RAPPERS DEATH UNERSCORES DANGER OF SITTING ON LONG FLIGHTS.

Rapper's death underscores danger of sitting on long flights

 

By Rita Rubin

Heavy D’s name highlights one of the risk factors for the pulmonary embolism that killed him: obesity.
The 44-year-old rapper, whose real name was Dwight Arrington Myers, collapsed outside his Beverly Hills home Nov. 8 and died later at a hospital. He had recently flown from England to Los Angeles, which, combined with his weight and a pre-existing heart condition, caused deep leg vein thrombosis, said Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. A blood clot, or thrombus becomes especially dangerous when a piece of it breaks off and travels to the lung, as it did in Myers' case.
It’s been known since the early 1950s that air travel was linked to blood clots. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research has shown that long-distance travel longer than four hours, compared to not traveling at all, doubled the risk, which remained elevated for two months after the trip.
One study of nearly 9,000 employees of several international companies and organizations found that the absolute risk of a blood clot was one per 4,656 flights more than four hours long, according to the CDC. Other risk factors include recent major surgery, oral contraceptives, pregnancy and cancer.
“The clots that kill you are big,” says Dr. Jody Henson, an emergency medicine physician at Scott & White Hospital in Round Rock, Texas. “Typically, if it was big enough, you’d feel some pain in your legs or some swelling in your calf muscles.”
Of course, Henson notes, obese passengers might not notice swelling in their legs. But, like pregnant women, they’re at a greater risk for clots because blood doesn’t return as quickly from their legs to their heart.
To minimize the risk of a potentially lethal blood clot when taking a long trip, whether by plane, train or automobile, Henson says, get up and move around periodically, or at least wiggle your legs back and forth. Staying hydrated—skip the alcoholic beverages—helps too, according to the CDC.
And when you’re making your flight reservation, you might want to ask for an aisle seat. A 2008 Dutch study of recent air travelers found double the risk of a blood clot in those who had a window seat, particularly if they were obese. That’s probably because they were more cramped, the researchers speculated.

ARTICLE - MOTHER-TODDLER BOND MAY INFLUENCE TEEN OBESITY

Mother-toddler bond may influence teen obesity

By Robert Preidt, HealthDay

Teens are more likely to be obese if they had a poor emotional relationship with their mother when they were toddlers, according to a new study.

The findings echo previous research showing that toddlers who didn't have close emotional ties with their parents were more likely to be obese by the time they were 4.5 years old.

In the latest study, researchers examined U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development data collected from hundreds of families who lived in nine states and had children who were born in 1991.

The analysis showed that the children's risk of obesity at age 15 was highest among those who had the lowest-quality emotional relationship with their mothers when they were toddlers, the Ohio State University researchers said.

More than one-quarter of the toddlers who had the lowest-quality relationships with their mothers were obese as teens, compared with 13 percent of those who had closer bonds with their mothers in their early years, according to the report published online and in the January print issue of the journal Pediatrics.

These and previous findings indicate that the risk of obesity may be affected by areas of the brain that control emotions and stress responses working together with those that control appetite and energy balance, the investigators explained.

The authors suggested that obesity prevention efforts should include strategies to improve the mother-child bond, as well as promoting healthier eating and exercise.

"It is possible that childhood obesity could be influenced by interventions that try to improve the emotional bonds between mothers and children rather than focusing only on children's food intake and activity," lead author Sarah Anderson, an assistant professor of epidemiology, said in an Ohio State University news release.

"The sensitivity a mother displays in interacting with her child may be influenced by factors she can't necessarily control. Societally, we need to think about how we can support better-quality maternal-child relationships, because that could have an impact on child health," Anderson added.

On the Web:(AT) The Nemours Foundation has more about overweight and obesity in children: http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight(UNDERSCORE)obesity.html

ARTICLE -ADULT OBESITY MAY BE ALL IN THE FAMILY

Adult Obesity May Be All in the Family
Study: Early Family Life Sets Lifelong Ideas About What’s a ‘Normal’ Weight
By Salynn Boyles
WebMD Health News

Dec. 15, 2011 -- A few years back, a study made headlines by suggesting that weight gain is socially contagious and that people often catch it from their friends.
Now, new research finds that these social interactions may have little impact on body weight, and that early-life family dietary habits and ideas about weight are much more important predictors of adult obesity.
Before making any final decisions, though, one professor doesn’t put too much stock in either study and says more research is needed.
Still, researcher Heather W. Brown, PhD, of Newcastle University in the U.K., says even after taking into account the impact of shared genes, her research suggests that early-life influences such as family eating habits play a big role in adult weight.
“Friends don’t appear to impact weight much, unless they happen to live in the same household,” she tells WebMD. “From a public policy point of view, this suggests that efforts to prevent obesity won’t have much of an effect if they target social networks.”

Weight Gain Contagious? Maybe Not
In 2007, researchers at Harvard University and the University of California, San Diego, first suggested that obesity may be passed like a virus from person to person via social networks, based on their analysis of research on more than 12,000 participants who were followed for 32 years.
They found that friends and even friends of friends were likely to have similar rates of obesity.
The fact that the association was not as strong in neighbors who did not socially interact suggested that shared environment was not the cause.
In their new study, Brown and co-author Jennifer Roberts, of the University of Sheffield, developed their own mathematical model using adult and adolescent sibling data in an effort to better understand the role of genetic predisposition and habits formed during childhood on adult body weight.
They concluded that these influences were far more important predictors of body weight than changeable factors like who was in someone’s circle of friends.
These changeable factors were found to be important only for adolescent siblings still sharing a home.

Critic: ‘Both Studies Flawed’
Indiana University mathematics professor Russell Lyons, PhD, has been highly critical of the 2007 Harvard and University of California study.
Lyons calls the statistical analysis, which led the researchers to conclude that obesity spread within social networks, highly flawed.
In an interview with WebMD, Lyons expressed the same concerns about the new study by Brown and Roberts.
“Some of the issues with this paper are the same as with the earlier research, and some are different,” he says. “But the bottom line is that neither one of these studies tells us much. There really isn’t good research on the impact of social networks on obesity.”

ARTICLE - CUTTING CARBS JUST 2 DAYS A WEEK CAN SPUR WEIGHT LOSS

Cutting carbs just 2 days a week can spur weight loss

 

By Linda Carroll

msnbc.com contributor

updated 12/8/2011 

 

Dieters who can’t stomach the idea of going hungry seven days a week just got good news: You might be able to drop more weight if you cut back on carbs just two days a week.

British researchers found that women who essentially gave up carbs for two days and ate normally the rest of the time dropped about 9 pounds on average, as compared to the 5 pounds lost by women who cut back to around 1,500 calories every day, according to a report presented at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
“We came up with the idea of an intermittent low-carb diet because it enables people to still have foods that are very satiating,” said the study’s lead author Michelle Harvie, a research dietician at the Genesis Prevention Center at the University Hospital in South Manchester, England. “Also, there’s a lot of evidence from other studies showing that restricting carbohydrates has the same effect as restricting energy.”
Harvie and her colleagues were spurred to find a diet that would be easier for women to follow because research has shown that obesity and the changes it causes in the body increase the risk for breast cancer. “We know from our research in animal models that losing weight has the potential for reducing breast cancer risk,” Harvie said.


