Maary Like you, I'm discouraged at the amount of belly I have. I'm lots heavier, but the belly bothers me most. I don't see the back of me, so it bothers me less.

Understand your concern with DH in the attic!!! Glad he is down safe.

Lynn The lubricating shots I'm getting are different, they have only been out a few years. The name is EUFLEXXA, and it is injected the space in my knee joint, 1 injection a week for 3 weeks. see www.euflexxa.com

Mom had cortisone for her arthritis for years and landed up with brittle bones and one of her internal organs damaged. I'm scared of that stuff and only had 3 shots in my foot when planter faciacious wouldn't clear after couple of years. Hasn't bothered me since but I do the especial exercises for that often.

Carol Sue Elastic pants have to help. Also some clothing manufacturing companies are putting out jeans for "curvey" or Straight that may have larger waist. I have to get the "curvey" because waist is lots smaller than back end. Even then I sometimes need a belt.

Back to cleaning.

Sandy

My weight is all in my belly, waist, abdomen and the 2 surgeries I had have weakened my abdominal muscles so there's no holding it in. I have little to no hips, thighs and buttocks. I can't even think about buying "curvy" jeans. If buy the ones that have the low waist they fit better because the waist line is bigger. DH told me that I look like a different person from the back. Then I turn around and you see this big belly. It doesn't help that I'm planning the typical 4th of July cookout today...hamburgers, hotdogs, bratwurst, potato salad, baked beans and cheesecake. I'll try not to eat to much of anything.

I could easily give up eating beef and pork, but poultry and fish and what I like the most. I eat eggs, too, but rarely any dairy. I like milk, but don't think of drinking it.

I have never had any injections for my knee. I don't get much pain unless I'm on my feet for a very long time. It justs gets stiff and doesn't bend very well. It helps if I wear an elastic brace but I only wear that when I'm exercising. I had 1 shot of cortisone in my elbow that has been bothering me lately, and I think I need another one. Sometimes the pain is so bad it nauseates me and my arm gets really weak and I can't lift even the smallest thing. I have to call for an appointment.

Happy 4th of July

July 4

Progress toward Fiscal Year Challenge goal -
Weight - 152
Exercise -
30 reclining elliptical level 1
Calories - 1187

Lynn

Good morning GG's,

We've got a few days off again (from kid sitting). Maddie and her family have a few days off and are doing some stuff together. Still always plenty of stuff to keep busy with though.

I have been doing puttery things today. Changed out stuff on my c-pap and made a calendar and place to list when I have done it, so I can remember for when it is due to be done again. Re-printed some of the recipes I have tried and liked. The first time around, one of the inks wasn't working and the pictures of the food came out funny looking. I like pictures with the recipes, if it has a yummy looking picture ~ it makes me want to try it. I want to put them in a notebook, the ones we have liked, so I can find them again easily (most have come from the internet).

Gotta get going and do my PT stretches. I had PT yesterday and like dummy, I hurt myself before I ever went. I bent over to get some things out of my backpack ~ should have picked it up and put it on a chair. Anyway after I put on my shoes, I stood up and my back hurt so bad ~ the only thing I could think of was bending over like that caused it. The PT lady felt on my spine and said I got something out of alignment. She did something to me to get it back in place ~ said I would be stiff for a couple days ~ she was right.

Also, gotta straighten up my sewing room. It looks like someone ransacked it. It kind of collects clutter ~ when I am straightening up some other place and can't decide what to do with an item, it ends up in there. The pile had gotten out of hand. I was looking for something and it all toppled over. I never did find the thing I was looking for, and now have to straighten it up. I really need to go through the stuff and toss and organize, but that will have to wait until Maddie goes back to school. Too hard to concentrate when there are lots of interuptions.

Might go see some fireworks tonight. The weather is predicted for 50% chance of rain, so not sure. Missed a free concert last night at a place near us ~ the Houston Symphony ~ patriotic music.

Lynn ~ you are doing well with your challenge thing. My little mess up cost me a couple pounds which is coming back off slowly. I just need to keep plugging along. I'm bound to make progress eventually. Your 4th of July greeting is cute.

Carol Sue ~ I think we should be able to enjoy the holidays and the special foods that come with it. Your idea to just eat a little of everything sounds like a good idea.

Sandy ~ glad those shots help your knees. The potted plants sound like a good solution when you can't get down on your knees.

Mary ~ I'm kind of like you with the meat. I eat a little, but mostly other stuff. And I guess when it comes right down to it, the other stuff wasn't enough of the healthy sutff.

Hope you all have a nice weekend.

Gayle Sorry for the back pain. Glad you can do normal things without dear little Maddie who will be having fun with her parents. Same thing with my sewing room. Right now winter blankets are piled on my Sewing Machine, but I don't know where on earth to put them.

Carol Sue Elbow pain must be a real hard one. Hope you find a full solution for that issue.

We are certainly different from the backend. My large very, very strong legs do help me when I'm bending in semi squat to garden as I was today. Dug up a beautiful daylily that is creamy white and purple center. This year she failed to bloom at all. I suspected that too much dirt got piled on the lower crown when I added plants near by last summer.

Dug her up, kept the outside baby fans, and replanted on set in same hole and another few fans in another place that looked empty, near area now in sun after neighbor cut down her beautiful huge shade tree this week.

Lots of weeding and that before mentioned back end is screaming at me that I am an abuser!

Lynn Inviting lawn chairs, are you cooking, too?

Mary What are your plans for this 4th?

