[CiaoHound]

Hi all,

I've also been reading but not posting. Glad to see several of you are moving the scale needle to the left! Keep up the good work, ladies!

Casie, I grew up on the Florida gulf coast and remember those storms well. Stay safe and dryish!

My weight has kind of stagnated, but my blood sugars have gone down a bit more, so that's a partial victory. The weather is supposed to be good this week, hitting 70 (!!!) on Thursday. I'll have to take advantage of it and get out for walks.

I had my blood draw last week and the results are in. Blood sugar still too high, lipids too high, liver and kidney function acceptable. The usual, really. Now I've added blood pressure to my list of woes. I've started calling my morning meds Breakfast II: The Sequel.

The doctor has also spoken: I have to exercise. Walking isn't always an option here with the wind and snow, so I spent Saturday looking into alternatives. The idea of Zumba appeals to me and I found a set of DVDs geared to beginners and older people. I asked my friends on Facebook if they'd ever tried it and the response was pretty positive. One friend even said she'd do it with me, and another said she had the standard DVDs I could borrow. Now to just get off my tush and start doing instead of thinking about it!

Anne
Who is great on the planning, but the execution needs some work

[Wannabehealthy]

I put some ice on my knee last night and it feels a little better today, but I notice the bad knee is a little puffy above the knee compared to the good knee. My leg dips in a bit above the good knee, but rounds out above the bad one. No real pain.

Ruth, I think if you're eating right it shouldn't be necessary to test. Testing for a Type 2 has no other significance than to tell you if you're eating right, and once you learn what spikes you, it shouldn't be necessary. I know what spikes me, but I don't always stay away from it. So a-testing I go!

Anne, home exercise videos are great and it's good to have several so you can mix it up.

Casie, good job on the 5 lbs in one week!

p.a. I hear ya on getting back on track. Is sure is easy to fall off track!

Mad, sorry to hear about your friend. Good that you were able to get some skating in.

[p.a.]

Morning everyone
I'm in Barrie,,,,
Casie, maybe I will try to see it, thanks
Mad I lost my dh 1.5 yrs ago to cancer,,it's very difficult to watch. You are a great friend ' bringing' your friend to Paris..
I heading outside today,,,I feel the walls closing in being stuck inside for a few days. I'm not an inside person. I will walk to buy some groceries,,,it's a win win I get about 6000 steps in that way...

[Wannabehealthy]

p.a. we are the direct opposite. I am an inside person. I don't care if I never go outside, even in summer. Part of the reason is because of my allergies to everything growing out there and my eyes are very sensitive to the sunlight.

I didn't realize that your loss of your DH was so recent, and to cancer. Sorry to hear that.

[fatmad]

Thanks for your kindness everyone. I don't think we will get out evening in Paris. My friend had surgery today and has an ileostomy, (basically, bypasses her entire bowel, due to blockages) but tumours on her liver have abscessed. We don't expect her to leave the hospital, unless she asks to leave in order to die at home. We are looking for a few days, not weeks for her.
PA, sorry to hear of your DH. I have helped with caring for relatives dying and the only thing cancer gives us is time. We usually have time to say goodbyes. I have had a few good visits with my friend in the last few weeks, and there is really nothing left unsaid. So this will do. No my job will be to help care for her and her family at the end. This is can do. Endlessly practical, thats me.

I have been getting out walking, and now that its a bit warmer, will do more. Also loaded wood into the house today. We used up all our indoor wood over the cold snap. Have been eating to plan, even last night when out after skating, don't overdo it.
I have to work on getting more veggie servings too. I miss the old ww tracker with the veggie tracker, doing it myself doesn't help as much.
I think it could also post reminders to eat veggies after I have plowed through points, as most veggies are free or at least low points.

[Wannabehealthy]

Mad, the last time I did WW was a couple years ago and that's when I started eating lots of veggies, since they were zero points. When I did that, I eventually lost my cravings for sweets. I think eating all the veggies changed my taste buds. Most baked goods taste excessively sweet to me now and I can only eat a bite or two when I eat them at all.

[pattygirl63]

Hi Everyone,

Fatmad So sorry about your friend. Having watched my Dear Mama go through it, I know how difficult it is. I think the only thing that makes it bearable is that we get to the place we don't want the to suffer any more. And as my Dad said, we don't have any choice.

I heard today they believe they have a cure for cancer. Oh how I pray that they do.

p.a. I only eat fruit in the morning. One serving with breakfast and one as a snack after my 30 minute exercise.

WW gave me the option to up my exercise to 28 minutes a day so I'm doing around 30 minutes. Sometime a minute or two over or a little bit less. The main thing I'm doing is 4 miles a day. I still do the bike whether I do any other exercises each day. WW allows the housecleaning etc to count as exercise. As I've said before, it makes it easier to get myself moving. I'm supposed to earn 28 pts a week exercising and I already have 21 in 2 days.

Casie Congratulations on your 5 lb loss.

Anne There was a day when I exercised everyday without fail. In fact the first time I was diagnosed and got my bs under control, I exercised 45 minutes a day without fail besides all the other things I did. I lived a very busy life there for a while. But a few yrs back I stopped and it has been a real struggle to get back to doing it on a consistent basis. I finally decided to start where I was and set a goal and work toward it. There were times I only managed to do 1 day a week and some times I would exercise 4 days and then recently I went a whole week without exercising at all. Now I'm doing 31 minutes a day 6 days a week and hope to build back up to the 45 minutes.

I am beginning to see that when I am exercising that there comes a point where my body strongly reacts to the exercise. It is like I suddenly have a strong alertness. I absolutely love that feeling. I hope this is what I heard my pastor say is that you will finally come to a point to where you absolutely look forward to exercise. In fact, where I used to dread exercising, I now have this feeling that I really want to exercise... almost crave it.

