melody
My knees are fine. It is my darn nose that is driving me crazy. I wish it would just get cold and stay that way. Every time it starts to warm up there go my allergy and cold symptoms. I feel like yuck and it is " all in my head " lol.
I have a bad eye and I have to wear tinted lenses because of the darn florescent lights. They told me what was wrong with it. You know, used words <---------------------------------------> long. What it comes down to is I can't see lol. Why don't they just say, you are blind in one eye and can't see out of the other lol. They keep talking about a couple different surgery's that would pretty much fix my eyes. Oh ya, I can see it now. They pop my eye ball out and are fiddling with it. The doc says ooooooops, well she couldn't see out of it very well anyway lol.
Happy
First off, I went from 6 to 8 cans a DAY to ONE every 5 or 6 days. I don't take in any more calories now than I did then but now I am not drinking them all lol. No one takes my dew lol. Do you know there are more calories and crap in the star bucks everyone drinks than in my little can of dew lol. I figure this can of pop into the things I allow myself. Plan my whole day around it. I don't drink diet anything YUCKKKKK.
I have been using light weights since September. Started with bottles of water which were 1lb each. Now I just use very light weights 1 1/2lbs and 2lbs going to get some 3lbs for curls. Nothing very heavy. They are doing a great job at toning. I thought if I tone right along the journey, I will be toned when I get to the weight I want to be or at least sure in better shape than if I wait until I have dropped all the weight. It seems to be working I can see definition in my arms and in the rest of my body. I have an upper body workout I do three times a week. Nothing very difficult. I also do Shapely Secrets In 7, 7 Minute Workout Greer Childers. I do this everyday. You wouldn't think it would do any good. I sure didn't. But the difference I am seeing in my arms and legs really does show. Since wolfbainbreath knows all about this stuff. I had him watch me do those 7 little min of exercises. He said they are great. Use your own muscles against each other. Better than using weights. Who knows. I am starting to see the bat wings go away lol.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Mel - you might want to try yellow tinted sunglasses. Someone at work recommended them to me for night driving as I was having a difficult enough time with the headlights but the new ones they are putting on cars now are really blinding me. Now I drive at night with my yellow safety glasses and look like a crazy woman but who cares - it really helps cut the glare. And the yellow ones don't make things any darker which sunglasses sometimes do.
Rennie - a few posts ago you asked for other suggestions on exercising while you were resting the hamstring but apparently you already have some other options so I'm not sure what it was you were asking for and I will consider myself chastised over the Mountain Dew remark.
Hello All and thank you for the kind welcomes.......a little about myself......
Let's see... 47 years young, divorced 3 years and very happy about that. Most people lose weight when they divorce, I gained cause I was so happy about it, thus Bariatric surgery on 2/12/07. Total loss 142 lbs. and hope not to lose any more. Have two beautiful, great, well-adjusted kids. DD is 22 and DS is 19, both live at home with me. I finally got my act together after the divorce, and bought a house this past June. Just the right size for me and kids. 3 br, 2bath, 2 car garage, small fenced yard for my baby Bella or Belle for short. She is a Jack Russell with all kinds of energy. She will be 8 yrs old Feb 26, but acts like a crazy wired puppy. Has a ornery streak about her too. Both kids are working full time, DD at a mortgage co, DS at a plumbing co.
All is pretty good in life right now, but was long hard struggle 3 years ago when divorcing, lost my job of 23 years, had to sell home of 16 yrs. I feel very blessed in life at the moment.
You all sound so wonderful and fun. Thanks for letting me join in.
YAHOOOOO MOUNTAIN DOOOOO!!
REMEMBER THAT COMMERCIAL?
ANYWAY...CHASTISING HAPPY IS FORBIDDON ON THE 3FC CHANNEL SO DON'T WORRY HAPPY...I'LL SAVE YOU!!!
I'M ON THE WAY!!
