I did ok on food yesterday, but no movement on the scale - guess I won't make it under 170 this week, but I won't stop! Still haven't received my fake Fitbit in the mail, but it's on the way.
Looking forward to tennis this evening, then either walking or exercise classes tomorrow. I really wish I had a workout buddy to keep each other accountable in getting in the steps and the gym time, but unfortunately, I do not. It's so much harder when we go it alone.
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, it's a beautiful day for a neighbor...
Hello Plucky Chicks!
Have you ever noticed that random encounters with strangers on the street, exchanging smiles and pleasantries, can transform your day? I think that's why I like to get out and walk. SUNSHINE again today. Sucking up that Vitamin D! 16,000 steps yesterday. 5,500 so far this morning.
Sandy: Glad to hear your husband's vision is improving. My DH recently found out he has glaucoma, and he took it really hard. What sort of fish oil do you use that you keep in the freezer?
Terapet: Thanks for sharing the motivation. We really do limit ourselves. It's easier to underestimate our abilities and to become complacent and apathetic than it is to strive. At least, I've found that to be true in my own life.
Carol Sue: A few months ago I went from being pretty much inactive to one day doing 3 sets of 10 lunges followed by 3 sets of 10 squats. I had to walk down the stairs sideways for three days. I told my son, who is 29, and he said, "geez mom, I should've warned you, because I did a full upper body work out a few days ago after being lazy for 3 years, and the next day I couldn't even wipe my own a$$!". So maybe we have to factor common sense into the motivation equation! LOL!
Andi: You are doing great! Tennis lessons! Zumba class! Walking! Want to have a friendly competition to see which of us reaches 162# first?
April So sorry your husband found out he has glaucoma. That is enough to scare anyone. Re: fish oil, we buy good brand that is kept in Freezer so it is easier to swollow. Eye doctor told us to take 1000 units in Morning with food and same in evening. If we could, taking a third capsule at Noon would be good, but I bruise easily so we just take morning and evening as it is also a mild blood thinner. DH no longer takes aspirin for same reason.
Same Opthomologist also highly recommends a Vitamin Macular Protect COmplete AREDS2 that we order thru Science Based Health, 500 Century Plaza Dr. Ste 100, Houston, TX 77073-6027 Ph: 888-433-4726.
We've taken these for well over 10 years and trust them completely. They are designed to help protect eye health, but also the rest of us, too. DH has a Macular pucker, but it has not become worse for the same length of time.
He is 82 and still able to mow often, shovel for 30 minutes before coming inside, and repair almost anything. Thank God for these blessings.
Just finished a book by Richard Paul Evans that left me really thinking about how fortunate I am that we have our children, and now enjoy greatgrand children, even 4 greats!!! Health wide, we are indeed fortunate. Dh survived prostrate cancer years ago and doctors say he is doing great.
AndiTennis sounds like such fun. Only time I tried I got hit in the mouth. I have absolutely NO depth perception and didn't know how close it was until I felt ball hit me. Roller skating, bicycling, square dancing, hiking all were fun and kept me active. Now it is primarily walking, gardening, and taking care of our home.
Sandy: Thank you for the information on the fish oil and eye vitamins. I'm afraid of medications and of supplements, which is ironic, given that I've dispensed an incalculable number of them over the past 22 years. I have fish capsules that are the "Simple Truth" brand from Kroger, but I haven't been taking them. I know I should take those, and probably some B vitamins, but I'm suspicious of what's really in them since the supplement industry isn't regulated by the FDA. Of course, FDA regulation doesn't inspire the confidence that it once did! I enjoy gardening, too. I especially love heirloom tomatoes and heirloom beans. Have you ever grown the cut-short greasy beans?
