time for a new thread gals!

andreaphil3 sorry to hear you are going thru all this stuff right now - hang in there.

I have been very much on edge lately and for no apparent reason - I might try keeping off the caffeine for a while - it usually works for me.


jennifa
I like your idea about doing things now and not waiting till the weight comes off - I read somewhere about an overweight person describing how she felt "the weight was like an albatross around my neck" and I thought how true it's there ALL the time wherever I go, whatever I do so this past week I have been walking I did 3 days of it - hip hip hooray! I can't believe it I hope to walk Tues, Thurs, Fri & Sat this week - now there I have it in writing that makes me feel more committed.

I'll check in to let you know how I go.

MyGirl

Hi all,

Mygirl, enjoy those walks. I'm not much of a walker myself but I do love bike riding. Lately my exercise has been "gardening" (re: weed pulling) and so I'm not so happy.

I'm not in a place where I can diet right now. It's just too much. I'm getting photos together so I can plus size model and get some self esteem back.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Jennifa

jennifa,
you go girl with the modelling! that's fabulous - that will definitely boost your self esteem.
don't worry too much about not getting in the exercise I go thru periods of not being bothered about doing any and then I suddenly get this burst of eagerness from nowhere...go figure.
gardening is wonderful - getting outside in the sun is definitely a mood booster...not to mention watching your garden grow.

daytona
how are you doing? how are the gym workouts? you must be looking pretty buff by now.

gobbie
long time no hear! hope you're doing fine.


hugs to you all
MyGirl

Hi all,

Just watched Monk (ABC Tuesday nite.) I know a lot of folks on this thread have OCD and I thought I'd mention
this new show about a detective with OCD. I liked it a lot, it's light hearted and portrays it less heavily than As Good
As It Gets.

MyGirl, I LOATHE gardening!!!! It is really just weed pulling and hacking at the Hedge of Insanity! Next year I am getting
some hottie in tight jeans to do it for me. It takes 8 hours out of my week, hours I could be riding a bike, modeling,
flirting with boys, etc.... much more fun than getting sweaty and swatting away lawn bugs.

The good news is I have grapes, lettuce, and raspberries and the lilies and roses make everything smell fantastic. But that's
only like 5 minutes of the time. 8 hours vs. 5 minutes.... well, even though I hate math, it's a no brainer.

Glad you like it though!!!! (Yes I am reminded of Rodney Dangerfield in Caddyshack!)

And I am with you staying away from caffeine, or at least keeping it to just the morning. The meds make me v. sleepy
but overall the caffeine is bad.

Everybody else, hope you are having a great week.

hi everyone,
I'm sorry to report that the last few days I have not been doing so well - I 've had a build up of stress and have not walked at all and have in general not been taking care of me

I have been off work for the last 2 days and really don't feel like going back at all.

I'm not sleeping at night even though I'm exhausted.

Sorry to dump all this here and sound negative but that's just how I feel right now.

hope you are all doing well.

MyGirl

Hi MyGirl,

Well, I'm with you on the sleeping thing (or lack thereof.) Last night I was up at 1:30 trying to convince myself I was ok enough to sleep and that things would be fine in the morning. Work isn't fun for me either but it keeps a roof over my head. And I know that I am going part time or leaving in a year - that makes it a lot better.

I am taking action - you can too!

Go do something FUN.
BAN the tv for the month of September. (do you really want to see all that again???)
Eat healthy for a while.
Let yourself be human.

Hi all,

Mygirl, maybe you are just having a bad week? I know they seem to come out of the blue when you least expect it. Just try to remember you are not alone and we do understand. What do you do when you can't sleep? Does reading help at all? I try to keep a book or two on hand to distract myself when I am anxious. Exercise is supposed to help us destress so if you can even walk a little bit it may help. I been going 3 times a week, even when I don't feel like it, I usually am in a better mood for going. I think it takes my mind off my problems for awhile at least.

Jennifa, what kind of work do you do? Will you be changing jobs or just staying home? You are so right about not waiting to do things till the wt comes off. You deserve fun and new adventures now and in the future LOL.

The weather here has been really humid, you can tell fall is right around the cornor. This is the first time in 25 years I don't have any kids starting back to school, it sure feels funny. My youngest is starting college, if that counts. It is not the same.

Take care everyone,

Daytona

Help! I have never posted before, but I need to connect with others who share my concern about who's looking back at me in the mirror. I am dealing with osteoarthritis and trying to move this old body (53 years) more. Would love to hear from anyone who loves life and wants to keep weight loss in the positive realm! I live in Phoenix, Arizona and it is too hot here to exercise outside.

HI everyone!
hi ladykathryn welcome - hope we can be of some help to you.

