Hi everyone –

Nothing much going on with me – just more apartment drama. I actually spent yesterday driving around with my ex looking for a place for him. I don’t know why I agreed to do that. For those of you that asked whether I can keep the place I am in, it wouldn’t work very well. It is pretty expensive and is a two bedroom – I would definitely need a roommate. Plus, we choose the area because it was equidistant between our two jobs. My current morning commute takes me usually an hour (20-25 minutes without traffic) and over a bridge that costs $2. By finding something close to work I can seriously cut my commute time and costs and offset some of the cost difference of living alone.

Kayley – as soon as you can, check with your school about getting coverage through them. Most schools offer basic coverage to students (in fact many schools require that you have some type of coverage to attend). That way, whatever happens this time, next time you won’t have to have the stress about worrying how you will cover the cost.

Brandnewme: I love your avatar picture.You are a cutie.

Storey: You can do it. It may sound silly but, I actually look myself in the mirror and talk to myself, example: "Come on Annie, you can do this. Just swim for 4 or 5 minutes". Usually I end up doing way more of whatever it was that I did than I originally set out to do. Maybe you can give yourself some small rewards for completing goals. It really works for me. Come on Story you can do it! Hugs.

Misit: Congrats on loosing that 7 pounds. Keep on going hun. You are doing so well!

Catlover: I will let you know if I make it to the Tai Chi class on Tuesday. I think it is for balance and muscle movement, flexability. Kind of like Yoga which by the way kicked my butt last time I tried it. I was sweating like a pig. lol.

Nancy: Hugs and good luck apartment hunting.

I had a good day and kind of an NSV: I bought some tank top things with a shelf bra in them in one size smaller. They are still XXL but not XXXL or XXXXL anymore! I also wanted to tell you that is my sister that is in the photo with me in my Avatar photo at Flathead Lake in Montana.

Blessings all,
Annie

Annie-I'm still around, but just haven't been in the mood to post much. I think that I'm depressed. I've been in this funk for too long. I'm on a list for a psychiatrist, and am just going to try to hang on until my name comes up. I'm having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, and not eating or eating too much. We're going out of town for a few days tomorrow, and I'll go to the regular doctor when I get back in town to see if he can prescribe something in the mean time.

Hippievanlady, I have been missing you too :( I hope you are feeling better soon. Did you ever find a place to do your aqua exercises?

I am starting my 4 hour/4 days a week fitness "bootcamp" tomorrow :eek:
AND my cycle just started! Usually, (for the last several years) it starts early in the morning and this time it started in the MIDDLE of the afternoon :?: I think it has something to do with losing weight this last month.

I am excited and just a little uncertain about class tomorrow (Will I like the instructors? Will I make friends? Will I feel comfortable? Will I have the stamina I need to make it through? How much weight and inches will I lose in the next 5 weeks?).

Best of wishes to all the 100 pound friends!

I was a fitness fool today! Not only did I get up to 175 crunches with no effort, but I also did a two-mile hike this afternoon (without being breathless, by the way), a 45 minute workout, AND a one-mile jog this evening! Think I burned enough calories? Heh. I know I feel a lot better after I exercise; must be all those endomorphins letting loose!:dizzy:

:woohoo: LAnne! Just look at you go! Burn those calories LOL!

And to everyone else, hang in there and I hope all of you have had a successful weekend.

Guess I will share this funny story... well more like a "eeewwwwwwwwwww" story but may as well give someone a laugh out of it. :)

This morning early I went out to our pool and someone had thrown all the deck chairs into it during the night and a couple small tables. Well I thought... so I will just get in and pull them out and put them up on the deck... good exercise right? Well -- I had done quite a few of them and lifted up a little table... and there was a HUGE pile of "you know what word I am not allowed to say in this forum." EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW and here I had DUCKED UNDER the water a couple times. How nasty! So I got out and came home, took a shower and scrubbed every inch of me, washed hair, brushed teeth, even did a sinus rinse! LOL but I did count it as 30 minutes of exercise in the pool as I sure did earn it!!

Why are people such PIGS????

How are you choosing these random days that you say you will go to the doctor on if the pain doesn't go away? Last I remember, it was MONDAY you said you would go if it wasn't gone. Now it is FRIDAY :?:

So many people are worried about you on here! It seems like you should follow up on this issue and rule out anything serious. It's up to you, naturally and I won't mention it again, as you are an adult after all, and I think you and only you know your motivations for posting about the pain then not following through or addressing what everyone brought up out of concern for you.

