Cake Truffle Winners!!

Thank you to everyone that entered my Cake Truffle giveaway.  I think it went pretty well. I will work on doing this again. I'll try to get another one going before the end of the year. If not I will definitely put together several for Valentines Day. I hope everyone enjoyed this giveaway. If you did please let me know.  And for the Winners!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Drum Roll Please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gina
Susan

Winners please check your emails so that I can get your certificates out immediately
Have a great and Wonderful Day!

Tah Tah for now
Lisa

CVS Gift Card Giveaway!

Would you like to win a Cvs $25.00 gift card just in time for Christmas? I'll be giving away (1) gift card. You could use it for shopping or to get some of the ECB items that go on sale. Or use it for aftersale items.  Come on over and (1) follow me on my blog.  Be sure to leave me a comment with your name and email address so that I will know how to contact you.  I'll end this giveaway on Dec 18th.2010 at 10:00 pm Est.  So hop on over and let me know if you like this giveaway, I'll keep it in mind and do more. 
Tah Tah for Now

Staying Warm?

Hope everyone is staying warm. It's been a little chili here in Tn the last week or so.  Supposed to be really cold starting this weekend with a chance of snow flurries on Sunday. Guess I'm staying in and snuggle with my companion as my good friend would call him. As you know many of us have companions that hunt and this is hunting season. I snuggle while I can before he is off and hunting again next week.

When I was close to 300 lbs before my surgery, I was always hot..... I sweated in the winter time and despised summer.  Now I love summer and despise Winter.  As I have lost my body warmth that I was used to having. The 1st winter that I went through after having my surgery, I lived under the electric blanket. My husband insisted that we get dual controls. I even slept under the blanket way into spring, until I finally got warm.

I would run the blanket on High, have layers of clothing on, and my fuzzy socks.  Now if that wasn't a sight to see????  I know doesn't sound to pretty does it? Now which ladies will confess that I'm not the only one that layers and sleeps in fuzzy socks since loosing the extra baggage????  Confess.  we can leave it here.. Like those commercials you see. "What goes on in Vegas stays in Vegas". Well what goes on, inside my Shopping2Scale blog well sorry can't keep here.... Its too publicized.  I love you though and hope you enjoy visiting.  I just want everyone to smile have a little warmth in their hearts. And since its Christmas, thought I would share a few finger recipes to share with the family, friend or co-workers.  So when you get through here, hop on over to the recipes tab and see what is in there. Hope you can use a few of them.

I'm sharing these due to me not being able to tolerate sugar. There are a lot of family, friends, co-workers that get left behind that can't eat sugar. So thought you could make a special batch for them and let them know how special they were... It makes them feel good that you thought of them. Trust me I know on this one.  The 1st couple of dinners/lunches we had at work everyone brought in goodies. I always had to pass. So I would always try and bring me a little something to eat. So I could be a part of the celebration. 

Also, while your here leave a comment on the Giveaway post and try to win a gift certificate for some sweets. Don't forget, to follow me so you will get the updates when I post.
thank you.


Tah Tah for now.  Love you
Lisa

Cake Truffles Giveaway!

Do you have a sweet tooth for the holidays?  I do, however, I have to restrain myself as these are so good. My friend Michele over at http://inspiredbyhimcakes.blogspot.com/2010/11/carrot-cake-truffles.html is making these awesome cake truffles.  I'm sure you will love them.  Please hop on over to her website and see if you think you would be interested.  I'll be giving away (2) gift certificates $10.00 each.  You can order her truffles 1/2 dozen, or dozen.  She has several flavors to choose from.  Hope you enjoy. Good Luck!

 I will end this give away Sunday evening December 11, 2010. This will give you enough time to get them ordered and to you before the holidays?  Perhaps you are going to have a family get together or Company party, these would make an excellent finger treat.  She also does cakes.

The Importance of supplements

How are you at taking supplements?  Have you always taken them?  Do you take them because you want to be healthy or because its a In thing? Or do you take them because your new lifestyle requires them?  I do the later... Why, because my bodies system has been re-routed due to the gastric bypass procedure I chose to have done.

This is now a mandatory requirement of mine.  I do have issues with taking my vitamin supplements.  I have never been a person to take medicine, drugs etc.  Only because I have to I do it.  Never having the discipline to take meds or supplements on a regular basis has been a challenge for me. 

So how do I make sure this takes place?  Well you know the office programs on your computer that has a calendar in it? I have mine set up for an entire year to pop up EVERY day to remind me to take my vitamins.  And you know its funny but it works for me.  I stop what I'm doing and take them.

