I'll take the plunge and start the Feb. chat! and a big shout out to EVERYONE, especially the chicks we haven't seen in a while. I know myself that I have lagged many times posting here. I HOPE that everyone is OK

we've lately heard from Hope4me, Aunty Jam, Ravengirl, and momof4 lately..but what about ems, Marie, buddly, chubbykins, bonnie, summershine??

Good job on the Feb chat Vermont... you're on top of things today.

I don't have to much to add right now, just working out some stuff in my head with regards to my Dad... he's in poor health and we're not sure how much longer he'll be with us. I don't really want to go into it right now. I'm trying not to be depressed about things I can't change... upset is ok, but depressed is not. Heck right now I don't even want to be upset... I got up and ran on the treadmill this morning and so I should be in a great mood but I'm just not, I'm only just staying even. Anyway.... thats about enough of that right now....

Hi Booty Good to have you back.

Aunty Jam, sorry to hear your dad isn't doing well. I can understand not wanting to dwell on it. Good for you for working out. In this situation the exercise may only keep you evened out and not totally down in the dumps but I think that that is still valuable. I hope you can keep it up.

Vermont, thanks for starting the thread. You're right, there are quite a few regulars that have been missing for a long time.

Buddly, are you lurking? How are you doing? Are things at home ok?

I'm plodding along, doing ok. I'm not miserable, the extreme depression has subsided but I still can't think of a much that excites me. I need to work on some happiness. How does one do that?

Hey all...

So I've decided to leave my PhD program. But I guess that was the easy part, lol... now I have to find a job of course. And that's enough to make ANYONE depressed.

I have a great position right now but it's only for the next 2 months or so. And of course I won't leave until I am sure that I want to and that a better opportunity is open somewhere else. I applied to one job yesterday... but if I remember anything about getting a job from my first search... it was a colossal pain lol

I'll let you guys know if anything changes... but for now, actually, my mood is great. For the first time in months, I don't feel hopelessly trapped in my doctoral program... like there is light at the end of the tunnel for me.

booty..sometimes, we get relief from just making a decision, and the rest just flows into place..I hope your mood continues to be great

Aunty Jam, sooo sorry to hear about your dad's health. We won't go into it either, just that we are here for you

hope4me, I wish I could send you some of my 'stable, good' feelings!! Cultivating happiness..could it be something you have to force on yourself, like 'fake it til you make it'. Remembering and going over certain memories of good times? Accomplishing one certain thing that you see every day? that brings me to the clutter issue..every day now i see the bookshelves that I attacked, and they look so orderly. It makes me feel this wonderful serenity ...serenity now! (Seinfeld reference)

good morning to everyone else, I just had my 'weekend' and now today is my Monday...back to the grind. Well today marks one full week on South Beach diet, not a speck of flour, sugar, bad carb. Unbelievable for me! I feel good

Good morning Vermont! I see you're on South Beach. It's a great diet, I've been on SB since 2008 and it has worked wonders. I am starting to do a combo of SB and Calorie Counting though - I need to change some things up a bit.

Happy Friday all!

Good Morning Chickies!

Aunty-I am really sorry about your Dad...my Dad has some pretty serious health issues right now as well and even though I don't believe it is life threatening right at the moment...it is threatening in another way...it is his memory and cognitive function that means we lose more and more of the man that we have always known. It is hard sometimes.

I am doing okay...mostly...I have these odd moments where I find something that my friend gave me a long time ago and I will just burst into tears...or all of a sudden I will be struck that she is gone and it will be the same thing.

The vitamin d is however doing it's magic still. I haven't felt better physically or mentally in years. The fatigue is gone...my hair isn't falling out by the handfuls anymore and this last TOM has been the easiest one that I can remember. I actually WORKED OUT!!! Aside from still having the Pac Man phase (what I call the before TOM binges) and being a little fatigued and irritable on Monday things have been exceedingly smooth!!! I have went to yoga four days...Body Pump twice...and the gym 3 days (I am going today as well)

I have the week off from school I finished Social Psychology with a 97%! I start Abnormal Psychology next week. I am looking forward to it...

Holly! Yay! So glad you are feeling awesome and doing well!!! Good to have you back from your ride! I bet that was fun...

Welcome Booty and Mustang! Things are usually a little more active around here...sorry about that...

Hope! Glad you are still working out...I think they were right...you are probably just being held even by the workouts right now and that is totally okay...in fact it is better than okay it is great!!!

My balance is good right now but I am seriously vulnerable if I don't maintain. I have discovered that I need yoga (2 different types...flow for stretching my muscles and Kundalini for my spiritual energy) my strength training (Body Pump classes w/Kimberly who is a one woman motivator!!!) and the cardio that gives me a serious endorphin bump...but then I need meditation to balance all that energy... Exhausting! But perfect...

I hope you all have a wonderful day and that you all think about this quote I found on the back of my magazine... "Every muscle is an invitation and we must all RSVP!!!"

~Raven~

Greeneyedmustang - Hi! Yes I am feeling good, and I am so glad I have week one under my belt, it shows that YES I can say 'no' to sugar and crap!

Hey Raven! I never thanked you for your wonderful insight, when I was fuming about something my DH said...you nailed it with pointing out that different expectations can mess couples up, and I was only responsible for making myself happy with my cleanup projects...you are a wise girlie!! and your posts are always wonderful to read.

Hi all. I'm jumping back into the mix. I've only posted in these chat threads sporadically.

