Hi Everyone!

Sorry to drop off the map...I don't get on the internet much at home, and I've been really busy when I'm at work.

Mother's Day was hard. I've mentioned before how my mom never contacts me unless she wants something? Well, she posted on FB (which we are friends on, so she knows I saw it) that Mother's Day is so hard and lonely for her. Well, maybe she should make some effort to maintain a relationship with her kids. As she lives 12 hours away, when she comes to pick up the kids for summer or xmas vacation she always stays with me, and I'm expecting a call any day now about when she is coming for summer...a mean part of me wants to go out of town the days she will be here so she is forced to make other arrangements and can't just keep taking me for granted. The way over communicator part of me wants to write her a huge letter explaining how much it hurts that she treats me this way. And the lazy part wants to just pretend nothing is happening. Unfortunately lazy usually wins.

On a good note, I did get to visit my (maternal) grandmother, and she adores me and thinks I'm the most wonderful person in the word next to my dad. :)

Thanks everyone for all the thoughts and prayers. Sorry I've been a bit absent the past few days. I've been busy with work and working out and then Mother's Day snuck up on me.. :/ I cleaned house like mad on Saturday to stay busy and then didn't do much on Sunday.

My husbands surgery went well and he is recovering well. He's not swollen anymore, but is still eating softish foods.

Mother's Day was pretty difficult. I had a really bad headache and didn't much want to talk. When I returned to work on Monday someone asked me how my Mother's Day was... :/ I just felt it was so insensitive.. So that was rough. But we're moving right along.

I have a phone interview for a job really similar to mine only I wouldn't have to deal with shelter residents. Instead I would be working the phone only, which I believe could be a good thing for me. Still involved in human services which will help me once I get my degree but also somewhat distanced from children.

I apologize for not addressing everyone individually. I'll try my best to stay up to date with everyone and make a daily post. Back to work for now!

Thanks for understanding. I know I shouldd be grateful. I complain a lot. I just feel trapped. Friday feels so long off. I'm not sure how to deal with all this. I don't have the coping skills.

Hey lilturtle, I'm sorry the trip hasn't gone well. You're not complaining. We are all here to listen to each others difficulties. It's a safe place to let go of what is bothering us. We can't keep this stuff to ourselves, it just makes things harder.

Have you talked to your mom about how you feel, do you think that's an option?

Well, yesterday turned out to be another day lost to depression pain. I went from melancholy to acutely miserable not long after I posted. Bob helped me by encouraging me to go upstairs and get in bed, so he could spoon around me and hold me. It was hard to move when I was hurting so bad, but Bob's idea was a good one: I actually fell asleep with his arm around me, and slept through the whole evening and night.

And I've got some good news: I analysed the progression of my mood decline over the week and into the weekend, and I realized that it might be due to my having cut in half the daily dose of one of my medications. I did it because my shrink wants me off that particular drug, and I did it gradually over the course of a month. But all the same, maybe now, with all the BERP pressure, is not a good time to be doing that. So starting with yesterday's dose, I went back up to what I was taking before. And guess what?! I feel much better today, like my normal chipper self again—even in the middle of the afternoon, which is always my worst time of day. I'm so relieved, I just can't tell you!

I see my shrink tomorrow. I'll show him my mood chart so he can see what happened when I cut that medication by 50%. Maybe after the BERP is over and the kittens have arrived & settled in, I could try weaning myself off that med... but much more slowly next time!

Thanks, y'all, for the kind words and the support. It means a lot to me to know that such terrific people are listening. I don't have the energy to make personal comments today, but worththeeffort2, I want you to know that I am listening to you and thinking about you, every day.

Hi there,

I hope that everyone is having a good day. The temperature here feels nice and cool, probably in the 70s, a refreshing change from yesterday being so muggy.

I'm going to take my guinea pig to the vet tomorrow, I think he has an eye infection :( I'll be changing vets once I move.

Volunteering went well today, I have 196 hours! Next week will be 200 hours, wow! I am excited to be receiving another 100 hour pin. :) I will truly miss all of my co-workers, they are so upbeat and positive. I volunteer at an absolutely wonderful hospital, I will miss it a lot but I think I may volunteer at an another hospital after my ankle surgery.

