Thrive Without Janelle: The Accountability Group

[heatherchandler]

16 hours ago, Yeah No said:

That's why I'm waiting for them to come out with pill alternatives that cause fewer side effects, which I hear they're doing right now.

 

I just found out from a co-worker that there is a pill form!  He just pinged me to tell me about it; he started it the other day, he’s not had any side effects.  I think the pill form is less potent, but that would be good in your case. 

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, heatherchandler said:

I just found out from a co-worker that there is a pill form!  He just pinged me to tell me about it; he started it the other day, he’s not had any side effects.  I think the pill form is less potent, but that would be good in your case. 

What is the name of it? I'm anxious to learn about it!

[Absolom]

Here's one:

Quote

Of these, Ozempic (semaglutide) is a popular injectable option for Type 2 diabetes. But did you know that Ozempic's active ingredient is also available as an oral pill? Rybelsus is an oral version of semaglutide for Type 2 diabetes.5 days ago

 

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

Here's one:

 

Thanks but they ae also semaglutides and now I'm reading that there's a chance of some kind of thyroid cancer with them and to consult with a doctor if you have a thyroid condition, which I do - I have thyroid nodules and now I'm reading that there's a chance that they can grow and become cancerous as a result of the drug. I feel like I'm living in someone's nightmare where every door and window slams shut just as I try to go through them.

Note that the chances are small but reading down to the bottom of this Reddit didn't help:

 

[Gramto6]

4,542 steps yesterday.

I didn't do much besides gathering the garbage yesterday. For some reason I was extremely tired and achey all day so mostly took it really easy.

Fire looks about the same as yesterday. They are holding the line but not much progress on putting it out.

 

ETA: Again I forgot to hit Submit this morning!! Sheesh!

Edited August 27 by Gramto6

[Gramto6]

5,369 steps yesterday.

A grocery, PO, and gas run added up the steps to what I did at home yesterday. Today I don't know how it will end up given the driving to two different dr appts and the waiting times involved.

Today is going to be busy and I expect very tiring. At least I have a week before my next dr appt!!

[Absolom]

I deliberately did not take my usual walk this morning.  I was tired and tomorrow I have to go to one of our largest medical complexes that I haven't set foot on in a few decades just for a bone density test.  So I'll be going early, expecting a much longer walk than the regular office, and at least a 50/50 shot I'll get at least a little bit lost.  Today I had quite a bit of gardening on my to do list and I haven't finished it yet.  

[Gramto6]

5,988 steps yesterday.

The shopping in Target added a lot of steps, it has been a long time since I went in and just walked the aisles and did a little shopping. Usually it is run in to the grocery section and out again.That took up the time between dr appts.

Hand dr said all looks good and I don't need to see him unless something comes up. Just do my exercises until I have full movement.

At my Medicare Wellness apt they now have a NP that handles all those appointments. We talked a long time. She finally got me to put my Advanced Directive in my file and witnessed. I had been putting it off so that was a good thing. It was the longest Medicare Wellness visit I have ever had! She also scheduled me for a bone density test. It has been a long time since my last one and given my back injury in 2022 she thought it was needed just to check things out.

By the time I got home I was exhausted. No more 2 dr appts in one day!!

Hope your bone density test goes well @Absolom!

Edited August 28 by Gramto6
added on to post

[Absolom]

5 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Hope your bone density test goes well @Absolom!

Aside from the construction zone right around the buidling I needed to get into, it was very easy.  For the first time I didn't get immediate results.  Thanks.  I hope you can rest the remainder of the day..  

[Gramto6]

5,019 steps yesterday.

I was feeling tired from everything the day before so was just taking it easy. Yeah, that happens!

I received my new air fryer while I was out Tuesday at my appointments. I was too tired Tuesday to set it up so I did it yesterday. I have a big family sized Ninja air fryer that my DD bought me (hers is a family of 5), but it is too big for just me and I hardly use it. I got a simple 2qt Instant Vortex and it is perfect for me. It is multi task in that it air fries, bakes, roasts and reheats. So I spent most of the morning clearing off my kitchen counter, reorganizing things and of course testing my new toy!! So basically a lot of puttering around in the kitchen. That was my big activity for the day. I did consciously work on getting some more steps in during the afternoon and evening but I really didn't want to push through the weariness too much.

The weather has changed the last few days, we had rain and wind (snow in the high elevations in the north) Tuesday, temps in 60's then wind yesterday, and this morning it was 37° when I went out to feed the cats. The damp and cold have helped some with the fire but the wind not so much. It is still 0% contained but they have it controlled around the homes so are allowing residents in between 8am and 11am this morning. The only thing I can be glad about this fire is the wind is at least blowing the smoke away from my area...

Edited August 30 by Gramto6
typo 5,019 not ,019

[Denize]

I'd be interested in hearing how easy/hard the 2 qt Instant Vortex is to clean. 

[Yeah No]

@Gramto6 I was all set to order a 2 quart air fryer when my vacuum crapped out on me so I had to buy that instead. Let us know how you like yours.

