I just realized how many typos I have in my posts. Sorry guys I'm typing on my iPad and I'm kind of challenged cause I'm not super-duper used to it yet. I promise I'm smarter then I seem.

pattienceWelcome! That's so great you're starting a business and doing well with your depression!
OhioSorry about your finger that's nooooo fun is it healing and doing better now? As for the money I feel you, I work and work and still feel like I'm always needing more money to pay another bill. We are here to help you stay motivated! You can totally do this, don't worry about it being the heaviest just think you'll never see these numbers again.
Fiona yay for having a plan. Hopefully now that you have one though it won't be necessary other then in practice. And we all have times of the day that are harder does it have anything to do with less activity during that time or less people around anything to specifically pinpoint?
ibelieve
Thanks!!!! You have your trainer in the frozen cold tomorrow right?? Do you look forward to those days? I feel like it would be dreaded and looked forward to at the same time.


3rd day of the 30 minutes or more that my therapist told me I needed to do, and probably the least woohoo day of the three but also still better then the days I've been without. Tomorrow is jam packed from the very beginning which will hopefully lead to distraction not more worries.

On the new meds which are an SSRI sorry me and my typos, but obviously at this point they won't be doing anything yet. We shall see.......

Hope everyone's looking forward to Friday!!!

Short little note today. Since I have a 'free' night, I convinced my partner that he should run with me! Hooray since I have been doing terribly with my exercise. Unfortunately still having anxiety/upset stomach in the mornings but it actually feels less severe today so I am trying to be hopeful. In other news, I didn't get the job that I applied for. That has been weighing on me but it isn't so much the specific job itself but the situation I guess.

Does anyone have advice on what to look for when searching for a therapist? I have been reading through profiles like crazy and am having a hard time finding someone that I think I would be really comfortable with. I'm a bottler so it is hard for me to be really vulnerable and open with someone, which kind of negates going in the first place.

Thank you all as always, and good thoughts for everyone!
Chelsea

Well, I tried on some clothes again yesterday when returning some items, and man was I depressed! After how hard I have been working out and watching what I eat, you could still see my rolls through the clothes I tried on. Could have gone into a deep negative place, but I coached myself through it. I know that I am doing the right/healthy thing by working out and eating better, so I will just keep on keeping on and things will eventually get better with my body. Then, last night, I went out with some friends and had some drinks. On my way home, I stopped at Steak 'n Shake and got a large fry and regular chocolate shake. I made a conscious decision to go there and eat that food, so that part is good. But I think it was a bit related to my earlier experience at the clothes store. I kind of thought, "What the heck?!? My good eating isn't helping anyway..... and I WANT the fries and shake." If I hadn't had some drinks and felt stronger, I probably would have resisted more. But oh well, this is a process and setbacks are a part of it, so I will move forward again. I worked out with my trainer this morning. Was dreading it, but I did it anyway! And I'm glad I did! I think my mind is back in the correct place now.

Fi: Happy to hear that you have an action plan just in case of any more angina attacks. Smart lady! Also glad to hear that your moods are pretty good these days. I hope you can use your mood tracking to figure out why you have the afternoon dip in mood. That doesn't sound like any fun! Do you dread afternoons because of it? Thank you for the tips on my night-time eating. I just read that part in Brooke Castillo's book about what I want versus what I feel. It is helpful to remember and I will attempt to apply it to the night-time munchies. I usually stay up late, which is when I get into trouble. But I could at least make better choices at that late hour (e.g., veggies), so as not to sabotage my weight loss efforts.

LawGirl88: Our bitter cold has subsided, so we are just having normal winter weather and temps now, thank God! You are right: I both dread and look forward to my workouts. One thing is for sure though: I am always happy that I worked out afterward!!! I try to use that feeling to motivate me for next time. HOORAY for 3 days of 30 minutes or more working out!!! WAY TO GO!!! Keep up the good work! It WILL help both your mood and your weight loss efforts!

