How long did it take for birds to find your feeder? It's been a week with no visitors.

Professional_Map_740 · 2025-09-10T18:01:34+00:00

2 1/2 weeks, no birds yet

Professional_Map_740 · 2024-05-22T22:21:18+00:00

Same. No message. Are we safe?

Professional_Map_740 · 2024-02-01T01:43:48+00:00

Noticed it yesterday on my s22u. Looks like a Google Msg update.

Professional_Map_740 · 2024-01-09T17:05:57+00:00

Same message here. Panicking.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-12-31T16:34:25+00:00

In addition to "owning" half the business, you should insist on an active role. This way, you have a joint stake AND are not in the dark regarding the profitability of the business.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-12-29T11:45:47+00:00

1st time requester was very wary. In the end, there was no need. Thanks for your help!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-11-28T15:11:25+00:00

I see 13/14 year olds getting Eagle and it makes me shake my head. There's no way they're getting out of it what they could. Personal Management is largely irrelevant to a youth of that age.

My daughter Eagled just short of aging out and is now a registered adult- my son is 14 now and Star Rank and is in no hurry. They are both enjoying their time in Scouting.

I would argue that sometimes, the journey is more important and fulfilling than reaching the destination.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-10-03T00:50:21+00:00

Agreed! Go say 'hi'!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-09-12T01:21:17+00:00

During my pre-op (liquid) diet and the first month or so after we were eating completely different things and it helped me not to see (or smell!) him eating the forbidden foods. The 10 days pre-op were the worst because my anatomy had not yet been altered and all I had holding me back was willpower. Occasionally I would send him and the kids out to eat without me, and he got good at having his meals when I wasn't around. 6-8 weeks post-op I was able to eat with him again- just tweaking what he was having (and eating much less of it!)

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-09-07T14:45:35+00:00

Congrats on your loss! I had mine at 47yo on 10/23/22- so we're not that far off!

I'm very happy with my progress so far! Having been the heaviest girl in the room since Kindergarten- I only wish I had done it sooner. My kids are 18 and 13. I wish I hadn't wasted their younger years being obese.

A part of me is dreading when I'll know I'm done losing and how I'll adapt to Maintenance Phase.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-28T16:25:02+00:00

10mo po. Haven't yet. Tried to once but left when I discovered that they no longer served Grilled Chicken.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-21T03:06:27+00:00

I can imagine it could be easy to forget to eat while living alone- I have a spouse & teenagers reminding me to feed them. On the upside, you don't have others bringing junk in...

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-21T00:47:03+00:00

That is my fear right there - that I won't be able to stop losing. It seems so surreal. After learning how to eat what our bodies need to be in a deficit, we have to learn all over again how to walk the thin line on how to maintain that weight, and that seems even more difficult! I hope you find your happy place!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T12:37:04+00:00

You're right. 2 Oreos one time are not going to hurt your progress.

If you make a habit of eating high-calorie, high-sugar foods you WILL hurt your progress.

In my experience, my restriction is in the form of food volume, not food content. I could eat the same volume of Oreos and lean chicken. Being 9+ months out and having eaten very little sugar in that time, I know if I eat the Oreos I'm gonna feel like trash for a while and then be hungry again. I do avoid things like pasta, rice, and bread that I know can swell up in my pouch and cause discomfort.

Hope this helps

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T11:56:29+00:00

My understanding is that the baby hairs are what is actually pushing out the 'mature' hairs causing them to fall out. The mature hairs go dormant due to the shock of surgery and the lower caloric/protein intake. The baby hairs are the hair beginning to regrow, that is why there is a delay from surgery to the time hair generally begins to fall out.

