Shannon L.

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Let me start by saying it's been a very long time since I've posted anything...mainly because I don't think anyone reads my ramblings, mostly because life got in the way.  I've now regained almost all of the weight I've lost.  I hate this.  I feel like I'm right back where I started, and in truth I am.  I've started walking again, and I've started the protein shakes again.  If anyone is reading this and had their surgery done at the Barix Clinics, can you message me please.  Seems that I've lost all my information on how many shakes and whatnot I should be doing a day, how much protein I should be eating, things like that.  I was at the point where I seriously thought about giving up.  I have an appt. with a different doctor on July 29th so we'll see what happens from there.  I don't feel like I'm non-compliant.  I've been getting protein in, just don't remember how much...I feel like such a failure.

So it's now June 1.........Yay.......I think. Been working a sorta new job, well those that actually care to keep up with me know that it's not new, I've been there since the end of Feb. I don't much care for it but money is money and I have some new friends and some friends that I reconnected (yeah, that sounded Hallmark) with from Hilton. Still not talking to my brother but hey what else is new right? Started walking again, actually this morning. Started at my house and walked down by the old house which near a liquor store ( just what I need right)....took me about 45 minutes give or take a minute. Got a new schedule for work Noon - 8:30, which really is going to interfere with school. We shall see how that works out. Oh well, done with the updates for now...........if ya wanna talk you know how to find me........by cell or IM

OMG I've never in my life had pain like that (ok so that's a slight overexageration but we'll go with it).  I went to work out yesterday which was all in well, 2.9 speed with a 9.0 incline, yeah so I go to the cafeteria and get a side salad with fat free ranch dressing (still not bad).  What I didn't know is that it had pumpernickel and seeded rye croutons in it........should have been a warning sign right then and there, right?  WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I ate a few and some of the salad and felt full, well off to my next class I go, was still doing fine, half our after class starts I pull out my bottle of Mt Dew Livewire (I needed the caffeine or instant headache), so I sip on that for the remaining hour and 45 minutes of class.  I get to my car, wipe the back windshield off (since it decided to snow)  Did I mention I absolutely hate snow?  Yeah,  So I get back in my semi warm rental car, and off I go.  I get about maybe 5 miles from the school and the pain sets in.  I'm thinking ok maybe it's the corset I have on, it does that sometimes, so I take that off and the pain is still there but it's getting worse.  So I get home and figure maybe it's the jeans, but when I stand up I'm fine.  So I leave the jeans on and we go get the kids from school.  I wanted to go to Wal-Mart since we got our state taxes back, I had somethings I wanted to get. 

We stop for gas and I'm still in massive amounts of pain, I head for the bathroom thinking "if I can get sick or something maybe that will help", no such luck with that.  It got to the point to where I was leaning on the counter to ease the pain.  I get back in the car and right away DH was like "Are you going to be ok?"  Ummmmmm do I look ok to you?  We're driving the 1/2 hour to the next town cause god forbid they build a Wal-Mart here, and I'm shifting and trying to get comfy and it's just not happening.  So we get to the store and get moving and everything and I'm fine.........get done and get back in the car and pain sets in again! 

Turns out it was a massive gas attack that lasted from 2 pm til I went to bed at 9pm (because I thought I was going to work this morning).

I will never again eat a side salad with croutons in it.

How to Make Greek Yogurt

If I convinced you that everyone should make yogurt, here's how to do it in ten easy steps (and with no special equipment).

1. Fill a thermos flask with milk (you can choose any kind of milk - skimmed milk, full cream, goats milk - anything at all), then pour it into a microwave-safe container or a pan.

2. Bring the milk to the boil. I used a microwave, but you could heat it on a stove if you prefer. Just watch that it doesn't boil over. This step is to kill off any unwanted microbes that will cause the milk to spoil.

3. Allow the milk to cool to around 50°C (122°F). I've got a new whizzy electronic thermometer so I used that, but you could use any kind of thermometer, or you could stick your clean finger in it. 50°C isn't hot enough to burn you, but it's too hot to comfortably keep your finger in for long. This is the optimum temperature for the yogurt culture beasts to grow.

4. Add some live yogurt to the milk. You can use a little of your last batch, or you can buy some fresh yogurt to start your culture off. This contains some of the yogurt culture microbes that are going to multiply and turn the milk to yogurt. You don't need much. I usually use about a dessertspoon, but in extremis I have swilled the milk in an empty yogurt pot to rinse off the bits of yogurt clinging to the sides, and it worked fine.

5. Pour the proto-yogurt into the thermos flask. Fill it to the top. It won't change in volume at all. Now seal the flask and leave it somewhere it can be undisturbed for 8-14 hours. Overnight will be fine.

6. After 8-14 hours with any luck your flask will be full of yogurt. When you take the lid off, you'll think it has failed, because it has not changed in appearance at all. It gets me every time. But when you try to pour it out, you'll find it is no longer thin and liquid, but has thickened considerably*. But the chances are good that if you followed my instructions, you have made yogurt. Well done!