Now I think I might have gout in my 2nd toe. I know, it's usually the big toe but in my case I think it's the second toe which I think is better because you don't put so much pressure on it so it's not as painful. My best male friend has gout so I'll have to talk to him about it. Tomorrow I'll make an appointment with my podiatrist. My mother, grandmother and great uncle all suffered from gout so it runs in the family.

Unfortunately I think this started because of my cruise. I had red meat twice in a week while I usually don't have it more than twice a month if that. And I've eaten a lot of shellfish this Summer. I've also been walking a LOT which is known to aggravate it. Just what I need, another thing to worry about. 

I got 8,000+ steps yesterday. Only 6,887 today. I had to put my toe on ice this evening which helped a lot.

I'm holding at a 2 lb. loss since my cruise on which I gained 4 lbs. on top of the stubborn 4 lbs. I gained over the Winter. Something's got to give, I'm being so careful!

[Gramto6]

3,120 steps yesterday. Seems I end up posting so late these days......

Very tired feeling all day and my cat took advantage of an available lap for long naps! Guess we both were needing a day of rest! I spent some of that down time searching for some You Tube senior exercise programs to try out. I used to use some cds with exercises but not sure I have anything that will play them now. Have to dig around in my storage cubby...

Hopefully I'll get back on track with the walking at least today.

The fire is still 0% contained and evacuations still under order. Air quality today is Unhealthy...maybe that is what is getting me down, breathing all that smoky air?

 

Instant Vortex 2qt Air Fryer info:

I love it!! I have cooked about 6 meals in it already. Nothing fancy at this point roasted veggies, roasted tiny potatos, left over rotisserie chicken and frozen taquitos. Tonight I'm doing the first potentially messy thing a 3 oz hamburger patty. So far clean up is a snap. The inside is non-stick so just a sponge and soapy water easily and safely cleans the removable rack and inside the tray. It is not immersible. I'll know later tonight how cleaning up from the burger.  I am also Doing a quick air fry of some smashed tiny already cooked potatoes. (I did a basket of roasted baby carrots and they came out great. With the new dentures it makes eating them as snacks much easier.)

There is a real learning curve, as it doesn't come with a recipe book. I for some reason was unable to download their online one, I'll keep trying to figure that out. I've just googled what I want to air fry and ask what temp and how long for say broccoli, etc. Still working on the exact time for that one. My hash brown comes out great each morning though!

With all the features of this air fryer, air fry, roast, bake, and reheat, I see me using this more than any thing else for cooking.  It doesn't toast so my toaster  and of course the microwave will get their normal use but cooking will be mostly in this. It is so quiet when it runs I hardly know it is on from another room!  It beeps to remind you to add food after preheat, but I have put food right in and skipped that step, then it beep mid way so you can turn food/shake it if you want and beeps when done.  I wish I had gotten this small one much sooner!

[Gramto6]

Follow up, after dinner. Here is what I made:

 

 

3 oz. smash burger stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese on 1/2 toasted English muffin, red heirloom tomato chunk salad, 3 air fried baby potatoes with turmeric salt and a dash of smoked  paprika. Burger was juicy and delicious, potatoes were crispy on out side but not quite done inside (needed another minute). (400°F 6 minutes burger and potatoes together, note burger is small, more time for bigger burger)

There was no grease splatter on the coil above and just a little grease in basket. After I took food out I put dish soapy water in basket just covering tray and let it sit while I ate. To wash I just had to pour out soapy water and lightly wipe tray and inside of basket with a sponge and rinse. Easy peasy!!

I promise I won't share any more meals!! This is my portion control plate (7" diameter). Keeps me honest with portion sizes!

Edited August 31 by Gramto6

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

Follow up, after dinner. Here is what I made:

 

 

3 oz. smash burger stuffed with Gorgonzola cheese on 1/2 toasted English muffin, red heirloom tomato chunk salad, 3 air fried baby potatoes with turmeric salt and a dash of smoked  paprika. Burger was juicy and delicious, potatoes were crispy on out side but not quite done inside (needed another minute). (400°F 6 minutes burger and potatoes together, note burger is small, more time for bigger burger)

There was no grease splatter on the coil above and just a little grease in basket. After I took food out I put dish soapy water in basket just covering tray and let it sit while I ate. To wash I just had to pour out soapy water and lightly wipe tray and inside of basket with a sponge and rinse. Easy peasy!!

I promise I won't share any more meals!! This is my portion control plate (7" diameter). Keeps me honest with portion sizes!

Don't worry about the photo, I enjoyed it! You are making me want to order that air fryer. My issue is I don't have much space for appliances. I have to keep some of them out in the garage as it is.

You eat like me - 3 ounces of meat, LOL. I haven't seen many heirloom tomatoes around me this year although I think I saw some at Whole Foods. Of course now I want to go there and get some, LOL. And I love your sectioned plate. Portion control, right? 😉

[Gramto6]

32 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

Don't worry about the photo, I enjoyed it! You are making me want to order that air fryer. My issue is I don't have much space for appliances. I have to keep some of them out in the garage as it is.