The researchers followed 88 women for four months. All the women were at high risk for breast cancer based on their family histories.
One third of the women were put on a Mediterranean-type diet that restricted calories to about 1,500 per day. A second group was told to eat normally most of the time, but two days a week to cut carbs and also calories to about 650 on those two days. The third group was also to cut carbs two days a week, but there was no calorie restriction on those days.
At the end of four weeks women in both of the intermittent dieting groups had lost more weight — about 9 pounds — than the women who ate low calorie meals every day of the week — about 5 pounds.
Women in the intermittent dieting groups also had better improvement than daily dieters in the levels of hormones — insulin and leptin — that have been linked with breast cancer risk, Harvie said.
And, yes, this is something you can try at home, Harvie said. You just need to dramatically cut back carbohydrates two days a week and try to eat sensibly the rest of the time, she added.
What that means, Harvie said, is that you can eat protein and healthy fats on the two low carb days, but skip bread, pasta, root vegetables like potatoes, carrots and parsnips to get to the 50g limit. The diet allows for one piece of fruit on the low carb days. Other foods on the menu include: nuts and green, leafy vegetables, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, broccoli, eggplant and cauliflower.

NEWS - FDA SAYS HCG WEIGHT LOSS PRODUCTS ARE ILLEGAL

Written on December 7, 2011 by BHR

FDA says HCG weight-loss products are illegal

Over-the-counter HCG products being sold for weight loss are illegal and claims that the drugs work are unsubstantiated, the Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Tuesday.

HGC products are sold online and in stores as pellets, sprays or oral drops. These products are considered by the FDA to be unapproved new drugs.
Last week, the FDA, along with the Federal Trade Commission sent warning letters to seven companies manufacturing human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, products labeled "homeopathic." The products in question are "hCG Diet Drops Weight Loss Formula," "hCG Diet Pellets Weight Loss Formula," "Alcohol Free hCG Weight Loss Formula,""HCG Fusion 30," "HCG Fusion 43," "Homeopathic Original HCG," Homeopathic HCG," "HCG Platinum X-30," "HCG Platinum X-14" "HCG Diet Homeopathic Drops," and "HCG Extra Weight Loss Homeopathic Drops."

According to the labels, these products should be taken with a "very low calorie diet." This is a very dangerous way to use the HCG supplement, according to the FDA.
“These HCG products marketed over-the-counter are unproven to help with weight loss and are potentially dangerous even if taken as directed,” said Ilisa Bernstein, acting director of the Office of Compliance in FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “And a very low-calorie diet should only be used under proper medical supervision.”
The FDA says people on such diets have an increased risk of heart arrhythmia's, electrolyte imbalance and gallstones. Currently no HCG products for weight loss have been approved by the agency.
Companies have 15 days to tell the agency what corrective actions they will take, otherwise the FDA will take legal action ranging from seizure to criminal prosecution.
“Deceptive advertising about weight loss products is one of the most prevalent types of fraud,” said David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “Any advertiser who makes health claims about a product is required by federal law to back them up with competent and reliable scientific evidence, so consumers have the accurate information they need to make good decisions.”

HUMOR: CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS

Chocolate Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all round my hips
Were Fannie May candies that sneaked past my lips.

Fudge brownies were stored in the freezer with care,
In hopes that my thighs would forget they were there.

While Mama in her girdle and I in chin straps
Had just settled down to sugar-borne naps.

When out in the pantry there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the kitchen I flew like a flash,
Tore open the icebox then threw up the sash.

The marshmallow look of the new-fallen snow
Sent thoughts of a binge to my body below.

When what to my wandering eyes should appear:
A marzipan Santa with eight chocolate reindeer!

That huge chunk of candy so luscious and slick
I knew in a second that I'd wind up sick.

The sweet-coated Santa, those sugared reindeer,
I closed my eyes tightly but still I could hear;
On Pritzker, on Stillman, on weak one, on TOPS
A Weight Watcher dropout from sugar detox.

From the top of the scales to the top of the hall
Now dash away pounds; now dash away all.

Dressed up in Lane Bryant from my head to nightdress
My clothes were all bulging from too much excess.

My droll little mouth and my round little belly
They shook when I laughed like a bowl full of jelly.

I spoke not a word but went straight to my work
Ate all of the candy then turned with a jerk.

And laying a finger beside my heartburn
Gave a quick nod toward the bedroom I turned.

I eased into bed, to the heavens I cry
If temptation's removed I'll get thin by and by.

And I mumbled again as I turned for the night
"In the morning I'll starve...
'til I take that first bite!"

BEANS - A SECRET WEAPON INGREDIENT

Beans: Secret Weapon Ingredient

Ahem...allow us to introduce to you one of many Secret Weapon Ingredients. And what, you might ask, are Secret Weapon Ingredients? They are versatile foods that are perfect for mixing into many recipes and dishes and provide a nutritional punch to any meal. They are easy and convenient, and their health benefits are numerous. Do you have trouble making your kids eat healthy foods? Sneak these into their meals and their bodies will be grateful.

Beans
These little guys are a major source of soluble fiber, which keeps the digestive tract moving efficiently and therefore allowing it to absorb nutrients more effectively. Fiber also lowers bad cholesterol levels in the blood. How can you use beans? Replace fatty meat with low-fat beans in some of your recipes. They will make you feel full, so you're less likely to overeat. Add them to salad or soups. For a simple dinner idea, mix beans with brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

NEWS - GROP PREDICTS 522 MILLION COULD HAVE DIABETES BY 2030

Group predicts 522M could have diabetes by 2030

 

GENEVA (AP) — The International Diabetes Federation predicts that one in 10 adults could have diabetes by 2030, according to their latest statistics. In a report issued on Monday, the advocacy group estimated that 522 million people would have diabetes in the next two decades, based on things like aging and demographic changes.

The figure includes both types of diabetes. The group expects the number of cases to jump by 90 percent even in Africa, where infectious diseases have previously been the top killer. Without including the impact of increasing obesity, the International Diabetes Federation said its figures were conservative.

According to the World Health Organization, there are about 346 million people worldwide with diabetes, with more than 80 percent of deaths occurring in developing countries. The agency projects diabetes deaths will double by 2030 and said the International Diabetes Federation's prediction was possible.

"It's a credible figure," said Gojka Roglic, head of WHO's diabetes unit. "But whether or not it's correct, we can't say."
Roglic said the projected future rise in diabetes cases was because of aging rather than the obesity epidemic. Most cases of diabetes are Type 2, the kind that mainly hits people in middle age, and is linked to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle.

Roglic said a substantial number of future diabetes cases were preventable. "It's worrying because these people will have an illness which is serious, debilitating, and shortens their lives," she said. "But it doesn't have to happen if we take the right interventions."

