Sam— Your last two postings have been so inspiring for me! It's hard to keep losing weight, as disabled as I am. The whole year of late 2014 through late 2015 is a long flat spot on my refrigerator graph, but I'm glad that it was just a long plateau and that I didn't gain weight. Bob deserves some credit for that, because he kept the fridge stocked with the meat, cheese, eggs & cream that have been almost my only food for such a long time. When I was going through the worst of the serotonin toxicity, my legs and arms in nearly continuous spasm, and then during the long depressed summer when I was either horizontal on the futon or falling down every time I tried to walk, those foods that Bob bought for me were a reassuring constant in my life. And then when I felt ready to rejoin this thread, your postings, Sam, about how you were still working hard to lose weight, and getting below 200... Wow, what a shot in the arm! I think you're one of those rare people who generate so much positive energy, just the tone of your "voice" in your postings shares that positive energy with the rest of us. Thank you so much!! P.S. I loved what you said about David Bowie. I'm in the cohort of folks who were really rattled when John Lennon was murdered, but David Bowie was very important to me, especially during my college years. So sad to lose him, at only 69.

Ubee— Speaking of positive energy, I agree with you that the long nights and short days—even though the days are steadily getting longer now—of this time of year, and the cold weather, of course, make it hard to sustain giving ourselves positive messages. I had a dip into the negative frame of mind last week and over the weekend. I kept giving myself what Bob was calling "dysaffirmations"—thoughts like "I'm never gonna walk again" and "I'm not worthy of Mike [my Qi Gung teacher/healer]" and "I'm letting everyone down by not getting up and going faster" and "I'm gonna be in pain for the rest of my life" and "Things are really shitty" and so on. Finally today I shook myself out of it: it helped a lot that people responded so positively to the first two collages I've posted since May. Also I read all the information on the website of the orthopedic and sports medicine group I've been referred to, and I feel much more ready to let someone evaluate my poor damaged knees. So I encourage you, Ubee, to look around at your life and give yourself credit for the things that are going well, and maybe find some creative project (decluttering is creative!) that will give you a sense of purpose. Another thing that might be helpful is to start (or re-start) a gratitude journal. Simply writing down three things you're grateful for, at the end of every day, is a powerful intervention against the doldrums you're describing.

Donna— Six pounds! That's terrific, and like Ubee, I admire your determination, even in the face of sore knees. Swimming will be so helpful to you! That's something I plan to do myself, as soon as I can walk and drive: our community pool has a large, very warm jacuzzi right next to it. I'm longing for it to help me heal my painful legs.

Betsy— You don't know how much I appreciate your daily postings, with all the details about things like shampooing the carpet on the stairway, and your trip-to-Alaska plans, and even your weather reports. =smile= I feel your awareness of what I'm going through—your compassion. I'm so grateful for being back reading and posting here, and your postings are a big part of that!

Well, tonight I did my 600 leg raises with my right leg, which is the more gimpy one because of all the damage to my right knee. I feel very good about that. And now I need to stop writing and do my hands-&-knees crawl up the stairs to our bedroom, while I still have the energy to do it...good night and best wishes to all of you, especially those who haven't been posting....

Hi Ladies!
Well swimming last night was really HARD! It isn't normally, even if I haven't been for a while, which tells me that I am obviously carrying a bug of some sort. I only managed 20 lengths and that was with supreme effort. Normally I find swimming easy and can swim 30 lengths without difficulty. It felt like I was swimming through mud....or bog-snorkelling as we call it over here!
My throat is still sore today and I don't have much of a voice.The weather is still wet but colder and we may even get a flake or two of snow by the weekend! Despite this, the dogs and I went on our usual walk in the local park...brrrrrr. I had timed my painkillers better today and my knees weren't quite as grumpy.
Fi...a gratitude journal is a great idea. Well done for keeping going with your leg exercises despite everything.
I had great plans to start the on-line course I have signed up for today but really can't concentrate or settle to anything. I feel really restless which isn't like me.
Have a great day everybody.

Just checking in to let you know that I'm still here, but the miracle has happened and I won't be doing a long post as I'm really focused on just breathing. Bill evidently shared his "allergy" attack (bet you didn't know that was possible!) which was evidently more something in the viral category. Of course, it went right to my lungs, lots of coughing and hacking. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Hugs to all. (and then wash your hands!).

