July 2017 Ups and Downs Support Thread
 

It's July and here is our new thread :) :welcome: all, we are a supportive group who love to see new people here and get to know you.

I had typed out personal to EVERYONE and then lost it :tantrum: maybe I'll try again once I stop throwing a tantrum :D

Okay I'm over it :D

Hotaru_Moon, it is wonderful that you found a combo of meds that are helping you to feel normal!! that is huge! and such a relief to find out that those meds do contribute to weight gain. I hope you can find a way to combat the hunger while trying to lose weight.

Lisa - was today when you were going to tell Jennifer about your decision to move? I hope she was not critical. Stand firm with your decision to not let it sway you! Oh, is your poor back better?? i hope so! and CONGRATS on finding an exercise workout that you are doing day after day and it is obviously giving you results!

topsy - wow 11,000 steps is ALOT of walking! great exercise! It's rainy here too, hope your feet are warmer now :)

Kathleen - always thinking of you and hoping your son is doing ok :hug:

Coop - oh gosh I hadn't realized the extent of damage that your poor other half has been suffering, is he in pain alot? i hope not. And how can they make you wait 20 weeks?! outrageous :( (and the silly young co-worker 'got over' his snit at me, and has been 'normal' acting. but for how long? :devil: )

rdjrneace - we are sorry to hear you are down about your weight, oh yes we have felt that 'failure' feeling associated with the darn scale. please feel free to visit us and talk more :)

we have had day upon day upon day of RAIN, so discouraging, that I haven't been able to be on my motorcycle for over a week, nor do any yard work, those are 2 things I love about summer! but maybe tomorrow will be an improvement, the forecast seems to say so, but we know how they lie :devil:

I'm still doing amazingly well eating about half of what I was previous to these prescription diet pills...I am still morally torn about taking them, but I can't argue with looser jeans!! :carrot:

Ah! I just read all of June, wrote a lengthy post and lost it!

I will write personals soon - it was good to catch up and find my old friends still here.

My pinched nerve is gone, I have painted two rooms, and now I am busy replacing furniture and decorations.

Take care,

Monica

Hi ladies,

I have found if you copy your post BEFORE attempting to post, it works every time. Trust me on this.


Hi Holly,
Thank you for starting the thread this month. I am sorry you haven't been on your bike lately. I know that brings you peace.

Monica,
It's great to see you post. We've missed you.

I went to my niece's wedding on Sat. She was breathtaking and the wedding was beautiful. I'll post some pics later.

The closing on my mom's house is still on for the 14th. Keep me in your thoughts.

I've informed every one of my move. I'm leaving the last week of Sept. My friend, robin is riding with me. She is soooo excited to see the country.

Thats it for now.


Ta

Sorry they are a little blurry.

not a bit blurry! she is gorgeous..dress is beautiful..and what a colorful pretty wedding bouquet! thank you for the pics Lisa :)

yes positive thoughts towards the closing! and yay for the firm decision on the move, how nice to have a good friend do the drive with you :)

Hi Monica!!!! :carrot: :D so glad the pinched nerve is gone! so good to see you :hug:

have to get ready for work, but have been able to ride to work for 3 days now, YAY!

have a good day friends :cool:

:welcome: to our new group members! So happy you found us! :)

Holly: Thank you for starting the July thread! :) Time is flying! Sorry you weren't able to ride your bike for awhile, but happy to hear that you are back in business the past three days! :scooter: Wow, it sounds like that weight loss pill is awesome! I want some!!! :D

Lisa: Your niece looked beautiful on her wedding day. I love her dress! So happy that you've told everyone about your big move and that your friend will be going out to take you. How did Jennifer take the news? I hope it went well. I am SO super proud of you for exercising three days in a row!!! :carrot: :bravo: That is awesome!!! :D Sorry you hurt your back though. Hope it is better by now.

Monica: I was SO happy to see your post! :) Thanks for checking in... even though you lost your longer post. That's great that your pinched nerve is finally gone! Sounds like you have been busy since you are feeling better.