7. You can put your yogurt in another container and put it in the fridge (warm yogurt is kind of yuk) and eat it just as it is. But if you want to make Greek (strained) yogurt, there is another step to the process. Pour your yogurt into a muslin cloth, and suspend it over a bowl for two hours (I put the cloth in a colander over a bowl).

8. After two hours the colourless liquid whey will have strained into the bowl and the remaining yogurt will be thickened and creamier. You couldn't pour it now. You'll have to scrape it off the muslin cloth.

9. Congratulations, you've made Greek yogurt. It's deliciously thick and creamy, even when made with skimmed milk. It's more stable in cooking than normal yogurt (but did you know that if your yogurt separates when cooking, you can stir in a spoonful of cornflour and stabilise it?). I like it on its own with honey. It also makes wonderful raita.

10. If you leave it straining for longer than 2 hours it becomes thicker and thicker and eventually will have a consistency like cream cheese. Stir in garlic and herbs if you like, and use it like Philadelphia. Delicious.

*Well - sometimes batches fail. It happens to everyone. Here's a troubleshooting list:

• If the milk was too hot when you added the culture, all the beasts will have been killed. Warm it up to 50°C (122°F), add more culture and try again.
• If the milk was too cold, the beasts won't have reproduced. Warm it up to 50°C (122°F) but no hotter and try again
• If the starter was old, it may not have had any live beasts in it to begin with and the milk will still be runny. You'll need to get a fresh starter from the shops. It's up to you what you do with the warm milk. I suggest cocoa.
• If the milk was old it may have curdled. Pour it away, it's ruined.
• If the equipment wasn't clean, some spoilage microbes may have got in and spoiled the yogurt. Pour it away, it's ruined.
• If you didn't leave it long enough, it won't have had time to set (sometimes it seems sort of slimy but not really thick). Make sure it's still warm enough and leave it a bit longer.
• If you left it too long, it may have separated into yellow whey and white curds. It's fine. You can stir it back together, or use it as it is to make Greek yogurt.

So I'm updating again.  I started school about 2 weeks ago for my Criminal Justice degree, this should be interesting because it seems like no matter how hard I try I always manage to screw up somehow, someway.  I will NOT fail this time.  I can't afford to, I like school and I know I can do well if I just take the time to get things done like I need to.  But anyway.

Things are going great at home, for the most part.  The boys are having some difficulty at school but that's not really anything new.  DH is doing really well, I'm proud of him.  Anyone that can  have a seizure disorder and still deal with every day stress, is someone I would look up to anytime. 

My weight loss has slowed down a lot, not something I'm too happy with.  But I'm working on it.  I started working out again.  And boy am I feeling it, every muscle hurts.  But I will stick with it, and since I work out at the college, I can do that in between classes, since I have an hour and a half break in between my 2nd and 3rd classes.   Still working on getting my protein in and staying away from caffeine.  That's not going so well, but I'm working on it and that's all that matters, right?

I'm still working in a bakery which is a downfall, all those breads and pastries and donuts.  Uggggggggghhhhhhhh!  I think it's time to find a job to where I'm not around any of that stuff and I'm not tempted by it in anyway. I did apply at my college for a position, and someone actually read my application and resume, I got a response back from the email that I sent to them.  So let's hope something pans out in that area.

I made this mistake and it damn near cost me my life........literally.  I didn't have any Tylenol in the house, and I was in such pain that I thought that a few aspirin wouldn't hurt.  I was wrong, my god was I wrong.  See I overdosed......and was less than 5 minutes from falling asleep and never waking up, I still don't remember everything that happened that night.  All I was thinking about was trying to get rid of the horrible pain that was in my mouth.  I wasn't thinking of leaving my kids without their mother, my DH without a wife, my siblings with out a sister and my parents without a daughter.  I was just thinking that a few aspirin wouldn't do any damage.  

I got released from the hospital yesterday morning and this morning I feel like a MAC truck drove straight into my stomach.  I am only telling you this because what I knew this could have killed me (and it just about did) and I did it anyways.  

I'm sorry if I'm rambling, and I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself from last night.  I'm not looking for sympathy, I deserve the exact opposite.  I just feel that my stupid mistake can and will help someone else.

Thought I would update a bit, but there's really not too much to update on lol...I'm down to 147, which is a loss of 120 lbs.....Still working on the whole job situation.

Found some protein drinks online, so I thought I would post them here....      

Chocolate Mint Mocha 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water.  
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 1 tablespoon of General Foods International Coffees Swiss Mocha sugar-free, fat-free instant coffee,  
three drops of peppermint extract, and three ice cubes.  
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.     

Just be careful with the peppermint......too many drops and it's really really strong......and I used Light Silk in Chocolate.   

