Hi everyone!
Sam sorry but I was worried. I may have a little anxiety problem. I knew you had gone on vacation but that was a long one. My vacations are 3 days. Your trip sounds like it was exciting and I'm glad you got to enjoy your birthday. I love denim jackets and hope to wear mine again someday. Good luck at work and don't get too discouraged. They may not help you because you always have the situation under control. Soooo glad you are back.
Fi hope you can get some relief. For some reason the 3 Kings is scary to me. I like the baskets but my OCD wants them straight. How old is Grace now?
Terra sometimes I like waking up early. It gives me some quiet me time. It is very cold here now also. Stay warm.
Betsy nice funny about the chins! I will be so happy when I win my 1.3 Billion because then I will be able to afford all the skin surgery I am going to want after I get all this weight off.

This morning I took a long look in the mirror before I jumped into the shower. How did I let myself gain so much weight back? I know I had some depression but seriously??? If we all had to live at a nudest colony we would drop this weight a lot quicker. OK maybe I need to keep that mental image next time I reach for a trigger food.

Have a good day!

Sam....hellooooooo! Every time I look at your ticker it gives me hope that it IS possible to lose 140lbs! You are my hero! Here's another way of looking at the work situation........nobody does your work when you are away because they can't begin to do what you do AND you are so competent and efficient they know that you will catch up when you come back. Good luck though...it is only an "in-box!"
Terra-your sleeping pattern sounds awful! Have you always found it difficult to stay asleep?
Fi....I am so sorry your pain is so unbearable..it is no wonder you despair.

Well, I have managed 7 whole days on my healthy eating plan and have also managed a short walk everyday...in fact I have walked twice on some days. The inevitable has happened and my knees have really started to grumble, especially my left knee. I was singing in church today which means standing for quite a long period of time. My knees REALLY hate standing still...I am better walking....so I have had to take extra painkillers this afternoon. Still, we are going swimming tomorrow which I know really eases the pain in my grumpy joints.
Back to Welsh class tomorrow, I have signed up to sit the exam in June so I really had better pull my socks up!
It is weigh day for me tomorrow. I weigh myself weekly at the start and then reduce to fortnightly or even monthly if I can bear to stay off the scales! I keep them out of sight so I am not tempted! Sam...it can be really compulsive can't it?
Take care everybody,
Donna

Hello my lovely friends. Well as expected in my first week I had a 6lb loss which was encouraging...I know it will be a lot less week by week but it is a good start!
On the down side, after Sam and I went for our dog walk yesterday I could barely walk my knee was so sore. I was expecting it to get uncomfortable as I increased my exercise level, when I lost weight last time it took around 50lb of loss before there was any improvement, but it kept me awake last night ( I don't sleep well anyway!) and was as stiff as anything this morning, though the pain is less. I am hoping swimming later will ease it. I also woke up with almost no voice! Honestly! Going to take it easy for an hour then off to pick Sam up. From September he will be in High School and catching the bus home every day but for now I like picking him up once or twice a week.
Have a great day,
Donna

Hi everyone!

WTG Donna! 6 pounds down and staying on plan! Also not letting your sore knees keep you from exercising. I stop at the first sign of pain.

I am struggling as of late. There does not seem to be enough positive energy in our house. It is not just our house now that I think of it. I have heard others mention it in their lives also. Hope Spring comes early as that always helps.
Have a peaceful day everyone.

Ubee I appreciate that you worried about me. It really meant a lot. It's proof that I have really gained friends here who care. We are all in this together and I am so glad that I have all of you as part of this journey. I really don't think I would have made it this far without you. Your gesture just shows me that you don't want me to fail and that you'll be here to kick me in the butt every step of the way. I hear you as far as the positive energy goes. This time of year is always hard to have your spirits up and wanting to be motivated to really do anything. DH has the winter blues so we'll be heading back to the gym tomorrow so he can get in the tanning bed and get his vitamin D. By the way my vacation time, including weekends, the extra day off for my birthday and the days the office was closed for any holiday was a total of 17 days lol...so yeah I guess I can see why you were worried :D

Donna You are unbelievably kind!!! Your words mean more to me than you'll ever know. When I started this journey I never thought I would make it as far as I have. I never thought I'd be one of those lucky people to have lost a lot of weight. I still am not through but I think once I get to where I am happy with my weight maintaining it will be just has hard, if not more. I'm glad I can be an inspiration to you and well...anyone. I've never inspired someone before lol :) I got a good chuckle about the work situation. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be for a first day back.

First day back wasn't so bad that I was ready to rip my hair out, so I guess that's a plus lol. I was actually planning to stay a little late but my boss didn't want anyone to stay late today. Maybe I can get in a little early tomorrow to help get a head start on things. I did get a lot done so I don't feel so overwhelmed but once I finish catching up on work, I have more work to do lol...It never ends right???

Got back to working out today. I did a 40 min Turbo Fire video. It was rough. Not so bad to where I wanted to cry and quit...Guess it's not that time of the month for crying spells yet lol...But I had forgotten some of the moves so it was hard to keep up. It felt good getting back into the swing of things. 2016 is going to be the year I make my goal, I feel it!! Thursday will be my 2 year fit anniversary!!! I can't even believe it!!!

Today was also a sad day for me....I lost one of my idols. I know everyone and their mother knows who David Bowie is....What an icon. It's a real sad realization that a lot of the musical pioneers are getting up in age and will eventually pass on like everyone else. Sometimes I think we forget that even our most favorite celebrities, artists, etc. are mortal too. Bowie played such a huge role in my life all the way back to my childhood when Labyrinth was out the year I was born....To 1000's of hours reading about him, listening to his music, and appreciating all of his talent that he has shared with the world. I've never mourned the loss of a celebrity like I have him. I guess this is what a lot of people felt when John Lennon died. I feel like a piece of me has shattered...But I'm also happy that I live in the day and time that I live in, to be able to be one of the lucky ones who was graced by the man we call Bowie.



