Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,422
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
April, I just walk on my treadmill. Knees don't like running, and I hold on! With my old treadmill, the circuit breaker would pop out if the air conditioning kicked on while I was using the treadmill. It would stop dead. I would be thrown off if I was not holding on.
I guess it's just me who really hates walking outside.
Andi, is there a park around where you could walk? We used to walk in the industrial park in the evening after the businesses closed for the day. DH found the two $20 bills walking through Sears. He looked around to see if someone was nearby but no one was around. We think a man had it in his pocket the way men do and when he pulled his hand out the money came out with it. And he constantly sees change on the ground in parking lots. One time we were walking through the casino and I saw a $20 bill laying on the floor. It could have belonged to anyone. I just swooped down with my hand as we walked by, never missing a step. You know it ended up in a slot machine before the day was over.
April Falling really did you in!!!. No wonder some people refuse to go for a walk. DH and I were out this morning and a most unusual March 10, I wore just a short sleeve T shirt and felt quit fine. I do love being outside.
CarolSue Good thing you have a choice about being outside or not at least part of the time. Today I agree that being in the house this afternoon with a most unusual, non-fiction book by a remarkable author on a subject I'm most passionate about Kept me spell bound for over 2 hours. I could hardly move when I stood up. The book is very, very thick, but worth every minute I spend on it. As fast as I read fiction, I'm reading a scholar on this book. Lots underlined, a page or two ear marked. Good thing it is my book.
Andi glad to hear you are able to be at work and your hands feel better. We have no sidewalks around me, so walking in the street is only choice. We have 15 miles an hour posted and most are good to keep speed low. When our kids all lived home, we always went out to walk and talk after dinner dishes were done. DH worked such long hours, I was usually back in the house by the time he got home.
Christmas lights are beautiful around here. For ages I always walked on Christmas Eve to enjoy them, even by my self. A few years ago I was going to do that and DH (who no longer works those long hours) asked me "Where do you think you're going?" When I told him, he blew up. "It is not safe!!!" I never thought about that, honestly, and I never felt afraid. Really kind of glad I felt safe. I agree with him and no longer go after dark, but our daughter Pat walks most nights. Luckily several of her friends do also, and they may walk and talk for 2 hours. Really sore feet after that much time, but mouth still worked fine.
I hope you are all well. It has been quite a few days since anyone has posted. I'm going to attempt to get back on the scale and then back on the trail and then back on plan. I'm feeling worse the longer I avoid it.
I hope you are all well. It has been quite a few days since anyone has posted. I'm going to attempt to get back on the scale and then back on the trail and then back on plan. I'm feeling worse the longer I avoid it.
I hope there is some activity here soon!
April
Hello everyone It's 4am here & my Dh has to be at work early today & I've been needing to get back online posting again. My typing/right hand is still injured so I'm just using my middle finger & so my post will be short. Friday is my doctor appointment at last, I hope that I don't get scolded for trying to heal it myself to avoid going to the doctor, keeping it wrapped in a ace-wrap for the last 7 weeks. I'm afraid he's going to say I need carpal tunnel surgery . My Dh job's medical insurance is terrible since they changed from BCBS last fall...
April Thank you for your wisdom, I totally agree with you. Since my hand injury in January I haven't been 'online' except to pay our bills & I need to be here for encouragement to keep on track with my body. My weight has been up & down by 6# since my injury because I can't hold on, to grip anything...handweights, etc. to be active.
It's been really busy here the last few months & I'm happy for the support here, lifting-up one another After my doctor appointment Friday I'll be back online often. The girls that founded our 3FC website probably never imagined how many lives their website would bring together.
I got back on the scale. 180 pounds even. Sigh. Tomorrow is Wednesday.....and I intend to get back on the trail, walking at first, then back to jogging, or maybe even riding my bike. Then, on Thursday, I don't have to work, so I plan to go to Kroger and get what I need to get back on plan. Following our tragedy, initially, I didn't eat much at all, so even though I quit exercising, I didn't gain weight. Then I defaulted to my typical stress response and started eating deep fried stuff followed by ice cream. I could tell I was gaining because my clothes were getting tighter, but I didn't know how much until this morning. I'm not young any more, and I need my knees and my back to hold up for the next 20 years so I can continue to work a physically demanding job. I can tell my stamina decreases with every pound I gain. So, that's where I am this Tuesday afternoon.
Dee, I'm glad you are going to get checked out and I hope the news is good. We can hope for that, anyway. Hope for the best while preparing for the worst..... I think we are due for some good news for a change.
Andi, Carol Sue, Sandy and Terapet........I'm hoping you are all ok!