Chelsea: Did you get your run in with your partner last night? I hope so! Sorry that you didn't get that job you applied for. Must not have been meant to be. My suggestions of what to look for in a therapist are: 1) professionalism, 2) expertise, 3) compassionate, 4) years of practice, and 5) empathetic/encouraging (especially since you said you are a "bottler"). Those are just some of the basic qualities I would look for (not necessarily in the order listed). You need to find someone who is a good fit FOR YOU. If you don't feel like the person is helping you (in your gut), definitely seek out someone new, until you find the right match for you. It may be uncomfortable at first, but the right person can help to put you at ease over time. It might take a few tries. I applaud you for searching for a therapist. I believe it is a step in the right direction!

Chelsea— Kathleen's comments about looking for a therapist are excellent. I also suggest that you (1) try to get a chance to hear their voices on the phone, even just through an answering machine: you can tell a lot from someone's voice; (2) narrow the list down to three people, and go interview all three of them. You are hiring the person for a very personal service, so there's no reason you can't take a pro-active stance and view yourself as their potential employer. Just be upfront about it and tell them, "I'll get back to you" at the end of each interview. It's worth the extra dollars to be sure you get the right "fit." Good luck!

I Believe- Thank you for the warm welcome.

I am so glad our weather here in Ohio warmed up. That sub-zero crap was for the birds. My furnace ran non-stop for 4 days, -11, -6 , -4, that stuff was awful. I was so scared my car, despite it being relatively new, wasn't going to start. I am always scared about the battery not working.

Now, to my weight problem, I don't exercise and that is my problem. I have a walking video that would be perfect for me to use. I just need to pop it in and go.
I also need to lay off the sweets.

Fiona-

Thank you for welcoming me to the group. I will certainly take your advice.

Lawgirl88-

Thanks for asking about my finger, it is still not healed. I am soaking it every day, several times a day. It's not so bad that it needs drained again by a Dr. It is still bleeding underneath the nail a little, so it is draining a bit on it's own. I am keeping a close eye on it.


Well, i am going to turn in for the night. Sweet dreams.

Hello Buddies! It has been quiet around here the past couple days. I have checked in but didn't have anything new to post. Just got home from a morning workout with my trainer, so I am feelin' good! I am keeping a food and exercise log, which also asks me to list goals for the week and recaps the week at the end of each week. Just started this a week ago, but it is helping me already. My biggest success this past week has been exercising more consistently. My biggest challenge has been night-time eating. My goals for this week are to limit night-time eating and to get in more days of cardio. I can do it!!! I forgot to weigh myself this morning, so not sure if my weight has changed at all yet, but I know that I am heading in the right direction, so that is what really matters right now! I will NOT let the scale deter me from my goals!!! I am STAYING POSITIVE no matter what!!!

Trish (lilturtle): Are you, by chance, reading along?!? I am afraid that we lost you on this new thread. Please post, if only to say hello, if you are here. I am worried about you!

Fi: Your input is always supportive! Thanks for being here! Hope all is well with you.

Waving HELLO to everyone else!!! Please post when you can with an update.

Hi....sorry I have been out of contact for a couple of weeks. There has been a lot going on in my life. I'm going to try and commit to post every day again. I've been watching what I eat but I haven't been weighed recently. I hope I am still losing.

Trish (lilturtle): Thank you so much for posting!!! I am just happy that you are still here. I haven't weighed in awhile either, so I am going to try to remember to weigh-in first thing in the morning one of these mornings. It's the only time I like to weigh myself.

