HH, DH and I both developed PF about a year after we moved into our new home (hardwood and tile floors) five years ago. DH was helped with OTC arch supports. I tried them as well as semi-custom and custom arch supports, none of which gave me relief. Good Feet arch supports were recommended and I was desperate enough to buy them on the spot. I no longer have PF symptoms but they do return if I get lazy and stop wearing them. They are an investment but carry a lifetime warranty. My nephew also developed PF after moving into a new home with concrete floors and also got immediate relief from G/F arch supports. I mention this because I know how frustrating and painful it can be and wish I hadn't wasted so much time with other attempts at relief. Hopefully you'll have no further issues but if the symptoms return, I highly recommend G/F (I realize I sound like a commercial but I have no association with the company other than that of a very satisfied customer:)).

Hhireno,
I have been a waitress for 30 years. I have had PF on and off for a great many of them. About 2 years ago, it was really bad, you can see the heel spur here.

I was seeing an acupuncturist for my back pain, and she ended up taking a continuing ed course in helping patients with PF. It worked! I haven't had trouble since then. It seemed so cuckoo because the needles were in my ears, (along with the other needles she used for my back).

Worth a shot if you get desperate! It is horrible on the spirit when it hurts to walk.

I will report on my healthy check in tomorrow.

Happy Labor Day from one who Labored hard this weekend. :)

Beth P.

I went to the Dr for another bladder infection last week and I weighed in at 136 verses 142. Not dieting so it must be the Green Goo. Aimee noticed I was down a few pounds but I couldn't see it and don't own a scale. I was pleasantly surprised.

I started making and using Vitamin C serum on my face. Combined with my Green Goo, my skin is feeling much better these days.

Working hard around the house and garden. We had that Estate sale a couple weeks ago and that was tons of physical work.

Taking care of my Great Grandson two days a week has kept me hopping on those days. He is extremely active and watching him is fun but wearing. He really wants to go to "cool" (school) so my services might be coming to an end soon as we applied to a local college child development center. We find out tomorrow if he gets in. Two children are up for one spot. It depends on financial qualifications. If the other family makes less money than my Grandaughter does, the other family will get it, in spite of us getting all paperwork in first.

Harvested all my corn today and have that in the freezer. Feels so good and that was exercise too.

Starting friday, I'll be back to my regular routine ! I've been in Montreal since July 29, camping out in DD's empty condo- we've been eating out the whole time. I joined a gym in this area and worked out 3 times a week. My weight is the same but I feel slightly out a shape from the vacation mode I've been in. DD got married on August 3
so this was a special month for us, lots of family time which has been great.

I'm flying back to Calgary friday, I'll miss my kids and grands but I'll enjoy my "back to normal" mode for a few weeks. My life consists of lots of back and forth between locations, so I have to adjust my level of fitness and food to compensate for the irregularities.

I did not check in to this thread in August- but I read all of it and felt motivated to eat well, so thanks everyone !!

Mitchdesi, eating is by far the hardest when you are not home. I find what is working for me is always looking up the menus online and knowing what I will eat before getting to the restaurant. It saves having the temptation to get something more caloric and I feel more in control.

I have to weigh myself every day. I find when I don't I start to kid myself and start eating more. I can gain two pounds over night and that two and turn in to two more.

I'm a WW lifetime member as I mentioned above. But, I really don't track my points any more. I pretty much know what I should be doing. But, since my recent weight loss, and I really want to lose a bit more, I am being diligent at looking at the calories of things and planning for them.

Well, September..... mental health?? Not so good! MIL came back the 3rd of August and that sent me in a tailspin. DH was supposed to arrange for her to stay with his DB. I simply cannot take care of everything and everyone anymore. Db and wife are now empty nesters, and have household help, plus MIL's in-home care, or they can get her an apartment in assisted living.
With DH working from home, she cannot even turn her TV on during the day, or even come out of her room without disturbing him. I now have her going back to her sister's house in 2 weeks. I don't think that's really the answer, but DH will not talk to DB about it!

Physically, I put on 3 lbs, and have lost 1 of those again, and my goal is to lose 5 more by the end of September. I have absolutely NO body image, what I see in the mirror is always a lie, depending on what my hormones are doing. I am strictly going by my waist measurement now. It went up 1/2 inch, but that is gone again, yay!

Sorry about the novel, hope everyone has a good September!

