geegeemcgee

I guess a good question to ask is what is making her so upset. It really sucks when people project their own expectations on you, however its important to remember that you cannot wear her insecurities. They are her own demons to fight, not yours. If it were me in this situation, I would straight up ask (politely) why she's taking it so personally. I think an open dialogue is important when the stakes are seemingly so high for both parties. Whatever her reasons for being upset, it's important to remember that they are just as legitimate as your own reasons for seeking support for your decisions. Highly charged emotional responses stem from somewhere, and if you want to move on from this cycle then it's probably best for both of you to get to the crux of the issue. My suggestions? Be as understanding as you can, keep a cool head and acknowledge her reasoning. It's probably worth not even discussing your own position on the incident with her until you've gotten to the root of her POV, because her reaction was possibly more about her than you. Sometimes people take offense to rejection as a knee jerk reaction, but if given the opportunity to reflect and talk about it, they realise that it's really not such a big deal. She might actually be crying out for a bit of understanding, herself. =) Best of luck.

haha, uh oh! You could always try horse agility. No riding involved there!

OMG!!! Congratulations!!

Hi Jonesy. I wasn't going to mention this because it wasn't really adding anything to the conversation, but I've changed my mind. I like your use of colours and formatting in your post. It looks great! best of luck for your third challenge.

I love Quest# 2! It's always a nice feeling when someone expresses an appreciation for the origins of their food. I'm a huge believer in the Slow Food Movement, so I'll be reading your updates with interest!

Breakfast is a pain, I'm totally onboard with that one. It's on my list, too! This morning I ate a crumpet. Good start. Best of luck with your other goals, Porkchop!

Hi! I like your penguin.

Hey there. I have Bipolar 2 disorder, which has been diagnosed as Depression and General Anxiety Disorder in the past. I've taken many many medications, worst of all being Effexor. Actually my misadventures with Effexor is what lead to my bipolar diagnosis. Most recently I was prescribed Lamotrigine, however I have stopped taking it. I feel fine... Famous last words, right! I'm pretty well over taking medications. So much trial and error. I don't need to go into detail about my own depression because pretty much everyone else has done it for me! So ditto to what they said. It has absolutely destroyed my life on more than one occasion. I will say that the more I learn about how the brain works, the better my perspective on the disease becomes. I have also learnt how 'mindfulness' can be used to effectively separate myself from a potentially upsetting situation. I have had a lot of help from a trained therapist, however there are plenty of resources online, too. Actually it has taken me about 10 years to come around to the idea of mindfulness. I used to get really annoyed when I'd have a consultation with a specialist who would recommend it. Now I'm a little older and a little wiser, I can see that it really can help internally defuse a situation before it escalates to a point beyond possible intervention. I still have moments which are so debilitating I can hardly function, however I know that these times will pass. I try to acknowledge the pain and helplessness and accept that they are real. I remind myself that this sucks right now, but it won't last forever; at some point in the coming days or weeks I will feel better. I try to accept how I'm feeling without judgement. I let myself cry, I allow myself to feel the pain and if it gets too much I will talk with my sister. This is a recent development; I never would of entertained the thought of discussing it with any member of my family, but for my own sanity I needed to accept help. Saying what's going on in my head out loud really helps me gain perspective. I have made a lot of drastic changes which have helped, too. Changes I thought I could never make! I quit my well paying job and downscaled my life, I've gotten rid of a lot of 'stuff' I didn't need and I try to focus on the present instead of the past and the future. I'm much calmer and centred now. I still have bad days which will come with any mood disorder, however I have the tools to face the distress and helplessness without fear that it will be the end of me. =)

I am so glad this article came up! I now have some potential bacon curing in the fridge. Cheers.

'Genetics' is my mother's FAVOURITE excuse. When I was a child she used to tell me I didn't stand a chance, because I had inherited the same body that she had inherited from her own mother. I absolutely believed her. I was ashamed of my body and my 'bad genetics' from grade 4 onwards. She still says it. My poor younger sister is convinced that she will never be 'beautiful' and she feels completely powerless. It breaks my heart. 'Genetics' is a powerful and damaging mindset, however I can't say I harbour any form of disdain toward people who use it as an excuse.

