So good to hear from you, Nita!

Wow everyone seems to be having a rough go of things right now..must be the change of seasons. I am nervous I may have cancer in my mouth again..and perhaps in my neck. I phoned the oncology nurse this morning and she will be reporting to my doctor tomorrow.
I went in for my check up a week ago but got the doc on call (mine was away skiing) and he examined me, but not thoroughly, I felt unhappy with it. In just a matter of days I was uncomfortable with the floor of my mouth and I felt a sore patch on my neck..may be nothing.

My son's health is improving and I am so exhausted I am too tired to hold conversations..I bet you know that feeling! We have a Curling wind-up tomorrow night so I am resting up today and tomorrow so we can go for dinner and enjoy ourselves. We will only be there for 2 hrs...but I don't want to run out of steam.
I have lost some weight thru portion sizes and careful food selection so I will have to see what I have to wear that fits my slimmer..but still bulky, frame last week I cut my hair into a shorter bob I am very happy about.

Time for CoronationSt then an early ime...see you soon Nita!!

Love,
Nancy xo

My dear Nancy,

You poor thing, I can't imagine what you must be going through at the moment. Waiting to see the Doctor is horrendous - your stress levels must be through the roof. I wish there was some thing I could say or do to ease things for you while you wait. All I can say is that I am thinking of you and praying that its only an infection or some such thing. Please let me know how you get on at the Doctors.

Well done on the weight loss. Is it tonight you are going out for dinner? Did you find something to wear? I have been told I must cut down on portion sizes as my weight loss is not going too well. I am doing everything ok - low/no fat, no sugar, more exercise - but not losing. So I will definitely look into that if its worked for you.

I am relieved to hear your son is improving, I hope he is much better soon.

Take care Nancy, I am thinking of you and praying for some good news.
Much love,
Nita.xxx

Hello Nita!

Things are rosier now..I am sorry I have not been in sooner. We took my son home yesterday, he was here for 5 weeks. We loved having him with us but it broke our hearts he suffered so horribly..he is doing well now.

As for me, I am doing well too. My ENT surgeon says this is not cancer on my tongue but does say it is trauma..I need a custom mouth guard as I am chewing my tongue in my sleep!! He also says the small lump in my neck is typical of a swollen lymph gland. he has booked me in for a CAT scan soon and done blood work. So, for now, we are pretty relaxed.

As of this morning we have the house to ourselves..but I miss my son terribly!! I must get busy and just let myself settle back into life without kids, man it is difficult.

I actually wrote you a long note last week that disappeared, Nita, maddening when that happens. I measure all my food which is why I have been successful at losing even tho I have not been very active. Portion control is vital, everything has calories. I know that low fat means they take out the fat and replace it with sugars and starches to give it flavor - that means it is just as fattening!!!!lol. I eat real food, just less of it. Low fat and fat free are just a racket, Nita...I gained my last 20 lbs on fat free foods!

We are about to go up to the airplane hangar to work on our boat for awhile. The transom is off and we need to move some things so the shipwright can get to work on Monday. This is likely our last year or two for her as we are retired and she is very expensive to keep up..it will be tough to let her go.

I look forward to hearing from you Nita and I really hope you and your family are doing well!

Love,
Nancy xo

Hi Nancy,

I am so pleased your son is better and you are happier with your doctor and his diagnosis. I shall be keeping you in my prayers anyway.

I am the same weight :( Totally my own fault. I just cant seem to get motivated at the moment. We have had rain, and more rain, and more rain. The sky is constantly black and I cant remember the last time I saw the sun! Most of the country was officially classed as in "Drought" a couple of weeks ago, following a very dry (for England) winter - so naturally it hasn't stopped raining since! My greenhouse is in full swing with seedlings and cuttings for the garden and allotment but I have no idea when I shall be able to plant anything out as it is just a sea of mud everywhere.

As I have been trapped in the house I have been having a good de-clutter and spring clean. I decorated the sitting room while my husband and youngest daughter were in Spain visiting the in-laws over Easter and it has just continued from there. I am quite ashamed of the useless rubbish that has been allowed to collect in drawers and cupboards over the last few years.