If you fail to plan, you plain to fail. Stick to your goals, and each day we will conquer the world little by little. Take care my sweet friends. Love you until the end of time <3

Sam— Your last two postings have been so inspiring for me! It's hard to keep losing weight, as disabled as I am. The whole year of late 2014 through late 2015 is a long flat spot on my refrigerator graph, but I'm glad that it was just a long plateau and that I didn't gain weight. Bob deserves some credit for that, because he kept the fridge stocked with the meat, cheese, eggs & cream that have been almost my only food for such a long time. When I was going through the worst of the serotonin toxicity, my legs and arms in nearly continuous spasm, and then during the long depressed summer when I was either horizontal on the futon or falling down every time I tried to walk, those foods that Bob bought for me were a reassuring constant in my life. And then when I felt ready to rejoin this thread, your postings, Sam, about how you were still working hard to lose weight, and getting below 200... Wow, what a shot in the arm! I think you're one of those rare people who generate so much positive energy, just the tone of your "voice" in your postings shares that positive energy with the rest of us. Thank you so much!! P.S. I loved what you said about David Bowie. I'm in the cohort of folks who were really rattled when John Lennon was murdered, but David Bowie was very important to me, especially during my college years. So sad to lose him, at only 69.

Ubee— Speaking of positive energy, I agree with you that the long nights and short days—even though the days are steadily getting longer now—of this time of year, and the cold weather, of course, make it hard to sustain giving ourselves positive messages. I had a dip into the negative frame of mind last week and over the weekend. I kept giving myself what Bob was calling "dysaffirmations"—thoughts like "I'm never gonna walk again" and "I'm not worthy of Mike [my Qi Gung teacher/healer]" and "I'm letting everyone down by not getting up and going faster" and "I'm gonna be in pain for the rest of my life" and "Things are really shitty" and so on. Finally today I shook myself out of it: it helped a lot that people responded so positively to the first two collages I've posted since May. Also I read all the information on the website of the orthopedic and sports medicine group I've been referred to, and I feel much more ready to let someone evaluate my poor damaged knees. So I encourage you, Ubee, to look around at your life and give yourself credit for the things that are going well, and maybe find some creative project (decluttering is creative!) that will give you a sense of purpose. Another thing that might be helpful is to start (or re-start) a gratitude journal. Simply writing down three things you're grateful for, at the end of every day, is a powerful intervention against the doldrums you're describing.

Donna— Six pounds! That's terrific, and like Ubee, I admire your determination, even in the face of sore knees. Swimming will be so helpful to you! That's something I plan to do myself, as soon as I can walk and drive: our community pool has a large, very warm jacuzzi right next to it. I'm longing for it to help me heal my painful legs.

Betsy— You don't know how much I appreciate your daily postings, with all the details about things like shampooing the carpet on the stairway, and your trip-to-Alaska plans, and even your weather reports. =smile= I feel your awareness of what I'm going through—your compassion. I'm so grateful for being back reading and posting here, and your postings are a big part of that!

Well, tonight I did my 600 leg raises with my right leg, which is the more gimpy one because of all the damage to my right knee. I feel very good about that. And now I need to stop writing and do my hands-&-knees crawl up the stairs to our bedroom, while I still have the energy to do it...good night and best wishes to all of you, especially those who haven't been posting....

Hi Ladies!
Well swimming last night was really HARD! It isn't normally, even if I haven't been for a while, which tells me that I am obviously carrying a bug of some sort. I only managed 20 lengths and that was with supreme effort. Normally I find swimming easy and can swim 30 lengths without difficulty. It felt like I was swimming through mud....or bog-snorkelling as we call it over here!
My throat is still sore today and I don't have much of a voice.The weather is still wet but colder and we may even get a flake or two of snow by the weekend! Despite this, the dogs and I went on our usual walk in the local park...brrrrrr. I had timed my painkillers better today and my knees weren't quite as grumpy.
Fi...a gratitude journal is a great idea. Well done for keeping going with your leg exercises despite everything.
I had great plans to start the on-line course I have signed up for today but really can't concentrate or settle to anything. I feel really restless which isn't like me.
Have a great day everybody.

Just checking in to let you know that I'm still here, but the miracle has happened and I won't be doing a long post as I'm really focused on just breathing. Bill evidently shared his "allergy" attack (bet you didn't know that was possible!) which was evidently more something in the viral category. Of course, it went right to my lungs, lots of coughing and hacking. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Hugs to all. (and then wash your hands!).

Bless you Betsy....take it easy!

And now for the weather report: Rain. Blowing rain. Sideways rain. Fear of being crushed by falling tree so no walking outside today. In other words, normal winter weather for the Pacific Northwest.

Terra -- We left Kansas after my husband finished grad school at KU as his first job was in Illinois. Hope your sleep schedule is back to normal.

Fi -- Glad you got time with Grace even though it was rushed. My whole being always feels lighter after being around the younger generation. I like your 2 collages, especially the boxes one......talks to the OCD side of me with the need to organize everything (and everyone!). Hang in there with all you continue to go through with your body -- it truly makes me put my normal aches and pains from being 66 in perspective.

Sam -- Make that SAM!!!! So glad to see you back, and even though I knew you were on vacation, I had crossed over to the worry zone. It sounds like it was a good vacation, and I'm especially glad that you got to still go to Charlotte. Don't overdo at work -- if memory serves me correctly, that first day back always completely destroyed the vacation mind mood by simply being overwhelming. It will all get done.

Donna -- Big goings on with you, too. Congrats on getting 6 pounds off in your first week. Unfortunately, I think you sent it to me -- don't know what's going on, but I need your mojo on this side of the ocean. And getting the mainline port out is a big step, along with being able to get back to the pool. It might take awhile to work your way back up to 30 laps. Ubee and I are looking forward to the sheep/lambing report. Were you able to convince yourself that it would be fun to start your online course?

