Biggest Loser "Sizzlin' Hot" Summer Challenge

Question of the Day

What have you learned in this challenge that you can bring with you to the next challenge to have even more success?


I have to keep up with the exercise I started up again this summer. I had gotten away from exercise and I had some great weeks with exercise this summer. Something I haven't done in a while.

I know there was an article that exercise may not help but for me to lose weight it has to be a combination of diet and exercise.

Have a happy and healthy day.

I learned that I do have to motivation and will power to get right back at it after some off days. Summer's temptations got to me (more than a few times) and when I needed to, I just started right back up with ww tracking and exercising. I am back on a more consistent schedule, too, so I will be hitting the gym more regularly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have missed a couple days due to me going back to work and being crazy busy, so I am just jumping in here. I can't believe summer is over and so is this challenge. I am excited for the fall. It's my favorite season! Can you say pumpkin? I love it. Pumpkin anything, but especially pumpkin spice Dunkin Donuts coffee. YUM!!

My boys started school today. 4th and 1st grade. I came late to work so I could walk them up to meet their teachers. It just makes me realize how much I wish I could be a sahm. I miss them so much :( Although, I know they are not thinking of their mama right now lol.

Work is crazy and it's only our 3rd day! For those that do not know, I teach at an alternative ed program (5-12 grade). I teach History and am a special education teacher as well. I try to stay positive, but I think I'm getting burned out from working with this population of children. DH and I need to have a serious talk :rotfl:

I'm on my lunch break and need to finish up some work, so I probably won't be checking in until tomorrow. But, have a great day!

Jill
 
I've had the worst time keeping up with the summer challenge! I don't know where the summer went, except that it went FAST. I'm in to maintain again for the fall and will try to stay on top of things better!

XO
Liz
 
I amcurrentky at the emergency vet waiting to see if we have to put my cat down. If someone can coach tomorrow I would be very grateful. If not I'm sorry to report there will be no question of the day

Please keep us in your thoughts

Thinking about you and your fur baby, Trina.

Question of the Day

What have you learned in this challenge that you can bring with you to the next challenge to have even more success?

I learned that I can not let up on my journalling and measuring! I have slacked off big time and I am seeing the results and they aren't pretty!

Buffy, you do get out of breath when you run, just slow down a bit so it is not so uncomfortable. Honestly, I don't like my run until at least mile 2 and even then there are lots of runs where I feel best when I am done. :teeth: It will be better when things cool down. You can do it! :flower3:

If I slow down anymore babies will pass me. It gets better when I do intervals, obviously, but it's just like....ergh......In my head I am in way better shape than I am in my body. It just ticks me off, ya know.

Mom wants to get back into walking so we are going to start soon.
I'm going to try to start next week but the kids have Mon and Tues off and a 1/2 day on Friday.
 
Latest blog (sorry its LONG):

2nd RE Apt 8/27/12

Well due to Hurricane Isaac its been raining pretty much off and on since yesterday. Took almost an hour to get to Dr Jaffe's office.

Okay due to the fact that many of my test results came back abnormal back in July she has a sinking suspicion that I'm diabetic. My glucose levels showed that I was already a pre-diabetic.

Due to the fact that I have to stay on blood thinners she wants me to talk to my hematologist and find out if he wants to start heprin after I get a positive pregnancy test or before I start the ovulation induction. She did say I wouldn't be able to do that til I lost a little more weight. She has it in her records that when I saw her in June I was 208. Well, they didn't weight me this morning. I informed her "Um, I've lost 10 pounds since the last time I saw you." She documented it and told me to keep doing what I'm doing to get the weight off.

She ordered a 8am blood test to check for adrenal gland enzyme defects. An also a 24 hour urine test to check my cortizol levels. She wants to make sure its not making to much.

She said depending on how those tests come back will determine on whether or not I'll have to see a medical endocrinologist for eval of my adrenal glans and possible diabetes.

