Are you looking for support on your health and fitness journey? If you are, then this thread is for you.

There are no expectations in this forum. Post as often as you like. Post anything that you feel is relevant to your own personal health and fitness goal. Here are some ideas:

• Monthly health and fitness goal
• Daily health and fitness goal
• Progress (or setbacks) in reaching your goal
• Personal stories about why you are joining this topic
• Healthy recipes that you feel others will enjoy
• Links to articles or books that you feel others would find helpful
• Food Choices (healthy or unhealthy)

Remember, your health and fitness journey is your own. There is no one program, method, or philosophy that is right for everyone. This thread is for support only.

A HAPPY AUGUST EVERYONE!! Hope it's a healthy month for everyone.

I'm starting out the month at 256.3, which is 1 lb. less than I started July, but 6.4 lbs. less than my highest in July, so either way it's a win for me. Going to try really hard to drop another 5 lbs. this month. Would be happy to see it done by my birthday on the 20th but I'll see how that goes.

I know my biggest issues are sodium and too large portions, so thats something I'm going to work hard on this month to keep under control.

I know this weight has to come off. I hate how sluggish my body feels at this weight and how much harder doing simple things are for me. So I've got to get this weight off and keep it off.

I'm 255 lbs. today so numbers are still going down. I've cleaned out the kitchen of all high sodium foods, plus for the time being, am not going to have any form of bread in the apt. If I want something bad enough that has  bread to it, I'll go and buy it. (Like a subway sub or Burger King Chicken sandwich)

But if something isn't in the house, I can't eat it.

I'm not taking Berberine any more. Even though results take 3 months, I'd still expected to see some indication its having an effect after a month.  I'm not willing to pay $55/month to continue it.  Also I cut down my BP meds on my doctor's advice because Berberine is reputed to dangerously lower BP.  Instead, my BP went high again. From 117/70 to 137/80.  So I quit the Berberine yesterday and resumed my BP med, and today my BP is back down.  Yesterday I tried really cutting down what I eat, drank more water.  I went from 203 to 200.7. Overnight.  I'm going to try eating the same as yesterday to see what I weigh tomorrow morning. I'm not sure what conclusions to draw. I just know that I have to lose more weight in anticipation of my 70th birthday party at the end of August. I don't see Nephrology  until the end of September so I have time to lose whatever I gain from birthday pizza and cake.

Yes, Vicki, The Well Path is way too much to do at once . This is why I'm only doing a little at a time, like adding in one new habit. 
 

The scale had been going down steadily till yesterday, when it was a little up, and then today it was up more. This is the sign that I need to add in one or more of the well path things. So I will be starting to drink hot water with lemon and eating soup at lunch, though it may not be soup every day yet!

I was supposed to go to the doctor last week for a blood pressure check so she would renew my meds but then she called in sick! So I won't see her for a while and by then I hope to have it down some. I haven't been consistent with my breathing exercises, though I know they have a positive effect on my BP.

Moving this here from July so I can unwatch July.

starting Week 2 C circulation: week 0 was to buy lemons. DONE. Week one was to start drinking hot water with lemon juice, but I halted that after rosacea flare up. Week two: add pranayama breathing.

LEMON WATER: 8/8, 8/9

Not yet H hunger: week 0. Keep hunger journal. Week 1. Keep up the journal. Well, I just don't think I need this as much as the other categories. I have gotten much more tuned in to my actual hunger through intermittent fasting.

Not yet A activity: week 0 was supposed to be keeping a log of sitting time. I didn't. Too embarrassing! But I know I was more active just because of thinking would would go in the journal!

On Week 0 N nutrition: week 0 was to pick two of her soup recipes and make them. So far I have bought the ingredients! Week 1: eat soup for lunch every day.

On Week 1 G general health: week 0 nothing. Week 1: if you aren't getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night go to bed 15 minutes earlier. I didn't get that much sleep last week because I got up so much earlier than usual. So I'll watch it this week. I am mostly doing this except I do a funny schedule some nights to watch the World Cup soccer.

