Okay, compared to yesterday I'm completely sane - okay, not completely, but I do feel much better. More grounded today.

I decided it was time to act yesterday. I left messages with our primary massage instructor to please contact me. And last night I talked to one of the program directors, who is a sweet, wonderful person and also a massage therapist. I explained that person is ticked off because she didn't get her way in a class and she's taken every single little thing that has ever happened in the program and gone to it's director with it, with the idea that we all feel the same way but are too self serving to go to her ourselves. Then she has taken time out of every class to make sure the teachers know she's done it and to hound us about this survey that was circulated because of HER statements that we all felt the same way and were too scared and self serving. The teacher was floored - they really believed this girl. Which explains why she is acting more and more balsy in class lately. She was working on a 68 year old man in our class and was having trouble finding a muscle in his glute area. She didn't want to ask for help (because she knows more than all the teachers and us combined) but the teach saw it and was verbally directing her to the muscle. She says "Mary, there is absolutely NO muscle tone here whatsoever. What do you expect me to do?!" The poor man on the table was alm,ost in tears!!! We were all in shock. The teacher just walked over and showed her where the muscle was. THAT'S IT! It's as if the teachers are afraid of her now, so they let her little attitude run the class, and she does crap like that all night long! Every night and every Saturday. It's great fun.

I also talked to the dr's office to tell them the situation and ask if I should still come in and be seen. That I will do what I can on this diet but it's not going to be much until after school. He works a lot with stress and still wants to see me to help with that and get me all balanced out.

Last night's class was all about grounding emotionally and stress relief techniques for clients. So it was nice timing.

Thanks for your support. I needed it and still do. Guess that's why it's a support group, huh. I get it now

Okay, two tests tonight and one extension on a papar. Time to hit the books before work. Talk to you guys later.

Good luck on the tests and the paper, Grassie!! And good for you for taking the initiative to stop letting this person run the class. It's amazing how many people will not take action for themselves or for another being. I know it can get a person in alot of trouble for standing up for yourself or someone else, or for something one believes in...trust me...i do it all the time and get slammed for it. But I think it's the right thing to do. Keep up the great work...

If your Doc wants you to deal with stress, might I suggest some Qi Gong? It's the best thing inthe world for stress. I have been taking classes for 5 weeks now...my life has changed dramatically because of it. If you have a local Dojo, check there.

I'm looking into a reiki course...I'd like to add it to my therapeutic rehab techniques for horses and dogs....I really think I need to go into business for myself. I really do.

I come up with all these great ideas...and never act on them...

Time to sit down and analyze some of my life I think!lol

Have a great day ladies!!

Hey HS - Equine massage therapy is coming into its own, girl! Heck .. I paid $75 for a chiropractor to come out and adjust Mt. Shadow after her abcess healed, and I just had an equine dental specialist do her teeth! Yes, I would definitely consider hiring a massage therapist for my horse... probably before I'd go to one myself. Sad. Very sad. I keep trying to think of something I could do that would actually earn enough money for me to support me and my kids. With horses, that is.

Grasshopper - I'm so glad you are feeling better today. Sometimes we just have to put our foot down and say enough is enough.

I'm dealing (or trying to) with my own head issues today.. it's interesting to me how working out can sometimes bring things to the surface mentally, even if you're not precisely prepared to deal with them. The stupid scale is being a pig and even though it shouldn't bother me, it is bothering me. Argh. The sciatica flare up is fading though, and I was back to running today. Hopefully that will help. If it doesn't, we're looking at one dead scale.

Happy Thursday!

RT - go get a massage!!!! Sciatica is sooooo easy to treat! There are some great stretches for it too. If you want I'll see if I can find you some photos of some (hard to explain in words) and post them for you.

HS - I took the first level of Reiki about 8 years ago and I love it. I do it on my dog when he's asleep, my BF and my grandmother. I've used it on pregnant mothers - to help calm babies and on a friend with wrist problems... I am planning to take the last 2 classes right after graduating. We're doing a ton of energy healing stuff at school now. I've learned a very simple and COOL way to help with migraines! The night she taught it one of our students was getting one - and was a complete skeptic! We got to see the technique in action. The girl was touching her head all night going "wow, it's gone!" I was also doing Qi Gong with the Eastern Modalities class I was taking and did love it. Since the class is over I've stoped though. I'll have to look at getting back into it again. Can't afford to pay for it right now but when school is out I can. Until then, I'll just have to do what I know.