Ubee -- Yep. The feng shui in this house seems to have feng went. I'm blaming it on having a cold and the winter blahs, but I need to be honest and just accept that I'm in a real funky mood. We can do this, Ubee, and if we're really honest with ourselves, we're so much better off than 99% of the world. And we can hire a chef once we split the lottery! (and a gardener and a maid -- take away the 3 things I hate doing and maybe I'll be in a better mood).

The January birthday celebrations party time has finally been agreed to by all involved, so I need to start the cleaning routine today. Mentally I hate cleaning plus I'm finding that the older I get the longer it takes me to get it done. I imagine losing about 100 pounds would help!

Off to the gym first. Hope all of you have a great day.

I have to confess that I am in a serious grump today. I woke Monday with almost no voice and my joints aching. Some sort of virus I guess. So I thought I would have a gentle swim Monday and carry on walking the dogs gently. Well I feel worse this evening! My joints are really aching and my throat is still sore. I feel exhausted! Arrggghhh! I went to my Therapy appointment and cried all over my therapist in frustration. My mental health has been so good since my husband left but I find this habit I have of catching every bug known to man ....and then some......really pulls me down! She has given me a "prescription" for rest over the next couple of days and stop being so hard on myself but it seems I take 2 steps back and then 3 back!
Advice please!!!

I'm responding to the fact that both Betsy and Donna, and perhaps others as well, are struggling with seasonal viruses. I hope everyone got their flu shot in the fall: that yearly chore seems to be mandatory for all of us.

The next thing that comes to mind is meditation. Do you have some practice of actively resting by attending to your breath and quieting your mind? If not, I recommend this book as a great nuts-and-bolts guide to meditation. The author is a Buddhist monk, but the tincture of Buddhism in the book is easy to ignore. I'm no Buddhist myself, but this is the sort of simple meditation I practice. Even just reading the book is calming and restorative.

So what does meditation have to do with fighting off bugs? Over the years I have found that regular meditation (just 10-15 minutes a day, for example) helps prime my immune system. I get into the meditative state, then point my thoughts toward the white cells circulating in my blood whose job it is to identify and get rid of invasive viruses and other bugs. It's like I'm giving my immune system a wake-up call, ringing the bell at the fire station. I ask my body to be more alertt, to protect itself. I also listen to my body, letting it tell me whether I should do some vigorous exercise today, or whether I should rest in bed, quietly reading or even better, sleeping.

If you're already sick, here are a couple of specific recommendations. If you're battling a lot of post-nasal mucus or phlegm in the bronchi, be sure to take guaifenesin, around the clock: it works very well to thin mucus and phlegm so they're not so sticky & gloppy, and you can cough out that stuff more easily. It's sold over the counter and is usually labeled something like "Chest Congestion Relief" and "Expectorant."

As for the achey muscles and joints, I find that 800 mg. (4 pills) of Ibuprofen works pretty well to diminish that pain. But watch out if you have a sensitive stomach: ibuprofen can give you burning and increased acidity. When that happens to me, I take a balanced antacid like Gaviscon. But you may have to skip the ibuprofen if your stomach acts up.

I don't get many sore throats so I'm not so familiar with remedies for them, but when I do have a sore throat I gargle frequently with salt water, and also suck on soothing cough drops like Ricola or whatever your local brand is.

I'm sending my best healing vibrations in y'all's direction! Get plenty of rest, and be patient as the bug runs its course. A few days off from your regular routine is not going to mess you up in the long run. Just rest, wait, and try to be relaxed and contemplative. This too will pass. =warm smile=

Ubee ~ Yes I am trying to stay warm, Yesterday afternoon was really nice, Kinda warm outside which is strange for it being Jan.

Mountain walker ~ Yes I have trouble going back to sleep if I wake up having to use the bathroom :(

Betsy ~ Oh okay so which state do you like better KS or IL?

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Woke up at 3:50 a.m. Its now 5:45 a.m. I dont have to start watching for my bus until 8:00 a.m. I wont get home until 3:00 p.m. today. After today I wont leave the house until Saturday evening when we go to church and of course we'll go do our weekly shopping on Sunday morning. I'm gonna schedule my rides for next week either today or tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday.

Well the wind and rain are gone and the sun is shining brightly in a vivid blue sky. But from reading the posts, I'm glad that I don't have to commute as the roads are evidently a mess. Retirement is such a wonderful state of mind!

Donna -- Some days it just doesn't seem worth it to get out of bed. Fi's suggestions are all great ones. I also find that one thing that helps with keeping my sinuses cleaned out and the allergies at bay is to use a Neti Pot every day. And amazingly one of the side benefits of having a sleep mask for the sleep apnea is that it forces air in. Add in washing your hands a lot when you're around people, stay current on your seasonal shots, and check online for foods that will boost your immune system as almost all of those foods would be on any healthy diet plan (citrus, garlic, broccoli, spinach, etc.). Feel better!

Fi -- Thank you for the great suggestions on managing these seasonal viruses. This one is courtesy of Bill who mistakenly thought he was having a bad allergy attack. I didn't wash my hands after being around him not to mention what I might have picked up at the gym. I'm restricted on what I can take with OTC medications due to being on warfarin for the a fib, but I do believe that mental state plays a role in how fast I recover. I'm not sure what I do would fall under true meditation, but I have "talkings" with myself. I think I may be channeling my mother who was a master at being sympathetic and giving the loving care a kid needs when they're sick along with that push to get over it already. I did get my flu shot and my pneumonia shot and haven't had a cold in about 3 years, so I should be back to normal in a few days. Feeling better today.

Terra -- Well, I've lived in Illinois (grew up there), Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina and now Washington. There are good and bad things about all of them, but I'm happiest here in Washington. Of course, that is probably due to living near family for the first time in over 30 years and being retired. Plus I look out my window and Mt. Rainier is right there. Attachment 48135 Not sure if this will work, but here's a picture I took from my back porch.

