Good morning everyone! It felt so good to sleep in today. I have really been beat after a week of early morning boot camp workouts! I hope it gets easier. Right now it is draining all my energy. I have lots I need to get done today: grocery shop, buy a wedding gift, reading and writing assignments for one of my classes, paying bills and just generally organizing my desk at home. Heaven only knows what bills or chores I have forgotten about I will unearth. My goal is to get all that done by 7ish so I can relax and enjoy my last evening before a new work week, workout week, and school week starts. Egads! I am starting to feel I may have bitten off more than I can chew!


Ratkitten – I admire you on your spin class. I tried spinning once and I swear I nearly died! And THAT was back when I was halfway in shape and maybe weighed around 200!

BattleAx - I am sorry to hear your mother is having a hard time. I can’t imagine dealing with that but I suppose we all will one day. Keep us posted on what you decide to do. Do you know anyone who has been through this that you can go to for advice?

Story – I hope your back starts feeling better soon. It sounds no fun at all.

Debbie – When you said “I give up on myself too easily”, you struck a cord. That is really true and most personal trainers will tell you that most people need someone there pushing them to really do the max they can. It is just too hard for most people to push themselves to the max. Just yesterday we were working triceps and my partner and I had already finished 5 sets of triceps pushdowns and were supposed to finish off with tricep dips. I just knew I wasn’t going to be able to do ANY, let alone the 12 they wanted us to do. My partner was encouraging and just told me to try. In the end I did 6 but I can tell you if I had been by myself I would have tried maybe 1 and said, “Nope, too hard, I can’t.” Good idea you had about “burying” the junk food eater person. I had never thought of it before but I guess this is pretty much like having to say goodbye to a long time companion and having to get to know a whole new one.

Sandy – Sorry about your Cubbies. When I still lived in Iowa (from there originally) I was a HUGE Cubs fan, especially during my high school day. I still remember crying when they missed the playoffs. I can vividly remember Steve Garvey hitting a simple grounder to first and Leon Durham letting it go through his legs and the Padres winning run scored. Oh the horrors!!!! I also remember having a giant crush on Ryne Sandberg and Jody Davis. Since moving to Texas I don’t follow them as much but my brother is still a true blue Cubby fan.

Peggy – Happy Anniversary!

American Idol fans - I got to see Constantine from season 4 perform at the Greek Fest here in Dallas. I am a big fan of his. Anyway, posted a few pictures on the picture thread if you are interested.

Xena~ I hate the Padres! But I still blame RIck Suckcliff, I mean Sutcliff. I've always thought he tanked that game. My DH says no, he was just having a bad night. but I dunno. I'm probably a bit older than you cuz I used to be all about Ron Hunley and Ernie Banks. Then there was that cute little hispanice left fielder, I think his name was Pepe Fernandez. My uncle got to see him. He had issues with an umpire and the umpire threatened to throw him out of the game and Pepe said, "He no can do dat can he??"
I always loved Andre Dawson too. I got to meet him when he played for the Red Sox. Andy and I went to 2 White Sox red Sox games for our honey moon in 1993 and saw him there. He's SO tall!
Weel, I'm really off to do laundry now. I just came back over here as I'd been on the depression and weight loss issue thread. I didn't know it existed! I'm pretty excited about finding it.
Til later my friends

Hi - I'm new here too - it's so nice to find others who have been/are going through the same thing. There are not many people in my life who can fully understand being 300+ lbs. It's the old sabotage - or why don't you just eat carrot sticks. It's been a very inspirational afternoon reading the posts here. I can do it!

Ammi - I hope your weekend has gone well. How are you doing now? It's great that you exercised even though you have every reason not to! Your dedication is awesome. I know it's usually getting started that is the problem, so kudos to you for getting up and just doing it.

Peggy - Glad to see your meds are working well for you! It's great to see you having so much more energy now!