___

Online:

www.idf.org

www.who.int

NEW APP FOR COUNTING CALORIES

November 3, 2011, 2:56 pm

A New App for Counting Calories

By ANAHAD O'CONNOR

 

 The toughest part of counting calories can be figuring out how many are actually on your plate. But what if your Android or iPhone could do it for you?
A smartphone app called PlateMate, developed by former Harvard engineering students and currently in the works, may soon allow you to snap a picture of your food and quickly get a good estimate of its calorie count. Other tools count calories by letting users input the foods they eat, or sending photos out to a nutritionist. A social networking app called Meal Snap allows users to get nutritional breakdowns by taking pictures of their food, though the calorie estimates often fall within a broad range. PlateMate uses a different system of social networking to quickly crunch data and estimate calories, as an article in today’s Boston Globe explains:

In a paper presented last month at a software technology conference, the former students — now employed at Microsoft and Google — showcased their method of using crowd-sourcing to instantly estimate portions and identify foods on a plate, information that can then be fed into a software program to estimate the number of calories. …
PlateMate uses a more complex crowd-sourcing tool, involving sets of individuals — getting small payments to analyze photos on a website — who analyze parts of the food photo, with some identifying the food and others estimating portion sizes. The trick is to have five individuals estimating portion sizes on each plate and then averaging those guesses.

But as one nutritionist pointed out, how can any app decipher what’s hiding inside a quiche or figure out whether the cheese smothering a slice of pizza is regular or low-fat? Still, for the health- and calorie-conscious, apps like this one might one day be a helpful and snazzy new tool on the go.
Smartphone tools and social media have already secured a growing role in health and physical fitness for many Americans. Tens of millions of people looking to lose weight, eat better or stay in shape have downloaded personal training apps like Nike Training Club, exercise trackers like RunKeeper and calorie-counting apps like Lose It! and MyFitnessPal. Last year, Brian Stelter, a media reporter for The New York Times, wrote about losing 75 pounds with the help of Twitter.
What other health and fitness apps would you like to see someday? To learn more about PlateMate, read the full article, “New Harvard App Counts Calories on a Plate,” and then please join the discussion below.

ARTICLE - SODA DRINKERS BEWARE

Soda Drinkers, Beware

Studies now correlate an increase in certain health risks with soda consumption. For four years, researchers tracked the soda drinking habits of 50,000 women. When women went from drinking one regular soda drink a week to at least one a day, they gained an average of 10 pounds during the four year period. An increase in body weight was also seen when consuming fruit drinks, but not with diet soft drinks. In another study of 90,000 women, those who drank soda or fruit drinks daily had about twice the risk of developing diabetes compared with those who drank soda less than once a month.

Currently, the federal government is considering its first-ever warning that soft drinks can cause unhealthy weight gain. While soda sales have nearly doubled during the past 20 years, so has the percentage of obesity. Battle lines are being drawn and the debate is heating up.

• Should a warning be issued concerning weight gain and soda consumption?
• Should there be a ban on soda commercials during children's television programs?
• Should soda be eliminated at school? Currently the sale of soda helps fund many school activities.

Action Sparked: There is strong evidence linking the consumption of soda and fruit drinks to obesity. An occasional soft drink presents no problem, but one or more a day could be disastrous to the health of you and your children.

ARTICLE - 10 BAD HABITS THAT ARE RUINING YOUR SUCESS

10 BAD DIET HABITS THAT ARE RUINING YOUR SUCCESS

The basics of healthy living and weight loss are pretty simple: eat healthy, drink plenty of water, get adequate rest, and exercise 3-5 times a week. These are foundations for a strong, healthy life. But have you ever stopped to think about the things that you do subconsciously that could be ruining your success?

 

Habit 1: Buying low fat

Eating fat does not necessarily make you fat. Yes, you should consider it when buying certain products, but you should also consider that "low-fat" or "fat-free" foods actually have just as many, if not more, calories than their full-fat counterparts. If something isn't good for you, chances are the low-fat version is going to be just as bad, if not worse, because of the added chemicals and low-performing carbs that quickly turn in to sugar. Just stick to the basics and think about the consequences of the seemingly "guilt-free" mantra of the fat-free and low-fat products.

Habit 2: Using exercise as an excuse to indulge
Going on a walk for 20 minutes does not justify a free-for-all at the buffet. Keep your goals in check and your splurges or "cheats" to a minimum. Instead, have a cheat-free Mocha Cream shake with a splash of skim or almond milk or the WonderSlim Double Chocolate Cake with a bit of sugar free chocolate syrup.

Habit 3: Skipping meals
You get busy and you forget to eat. Little do you know that what you area actually doing is sending your body into prime fat-storage mode and increasing your chances of overeating at your next meal. Also, skipping breakfast can set your whole day up for failure. Make sure to stock up on oatmeal and cereal or quick and easy on-the-go protein shakes.

Habit 4: Eating "free" foods served at restaurants
It's safe to say we all know that we should pass on the bread or chip basket. This habit is a tough one to break, but there are some simple tips that should help you pass on the basket. 1-Ignorance is never bliss. One basket of chips or 3 bread sticks can add as many as 450 calories to your meal. Think about that the next time you reach for a fried tortilla chip. 2-Ask the server ahead of time to skip the basket all together. This might cause unrest at your table but it is in the best interest of everyone. 3-If push comes to shove, order a small plate, separate out a small amount and don't go back for more.

Habit 5: Drinking diet soda
The harmful effects of diet soda have been a hot topic in health news lately. Did you know that the artificial sweeteners in the "diet" soda could be triggering appetite cues, causing you to unconsciously eat more at meals? Try to break this bad habit and limit yourself to one diet soda a week if necessary, eventually cutting them out all together.

Habit 6: Picking the wrong workout partner
If you can't find someone as motivated as you are, then it's better to just leave them at home. You need someone who enjoys exercise and can finish what they start. You are more likely to stay committed if the person is likeable, fun to be around, and moderately knowledgeable on proper exercise techniques.

Habit 7: Putting serving dishes on the table
The Obesity Journal found that setting out food "family-style" will cause you to consume 35% more over the course of the meal. When going for seconds requires leaving the table, most will hesitate to go back for more.

Habit 8: Eating too fast
A study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported that slow eaters took in 66 fewer calories per meal. If this was accomplished at ever meal, you could melt off 20 pounds a year. Setting down your silverware after every couple bites should be on the top of your list of new healthy habits.

Habit 9: Taking big bites
According to American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who take large bites consume 52% more food. As a rule of thumb: smaller bites equal a smaller waistline.

Habit 10: Failing to plan
Remember this mantra: Failing to plan is planning to fail. You should always have healthy snacks on hand and some type of meal plan for the week. Being ready for sudden cravings can ultimately be the best secret weapon against weight gain and getting over stubborn plateaus.

HUMOR - DIET ADDITIVE

During one of our weekly weight-loss classes, the group leader was extolling the merits of the program's prepared-food products.

She raved about the rich, delicious flavor of the imitation chocolate fudge and the nondairy pops, assuring us that we could eat them without the least fear of ruining our diets.