I know what you mean about foods having "hidden fat and sugar". For that reason I try and cook fresh and avoid processed food as much as possible - not very easy in a house with teenagers!

Must go as hubby is shouting that its stopped raining and do I want to go on a dog walk!

Take care,
Lots of love
Nita xxx

Hi Nita,

Thank you for your cheery note! Sunday night I was hit with a migraine but it is Tuesday now and mostly gone. I managed to get to my Dr's appointment yesterday to hopefully wrap up my disability claim, hope it works this time.

I hear you Nita...clutter sneaks up on us doesn't it? I just "undid" 2 rooms last year and now I have 2 more to do now, shocking that someone could actually discover my messes if I were hit by a bus! Lol

I have just re-done my weigh graph in here, just for 8 weeks this time. I think I can manage an 8 week chunk. My plan is to lose 8 lbs in 2 months which is totally manageable if I don't get many migraines...I would even be happy with 5, but aiming for a pound a week. We have rain here as well but it is just sporadic, not like the soupy mess you are living with - poor you, Nita!! What I was hoping was, maybe we could do this together? I am suggesting we each walk 40 min per day..20 min away from home and 20 min back. How does that sound to you??

What I do Nita, for my mental " boost " is buy some inexpensive stickers, for exercise I get a colorful sticker on the calendar! Hahaha it is amazing what I will do for a sticker! Perhaps you could even get a child or hubby to walk with you sometimes? Or do a video when the kids are at school?

wow, when it is raining all I want to do is eat bread...and I am wheat free, terrible temptation! We eat mostly fresh food too Nita but sometimes....oh dear sometimes I get into my husband's apple turnovers (and they are 300 cal EACH!!!!). Mainly I can stay at 1400 cal per day so when I walk I can lose a pound per day.

Best wishes my friend! :)

love, Nancy xoxo

Hi Nancy,

8lbs in 8 weeks sounds totally doable! I have just done my goal chart and that takes me to Wednesday 27th June. You are right - small chunks is much easier to get my head around. When I see the total I need to lose I get very depressed and want to reach for the biscuit tin!

Its not actually raining at the moment so I am going to take the dog out now (9.25am) and hopefully get him out again later for a second walk. Two short walks are better for my joints than one long one.

I will report back tomorrow with time/steps walked.
Take care,
Much love,
Nita xxx

Hi Nancy,

Yesterday I walked aerobically for 39mins (according to my pedometer) and covered 4.52km in 7540 steps! I also managed to keep within my calorie allowance. This morning I have lost 0.4lb! So far so good. How did you do?

I have been to the supermarket this morning and bought a new keep fit "game" (in the sale) for the Nintendo Wii - it comes with a heart monitor and other stuff and I will try and set it all up in a bit, but it may have to wait until the kids come home from school - it looks a little complicated. I am going to take the dog out now, as its not raining, and then have to go to town to pick some things up. I was planning to walk but there is more rain forcast for later so I will go in the car (I may want to lose weight but I'm not stupid).

Hope you had a good day yesterday.
Much love,
Nita
xxx

Hi Nita,

You are doing so well with your walking...excellent! Monday I walked the dog for 30 min and today I did as well, the pace was "moderate". I also got in 15 min of brisk cardio with a CD so was able to register my 45 min of exercise today quite proudly!

We don't own a Wii unit but many of our friends do...well done for getting a "game" on sale!

I have not lost any weight as yet but that is normal for me, I can eat properly and workout every day and it can take 10 days for it to register on the scale...but it Will happen soon!

It is 15 min until my television show so I will grab my strawberries/grapes and settle in for an hour before bed, my exercise has worn me out.

Hopefully your rain has backed off and left you with sunny skies!

Love,

Nancy xo

Hi Nancy,

Well done on keeping to schedule. Its the getting it to be a habit that I find hard.

I have been very good. I have managed 40 - 50 mins walking every day and am doing the fitness program on the Wii which is about 30 mins. I have also got some of those trainers with the funny sole to work your legs as you walk. They give me butt ache - so they must be working! I weighed this morning (silly thing to do as it is "time of the month") and I have GAINED 3lb!!! Hopefully this will disappear over the next week and then I shall weigh again next Wednesday - and get a truer reading (hopefully).

