Discussion Board

Birdy, I remember that fog in Seattle. I can picture Lincoln and Fauntleroy Parks in the fog.

This morning while running I realized that when the weather is warmer I have more hot flashes. Yah, since my surgery i have hot flashes. There were supposed to stop when everything healed but it never happened. Anyway, I always want to stop when I'm having a hot flash and today I made myself continue till it went away and then I was able to keep going awhile. I was wondering why I couldn't seem to go as far as the last time I ran when it was cooler. Not a big thing, I just am relieved to have figured it out.

I crashed and burned over the weekend with food and then got back to it. It's amazing how bad I start to look after a few meals of SAD. It's also amazing how when I start eating well again I start looking better rather quickly.

So today is oats, fruit, salad, brown rice and veggie soup.

Ran/walked this morn about 3 miles. Plan to hit the gym tonight for weights.

Hey Anna. When I was going through menopause I took a wonderful natural supplement called Remifemin that contained black cohosh. I took it for two years or more and it was enormously helpful. It takes about 3 or 4 months to kick in, maybe longer for some people, but you might find it helps with hot flashes. I'm not sure Remifemin is still around. I bought it from my local pharmacy and it was not expensive. Any high quality black cohosh might be good. It was traditionally used by Native Americans for women.

I'm having the same crash and burn problems as you, but of course I have these most of the time! I just hope you totally enjoy your holidays.

Merry Christmas!

Hey Birdy, thanks for the info. I'm trying to figure it out- taking black cohosh, dong quai, st john's wort. I definitely think the st john's wort is helping with the mood caused by the hormonal issues. Really wasn't planning to have to deal with this early in life but it is what it is.

About to head to the store to get the ingredients for veggie soup and cauliflower soup (Engine 2 recipe). Plan to take the caulif soup to my sister's house tomorrow and perhaps some stuffed shroons and E2 loaf. I'm picking stuff that is more familiar to them and perhaps they will like. Her place is a minefield. I have never seen so much junk in one place.

Maybe I'll hit the swamp today. The weather is nice.

oatmeal, potato, orange, 1 hershey's kiss, handful of baked chips, salad, cabbage, br rice, bl eyed peas, veg soup.

That's all I got today. i'll try to repeat tomorrow.

Hey Anna. Happy New Year! I don't know what the weather is doing in NO but here it's beautiful. 52 degrees and sunny. I'm going for a walk as soon as I get off the computer. I hope 2012 is off to a good start for you.

Birdy, Hi! It was warm here today. Nice.

I'm struggling. No big mess ups this weekend but I'm not progressing. Kinda dumb. I feel dumb. I get so much positive feedback about how I look and keeping the weight off but I know I'm doing it half-assed.

I want this to be the year I finish this and really really get comfortable with eating healthy. I'd like to ultimately be mostly MWL w/ regular plan treats. Can I do this? I hope so. If someone said do it or you get cancer I guess I would. I hope that getting sick isn't what it will take. I feel embarrassed that I've been around so long and still struggling but this has been a life line for me. it keeps me enough in it that I don't go backwards too far. I hold my ground anyway. I can do better, huh?

I want this to be the year I finish this and really really get comfortable with eating healthy. I feel embarrassed that I've been around so long and still struggling

Oh Anna I know you are struggling right now,but I know you (and me) CAN & will do it this year.You are such an encourager and an inspiration here,keep up the good work. RAS

RAS, thanks. I needed that. I'm sitting on the couch watching "Julia and Julia." I'm thinking about this vegan pizza I like to order- it is marvelous-whole wheat and veggies but not oil free. I'm wondering why I think about food so much. Is my life empty? No. Job I like at least some of the time, friends who are fun and loving, same with family, surly teenager I adore, goals, things I want to do and learn. And I'm entertaining at least to myself. So why all the thinking about food? I'm fasting in the morns right now to be supportive of someone with breast cancer who is fasting. I think I'm going to use that time as a break from thinking about food. I'll redirect my thoughts every time they go to food at least in the morn. I'll practice enjoying other things in my life. How's that?

I have been healthy today. I have eaten potatoes and hummus, salad, garbanzo and kale soup, strawberries and radishes and wine. Lucky me to have such good food.

I exercised today = 30 min of elliptical and 30 min of weights. Lucky me to be able to do this.

I like your attitude! I was listening to NPR the other day when a British writer was being interviewed about a newly released book she wrote on dieting. One thing she said really struck me: that our preoccupation with food and dieting seems to be simply part of the human condition. And why not? Because our survival depends on it. As an aside, she also said that high protein/low carb dieting began in the 1400s!

You're doing great Anna. I can so relate to your desire to eat perfectly because I have struggled with my own imperfections. But this last week or two, as I posted in my journal, I've decided to do what feels right for me at this time which is to focus on eating vegan and to feel peace with it. And I believe it's important to have congruence within and without oneself. I hope this makes sense. Especially I hope it's encouraging. Wishing you the best!

Thanks Birdy!

I'm doing well. Lots of good food and some exercise.

Last 2 days have been chickpeas and greens soup, br rice, bl beans, salads w/ ff dressing, potatoes, radishes, fruit.

Exercised Monday and Tuesday. Today just wasn't happening.

That's all I got.

Doing pretty dang well. I have some motivation to continue though as usual with good reason I'm afraid I won't continue.

Food: cherries, big salad, big potato, kale and chickpea soup, br rice and an assortment of tablespoons of stuff off the bar at Whole Foods- no oil.

Exercise- elliptical-50 min and weights.

You're rocking the exercise and the yummy food. Rock on!

Hey toadfood! Trying to rock on. It's mostly been rocky but I'm back to it as usual. That's the consistent thing I do is I don't stray too far. If I gain a few lbs or 5 I get scared I'll gain back all the weight I lost, I'll find the high blood pressure and gall bladder pain and I stop the crazy. Not enough though to keep losing, to get even healthier, to reduce the risk of disease. So I want to try try again to really make this my life, this WOE. The last few days I've been eating mostly MWL and I want to continue. I'm getting in some exercise but having a bit of a hard time because my heel is hurting. But I won't stop trying.

Food has been potatoes, salad, bean and veggie soup, br rice, cauli and cabbage, a square of dark chocolate and an apple

Probably won't stop the occasional piece of chocolate because it doesn't cause a problem for me and I don't eat much of it.

Exercise today was just the walking involved in doing our homeless count in abandoned houses. Not intense but better than being behind the desk all day.

Hey! Sorry you've had a rocky time lately and glad you're moving into the new year on a positive note. Your work sounds hard. Getting out in the field is better than sitting behind a desk, but taking the count you mentioned sounds difficult. It's good work you do.

I hope your heel pain is resolving. Sounds like you're able to walk without it bothering you too much? I love walking and have had to cut back for a few months because of a knee problem. However, my knee is much better and I think I'll be able to walk further and more often now. I'm old enough to be your mom so if my cranky joints improve, I'm sure yours will!

Take care Anna.

Hey Birdy, yes this too will pass. I am exercising anyway. Yesterday I did more of the count and walked and ran a bit to keep up with my fast coworker. I hit the gym today and did the elliptical and weights. Fun. Then the co-op where I bought a lot of chard on sale, some brown rice and no oil hummus. Came home and ate my veg and bean soup over a bunch of greens (huge bowl) and am pleasantly full and sitting on the couch planning to read a good book. Life is good. I like that I am not hung over from eating crap on Friday night. I ate well. I also liked that I looked forward to my healthy food today after the gym. I feel fortunate that I have the ability to get good food and exercise.

That's all I got. This is what I can do today.