I asked her about starting Metformin because my test results are showing I'm insulin resistant. She said that we could start it if I wanted to. I told her about being on it back in 2010 and how I got up to 1,500 mg and the nausea was unbearable. She wrote a script for Metformin Extended Release. She said she has found her patients that have problems with normal Metformin tend to do better with the extended release. Many of the friends I have on my TTC message board have said the same thing. She gave me a sample bottle and I'm going to try it for 3 weeks and if I seem to do okay I'll fill the script.

Finally, I told her that the Provera worked and I had a cycle. Then a week or so after that cycle started I had another one naturally that was only 4 days. I also told her I had been temping and charting and that I had determined that I had ovulated. She seemed excited to hear that news.

I mentioned that I had started bleeding this morning but it wasn't a whole lot. She said to keep an eye on it and if it doesn't become a full flow then to call and let them know and she'd put in an order for a blood pregnancy test. She said in an upbeat voice "Don't get discouraged yet. You could still possibly be pregnant. Just keep an eye on the blood flow."

No baby peanut this month. I woke up yesterday morning and TOM had arrived in full force.


1. RE started me on Metformin Extended Release. I was on the normal Metformin back in 2010 and got up to 1,500 mg before I had nausea from hell. RE told me the extended release tends to help women who suffered massive side effects from normal Metformin. I just have to remember to take it with food to keep from having the massive headaches or nausea. I'm hoping to set a timer in my phone to help me to remember.

METFORMIN SCHEDULE:

500 MG - August 28 - Sept 3
1,000 MG - Sept 4 - 10
1,500 MG = Sept 11 - 17
2,000 MG - Sept 18 - continous

2. Temping and Charting - I still plan on doing it this cycle.

3. OPKs -- Fertility Friend has estimated that I'll ovulate on September 14th. I'll start using OPKs around the 9th or 10th.

4.. Continuing Weight Loss -- I'm going to buckle down better on my nutrition this month. I've changed around my exercise routine some. I tend to get bored every couple of months with my routine. This way I'm not burned out and/or falling off the bandwagon.

5. Schedule Blood test for adrenal gland enzyme defect & 24 hour urine test to check cortizol levels
[/B]

If you go through all of that you deserve a Mickey ice cream bar. :)

Today has been a complete wash. The TOM symptoms are kicking my butt. Between the backache, cramps, and hot flashes I have 0 energy. I'm on my 2nd day of Metformin and so far no issues. The real test will be when I get up to 1,500 mg.

Tomorrow is a busy day in the health/fitness department for me. I've already got my exercise plan made out for the next month or so. I need to work on a grocery list and meal plan. Money has been tight the past month and I need to get some things figured out.

We're still planning on making our 3 day get away trip to BLT middle of the month. To save money I'm bringing breakfast and lunch items from home. We'll only eat out for dinner. I need this 3 day get away. These last 6 weeks between Alan's daughter being here and all the doctor craziness I need a few days away from reality.

I'm excited for the next challenge to start and have even debated on coaching. I just haven't gotten up the nerve to send a PM in yet.
 


I posted this on the Fall Thread but thought I'd post it here as well. I made this a few nights ago

UpdatedweightlosscollageAugust2012.jpg
 
Disneywedding - congrats on the weight loss. What an accomplishment.

I wanted to suggest that you check out soulcysters.net and pregnancy.org those are two fabulous websites and communities for those trying to get pregnant. I think you will get alot of great support there. I have PCOS and struggled with infertility for a long time. Those communities really helped. Plus, the acronyms for those trying to get pregnant and those people who are into Disney (disboards) are totally different. Lol! TTC, CM, and DTD mean totally different things in the two worlds!

Btw I'm on metformin now and was for the first tri of both my pregnancies. It is great but you really have to watch what you eat or else the side effects can be brutal.

Anyway, I thought I'd direct you to those sites as you will find SO many women there who are going through the same exact thing. The DIS folks of course are great but are focused on health rather than TTC. Good luck!
 
Disneywedding - congrats on the weight loss. What an accomplishment.

I wanted to suggest that you check out soulcysters.net and pregnancy.org those are two fabulous websites and communities for those trying to get pregnant. I think you will get alot of great support there. I have PCOS and struggled with infertility for a long time. Those communities really helped. Plus, the acronyms for those trying to get pregnant and those people who are into Disney (disboards) are totally different. Lol! TTC, CM, and DTD mean totally different things in the two worlds!

