Nita,
Sorry I didn't catch up with you in Phoenix. I will be back again on June 1. I'll try again then.

Hello Ladies -

It's been raining here for the last 4 days and more rain still in the forecast. Our lakes are now full. Took the weekend off from exercising and now I"m dreading the 4:20wake up call tomorrow morning. Took 1 day off from my healthy eating and boy it's sure hard to get back on track. But i did.

Wishing everyone a Happy and Safe Memorial Day!

Patty,

Wow, you really did great at your boot camp. I sure wish I could do something like that. It really has gotten you motivated. I finally went back to the Y this morning at 7:00 a.m. It so happened that within 4 or 5 days I met three different ladies who suggested I get back to exercising. Joe is our instructor and he really keeps you going for the whole hour. However, when I came home I washed my car, and then I decided to clean the carpet from my car and took the cleaner inside the house and scrubbed some of the bad areas of our carpet. I then washed the kitchen floor which I haven't done for quite some time. Believe it or not I did not stop there, I continued onto my patio and did some cleaning there as well. I am convinced exercising is the real key to success. Now all I have to do is keep it up.

I know you ladies have dogs. I need your opinion. I took Tiffany for her rabies shot and her yearly booster. I went to one of the clinics they hold here twice a month. The vet gave her the shots so fast Tiffany didn't even know it had happened. However, I noticed the next day that the area where the shots were given is very swollen. I called a friend of mine who is a Vet and he said the vet may have hit a vein and that it wasn't necessary to take her to a vet since she didn't have a fever and I can rub it and it doesn't seem to hurt her. Has anything like this happened to you?

The gastro doc I went to on Friday is convinced I have acid reflux and just to make sure he has schedule an endoscopy for the 13th. Hopefully my neighbor will be able to take me because you cannot drive afterwards.

Shad, if you are going to be in Phoenix on the 1st, the best time to reach me is before noon. Hopefully we can at least say "hello" to each other!

Take care all,
Anita

Hello Nita,

That has never happened with my Blackie, BUT sometimes after he get his rabie shot he is very sore. That happened twice and the vet said they might of hit a muscle...(that's been about 3 years now). He also said I could give him 1/2 of aspirin, or was it baby aspirin?? ( you better ask about that one).

Your so right Nita about the exercise. IT is the KEY. It's also helps with all the stress that your going through with Gene. I hope you continue with it.

I didn't really exercise this weekend and boy I paid for it today. Exercise and healthy eating is the KEY. You know me, I"m just hoping someday there be a easier way, but for now I will continue to do this. Next month I"m going for my yearly checkup and I can't wait to see if my blood work has improved.

Patty,

Thanks for replying to my post. I do believe that is what happened to Tiffany--the vet must have hit a muscle. She doesn't seem to mind me rubbing it so evidently it doesn't hurt any more.

Gene just fell and I couldn't help him up and had to call the neighbor. Gene is one of those people who has been on Avandia for some time now and that is the one they are telling people to quit taking. I guess you never know what is going to happen next.

Yes, I am going to try and keep up the exercising. It so happens the only sore places I have are in my upper arms. In the yoga class the instructor really stretches those arms.

Well I had better get moving.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Take care,
Anita

Hello Ladies,

Can't believe how fast this week went by. We're still having showers and more to come this weekend. I won't complain though, come August when it's 100 and above, we'll all be wishing for rain. Ate some fast food this evening and boy is my stomach hurting. I have been eathing somewhat healthy for about 3 weeks now.

Nita - OH, I hope Gene is ok. I know it has to be frustrating with all the medications and side effects and now have to worry about recalls. I hope you keep up your exercising and bowling, it really helps relieve stress.

Hope everyone is doing ok. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Good Evening Ladies,

This morning worked out at the gym. For the month of June I am committing to work out 4 days a week. My goal is 5 but not less than 4. I have purchased my ticket for my vacation, will be going to visit one of my best friends that lives in Montana. So I want to be at least 10 lbs lighter.