I have been doing much better since my last post. The time-out gave me food for thought and I had some time to re-evaluate things and my life direction.

I've also decided to ....(drum roll).....quit my job and do something totally different!

I brave step I know, I'm full of excitement because I am not exactly sure what I'll do - am leaving things open-ended. I'll have a bit of a much needed break first and then think about career prospects early next year.

I appreciate your support daytona - I did try walking on the treadmill and it helped me a lot. My sleeping patterns are back to normal thank goodness. I am normally such a good sleeper.

jennifa - I like your advice about banning the tv for a month and doing something fun - it's been too long since I have done things for ME.

Take care all,
MyGirl

Hi everyone,

MyGirl, here is your drum roll !!!!!!! You are so inspireing, sometimes we just need to shake up our routine. You know the saying if you don't take care of yourself no one else will either. Glad you are sleeping better, it is so hard when you are tired and have anxiety. I still reach for food when I get too stressed out. I also get migraines that are triggered by stress. My youngest is moving out this weekend, she is starting college in town but wants to be on her own. I am a little stressed about that, but over all I am doing good for the moment. Sometimes we just have to take it hour by hour. The weather has cooled off a bit so I been trying to walk more, the exercise helps a lot.

Welcome ladykathryn, sorry we havn't been posting on a more regular basis, we tend to be like that on this thread.

jennifa, how is the no tv coming? I don't watch much, but I do turn it on for noise while I work on quilts. I am with you on the gardening, I hate pulling weeds and my yard shows it.

Have a good Labor Day weekend

Daytona

hi girls,
how are you all doing?
doing much better these past few days (thank goodness).
I am so looking forward to having some time for ME and to be able to do the things I've always wanted to do but just didn't have the time or the energy to do so.

Ahhh I can't wait.

MyGirl

had a full blown panic attack the other day...and yet here I was thinking I was doing much better - or rather I was just kidding myself. I was suppressing a lot of stress and anxious feelings for too long.
I was in the corner store buying the paper when there it was a panic attack that just hit me with an enormous force that I had to crouch down and try to compose myself. I yelled out to a shopper and asked her for help, thankfully she was very helpful. I abandoned my grocery items and got into my car and went straight home.
I feel awful.

Good Morning everyone,

MyGirl, I am so sorry to hear of your recent panic attack. I can relate, that happened to me once also and boy it scares you to death! It is especially bad when you are all alone and still have to try and hold it together enough at least to get out of the store and hopefully home. Try to remember you are making a hugh change in your life and even positive stress (like quiting work) and finding a new direction is still stress! You can have the same old reaction to that as if something bad has happened. I know it is crazy but it is so true. I find that if you think about all the stuff that is going on in your life right now you will begin to see where the attack may have come from. Just dust yourself off and remind yourself how much better you are doing overall. Don't let this set back put in a downward spiral. Think of a phrase you can say when you have high anxiety or an attack and keep repeating it to yourself till you calm down. I use the phrase I can handle this.

How are you doing Jennifa? Are you sleeping any better?

Positive and calming thoughts to all of us.

Daytona

hi daytona,
and thankyou so much for your encouragement - your words of advice stayed with me and I kept thinking about what you said about not getting caught in a downward spiral...so true, the trouble is that I am still feeling very scared about my uneasiness and my trembling feelings BUT I did manage to get out of the house even if only for a little while today I went a store (not same one) where I could get in buy a couple of things and get out quickly without having to wait in line. I know this is sort of cheating but I felt that I couldn't throw myself into the thick of it by going back to the same place so soon after my panic attack...so I tried little steps.
After my small triumph at the store I drove (yes that's right) to another store to pick up some take out...again no waiting in line and I was able to park my car right at the front of the store.
I am not sure what I will do about tomorrow - I will see how I feel in the morning.
I really feel that I am in crisis mode - things just seem to have gotten on top of me.
It just gets me down sometimes I ofetn think will I EVER be able to live without the anxiety?
I must say though that with my past panic attacks I would never dream of going out and trying new things so soon - so I guess I AM making longterm progress.
I am so thankful for your support and kind words.

{{ hugs to all }}
MyGirl

hi gals,
how are you all doing?
I am doing SO much better - thank goodness! have been taking it easy these past few days. I have made a point to go out everyday (this has been with a varying level of uneasiness depending on how tired I feel) The idea has been to challenge myself.

One of the most important developments has been that I went back to the store where I had previously had my panic attack...wow I didn't think I had it in me! This was very empowering indeed...of course I have felt much more relaxed since then so that did help.

just need to keep that walking up!

How are you all doing? I hope you feeling ok and making progress.


{{ special hugs }}