At first I didn't know the importance of taking them until I started getting my lab work completed every 6 months and having issues with some of my vitamin deficiencies.  There were issues with me being fatigued at times, sluggish, hair falling out (I really had a time with this one) I didn't have it to loose to begin with.  Then there were my fingernails/toe nails, they began to become very brittle.  Taking vitamins also gives my body some nutrients that I don't get enough of, due to the amounts of food that I eat.

My daily routine consists of the following vitamins on a daily basis. Multi-vitamin, Calcium citrate, B12 (sublingual)2500 ml.  I also do an injection of B-12 on myself once a month, due to me not being able to keep my b12 levels up.   So what I thought we would discuss today is Vitamin supplements.  We will take them one at a time.  Lets begin with Multi-Vitamins. 

What is so important about Multi-Vitamins? Here is a good breakdown that I borrowed from a website that I frequent quite often for support. Bariatric Eating After bariatric surgery, we are prone to Vitamin Deficiencies due to poor eating habits, restricted food volumes, and simply by virtue that we have had a bariatric procedure. Avoiding long term health problems is easier than trying to fix them once we have them. Soft or broken bones, IV iron infusions, serious fatigue, permanent nerve damage, and leg cramps are not what we signed on for.

Fortunately, bariatric vitamins are created for our specific post op needs. They promote a bariatric vitamin just for Bariatric patients. Very good vitamin.  When I first began taking multi vitamins I used the Flintstones, they were so much easier for me to get down, I could chew them up. As with a pill I had to crush it or cut it into, to get it down.

Here is another good piece of information in regards to taking vitamins:

VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS AFTER

GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY

It is important that you take vitamin supplements everyday for the rest of your life after having a gastric bypass. If you do not take your vitamin and mineral supplements after surgery you will become malnourished! This is because not only are you unable to consume enough food (quantity) to meet your vitamin & mineral requirements, but also because you will have a decreased ability to digest and absorb certain nutrients after having gastric bypass surgery.  We recommend that you take a multivitamin, plus extra calcium, iron, B12 and Vitamin D supplements. 
Begin taking a multivitamin twice a day while on liquids during the first 2 weeks.  Add your calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and Vitamin D supplements when you progress to soft foods in the third week following your surgery.
To make sure you are taking everything you need, in the correct dose, and in the correct form, we recommend Bariatric Advantage supplements. These are specifically designed for bariatric patients and their specific needs.

Multivitamins

Start taking one chewable multivitamin/mineral supplement twice a day while on liquids.  When you progress to soft foods, take them with meals.  For the first few months after surgery, we recommend that you take either liquid or chewable multivitamins because they are easier to digest and absorb.  Find a “complete” multivitamin/mineral supplement, meaning one that has 100% of the Daily Value (DV) for all of the vitamins and minerals.  Specifically, we recommend one of the following (generic, store-brand equivalents are fine too).

• Bariatric Advantage® Chewable Multi Formula (twice a day)
• 1 Flintstone’s® Complete (twice a day)
• 1 Centrum® Chewable (twice a day)

About two months after surgery (or when you are able to take pills and can tolerate solid foods), you can switch to a non-chewable as tolerated.  We recommend any of the following, to be taken twice a day with food (generic, store-brand equivalents are fine):

• Bariatric Advantage® Chewable Multi Formula (twice a day)
• One-A-Day® Men’s/Women’s Formula (twice a day)
• Centrum Performance® 
• Centrum Silver®  based on your age (twice a day)

Take one multivitamin twice a day (for example 1 at breakfast, 1 at lunch), rather than both at the same time to maximize your absorption of each vitamin.

 I try to encourage my friends that have had any of the bypass procedures to make sure they are taking their vitamins. I hope that I have helped shed a little light on

Please let me know your thoughts as to how you feel about taking a multi vitamin. Pros/Cons etc.

I'll touch on another vitamin another day.

Resources:
bariatric surgery at the Western Pennsylvania Hospital
http://www.bariatriceating.com/

Tah Tah for now.
Have a great evening and stay dry and warm.
lisa

Bloom where your Planted

Getting Through my 4th Thanksgiving, with the new tool that I was provided.  Loving every bit of the journey that I have traveled so far.  I was sitting here listening to my favorite minister on T.V. Joel Osteen. http://www.joelosteen.com/ . I have been listening to him for a while now, My mother used to love to listen to him every time she would find him on TV. Well this morning as I reflect back on where I was 4 1/2 yrs ago with my health issues and having made the right decision to go through the Bariatric procedure known as gastric bypass.  I'm grateful, my food portions consist of the size of a child's portion that when you go through a buffet or a meal at home to fix them a plate, just picture that is what my plate looks like.  Yes I do still get a little big eyed, and place more on my plate. And I feel really bad that I can't eat it all that it is wasted. But for some reason it is still hard to change that part of my thoughts process.