I can't trust people who tell me: - Certain foods are 'negative calorie', such as celery or grapefruit. For the average dieter, this advice is scientifically unsound for so many reasons and it makes me weep. - Liver cleansing diets will rid the body of built up toxins. It's a nice thought, however if someone wants to sell me a product which claims to do the job my liver and kidneys already do for free, they'd better have some solid peer reviewed scientific data to back it up. - 99% fat free. hooray, marshmallows, gummy bears and chocolate pudding for everybody!

Formula fed babies are FINE. If she had her heart set on breastfeeding and finds for whatever reason it just isn't working for her, chances are she's already feeling guilty enough about it. Don't feed that fire with statistics about breastfeed vs breast pumps vs formula feeding. Just be lovingly supportive of whatever decision she needs to make. For a new father, my advice is go with your gut. Get to know your baby's cries and you'll pretty quickly figure out what they're trying to communicate. Tired cries are different from hungry cries, which sound different from gassy cries which differ from general discomfort cries. You'll figure these out pretty quickly I imagine, especially the gassy cry. Also, give yourself time to really enjoy and bond with your newborn while they're between feeds and snoozes. They're alert for a small window between each sleep cycle, which is a great opportunity to do cute stuff like sticking you tongue out at him until he copies. Even from a few weeks old, babies can start to mimic facial expressions and it is so darn cute! Build those memories. My son's father still waffles on about those moments which are a real source of pride for him. Plus our son (who's now four) never gets tired of listening to his Dad reminisce about the time they spent together while he was a baby. Those small moments are the gifts that keep on giving. I absolutely agree with Notcreative. Be kind to one another, be supportive and base your decisions on what works for you as a family.

I guess it comes down to education. Anecdotal observations might be fine where there is a lack of data to back up a claim, however there is already decades of research and data invested into all forms of skin cancer, all of which is easily accessible online from highly reputable sources, should you be so inclined. Again, having had two cut out of my arm, I can absolutely attest that there IS such a thing as skin cancer and anyone can develop it. It's caused by over exposure to UVA and UVB radiation, which damage the skin cells, causing them to mutate and eventually turn into tumours. These tumours can enter the bloodstream, allowing them to spread and multiply. If you want to discuss the matter further, feel free to pm me. To the OP, once again I'm sorry to take this thread off topic.

Does anyone use naturopathy as an alternative to medicines? I've dabbled at a really small scale when trying to find treatments for my son's eczema, and was pleasantly surprised with it's effectiveness. At the time it was a last resort as we had tried EVERYTHING, however I wished I had considered it sooner when I saw how rapidly his eczema cleared up. So now I'm thinking of going down the naturopathy route for my own benefit. I had a chat with a practitioner yesterday and have done a little sniffing around, however opinion appears to be really quite divided on google. Does anyone here consult a naturopath? I guess I'm wondering about people's experiences. Has it been beneficial? Cheers =)

Awesome!! Very very cool, my friend!

Hi, I know this was posted a while ago however I just wanted to clarify for anyone out there who stumbles upon this thread; skin cancer is a very real risk. I have had two cut out of my right arm (non melanoma), and my grandfather has lost his left arm as a result of skin cancer (melanoma- the super deadly one). It's probably not something to take so lightly. Please be sensible and wear sun screen, because thankfully it is one of those cancers which are avoidable. Sorry to take this off topic. Cheers.

Hi, just wanted to let you know that you're definitely not alone. I don't think highly sensitive types should be expected to change who they are. There are good sides to being extremely sensitive! You're probably more empathetic than most; being sensitive to the suffering of other's and having the capacity to offer compassion is an amazing quality to possess. You're probably more inclined to notice and appreciate smaller details in life, I guess you'd call that enhanced sensory perception? Of course a famous characteristic of the sensitive individual is their creative streak. Creativity leads to great problem solving! We do live in a society where sensitivity is undervalued. People have no issue with telling you that you're 'too emotional' or 'too sensitive'. I used to get it all the time! The thing that separates you from them, is you'd probably never dream of putting someone else down by saying to them 'you're too oblivious to the feelings of the people close to you'...Or however else you'd describe someone who makes careless character assessments to another person's face. I don't think you need to harden up. Self management is more important and should apply to all personality types, not just the sensitive ones. I liked Michael_Blacksmith's advice: Step back and rationally try to evaluate if you did anything to bring this upon yourself. 99% of the time the answer is no, when that is the case you honestly need to make a decision if you want someone else to make you feel something, or if you want to make yourself feel something better. Brilliant advice. =)