Weather is still rubbish. Yesterday afternoon the sun came out and I thought "finally spring is here". This morning it is overcast and damp. I really ought to go up to the allotment but the ground is too wet to do anything and I shall just get depressed and frustrated. It only needs two or three days dry with a little wind and it will dry up enough to be workable.

Take care and keep up the good work
Much love
Nita
xxx

Hi Nita,

I actually was up and out of the house by 8 am for a 30 min walk...hahaha practically unheard of for me! I keep my walks short so my feet don't complain too much during the day and I used to be a dancer so my bad knee is just fine with a 40 min walk max at one time.

Nita I have such good news to share. I am disabled with 5 diseases and have been trying so hard to get disability for the past few years, this morning they phoned me to say I have been accepted!!!!! I was so thrilled and teary I completely forgot to ask how much money I would receive each month...hahaha typical me!

You are doing so well with your exercise Nita...way to go!!! I am aiming for an hour of walking ( if my feet hold up, split in 2 walks a.m & p.m ) and 15 min of my Oxycise. it will get hot out soon so if I don't walk in the morning I will be doing an hour of Oxycise instead.

I hope your dark skies turn sunny!

Love from Nancy xo

Hi Nancy,

Congratulations on getting your disability, that must be a relief for you. One less thing to worry about!

The dog only got one walk today as I did manage to get up to the allotment and do some weeding. It was so wet that all I could do was squelch about in my wellies pulling the weeds up by hand. After an hour I had to stop as it started to rain - and hasn't stopped since!

I have just brushed my teeth and discovered that I have lost most of a tooth - I must have eaten it with my dinner. More expense - grrrr.

Much love,
Nita
xxx

Hi Nita!

wow I have been gone most of a week...so sorry about that. My son came back for the week and aside from early morning walking I got no other regular cardio, but I did manage to get hit by a migraine.

Today is Sunday of a long weekend and I got a 30 min walk done in dazzling sunshine plus 20 more minutes of cardio. I didn't lose any weight this week but it was stressful so I am just happy I didn't fall apart!lol

I am posting late in the afternoon and I still have to prepare the roast chicken for dinner. I will be back in tomorrow to tell you how well I have done with my exercise. Nita I hope you had a good week? Has it stopped raining? My husband planted our garden today, or most of it. We have non genetically modified tomatoes and peppers, so far.

See you tomorrow!

Love,
Nancy xx :)

Hi Nita,

We walked yesterday and today, lucky for us the rain held off until this afternoon. It is freezing cold and pouring rain..I made a roast dinner and now I can barely stay awake.

I treated myself to a French manicure today before a stressful CT scan appointment tomorrow afternoon, it will be fine I just don't like I.V's. Suppertime will be fun tho as I get to see my best friend and another friend who we haven't seen for 35 yrs!!

Nita I hope you are doing well? Has it dried up enough for you to garden and walk? talk to you soon!

Ciao ciao,

Love,
Nancy xoxo :)

Hi Nancy,
(Wednesday 23 May 2012 10:15am)
Yes the weather has finally dried up enough to be able to garden! The sky has been clear blue for the last two days and actually quite hot - especially if you are digging. I have been walking the dog twice a day and now that I am gardening I haven't had time for the Wii exercise programme. Arms, legs and back are aching to I know I am burning calories.

I think I am going to have to buy some new scales as mine have turned TRAITOR!!! I weighed before getting into the shower and again after I had dried myself - I put on three pounds in 10 mins! No wonder I dont seem to be getting anywhere. I went to the doctors last week and he was pleased as my blood pressure tables are now working and I am in the normal range, and I had lost my "Christmas/Winter Weight" of 8lbs. According to my scales I had only lost 2lbs of it.

Sorry to hear you have had a stressful time. Worrying about children is the worst kind of stress. My daughter has her "important" post delivered to our address as she lives in a block of flats and the post boxes are outside. Letters keep coming from the hospital for her and when she collects them she just puts them in her bag and changes the subject when I ask if everything is OK. Good luck with the CT scan tomorrow, I shall be thinking of you.