Btw I'm on metformin now and was for the first tri of both my pregnancies. It is great but you really have to watch what you eat or else the side effects can be brutal.

Anyway, I thought I'd direct you to those sites as you will find SO many women there who are going through the same exact thing. The DIS folks of course are great but are focused on health rather than TTC. Good luck!

Thanks for the sites but I've been part of them before and didn't like the format. I know you guys are focused on weight loss but its nice to share what's going on with my Disfriends. This is what I'm dealing with in life right now on top of losing weight.
 


My grandma's in the hospital. my cat's in the hospital, my friend is getting mariied on sunday, and school started this week. Is there anyone who can finish coaching this week? I'm so sorry but i don't think I will be near a computer and im in such a hprrible state of mind...please pm me if you can
 
Well first let me pass out some :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug: to all of you who are having issues.. when it rains it seems to pour... I am thinking of all of you..

second are we ending this tomorrow? I ask in case I have to send my final weight today as tomorrow I am bringing my baby girl to college :sad1::sad1::sad1::sad1:.. she's a freshman and a homebody so being 2.5 hrs from her family will be tough but I am sure she'll be fine - she is friendly and outgoing and has met her 2 roomies on facebook and has friend from her HS going to the same college.. (I might be the one who isn't ok.. LOL) I have been emotional eating this week so my weight is up not sure if it'll be better the beginning of next week or not? If someone could just post on here I'll be back at lunch time to check it out...
 
My grandma's in the hospital. my cat's in the hospital, my friend is getting mariied on sunday, and school started this week. Is there anyone who can finish coaching this week? I'm so sorry but i don't think I will be near a computer and im in such a hprrible state of mind...please pm me if you can

I got it covered

Well first let me pass out some :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug: to all of you who are having issues.. when it rains it seems to pour... I am thinking of all of you..

second are we ending this tomorrow? I ask in case I have to send my final weight today as tomorrow I am bringing my baby girl to college :sad1::sad1::sad1::sad1:.. she's a freshman and a homebody so being 2.5 hrs from her family will be tough but I am sure she'll be fine - she is friendly and outgoing and has met her 2 roomies on facebook and has friend from her HS going to the same college.. (I might be the one who isn't ok.. LOL) I have been emotional eating this week so my weight is up not sure if it'll be better the beginning of next week or not? If someone could just post on here I'll be back at lunch time to check it out...

Tomorrow is the last weigh in. We will keep chatting on this thread for the next couple of days.

Good luck dropping off your daughter. I have done it twice already and lived through it. Ds1 finished college is home and trying to move out. We will be celebrating the day he does. Ds2 found his place and we don't think he will ever be back unless he doesn't find a job when he finishes his Master's degree.

I will be back in a few minutes with a question of the day.
 
Question of the Day

Is there anything you that you hope will change when you lose weight?

If you haved lost weight is there anything that surprised you after you lost it?


I am hoping that my knees will be better. I did walk a lot last week but by the end of the trip my knees were in constant pain.

Have a happy and healthy day.
 
Ok today's question is not fancy because I'm posting from my phone. Since it is back to school week for most people (I start tomorrow) we will have a fun one!

Question of the day: what was your favorite subject in school? Did it influence what profession you choose when you grew up?

I LIVED to read as a kid. So I always like classes that involved reading (even Social Studies).... but I despise, hate, dread MATH in any way, shape, or form. Not sure that it influenced me particularly, other than knowing I was NOT going into any major that involved math or science!

Checking in to celebrate a few victories :cool1:

I was diagnosed as diabetic in January with a A1c of 7.3 Lipid panel results at that time were cholesterol 207, HDL 37, LDL 136, Triglycerides 169. My weight was 322. Constant back pain (2 herniated discs leading to a diagnosis of degenerative disc disease), arthritis, IBS. Basically, I was a mess, except for blood pressure, which has always been quite good.