I've been off here a few days, mostly because I'm unhappy with my weight loss. I'm up to 172, which is not horrible, but not where I want to be on this journey. Trying to figure out why, and I think it's because things at work are getting stressful, and my response to this is after work I seem to be famished! (of course not true). I'll eat everything I can get my hands on, and I crave the carbs that I try so hard to avoid. What is it with stress eating and carbs, anyway???
Dee, sorry about your hand injury. My mother just had CT surgery (she is 86) and did very well, but I hope they can fix you without it.
April, I know how you feel about getting back to that healthy weight and being able to walk/run/bike again...I'm right there with you in spirit and I KNOW we can get there!!! I may take a short bike ride this weekend...have to get back onto riding slowly. Do you have the chamois pants or a comfortable seat? :-)
Going to Lowe's after work today to get some lawn fertilizer and maybe a new light fixture for my half-bath, as the one in there now is so dippy-looking. Hope to also get in a walk, as it's supposed to rain here later in the evening.
Is everyone watching the primaries today? I'm trying to avoid them. My DBF is very political and watches them like it's a sport or something - and I can't stand to be around him then. I say just vote what you believe and see where the chips may lie.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,422
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Andi, I hate the period before presidential elections because the TV is so saturated with political crap, but this year it's like a train wreck where you just can't look away! LOL
I wonder why it is that we stay away from the forum when we need it the most? I am a message board junkie and I am always here, but if I'm doing poorly with my weight I just don't mention it, but discuss other things. Today is my day to shout that I'm down 1.5 recycled pounds. LOL Can't wait until I lose some new ones.
Dee, I'm glad you're back posting too. Last year I was having problems with tendonitis in my elbow and tried staying off the computer but I couldn't. Eventually, the elbow pain went away, but it took a very long time. Wouldn't that be great if you had the same results? Before retirement, DH worked in a warehouse. He and all his fellow workers were all getting CP. I found an article in Prevention Magazine that said Vit B6 helps. DH, who would never have surgery unless it was to save his life, decided to try it. It took a few months, but it worked. Then he got a few of the other workers to try it, and it worked for them, too. Some quit when they didn't get instant results, but that might be something to try if you really don't want surgery. It's inexpensive. Anytime DH started to feel a twinge after that he would just start up the B6 again and viola!
Sandy, I used to walk outside when I was younger, but it's hilly if I go farther than one block, so I don't do it anymore. I do have to get back to my treadmill though. I'm noticing that I have a lot of trouble in stores if I don't have a shopping cart. That is comparable to needing a walker, and I don't want to reach that point. For me, it's avoidable, because it's just from lack of use. (I tell myself, as I sit here at the computer instead of getting up and moving.)
Carol Sue: I got out and got in a quick walk before work this afternoon. I slept late and it was so windy that I really planned to skip it, then decided since I posted here that I was going to get back on the trail starting today, I had to hold myself accountable. That's the only reason I went. The wind rattled the stove pipe all night and I barely slept and I was really cranky and out of sorts. LOL. I walked around the cemetery. There is something tranquil about the old sections in cemeteries. I've always enjoyed wandering among the crooked stones. I'm a little on the odd side. Eccentric, maybe. But the sun was shining and I collected some vitamin D along the way.
Andi: My bike has a narrow, hard seat. My DH bike has a wide, padded seat. He never rides his bike, so I ride his more often than I ride mine. I haven't ridden either in a couple of years, and they were out in the weather for awhile, so I don't know what kind of shape they are in. I talked him into getting a bike to help rehab his knee. The one time I got him to ride with me, I noticed he had dropped behind, and I looked back to find him stopped and lighting a cigarette. LOL. To his credit, he did pedal on, but with a Marlboro dangling from his lip. As for politics, he watches non-stop. So much so that I sometimes feel as if Sean and Greta and Bill and Shepard, and Megyn and Brett are members of my immediate family. Dumps more cortisol into my system.
!
Well, Carol Sue, recycled pounds are better than no pounds....keep it up! And Andi, we ARE going to do it!
I came across a great article written by a "Frugal blogger". I usually don't cut and paste stuff, but this is helpful when thinking about choices we make every day and how they will affect our "Future Self".
"The Dance Between Your Present Self and Your Future Self
Almost every choice I make in my life boils down to a choice between my “present self” and my “future self So, let’s step back and take a look at what that means, starting off with a couple of examples.
Let’s say I’m at the grocery store and I have a grocery list in my hand. I’m wandering down a particular aisle and I spot a delicious snack on the shelf. It’s not a particularly healthy snack, mind you – let’s say it’s a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.
My “present self” thinks, “Yum! I can afford it, too!” If I listen to that approach, the bag of chips will wind up in my cart, then in my cupboard, then in my belly. My “future self” thinks, “Those seem tasty, but they’re massively unhealthy and they cost $4 for that bag. Don’t really need ‘em.” I’ll walk on by, keep the money in my pocket, and avoid eating a few unhealthy snacks over the next few days.