OH AND HAPPY....I WILL LOOK INTO THE NIGHT DRIVING GLASSES. WE MIGHT EVEN HAVE AN OLD PAIR AROUND. GREAT IDEA....THANKS!
HERE IS DR DOUG'S WEEKLY E-MAIL LETTER AND BTW HIW WEBSITE IS FREE AND SO ARE THE NEWSLETTERS IF INTERESTED: This week, I thought I would share two articles with you that we discovered in the Nutrition Action Newsletter. The first discusses the idea that the size of our dishes and cutlery affects how much we eat. We always talk about the importance of portion sizes; however, it is difficult to gauge proper portions when we are eating out of large bowls or plates. Something to think about!
The second article discusses the effects of exercise on abdominal fat. For those individuals who incorporated exercise into their weekly routine, abdominal fat cells literally SHRUNK in size.
Have a great weekend, and remember: never give up on yourself or the goals you want to achieve! Keep on trying, no matter what life throws your way.
Dr. Doug
BEWARE OF BIG BOWLS
If you want to eat less, try using smaller bowls...maybe even smaller spoons. At Cornell University in New York State, researchers asked 85 people, (nutrition professors, graduate students, and department staff members), to serve themselves ice cream. Each person either got a small (500 mL) or large (1 litre) empty bowl, and either a small (60 mL) or large (90 mL) serving spoon.
The participants who received a larger bowl served and ate 31 per cent more ice cream than those who got a smaller bowl. (All but three people finished all of the ice cream they served themselves.) However, based on a survey the people filled out after scooping out their ice cream, the large-bowl recipients didn't think they had served themselves more ice cream than the small-bowl recipients. Guage
Participants who got the bigger serving spoons served themselves more ice cream than those who got the smaller spoons, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, people who got a larger bowl and a larger spoon ate 57 per cent more ice cream than those who got a smaller bowl and spoon.
What to do: If you're trying to eat less, use smaller plates, bowls, and spoons.
EXERCISE AWAY BELLY FAT
What's the best way to lose belly fat? Exercise and diet may work better than cutting the same number of calories by diet alone.
Researchers assigned 45 sedentary obese women aged 50 to 70 to either a low-calorie diet or the same diet plus either high or low-intensity exercise. Both exercise groups walked on a treadmill three days a week. However, the low-intensity group walked for 55 minutes at a slower speed (1 to 2 miles per hour), while the high-intensity group walked for 30 minutes at a faster speed (3 to 4 miles per hour).
After 20 weeks, all three groups had lost about the same weight (19 to 24 pounds). However, abdominal fat cells shrunk only in the two exercise groups.
And losing belly fat doesn't just slim your midriff. Belly fat raises the risk of diabetes and heart disease more than fat on hips, thighs or elsewhere.
What to do: If you're overweight, cutting calories and exercising are critical. These women burned only about 60 calories a day on the treadmill, but it was enough to shrink their fat cells. Other studies show that exercise can cut the risk of diabetes even if you don't lose a pound.
THIS MAIL REMINDED ME THAT I HAD RUN OUT AND BOUGHT ONE PLACE SETTING OF SMALLER PLATES WHEN I BOUGHT THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET BOOK. THEN JUST AS QUICKLY I DROPPED THEM ONE BY ONE AND NEVER REPLACED THEM. I THINK I WILL LOOK FOR SOME SMALLER PLATES NEXT TIME I GO TO THE MALL. THEY REALLY MOTIVATED ME TO EAT SMALLER PORTIONS.
HAVING A QUIET DAY SO FAR. A FRIEND JUST GAVE RICHIE AND JEN A LOVELY HIDE-A-BED SOFA IN EXCELLENT CONDITION WITH A BRAND NEW MATTRESS STILL IN THE PLASTIC! IF I HAD THE ROOM I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT MYSELF!
I AM OFF TO FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WITH THIS PEACEFUL DAY. STILL DARK AND DREARY BUT THAT'S OK WITH ME!!
