Diva Taunia's Backstage Pass Official Blog

WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY FOUNDATION OF AMERICA: GRANT RECIPIENTS

♥ GOODBYE, MY LOVELIES ♥

CARNIE WILSON AT THE EMMY'S

Ok, I realize this is a bit dated, but Carnie's here talking about her success on The Fresh Diet.  Melting Mama tried The Fresh Diet and raved about it - and I'm dying to try it out too!

PROJECT BODYTALK

I found this website this morning when I was doing research on anxiety and eating disorders.  I'm really in love with this site, and I think it's incredibly powerful.  The focus right now seems to be a bit more on anorexia, but the content itself - body image - is one that many of us can relate to and have to deal with on a daily basis.

I was particularly moved by two of the audio clips:

Kelsey, Age 22 :  This could be me (her story, her emotions about it), the only difference being she stopped eating while I binged.  I'm pretty blown away by the level of maturity at age 22.  I'm 38 and I'm just now starting to get to a place where I can accept my body.  Granted, it's after a huge weight loss, and I also struggle with it daily.

Pat, Mid 60s:  I think Pat is more honest than most of us are.  It's frustrating for me to listen to, because I feel like the WLS community can often times be quite judgmental against their own, but also, because I know I've done this myself, and I'm embarrassed and shameful about it.

I am in a difficult place to balance:  I celebrate image post-op.  I have a radio show that highlights and features some of the best beauty and fashion products out there, and I love doing that.  I love the "Diva Glam!" part of life.  But I also struggle daily with self-image, and I struggle with finding a balance between celebrating that, and working to change the face of beauty and what that means, because beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, ages, and color. 

I think part of what I deal with now is guilt.  Guilt that I'm happy about what I look like, because I'm thinner now.  I'm glad that I can look in a mirror and be happy with what I see (when I'm fully clothed - naked is a whole other story), but I struggle with why I feel the way I do when I look at OLD pictures of me.  Why do I not see myself as beautiful in those pictures?  Why am I DISGUSTED by myself when I look at them?  Yes, I'm more likely disgusted with the behaviors that got me to that place, but I'm also just not happy with what I look like there.

I've always been much kinder to others than I have been myself.  I have many friends who struggled with their weight, and I honestly DO look at them and think THEY are beautiful.  I see their beauty on the inside and out, and I'm often upset with myself that I can't reflect that same genuine appreciation about myself and my body - old and new.  I still struggle with it constantly, I still worry daily about my weight, I still weigh like a crazy woman.  And I'm still desperate to not get fat again. 

But I'm working on it.  I think that's why I place so much emphasis on the "Diva Glam!" part of things:  because products make me happy, and I like what I feel like and look like when I use them.  Superficial?  Of course.  But again, where's the balance?  If these things make me happy,  I should be able to shift the image portion of things to what's fun, right?  And I think that's key for me:  having fun, appreciating the beauty of things in a fun way instead of berating myself.  And I try to extend that fun to everyone - any size.  Hopefully, when someone wins something on my show, it makes them happy, which in turn makes me happy.  We put so much pressure on ourselves physically, that it's nice to have some fun with our image every once in a while, and celebrate our bodies.

I'm going to keep an eye on Project Bodytalk, because I think the mission is an important one.  I'm still learning and growing, and doing my best.  I'll struggle sometimes, but I'll also keep working towards self-acceptance:  inside and out.  In fact, you may even see some audio from me up there soon...

REVIEW: HARD-CORE GRANOLA LOVE

I think it's important to note that I don't do negative reviews.  If I don't like something, I won't review it - it's that simple.  But on the flip side, if I like/love something, you'll hear me gush about it.  A lot.  That being said, you're about to witness some hard-core granola love.