Ubee -- Sigh. Guess we won't be finding ways to spend all of our winnings. Not only did I not win, I didn't have even one of the numbers on any of my five tickets. Are you doing better today?

I managed to dawdle away the day yesterday under the guise of a day of resting would help the cold, so today I really do have to start on cleaning the house. I've also been reading a lot about the percentage of fat, protein, and carbs we should have each day. Basically, the science seems to be leaning towards a low carb, high fat, moderate protein approach without counting calories. I'm not sure I buy into the not counting calories stuff and the fat content needs to come from the foods we eat such as avocado, whole dairy, yogurts, etc. as opposed to sugars and refined foods. It's been interesting reading.

Hope all have a good day and everyone is feeling a lot better tomorrow.

I am so glad to have all of you! Still in a funk but I am hoping to snap out of it soon. I feel the need to bring some :dust: if I need it others may also.
Betsy you still seem to have some sass so I think you will be back to 100% in no time. That is a great view from your back porch. It looks like a postcard!
Terra sounds like you have your next week all planned and organized. Have you been to any movies lately?
Fi would you recommend that book for someone trying to lose weight? I do have so much in my life that I am grateful for. This funk is just weird. The only reason that I can think of is that my sleep is so out of whack.
Donna I think you are amazing. You have had your share of hard times but yet you carry on. Like Fi I am a strong believer in guaifenesin. I buy extra to hand out to people.
Sam 17 days? No wonder I was worried. How is exercise going? Are you back in the swing of things?
Have a peaceful day!

Hello everyone..i hope you dont mind a newbie joining the board. Im new to ths group but not to 3fc. I am so happy to have found a place i belong. I didnt even think to look in this area before. I am so impressed with all the weight loss transformations taking place..I hope to be one of them as well. My staying power to any plan was not successful in the past including weight loss surgery. I needed some healing on the inside before i was ready to tackle the outside and now that im healed up on the inside, i am successfully tackling the outside :)

Just fyi..my original heighest start weight was 320 lbs.. Weight loss surgery in 2013 in Mexico took me down from 320 to 220...but then i gained and gained and gained following some traumatic experiences and i gained almost up to 270. Since then i have been actively trying to lose through hard work, diet and exercise. As of today i am down to 233.0 I am hoping to get down below 200 for the first time since i was 13.

I wanna see wonderland!

Fi My goodness dear you have shocked me yet again. I never thought I could ever inspire anyone....never in my wildest dreams...I am so humbled by your kind words to me. You have had a tough year but despite your disability you maintained and that is a huge accomplishment that should not go unrecognized. The fact that you aren't giving up speaks volumes as well. I'm glad to see that you are getting back to your leg raises. Slow and steady...don't over work yourself so you don't end up hurting yourself in the long run, but I am so happy and proud for you!! :) :) <3

Donna Ewww sounds like you've caught the bug!!! I do hope you feel better soon! It sure makes it hard to want to focus on much of anything when you aren't well. Glad you did get to go swimming even if it was hard. Take care of you!!!

Betsy Glad to know I'm loved enough on here that people began to worry....I told DH that I should probably post my first day back so you guys didn't start sending out the hounds to look for me :D...He just shook his head....of course he doesn't understand our relationships on here lol...Sounds like you got the bug too huh?? Well I hope you're feeling better today. I've been dealing with a sinus infection for about a month now and I'm finally starting to feel normal. Work hasn't been too bad for me. I'm still playing catch up along with doing anything that comes in. I hope to get back to my regular work schedule next week. Which come to find out I don't work Monday for MLK day...imagine that! HOLY COW!!!! Mt. Rainier looks beautiful from your house!!! Really jealous! You wouldn't want to see my view....Might see some nekkid neighbors from time to time LMAO!!! :D

Terra HI!!! Hope you are well!! :)

Ubee Yes...17 days lol....This is why I always time my vacation around Christmas because of all of the days the office is closed it does not count towards my vacation time :D...I'm sneaky like that. Things are going good. I feel like I am back in the swing of things although exercise has been a bit harder but I'm not stopping. I've been exercising at home after work instead of going to the gym. I figured getting some HIIT in to get my body in motion a little bit to loosen me up before I actually tackle weight lifting may be a good idea.

Sorry I haven't posted over the past couple of days. The 12th was mine and DH's 9th wedding anniversary. We didn't have the money to go out to eat or do anything fancy so I just made us a nice dinner at home. We had asian glazed pork loin with sugar snap peas and baked apples for dessert. It was delicious and I think we're going to do the pork loin like that more often. Yesterday was such a blur that by the time I got home from running errands and getting those losing Powerball tickets I had to bust out a quick work out, take a shower and lay down for bed. I passed out hard last night. Been getting a few good nights sleep in this week. Probably from the working out :)

Not sure if you guys remember about me mentioning house sitting right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Well the person we were house sitting for was my grandma's neighbor and one of my insurance customers. The man called me today to ask about something that was missing in their bathroom that I had no idea what he was talking about...some sort of tray. His wife had cleaned out their drawers before they left for us to use so I didn't know what he was talking about. He wanted me to call him after I got out of work so we could talk. I always think the worst of things when it comes to stuff like that so DH offered to call and see what was up. He was asking about their dogs and how they were and the wife snatched the phone out of his hands and started laying into DH about us eating some of their food while they were gone. They gave us grocery money for a lot of stuff like meats and things that they didn't have but they opened up their entire kitchen to us and told us we could use whatever we wanted. We probably used about $30-$40 worth of food items such a sauces veggies and other things they had as pantry items in the two weeks we were there. I don't know what kind of lack of communications skills this woman has but I was in shock that she was so upset about something she encouraged. DH tried to keep his cool especially since they are neighbors of my grandma's. It got so out of hand he ended up hanging up on the woman. Side note: A lot of the food that we opened to use was bad. When we started to look at some of their pantry items a lot of it had expired in 2012 and 2013. She flipped out over some moldy mango juice that DH had opened. I am still in shock and just don't understand why this was even an issue, and why it took them a month to say anything? I ended up having to call my mom to tell her what happened in case they went over there and started to harass her or my grandma. She told me not to worry about it and that we were better people than that if they were going to make a big deal over something that they offered us. Still just in disbelief over here. Maybe we missed some sort of sticky note that had this information? There were too many of them placed all over the house LOL...