ANNIE...SEEMS WE POSTED TOGETHER! WHAT A GREAT COMEBACK STORY!!! GOOD FOR YOU SO I WILL SAY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WEIGHTLOSS AND TAKING SUCH GOOD CONTROL OVER A LIFE THAT SEEMED TO GO SPINNING OUT OF ORBIT!! SO GLAD THINGS ARE GOING WELL FOR YOU AND THE KIDS. YOU DESERVE A BIG OL' PAT ON THE BACK!!
WE ARE WOMEN HEAR US ROAR!!!!
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Mel - I think the idea of using smaller dishes was the best thing I got out of the Sonoma Diet book. First we go down from dinner plates to lunch plates. From lunch plates to dessert plates. And from dessert plates we go and dig out Jen's old tea set and eat off those Call me when the tea party is on - seems more appropriate to hold it in your end of town than mine
Annie - I'm sorry you had a downer time there for a while but WOW lady - what success you have had. Congrats on turning your life around woman
If you don't mind my asking, I have always been curious with the surgery how you STOP losing the weight when you get to an appropriate goal? Is it because your stomach eventually expands a bit and you move to a regular diet? Will you always have to chew extensively for the rest of your life? I don't mean to pry - just have been very curious about it. My DH's cousin had it but we don't keep in touch and I have a friend who had it but she seemed to blow away every concept and rule I heard about life after surgery.
I've been to the dermatologist today but he rescheduled me for minor surgery for a huge skin tag that couldn't be burned off. While in Jonesboro, I ate lunch at Ryan's and went shopping at Kohl's. Kohl's had some good sales.
Happy
Are you thinking about having the surgery done?
Annie
Congratulations on your weight loss, and turning your life around. This is great.
Mel
I sure do like your happy spirit. It is a lot easier to use a smaller plate for portion control.
Reenie
I use the 3 pound weights for toning. I have the 5 and 8 pounds also but they are heavy for me to use. I quit going to the gym because I would over do with heavy weights.
to all the rest. Hello Everyone stay motivated. We can do this.
I'LL LEAVE YOU WORLDLY CHICKS WITH THIS THOUGHT BEFORE BEDTIME.....OR IN SHADDIE'S CASE DAWN!!
CALMNESS IN OUR LIVES
I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all
use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on
the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed, "The way
to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have
never finished."
So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and
before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot,
a bottle of White Zinfandel. a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Kahlua, a package of Oreos,
the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake,
some Doritos and a box of chocolates.
You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.
Please pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.
CEEJAY~ SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A GREAT SHOPPING DAY!! NOW STAY OUT OF THOSE DARK PLACES WHERE THINGS GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT!!!
GOOD LUCK WITH THE SKIN SURGERY.
Location: A beautiful and peaceful place in the woods
Posts: 8,905
S/C/G: Stuck/Working on it/Good 2 Go
Height: Fun Size
Wow Annie - I looked at your profile - you're a real cutie!!!! You do look like you are in a happy place in the shot. Glad to hear you are on the high road of life now. Those Jack Russell's are fun dogs.
A little about me since you're sharing. I'm 53, will be married 31 years in March. No kids. We are cat people. Cats find their way to our house and we take care of them. We have a scaredy cat named Boo who was a neighborhood stray that decided one day we were safe (and suckers ) There is also a male Feral cat that has taken up residence in the cat bed in the porch outside and will sit patiently and wait for us to notice him and come out and feed him tho we will never get closer than about 10 feet to him. Boo does not like Mr. Feral. I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there all my life until 4 years ago when my company got bought out and I relocated with the parent company to Memphis. This is not the place I want to spend the rest of my life but it will do for now. One nice thing is that winter is only 2 months long (if that). This morning as I left for work the sun was shining and the birds are all coming back and singing their spring songs which is just lovely to hear. I've always had issues with weight but it has been more difficult it seems over the last few years with quitting smoking, 2 job changes, moving away from friends and family to a new place which does not feel like home at all. My husband keeps telling me that it is not this place that is so bad as much as the world has changed, people and surroundings are different and I must learn to adapt as I will never find the "good old days" again. I do not feel sorry for myself and I have made a promise to myself that this new year I am trying to take a positive attitude, see the good around me and work hard at getting healthy again and making positive changes in my life. Again, welcome to the group.
