Are there calories in SHOES?

Just one of the crazy things I am thinking about.........


Not that I would eat my shoes or suggest anyone eat their shoes!
Never!  Shoes are meant to be strutted in.....

So....how did I come up with this rather absurd question?
Okay.....stay with me here.  
I promise, it will make sense in a few minutes.

Five 50-something girls go out for appetizers and drinks at a fun, trendy little spot.....
After we bitch and moan and analyze our jobs and our husbands and our sex lives and our kids and the laundry and the weather and the price of tea in China and flirt with the cutie bartender, the conversation always finds its way to weight and dieting.   Never fails.
This  diet and weight conversation usually happens after all of  the appetizers have been inhaled  and we are ordering our third drink.
"So, does everything we eat have calories in it?"   my  inquisitive diet-obsessed friend asked.
"I don't think lettuce has any calories...."   another diet-obsessed friend answered. 
"You can't live on just lettuce...."  my not-so-diet obsessed friend chimed in.
"Oh, I could.....and I am pretty sure I have...."  diet-obsessed friend #1 shared.
Diet obsessed friend #2 shook her head in agreement.
"Well, I don't count the calories in libations....so, they have no calories,"  the not-so-diet-obsessed friend mused as she took a dainty little sip of her pretty little Dragon Berry Cosmo....
"I am pretty sure there are calories in everything...."  I chimed in.
"So, you mean to tell me that if I eat my shoe and live only on eating shoes, I would be eating calories?   How many do you think?"  diet-obsessed friend #1 asked, pointing to her lovely  strappy bronze heels.  Trust me, I firmly believe that if we would have told her there was a shoe diet out there, she would have started eating those shoes right then and there......
Of course, we all laughed.....some of us seeing the absurdity of it all and others of us wondering what the answer to that question really is.    
Hey, we were on our third drink.....
(but, really, I would like to know.....)

 

I can't make this stuff up.  

Seeing the GOOD in everything........

There's protein in peanut butter M&M's.....right?

 A lime is a fruit....right?

Cucumber is a vegetable......right?

Okay, we're good then.

Happy Saturday!   

Speaking of Take Our Children to Work Day.......

Ahhh.....college life! Toni and a few of her sorority sisters....ready for a night on the town....

Yes, this is the life my daughter has been used to......

Soon, we will not be empty nesters.
How did that happen so fast? 
Yes, 4 years have swooshed by.....soon I will the mother of a newly minted college graduate.
Yes, I'm proud of my girl and happy that the tuition bills are over....
BUT....
Did I mention that I am having a wee bit of stress about the whole matter? 
Yeah, I didn't think so.



I didn't want to burden you with that. 
After all, I made such a ruckus when my daughter went off to college.....initially and then after each break.  
I'll bet your are thinking that I'm head-over-heels excited about having my favorite girl home in her pink ruffly bed.
Not so fast.
It's a wee bit more complicated than that.  
It's not that I'm NOT happy about it. 
I'm thrilled about certain aspects of it.
But, I'm not so thrilled about other aspects of it.
It will be a very different dynamic.....now that 4 years have passed and she is no longer a student and we now that we have had a taste of not having to think about kids and schedules and well.....you know.
The other day when her and I were chatting, I was telling her about a winery tour we were planning to do in September.   "What about me?  Am I going?"  she asked.
Hmmm.  Um.  NO. 
It makes me wonder what's to come......
Is my adult child returning to the nest figuring we will pick up right where life left off 4 years ago?
Can we EVEN do that?  
What a conundrum!
To be honest--I'm not even sure if we know how to deal with an adult child living with us.
I know for sure that I don't know how to deal with an adult child living with us.
Carmen has been reminding me constantly that I have to resist the urge to take her on shopping sprees just because and putting money in her checking account because she is running low on fun money and that I can't base our lives and our schedules on her life and her needs. 
I hear him.
I do.
But, I am worried that I won't be able to adhere to those new rules.
To be honest.....I'm pretty sure I will break them.
I'm a rule breaker from way back.  

In other news, I got an amazing outfit for commencement.
Let the perfect shoes hunt begin. 
If nothing else, I'll look fab on the day that will mark the beginning of my decent into another parenting journey..... 

