Happy........Thank you for the invite to your new site. I think I stopped even lurking at Clouds cause I never took the time to jump in. I will stop by. I also guess I felt bad cause I have had the longest reprieve from real pain ever. I mean, I still get stiff sometimes and if I over do, I know it. But overall....this is an 8 out of 10. 10 being perfect.
But weather is getting colder...we shall see.
Meme...I am going to San Francisco. And one of the problems I had with several churches that I went to was that some of the parishioners really thought that trip to church absolved them of all sins every week, and they would go right back out and behave so mean and miserable. I didn't see them always act all that Christian....yet they were on every church board and committee.
Joanne and Mima.....Howdy. I DID lose one more pound.
I bought a size 16 suit and thank God it has a long jacket as I can barely zip it up. (Or sit down) I used to wear a 10 or a 12.
I think I would just like to be a 14.
Candice.......I have that cheese side effect too. No cheese for 2 days and things are just dandy.

Was surfing around and came upon this site. Looks like some really good recipes - all low fat. You, who are on WW can figure it out. All the calores, fat, protein stuff is listed.

http://physicianschoicenews.com/


When you get on the site, go to list on the left side, and scroll down to Healthy recipes. Then have fun.

Hope you are all having a great day.

Hi everyone. Meme-that joke was really funny.Today is travel day-it felt good to lay low yesterday.I went to church with a friend and then walked around the mall-bought a sweater and one Christmas gift. I am working near Christmas so I must get my shopping done early but I can't seem to find appropriate gifts-except for the grandaughters-they are easy and fun.Boy-it's cool. Got my heat on!Ally-I'm so glad your pain is manageable. My only pain is my ribs and my legs after I walk.My TMJ disappeared when the rib thing came back.There is a nice pool in the hotel so I will swim carefully.Not much to say-hi to all. Mima

Meme you are just too clever I usually write the stuff down and recopy it...I didn't think they wanted another piece of paper floating around!!!!!!! You put the antibiotics in the water and have to change it everyday..gets expensive with bottled water! Fin calmp is when they don't feel good and all their fins drop( they don't stand up) and that causes them to lay on the bottom cause they don't have any energy. I'm not sure he will make it this time..he is so old and hudge! I left the tank only half full so he could get to the top with out too much trouble. My cat was not feeling the best either..I can't take this anymore!! I love all my animals too much!

Ally........not much pain here either except this stupid arm and when I over do like cleaning the fish tank! I'm not stiff at all in the mornings(right now) but hurt in the evenings!

Mima....my legs hurt after I walk too! I grabbed a tape to listen to while walking and it was Christmas music ...imagine my surprize when "Blue Christmas" came on The Beach Boys was the tape and Frosty was pretty peppy!

Thanks Happy..I love new recipes..will be sure to go there and check it out!

Oh...I thought it might be a tiny clamp you put on the fish or somthing... ...never heard of fin clamp before. We used to keep tropical fish...had two tanks but it got to be too much trouble. They all got the ich and died so I sold the tanks and didn't get anymore. My grandchildren wanted a Beta last year so they got me one for Mother's Day! Still have him/her! The kids named it Hoseppy!!! He's doing the same thing you say yours are...sitting on the bottom a lot and he has a hump on his back...and has gotten bigger, too. I'm not attached so won't mind it too bad if he moves on up to pet heaven. Now...my Sammy girl I'd miss! She's like a big horse laying in my bathroom floor at night...it's not a pretty sight when I have to get up to go potty...stepping over her at 3 or 4 in the morning...half asleep...is not easy! But she is sooooo beautiful!!! When/If I get Jenna Rae in preschool I'm going to try to get Sammy in a training class...she's so smart but I don't have time (or energy) right now to work with her. I've taught her to come, sit, fetch, catch (usually treats I throw her..she's good at that ha!) shake hands (paws!) and speak on command by myself so I know she can do about anything...I just wish she didn't have so much HAIR...I can't have her on the carpet because of the dog hair. She stays out on the deck or front porch most of the time and sleeps in my bathroom at night. Hubby brushes her twice a week and you wouldn't believe all the hair he gets off of her. But my bathroom floor still has hair on it every morning...I use a large box of swifter sweepers a month just getting up dog hair!!!

Gotta go see if I can get in a few hours of sleep before Jenna comes at 7...just 4 hours!!!