Apple Pie 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add three tablespoon of apple pie filling, 
1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Crispy Hippy 
1 cup of 2% milk.  
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 2 tablespoons non-fat french vanilla creamer, 
1/4 cup low fat granola, 
1 frozen banana (peel & wrap in plastic prior to freezing), 
1 tablespoon of low-fat peanut butter, 
2 tablespoons sugar-free Nestle's Quick   

Banana Split 
Freezer 1 cup of 2% milk.  
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 2 tablespoons non-fat french vanilla creamer,  
2 tablespoons Hershey's chocolate syrup. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Double Chocolate Fudge 
Add 8 oz of Non-fat milk or water. 
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 1/2  packet of Swiss Miss fat-free hot cocoa mix and three ice cubes. Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Cookies & Cream 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add two drops of peppermint extract and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds. 
Then, add three low-fat chocolate wafers, blend at low speed for ten seconds.   

Cinnamon Roll 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 
1/2 tsp. fat-free Butter Buds, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds   

Eggnog Delight 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice,  
1 plan graham cracker (four small squares), and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Hunky Monkey 
1 cup of 2% milk. 
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 1 frozen banana (peel & wrap in plastic prior to freezing), 
1 tablespoon low-fat peanut butter, 
3-4 chocolate wafers, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Frozen Orange Glace 
Add 8 oz. of orange juice. 
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add one ripe banana, and four ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Jamoca Nut 
1 cup of 2% milk. 
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 2 teaspoon of instant coffee, 
2 tablespoons of non-fat hazelnut creamer,  
2 tablespoons sugar-free Nestle's Quik, and five ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Omega 3 Supreme (this is a great drink for the joints) 
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
Add one scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
One tablespoon of flaxseed oil , 
1/3 oz. almonds, slivered, 
one teaspoons vanilla extract and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds   

Orange Cremesicle
1 cup 2% milk,  
One scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 2 tablespoons non-fat french vanilla creamer, 
2 teaspoons frozen orange juice concentrate, 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and three ice cubes.
 Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Peaches & Cream
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
Add one scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 1/2 cup frozen unsweetened peaches,
two tablespoons of Fat-Free Cool Whip, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Peach Berry Cobbler
1 cup 2% milk,  
One scoop of chocolate protein powder. 
Add 2 tablespoons non-fat french vanilla creamer, 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 
3-4 frozen strawberries, 
4-5 slices frozen peaches, 
2-3 low-fat vanilla wafer cookies, 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon.   

Strawberry Banana Dream
Add 8 oz. of Non-Fat milk or water. 
Add one scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add three frozen  strawberries, 
1/2 banana, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.    

Strawberry Shortcake
1 cup of 2% milk. 
Add one scoop of strawberry protein powder. 
Add 2 tablespoons non-fat french vanilla creamer. 
3-4 frozen strawberries, 
3-4 low fat vanilla wafers. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Tropical Passion
Add 6 oz. Papaya juice with 2 oz. of water. 
Add one scoop of vanilla protein powder. 
Add 1/4 cup pineapple, 
1/2 banana, and three ice cubes. 
Blend at high speed for 45 seconds.   

Mighty Mocha Madness
Add 1/2 cup nonfat frozen yogurt, 
1/2 cup espresso coffee (prepared), 
2-5 ice cubes, 2 scoops Chocolate Protein. 
Place ingredients in a blender. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency.

Been a little while since I updated........not really too much going on other than all 3 boys are in school full time now, I'm still trying to find another job.  The usual.  Here are some pics for you guys (if you're interested in looking at them anyways)

It's been a while since I've posted here.  I'm down to 158 for a loss of 109 lbs.  I'm not done yet I still have another 20-25 lbs to go.  It's going slow but it's going.  I need to work on my protein still and getting my water in but I'm working on it.  I'm still working at Wal-Mart, for the most part I like it and the people I work with.

Ok let me start from the beginning.  I found my son's biological father a few days ago on myspace.com.  He gave me his phone number but I never called him, so I gave him mine (didn't think he'd call)  He called and we've been talking on and off for the past few days.  Sooo yesterday he calls me and tells me that he's leaving his wife because he's not happy and doesn't like the way she's treating him.  I said Ok, what are you gonna do now?  He tells me that he wants to come see our son.  I was like OK.  I get a message from his wife telling me that I need to stay away from her husband.  I was like WTF, not only did I have him first (ok ok so it was 14 yrs ago but who's counting), but we have a child together.


How the hell do I get myself into these things?????

Did some shopping today.........I managed to buy 4 pairs of pants 2 size 16's and 2 pairs of 14's and the 14's fit almost perfectly, a little tight but I'm not complaining lol. 

Everything is going ok, although I don't want to go to work but it's gotta be done.  I'm sitting at 173 for now.  DH and I are doing better, and the kids well, they're kids LOL.

Trying to get my business off the ground but it's proving to be harder than I thought it was going to be. I will do this!

One thing I really need to do is to STOP SNACKING!!!!!!!  It's getting bad but I'm still losing weight, go figure.

Ok I think that's it for now.


I don't know how many people read this or if anyone does but it makes me feel better knowing someone is either going through the same thing or has already gone through it.