What's STRESS got to do with it?

The information junkie inside of me just can't leave well enough alone.
As you know, I've been messing with a very tight band.....leaving me unable to eat all that much. 
Even my go-to foods are giving me a hard time.
It's been puzzling....to say the least.
I just don't like unsolved puzzles.
My instincts kick in and I am all about trying to figure out what the hell is going on.....
I have made it my mission to figure out what the hell is going on with my 5.5 year old band.
Although I've been pretty much convinced that stress has been causing my band issues, I decided to seek out other possible issues.  
For an information hound like me, Google is my doctor, my psychiatrist, my restaurant critic, my fashion adviser, my teacher, my astrologist.....well, you get the picture. 
It's all at my finger tips....whether I'm sitting in traffic, hanging out on my couch or lounging with a chai at Starbucks. 

What did we ever do before Google?

Trolling the internet......STRESSSSSS! ONE IN TEN????

Funny thing is......all of my research has caused me even more stress.
It's that old adage of too much information can be dangerous.
Eh....and stressssssful!
Thus, I have perpetuated the problem.
Thankfully, tonight is half price wine night at one of my favorite haunts and I'll be sharing a bottle with my oldest friend......
If Google can't solve all of my problems, I'm pretty sure a good friend and a bottle of wine will do the trick.....

No sushi for me........

Don't you just hate it when you've been planning a night of sushi eating with a fun friend and you can't even eat the damn sushi?
Yeah, me too.


My band revolution continues.

Not even this pretty plum martini helped......

Needless to say, my poor friend had to eat lots of sushi....all by herself! 
And, I came home with a pretty hefty container of sushi. 


Perhaps its time to call in the professionals......
A visit to the doctor may be in order.
Maybe I'll just give it one. more. day........

Band revolution.......

What the HELL is going on?

It appears my band is revolting.
I have had more "stuck" and other not-so-nice episodes in the past 72 hours than I've had the entire 5.5 years of being banded combined. 
And, I am not sure why.


I'm not sure what to make of the shenanigans that my band has been pulling since Friday but it sure wasn't the weekend to decide to get a little finicky.
Friday night.....as I sat glued to the TV set watching the situation in Boston, my band decided it wasn't too happy with my one piece of caprese flatbread (a recipe I make very often!). 
Thanks to several hours of dealing with that.....I doubt very much I'll ever eat caprese flatbread again.  
It was UGLY.....
But, I figured it was just the result of the stress I was feeling from watching the events of the Boston Marathon situation unfold....
However, I didn't want to take too many chances....
Knowing that Saturday was a jam packed day---with a quick early morning road trip to Collegeland for my sorority girl's Senior Sorority Luncheon then high-tailing it a few hours away to a business dinner event with Carmen's executive team--I knew I had to be very careful with eating.  
I was pretty sure neither occasion would be conducive to making back-to-back panicked trips to the bathroom.....
I kicked off my Saturday road trip with my beloved Starbucks Chai Latte....which worked out just fine.
Lunch was quite another story.

Toni and I at her Senior Luncheon yesterday....

Even though I carefully selected a deviled egg, a few squares of cheese and some jello, my band had other ideas.
After several clandestine runs to the ladies room, I finally felt decent enough to partake in the champagne punch. 
But, that didn't work out too well either.......
Let's just say I'll never drink or eat those things any time soon.
Regardless, it was wonderful to spend some time with my sorority girl.
Hard to believe she is graduating in less than a month....