I'm seriously considering Lap-Band, I posted about it in my thread on the WLS forum. I think it could help me tremendously.

Have a great night!

Amy and Snick :)

Fi- what is BERP? How are you? Take care!

Hi to everyone else!

Lilturtle: I am very sorry to learn that your vacation has not turned out to be a happy one. :( At least you have your answer about whether or not to move. You can put that concern out of your mind. In the meantime, do what you can to get some exercise and sunshine as it might help your mood. :cool: You can also do what I do when I'm swimming laps all by myself. I talk to the ladies here in my head. :)

MonteCristo: Sorry that you had a difficult Mother's Day. At least you had a nice visit with your grandmother.

Fleur: I'm glad to hear that your husband's surgery went smoothly and that he's healing. Good luck with the phone interview. Keeping my fingers crossed that it goes really well for you. :crossed:

Seabiscuit: I think it's wonderful that you've earned that much time volunteering. I'm sure they value your contribution very much.

Our local hospital has quite a significant bariatric surgery program. I sat in on a number of sessions to learn about the procedure and listen to patients who had the procedure done. The loudest message I took away was that if you don't have control over your mental and emotional relationship to food, the tool of bariatric surgery won't work in the long run. That's why I decided to give the medically supervised dietary program a shot first. It is giving me time to deal with my dysfunctional relationship with food. If I'm unable to maintain my weight loss following this program, I'll probably reconsider having surgery for a sleeve gastrectomy.

Fiona: I'm glad you figured out the cause of the decline in your mood. Cutting medication by 50% for the first taper does seem pretty aggressive. I hope your doctor is willing to work with you to go slower next time.

I've been giving your request for a name a lot of consideration. I spent a lot of time coming up with my screen name and like it because it took me a long time to come to the conclusion that I am, indeed, worth the effort to take care of myself and my health. In keeping with that theme, I've decided on the name Amanda, if it would please you to have a first name for me. I settled on Amanda because it means "worthy of love." I am still working on learning that I am worthy of loving myself and worthy of receiving love from others. But I'll answer to Worthy, too. :D

Having the sun come out for the last couple of days has helped my mood a little. I was even able to get outside for a walk at lunch time today. Tonight, I'm prepping for a colonoscopy tomorrow. As some of you may already know, it isn't much fun. I probably won't get much sleep tonight but I'm hoping that I can sleep most of tomorrow, once the procedure is over.

Oh, and I'm totally weighing myself when I get out of bed in the morning to seek how much I've lost through the, um, elimination process. ;)

Blessings be on everyone.

good evening ladies!

Worthy - :D I like that! very glad the sun :sunny: came out for you to enjoy for a walk. I've not had the procedure you've got to do..but heard the required fluids are ugh. best wishes for that!! and enjoy the lower number on the scale tomorrow morning.

Amy/Seabiscuit - glad it cooled off for you. We're waiting for it to warm up, lol. I'm sorry to hear about Snick's eye infection, best wishes for that. I read about your queries on the lap band on the other thread, big decision. I don't know what to say except I hope you find an answer that is good for you. and congrats on SO many volunteering hours! :carrot:

Fi - really sorry that you had to suffer a day of depression pain..ugh. Very nice your guy could physically comfort you to fall asleep. Yes, weaning off the med sounds more do-able than a strict 50 percent cut.

lilturtle - - really sorry things are the way they are with your mother :( hand in there!

Fleur - I was thinking of you on Sunday! :hug: Was it last weekend you went to a retreat? Hey that co-worker was an insensitve lunk for asking about your Mother's Day. I hope the phone interview progresses to an actual one :)

Monte Cristo - I smiled so much at your comment of your grandmother who adores you! :) as she should! :D that is how grandmothers should be!! real sorry about your mom's actions, she is being so disrespectful to you and that is so not right. On a total unrelated topic, are your garden plants 'taking hold' well?

Hi to Ohio - are you okay??
Hi to Kathleen!
Hi to Chelsea :)
Hi to projectjudi :hug:
and 1life2liv, and Hope!