The woman next to me nodded her head emphatically and then whispered, "They're even better when you spread peanut butter on them!"

ARTICLE - BEATING RESTAURANTS AT THEIR OWN GAME! - Over A Dozen DIning Out Tips

Beating Restaurants at Their Own Game!

Over a Dozen Dining Out Tips

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian

Does your favorite restaurant serve piles of tempting foods on platters rather than plates? Are the biggie-sized meals at fast food restaurants trapping you into overeating? How do you deal with a bountiful breadbasket? Eating out is fun and relaxing, but you can make it healthier. Use these tried and true suggestions the next time you lock up the kitchen and step out for a meal:

• Never go out while hungry. You’ll find yourself nibbling on everything that comes your way.
• Foods that are grilled, baked, steamed or broiled provide healthy, flavorful alternatives. Ask how an entrée is prepared to ensure that your selection is not swimming in butter or other fattening sauce.
• For pasta selections, choose a marinara sauce instead of a white cream sauce.
• Order a healthy appetizer, salad, or small-sized entrée for your meal.
• Select white chicken or turkey meat rather than dark meat, and have the skin removed.
• Avoid the "all you can eat" and buffet-style restaurants.
• Split a meal with a friend.
• Get a doggie bag before the meal and put in a portion of the food when it is first served.
• Avoid foods that have been prepared in heavy cream.
• Eat slowly! Put your fork down between bites. It takes the stomach about 20 minutes to realize that it is full.
• Order your salad or potato with the dressing, butter, sour cream, gravy and other extras on the side.
• Trim all visible fat from meat.
• Select fresh fruit, sorbet or frozen yogurt for dessert.
• Watch the alcohol… it is loaded with calories and can lower your defenses against food, causing you to eat more.
• Beware of the breadbasket. It comes early and can be refilled several times. Ask that it be brought with the meal and limit yourself to one serving.
• Water is your best beverage choice. Order diet pop, tea, and coffee with artificial sweetener. Go light on the sugar and cream.
• Don’t be afraid to special order menu items.

The key is to plan what to order in advance and stick to it. Decide on your priorities before going to the restaurant and avoid looking at the entire menu. Find what you had decided on and close the issue. Then, simply do the best you can with some smart choices. If you came for the burritos, then avoid the beans and rice. If you are there for the cheesecake, order a light meal or salad, with dressing on the side. With a few simple strategies, dining out does not have to totally destroy your dieting efforts.

KICKED OUT OF 'WEIGHT LOSS ADVENTURES' FACEBOOK GROUP

just to prove i can see the group in my other ID i took a screen capture of the header for the group.

 yup, happened last night.

i was posting recipes, stopped to work through some emails, went back to post a recipe for a chili that was pretty good sounding as well as nutritonally sound for any bariatric paitient.
and, couldnt  access the group.

which was weird, because i was just in it.
at first i thought it was a FB error, maybe they were updating servers or something.
so i didint let it bother me to much.
went to sleep on it.

woke up today, tried again, and still couldnt get in.

so it came to me to try under another ID i have in FaceBook...
and what do ya know...i could see the group.
THAT told me tons right there.
i could also, scroll through the members list to see if i was in there...to which i saw i wasnt.

by this time...i had already emailed one of the main admins 2 times waiting for a reply. without response, so i went to the other admin...asked her. she said shed ask for me.

the main admin got back with me on the issue.

told me i was kicked from the group for the way i spoke to other members.

im sorry, i didnt realize i had spoke to any of them in such a way to offend them.
unless, they dont like honesty and its brutal format.

to which, as adults, id think most of us have to deal with...
i guess to many people have been coddled and babied and had stuff sugar coated to them.

my main gripe in the group was that people would come in and say stuff to allow themselves to keep doing certain traits or behaviors, and make excuses for certain things. and another main grip of mine was that people assumed to tell others how to do this whole weight loss surgery.

dont know if many people can tell or not, but allot of drs have different views, they have different techniques, and expect different results.

were not all the same, and if the same dr does my surgery a year ago, then yours today, whos to say data hasnt changed just that fast? it happens.
20 years agos data has changed.

anyway, some people just didnt like what i had to say, and went to the admin and talked to her about it to which she took it upon herself to kick me out.
which is fine. i have no issues with that. if thats how she wants to run her group. its hers.

the issue i have with her is the way she delt with it.

when she got back with me she explained that several people didnt like the way i spoke to them..ok, i can change that,,,
and she felt she didnt need to ask me to leave..
true...but as a respect thing..i feel it would have been better to have been asked or at least told that i was on a warning, and told what i did that was wrong.

one mistake (reminds me of someone else who holds one mistake over me) and i was kicked out, and i still dont know EXACTLY *WHAT* it was i did.

she felt it was childish of me to go ask another member if there was any chatter about me...
heck, i had no clue why i wasnt in there, if i had heard that people were saying something, anything, id maybe have a better understanding of WHY i was kicked.

but it is what it is.

and thats that,
didnt need that group anyway.

have a nice life WEIGHT LOSS ADVENTURES.

MICHELLE

UPDATE:
the OTHER MICHELLE also got kicked out...!!!
she came to me to talk about it, i had to be honest and tell her i thought  they kicked her because her names similar to mine...
the admin i went to 2 times to try to get an answer im pretty sure thought the reference i made to seeing the group under another name, thought the other name was hers (michelles). well, it isnt.
had to send the admin a note telling her i felt they kicked her out based on me, which i felt was wrong.
and they should reconsider allowing her back in, as she ISNT me...

the other Michelle, thinks its hilarious that a group is run this way, and said shed not go back anyway. LOL
YOU GO MICHELLE! lol

ARTICLE - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CARBOHYDRATES

What you need to know about carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body's main energy source. During digestion, sugar (simple carbohydrates) and starches (complex carbohydrates) break down into blood sugar (glucose). If you consume too much carbohydrate-rich foods at one time, your blood sugar levels may raise too high, which can be problematic. Monitoring your carbohydrate intake, as you probably know by now, is a key to blood sugar control for people with diabetes. Carbohydrates are found in a variety of foods, such as cereals, grains, breads and flours; fruits and fruit juices; dairy products such as milk and yogurt; vegetables (especially starchy veggies like corn and potatoes), alcohol and all types of sweets.

Because carbohydrates are important sources of energy, it's important for people with diabetes to include nutritious carbohydrates at each meal and snack. But keep in mind that the healthiest carbohydrate choices are whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, and low-fat dairy products. About half (50%) of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates—even when you have diabetes. A general recommendation is to eat about 2-3 carbohydrate servings (30-45 grams) at each meal for women and 3-4 carbohydrate servings (30-60 grams) at each meal for men. Both men and women should limit carbohydrates at snacks to 1-2 carbohydrate servings (15-30 grams).

HUMOR- FBI'S TEN MOST "UNWANTED"

FBI'S TEN MOST "UNWANTED"

With the coming of the holiday season, the FBI (Food and Body
Improvement group) has issued their "TEN MOST UNWANTED" list.
The list comprises the ten most UNWANTED habits the WLS patient
wishes to see return to his/her lifestyle. Here is the list, beginning with number ten:

10. Casper Carbonation--Slyly tricks unsuspecting RNY patients into
believing that it is okay to drink "diet sodas". The carbonation
causes their pouches to be "stretched" without their realizing it is
happening.