Things are progressing with me. But I still have these bouts of depression or anger that just goes to the extreme. I'm going to therapy to try and figure out some coping skills. But my psychiatrist is also playing with my meds. I'm not looking for the magic pill. I just want to feel even. I don't know what it's like to not have these extreme mood swings. But I'm worried about being on so much medication. And nothing seems to work. Sometimes I wonder if it's helping yet I'm so used to feeling depressed that I don't notice it. Or maybe I'm just meant to be a depressed person. My doctor also put me on adderall to help with my lethargy and unmotivation. But I'm up to 20 mg and I feel nothing different. I don't want to get addicted to a drug, but I was really hoping that it would give me the boost that I needed. I'll take anything at this point. But nothing ever helps. Well I take that back. Lamictal does help with my bipolar issues, but nothing seems to be able to crack through the depression.

But I'm pushing on. I'm trying to eat well (carb counting). And I'm still exercising 3 times a week which is excruciating given how tired I always feel. So that's something to be proud of. Hopefully I'll figure out the rest soon.


Ravengirl, so what do you recommend vitamin D for? I'm always looking for natural supplements that will help and it sounds like that's really helping you.

Hey Aliasihaya! Hang in there! I understand how you feel. And definitely keep exercising, it helps me with my depression. How's carb counting going?

Raven - I'm trying to change things up in the exercise department, how are body pump classes? What kind of exercises do you do?

Thanks! I appreciate the support. Carb counting is going ok. I find that when I'm prepared for the week with meals then I do ok. When I'm not prepared then I fall apart. The good thing is that I don't keep bad foods around the house. The bad thing is that sometimes when I don't find anything that I want to eat I just don't eat. So I'm still working on that balance.

But met with my trainer today. Wow did she kick my butt. My body is sore. But she says she thinks I need to go down a pant size! So that was good news.

good morning chicks

aliasihaya, it IS good to be prepared with our food for the week, isn't it! so far I can only manage day by day, but for me even that's good. That is so kewl that you have a trainer who can make you sore

It is great that I noticed the sky was holding a little light even at 5:45 pm!

I am still going ahead well with the South Beach diet and it re-confirms that the less I have of bad carbs (white flour, sugars) the better I feel and easier to stick to it. Also still enjoying doing my newest exercise dvd, anni's Life Force.

hope everyone has a good day!

Good Morning Chickies!

AARRGH!!! I am having a foot issue again! I got plantar fasciitis a year or so back and I think the new lunges in Body Pump exascerbated a problem with my right leg. I tore the ligaments in my ankle way back when I was 16 and I think it gives me a lingering legacy...I think when my calf muscles tighten up the pull on my fascia and it gets enflamed. I think I am going to have to rest it for a bit and make sure I stretch it as much as possible until it eases up....ugh...I hate that...

My book still hasn't arrived for my new class (that starts today...) I hope it shows up today... I got a 97% in my last class, Social Psychology...this next one is Abnormal Psychology...fascinating stuff!!!

Hey Holly! You are welcome...I always hope that anything that I say can help. Thanks so much for the compliment...I am just doing so much reading about relationships...social interactions...and Buddhist stuff that I can't really take the credit! :-) I am always trying to apply it to my life.

Aliasihaya (I am just going to call you Ali if that is okay?!) I found out that I had low levels of vitamin d and started supplementing... After finding out I was low I did a search on d and it has A LOT of stuff that it does!!! Low levels are linked to everything from bone problems to cancer... My own personal issued was weight gain (even with working out like crazy) hair loss...(handfuls in the shower) fatigue (I had days where I couldn't get off the couch!) depression...you name it... I haven't felt better mentally or physically (aside from my foot right now) in years... I take 1000iu of d w/k once a day...I may up it if I am still low when I get checked in a few months. There has been evidence of menstual problems with low d as well...frankly I think it is an all around essential vitamin...it is actually a precursor to hormone as well which is why when it is low it can mess up a BUNCH of stuff!!!

Mustang- Body Pump is a an hour long weight training class set to music...you pick your weight (we use weight bars with plates) and there are A LOT of reps...it is pretty brutal depending on what you put into it. It hits every muscle group...biceps, triceps, lunges, squats, deadlifts, chest, everything. It varies the speed of the reps and there is minimal rest...it finishes up with some ab work...planks...crunches...stuff like that...and it changes every few weeks or so, so you never get fully used to it. It is really pumping up my strength...when I started it was really intense...now I can do cardio for 45 mins after and I get tight and stiff but not terribly sore...but I also do yoga so that may be helping me recover as well. If you need motivation for weights I highly recommend it!

I am going to do some stretches and move a little...I hope you are all having a great day!!!

~Raven~

Raven - I neglected to CONGRATULATE you on that stellar high score on your test! and yeah, your posts are always so full of energy though now I'm so sorry about your foot issue!! must be painful and how aggravating and frustrating for it to curb your workouts. oh and Body Pump sounds kewl! is it a class or is it a dvd?

HI to everyone I"m still waiting for my happy bubble to bust but it hasn't happened yet

Hey Holly! Well, my foot is getting better...I don't think it is going to be toooo much of a problem. I need to modify for awhile and keep the stretches coming. My massage therapist has sent me several free offers for 20 min massages...I think I will try to make one for tomorrow. I need to loosen my calf muscles. I am going to yoga this morning and I am going to Body Pump but I will have to skip some of the reps and exercises and just do things that won't p*ss off my foot. It looks like I will be hitting the exercise bike or the rowing machine for a few days for my cardio.

Body Pump is a class at my gym. My instructor Kimberly is a mini Jillian Michaels...:-) I love her!!!!

I am full of energy lately! And I got to visit with a friend of mine that I haven't seen in years! It was so great to see her...she is so much fun...and the things that come out of her mouth just tickle me!!!

Everyone have an awesome day!!! Move, breathe, and smile....!!!!

~Raven~