You eat like me - 3 ounces of meat, LOL. I haven't seen many heirloom tomatoes around me this year although I think I saw some at Whole Foods. Of course now I want to go there and get some, LOL. And I love your sectioned plate. Portion control, right? 😉

I found the plate at Target, believe it or not , it was only $.50! I also got a regular plate that same size also $.50 and a larger one for a dollar that is like a TV dinner tray. (They are micro safe which is an added plus.) I like the smaller sectioned one because, yes it really does keep my portions where I want them. Plus if I decide to eat by the TV it isn't as likely to spill off the edge.

[Denize]

3 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

There was no grease splatter on the coil above and just a little grease in basket. After I took food out I put dish soapy water in basket just covering tray and let it sit while I ate. To wash I just had to pour out soapy water and lightly wipe tray and inside of basket with a sponge and rinse. Easy peasy!!

Thanks for the update. Does the basket come out of the machine for cleaning? If so, with a messier food would there be the possibility of grease getting between the basket and the cooker when clumsily removing it?

[Gramto6]

11 hours ago, Denize said:

Thanks for the update. Does the basket come out of the machine for cleaning? If so, with a messier food would there be the possibility of grease getting between the basket and the cooker when clumsily removing it?

This is the one I purchased:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YS3WCVY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

The drawer comes completely out for cleaning. There is a tray inside to place the food on.  It is removable for cleaning. Nothing to spill/splash. Just clean out the "drawer"/basket and tray, let dry then slip back in the unit. There isn't a separate basket just the bottome section that comes out, drawer/basket...not sure exactly what it is called. Look at the included videos some show the basket open to show you what it looks like.

Edited August 31 by Gramto6
added on to post

[Gramto6]

5,785 steps yesterday.
 
A quick grocery run and trip to PO to pick up my mail, the rest of the day was odd chores around the house and doing some cleaning in the cat's house in the garage.

Today I don't have anything planned, but chores have a way of popping up when least expected! One thing will be searching for recipes for my air fryer. I 

[Absolom]

16 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Today I don't have anything planned, but chores have a way of popping up when least expected! One thing will be searching for recipes for my air fryer. 

That sounds more like fun than a chore.  😉  I hope it is. 

I got lots of steps yesterday.  I woke up around 6 and was on my feet almost the whole time until lunch.  Today I slept almost an hour later and plan to spend more time in the chair.  I need to plant some cuttings, but most of the rest of my to do list for the day can be done sitting.  I already did the rest of the gardening before 8 AM.

[Gramto6]

8 hours ago, Absolom said:

That sounds more like fun than a chore.  😉  I hope it is. 

It was/is! I found an interesting site that may really be helpful coming up with recipes:

https://airfryerworld.com/

Tomorrow I'm going to try a Keto cauliflower bites recipe that sounds great!  So much to try............

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

It was/is! I found an interesting site that may really be helpful coming up with recipes:

https://airfryerworld.com/

Tomorrow I'm going to try a Keto cauliflower bites recipe that sounds great!  So much to try............

Thanks for that website, it's great. BTW, that air fryer was already on my wish list as it's often recommended.

I didn't go out yesterday at all. We had the tree guy and his crew here removing some problem trees. My husband was out working but came home mid afternoon with too many pizzas for them and we had a pizza tailgate party in the driveway. Of course our neighbors on either side joined us and it was actually a really nice time (we have great neighbors). I wish he had called me to find out how many people there would be because we couldn't give away enough pizza and now we have an entire large pie in the fridge! Just what we both need on our diets! It's always something!

I had two small slices and then a salad for dinner.  I was hungry but I had to make up for it somehow! I think I'm going to freeze the rest of that pizza and work a slice in every now and then. This is the kind of stuff I deal with all the time. 

[Gramto6]

6,120 steps yesterday.

So smoky outside, so I stayed in as much as possible yesterday. Today looks to be about the same.

All I want to do outside is hose off my car which is covered with grass trimmings.  My neighbor across the dirt road came over yesterday and mowed my lawn for me. (I gave him the Toro Weed Eater I never used as a thank you.) He said he was going to come back today and weed whack all the spots close to the house. Last time he said that, but never did. It is fine with me, just glad for the mowing!  The discharge chute on his mower is broken so it sprays the clippings all over that is why my car needs a hosing.

[Yeah No]

I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle here. I keep cutting corners with my food intake and I'm hungry all the time now and it doesn't seem to be working as far as losing weight goes either. When I googled on "why do I feel hungry all the time on a diet?" I kept seeing "hypothyroid issues" as one of the possible reasons. I've dieted before so I know the drill but this time the hunger just keeps getting worse, not better. The more I go on the more I know what my poor mother went through. I don't really know what to do about it other than talk to my thyroid doctor or my primary but I don't have a follow up with either one scheduled until next January. I might have to contact one or both of them about it before then.

I still get upset when I think about how people make presumptions about why you're overweight or why you can't lose weight. Even as I write about it I feel like there are people out there thinking I'm not doing something right and somehow this is all my fault. Maybe part of me hopes that someone reading about my situation might learn from it that for some people it's not all about what they're doing or not doing but what their body is doing to them. 