Hey You All...It has been a fairly nice weekend and Ofcourse the cool weather we finally got here in Florida helped. I have all my windows open for the first time since last April I think it was.
Candice- I know fish tanks are a lot of trouble. Get yourself some small ones so that when your big one goes you won't miss him so much. The tanks with fish are really relaxing.
Meme- We had a Peke for 14 yrs. Long hair and loads of it. I had hair hanging everywhere. He got brushed regular and a bath every 2 weeks. He was finally blind ,deaf and incontinant. I got to the point I couldn't take it anymore. My hubby agreed that it was time to let him go. We no longer have pets. I think about getting a short haired dog ,but then I think of all the work cleaning up after them. I am the one who has the burden.He has the pleasure. I guess you have to weigh the good with the bad. Do I sound like a crab?
Hello Ally Mima and Happy. Hope you had a good weekend.....Joanne

Hi! I hope you don't mind me popping in here, but I have a question for you all. First, a brief history...
A few years ago I was told by my Dr. that I had fibromyalgia. He Rx muscle relaxants and antidepressants. I took them for awhile and started to gain more weight. The muscle relaxants did help with my sleep, but I still felt miserable.
Finally, I made a decision to start losing weight with a low carb plan. I initially did Atkins and lost some, but found it too severe for me. So, I did a little research and ended up doing the Slimdown which has more carbs, but very low sugar. I lost 50 pounds and the symptoms of fibromyalgia went completely away. Plus, I had stopped taking all of the meds!! I was never really convinced to begin with that I had fibro and after that decided that maybe I didn't?
Well, skip ahead a year and a half of no symptoms, and then I had an accident which injured my arm and required surgery and rehab. My exercise changed and then my diet. I regained about 7-10 pounds and have been slack with watching the amount of carbs and sugar in the diet. About a month ago, I started to get a sore neck and shoulder again on the opposite side of the injured arm. I contributed it to compensating with the stronger arm. However, the pain is getting worse instead of going away. I have been very fatigued also for the past few weeks. I'm getting that old feeling of brain fog at times. After much soul searching, I'm wondering if the amount of sugar and carbs in my diet are bringing out the symptoms of fibro again??? Any thoughts or personal experience on this? Do any of you follow a low carb plan?

Thanks for any input!

Hello-so I had some lemon cake that was about 12 pts. Couldn't resist. Pool is too cold to swim. But I did walk and earned some money!!!Working that is. Ophelia-I do Weight Watchers and mostly no sugar but I still have fibro-Had it for 20 yrs. plus. Hi to everyone.How's your arm Candyce. How was the playing-Meme? Gotta go meet my friends for dinner-robably a shrimp coctail and a glass of wine. Mima

Ophelia...You stole my theory. I just mentioned that I am not in pain and the only thing that is different in my life is that I have cut out sugar and other junky carbs.
I am not sure it is the answer for everyone, but it sure has helped me a lot.
One of my sons is in LOVE
He wants to get on the computer or else the phone. Drives me nuts. But this is the first step of my baby leaving the nest, right?
Gotta go

Don't be so eager to get rid of him...he'll just come back with a wife and kids!!! I went from 2 to 8 in a matter of a few years!!!!!!!

About the sugar/carb theory...I think a diet low in carbs and sans sugar will ease the fibro pain but I don't know about getting rid of it altogether. Welcome to our little group, Ophelia. I've had fibro for nearly 30 years and I have had my ups and downs. Was diaganosed about 24 years ago and have gotten progressively worse no matter what the diet or meds. (And I'm on A LOT of those!!!) I say just go with whatever works for you for each person is different. This time of year alone makes me hurt worse. I always hurt worse from Sept. until the last of Nov. or sometimes, depending on the weather here (TN) up sometime in Dec. Then I feel a little better until the weather starts to change again in March. I also have RA & OA so I always hurt worse when it is rainy or cold, too. I've never heard of "Slimdown"... what is it and where did you get it? Just curious.

Joanne...get a poodle...they make wonderful pets if you don't have a lot of very small children around. We've had 2...last one died last summer. I don't know WHAT I was thinking when I went from a poodle to a golden. I've had dobbies, too and they are great but you still have the size and the hair to contend with. Poodles don't shed and don't smell. I had one sleep in the bed with me for 13 years and never did smell her once...never found even one dog hair, either. I wear black and navy a lot and she would lay beside me while I taught piano, watched TV... and everything in between and I've never once found a dog hair. They are the perfect indoor dog. They aren't too good with kids, though...mine was jealous. My kids were older when we got the first one so I never did have any trouble with him but Allie was really mean with the kids when they got up around 2 or 3. She snapped at a couple of them...never bothered them as babies, though. Gee, I really loved that little dog!!!!!!! Still miss her. I don't think I want any more dogs, either, but if I was going to get another it would be a Poodle.