I will be staying at my work overnight for the next 3 nights, through Saturday. I'll be working in the kitchen during the days, and working in the Dining Room at night, at it is 23 miles away, so it just makes sense. And it makes money for me :D Oh! this is what I made today...100 servings of Lemon Bavarian Cheesecake (layer of lemon cake; layer of bavarian cream; thin layer of tangy lemon curd on top) 60 servings of peanut butter oatmeal cookies with a peanut butter filling; 65 onion rolls for sandwiches tomorrow. Hope that doesn't drive anyone crazy :dizzy:

Oh and Internet is very spotty there (it's deep in the woods) so I might be out of touch during that time.

Hi Holly,

It's great to hear from you! I appreciate your good wishes for Snickers, we're heading to the vet early tomorrow morning. I think he is feeling a bit more lively but his eye looks a bit watery and a bit larger than the other one, poor little guy. Yes, I agree that Lap-Band is a huge decision but I think it could work for me because I have heard a lot of success about it and I think that it may be something to help me out. I have tried so many diets, I get frustrated and I gain the weight back. I was doing MFP the other day but I get bored and frustrated. Anyways, thanks for the decision. Your pastries sound yummy, good for you! I love watching The Food Network, it inspires me to cook more. Have a great night!

Hi there to Ohio, Fi, Believe, Worth the effort, Monte Cristo and Fleur De Lis!


Take care and have a great night...

Amy

Tired!
 

Just checking in quickly before I go to bed. Not enough energy to address everyone personally. Sorry! :( Finally walked on treadmill today for 30 minutes. Food pretty good, but always room for improvement, it seems. Reading along, but just very tired tonight. :yawn: Thinking of all of you, especially those who are really struggling. Will say a prayer for our group and each of you tonight! :hug: Hang in there, everyone! :grouphug:

Well I'm feelin' mighty fine tonight, because I made a new collage. Be sure to keep the title ("exodus") in mind when you look at it. Bob's too depressed to give me any positive feedback, but I'm pleased with it. =big smile=

Hi Kathleen and yay for 30 minutes on the treadmill! :cheer2:

Fi, another kewl collage! :cool:

this is probably my last check in for 4 days, so remember, I am OK even though you are not hearing from me ...:hug: to all

They seem to be doing well. It hasn't stopped raining since I planted them, so I didn't even have to go through the bother of watering them. I just hope they don't drown! :)

Nice collage Fi!

I'm getting my hair colored today. Tomorrow we leave for home. We are driving. I can't wait to get home. The diet has gone good. I'm anxious to check the scale.

worththeeffort- Yep, he's doing really well. Says he's still a little sore. I'm hoping he feels a lot better by Saturday as we are going to Kings Island with my brother and his fiance. I'd hate for him to not want to ride anything because his teeth hurt. :/ Interview will be in less than an hour.. Nervous!

Vermont- Yes, I went on a single day retreat on Friday. It was great! Very peaceful and uplifting. Yeah, unfortunately, the same co-worker has continued to try to discuss what has happened, asking me how hard it is to be back to work, what's the worst part about being back, etc. Today I just flat out told her to please stop bringing stuff like that up. I don't want to talk about how I'm feeling with her, because I don't know her well and honestly she irritates me. (I thought it was just pregnancy hormones before, but now I realize, she is just truly irritating!) She said she was just trying to be sensitive. I didn't feel like she was, it felt more like she was being nosy.. :/ Interview will be here soon. I'm nervous. Pretty sure this is basically a way to weed out crazy people because they described it as simply getting to know you a little better. If I don't get past this phase, I guess I'm crazy!!!

Other than my insensitive co-worker issue, today was a good day. It was rainy which was disappointing and a little chilly. I went to the gym and did my weight lifting routine. I wanted to mow the lawn because it sprouted up really fast after the rain yesterday, but the lawn isn't dry and as I said it was chilly.