[Kbo]

5 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle here. I keep cutting corners with my food intake and I'm hungry all the time now and it doesn't seem to be working as far as losing weight goes either. When I googled on "why do I feel hungry all the time on a diet?" I kept seeing "hypothyroid issues" as one of the possible reasons. I've dieted before so I know the drill but this time the hunger just keeps getting worse, not better. The more I go on the more I know what my poor mother went through. I don't really know what to do about it other than talk to my thyroid doctor or my primary but I don't have a follow up with either one scheduled until next January. I might have to contact one or both of them about it before then.

I still get upset when I think about how people make presumptions about why you're overweight or why you can't lose weight. Even as I write about it I feel like there are people out there thinking I'm not doing something right and somehow this is all my fault. Maybe part of me hopes that someone reading about my situation might learn from it that for some people it's not all about what they're doing or not doing but what their body is doing to them. 

I feel for you, that sounds so discouraging. People who don’t struggle with their weight have no idea how hard it is, especially men. I’ve seen men saying “it’s all calories in and out” when women are talking about menopause 🤬. Like yeah DAVE, tell me all about YOUR personal experience with menopause 🙄.  Weight regulation is so complicated and there’s so many factors that influence it beyond calories (which are obviously important but not the whole story like some people make it out to be).

Personally, I’ve lost 90 pounds since the start of 2023, that’s the good news. Bad news is I hate exercise, haven’t done enough of it and have lost muscle mass. I still need to lose another 30-40 pounds, but the scale won’t budge. I basically have to eat what I was eating to lose weight just to maintain. My husband just had hip surgery a couple weeks ago and is laid up in bed, I’m having to do everything and my eating hasn’t been great. Got on the scale and I’m up six pounds 😩.  This is what eating my normal meals plus a few extra snacks does to me. I know I’ve got to start working to build back muscle mass, but trying to add one more thing to my plate right now feels impossible. I’ve got to do it, though. I refuse to gain this weight back. I’ve gained and lost so many times that my metabolism is a mess. I even tried Contrave recently to try to lose the rest of this weight, and all it did was disrupt my sleep 🤦‍♀️. 

[Gramto6]

5,725 steps yesterday.

Taking the garbage up to the road and going out to tend to the cats is all the outside activities for me today. The smoke is really getting to me, even keeping the house all closed up, it manages to seep in the few times I open a door to go out. At this point I would hope for several days of a heavy rain to put the fires out!!

Red Flag warning still in effect and now air quality is Hazardous! I haven't seen the mountains across the valley in 3 days now. The fire is now 2,399 acres, 0% containment. Another fire South of me a bit is up to 3,753 acres also 0% containment. Double whammy with the smoke from 2 sides. This is going to take a long time to control. Today thunderstorms are in forecast for the evening. 😿

[Absolom]

2 hours ago, Kbo said:

Bad news is I hate exercise, haven’t done enough of it and have lost muscle mass. I still need to lose another 30-40 pounds, but the scale won’t budge. I basically have to eat what I was eating to lose weight just to maintain.

I think you're onto something there.  Hormones and loss of muscle mass are two big issues for women over 60.  Exercising with weights is highly recommended after a two week or so course of conditioning exercises without weights.  It doesn't hurt to take eating records with you to the doctor to show how many calories you are getting and the weight results.  The only time I had a similar issue, it was my thyroid.  It probably should be checked annually.  Also broken or insufficient sleep is another weight loss killer.  There's also set point theory which may well come into play.

In my reverse saga I'm down 20 pounds.  I'm consuming on average 500 calories a day over what would maintain my preivous weight and I'm still losing.  Oh if only we could combine our issues!

Edited September 2 by Absolom

[Teafortwo]

1 hour ago, Gramto6 said:

5,725 steps yesterday.

Taking the garbage up to the road and going out to tend to the cats is all the outside activities for me today. The smoke is really getting to me, even keeping the house all closed up, it manages to seep in the few times I open a door to go out. At this point I would hope for several days of a heavy rain to put the fires out!!

Red Flag warning still in effect and now air quality is Hazardous! I haven't seen the mountains across the valley in 3 days now. The fire is now 2,399 acres, 0% containment. Another fire South of me a bit is up to 3,753 acres also 0% containment. Double whammy with the smoke from 2 sides. This is going to take a long time to control. Today thunderstorms are in forecast for the evening. 😿

Do you have a Hepa air purifier? When we had smoke from the Canadian wildfires here in NY last fall, I bought two - one for the living room and one for the bedroom. Mine are Levoit brand.  You do have to change the filters more often than what the product information states, but they really help. I have asthma and really wouldn't have gotten through those weeks without them.

ETA: I would probably get one for the kitties' house too if I were in your place....

Edited September 2 by Teafortwo

[Gramto6]

@Teafortwo, I don't, but I will definitely look into getting a couple! We got some of the smoke here too from those Canadian fires and it was bad then, but this is worse with one so close and one just to the SE that is even bigger. Thanks for the suggestion!