Nancy

Happy September! I'm still working away at figuring out what will work best for my body. I've managed to cut out the sugar and get into a lowcarb/paleo mindset. I'm still using My Fitness Pal to track my food and am watching calories more than I have when lowcarbing in the past. Really watching the cheese and dairy. I'm happy to say I've managed to lose a few pounds and feel way more in control. I love my fitbit and have managed not to lose it again. :)

Now that Summer is on the wane, I am hoping to get my schedule to where I can plan exercise next. I really want to get into lifting weights again. I'm definitely feeling like there is hope. I'm down 10 since May.

Beth P.

Oh hhireno, sorry to hear you have PF. I had it twice. Fortunately I was able to get rid of it by using OTC inserts for my sneakers while I exercise. However, my biggest piece of advice, is to make sure you always wear shoes with good support. One of the worst shoes you can wear are flip flops. This killed me as I live in flip flops in the summer so I bought a few very expensive pairs of flip flops that are specially made with arch support and that, along with the inserts in my shoes, really helped and I haven't had a recurrence since - the last was several years ago.

As for my own health, I've been very bad. Even though I continued to run all summer, the month of August my diet was horrible. Vacation, visiting company, etc meant I was eating too much junk and drinking too much alcohol. While I wasn't drinking more than a few glasses of wine per week (and a few more while on vacation), I realize how much wasted calories that is! And it all goes right to my belly. Plus, I'd stopped my twice/weekly TRX class for the summer, which really works my core, so the effects of the poor diet really showed. I have not gotten on the scale, and my clothes, while they fit, are a little snug and my belly is mush. Since we had one last vacation over the holiday weekend, I decided that today would be the day to get myself back on track. I'll be running even more now that the kids are back in school, my TRX class started up last week (and boy was I sore!), and I'm actually starting a SUP core class on Thursday - that's stand up paddle board, which is very popular in the coastal town where I live. I've down it for pleasure a couple of times, but a friend of mine was just certified to start teaching an exercise class on the board. Should be fun! It's a 75 minute class and doing it with two of my friends.

Hopefully I will see the results of my increase in exercise and my return to a healthy diet in the next few weeks! I decided I don't want to depress myself by getting on the scale so I'll just work hard for the next couple of weeks first and hope that it is near where it should be when I get on it in a few weeks and my tummy has flattened some!

I'm exercising regularly and I'm eating really well. I'm losing a steady half pound per week and trying really hard to see that as a positive and not a negative. I'm so impatient - it's my downfall I think.

I still haven't heard any word on my blood work and I'm very anxious to see the results. I don't eat much sugar these days but on Saturday, I decided to make pumpkin pancakes with real maple syrup, chicken sausage, an apple and half cup of grapefruit juice. It was way too much sugar because I crashed hard exactly four hours later. I was doing some dusting and suddenly became confused and overwhelmed with my task. Then the cold sweats and shakes started. I ate a piece of bread and 10 minutes later felt fine. That was scary. I guess morning sugar is off the table for me from now on. I'm concerned with this low blood sugar because one of my tests has to do with insulin resistance.

Oh September! I love the fresh start of a new school year. Being a teacher, it feels like more of a fresh start to me than January. I usually put on weight each summer as I am home more and in "vacation mode" for months. Due to my dietary changes in June (paleo/primal) I am down 12 pounds. It could be more except I began to have more than one cheat meal/episode per week. When I returned to work 2 weeks ago my colleagues could not stop talking about how fit I had gotten over the summer. This bugged me a bit, because my workout routine has not changed in 3 years....I was ALREADY fit, you just couldn't see my lovely muscles under the extra flab! I am below the weight I thought should be my goal weight at this age/stage of life, but I am hopeful that I can go a bit lower...still well within the normal range for my height/age. So thankful to this thread for motivating me and for helping me to see the paleo thing as doable. As a bonus, without the grains my chronic sinusitis is much improved. When I have cheated with crackers or bread I have had immediate congestion, which helps me stay with the plan even more than the weight loss.
Judy

Kelly,
I think the take away is don't dust, it's not good for your health. How scary for you. I hope your doctors get to the bottom of the problem and get it corrected quickly.

Obviously, I'm in good company PF-wise. Thank you for all the tips and suggestions. The doctor did say "tis the season for it." Beth, that X-ray gives me the heebie-jeebies!

