown yourself or others in “should,” grab the whip and give yourself a good beating. You’re already self-flagellating, so why not literally do it.

– Keep a “should” journal. You’ll probably be shocked to discover how many times a day “shoulda, coulda, woulda” comes out of your mouth.

– There are certain things that have to be done in life. Do them to the best of your ability and then forget about them.

– Don’t allow “should-ing” to go on at home or at work. Ask people to express themselves in better ways. “Should-ing” is filled with judging and finding fault. As a result, our surroundings become a courtroom filled with prosecutors and attorneys. Life is too precious to waste on what might have been. Get over it, get on with it, and live “now.”

What she said. - MM