Tomorrow I won't make it to the gym because I have to take our cat and dog to my parents house about an hour away. We are going to visit my brother and his fiance, but my brother is allergic to cats and so we can't bring her with us. My parents offered to watch both of them which is nice. We will leave for my brother's house friday night after work. They live in Southern Indiana which is why I have to take the pets to my parents tomorrow night (they live in to the North of Indy). My husband and I are dead center in Indy.

Howdy folks! I'm checkin' in briefly before my evening session of clipping magazines...I had a good day, it's just that my primo morning time was consumed by going way across town to see my shrink. He's cool with my waiting to withdraw from that one medication until later in the year...he's always cool with what I want to do.

Now if we could just get our Blue Cross Blue Shield coverage sorted out so I don't have to pay full price for my meds—but that's a long story. Suffice it to say that the federal bureaucracy is unbelievable Kafkaesque. "You can't get there from here," was the constant refrain I heard after half a day of fruitless phone calls. =sigh= Oh well, it's just money...money never gets me down.

I hope y'all are havin' a good evening...oh! I almost forgot: I have an NSV (non-scale victory) to report. Last night I got up from a sound sleep to go to the bathroom, and somehow managed to trip on the bedclothes and fell to my knees on the soft rug. I blinked for a second—didn't hurt myself, of course—then I tipped forward a little, lifted one foot and planted it on the rug. Then I just used that thigh muscle, and was standing up again. What a piece of cake! I went through a long period where falling down like that was a major event, because I was so heavy, it was really hard to get back up without assistance. I think a few of y'all know what I'm talkin' about! But now, between my leg exercises and weighing around 70 pounds less, getting up off the floor is just not an issue. Yay!! I'm so pleased with that. :)

What an awesome accomplishment Fiona!!! I get where you're coming from in regards to having trouble getting up. I got that way when I was pregnant and am still having issues moving around my larger self.

Sorry about the health insurance, that really is crazy it doesn't cover medicines.. :/ Is that an employer run health plan or something covered through the new government law?

Monday, 5/19/14 will be a big day for me. It will be my first day back at work after being on leave for over a year due to borderline personality disorder and PTSD.

I feel like a different person now, and feel confident that I'm getting my weight under control, but I am still nervous that the stress of my job will cause me to feel depressed again. Then again, I worry about everything, so maybe work will be great.

If anything, I am excited to start making money again, and work will keep me busy and make the months fly by a little more quickly. At the end of August I am traveling to the UK. I've never been out of the US before. I am traveling around Europe with a friend. But most importantly, I will be meeting a man at Heathrow airport that I've sort of been falling for the last few weeks. We are both incredibly anxious for that day to get here.

This will be an eventful summer. I'm going to work hard in therapy, and work hard with my exercise and Optifast weight loss. :) When I get off that plane in August, I am going to look so good!

Hello!
 

floralshorts: :welcome: to the Ups & Downs Support Group! Best of luck to you as you return to work on Monday! I will be thinking of you and hoping things go well. What type of work do you do? That is great that you are feeling good and confident about your weight loss. Your trip to the UK sounds exciting! Don't wish the summer away, though! ;) I LOVE the summer months!!! Glad you found the group and posted. :)

Fi: Interesting and neat collage! I am so happy to hear that you are doing better after some rough days. Glad you realized that your wean from the med was causing problems and you've delayed it until after the BERP! It is so nice when doctors accept our input on things. I hope you will get your insurance sorted out soon, so that you don't have to keep paying full price for your meds. That gets SO expensive! HOORAY for your wonderful NSV (non-scale victory)!!! I can relate to daily life tasks being more difficult at a heavier weight, so I understand how getting up easily off the floor after a fall would be a major accomplishment! Great to hear that your weight loss is making life easier for you these days! Keep up the good work! :D

Sabrina: How rude and insensitive of your co-worker to pry into your sensitive business and not let it drop! So sorry you had to go through that. :( As if going back to work and Mother's Day weren't already difficult enough for you..... I am glad that you were honest with her and asked her to stop. On a brighter note, it is good to hear that the retreat was peaceful and uplifting. Also happy that your husband's wisdom teeth surgery is over with and he is doing well. Hope you have a great time at King's Island on Saturday! Nice that you can drop your pets off at your parents' house. Hope your interview went well! Please give us an update on that when you get a chance. Thank you for continuing to post. You are such a great addition to our group! :)

Trish: I am so happy for you that you will be home ~ safe and sound ~ soon! Drive safely! I bet your hair looks fabulous! :D Again, I am so sorry that things went sour between you and your mom. :( Glad you didn't move down there and THEN find this out, though! Hope you get a good # on that scale when you get home!!!