Coop: Wow, it sure sounds like it's been a rough, long process for your OH. Glad he will be getting things settled soon. Please keep us updated on his progress.

My son is currently at his first DBT group therapy meeting. He was so nervous that he didn't sleep a wink last night. :( I so hope and pray that it is going well. He has joined in with our family a little more over the past week, which is small progress. We continue to take one day at a time. I, along with my little family of four and many in my extended family, are going to Ireland at the end of July. We will be celebrating my Mom's 83rd birthday, my Dad's 88th, & their 63rd wedding anniversary! I have been to Ireland several times and absolutely LOVE the people and the gorgeous countryside!☘ Just wanted to let you all know in case I'm MIA more than usual. I will try to check in before we leave though. Please know that, even when I can't post, I think of this group and all of you often and always wish you the best! :hug: :grouphug:

Hi Kathleen, so good to see you here :) :hug: I hope so much that your son's group meeting went well for him, gosh you have all put so much work and prayer into him getting better!

and WOW Ireland sounds fantastic! :carrot: :carrot: what a great way to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries!

Hello to Lisa, Coop, Monica, JesikaBeth, and the newbies!

We had FOUR nice days in a row finally!! and I got to ride to work, which was so great. And we had our monthly motorcycle meeting Wednesday, and it was way up north right near the Canadian border, and we got to ride to that one too. We gave out $4000 in education gifts to 8 graduating seniors, and I was not one bit nervous as I did my Presidential duties :D

I hope everyone is doing well :hug:

New screen name
 

Hi Everyone!

I recently returned to 3FC under my new name. My old name was Coffeeshopgirl, and while I still (and will always) love coffee, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to journal a bit about that here.

I have been going through a lot of changes lately. Last year, I completed my master's degree and began a new career. I did a lot of soul searching in the last 10 years and that journey doesn't seem to stop. Really, I am adjusting to a consistent routine rather than a college lifestyle. Let me explain what I mean.

In college, I learned what it meant to push myself. I learned the meaning of mental and emotional stress. Pizza was my best friend, as it would keep me company as I stayed up late studying for exams or writing papers. After a night of drinking with friends, there would always be a late night pizza or pasta dish to help me sleep.

After college, it was very difficult to adjust to a 9-5 lifestyle. Lots of anxiety followed by binge eating to calm my nerves. It took years to learn how to relax. How to recognize that I have done enough work for the day. How to find a healthy balance.

Lately I have been looking within myself trying to find a balance. What do I need to be happy? How do I let my stress get in the way of my goals? When is enough good enough?

As analytical as my mind wants to be, I have begun to listen to my body and intuition. I developed my new screen name, ThinkAgain, as a reminder to look forward. Each meal is a new opportunity to binge or not to binge. Don't wallow in the past. Learn from the past, but move forward with new perspective.

Thanks for listening :coffee:

Sorry I've been absent, ladies.

My knee is bothering me. Making certain movements can cause agony. I have an appt tomorrow with my knee Dr. I hope he can help me. The pain is affecting my mood. I've been down.

Welcome to the new posters. We're glad to have you here.

Hello to everyone else.

Hi Everyone :wave:


My goodness, it's been a crazy couple of weeks. I have missed you all dearly :grouphug:

This is probably going to be long, but I have so much to tell you all! LOL!!! :comp:

Work has been insane, to say the least. I am also preparing to take the state licensure examination and am SO freaking nervous I won't pass. I'm not that great of a test taker to begin with, and while I know I'm good at what I do, admittedly so I'm intimidated by this huge exam! Please send good vibes. I take the test on the 27th (which is on the down low in real life because I just don't want the f2f pressure incase I don't pass!) :dizzy:

In other news...