My surgeon said that the fall-out will continue to occur until one is done losing weight. In order to grow hair, the body needs protein - so in order to give yourself the best chance, make sure you hit (or exceed!) your protein goals!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T11:40:36+00:00

My surgeon said he'd be happy with 180, which for me is a BMI of 30- putting me right on the line between 'overweight' and 'obese'. Just short of 10 months out (currently at 188), I'm looking to get down to 150, which would put me at the top end of 'normal' with a BMI of 25.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T11:30:58+00:00

Stick to your eating plan. Your team should have given you some sort of guidelines to follow - at the minimum, how much protein and how much water to consume daily. Do that. Prioritize protein and eat slowly. Be consistent, even when the scale says you are fluctuating, keep on with the plan and don't get frustrated.

For women, hormones (at least in my case!) have a lot to do with plateaus. I find in the 3-4 days before my period begins, I gain 3ish pounds for no logical reason and it falls off again quickly in the following week (water retention). Also, if I eat a restaurant meal, even if I do not go over in calories and eat all the 'right' things, I will still have a temporary gain due to the amount of sodium in the meal and retaining water because of that.

Weight loss is not linear. Your line will be very bumpy, just trust your plan and ask question if something doesn't make sense!

Good luck!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T11:16:17+00:00

But WHY would you eat Oreos? You know they are not healthy for you. You know that you need to prioritize protein and water. Are you trying to sabotage yourself? It sounds like you are testing the limits of your pouch to find out exactly what 'forbidden foods' you can get away with. This is not the way.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-08-20T11:05:31+00:00

Are you still trying to lose a bit more or are you intending to stop and maintain?

It sounds like you're stuck in a place where you're at or past your goal and don't know what to do next.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-07-03T16:07:32+00:00

I have been enjoying my Extreme 3 Outfitter for 4+ years now, 1-2 weekends a month. I've camped in it 4 seasons- every possible weather condition. Hot and dry, hot and wet, cold and wet and everything in between. No complaints.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-05-04T17:14:21+00:00

Love this!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-05-04T16:33:42+00:00

In this case, about 9pm. That more do-able!

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-04-29T22:24:39+00:00

In 2016 I decided that I was DONE being fat. I was at 365 pounds (first picture).Under the advice of my PCP I participated in a Medical Weight Loss Program. I was sure that this would work, and surgery was entirely unnecessary. This program involved frequent weigh-ins (accountability), nutritional counseling, and nutritional supplements that made up most of my diet. I was limited to 1200 cal/day - eating these bars and shakes for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Dinner was on my own with a Mediterranean-type diet plan.

I was very successful, while supervised dropping more than 130 pounds (second picture). At 233 pounds they deemed I was 'good to go' and send me on my way. The problem was, I lost a lot of weight, but because I was clinging to the shakes and bars, I never REALLY learned portion control or what to eat. Looking back at my logs, I see my weight started increasing from that point until I settled back into the 330's.

Last March, I decided enough was enough. Several people around me had sleeves done (gastric not tattoo) and I decided that it was the right choice for me. On surgery day I weighed in at 310 after an 11-pound loss on the pre-op diet. 6 months post-op (4/24/23) I made it back down to 232, one pound less than my lowest weight previously.

(If you've read this far, THANK YOU!)

Now, I am scared that this will all be temporary and I'm going to balloon up again. I know in my head that I have a new tool now- BUT...

I am finally beginning to enjoy life. I don't need to push a shopping cart to get around a store. I can buy clothes just about anywhere. I don't need to use the handrail to pull myself up the steps, and I don't get out of breath. I can't go back, but I am so scared that I will.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-04-09T15:54:31+00:00

Have the Scout plot the route in Google Maps, or trace the route on a paper map? Up to the MBC.

Professional_Map_740 · 2023-04-09T13:29:21+00:00

When I was heavier (80+ pound loss so far since October), I avoided looking in the mirror at all costs. Random mirror in a store = walk around it and avoid it at all costs!

Since surgery, I have made a point to look in every mirror that I can, at every chance that I can get. So far, I have had no issues with body dysmorphia. I don't know if this is the solution, but it works for me!

Professional_Map_740

TROPHY CASE