On Week 1, need to go to gym! E exercise Week 0 plan exercise for next week and get an exercise buddy. I found a friend who will go to Planet Fitness with me. Now we just need to plan times. Week 1: actually exercise! Oh, I almost forgot: I did do some prep for this; I got some shorts for exercising in. I only had one pair.

I'm 253.6 this morning so I'm down just under 2 lbs. for the week. I'm just glad it's steadily going down again. I see my doctor the 10th for my bi-yearly wellness check-up and he'll probably order blood work since he didn't the last visit. But I'll also be meeting a new doctor thats taking over my doctors practise as my doctor retired last month. As long as he keeps up my BP meds, I'll try to stay with the new doctor. I'd hate to have to look for a new one.

Teri, I'm glad you stopped taking the Berberine. It's been on the news recently and they say there's no real indication that it works plus it has yet to be approved by the FDA.

Margaret, looks like you're on the right Path over all. Keep going strong.

My weight is back up this morning, big time (257.4). I was craving carbs big time last night and caved to it and the scale told on me. I'm sure it's mainly water weight plus the fact it was a very late snackfest, so I'm sure it'll be back down in the next day or two.

I see that new doctor in the morning. He took over my regular doctors practise when my doctor retired last month. I really hope I'll like him. I don't want to have to look for another doctor. As long as he keeps me on my current BP plls, I'll do my best to get along with him.

I'm 256.5 today so it's heading back down. Doctor's office called just at closing time yesterday and rescheduled my appt. until Sept. 5th. With the new doctor re-schedules have to be done for most of the patients as he's not there full time. He works in 6 different offices. I just hope he's giving the patients quality care when he sees them. Not 5 minutes, in & out.

Teri, sounds like a good idea to halt the Berberine.

Vicki, I hope your doctor appointment is good today. Oh, no, I see it was rescheduled!

Today the scale said 239.8! I finally weigh less than I did on Jan 1, though not at my lowest point for the year. I expect to be back up tomorrow. I lost a lot over the past two days with diarrhea. I think I was eating too much sugar free candy, so that will stop!

I haven't been keeping up with the knee exercises, so it is hurting. Silly me! I want to do them so surgery isn't such a bad recovery, but on a daily put it in to practice, I'm failing.

Also haven't been keeping up with taking BP reading every day. Guess my routines are just falling apart! 

Back down to 255.4 so it's still coming down thankfully.

Margaret, you're doing great on the weightloss. Hope your knee eases up and get back into the regular routine of taking the BP meds. I take mine first thing every morning, like clockwork.

Still 239.8, not what I expected! But now I have a rash. On my face. I hope it's not due to the lemon water! But I think I got a little too much sun yesterday. I tried to walk to a place I was going. It would have been .6 mile twice. (There and back) but it was just too hot and my knee started hurting before I was half way there. There was a really tall weed that I brushed against before I saw it and I am very allergic to plant contacts, so it is probably either the sun or the plant causing the rash.

Hope the rash clears up quickly. Do you have any benadryl cream? That might help the rash.

I'm 255.2 today. Little by little I'm going back down but still up slightly from last Sundays weigh in. Maybe it'll be down a little more in the morning so I'll at least break even for the week.

So the rash got a little worse, and I had to be sure it wasn't contagious because I'm taking Mom to an outpatient surgery Monday, so I went to a walk-in clinic.

ACK... rosacea, which, looking back, the clues have been there for years, but I never had a flare up even close to this bad, so it has never been diagnosed. And the website had a list of possible triggers, though not all listed triggers are triggers for all people with rosacea. Very common trigger: sunlight. CHECK. common trigger: hot drink: CHECK. somewhat common trigger: citrus fruit. CHECK.

So, no more hot water with lemon for me. Ice packs on my face are keeping me sane, but the pharmacy was closed by the time I got out of the clinic, so I have to wait for the prescription lotion till tomorrow.

To soothe myself, I went to Culver's. This will not have a soothing effect on the scale tomorrow...

