DancesWithBirds Member

I just got my first. Like you, it was a reward to myself for hard work and a symbol of a journey. I got it on my calf. I had some reds and yellows laid down right at the top almost behind my knee. Those hurt pretty good. But I love the end result, and it was worth it to me. The pain was symbolic to me, too... sometimes you…

I can relate. I do this when I eat something that I hadn't planned on eating. Yep: I'm a planner. I plan dinners for my family a week in advance and I will often plan out my meals for the day by lunch time and log them early. It seems crazy, but it keep the guesswork out of it for me so that when I sit down to eat…

I'd write a letter explaining the incident and itemizing your damages and costs and explaining that you will be taking the costs out of your HOA fees until you recouped your money. I'd take it straight to the HOA office or representative and ask them to agree to it and sign it. If they refused, I would go to a lawyer and…

Incredible! And thank you! You have inspired me. I hit my goal of 130 last summer and then went to maintenance because I didn't believe I could lose more. I do still have a lot of fat to lose and I think I could get into at least one smaller pants size (I'm in an 8 now), but I've been afraid to try. I gained a little back…

Why do you want to be a runner? I have a sister and several friends who are really into it, so I tried it out. I did C25K. I built up my stamina gradually and got to the point where I COULD run long distances if I really wanted to. One day I went to the gym when my kids were really stressing me out and ran 3 miles on a…

I had a difficult time when I first picked up weight lifting about a year ago. I was uncomfortable in that area of the gym and unfamiliar with the exercises. I could have just continued doing my cardio and been happy with it, but I started lifting because I knew it would get me the results that I wanted. I worked hard on…

I agree that it would be nice. I recently hit my weight goal, too, and while I got a great deal of personal satisfaction from it, it did seem odd that there were nothing but crickets following my last weight check in. As for the people on my friends list, they are mostly inactive these days. It just seemed kind of…

If I was worried that a friend's life was in danger because of self-destructive behavior, I would consider holding an intervention. There is lots of great information out there on how to proceed.

I'm a SAHM of 2, but I'm going back to school f/t in the fall. I decided to get healthy about a year ago. Since then, I've gradually introduced changes to keep the whole family healthy. I have trouble with snacking when I'm bored, too. I've had to really work on my relationship with food to get out of the munching when I…

I didn't read through all 8 pages, so I don't know if anyone else has said this, but I was just noticing the other day that my center of gravity has changed a lot. I'm a lot more balanced and comfortable in all kinds of movements. A couple of years ago we went to the Grand Canyon and my [skinny] friends were getting their…

I never realized how overweight I was and I felt fine with myself, but now that I've lost weight I'm more critical of my body than I used to be. And since I gained most of my weight over my first pregnancy, I've found that even though I've arrived at my pre-pregnancy weight my body is different. The abdominal fat that I…

Since it's fishing season we have been experimenting with different fish recipes. My current favorite, which I use with both trout and (lake) salmon: Rinse them, then lay them out in the pan. Pat dry with a paper towel. Spray lightly with an olive oil spray. Dust with black pepper. Sprinkle on some minced garlic (I use 2…

I'm not allowed to walk downstairs in my underwear. So says my 6 year old.

I struggle with an anxiety disorder. Three years ago, when I was first diagnosed, my doctor put me on medication for it but said, "you know, the best way to manage this is with cognitive therapy, diet and exercise. The medication is just a tool to help get you straight so you can get to a place where you can manage without…

I was looking for a calorie counter app and found this one. I've stayed because it's worked and I enjoy the social atmosphere. You probably shouldn't trail blaze naked. You might never find all the ticks and goat heads afterwards...

One. To me, it makes sense, anyway. It is in the best interest of government and private companies to support the fight against obesity. When you lower obesity, you lower risk for other diseases that can affect insurance rates and employee productivity. My husband's employer offers reimbursement for gym memberships as a…

This is my suggestion. I have found that my cravings get out of hand when my hunger gets out of hand for too long. I've managed to get rid of the worst cravings by not letting myself get too hungry between meals by snacking and not missing meals. On the other hand, if you fill a day of eating with only cake and ice cream…

Honey is my go-to sweetener. I use it in EVERYTHING: oatmeal (instead of sugar), plain greek yogurt (instead of flavored yogurt), pancakes and french toast (instead of jam or syrup), tea, peanut butter sandwiches, in home made bread, on baked yams and carrots... If you haven't already, find a good source of local raw…

I just got down to my last 9 pounds last week and I broke my bathroom scale this week. It will probably be awhile before I can replace it, and I'm sure when I do my new scale will be calibrated slightly differently and may show a gain even if it didn't happen. In the meantime, I had to increase my calories because I've…

Baby wearing! Saved my life with my two! I would look into woven wraps and ring slings. My favorite was a mei tai carrier that was super easy to use, but it was hard to nurse in. With a sling or a wrap you can wrap them in such a way that they are getting cuddled and held but your hands are free, and you can even nurse…

That would be hard! I usedto work in food service, and you're right: its way too easy to just eat some of the food you're surrounded by. I also have a huge sweet tooth, and managing my sugar intake has been painful for me. We spent a lot of last year living with my in-laws and there was always tons of Twinkies and Oatmeal…

My husband was riding at 330 last year. But his bike was an older Wal-Mart bike that was too small for him and while he worked up to longer rides, it was always uncomfortable for him. I completely agree with going to a specialty shop and getting fitted for a bike. It's not about weight so much as it is about height, as a…

I ruined my metabolism doing something like this. Ironically, I wasn't really overweight at the time, so I didn't do it to lose weight. I was just lazy. I worked full time and didn't feel like eating breakfast in the morning or packing a lunch, so I got used to being hungry. Then I got pregnant and needed to eat more and…