Carol Sue I'm sorry about your knee. Remember years ago when I twisted my knee and DH DD was here? She had me keep it elevated and use alternate cold/heat on it. I even had to use the Hugo walker that was DH mothers for a while, but I don't seem to have as much problems as I used to have.

I think another thing that helps my knee is the grapefruit I eat. I read years ago that there is something in the grapefruit that is good for the knee. Something about the organic substances that replaces the inorganic in the knee. However, I think I remember you can't eat grapefruit for some reason, but don't remember why. Meds?

Ruth Glad you are doing well. Good to hear from you.

[Wannabehealthy]

Trish, I am not supposed to eat grapefruit since I am on a Statin, but I do eat a few sections now and then. I love grapefruit. When I worked at the pharmacy, one pharmacist gave me a big lecture about eating the grapefruit, but I went into the office computer and found exactly what it said about the grapefruit in the pharmacy notes. It said not to drink large amounts of grapefruit juice, and in () it said (a quart or more.) What I had was never near a quart or more. I was going to show that to the pharmacist but I didn't bother. Just continued to eat it in small amounts. I buy canned grapefruit sections and the can lasts me several days eating a couple sections at a time.

I read that people who do not exercise regularly show the most rapid improvement in fitness when they do start. The body is so happy to be moving!

[pattygirl63]

Carol Sue I remember that now. That is why I don't give it to Tony either, however, there isn't any way we would ever drink that much grapefruit juice at any time. LOL We don't drink fruit juice any way.

I've got my required exercise for the week finished already so everything I do after today will be bonus. I intend to do the bike at least 5 days a week. So I have 2 more to do with the bike. Saturdays I usually get my exercise from walking stores and housework. This is so much fun and feels so good. Don't mean to sound egotistical but I am so proud of myself because even I know that I am doing good. Plus my FBS is down in the 140s which is nice too. I know that I have finally found what not only works for me, but I can live with this the rest of my life.

[FickleHearts]

So sorry about your friend, fatmad. That has to be a hard time to face, knowing you have limited time.

So sorry about your DH too, p.a. My grandmother passed away last year from lung cancer, and it is so so hard to watch them suffer so.

I didn't know you couldn't have grapefruit on statins, carol sue. Is it all citrus or just that one? My uncle has a grove down in central Fl and he sends us oranges and grapefruit every year. My other set of grandparents are both on statins and they always eat it.

Loving the weather and loving the fact that it's no longer super dark after I get off work anymore. Did a 4 mile bike ride yesterday and got my walks on breaks in today. My booty is so sore. I think I'll skip the bike till it no longer hurts to sit LOL.

I've kind of gotten lax with the BG testing. Last I did it was Sunday and it was 100 fasting. Dr. wants a log. Going to have to start reminding myself to do it 2 hours after dinner and in the am!

I'm aiming for 185 by the end of May. That's roughly 8 lbs a month and I think it's doable. I was a size 8 last time I was 180 and quite happy. Not sure this time will be that way since I'm just now barely a 16, but here's hoping.

[fatmad]

Hi friends: I am doing better with exercise again as I do better with my back. I am still having significant pain, not sure if I am actually doing better or learning to live with it. I am frustrated about doing "everything right" to get better, but still having this much pain. I will call the doctor tomorrow and request an X-ray requisition, as my chiro and physio agree that i should be better by now.
Eating to plan, but weight steady. perhaps it will get better with more activity too.
thanks for you good wishes for my friend. Her daughter is getting married in the hospital chapel this evening, as we don't have much time left. Her son plans to marry on the weekend. Things will be as good as possible.

[Wannabehealthy]

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/20...it-safely-mix/

Here is an article I just googled about statins and grapefruit. It's not just the juice, Trish, but the grapefruit itself, too. This article names 2 statins which are the culprits and I take the lovastatin, but have cut way back on my dose. It says it should be OK to have small amounts, and that is what I saw on the pharmacy notes, too. Casie, your grandparents should be able to eat it in moderation. Maybe the statin they are on are not the 2 mentioned. I have never heard that it was only 2 statins. Remember, not everything you read online is gospel.

My knee is starting to feel a little better. I have been doing some leg lifts while sitting in a chair. Last night when I was lying in bed witching TV I was doing some arm exercises and then lying on my side doing leg lifts. I hope to get on my treadmill today since my knee isn't as swollen.

[pattygirl63]

A quick flyby. Thanks Carol Sue for the website. I'll check it out. DH takes Provastatin. Not sure of the spelling. Glad your knee is better take it easy. If it starts to hurt back off.

My FBG was 128 this morning. Obviously I do better on lowfat rather than low carb. No problem as long as it works.

I had to make a run to store and now I have to clean and put away some veggies.

BBL

[Wannabehealthy]

I did more research and found 2 places that said that Provastatin does NOT interact with grapefruit. It's only Lovastatin and Simvastatin, and to a lesser extent, Lipitor. But all of them say large amounts of grapefruit, and I never have a large amount. Just a couple segments occasionally. I could drink a quart of it a day, I like it that much, but don't. It makes the meds stay in your blood stream longer and could increase the side effects of muscle disorders and kidney damage. Nothing to play around with. If a med interacts with grapefruit, the pharmacist usually puts a sticker on the side of the bottle.

[fatmad]

end of the week of ww, and still have a few flex points left. So oversell have done great.
Back pain a bit better today, but didn't sleep well last night because of the pain, but I didn't take any meds. I am not just taking them when things get moderately bad, because I just can't stay on them forever. Had a good physio session today, and hope the new exercises will help too.
Have a good Friday everyone