Renewed Soul, kudos on your wonderful loss last week! :) Wishing you freedom from stress at work. Big hug to ya!

Thank you Mern. I needed that hug. Hugs back at you.

Newbie Starting Yesterday, Motivational Goals
 

Hello :D
I am a 61 year old lady suffering with chronic pain and migraines as well as other health challenges. I have started eating guten free last week to see if it will help and also to loose weight. I am 5'6 and weigh 200. I did loose 5 pounds last week since starting gf (gluten free) and I am also limiting sugar. So for this week I just want to continue gluten free and stay under my calorie count (2000) per day for now. I think journaling and hanging out in the boards will give me a good boost.

Marce Hall
Cottonwood, Arizona

Epixi, yeah you are back........I have missed you and your entertainment (and support). Get off that computer and get to a class haha.

Mern, it is so nice how you always take the time to respond to all the posts. I feel a bit mothered (yes mothered not smothered lol) by that thanks and stay with us ok?

To all you backsliders out there, did you back slide everyday? I bet not. I bet some days were fine. Figure out what went wrong on the bad days and come up with a plan, eh?

Over the months I have participated on this forum, what I have seen hurt people the most is their own self pity.....that seems to be what leads to giving up. Remember "I can but I don't want to"- it's a good slogan.

Welcome Marce, and good luck. Sounds like you are ready to do this!

Glad to see you back episode! Welcome to the forum and good luck with your goals Mrs. Marce. :)

Week goals:

1. Research five different ways to relieve stress
2. Log in all food intake
3. Stay under 1,200 calories a day
4. Walk 5 out of the 7 days this week

1. Meditation (guided or breath awareness)
2. Stretch
3. Journal
4. Be grateful
5. Understand that everything changes

Five More ways to relieve stress:

1. Think Positively
2. Identify your stress triggers
3. Practice relaxation
   
4. Get a massage
5. Get enough sleep

+ 1: Learn to laugh about it!

I couldn't agree more... right on. I have had very few episodes of self-pity during the last month. As a matter of fact, just the opposite. I'm so completely grateful for the benign outcome, that my lingering post-op issues pale in comparison.

I guess I'm ready to talk a little more about my experience now... it was a nightmare. One day, I'm physically fit, at my ideal weight and busy with family obligations. Within 48 hours, I was having emergency surgery far from home with a large (2 1/4"), possibly malignant, mass lodged near my spine.

For someone like me, who has been heavily into hiking, backpacking, climbing, snowshoeing etc. my entire life, I suddenly found myself at a cancer center with my name at the top of the chart and a matching band on my wrist while countless others were being called in around me for their next chemo treatment.

I can't tell you how grateful I am to have had this experience. I was lucky, but I watched as so many young, old, children, moms, dads, grandparents, male and female patients were not receiving the benign report that I did. God, I see their faces every single night when I fall asleep.

She said in a tone not to be intended to sound preachy, take good care of your body. Get to your ideal weight. Stay there. Watch what you put in and on your body. Get regular physicals... no excuses. Exercise. Always be patient and kind with strangers because you never know what their life's journey involves. And, most importantly, be happy, be grateful and be your best... always.

quinn :)

On a lighter note, and practicing what I preach, I completed 3 miles today in two 1.5 mile walks. So happy with this. Ok, so it's not my usual 4 mile hike, but I'm getting closer... :)

My weight is down this morning so I adjusted yesterdays gain to a loss. I weighed in at 178.1. What a great fresh start to the week. :D