Right now, my family is giving me grief about the clutter around our house. I want it gone, too, and have been working on it for such a long time to no avail........ that I am literally afraid that I won't be able to conquer this problem of mine. The issue has once again come to the forefront (as it periodically does) because my son has a new girlfriend (his first "real" girlfriend) that he wants to bring over to meet us. I really want to meet her and understand that we need to get the house in much better shape first, but I just have such a mental block about this subject (clutter) that I don't know what I am going to do. I HAVE to get this place cleaned up......somehow. My organizer comes this Friday, which will help a lot, but I can't ever seem to maintain any progress we make. This whole issue seriously makes me feel like crying. I feel so hopeless when it comes to clearing the clutter and now it is such an emotionally-charged subject for EVERYONE in our household that it causes arguments and hard feelings whenever it comes up. I just seriously want to crawl in a hole right now. I have been working so hard to stay positive with my weight loss efforts and have used up all of my energy to just stay positive for that ~ and I feel like I have nothing left for this (clutter) battle. But, I will pick myself up and dust myself off and give the clutter my best effort. I will survive. I will be okay. I will NOT eat my way through this!!! I have come too far. Please send me all of the strength and you can!!! I really need it right now!!! Thanks for listening! I know it sounds ridiculous, especially if you have never had a problem with clutter, but this issue has been a HUGE one in my life for as long as I can remember..... I just want it to go away!

Kathleen, you are ALWAYS here for us so we are sending you LOADS of I am so sorry that this is causing you such strife and I hope you are able to get through it

HI Ohio!!! so good to see you very sorry for hearing about your finger, sure hope it gets better like now yeah that cold weather was awful wasn't it!

I am having to type this with my Kindlefire so it is slow going, really kinda inhibits doing longer posts.

Fi, I am going to TRy to ignore my particular "yappy little dog" which is mindless eating, snacking, second helpings.

HELLO to everyone else!

hi everyone! i'm so sorry i haven't been around much lately. well, the heat here is horrible. what a contrast to what you are going through! i am worried about myself because i have been bad lately. it could be the heat. i hope i haven't had a stroke or the residual stuff in my hed hasnt't grown or isn't bleeding, those are my 3 biggest fears. i hope it's the heat making my symptoms worse only…a doctor once told me that happens with brain injury like mine. oh.

my DH said go see the doctor but i don't want to leave the house except to do my own things. i just want to spend all my time doing my own things…art,craft etc.

i have been making things to swap and it's been fun

the tennis is on.

the australian open. great viewing. my DH is watching briefly before he goes out to finish a job he's doing.

i read your posts.

you know it would take me one day to tidy your clutter, ibelieve. if you went out. lol. you should see my art area. a place for everything, and everything in it's place!

i keep everything btw. don't throw it out - put it in a box and lebel it. each individual thing. i gave a box for little pink buttons and one for orange buttons and a pretty bag for envelopes and one for used cards and one for double-sided tape and foam mounting pads are in together.

then i put cray-pas in a box, and pencils in a tin and paper to use for the printer by itself in a spot, and a little bag for little pictures for swapping, and a bag for postcards, all labelled, and so on. can you afford to go buy storage bags and boxes? from the cheap shops i mean. they are pretty and cheap and keep your stuff organised. it's fun to dlo, trust me :-) please don't worry. your family should support you not grumble. but i understand. they need a tidy home.

your home just needs to be organised, is all. nobody's gonna damae anything or throw anything out. just put it stored neatly in a container of sort. i even use tupperware boxes for things like one for coloured cellophane, one for clear cellophane, one for tissue, one for bubble wrap, one for notepaper/notebooks. stackedm labelled using bits of paper and sticky tape, or a black sharpie.

i must re-write some of my labels, actually, because my eye-sight is so bad i can't read them!

i'm doing so well in the weight-loss area. another kilo lost this week brings me down to 81.2 kilo's!!!!!!!!!!yah!!!!!! i'll be in the 70's soon.

sorry for the typo's.

love to you all

saraphin

saraphin - what great ideas and tips you gave! do you have a picture of your work area, would love to see it. So sorry about your terrible heat..and I'm not sure if we know about your previous head injury? (or if I'm being nosy ignore me )

and my almost dead MacBook is behaving this morning so that's why I'm typing so fast and furiously, lol

Fi - my summer job is kewl! I do the pastry baking for a private fly fishing club...yes there are such things, haha. We serve 3 meals a day and have lodging for about 80 max but can accomodate up to 100-ish . I also cook breakfast there 2 days a week to help the day cook have a day or two off. I love it because it is a gorgeous 22 mile commute on my motorcycle that ends on a 3 mile dirt road deep in the woods. A very large and nice kitchen, someone to wash my bowls and utensils, and can make up my own menu. But its a seasonal place, only open from mid-May to end of October. So that's why I stick to the yuck winter job, because they adjust to lose me during the summer, then gladly take me back each winter.

