chrily - Hope to hear good news re: rheumatologist appt...
707- I love my Tae-Bo for cardio; try that. I've started back real slow because it is fast paced (plus I have to be careful w/ the punches, etc d/t my joints aren't like they used to be). But you will definately sweat. I take music w/ me for the hour long walks outside. It's so mind-relaxing after a long day at work.

So good to be here w/ the 3fc support crew: :cool: .. And thanks to all for the big welcome. This is great - will keep me accountable.

Angel-We really need to find out what is in these "stupid" cookies and "stupid" candy bars. Yah, lets find out what flavor they are. LOL.

Miss Cretia-My grandmother had lupus too. I come from a family of auto-immune diseases. Along with me and my grandmother...my mom has RA too along with sarcoidosis and my older brother has sarcoidosis too. They say it runs in families. Can't say I like that thought. I worry when my daughter tells me her arms hurt or if her legs hurt. I automatically think of RA instead of a simple thing like growing pains.

Well only 1 1/2 hours more and I can go home. THen my sister will be home from class and I can attend to my family. They've been kind of neglected and hubby has been more than p.oed about it. I am just the only one available to babysit while my sister's MIL is down. She had knee surgery last friday.

Chris

Hey all. I had 19 pts. today. I will have a snack later. I worked out at Curves. That's all for me. Have a nice night!!

Hi everyone! And welcome, Miss Cretia!!

I've had 22 points today and I'm going to have a 3-point snack in a minute. Today I decided I'm a little tired of the treadmill, so I did 20 minutes on the elliptical (the one where you move your arms too). It was a nice change. Then when I got home, I did a 30-minute Walk and Jog DVD. I'll be back on the treadmill again tomorrow.

Miss Cretia...I read a few thousand articles that theorize that RA is triggered by a virus, infection, or stress. My life is always high stress. I am just an uptight high-strung worrier type. I think that part of me has something to do with it.

Chris

Today I've had 23 points -- I may have a small snack in a few minutes, but I'm not really hungry. I haven't been able to eat all my points this week for some reason. I'm eating my activity points, so I guess I technically had 26 points today, but I subtract the ones for activity. I've been doing that for a few weeks now, but I only count activity points for cardio, not strength training (which I don't do much of anyway). Does that make sense? lol

Today I went to the gym and did a 48 minute walk on the treadmill. Still trying to figure out how to fit in a workout tomorrow, because I have to stay at school all evening for a football game and I don't want to show up for it all sweaty. I'm not big on showering at the Y. Way too much hair to try to blow-dry it and everything there. If I can force myself to get up 30 minutes earlier, I'll do a walking video.

How's everyone else today?

Again, thanks so much for the welcome and this forum is absolutely wonderful; as it makes me accountable.. chrily, yes- stress is responsible and that's another reason for the exercise - it helps me to breathe and relax. You stepped on my tippy-toes: you guessed it! I'm Type A. Also, the weight loss is a wonder on my joints (amazing what even 10 lbs will do).

I'm just feeling slightly unappreciated/ stessed over the upcoming baby shower for my sister. ..... But, I weigh in on Sunday morning and I am so excited!

Cretia, I know how it feels to be underappreciated sometimes -- ugh! I hope you don't get stressed and overdo it on eating all the shower goodies! Just remember the commitment you've made to getting healthy, and good luck on your weigh-in. Make sure you report back here! ;)

Today I've had 27 points and I did a 2-mile walk video this morning before work. I'm going to try mixing some jogging intervals into my walk again tomorrow - I hope I don't pass out!!

Cretia-I know how you must feel. I'm kind of going through the same stuff with mine. They both know that I'm trying to go to school, help with my SIL, and still take care of my family and they just "assume" I'll help them out of any jam. Like yesterday, they didn't ask, they just told me I will be babysitting their kids the first week of Oct. Jen's husband is going out of town for his job and my other sister is going to denver for an ICP concert. I should have said something but didn't. I just let the knot build in my tummy and let it mentally roll through my mind that "hey, I want a life too." I have a life, but it's theirs I'm constantly living. Ol reliable me takes care of it all when they need a babysitter or their kids taken here or there, but its never reciprocated. Anyhow, you're sister just might be having a surge of pregnancy hormones that are making her feel less than agreeable. Hang in there, and make that babyshower something she'll remember. :)

Gonna take a quiz and I'll come back later. I have some errands to run that I couldn't get to yesterday because Nicole was sick and I had to bring my SIL home from the hospital and take her to her prothetic doc. So needless to say, I"M BEHIND!!!!

chris

Chrilly and Cretia......WOW!!! life sure is busy at this time. I hate that its just ASSUMED that the all the 'extra' stuff will fall over to you. Don't these people have manners to ASK? Chrilly...poor you. Hang in there and remember to breathe!!! Maybe schedule a nice hot bath to relax abit....Calgon, take me away!!!. :hug:

Cretia, I'm chalking your sisters behaviour to hormones also. Is this her first baby? As for advice to avoid the goodies?.....I would say be the perfect hostess and see to the needs of your guests first and if that doesn't keep you busy....then chew gum!!! Good luck.