Take care,
Much Love
Nita
xxx

Hello Nita,

This is Thursday afternoon and I am one exhausted puppy ( yesterday was a lot for me!)

My CT scan was Very quick...it took about 5 min!! I was very relieved when she put the IV in my arm and not the back of my hand. I had to fast 4 hrs before the test and had packed a small lunch which I ate in the car when the test was finished. After that I drove to my favorite book seller / gift shop..never a good idea Nita as I adore their things!!lol. I bought 2 new coffee mugs and a terrific cookbook called, " Vegetable Soups "...so far I am reading recipes about fall and winter soups...Yum :). I think this is actually a vegan book but I think I will primarily be using chicken stock.

We have been walking Every day for 30 min and I have been very careful of my calories ( not hard for me this time of year)... I got on the scales yesterday and I have lost 3 lbs!!! I started at 224 and I am at 221, 2 more lbs and I will be back at my weight of last mid-June. I really want to be 199 again, and I can do it I know I can! Nita you and I must have the scales from the same manufacturer...my scales weigh in at 7 lbs too much and it is awful! I weigh in twice a month and it is demoralizing to have to add numbers on to get an accurate reading. I filled in the weight graph on here, I have until June 7 to lose 1 more lb, but I think I can lose 2 by then :)

We are having my "'un-fat" Tuna Melts for dinner this evening, I add extra cheese and Ranch dressing to my husband's. We are having rain for the next few days so tomorrow I am making a Cabbage and leek and potato soup with dense bread and gorgonzola cheese, served with a salad. I have just had a quick peek at my soup cookbook and I think it is vegetarian, not vegan ... Thank heavens!

Nita I am happy for you the skies have lightened up and you are gardening, that is hard work! And I hear you on the children worrying as well, they don't want to worry us but they often don't know how to manage their own concerns without shutting down. My son is pretty good about talking when he is with us but over the phone he is fairly shut down. Having said that he has said positive things to us about his symptoms and I know he is feeling rough..and that has happened when he is standing in front of me. sigh.

It is 4:30 pm, 24 hrs ago I was with high school friends I hadn't seen in 36 yrs!!!!! We ate dinner at our old high school pizzeria which is now a bistro, they had pizza and wine but I was good and had a lamb sarnie (minus the bread) with a tossed greens with vinegar and a pot of tea and 4 glasses of water. We talked for 3 hrs straight and today I have dropped from a happy exhaustion! :)

Time for a quick shut eye before my husband arrives home for dinner. It will be cold overnight, we are getting a -1 windchill factor...Crazy weather for May. I think we are both doing well Nita, I truly appreciate and enjoy your friendship, thank you!

Ciao ciao,
Love,
Nancy xo

Hi Nancy,
Friday 5.06pm
I am so pleased your scan went ok and wasnt too traumatic for you. I have been on the go all day today - but slowly. It is really HOT, like August! I have been 10 mins in the green house, back in the house to do some housework, then back out into the garden for 10 mins and so on all day. My hands and feet get a bit puffy when I get too hot and I am afraid I do get a bit cross and grumpy when I am uncomfortable.

I gave the dog a shower at 8am - he stunk! When we went out for a walk at 9.15am he was bone dry! I was hoping to get the walk in before the heat of the day took hold, but when I came back I had to have a cold shower I was so hot and sweaty. One good thing about hot weather is that my appetite drops off.

My husband has to go on a course tomorrow at work so he will be gone all day and on Sunday he and my youngest are going to Wembley to watch Cheltenham Town play in their final - dont ask me which division or league as I have no idea. It looks as though half of Cheltenham are going so hopefully they will have a good time. It will be a quiet weekend for me though.

The soup cookery book sounds good - my fav is Stilton and Broccoli soup - I make it after Christmas to use up the left over cheese.

Take care and have a lovely weekend.
Much love
Nita
xxx

Hi Nita!
Tuesday 4:25pm....10:25 for you I think?