9. Sam (aka "The Shoveler") Schwartz--Shovels food from the plate to
his mouth without stopping. Never puts the utensil down between
bites.

8. Clara the Closet Eater--Hides her eating from those around her.
No one can understand her lack of weight-loss; "She NEVER eats!"

7. Louise Lethargic--Never has the (perceived) energy to exercise as
she is supposed to.

6. Gertrude Grazer--Never "stops" to eat, but eats continually all
day, never realizing what she has eaten.

5. Carrie Carbohydrate--Skips the meat, fruit and vegetables. Heads
straight to the breads and sweets.

4. Lasagna Liz--Places layers of food on her plate in order
to "maximize space"....is able to blend all of her favorite
foods "without eating one whole helping"!

3. Bob (aka Big Bob) Portions--Consistently eats larger portions than
recommended until caloric intake exceeds what the body needs to
function.

2. Carmella (aka Sticky Fingers) Carmel--Eats anything containing any
type of carmel.

1. Charlie the Chocolaholic--Craves nothing but chocolate all day
long.

Please do all you can to resist the temptation to allow these
nefarious individuals back into your life. Their motto remains "If
there is room for one, there's room for all!"

--BNS

CARLS JR LOW CARB BBQ CHICKEN WRAP

im sorry the image ISNT of the wrap as youd get it, this image is of the soft shell wrap...the one im siting all nutritional values for would be for a LETTUCE WRAPPED BBQ CHAR GRILLED WRAP

its a similar look, bit not the actual item, ill have to take that myself, i cant seem to find any image of the CHARGILLED BBQ CHICKEN WRAP at carls jr online anywhere

NUTRITIONAL VALUES:

CALORIES: 180

CARBS:  7

FAT : 4.5

PROTEIN: 53

 HERES TO HAVING CHOICES IN THE FAST FOOD INDUSTRY!

MICHELLE

DREADING THE FOLLOW UP

i was reminded today, by my dear husband, that on the 29th (9 days from now) i have my 3rd follow up with my bariatric facility.

normally, i wouldnt let it get to me, except im still reeling from my last visit and the worthlessness i felt when i was in there.

i was there to attend a "follow-up DIET class" and to remember the things you have to do when your a bariatric recipient, like eat proteins 1st, maintain an exercise regiment, low carb, low fat, low calorie, low sugar, etc..i know all this.

follow all this. and the weight was (and still is) averaging a lb a week.

so i DREAD..i seriously dread...going in again, to hear them rail me again because im not at that 200 mark...like the drs assistant wanted me to be at by now.

seriously, i dont see it happening for another 50 weeks at the rate im going.

why is it they want such fast results? whats the drive to have it gone so fast for? i just dont get it.
slower is so much healthier.

since the last visit i HAVE walked almost every day.
added that to my routine. because they said that upping the proteins and exercise for longer (i was doing 30 minutes) and harder, would break a platue and youd see results to show that after 30 days..

well, i still lost an average of 1 pound a week.

so? whats the point? if i do it, if i dont...still 1 pound a week either way.

what can they tell me? that they havnt already?
i dont know.
all i know is i dread going in again...

ill be glad when im at a point and place when i can only have to visit them once a year.
cause it completely sucks to feel your efforts are minimal.

its not like im not trying. perhaps not as aggressivly as others. but im comfortable with how its going.
for the most part. i havnt gaoned any of the former weight back...maybe in small chuncks of 5 pounds here, but then i lose it again, and i drop beneath it...

so, for the past 6 months, ive lost...not truthfully gained.
and i dont know why thats an issue for this clinic.
and why im made too feel like i havnt succeeded in that effort.

this is now giving me a headache.
means im stressed out on it.

i hate to be stressed.

MICHELLE

NEWS - WHEN LAP BAND FAILS ONE BARIATRIC SURGEON SUCCEEDS WITH GASTRIC SLEEVE REVISION

 the numbers were staggering to me when i researched the weight gain, over time. 40% lap band recipients gain all, if not more weight back over time. that staistic alone was the reason i decided against the surgery, and opted for sleeve instead. MICHELLE

When Lap-Bands Fail, Bariatric Surgeon Succeeds With Gastric Sleeve Revision

By Leigh Page | July 27, 2011

 

With lap-band surgery failing to induce weight loss in a growing number of patients, a Dallas bariatric surgeon said he has been successfully using gastric sleeve revision surgery for them, according to a report by San Francisco Chronicle.

David Kim, MD, said some lap-band surgeries have failed to provide sufficient restriction without swallowing difficulty after the patient eats a small amount of food.

He said patients with failed lap-bands have had excellent results with gastric sleeve revision surgery, losing more than 65 percent of their excess weight.

PIC OF TUMMY AT TABLE

i LOVE to see how much my stomach has shrunk, its really hard for me to see that it has, other than clothes becoming loser, but for the most part i see the same ole me every day.

so when i get to go to steak and shake, i mark my progress for my weight loss by how many fingers i can get between my stomach and the tables edge.

this pic shows 3 fingers!

and MY view from my seat looking down between my fingers and the tables edge, i can see the floor!
to me thats a marked success.

i used to spill over the table with my stomach, i hated sitting in a booth because i was so cramped in it.
but now, i can see floor, and hold 3 fingers in between my tummy and that table!
MICHELLE

STEAK & SHAKE FOOD PIC

another day, and another shot of my CHICKEN SALAD.

yup, thats fried chicken, was really good.
when i orderd the chicken (grilled) salad last time, the chicken came cold.

not too crazy about cold chicken, to be honest. so i opted this time (when i was there for this meal) for the fried chicken.
so it wouldnt be cold.
i have this weirdness about chicken, any foul really. it has too be COOKED, and if its over cooked thats even better. i wont eat it if its cold, aue my brain says its not fully cooked and i could get sick off of it, so thats why i made the choice for the salad this time.
still couldnt eat it all.
freid chicken, just so you know is LOADED with fat.
not the best choice when youve had any form of bariatric surgery to be consuming.

but its SO good! lol.
i, again chose a balsalmic (they have a raspberry,/ berry) vinegrette, and i choose that to cut the fat don even more.

MICHELLE

SELF PIC

just a pic of me, goofing off in the car with a camera.
ENJOY MICHELLE

i can tell i was walking that day. i have my MP3 player on my shirt and my hair looks all crazy..lol
this was prolly one of the 1st days i did this.
my face was still very full in the chin area.

i can tell you i hated it. every second of it i hated it.
1st day i walked my MP3 player quit on me about 3 songs in, which made the walking that much harder to do.
my body screamed at me, to stop, every single step i took.

i did 10 rounds and was spent. thats a mile. in an hour.
the average is 3 miles in an hour by most healthy individuals.

i did it tho, i walked.
and i had committed to walking a month to see if any major weight changed occured or not.