I love that everyone has a plan in place to correct for summer/vacation mode overindulging! That's healthy and practical. A life of total restriction and depravation is no way to live. Nor is a life of total abandon of sensible eating and exercise.

I want to quote Diana Nyad, from Trailrunners thread, but I am drawing a blank on her inspirational saying. It was short and pithy, but I guess not terribly memorable! All I can think of is Star Trek Captain Picard's (?) "Make it so" or Princess Bride's Wesley "As you wish." I suppose those could also work to inspire us to stay on course but they weren't where I was orignally headed.
ETA: Find a way! That's what we are doing, finding a way to be healthier and happy.

Judy, I was typing when you added your comments. Maybe they are saying you look fit because they don't want to mention weight loss? If I think someone has lost weight, I'll say you look fit or healthy, and avoid specifically mentioning weight loss, as it is such an emotional and touchy subject for many people.

This post was edited by hhireno on Tue, Sep 3, 13 at 16:39

Ok, jumping in after being out of action for awhile. I had work-out burnout by early summer, was looking forward to leisurely, relaxing, non-training bike riding... and injured my feet on a bike ride. Peroneal tendonitis in both feet on top of a little plantar fasciitis. Biking, walking, standing for too long aggravate the injury. Took the summer off, got out of shape, iced like crazy, feet are still sore. Tendons are just slow to heal.

So my kettlebell instructor is back in town after summer vacation. I've gone to two workouts with her. Oooofff... She has me swinging with carefully planted feet, then down for push-ups off my knees, then more swinging, then down for sit-ups. She knows plenty of ways to work me to a frazzle without using my feet -- where does she come up with this stuff?! Lots of foot mobility work: lateral & medial tilts, toe pulls, foot circles -- stretching exercises that actually feel good. This is all very difficult now, but so good to discover you can get a good aerobic & strength work out without repetitive, pumping or pounding foot motions, or much standing, even.

The bottom line, though, is I need to lose weight. My feet are overloaded. Reading about everybody's diet regimens here is inspiring. Time to bite the bullet and follow your examples.

HH-You aren't kidding, that cortisone in the foot is a doozie! I have gotten a couple for Morton's Neuroma, so I feel your pain. Hope you get some relief.

I have doing better with my diet, have cut way down on carbs and no longer eat red meat. I have continued my walking and biking (mostly in the gym due to the heat), and am up to one hour consistently. DH still eats nothing but crap, has a desk job, and never exercises. It is frustrating, but am keeping my mouth closed and minding my own business.

I am going on a trip abroad in October with my best friend, and I would love to be down 5 pounds by then. I am 50, and it comes off s-l-o-w-l-y. I now have a belly which I have never had. Thanks, hormones.

I appreciate everyone who posts here!

Oh, my DH is like yours, tex, and it is driving me a little bit crazy too. He has always been tall and thin, but has acquired a bit of a "gut" over the past 10 years. It's been gradual, so I don't even think he realizes it as much as he probably should. And he still looks "thin" until he takes his shirt off. He has gone up two sizes in pants but doesn't seem to care, just buys more pants. He will talk about eating healthier, and he will do it sometimes, but then he still will have ice cream or cookies or cheese and crackers an hour after dinner. And a craft beer or three (not daily -- just weekends). No exercise except for walking the dogs (we have bulldogs, so we're not talking vigorous exercise). Desk job (although he does have a stand-up desk!). He is on BP meds and cholesterol meds. He's older than me -- 52. I just keep talking about what I'm doing, but not nagging...hoping he will "get it" eventually.

Today's the day I weigh in for my hubby's work biggest loser. Nervous, excited, fearful and a host of other emotions. Good thing hubby is joining me on this venture. So far my mental state is good going into winter this year (I have a tendency for the winter blues) Last year snow came Oct 7th and stayed. Driving to the coast next week to do some painting form my mom's friend hoping my shoulder will hold out. It may be tough on the eating program there sometimes weight conversations can get tricky. I am feeling fully recovered from my hysterectomy Yippee!!!

HH- plantar facsitis not fun and needles even less. Yikes.

Beth- that is one nasty spur.

Kelly - I don't know if you get the deals where you live but here you can buy a glucometer for about 10$ if you buy 100 strips sometimes the meter is even free. That way you can test yourself if you feel woozy. Hope you find an answer soon.

Texanjana- Hope you have a great trip.