Since I had a several hour trip between the luncheon and the dinner, I decided to spend the driving time planning my strategy.  Knowing that it would not be appropriate to NOT EAT AT ALL, I decided to #1--figure out what I would consider "safe" foods and #2--come up with a few good excuses why I wasn't eating all that much.
Plus, I figured, if I kicked off the meal with a pre-dinner martini.....maybe the gin would loosen up my band and things would go much better.
Sounded like an excellent idea.....
The martini went fine.
The dinner was a whole other matter.
Let's just say Chicken Wellington with Chardonnay Cream Sauce is not the best thing for a revolting Lap band.
Unfortunately, when I planned my strategy, I didn't account for the fact that it was a preset/prefix dinner that was being presented by a chef.......someone neglected to tell me that.....uh-oh
There was no escaping what was being put in front of you.
Unless, of course, you are like me and you had to escape several times......because you must have ate something bad at the sorority luncheon (yes, that was my excuse after my fourth trip to the bathroom....)
And, so my weekend continues.
Today, my son the doctor---who has been in town for a weekend alumni event--- is stopping by for a quick visit on his way home since we haven't had a chance to catch up on this visit.  He's bringing along a few of his college buddies are who are also in town for the weekend.  
And, Carmen is packing up for a three week business trip.
So, of course, that means I'm in the kitchen.
Yes, I'm whipping up a fabulous brunch........for them....definitely NOT ME. 
It's a protein shake kinda day for me. 
Fingers crossed my band's revolution is just a temporary.....
I'm hungry.  

The Sunday Brunch that I am NOT going to eat......

Grilled Steak and Eggs with Beer and Molasses

These Amazing Cinnamon Buns 

Yummy Fruit Salad

Homemade Granola

Now, I'm even hungrier.

Off to make another protein shake......

 

If you do nothing else this morning........

Watch this......

Carry on, oh beautiful one! 

And.....it's only Wednesday.......

Like everyone else, I've found myself saddened, angry and fearful following the events that happened in Boston.   Yet, I am also in awe and grateful that amid the evil and destruction, good people emerge to care and uplift us all. 
Tragedies like what happened at the Boston Marathon stop us in our tracks and diminish the stresses and the issues we are dealing with in our own lives.   It's humbling for me to realize that although I find myself overwhelmed by things in my own life---my concerns and stresses are minute compared to what so many good, innocent people are dealing with.  
 I  find that these senseless acts of violence also heightens my fear for all of us.  It's not a good feeling to wonder when and if anther evil person (or persons) will dispense such acts again and again and again.   As the mother of a marathon runner who is preparing for a very large event in the coming months,  the Boston Marathon tragedy has hit home in a very personal way.   Although I know my son has his own concerns in the wake of the Boston events, I cannot help myself but want to forbid him from following his dream of running this particular event. In my heart, I want to do that.  In my head, I know that I can't forbid a 27 year old man from living the life he wants.  Even though I wish I could. 
 Then, I think about all the mothers and loved ones out there that worry for their children and their spouses and their friends and family every minute of each day---my dear friend whose son is a police officer in a very active area of the country, my niece whose fiance is a police officer in a crime ridden city and all those others who have loved ones who are always, always in harms way every day--serving their country or their community and protecting all of us.  How do they do it?
 It gives me pause to stop and realize that I can be selfish about my own cares.   Clearly,  I don't know the true  fear or pain and anguish on a very personal level.  It shames me and makes me count my blessings instead of my woes.  For I truly have been blessed with more joy than pain and more hope than despair. 
And, it reminds me that there is more good than bad in the world.  
These are the times when we are called to always be grateful for that.  
My goal is to always live with that thought.....no matter what is happening around me or in my own life.
In good times and in bad.  

I am an ENFP.......

What are you?

Given my profession, knowing that I am an ENFP is like knowing I have blue eyes.
It's just the way it is.
Over the years, I've spent thousands of hours discussing the 16 personality types as they relate to careers and work environments and hiring and team planning and yadda, yadda, yadda.
Throwing around our LETTERS in my circle of colleagues is as common as gossiping around the water cooler. 
Often, we hear ourselves using those LETTERS to explain away a behavior....."oh, well,she is an ISTP you know...." or "no wonder he said that, he is an ESFP!"

