300+ Chat Thread: May 2014

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  • Excited for your new family member, FionaW! Kitties make everything better
  • JeanniesPlace ~ Thats great that you found your old pedometer

    Im gonna go for my morning walk at 8:00 am, Its 7:00 am right now and then as you all know I'll go for my evening walk after dinner
  • The Doctor's news could have been better
    Thursday I was told that I have Emphysema and COPD. I quit smoking 36 years ago but I guess the cigarettes are going to get me eventually. The doctor said it was most likely caused by my smoking so many years ago.

    My Pulmonologist scheduled me for a breathing test on 5/5/2014 To evaluate my lung condition and my chronic cough. On Thursday 5/15/2014 I visited His office to discuss the breathing test results. He said the test showed my lung function is 93%. He listened to my lungs and said I have mild Emphysema and COPD and that this is a progressive disease and it will get worse over time. A follow up appointment is scheduled for six months. The doctor said I should lose weight and exercise. He also offered a prescription for an inhaler which after a discussion with him and with his agreement I have declined until my shortness of breath gets worse.

    The doctor says that weight loss and exercise will slow but not stop this disease from progressing. Slowing it sounds good to me so yesterday I dug out my long neglected bicycle, inflated the tires and went for a ride. It felt good. I did not go too far and was a little short of breath but I will continue while I can.

    On a brighter note: Today is my DW birthday and she wants to go to Red Lobster. I went online and pulled up their nutrition list. I was thinking of the shrimp scampi but then I remembered that this is made with wine. As an alcoholic who has been sober for 37 years I will skip that and find something else.
  • Fi- love that collage! It is simply showstopping!

    Everyone else, hi.

    Been a while.

    Can't even say I'm back, just forcing myself to check in.

    I haven't given up on weight loss, but it's really stalled. Still running sometimes though.

    Had a super rough weekend, hit a new rock bottom where I just kind of cried for hours about how much I hate myself, the way I look and fear I will never feel attractive again. Just kind of spilled it all to an imaginary person that I was pretending I was talking to, but saying those things outloud to another person would likely never happen.

    I also feel like I don't know my dad anymore, he won't even tell me what country he is currently in and it's killing me inside. I don't think he's ignoring my question on purpose, but it's hard to tell these days.

    Anyways, that's about it for now.... I'll try to come back a little more often, but it is that busy time of work for me (well busier than normal busy with provincial exams, regular exams, report cards and graduation coming up - plus a show for my grade 9 drama class)

    Hope you are all well
  • Another crazy day in BERP-land for me! My niece Margaret and her son Gavin are coming over for our regular Sunday get-together tonight. She's volunteered to help me box up the rest of my horror fiction collection for moving it down into the basement: the bulk of it is already down there, because what used to be my writing office, with my horror near at hand for all the writing related to horror literature that used to be my job, is turning into my collage studio. I need nearly every inch of bookshelf space in there for my "cutter" books and my boxes of clippings! Plus, I plan to move my quite voluminous postcard collection into that room, because the main reason I've been acquiring those postcards, mostly in the form of booklets & boxes, is for use in collage. Eventually I want to get everything I need for collage into that one room, or at least as much of it as is humanly possible, instead of having it scattered all over the house.

    The good news, in addition to the blessing of having Margaret available to help me some with book storage chores, is that Bob already installed cat flaps in both the doors of our bedroom and of my office-now-studio. That's so those doors can be closed for privacy without shutting the cats out from anywhere. I taught our last pair of cats how to use the cat flaps (they're not born with that knowledge =laugh=), and now I anticipate teaching the next pair. But not until they've emerged from Phase One of their accommodation to our house: when we first bring the kittens home, they'll be kept just in our bedroom and its bathroom. For a couple of weeks, more or less, Bob and I will be living almost entirely in that space, in order to be in close contact at all times with our new babies. =smile=

    What? Weight loss? Is that what this forum is about? I'll be lucky if I remember my regular weigh-in day, the 22nd of the month! =grin=
  • Good morning all. Hope that everyone is doing well.