Gee Ceejay - good luck with the skin tags. I had a big one on my back which was smack dab on the bra line. It was REALLY irritating me so one day - get ready to get squeemish - I just had DH sterilize a pair of manacure scissors and he took it off for me. It only hurt for a while. But I asked him to do it and he made me laugh about us now moving to an old peoples' version of "playing doctor"- unlike what me might have done in our 20's so I kind of forgot about it hurting. I'm probably lucky I didn't get a really bad infection or something
You're right - Kohl's does have good sales. Particularly if you can hit the clearance racks or sales right at the start of the sale.
Cute joke Mel - I saw that one before. I hear Dr. Phil is in trouble for violating a the Brittney Spears family confidence and going on national morning TV and blabbing about her breakdown last week. I can only take him in small doses. The one thing of his that I carry with me is at the start of his show where he is talking to a young, troubled man and says "I want you to get EXCITED about your life". For some reason that just really rings true with me.
Perhaps if I sit on my rebounder and bounce on my butt I can get excited. That is until I try to stand up from sitting 6 inches off the ground
I guess this is my post for Saturday. I'm getting up early (ugh) and DH and I are going out for breakfast (yumm). Then we are heading south of the border to Mississippi to look at some tile for the front hall and a new front door. I don't know why, but it is terribly difficult to find a door here outside of just what they carry in the home improvement stores. It's time to get focused on the home improvements lest Shad come back and realize we have the same paint and wallpaper as we did the last time around.
Have a good Saturday ladies, make it a productive one.
Cee
I remember when I started using 1lb weights for over my head I thought they were heavy. Then 1 1/2 lb weights then 2. 3lb weights are great right now, heavy enough but not so heavy I can't get a decent amount of reps in. I use each of them for different exercise. Think I am going to go to 4lbs for curls. I have strong arms and boy are the muscles starting to tone and show up real nice. Now to just get rid of the bald eagle wings lol. Why do other people notice the difference and we don't? My daughter told me I didn't have bald eagle wings anymore, just small bat wings lol. I don't use the bow flex because I always over do it. Better for me to stick to hand weights and stretch cords with and without handles.
Melody
The knees feel good as new, just this darn hamstring I am bothered with. It is much much better but not 100% yet.
Happy
I can always use more exercises lol.
Heck I should write a book. How did I know it was written down somewhere to use smaller plates. That was the first thing I did when I started to eat differently and lose weight. How did I know there was a recipe to use spray oil on a pan and bake chicken. I just did it, had no idea there was a recipe. I bet I have a book full of idea that someone has written about and to me are just common sense lol.
Greetings to "old," new and the soon to have a birthday!
I actually WENT to a WW meeting this am, and by "only" tracking food (rather than actually making a big, impossible promise to make drastic eating changes, I was down #.6 since before Christmas. So that's encouraging.
Shad: You're right about gradual increase/approach to exercise. (And SO sorry about your torn hamstring.) I'm still taking post-chemo meds to keep the joint/muscle pain to a minimum. Except I skipped doses yesterday and was definitely waddle-y-er than usual today. But I doubled up, and DH and I actually schlepped around the block before dinner. Weather was nice (temporarily). Next week is the big "stock show" (as in cattle, not IPO's) in Fort Worth, and the tradition is that it rains buckets. We'll see.
Happy: Thanks for the good (?) news about your skin tag. DH has asked me do perform the same service on him. I'm not sure if I can. I rather liked that the dermatologist used local anesthetic and that I didn't feel anything. I suppose my lovable lunk of a husband doesn't care about PAIN.