Hi ladies
Just wanted to say hi.
KAYLEY: i hope you feel better, take care of yourself.
CATHERINE: im sorry your depressed. i miss your posts, hopefully you can get some medicine to make you feel better, your in my thoughts.
ANNIE: i love your new picture:) way to go on the new tank tops:)
CDNCATLOVER: you asked what type of plan i am following, just basically counting calories and avoiding white things, i.e sugar, white bread, things with no nutrional value. i am also drinking lots of water and excersising. i think its pretty much like weight watchers, i just count calories and not points. ive tried lots of things, but this is working best for me. i have actually lost more wt in 6 months, than my frieind who had lap banding last year has, so thats cool. i still have a ways to go, and ALOT of "mental" work also:)
as for me, i had a cool day spending time with my family. its back to work tommorrow for a long week:( weigh in is thursday hopefully i will see a loss. its getting slower now, but i will take any loss at this point.
i hope everyone has a great night:)

:?: Why would you even SAY that? Everything we all post on here is part of a "personal issue". Sorry if you didn't like what I said, but I feel like so many people were worried and offered great suggestions and would want to know what your status is. It's called friendly concern :hug:

I hope you DO get public aid! Meanwhile, there is usually a way to get seen by a doctor even without health insurance. I have had to use free, student and homeless clinics in the past, personally. If I knew the area you lived in, I am sure I could get a number for a sliding scale or even free clinic in a matter of minutes. Where there is a will, there is a way! If you really want help, please don't give up!

Good Evening, Ladies! :wave:

Well, I'm just about over my cold. Still have a bit of congestion but nothing major and thankfully this time it doesn't seem to have moved down into my chest. I didn't exercise all week but last night we went and played tennis for an hour or so - it was so humid but I was very glad to finally get out and do something for the first time in too many days. Food-wise this week, I've been pretty good - some slipups (a couple cheese sticks one night, a couple slices of pizza another) but for the most part I've been OP. Weigh-in is tomorrow morning and will be my first time in two weeks so I've got my :crossed: that I'll see at least a little bit of a loss on the scale.

I'm also going to the doctor's in the morning to get the results of some bloodwork I had done last week, especially my glucose levels, as earlier in the year I was told my levels were pre-diabetic, and that's what drove me to begin my healthy lifestyle. I'm very optimistic that I'll have favorable results, and I'm curious to hear what my doctor has to say about my weight loss thus far. There are also two things I plan to ask him about and I wanted to run these things by you all and see if anyone has any familiarity with either:

- for the past couple of years, I've been getting these blisters on my fingertips. I'll go sometimes weeks without any, and then for a few weeks it seems I have at least a couple. For instance, right now, I have a blister on two fingers on my left hand that are healing and one on one of my right-hand fingers that is just coming up. I don't think I've ever gotten a blister on my thumbs, and the blisters aren't like typical blisters in that they don't secrete liquid, they just open up like dry skin and peel, then heal. I've tried searching for this on the Internet, perhaps thinking it's some form of eczema, but haven't really found anything. It's not painful or anything, which is why I haven't been to a doctor about it already, but since I've got them right now, I figure I'll take advantage of that coinciding with my visit. But has anyone here experienced this or know what it is?

- for the past few weeks, I've been experiencing intermittent abdominal pains, like something's wringing out my stomach. It doesn't usually lead to anything else, and will go away within hours. I've tried tracking what I'm eating, thinking it might be dairy, wheat or perhaps meals with high fat content, but nothing seems to be constant. Can intolerance/allergy to food vary or does it have to be constant (ie. if it's lactose intolerance, would all dairy trigger it or would some milk or cheeses not bother it?)

Like I said, I'm going to talk to my doctor tomorrow about these things, but I just wanted to check and see if anyone has experienced anything similar. :)

OK, since I haven't really been here all week, I've just spent the past hour or so reading through the thread - you've all had a lot going on this week!

Kayley, I'm glad to hear you had a great birthday and enjoyed yourself. You do only turn 21 once! I reiterate what everyone else has said about going to the hospital/urgent care/doctor about your abdominal pain. That's nothing to fool with and could be something that could get out of control very quickly, as many of the ladies have attested. Take care of yourself. :hug: Oh, and thanks for the compliment on my avpic - it was taken at the beach and I thought I just looked so relaxed and happy that I wanted that to be the face everyone here sees. :D

Peggy, that's really cool about getting all those steps in on your pedometer! :carrot: I bought one recently but haven't set it up yet. :o And kudos to you for getting rid of those clothes! I have some too-big items in my closet but I haven't been able to bring myself to get rid of them yet.

Donna, sorry you're having heel pain. :( Is it something a trip to the doctor could fix or is it a chronic type thing? And I am totally with you on the 'reverse anorexia' thing - my photos never show as much progress as I think I've made! And :woohoo: for losing those 4lbs!

LAnne, :congrat: on the continued success with everything, it must be great motivation to keep going.

Brenda, lovely photos that you posted! My favorite is the birdhouse - I'm tempted to make it my desktop background. :)

Catherine, kudos to you for getting hubby out there clothes-shopping. Mine will rarely go and I have a very limited amount of time before he gets sick of it and just wants to take what we've got and go. :dizzy: Sounds like yours was lookin' snazzy! I hope you don't overwhelm yourself with commitments to others - remember that sometimes, it's OK (and important) to put yourself first. What/who was the tree planting for?