Sorry for not responding to everyone not sure how to deal with that. I agree this thread is very helpful for motivation. Speaking of motivation I'm going fishing before I do one more thing.

Just did 6 min and I am coughing and hacking time to check with the doc to see about excersice enduced asthma. Gave myself a fat lip too pulled back to far to catch a fish LOL.

This post was edited by CLBlakey on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 9:30

duplicate

This post was edited by CLBlakey on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 9:27

What game is that?

Ellendi,
Based on the responses in the thread about the candy crush addiction, maybe you don't want to know about that fish game. Why get hooked (hee,hee) on an electronic game if you can avoid it?

The only video game I've ever played was Pong! Remember that? Imagine how shocked today's kids would be by that one! Oh, I did play Tetris one vacation to Flordia. I ended up with Game Boy thumb after that trip and never played it again. I guess my time wasters are things other than video games.

Teaxnjana,
Where are you going on your trip (if you don't mind sharing with us)?

Just got back from the accupuncturist. Ive been hurting so bad, I couldnt put it off any longer. Old injuries flaring up, as well as the more recent ones.

Down 51+ lbs, but need to get back to tracking as Ive been falling off the wagon recently (and paying dearly for it, gut wise).

Also had another discussion with my husband about our future. He`d been practicing some life changes and things were going much better, but he has backslid to his old habits and I told him lastnight that I was not happy. Many words later, I exlained to him that I need more than lip service and that I am one step closer to leaving, so I guess that it counts for my mental health that Im being honest with him (and myself) about what I need to be happy.

Spending time with friends and going out to great concerts has been another mental health push for me. And Im finally getting ready to join a gym, as my health insurance has provided yet another incentive to join.

Not losing sight of my health goals!

SueB-Our DH's are twins! Tall and formerly thin (still looks that way from behind), love that craft beer, and keep buying bigger pants. LOL.

For those who asked, I am going to Turkey and Greece.

Fishing is a game on my rowing machine. Weigh in was worse than expected but at least I am starting and hubby weighed in too. Go team!!

Go Team!

I have an unmotivated DH as well. His bartending job is super physical, he's a wreck with bad knee, back, etc. He refuses to take care of himself and eat well. For years he was an athlete, wrestler. All that starving took it's toll. His BP is low, he has no significant health problems, but he has no "plan". Over the years he has done well, lost weight, but it has always been when I dictate the plan, make the meals, follow him around. I just can't do that anymore. It's hard enough to keep track of myself and the kids. It makes me sad, because we need to work hard for a few more years and then we will be able to retire, comfortably, and have fun, but I'm afraid he won't be physically able to do as much or be here at all.

Our 25th anniversary is the 17th. We are going to Martha's Vineyard for a week or so. Hoping to get some of discussion going with him about this very subject.

Beth P.

Congrats on 25 years!! I wish I could find the commercial that we get here about health problems as we age and not being able to enjoy retirement. I think watching it got my hubby thinking. We used to enjoy hiking but are too out of shape right now and want to start kayaking as a cheap form of retirement entertainment but if we don't get healthy now it will be too hard to start later. I will pray your discussions go well in the mean time I will watch for that commercial and see if I can find it to send you a link.

It's official I have excersice induced asthma going to try out my new puffer and go fishing.

Have a great day everyone.

Sorry if this has been discussed in previous threads, but can anybody recommend a good calorie tracker app for Android?

I have an iPhone, so not sure if it works for Android, but I use myfitnesspal.

Hi, everyone, sorry to hear of all the PF! I had it during grad school years when I taught aerobics. I got a new pair of shoes that were not cushioned enough, so that was a total waste of money because I had to get new ones pretty quickly. I always look for the most padding in my athletic shoes.

I have no real updates other than I am back to teaching and working mega hours. I am up to my eyeballs in work, and we've only just finished 3 weeks of classes. Good news in that I can WO at school, but I really need to finish this home office so we can look at getting the treadmill desk. I have so much computer work to do, if I can get extra time with activity, I think that will help me a lot.

Just really discouraged with WW, and I've missed the past two weeks. I've fallen off the wagon with tracking, too.

So, trying to pick up the pieces and regroup.

HHI, congrats on the negative screening colonoscopy! I am hoping I can do my follow-up by the end of year before a new deductible kicks in.

Checking in for September, doing a triathlon tomorrow, can't wait to cross the finish line and get my medal!