I play Minecraft! At least, I used to. I introduced it to my 3 year old son so I had an excuse to play it even more, however now HE is constantly playing and I only get to use it when he needs help or when he wants a new house. He watches Minecraft TobyGames over and over, and as a result he now gives himself a little running commentary while he's playing, too. I've been muscled out of my own game.

Just wondering if other new people are signing up to the tail end of the current 6 week challenge, or will you be waiting for the new challenge to begin?

I like to ignore anyone who makes off-the-cuff suggestive comments. They're only bothering you if you let them! I try to treat suggestive or inappropriate questions as rhetorical. With the slow drive bys it's a little harder. I'm not sure how it works in the states, but if it is bad enough that you're feeling threatened or humiliated then I would suggest taking video or at the very least a photo with their license plate in shot, then contact the police right there and then. I wish I had taken those measures. I've been followed by a group of men in their early 20s who were driving slowly, drinking out of goon bags and screaming extremely explicit senarios at me. I was disgusted and really mad, especially as I had my two year old in the pram! Plenty of people witnessed it, and I absolutely wish I had grabbed my phone and recorded the incident, however I decided to ignore them. I figured they'd stop if I didn't acknowledge them, but they kept at it for the entire length of the street. I felt so humiliated. Inside I was crying. The further I walked, the more aggressive they became; calling me a whore and saying they were going to rape me in various ways until I 'learnt my lesson'. If I could have that time back I would of whipped my phone out and recorded the incident from the start, then contacted the police. I guess at the end of the day you can't control other people's actions, only your own reaction. That said, no one has the right to make you feel inferior or threatened while going about your daily business. =)

I jot down everything I do in an organiser because I'm old. It's leather bound and smells delicious.

Melbourne!

Hi guys. =) I found this site through another forum and I'm pretty excited; it's shown up at just the right time. Reading Stacci's power lifting article a few days ago, I recognised some of her earlier experiences in myself. For years I spent hours each day either running all over town along the bike tracks, or spinning away on my cross trainer in my living room watching catwalk models on Fashion TV for motivation (thinspiration?). I practically starved myself. I was weak, tired, far too skinny and obsessed with the numbers on the scales. I punished myself for any food sins with even more cardio and figured I was in great shape since I could run over such great distances. I was a chef too, so I was ALWAYS on my feet and constantly moving. I completely neglected my health, I smoked, I barely ate, drank gallons of coffee and was in total denial. Naughty! Three years ago I had to stop all forms of physical activity when I did some spectacular damage to my back. It never occurred to me that I had zero core strength to support my spine. I thought I was really fit! I ended up injuring myself and having to take 18 months out of my life to recover and rehabilitate. It majorly sucked, but it was a good wake up call. FINALLY 4 months ago I started yoga to begin building up my core strength. I love it, yoga has been brilliant. Since then I have gradually introduced free weights with a trainer, which I've never don't before. I've been umming and erring over some new short term goals, which is why I'm super happy to of found this site. Since mid 2011 My long term goal has been to gradually improve my core and upper body strength to better support my spine. I've worked my way up to 4x yoga sessions a week of around 20 to 30 minutes each, and on 3 of those days I've started weights with Mr Trainer Man. It's all quite low intensity and I hope to start building on that. Food is undeniably something else I need to address. It's a major mental barrier for me. The chef in me likes to think it's an expert on the matter, irrespective of the punishing diet I subjected myself to for so long! I do struggle paying heed to other people's nutritional advice, which is something I am really keen to work on. Cheers! Gee

Hi! My Twitter is @giddyup_geegee and my facebook is http://www.facebook.com/gemma.daviees