Hi all: still having problems with back and shoulder pain, and work is busy.
Ate out last night, saved points for supper and am going to eat minimal points today. I have peeked down to 179 (my ticker weight, I haven't changed it in years now) a couple of times this week, and hope to be there to stay by the end of the weekend. a bit hard to exercise right now with this back and shoulder pain.
Fortunately it hasn't made me weaker, I still have full range of motion and strength, but hurts. The pain goes away briefly using my tens machine, or the jacuzzi, but comes back. I am using the Tens mostly, as I am still working and on call, and don't want to be drugged up. I have used a couple of my codeine pills, but don't want to get bunged up. I have a chiropractor appointment in the morning, maybe that will help. It certainly is preventing me from getting my exercise points as I would like. I start 2 weeks of holidays on Monday and would really like to enjoy myself, not be going to physiotherapy, but going walking and skiing for fun.

Carol Sue, so sorry about your niece, I hope and pray things will be right for her, whatever that is meant to be. Terrible to happen at such a young age.

Well, TGIF everyone and lets have a good weekend.

Hi gang,

I've been reading back a few days since I checked in. I'm so sorry for all of you that have experienced loss or tough times lately. I hope healing and brighter days are coming soon for you all.

As for me, I did go get checked out at the doctor's office the other day. I saw a CNP instead of the physician, which is okay by me. I like her and I think it will work out fine. She kept my metformin dose the same. My blood pressure was high so I'll have to look out for that now too. Oh goodie. She also told me to get moving (I know, I know... bad Anne!) and I spent awhile this morning looking at fitness trackers because I think it would be the best thing to help motivate me. Not ready to order one yet though. I may try to pick your collective brains later on as I've never been a big exerciser before. I'll get my blood chemistries drawn Monday and see the CNP again in a month.

My daughter is coming over in a bit so we can go shopping and then I'll teach her to make an old family recipe for sweet and sour eggplant relish that she wants to take to a Super Bowl party tomorrow. It's guilt-free so I'll make some extra for me! Should be fun, and tasty too!

Anne
Who is imperfect but improving

Anne, Fitness Trackers are glorified pedometers...they do best with walking and don't necessarily measure other types of exercise properly. Then, each one has other features depending on the price. I have read reviews on all of them, and they are not exact. Having said that, I like my Fitbit. I am happy with the information I get from it and intend to look into some of the other things you can do on the Fitbit Dashboard, like tracking food/water etc. It is fun and interesting to see what it tells you each day and can encourage you to do more. I would read the reviews, good and bad, for all the different trackers available then decide which one has the features that interest you most. Remember, people tend to post more reviews when they want to complain about something than they do when they're happy with the item. The most frequent complaint people have is that they walked what they know to be 2 miles, but the Fitbit measurement was way off. Or they walked with a buddy and their measurements did not coincide. I am not perfect, and I don't expect my Fitbit to be, either!! LOL

Hmm, sweet and sour eggplant relish. It doesn't sound like something you eat by the spoonful, so it's only as guilt-free as what you put it on! LOL

I don't mind being seen by a CRNP or PA for something minor, but am annoyed when I am paying to see a heart specialist and they put me with a PA.

Hi all: weight up due to retention and constipation caused by pain meds. Saw my chiropractor today and will see her again Monday. Have ice on it now. Nothing seems to help much, or not enough to sleep well and get anywhere close to pain free. This is where tracking food will help, because it would be easy to overeat with this going on.
not getting much fitness with this, and I'm supposed to start a holiday on Monday!
I haven't seen spam on our 3fc site before, thanks for the alert though.
hope we can all stay on plan this weekend friends

I hope you feel better soon, Mad. I have found with chiropractic adjustments it takes a while for feel their effect.

Fatmad So sorry you are feeling so badly. I pray you will be feeling better soon. Hope the chiro treatments help.

Well after a week of half way staying OP I am thankful to have lost .4 lbs. It really could have been a gain so I'm thankful for the loss. I thought of doing the plan differently but my FBS is inching downward and that is a good thing. It was 149 this morning. No plans to eat out this week so it should be easier to stay OP better. I knew this would be slower weight loss so I just have to adjust my thinking.

Hope everyone is doing well and we all have a great week OP.

doing a bit better, constipation improved, 2nd chiro treatment helping more. DH drove me around today to my appointments after being up working all night. I now have 2 weeks off to recuperate. We cancelled our little ski holiday for the end of the week, (Wednesday to Friday) as we are both feeling physically overwhelmed with aches and pains, and not up to skiing. Its a little disappointing, but the weather is also not co-operating, and wasting hard earned money isn't fun either. will have to think of other fun things to do. I booked a date for supper with my sister. Easy to stay on plan at a steak house.
Glad to see others are doing so well and staying on plan, and having some success. Keep posting, I love to read about whats up with everyone

Hey chicks!