Have you ever done Gamboor???? It's wonderful! I do it every day to help with stress. Sometimes, there's just too much of it though

I'm doing better today. Feel like i'm eating everything in site but they've all been healthy choices and at least I'm excited about what I'm eating. Also not craving sugar as much today. got some of the fake sugar candy. One piece and I was fine.

I'm feeling a whole lot better.

RT - hang in there and if there is anything I can send you from a bodyworker's standpoint let me know. Tight periformis muscles are soooooo common and we don't even realize it!

Grasshopper - I've been doing all the stretches I can think of, but if you have some better ones, I'm all for it!! I'd love to see the pics! I can't afford a massage right now or I'd do it in a heartbeat. I realized that when I was practicing taekwondo I NEVER experienced a sciatica flare up, and I really believe it was because of all the intense stretching we did. The only thing that seems to bring on an attack right now is the sitting trot and the canter. More than likely because of the pounding on my tailbone because I haven't gotten that nice hip rocking (woo baybee) motion going on yet. I'll learn! But in the meantime any stretches, anything at all that I can try to stop the pain would be wonderful!

where is my post??? I posted today right after RT and it's no where....oh well...

RT here is a good stretch. You're looking for the one titled piriformis stretch. There are a couple of changes or notes I would add to it though.

1. hold the stretch for 30-40 seconds. You want to lull the muscle into relaxing my giving it a nice soothing stretch - not bully it into submission..that doesn't work nearly as nicely! Repeat it 2-3 times on each side -whether or not you have pain. This will prevent it while you're riding as well.

2. make SURE you lock your pelvis into a nuetral position. It's very easy to let your hips round up and make the stretch easier to do - BUT this keeps you from isolating the piriformis. It's much better to lock the pelvis in place and hold the smaller stretch!

Another thing I have tried is to get a tennis ball - lie on the floor and put the ball under your glutes. Mover around over it until you find what feels like the most tender spot. You want to hold it here. Just relax and let the tennis ball sit in place for a couple of minutes. (do it while watching TV or reading ) Once things start relaxing you can move it around a bit. It gives you a good massage. If you are too tender to try this lieing on something hard you can always try lieing in your bed but it's a much lighter pressure! Keep a ball in the freezer for times when you're really in pain!! You can get an ice/pressure point massage at the same time!

I hope these help! Good luck and stick with it. This is one of the most common tight muscles I treat so you're in a huge crowd of company!

G'morning!!

Grasshopper - I found the stretch online, with a lot of really good diagrams and pictures. I'm tempted to just try it right here at work, but with my luck one of the guys would walk in while I'm lying on the floor. I really appreciate your help with this!! The tennis ball thing sounds really interesting, I'm looking forward to trying that one, too! I'll let you know how the stretching works...

I'm in a much better mood today. I've been doing the pilates moves that I can remember, and I decided not to buy a DVD player right now because I have plans to buy a PS2 in another month for the family, so it's kind of silly to spend another $50+ on a DVD player right now. I'm going to pick up a VHS tape of pilates for $10 and use that till we get the PS2 and I can use my DVDs again. Saving money always makes me happy. I found that it's a LOT easier to do pilates now that I've removed another 20 pounds or so since the last time I tried it. And I'm also getting much better at isolating muscles, and that feels really cool. The scale is being nicer to me again today, which I hate to admit *might* have something to do with me being in a better mood. Back down to 180.5 - which means only one more FREAKING pound and I'm in the 170s again. Finally. And I bet I can do it in the next week and a half, which brings me to the end of the month. That would be SO cool.

Again, Grasshopper - It is so nice of you to help!

HS - How goes the analyzing?? I know I seem to have been doing a lot of that lately, myself.

YAYYYy for Raven Toy! Soon to be back in the 170's!! and YAYYYYY for Grassie for being able to help one of us on here by using her soon to be proffession!

Now I got one for ya, Grassie....I have a type of arthritis in my hips called Spondylitis...stretching seems to help it...but what kind of stretches and massaging should I be doing for it? The tennis ball thing sounds great and I'll be trying that tonite1lol

Well ladies..I'm off to supper, grilled chicken and salad...I'm being a good girl!! Got into my size smaller jeans...just can't get them done up...so in about 5-7lbs I should be able to do them up...