I can hardly believe how many days it has been since I have been here...I was somewhat depressed/exhausted/ anxious about my upcoming meeting with my cancer doc and I honestly didn't realize how freaked out/nervous I was. But...Good news!!!...my CT scan was clear and I passed the exam he gave me in the office. He told me I am in a holding pattern but he doesn't need to see me for 3 mths which is my 2 yr anniversary of my surgeries. yesterday was a Big day for me and today I have done nothing haha

Actually I said I did nothing but I forgot about the 45 min walk we took in winds and cold and rain this morning..very English weather, Nita! It has been nasty outdoors for days but the sun is coming out now in the late afternoon. I am taking my longer route again tomorrow, when I slowed down a bit and got the extra 15 min in I really felt so much better...I am in better condition than I gave myself credit ( hahaha not by much but by a tiny bit at least!)

I am painting the wall behind the bed in my spare room, Finally!! Lol Nita it has been 10 yrs and I am just now relaxed enough to know, or semi- know, what I want to do with the space. I think. At least now I can take my fabric samples into the paint store and gather some paint chips then sample jar(s). Instead of art work or pictures I am going to order decals at www.wall words.com, there is so much to choose from it is rattling my brain! I think I am going to order my favorite words and have an entire wall of inspirational words. Have you seen these where you live, Nita? You can order sayings already made up or special order anything you like, in just about any color.

My husband drove to the city for his music lesson this afternoon so I have had the house to myself for 4 hrs..heavenly!! Hahaha. I took advantage and only rested, played on the computer/watched chat shows and cleaned the kitchen floor. He is a go go go kind of guy so when I get the chance to sit in peace and quiet I often take advantage of it! You have a family Nita so I am sure you understand.

I got a phone call from my son who reported he is feeling much better..and he sounds it as well. Whew...huge relief! and my daughter is doing something called " Tough Mudder " to raise money for Canadian veterans returning from war to help them get back into society. It is crazy business,,,they run thru fire, crawl thru mud, hang off monkey bars, run under live wires...you can google it Nita, it is worse than the Army!! She flies to the West coast, Vancouver, British Columbia for the June 23 competition. I won't rest properly until this is over. Lol more stress!!

Nita I hope you had a nice weekend in your garden..now ours is under 3" of water, seems to be our turn.

Love,

Nancy xo

Hi Nancy,
Wednesday 30 May 9.30am
FANTASTIC news on your results - I am so relieved for you. I can tell how happy and positive you are now as you are so eager to get on with the decorating and making plans. I do know what you mean about "words on the wall", it looks lovely in a pretty script.

I am glad your son sounds better and happier, no matter how old they get they are still our babies aren't they? Your daughter sounds like she is going to have a great time, these sorts of "trials" can be hugely rewarding and satisfying to complete! My daughter is planning to compete in a 10km run for the cancer charity, its called "Race for Life", in August. I am a little nervous as it will only be 11 months since her surgery, she has put on a bit of weight, possibly as she has gone into menopause as a result of the surgery. She has joined a slimming club and is trying to do something to lose some before the race. Also she is to be a bridesmaid for her friend at the end of August so she wants to look her best for that.

I have been making a concerted effort to TRY and get the allotment under control. It is approximately 20' by 90' or thereabouts. A third of it is raspberries and gooseberries and the other two thirds has to be dug over. I am finding it a bit hard on my own. I spent 4 hours on Monday and 3 hours yesterday - I shall give it a miss today as I am a bit stiff and sore, I shall go and visit my Mum instead. I will hopefully get some help from my husband as he is off tomorrow until next Wednesday (Jubilee Weekend) and getting the allotment WAS his idea. Our garden at home is 140' by 30' so I suggested we could grow more veg at home than have allotment, but he wanted one, romantic dreams of sitting under the plum tree in front of a perfectly maintained allotment perhaps?!? As he works such long hours it has fallen to me to try and keep it going, to be honest its a bit much for a fat, unfit woman of 50! I have got to get at least SOME of it dug over as I have courgettes, squash, climbing french beans and beetroot in the greenhouse which all needs getting into the ground.

Anyway, the upshot is after all this heavy work I have been doing (apart from the aches and pains) is that I lost 2lbs this week. I am half a pound behind schedule according to the graph on here but hopefully will continue to lose as I work on the allotment. The dog has been reduced to one walk a day as my knees and feet wont take any more.