MonteCristo: Glad to hear from you and that your garden plants are doing well. I planted flowers the other day and it has rained here the past several days since then, so I have not had to water either. Kinda nice! Hope all else is well with you!

Holly: Thanks for letting us know that you will be gone for a few days, so that we don't worry about you. I know you like this job, but I hope they aren't overworking you! I will be thinking of you the next several days and hoping things are going well at your "new"/summer job! BTW, your post about the yummy things you made at work did have my mouth watering, but go right ahead! I can handle it! ;)

Amy: Hope you are making progress with your packing and preparation for the move! How is Snickers? Good luck deciding whether or not to have Lap-Band surgery. Tough decision! A friend of mine recently had a gastric sleeve done and lost about 75+ pounds and got off pre-diabetic meds and other meds due to weight. She looks great! Then, after that, she had a tummy tuck and breast lift (along with a hernia repair), but she is still in pain from the last surgery, so not sure if she is glad she did that one or not. It's been great hearing from you regularly!

Worthy: I hope your colonoscopy went well today! So, what did the "elimination process" do for you on the scale??? :lol:

ohiofreespirit: Are you okay??? I assume you are busy with your two classes at school. Please post a quick reply if you see this. No need to address everyone personally. Just want to make sure you are okay!

Hello to everyone else! :wave: If you are just reading along, please consider posting and contributing to ~ and benefitting from ~ the group! :)

Thanks for the warm welcome. :) I work in a banking call center, which sounds easy (the work technically is pretty easy), but the emotional toll of irate customers and management really tore me down. I have heard my department has changed a lot though, so I am optimistic and consider this a fresh start.

No worries about wishing the summer away - I'm definitely not, and totally looking forward to pool days. :D I am just eager for the time to pass so that I can meet my potential boyfriend in the UK. :) We met online and have gotten quite close, so when I fly over there it will be our first time face to face. The both of us are very anxious for August!

Thyroid still low.....
 

My doctor is increasing the dose of my thyroid med, because my bloodwork showed that levels were still low. That should help with weight loss. Thank God they discovered this issue!

Anne3: :welcome2: Thank you for sharing your tips about weight loss with us.

floralshorts: Yikes on irate customers and management! That would tear anyone down. Hope your experience is much better this time around! :)

I just spent all day in a car traveling from FL to NC (on my way back to PA). It rained almost the whole way. I ate way too much too. I can't wait to get home.

Greetings, all. I can barely keep my eyes open. I went for a 2-mile walk/jog interval workout on a long hill across the road from our house. It was a kicking workout. I should continue to burn calories for a few more hours now that my muscles have been worked so hard.

The worst part of the colonoscopy procedure was the nurse's failed effort to start an IV in an elusive vein. I don't have good veins, anyway and she didn't want to use the one that I pointed out to her as being successful when I have blood draws. A second nurse went for the obvious vein and did a good job 'sinking the tap.' ;) I slept through the procedure. The best part of the procedure, I lost 4 pounds and have gained back only 1 pound of that so far. I know that I'm badly dehydrated, so will be focusing on drinking lots of water through the weekend. The water weight will come back. :)

Rockin' in the Free World
 

Oddly enough, I have a vacation day today, the sun is shining, and I am starting to feel better. Coincidence?

I'm finally home. Such a long trip. I'm going to step on the scale this evening to see how I did. I ate poorly the last two days on the road. Mostly fast food which I never eat at home.

Lilturtle: Welcome home. You may want to wait until tomorrow morning, just after you get up, to step on the scale. The doctor advised me that it's the best time of day to weigh in. After you've used the bathroom, in the buff, and before you've had anything to eat or drink. When ever you decide to weigh in, I hope you get results that please you.