I am consistently taking my BP meds. I'm just not taking actual BP readings every day. 
 

my BP was fairly high at the clinic, but it's always high at the doctor's office. 

I'm 254.2 today so slightly less than last Sunday, so it's a win for me.

Margaret, I hope once you get the cream it'll sooth the rosacea. Many people seem to have that so it's not uncommon. But I know flare-ups can be uncomfortable. Hope it eases soon for you.

I'm 253.6 today so the numbers are still going down little by little. I've started drinking a tbsp. of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinager in warm water 2 times a day to help clear up a fatty liver and that should help me to drop the weight more easily as well as my liver heals. I've been told for years I had a fatty liver so taking steps to heal it.

Margaret, I used to have a lot of trouble with rosacea about 20 years ago.  My triggers were sun and greasy food.  I think I used Proactiv on my face. Never any lotions or soaps. Eventually it settled down but even now I cannot tolerate much sun on my face. Sunburn is quick and painful. I always wear a hat outside, a floppy hat with a wide brim.

I weighed 198 today. I am able to focus pretty well now. I say "no" a lot more than I did a month ago. So that puts my total weight loss since I started this journey back at 52 pounds. I am pushing because of my birthday dinner coming up in 2 weeks. Big 70 so no way are my friends going to let me get away with no cake! And I requested pizza. I anticipate gaining a couple pounds which then takes a month to get rid of. My Nephrology appointment isn't until the end of September so I should be good by then.

I'm 253.5 today so still heading in the right direction.

WTG Teri, 52 lbs. is awesome. Being below 200 lbs. is my goal for now so hopefully one day I'll make it.

197.8 this morning. It seems that 3 things help me. Low carbs, low sugar and very small midday snack. For midday, I've been doing hardboiled eggs, or cantaloupe. Locally, I buy a variety that is very small in size and very sweet. Not sure of the name. Green Goddess maybe? It is worth whatever carbs it has.  This week I've been eating a chili I made with leftover roast beef, navy beans and homecanned tomatoes. A big bowl of this is satisfying yet not fattening.  I don't know if this is helping but I've been drinking more water too.

I should be looking forward to my birthday dinner but I can't help begrudging the pounds this will cost me. Its so out of my routine. They will send leftovers home with me. I won't tell them I plan to throw any cake away. Maybe i can talk them into keeping some. There will be 4 of us.

I think you're doing great.

I'm 251 today so I'm lower than I've been in a couple of months. I've cut way back on my eating but I think the vinegar & water 2 times a day is helping too. I kind of wish now that I hadn't ordered the birthday cake for myself but right away I'll cut it in half and put 1/2 in the freezer for another time. I pick it up in about a hour. Planned to have a piece a day over the weekend and I'll take a portion to my friend Phyllis & her family so there won't be a huge amount left here.

I'm 250 today, so I'm down a little over 12 lbs. since July 22nd.

I forgot to weigh this morning and then Mom took me to a buffet this morning! So tomorrow I'll get back to the good routines. The rosacea is mostly cleared up but I'm going to avoid most of the things that were listed as possible triggers. I ate a lot of comfort food during the flare up so I did gain some weight. Back to the drawing board...

Good job, Vicki!!!  

Margaret, I haven't been to a buffet in 20 years, at least!  I just can't control myself with so much food in front of me.  There is a Golden Corral near me I've wanted to visit but it's not worth it for me.

I weighed in at 196.3 this morning. I am about to break new ground in my weight loss journey. Down 54 pounds! This summer I have allowed myself very few corn on the cob, no Moby Dick fish fry, no waffle cones, no cookies.  But like I said all this focus is so I can enjoy my birthday dinner in 11 days. Pizza. Cake.  Today, I will stack some wood. I think it has helped that I'm drinking more water. Helps my kidneys, helps flush fst.

I'm at 251.1 this morning ( on my birthday), so am down 3.3 lbs. for the week.

WTG ! Teri. You're doing great !!