@DrewsAnna Great weigh-in. Congratulations!

@TeresaW2024 - You sound like you are being very smart about settiong boundaries on what you can do. How great that you got to hang out with your niece, even if some of the news was annoying. I hope today is being a good day!

@trooworld - You video with the blazer sounds inspiring! You have me thinking I should take measurements or pictures. It's so smart to pay attention to dangerous moves for your knees and keep looking for a better workout video.

@baodell17724 - Thanks for sharing the article on definining fitness for oneself. I agree that it has some good thoughts. I was thinking about some of that last night. I was at a climbing gym, and got reminded of a coach of mine, who told us that we were always getting better or getting worse. So these days, I am focusing on getting better — able to move for longer, working to improve my flexibility and endurance and strength. I know I need to focus on upper body especially. What did yo ucome away thinking about?

@FushiaKat - Hooray for staying in your range and hurray for the trike news. Your new trike looks like great fun!

@Katmary71 - I hope medicating the kittens went okay. Poor babies and poor you! Also, I am sorry you have to work with a head pharmacist that you had to report. Um, wow.

@sleepygirl79 - I am so happy to hear your plantar fasciitis is improving!

@Cornanda Wow, that's an incredible art piece! 🤩

@trooworld Yes, my sister doesn’t tell me about the drama because she's protecting me. But she also wants to avoid my judgment of their poor choices, which I can appreciate, and would be happy to be kept in the dark, if they didn't come to me asking for money to fix their poor choices. Family!!! 😣 I think people do feel that weight loss surgery is an easy way out, but that is only because they don’t understand the commitment you have to make before and after the surgery. You are doing hard work, and it’s paying off for you big time! 😀

Good morning! So, when I was talking with my niece, she convinced me to play these games on a site called Free Cash, and I’ve already made $8 in two days, mostly by playing a game I already enjoy! You choose different ways to cash out, including getting an Amazon gift card. I’m not in it for the money, but I'm about getting free money to use for my Amazon stuff! 😆 I’ve been thinking about the fact that in eight months, I will be 60 years old! What a milestone that will be! 😮And I can either stay at this weight, get fatter, OR I can transform my body and in 8 months, be very close to my goal weight. The time is going to go either way, and the choice is entirely mine. Using Joe’s health as an excuse to mistreat my health is only hurting me, and possibly Joe if I get sick. So enough is enough! I’m getting mad, focused, and determined to lose this excess weight! You are all my witnesses that I’ve vowed to get my act together starting today!! 👍😀

Hi 👋

I was a busy girl yesterday, those annoying little fungus gnats have re-infested my plants. So, slowly but surely I'm putting them all in water and cleaning their surfaces and washing their pots and etc… then slowly but surely I'll start planting them again. I hate doing all this, but I love my house plants.

I've have been making better food choices and weighing and measuring everything, I've been mostly tracking/logging it all.

I've done really well with therapy, so now I want to work more with my middle and upper body.

Y'all have a great day 😀

WEIGH IN UPDATE
WEIGH INS DUE TODAY FROM @askewcr
Reminder TO WEigh In Tomorrow To @davors19 @Cornanda @trooworld @vegan4lyfe2012

@TeresaW2024 - that's frustrating all around about your sister/drama. Your determination is duly noted! Go You! Please remember that your stress with Joe is not going away and you need a plan that gives you some grace during the hard times. I'm confident you can figure that out.

@trooworld - do you think the person was disappointed that you had surgery or disappointed that you didn't tell them sooner? It doesn't matter what they think anyway- this is what worked for you to take the steps toward better health. Go You!

@DrewsAnna - Get those gnats! Go You!

(I don't even know what's going on here….)

@laurelfit57 - How nice that you have a special relationship with your granddaughter. Sounds like you are coming up with some delicious riffs on the bagel recipe- Yum. Love the pictures- Vannie is cute, Ty looks like a real Bad A—. Love it. Go You!