I was just diagnosed with another autoimmune disorder, so that brings me up to having 3 autoimmune disorders, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and mental health. Seriously, feeling frustrated. I've managed to let myself go a bit due to all this stress, and I've gained weight :mad:

BUT... the good that's come from all of this is that I've really done some soul searching and reflecting on my life, how I live it, my health, etc. I am a Cancer survivor also, I had cancer in my gut, went through chemo and radiation for almost 2 years, and have been Cancer free since 12/2014. During my cancer journey, I had a life revelation so to speak, and decided it was time to get serious about my health - I was given a second chance, and having Cancer changed me (for the better.) SO - since 2014 I've lost nearly 100 pounds, most recently quit smoking...

but after this latest diagnosis, I've had another revelation of sorts: I do not treat my body healthily, and I probably contribute to my own illnesses. I also do not treat my mind as healthy as I'd like. :(

I've been reading up on foods that contribute to autoimmune issues, and after much research I've decided to begin an elimination diet in order to figure out what foods I react to/trigger symptoms.

We are going on a cruise the middle of August, and when I return I will be promptly beginning this elimination protocol. It's a 21 day regimen where I'll have a set list of YES foods and NO foods, a detox for the first few days then every 2 days I'll re-introduce a food back into the mix. While this is going to be a challenge, I'm not only up for it, I'm actually looking forward to it and living a healthier lifestyle overall, doing what I can to do that :carrot:

I'm also working on my mental health/stress reduction - now that's gonna be a work in progress... LOL !!!

I'm still smoke free -- 38 days and counting !!!

Lastly, doing ok with my mom's passing. It'll be 6 months on July 20th. I have my moments where I'll have mini meltdowns, some moments I'll just get teary, but actually most of the time I'm ok. Grief is a strange, strange process!

Well I suppose that's about it for now. Thanks for listening and I hope to be back sooner next time!

Have a great day everyone :)

WELCOME!!!

This is a great thread of some fantastic people. I understand about balance, boy do I get it !

Glad you're here :hug:

Hi ladies, I hope you're all getting on OK!

I am very tired at the moment, with one thing after another meaning I'm not getting enough sleep. Sorry I haven't been able to stop by much, I've been reading along for most of the posts.

I think we'll get a rest over the weekend and our diet can FINALLY start next week too, so I hope I'll get a bit more energy again, and I'll be able to do some personals!

Lisa, so sorry your knee was so painful, agony is not a word I want to hear from you my friend :( I hope the doctor was able to help!

ThinkAgain - I remember you, coffeeshopgirl!! :welcome: I mean, welcome back!! hey big congrats on getting your master's degree! :carrot: and on your soul searching. best wishes and visit here often!

JesikaBeth, congrats on being smoke free for 38 days!! but very sorry about the diagnosis :( The elimination diet sounds like a practical idea.

Coop Hi ! sorry to hear you are tired, hope you can catch up with some needed sleep!

Since I last wrote on the 7th, we have had more crummy wet, cold weather! I am actually sitting here with a thick furry blanket!

I am still doing very well on eating about half of what I used to. And really not missing it. I've had 2 people comment, ask if I'm losing weight. :D what a great thing to hear!

My husband has been diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes :( It was inevitable. I have been telling him about the glycemic index diet, can anyone add anything useful also? I've been telling him that I've been dieting since 10 years old, I know this stuff! He has to decrease portions and eat right. I know it's hard!

Dr Michael Mosely is a fairly well known Dr over here - he works for the BBC, if that means anything - he reversed his type 2 diabetes, and has come out with a couple of diets that can help others. The first is the 5:2 - did that ever take off in the US? It's intermittent fasting - you eat whatever you like on 5 days and then fast for 2 (can only eat 600 calories). Not sure of the success rates though. Read more here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/...-diabetes.html

The second, which has a reportedly higher success, is the 8 week blood sugar diet, where you only eat 800 calories a day for 8 weeks (although it's better if you do it for 12 weeks). Diabetes charities in the UK did some studies into this, and found it put 40% in remission, but after a year, only around 15% were still diabetes free - mostly because people who finished the diet went back to their original ways of eating. More info: https://thebloodsugardiet.com/what-i...ugar-diet-bsd/

Low glycemic is essentially the way to go - lots of lean meats and vegetables, and not many quick release carbs. My dad has type 2 diabetes, and finds exercise is key to reducing blood glucose too.

Hello,

I am still having trouble posting here. Very, very frustrating!