    Fi Your collage just wore me out looking at it, and the amount of work you put into it! WOW! There were so many layers and elements......this is one of your collages that I'll have to look at several times and then assimilate. Hope your day with Margaret goes well. The kitten video was adorable -- they're so much more lively (duh!) than the last video. I know you're eager for their arrival. Laughed at your weight loss thread comment -- don't you find when your mind isn't on dieting all the time that it's actually easier to stay on plan?
    Sam Your post was so uplifting and so glad to read about how happy you are right now. You're such a positive person that your post last week worried us all a little, but sounds like your back to knowing that this is for you. I love how you are building those muscles for the big reveal. Sounds like you've had a great weekend so far!
    SilentArctic Glad you're still posting. Last year I was in a maintenance mode/not really with it for about six months. Posting here helped me from going totally off the rails. Eventually you will get some warm weather -- I've been surprised how much more positive I am now that the days are getting longer. Hang in there -- you know (I hope) that we care about you.
    Terra Skipping the evening walk one day is OK, because you always get back to them the next. Is it still so hot there?
    Larry So glad to see your post on here although I wish the diagnosis were a little better for you. Fortunately, you're already well on the way to losing weight and exercising so this won't require huge changes in your life style for you. Hope that the progression is very, very slow for you.
    Time4Me First, I'm so glad that you posted to let us know how you're doing. But so sorry that you're going through the emotional side of weight loss. And your relationship with your dad sounds like it's definitely getting to you. You always sound so busy with your job, but I hope that you're able to have some good "me" time as well.

    The big container gardening project got done yesterday as the weather forecast changed and I wanted to get it done before it starts raining for the next couple of days. Evidently there seems to be a correlation between lots of heavy work and losing weight. Last week when I moved the 80 bags of mulch, I lost 3 pounds that day. Yesterday with moving the 40 bags of soil and amendments and planting, I lost a couple. One more pound and I meet one of my mini-goals........for the 5th time! I am more determined this time to keep the downward trend going, so hopefully I'll be able to soon change my signature and take off the short term goal of getting from 333 to 313 and switch it to getting under 300 pounds for the first time since 1990. Today has now become house cleaning day and dinner got postponed until tonight. Hope everyone has a good day.
  • Good Afternoon!
    Betsy your yard work sounds like my wood pile. I always have a loss when I am working on that puppy. This years pile will be HUGE because of our brutal winter we had. How was dinner with your friend?
    Fi I loved the video of your playful kittens with their Yoda ears. Will you make a little ramp so they can get onto your bed? Your Free collage looks like my brain feels.
    Melissa & Larry it is nice to hear from you!
    Terra I'm curious about your pedometer. Do walk the same distance pretty much everyday? Not on your walk but just taking steps as you go about life.
    Atalanta do you have a kitty?
    Silent you're doing good. Just keep showing up and doing your best until you get your mojo back. When you get your mojo back dig deep and go for the gold. You already had your picture taken for it! It is your destiny now.
    Sam I am so proud of you for doing double when your friend wanted to go for a walk! What is the meal for the week?
    If I forgot anyone sorry. I am running on little coffee today.
    My new plan is to not even go up to the buffet line. I will send my husband up and he will put on plan food on my plate. If I don't see it I can not want it. At the party yesterday everyone caught on and asked if I needed more veggies when they went up to get more food. I love supportive people! Also, knowing they were watching me with a loving eye made me feel all fuzzy. Just like all of you make me feel!
  • silent I like walking to socialize with friends too. It really helps forgetting how long you've walked.

    atalanta Thank you so much for the kind words...its been a long journey but I feel great and have a long way to go!

    Larry I'm sorry to hear about the emphysema and COPD. I'm glad you finally figured out what was wrong. Hoping for the best for you and glad to see you are doing your best on slowing down the disease.

    time I'm sorry you are going through a rough time. Sounds like you are very busy at school. You are beautiful and will get through the stall. When you are ready to post more often we'll be here with open arms!

    betsy This weekend was nice. I'm sorry I worried you...just had one of those days..I'm glad it's over and I moved on to being back at my happy self! Great job at getting so close to one of your mini goals! You're almost there! You can do it girl!

