cerulean

Whelp, It's time to find the bravery to speak up and introduce myself. As a life-long shy person, speaking about myself isn't something that I find easy, but ever since the scale tipped 200 I know I've been needing to make a change. My story starts in high school; 2004 to be exact. I started the Atkin's diet and lost 40 lbs, going from 215 to 155. I still own the skinniest pair of jeans that I never fit into. Senior year and throughout college I didn't have the healthy habits I needed to make my weight loss permanent. Freshman 15? At least. Then, in 2009, I was dealt a blow. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Suddenly, all my aches, pains, fatigue, anxiety, hypersomnia, and depression had a name. I wasn't going crazy; there was a real ("real") medical reason as to why I was flunking all my classes and was having trouble working. Through all of this my weight kept creeping up, up, up. Now, almost 4 years later, I've got a handle on the FM. But money's been tight and fast-food is addicting. Now I'm at my all time highest weight of 243. I know if I get my BMI down to a healthier level, I can maybe reverse a lot of my current ailments (sleep apnea and PCOS primarily). Also, if I feel better and look better, maybe I won't be so freaking insecure when it come to dating ( lol). I don't know if FM will ever go away, but I really want to give it a run for its money. Fibro was a funny way of screwing with your head. You dread the flare-ups so much, that you dread doing what may cause them. Excercise, for example. But, ironically, excercise is supposed to help. Yet, as you're in agony three days after a yoga class you don't see how this much pain could be worth it. I think if I can find the sweet spot, the cusp, the breaking point, the escape velocity, whatever, that it'll just be smooth sailing from there. Maybe that's just wishful thinking though. I do know that at some point I will achieve the results I'm looking for and I'll be able to look back upon this moment as a the beginning of a wonderful story.

I read an interesting claim about the benefits of this guy. Anybody tried R. Rosea? What did/do you think?

My mom and dad (56 and 59, respectively), are becoming increasingly sedentary (coming home from work, eating dinner, and watching TV until bedtime). I've only recently began persuing fitness myself, but its agonzing to see myself making progress and leaving them further and further behind. I don't have kids (yet), but when I do, I'd like them to be healthy enough to actually have meaningful relationships with them, you know? Do you have any advice on what to do, what to get, or what to say to help get them off the couch? They're too young to be acting this old!

If you're experiencing pain, then I would highly recommend getting a professional bra fitting. I went to a shop called Petticoat Fair (unfortunately it's not national) and it changed my life. I don't mind the expense ($30-40) of the bras because the fitting is priceless. Just like jeans, size/fit/placement varies depending on the designer, so it's really beneficial to have an objective person make sure things fit the right way. (No guess work!) Plus the bras last twice as long and are 100x more comfortable.