(still doing it. Weird)

@Katmary71 - What a bummer that the appointment didn't work out and you have to do it over. Yay for no more stinky kitten poop! Yay for getting plant work and HOA stuff done! Go You!

I'm so glad it's Friday. Work has been a bit much this week and I'm looking forward to the weekend. I'm going to have to figure out how to adjust my attitude- I've noticed that once I'm annoyed by some little thing- EVERYTHING is annoying me and that's no way to be. I've been putting in extra time on my mental health and this is a new thing I can reflect on and work on. Should be a quiet weekend. My book about the obscure documents is turning out better than I thought- hooray for that! It has been very hot here and all our plants and grass are suffering- supposed to get some rain this weekend and really hope that happens. Reading indoors on a rainy day sounds good to me.

Disappointed in my weight this week. That's what I get for setting a goal! I guess I was due for this, since I have lost every week since March. The 20 pound milestone will come soon.

Lisa

@laurelfit57 - I'm glad the food sequencing is working for you for cravings. I hadn't thought of that. I'm sure it doesn't matter if you chose protein first sometimes and veggies first other times. When I can separate foods easily, I will eat veggies, then protein, then carbs. LOVE the pictures; they both look great. I'd like to see the photo that you used as the model. I've never used ChatGPT but I may just try it out with pictures of the amazing Earl. Or perhaps a picture of my deceased cats Amber & Scout.

-Mica

@laurelfit57 Thank you for the exuberant hug! I needed it! 💗Most summers, the hottest we get is the high 90s and occasionally into the 100s. As we say in the South, it’s all about the humidity! High heat with 80% to 90% is miserable! I never understand people who like saunas. 😂 Yeah, we Baptists do like our potlucks, and they are a good way to foster fellowship among the members. But as I say, couldn’t we just have a game night with snacks! That's wonderful that you have such a good relationship with your granddaughter. 🙂 I’m glad that your medication is helping you so much. Those pics of the dogs are amazing!! I just did it to Maggie Mae. See below! 😁

@Katmary71 Bummer about not being able to do your bone scan! That is good that the kittens are doing better and that you can enjoy them more. I would be in that room all day playing with those sweet babies!! 😍

@Cornanda Thank you, and I agree that I need a plan for the hard days. I’m right there with you with the need to adjust my attitude. I have also been working on my mental health and trying to figure out how to stop expressing my fear and frustrations with anger and annoyance. My poor Joe is so kind to me when I go into one of my "crazy" episodes, which only makes me feel worse. ☹️ Don’t be disappointed in your weight. You have been doing amazing, and holding steady is also something to celebrate. Especially with this heat! I hope you get rain soon. 🙂

@trooworld That soup sounds good! I just ordered fresh corn this morning from Walmart. Joe has been asking about corn on the cob, so he will be happy to see it on his plate tonight. I know you're bummed about that tiny gain, and you're probably right that it’s the creatine. I just started back on it a couple of days ago, and my weight is up either from that or the weights I lifted yesterday. We just gotta keep plugging along! That pic of Violet is hilarious!! I hope you have that framed somewhere in your house! 😄

Good morning! I am a little sore this morning, but in a good way! Yesterday, I started a new program by my favorite trainer, Joel Freeman, called Speed Train. It’s an 8-week program where each day is only 25 minutes and uses weights and/or resistance loops. I like that it’s not very long, so I can incorporate rebounding on days I have enough time and energy. I did well on my eating yesterday, except for the big handful of Cheez-Its that I ate. I will NOT repurchase those addictive little morsels! My only goal today is to get Joe in the shower. I've learned not to tell him in advance and wait until after lunch so that he can take his nap right afterwards. OK, here are my Maggie Mae's pics using Laurel's prompts. I love them both so much!! 😍

@Katmary71 – Wow that was rude of the clinic woman! Reminds me of my sister. She’d buy the cheapest thing if it was coming out of her pocket, but if someone else was paying…freaking steak every time. I was embarrassed for her. I hope the kitties are feeling better by now. Glad they are more playful.

