Do you want $500 of Slimpressions?

2012: It's not the end. It's the beginning.

"What the eff, Beth?  2339 words?"  Yes.

Sponsored - 35 Symptoms of Menopause

Many women are experiencing the first signs of menopause without realizing it.  I don't want to hear this!

Year End Gift Matching for NEDA

Sharing from NEDA -

When it comes to fighting eating disorders, the National Eating Disorders Association is your friend, your ally, and a valuable resource. Contribute your year-end gift now and it will not only do a world of good, but also will be matched by Board member and founders, Don and Melissa Nielsen. This is your last chance to have your gift doubled in 2011!

Donate now:

• Give $20 and it becomes $40
• Give $50 and it becomes $100
• Give $100 and it becomes $200
• Give $500 and it becomes $1,000
• Give $1,000 and it becomes $2,000
• Give $10,000 and it becomes $20,000

We are so grateful on behalf of all of those who will benefit. Your gift helps to fund the NEDA Helpline, a safe place to call for those taking their first steps toward recovery. Contributions also support our NEDA Navigator program, providing support to family members new to an eating disorder diagnosis. And, in just two months we will be hosting the 25th Anniversary NEDAwareness Week, the largest eating disorders education and outreach effort in the country.

In short, your end of the year gift will provide individuals and families affected by eating disorders with the resources and support they need. For them, you are truly providing the greatest gift of all... hope.

Give the gift of hope today.

Wishing all of the NEDA family a happy and healthy New Year,

The National Eating Disorders Association

 

Dear Weight Watchers and Jennifer Hudson -

You have done the impossible.  You have caught my attention with a diet program commercial and made me say -- "WOW. "  This ad came on TV last night and I stopped and watched.  (That's a big deal.)

How to use Siri in the most emotionally abusive way possible.

NSFW.

I want one.

Does Obesity Change your BRAIN?

I suppose many of us are nodding already.  OF COURSE IT DOES.  I know what happens to me as soon as I delve into creamy fatty goodness or high-carb deliciousness.  Brain - trigger - eat - more please. However with the Extra Benefit of a Gastric Bypass -- I can stop eating. KTHANXRNYPOUCH.  

But, does poor eating or overeating cause inflammation in my BRAINS?  (Do not answer that.)  But I want to know?  Did years of overeating and reaching a body weight of 320 pounds screw up my brain?

New (scary) research suggests that the brain is altered by obesity and changes the part of the brain that regulates appetite control and body weight.  Perhaps why diets don't work?  (For most of us?)

I wonder sometimes...

I wonder sometimes, if you're all just f-cking with me.  I know I have said it many times before.  

Free shipping on Bariatric Advantage- TODAY ONLY - ProJoe Protein Coffee Drinks Included!

Free shipping offer on ALL Bariatric Advantage products TOMORROW ONLY.   Looks like tomorrow is the day to stock up.

Patients depend on Bariatric Advantage vitamins and nutritional supplements. So, we're excited to bring you free shipping on all your orders, even for bottled liquid supplements including PROJOE!  This Wednesday only, standard shipping is free of charge. No minimum purchase, no Advanced Refill enrollment required.

Shop through the Melting Mama Bariatric Advantage link here.

 

A wee gift from Celebrate Vitamins.

Free shipping deal from Celebrate Vitamins -- get on this -- it's RARE!  Be sure to try my fave:  Celebrate's Chewable Multivitamin in Pineapple Strawberry.  

"A thank you to all of our wonderful customers, we are offering free shipping on all orders placed between Dec 27th and Dec 31st, 2011.  Thank you for a wonderful 2011 and we wish you all the best in 2012.  Please use the code SHIPNOW when placing your order at Celebrate Vitamins."

Free Shipping Code:

"SHIPNOW"

It's time for Food Guilt.

Not only is today a day after a holiday, but it's a Monday!  This translates into an early-start to the "OMG! I NEED A DIET" posts on social media.  You're overwhelmed with what you might have taken in yesterday and and time between then and Thanksgiving and you are deep in The Guilt.   "THE FOOD, IT'S IN ME!"

Reminder:  It's just food.  Food is not bad.  Food is not evil.  Even cupcakes. 

bad ¹ [bad] Show IPA adjective, worse, worst;

1.not good in any manner or degree.

2. having a wicked or evil character; morally reprehensible: There is no such thing as a bad boy.

3. of poor or inferior quality; defective; deficient: a bad diamond; a bad spark plug.

4. inadequate or below standard; not satisfactory for use: bad heating; Living conditions in some areas are very bad.

5. inaccurate, incorrect, or faulty: a bad guess.

 Food cannot be bad. 

Food is a required part of life, and your part of life is to learn how to manage your own relationship WITH FOOD so that you don't see FOOD AS EVIL.   Calories may not all be created equal, you can make better calorie or food choices, but food, cannot physically be BAD.