I am so glad your results were clear, and very relieved. Take care and look after yourself, I do enjoy our "chats" so much.

Much love
Nita
xxx

Hi Nita!
Thursday, 10:00 am

I just popped in to say I hit my first mini goal...I have lost 4 lbs this month and 24 lbs since November!!!! The walking has been what has made the big difference. Your gardening efforts are enormous Nita...take good and gentle care of yourself from a lawn chair this weekend as you watch your husband dig over the allotment! Lol

I am now 220 lbs and my next goal is 216 by July 1....one month is a manageable goal for me.

We just came in from our morning walk. We walked for 35 min but I was on my feet for 50 min. Must dash and do pills and get some fresh hot tea. WELL DONE on losing 2 lbs this week...Woo Hoooo!!!!!! Good for You Nita!!!

Love,
Nancy xoxo

Hi Nita!

I want to report I did my 35 min walk this morning, but it actually took me 40 min because I don't feel 100%... I had a mini migraine hit me yesterday afternoon and I am still a bit weak. But I am ok.

Nita I think I told you I bought a Vegetable Soup cookbook last week? last night I made the recipe I actually bought the book for...man it was delicious!!!! I used chicken stock instead of water and added a small can of tomatoes plus toast with blue cheese in the soup...my husband LOVED it. It was "peasant food"... A leek, a potato, small head of cabbage, broth...oh it was so good! Cheap and cheerful, my kind of food.

I sent away for a sample of the decals ( wall words ) that I am hoping to use in my guest room....oh Nita - it is so elegant and the script is just so beautiful!! The company sent me one word, the word "Thanks" and I have been holding it up all over my room. I can hardly wait to organize my mind and select my words..hahaha this will take some doing!

The sun is out today and we are expecting rain later on this afternoon..it is 13c right now and dry so lovely weather for having coffee out on the deck. We were walking out with the early morning runners...I was thinking of your daughter getting her run in for the big race, how is she doing? She certainly has not let illness slow her down much has she? You must be resilient parents for her to be so resilient!

Now I am hungry..off to get some breakfast and do my medications. I hope you are well today ((Nita)).

Much love,

Nancy xx

It is bedtime but I wanted to come in and report I did 15 extra minutes of cardio this afternoon....WooHooooo!!

Love,

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Sorry I haven't been on for a while - I just don't know where the weeks have gone! I have got all my veg in at the allotment and it is looking pretty good. Still got about a third to cultivate but it is neat and tidy for the time being, the weather has turned wet again so digging it is out of the question.

I have been walking the dog (no matter what the weather is doing - much to his annoyance) and watching what I am eating, so I am making slow but steady progress. My weight is going up and down so I am trying to only weigh every two weeks at exactly the same time of day to try and getting a better idea of what is going on. I have only lost 1lb since last weigh in - which is a bit annoying - but I am getting joint aches and pains from the damp weather which slows me down and I am getting water retention (puffy hands and feet). Still 1lb off is better than 1lb on!

The "wall words" can look very elegant, what colour are you going for? I saw it with cream walls and gold words in a copperplate slanting handwriting type script, it was quite subtle as you only caught sight of the words from certain places in the room. Its a super idea as you can use words that mean something special to you personally.

Tomorrow is Fathers Day here in England, so my father is coming round for lunch (he is 80). We will be having pate and toast to start (my husbands favorite) and thickly cut beef with new potatoes and pepper sauce, with salad and battered onion rings. I haven't decided on pudding yet and will take a vote on it later! I shall fill up on salad and have everything else in moderation.

Take care and look after yourself,
Much love,
Nita
xxx

hello Nita!

I have been away for sooo long. I have had awful migraines with small post migraine strokes and really been a bit of a mess..I managed some walking but have gained about 3
Lbs in the process. I still get confused, but my brain is healing.