Hi ladies,

I hope you all are ok. I'm not in the greatest of moods.

The closing on moms house happened on Friday. I'm just frustrated. The money has not been distributed. I have no food or gas.

My knee is still causing me pain.

Sorry, I'm just not myself.

Holly,

My father had Type 2 diabetes and managed to stay off meds for 20+ years. When he was diagnosed he was on the thin side of normal; he read everything he could and went to the Josslin Clinic in Boston for a week to learn how to deal with it- and, it worked. He walked every day, went to the gym and swam on a regular basis. He was very careful with his feet; he bought a certain type towel and took time to carefully dry between toes, etc. He ate three small meals a day and three snacks; he always had a protein with a carb and never drank fruit juice; he always ate fruit. He would have a lite beer on occasion, maybe three or four times a year.

Like anything else, once you get used to it, it is easy to deal with.

Good luck. I will try to think of other things he did to stay healthy into his 80s and will post again soon.

Monica

Hi ladies,
Its good to see old faces coming back to post.

I just wanted to say hi to everyone. Sorry I have not done personals. Just a lot on my mind, stressful stuff.

My kitten Hazel turns out to be a boy. She shoved her butt in my face today and I saw small balls.

My knee really hurts today.

I hope you all are well. If not vent away.

Hi there. That's great that you're doing so well. Keep up the awesome work :carrot: I am Type 2 Diabetic. The BEST way to manage blood sugars is low carb. My A1c went from an 11.3 to current 5.9. I am on Metformin and Trulicity. Also, the American Diabetes Association has excellent resources and an active forum/message board for both the diabetic and loved ones. I know how overwhelming it can be, so if you ever need anything, let me know :hug:

https://community.diabetes.org/home

JesikaBeth - thank you for the link and that info! very very helpful. My husband said that there is a nutritionist he can make appointments with, at no charge. I want to be able to attend one of those meetings with him, I think that would be helpful. and I suggested we buy a scale to weigh our portions. thank you so much for your input!

EasySpirit - thank you for your input on this also!! wow to your Dad for having the self-control and will to do such a great job managing. I have been telling DH that I have read about the glycemic index on foods..maybe the nutritionist will second that. thanks again for your info!

Lisa - so sorry your knee is still hurting!! :hug: and what a way to find out your kitty is a boy , lol!!

Coop - thank you for those links also!! lots of info for me to look into. thank you my friends!!

and hello to Kathleen ( I have to look and see when she is going to Ireland) and everyone else :)

I worked extra hours for the RB this past weekend as there was a lacrosse tournament in town and they needed help. Made some $$ :carrot: Today was my day off and I saw thunderstorms for this afternoon; so I hustled and geared up and weedwhacked for 2 hours :eek: then mowed for an hour and got it all done :carrot: before the rain came. Then relaxed for a couple hours :D now I can't believe it's almost 6 o'clock and my one day off is almost over :devil:

Thank you JesikaBeth and VermontMom!!

It's nice to be back :)

Life Balance
 

Ok, more thoughts about balance. This has been the underlying theme in my life while I was in school last year. Before that, I don't think balance was very important to me. College seemed to be a hurry-up-and-wait lifestyle.

Hurry up. Wait. Learn a ton of information in 3-4 months. Stress out during finals week. Break. Wait for next semester to begin.

That was my life cycle for a very long time. I never really had a balance. The only consistency was stress. As I have learned, boredom can be a form of stress too. Just think of how awkward silence can be.

No wonder I developed an all-or-none thinking pattern.

I feel like I'm just learning what balance is. Especially life balance, since it is unique to each person based on their goals and quality of life. I wish colleges had a required class on this. Asking the really important questions: What will you need to be happy in life? How are you going to create the life you want to live? Pass/Fail solely based on completion of assignments. No grading scale. There is no right or wrong. Just introspection.

Then there is readiness and state of mind. This is the first thing I look at every time I notice myself binge eating and gaining weight. My state of mind is the first thing I have to put in check. It takes patience, which is hard to have with yourself. Because it's too easy to get depressed and blame yourself for something that you already feel bad about.