Still 20lbs above what I want to weigh, but after 3 kids, and a career that demands crazy work hours I'm beginning to accept my curvy figure. Happy to be heart healthy in a family riddled with heart disease.

Polly the Triathlete! YAY for you!

Beth P

Polly, way to go! Hope it went well and please post back to update us! And bravo to accepting your curvy figure. The most important thing is to eat healthy and continue to exercise and not worry about getting that per-baby body back. Easier said than done of course - I'm probably more fit than I was before kids but my body will never be the same and I have a hard time accepting that myself!

Yes, Polly, please tell us how it went. Hope you are happy with your results! Congrats on your hard work & goal setting!

As usual, there are so many interesting things going on with everyone. We have a triathlete! A fifty-one pound weight loss! A trip to Turkey and Greece!

I hope anyone feeling a bit discouraged can find their inspiration, whether it's a new fitness tracker, the natural beauty from the changing season, or a new shade of nail polish. Do something nice for yourself. Don't focus on being stuck or falling behind. Today is the day to start fresh. Find the way.

Today, my Fitbit congratulated me on my five pound weight loss! One more pound to go for my goal. Then, the trick will be to maintain this weight.

Yay ellendi!

Ahh my triathlon....it wasn't my first, it was my 3rd. Three summers ago I got my butt kicked in an angry Atlantic Ocean. There were 20 feet swells and a water craft advisory and the beaches were red flagged when they opened. I swam in that, I was traumatized but I finished in 7 minutes.
So last year I was registered for a bay swim, but I didn't train properly because my father suddenly died, so I didn't do one. This year I register for the bay swim again, but it was a different event, run by iron girl. Well, the swim was treacherous. It was so windy the bay was ridiculously choppy. I jumped onto the water guns a blazing and quickly realized this was a different beast I had trained for. It was so tough. I had to backstroke because I couldn't find a rhythm. That brutal swim took me 30 minutes! I think I kissed the sandy ground when I reached the shore. I was totally spent for the bike, forgot to eat an energy gel in transition. Remembered after the bike and was pleased with my run. It was fun in the end and I did it. Several women were plucked from the water and disqualified. I'm just grateful I was able to finish.
When I told my family about it, my girls were asking all kinds of questions. I think I taught them a valuable lesson to never give up. Even though I didn't do as well as I hoped, I'm proud of myself.

Congratulations, Polly! I talked to two people in the last couple of weeks who both almost drowned during their first triathlons! I admire your tenacity and determination.

Polly, the only reason I've never done a triathlon is because the swim portion freaks me out! So a special congrats to you, especially for being able to swim in those conditions. I heard horror stories about the swim portion of triathlons that have nothing to do with the water conditions, and everything to do with people swimming over you, etc. And that's something you can't train for really.

On a different note, I had my first paddle board class today! The weather was absolutely amazing and was an absolutely beautiful morning to be out on the water. My friend has really gotten into paddling, doing races and such, but as a fitness instructor, she decided to get certified to teach paddle board yoga. She has three boards, so my other friend and I were the only ones today (you can also bring your own board). We paddled out from the beach a mile over into a small cove, then did yoga ON the board. Was really challenging but a great workout! Then we paddled the mile back. it was over 90 minutes of workout. I can't wait to go back next week and hope we have good weather again. It was so peaceful and relaxing and an amazing core workout. I've been wanting to get my own board, and this is giving me some incentive (the class is only $10 if you have your own board, $25 if you use hers). I have a cove right behind my house that is perfect for paddling, so hoping I can find one on sale since it's the season end.

Thanks Polly! You deserve a medal just for doing an event like that.

Way to go Polly!

Congrats Ellendi you are so right about the keeping it off part.

I lost 85 lbs in 2004 kept it off just over a year slowly it found me pound by pound. I am already planning now for the maintainence of healthy life if I don't think about that transition now before goal weight I fear my loss will be short lived again. This time it "WILL" be permanent.

Way to go Polly!

Congrats Ellendi you are so right about the keeping it off part.

I lost 85 lbs in 2004 kept it off just over a year slowly it found me pound by pound. I am already planning now for the maintainence of healthy life if I don't think about that transition now before goal weight I fear my loss will be short lived again. This time it "WILL" be permanent.