Our neighbor with big pool and lots of blow up toys in it will be having the rest of their families with grandkids, etc. Don't know if they can see any water for all the toys in the pool.

We are always invited, but those slender people don't realize the enormous amount of fatty and sugar filled foods are the very ones I must avoid. After the heavy gardening, I may take an early shower, put on PJ's and beg off with a truthful excuse, I'm hurting.

Happy 4th of July. Be safe. Sandy

Hi Gayle,

The challenges really help me. By posting my stats, it helps me to get to exercise & resist the "chews."

4th of July pic is from the Google heading for today.

Hi Sandy,

No, my cooking was yesterday. My DD is making turkey burgers for a late lunch/early dinner.

Lynn

Lynn, you are doing well with your challenge, losing, and getting your exercise in. For some reasons, challenges seem to stress me out and I do the opposite of what I should be doing.

I liked your pic of the chairs. We still have a few of those chairs and one is a rocker. DH has them stuck back in the basement, because they cannot be left outside. So we have those white stacking chairs for out on the porch. I like the old chairs. They are sturdy, and easy to get out of. When the guys go to the car cruises they all take chairs, and one time when DH took one of those folding chairs a young girl came over to their group, looked at DH's chair and said "My grandmother always had chairs like this." He would never take that chair again! LOL I guess at 72, he didn't like to be compared to the girls' grandmother. I hate those canvas folding chairs they have out now. Not comfortable to me, and hard to get out of.

I overate yesterday and didn't really enjoy it. I thought I would really like having a hamburger with a bun, but it didn't taste as good as I remember. I think I would have been happy with just the bratwurst. I'm back to lower carb again today, hoping that the 2 lbs I'm up is just water weight and will be gone soon.

Hi Carol Sue,

One of the benefits of aging is that we have learned what works for us & what doesn't. For me, a challenge - especially, when I am making my progress public - really works.

Lynn

July 5

Progress toward Fiscal Year Challenge goal -
Weight - 152
Exercise - Rest day
Calories - 1092 (estimate - guessing at meals eaten out)

Lynn

Wish I had progress, Last Monday I felt so hopeful, but this morning's weight was up almost 2 pounds. Grrrrr

This week will try to move more if the leg cramps will let me. Must have slept wrong. We sit up front in church and at times I was afraid the cramp would lock in and I'd jump up to try to stretch it out right when the sermon was on. Thank goodness, made it home, but it still aches.

Garden is absolutely beautiful!!! Mail Box garden has tall deep red daylily, 3 short red DL, 5 blooming yellow DL, white Sedum bloom, 3 pink Sedum bloom, Gold cone flowers. Some daylilies that bloomed in May/June will rebloom later. Oh Yes, Gold flowers on tips of St. John's Wort.

Back is gorgeous, too. Hate to leave it when the garden is at it's peak.

Read great gook yesterday by Marti Leimbach Daniel isn't talking.

July 6

Progress toward Fiscal Year Challenge goal -
Weight - 153 (the result of 2 meals eaten out + not much exercise over the weekend )
Exercise -
25 reclining elliptical level 1
30 treadmill @ level 1 - no elevation
Calories

Lynn

Hi Everyone,

Tomorrow will be 7 days on my Fiscal Year Challenge. Will change my tracker after I weigh in tomorrow morning.

Hope everyone has a good Monday.

Today is my bookclub meeting. We will be discussing Life Drawing: a Novel by Robin Black. I didn't like it, but sometimes our best discussions are about books we don't like.

After the bookclub, I am going to meet a friend from my graduate school days. We haven't seen each other for a couple of years. She is moving to Kentucky to become the VP of a University there. Looking forward to seeing her.

Hope we all have a happy & healthy day,

Lynn

Good morning GG's,

Been a busy few days. Maddie wasn't here, but we had lots to do anyway.

Our son visited on Saturday ~ always enjoy getting to spend time with him.

Finally ~ after months, got my new pair of glasses ordered.

Counting down the days until I can get that shingles shot, then get back on my RA meds. I have to be off the meds for 6 weeks before and 4 weeks after. At first it didn't seem to bad, but a couple weeks in, I am feeling the pains more. You do what you gotta do. I don't want to wish my life away, but just the same, will be glad when that time has passed.

We have a busy rest of the summer and fall ahead. Now that most of the medical stuff is behind us, DH has things planned to do and see.

Lynn ~ you're doing good with your challenge. Enjoy the visit with your friend.

Sandy ~ hope your legs feel better. Your gardens sound so pretty. I'm gonna have to google images of some of the flowers you mention ~ I am not familiar with them and want get a picture in my mind of what you are telling about.

Carol Sue ~ hope you are feeling better after your 4th of July splurge. Hope that couple pounds is gone now. Was Rusty bothered by the sound of fireworks?

My weight is kind of stalled/slowed down. My own fault ~ I've slipped a little on this new eating plan. Partly out of frustration because the progress kind of stopped, and partly ~ falling back into old habits ~ my way of dealing with frustration and stress. I have done pretty well at getting right back on track and the mini binge didn't turn into one that lasted days or weeks as it has in the past. I am hoping that once school starts back up, and my days aren't focused on Maddie, that I will make time for some exercise and hoping that will help.

Hi Mary. Hope all is well with you.

Hope you all have a good day.

July 7

Progress toward Fiscal Year Challenge goal -
Weight - 152 Lost 2 lbs in Week 1 of Challenge
Exercise -
30 reclining elliptical level 1
Calories - 1186

Lynn