Annie-- (welcome!!)-- Congratulations on surviving and then thriving! Divorce + job change + house change + surgery is a LOT OF CHANGES. Will you need post-weight loss surgery, do you think? DH's previous gf had a Jack Russell. I think the one on Frasier is awesome, but the gf's was neurotic, allergic to grass and tended to leak whenever he got escited. Is that true of MOST Jack Russells? Do you know if there is a "calmest" terrier? Or is that an oxymoron?
Glad to hear y'all talking about exercise. We have a Bowflex imitator... I could definitely do that for my arms. What exercise do you do to get the "Eagle wings" reduced to "Bat wings"? A lady at WW said she'd bought some kind of squashy disk/pillow that was supposed to strengthen your core just by sitting on it. (I think it doesn't look quite as odd at a desk as an exercise ball would...) Have any of you heard of such a thing? I'm good at sitting, and wouldn't mind a bit of challenge added to that.
I can see you are all figuring out that Annie rocks!!! She is an amazing mom too.
7 more hours of work and then i am off til Tues morning. Yippee!!!! I really need to kick house butt. (and take down Christmas decorations)
Right now I am enjoying the Sat morning solitude cause everyone else is still sleeping. Imagine only making breaky and packing lunch for oneself and no one bickering in the background. Bliss.
Been mostly focusing on my finances and clearing out my office. Shredding stuff is quite releasing. I still had baby care/emergency files for every kid I had in my home since 2001. Right now i am recording every penny we spend and, everything we earn. Writing down every cent you spend every day is really scary but helps. Probably should do the same with my food intake. I am getting there.
As always, it is great to see you all.
HAPPY~ I AM WORKING ON GETTING "EXCITED" MAYBE WE CAN BOTH LEARN THAT TRICK THIS YEAR HAPPY TILE HUNTING!!! I FEEL THE SAME ABOUT DR PHIL. WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO BREAK A CONFIDENCE CAUSE HE IS JUST TOO CONFIDENT!!!
PAINTER~ I AM GOOD AT SITTING TOO...MAYBE I SHOULD GOOGLE IT AND SEE WRF IT IS!! CONGRATULATIONS ON LOSING WEIGHT OVER THE HOLIDAYS!!! WOW!! THAT MUST BE ENCOURAGING. GOOD LUCK WITH THE WW MEETINGS!I LIKED THEM FOR ACCOUNTABILITY.
SHOOT....THE SMOKE ALARM IS GOING OFF. GOTTA RUN. ALL IS WELL OVER HERE THOUGH AND WE'RE GETTING READY FOR THE SNOW THAT'S COMING OR NOT COMING...DEPENDING WHICH CHANNEL YOU WATCH
RICHIE IS GOING TO THE STORE TODAY. GOOD BOY.
BETTER GO AND TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS.
HAPPY SATURDAY!
Morning All, Thanks Ruth for the tip on the site...that is very cool and makes for less searching..... Happy Birthday is soon upon you all the best. Your surgery will soon be here and my thoughts go out to you .... working with people who get replacements is a rewarding task but truly requires determination on the part of the patient....remember Ruth.... you need to get the knee straight.... straight straight....... your bend will usually always come. Good Luck and I hope you receive good therapy afterwards......
Welcome Annie, this is a terrific place to come and visit any time....wonderful women on this site.... comedians most of them..... jokesters.... encouraging always.
Winter is here and seems to reamin at my house on the hill when the snow melts down below which makes me happy. My turtles survived my extended away vaca quite well. Sparky the largest turtle is very determined to get my attention now as often as he can.... fascinating how much he responds to me... so much fun. Teeka held up so well on our 1500 mile journey from south to north...she is amazing in that 3lb body of hers.... 13 and still pimps for food like a pirannaha!
Hope everyone is well I have so much rearranging to do and getting rid of stuff.... trying to make each corner and space more zen like and refreshing.... my 2008 project is to eliminate all this stuff that has been left behind from ex... and sons who are now on their own. I have a difficult time sorting through it all by myself but time to get on with it.... so you may hear complaints from me from time to time about it..... less is more!!!!