Bless you Betsy....take it easy!

And now for the weather report: Rain. Blowing rain. Sideways rain. Fear of being crushed by falling tree so no walking outside today. In other words, normal winter weather for the Pacific Northwest.

Terra -- We left Kansas after my husband finished grad school at KU as his first job was in Illinois. Hope your sleep schedule is back to normal.

Fi -- Glad you got time with Grace even though it was rushed. My whole being always feels lighter after being around the younger generation. I like your 2 collages, especially the boxes one......talks to the OCD side of me with the need to organize everything (and everyone!). Hang in there with all you continue to go through with your body -- it truly makes me put my normal aches and pains from being 66 in perspective.

Sam -- Make that SAM!!!! So glad to see you back, and even though I knew you were on vacation, I had crossed over to the worry zone. It sounds like it was a good vacation, and I'm especially glad that you got to still go to Charlotte. Don't overdo at work -- if memory serves me correctly, that first day back always completely destroyed the vacation mind mood by simply being overwhelming. It will all get done.

Donna -- Big goings on with you, too. Congrats on getting 6 pounds off in your first week. Unfortunately, I think you sent it to me -- don't know what's going on, but I need your mojo on this side of the ocean. And getting the mainline port out is a big step, along with being able to get back to the pool. It might take awhile to work your way back up to 30 laps. Ubee and I are looking forward to the sheep/lambing report. Were you able to convince yourself that it would be fun to start your online course?

Ubee -- Yep. The feng shui in this house seems to have feng went. I'm blaming it on having a cold and the winter blahs, but I need to be honest and just accept that I'm in a real funky mood. We can do this, Ubee, and if we're really honest with ourselves, we're so much better off than 99% of the world. And we can hire a chef once we split the lottery! (and a gardener and a maid -- take away the 3 things I hate doing and maybe I'll be in a better mood).

The January birthday celebrations party time has finally been agreed to by all involved, so I need to start the cleaning routine today. Mentally I hate cleaning plus I'm finding that the older I get the longer it takes me to get it done. I imagine losing about 100 pounds would help!

Off to the gym first. Hope all of you have a great day.

I have to confess that I am in a serious grump today. I woke Monday with almost no voice and my joints aching. Some sort of virus I guess. So I thought I would have a gentle swim Monday and carry on walking the dogs gently. Well I feel worse this evening! My joints are really aching and my throat is still sore. I feel exhausted! Arrggghhh! I went to my Therapy appointment and cried all over my therapist in frustration. My mental health has been so good since my husband left but I find this habit I have of catching every bug known to man ....and then some......really pulls me down! She has given me a "prescription" for rest over the next couple of days and stop being so hard on myself but it seems I take 2 steps back and then 3 back!
Advice please!!!

I'm responding to the fact that both Betsy and Donna, and perhaps others as well, are struggling with seasonal viruses. I hope everyone got their flu shot in the fall: that yearly chore seems to be mandatory for all of us.

The next thing that comes to mind is meditation. Do you have some practice of actively resting by attending to your breath and quieting your mind? If not, I recommend this book as a great nuts-and-bolts guide to meditation. The author is a Buddhist monk, but the tincture of Buddhism in the book is easy to ignore. I'm no Buddhist myself, but this is the sort of simple meditation I practice. Even just reading the book is calming and restorative.

So what does meditation have to do with fighting off bugs? Over the years I have found that regular meditation (just 10-15 minutes a day, for example) helps prime my immune system. I get into the meditative state, then point my thoughts toward the white cells circulating in my blood whose job it is to identify and get rid of invasive viruses and other bugs. It's like I'm giving my immune system a wake-up call, ringing the bell at the fire station. I ask my body to be more alertt, to protect itself. I also listen to my body, letting it tell me whether I should do some vigorous exercise today, or whether I should rest in bed, quietly reading or even better, sleeping.

If you're already sick, here are a couple of specific recommendations. If you're battling a lot of post-nasal mucus or phlegm in the bronchi, be sure to take guaifenesin, around the clock: it works very well to thin mucus and phlegm so they're not so sticky & gloppy, and you can cough out that stuff more easily. It's sold over the counter and is usually labeled something like "Chest Congestion Relief" and "Expectorant."