To put it in simple terms, my “present self” is always thinking about the most enjoyable thing to do right now. My “present self” skips exercise. My “present self” rushes through work. My “present self” binge-watches House of Cards. My “present self” snarfs down most of a large pizza or half a bag of Doritos and washes it down with ginger ale (my sweet and bubbly beverage of choice).
On the other hand, my “future self” thinks about which option will create the happiest and most enjoyable life down the road. My “future self” is the one that convinces me to go on a long walk. My “future self” makes a healthy dinner at home. My “future self” tries to do good work. My “future self” works on building positive relationships. My “future self” is the half of me that’s working toward financial independence and working on trying to make my life as healthy and long-lasting as possible and working on having a lot of good relationships to fill those years.
Almost every decision and every situation involves a battle between those two mindsets. Do I do what my “present self” wants and choose the option that brings the most momentary pleasure? Or do I do what my “future self” wants and choose the option that builds a better life down the road?
The truth is that when I step back and look at the big picture, outside of the situation of that moment, the “future self” side of things is almost always the best choice. The “present self” option usually gives a burst of pleasure that’s better in the short run, but that burst almost never lasts. However, the benefits of the “future self” choice tend to last and last and last. The impact might not be big in any given moment, but if I make enough “future self” choices, I’m going to build a really nice life.
Sometimes, I’m going to end up making choices that I regret. I’ll think back and realize that I wasted an afternoon on nothing at all or that I ate a bunch of terrible food or that I didn’t exercise. That’s okay. It’s just a reminder that I need to listen to my “future self” a little more.
Second, I think about “future self” choices when I’m doing other things. I’ll often think through situations in my life and the consequences of my various possible choices in those situations when I’m doing things like driving to pick up my kids from soccer practice or loading the dishwasher or walking to the library.
Third, I try to do things to improve the quality of “future self” choices in the moment. In other words, I work to remove potential obstacles that might cause me to choose the “present self” option.
For example, I keep a small duffel bag around with exercise clothes and everything I would need to go get some exercise in it, ready to go. That way, if my “present self” is arguing on behalf of spending the next hour playing Factorio instead of exercising, I no longer have the “excuse” of needing to find all of my stuff.
Fourth, I think about the benefits that are in my life thanks to my “future self” choices in the past. The truth is that my life is pretty good and, while some of it is luck, much of it has to do with having made a lot of good “future self” choices over the years.
Those things seem like small choices in the moment – and they are. They often seem like less fun choices in the moment – and if you look just at that moment, they often are less fun.
The thing is, though, that they each add a little bit of something positive to your future when you do make those hard choices. And if you do them often enough, they add up to some pretty big things.
Together, those things add up to a pretty good life, and it all comes down to listening to your “future self” just a little more often each day when you’re making choices. Sure, your “future self” might not be encouraging the “fun” option, but he or she is offering up an option that will make things better over the long run.
Great article, Andi. I understand the sentiment, as I have been thinking so much lately about my future self having to toil under the burden of the weight my present self has accrued.... my future self struggling with bad knees and a bad back and maybe needing a hip replacement as a result of standing on concrete floors for at least eight hours a day over decades and carrying an extra 45 pounds of down-force on creaky, aging joints. Depressing to contemplate. I have to keep reminding myself that wanting to shed pounds is not vanity, it's practical and essential, really. Add the sleep apnea to the mix, and it becomes dire. I haven't been wearing my CPAP, so I'm at increased risk for stroke, heart attack and diabetes. Not to mention, divorce, as my DH has been going to the sectional frequently as respite from my snoring/gasping. If I lose weight, the apnea should improve, and my future self will benefit immensely. I think there is a guilt aspect at the moment, as in, how can I think losing weight is important in light of what we are going through? Like it's selfish, somehow. Anyhow...a peek into my fractured psyche, I guess.
Today is the day I selected to get back on plan with Atkins. I had lost almost 7 pounds before abandoning it. I know I can't give up. March is half over and I'm heavier now than when I started posting here back in (January?). It's time to get up, brush my self off, quit licking my wounds, and get back to moving in the right direction.
My daughter is due to have a baby girl anytime now, official due date is April 8th. Please pray for her. She is having a home delivery with a mid-wife. I am more nervous now, coming off this tragedy, than I would have been otherwise. Bad things are no longer things that only happen to other people.
