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Sunday Weigh in January 21, 2024
Good morning, everyone. How's everyone doing this cold morning? Yes, it's cold here (32°)... I know that's not as cold as other places contend with, but it's cold for here. Our crops, including ornamental plants, etc can't withstand freezing temps, so we hope they survive.
It's been a busy week, mostly with calligraphy things - Monday was our monthly meeting, with a great project for the after-meeting program and yesterday we had a wonderful class. I was the tech host and wasn't too happy with my work on that, but I'm a firm believer in learning from mistakes and believe me, I made some!! I have a laundry list of things to do differently next time!!
On Wednesday, I had a very comprehensive hearing test. I've had (what I consider) severe tinnitus (ringing) in my ears since I was a child. I've been told that nothing can be done about it, but I ran across an article about a device that help. There's a hearing clinic about 40 miles us that sells the device, so I made an appointment to check it out. They did several tests, including tests to find out the cause of my tinnitus and how severe it is. They called it mild to moderate vs what I consider severe but then I've listened to it all my life!!
Anyway, they didn't recommend the machine to lessen the tinnitus because I also have hearing loss, at the frequencies of my tinnutus. They recommended hearing aids that would help me hear those frequencies and would also help mask the tinnitus. Although I won't be able to hear the silence, I'm craving, I'm going to try them and hope they work. For the cost, they'd better work!!
In addition to everything else, I'm still walking with my neighbor every day we're both available and it's not too cold, raining or whatever!! I'm also still on the increased dose of thyroid medication and the new medication for my neuropathy. I just did blood work, which came back pretty good, except that my PTH (parathyroid hormone) is still higher than normal. I see my doctor tomorrow and am hoping he will order an ultrasound to see if one of my parathyroids has a tumor. The parathyroids (most of us have 4 of them) reside behind the thyroid gland but are totally unrelated. The parathyroids control the movement of calcium into and out of the blood. Calcium is not only important for bones - it also helps control electrical impulses in our body - helps with heart rhythm, nerves, blood clotting, etc.
Anyway, through it all, I've dropped 3 pounds since last week. Last week, I was having some swelling issues and was up from the week before, so I'm good with having lost 3 pounds. It means I got rid of the swelling, plus lost another pound. My goal has always been to lose a pound/week, so right now, I'm managing that. Of course, I wouldn't be able to do that without the medication changes I mentioned.
I'm considering October 12 as my starting point, because that's when I saw my doctor, was at my very highest (ever) weight, made the med changes and started walking shortly after. Since then, I'm down a total of 11 pounds. I still have a long way to go, so I hope I can keep up the momentum.
So that's where I am. What about you? How was your week and were you able to meet/exceed your goal(s)? I look forward to hearing about it.
~~Wishing everyone a wonderful, successful week~~
It's been a busy week, mostly with calligraphy things - Monday was our monthly meeting, with a great project for the after-meeting program and yesterday we had a wonderful class. I was the tech host and wasn't too happy with my work on that, but I'm a firm believer in learning from mistakes and believe me, I made some!! I have a laundry list of things to do differently next time!!
On Wednesday, I had a very comprehensive hearing test. I've had (what I consider) severe tinnitus (ringing) in my ears since I was a child. I've been told that nothing can be done about it, but I ran across an article about a device that help. There's a hearing clinic about 40 miles us that sells the device, so I made an appointment to check it out. They did several tests, including tests to find out the cause of my tinnitus and how severe it is. They called it mild to moderate vs what I consider severe but then I've listened to it all my life!!
Anyway, they didn't recommend the machine to lessen the tinnitus because I also have hearing loss, at the frequencies of my tinnutus. They recommended hearing aids that would help me hear those frequencies and would also help mask the tinnitus. Although I won't be able to hear the silence, I'm craving, I'm going to try them and hope they work. For the cost, they'd better work!!
In addition to everything else, I'm still walking with my neighbor every day we're both available and it's not too cold, raining or whatever!! I'm also still on the increased dose of thyroid medication and the new medication for my neuropathy. I just did blood work, which came back pretty good, except that my PTH (parathyroid hormone) is still higher than normal. I see my doctor tomorrow and am hoping he will order an ultrasound to see if one of my parathyroids has a tumor. The parathyroids (most of us have 4 of them) reside behind the thyroid gland but are totally unrelated. The parathyroids control the movement of calcium into and out of the blood. Calcium is not only important for bones - it also helps control electrical impulses in our body - helps with heart rhythm, nerves, blood clotting, etc.