It was time to get serious. Research showed that a low-carb diet helped control blood sugar, so I made some drastic lifestyle changes. I try to keep my carbs between 50-75 grams spread over the course of a day. I concentrated on getting my carbs from vegetables and some berries. No more fruit juice, no starchy veggies, no grains. I have some food intolerances that I had previously ignored (wheat, corn, soy, peanuts and shellfish) so it wasn't as painful as I had imagined. Cutting grains had the added bonus of clearing up eczema that has plagued me since high school. IBS improved drastically, even with the addition of Metformin, which is known to cause intestinal distress.


My son left for college last week (1500 miles away :sad1:) and right before we left, I had my first doctor's appointment since diagnosis. A1c is down to 5.5. Total cholesterol is now 172, with HDL of 40, LDL of 109 and triglycerides at 116. Blood pressure was 108/67 which is unchanged from previous check-ups. He was thrilled, I was thrilled. I need to continue to bring my A1c down (4.8-5.1 is optimal), improve the HDL:LDL ratio and I'd like to get the triglycerides below 100 but concrete proof of progress was just the boost I needed to stay on the straight and narrow during vacation!

During vacation, for the first time EVER in my life, I visited the fitness room of a hotel :thumbsup2 and we hiked several miles each day through gorgeous South Dakota and Wyoming. I even ignored the elevators and took the stairs to our 3rd floor room at the hotel and to the 5th floor dorm room. Eating out wasn't nearly as difficult as i had feared it would be (although I'm the first to admit that South Dakota sure ain't Disney with regards to magical tempting treats! :lmao:)

My blood sugar readings were consistently below 100 ( in the NORMAL range...not even the normal "for a diabetic' range!!) and I lost 3 pounds over vacation, bringing my total since 1/1/12 to 87 pounds :cool2:



A question to throw out there:
Anyone got any HDL-raising, LDL-lowering tips? Oatmeal is not an option at this point as a serving raises my blood glucose more than is optimal. Fish is OK, although I absolutely detest salmon. I do not want to consider a statin due to their affect on blood glucose and other side effects including liver damage. My doctor agreed with that at this point, so I'm looking for natural ways to move things further in the right direction.

Those are AMAZING changes in your numbers! I will ask DH about the cholesterol question when he gets up. HE is the vitamin/supplement guru in this house. I know he takes some sort of supplement that he feels has really helped his cholesterol (it has never been real bad, but I think it improved recently).

I'm in the same boat!! I like the walk/run thing but I'm not fast and get out of breath quickly so I'm not loving it right now. I'm discouraged a bit. I need to find something to do! We might go hiking but frankly I'm so sick of the heat I want to wait until it cools down some more. I want to actually enjoy myself for a change.

No heat problems around here lately! It has been downright COLD at night! I am dreading getting into the pool to remove the ladder. Usually any time around Labor Day is fine, but the nights have been SO COLD, that I'm sure that the pool is super cold.

I amcurrentky at the emergency vet waiting to see if we have to put my cat down. If someone can coach tomorrow I would be very grateful. If not I'm sorry to report there will be no question of the day

Please keep us in your thoughts

SO SORRY about your kitty. Prayers that everything comes out alright.

I am sorry to hear about your cat. I have been there several times.

I got the question.

Question of the Day

What have you learned in this challenge that you can bring with you to the next challenge to have even more success?


I have to keep up with the exercise I started up again this summer. I had gotten away from exercise and I had some great weeks with exercise this summer. Something I haven't done in a while.

I know there was an article that exercise may not help but for me to lose weight it has to be a combination of diet and exercise.

Have a happy and healthy day.

Dona... thanks for stepping in!

I have learned (again) that eating right isn't enough. I need to MOVE!

Have a great week all! :goodvibes

PS Beware the poof fairy is out today. :furious:

She hasn't gotten me yet, but I'm no on the Ipad so that helps! THanks for the warning and I hope your week is going well too!!

I learned that I do have to motivation and will power to get right back at it after some off days. Summer's temptations got to me (more than a few times) and when I needed to, I just started right back up with ww tracking and exercising. I am back on a more consistent schedule, too, so I will be hitting the gym more regularly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have missed a couple days due to me going back to work and being crazy busy, so I am just jumping in here. I can't believe summer is over and so is this challenge. I am excited for the fall. It's my favorite season! Can you say pumpkin? I love it. Pumpkin anything, but especially pumpkin spice Dunkin Donuts coffee. YUM!!