[heatherchandler]

21 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle here. I keep cutting corners with my food intake and I'm hungry all the time now and it doesn't seem to be working as far as losing weight goes either. When I googled on "why do I feel hungry all the time on a diet?" I kept seeing "hypothyroid issues" as one of the possible reasons. I've dieted before so I know the drill but this time the hunger just keeps getting worse, not better. The more I go on the more I know what my poor mother went through. I don't really know what to do about it other than talk to my thyroid doctor or my primary but I don't have a follow up with either one scheduled until next January. I might have to contact one or both of them about it before then.

I still get upset when I think about how people make presumptions about why you're overweight or why you can't lose weight. Even as I write about it I feel like there are people out there thinking I'm not doing something right and somehow this is all my fault. Maybe part of me hopes that someone reading about my situation might learn from it that for some people it's not all about what they're doing or not doing but what their body is doing to them. 

My friend at work doesn’t know the name of the ozempic-like pills but ask your doctor if it’s something they can look into.   When you are feeling hungry and not eating your body thinks it needs to hold onto every calorie so don’t starve yourself.  

Before ozempic the only thing that worked for me to lose weight was protein & lettuce.  I would eat a chicken sausage for breakfast, chicken with salad & ranch dressing for lunch and a steak or meatballs for dinner, I was never hungry and I dropped weight easily.  No sugar, pasta, bread, etc.  It was hard to only eat meat, I wouldn’t be able to do it now, I’m going vegetarian animal by animal.. also I’d miss my lemonade, but it worked.  And my migraines stopped completely which was a bonus.

[Yeah No]

16 hours ago, Kbo said:

I feel for you, that sounds so discouraging. People who don’t struggle with their weight have no idea how hard it is, especially men. I’ve seen men saying “it’s all calories in and out” when women are talking about menopause 🤬. Like yeah DAVE, tell me all about YOUR personal experience with menopause 🙄.  Weight regulation is so complicated and there’s so many factors that influence it beyond calories (which are obviously important but not the whole story like some people make it out to be).

Personally, I’ve lost 90 pounds since the start of 2023, that’s the good news. Bad news is I hate exercise, haven’t done enough of it and have lost muscle mass. I still need to lose another 30-40 pounds, but the scale won’t budge. I basically have to eat what I was eating to lose weight just to maintain. My husband just had hip surgery a couple weeks ago and is laid up in bed, I’m having to do everything and my eating hasn’t been great. Got on the scale and I’m up six pounds 😩.  This is what eating my normal meals plus a few extra snacks does to me. I know I’ve got to start working to build back muscle mass, but trying to add one more thing to my plate right now feels impossible. I’ve got to do it, though. I refuse to gain this weight back. I’ve gained and lost so many times that my metabolism is a mess. I even tried Contrave recently to try to lose the rest of this weight, and all it did was disrupt my sleep 🤦‍♀️. 

It sounds like we're in a similar boat with 30-40 lbs. to lose and the dieting is only resulting in maintaining, not losing. And all you have to do is add one or two small snacks and forget it, the body acts like you piled your plate high at a buffet line!

I didn't want to gain this weight either but there's only so much I can do to prevent it. I can't walk the tightrope that well all the time. Birthdays and cruises happen. I am not going to avoid those things because I am afraid I'm going to gain weight. And I'm not going to eat chicken and lettuce while everyone else is enjoying themselves. As it is I still eat much less than they do. I cut my portions way down and take half or more than half home. I eat more salad and less regular food. And I may have a small scoop of sorbet for dessert. It's ridiculous.

Also I've already given myself some kind of foot issue from stepping up my walking and I don't want to hurt myself permanently or give myself a condition that makes exercise painful. I've literally tried everything including strength training and nothing seems to work. If 15,000 steps a day wasn't enough to keep me from gaining 4 lbs. on the cruise when I was doing everything I could to trim down my food intake I don't know what more I can do at my age. It's alarming because even a year ago that would have prevented more weight gain. I think I need to talk with that thyroid doctor. I just have a feeling my thyroid numbers are continuing to fall. Last year at my annual check up with her I mentioned how they keep falling but she actually ignored my concern and told me I have no reason to worry yet because the numbers are still in the "normal" range. Yeah but not by much. I feel like nobody is listening to me either. It's very frustrating.

[Yeah No]

51 minutes ago, heatherchandler said:

My friend at work doesn’t know the name of the ozempic-like pills but ask your doctor if it’s something they can look into.   When you are feeling hungry and not eating your body thinks it needs to hold onto every calorie so don’t starve yourself. 

Ah but the Catch 22 of my life is that if I don't starve myself I won't lose weight either and if I just look at food I gain it so it goes round and round and I never get anywhere.

Right now if I tried to eat a diet of chicken sausage and lettuce my body would revolt. I would feel sick with bad hunger pains and tired all the time. I used to be able to handle hunger or I would never have been so successful on diets for so many years, but this is crazy hunger on a new level that I have never experienced. I am reading that this can be a sign of hypothyroid and maybe I've crossed over into that realm now so who knows? I just know that this really sucks BAD.