Shad - I hope your enjoying your stay here in the US. If you get a chance let us know how things are going.

Hope to hear from you ladies soon.

Good Morning Ladies,

Sure is quite in here. Hope everyone is doing ok.

As for me still working out. This week worked out at the gym and it's a little harder. We'll the cardio is much harder, or it's more noticeable when i stop. Anyway, having some work done on my house this weekend. Getting some hardwood floors in. Didn't realize how much work was going to be on me getting things packed up and moved... and the DUST... boy allergies are going crazy.

Hope to hear from you all soon..

Hi Patty,

I am not sure where everyone else is. I, too, haven't been posting like I should. Frankly, I am at my witt's end! I cannot seem to get in control of my eating again! It is very frustrating. I received an e-mail about the new diet drug "Alli" which is going to be released on June 15th for sale. My daughter says it is very expensive--$70.00 for the starter kit and then they have refills. It has been approved by the FDA and is a smaller dose of Orlistat. I just may give it a try. I still have not had my endoscopy yet but my blood test came back normal. I am also considering this weigh loss center that gives you B6 and B12 shots three times a week and they also give you consultations and supposedly help you get motivated. I know I am using Gene's condition as an excuse to just eat anything I want but how can I pretend the situation doesn't exist.

Sorry to be so discouraging today--hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

Shad, I did at least hear your voice on my cell phone. Sure sorry we didn't get together. By the way, what did you think of Phoenix? Were you anywhere near the new stadium or did you primarily stay in Scottsdale?

Well I had better be going. Perhaps tomorrow I will decide whether to check out these other ideas or just join WW again. Since I do know this really works, however, I need to apply myself to make it happen!

Take care everyone and hope to hear from you all real soon!

Anita

Hello Nita,

I know when stress gets to me, I tend to just eat cause that the thing that comforts me. I haven't really heard about that new pill. I know in the past I too have tried diet pills, and they do work, But for me it was a short quick fix. When you say your eating is out of control... are you eating all kinds of junk, or comfort foods?

Are you journaling? How about for 3 days journal everything you eat. Maybe you can see a trend of when you eat/or why you eat. Or, if you are eating, instead of picking up chips/candy, pick up a fruit or veggie. That's a better choice.

I don't have the answers but I too know how things can be frustrating and feeling all out of control.

We're here for you.

Hi Patty,

Thanks for being there for me. I am going to a lecture next Tuesday evening regarding "Staying Calm." Just for going they are going to give us a book and some other incentives. At this point I am willing to try anything. I like your idea of journaling for three days. Perhaps that will get me going! I only have to go to work one day this week so I do have an easy week to look forward to. I did join my friends at bowling this morning and bowled 4 games. I got a new bowling ball and my first game was 226. However, after the first game I didn't do as well. I need to see what this ball will do to get spares.

The thing about living in Phoenix, I need to wear shorts every day and when I gain weight it always goes to my thighs and then the middriff. Oh well, I could have a worse medical problem and I do know I can lick this once again! At my age you would think I wouldn't have to be concerned about my weight.

Take care and hopefully we will hear from the rest of the group soon!

Anita

Hi everyone,
I haven't forgotten you all. I will ring you Pattie just as soon as I can. It's difficult because hotel phones are expensive and with my mobile you would have to call long distance and I don't always get signal here, but I am hoping to actually talk to you and Nita before I go home.
I will try to do this at the next private phone I get to. I would much rather pay a friend for the use of the phone than the hotel or motel or airport or my ever greedy service (sometimes) provider.
I'm now in Canada - Toronto to be exact. I'm meeting up, over the next couple of days with Madcat, Hollyhock, Ruthxxx and Carla49. they all sound so nice over the phone. I hope to get to talk to as many as possible before I go home.
On the 13th or 14th Ruthxxx is taking me to see the 'real Ontario' - she mentioned manure piles, round hay bales, and picking up beer bottles from the roadside as 'real Canadian' things to do. Well there you go - who'd have thought that. Mind you she is joking (I think) - all that exercise!!!!