    Ubee I'm feeling great and I'm sure doing the extra walking is helping. This week for lunch I think I'm going to have the same olive garden inspired salad as last week...it was too good not to have again

    Well I'm happy to report that I lost 5 lbs this week!!! At my 4th month weigh in I can finally say I have lost 50 lb!!! That is such a huge accomplishment for me and it makes me want to strive for greatness and keep going!! It's going to be amazing where I am 4 months from now...I can't wait! Here are some links to my 4th month pictures!! http://instagram.com/p/oJOjAhJ3Hy/
    http://instagram.com/p/oJOu9IJ3IL/

    DH and I went to go walk on the beach today. It was very cool and overcast. We got on the beach and it started to rain. We didn't want to chance getting stuck in pouring rain so we just went back to the car and ended up at the flea market. We got lucky and there was a local farmer there selling fruit and veggies so we got some strawberries, cucumbers and some tomatoes. With it being bike week this week we didn't travel up town to go to the farmer's market since the traffic would have been too much so it was nice to be able to get what we needed from there.

    Today is my rest day from working out. I'm going to get ready to work on some laundry and get dinner going in a bit. I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!
  • Sam— Wow! 50 pounds! Way to go! And your new pics are amazing: your belly is so much smaller, your face is coming out of hiding, and I can really see those muscles in your legs...whoa, girl, you're rockin' this weight loss thing!

    Betsy— You're kind of making me worry, 'cause everything I'm saying and doing, you either say it exhausts you or that it wears you out... I feel like I'm screwin' up or something... you know you have me beat, hands down, in the energy department, movin' those 80-pound bags and all the rest you do in your yard work. Congrats on the further weight loss! I like the fact that you're anticipating a new mini-goal ticker with a goal of getting under 300: you should pick a whole new theme and set the endpoint for 299... =smile=

    Ubee— That's sweet you're thinkin' 'bout a ramp for our bed, but there are two reasons why those 13-week-old kittens won't need a ramp. One is that oriental shorthairs are terrific jumpers: they'll be old enough by then to be jumping right up into our arms when we're standing up, if not onto our shoulders. The other is that we have a low platform bed anyway: it doesn't have a set of box springs—just a mattress on a nice wooden box that Bob made.

    Larry— I'm real sorry to hear about your being diagnosed with early COPD, but you're on the right track, guy, to have it progress so slowly maybe it won't matter all that much. You've got the dieting thing nailed—just need to add a bit more exercise, I guess.

    Well, Margaret called to say she's got the awful respiratory bug that's goin' around, so we won't be seein' them tonight, after all. Oh well... maybe Bob can help me out some day this week with getting those books boxed up. He just got over that bug himself, and he's been really grumpy in its aftermath. Every time I suggest something he could do to help me with the BERP, he sighs a whole lot, and then if I bring it up again, he snaps at me. =sad face= I'm not sure he's quite ready to be a parent, but our fur-kids are coming, ready or not!

    I have a small NSV to report: I now fit into size 3X leggings, and my 4X t-shirts are starting to be comfortably (fashionably even?) loose. As for my beloved collection of black 5X tees with rock stars and hippie slogans on them, I'm still wearin' 'em, but I guess there will come a day when they'll look ridiculously huge. I wish I could trade 'em in for the exact same tees in a smaller size, equally well broken in and all, but I guess I'll have to wait 'n' buy 'em all over again when I get down to size L.... one fine day... =wistful expression=
  • Hi everyone! Wow, it is so hard to keep up to date in here - you are all up an at it whilst I am sleeping. Damn time zones and different hemispheres.
    Larry - sorry to hear about your health problems. I hope things start getting easier for you.
    Time4me2change - I totally understand parental issues. My family situation isn't ideal and I have discovered that I am a lot better off without the people that make me feel like crap every day, regardless of what society says about honoring ones parents. I cut contact with them 4 years ago and have been so much happier ever since. I can honestly say there is NO WAY I would be on this weight loss journey if they were still in my life. Sometimes you just have to say 'enough is enough', you know? I hope things get better for you soon.
    FionaW - Sounds like the preparations are seriously under way. Good call on the internal cat flaps - I hate it when people lock out their pets unnecessarily. I think the only time an animal should be blocked from a room is when the occupants are having 'adult time'. Congrats on the NSV - this is the one I am looking forward to the most. If the T's get too big, just pop a tank top underneath and a pair of leggings and rock it 80s style!
    Betsy - you are an inspiration. Keep at it!
    Ubee - Yes, I have a tortoiseshell Himilayan 8 year old princess by the name of Dolly. She is honestly my best friend. She is snuggly and cute and loves lots of attention. She is also very afraid of birds and very small. She weighs less than 7lb - less than I lost last week!
    Sam - Congrats on the loss. That is brilliant news.