So, imagine my interest and excitement when I found out that this same personality type indicator can also be used as a tool in understanding our weight management type. 
I can use my ENFPing to manage my weight!  Woo-hoo!  
Why the hell didn't I ever think of that?  Damn I could have WROTE THE BOOK! 
Now, there's hundreds and hundreds of diet books out there that are based on the Meyers-Brigg's Theory (MBTI).
And, there's even a LinkedIn group dedicated to health, wellness and the MBTI! 
So, it must be serious. 
Damn. Damn. Damn.
Considering I have an intimate knowledge of dieting and an intimate knowledge of Meyers-Briggs, I could have had a whole different career....Queen of the MPTI Diet Program.....coulda, woulda, shoulda....
Anyway......
I'm sure dieting was the last thing on Carl Jung's mind when he came up with his theory. 
It was so genius in it's symplicity that it can be applied to all areas of life. 
Go Carl! 
Although I am not planning on embarking on any new diet plan or buying another diet book, I am intrigued by the entire concept of understanding your personality and how it impacts your weight management style.  
For instance.... knowing that  ENFP's (me!) fall into the habit of dropping a project when we become excited about a new possibility, and thus  never achieving the great accomplishments which we are capable of achieving is a very valuable nugget of information for me to have.  And, understanding that even though I am a people person who enjoys activity and engagement, I need alone time to feel centered is an excellent piece of advice for those times when I am feeling out of control and overly stimulated and stressed (thus making bad food choices?).    Even though I have always known these things about myself, coupling that self knowledge with how I manage my weight is powerful. 

You learn something everyday.
It's even better when the thing you learn is actually something you already knew.  
Yeah, I'm ENFPy like that..... 
 
Happy Friday! 

Sweet dreams......

or just a SWEET DREAM?

Check it out......

Yep, there's another diet on the horizon that's got me all a-flutter......
Ever since I heard the Good Morning America promo the other morning, I just knew I wanted to learn more about it and then blog about it.
I just love diets and diet books and everything weight loss.....
It  gets my adrenaline going and tickles my toes.
That's not to say I have any intention of doing any of  these diets but  I sure do like the toe tickling and adrenaline rushing....
TRUTH?  There are moments when I wish I could to do all the new diets.
Even this one...THE OVERNIGHT DIET....... I could use a good excuse to get some extra rest.  
Let me tell you, if this was anywhere between 1980 and 2007, I would have been out the door buying this book and studying it and then doing it before you could say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!


In essence, I was not seeking a diet..
I know that NOW.  
Let the truth be heard.... I hunting for the magic bullet, the holy grail, the cure, the answer to my prayers......

 For me---starting a new diet program was exciting and invigorating and filled with hope. 
Fast forward to a few weeks into whatever new program I was doing and things weren't quite as exciting and invigorating or filled with hope.
But, still......I kept on seeking out the answer to my prayers.
I consider that a good thing......it meant that I was always optimistic that someday, some way, I would eventually overcome my obesity.
I never gave up.
Until I found it.....

 LAPBAND + JUDI= MY MAGIC BULLET

Now, before the folks in the back row start yelling that the Lapband is not a magic bullet......settle down and let me explain.

It is the magic bullet FOR ME.   

I could have never, ever had the success and made the changes that I needed to make without 2 things-----my Lapband and ME.  

One without the other would not have worked.

The Lapband was my tool.   

I was the person who had to use the tool.

Just like another tool.....the operator is in charge of it's success but the tool itself makes it easier.

THOUGHT:  you can dig a hole with your hands but having a shovel certainly makes it easier to get done. 

For years, I was digging holes with my hands.

Once I got the shovel, I still had to work hard but it was a hell of a lot easier.  

And, I'm not ashamed to admit it.

So.....if you know anyone who has used this diet......I'd love to hear about it.

Sometimes I just need a good diet program fix.

And, a martini.   

Or two.  

This might be the one diet I need to try........

Hello Spring fashions......it's me Judi......

No more hiding beneath  layers of winter garb or swathing ourselves in dark, slimming clothes.....
Time to pull out the colors of Spring and dare to bare just a tad bit more....
Once again, I thank God for my Lapband......

Can you say OMG?  

I feel a Chico's shopathon coming on......

Yes,  it's true, just a few short days ago I was bitchin' and moaning about winter's hold on Judiland.
Now that warmer days are here and the sun is shining, my change of season fashion anxiety has set in.
Sometimes when your world is riddled with anxiety, change of season fashion anxiety is not the worst thing in the world to keep your mind occupied......
It's fun to think about all the looks and outfits I can come up with from what's already in my closet and to thumb through catalogs and  scour online sources to see what I just have to have this season....
I haven't come up with my must-have list quite yet.....probably because I'm one of those lucky gals who has a closet that is bursting at the seams with more clothes  (and shoes!) than a fashionista can wear in one season.  
I'm pretty sure I don't need a thing.......
Or, do I?
 Perhaps you can give me some ideas.....
What are you hoping to add to your Spring/Summer wardrobe this year?  
 
