Great points!

I had memory training.
If sticky notes won't work, you can assign the reminder to your clothing or body parts.
I once gave a lecture on VMac Adjustable Parameters without notes using my hands, fingers and other body parts as reminders of the materials I was covering.

Example, your right pinky fingernail reminds you to take a certain medicine.
The first knuckle on your left index finger reminds you to take out the trash on trash day, and so on...

Plus, you can assign multiple reminders for the same body part depending on the time of day, who or what you are near, what you are reahing for and so on...

It really does work, no need to tie a string to your fingers.

I remember you talking about that last year. Great idea! I do the counting sometimes for grocery shopping. It's more successful when I only have about five things to remember. I assign each finger the food item I'm to remember.

Oh wait, the bathroom mirror would work for posties, and the back of the wooden window to the office. No one can see it when it's opened. And maybe the back of the door.

The creative juices are starting to flow.... Thanks!

Hi river .. . do you have any way of checking your blood sugars yourself .. . just be careful if you are hypoglycaemic .. a low carb diet would not be the best type of diet for you ... but you can still make small reductions to the overall amount of carbs .. and lose weight .,
For example if you plan to have a sandwich .. make an open sandwich with just one piece of bread .. choose whole grain breads and avoid white bread . Use small wraps or if you like seaweed .. use that to wrap meat and salad in . If you like egg.. Make a quiche with cheese and egg .. line the bottom of the pan with raw spinach instead of pastry .. easy to make and can be frozen into portion sizes . Eggs are a fab source of protein .


Don't forget to hydrate ...
there are a few formulas to work out what your daily water needs are ...but this one is easy to remember ...

divide your weight by 30

This will give you the number of litres a day of water to drink

Add 350mls for every 30 mins of exercise .

Keep in mind this is for someone healthy with no contraindications (cardiac/ renal) for fluid intake .

If you find you are hungry add oat bran either to your breakfast , in yogurt or with stewed fruit for example ... . It will swell with the water and help reduce your appetite
. Plus the soluble fibre will help with gi tract peristalsis to keep you regular :-)

Thanks Blondey, the hypoglycemia is manageable so long as I eat the right foods for me, a lot of what you described. I hadn't thought of using spinach instead of pastry, great idea. I love seaweed, I don't know where I can get it though. They don't sell it here except at one of the restaurants and it's really poor quality.

I'm not sure if the medical center here will provide blood sugar checks free of charge, I might be better off getting a small kit to keep track of it.

Water is my biggest "shame on me" thing. I don't drink enough of it, not even close to half what I should. I will start working on that today.

Thanks again, I appreciate your help :)

Fat produces ketones when is used up for energy. Ketones are an antioxidant, preventing cell DNA damage and aging.

It is not healthy to despise yourself in the meantime while you are losing weight. Also, exercise produces endorphins which have a narcotic effect, so enjoy the ride.

Keep us updated, and I would recommend allowing a year at1/2 lb/week instead of November, because that is what the bodybuilders do in order to not lose any muscle/nerves/bone strength when they are on their cut workout season, but if you get results in the beginning naturally just take it as a freebee. Be aware that considerable fluctuations come from hydration levels. Yogurt with live Lactobacillus acidophilus cultures (in the ingredients) is helpful for getting good microbiota started. Greek yogurt is especially good because of less natural sugar content. Added sugar can be sneaky, avoid it like the plague; keep natural macronutrients relatively balanced in respective quantity. Good physical health will probably come before most of the weight loss happens, making the rest easier. Get a physical trainer to write you a number of 1-hr calisthenic workout regimens entirely for portable exercise equipment or what ever you have available to use on your own, and rotate them each workout. Walking is good too, especially if it is brisk and an hour each day, in addition to the calisthenics. These are just ideas, use at your discretion.

I think it is hot that you are emotionally strong through all of this.

Thanks Arf that's a lot of good information. Are you studying this stuff in school or on your own?

the suggestions mentioned are very nice. some are entirely scientific suggestions (i say for the ones written above).

Sometimes a suggestion that can come from a familiar sight beside the world's best doctors can be very moral.

i will write things you know here...

for the status of your business;
I wish you had the job you want.

for joint pain and other aches;
If the source of the problem is found, I think the treatment will be simple. this is the topic of completely specialist doctors. something that is a cure.

for weight problems;
drinking plenty of water,
prefer unsweetened (non-carbohydrate) fruit and vegetables, (as possible ),
If you are very hungry, you will definitely eat very slow food. In such a case, 20 minutes is the right time to eat. This is really important. Food consumption is very low.
definitely stay away from white flour products,
get a little less calories than you need,
definitely spend more calories in the body,
When you do not lose weight spread it, do not hurry (I guess there is no one chasing for it ).

be decisive before everything. do not hurry. because the days of God are very much. not today but tomorrow is what you want. or the day after tomorrow.

do not let the birds of sadness fly before all else.

I hope it will be all you want as soon as possible...