Something happened to my shoulder, I have been in pain and on codeine tablets & ice packs for 10 days. I went to the doctor last week and had x-rays and everything is "fine" so if it doesn't heal by Wednesday I will seek additional help with physiotherapy. It is deep in my left shoulder blade radiating into my neck...walking outdoors is painful so I have been skipping the morning walks for now. Our temps will be 35c tomorrow, too hot for anything!!

No progress has been made on my decorating, I have not even Thought about my wall words/painting colors. I did see a design show on tv a few years back where a wall of a home office was painted a blue-gray with copper colored wall words..stunning!

Nita, your garden sounds beautiful! Our garden is Tiny in comparison to yours but we manage to plant a good variety. This year we have cantaloupe in our back garden but I am wondering if it would be better off lakeside where the sun is hottest? I am not the gardener in our family so I keep most of my "plant opinions" to myself Lol

It is June 25 and yesterday was my Dad's birthday, he passed in '02 but I still sang to his photo in our living room. Happily you still have your Dad and he came for Father's Day dinner..your menu sounded delicious Nita!! We eat food like that as well, pate on toast is a real treat...my husband likes it a Lot.

Nita, have you ever heard of the "Tough Mudder" army maneuvers competition? It is a fundraiser to get soldiers back on their feet upon their return to civilian life. I believe it is the English Special Forces that put all this together? There is a competition in the U.K in November my daughter in law is signed up for. Anyway..the reason I brought it up is my daughter trained all year and entered her first "Tough Mudder" in Vancouver, British Columbia this past Saturday and actually Finished!!! It is 10-12 miles of obstacles like running thru deep mud and water and live electrical wires...it is CRAZY!!! Their team name was the "Dirty Ballerinas"...they were dressed in black with hot pink ballet tutu's!! There was a huge difference in cleanliness between the start line and the finish line..but they looked happy in both Lol. Nita if you google Tough Mudder it will show you what I am talking about.

We are having tuna melts for dinner tonight as I can't face another meat salad. I am defrosting chicken breasts this afternoon and will make Mulligatawny soup tomorrow morning..with a painful shoulder I am really slowed down, I think twice before doing just about anything. it is very late in England and I imagine you are in bed by now.

Talk with you soon Nita!

Ciao ciao,

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Sorry I havent been in touch, I dont know where the weeks are going - must be my age! Sorry to hear you have been unwell with the migraines again. I hope you feel better soon and are back to your old self.

I have been getting a lot of joint pain ( mostly hands and feet) which is not painful when walking but makes it very uncomfortable. It also affects most of my other joints and generally makes me feel tired and unwell. This miserable summer we are having is not helping - very depressing! I have managed to loose 0.8lb this week so at least I did not put ON. I have been watching what I eat (always having a smaller portion/no second helpings/choosing the healthy option) but I try not to calorie count as that immediately makes me feel deprived and more hungry. My weight loss is not going as fast as I would like but at least I am registering a loss each week rather than a gain, so I am trying to be positive. I just have to accept that it is going to take longer.

Well done to your daughter and her friends for completing the Tough Mudder. My daughter completed the 10km Race for Life last Sunday in 1 hr 17 mins - not bad considering her surgery was less than a year ago. She is a very determined young woman, who makes me very proud.

Must go as my Dad has just arrived.

Take care and I hope you continue to feel better.
Much love,
Nita
xxxx

Hiya id love to say hello to this thread!!
I live in Leeds, West Yorkshire and i was just saying on the other thread that all its doe is rain,rain,rain!

I follow the Rosemary Conley Plan and attend classes on a Monday morning when i get weighed and do aerobics. So far its working well although this week ive not been quite as good as previous weeks!

Went swimming today with the kids and someone said to me because the rain was coming down so fast and heavy i may as well have just sat outside the puddles were sooo deep!

Hi Tracey,
I am getting soooo fed up of the rain!!! It is really doing my head in! I think I must suffer from SAD (seasonal affected disorder) because on the rare occasion the sun shines I feel so much fitter, happier and more positive.

Congratulations on the 5 stone loss! Thats amazing. How long has it taken? Have you only done Rosemary Conley low fat? I always try and eat low fat and low sugar (I have Type 2 Diabetes) but find I can shift half a stone or so if I drop the carbs. Cutting carbs is not advised with my medical condition and I am told to "eat healthily and exercise". Trouble is that doesnt seem to work as well. EXTREMELY frustrating! Im just so fed up of feeling tired all the time.