On a happier note...Today is my 2 year fitness anniversary!! Holy cow can you guys believe it?!?!?!?! It doesn't seem like it has been 2 years. I can't believe that I've kept up with this for that long. I've had my falls but I've gotten back up and kept fighting! I'm not done yet but I'm so close. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would have made it as far as I have I'd tell you no way. I feel like a changed person....and I don't ever want to go back to the old, sad and lonely me. I feel so much better...better mind, better body. I have all of you to thank as well. Your support has kept me going. I probably would have given up if I didn't have you guys to talk to through my good times and my bad times. You've been there to scrape me off the floor and pushed me to keep going when I needed it. I could never ever repay you guys for the support you've given me. Thank you so much truly from the bottom of my heart. You really have no idea. I decided to share a photo on Instagram today since this is a special day for me and I wanted to share it with all of you: Photo

I hope everyone has a great rest of this week. Thank you guys so much for being here!!!

Betsy ~ Oh WOW!!!! I didnt know you've lived in so many states, I've only lived in 2.

Ubee ~ Yep, I do have my next week all planned out. My friend and I didnt go to the movies this month but hopefully we'll go next month.

Sam ~ Hi - How are you doing? From the looks of your picture you've been doing A-W-E-S-O-M-E-!!!!!!! Good Job

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Good Evening Everybody,

Its 6:09 p.m. I ate dinner an hour ago, I'll have dessert later on tonight, I'm not going to bed until 9 or 10 tonight so I think it will still be okay if I have dessert later on tonight. I worked out for an hour today during Music and Movement class today. I'm gonna start going to Music and Movement class twice a week instead of once a week. I'll go on Monday's from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday's from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Even though I dont like to do it I'm gonna have to start working out here at home by myself cause twice a week isnt cutting it, I wish it did but its not. Anyway I hope everyone is having a great Thursday Evening.

Happy 2-year Fitness Anniversary, Sam! You look amazing in that cheerful striped top, and you're starting to have a fetching waistline, too! Way to go, girl....

I learned some cool Qi Gung this week from Mike, and stood up in front of him for two or three minutes, which is real progress. However, I've suffered a lot from swollen knees and pain in my legs. It seems to be the deal that I can't move forward in my rehab without paying for it with pain. =sigh=

David Bowie has been much on my mind this week. YouTube has two videos—."Lazarus" and "Black Star"—from his last album, which he made when he had liver cancer and knew he was dying. These videos are beautiful and deeply moving....check them out.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Welcome to the thread, porthardygurl!

Thanks for the welcome Fi ☺

Well im finishing off the night on a good note.. Suprisingly since going low carb, my appetite and cravings have taken a 360 turn. Although im going to guess that giving up my glutenous ways helped lots since i have an allergy to it...not only when i eat it i feel sick..i also crave it..Crave it like.. "Give ME the Loaf o BREAD Now and no one gets hurt"... Its nive to be able to walk by it and giggle knowing i have more willpower and no cravings..finally doesnt control my life anymore..

Good morning everyone. The sun is just barely up and it's past 8 already.

Ubee -- Thanks for the will power dust although I did just get finished with the dusting part of the cleaning routine. That must be why I'm having so much trouble -- the will power dust keeps landing on the furniture instead of me!

Porthardygurl -- Welcome! Sounds like even with your regain (a phenomenon with which I am intimately acquainted) that you're doing great on your efforts. It's hard to maintain when life is just coasting along. Throw in some major roadblocks and it can really throw us all for a loop.

Sam -- I just love your photo! I kept thinking that the one when you started 2 years ago shows a very unhappy young woman while the current one shows a happy, smiling engaged and beautiful young woman. It may have just been when you clicked, but when we feel better physically I think we feel better about ourselves emotionally. The people for whom you house sat sound like they've got a screw loose. I don't know what the rates are there, but out here pet sitters charge $30 PER VISIT ($60/day if you walk a pet 2X a day) and $100/day if you want them to stay at your house. The house visits include getting the mail and watering plants, making sure everything is ok, but it would add up for a 10 day vacation. Not to mention that during that time you had to run over to your house to take care of your animals. Sounds like there may be a little dementia there if they have food that out of date!

Terra -- Sounds like a good idea to do the home workouts in addition to your Music and Movement classes. It's hard to do, but definitely pays off.

Fi -- Standing up for 2-3 minutes is great. That's a great improvement over where you were just recently with not even being able to get upstairs. How are you doing with having sweet potato instead of the Muesli? Lots of different ways to fix them, but that's a big taste difference.

Today is floor day -- vacuuming and washing the floors so UGH. I'm also going to start the cooking for the birthday parties tomorrow. I try to make one dish that is a favorite for each family member. Sometimes that results in some odd meals! Cold seems a little better this morning. It will probably run its course by the beginning of the week. Hope everyone has a great day.

Good Morning Everyone! Turning out to be an ok day.. I live out here in Port Hardy BC, Canada..Think North Coast. We live in an almost constant state of rain although today it looks like it will be dry and sunny! Yay! Means i get to take my Labrador puppy out for a walk. Besides the walk..i have to go to the dreaded lab for more blood work. Ever since my gallbladder removal last year, i have had really bad pain in my side anytime i eat somthing with fat in it..doesnt matter how much fat it seems... So i finally went to my Dr after last days attack was bad enough to almost put me back in the ER. Now he thinks i should do blood work. If that wernt enough..ive been having issued with irregular heartbeat...my heart seems to go "thump thump thump skip a beat thump" Every time it does that, its like lose my breath and my chest hurts really bad..so being the good paramedic i am...i decided to get it checked out...now i have to do this test where i wear a portable ECG monitor for 24 hours. Problem is...this irregular beating is so random and not every day..so i dont think they will catch it.