@laurelfit57 – Thanks for the bagel recipe! Now I’ll be on the lookout for a thick, plain vegan yogurt. I’m sure there’s something out there!

@bobboyardee – Yes, Bring Her Back was very gory. I’ve watched 28 Years Later twice now. I really liked the Controversial Ending Eplained video that SpookyAstronauts has on YouTube. It’s definitely filled with spoilers, so make sure you watch the movie first! I am so inspired with your streak of not eating after dinner! Out of curiosity (not sure if you mentioned times before), what time do you eat dinner and what time do you usually go to bed?

@19shmoo69 – Is inferno a brand of coffee? Or does it have something spicy added to it?

@baodell17724 – I really appreciate the articles you’ve been sharing. That list of what to eat after a binge has been saved for reference as there are a lot of options on the list that I enjoy. It was depressing reading the depression one, LOLs (cuz I have Binge Eating Disorder, Inattentive ADHD and Major Depressive Disorder). Sometimes I just feel like I’m screwed. Sorry I’m being a downer.

@trooworld – I gave up added oils for a couple of reasons. One is that the calories add up too fast. Second is that the oil causes inflammation and I am having a lot of pain in my ankle (the one that’s had 3 surgeries) and my knees. I was going to test it out to see if it made a difference, but unfortunately, I’m still eating too much junk food to know . Saving your fruit salad to try later – love that it has pineapple and mango! Violet is just so dang violent! LOLs sorry…had to… How sweet of you to send the blazer video to your friend. I’m sure that made her happy to see you in it and how motivating for you to see your achievement! You don’t have to tell anyone anything about your surgery that you don’t want to, you know that, right? “Hard work and commitment.” is the perfect response to anyone commenting on your weight loss (which is tacky of them anyway, unless you are super close with them).

@TeresaW2024 – I’m glad you received the card. Oh it must be so fun watching Hadley play tennis! I loved watching Hunter when she was doing travel/nationals soccer! 17 pounds is nothing to scoff at. I’d love to be down 17 pounds right now. I’m with you on getting our act together NOW. I have 1 ½ flights of steps to go up to get to my office. By the time I get to the top of the stairs, I am out of breath and my heart is beating so hard, it’s scary. I can’t live like this anymore.

@Cornanda – That book circle is awesome!

Rain, Rain Go Away! We’ve been getting hit with severe thunderstorms and temps in the 90s. Very uncomfortable. Hoping it’s milder tomorrow since it’s Byron & Brayden’s Birthday party outside at a park. There’s a splash pad, so that will be fun for all the behbehs, too. Hunter did a Thing 1 and Thing 2 theme, which I thought was hilarious since Bray turned 1 and Byron turned 2. I told her I’d watch them during the set up and clean up. I’m going to be exhausted. The party is at 2pm, so after it’s over, I’ll be taking care of Oliver, too, since Syd works at 5pm. Tonight I’m relaxing with M3GAN 2.0. I will NOT take my popcorn bucket and I’ll probably just have ice water. I’m sneaking in a couple of Worthington brand vegan low fat hot dogs that have better ingredients than most – textured vegetable protein, spices and (unfortunately) a little oil. But just 80 calories each with only 2.5 grams of fat…12 grams of protein, tho!

I’m so disappointed with my weigh in. My dopamine chasing has really gotten out of hand – both with food and buying things again. I’m the highest I’ve ever been. Can’t blame anyone but myself. I’ve got to get focused. Just walking up the 1 ½ flight of stairs at work has me breathless, but scarier is how hard my heart is beating when I get to the top. Takes a good solid 3 to 4 minutes for my heart to get back to normal. I don’t have a good game plan yet, but I’m going to work on it tonight.

Stay hydrated, my friends!

2025 is MY year! (hopefully, lols)

Hi 👋

It was cold and raining yesterday, so I didn't get anything done with my houseplants. I think today is supposed to be a little bit warmer and dry.