Few things make me as happy as the crunch of some good granola.   When Bob over at www.bjsbariatrics.com said he'd hook me up with some Cinnamon Nutrageous Granola, I was ALL about that.  And here's what I have to say about it:  AWE.SOME.  Holy yummy.  Fo' shizzle, mah nizzle. This is some seriously good snackin'.   Here are the stats for those who want them:

 

Now here's the thing:  I am not big on counting calories and I don't have to keep a super-watchful eye on sugars, carbs, etc.  I have a general rule of thumb of "under 15" for me.  And I admittedly don't know much about how all those things work and contribute to your health.  If you want food diagnosis, stop over to my pal Melting Mama's site.  She's way better about that stuff than I am, and knows LOTS more than I do.  And as always, check with your nutritionist about what you can put in your mouth for Pete's sake!  All I know is that a little bit of this went a long way:  I felt snacky-full pretty quick with a minimal amount of food going into my gullet.  NICE.  And it was deeeelicious!

There's all sorts of flavors to make you happy: Cherry, Blueberry, Cranberry.  Uh, yes please.  I am salivating over the blueberry flavor.  And do you know what's even better?  Bob told me he just put the granola on sale for $6.95 ($2 buckaroos off the regular price), so you can buy up a whole bunch of it and make your mouth happy.  And even better?  You KNOW I have a discount code for you:

FIVEBUCKSDT

Use that at the checkout and save $5 off a purchase of $30 or more until 7/31/10! 

www.bjsbariatrics.com

REVIEW: KICK-ASS BLENDER! Waring BB900P Two-Speed Chrome Blender

Last Monday on The Backstage Pass Radio Program, I had a "protein madness" promotional giveaway, and one of the sponsors was webstaurantstore.com.  I had found out about them through The Food Network Magazine, and contacted them because they have a great line of blenders - which is obviously a necessity for wls post-op life.  They very generously donated two blenders as prizes for the giveaways (Waring BB180 Blender), and also sent me this bad-boy to review:

Waring BB900P 48 oz.
Two Speed Chrome Bar Blender

Full disclosure(s): 

1.  This particular model is a little on the pricier side, but it's a bar-grade blender, meaning you get what you pay for.  Bar blenders crush blocks of ice, blend within seconds, and make you the life of the party.  They rock.  Being the frugal Diva that I am (read:  cheap-ass), I rarely pay more than $20 for anything.  But this?  Hells yeah.  Read on.

2.  I also have a fetish for all kitchen-gadgets.  Take me to the Ikea or Target kitchen sections, and you'll see me look like a crack-addict on a binge within seconds.  I love ALL. THINGS. KITCHEN.  Machines, gadgets, knives, you name it, I want it.  And blenders became top on my list of "kitchen-love" once I had to start puree-ing my life.

So Fedex came by and dropped this off, and my step-son went NUTS.  He immediately started begging me to take him to the store to buy strawberries so that we could make smoothies ASAP.  He was playing with this like it was a brand-new Xbox (Note to XBOX people:  stepson also asked me to make an announcement that he'd like to review an XBOX.  I promised him I'd put that out there.  lol), and would NOT leave me alone until we got strawberries.  So we did, and this morning was Smoothie-time.

First, we dropped in several big cubes of ice which were crushed WITHIN SECONDS.  The 14 yr old was HIGHLY impressed.  Then we put in yogurt, strawberries, and a little milk, and within another few seconds, the smoothie was good to go.  Stepson then proceeded to rave about HOW. AWESOME. THIS. BLENDER. IS.  He then talked about the other blenders we have an how they all pale by comparison and that this was his NEW FAVORITE BLENDER OF ALL TIME.  I'm not even joking.  You'd think the blender just handed the kid a $100 bill.  I didn't even have to do this review, he totally did it for me.

But honestly?  This blender DOES rock.  Now I know why people invest a bit more into a product that works well, is reliable, and to be honest, looks pretty damn slick.

So there you have it.  Need a blender?  Go see the good people over at webstaurantstore.com and get your very own Waring Blender.  If it passed the usually-apathetic 14 yr old test, I'm pretty sure that you'll love it too!