Hi All-I am back again. Hopefully I can get somewhere this time around. The last year has been really weird for me. I was super busy with work for most of it and ended up physically out of shape, gaining weight and battling a string of minor illnesses. However, since I will be basically cruising through work from now on, I might as well turn my time and energy to losing weight again. I have made some minor progress in the last few months. I am fairly caught up with my exercise routine. I have weaned myself off many of the goodies that had reappeared in my regular meals over the holidays. No more daily consumption of chips, crackers, cookies, heavy desserts or white wine. Fortunately with these changes, I stopped gaining but I have not changed enough bad habits to actually lose any weight. But I definitely want to do that now and I think I am poised to launch a full out attack!
Andi-I am very jealous of your enterprise data cube building training. All I work with is QuickBooks! We actually use another software for sales and inventory where I could probably try to use online tutorials to learn something about creating reports from the databases but I would have to do it on my own. Thanks for reposting the great article. Nice way to look at delaying gratification-a keystone habit for success.
April-Good for you for getting back to your weight loss plan. That is exciting news about your daughter and future grandbaby!
Dee-Hope the doctor gets you on the road to a quick recovery.
Sandy-I love non fiction. Especially good thick ones although I don't always know anymore with the Kindle. I am reading a book about LBJ right now. What book was so absorbing????
CaroleSue-This is a very interesting political year!
Terapet! Good to see you! You and Andi speak a language utterly foreign me. I have no idea what enterprise data cube building or QuickBooks is. I have a sort of vague idea of what a database is, but not really. We use something called "PointClickCare" at work. I've pretty much got the "pointing" and "clicking" down. Anything beyond that is murky.
Andi: The present me put my CPAP back together today in an effort to be considerate of the future me. I remember Sandy saying something about treating herself with compassion a while back. That is something I need to work on. How is your broken bone, by the way?
Sandy: Things are beginning to get green! Are you getting your gardens ready? I, too, am curious as to what non-fiction book you are reading. Are you watching basketball? I picked WVU to advance when I filled out my bracket this morning.
Carol Sue: I'd be happy with losing recycled pounds at this rate!
I am ready to get back on plan tomorrow....got what I needed to get started....
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,422
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
April, I have had my CPAP since 2008. I use it faithfully every night, and I also put it on if I lie down for a nap in the afternoon. I sleep poorly now, but it's still better than if I tried to sleep without the CPAP. Only once did our power go out during the night and I didn't have it for a few hours. If I don't have it on, I keep waking myself up as soon as I start to drift off. I think it's about time for me to get a new one and insurance will cover it. If this one would ever break I don't know what I would do until I got a new one. It's not like you can just walk into Walmart and pick one up. LOL The main thing holding me back is if I have to go for another sleep study to get it. Also, I don't like the doctor who prescribed it and there's another doctor I would prefer to see for it. Just procrastinating.
I went to the Pilates/Yoga fusion class at the Y this morning. I was actually channeling "former me" to get myself to exercise in the morning. Long ago I used to be the one who jogged outside every morning before work. I have not done that in eons. Anyway, I need to try to regain some of that focus and at least a smidgen of that old energy. The class was something I really need to add to my routine. I have never been terribly flexible and my mobility and posture are showing their age!
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 13,422
S/C/G: 217/176/142
Height: 5'2
Terepet, I hope you are able to get back in the groove with your AM exercise. Now that I am retired, I try to exercise while I'm watching my soaps, between 12:30 and 2 PM. I figure I either exercise while I'm watching or I sit in my recliner. Duh! And this way I can't say I don't have time to exercise. There are times that I'm doing something else while I'm watching, like cleaning or cooking. This week my soaps were preempted because of the basketball games on Thursday and Friday. I still exercised for 20 min on Thursday and just put the news on, but didn't get around to it today. If I wasn't watching those soaps I wouldn't have any incentive to get me to do it. Time goes so fast when I'm watching while I exercise.
I've been doing fairly well with my food. Still need to watch a bit on the snacks. We'll do this, you'll see!
It's 4am here & my Dh has to be at work early today & I've been needing to get back online posting again. My typing/right hand is still injured so I'm just using my middle finger & so my post will be short. Friday is my doctor appointment at last, I hope that I don't get scolded for trying to heal it myself to avoid going to the doctor, keeping it wrapped in a ace-wrap for the last 7 weeks. I'm afraid he's going to say I need carpal tunnel surgery 
. My Dh job's medical insurance is terrible since they changed from BCBS last fall...
Thank you for your wisdom, I totally agree with you. Since my hand injury in January I haven't been 'online' except to pay our bills & I need to be here for encouragement to keep on track with my body. My weight has been up & down by 6# since my injury because I can't hold on, to grip anything...handweights, etc. to be active. 
After my doctor appointment Friday I'll be back online often. The girls that founded our 3FC website probably never imagined how many lives their website would bring together. 
I think we are due for some good news for a change.