Welcome Ophelia. I think sugar and fat both affect us in some way, but no totally. I am the opposite of Meme, and it seems like my best time of the year is Sept - Nov. Right now I am feeling pretty good. Hope it continues, because I am sure going to need it.

Remember a way back, we listed our house for sale. Well, on Sunday we got an offer that was really good, but now I have to move by the 15 October. Everything should be final by 04Oct.. Until then, I can't really go look for a place to live as there is a slight chance of something going wrong. I doubt it, but you never know. Anyway, I will be busy!! I will pop in from time to time to say hi, but please think about me and how busy I am going to be. Hope everything stays ok with me until I get moved at least.

It was kind of cool today and it could freeze tonight. Yuck! winter is on its way I think. Hope everyone is doing ok.

Ally, kids do grow up - thank goodness!!

Good morning-Finally a good night's sleep.And I had a good day yesterday in spite of yawning ally day.Oh Happ-I don't envy you your work ahead as I did it last year. Don't lift heavy boxes!That;s what hurt me. Are you downsizing? I did and It was a real good move. Gotta go shower. Thanks for the jokes, Meme.Hi to all.Mima

Thanks for the replies!

The thing is that I'm not really sure I have fibro. My internist seemed to quickly "diagnose" that I did a few years ago. Prior to this diagnosis I had shattered my patella and had surgery. He said that my sore neck and shoulders and brain fog/fatigue were signs of fibro that was induced by trauma. He slapped me on some drugs (which I declined to take for a long time.) The muscle relaxants did help to break my bad lack of sleep/pain cycle, but after I started losing weight, I didn't need those anymore. When I got to my goal weight I had absolutely no symptoms. This lasted for at least a year and half. Then, last January I broke my arm, had surgery, etc. I could not exercise for a few months. Then I did slowly start back with exercise, but somehow I was more lenient with my low sugar diet. I think during the summer we tend to socialize more and I was eating and drinking things that I had not allowed myself to have for 2 years!
That's when the fatigue and sore neck/shoulder thing started to occur again. I have done a little research about fibro, but I don't seem to meet all of the symptoms.
I'm wondering how many of you were diagnosed/treated by a Rheumatologist? I think that perhaps I should push my internist to refer me?

The SLimdown is short for The Great North American Slimdown by Larry North. Essentially, each meal must contain protein (approx the size of your hand) veges (about a third of your plate) and a small unrefined carb (size of your fist) It's very low sugar. You also eat 5-6 times a day. I kind of combined these principles with a mix of Atkin's and others. Plus, exercise, and lost 50 to get to my goal weight of 140. I'm 5'8".

Again, I would appreciate any feedback that you can all give me.
Thanks!

Well now, I DON'T have to move right now, as that deal just fell through. It is a divorce actions, and the wife agreed to the sale of the house, and now that it is at the lawyer she refuses to sign the papers, so it is leaving them open to legal action as well, because the possession date for take over of their house was 15 Oct. Who knows, if the wife finally agrees, the deal will be back on. The lawyer will need to talk some sense into this woman. For now, I am back to square one.

Ophelia - I was diagnosed by an Internest as well. I was having breathing problems, that turned out to be FM. Anyway, I never believe one Dr., so I got an appointment with a Dr. that specializes in Arthritis and he confirmed it was FM. I don't know what helps FM, but if you feel it was the diet, perhaps you are right. FM often comes on after an accident or surgery or after the body has been stressed in some way. I have arthritis in my back, and that was the worst for me. I think FM can also go into remission. On another board that I am on, a lady who has Chronic Fatigue has gone into a 5 year remission twice, and now it is back full force. So it happens. I hope you don't have FM, but with the sleeping problem and the pain, it all sounds all to familiar.

Mima - glad you had some good rest. That helps a lot.

Meme - how you doing? Are you getting any rest at all?

Hi Candice, Joanne and Ally - hope you gals are having a great day.

Hey Happy.. I am having a great but busy day.. I am supposed to be retired but it seems I have something to do every minute of the day.
Memetoo.. A poodle? I don't think so, although they are cute. If I ever get a dog again I want a Jack Russell. Poodles bring back some really bad memories for me. I couldn't stand to have one around.
Ally- There is nothing worse than a boy in love!!They transfer all their being to that special girl. I always let mine know there were many girls in this world. Didn't do a bit of good. He got married at 21 and divorced at 27 and he is still single at 43. What can I say...
other than he needs a good woman...He laughts at me when I say it..
Hello Candice and Memi...See you all later. I got to finish my chores and get my walk in before 5pm.
Love ya all....Joanne