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Everyone's doing such a great job losing weight!!! Good for all of you!!

HS I'll check on the arthritis stretches and let you know. Qi Gong is definately good for it!!! I'll get back to you tomorrow. mrm

HS - Okay, first things first...any changes need to be slow and gentle. Here is a pretty site showing stretches. (I really need to get this exercise software that lets me email stretches to people!).

http://www.nass.co.uk/exrs10.htm

Again, all stretches need to be held for 30-60 seconds, and should be gentle and relaxing. Lull the body into relaxation and movement - don't force it.

Next, you may know this but look at the way you sleep. Are you on your back with a pillow under your knee? Or on your side with pillows between your knees and under arms? (like a body pillow) The idea is to take stress off the hips and low spine during restorative sleep. Watch your shoes..make sure you're in good footwear.

Massage helps some people and causes acute phases in others so get a therapist that you know works well with this type of arthritis and test the waters.

Last but not least - tons of water and NO carbination. It can tear down joints even faster.

Heat and ice can both be good, depending on where you are in a flareup.

Hope this helps!!! OH and try some Reiki on it!

Thankee Thankee, Grassie! I've bookmarked the site in my Spondylitis folder in my Favorites! And I will definitely take your advice as to looking for a good RMT who knows how to deal with types of arthritis. I will try mylocal Arthritis Society and see if they can point me in a direction of someone knowlegable.

Eating has been soso the last few days. I still won't get on the scales for another week due to the ToM. It's nearing the end but I know my water gain won't go away for at least another 3 days. Sooooo time to get back on track!lol

Hope everyone's doing well this weekend. It's cold here right now at 7:30 am...supposed to get sunny by this afternoon...I hope so....well, am off to finish my oatmeal and then do laundry...wanna beat the crowds at the laundromat. I hate not having a basement!!!

Happy Sunday ladies!!!

Hi guys. Hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was GREAT! I wish I could say I ate really well but in truth I didn't. The good news is that Im' feeling much more sane and not so stressed out any more. It's amazing, when you look back, at how stressed you actually can get! This week I will jump back on board but I'm standing by my decision to be a little easier on myself for a while - at least while shool is really kicking in!

Today I bought flowers and herbs. Time to put the herb garden back in the ground. Got it all planted. Made a nice arrangment out of the blooms that were already there and am enjoying hte burst of spring we have. Of course tonight it's COLD! That was forecasted at all!! Flowers had to come inside (they're in a planter) and be covered so kitty won't eat them.

Okay, enough for tonight. TF - BF and I are talknig about planning a trip to Europe within the next year. England, Scotland and Iredlan. I may have get some insider advice from you Of course, this is the EARLY planning stage...we could easily end up at Sea World, TX at this point just kidding!

have a great monday guys!!

Morning everyone!

Just thought I'd drop in and say hello before my day gets to hectic. It's bright and sunny here at 7:30 AM...but it's freezing cold..literally. It's -9C or 22F...take your choice...they're both cold!lol...

Well take care and i'll hop on later when I get a chance!

Wow, that's cold!! I was complaining abot 50 and windy.

Well, today is the day. I have to go face the music with the doc. His first patient right after vacation too Maybe that means he won't be worn out yet.

Had some exciting news this weekend. A local Dentist is brining my friend and her best recommendation, in the office to do TMJ massage for his patients....he wants to see if it helps them. We'd be donating our time and we'd get school credit for it so it's a win/win. IF the patients do feel better from it he wants to bring in two massage therapists (alternating days) to work in his office. I'd have my hands in a LOT of mouths but I'd also have a job

Hope you all have a good week!! I'll check in after md. Too bad he doesn't give out happy pills.......

Hey all! LONG TIME no see!! Good to see your Scale Addicts anonymous is still here.. :: Waves to Hotsplashes ::

I am so sorry that I just dropped off the face of the internet.. I hit a big plateau and just stopped everything.. I gained 13 pounds back over the course of the 6 months I was absent but I am finally back in the running and started my diet over on March 1st and I've lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks!! I'm happy to be back and I wouldn't have gone anywhere else but here because yalls support means everything to me!

Shelley