Anyway, through it all, I've dropped 3 pounds since last week. Last week, I was having some swelling issues and was up from the week before, so I'm good with having lost 3 pounds. It means I got rid of the swelling, plus lost another pound. My goal has always been to lose a pound/week, so right now, I'm managing that. Of course, I wouldn't be able to do that without the medication changes I mentioned.
I'm considering October 12 as my starting point, because that's when I saw my doctor, was at my very highest (ever) weight, made the med changes and started walking shortly after. Since then, I'm down a total of 11 pounds. I still have a long way to go, so I hope I can keep up the momentum.
So that's where I am. What about you? How was your week and were you able to meet/exceed your goal(s)? I look forward to hearing about it.
~~Wishing everyone a wonderful, successful week~~
I never remember until the next winter comes and you and Emily talk about it, that Florida can get so cold. We're at about 37 degrees right now, which is 20 degrees warmer than we have been for the last many days. The ice and snow are melting, good because we had an inch of clear ice on everything and roads were impassible and trees falling down. I don't miss the pretty snow when it comes with a thick glaze of ice. We're running out of groceries!
Nice about the 11 lbs., Barb! I know some of the weight was prompted by thyroid issues and am glad for you that the medications really seem to be working. It sounded so frustrating having to deal with your irritating doctors about that and finally it seems like you're getting properly diagnosed. Good luck with the parathyroid issue.
I think I talked last time about having an ideal weight based on when I was younger, and being told by my sister that I looked too thin the last time I went below it (which was by accident, believe me I haven't been below it more than once in 20 years!). Anyway, I've added five pounds in my mind to that ideal younger-me number, and consider that as low as I should ever go now. (Even it might be a bit too scrawny given my skin's reduced elasticity as I get older.) The ten pounds above that new set point is sort of like my 'safe zone.' In it I mostly look OK, my clothes fit, and my stomach doesn't stick out unbearably. When I get above the safe zone, I catch glimpses of myself from the back in those dang mirrors in the Pilates studio and wonder who that plump girl is. And even without mirrors, from how my stomach looks and from the scale, I begin to watch my eating and all. Anyway, I weighed today, and am in the safe zone. I'm 1 lb. less than last week, and 3 lbs. below the top of the safe zone. That's an OK place to be, though of course I'd take a few more pounds. I've been battling this last ten pounds (everyone says the last ten pounds is the hardest in weight management) for years and probably always will be. But at least I can see that it's possible to affect it with exercise and watching my food.
A novelty for someone that has been iced in for a week, we're going to go out for a drive and pick up some necessities for the household. If I don't come back with a sack of Friskies, the cats will kick me in the pants.
Have a great week!
Nice about the 11 lbs., Barb! I know some of the weight was prompted by thyroid issues and am glad for you that the medications really seem to be working. It sounded so frustrating having to deal with your irritating doctors about that and finally it seems like you're getting properly diagnosed. Good luck with the parathyroid issue.
I think I talked last time about having an ideal weight based on when I was younger, and being told by my sister that I looked too thin the last time I went below it (which was by accident, believe me I haven't been below it more than once in 20 years!). Anyway, I've added five pounds in my mind to that ideal younger-me number, and consider that as low as I should ever go now. (Even it might be a bit too scrawny given my skin's reduced elasticity as I get older.) The ten pounds above that new set point is sort of like my 'safe zone.' In it I mostly look OK, my clothes fit, and my stomach doesn't stick out unbearably. When I get above the safe zone, I catch glimpses of myself from the back in those dang mirrors in the Pilates studio and wonder who that plump girl is. And even without mirrors, from how my stomach looks and from the scale, I begin to watch my eating and all. Anyway, I weighed today, and am in the safe zone. I'm 1 lb. less than last week, and 3 lbs. below the top of the safe zone. That's an OK place to be, though of course I'd take a few more pounds. I've been battling this last ten pounds (everyone says the last ten pounds is the hardest in weight management) for years and probably always will be. But at least I can see that it's possible to affect it with exercise and watching my food.
A novelty for someone that has been iced in for a week, we're going to go out for a drive and pick up some necessities for the household. If I don't come back with a sack of Friskies, the cats will kick me in the pants.
Have a great week!
3 Comments
Hmm - I thought I wrote a response to this last night. I wonder what happened to it.