Carol Sue: Thank you for the information about the alternative to CPAP. I keep thinking that if I just lose a few pounds, the apnea will take care of itself. In the meantime, I am more likely to have a stroke or develop diabetes or do further damage to my heart as a result of the untreated sleep apnea. I hope your knee is feeling better. I'm glad my story about my encounter with the Xenia PD made you laugh! I was sitting there with one cruiser behind me and one cruiser beside me, lights blazing, when a third cruiser careened into the parking lot and skidded to a stop to block the exit. My first thought was, "well, THAT'S a little excessive, I'm not going ANYWHERE until I get my chocolate dipped cone..." My second thought was that someone driving an old jeep must have just robbed the Circle K. My last thought before the officer told me the sheriff had alerted them to my erratic progress through the countryside was that I had a busted taillight and the Xenia PD was having a slow crime night. LOL. I am seriously lacking in the insight and common sense departments.
Terapet: I was thinking about the motivation you posted yesterday. I had a terrible night at work last night. Several stressful situations unfolded simultaneously and I felt as if my head would explode. Then, just as I was leaving, around two hours after the actual end of my shift, one of my patients passed away. I had cared for her for several years. Her family was there and I stayed still longer to grieve a bit with them. People came to visit her over the past couple of days as she declined whom I hadn't seen before. She was really too sick to enjoy seeing them. It was wonderful that they came, but I'm sure they feel terrible that they didn't come more often when she would have so loved to see them. So, I want to take this opportunity to motivate us all to share life and love openly and often. Regret is a terrible, terrible feeling.
Andi: Let me know if a friendly competition would be helpful to you in lieu of a workout buddy! It could be fun. Even if your device isn't a fitbit, we could still tally step totals...
My steps were only 13,700 yesterday. I had to spend more time at the nurses station than usual. My goal is 14,000 daily.
Andi: I wasn't implying that a fitbit is superior to any other tracker. LOL. I didn't realize how that sounded. I only meant that fitbits have a "friend" feature that automatically tallies the steps and ranks people accordingly. I have people from work, their spouses, my parents, my brothers, a sister-in-law, a cousin I haven't seen in over 30 years, etc., on my "friend" list. My 76 year old father is the current leader.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
LurchMama, sounds like your father is retired and had nothing else to do all day but accumulate steps. LOL I can't imagine how he does that. I went over 5K a couple times but for me, over 4K is a great day! I'm not totally useless, I can always serve as a bad example. LOL
I worked with a woman who was able to get rid of her Cpap after weight loss surgery. I always wonder about people, like my step-son, who get tested and need a Cpap but won't use them. I can't sleep without mine. My daughter-in-law says he stops breathing during the night, but when they told him he had to use it at least 5 hours per night in order for insurance to pay for it, he would lay there watching the clock until 5 hours had past then rip it off and sleep without it. So he turned it back in.
Sandy, after reading about the eye issues, I'm thinking I better get myself to the eye doctor and get checked. I take fish oil, 1200 mg twice a day, as directed by my cardiologist, and also a 325 aspirin. I don't freeze mine as I have no trouble swallowing them.
When I was single I was out at the dance clubs several night a week, and on the dance floor the whole time, so I got plenty of exercise that didn't feel like exercise. Since that time I danced at a wedding and was so sore the next morning because I wasn't used to it. I know I could still do that here at home. It would be like taking a Zumba class.
Carol Sue: The thing with the CPAP is that I got the "nasal pillows" instead of a mask thinking they would be more comfortable....WRONG! When you move your head it feels as if someone is sticking their fingers up your nostrils and pulling your nose up and back toward your eyeballs. Either that, or it leaks, which makes an unpleasant hissing sound while blowing cold, damp air in your face. I found I was sleeping even less WITH it than WITHOUT it. At least without it, you have the ILLUSION of sleeping, because even though you stop breathing and the EEG shows you awaken to gasp for air, you aren't consciously aware of it. As for my dad and his insane stepping....he is very competitive and it tickles him to best us "yunguns". He will walk nine miles to where their RV is parked over the winter to service it, and my mom will go pick him up. He still shovels snow and push mows his yard as well as mowing for "a couple of old folks" who live on their street. Don't sell yourself short on your fitbitting! I have people on my friend list who are "inactive" because they aren't even trying anymore. I have two fitbit challenges starting tomorrow. One with a couple of people from work, and one with my folks, my brother and his wife. Like you, I also lost a ton of weight going out dancing when I was younger. I've wondered if it would be effective now. I guess I'd just feel sort of ridiculous. My DH already thinks I'm nuts. I'd have to get Richard Simmons "Sweating to the Oldies" or something!