Catherine - Congrats on your wonderful score on your paper! Happy Thanksgiving too. I never realized that Canada celebrated Thanksgiving as well, until I became friends with someone from Quebec a few years ago. It's interesting to learn the customs and holidays of other countries, and it's a bit sad that so few Americans know about the holidays of the countries that surround us.

Annie - How'd the chicken go? You are doing fantastic! It's amazing how far you've come in what seems like such a short period of time. You continue to amaze me with how much effort you put into it. It truly is a lifestyle change, and you have made leaps and bounds.

Battle - This weekend has been rough because I just feel like crap physically. Emotionally I'm in a far better place than I have been for a while. I'm fighting a sinus infection that seems to hit me every year about this time, and I think it's worse than normal. It's partially because my cold never went away completely. That coupled with the fatigue and soreness just makes it hard to get motivated to do anything. But, I did manage to get almost everything accomplished that I wanted to, so I really can't complain too much.

Re: your mom and your sister - here's my take on it. I understand the need to step in and take care of your family, because I ended up having to do the same. What I really want to stress to you is that it is admirable that you are willing to jump in and take care of them and do what you need to do in order to get them to the point where they need to be. But, please don't neglect yourself and your needs in order to do it. It's hard finding that 'perfect' balance, but please remember to put yourself first sometimes too. You can't do much for them if you don't take care of yourself as well. Good luck, and if you need someone to talk to about it, please feel free to PM me.

Ratkity - You mentioned that you went through something very similar. How are you doing now? How are all your other symptoms? Was it hard getting back to where you felt 'normal'? Sorry for all the questions - I know it will differ for everyone who goes through that situation, but I'm trying to prepare myself for the worst and hope for the best. I've always wanted to take a spinning class, and thought about it earlier this year. Unfortunately with my ankle, I can't even ride a regular bicycle. It's the bane of my existence because it severely limits what I can and can't do. I hope as I lose weight that will change, but there's really no way of telling what kind of damage I've done as I've gained. It wasn't very stable to begin with post-op, so who knows.

gggirls - Welcome! This is the best little corner of the world. I hope you enjoy it here. Feel free to jump in and get to know all of us. We don't bite!

Sandy, Xena, Donna, Realist, Luan, Debbie, Nancy, Sharon, et al - Hope you're all doing well this weekend. Take care!

Hello Everybody, I am new too and thought I'd not lurk and post as a means to tie myself into the fray a bit. I am currently recooperating from a broken ankle (@@ at my clutzy self!!) so exercise is not doable right now but I have been doing WW for almost a week now and have done fairly well. I weigh in tomorrow morning and am doing the whole thing from home. I am so excited to find a whole thread dedicated to 300+ people, it's nice to have others who empathize with where you are coming from. I have so much weight to lose that it's a bit daunting, so here's to support and success!! I look forward to getting to know you all!

Hi BrandNew,

I had nearly every symptom except a few:

Weight gain (doh)
I had a puffy face called myxedema, characterized by roundness with a "sleepy" appearance
Cold and heat intolerance
Depression
Abdominal bloating
Cold hands and feet
Dry and thinning hair
Joint and muscle pain
I did not have thickening of the skin
I had brittle fingernails but they can also be thin
Concentration and memory problems
Chronic tiredness
Edema of hands and feet
I did not have voice hoarseness
I had frequent leg/calf muscle spasms
sleep apnea (although mine has other causes and is not weight or thyroid related).
Low body temperature - 94-96 was normal for me.
Increased period flow
I did not have orange-colored palms or soles.
I had horrid heart palpitations (skips) - about 60 per minute during a bad bout.

Lab tests that I had:
Increased cholesterol
Increased liver enzymes
Increased serum prolactin
Low serum sodium
I didn't have a CBC showing anemia, but that can happen

I'm afraid it took nearly 3 years for all my symptoms to disappear after finally getting meds stabilized to 125 mcg of T4. The first to go were the erratic heartbeats. There's a list of things NOT to eat when you are taking thyroid meds. Make sure you find it. The big no-nos are unprocessed soy (like soy milk or tofu) and raw cabbages. They bind up the meds. It took 2-3 years from when I started getting symptoms before my blood work showed my thyroid had given up the ghost. Doctors kept telling me my irregular heartbeats and other symptoms were from stress. I just think it took a while for all the thyroid hormone to deplete from my fat and tissues before a deficiency showed up in my blood tests.