As for the achey muscles and joints, I find that 800 mg. (4 pills) of Ibuprofen works pretty well to diminish that pain. But watch out if you have a sensitive stomach: ibuprofen can give you burning and increased acidity. When that happens to me, I take a balanced antacid like Gaviscon. But you may have to skip the ibuprofen if your stomach acts up.

I don't get many sore throats so I'm not so familiar with remedies for them, but when I do have a sore throat I gargle frequently with salt water, and also suck on soothing cough drops like Ricola or whatever your local brand is.

I'm sending my best healing vibrations in y'all's direction! Get plenty of rest, and be patient as the bug runs its course. A few days off from your regular routine is not going to mess you up in the long run. Just rest, wait, and try to be relaxed and contemplative. This too will pass. =warm smile=

Ubee ~ Yes I am trying to stay warm, Yesterday afternoon was really nice, Kinda warm outside which is strange for it being Jan.

Mountain walker ~ Yes I have trouble going back to sleep if I wake up having to use the bathroom

Betsy ~ Oh okay so which state do you like better KS or IL?

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Woke up at 3:50 a.m. Its now 5:45 a.m. I dont have to start watching for my bus until 8:00 a.m. I wont get home until 3:00 p.m. today. After today I wont leave the house until Saturday evening when we go to church and of course we'll go do our weekly shopping on Sunday morning. I'm gonna schedule my rides for next week either today or tomorrow. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday.

Well the wind and rain are gone and the sun is shining brightly in a vivid blue sky. But from reading the posts, I'm glad that I don't have to commute as the roads are evidently a mess. Retirement is such a wonderful state of mind!

Donna -- Some days it just doesn't seem worth it to get out of bed. Fi's suggestions are all great ones. I also find that one thing that helps with keeping my sinuses cleaned out and the allergies at bay is to use a Neti Pot every day. And amazingly one of the side benefits of having a sleep mask for the sleep apnea is that it forces air in. Add in washing your hands a lot when you're around people, stay current on your seasonal shots, and check online for foods that will boost your immune system as almost all of those foods would be on any healthy diet plan (citrus, garlic, broccoli, spinach, etc.). Feel better!

Fi -- Thank you for the great suggestions on managing these seasonal viruses. This one is courtesy of Bill who mistakenly thought he was having a bad allergy attack. I didn't wash my hands after being around him not to mention what I might have picked up at the gym. I'm restricted on what I can take with OTC medications due to being on warfarin for the a fib, but I do believe that mental state plays a role in how fast I recover. I'm not sure what I do would fall under true meditation, but I have "talkings" with myself. I think I may be channeling my mother who was a master at being sympathetic and giving the loving care a kid needs when they're sick along with that push to get over it already. I did get my flu shot and my pneumonia shot and haven't had a cold in about 3 years, so I should be back to normal in a few days. Feeling better today.

Terra -- Well, I've lived in Illinois (grew up there), Kansas, Missouri, Georgia, North Carolina and now Washington. There are good and bad things about all of them, but I'm happiest here in Washington. Of course, that is probably due to living near family for the first time in over 30 years and being retired. Plus I look out my window and Mt. Rainier is right there. P7010001.jpg Not sure if this will work, but here's a picture I took from my back porch.

Ubee -- Sigh. Guess we won't be finding ways to spend all of our winnings. Not only did I not win, I didn't have even one of the numbers on any of my five tickets. Are you doing better today?

I managed to dawdle away the day yesterday under the guise of a day of resting would help the cold, so today I really do have to start on cleaning the house. I've also been reading a lot about the percentage of fat, protein, and carbs we should have each day. Basically, the science seems to be leaning towards a low carb, high fat, moderate protein approach without counting calories. I'm not sure I buy into the not counting calories stuff and the fat content needs to come from the foods we eat such as avocado, whole dairy, yogurts, etc. as opposed to sugars and refined foods. It's been interesting reading.

Hope all have a good day and everyone is feeling a lot better tomorrow.