That said - I hope you've gotten your groceries and specifically, the Friskies - we surely wouldn't want the cats to kick you in the pants.
That said - I hope you've gotten your groceries and specifically, the Friskies - we surely wouldn't want the cats to kick you in the pants.
If photos were easier to post, I would add one showing Dashi and Sprocket chowing down. No more less-favored flavor kibbles from the back of the cupboard for them! :-)
So now that I have time, I'll back up and try to "re-create" my original post that, for some reason didn't post...
Florida does get some pretty cold weather. I think in the 30 yrs we've been here, we've had freezing temps every year and most years have gotten into the low twenties/teens for, at least a couple/few nights. We don't have those temps very often and they usually only last a few hours at a time, but that's all it takes to ruin our crops that can't tolerate being frozen!! I think, this year, we've had more cloudy days in a row than I can remember. It's not unusual to get a day or three in a row that are cloudy/rainy... but we've been cloudy/rainy days for weeks now. Our sunshine has been sparse to say the least.
I'm not home right now, but the temp went from the 60's during the day to the 80's overnight. That's drastic!! And we know that winter isn't over, so we'll have more cold weather before spring.
You did mention an ideal weight, based on when you were younger. It's a great thought to think we could go back to having bodies like we had at 20, 30, 40... I had my hysterectomy at 46 and due to complications, dropped to about 75 lbs - nope, too low. It seemed like it took forever (couple of years) to get back to 100 lbs and I stayed there until my thyroid whacked at age 58. After that, I gained 30 pounds in about 3 week and from then on, all bets have been off and my thyroid (and medications) has governed my weight ever since.
Your idea of adding pounds to allow for the lack of elasticity of the skin is good and makes sense. If you lose too much weight, your skin will sag/wrinkle more. I think the whole idea is being comfortable in our own skin. If the rest of your body is a bit larger, your tummy won't be so pronounced, your skin will look "filled out", etc. It's normal to add a few pounds as we age, so your idea is spot on.
It's true that the last 10 pounds is the hardest to lose. I'd found an article that suggested some relatively easy ways to do that (if that's possible), but I'll have to go back and find it so I can repost it. I know changing up diet/exercise are key. Even though your Pilates instructors change the routines, perhaps you could add 30 minutes of walking or weight training on the days you don't do Pilates, just to change it up even more. Just a thought.
I'm really glad to hear you got the kitties some food...I'd hate to have them trying ton bite you butt for not doing that. :-)
Enjoy the rest of your week.
Florida does get some pretty cold weather. I think in the 30 yrs we've been here, we've had freezing temps every year and most years have gotten into the low twenties/teens for, at least a couple/few nights. We don't have those temps very often and they usually only last a few hours at a time, but that's all it takes to ruin our crops that can't tolerate being frozen!! I think, this year, we've had more cloudy days in a row than I can remember. It's not unusual to get a day or three in a row that are cloudy/rainy... but we've been cloudy/rainy days for weeks now. Our sunshine has been sparse to say the least.
I'm not home right now, but the temp went from the 60's during the day to the 80's overnight. That's drastic!! And we know that winter isn't over, so we'll have more cold weather before spring.
You did mention an ideal weight, based on when you were younger. It's a great thought to think we could go back to having bodies like we had at 20, 30, 40... I had my hysterectomy at 46 and due to complications, dropped to about 75 lbs - nope, too low. It seemed like it took forever (couple of years) to get back to 100 lbs and I stayed there until my thyroid whacked at age 58. After that, I gained 30 pounds in about 3 week and from then on, all bets have been off and my thyroid (and medications) has governed my weight ever since.
Your idea of adding pounds to allow for the lack of elasticity of the skin is good and makes sense. If you lose too much weight, your skin will sag/wrinkle more. I think the whole idea is being comfortable in our own skin. If the rest of your body is a bit larger, your tummy won't be so pronounced, your skin will look "filled out", etc. It's normal to add a few pounds as we age, so your idea is spot on.
It's true that the last 10 pounds is the hardest to lose. I'd found an article that suggested some relatively easy ways to do that (if that's possible), but I'll have to go back and find it so I can repost it. I know changing up diet/exercise are key. Even though your Pilates instructors change the routines, perhaps you could add 30 minutes of walking or weight training on the days you don't do Pilates, just to change it up even more. Just a thought.
I'm really glad to hear you got the kitties some food...I'd hate to have them trying ton bite you butt for not doing that. :-)
Enjoy the rest of your week.
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