By the way I mentioned a few days back that one of my best friends was put on Ozempic but then he found out his insurance won't cover it (I've read that most won't) so they put him on Metformin. I had a feeling his stomach wouldn't like it because he has stomach issues and I was not wrong about that. He has had very bad indigestion/nausea and diarrhea. At least all I had was bad stomach cramps and indigestion - he's had multiple issues! So forget that drug for him.

[Gramto6]

5,562 steps yesterday.

Too smoky to do much outside so most of my steps were in the house. Looks like may be the same today. The thunderstorms didn't appear here yesterday, but they are in the forecast again for today. Starting tomorrow the weather is supposed to be warmer and dryer, not sure if that is good or bad at this point....

[Absolom]

On 9/2/2024 at 11:23 PM, Yeah No said:

I think I need to talk with that thyroid doctor. I just have a feeling my thyroid numbers are continuing to fall. Last year at my annual check up with her I mentioned how they keep falling but she actually ignored my concern and told me I have no reason to worry yet because the numbers are still in the "normal" range. Yeah but not by much. I feel like nobody is listening to me either. It's very frustrating.

Sadly the "normal range" some doctors and labs use is not a good functional range.  Some of us only feel decent in the bottom half of "normal."  I think my daughter is going to follow me down that path.  Good luck.

Edited September 4 by Absolom

[Yeah No]

11 hours ago, Absolom said:

Sadly the "normal range" some doctors and labs use is not a good functional range.  Some of only feel decent in the bottom half of "normal."  I think my daughter is going to follow me down that path.  Good luck.

Thank you! At least today I realized what was causing my intense hunger and it wasn't my thyroid. A little over a week ago I started taking an all natural supplement from Nature's Bounty called "Metabolism Booster". It's made up of stuff like grapefruit seed extract, etc. and it's suppose to raise your metabolism and help you lose weight. I didn't notice any side effects nor any results although I thought it might be too soon to see them. Then I went on Amazon and checked out reviews of it and found some people complaining that instead of suppressing appetite it actually made them ravenously hungry to the point of gaining weight in some cases. So I think that yet again I'll have to keep searching for something that might help. And at least I know it wasn't my thyroid. I stopped taking the supplement today and I felt a LOT less hungry.

Edited September 4 by Yeah No
hungry not "healthy" LOL

[Yeah No]

No wonder the media keeps talking about how younger people are getting more unhealthy all the time. I am SMH over a spot on my local TV news where a local "artisan baker" is bragging eloquently about his "award winning French toast bagels dipped in bourbon and maple syrup", which are then served with cream cheese! This is the kind of crap I'm seeing more and more of featured on TV. It's out of control. How many unhealthy things can you cram into one product? I suppose the fact that they're "whole grain" makes this guy think his food is "healthy"! The only thing that would make it worse is if he was talking about a doughnut! (Remember the cro-nut craze a few years ago?) Ugh!

Anyway, in other news I have been eating a couple of dried prunes a day with breakfast and dinner for several months because in my older age I sometimes suffer from constipation (I also take fiber supplements as well), but now I'm reading that they may be bad for gout and to switch to dried tart cherries instead, which I know they sell around me. I have not confirmed that I have gout yet but am seeing a podiatrist on Friday to find out. I think I might have a certain form of gout that affects the smaller toes and isn't painful. On the advice of my friend with regular "big toe" gout I started taking tart cherry extract capsules and have seen some improvement, and my toe does look like the examples online so I'm thinking that's what's going on with my toe.

What sucks is that there are certain fishes and seafood that are supposed to be bad for gout and they are the most healthy ones and ones I tend eat a lot to avoid red meats in general. Before this is over the doctors will be telling me all I can eat is chicken and celery, I am sure. And no, I am not cut out to be a vegetarian. My body has always needed animal protein. I am sure that this is something hardwired in me. Some people can live without animal protein but I am very sure I am not one of them. I've tried it and it doesn't work for me even with substitutions and supplements. I've cut back on my animal protein quite a bit as it is with my dieting and that's as much as I can handle.

Edited September 4 by Yeah No

[Gramto6]

5,671 steps yesterday.

I'll be glad when the air finally clears and I can do some chores and waking out side again!

Late to post, I got sidetracked going through my closet as there is a new Goodwill store in the town where my Podiatrist is located that I want to visit. So wanted to thin the closet at bit.  I see the Podiatrist tomorrow so it had to be done today.

 

Edited September 4 by Gramto6
typo

[lookeyloo]

21 hours ago, Yeah No said:

No wonder the media keeps talking about how younger people are getting more unhealthy all the time. I am SMH over a spot on my local TV news where a local "artisan baker" is bragging eloquently about his "award winning French toast bagels dipped in bourbon and maple syrup", which are then served with cream cheese! This is the kind of crap I'm seeing more and more of featured on TV. It's out of control. How many unhealthy things can you cram into one product? I suppose the fact that they're "whole grain" makes this guy think his food is "healthy"! The only thing that would make it worse is if he was talking about a doughnut! (Remember the cro-nut craze a few years ago?) Ugh!