I had another good drop on the scale today..yesterday was 233.0 and today is 232.2..like woah��!! I think my body really really likes the no gluten and wheat plus under 20 net carbs.. Oh by the way..made an aweome sugar free low carb vanilla ice cream the other night without an ice cream maker and it turned out awesome and only 2 net carbs per serving! Yeehaw! My birthday is coming up in Feb and i already found a recipe for a low carb sugar free gluten free chocolate chip mint fudge cake and now i can have a scoop of ice cream with it!!! Yay!!

Betsy- you are brave!! for cooking peoples favorite meals..i would be cheating on my diet leftright and centre and tasting everything. I still havent mastered social events very well yet. Glad to hear the cold is improving.

Well..better get my rear in gear to the lab to get my blood sucked out..err..i mean drawn��

Terra Thank you! Your class sounds like it would be fun!

Fi Thank you!! I've seen both of Bowie's videos. It's a weird coinsidence that I watched Blackstar the morning before his passing was announced. I was getting ready for work thinking holy cow this is amazing!! This album is going to be great and I can't wait to hear the whole thing. I bawled like a baby watching Lazarus. I read an article where the producer confirmed he made this album especially for his fans...He knew this was going to be his last album he ever made and wanted to leave a good memory to his fans. Listening to the lyrics more now that he's passed it's obvious he knew he was going to die. What an impact he's made on the world. I feel lucky that he shared his talents and I got to enjoy them :)

Betsy Thank you!! It has been awhile since I updated a photo so I figured what better time than now? I was very unhappy in that photo. I never realized how much my face showed it...especially not at the time. I'm just glad that I won't ever be that unhappy girl anymore. I may never be the size I want to be but I've made a promise to myself that I won't go back there. We came to an agreement on how much they paid us. We originally said $450 but they insisted $800. That was for 14 days staying at their house every day and tending to their animals and watering their two rooms full of house plants, keeping the house tidy, checking the mail and little things here and there. Maybe they do have dementia or something but they are so young to have that in my opinion. I believe they're in their mid 60s. The bad thing is we really enjoyed their doggies and they were so sweet. We were hoping they would ask us to do it again one day because the money really helped us out. I'm sure now they won't ever ask again, but DH and I talked about it last night and we don't think we would do it even if they asked after that. Hope you get a lot done around the house today! It's been rainy here too.

Porthardygurl I forgot to say hello to you in my last post!!! Glad to see another person joining our gang!!! You've made great progress!

Having a troublesome day today. My monthly friend is making their appearance and so I am extremely tired, worn out, my legs feel sore and I feel like I haven't eaten anything all day. I've stayed on plan with no problems. I did eat a little popcorn this afternoon and when I got home I made a PB&J sandwich so those are the only things I wouldn't normally eat, but I feel like I'm starving still!!!! :( This is the only time where I feel like I'm not getting enough to eat. I'm like a bottomless pit. I'm so exhausted that I'm skipping my workout tonight. Just don't think I can muster up the energy. Plus the nasty old broad below me is home and I don't think I could deal with her coming upstairs to yell today. I might go ape $h*t on her. I'm going to take it easy and snuggle with my cats this evening, then tomorrow I'll be working on getting my closet cleaned out and organized and will possibly move the furniture around in my room. My turtle has a bigger tank now so we're trying to figure out a good place to put her but still have good room in our bedroom. We've contemplated moving her into the living room so she can have her own privacy sometimes but we really just don't know where we could put her in there without having to worry about her 3 furry sisters wanting to come play with her :D.

Does anyone have any pointers on how to curb the monthly flo visit cravings?? This past year has been the first time ever that I've had to deal with this. I don't know why it's changed all of the sudden but it makes it hard for me to focus and make sure I eat right or not eat too much. I'm sure I will gain some of the loss that I've had since the holiday. I'm back up to 207, I was 215 when I got home from holiday :(. I didn't want to tell you guys but I shouldn't feel like I have to hide it from you. That just shows you that if I am not strict with how I eat and how I exercise that I will gain the weight back fast. I'm ok with the fact that I gained. I'm not upset about it. I know I will lose it and keep going but gahhhhhh why did I have to start my lady time this week of all weeks!?!?!?!?!

Ok...Rant over. Thanks for any tips you can give! Good night! :)

Hey Sam..i have AF today too..gee i wish i had your problem..I havethe opposite issue..i cant eat cause i feel so bloated almost to the point of nausea. Also when i get my period i get faint and my heart starts beating irregularily..its freaky..still trying to figure out why. As for cravings during AF..i keep a sugar free chocolate bar in the freezer and eat if i need need need somthing. I just make sure to count my calories and carbs into my journal for the day. It makes a difference...feels like im cheating but im not.

Just a fast swing through as I need to get the table set and the rest of the cooking done for today. I got the cleaning finished yesterday, but felt horrible the whole time. I'm ready for this silly cold to be gone.......not a good patient!

More tomorrow. Have a great day.

Good Morning All,

Well my day went sideways yesterday. Period cramps left me bed-ridden all day..yes they are that BAD!!! Despite taking 2 extra strength Midol and 400mg Advil all at the same time. So bloodwork never got done today...and then i had a crappy day cause my heart was skipping beats spontaneously and i was having chest pains randomly..plus feeling faint..i think the faint feeling is from low salt on this low carb diet???? just a guess.. I think this is the first time ive lost weight while on my period..normally i gain like 4 pounds of water weight but not this time.. i jumped down the scale from 232.2 to 230.4 overnight.. i counted the number of days ive been on this low carb diet and its been 10 days. I started this diet at 239.8..ive lost like 10 pounds in 10 days almost..i wonder if this is normal???

