New house rule.

There's no crying., originally uploaded by Bethography.

MIL Update Part Deux.

She's "fine."  She's been removed from her blood pressure meds, but.. no diagnoses as to what happened with her chest pressure and slow heartrate.

Tab Energy?

I have a 'hood coke dealer.  He gave us a case of Tab Energy.  This means, I should be Feeling Quite Energized, right?  I mean, I've had two cups of coffee, which translates to 21 ounces of coffee so far... and now, I'm working on a Tab Energy.  Should I be able to leap buildings in a single bound soon?  Nah.  I don't get that kind of energy, ever, even highly caffeinated nearly all the time.  It's bizarre, and I've said this before:  Caffeine seems to have an equally opposite reaction on me - it seems to calm me more but at the same time makes me focus.  If focus helps my energy, fine.  (I don't focus.  I have issues with trains of thought derailing, hence the fact that I never finish anything I start.)

Anyways - about the Tab Energy Drink.  It's bizarre.  I don't know why it's called Tab - I thought Tab was initially a diet cola?  I am a little too young to have been a drinker of the old skool Tab, but I know it was a big deal back when I was little.

"TaB was Coca-Cola  Company's first sugar-free drink, introduced in 1963.  Its name was a  play on the notion of people keeping "tabs" on their weight."

I guess Coke is trying lure in the mid-aged women who may have been fans of the original?  (I can't imagine my mom trying this at ALL, to be perfectly honest.)  Or, maybe the younger than me set, who doesn't remember Tab, trying to be cool?  I don't know.

The facts:

Ingredients: Carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, natural and artificial flavors, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate (to protect taste), ginseng extract, caffeine, vegetable juice (for color), asesulfame potassium, sucralose, carnitine fumarate, niacinamide (Vitamin B3), pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Guarana extract, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12)

Nutrition Facts: Serving size: 1 can; Amount per serving: Calories: 5; Total fat: 0g; Sodium: 110mg; Total carbs: 0g; Protein: less than 1g; Niacin: 25%; Vitamin B6: 25%; Vitamin B12: 15%

It's pale pink, pretty!  It's carbonated.  It smells like, my four year old?  At first it tastes slightly fruity, partly like children's toothpaste.  It's not bad, just odd.  It's easier to drink than say, Monster Zero Carb, because it's not as vile a taste, maybe because it's meant for girls.  It leaves a funky mouth-feel, sort of dry and icky.  The after taste is not exactly pleasant, either.  It's chemically enhanced metallic flavor!

I've had about five of these since I got the case, and while they're "not awful" - I wouldn't physically pay my own money for them.  (But, for free, I'mma drink the suckers.)

Have you tried Tab Energy?

In a few months - they'll be beating each other up in the playpen.

, originally uploaded by Bethography.

In this corner, baby Triscuit.... in this corner, baby cousin E... DING DING DING!

MIL Update

MIL is having a little visit at the hospital.  Yesterday, while out walking at the mall, she had chest pressure and trouble breathing, enough to make her sit down and stop walking altogether.  She figured it was enough to get checked out - because it's something new and not normal for her.  (Quick background, she had roux-en-Y gastric bypass back in the summer, has lost 100+ lbs. and had previously been dealing with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other obesity-related health issues.)  So, she gets to the ER, her pulse is low - blood pressure normal.  I have no clue as to what this means - and why she's had pain - so she was admitted and is undergoing all the related cardiac testing.  Also, something else, when attempting to draw blood for testing, her blood is very slow to come out and someone mentioned "clotting" on the way out?  I wondered if she may be very dehydrated or something, but I have no medical knowledge... so, that's all I know right now.  I'll update her condition, because of course I'd like to know if this is in any way related to the previous weight loss surgery or complications of, since she's had a few of the complications already.  She feels alright now, but they've kept her for testing further today, and we'll know more later.

These eyes, avoid trouble...

Her eyes..., originally uploaded by Bethography.

Those eyes, got out of lots of trouble, yet somehow these eyes...

Spooky eyes., originally uploaded by Bethography.