I managed to get 60 minutes of cardio in and a little strength training, too. I'll be doing my usual Saturday weigh in tomorrow morning.

Glad you were able to sleep through that procedure worththeeffort, that wouldn't have been pleasant otherwise.. :/

Things have been going well for me the last few days. I've been pretty busy. I started another online class last week towards my bachelor's degree. I've loved most of my classes so far, but this is a Government class and I find it absolutely boring and irritating... :/ Oh well, 4 more weeks and then on to an economics class.. I'm sure that will be just as boring and irritating..

So about the interview.. It went great up until I was informed that the job would sometimes entail making referrals for women who are seeking abortions. This is definitely NOT something I could do and live with myself. So the ship on that job has sailed. I had also applied a few weeks ago to a job in my Roman Catholic Archdiocese and I was excited to hear news in regards to it. Unfortunately, the news I heard was that they have decided not to fill the possible right away. :/ Not sure when they will, but I've been informed I will be contacted at that time.

Well, I'm off to Southern INdiana for the weekend. See everyone on Monday!

Hi there,

I am going to see my friend tomorrow after seeing my family doctor. I'm making progress on packing, yay! I have my clothes out of storage, I'm trying to go through them.

I've got a few things to do over the weekend but it should be quiet on Sunday. I'm going to hopefully take my last few swim lessons soon, then I'll move in less than 1 month, yikes!

Have a good weekend!

Amy :)

If you happened to wonder why I didn't post yesterday, it's because I got an idea for a collage right around 6:30 in the morning, and proceeded to spend sixteen hours straight on it, with no breaks to speak of. Then I crashed, slept, and woke up to spend six more hours this morning, completing it. 22 hours for one collage!

This artwork is all about how I feel trapped by the huge amount of labor that remains to be done on the BERP. Here it is: the title is "as free as a bird."

At the Lake
 

Hi Everyone! Worked out with trainer Thursday morning and walked with my pups 35 minutes Friday. Soon to walk the pups up here at the lake and ride bikes with my hubby! So exercise is great! Food so-so. Gotta get that right and all will be well.

Trish: Home Sweet Home!!! :D So happy for you that you are home ~ safely and soundly! Hope you are happy with your weigh-in!

Worthy: I am so happy that your mood has improved! It is amazing what a day off and sunshine can do for the soul. You are doing so incredibly well with exercise. Hope it is paying off on the scale!

Sabrina: Can't blame you for being turned off by the "requirements" of that job. I couldn't do that either! Best of luck to you with finding something new! The right thing will come along...... in God's perfect timing! :)

Amy: Glad to hear that the packing is going well. Thanks for taking the time to check in!

Fi: You are one BUSY collage maker!!! Sorry you are feeling trapped by all of the work involved with the BERP. I bet the collage-making process is very therapeutic for you, though.

Holly: How are you? Please write when you get home and let us know what you've been baking! :T

Waving HELLO to everyone else! :wave: Hope all is well!

Well, I got new kitten pictures today. =big smile= But instead of loading all the still photos onto my domain and all that fuss, I'll just give y'all the link to the new video of the oriental shorthair named Cherry Bomb and her four kittens, now four weeks old. To those of you who may not have been following this story, two of these kittens will arrive in my husband's and my home in about nine weeks. Enjoy!

Adorable kittens, Fiona. Mom seems very attentive, making the rounds and confirming that everyone is clean and in good order.

I have a 2-hour drive down state today to do a 15-minute presentation about some of my research. While attending a meeting yesterday, someone asked me if I would do a longer presentation to their genealogy group but I don't know if that will work because they only meet at 1 p.m. on Wednesdays when I'm working. I told her I could do a Saturday or Sunday but not a week day. I expect that will be the end of it.

<edit> Oh, yes...I'm only 21 pounds away from Onederland. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that by August, I'll be below 200 pounds for the first time since 1993.