Hello to everyone else! I am doing terrible with eating but each day I have a little hope for myself.

IBelieveInMe2 have you ever heard of Fly Lady? Google her. She has wonderful solutions for clutter. I might check her out again. I could certainly use some help too.

For one of the first times in my life I don't have much of an appetite. I'm not doing small meals but I'm not binging either. Yesterday I ate a banana, a turkey sandwich and a granola bar. Today so far I have not eaten anything. Am I hurting my diet? I'm not going to get weighed until the 21st so I have no clue. My pants are starting to feel looser. That's a good sign right?

ibelieveYou can totally overcome the clutter but maybe don't put the pressure of your sons gf on it immediately. You guys could totally meet her in a neutral place!! She doesn't have to come to the house just yet, but that can be a goal! That way you can meet her soon with the goal in your own head of having her over in the near future. Talk to your organizer too about your goal and maybe a task list you can work on between her visits. That way it's not this daunting pile of all the clutter but rather a to do list you can check off and feel accomplished.

saraphinyour craft room sounds amazing!!! I can say without a doubt I am not that organized! Congrats on your weight progress. As for your other issues I'd say if your doc said heat can make it worse give it a little while and see?? If your not in the heat directly but inside in air conditioning are things better? Sorry don't know anything about brain injury just guessing.

VermontYour summer job sounds so amazing and fun for you. Guess that makes your miserable bosses during the winter a little bit easier to deal with!!!! And don't worry you'll do better with the eating you're aware you're doing bad and that's a step in and of itself.

lilturtle Not feeling the need to binge is awesome!! I'd just make sure you're still getting enough calories. I know some people do those starvation days but since that's not your intent you don't want your body to hold on to and store food because it thinks it won't be getting more.


As for me this weeks been mediocre. I've now done the 30 minutes of cardio for 6 of the last 7 days and that did for sure help. The new meds have been a week and I am supposed to be increasing my dose as of today but haven't just yet...I'm not sure if I'm noticing an effect from them or not. I'd say not yet.

Been working so much lately cause coworkers and their families have been sick and out of town. Today's the first shortish day I've had since Friday.

Hoping I can be in a good mood and positive head the rest of the week with my birthday Thursday and a trip for said birthday over the weekend.

Hi everyone,

I had to go yesterday and have my finger drained again. I am on antibiotic for 10 days. They numbed my finger, I think they called it a "block." She then ran a scalpel underneath my cuticle to open it up. I just want it to heal and be over with.



I am applying to DeVry and had to take tests to get in.

I did REALLY well on the reading portion of my tests. My advisor said I scored in the highest ranking they give. I could tell by her voice she was in shock and impressed.


Now I'm waiting to hear if I passed the writing portion of the tests. I just heard and I did VERY well on my written portion. I scored in the highest class for both the written and reading portions.

I still have to retake the arithmetic part of these tests. If I don't pass, I can't get in DeVry. I'm going to take a couple of days and study really hard. I've got to pass this test.


Have a great few days, ladies.

Hey there-

I'm sorry that I didn't post sooner, life has been busy. I think that all in all things are going pretty well though and I am actually considering getting Lap-Band, which would be a huge step for me. I'm going to the information session soon. I can't wait to become more active, I did as much PT as my doc and I thought was right, now I hope to start working out more.

I was doing Overeaters Anonymous for awhile but I don't think it is for me right now. Good luck to anyone who wants to try it though.

Hi to Vermont Mom and Ohio Free Spirit-

I hope that you are both well!

Ohio- there are certain types of ortho docs who specialize in the hands and wrist, maybe consider checking that out. I hear you on math, I am not good at it. There are some free websites that you can use to brush up on math skills. Good luck with that!