"AuroraeB" wrote in message
...
Tracey:

Haven't seen you around lately. You doing well? How are the water
aerobics?


Hi there,

I'm doing pretty good. I had a case of the flu that kept me sedentary for
a
little while, but I'm finally getting back into my routine.

My husband and I have been getting up very early and exercising in the
mornings
before he goes in to work. So, we go at least 3 times a week, and I do
water
aerobics while he does the "fit links" circuit.

It's much easier going early in the morning. Less crowded at the wellness
center, it helps wake us up for the day, and no excuses of being too tired
or
having something else to do instead.

I haven't been on a scale lately; but I will when I go to the doctor in
November for my regular quarterly followup (I take a medication that
requires
bloodwork 4 times a year to make sure my liver enzymes are okay.)

I have noticed that my clothes are looser. Stuff I couldn't wear fits
again,
and stuff that was snug fits properly again. And I have much less back
pain
(the stool I had to use for kitchen chores is now packed away in the
pantry, I
just haven't needed it the past couple of weeks.)

So, I'm still making progress. Slowly but surely.

Tracy

Sounds like you are doing great! I, too, try to exercise in the mornings.
I play tennis in the evenings but don't count on it as exercise because in
spite of all the well made plans, our weather and schedules are so very
unpredictable. If I put off the treadmill until the evening, so many other
things can get in the way including out and out laziness! Like you, I have
an infinitely better start on the day when I exercise in the mornings!

The relief of your back pain got me to thinking. My boyfriend has a camp
in North Louisiana and we usually spend weekends there. We have a 'camp'
wife who is in effect the dearest man you ever want to meet. He lives up
there and has a farm that he grew corn on this year. Sometimes, he grows
cotton. Anyway, our wife is about 60 years old and has an enormous belly.
Last weekend, several times, he asked me for some Advil for his back. He was
also sort of distracted at times, forgetting what he was about etc. Since
pain does that to me, I was sort of suspicious.

Anyway, when we were talking about it, I wanted so badly to tell him to lose
weight! Yet, the culture up there is sort of different and 'meddlin' isn't
accepted well. I suppose he knows he's overweight. He loves to cook and is
very good at it, hence the title of camp wife! And yet, hearing how your
back pain is easing up as you are getting thinner and stronger sort of makes
me re-think my response.

I think what I will do is call a PT and ask what specific exercises can be
done for a lower back and add to that a little walking as advice
specifically for back pain without mentioning the weight thingy; assuming he
brings up the back pain again. Maybe as he gets a little more active, he
will lean towards thinking about losing some weight. My BF's attitude is
that he will never quit eating so much on his own and wants to kidnap him
and set him up for weight loss surgery. Men are so impatient for results!

You would think that farming would be a healthy occupation but no,
everything is automated and air conditioned and there is a steady procession
of trucks, 4 wheelers, Polaris's, dirt bikes, etc. leading the way to big
farm equipment. Last time I was out there, I chose to walk the mile to the
pond to fish and everyone wondered what was wrong with me. (It turned out
to be a bad decision as I stood there with a 5 pound catfish and no bucket
or net to place him in).

I would love to see our wife make the same kind of progress you are. He is
such a love and I hate to think of his future (and ours without him), if he
doesn't take charge of his health.

j