So me and the new dose of metformin are finally starting to get along. I blame it for the queasiness all day yesterday, but so far today I feel much much better. Hey just in time for me to up the dose on Thurs, YAY!

I'm down 12 lbs and am currently 5 lbs away from pre-Holiday weight, although I've lost 1 inch in my tummy from then. /shrugs. I'm getting a waist back!!! I can see my sides start to concave! I can fit into size 16's again. I'm sure my weight loss will slow soon, but right now, I'm loving it. I'm adding getting into a 2 piece without feeling super self conscious by June to my goals. Already told mom to expect a summer beach buddy LOL.

Diet is gong so so. I haven't cheated, but just bored lately. Tired of meat and salad, meat and veggies. It doesn't help that my hubby or my dad who is staying with us eat whatever they want. Gah, they cooked pancakes on Sunday that looked soooo goooooood.

But that's okay. Not worth feeling bad over. Gotta stay strong until March 31st and my next A1C test. Crossing fingers the numbers are good enough to take me off meds. I am planning on a birthday cheat next month though. I want a German Chocolate cake, even if it's just a little piece. That will be March 27th, so I plan on doing my blood test before then LOL.

Glad you are doing a bit better Fatmad Sorry about your ski trip and hope you feel better.

Fatmad Glad you are starting to feel some improvement, but sorry you have to give up your ski trip. I know how much you enjoy them. You probably need to give your body more time to heal. I hope you and your DH are over y'alls aches and pains soon. I agree that eating at steakhouses are so easy to stay OP.

FickleHearts CONGRATS on the 12lb loss and being able to get back into the size 16 clothes. I agree. Enjoy the quick loss while you are getting them.

Wish today had been my WI day as my weight was down a lb from last week, but maybe it is good that it wasn't. Now I am more determined to stay OP so I'll have a really good WI next Monday. I go to the doctor the 1st Monday in March and if I can stay OP between now and then my weight might be down pretty good from last time I was there. I don't think my A1c will be all that great, but maybe the weight loss will let him know I'm working at this again. I think he will be happy to know that I am doing Weight Watchers and liking the plan. It really helping to keep my portions in check and to keep moving and exercising. That will make him happy too. This visit will be my physical. So glad I already had my mammogram and he and I will have the results from that before the appointment.

I had to go for my mammogram this morning. I went early enough that I was the only one in the office and in the waiting room to have it done. That was the fastest I've ever gotten through before. So glad to have that done. I told the girl that I guess I would see her next year and she said "Yes, after you are past 70, we like to test you once a year". Just glad it is over and done. Any way, I didn't take the Metformin last night because I didn't want to have to run to the potty while there. But my FBS was only up a little from yesterday so that is good. I am really trying to keep taking it. I know there are possible bad side effects, but I do like the good benefits from it. I feel I just have to be careful what I eat so nothing triggers tummy problems.

I really think I was a little crazy at first getting on WW SP, but now I have settled down and I'm really eating healthier and more sensibly. I think after eating low carb for so long that it has taken me a while to adjust to the way I am eating now.

I actually watched a YouTube video of Dr. Eric Westman from Duke's University talking about dieting for weight loss and he explained how lowfat diets work and how low carb diets work. He admitted that you can lose weight either way. I'm not doing strictly low low fat not am I eating extremely high carb either. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. I have finally found something that is doable for me and seems to be working. As long as it works and my health improves, that is all I care about.

Will I still have 15 minutes to do on the bike. So I'll better get to it.

Have a great day Chickies.

Just saw this new info of a another possible benefit of taking Metformin in treatment after heart attacks thought I would share it.

http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-0...y-rebuild.html

I'm glad you shared that, Trish. I forwarded it to my nephew as his sister who is battling this severe heart attack she had is also a diabetic. I don't know what meds she takes though. They have not unblocked her artery yet because of her poor condition and the heart damage she has as a result of the heart attack. I don't know if they plan on doing anything down the line when she gets stronger.

I also read a couple articles this morning that told how low calorie eating and the weight loss that usually follows, can greatly reduce blood sugar and insulin levels. There were some other issues discussed, too. My neighbor lost a lot of weight and got rid of his pre-diabetes by eating a very low calorie diet, but he has since gained the weight back and I don't know how the weight regain has effected his blood sugar. It probably went back up. If you are interested in reading them let me know and I will post the links. Funny, but I was led to these articles while reading an article that says low calorie eating helps with psoriasis. I always thought some foods can make it worse, and I can tell you that I developed this psoriasis after I started gaining weight after staying thin for such a long time. I just never made the connection.