I am so glad to have all of you! Still in a funk but I am hoping to snap out of it soon. I feel the need to bring some if I need it others may also.
Betsy you still seem to have some sass so I think you will be back to 100% in no time. That is a great view from your back porch. It looks like a postcard!
Terra sounds like you have your next week all planned and organized. Have you been to any movies lately?
Fi would you recommend that book for someone trying to lose weight? I do have so much in my life that I am grateful for. This funk is just weird. The only reason that I can think of is that my sleep is so out of whack.
Donna I think you are amazing. You have had your share of hard times but yet you carry on. Like Fi I am a strong believer in guaifenesin. I buy extra to hand out to people.
Sam 17 days? No wonder I was worried. How is exercise going? Are you back in the swing of things?
Have a peaceful day!

Hello everyone..i hope you dont mind a newbie joining the board. Im new to ths group but not to 3fc. I am so happy to have found a place i belong. I didnt even think to look in this area before. I am so impressed with all the weight loss transformations taking place..I hope to be one of them as well. My staying power to any plan was not successful in the past including weight loss surgery. I needed some healing on the inside before i was ready to tackle the outside and now that im healed up on the inside, i am successfully tackling the outside

Just fyi..my original heighest start weight was 320 lbs.. Weight loss surgery in 2013 in Mexico took me down from 320 to 220...but then i gained and gained and gained following some traumatic experiences and i gained almost up to 270. Since then i have been actively trying to lose through hard work, diet and exercise. As of today i am down to 233.0 I am hoping to get down below 200 for the first time since i was 13.

I wanna see wonderland!

Fi My goodness dear you have shocked me yet again. I never thought I could ever inspire anyone....never in my wildest dreams...I am so humbled by your kind words to me. You have had a tough year but despite your disability you maintained and that is a huge accomplishment that should not go unrecognized. The fact that you aren't giving up speaks volumes as well. I'm glad to see that you are getting back to your leg raises. Slow and steady...don't over work yourself so you don't end up hurting yourself in the long run, but I am so happy and proud for you!! <3

Donna Ewww sounds like you've caught the bug!!! I do hope you feel better soon! It sure makes it hard to want to focus on much of anything when you aren't well. Glad you did get to go swimming even if it was hard. Take care of you!!!

Betsy Glad to know I'm loved enough on here that people began to worry....I told DH that I should probably post my first day back so you guys didn't start sending out the hounds to look for me ...He just shook his head....of course he doesn't understand our relationships on here lol...Sounds like you got the bug too huh?? Well I hope you're feeling better today. I've been dealing with a sinus infection for about a month now and I'm finally starting to feel normal. Work hasn't been too bad for me. I'm still playing catch up along with doing anything that comes in. I hope to get back to my regular work schedule next week. Which come to find out I don't work Monday for MLK day...imagine that! HOLY COW!!!! Mt. Rainier looks beautiful from your house!!! Really jealous! You wouldn't want to see my view....Might see some nekkid neighbors from time to time LMAO!!!

Terra HI!!! Hope you are well!!

Ubee Yes...17 days lol....This is why I always time my vacation around Christmas because of all of the days the office is closed it does not count towards my vacation time ...I'm sneaky like that. Things are going good. I feel like I am back in the swing of things although exercise has been a bit harder but I'm not stopping. I've been exercising at home after work instead of going to the gym. I figured getting some HIIT in to get my body in motion a little bit to loosen me up before I actually tackle weight lifting may be a good idea.

Sorry I haven't posted over the past couple of days. The 12th was mine and DH's 9th wedding anniversary. We didn't have the money to go out to eat or do anything fancy so I just made us a nice dinner at home. We had asian glazed pork loin with sugar snap peas and baked apples for dessert. It was delicious and I think we're going to do the pork loin like that more often. Yesterday was such a blur that by the time I got home from running errands and getting those losing Powerball tickets I had to bust out a quick work out, take a shower and lay down for bed. I passed out hard last night. Been getting a few good nights sleep in this week. Probably from the working out