Nita - at least I know what you sound like now. Hopefully we will get to speak.

Patty - you are holding this thread together - good onya girl. Speak soon.

Better go and let the others know I am alive and kicking. Bye y'all from Toronto.

Hello Ladies,

Nita - Let me know any good tips you get from the lecture your going to attend. One thing I try to do.. Is when I get very frustrated at work, I try to catch myself and tell myself to STOP, take a deep breath... I take several of them. Then I tell myself, that whatever the situtation that just came up... (usually work... someone putting something on my desk that needs to get out NOW)..Is out of my control. I tell myself I will handle this in the manner that I do my work and this is out of my control. But I can control the situation from here. Believe it or NOT, it really works for me... I use to get frustrated and go to the candy jar... and eat and eat... and still end up frustrated. This way. It reminds me, that I now have the situation in control..

As far as the journaling that is 1 thing the girl i train with kept pushing... She told me just journal for 3 days and let's see what stress you out.. When you pig out... what's causing it. For me.. stress and then I wasn't eating my snacks like i should of and when I did eat I was starved and eat everthing in site. It really helped.. After she reviewed, she said let's start slow... All I had to do for 1 week was eat 2 fruits a day.. that was it. The next week, it was drink 8 glasses a day and 2 fruits... (i was still eating lots of processed foods but I was doing those 2 things..) From there I started cutting out things..
Its a liftime change... and I have to remind myself that... But you can DO it. Just take it One day at a time.

Shad - OH, please call and if your at a friends I can call you back.... That's so exciting getting to meet people you have been talking to for a while.

As for me, still working out. This week I hit the gym 5 days... It was hard but I need to bump up my routine to get the weight loss going again. This past week was very hetic at work and in the evenings. I did not bring my lunch to work all week (ate out) luckily ate salads, BUT I know the key for me is bringing my lunch. So this weekend hitting the grocery store and stocking up fruits and veggies.

Hope everyone is doing ok.

Hi Patty,

I hope some of our members post again. We really need to keep this thread going. We can use all the support we can get!

As far as the lecture went, the lady was selling a product by Bach--a doctor who developed liquid drops many years ago. They are derived from different flowers--he has 38 different bottles. One thing she didn't do was try to sell any products. However, when I see them on sale, I believe I will try the one that I believe might help me. They even have one for sleeping. Actually when I went to my Yoga class on Wed. I always get more out of what our instructor tells us. He is really great and explains how our body reacts to different events, etc. He said your body will let you know if you put something into it that it doesn't like. And we all know this for a fact. What you said about taking deep breaths when you seem frustrated that is exactly what he said you should do--open up the chest and put those shoulders back and sit up tall. Our body needs alignment and the more you practice this the better off your body will react. One other thing he does at the end of class is for us to rub our palms together until they become very warm and then he has us put them over our closed eyes and then we are to open them and enjoy the energy our hands have given us. He said you can do this any time. I am going to try this at bowling today when I become frustrated.

I am still contemplating taking the new OTC drug Alli but after reading some of the side affects, I am a little leary of it. It seems if you don't stick rigidly to 15% fat at your three meals a day, you can run into a problem with loose stools and it can happen at a moment's notice. Besides I am going to have that endoscopy next Wed. and I believe I should find out the results first.

Well I need to go and pay some bills. Take care and Patty, I appreciate you sharing your ideas with us.

Anita

Hello Ladies,

Nita - I will have to try the warming of the hands technique. I think it's a good idea to wait for the test results before you try a new medication. I know for me, I have enough problems with my stomach I don't need the side effects this new drug will bring.

As for me, Family came over on sunday. I had lots of veggies to eat, but of course there was dessert and you know me. I don't pass that up. This week my goal is to hit the gym for 5 days.

Hope everyone is doing ok.