MICHELLE

WEIGHT PICTURE

at the bariatric office for this pic, i can tell because the scale is digital.
this was the day of my 2nd follow up, and "diet class".

i was a little miffed that the scale read the exact same as my scale at home did. the last time i did a weight it was 3 pounds difference. but this time it was the same. kinda delfated my bubble.

i wasnt a very happy camper when i left the office either.
i was basically grilled by my surgeons assistant about not losing weight "quick enough" and i had to make sure i didnt walk out of there in tears, because my self value isnt based on my weight.

i didnt get this surgery to validate my self worth, i got this surgery to help me be healthier.
and i almost walked out of that office feeling like the entire thing was pointless.

but i claimed my value, while she sat in there, and grilled me for my "failure" i told her i felt that 1 pound a week loss was exceptionally healthy. and i was proud of it.
could i have done it on my own, perhaps, but not as easily.

so, i walked out feeling like a defeated runner, who was running a path, that apparently no one else runs and in a different way, achieved my results slower, and wasnt given any awards, or praise, or validation of success because of the slowness of it.

she was so focused on "if i lost weight too quickly and didnt exercise, my heart would expand, causeing greater issues."

my isue was, at the time i wasnt exercising and i wasnt loosing weight to fast...so i didnt see any issue.

in the diet class, i was told one thing i had never heard before, to break a platue (which i frequently sit within in ever 10 pounds) bump up the proteins, and exercise harder and longer.

and i prolly wouldnt see any major effect of that work until about a month out.

so, i was resolved, because i felt my body wasnt typical, to prrove these people right or wrong, and committed myself to walking every morning daniel had seminary, around the building. as many times as i can within the time allotted.

MICHELLE

IHOP FOOD PIC

im not sure which omlette this is, im thinking it was the special at ihop at he time, a 3 cheease omlet, i had a side of fruit, of which i only ate the catalope, because the grapes have such a high concentration of sugar in them.

i also topped the omlette with  craigs salsa from his collorado omlette he had.

pretty sure the fat content on this was outrageous.
but, again, at the time i didnt know what those values were, because they were never discussed with me.
so my mind was centered in the thought of : PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN, and an omlette has however many eggs it has...and then the cheese as protein.

it was really good, very filling.
very high in fat, but very very good.

MICHELLE

ARTICLE _ GASTRIC BYPASS SLASHES LEVEL OF DISEASE-PROMOTING PROTEINS WITHIN SIX MONTHS

Gastric Bypass Slashes Levels of Disease-Promoting Proteins within Six Months

Released: 6/21/2011
Source: Wake Forest University

Newswise — Winston-Salem, N.C. – New research shows that gastric bypass significantly reduces the inflammation associated with diseases including cancer and diabetes – more proof of the overall health benefits of such surgery beyond weight loss.
The study appears online in advance of print publication in the peer-reviewed journal Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases.
“We’re amassing evidence that weight loss is a very important part of changing the way the body’s systems work in people with high-risk diseases like diabetes and heart disease,” said Gary D. Miller, an associate professor at Wake Forest University and chief investigator on the study. “It can be encouraging for people who have these diseases and need to lose weight. We’re proving that the benefits of dropping the weight are excellent.”
This study is part of a series of research the team at Wake Forest has conducted to show how weight loss after gastric bypass transforms the body to fight high-risk diseases. Previous research showed that:

•Surgery followed by diet and exercise targeted fat loss inside the abdominal cavity. Increased levels of this abdominal fat, also called visceral fat, is known to boost the risk of developing diseases including cancer. This is the first study to compare levels of visceral vs. subcutaneous fat after gastric bypass.

•Younger people undergoing gastric bypass increased their mobility and improved performance of daily activities within about three weeks, compared with about seven months in older patients. This study seems to dispel the myth that rapid weight loss leads to loss of muscle mass and physical function.

•In the most recent study, based on data collected from 15 gastric bypass patients at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, researchers found that, by six months after surgery, proteins that caused inflammation had decreased, and proteins that reduced inflammation had increased. Such inflammation has been connected to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“I’m hoping this research will help us show people that weight loss is not just about dropping the pounds or about looking different,” Miller said. “It’s about changing your body’s disease-fighting power, too.”
Miller and his team currently are recruiting gastric bypass patients to study how supervised diet and exercise might increase and sustain weight loss after surgery.

ARTICLE - DRIVE THROUGH NUTRITION

Drive-Thru Nutrition

Food That's Fast and Healthy

-- By Liz Noelcke, Staff Writer

Having spent a week on a road trip, I learned one thing along the way: Fast food is unavoidable, given time and budget constraints. You can’t beat a drive-thru for convenience and speed of service. But the bellyache you get afterward can quickly remind you of the excess calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium you just put into your body.

While a super-sized value meal can give you a day’s worth of calories in a single meal, you can exit the drive-thru with a healthier meal. And for the times when there is nothing better than hot French fries or a juicy burger, it’s important to learn how to make good choices.

Drinks
It might only cost a few dimes more to guzzle down a large soda instead of a small one, but your waistline will be paying the real price. Soda—diet or regular—isn't a healthy choice since it provides calories, but no real nutrition at all. Soda is often filled with sugar (or artificial sweeteners), and other ingredients that fill you up without giving your body any benefits. One way to make a fast food meal healthier is to opt for a drink other than soda. Of course, water is a great choice to hydrate your body and aid digestion. Unsweetened tea is virtually calorie-free if you want something other than water. Juice (100% fruit juice, not "fruit drinks") and low-fat milk are two alternatives that add nutrition to the calories you drink, making them healthier choices than soda and other sweet beverages. If you must go with soda, opt for the smallest size available.

Fruits and Vegetables
Just as you would at any other meal, try to include at least one serving of fruits or vegetables with your order. (And no, French fries do NOT count as a healthy vegetable!) Load your burger with extra tomatoes, or enjoy a side of fresh fruit instead of fries or chips. If you are having a sandwich, load up on lettuce, peppers—even cucumbers. If they offer it, opt for a baked potato (nix the high-calorie toppings like cheese and sour cream) instead of fries.

Most fast food chains now offer delicious side and entrée salads. Including these with your meal is a great way to add lots of vitamins and filling fiber for just a few calories. Just make sure not to smother your greens with cheese, eggs, bacon, high-fat dressing, or fried toppings, such as chicken and croutons.

And don't forget about the healthy sides that are staples at fast food joints these days. Apple slices, baby carrots, and more are often available. And if you don't see them on the menu, ask!

Portion Control
One of the biggest problems people face when eating fast food is the out-of-control portions. You don’t have to order the value meal with the big burger, bigger fries and biggest drink. Instead, try a child-sized meal. You still get the burger, fries, and drink, but consume about half of the fat of the full-sized version. Ordering small is automatic portion control—you won’t be tempted to overeat.

If a kiddie-sized meal with a toy on the side isn’t for you, split your order of fries with a friend. You’ll still enjoy that salty crunch without consuming all of the calories and fat of a full order.