Don't even say it! DD and I are both suckers for pumpkin things! I KNOW she is already looking for pumpkin muffins. I could offer you an easy recipe for lighter pumpkin muffins if you were interested. Not real healthy, but super easy and light. Have you ever tried pumpkin oatmeal?


My boys started school today. 4th and 1st grade. I came late to work so I could walk them up to meet their teachers. It just makes me realize how much I wish I could be a sahm. I miss them so much :( Although, I know they are not thinking of their mama right now lol.

Work is crazy and it's only our 3rd day! For those that do not know, I teach at an alternative ed program (5-12 grade). I teach History and am a special education teacher as well. I try to stay positive, but I think I'm getting burned out from working with this population of children. DH and I need to have a serious talk :rotfl:

I'm on my lunch break and need to finish up some work, so I probably won't be checking in until tomorrow. But, have a great day!

Jill

Hope your boys have a wonderful first day of school!

I've had the worst time keeping up with the summer challenge! I don't know where the summer went, except that it went FAST. I'm in to maintain again for the fall and will try to stay on top of things better!

XO
Liz

Maintaining is far underrated.... it is tough! Good job for keeping up with it over the summer.

Latest blog (sorry its LONG):

If you go through all of that you deserve a Mickey ice cream bar. :)

Can it be a zero-calorie Mickey bar?? ;)

Today has been a complete wash. The TOM symptoms are kicking my butt. Between the backache, cramps, and hot flashes I have 0 energy. I'm on my 2nd day of Metformin and so far no issues. The real test will be when I get up to 1,500 mg.

Tomorrow is a busy day in the health/fitness department for me. I've already got my exercise plan made out for the next month or so. I need to work on a grocery list and meal plan. Money has been tight the past month and I need to get some things figured out.

We're still planning on making our 3 day get away trip to BLT middle of the month. To save money I'm bringing breakfast and lunch items from home. We'll only eat out for dinner. I need this 3 day get away. These last 6 weeks between Alan's daughter being here and all the doctor craziness I need a few days away from reality.

I'm excited for the next challenge to start and have even debated on coaching. I just haven't gotten up the nerve to send a PM in yet.

I'm sorry you are not PG, but I think you should be excited that your body seems to be getting back into a normal cycle.

I'm envious of your BLT plans!

I posted this on the Fall Thread but thought I'd post it here as well. I made this a few nights ago

UpdatedweightlosscollageAugust2012.jpg

Nice changes!! Thanks for sharing! Love the castle picture!

Well first let me pass out some :hug::hug::hug::hug::hug: to all of you who are having issues.. when it rains it seems to pour... I am thinking of all of you..

second are we ending this tomorrow? I ask in case I have to send my final weight today as tomorrow I am bringing my baby girl to college :sad1::sad1::sad1::sad1:.. she's a freshman and a homebody so being 2.5 hrs from her family will be tough but I am sure she'll be fine - she is friendly and outgoing and has met her 2 roomies on facebook and has friend from her HS going to the same college.. (I might be the one who isn't ok.. LOL) I have been emotional eating this week so my weight is up not sure if it'll be better the beginning of next week or not? If someone could just post on here I'll be back at lunch time to check it out...

I have one more year with DD at home and then off to college. I think she will also be anywhere from 2-4 hours away. It seems like she is no longer willing to consider being further than that and as a Mom, I"m okay with that!

Hugs to you and your DD. SHe is off to a new adventure and you are into a new chapter of life!

Question of the Day

Is there anything you that you hope will change when you lose weight?

If you haved lost weight is there anything that surprised you after you lost it?

I was most surprised in the change in my confidence level. I never realized how very bad my self-confidence was and how often I walked around with my head down. I always figured it was because I was shy.... and I'm still shy, but much more confident. And I actually LIKE buying clothes! I haven't been big into clothes or fashion for many years (I was actually a Fashion Marketing major in my first two years of college), but I have fun clothes shopping now. I'm still not a big Fashionista, but I enjoy buying and trying on stuff.