Terapet: Made soup AND beans. I'm ready for the week! Bring it on!
Sandy: Took my fish oil and some organinc multi-vitamin my mom sent me.
Andi: I got some fiber. Woooohoooo!
FYI: I signed up for the February weight loss challenge thread over on the "Chicks up for a Challenge" forum if any of you are interested in joining!
You pick a weight loss goal for the month and weigh in periodically throughout and post your progress.
My favorite quote from "Shawshank"- Get busy living or get busy dying!"
I had a very good 5 mile hill walk on Saturday morning, but didn't do much yesterday for some reason. I STILL have not received my FakeBit in the mail...hope it's not lost!
Well, I found another trigger food that I must avoid - pistachios! I bought a bag (healthy snack and all haha) and ate them all over the weekend
I did make a big pot of vegetable soup which I'll eat this week. It's the only way I can control the sodium in soups.
Carol Sue, I hope you do get your eyes checked out soon - that's something we just don't mess with!
Sandy - yes, I really enjoy Tennis, but when there's a class full of students, you just don't get the play time you need to improve much. Of course they want you to JOIN the club. I need to find someone who plays outside during the summer. I'm also looking to start riding my bike again when it warms up! We have great bike paths around the area, so there's no excuse!
April, I don't take offense about the FitBit vs my FakeBit thing haha. The friend feature does sound interesting. Yes, we can have a friendly competition to get to 162# if you like. I'd better start moving more if that's gonna happen!
Hope those who live in the plains area are ready for the blizzard today - my DS#1 lives in Omaha and they're expecting at least a foot of snow!
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Oh, man, Andi, I wonder how long it will take for that mid west blizzard to make it out our way? I hope it takes a turn somewhere. LOL I heard that Feb was going to be extremely cold.
Is your tracker really called a Fakebit or is that just what you're calling it?
April, I have the nasal pillows too, but I mostly use the one that just has a hole that lies up against your nostrils and not the one with the thingys that go into your nostrils. I don't have as much trouble with them as you do. I truly cannot sleep more than 5 minutes without my Cpap. As soon as I drop off I gasp for air. I am consciously aware of it!! When I was in the hospital, they gave me this Cpap to use that covered your whole face. It was terrible. I tried to get used to it but after about an hour I took it off and told the nurse I wanted my oxygen back. When I am in the hospital they put me on oxygen to make up for the lack of the Cpap.
I couldn't find those Sleep Right Breathe Aids in any store, but at Walgreens they had a Walgreens brand substitute so I bought them to try. They just open up your nostrils so you get more air in. I hate having to lug my Cpap around when I travel.
Sandy, I have heard of those ARed things. I should probably try them, but I am like April and am fearful of supplements in most cases. The Amsler Grid is how I found out I had that hole in my macula. I was watching TV. I rubbed my right eye and that's when I realized that everything was blurry out of my left eye. I was ok using both eyes. So I went online and starting googling. When I found the Amsler Grid I checked my vision. Then I went to an eye specialist and they did tests and diagnosed the hole. It is very similar to macular degeneration but not the same. It's not progressive, so they say and it's only in one eye. I don't know how long I had this before I realized it. I can see perfectly when using both eyes at the same time.
Last edited by Wannabehealthy; 02-01-2016 at 06:37 PM.
Andi: For your information, I'm not a loser! I'm a @$#!!&% gainer! I somehow managed to gain over two pounds this weekend. Grrrrr. That's going to throw my weight off for the Feb weight loss challenge. I'll have to lose over nine pounds to make it look like I lost seven. I just submitted my Friday weight never dreaming I'd gain like that in two days. Sigh. Back to the old drawing board.
Carol Sue: I'm sleeping on the cough tonight so DH and I don't kill one another out of sheer crankiness. I figure the narrow couch will force me to sleep on my side and I'll be less likely to have those periods of apnea. I guess I'll start using that dadgummed CPAP again tomorrow. I agree that you should get your eyes checked. You also mentioned a while back that they are very sensitive to light.