Thank you Sahin

Those are very wise words. I appreciate and understand all that you said.

Taking 20 minutes to eat is a really good idea. I have heard it before but most people here don't do that. I tend to eat quickly.

Haha, well when I am at the gym I am always overhearing conversations of physical trainers and people interested in improving their health, and I get interested in what I hear and read the background scientific research online for fun. I have facts, observations, and ideas, but you will have to look to Blondie for the professional advice.

Thanks for sharing your story and I hope you achieve your next goal in life.

You're welcome, River

i am inclined to eat very fast.
I'm trying to eat slowly. but when I start to eat, I forget to eat slowly.
I am not kidding

I took 90% of food in the first 5 minutes.
then I took the remaining 10% in the 17th minute.
no, I have not eaten in 20 minutes.
food time is to be dispersed. this is important.

Thank you and you're welcome!

I think that's cool that you seek to learn more about what you hear. I enjoy doing that as well.

Good luck to you too!

Haha, yes I do that as well.

The idea is to eat slow because it takes 10 to 15 minutes for your body to register that it is full. When we eat fast in the beginning we tend to eat too much. Taking our time and eating slowly helps us eat less.

Does your tongue have a white dusting on it, or is it only red?

very faint white dusting, mostly red though. Why?

Hiya river .. how are you getting on.. .. Hope your energy levels have picked up and you are feeling better

Hiya Blondey .. Some days are better than others. I am beginning to have more energy and a lot less pain. I'm still having difficulty moving in the morning, but stretching is helping with that.

I'm working on making time for meditation. I really believe a lot of what I'm experiencing is major fatigue and stress.

The more harmful coping devices I've used in the past aren't there anymore... alcohol and smoking,... so replacing that with healthy things and not food is challenging. The addictive mind wants instinct relief from pain or any kind of emotional upset so it's a matter of retraining it to not reach for that "oh so happy" thing that makes us "oh so miserable" later on, lol.

I've cut my sugar intake in half, which is good but I still need to eliminate that coffee energy drink and the fudge covered oreos *grinning*
I've at least cut in half how many I eat, but getting rid of the added sugar kind of sweets is the goal. Maybe once a week rather than daily.
I've bought celery and carrot sticks to help with that. And I believe if I change routes going to the store to avoid the fudge shop.... Lol, kind of hard to do on Mackinac Island ... but not impossible.

When I quit drinking in the Keys three and a half years ago, changing routes really helped with that "automatic response" kind of habit. Habits can be difficult to break if we don't change our routine. It can be as simple as going down a different isle in the store or going the opposite direction in the aisle.

Walking down Market Street to the store avoids all the fudge shops. I just don't like walking past the Inn that my managers are at, but not as much as I don't like being fat so I'll start walking past their place instead of the fudge stores, lol.

Overall, I'm doing well. Thanks for checking up on me

well done you .. quite often with fatigue the culprit is your adrenal system .. do you like herbal drunks at all ., one of the best for your adrenals is liquorice tea (but not advised with hypertension) . If you can tolerate it .. try that for your wake uo drink .. but limit to one cup a day ... bananas are great too ... especially greener ones .. frozen they make a sweet treat . Almost like ice cream lol .. giving up cigarettes is really hard .. maybe plan a reward for yourself with all the money you save from not buying any .... allow yourself to have some treats .. one Oreo instead of two lol . .. have you tried freezing them .. they will take longer to eat . I have found some resistance band exercises .. will photo them for you . Once you start seeing results .. it gets easier

Thanks, I forgot about the bands. I put some in my cart with amazon but haven't ordered them yet. Exercise is still a challenge so getting the bands will help. Having more energy and less pain is helping to motivate me a little more as well.

I'll try the licorice tea and that's a great idea for the bananas and freezing the cookies. One will be fine. Back when I was on track I would be able to eat one small piece of dark chocolate with no difficulty or cravings to have more. Finding that balance of healthy mind, body, and spirit makes so much difference in how we do things.

I used to drink gallons of coffee .. especially on night shift but now I only have two cups a day max .. i have always had a strong will power .. but I sleep so much better now .. and that is the best reward ever . good health is a wonderful motivator . If you want me to look at your food diary and make some suggestions email it to me when you are ready xox

River, I think it is great you want to get back on track. It can be a struggle but the benefits far outweigh non benefits. I've learned the key in eating is moderation and I have lost some weight following that rule. My son would say cutting out meat is a good way to be healthier but he is almost a vegan. I still need a good steak once in a while, that is where the moderation comes in. My son wants me to go halves on this exercise bike he found. It has a TV screen with it and it shows the exerciser as being in the Tour de France with the bike going uphill and downhill. It has headphones and makes you feel like you really are in the Tour de France. It is really something to see. He says it is better than walking because the feet do not have to endure all that pounding that happens when walking so I am thinking about it. I think I will do it and celebrate by eating a small piece of dark chocolate to get started. Here's hoping we are both successful.