Marge

people that have joined. I guess it has been a year or so since I last blogged. Some of my old Buds must think I’m dead. Surprise !! This old gal is determined to keep up her body and not be a drag on my kids. Not that they haven’ been a drag on me at times. I want to stay in my apartment, manage my life without calling on them all the time. I take taxis to Dr. My kids have jobs and their own kids. My grandsons are 24 and 20. I only slipped a little bit on my eating plan during this year, but I did gain 10 pounds back. This is war. My injuries have slowed me down to the point I hired a cleaner. Sweet girl. But she didn’t clean where I asked her to and was very expensive. Physical therapy is keeping my spirits up and helping me maintain my own apartment.    I used to blog about d-i-l and her long fight against cancer. She has been in remission for over a year. Thank you! Let’s do this thing. Just buckle down and do it. Love, Marge

and then the old body got tired of the stress of being in the w/c and working with my arms over my head so much. Degenerative Disc Disease began to take it’s toll on my neck and old injuries from the past. The pain has been great BUT I am tired of giving in. In 6 months my muscles got so weak, I fell while standing by w/c and couldn’t get up. That has changed. I found a great P.T. gym and someone able to work with my limitations. I am so much stronger and have a group of other old ladies in my apartment building to exercise with. We are in there just flailing away with small weights three times a week for an hour each time.  I have been slipping on my GOOD foods too and last week went through my fridge and tossed some cheese, etc. I have about ten pounds to take off AGAIN. This certainly is a lifelong job. Reading your blogs helps steer me in the right direction. I can’t wait to begin spinning again. Marge

but I didn’t have anything that would really stop the hunger, the emotional hunger. FAMILY!! Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em! I ate a large apple and a big bowl of veggie soup with barley. BUT I WANTED CHOCOLATE AND CHIPS. Now it’s late and I can forget today and the bad news I had and IF I had had the chocolate and chips I would be soooo sorry. Does this battle go on forever? Darn right it does. Food is my drug of choice. We live to fight another day. Have a good night. Love ya, Marge

Feels so great to be back reading your blogs and learning new ways of dealing with our common obsession. Seeing lots of old friends and soooo many new ones. I had a great Christmas. Cooked Christmas dinner for eleven. Doctor (pain management) advised me not to cook and lift big meals but I figure why be alive if you can’t do the things you enjoy most. I was careful and moved slowly (and hopefully, gracefully) with my chores. This was my first holiday as a vegan and I made a large turkey with all the side dishes and sent all the leftovers home with family. I had a baked sweet potato and apple salad. Sure missed Ed. This is the third year since his death. I feel he is nearby, but needed him to help with the washing of mixing bowls as I went along. I must tell you about the trial and three days I spent in court as the defendent, being sued for $100,000. Suffice it to say I won and lived through the ordeal. Maybe just a little crazier then usual. I did go a little nutty and ate some corn chips and guacamole during the holidays but all in all kept control. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! We will shine this year… our faces will glow with health. We will walk proudly with the knowledge we are improving every day in every way. Just a little slip now and again is allowed. Just get right back on that horse that threw you. Love and hugs to all, Marge

in my life plan but the last couple of days I have gotten outdoors for a tentative spin around the block. I was also able to finally climb on the scale….AHHHH. I have gained back 4 pounds in the last two months. Taking cortisone and wearing neck brace. Had to stop exercising and was hardly able to move for wayyyy too long. Got out my notebook and began my food journal AGAIN!! That whole 4 pounds is on my midriff. UGH. Take care and hope to see you again soon. Big hugs. I need hugs. Love, Marge

Five weeks ago, after enduring a lot of neck, shoulder, and back pain, I had an MRI done. After enduring the Vertigo for 4 weeks (yuck) I was upset to hear it can come back and probably will. Then the Pain Clinic told me the I have 3 cervical discs that are herniated, two more herniated just below my scapula, and two at the site of my original spinal cord injury (at my waist). Dog gone it, what’s a girl to do. WELL, NEVER GIVE UP! I am choosing conservative treatment. I asked if I could continue exercising and I CAN! In the midst of all this, the room has stopped spinning and I can finally hear in my left ear, also stand the bright light of the computer. Life and it’s little surprises! I have missed all of you….terribly! Enough with the back… life goes on. One thing about the world spinning, you sure don’t want to eat. Must be an easier way then that to maintain. I will never catch up the blogs but I am back in the battle. Bless all of you! Love, Marge