Not sure if you guys remember about me mentioning house sitting right after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Well the person we were house sitting for was my grandma's neighbor and one of my insurance customers. The man called me today to ask about something that was missing in their bathroom that I had no idea what he was talking about...some sort of tray. His wife had cleaned out their drawers before they left for us to use so I didn't know what he was talking about. He wanted me to call him after I got out of work so we could talk. I always think the worst of things when it comes to stuff like that so DH offered to call and see what was up. He was asking about their dogs and how they were and the wife snatched the phone out of his hands and started laying into DH about us eating some of their food while they were gone. They gave us grocery money for a lot of stuff like meats and things that they didn't have but they opened up their entire kitchen to us and told us we could use whatever we wanted. We probably used about $30-$40 worth of food items such a sauces veggies and other things they had as pantry items in the two weeks we were there. I don't know what kind of lack of communications skills this woman has but I was in shock that she was so upset about something she encouraged. DH tried to keep his cool especially since they are neighbors of my grandma's. It got so out of hand he ended up hanging up on the woman. Side note: A lot of the food that we opened to use was bad. When we started to look at some of their pantry items a lot of it had expired in 2012 and 2013. She flipped out over some moldy mango juice that DH had opened. I am still in shock and just don't understand why this was even an issue, and why it took them a month to say anything? I ended up having to call my mom to tell her what happened in case they went over there and started to harass her or my grandma. She told me not to worry about it and that we were better people than that if they were going to make a big deal over something that they offered us. Still just in disbelief over here. Maybe we missed some sort of sticky note that had this information? There were too many of them placed all over the house LOL...

On a happier note...Today is my 2 year fitness anniversary!! Holy cow can you guys believe it?!?!?!?! It doesn't seem like it has been 2 years. I can't believe that I've kept up with this for that long. I've had my falls but I've gotten back up and kept fighting! I'm not done yet but I'm so close. If you would have asked me 2 years ago if I would have made it as far as I have I'd tell you no way. I feel like a changed person....and I don't ever want to go back to the old, sad and lonely me. I feel so much better...better mind, better body. I have all of you to thank as well. Your support has kept me going. I probably would have given up if I didn't have you guys to talk to through my good times and my bad times. You've been there to scrape me off the floor and pushed me to keep going when I needed it. I could never ever repay you guys for the support you've given me. Thank you so much truly from the bottom of my heart. You really have no idea. I decided to share a photo on Instagram today since this is a special day for me and I wanted to share it with all of you: Photo

I hope everyone has a great rest of this week. Thank you guys so much for being here!!!

Betsy ~ Oh WOW!!!! I didnt know you've lived in so many states, I've only lived in 2.

Ubee ~ Yep, I do have my next week all planned out. My friend and I didnt go to the movies this month but hopefully we'll go next month.

Sam ~ Hi - How are you doing? From the looks of your picture you've been doing A-W-E-S-O-M-E-!!!!!!! Good Job

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Good Evening Everybody,

Its 6:09 p.m. I ate dinner an hour ago, I'll have dessert later on tonight, I'm not going to bed until 9 or 10 tonight so I think it will still be okay if I have dessert later on tonight. I worked out for an hour today during Music and Movement class today. I'm gonna start going to Music and Movement class twice a week instead of once a week. I'll go on Monday's from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday's from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Even though I dont like to do it I'm gonna have to start working out here at home by myself cause twice a week isnt cutting it, I wish it did but its not. Anyway I hope everyone is having a great Thursday Evening.

Happy 2-year Fitness Anniversary, Sam! You look amazing in that cheerful striped top, and you're starting to have a fetching waistline, too! Way to go, girl....

I learned some cool Qi Gung this week from Mike, and stood up in front of him for two or three minutes, which is real progress. However, I've suffered a lot from swollen knees and pain in my legs. It seems to be the deal that I can't move forward in my rehab without paying for it with pain. =sigh=

David Bowie has been much on my mind this week. YouTube has two videos—."Lazarus" and "Black Star"—from his last album, which he made when he had liver cancer and knew he was dying. These videos are beautiful and deeply moving....check them out.

Have a great weekend, everyone! Welcome to the thread, porthardygurl!

Thanks for the welcome Fi ☺

Well im finishing off the night on a good note.. Suprisingly since going low carb, my appetite and cravings have taken a 360 turn. Although im going to guess that giving up my glutenous ways helped lots since i have an allergy to it...not only when i eat it i feel sick..i also crave it..Crave it like.. "Give ME the Loaf o BREAD Now and no one gets hurt"... Its nive to be able to walk by it and giggle knowing i have more willpower and no cravings..finally doesnt control my life anymore..