Extras
The “extras” can add on the calories and fat. A tablespoon of mayo will add on an extra 57 calories. Add 106 more calories for a single slice of cheese! Instead of smothering your burger with sauces, opt for mustard (about 10 calories). Forgo the sour cream and three kinds of cheese on your taco, and add flavor with low-calorie salsa. Go easy on the ranch dressing and salt shaker, too. These little substitutions can really add up! Your taste buds will be happy (and so will your waistline).

Don’t be fooled by healthier sounding meats, either. While breaded chicken or fish may seem healthier than a beefy burger, these sandwiches often contain just as many, if not more, calories than your average burger since they're fried in oil (and absorb a lot of that fat). Try grilled versions of your favorite sandwiches instead, or opt for the low-cal veggie burger, which is becoming more widely available these days.

Breakfast
A healthy breakfast is the best way to start your day. But while hitting the drive-thru on the way to work may be convenient, it might put you at a calorie overload early in the day. Making healthy, nutritious choices comes into play again. Instead of a breakfast sandwich (English muffin with eggs, bacon, and cheese), order a bowl of fresh fruit, a fruit and yogurt parfait, oatmeal, cereal with milk or plain eggs. That way, you’ll be starting your day off on the right foot.

Comparisons
See how many calories and fat grams you can save just by trying different menu options at some of your favorite fast food restaurants. (All nutritional information comes from each restaurant’s website.)

Restaurant	Think Again	Better Choice	You Save
Arby's	Beef 'n Cheddar 440 calories 21 grams fat	Junior Roast Beef 270 calories 9 grams fat	170 calories 12 grams fat
Burger King	Original Whopper 700 calories 39 grams fat	Hamburger 310 calories 12 grams fat	390 calories 27 grams fat
Hardee's	Double Thickburger 1240 calories 90 grams fat	Thickburger 850 calories 57 grams fat	390 calories 33 grams fat
McDonald's	Big Mac 560 calories 30 grams fat	Hamburger 260 calories 9 grams fat	300 calories 21 grams fat
Sonic	SuperSonic Cheeseburger 839 calories 55 grams fat	Jr. Burger 353 calories 21 grams fat	486 calories 34 grams fat
Wendy's	Big Bacon Classic 580 calories 29 grams fat	Jr. Hamburger 280 calories 9 grams fat	300 calories 20 grams fat

========================================================================
one of my ideas for online was to have a web page that would showcase all the healthier choices you can make from different restaraunts. mostly for gastric surgery recipients, but could be used by anyone.
its all about educating yourself about the nutritional values of the items at any given place.

i currently, before ever going out, anymore, always look at the nutritional values of "who-evers" eatery. just so i have a well rounded idea of whats available and what i have for choices..

did this for fathers day...looked online for the menu for LOGANS ROADHOUSE, and saw the site had a HEALTHY NUT section, with a talipia seasoned fish...had less than 550 clories (all the menu items in that catagory are supposed to have that) replaced the side of broccoli with a veggie skewer, and had the small salad with garlic vinaigrette...no fries, no soda....and i had to take home some of my meal.
it was really helpful to be ale to know what i could have and what was healthiest for me before i went to the place to try to decide...

i really like this article...and the fact it has that chart with the variables for the difference between choices...
lets me know that if i want a healthier choice i can choose:
ARBYS JR ROAST BEEF CALS: 270/FAT: 9
McDONALDS HAMBURGER CALS: 260/ FAT: 9
WENDYS JR BURGER CALS: 280/ FAT: 9

nice to know...when the caloric intake for the day needs to be around 800-1000. its easy to calculate that in to your daily consumption...and thats JUST for the item listed, if you do do a small soda and fries, you HAVE to add those values as well...

MICHELLE

FAT TO SKINNY - LOW SUGAR/ LOW CARB COOKBOOK (e-book/download)

I want to get this...
MICHELLE

FAT TO SKINNY Low Sugar Low Carb Cookbook 

E-BOOK DOWNLOAD

EAT GREAT LOSE WEIGHT! 368 pages of delicious low sugar recipes accompanied by many full color pictures, web links and more! Cooking charts and wonderful tips finish off this great E BOOK. Every recipe developed by author Doug Varrieur is designed to let EAT GREAT and LOSE WEIGHT while you balance your blood sugar. This cookbook supports the FAT TO SKINNY Fast and Easy book and is the 2nd book in the series.

Click To Enlarge

• Item #: FTSCB

Price	$10.00

NEWS - GASTRIC BAND? HEARTACHE? DIET? OR JUST A BAN ON CHIPS? THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIGHT NEW DAWN FRENCH

Gastric band, heartache diet or just a ban on chips? The truth about the light new Dawn
By Alison Boshoff
11th June 2011

Berkeley Square Gardens, that small shred of green in the grey heart of old Mayfair, was in quite a hubbub when Glamour magazine held its Women Of The Year awards on Tuesday night.

There were knots of photographers outside the marquee and within huddles of the famous and nearly famous, drinking champagne and gossiping beneath the chandeliers with glowing lavender lights.

One figure, though, attracted all the attention.

It was Dawn French, dressed as usual in black from head to toe, a diminutive 5ft in a room full of towering supermodels and slender actresses.

Everyone did a double take. Gone was the heavy double chin beneath her heart-shaped face.

Instead, her cheekbones were in evidence. Her hair had been freshly coiffed by hairdresser Errol Douglas in Belgravia and was decidedly glossy.

It was clear that a substantial portion of the weight she had carried — proudly — for years was gone.

She glowed with a tan, which she explained had been picked up by sitting in the early summer sunshine in her garden in Cornwall.

Complimented on her weight loss, she smiled and said simply that she had been ‘trying to be a little healthier’ recently.

Some friends say that she has lost five stone; others insist the total is nearer to three. I’m told she is now a size 18 or ‘a 16 on a good day’.

Before, she was at least a size 24. But how has she done it? And why?

Of course, some women do lose dramatic amounts of weight on the back of a divorce — and Dawn was divorced only last year from her husband of 25 years, Lenny Henry.

But the actual separation came long ago, at the close of 2009 — they had already been leading separate lives by the time it was announced in April 2010.

And in that period, as she and Lenny formalised the dismantling of their romantic partnership, she was the heaviest she had ever been.

Fuelled apparently by the misery of the break-up, her already considerable weight went up and up, rather than down.

Gossips on the internet suggest this new dramatic weight loss has happened the Fern Britton way — in other words, with the aid of a gastric band.

But Dawn’s spokesman, Neil Reading, sternly denies that this is the case.

‘That’s utter rubbish,’ he snorts. ‘It’s just healthy eating.’

Mr Reading, who says his client has not been following any of the diets like Atkins or Dukan, insists that Dawn has lost the weight for no other reason than a desire to become fitter.

‘It’s nothing to do with her and Lenny,’ he said, ‘nor is it because she has a new man, because she hasn’t. And it’s not on doctor’s orders or anything like that.’

How curious. Something, though, has persuaded Dawn to totally change the way she eats. And it would seem that fears over her health have played a part.