Dr. Marc sent me a plan for lowering lipids. IT TOTALLY WORKED! My Dr’s office called me yesterday and my cho. was 300….NOW 230 My trig. were 300….NOW157. I cannot take statins to reduce fats in the blood and this is like a dream come true. And it is all done with food and exercise. No insulin, no needles, no glucatrol. B/P is 110/60 with way less meds, no angina pain. Taking exercise classes 5 days a week and spinning all over town. I feel so free. Who KNEW! Why haven’t any of my docs mentioned this plan to me before? When I talked with my physician last week (before the tests) he reviewed the plan and said, “A lot of things you can’t eat,” and I told him there were more that I could! His nurse said, “You’ve got it goin’ on, girl!” when she called with my new results……. It is never to late to change our lives. I am living proof of that. Just be willing to change your eating plan when necessary. And find a way to stick with it! Plan, plan, plan ahead. Learn to love the challange! Make a game of it. I love my small treats every afternoon. A frozen smoothie of vanilla soy milk and frozen mixed berries (so thick you must use a spoon to eat it). A big cup of white peach tea with a little soy milk. A handful of fresh raspberries. Life is good. Headed for my exercise class. I may have to take it sitting down but you would be amazed at the workout I get. Take care, buddies and know I love you, Marge

the whiney trap! I have nothing to really complain about, just inertia. After finally being sick of all my self pity, I turned on the computer and saw all the wonderful messages from my buddies. I answered a few last night and found that it may take a little more effort but I can control the tremors in my hands for short periods of time. What am I doing to myself? I was finding it harder and harder to socialize with my neighbors and staying cooped up in my apartment reading. Music is needed, LOUD music! I went for a spin in the heat and I didn’t wilt. As a matter of fact I felt better. Then I signed up for 3 classes in the Community Room in July. If I sign up I am obligated to go. A low impact exercise class, a Tai Chi class, if I can do the upper body movements only. Then a Cooking for One class. I may learn something new. Hey, can’t hurt! Looking around for new foods to try. I am going to dig my way out of this rut I am in. Thanks again. Report in later. Love, Marge

I have no excuses. I am still chugging along at 2 lbs under goal. Those new habits have really kicked in. I am not journaling my food and exercise for the last couple of weeks. So far, so good. I know I have become obcessive over my no meat, no dairy, no sugar, no white flour, no trans fats. I eat all the veggies and fruit I can hold, sprouted bread, legumes, especially beans, all kinds of beans, walnuts, almonds, in moderation. I am trying new ways to exercise, within my limits. Happy? Yes, very. Getting stronger, have a new taste for green teas with a little soy milk. Another heart med was lowered….I can’t tell you how much better I feel. Saving a lot of money, too. No needles, insulin, or diabetic meds. I have joined the church I went to in my childhood (same denomination) since I can spin there (12 blocks)and the members get so much done in the community. Living waters for pure water in small towns in the mountains, work with Hospice. So many things that have interested me for years. The members are loving and welcoming….just like Buddyslim!! I have missed you all. I don’t know if I should come on here and comment. I really don’t want to sound smug. NEVER GIVE UP!!!! That is the most important thing. Find a plan that suits your lifestyle and keep at it. The rewards are fantastic! The pride you feel at combating this obcession and standing proud and tall. It is alright to have pride in a job well done. Even the everyday struggle to stay on plan, when you can look back over your day and know you have done well, or see your mistakes and find a way to prevent them next time. Be so careful when the stress is great. Find a way to get around that food that is calling you. That food is lying to you…it will not make you feel better. Maybe for a minute but the moment it is gone from your mouth, things just get worse. Not only are you stressed, but now you feel guilty, too. When it happens, get back on plan as soon as possible. Get on the computer and read some blogs. We understand each other. Forget and forgive your slips. We are human. That’s how we got in this situation. Thank you for your comments and for your wonderful support. I am here, just not on the computer as much. I am having a little problem with tremors in my hands. Today I am having to hold the mouse with both hands to get anything done. The Dr. doesn’t seem concerned because it comes and goes….just old age, I guess. Battle fatigue. I love you. Take care, Marge

Now my prince can climb the ladder and swing in to my apartment. A prince older then me so I don’t have high hopes. I am on the third floor so he will have to be agile. Dream on, Marge. Staying on plan and exercising more then ever. Just thankful that I can. 32 pounds less does make it easier to travel up ramps and around town. Yesterday I was coming home from my rambles when I saw someone had littered our front lawn with torn up paper. I pulled onto the grass and was bent over to the ground picking up the scraps. A car pulled into the entrance of our parking lot and stopped. I raised up and about that time I heard a woman’s voice ask if I was okay. I told the two women what I was doing and we had a good laugh, BUT wasn’t it wonderful that they stopped to see if they could help? Sometimes I feel a little isolated since Ed is gone, but the kindness of strangers is so comforting. Thank God for all the wonderful people out there who care about others. Take care of yourselves and smile at the people you meet on the street. It will raise your spirits whether they smile back or not. Keep battling our problem! You will make it. Just never give up. Hugs and love, Marge