So what do I do about my emotional eating cycle? I use my cycle against itself. I notice the boredom as well as the rigidity in my evening schedule (the stress eating comes at night, so that's where I focus). I give myself credit for the healthy eating I do during the day, and I accept my body for the weight it currently is. Do I want to slim down - of course - but this is where I am now. And that's ok. I can honestly say that to myself in the mirror without feeling ashamed of my body. And that takes a lot of honesty as I am 50 pounds overweight. I'm used to being a cheerleader, a gymnast, and turning heads when I walk into a room. It's still ok. I am more than my body.

The balance comes from within. Wanting balance and realizing that my life was out of balance. When you're caught in the storm, it's hard to see anything but the rain. I have begun to realize that I do not control the storm, but I do control where I stand to watch the rain.

This was helpful for me to write. I hope it was helpful to read. My lasting thought for today is: Good things take time.

:coffee:

Thank you for sharing, and WOW!!

A theme in my life for the last couple of years has been balance, as well :hug:

My life had been going along just fine and then I was out of the blue diagnosed with Cancer in 2013 at the age of 33. Completely threw any sense of balance off. Constant adjustments to "new normals" and bouncing around just became life. Since becoming Cancer free 2 years ago, though, my sense of balance is just still completely off. I don't feel grounded emotionally, physically, or spiritually. I developed PTSD after Cancer, of which I've mostly worked through, but that balance piece remains... well, for lack of a better phrase, out of balance :dizzy:

Something that I am learning about balance is that balance doesn't always *feel* "balanced." I also have ADHD and OCD and Bipolar (and tend to be perfectionistic) which is a funky combination especially when it comes to the theme of balance, LOL ;)

A coworker said to me a couple of months ago "Jess, sometimes you gotta learn when to say f*ck it" --- LOL

Mantra # 1

Also I love the quote you shared.

Question:

So, what are some things YOU ALL do to 'reset' your sense of balance? Both daily and longer term?

I am going on an overnight retreat at the beginning of august. That's my 'happy get-a-way' place.

Have a great day everyone :grouphug:

Congratulations for beating cancer! :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

I like what you said about balance not always feeling like balance. I can relate, especially when I was going through a lot of change in my life. I look back and realize that being out-of-balance was the norm at the time. Sure, it was uncomfortable, but I was making changes. Significant changes. Changes in my perception and emotional reactions. In those times, it was necessary to feel out of sorts. It was downright unsettling and uncomfortable at times. I needed to acknowledge that it was uncomfortable. Without judging myself. After all, I am my own worst critic :doh:

So how do I reset my sense of balance? I'll give a recent example with my "new" weight loss plan. I say "new" because I have done versions of this plan many times before. They failed for one reason or another. And that's fine. I was missing something.

First, I was connecting my weight to my sense of self-worth. I felt like a failure if I didn't lose weight right away or if I snacked, so I quit. Self-fulfilling prophesy there. I still struggle with this. But I'm working on it. :p

Second, I was being too strict in my plan. I love schedules and order, so making the plan was a success! I kept failing on the follow-through. :?:

Third, I had become a workaholic. I was addicted to stress. I couldn't think of the last time I really enjoyed myself. Really laughed. Really let myself go. Except for when I binged. This is how food became my ONLY source of pleasure. No wonder I continued to binge and fail on any plan! Food = Fun

Each one of these epiphanies was unsettling to my core. :mad::(:?: :barf: I hated to face myself. I was the reason for my failure. But I didn't want to shame myself. How do I disconnect these two thoughts?

Acceptance. These were parts of myself that I needed to see in order to overcome.

Compromise. I made a plan that involved calorie counting (because I need to know when to stop eating each day), fun, and chores. Basically, I made a weekly schedule where two days out of the week, I do something fun. Two other days, I do light chores (20 - 30 minutes at most). Friday, grocery shopping for weekend meal prep.

I. Am. Taking. This. Plan. Slowly. One day at a time. Looking for 4 weeks of success. Realizing that I have failed in the past. Scared that I will fail again because my mind wants to rush to self-judgment so I will give myself permission to binge.