Chipper has an appt to get his nails done. He hates getting his nails, but he loves walking around the store. He walks tall like he's the "boss dog" lol... it's funny how he does it, or maybe I think it's cute because he's I love him so much. 😅😅😅

I got up last night and had a bowl of cereal, I haven't done that in a very long time, but I was hungry and couldn't get to sleep because of it.

I just realized that the 4th of July is next week. I have to work on getting some calming meds for Chipper. He does not do well at all with fireworks, my poor baby.

Y'all have a great day 😀

Got the portrait above, using the photo below

WEIGH IN UPDATE
Reminder To Weigh In TOmorrow To @gemwolf110 @digger61 @baodell17724 @alimalli86

Hi gang! It's time to give the cats medicine so I'll have to catch up tomorrow. Have a great Saturday!

@baodell17724

Starting Weight: 286.2 lbs (6 / 1 / 2024)

Past Weight: 206.0 lbs

Current Weight: 205.4 lbs

Down .6 lb

——————

Exercise💦: 10 hours this week

[I would have rather switched YESTERDAY's weight (204.8 lbs) for today! Because I didn't overeat, I know it's just a little more water 'sloshing' around my middle, that didn't get evaporated overnight !!! 🤨]

@AustinRuadhain "Thanks for sharing the article on definining fitness for oneself… What did yo ucome away thinking about?"

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you… This quote - among so many! - stood out for me:

"Research has shown for years that a negative perception or relationship with exercise wrecks your motivation. Maybe you feel intimidated, inadequate, or defeated when you think about exercise. Maybe you see too many super-fit people on Instagram and know that’s not you, never was, never will be. The message has been driven home that fitness is a “have to” not a “want to” proposition." 

I was the "fat kid" in both Middle-School and High-School gym class in the late 1960s and early 1970s. I don't know how gym classes are now, but back then it was horrible experience for every fat/obese kid and those very skinny with no body strength. It wasn't just the idea that you were always chosen last for team sports. It was more that the gym teachers treated everyone the same with the same (supposed) abilities: everyone should do 50 pushups, be able to tumble, be able to climb ropes, jump over hurdles running around the gym, etc… etc… ETC !!! It's no wonder that I, and so many other kids, HATED gym class and would cut those classes when able !!! (In fact, I almost had to go to Summer gym class to be be able to get my H.S. diploma, because I had cut so many classes !!!) Is it any wonder that I, and many other young/older adults have a hate/hate relationship to fitness??? I mean it's taken me to age 67 - a year ago - to use an indoor bike at home for 2 hours a day. Still fighting with myself to do weight-training at home. I started a fitness routine only because it finally sunk into my old brain, that the combination of Stage 3 obesity AND my MS was definitely going to shorten my life significantly. (I'm happy to say that in 13 months I've lost 80 pounds and now in the Stage 1 Obese category… but I still have 60-ish more pounds to lose, and it's really become a S-L-O-W process <sigh>😐️)

22 posts overnight- wow! I'll try to catch up more tomorrow.

@trooworld - I want to clarify what I said about your coworkers disappointment- I wasn't saying you SHOULD have told her sooner- it's really no one's business and definitely up to you if/when you want to share. And what you posted on here didn't indicate that you were thinking that's what I meant….. but I wanted to state it for the record.

@AustinRuadhain - the book is called "The Weight of Ink"- it's a historical novel. It's 790 pages. It's for book club. My first impression was that it would be a huge bore. But I'm getting into it!

@TeresaW2024 - I'm going to throw a few ideas out there for you. I wonder if Joe is eligible for Visiting Nurse services? I wonder if there is some equipment (prior to the hoyer) that would make things easier for you now? Would you be able to hire a caregiver to help you once in awhile? Is it possible that he is having colitis issues again that are causing the weakness? Discussing all the care issues including palliative care with Joe's primary is a great idea, but perhaps there are some things you could get started on now. Unfortunately, what my Dad is experiencing is that doctors are not much help with any of this, so you may need to start checking around to see what resources are available to help you. It's one of the worst failures of our health care system in my opinion. Sending you lots of hugs.

Lisa