Hey you guys. I have been doing fair. I haven't been over doing it, but I haven't been doing great either. No gain, but no loss for me this week. I have been very stressed too lately. Just life in general. The exercise does help me too. As I was reading your post Cretia, the first thing I thought was pregnancy hormones too. Then I read down to other posts and it seems like others were thinking the same thing. Pregnancy hormones made me crazy!!! I do hope the shower goes well. I will be praying for you. Chris don't let them run over you like that. I know the parents of all my nieces and nephews used to use me for babysitting. I just finally started telling them no. Not in a rude way. I just told them I had plans. They finally got the picture. I love my family, but I have 4 kids myself. My hands are pretty full. I guess they always thought I didn't have a life. I just want to keep them when it is conveinent for me too. I don't know, some people are just like that. I want my kids with me. I don't like to ask people to babysit for me. Not unless it is completely necessary. Anyway I am off my soapbox now. Everyone have a great weekend.

Hey everyone! I'm sorry everyone's dealing with all this stress. I have some stress from work lately. I enjoy teaching, but it sure can be frustrating and difficult. Exercising after work really does help me relieve some of the stress.

Today I had 27 points, even though I went out to eat with a friend, so I did pretty well. I thought I'd use Flex points but I haven't at this point. I may have a snack in a minute and use a couple. I walked/jogged for an hour today (well, I did 15 minutes of jogging but no more than 3 minutes at a time). My knees hurt now, so I may have overdone it. This is a lot of weight for my knees and ankles to support!

Oh, and I have good news. I went to Kohl's Department Store to buy some black pants, thinking there's no way I'd find any that look decent, but I ended up buying a pair in grey and a pair in black, and they were both size 18. I normally fluctuate between a 20 and a 22, so it looks like I've finally gone down a size. I even have a little room in them. Of course, they're 18 in Women's and I know they're cut bigger than regular clothes, but I've been in Women's sizes so long now I really don't know anything else. Anyway, yay for me! My weight may not be in Onederland yet, but I got rid of the 2 on my size at least! :cb:

Paula, I guess that is really what torks me off the worst is that they assume I don't have a life. I think I'll have to mysteriously have plans too when the time comes around.

All and all it was a good day. I did fairly decent with my eating and we shopped for most of the day so I did get some walking in. Not the kind that makes ya sweat but alot better than sitting on my butt all day. I went to the fabric store tonight and bought (Gulp) fleece to make a doggie coat for our little Simon. I swore I never would dress up an animal but Simon is a mini dachshund and right now with 40 degree weather, the little dude is shaking so bad outside. We have to make him a coat to keep him warm this winter so he'll stay out long enough not to pee on the floor.

Okay...gotta do some online shopping. I'm in need of some undergarments and I can't find anything around here in the right size that doesn't have underwires. Gosh, I HATE Those!

chris

Hey girls!!! morning...:coffee:

Chrily.....hehe, stylin' simon!!! I can picture him now.:D I was at Target yesterday and saw some adorable halloween sets for dogs. I almost bought one for a friend who dresses her dog up. I still might. I hate those wires too, except I have a habit of cutting them out!!!:D

LisaMarie.....wooohoooo, that is such a great motivator!!! Great job!:carrot:

pacemom.....you're conveniently busy with YOUR LIFE!!! no excuses needed or apologies. Yesterday a neighbors boy asked if he could stay with my son and play while his parents went out. And you know, if you don't ask the right questions for the boy to ask his parents.....you only get half of the story, right? So back and forth he went, and when I asked how long will they be? he came back and said a few minutes. Well that didn't sound right, so I had him ask again.....turns out they were leaving in a few minutes but would be gone for HOURS!!!.....CLOTHES SHOPPING FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. Well at 6pm I didn't really want to watch this boy, while cooking dinner.....eating dinner....down time after dinner and bath time. UH NO THANKYOU!!!! I don't think so. but you can see how this could have gotten out of hand. I did the same thing a few months ago but didn't ask the right questions and the dad was gone for 5 hours!!!! Not again. uh hello??

I've been very proud of my eating lately.....very 'aware' of my eating and what I'm eating. No more mindless opening of the pantry door for me!!! Yesterday we were out for the day with soccer games and had a break of 45 minutes for lunch. We drove and parked in the McDonalds but I told the guys to go ahead to McD's....I was walking next door to Subway!! woohooo, actually we all then decided to go. Couldn't bear having greasy burgers sitting in my tummy!!! I don't even like McD's (save for their salads)
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Miss Cretia-Way to go on the weight loss. And I was so glad to hear the shower went well. Good job.

As for everyone: I am NEVER going to get this weight off of me if I don't get some of this stress down. I don't know where to start. I sooo wanted to do something fun with the family today but its almost 4 pm and the we told the girls when we got back from church this morning that their rooms had to be clean before they could do anything. That was 11 am. They are still in their rooms, the day is shot, and I"m ready to blow!

Okay...(I know...breathe....) The day started off rocky. Kayla cried and refused to go in her sunday school class again. Their new teacher is a paraplegic in a wheelchair. She's so freaked about that. We have the whole bedroom thing going. While they were supposed to be doing that, they snuck into the bathroom and filled a large size balloon with water to make a water balloon, it exploded on my living room floor. The bathroom died. :D And the two littlest ones are GROUNDED! Tiana is doing okay, but it just seems the things like that, regardless of how little or big just overwhelm me anymore. (I'm breathing...I'm breathing....)

Anybody got some good ways to destress? Anything interesting you gals do to relax? I need it soooo bad.

chris