Location: Home of the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins
Posts: 12,395
S/C/G: 217/179/142
Height: 5'2
Lurchmamma, I am not a loser either. I lost 20 lbs after my heart surgery in 2008 and I have been bouncing up and down the same 5 lbs ever since. I need to find the determination to make the downward trend stick and continue downward. I hate to see those fluctuations on the scale, but I have to get weighed to be sure I'm not creeping upward. It can happen so easily when you're not paying attention. I want someone to put me in a locked room and feed me the food I'm supposed to be eating and not let me out until I'm thin. LOL Any volunteers?
CarolSue Are you asking for company in this locked room, or want us to bring you something to eat?
This weight that seems to simply hang around does feel as if the only way to eliminate it is to be starved to death. In fact I did loose several years ago when I had pneumonia and coughed round the clock for over a week. Water and very little else would seem to help a bit. FInally got to Dr and he put me on the steroids and starwars antibiotics, and finally I was able to go out --- it was AUGUST and even gardening didn't appeal to me, but I did drop 8 or 9 pounds. Of course they gradually returned. I was so weak for a long time. Don't want to do that again.
The Amsler Grid is always taped up on the medicine cabinet so DH checks it daily. Put up new one often, but it rarely changes. THank goodness.
My right eye sees less and less, and I really could stand new glasses but am stubborn. We help our two younger daughters, one with Health Insurance and other with car repairs, etc. Seems as if that retirement money that seemed generous is disappearing very rapidly. We stopped eating out except a very, very few times a month. When I return to Eye doctor I'm going to go ahead and get new lenses for sure. I enjoy reading too much not to do so.
April, bummer on the breathing issue. Hope you find a device that you can wear, breathe, and still sleep.
WebWoman. Being active OUTSIDE sounds even better with the winter weather. Hope February and March aren't as bad as predicted.
Book Club was such fun today. That group of women, 18 or 19 of us there today, are a lively bunch. Only one is quiet and she was distracted by her phone, (or just plain bored with us.) I voted the book as not so good. Felt the author failed to connect one part to any other part. As one person said, seemed like the author wrote parts and someone else filled in to try to finish.
Next book sounds far better, a mystery by woman who knows how to tell a good story.
I'm feeling disgruntled and out of sorts today. I think it really upset me more than I was willing to admit that I gained two pounds without eating ice cream or other late night junk. It makes me feel like just buying a gallon of the stuff and digging in with a soup spoon. Sigh.
Beautiful day out there. Sun is shining after a late day/overnight deluge yesterday. Windy and brisk. Andi mentioned the bike paths in Ohio earlier, I spend a lot of time on the one close to me. Ohio has a "rails to trails" system where old and unused rail beds were converted to multi-use paved pathways. There is a hub in Xenia where many of the paths converge. I don't know if it's true, but I've heard you can travel all the way to Cincinnati from there. It really is a blessing to have such access, and I tend to take it for granted, until we go downhome to KY to the old home place there. There is a road that is a mile long that leads out of the holler, but it ends at a highway. No way to walk or bike there. You'd be road-kill lickety split.
April Have you ever grown the cut-short greasy beans? you asked. I haven't even heard of them. Pole beans, bush beans, etc. Our suburban lot is too small to grow beans on. We have area that I alternate tomatoes and peppers in that "square" one year, and then some other thing. Because the area is near our best shady sitting spot, we have day lilies, peonies, and other perennials in most of the area. We put veggies closer to street (but still in the back yard but can be seen from the street.) We have flowers out front at mail box garden that those who are walking can enjoy. Area is primarily garden that requires little care or watering. (I hate to bend over near street to weed, etc. 9 ax handles across it feels like.)
Bike path sounds wonderful. We have none near by, but once we tried one out when we were traveling. We used to bike the dirt roads beside good fishing streams, even when in very hilly areas and loved it.
These days I have little balance when walking, can't imagine trying to keep a 2 wheeler going straight. Still have very good bike in garage that DD can use with my helmet that should fit her.