I am still in touch with a woman I worked with 20 years ago. At that time, she was 30. She was one of these naturally thin people who probably wore a size 1 or 2 jeans. She did gain a few pounds after she had her 2 kids, but just filled out to a normal looking size. She recently told me that she got on the scale and saw that she has lost 15 lbs. In my wildest dreams, I can't imagine losing 15 lbs and not realizing it. LOL I was concerned for her health, but she told me she started bringing lunch from home instead of going out to McD's, and since she started reading alot, she spends her evenings buried in a book instead of watching TV with her hand in the snack bowl. She said she can't eat and read at the same time. I told her I could very well hold my Kindle in one hand and a sandwich in the other. LOL Isn't that true? This is the different with people who are naturally thin and those of us who have to struggle with every oz. If she gets involved in something she doesn't even think about food. Of course, her husband works steady afternoon turn and doesn't get home until after midnight. She does prepare food for her 2 teenagers, but that can be something quick and she rarely cooks an actual dinner.

hi Friends: hope things are going well. I went to my MD today as well as the chiropractor. I was hurting pretty bad again today, and the treatment helped. The MD agrees its muscular-skeletal, and doesn't want an X-ray unless things don't improve. Got a referral for physio too, so I will keep busy with all that.
the points seem to be working again now that things are moving like normal. I also felt well enough to go for a walk this morning, but then the pain started up and that was it for the day. Just pounding the pain meds and wearing the ice pack.

Fickle, I am really proud of how well you are doing with your weight loss and staying on plan.
However, don't be in a rush to get off meds. These meds do more than just regulate your blood sugar.(like protecting kidneys and small blood vessels) And getting the weight off may get you back to normal. But there is a lot about type 2 diabetes that we don't know. Maybe we gained the weight because there is something else going on, ( a pre-pre-diabetic condition) that makes us crave food that makes us fat. When you have lost the weight, you will likely go off slowly so that the sugars don't skyrocket again. I hope for you that you can get there.

I am still losing, will be at ticker weight anytime now. But I have been down this path before and know I haven't changed my bad habits yet, they are just hiding around the corner.

Tomorrow I am going out for supper with my sister. (we just see each other a few times a year) Its a prix fixe menu, and comes with dessert. SO the question will be, should I skip it completely, just eat it and count the points, or bring it home and portion it out? (choice of ice cream and tiramisu, and of course, if any of the options for eating it come out it will be the tiramisu, yum)
I do still have about 20 flex points left, and Thursday night is the end of my week, so that works, depending on the serving size.
Interested in opinions, truly!

Mad, I agree wholeheartedly about staying on the Metformin. I believe once a diabetic, always a diabetic, even though it can be controlled. I do believe it's ok to get off other meds.

Since I am not a sweet lover, I would be passing up the dessert altogether, maybe giving it to someone else. But that's just me. I think WW intends for you to fit it into your points and enjoy it, whatever that means to you.

I know exactly how I gained my weight. When I was single and lived alone, I ate a good breakfast and lunch but rarely dinner, because I didn't want to be cooking a dinner for one. My body was used to that and I stayed thin. I was also out at the dance clubs dancing a couple nights a week. When I met and married DH, we had his 2 children and I started cooking a meal every night. For a long time, I served the meal to them, then sat down and read the paper while they ate. After the kids grew up and moved out, DH didn't want to eat alone, so I started eating dinner. He often wanted to go out to eat, so I was adding a full dinner to my diet every day. My weight went up so fast!! And now I can't get it off.

Carol Sue: I hear you about adding dinner in. You probably had a late lunch in those days, and maybe had 2 big meals. The key now is that if you are having 3 meals, to reduce their sizes.
I am working on what feeling full feels like. I was overeating and feeling over distended on a regular basis, mistaking that for fullness or satisfaction.
Last night we had fettucini seafood alfredo for supper. I used spaghetti squash instead of noodles, and also had a salad. But the dressing and the sauce were high fat. I had one nice sized serving. It was really delicious. In the old days, i would have gone back for me. Now I am waiting 15 minutes or so and will have ore if I am hungry.
Guess what, I am not hungry. Not even once. But I don't feel "full" or at least not what I had previously thought "full" to be. I am sated. Sometimes this means I am still craving something more, like a sweet, or to feel that "fullness" like before. I still get there from time to time, fuller than I need to be. Today I had a breakfast sandwich, and I probably would have been satisfied with about 3/4 of it, but I ate the whole thing, (who leaves a bit of sandwich behind?) and now am a bit overfull. I am not planning on eating lunch, and breakfast was on the later side, so am saving points for supper tonight. SO hopefully that works out, overeating slightly at one meal, and skipping of skimping another.
Its very cold here today, but will get out with the dog for a bit, get my fitness points in.
my regular chiropractor was back, and her adjustment seemed to do the trick, I woke up this morning with no pain, and am just having minor twinges today. Will do my best to keep it to twinges, because its delightful not to be miserable with pain.
Hope everyone has a great thursday.