Good morning LWL,

It's Turkey week here in the US, and for me it's panic week. I'm cooking for 17, and was away this weekend, will be working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning, driving to Baltimore airport (1 1/2 hours- no traffic) to retrieve dd on Wednesday afternoon. I haven't figured out when I'm cooking or cleaning. I did get 2 pies done and in the freezer on Friday, and the bird is resting in the freezer until tonight (how long does is take to thaw 25 pounds of solid meat?). The rest will get done somehow...or we'll have enough wine that no one cares

I've been totally on plan for the last few days. Even carried ALL my food for the weekend and ignored a huge buffet table of typical pot-luck fare which seemed heavy on the bought desserts and candy. Not once, but twice. Yay me!

Back to regular lifting split this week after my week of full body workouts. I'll see how I do, I still don;t feel strong, but there's only one way to get that way

Gotta head to the gym,

Mel

Hi LWL - Mel, I do not even want to think about how you will get everything done this week. What can I do to help? Yikes!

DH is home this week and I am looking forward to having him here. We have a list of things to clean out and de-clutter and I am looking forward to the "after". This is also the week I get my butt back in gear and lose the 7 pounds I have gained since my attack mid-Sep and regain control over my body.

I saw a doctor Sat who gave with one hand and took away with the other. She took away the running - no more, not ever. I am trying to process that. I intellectually get it, but have not gotten it emotionally. There are a lot of physical reasons, but I did not see the psychological coming. I have a bit of an addictive personality (see before picture and include 28 years of smoking) and realized I was running strictly for the "buzz" and not the health benefits. Every other thing I have done in the gym has been about control and mastery and working in harmony with my body and seeing how far "we" can go and what "we" can do. But the first time I ran it hit me like a drug and I wanted more and more. When I think back on it, I can tell the exact time it hit me that I needed "more and more" of this (after my first 5K). It is also like a drug that I need more to get the rush. I can see that I need to let it go and move back to control - writing this out has helped a lot.

On the other hand, she told me I am sleep deprived. Call it what ever you want (MS, periomenapause, stress, living in DC) but 4-5 hours of sleep a night with a 2-3 hour break in the middle is not a good night's sleep. So I started on something to help me sleep Sat night and I am feeling better. I am still up 3x a night to pee, but at least I can fall back asleep. Today is my exercise stress test at the hospital - I'll have results next week. I also have my first Pilates session with the PT who has other MS clients on Tues.

DH and I are planning a quiet TG at home, just the two of us (our choice). I am planning on giving myself a facial and foot scrub and being thankful for the warmth and support of my family and friends. ... And cooking a healthy and bountiful dinner with love and joy and fresh ingredients. Wishing you al lthe same ...

Today is the first day of my regaining control ... these are my choices

Ellen, HUGS FROM MICHIGAN to you. I will keep you in my prayers that you will find new ways to get your exercise in and achieve the endorphin highs that are necessary to you and to so many more of us as well. Your plans for Thanksgiving sound great.

Mel, you need a clone, maybe two of them.

I attended the cheer awards banquet last night and received the Coach of the Year award. I was very pleased. I almost skipped breakfast this AM but decided that I would go back home, make my egg white omelette with ff cheese and fresh tomatoes and pack a healthy lunch. I don't need to leave ANYTHING up to chance. Tonight is Kwando class and shoulders.

Peace.

Tiki

hi LWL,

Ellen - Lots of good wishes coming your way. I admire how you set yourself to come to terms with these things. i hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving with your husband. Is he doing the foot scrubbing??
Tiki- Congratulations COACH OF THE YEAR!!! That is so great !

Mel - Your week sounds like you should get the turkey to help you!

Today I was again angry at XH, just anger eating away at me. So I got myself into gear, because anger is not going to get me anywhere I need to be. The guy is the kids father so I will see him now and in the future, its unavoidable and so I cannot afford to get sour and angry at him. I played my meditation CD2 (which is yoga) and was so energised by it that afterwards I went to run outside for 45 minutes. And the anger is less now, probabely sweated it out.

have a greatday all,
rabbit

Ohh - I didn't think of that .... Nah, I can probably use the time to myself and it will be easier to clean up



I agree - GoTiki (it seemed appropriate)

Rabbit - you are doing great - ride your emotions, take care of yourself and maintain conttrol. Life may hit us with a number of bad pitches, but we can still hit them out of the park (hmmm - must be missing baseball)

Hi,

Mel ~ this year I forgot to defrost the turkey - so i used "put it in the cold wash basin" methond and forgot it there too. Than my hubby did not care for it when it was baking and did not pour juices on it either, so in whole - after beeing screwed on every step of the way - this one was the best turkey I've ever had!!! It spend overnight in the sink with cold water (suggested time was 2 hours).

Ellen ~ take "no running rule" easy. I imposed "no running" rule on myself on Nov5th when I could not finish the relay for my team and almost fainted from the lack of oxygen or overventilation - so I decided - no more running. I use Tae-bo, and spinning classes. Biking is much easier on your knees, but it is the same cardio anyways... Hope you find a way to convince yourself that world is big and running is not the only thing you can do

Tiki ~ congrats on the award!

Rabbit ~ yoga rules the world!

I discovered spinning class in my gym - the time is right and I am excited! Did almost everything but was not sweating like other people did - what's that? I am going thru tough time at work and I am a bit stressed ~ so doing lots of cardio helps! I survived my son's birthday and did not touch the cake (what helped is this blue frosting - yuak! - but kids loved it)! Weight however did not change inspite of my attempts - however it does not bother me either.