Anyway, in other news I have been eating a couple of dried prunes a day with breakfast and dinner for several months because in my older age I sometimes suffer from constipation (I also take fiber supplements as well), but now I'm reading that they may be bad for gout and to switch to dried tart cherries instead, which I know they sell around me. I have not confirmed that I have gout yet but am seeing a podiatrist on Friday to find out. I think I might have a certain form of gout that affects the smaller toes and isn't painful. On the advice of my friend with regular "big toe" gout I started taking tart cherry extract capsules and have seen some improvement, and my toe does look like the examples online so I'm thinking that's what's going on with my toe.

What sucks is that there are certain fishes and seafood that are supposed to be bad for gout and they are the most healthy ones and ones I tend eat a lot to avoid red meats in general. Before this is over the doctors will be telling me all I can eat is chicken and celery, I am sure. And no, I am not cut out to be a vegetarian. My body has always needed animal protein. I am sure that this is something hardwired in me. Some people can live without animal protein but I am very sure I am not one of them. I've tried it and it doesn't work for me even with substitutions and supplements. I've cut back on my animal protein quite a bit as it is with my dieting and that's as much as I can handle.

Such a dilemma.  I gave up the prunes even though they have boron and are good for the bones because of all the sugar.  I love them though.

PS I have a velvet Elvis!

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, lookeyloo said:

Such a dilemma.  I gave up the prunes even though they have boron and are good for the bones because of all the sugar.  I love them though.

PS I have a velvet Elvis!

Here's a secret: I had one almost 30 years ago when a friend's father died and left all sorts of kitschy items behind, like a ceramic leopard statue and vintage mid century clocks and lighting. My husband and I took home a couple of things including the Elvis and put it in our basement. Remember the famous sad clown on velvet? We used to joke around about our "sad Elvis on velvet", but it wasn't just a joke, we also had a "sad landscape on velvet" over our Ethan Allen early American couch in the '80s!

P.S. I'm going to eat maybe one prune a day, I'm sure that won't be too much. I was eating a few too many I think. When I saw the sugar content my eyes bugged out! The cherries are also high in sugar but most of the time I'll be taking the extract in pill form.

[Gramto6]

5,740 steps yesterday.

Podiatrist appt and shopping at Goodwill nearby are about all that is on the agenda today.

 

Yeah, unfortunately all dried fruits are very high in sugar. It gets concentrated in the fruit as the fruit dries out. I gave up all dried fruits when I was dx'd with diabetes. I missed them for a while, but finally decided the trade off of decent bg #'s was better than the fruit tasted. 

I have accidentally discovered something that seems to help with my constipation. Aloe juice of all things! The brand I buy is Lakewood Organic Pure Aloe. The ingredients are: Organic Aloe Vera Inner Leaf Juice, less than 1% Organic Lemon Juice, that's it! I originally bought it to use in smoothies with yogurt to thin it a bit. Now I just drink about a quarter cup about once or twice a week and it works like a charm.  Who knew?? 

[Absolom]

My mother.  She tried it once and had diarrhea so bad she ended up in the ER and was almost kept over night.  No, she didn't take more than the normal amount.  She had IBS-D and didn't read the precautions.  Since she was beginning her battle with dementia, we had to remove it from the house in case she couldn't remember the effect on her.

[Gramto6]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

My mother.  She tried it once and had diarrhea so bad she ended up in the ER and was almost kept over night.  No, she didn't take more than the normal amount.  She had IBS-D and didn't read the precautions.  Since she was beginning her battle with dementia, we had to remove it from the house in case she couldn't remember the effect on her.

Oh gosh! And I thought I had discovered something new!! LOL! So sorry about your mom's reaction to it. As I said, I noticed the effect and quickly backed down on how much I was drinking. It really is powerful stuff! Hmmmmm, maybe next colonoscopy I'll just drink that! It is clear liquid! 😸

[Absolom]

24 minutes ago, Gramto6 said:

Oh gosh! And I thought I had discovered something new!! LOL! So sorry about your mom's reaction to it. As I said, I noticed the effect and quickly backed down on how much I was drinking. It really is powerful stuff! Hmmmmm, maybe next colonoscopy I'll just drink that! It is clear liquid! 😸

I was trying to be funny.  An odd bit about the story was Mom's caregiver called me rather than 911 or simply driving her to the ER.  Now Mom was still living 1650 miles away from me.  What was I to do?  She didn't want Mom in her car in case they couldn't make the drive without an accident so she did finally agree to call 911 and let the ambulance take her.  What was scary was I could tell by asking questions that Mom was already dehydrated, but the caregiver hadn't really considered that aspect. 

Yes, you do need to be very careful with it.  It's quite effective.  I react worse even than Mom to things like that so for colonoscopies, I drank maybe, maybe 2 ounces of mag citrate.  That was much cheaper cash than the co-pay on the prescription drink and I was going to throw most of it away anyway.  But yes, I imagine it wouldn't take much of the aloe to take care of things.  I never did find out what possessed Mom to try drinking aloe vera juice.  She must have read an article about its health benefits without checking the risks.