7/1/10: WLS / GASTRIC BYPASS UPDATE - UH OH.

PROTEIN MADNESS! Bariatric Giveaway Show - Cohosted by Beth & Larry Tipton!

PROTEIN MADNESS! 
 Monday, 6/28 @ 7pm EST!

Co-hosted by Rob, and Beth & Larry Tipton!
(Subtitled:  Tipsy with the Tiptons!) 
 
LISTEN STREAMING LIVE: www.backstagepassradio.com

CALL IN # : (347) 857-2052

As most weight loss surgery patients know, protein and healthy nutrition, cooking, and eating is the most essential part of a successful weight loss surgery journey.  Tune-in tonight to hear about some of the greatest products and companies out there.  Hear about protein powders, shakes, snacks, supplements and more, and find out about some of the coolest kitchen gadgets to help you through your journey.

Even better?  Call-in to WIN some of these great products, generously donated by the radio show sponsors who support us in our quest for better health:

Co-hosted by the fabulous Beth & Larry Tipton, as well as Taunia & Rob, this program is sure to be a rockin' good time - full of fantastic prizes and giveaways.  For more information, please visit The Backstage Pass Radio Program show page HERE!

PRIZES & SPONSORS:

www.bjsbariatrics.com

PRIZE:  Your choice tub of any flavor NECTAR protein 2.1 tub,
the 21 single serving packet Grab N Go or the Matrix 2.0

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WARING BB180 COMMERICAL BAR BLENDER

PRIZE:  TWO (2) Waring BB180 Blender Giveaways!

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www.proteinbullet.com

 PRIZE:  THREE Giveaways of 1 case of your choice flavor Protein Bullet!

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www.theproteinbakery.com 

PRIZE:  A box of fresh-baked bakery goodies from The Protein Bakery!

(Oh, you KNOW that me and my co-hosts will be eating these live on air!  lol)

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www.drinkclick.com

PRIZE:  FOUR (4) Giveaways!  A Cannister of Click in your choice of flavor PLUS a Click Shaker!

ALSO:  100 FREE SAMPLE GIVEAWAYS FROM CLICK!   EMAIL info@drinkclick.com with code "DIVAT" for your sample!  (Be sure to provide your name and shipping address!)

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www.functiondrinks.com

PRIZE:  A supply of "Light Weight" drinks from Function Drinks!

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www.highproteinbread.com 

PRIZE:  A case (4 loaves) of  P28 High Protein Bread!

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www.kaysdietfood.com 

PRIZE:  A case of single servings in each flavor, from Kays!

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CHECK BACK FOR MORE PRIZES AND SPONSORS BEING ADDED DAILY!

WLSFA FUNDRAISING VIDEO

6/21/10 - Special Giveaway Radio Show: "Bring on the Beach!"

www.backstagepassradio.com

One of the best experiences after losing weight is hitting the beach, and feeling GOOD. The Monday, 6/21/10 show will feature some great beach and summer products from our sponsors. I'll be giving away some great products to get you beach-ready and enjoying the summer. Call-in to win at (347) 857-2052.  Show starts at 7pm EST.

PRIZES & SPONSORS:

$100 Gift Certificate from www.swimsuitsforall.com!

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Your Choice of Bathing Suit from www.miraclesuit.com!

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Famous Dave's Dark Self-Tanner from www.famousdavestanner.com!

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$100 Gift Certificate from Ujena.com! 

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Your Choice of Montego Pink or Blue Beach towel from SumaLifestyle.com!

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Your Choice of Parasheet towel from stuff4thebeach.com!

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MY PERSONAL GIVEAWAY:

Sandra at miraclesuit.com very generously gave me this suit, but because I have a freakishly-long torso, it was a bit on the "too-short" side for me.  My loss is your gain!  I'm giving away this hot-cha-cha size 10 suit tonight on the show! 

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MORE PRIZES TO BE ANNOUNCED THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FEW DAYS.  BOOKMARK AND CHECK BACK!