Betsy - Sorry to hear that blasted cold is still bothering you.. Do you have any Emergen-C ? These little packets you add water to and it boosts your immune system and helps to combat that cold.. You can take like 4000 mg of Vit C per day..it has no ill effect on a person..whatever your boy doesnt use..it pees out.. In fact Vit C used to be given intervenously years ago as an alternative treatment for chemotherapy. Sadly the Dr responsible for that discovery was told by the FDA they would not approve high doses of Vit C as a drug therapy ...want to take a guess as to why?? $$$$ cha-ching... Drs and drug companies would not be able to benefit financially. All of the studies and human trials he did were locked up and un-available to other drs and the public for further study. Sucky deal considering he was seeing stage 4 cancer patients go into remission due to vitamin c given through IV.

Anywho...hope you are all doing well my new friends��

Gee, I do feel for you guys who're having struggles with the monthlies. Cramps, cravings, bloated feelings....yes, I used to go through all of that. And then I had a relatively easy menopause—just some night sweats—and ta da!! at age 52 I had all of that behind me.

I sure am frustrated with my 60s so far, though. I was really looking forward to my 60th birthday in February of last year, but by the time it came along, my legs were collapsing beneath me and I was falling down all over the place. But I didn't yet realize I was having spasms from serotonin toxicity. And since then...jeez, I try to be brave and hopeful, but being disabled and in so much pain, I often feel sorry for myself and break down in tears.

And Mike is really pushing for me to be able to stand up longer and learn more Qi Gung moves that you do standing up. And my legs are complaining about it, quite a lot. I have nothing to take for the pain—just acetaminophen, which does exactly nothing.

Friday was a bummer because Grace had not yet told me whether she was coming over or not, so I had to keep checking my email all morning. When she finally did get in touch, it was to say that her parents had scheduled an orthodontics app't and then a music lesson for Friday afternoon & evening. Oh well...it really does make me feel like the lowest priority in her schedule...yet another reason to feel sorry for myself, I'm afraid.

But today I forged ahead with regaining my life as an artist—yay! I made a collage inspired by David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" (click on image for larger version) and did all the hard work to scan it, go over it in graphics software, and upload it to three different places. When I finished all that, I was totally exhausted and hurting from my hips down to my feet on both sides, but it felt good all the same to have put up that little tribute to an artist I've admired ever since the early 1970s.

And Grace has Monday off from school, so (crossing fingers) we may be able to have some hours together that day...

Best wishes to all...I'm just too bushed to do personals this time 'round.

Hey Fi- yes definitly lucky on the pms side of things or shall i say no pms. I just wanted to say that i fell for you. I understand whatit is like to live in a chronic state of pain. I used to have Fibromyalgia for which i was bed-ridden and in so much pain that i was recieving injections at the hospital daily and i couldnt even type let alone curl my fingers. It was horrible! No one can truly understand chronic pain until you have personally been there. And yes it is hard to be positive. It takes so much energy just to do the most basic things let alone be happy. Pain does not = happiness. I cant speak to your situation from a medical standpoint or say with certainty what the future holds but i just wanted to let you know that your not alone :)

Well..as for me..I managed to drag myself out of bed to try making a new recipe..Made homemade sugar free low carb meringue cookies..and yay..they worked out.. I have tried 5 times before and each recipe has failed but not today. I enjoyed a meringue cookie with some warmed strawberries and whip cream for dessert tonight. It was great!

In other news..this pain in my side is getting soooo bad. It hurts after everytime i eat anything solid and feels like i have constant air bubbles. Im getting nervous cause its getting hardr to eat..even mashed up scrambled eggs cause the pain to get worse and the air bubbles to get worse too.. Im hoping we will get to the bottom of this problem soon. Till then i am going back to my post op diet of eating 1/4 cup portions of proteins until my tummy gets back to normal.

Well thats all..

Hi everybody. Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days. I have been poorly again with my chest and feeling extremely sorry for myself. Coupled with that I have had bouts of vertigo which mean I could little except lie down and wait for it to go. So needless to say my exercise and healthy eating have flown OUT of the window. So I kept away as I didn't want my grumpiness to be infecting anybody else!! The medication I take for the vertigo makes me sleepy and gives me really weird dreams that were full of my abusive ex-husband so I would wake up really distressed and crying.
Well tomorrow is that start of a new week...thanks heavens.
Hope you are all doing OK will do personals tomorrow but big hugs to you all.
Donna

Hi Donna Sorry to hear your not feeling the greatest. Feel better soon.

Hello Everyone,

Well i couldnt be happier as i watch my scale move. I hit 230.0 today..only need to lose .1 to make into the 220s land. I really feel like this diet is working for me..i just hope it becomes a part of life.

I had success making homemade sugar free meringues yesterday but sadly the amount of moisture where we live, turns everything more soggy. Boo :( Well I hope to be starting to swim at the pool..losing weight makes you realize just how much you need to exercise to tone up your body.. I have so much flab going on..bat wings and now slowly my apron on my tummy.. Anyone else thought of the remote possibility of a tummy tuck when at goal? Seems like a looooong way off.. o boy!

Well..have a great day :)

Betsy ~ Its not that its hard, Its not hard but I just dont like working out by myself.

Sam ~ Your welcome, Music and Movement class is alot of fun. I enjoy going every week.

Good Morning Everybody,

Its 9:14 a.m. I've been up for an hour. Today I need to take a shower and clean the bathroom. I know I dont like to work out by myself but I need too cause I havent worked out since Music and Movement class on Thursday and I know working out one day a week is not helping my weight loss efforts. Anyway I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday.

Hi Terra... I hear ya on the working out alone..let alone working out..it sucks.