 

And, that's all I have to say today.

Eggs are a good choice for dinner.....right?

How about 1 course of a coconut egg and the 2nd course of a peanut butter egg?

Okay, so.......
From what I can tell from talking to folks and reading blogs, Easter leftovers have been the foundation for many meals this week.
But, because I was very conscientious of not having too many leftovers at our house after our annual Easter Eve wine tasting and foodapalooza, I dutifully packed up most of the leftovers and sent them home with our guests.  So they can have Easter Leftover dinners all week.   I'm nice like that.
Unfortunately, when I offered my guests the contents of our Easter Baskets.....I had no takers.

My Easter leftovers.......

So, I was left with a table full of Easter treats.....almost completely untouched.
Hence, they became my Easter leftovers..... 
Now, anyone worth their chocolate in the Pittsburgh area knows that if you have Sarris chocolate, you've got some damn good Easter candy.
Especially if you have Peanut Butter Meltaway and Coconut Eggs.
Orgasmic Decadence and delight......all in one large foil packet.  
Yes, they are that good.   
So, last night, who could blame me for not wanting to cook dinner and do any more dishes after  coming off an Easter weekend of doing lots of cooking and lots of dishes and after having a few rough days at the office and in life?
So,  yeah....
Bring on the EGGS.....

Alright, so it wasn't the best choice.
However, to make me feel a bit better about my foray into the my Easter leftovers, I decided to figure out just how many calories I had consumed by eating a dinner of 1 peanut butter egg and 1 coconut egg.
THE ANSWER?
Less than 500 calories (we will not discuss the fat and sugar content, thank you very much) .
Not so bad.
Not so bad at all.
And, you know what else?
I needed those EGGS......
Just as much as I needed to turn off my cell phone and get that pedicure last night.

Gee, I wonder what I'll eat tonight.......



Happy Friday

Let's talk about $$$$.......

and weight loss..........

For your reading pleasure.....

Study says: Financial reward + competition = More weight loss

 

Tax Deductions for Weight Loss

 

Corporate Weight-Loss Initiatives Improve Productivity And Save Money

 

 

 

Although my head has either been in a fog or completely preoccupied with life these past few weeks, I've managed to hear snipets of news....especially when I hear the words "weight loss" or "diet".  Immediately, my ears perk up and my mind is transported to the words that are being said.   

Like I've told you before, I am and probably always will be a diet junkie.    These days I am mostly in recovery.  But, that doesn't stop me from  getting a rush of adrenaline when I hear or see those words before me!

What I find so amazing is that  diets and weight loss are always in the news.  Clearly, I am not the only one with this obsession.  That makes me feel kinda good.  And, these days I need all the feeling good vibes I can get! 

 

My HEART has not been in the work.......

and my mind is following suit!  

I'm not sure about you but when I become preoccupied with things that I would prefer not to deal with, it can take a major toll on my mojo. 
That's where I am right now.
My mojo has been hijacked by a pesky little thing called LIFE.  

Sure, I can makedo with the best of them.
And, I can definitely paint a smile on my face and do what needs to get done.
And, I can still engage and chat and not disrupt everyone's life just because I'm not feeling my mojo.
But, deep inside my heart and my head, I've somehow found myself completely overwhelmed with the job of being Judi.  
Although there really is not a bright side here, my natural instinct is to find a silver lining in all things.
Since I am so over learning lessons and becoming  a better, stronger person, I look for other positive outcomes to the idea of making lemonade when life gives you lemons. 
It took me awhile but it seems as though I found the silver lining.......
Remember those extra pounds that I found myself with only a few short weeks ago?
Well, guess what?
Without even knowing it, they are almost all gone.
ALMOST.
A few more weeks of dealing with the lemons of life and I might just find myself  easily gliding into every pair of pants that have been fighting with me!  
So, there you have it......the silver lining. 

This too will pass, I know.