iguanaliz Member

I've found weight loss much, much easier since my total hysterectomy in 2010. I'm not taking any hormones, either. I find that my energy is way up (probably because I'm no longer anemic). Plus being able to work excercise consistently vs. just 2 weeks out of the month has made a huge difference :tongue: Pre-surgery I…

Vodka and diet Mug cream soda. Yummy!

I kept my ovaries, so I find that I do have cravings and even water retention issues when I ovulate. I certainly can't and won't blame my weight gain on my period, but it has been much easier for me to lose weight since the surgery. In my case it's because I am no longer severely anemic, lethargic and in excruciating pain…

Yes! The Philly Cooking Cream sauces. They're yummy, low cal and a little goes a long way. I like mixing the santa fe with ground chicken and salsa. With or without pasta.

You do lose weight very fast, but they are drastic and it's very difficult to stay on them. Plus, and I speak from experience, if you don't "wean" yourself back onto solid foods and relearn how to eat, you do gain everything back so fast it'll make your head spin. I won't say outright that they are bad, because they did…

Do you run? Because the knee, ligament, back problems sometimes happen from "road running" on concrete. Especially if you have the wrong shoes. Although I'm sure you've already gone through that. Not to scare you, but there are also a number of autoimmune diseases that have those symptoms They can be difficult to diagnose…

Day 4 of no-booze January and going sort of strong! I know that the night is still young, but I would have hit it by now if I was going to. Besides, I have an article to write. How's everyone else doing?

Happy New Year, fellow lushes! This is my goal for the month -- an alcohol free January. I hit it way too hard this holiday season and I need to get back on track with my weight loss! I did pretty well on abstaining during the week, but I really want to kick start things so we're going big or going home :laugh: LIz

Wow! Congratulations on the 5 weeks Clive. I know even when it's necessary, giving it up ain't easy, so you should be extra proud. I went booze-free for about 3 weeks before my surgery and another 2 weeks after due to the pain pills, and it was a struggle on some days even though I needed to for my health. Anyway, last…

I'm so sorry things still look so bleak! I'd be living inside a bottle if I were in your situation. Stress and I...we don't play nicely. Stress usually beats me up and takes my lunch money. You've been so positive, and you have to dig deep and figure out how to stay there. Hopefully, things will take a turn after the first…

Agreed! I was out of the gym for 5 weeks for my surgery and was very pleasantly surprised at how much muscle tone and stamina I retained. I was under doctor's orders to keep it really light for another month after that, but I'm back at 100%. Definitely don't worry about that. Just focus on recovery and the gym will be…

Good luck! And I'm right there with you! I indulged entirely too much Friday and Saturday, both food and adult beverages, and didn't work out a bit! I way overate last night, too. So I've got some serious, serious making up to do. It's so hard to stay focused this time of year...on anything!

Eh, don't feel so bad (although having drank more than my share of meals I concur that it's never a good idea :ohwell:). My physical pretty much sucked because my blood pressure was sky high -- no surprise there. But I couldn't talk my doctor into waiting on the prescription until I had lost more weight because it was too…

I quit just over a year ago and so far, so good. We also only smoked outside and, like you, I still miss sitting out on the patio in the peace and quiet. I especially miss that morning smoke with a cup of coffee! But I don't miss it enough to go through that trauma again. Ever. Of course, now that it's in the 60s here in…

Thank you guys for all the wonderful words! I'm sure we'll have our moments, but just knowing that the decision is made has been a huge relief. And as much as I enjoyed the "whining" last night, I know I can't make a habit of it. I've worked too hard to get out of that pattern and finally start slimming down to backslide!…

Hi Dave! We've been holding down the fort. Actually, it's been taken over :-) So not a good week for me. I still haven't hit the vodka per my pledge to wait until New Year's. However, my no drinking on school nights pledge is out. My husband and I finally gave up the fight and agreed to separate. We both finally said it at…

That's what I was going to say! Capers and a bit of the juice.

I have both a home gym and a gym membership. I use the gym membership. Here's why...I'm self employed and work from home. I have a really hard time separating work from non-work and tend to work 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. (On the 7th day, I clean!) I'm in a creative field and there does come a time when the brain must…

So I've been doing well with the no drinking on work nights pledge, but not so well on the no more than once a week one! Way too much Friday night, then for some reason decided a few drinks would go well with fixing dinner...followed by a bottle of wine. I'm feeling really sluggish today and probably undid all my good…

Just popping in to say "Happy Friday Y'all!" Not sure what I'm doing this weekend since I'm still relatively housebound. I have a feeling the grocery store this afternoon will be the extent of my fun. :grumble: But I am certainly not opposed to enjoying my adult beverages at home alone...I'm a super cheap date these…

Great mindset!

This! Or vodka and diet cream soda. Yummy!

It took a month of no drinking to reclaim my lightweight status. I just hope my high tolerance doesn't return like my fat after a fad diet -- fast and furious -- because I'm sort of enjoying being happy with just a few drinks once a week. I do get a lot more done and I do have more calories for good stuff. I'm also losing…

Hi All! I completely missed October due to major surgery the first week of the month. That, of course, meant no drinking. In fact, I was so paranoid about bleeding and anesthesia that I quit drinking and taking any over the counter stuff way back in mid-September. So this past weekend was my first adventure in alcohol.…

I was on Medifast twice, the first time under my doctor's supervision. It actually is very balanced as long as you follow it exactly. The "food" provides all the necessary nutrients that the body needs. If you're at about 850-900 calories, then I'm guessing you're not doing the meal? Typically, when you have the meal, the…

It can be pretty dangerous with any kind of long-term use. One of the main ingredients is senna, which is a laxative. So it can cause all the joyful laxative side effects like cramping, diarrhea, dehydration, etc. It also acts as a diuretic, which is definitely not good. Here's more information on side effects:…

My trainer told me that Abs are the one major muscle group that you absolutely can work out every day, and she's pretty strict about giving muscles appropriate rest between sessions. I try to mix it up, though. Front one day, sides the next. (Sorry, I can't think of the "real" names right now!) It has given me some very…

Is that the stuff from Bethanny on Real Housewives? (Hey! Don't judge me :blushing:) I've heard good things. In keeping with my true lushness, what's the alcohol content?

Mine too! Although I would have snagged the entire beverage cart. Heck, if you're going to jail, you might as well do it up right!

So I'm finally back from my Key West adventure! Oddly enough, I drank less while I was on vacation than I do when I'm not! Perhaps it was the brutal heat (which was bad, even for me and I live in Tampa!), or perhaps it was the lack of harassment from the villainous clients, or perhaps it was because I was too busy stuffing…