Good morning everyone, hope yall are feeling better.
I am sitting here in the lab waiting for bloodwork. My scale jumped down again..yay.. I keep waiting for the scale to stop moving or slow to a crawl. Actually last night i had a dream that i was cheating on my diet but it wasnt on purposem I was being served food that had sugar and carbs that were hidden and i was freaking out over the fact that i ate it. I am paranoid about faling off my diet because its a ketogenic diet. I know the moment i eat sugar i will get hooked again. Yesterday i had a sugar free italian soda and it tasted so much like it was really sweetned with sugar that i was convinced theyy made a mistake.

Anyway...onward and forward. Have a good day!

Good morning all. It's a windy day out there, but the sun is shining so hopefully I can get the fish pond cleaned out and refilled today. Always something to be done with owning a house.

Sam -- Hope you're feeling much better by now. No advice from me on helping with the TOM cravings. I was one of those lucky women with minor cramps and went through early menopause so was all done with it by 45. Don't miss it one bit! And don't worry about the weight gain -- you are one of those people who has figured out that it needs to come back off and you've been successful in getting it back off. Don't ever worry about telling us about the ups to go with the downs. We've all been there and will be there again.

Porthardygurl -- Since I'm down in Washington, I certainly understand the rain phenomenon. This pain you're going through with eating sounds awful. I can't remember if you've had your gall bladder out, but wondered if that was a possibility. Hopefully you can get the blood work done soon and can find out what is causing this. In the meantime, congrats on the great start on the low carb. It is so empowering to see the scale move in the right direction!

Fi -- Yeah, the 60s have not been kind to you at all. Has Mike discussed his plan with you -- sometimes knowing what someone is trying to achieve and in what timeframe helps with accepting the pain involved in getting there. And sometimes it doesn't! I like your new collage, but mainly like that you're able to get the joy from being able to do these again. Did Grace get to come over today? Hope so.

Terra -- It definitely takes more discipline to exercise alone than if you have a class or an exercise buddy who will push you. Good for you for making yourself do it.

Donna -- I'm so sorry that you're feeling icky again, and really sorry about the horrible nightmares. You can't be getting good rest if you're having such bad nightmares. Hope things begin to look up soon.

Ubee -- Where are you? I need a snappy comeback from you to put a smile on my face.

The birthday dinner was this weekend, and we had a nice time together. They weren't here all that long, but we still managed to watch a football game and ate at half time (thank heavens I was able to schedule dinner for half time so the world didn't have to come to an end). A bit of sarcasm on my end, but honestly, I can hardly wait for the Super Bowl to be over so we don't have every Sunday taken up with football.

Weight wise was a good week. I had a 4 pound gain in the middle of the week (not good!), but am back to eating IF and had a net loss of 4 pounds (so total of 8 pounds lost). Obviously a lot of water sloshing in and out! Time to go get blood work done and then to the gym. Hope everyone has a good day and that the health reports start looking a whole lot better.

Hi Betsy

Yah i had my gallbladder removed a year ago this May. So i know its not a gallbladder issue. Its so hard to say what it is. Only thing i can say is that its a nice weight loss help. Knowing that you will be in pain every time you eat makes you not want to eat inless you absolutely have to..

Porthardygurl ~ I dont mind working out, I just dont like working out alone.

Betsy ~ Yeah, Thats true that it takes more discipline to exercise alone than if you have a class or an exercise buddy.

Grr..dont you just hate it when you see a dreamy recipe for a One minute mug brownie thats low carb and sugar free and gluten free and you go make it and end up with a pile of cocoa looking greasy glop?? Yah..that was my attempt. Today i woke up with cravings for chocolate and found a recipe and thought "yes! perfect recipe to make" and then made it and not only did it look grose and un-hrownie like...it tasted nasty. I guess im sensetive to tastes cause i could taste the ground flaxseedy taste.. Oddly though, i could have eaten the batter raw(no eggs) So i thought it was bound to be a winner..but nope! Sigh...

Porthardygurl— On the subject of your gas pains: actually, it might be a gall bladder issue after all. That is, not having a gall bladder might be causing you to have indigestion, because the gall bladder is responsible for making bile, which is involved in the digestion of various foods, especially fat. Have you tried an over-the-counter gas pill? The generic ingredient is simethicone. It's marketed as Gas-X, among other brands.

I'm happy to report that Grace—my 15-yr-old great niece, mentee & art student—was able to come over this morning and spend about six hours talking & making collages with me, and playing with our adolescent oriental cats. Oscar and Grace have a special relationship: as soon as she meets him, she scoops him up high in her arms and caresses him all over. We let the cats into my collage studio, where they both enjoyed knocking over the waste basket and the recycle container, looking for cat toys...and finding them, of course. Grace made two collages, and I made one. She always works faster than I do.

And then Oscar did something funny, after Bob left with Grace to drive her home. He ran around every room of the house, crying loudly. I was sitting on the bed in our bedroom, and Oscar jumped up in front of me, staring into my face with wide, distressed eyes. Then he looked carefully in all corners of the room, continuing to cry out as if he had lost something. By then it was manifestly obvious what the problem was: Grace was no longer in the house, and Oscar wanted her back. =smile= It was so sweet...I tried to make it up to him with cuddles and kisses, plus I threw one of the paper balls he'd found in my studio trash can, for him to bat around the hallway and bring back to me for "fetch," his favorite game.

For those of you who are so kind as to enjoy seeing my collages: today's piece is titled wegman and more. (Click on the image for a larger version.) I sure wish I could show you Grace's collages, too. Maybe some day...

Fi - Cool hobby! I used to love doing collages when i was younger. About the gas pain..yah i have a script for a really good acid reducer so we shall see.

Porthardygurl— Acid reducers can be very helpful, but be aware that they are not the same thing as a gas pill. Simethicone specifically targets those gas bubbles you've been complaining about: it helps them coalesce with each other and leave your body as gentle farts. =smile=