It is no secret in the showbusiness world that Dawn was huffing and puffing, even when walking relatively short distances.

Whereas once she would tuck into platefuls of salty chips and cook huge meals for herself and Lenny, washed down with gin and tonics, followed by wine, now she dines simply on an omelette and green salad.

In the old days, she had a particular weakness for eating chocolates on the sofa while watching TV. Indeed, Lenny used to regard bringing the chocolate to his wife as his spousal duty. ‘I never do television without chocolate,’ she declared. ‘That’s my motto and I live by it.’

She doesn’t keep a supply of chocolate in the house any more — and, of course, there is no Lenny to bring it to her anyway. Staff have noticed that she barely visits the catering truck on the set of the second series of BBC sitcom Roger And Val Have Just Got In.

People who know Dawn say that she is in a defiant phase. She believes that reaching 50 has been a major watershed in her life and now feels ‘more powerful’ and ‘wiser’ than ever before. And so, after a lifetime of earnestly explaining why being overweight was her choice — and the right one, too — she has changed her mind.

As for her fear of mortality, Dawn now talks about feeling like she is a ‘stayer’ like her mother, who is in her 80s, and her grandmother who lived to be 100.But if she is to live to a long age, Dawn reasons that she had better get into shape.
Dawn French from Spotlight, the actors directory in 1983

Young: Dawn from Spotlight, the actors directory in 1983

Diet and fitness expert Laura Williams says: ‘There is a difference between being morbidly obese and being curvy — and Dawn French was morbidly obese.

‘When you get that big you are living with daily pain in your joints and putting your cardiovascular system under great strain.’

That much must have been obvious to a woman as intelligent as Dawn. So who can blame her for wanting to lose weight?

For now, in her daily life, she is mostly alone, a single woman living in a magnificent 40-room house in Fowey, Cornwall, overlooking the sea. She sits and writes pretty much every day. They almost never see her in the village.

Her silver Range Rover sits behind the high gates of her clifftop house day in, day out, and locals mutter that she is ‘very private’ and likes to ‘keep herself to herself’.

Largely, her only company is her housekeeper, who lives in self-contained quarters in the house, although she is very close to her mother, Roma, and her brother, Gary, who both live locally.

She is working on a second novel, the follow up to her successful A Tiny Bit Marvellous.

Meanwhile, her 19-year-old daughter, Billie, is living in the old marital home in Reading, Berkshire, with Lenny Henry. I’m told she has a job in the area — something connected to horses — and so it suits her to live with her father. He is studying screenwriting and preparing to appear in Shakespeare’s Comedy Of Errors at the Olivier Theatre in London this autumn.

It’s all rather sad. The whole family moved to Cornwall in 2008 and put the Reading home up for sale, first for £3 million and then for £2.3 million.

They only had a single Christmas together there before the marriage ended the following year. Lenny took various paintings and bits of furniture out of storage and quietly moved back into their former home in Reading.

The word is that Dawn cut the cord of the relationship after some indiscretion on Lenny’s part, which was judged to be beyond the pale.
Dawn with ex-husband Lenny Henry as he clutches his Evening Standard award for outstanding newcomer for his debut as Othello

Dawn with ex-husband Lenny Henry as he clutches his Evening Standard award for outstanding newcomer for his debut as Othello

He was, famously, caught out having late-night conversations with hotel receptionist Merri Cheyne in 1999, which caused ructions in their marriage.

In her 2008 autobiography, Dear Fatty, Dawn hinted at infidelities on both sides, writing that they were both ‘flawed and weak’ and had been ‘tempted often’.

She revealed in an interview that year that the Cheyne affair had been something so minor that they would not normally have felt it necessary to discuss it.

It seems the marriage worked on a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ basis when it came to infidelity.

In public, they have both declined to discuss why the marriage ended.

Dawn says that she is proud to have made the union last for 25 years. Lenny concludes, rather more morosely: ‘It’s just the way it is. We are still good friends.’

And now, trailing more than a year behind, comes her reinvention.

Her weight — and issues around it — have been significant since she was a teenager.

She vividly recalls her father, Denys, telling her how beautiful she was at 13 — this was the ‘armour’ of body confidence she says she always wore since.

Dawn says that her natural body shape is ‘teeny and wide, like a Weeble’. She briefly slimmed to a size 12 before her 1984 wedding, using diet pills, but said she felt ill and Lenny didn’t even like her that way, so she went straight back up to an 18 and beyond.

‘I can honestly say it doesn’t bother me, though I do worry that I’ll get so uncomfortably fat that I won’t be able to walk any more,’ she said.

An old friend tells me: ‘They were a very sociable couple and loved to entertain and there was always just so much food about. I have seen Dawn match Lenny mouthful for mouthful.’

Not any more.

The new Dawn, as everyone who met her on Tuesday night will attest, is a very happy one indeed.
==================================================================================
i found out about Dawn French as a result of being hard pressed for something to watch, and flipping on PBS..and seeing the comedy show: THE VICAR OF DIBLEY

because shes plus size, i adored her, naturally, and found allot of her comedy to be truthful, and heart felt..

it makes me very pleased to know shes going the healthy route, and if it be naturally, then kudos to her! shes a great comedian/actress, and i want her around alot longer than allot less...

MICHELLE

STEAK & SHAKE FOOD CHOICES

we went back to steak & shake for another meal.
i learn quickly what i can have and what i cant.

and still not knowing caloric intake values, i changed my meal a little to include COTTAGE CHEESE , comes with a pineapple ring (i had forgotten to tell them to keep off, dont need the extra sugar)

and that lovely (but SO unhealthy) burger with the egg on it. i believe steak and shake called it the deluxe. i cant remember.

again i asked for it to be bunless.
all i was thinking was protein, the calories and the fat never even entered my mind as subjects i needed to be aware of. so to me, this burger is 100% protein.
in reality, its also about 1/4th fat. not a good choice.

MICHELLE

PIC OF TUMMY AT TABLE

i can mark my success by how much room there is between my stomach and a table thats stationary.
in this pic i was able to see the floor for the 1st time ever at steak n shake.
my tummy used to spill over it when wed be seated at a booth.
id be so embarrassed about it that when theyd ask me, id always site a table instead as my preference.

now, im slimming down! :)
MICHELLE

CARLS JUNIOR CARBLESS BURGER PICS

yup, im a creature of habit alright.
as soon as i could eat real food, i was hunting down places to go out to eat at.
again, as mentioned in previos posts, i had no idea calorie content and allotment per day.
so, i ate whatever was super high protein.

we went to carls jr for a lunch and i ordered (because my brain was still thinking the old way) a taco salad, AND a carbless burger (cause i wanted to try it out)

i can tell you i took the entire taco salad home, didnt even really eat that.
the carbless burger filled me.

looking back on this now, the carbless burger has a ton of fat in it, but it also has a ton of lettuce to wrap around it. it also has lower sugar ketchup on it.
not the best choice.
but, if you cant find anything in a hurry and you didnt bring anything to eat thats better, its not a bad choice for once in a while.

taco salad, need not be purchased, the burger would be enough.

MICHELLE