Another crazy day in BERP-land for me! My niece Margaret and her son Gavin are coming over for our regular Sunday get-together tonight. She's volunteered to help me box up the rest of my horror fiction collection for moving it down into the basement: the bulk of it is already down there, because what used to be my writing office, with my horror near at hand for all the writing related to horror literature that used to be my job, is turning into my collage studio. I need nearly every inch of bookshelf space in there for my "cutter" books and my boxes of clippings! Plus, I plan to move my quite voluminous postcard collection into that room, because the main reason I've been acquiring those postcards, mostly in the form of booklets & boxes, is for use in collage. Eventually I want to get everything I need for collage into that one room, or at least as much of it as is humanly possible, instead of having it scattered all over the house.

The good news, in addition to the blessing of having Margaret available to help me some with book storage chores, is that Bob already installed cat flaps in both the doors of our bedroom and of my office-now-studio. That's so those doors can be closed for privacy without shutting the cats out from anywhere. I taught our last pair of cats how to use the cat flaps (they're not born with that knowledge =laugh=), and now I anticipate teaching the next pair. But not until they've emerged from Phase One of their accommodation to our house: when we first bring the kittens home, they'll be kept just in our bedroom and its bathroom. For a couple of weeks, more or less, Bob and I will be living almost entirely in that space, in order to be in close contact at all times with our new babies. =smile=

What? Weight loss? Is that what this forum is about? I'll be lucky if I remember my regular weigh-in day, the 22nd of the month! =grin=

Hi there...

How is everyone? It is a bad day for seasonal allergies!

I saw my family doc yesterday, I'll continue to see him after I move. I have a lot of faith in him and we have a good rapport. I probably have to get a medical clearance for ankle surgery from him. Interestingly enough, he thinks that I should try another diet such as WW or calorie counting before doing Lap-band. I'm actually glad to hear that.

I've got to get to tidying up my place and packing, have a good afternoon. I'll try to stop in later or tomorrow.

Hi to Holly, Fi, Believe, Ohio and hugs to everyone else!

:)

Worthy— That's terrific you're just 21 pounds away from Onederland: by the time we're weanin' our new fur-babies off wet cat food onto organic kibble, you'll be there! As you can tell, I'm very oriented these days toward not just any ol' future, but specifically the future month of August 2014. =grin= It sounds like your cardio and your renewed commitment are really paying off. As for your name, I appreciate it that you gave it a lot of thought, and I've always loved the name Amanda, but Worthy really has a ring to it... it's you: you're worthy! =big smile=

Amy— It's none of my business, of course, but even at my highest weight of 351, I was opposed on principle to bariatric surgery. I just think since we all have to sort out our issues regarding food and exercise anyway, why not take the time to make those permanent lifestyle changes at the pace of normal human change...slooooowly. And what you have to lose now isn't much more than what I've lost so far, and look at my ticker: I'm not even close to halfway there yet. But I'm goin' all the way down this time, you better believe it! If you combine some carbohydrate restriction with the calorie counting, Amy, that will help you along, and be good for your longterm health to boot.

Kathleen— You say you've got the exercise part figured out, but your eating is still so-so. What's the plan? What's your next step? Are you in need of some tough love? What about applying some of the principles from The Willpower Instinct? How are those slow-breathing sessions working out for you? I really find that they're helping me not only to make the right "I won't" choices, as in "I won't eat too many nuts," but also in the "I will" choices related to working hard on the BERP. In other words, they help me maintain my focus on what I want in the long run, and not get distracted by what I may feel like doing or not doing, at any one moment. And that's just one item from the whole bag o' tricks in that book.

Well, Margaret called to say she's got the awful respiratory bug that's goin' around, so we won't be seein' them tonight, after all. Oh well... maybe Bob can help me out some day this week with getting those books boxed up. He just got over that bug himself, and he's been really grumpy in its aftermath. Every time I suggest something he could do to help me with the BERP, he sighs a whole lot, and then if I bring it up again, he snaps at me. =sad face= I'm not sure he's quite ready to be a parent, but our fur-kids are coming, ready or not!