Nancy, sorry you're having continued apartment-hunting issues. :hug: I can imagine the frustration and exasperation it's causing you. I hope something comes along soon that's suitable.

Heather, you gave me such a good laugh with your ode to the oatmeal squares, thanks for posting that. And :carrot: for term being over!

SoulBliss, my personal definition of binging is when you are doing it almost mindlessly, and not to satisfy your hunger but because you feel more on an emotional level (either boredom or sadness or reward) that you need/deserve it. General overeating I think would not be as sporadic or 'out-of-control' feeling as binging - speaking as someone who has done both!

Emily, that's wonderful news about the oncology ward job - :congrat: And I have to say that I think you are one very lucky woman, who not only has had a lifelong dream of what you want to be, but to be able to achieve that dream as well.

cdncatlover, I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, which is about six hours from here. I grew up living by the ocean - first in Newfoundland and later in Nova Scotia - so I miss not having it near me and it was lovely to see it again. You mentioned having an HCG - are you trying to get pregnant? I am but so far we haven't been able to, and my ob/gyn is putting me through some tests, one of which was a recent HCG. It definitely wasn't fun but it wasn't as horrendous as I'd built it up to be in my mind. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat in more detail. :) Oh, and that is awesome news about your scale and actual weight! Usually it's the opposite so that must have been a great feeling!

Valerie, I had to :lol: at your :bunny2: troubles. I looked out my kitchen window last week and saw two munching away in my side garden - luckily it was the weeds they were feasting on! I don't have any veggies planted so don't have to worry about that (yet) - I hope you can keep the critters out without driving yourself :dizzy:

Xena, I'm sorry this spa trip isn't looking like the ideal situation, but I hope now that you're there you are able to relax and enjoy yourself, and that you come back telling us what a wonderful time you had. :)

Zelma, a big :congrat: for doing that lapathon! That's awesome, you should be very proud of yourself. And it sounds like you are making quite the impact on that little boy, too.

Annie, I'm glad you had such a wonderful time with your sister. And :congrat: on the awesome weight loss and all that exercise! You are doing amazing.

Lisa, so good to see you posting and a big :congrat: for your weight loss thus far. I'm glad the transition from liquids to solids to liquids was successful.

Michelle, I am so sorry for your loss. I hope your mother's visit helps and that she doesn't nag you about the weight.

Karlie, Debbie and Amber, :welcome: You've found a great place for friendship and support along this journey.

Cris, congrats on losing another 2.8 pounds! :carrot:

Ammi, :bravo: on losing 7lbs and reaching that 100lb milestone again! You can do this!

Kymberly, way to go on losing another 2lbs and fitting into those 12/14s!

Sue, all I can say is to repeat your EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! And heck yeah I'd count those minutes!

__________________________________________________ ___

Whew! If I missed anyone, and I'm sure I did, my apologies and :hug: for those who need it and :cp: for those celebrating losses, NSVs or otherwise having a good week. I'm off to bed and will talk with you all tomorrow!

Kayley, I have one more thing to say and then I will zip it, and let you make your own decisions. Please don't think that a lack of other symptoms rules out anything at this point. It may very well be a pulled muscle, but it could be many other things. Not that I'm sure it's appendicitis, but the pain subsides if your appendix has ruptured. The fact that you have a fever is worrisome. Please, reconsider going to the doctor. I know what it's like to be broke and not have insurance. I know what it's like not knowing how you're going to pay your bills on a monthly basis. However, and this is a big however, I'd much rather be paying off a bill for being treated for whatever it is than winding up in the hospital for a very long time, or worse.

I'm new but I'm not new... I am trying again and this time I think I am in the frame of mind do to it. You guys are such an inspiration.

Kayley... any advice given is out of the kindness of their hearts I am sure. My husband has his EMT as well. I know even though I have no insurance , if it were me with the pains , he'd done his check and if I did not pass... Off he would have me in the ER. I live in a rural area. I know of a couple clinics in town that do sliding fees, one connected to the ER. I would be suprized if you do not have one around you.. Every small town I have lived in has always had one...( didn't always like the docs but....) When I first started gaining weight I had bad pains and my hips felt like they were poppin in and out of place.. Found out I had bursitis from a car accident I was in when I was 15. Honestly heavier I got less it hurt BUT it was a pain that I thought was a pulled muscle or something... You never know for sure what it is.. If you have had it more than 3 days and if it is bad enough to make u feel dizzy or drop to your knees.... well then..... Just friendly advice because I would like to continue to see you here and hear about your weight loss... I need you as an inspiration!

hugs to all!

120/600=exercise June so far.

Kayley-I've had gall stones, and if you get that, no one will have to try to convince you to go to the doctor. It feels like some one runs you through with a big spear. I remember what it feels like to not have insurance and no money to spare for one. It sounds like you know your own body. If you've had the same thing before, treat it like last time. We're just a bunch of old hens worrying about you.