The opposite of rushing is moving slowly. *channeling my inner snail*

I got this! :dust:

Thanks for the congrats! It was a long road, and life is definitely different now, but having had Cancer changed me, I believe, for the better.

Acceptance and compromise - I like that. Lately, I've become my own worst enemy when it comes to stress. I hear ya. Hence, I've been binging and have gained weight again. TBH, I haven't been able to get back on track and STAY on track since my mom passed away almost 6 months ago (tomorrow.) I recently realized my binging is a way to "let go"...

I also love "channeling my inner snail" hehe. I think I'll adopt that as another mantra of mine :D

Thank you for sharing!! :hug:

I've been on our new diet for 4 whole days now, and I'm not skinny yet! :tantrum: (kidding!)

Had a major clear out at the weekend, we've been eating gluten free since Tuesday and I've had bottomless hunger since Wed :lol: I don't know how to stop it - I've been eating plenty and drinking lots! I'm feeling a lot better already because we've been eating proper food again, more veggies and no soda. I'm less exhausted, but still have a long way to go.

A sense of humor is always good :D I am sorry about the bottomless hunger though, Coop! but very good on sticking to the plan! :carrot: I can imagine you must be feeling healthier, or at least virtuous! :D

ThinkAgain, very very introspective thoughts!

HI to Lisa, JesikaBeth, Kathleen ( who I think is in Ireland now? :kissluck: ) EasySpirit!

I am now down to 151.2 and we have a new digital scale so I know the tenths also :devil: and FOUR people commented in the same week "have you been losing weight?" :carrot: though I still hate my big fat upper arms.

We've still had tons of rain and it has interfered with my motorcycle riding :tantrum: and I have to source another car :rolleyes: because my Impala won't pass inspection due to rust...my god these New England winters and the salt on the roads just kill cars..but the Imp lasted me a good 2 years for a minimum investment. Good thing there are usually a bunch of cars on Craigslist to check out.

Still loving my summer job, I am trying very hard to not let some things bother me, because ultimately they don't affect me and I just need to focus on my own personal bubble of loving my summer job :cool: Does this mean I am growing up :rofl: Today I made Raspberry Almond crumb bars for the lunch dessert, 80 portions of Cinnamon Chocolate Pound Cake with a chocolate sauce for dinner dessert, and 3 different kinds of scones for tomorrow's breakfast offering.

I give credit to my husband for buckling down and keeping it serious about eating right/better/less, he is fastidious about taking his meds on time, testing his pinprick blood for sugar , and taking blood pressure readings multi-daily. He is losing pounds too.

much love to everyone!

Holly - I'm so glad people are noticing your weight loss! I hope it continue :) and it's great your hubby is taking his diabetes so seriously. I hope you get some dry weather soon so you can get your bike out!

Kathleen - have a fantastic time in Ireland! I've never managed to make it over, but know it's a really beautiful place, and has really friendly people :) enjoy!

_____

Would you believe I actually gained weight last week? It doesn't seem fair. We cut all the extra cr@p out our diet. I didn't eat any cakes (and there were cakes in the office 6 days in a row!), we didn't have any meals out, and I had only 1 bottle of soda. *Grumbles* At the very least, it should have been a maintain :rolleyes:

I'll try getting back to the gym next week, maybe that will help me shift a few!

Oh! so unfair :tantrum: to gain weight during that week! I am sure it is due to the change of your diet even though it is a change for the better. Oh the temptation of cakes in the office daily! good for you for resisting!! Hang strong!

Thank you for the good weather wishes, it worked, because the next four days are supposed to be sunny and dry! :cool:

Very busy at work, and I have such a nice supply of fresh mint and flowers that I bring in, part of loving my summer job.

HI to everyone else!

I'm here, just not much to say.

Hopefully, things here will get better next month.

Lisa, so sorry that this was not a good month for you :hug:

I had today off, and that was great. got my hair done, did laundry, and did alot of repotting/transplanting of flowers.

Hello to everyone else!