******************

Happy Thursday morning all! Well... DD is off on her first solo drive today! YUP.... got her license yesterday, just in time to drive to her first day of Senior year! She passed both the driving test and the written test with 100%! And she passed her scuba final this week also.... big week for her! Now she just needs to do her 4 open water swims (in a few weeks) and she will be open water certified to dive!

DS came home from yesterday's Freshman Fest with a smile. He had a decent day, liked his teachers, and seems ready for the year.

Now I'm stuck home today without a car! I could use DH's car if I needed to go out, but the only errand I really need to run is to get an oil change (very overdue) in my car!

I talked with the kids yesterday about planning some fun activities for Labor Day weekend, instead of letting the weekend arrive and then just pass us by! DD claims she will have work to do PLUS swim team has a car wash Saturday morning, but if we could still spend at least one day doing something fun. I'm giving it some thought. DH mentioned a hike recently. I'd be up for it but I think the kids might complain. THere are also a few "touristy" things within a 1 hour drive that I've always wanted to do, so maybe I'll plan one of those.

Stomach is growling! I got up to make breakfast but couldn't decide what I wanted, so I walked back to the computer.

Laundry is calling me.... I'm trying not to answer the call, but it is ringing loudly! :rotfl2: TTYL......................P
 
There is a thread on the Events side of the WISH boards, if you haven't found that already. Do try and go to the WISH meet if you can, even for a bit. WISHers are very, very nice people in person! ::yes::

I love the medal for ToT. I'm a sucker for anything that glows in the dark.

I will definitely have to find the WISH meet! This will be my first Disney race and I'm so excited :yay:

Question of the Day

What have you learned in this challenge that you can bring with you to the next challenge to have even more success?


Have a happy and healthy day.

I have learned that the only person standing in my way is me...yes, it's just as plain as the nose on my face! I've always "known" that fact, but I'm really starting to realize it now. No more excuses, because excuses aren't helping me when I get on that scale!

Latest blog (sorry its LONG):



If you go through all of that you deserve a Mickey ice cream bar. :)

Today has been a complete wash. The TOM symptoms are kicking my butt. Between the backache, cramps, and hot flashes I have 0 energy. I'm on my 2nd day of Metformin and so far no issues. The real test will be when I get up to 1,500 mg.

Tomorrow is a busy day in the health/fitness department for me. I've already got my exercise plan made out for the next month or so. I need to work on a grocery list and meal plan. Money has been tight the past month and I need to get some things figured out.

We're still planning on making our 3 day get away trip to BLT middle of the month. To save money I'm bringing breakfast and lunch items from home. We'll only eat out for dinner. I need this 3 day get away. These last 6 weeks between Alan's daughter being here and all the doctor craziness I need a few days away from reality.

I'm excited for the next challenge to start and have even debated on coaching. I just haven't gotten up the nerve to send a PM in yet.

Any excuse for a Mickey Bar!! ::MickeyMo

I hate all that stuff for you Kristina :hug: But it sounds like you have a pretty good plan for a getaway....can't wait til I'm able to say something like this for myself!

I posted this on the Fall Thread but thought I'd post it here as well. I made this a few nights ago

UpdatedweightlosscollageAugust2012.jpg

You look amazing! How do you make one of these? I want to post one now!

Question of the Day

Is there anything you that you hope will change when you lose weight?

If you haved lost weight is there anything that surprised you after you lost it?

I hope I'm able to fit into my "dream size" or smaller. I know it sounds bad, but I really don't have any other health problems like diabetes or anything, so it's not as if I have to get anything under control. I just want to buy pants in a one-digit size! :rolleyes1

***************
So the last couple days I have been BAD with my food intake. Last night me and a couple girls from work went out for sushi and wine, and then we went to the chocolate shop :headache: I was able to keep it under control a little bit- I only got two chocolate covered graham crackers, one for last night and one for Saturday, after my run. Today is all about water, water, water and healthy foods! It also helps that I have kickball practice tonight...I plan on busting my booty tonight!
 
Good morning all! :goodvibes

Jill, sounds like a busy week at your house. I think there is a special place in heaven for all teachers, but especially special ed teachers! :teacher:

I've had the worst time keeping up with the summer challenge! I don't know where the summer went, except that it went FAST. I'm in to maintain again for the fall and will try to stay on top of things better!

XO
Liz

Hi Liz! Nice to see you! :flower3:

If I slow down anymore babies will pass me. It gets better when I do intervals, obviously, but it's just like....ergh......In my head I am in way better shape than I am in my body. It just ticks me off, ya know.

LOL,Buffy, we are all our own worst critic. :hug: I would get frustrated, too, because I felt like at some point this running thing should get easier. Physiologically your body has to do that breathing hard thing and make other changes to give yourself the oxygen and other stuff that you need to keep going. It's a good thing . . . even if it doesn't feel like it at the time. :rotfl:

Hi Nancy! Nice to see you! :flower3:

Trina, sending you lots of good thoughts and pixiedust: Hang in there!

A big :hug: to you, bigsis1970, on taking your DD to college.

I would go ahead and send in my weight before I headed off because I'm sure our lovely weightkeeper, Sue, will want to get those final results up as soon as she can.

Question of the Day

Is there anything you that you hope will change when you lose weight?

If you haved lost weight is there anything that surprised you after you lost it?

Dona, thank you so much for filling in! :flower3:

This is an interesting question as there was sparkpeople.com article about this a similar topic that I received just this morning in my email about not waiting to live the life that you want.

Too often we put our lives on hold. Instead of appreciating the way things are right now, we believe that we’ll only be happy if external conditions were met. Instead of relying on these outside factors, you must learn to turn inward and realize that your happiness depends on only one thing—your very own thinking.

Here is a link to the whole article if you are interested. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/wellness_articles.asp?id=903 'Cause I know you guys have all been missing my sparkpeople.com articles. ;)

I've been trying very hard to be more in the present and want the life that I have -- it's easier said than done. :hippie:

Pamela, there is nothing like not having a vehicle to make you want to go somewhere. :driving: I switched to synthetic oil in my van -- it is more expensive but it is supposed to let you go longer between oil changes. My car is 10 years old and only have 80,000 miles on it so I obviously don't do the miles that you do every week. :flower3:

Everyone is managing to survive the first week of school here. I think we will be ready for the long week-end! :rotfl2:

Have a great day all! :goodvibes
 
Pamela, there is nothing like not having a vehicle to make you want to go somewhere. :driving: I switched to synthetic oil in my van -- it is more expensive but it is supposed to let you go longer between oil changes. My car is 10 years old and only have 80,000 miles on it so I obviously don't do the miles that you do every week. :flower3:

Everyone is managing to survive the first week of school here. I think we will be ready for the long week-end! :rotfl2:

Have a great day all! :goodvibes

I didn't necessarily WANT to drive anywhere, but I am so used to planning my days and making the most of my time, that I had in my head that on the first day of school I would dash off, get my oil changed and my brakes checked, etc etc. As she drove away I realized I wouldn't be doing any of that stuff!

My car is 6 years old and has about 160,000 miles on it. I SHOULD get my oil changed every 6-8 weeks, but I can honestly tell you right now it has been MONTHS! :rolleyes1

******************

Afternoon all! I did answer the call of the laundry and did four loads, but I can't fit the last one out on the line. The first one dried fast and I was able to take it down to put out loads #2 and #3, but #4 will have to wait until later or go into the dryer. The folding will need to be done tonight. Also sorted ALL of the remaining swim ribbons and medals that I haven't gotten to yet, in preparation for getting back to work on DD's swim scrapbook.

I also went out to start scraping the mailbox to get ready to paint it, but as I scraped I realized the decorative cover wasn't screwed down any more and I was able to lift it off in one piece, so I could scrape and sand it in the garage. But the roof (it looks like a small house) was in such bad shape that I brought it in to do some extra glueing and nailing (I was mailbox-bashed when DH was in the hospital 2 years ago... DDad did a quick fix at the time but nothing else was done). So that is all repaired and glued with some extra supports underneath and the first coat of paint is on. I'll do three coats (hopefully I can finish them all today) and get it back out tomorrow. It definitely is in tough shape, but it still looks okay at a glance and hey, it is JUST the mailbox! Good enough is good enough! :thumbsup2

Lunch was easy for DH and I.... leftover chicken soup from Tuesday night, plus an apple for dessert.

Tonight is marinated pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes for the kids, grilled squash, and wax beans. Nice to have an evening when NO ONE is heading out the door! Those are SO RARE during the school year!

Fingers crossed that everyone returns from school today with a smile!.......P
 
A question to throw out there:
Anyone got any HDL-raising, LDL-lowering tips? Oatmeal is not an option at this point as a serving raises my blood glucose more than is optimal. Fish is OK, although I absolutely detest salmon. I do not want to consider a statin due to their affect on blood glucose and other side effects including liver damage. My doctor agreed with that at this point, so I'm looking for natural ways to move things further in the right direction.

DH started to give me a LOOONG list of stuff, but I asked him to shorten it to what he has read is most important. His list includes niacin (HDL-raising, but start slow because it can cause a "flush"), high quality fish oil (you will probably have to pay a bit more, but buy the BEST quality that you can afford.... look for higher levels of EPA and DHA), also borage oil, garlic (as food and as supplement), and pantothenic acid (one of the B vitamins). I figured that was enough to start with. If you would like more info, let me know. DH has done a lot of reading about vitamins and supplements. HTH......................P
 
DH started to give me a LOOONG list of stuff, but I asked him to shorten it to what he has read is most important. His list includes niacin (HDL-raising, but start slow because it can cause a "flush"), high quality fish oil (you will probably have to pay a bit more, but buy the BEST quality that you can afford.... look for higher levels of EPA and DHA), also borage oil, garlic (as food and as supplement), and pantothenic acid (one of the B vitamins). I figured that was enough to start with. If you would like more info, let me know. DH has done a lot of reading about vitamins and supplements. HTH......................P

Thanks so much. i did start taking fish oil this morning after purchasing some last night....I hope it's high quality (so hard to tell) It seems I read something about some dangers of supplementing niacin, but now can't recall the specifics. Garlic is one thing I do eat a lot of...with an Sicilian garlic-loving husband, i have to eat it too just to bear being around him :lmao:

Looks like I have some research to do!
 
Evening all! Mailbox got painted and put back out, but the wasps I made homeless earlier today decided to take their revenge and I got a nice sting for my troubles!

All four loads of laundry got folded and put away! Woohoo! I can take a few days off of that duty. Also pulled some weeds and cut a broken branch (with DS's help) that's been bugging me all summer! I feel like I got a decent amount done today.

Talk with you all tomorrow!..........P
 
Okay..... I think I might be wrong about this, but I think that this might be the final weigh-in for the summer challenge? Yes??

Anyhow.... good morning everyone! Dkids are off to another day of school (in my car again :rolleyes1). They had to leave early for an NHS meeting, so I am already to start my day! I did all of my laundry yesterday, so none of that for today! :thumbsup2 (Unless I decide to strip my bed when my DH gets out of it!). I think I'll do some yard work. The limbs I cut last night I left lying in the grass, so they will need to get moved today. And the weeding I started didn't get fully finished. Plus I need to scrape and paint the cellar bulkhead sometime soon and I planned on painting the front steps as well. So I guess I have plenty of projects to choose from! ::yes::

DD has a swim team car wash/bake sale tomorrow, so I should get a bit of baking done. I HATE baking and DD would be happy to do it, but we need to go into Manchester tonight to get her fitted for her wetsuit rental for her open water dives in a few weeks. OOh.... I just had a thought! SHE COULD DRIVE HERSELF to the dive shop!! That just occurred to me!!:banana: How exciting!

This morning's weigh-in was very disappointing. I know I have no one to blame but myself, but I really thought I was in line for a maintain this week and I had a gain. :furious: Oh well... gives me a good place to start the fall challenge! :lmao:

Well.... since there is no one here to visit and chat with, I guess I'll move on for now! TTYL...................P
 

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