Blessings to all!
Peace,
Nae
NAE GOOD MRONING!! JUST GET A LOT OF GARBAGE BAGS AND TOSS, TOSS, TOSS!!! IT CAN BE SAD AT FIRST BUT I FOUND IT VERY INVIGORATING AND CATHARTIC!!! IN THE END I WAS LOVING IT YUEARS OF "WEIGHT" JUST MELTED AWAY FROM MY MIND....IN FACT I FOUND I ACTUALLY HAD A MIND!!!
I CAME BACK TO BRAG. A MAN IN THE LOBBY ASKED IF I WAS ON A DIET "WITH THE REST OF THEM" I SAID I AM ALWAYS TRYING TO LOSE THE REST OF THIS WEIGHT. HE SAID I WAS DOING A GOOD JOB THIS MONTH. SO I FLEW UP AND I WEIGHED IN AT 183.5....THAT'S 3.5 LBS SINCE THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER. I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER!!!
SEE WHAT A CUTE DENTIS CAN DO??
SPEAKING OF WHICH...I NEED HIS REFERRAL TO MAKE THE PROPER APPOINTMEN SO I WILL GET IT ON THURSDAY WHEN I GO IN.
OFF TO THE KITCHEN. CLEAN. CLEAN. CLEAN. BEFORE THE ACCOUNTANT COMES IN.
THIS MAIL REMINDED ME THAT I HAD RUN OUT AND BOUGHT ONE PLACE SETTING OF SMALLER PLATES WHEN I BOUGHT THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET BOOK. THEN JUST AS QUICKLY I DROPPED THEM ONE BY ONE AND NEVER REPLACED THEM. I THINK I WILL LOOK FOR SOME SMALLER PLATES NEXT TIME I GO TO THE MALL. THEY REALLY MOTIVATED ME TO EAT SMALLER PORTIONS.
SO I WILL SAY A BIG CONGRATULATIONS ON THE WEIGHTLOSS AND TAKING SUCH GOOD CONTROL OVER A LIFE THAT SEEMED TO GO SPINNING OUT OF ORBIT!! SO GLAD THINGS ARE GOING WELL FOR YOU AND THE KIDS. YOU DESERVE A BIG OL' PAT ON THE BACK!! 
Call me when the tea party is on - seems more appropriate to hold it in your end of town than mine 
Everyone stay motivated. We can do this.
) There is also a male Feral cat that has taken up residence in the cat bed in the porch outside and will sit patiently and wait for us to notice him and come out and feed him tho we will never get closer than about 10 feet to him. Boo does not like Mr. Feral. I was born and raised in Chicago and lived there all my life until 4 years ago when my company got bought out and I relocated with the parent company to Memphis. This is not the place I want to spend the rest of my life but it will do for now. One nice thing is that winter is only 2 months long (if that). This morning as I left for work the sun was shining and the birds are all coming back and singing their spring songs which is just lovely to hear. I've always had issues with weight but it has been more difficult it seems over the last few years with quitting smoking, 2 job changes, moving away from friends and family to a new place which does not feel like home at all. My husband keeps telling me that it is not this place that is so bad as much as the world has changed, people and surroundings are different and I must learn to adapt as I will never find the "good old days" again. I do not feel sorry for myself and I have made a promise to myself that this new year I am trying to take a positive attitude, see the good around me and work hard at getting healthy again and making positive changes in my life. Again, welcome to the group. 
so I kind of forgot about it hurting. I'm probably lucky I didn't get a really bad infection or something 
MAYBE WE CAN BOTH LEARN THAT TRICK THIS YEAR 
YUEARS OF "WEIGHT" JUST MELTED AWAY FROM MY MIND....IN FACT I FOUND I ACTUALLY HAD A MIND!!! 