[Gramto6]

After hearing your story and my reaction also, I am surprised there isn't any kind of warning on the bottle of this possible reaction. The only thing mentioned is "for  taste" you can add 1/2 c. water or other juice to the Aloe Juice.  And it sits on the shelves with all the other juices so seems harmless. You'd think this is  something that should be mentioned...

Edited September 6 by Gramto6

[Absolom]

You would, wouldn't you?  Especially if a normal amount can put someone in the ER.  Then again I have never tasted prune juice because I know what will happen.  Aloe is bit more exotic than prune juice though.  

[Gramto6]

What I did today was freeze a tray full of the juice to have on hand as a dose. Tomorrow I'll freeze most of the rest so it won't go bad in the fridge. One cube should work just right.. 

Edited September 6 by Gramto6
typo

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 8/1/2024 at 1:38 PM, lookeyloo said:

Also we don't know what [Sally Field's] body feels like to her. I keep getting told what good shape I am in. I know how I feel and what my body looks and feels like naked and how my wardrobe has had to change. 

I hit the genetics lottery and had a rocking body my entire life, eating what I wanted and doing only exercise I thought was fun.  Then I hit my early 60s and developed the thickness in the middle--a fold above my waist in the back and mass I can grab in the front. 

My body is pretty darn good for someone who's 67.  But the extra thickness in the middle is driving me crazy.  I've never before had a belly that folded over on itself when I sit down, and the folds are downright uncomfortable when I'm curled up in the recliner; I can't stand how it feels. 

I'm still wearing clothes from 25 years ago, including the lycra shorts I wear for pilates and yoga.  So my proportions have changed but not so much I need new clothes.  And most people would look at me and say, "Are you crazy?  I'd kill to look like you."  But having that weight around my middle is incredibly uncomfortable.  Maybe it's worse for me because I had 60 years with zero skin-on-skin issues (e.g. back fat), so I never acclimated? 

I can handle the sagging skin on my thighs I see when I'm doing a shoulder stand in yoga and my legs are pointed at the ceiling, or worse when I'm in plow and they're right in front of my face.  But that's just looks, and I don't find it aesthetically pleasing but I've accepted it, and in fact wear shorts in class on purpose, to not be ashamed that I have wrinkly old lady legs.  I'm 67, FFS.  Of course I have wrinkly skin.

But the sagging skin on my legs doesn't cause me physical discomfort.  My menopot, as minor as it is compared to the torsos on a whole lot of people, young and old and probably including Sally Field, does cause me discomfort, because of the folding. 

And I know there's nothing I can do about it because even if I lost weight, which I don't need to do, I'm sure a good part of the pot is loose skin, which I can't do anything about. 

I've thought about this a lot (because I never don't feel it when I'm sitting) and while I miss my flat stomach, I'd gladly take my menopot if it didn't cause such discomfort.  I'd treat it like my saggy wrinkly thighs I can ignore, or even accept.  But I can't ignore something I feel all the damn time.

On 8/4/2024 at 9:14 AM, Yeah No said:

I just get frustrated with women that don't really have a problem thinking they have a problem. Walk a mile in my shoes.

Or maybe walk a mile in theirs.

 

[Denize]

Apparently some brands of aloe vera juice have filtered out some of the aloin to less than 10 PPM, to decrease the chances of diarrhea. The aloin content may be listed on the label, but there are no labeling rules for it.  Some aloe gel labels say "topical use only" and/or "not for oral consumption"; presumably they have high levels of aloin.

Also, aloe vera is in the latex family, so people who are allergic to latex may have a different reaction.

Edited September 6 by Denize

[Absolom]

I did find this online:

Quote

Is it good to drink aloe vera juice everyday?

Czerwony says aloe vera juice is safe to drink every day. But drinking too much of it can cause cramping or diarrhea. This in turn can bring on an electrolyte imbalance. “If you have some of those gastrointestinal symptoms, you should probably drink aloe vera juice every other day, or every third day,” she says.Apr 6, 2022

So it gives you diarrhea (the author at least acknowledged that) then cut back the days so you only have diarrhea every other or every third day?  ::shakes head::  How about either stop drinking it or cut back the daily amount?  I'm glad you found a sensible solution @Gramto6.  When I did a search I was rather surprised that ads for gallon jugs of it popped up.  

I battle the "old lady tummy bulge" but it doesn't fold over so I don't have any discomfort or good suggestions @StatisticalOutlier.  I already do tummy exercises in bed at night or first thing in the morning.  I wonder if those keep it somewhat in check.  It's just a couple youtube videos I stumbled upon.  

[Gramto6]

6,154 steps yesterday.

Wandering around in the Goodwill added quite a few steps. The rest were mostly in the house and doing some tidying in the cat's house. Still too smoky, Unhealthy Air warning today too, to do much outside

I was disappointed with the new Goodwill, they are more expensive than the little thrift store I go to in that town and the selection was kind of junky. I did drop off my 3 bags though just to get them out of the house. Most of what I donated is better quality than what they have now. It was worth checking out and will be a good place to drop off the rest of the things I need to thin out of my closets.  I'm sad that this one is not as good as others I have been to. They usually are fun to poke around and even occasionally find a hidden gem!