CL, it is hard finding what works for you. I have to get on the scale every day. If I don't I start fooling myself with the amount of food I am eating.
I am short and small framed and it doesn't take much to pack on the pounds.
Everyone says that as we get older, it gets harder to lose weight. But, for me this is not true. If I really am honest, and watch what I eat, I lose weight.
I find that at 59, I sometimes feel "tired" of the whole diet thing. It's important to stay motivated.
What motivated me this time was a picture of me with my Dh and two daughters in front of a volcano in Costa Rica.
What a beautiful shot this would have been if I wasn't posed with my waist showing rolls! When ever I need motivation I wither think of this photo or look at it.

All of my blood work came back negative. Apparently I'm as healthy as a horse! With my doctor's recommendation I've gone back to Weight Watchers. I lost 120lbs. back in 2009 on WW and she thinks I should just do exactly what I did back then. However, she wants me to count points for fruit like the old program.

She also gave me strict instructions about not doing anything "goofy" (her word) like low carb, gluten free, primal/paleo, fasting, juicing or anything other than plain old "eat what you want in moderation." I have a tendency to over-complicate so the idea is to make my eating plan as easy as possible. First week on WW I lost 1.5lbs and I'm pretty happy with that.

I'm having a BMR test on Friday so that will be interesting. For those that don't know, your BMR (basil metabolic rate) is the rate of how many calories you need to keep your body functioning at rest. This is just to make sure my metabolism is firing on all cylinders but the added bonus is that once you have this number, you can determine how many calories you need to consume/burn in a day to lose weight.

"What motivated me this time was a picture of me with my Dh and two daughters in front of a volcano in Costa Rica."

I have a pic like that in front of Chichen Itza that is helping to motivate me LOL

That BMR test sounds interesting I have never heard of it before but it does sound useful.

"What motivated me this time was a picture of me with my Dh and two daughters in front of a volcano in Costa Rica."

I have a pic like that in front of Chichen Itza that is helping to motivate me LOL

That BMR test sounds interesting I have never heard of it before but it does sound useful.

Hi all - interesting to hear what everyone has been up to. Wow Polly - a triathlon - you are amazing!! If you are that fit and heart healthy as well I'd say give yourself a break and don't worry about the 20 lbs - which is what is sounds like you are doing.

Kelly - I'm so glad to hear your doctor's advice and your plan to follow it. I really think the key to long term weight control is good eating habits you can maintain for a lifetime vs. a short term "goofy" concept as your doctor describes.

I just got back from Glacier National Park - have never been there or even Montana for that matter. Though I ate too much and didn't exercise enough it was a great trip in many ways. I'd been planning to go last year but deferred the trip due to surgery for cancer (my second primary as some of you may recall). At the time I had the surgery I thought I had ovarian cancer (didn't fortunately) and going in wasn't sure what if anything I'd ever do in the future.

So here I am over one year later and made my Glacier Park trip. It was just so great. I felt so fortunate that I am well and could go. A friend of mine was diagnosed with a rare sarcoma about a year and a half ago and she died in less than a year. I felt so lucky to be alive and well and able to enjoy the beauty of the forests, lakes and mountains in Glacier.

Now back to reality and normal eating and exercise so I can drop a few pounds I gained on the trip. I have been very lazy about exercising during the week after work and I have to get back on track with that. Just cannot maintain my weight exercising only twice a week on weekends.

gibby, fantastic outlook on life. I'm glad you were finally able to go on your trip and enjoy it. I've heard amazing things about Glacier National Park - it's on my wishlist of places to visit with my kids. When I feel a little down about my few pounds of excess weight, I try to remind myself that I am actually very fit and healthy, even if I don't have the same figure I had before kids. Having lost a few acquaintances at too young an age from cancer and even sudden heart attacks, as well as most recently, a tragic biking accident, knowing that I have my good health is something to cherish as well as do my best to maintain. I wish you continued good health!

Pictures of your trip please!

While I was doing my stretching at the gym, I was flipping through a Women's World magazine someone left behind. Here are a few of their simple health tips:

Eat more raisins, which are packed with potassium, to lower blood pressure.

Inhaling any pleasant aroma can drop your BP by 2 points in 15 minutes.

Drinking black tea can slash the risk of developing colon polyps by 76%. Tea (as well as onions, apples, and beans) contains unique flavanols that prevent the free radical damage the fuels polyp growth.

Regularly walking cuts the risk of cancerous polyps 30%. Exercising ups your immune response, helping to prevent troublemaking colon cells from growing and spreading.