It's hard to be patient while your doc adjusts your meds; however keep complaining that you are experiencing problems after an increase and don't let him forget about you. It takes 3-6 weeks for the TSH levels to stabilize in your bloodstream after taking it consistently. You should be tested after every increase. Your TSH shouldn't be below 0.25 and no higher than 2.5 (lab ranges differ, but the range was recently changed to 0.3-3.0 when it used to be 0.5-5).

Please keep me informed how you are doing!! Losing weight is a hard enough struggle without that stupid thyroid being a pain, right?

Hugs!
Rat

Ratkity, Angie, well, for me to get to Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, it would take me 34 hrs 28 mins. Over 2292 miles. This is driving time. So let me get this straight, we walk but keep tabs on our miles and see who gets there first? I think I'm confused.

Sandy, whatever it takes to get you to not buy the junk is good in my book.If you want to look at it as poison, then so be it!!
It sounds like you really bought some great stuff to eat, very healthy and I'm glad that you are looking at labels. That's all I do now when I buy something. It's good practice I think.

Peggy, so glad the meds are getting you back to your old self. What a relief huh? I hope you continue to feel great!!
Today is also my Mom and Dads anniversary. They've been married 57 years now. Have a very happy anniversary!!!

Battle, I hope you can come to a plan on how to deal with your mother and sister. It's too bad that it has to happen now when you're getting your business off the ground. I know from experience it takes everything you've got, 24/7 to keep it going.

Xena, I don't see how there are enough hours in the day to get everything done that you need to get done. Here's a hi 5 to ya for having such a busy life. I would of been toast after a week like that!! You got some really good pics of Constantine. I would of been all googly over him too, o those school girl crushes

Hi gggirls, Glad you can join us. You'll love it here!

Kamryn, ew, sorry about the ankle. Hopefully it will hurry and heal so you can get into the good ol exercise we all love.

Story, I hope your back keeps improving. Just hang in there and take some good drugs!

I didn't get much done today. Just worked on my puzzle cuz of the rain and wind. We lost power a couple of times. As far as eating goes, I've not been very commited to eating the right things. Seems it happens everytime TOM is coming. It's really uncontrollable!! I hate this time of the month!!
Hope everyone is having an OP day and getting some exercise in. Tomorrow, yes tomorrow, I will try and climb back on the caboose of the WL train....once again.
Debbie

just saying hello... just got back from Mass. on sat. i have been kinda lurking.. and i will be on hiatus this week trying to get my mind focused on giving this diet another try and to stop backsliding!hope everyone is doing well and staying healthy physically and mentally!

Hey, I have really enjoyed reading the post, you guys are such an inspiration the support has been great!!!! I love this place. I wish I had more time to read more this site is heftier than the women on it

I weighed in at WW meeting friday and lost 3.6lbs. (GO ME!!!) I also bought the Dance Dance Revolution for the Nintendo Wii...love it...it was a fun start to moving around, because I detest exercise, that was my official start and it worked out (I worked out) okay for a first timer.

Toofatforyou- giving it another try is always better than giving up!!!! You are doing good, and don't be so hard on yourself!!!!

Debbie - Same things go for all of us. I know we mess up a few times but it is just important to get back on track and don't beat yourself up! We all know that food is good and very hard to resist..just keep working...FOOD HAPPENS Happy anniversary to your parents - WOW 57yrs!!!! that's
GREAT!

Kathryn - I just found this support forum too and it is wonderful. Welcome, I look forward to getting to know you! I am doing WW too. Are you doing Core or Flex. I'm doing core...and looking for recipes..Happy healing

gggirls - WELCOME to you as well. I hear ya, people don't really understand the issues and difficulties of being overwieght unless they have been there...and still they don't understand obesity. I too have been told, "Well just stop eating so much" duh if it were that simple I would probably be thin. Anyway this site is great hope to see less of you!!

