DarkSinestra Member

This is a beautiful way to look at it. I'm going to keep that in mind the next time I retain water. Sodium isn't my issue; menopause is! Anyway, thank you. And thank you, OP. Encouraging words that ring true.

How personally some people are going to take your weight loss, whether you talk about it or not, and how hard it can be at times not to take their reactions personally, even if you know it's about them and their body image, not you. How many people suddenly seem to think they're the expert on your ideal weight or size. How…

Also consider cortisol. The more you stress yourself out about this and the more stress you put on your body, the higher your cortisol levels are going to be. Also, low calorie eating increases cortisol, as does intensive exercise. Back down on the stressing, ease up a little on your body, and see if that helps.

On my walk today, I got to thinking. Remember when: -You never thought about what or how much you ate (unless it was just to beat yourself up with no follow through), or what effects different foods had on your mood? Your thinking? Your body? -You felt alone in your journey, either because you loathe being a bother and…

You know, I think the people who experience this have never, or haven't in a very long time, eaten 1200 calories of nutrient dense, high fiber foods. I can say that for me personally there is a tremendous difference between eating a slice of pizza versus a bowl of lentil stew chock full of vegetables. The pizza makes me…

I wish it was true for me. At my thinnest I was a size 2. Finding a 34 E is freaking impossible without turning to very expensive internet shopping. :# Craziest diet/weight loss advice I've heard: * All women at a healthy weight naturally have a thigh gap. If you don't, you're fat and need to diet until you do. * You…

Yesterday I blasted past my 5 mile walk goal (very hilly, some steep) and did 6 miles. My bad knee and back didn't hurt once, and I'm not sore today. Three weeks ago, there's no way I could've done that without seriously paying for it.

@jessiquoi I quit back in 2014. I have an arthritic hip and would like to be walking in my 80s if I'm lucky to get there! I started in 2008, was out through 2010 because of non-derby related injuries and then back in again. It is a rough sport, full contact, but we were doing women's flat track derby, not the banked track…

Down an inch in my waist and 2 inches in my hips since last week's measurement. Beyond thrilled!

I eat whatever I want except for my trigger foods. Trigger foods for me are foods that make my appetite surge and awaken unwelcome cravings. When it comes to more indulgent foods such as cheesecake or shrimp and grits, I just watch my portions and the calorie counts. I haven't really wanted cheesecake lately, but if I did,…

@SpicyGorilla Skating is awesome! I used to be on a roller derby team, and it was some of the most fun in sports I ever had. Outdoor training was always nice when the weather was cooperative. I'm glad you had fun. @dlm4mom Yes, my decision making powers suffer when I am tired and stressed. Around once per month I dedicate…

Congratulations on your weight loss anniversary! Cute clothes, happy face, and awesome resisting the inner saboteur. It's the high stress times that are always the biggest challenges. You go!

@jasmarie24 It seems like so many of us do beat ourselves up just for being human. Awareness of the habit and a desire to change it are a great start! I'm glad you'll be taking this journey here and look forward to hearing more. @jessiquoi You really did accomplish a lot in January. Observing our own behavior and taking…

Your question "Or what?" was answered. The fact that I didn't choose to go along with your misinterpretation of what another poster was saying to you that followed "or what" is not a failure to answer the question. It's simply not a validation of your interpretation. Trying to imply that people are attempting to censor…

Your question was answered. You simply didn't get the answer you wanted so decided to give your own. Attempting to classify a response as a rant and then shifting the goalposts of what you were asking for doesn't make your point any more valid. I haven't heard anything about you beyond the few posts I've seen of yours in…

He needs to get over it or be doomed to continual whining about how it's "unfriendly females" who are the problem and not his choice of venue, approach, or dudebro vibe. Also, many men who try to have these "polite" conversations of interest are neither as polite as they think they are nor good at reading social cues. The…

Don't rule out cortisol. Extreme calorie cutting puts stress on the body and raises cortisol levels. Long bouts of cardio exercise do the same thing, so you're hitting your stress levels with a one-two punch and then stressing about your weight on top of that. Do some reading about cortisol and its effect on weight loss.…

Wore out my walking shoes, so today I'm getting new ones. I very much doubt these will last nearly as long. :)

I'm working up to a 5 mile walk 3 times per week. It's really hilly here, and I have a lot of back and knee issues, but I'm up to 4 and a quarter twice a week interspersed with 2-3 mile walks. I feel close and am getting stronger!

@aleahurst Not only is the wild stuff easier to grow, it is usually a nutritional powerhouse. Dandelion greens and flowers are delicious! My grandmother swore by lamb quarters and ate those more than almost any other kind of green. (She also made poke, but I never learned from her how to make it safe, so I won't touch…

So basically, your cats are a fan of HIIT. ;)

@SpicyGorilla I am so familiar with the injury, working up to rehab, trying to get back on the wagon scene. I feel for you. It's tough, especially when you work so hard just to get back to able bodied, and then you feel like there's so much work left to get to where you want to be. It can feel like treading water with your…

You've never been judged until you've been judged by a cat. lol

@jessiquoi Thanks! Glad to be here! Thank you for starting this.

Bolding that last part, because it's so true. People seem to forget that their definition of things is rarely the only definition. Personal preference, cultural norms, introversion vs. extraversion, all sorts of things influence our perception of what's friendly versus unfriendly. What works for one person and makes them…

Hi, ladies and gents. What a lovely concept for a thread! Count me in. Over this past year I've been focusing on cultivating positivity in my life and cutting out influences that drag me down or put a drain on my time and energy without contributing anything in return. I have added to my life: -Long walks in nature with my…

No one will ever be able to give you what you're seeking, because self-esteem and validation come from the inside, not the outside. Unfortunately, however, negative self-images and messages do usually start externally and slowly sink in until we stop recognizing that our internal self-hatred and negative self talk did not…

Such an adorable 'tiel! They have such huge personalities in their tiny bodies.

I have gotten one every year for the past 25 years. For the past 25 years, I have had the flu exactly once, and that was a year widely acknowledged as one where they got the strain wrong. I would get the flu every year before I started getting vaccinated. Three times I had pneumonia develop as a secondary infection from…

I'd say that everyone has the right to set boundaries for themselves as well as decide when or if they want to speak to others. We all have different boundaries and comfort levels, and we all set them for different reasons. You can never look at a person and know for sure why they don't want to talk to you. Making…