I have a small NSV to report: I now fit into size 3X leggings, and my 4X t-shirts are starting to be comfortably (fashionably even?) loose. As for my beloved collection of black 5X tees with rock stars and hippie slogans on them, I'm still wearin' 'em, but I guess there will come a day when they'll look ridiculously huge. I wish I could trade 'em in for the exact same tees in a smaller size, equally well broken in and all, but I guess I'll have to wait 'n' buy 'em all over again when I get down to size L.... one fine day... =wistful expression=

I'm absolutely exhausted. It has been a long day of driving. The presentation went okay. The other presentations were very interesting, too.

I have Monday off from work and will be taking advantage of it by pulling all my clothes out of the closets to try things on to see what fits, what is too baggy, what needs to stay, and what needs to go. Since I don't have any girl friends to help out, I'm pressing my husband into service to give me feedback on what looks decent and what doesn't.

Now, off to bed. zzzzzzzzz.

Tired!
 

I am tired and ready for bed, but wanted to check in. Walked about 30+ minutes at the lake today. Home now and ready for a HEALTHY week ahead! :broc: I will focus on making good food choices this week, while keeping up with my exercise and walking.

Fi: Those kittens are adorable!!! :) I haven't read any more in The Willpower Instinct, but I definitely need to PRACTICE the breathing technique. Set the book aside for awhile; got bored with it and started another book. I tend to do that. :( Thanks for challenging me to make a plan. I need to do that. I was following the DASH diet plan as a rough guideline to eating healthy. Need to revisit that book and buckle down and get serious with it again! I lost 6 pounds right away on it, which was the first weight I have lost in years, and I have kept that and a few more off! I also began my thyroid med around the same time, so I am sure that helped, too. Now, my dose has been doubled because my thyroid levels were still low. Will recheck bloodwork in 2 months. HOORAY on your NSV!!!!! :D

Worthy: Happy to hear that your presentation went okay and you are home safely and soundly. Hope you get a good night's sleep! Best of luck to you as you go through your clothes! That can be a tedious process, but enjoy the smaller YOU as you work! :D Oh, ONEderland!!! I long for the day again, too!!! It has been way too long! :( I am about 15 pounds away, I think. Need to weigh in this week to be sure.

Amy: Glad you like your doc so well that you will still see him after you move. And so happy to hear that he thinks you can lose the weight without lap-band surgery! What route do you think you will go ~ WW, counting calories, or another plan? Good luck with that decision. YOU CAN DO IT!!! :D

Holly: Are you home yet?!? Anxious to hear how you are liking the summer job this year! ;)

ohiofreespirit: Please post a quick (or long) note when you can! I assume you are busy with school, but just want to be sure you are okay!

Chelsea: Are you still reading along? Please post a quick update if you get a chance. We haven't heard from you in a good while. Hope all is well.

Trish: How did your weigh-in go? You must be so happy to be home! :)

Sabrina: Waving hello :wave: and sending a hug! :hug:

MonteCristo: How are things with you??? Miss hearing from you! Hope you're okay!

floralshorts: Please let us know how the big first day back at work goes! I'll be thinking about you! :hug:

Day off from work. It's raining. Good thing I planned on cleaning closets. I no sooner than brought all my blouses downstairs from storage and Mr. Black Cat showed up to supervise the proceedings. Look familiar to anyone? ;)

I was surprised that the process went so quickly but really, it only took me about 90 minutes to go through the two piles in the photo and another two piles of equal size. The best, best, best part was trying on a number of 18/20 size blouses that my husband bought me as Christmas gifts that I hadn't been able to wear. They all fit now. It's like having a whole new wardrobe! I did keep a few 2X tops to wear while working out but everything else--3X and 2X--has been packed into two drawstring trash bags to go to the thrift store.

I've attached some pictures of my day's project that has left me feeling pretty accomplished--both in terms of actually following through on a house cleaning task and having the confirmation of my weight loss. :carrot:

I still haven't weighed myself. I've been kind of discouraged lately thinking even if I lose the weight I am still going to have image issues. Like bad hair, crooked teeth, bad skin, etc. I'm just having kind of a down day.

Sorry you're having a down day, Lilturtle. I hope things are better for you tomorrow. :hug: