Healthy Living from the INSIDE OUT - May 2016 WISH Challenge

[pjlla]

Oh my GOSH.... my morning "me" time to spend with you all has been chiseled away by things like spilling salad dressing on my new capris when I was packing lunches, hanging out a load of laundry because it is FINALLY sunny around here, and accidentally ripping out 1/3 of my upper lashes on my right eye when the eyelash curler slipped!! Grrr.... what a morning!

Let me try to do a tiny bit of catching up.... I've got 10 minutes left!.........P

 

[Flossbolna]

and accidentally ripping out 1/3 of my upper lashes on my right eye when the eyelash curler slipped!!

This sounds horribly painful!!! I hope you are ok!!

 

[pjlla]

QOTD - May 10

View attachment 167529

For today's QOTD, we are going to have a little relaxation moment (Disgust isn't too sure about this but agreed to play a long).

I want you to close your eyes, take five deep breaths, and let your happy place come into focus. Where are you? What does it feel like? Any sounds or smells? Hot sun on your face or cool wind at your shoulders? Toes in the surf or skis ready to plummet down the mountain?

Note: I don't want to know where you think your happy place is. I want to know what your subconscious comes up with.

Note 2: I'm now envisioning myself in some kind of 1970s hypnotist costume. And I look like Mrs. Roper. I am old.

Love this one!

FOr me, to be RELAXED I need to be away from home. Relaxation just doesn't really happen here..... there is always too much on my "to do" list.

I am going to list two..... one is my "local" place.... the lake where we have been vacationing every summer since I was pregnant with DD 21 years ago. We have had to change locations, but still on the same lake.


The second would be DISNEY.... my vacations AWAY are the MOST truly relaxing.... no kitchen chores to worry about, no making beds (both of those still need to be done at the lake), and I can just HAVE FUN!!

***DANG.... photo files are too large to upload! I'll have to reduce them and post them later.

Can I have 2 please? One - place in Ireland we were last month for a weekend. Breathtaking sunsets & sunrise. I did my yoga in the morning looking at the sunrise in one side, moon on the other (as pictured) and endless blue. When I close my eyes, this is what I see. It's not hot, slight wind and sunny & fresh.

moon early morning

sunset

sunset


And the other one

Steven Tyler at 68! Most 68 year olds I know would need hip replacement after riding it

I would love to be healthy & have fun in 30 years and fit enough for rock coaster

So depending on the needs. Piece and serenity vision one, WDW at 68 vision two.

I actually do well with visualizing places I love for few breaths! But I took mental picture of the place we were in April and I often close my eyes for a second and bring back up the beauty and the calm in my mind

Those pictures are absolutely gorgeous! Especially that first one! Love that you got to have yoga with THAT view!

Metformin is what my OBGYN put me on with the BC. I hated it. I'm not prediabetic or diabetic so there was really no reason for me to take it. They just wanted to see how I'd respond to it. There's been some reports that people on it saw mild weight loss so they thought it would help me, since it regulates your blood sugar and that can trigger weight loss. Well, in my own research, there were not enough people who saw weight loss to really make that a selling point, and if they did see weight loss, it was minimal and really couldn't be linked to the medicine. I didn't even take it the full 30 days I was prescribed it. My cycles have always been regular unless triggered early by stress but even then have been regular afterward.

Even my OBGYN said that the only thing they saw in the test results that would lead them to PCOS, aside from the acne and hair loss, was slightly elevated testosterone. I thought I had trouble losing weight, but I really think I just have trouble doing the things I need to do in order to lose weight. Since kicking the whey protein the acne seems to be much more under control and back to just my normal few spots every now and then. I switched back to the shampoo and conditioner I used to use regularly, started parting it on the opposite side and also stopped wearing my hair in tight messy buns to help alleviate the friction and pulling, and now even the hair loss has calmed down. My PCOS diagnosis just never sat right with me and while I won't say I definitely 100% don't have PCOS, because who really knows, I feel really confident that it's not my issue.

@Lady Marie I hope that yours is as simple as nixing the whey protein, too!! I'm going to try out a few vegan proteins next week I think. I haven't come across anything that says they cause the acne, and I really like being able to supplement my protein with the shakes so I don't feel like I'm eating chicken 24/7. Haha.

@pjlla can you believe it could be so simple? So FRUSTRATINGLY simple. Haha. It feels nice, though, to have a potential answer that doesn't make me feel like something is wrong with me. I am not a fan of western medicine. I don't trust doctors and prescriptions. There's too much money behind them. Too many ulterior motives. I've also yet to find a doctor that makes me feel like they're actually listening to ME. I'm not likely to shell out $$$$$$ for drugs (with side effects that are often times worse than the issue they're treating!) when I don't feel like you actually listened to the problem. I also think so many of today's ailments can be cured or at least reduced by going back to the basics - eat better (no processed foods, no artificial additives, no chemicals) and get outside and get off the couch. I know, I sound like a hippie. Haha.

Check out the Orgain protein powder. We buy it at Costco for DS, but I know it is available online. Dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free..... it's pretty good stuff too! Glad you are continuing to HEAL yourself!

Hi all. I'm back - although I'm not sure I was ever really hear last time. I hardly have time lately to post or check in. I really need to regain focus and start making time for myself even if it is five or 10 minutes just to do a reality check.

I haven't felt like the scales have moved up much but I sure do feel like there's been an increase in belly fat. I'm not sure if stress levels have anything to do with that.

My almost 80-year-old parents house flooded and I've been helping them out this month sorting and packing everything up contemplating moving contemplating where contemplating how, what's the best choice for them. They are in tiptop healthy shape but I just think about the reality of their age

I did really well today and logged my food and kept on plan. I just know my next day usually falls apart but I'm going to keep my focus and don't get down on myself.

My brother has become a Medifast health coach and is really trying to talk me into trying it. I'm tempted just to help him out. I know several people who have done it and had great success while on it. my attitude is just using it for a jumpstart for maybe a month. AnyWho I hope to check in more. Good luck everyone.

Wow.... sorry to hear about your parents' house! But glad they are in good shape to allow them to deal with it.

Loving reading all the responses!

If I just think about it, my happy place would be riding the PeopleMover at DisneyLAND (sob at its long ago demise) while enjoying a Dole Whip. But that isn't really my happy place. The sad truth is that Disney visits have gotten increasingly more stressful for me (particularly those that involve WDW, significantly less so for the land but I could still live without the people) and my subconscious seeks out someplace a bit more isolated.

Specifically the wilds of the Northern Maine coast. I'm on my phone right now so no quick access to photos but I just have to close my eyes to feel myself perched on a rock above the sea, a weak sun brightening the day but not causing my stupid skin to burst into flames, and the air crisp enough to be comfortable in a cotton sweater. Extra special bonus - no cell reception.

Maine is gorgeous..... the lake in the above photos I posted is a lake that straddles the line between Maine and NH.

Another pound gone! I lost 10.5 lbs since I joined the April wish group. I am 9 ponds away from pre DH diagnosis weight (when my weight gains started). Feels exciting!

Things are slowing down but it will be awesome to have the remaining gone by end of June. Then the vanity 10 by end of September but to be honest I will be happy once the next 9 are gone

I'm so happy for you!!

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

Okay.... I'm a LITTLe caught up..... better than nothing! Gotta leave in 4 minutes!...............P

 

[HappyGrape]

I think I am going to give up my eyelash curler. Ouch!

 

[DisPup75]

QOTD - May 11

It's woohoo Wednesday!!! Yay!

What are woohoos for the past week or so? Time to toot your horn and pass around the party hats!

Woke up late and am now paying the consequences. I'll be back later to make this post look pretty.

 

[piglet1979]

I have a few woohoo's this week. I have gained back the .6 pounds I lost last week. I am working hard for the my official weigh in on Friday. So here are my wooHoo's.

1. We got our Magic Bands for Our trip. 24 more days until check in



2. I got this shirt this week for our trip. I need to flatten my stomach just a little bit for it to look good. I have started doing sit ups and I continue to do my back exercises on the work out ball (it is more for your core muscles then the back).

 

[HappyGrape]

mine are - lost a pound
A holiday that I didn't really want to go to was cancelled (long story) and I will get what I paid (flights + booking for the hotel) back! Kind of odd but I am happy about it

 

[Dr Gunnie]

QOTD - May 11

It's woohoo Wednesday!!! Yay!

What are woohoos for the past week or so? Time to toot your horn and pass around the party hats!

Woke up late and am now paying the consequences. I'll be back later to make this post look pretty.

Let's start with the woohoos:

- Obviously running my first official 5K was a big woohoo for me and meeting my original goal was a plus.

- I followed it up with a 3+ mile run on both Monday and Tuesday. Last night was a crazy busy evening - didn't get a chance to eat dinner until 8:30, but did a slower run outside last night at 9:00.

- I think my run last night gave me confidence to try running 6.2 miles this weekend. I slowed my pace to around 13+ minutes and felt like I could do another 3 miles. Looking forward to the challenge!

- I've been reading up on sprint triathlons and that might be my next goal. A sprint is a half mile swim, 12 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. It will take some time to build to that, but my brother and I might try to do a super sprint on our own in a few weeks. Super sprint is .25 mile swim, 6.2 mile bike, and 1.5 mile run. There is a sprint here at the end of July, but we will be down at the Gulf Shores that week.

- 7 more school days and then it's summer break!

Now the boohoo:

- The weight hasn't been coming off lately. I've only lost 0.5 lbs over the past 6 days. I think it's because my routine has been so out of whack and even though my calories have been around the same, drinking 10 Ultra's on Saturday and having a slice of birthday ice cream cake on Sunday didn't help... just things that my body isn't used to. I've also had some late dinners which isn't normal. I hate eating and then sleeping 2 hours later. Hopefully when I get back in a routine, it'll start coming off again. I'm due for a big 1lb+ weight loss day!

 

[Dr Gunnie]

So.... I can't go into too many details at the moment, but I'd appreciate any pixie dust (or cake pops) sent my way tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1pm PST.

Love you all.

I got you! Good luck!

 

[mamattorney]

QOTD - May 10

View attachment 167529

For today's QOTD, we are going to have a little relaxation moment (Disgust isn't too sure about this but agreed to play a long).

I want you to close your eyes, take five deep breaths, and let your happy place come into focus. Where are you? What does it feel like? Any sounds or smells? Hot sun on your face or cool wind at your shoulders? Toes in the surf or skis ready to plummet down the mountain?

Note: I don't want to know where you think your happy place is. I want to know what your subconscious comes up with.

Note 2: I'm now envisioning myself in some kind of 1970s hypnotist costume. And I look like Mrs. Roper. I am old.

QOTD Yesterday - I am at Trunk Bay on St. John. I love it there. It's just a beautiful beach and if I'm there, that means I'm on vacation with my family. The Caribbean in general makes me happy for those reasons!

QOTD today:
I have several woo-hoo's today:

1. the scale showed 199.9 today (it was 199.7 on Friday, then up over 200 on Saturday - now it's back down), which made me very happy!

2. An even bigger woo-hoo is that I measured my waist this morning and it has gone down another inch. For whatever reason, I am overly focused on getting seeing my waist at 35 inches or below. I know it's just a number like everything else, but I am definitely striving to get my waist to that magic number since everything I read says that a woman's waist above 35 inches puts her at increased risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, etc. Today it was 36 inches on the nose. Getting there . . . getting there . . .

3. Non scale woo-hoo: I get to check my family in for our cruise this morning! I got an email that the documents are ready for me to fill out! I get so excited for these baby steps to vacation!

 

[mamattorney]

So.... I can't go into too many details at the moment, but I'd appreciate any pixie dust (or cake pops) sent my way tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1pm PST.

Love you all.

ooh . . . lots of pixie dust coming your way!

 

[HappyGrape]

pixie dust for courneybeth!

 

[Oneanne]

So.... I can't go into too many details at the moment, but I'd appreciate any pixie dust (or cake pops) sent my way tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1pm PST.

Love you all.

Sending magic sparkles your way.

 

[dsnyfn1022]

Good morning everyone! I haven't been on in a while and I'm just popping in to bow out of this month's challenge. I have some not so great personal things going on right now and it's just throwing me for a mental loop. I'll probably still lurk and hopefully I'll be back next month!

 

[Ellie Badge]

Thinking of you@courtneybeth! You got this!

 

[Oneanne]

This entire week has been one great big magical woohoo. I am so grateful to be feeling better and to have the stamina to keep going and do all the things I wanted to on this trip.

Yesterday was my down day, I just did one park... Ha ha. I finally made it to the right side of MK, something I've skipped the past few trips. Rode Astro Orbitor for the first time ever, probably a one and done, but it is done now. Spent the afternoon at Ft Wilderness, a couple hours of which was archery class which was really fun. I accidentally hit the bullseye with the first two arrows! I ate at Trails End and for the second time was stuffed to the point of being uncomfortable, so I'm really cutting back on the food for these last few days.

This morning was the walk to France morning, so quiet and peaceful.

 

[Lady Marie]

@courtneybeth Sending tons of pixie dust your way today!

Woohoos for today:
- It's our anniversary today and we have a nice dinner planned!
- I planned ahead on this and had a light breakfast and packed a light snack and light lunch so I can save my calories for tonight!
- We head to the WDW in 15 days! Not excited for Memorial Day crowds, but I don't care. DFIL is closing our store for the whole weekend and Monday so 3 Disney days trumps 2 days hands down!

 

[Flossbolna]

My woohoo for today:

The scale moved!! I am still feeling very puffy, but the scale is nearly down to my start weight of the month. So, now I am hoping that once the puffiness disappears (and that should happen any day now), I might see a significant weight loss.

My underwear is starting to feel very loose... The bra is in the innermost hooks! Not looking forward to the expense of buying new underwear though... Especially not before I am at my goal weight!!

 

[Flossbolna]

- I followed it up with a 3+ mile run on both Monday and Tuesday. Last night was a crazy busy evening - didn't get a chance to eat dinner until 8:30, but did a slower run outside last night at 9:00.

- I think my run last night gave me confidence to try running 6.2 miles this weekend. I slowed my pace to around 13+ minutes and felt like I could do another 3 miles. Looking forward to the challenge!

- I've been reading up on sprint triathlons and that might be my next goal. A sprint is a half mile swim, 12 mile bike, and a 3.1 mile run. It will take some time to build to that, but my brother and I might try to do a super sprint on our own in a few weeks. Super sprint is .25 mile swim, 6.2 mile bike, and 1.5 mile run. There is a sprint here at the end of July, but we will be down at the Gulf Shores that week.

Sounds great that you have found so much enjoyment with those runs! And the triathlon sounds like a fun idea, too!! However, make sure that you don't increase your mileage too quickly as that could lead to running injuries. And the last thing you want to do is getting a stress fracture in your foot which will prevent you from most exercise for several weeks! I think it is recommended that you don't increase running distance for more than a certain percentage of your current mileage every week (not sure what the percentage is, but there is lots of information to be found). You might be fit enough from a cardio-vascular point of view for the longer distances, but your bones and tendons still need to adjust as well. I think many runners have learned it the hard way that their bodies are not as forgiving once they are over 30 as they used to be when one was 23... Not sure how old you are, but I got the impression that you are starting to belong to the age group that needs to be a bit more careful!

 

[SarahDisney]

Good morning everyone! I haven't been on in a while and I'm just popping in to bow out of this month's challenge. I have some not so great personal things going on right now and it's just throwing me for a mental loop. I'll probably still lurk and hopefully I'll be back next month!

Sorry to hear that you're struggling ... sending along some . I hope things get better soon!

- It's our anniversary today and we have a nice dinner planned!

Happy Anniversary! Enjoy your dinner!

---

No woohoos for me right now. Maybe later I'll sit down and think about it, but right now I'm tired. Time to make some coffee ... even though I wasn't planning on having any. I think I need to give up this "I don't want to start drinking coffee every day" thing of mine. Grr.
Here's a mini-woohoo: I skipped Haagen-Dazs free scoop day yesterday. And I was right outside the store right before it started (it's right by the bus stop closest to my library) - I could have easily gotten in line and gotten my scoop, but I decided that it wasn't worth the calories. Smart decision, because we ended up having pizza for dinner.
Hopefully I'll be back post-coffee with more WooHoos.