...get into a lot more trouble than they get out of.

These eyes?

These eyes?, originally uploaded by Bethography.

All done.

The "freaking holiday" is over and done with, the tree is going outside today, and I'm back.  The kids got too much, but actually it was less than last year, and the clutter is hardly as bad as previous holidaze.  Santa brought significantly less than last year, because he must have invested more in dollars than quantity, you know?  The kids are getting older, and "toys" are now, XBoxes and MP3 playahs.  We were at my MIL's last night, I should have brought my camera, as all the kids (mine included) were sitting on the couch with MP3's, Ninentdo DS's, & PSP's.

Anyways - it's update time, I guess.  I haven't weighed in or anything in a while, I'm guessing I'm near the same weight as previous - which was 176 lbs.  I haven't been eating great, due to the availability of naughty holiday foods, like cheese and cracker trays, nuts and cookies, which I tend to pick at instead of eating a meal at holiday functions.  So, I suppose today is the first day of the post holiday re-diet.  I won't wait for January 1st, because weight loss isn't a resolution for me, it's a must.   That, and the spouse is on vacation right now, and I can get things done while he's here to fix the baby when she's broken and stuff.

For me, it's back to basics with my eating.  I'm going to do some liquid protein dieting for at least a few days I think.  I've got plenty of protein stocked up, I spent my $100 gift card to GNC yesterday and bought Vanilla Praline flavor powder, chocolate flavor and two boxes of the Pure Protein bars that my husband and I like, for me the Chocolate and Chocolate Peanut Butter for him.  The "diet" translates into as many calorie free drinks I want including coffee, and measured amounts of caloric drinks like protein shakes, low-sugar yogurt smoothies, broths, cream in the coffee, etc.  If I get the urge to eat real food, it's got to be lean protein only or vegetables.  That is:  generally cottage cheese or turkey breast for protein, and cucumbers, pickles, celery and the like for some crunch because they don't hurt my belly and quell that urge to munch or eat out of head hunger.  If I do this, I almost always immediately drop a few pounds to get the loss jumpstarted.  Of course, exercise will most definitely help this along, and I'm going to try to do what I can with getting on the treadmill, and maybe a couple outdoor walks while the spouse is home here on vacation so I can go without a parade tagging along. 

It's obvious now that I must keep motivated to drop this baby weight, because it's so easy to get too comfortable at this size which is just under being really "fat" for me - and let more pounds creep on.  Also, my sister in law is going in for her WLS in a few weeks, and she needs positive "role models" for WLS to keep motivated in those first few hellish weeks, I'm sure. 

When she's had her surgery, that makes us four people in the same family who've done it.  When we're all down to goal, we'll have lost an amazing amount of weight.  I can't wait to do a before and after photo of all of us next year sometime.  That's motivating on it's own, not to mention the fact that I'm a bridesmaid in April and need to look decent in a dress that shows more skin than I'd ever allow out in public.

As for MIL - she's passed the 100 lb. lost mark.  She's dealing with severe hair loss, and occasional digestive discomfort, but overall she's okay.  She's eating well in my estimation, drinks protein shakes and eats real food too, and doesn't get too sick very often.  I don't know what her goal is, but she's diligent with checking in with her doctors - so I am sure they've conferred with her and told her what the expected loss will be for someone her age and size.  I don't know her stats - but I know she's tracking them on a paper by the scale, and she's down at least 100 lbs. since the summer.

As for my immediate family - we're doing okay.  There's no junk really in the house - the kids don't clamor for it if it's not available.  I can't wait for warmer weather to return so they can spend their free time outdoors more than now.  Now it's just cold with no snow, which isn't much fun, and they've been catching colds and flu and not feeling well.  I don't weigh the children, so I have to go by how they appear - and I'm afraid that putting an overweight child on a scale is upsetting to them enough without them knowing that I'm trying to help them lose a little weight, too.

Okay, must run, baby is broken... more later.

Happy freaking holiday.

Blooming indoors., originally uploaded by Bethography.

So, Santa came. Was it good for you? Can we be done with it? Over? Done? Thanks.