 

Even if you ate more than two days worth of calories yesterday -- LET IT GO -- it's just food.  The statuses that you will see online today and for the next few weeks: 

• "OMG HOW MANY CALORIES ARE IN HALF A CANDY CANE?  I'm SUCH A COW." 
• "I am a pig, I ate _____________."
• "I need to work off that ___________."
• "Starting today, I'm back on my diet."

Quit it.

Self-loathing is not pretty.   Self loathing is an extreme self-hatred of oneself or your own actions.  "I can't believe I did/ate that, I'm such a loser."  For post weight loss surgery patients -- learning to live in a new body and successfully live as normally as possible -- it only makes us stand out more if we create food drama!  Just stop it.

Didn't you have weight loss surgery to be "normal?" As morbidly-obese individuals we stood out plenty, and life after weight loss surgery, we can reach a normal body weight and just BE.

You don't have to hate on yourself.  You don't have to deny yourself every pleasure of food, either.  You don't have to comment on other people's food choices or their size.  It's their cannoli, just shut up. 

Part of the holidays is (for many people, including your family and friends...) celebrating with/around food. You're going to have to get used to that -- if you want to be part of their "normal." 

Celebrating with food or around it not be what you want anymore, but for much of the population it is what they want.  If you do not want to partake, you have a choice to find something else to do or make your own good choices.  But, it is not our duty as weight loss surgery post op individuals -- to become the food police for everyone. 

(Note:  Do not do this to your family and friends.  They are not you, and they do not necessarily require your special diet or care.  I have learned that food policing does not work and often backfires It's up to each person what they are willing to do to take care of their own health.)

It's just food.  You make your own choices.  And never, ever... apologize for FOOD.

Tis the season to...

Slim. 

I was thankful for my Have Nots yesterday.  Because, I Have SOME extra pounds right now.  It's my winter coat!  Slimpressions helps me stay in my jeans, holding my muffin (err cookie!) tops in.

From Slimpressions - "It's our co-founder Jennifer Daniels'  "39th" birthday (again) and YOU get the presents!"

Enjoy 39% off at Slimpressions now through 12/27/2011 with code SLIM39 at checkout

How to...

I.  love this.

We'll never have Christmas at this rate.

There ain't shit in the box.

I AGREE.  It's canceled.  Next year?  We're going away.

Ho ho ho.

This is my dad's video. Joey + Rory at Showcase Live this week. Try not to sing along. ;)

Roca Labs = H2GOO?!

They've obviously updated their fancy-schmancy graphical ads, ads that are following me ALL OVER THE INTERNET due to my Google history.

Roca.  These are worse than last year's version.

People aren't that stupid.

Did you see what my kids wanted for Christmas?  You went into the children's bath fun biz?

Quinoa Cakes

Via HuffPo Food, a super-simple recipe for protein packed quinoa cakes.

MM Readers FAVORITE Products of 2010! And, it's time to do it again!

MM Readers FAVORITE Products of 2010! Links - ahoy! THANKS ALL!

And, here I go! 2011!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa (The real one, not the creepy pedoSanta circa 1980something...) -

We all know the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear.  But I would like to skip all cheer this year, please.  I haven't got any spirit and I would like to suggest post-poning, perhaps ... in May?  I like May -- it's warm.  I mean, people in Florida still put up sparkly trees and it's like 75 degrees there.  How about it?

I am sure it's because I'm not living at home, and I haven't got any lights on a tree.  I'm not playing any seasonal music,  I'm not making cookies, there's no fudge in sight, and there's no holiday cards coming in.  I haven't even done any real shopping -- haven't stepped foot in a mall! 

I haven't done anything remotely Christmas-y this year, even the one elementary school choral concert I attended, they sang Katy Perry.

I haven't given to the Salvation Army Bell-Ringer yet!  It doesn't feel like the holiday season.  I am sure by the spring, I can gather some jingle in my bells, or at least some jingle in my wallet. 

(And this is where you visualize me as The Grinch.  But, we do know how that ends.  It's all good.)

Where is that Roast Beast? 

 

Who you are

"Who You Are"

I stare at my reflection in the mirror:
"Why am I doing this to myself?"
Losing my mind on a tiny error,
I nearly left the real me on the shelf.
No, no, no, no, no...

Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It's okay not to be okay.
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
Just be true to who you are!
(who you are [x11])

Brushing my hair, do I look perfect?
I forgot what to do to fit the mold, yeah!
The more I try the less it's working, yeah
'Cause everything inside me screams
No, no, no, no, no...

Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It's okay not to be okay.
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.
But tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
There's nothing wrong with who you are!

Yes, no's, egos, fake shows, like WHOA!
Just go, and leave me alone!
Real talk, real life, good love, goodnight,
With a smile, that's my home!
That's my home, no...

No, no, no, no, no...
Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It's okay not to be okay...
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
Just be true to who you are!
Yeah yeah yeah

Ovary buster - Crying baby soothed by ... cat.

My daughter made me find this video on YouTube.

Now I'm watching it twice, again confirming my want to be a cat-lady with babies. Babies rocked by cats. A cat daycare.

PS.   No. way.