Xena2005 & Sandy Bar - I know how you feel. I haven't even started a workout regimen and I hate to even think about it! Working full time, three kids, and school part time is wearing me out! (not to mention laundry, grocery, cleaning, and all that other stuff) Good luck!! My motto is...It ain't easy to knock a big girl down

Good Morning!

HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!!


Well I certainly jinxed myself yesterday. Colton was teething something terrible I haven't been puked on or changed so many poopy diapers in a long time!!! 5 to be exact. He had some really cute moments, but man, I am glad I had kids when I was younger!!! It was exhausting!!!



Catherine: I didn't know Canada has a Thanksgiving too. I think the "Nerd Herd" will be on their best behavior if a girl will be there!! Just hide the pocket protectors and no one will get hurt!! And on the paper...you are one smart lady, and such an inspiration!!!

Annie: Oh boy woman...you are gonna pass me by really soon!! I am so proud of you, and hopefully I can keep up!! I just wish I had your exercise stamina!!! {sigh} I am still having the foot problems, but after my OT is over, I am gonna try some different exercises to see what I can handle.

Peggy: I am glad you are feeling better and your meds are finally regulated.
Happy Anniversary!

Xena: Oooooo...those are some great Pics of Constantine! I love his sexy pout, and boycotted AI when they booted him off too early. Good luck with the bootcamp , it sounds hard but I know you can do it!!

Sandy: to your daughter! I remember the fun of doing all the extra singing stuff in school. It really makes you feel special!! Enjoy the moments Mama!!

Battle: I have the opposite problem than you do...I have 2 co-workers that wont stop calling me "skinny" or exclaiming every time I wear a smaller new piece of clothing...which is nice at the beginning, but now just embarasses me and in my crazy brain, sends me right to the food.

Story: I hope your back is doing better. I have been there and I know it sucks! I remember hanging onto walls just to get to the bathroom. Just take it easy but don't stay in bed...it wont help ease the pain. I hope you have some good muscle relaxers!!!


Debbie: Can you send us some of your rain?? We haven't had any in about 3 weeks. We have definately had the humidity though! I hate that part of the heat. I can't believe it is October and still 85 degrees. The fog here in the morning is so bad. I am so ready for the real Fall weather!! When it is my TOM (or supposed to be) I am a total carb addict. Especially bread. I hope you are feeling better today.

Kamryn and gggirls:

Whew...this has taken too long to do...sorry if I missed anyone... to those I did!!

Have a Great Day!

Hello Everyone!


Story Hope you get into a therapist right away!


ggggirl / kamryn


Debbie Why is it easier to think of junk food as poison and other times you just can't stay way from it? I hate my sweet tooth. Had brownies last night.


Patty I'm so glad to see you. I'd looked for you and was concerned when I hadn't seen any of your posts. How's that knee ...or was it your ankle? Sorry I can't remember.


Ulovlee I love your motto. "It ain't easy to knock a big girl down." But I am a big girl and I CAN knock down a big girl. (meaning the weight off myself!, right?)


MamaBplus3 Girl, you do know how to talk to another Mama. I am enjoying every minute of her successes. My parents weren't into mine, so it's important to me that she knows we appreciate all her hard work in music, softball and basketball.


I'm home today. Feeling really cruddy. I couldn't sleep last night. I was up til at least 3. I tried the bed, tried the recliner, tried the bed again, then the recliner again. It was dreadful. I'd be freezing, then I woke up sweating, I'd had an upset stomach all day. I wonder if it is stress/depression or a virus. They both act the same way with me sometimes. I'm waiting on the dr to call back to check my meds. I think I'm gonna sit in the sun a bit to see if that helps. Sometimes it does.
BBL

sandy its my knee .. was doing pretty good til i started going on the road with hubby... i am now going to stay at home and giv it the rest it deserves.. being cooped up in a truck for hours at a time has been really hard on it.. and me!