Which brings me to the reason for mentioning Joel Osteen this morning.  As you read my post yesterday. Guess It was meant for me to post about that great deal. In which I was able to acquire a total of 118 boxes of M&M's for the nursing home for a grand total of $5.27. I dropped them off this morning and the pure delight in their faces, made me realize that I had indeed completed a very good mission. To help others. This morning Joel's message was "Bloom where your planted".  As I sat here and listened he continued to say. God wants you to excel and do better for yourself.  I truly believe this. For years I have always wanted to be a nurse, go back to school. But being older now I'm running into issues, Math being one of them.  However, Joel reminded me that, theres a reason for that, I'm not quite sure what it is about yet. But I'm sure I will be placed in the right spot at the right time... I believe that yesterdays deal was presented to me for a reason. I also inquired about 3 wks ago in going back to school. I'm going to take baby steps to get there. Maybe not jump head first into the degree, Just take 1 class at a time until I get the prerequisites behind me. 

Due to the field that I have always dreamed of going into. They highly recommend that you don't work during the day so that you can focus on the studies, as it is extremely time consuming. But I have to work, I'm sure there are scholarships that can help, I just don't know how to get them, guess I just need my hand held.  I know that it will not be as easy as it would have been had I gone there before raising my boys. But I believe I can do it.... It will just take me a little longer.  I did manage to accomplish becoming a CNA prior to loosing my mother and doing so while caring for her and still working. The last few days before my mother passed she asked me for, forgiveness for changing me out of the nursing program during my high school days.  She was a nurse and didn't want me to have to go into that field. She would always say there wasn't any money in it.  My response was always Mom the money would be nice, but its not about the money. She told me that I would have made a good nurse. Now I'm sure I've covered this before. But its got to do with my bloom in progress and about helping people in need.

Knowing that one day I will need that help myself and seeing the help that was given to both my parents during their illness/sickness. I feel the calling to work with the elderly.  With that being said.  My goal is to work at the new Veterans facility that will one day be located in Cleveland, Tn.  It hasn't been completely finalized, I'm trying to be positive. http://www.bradleyco.net/state_veterans_home.aspx
This would make my day. Me not being a veteran but being a daughter of a veteran. I feel like I would be able to relate to a lot of the residents that this facility would have.  I want to give back for the love and care that especially my dad received from the West Palm Beach Veterans hospital. He received his treatment/care from. They were wonderful.  Also supportive to my mother and family.

I feel with the surgery that I had and my health being back on track that I can accomplish things that I at one time I didn't believe I could. So with that being said. I believe in what Joel's Topic was today "Bloom where your planted"  I've been planted in Bradley county and I'm going to make the most of it.  You may see me visiting at some of the local nursing home facilities just be sure to say Hi...  And should you ever need any help please don't hesitate to contact. I love being able to help others.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.  And think about the topic "Bloom where your Planted"  God will help you in your mission and will help water your bloom when you have planted your seeds.  So that he can watch them grow and Shine.

Tah Tah for now
lisa

Thanksgiving Update:

Hello, Its me again..... I just wanted to give a shout out to one of my facebook/coupon friends. Denise W. for sharing a tip on one of the coupon boards I visit frequently. I was sitting her surfing as usual and saw the post she had made for some M&M's at Walgreen's this morning using the coupon booklet. When I read a couple of replies, it was then that I realized I had been given some of the $1.00/2 coupons a few weeks ago from a friend that knew I could use them for deals.

Boy, they just didn't know. Now, when people say they can't get a good deal. I have to scratch my head and think?  Well maybe not... That's not good on my behalf, but in the case of Denise posting the deal, and my new blog post this morning. I searched my purse for the coupons and threw on a sweat shirt, (shh) don't tell anyone that I went out with no make up, don't want to scare anyone off.  But I was able to score 24 boxes of M&M's.  You know where they are going don't you? NO not to my hips.... that's too much sugar, you would find me laid out somewhere. Yes I will be taking them over to the nursing home.  So if anyone else has any coupons they won't be using for this deal. I could put them to good use,  or perhaps you could.  Well, what do you think I paid for these 24 boxes????????

Drum roll pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzz!  $1.17 that was tax... Why do people say they can't do any good with using coupons. I know this isn't a necessity but for some of us women?  It's a necessity...
I saved $12.00....
What do you think?
Thank you Denise W. you are awesome. And Ms. Wanda at Walgreen's for always being so friendly with us couponers. You rock..

Tah Tah for Now!  Until another deal comes along.

Lisa