Sandy.

Arghh. Lost my whole post. . .

Anyway, Hi.

Let's see - had to skip today's workout due to lack of sleep (I can't lift anything in the gym on 2-3 hours of sleep) and I allowed myself a generous sampling of the cookies I baked last night for tomorrow's office party. Add to this the fact that for the next month I'll be working 60+ hours per week and...I really do not have any idea how I'll have either the brainpower to remember to eat healthy or the physical strength to maintain my workouts.

This holiday season is off to a rather inauspicious start for me.

Rabbit, I applaud your strong and positive attitude on handling the sitch with your ex. Tiki, congrats on the coaching award!

Hi everyone. After another ....gosh, I'm almost there, I think I'll have a relapse ... I'm almost back on the bandwagon.
I've got two new magazines. Over the weekend I did little bits and odds of whatever exercise I wanted. Today I tried some back and shoulder things I've never done (or been afraid of) It feels pretty good.
On Saturday I went grocery shopping and bought only good stuff for the first time in a couple of months. That felt good too.
I'm going to go reading around a bit and see what's up. I could use some motivation for cardio

Mel -- Here is a great recipe that I just tried tonight that may be a lifesaver during your hectic time, IF you have time to make it that is, I'd send you some if I could, makes a huge batch and is delish Festive & Flavorful Pumpkin Tomato Chili

Susan -- Welcome Back (I think I mentionned this on the Maintainers Forum )

Ellen -- Is running too hard on your system now? I wish you the best in finding something that suits you, I'm sure you will too, you have that detemination

Shannon -- Keep strong girl, the holiday rollercoaster has just begun.... Plan, plan, plan your workouts, your food, everything you possibly can so that you can stay in control...

Tiki -- Now why does it not surprise me that you are "Coach of the Year" .... You should also have the "Parent of the Year" award, you rock girl!!

Sandy -- Glad to see you found something to replace the running!

Today I had a GRRREAT leg workout ... I found this workout in one of my mags that I was cleaning out today. I pulled all the best workouts and will bring them to the gym with me.
This workout consisted of : DB deadlifts 4x20,
lunges (I did mine on the bosu ball) 4x20each leg,
jump squats supersetted with leg extensions 4x15 (this was really really hard),
I don't remember what you call this exercise but you lie on your back with your heals on a ball you bring your hips up as you straighten your legs then bend the legs bring the ball back to your butt, OUCH is all I can say, this was super setted with hack squats, OUCH again...
then I did some ball squats but only one set of 10 because I had to leave... Thank goodness for small miracles

Hi Susan! Good to see you, and Ellen too.

I never got back here to reconstruct my missing post. I'm sure it wasn't that earth-shattering. But it's time to go home and see what sort of low to mid range dinner I can think up. I've been entering today's food into Fitday, so I know where I'm at anyway. Not bad at all, in fact. It certainly helped that there was nothing at work to eat besides an apple or some applesauce, and my emergency protein bars (which are really that - not my "choice" of a snack) so I had the apple.

hi LWL,

Tuesday, and I had the dreaded session with XH and the therapist again. I knew it was goint to be a tough one, the issue for me being that XH is going to live together with NL, and means my children to visit him with her around. As it is now 6 weeks since he told us of NL, the kids do not want to see NL, and neither do I want NL in my life.

So, I went there with my stomach in knots repeating "I will NOT get mad and cry". And I screwed it big time. I knew and was prepared that he wants NL to be around when the kids visit because he has no place else to put her, I knew he wants to introduce NL to our frineds as soon as possible in order to build up her new life, and he wants to live near the kids so I will have a chance of running into NL when shopping, but I blew it when he announced that in the future he sees holidays of the kids with him and NL.
So I got mad, yelled at him, called him names and llater on left thew therapist crying again. So far no committment from XH that he relents on his stand. Next week we will have another session on this, this time the kids have to write the therapist a letter telling their view.

I am now trying to get over it before my son comes home. I went and bought comfort food, I had 2 crackers with pate and cucumber pickles, and I'm going to make a cup of tea, read a magazine, cook for tonight and try to find the time for the meditation CD2: the yoga. yesterday I did not feel like doing it at all, but it somehow energized me so i think I'll do it again today. I'm emotionally exhausted.

Have a great day all,
rabbit

Rabbit, another time I wish we could give you some real hugs! These cyber-good-wishes will have to do! {{{HUGS}}}

And, not to make light of the situation at all, but we sure have different ideas of comfort food I'd be right there with the peanut butter and macaroni-and-cheese, not pate and pickles!

Hang in there, it really will get better, even if not for awhile.

I wish I had something wonderful to report this morning but I don't. I think I'm suffering the old junk food and caffeine withdrawl headache thing. I've taken a wee tylenol and I'm going to curl up with my new Oxygen mag. Probably later I'll feel like doing legs.
I haven't been totally useless this morning tho' ... I did work for a few hours. It's nice to be home in the quiet of the day

rabbit - do not beat yourself up - your life has been turned upside down and XH is calling all the shots? Man, something is very wrong here. Do you have private sessions with the therapist? Maybe get your own - one who sees only you and not XH. Have you contacted a lawyer yet. XH choses to walk and he still has control over the situation? He controls the lives and social patterns for you, your children and, reading between the lines, NL, too? I see a very controlling, self-centered child in a man's body. Scary. Get strong, sister, and all your LWL friends are fighting for you, too. We are here. *hugs*