Drinking at least four 8-oz glasses of water per day makes you 21% less likely to develop high blood sugar-a key risk factor for pre-diabetes. Water reduces the output of vasopressin, a hormone that elevates blood-sugar levels.

DH just had 12 (benign) polyps removed during a colonoscopy. Better get him on the black tea!

I just wanted to report that I have lost 6.4 lbs. in the past 6-8 weeks, which for me is such a rare accomplishment that if I didn't just have a physical a couple of weeks ago, I'd assume that I was gravely ill. I made a pact with myself (I think I mentioned this here) that I would lose 10 lbs. before I turn 50. Well tomorrow is my 49th birthday, so I'm well on my way, assuming I can sustain this loss and continue. I have gained 10 lbs. in 10 years and I'm determined to change that trend.

All I've done, and it's been painless really, is stop eating anything that has more than 3 g of sugar -- with a few exceptions, like an occasional yogurt. Oh, and I still have a few beers each weekend but that's really it. Also, I don't eat anything after dinner, except for maybe a couple times a week I'll crave something and I'll have a small square of good dark chocolate (which actually tastes very sweet to me now!).

So yesterday I went to the jeans store, wanting to buy more of the same "uniform" jeans I have been wearing for years. Not necessarily in a smaller size, though my jeans are loose, just a fresh new pair. The salesperson convinced me that I was wearing my jeans too big and that I should try the smaller size. I said, oh, I don't think so, I haven't worn a 10 in jeans forever. In a nice way, she forced the size 10 on me, and in a different style than what I usually wear -- I wear the "Easy Rider" Lucky jeans because they're cut fuller in the hips. Well, the size 10 fit perfectly. Actually, at first I said I thought they were a bit snug and she said she actually thought they seemed a bit BIG (and then made me try the size 8, which was far too small). Anyway, I ended up trying on a bunch of different sizes but NONE in the size 12 that I've been wearing for probably 5+ years. When I put my old "loose" jeans on I could then see how unflattering they were.

I was so full of confidence after buying my new jeans, I tried on about 100 pairs of pants in other stores in the mall, but didn't have one bit of luck. I must be the only woman in America with saddlebags.

Anyway -- that was a great way to keep me motivated, and also educational! I never "use" salespeople in stores because I think I know everything. Maybe I should get help more often!

Much great news here. Special kudos to gibby & sueb20 for your major & minor milestones. And for the rest of you, keep up the good habits!

I've been working with Madame Kettlebells now for about 3 weeks and feel so much better after a layabout summer. She does lots of foot stretching exercises before work outs, and I think the stretching & strengthening work is helping the frayed tendons and plantar fasciitis by getting good blood flow to the injuries & developing support mechanisms to take the strain off. The feet aren't as bad as they were over the summer when I was just icing, resting, & Advil-ing them. I believe they're finally mending!

Anyway, we did double bell work today (a kettlebell in each hand) and it was terrific. Madame K. is such a trip. She calls us her Warrior Women.

Also, I've gotten back on a bike, but this time I'm riding my husband's hybrid. It's a more upright position. And I'm not clipped in, so I can change foot position on the pedals to reduce abusing the tender spots. It's wonderful to be biking again, especially since the weather's been so pretty.

sueb, congrats !! great news all around.

I need a kick in the butt, and I'm giving myself one: I have to threaten myself to work out, I am in a period of low motivation, boredom, whatever. I just came back from the gym a few minutes ago.
It's like pulling teeth for me recently to exercise. My weight is the same but I feel thicker in my middle.

I'll read all of this thread again this afternoon to try and take me out of my funk. Thanks for letting me vent.

Mitch, I found hooping here on GW through a thread by Terrricks. She claimed that the only way she got her waist back was through hula hooping. To see results you hoop for thirty minutes five times a week for a month.

It actually works. Although I still need to lose a few more pounds to get to my newest weight goal, you can see a noticeable difference in my waistline.
I find it relaxing, because i hoop while watching TV.

Sueb, congratulations on your weight lose. It's so true that you have to be open to trying on everything. Another trick I learned was that even the same jeans, in the same size can have as much as a half inch or more difference in the waistband. (Quality control is very poor) So, if I really like something in my size, I will try on as many pairs that the store has. More often than not, I will find one that fits better than the rest.

thanks for the reminder Ellendi, I'm good at hooping.

As for jeans, always remember that they stretch slightly with time, so they should be really snug at first.