    Back to work for me today. Much easier to stick to the plan and drink more water when I am here. It also forces me to be more mobile, which is really good. Wore my Fitbit flex to sleep for the first time last night - the report this morning showed that I am a lot more restless than I thought. The longest unbroken period of sleep was only 2 hours. Hopefully this improves as I loose the weight...
  • ...hey there...

    the last day in Italy is dawning and the day after tomorrow I'll be home and have time to talk more about all the interesting stuff and successful things you're all doing I just missed for the last days.

    I'm feeling quite good because I know I made good food choices..even if the scale will fail me on thursday. ;-)
    Today I'll soak up sun and wind and precious family time...
    and will not think about all the things I feel that lack in my life...like a partner to share all this with, like success at work, like self confidence.
    today I will just be...
    content.

    Have a good day dear weight loss family and take good care
  • Good Morning!
    SAM! you are amazing! Your face, tummy and thighs show off your loss the most. Wow it just really shows! Stay floating on that cloud Sam.
    Fi great NSV! What are your plans for all those clothes because you are never going to be that size again!
    Atalanta would you mind explaining more about our sleeping when we are over weight? Are we more restless?
    Sugar I am so looking forward to details about your travels. As for the things you feel lacking, well we've all been there so I am sending you a big hug.
    I am down 2 pounds this week! So close to be back in the 250's that I used to want to get out of so bad. Careful what you wish for. I got out of them all right, back into the 260's.
  • Larry ~ Im sorry about the news from your doctor, Can it be reversed with diet and exercise?

    Betsy ~ Yeah its okay to skip one day of walking at night but I just cant get in a habit of it which I wont do. Its been really nice week for the past week but today and this week is suppose to be hot again.

    Ubee ~ Yeah I walk the same distance pretty much everyday.

    I got my morning walk in and I'll get my evening walk in too.
  • Larry - Hope you found something to enjoy at Red Lobster. Beyond weightloss I think taking the time to enjoy your life and time with those you love is also very important.

    time4 - Don't be a stranger. I'm sorry things are so rought right now for you.

    Fi - awww glad you are almost ready for KITTENS ... love kittens they're so darn cute.

    betsy I have a feeling it will be sunny when I'm stuck at work working. Seems to be the way.

    Ubee - So sweet that your husband is willing to do that for you! And haha about the gold...

    Sam: Enjoy your wel deserved rest day I am jealous you look SO good!

    Atlanta - Glad work makes it easier for you to stay on plan, I'm surrounded by people that like to snack so... not so easy for me. LOL

    sugar2go hope you have a fabulous last day of vaccay... soak it all in!

    On me, I haven't done much all weekend, just feeling the lazy day vibes. I feel kind of like I'm dissapointing everyone, Ubee and Betsy expect me to have a social life, I'm boring my offline friends as well... "BoringSilent" might have to become my new screen name.

    Weight is back down to 293 so I'm good with that, hopefully the BBQing with one of my BFF' doesn't mess things up. It's our work biggest loser weight in tomorrow and I don't really want to show a GAIN lo :-|
  • Quote: Larry ~ Im sorry about the news from your doctor, Can it be reversed with diet and exercise?
    Terra It cannot be stopped or reversed but my lung doctor says the downward progression can be slowed with diet and exercise. That is good enough for me. If I slow it down it may give time for a cure to be discovered.

    Larry