I went to Slimming World a couple of years ago but found it very patronizing (might have been the woman in charge) I didnt like the feeling of being "on trial" when I got weighed. I get enough of that when I go to the doctors for a check up, ha ha!!

Take care and congrats again on weightloss, you put me to shame.

njh50- Hello Ive been on my journey since i was 18 years old! Im now 27- i got pregnant with my first child at 17 and dont get me wrong he was planned but what wasnt was the amount of weight i gained. I was young and naive thinking that i would shrink back to normal after the birth so all i did was eat! Suffering bad all day sickness for the whole 9 months i only felt ok really late at night so would scoff things that now i wouldnt even look at.
Then i went on and had another child when i was 20 and have struggled with my weight since. I was also in a bad realtionship so depression and comfort eating took hold and i just stopped caring aboabout myself or so i pretended. Really i hated myself and prefered being in the house gorging on huge portions constantly.

I got out of the relationship which was the best thing and met someone new who gave me all the confidence i needed. I started to like myself more and believe in myself. I began at weightwatchers- i agree with what you say about slimming world- id tried that twice and with 2 different leaders who were not as supportive as id expect- i certainly know i wouldnt be one bit how they are if i became a leader. Weightwatchers was just as bad and i didnt get any enjoyment out of the group. I did lose 4 stone with weightwatchers though- on/off for 3 years. I must say though the difference with the Rosemary Conley classes is huge. The people are really friendly and the leader is the best- she makes me want to go every week cos she is so supportive and REAL!

Well thats a bit about me and ive always seen this as a lifestyle change but there are alot of times that challenge me. Im still learning but im focused to get to goal for next March- im bridesmaid at my sisters wedding and dont want to look back on photos feeling i could have looked better for her special day.

I agree with the horrible weather making us all miserable- it started off nice this morning and now theres a black cloud over the house- lets not let that get in the way though. Keep positive and i dont put you to shame

Tracey xx

Hi Nancy and Tracey and Everyone,

Its been a busy week - don't know why really, but I don't seem to have stopped! Weight has stayed the same - must watch what I am eating more. Being stuck in the house because of the pouring rain is not good. My main exercise is dog walking and gardening, both of which are "fair weather" past times. The dog HATES the rain and it ends up as a dog drag rather than a dog walk! Which is no fun for either of us.

It is not raining - at the moment - so I am going to put a chicken on the rotisserie and take the dog out whilst its dry.

Take care
Love Nita
xxx

Where has the month gone??? Hi Nita and Tracey and everyone!

It has been BLISTERING hot here, 40c with humidity, and we have not been functioning well at all for over 6 weeks, it is so hot we have actually had a successful crop of canteloupe..we have 7 so far! I have been grateful for the Olympics being on as my tongue was sick for 10 days and I was too weak to sit up, I lay in bed and watched sport
the entire time. I am Fine now and ready to get back to my morning walks tomorrow, my husband and dog will be pleased.

I have been taking liberties with my eating and have gained weight as a result of no exercise for weeks and weeks. This often happens to me in summer with our extreme temperature shifts.

Tonight is fish and boiled potatoes with mint peas..back to the grind! LOL

Nita I have thought of you this summer, I am hoping your soggy beginning opened up to drier skies and good gardening for you and your family...hahaha or for you, anyway! I know your husband has romantic ideas of you gardening the allotment , I just hope after all that work you are getting something delicious out of it :)

It is almost time to make dinner so I think I will lay out my walking clothes for the morning so there are no excuses for setting forth in a timely manner at 7:30 a.m :)

Hopefully this finds all in a state of good health!

Cheers :)

Xoxo Nancy

Hi Nita,

Where is everyone?? It is September 20 and now I am concerned with the lack of activity. Nita is you are on Facebook feel free to friend me, Nancy McTaggart Iliffe.

I walked this morning and washed floors, grocery shopped and did some drawing..wow!lol

Nita are you and your family alright? Thinking of you :)

Love,

Nancy xx