All things EARTH...

[laurspag]

The dress on the left is my new favorite. I'm going to post an up close of the print, as the blue looks wrong on my camera. It's actually very teal like, a very good match to the blue in Curt's color cards but lighter:

 

Oh, and the one on the right is my newest formal wear purchase. It needs to be hemmed, and I'm debating if I should leave any of the train on at all. I don't like trains in general, but sometimes the little ones aren't too bad. This one is small, but the dress is so long that I don't want to get it hemmed and have the seamstress leave all that on in the back. I hope to eliminate it altogether.

 

[laurspag]

I know that we all have different budgets. For me, I have to save up a while for a formal dress. With other purchases, I like to keep a dress under $50.00 but truthfully, I seldom go much above $35.00. What is great about most of what I posted is my daughter's discount. I was quite pleased with the selection in Dress Barn.

 

Now to go back to that Coldwater Creek catalog!!!!

[jubie]

Julie here from the Fire thread...

 

Laurie, I love love love everything you got.

Enjoy! :)

[MJC]

Laurie, I really like your choices, not just the colors but the style as well. Your green formal is gorgeous.

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...your dresses are beautiful! What fun you had shopping! I'm almost jealous of your ability to find so much that you enjoy. Lately, I find myself having a hard time making any kind of real decision. I think I'm a bit like Kim...(aka Joby)...I have this gift Visa burning a hole in my pocket but I just can't find anything that I really want to spend it on.

 

So. Tomorrow, I am going out to lunch with one of my former students. She was one of my biggest supporters and really helped me to get my Saturday classes going. In honor of the lunch tomorrow, I repainted all my nails tonight.

 

So I've had the teal toes for a while now...the "Iceberg Lotus" by Nicole by OPI on the toes lasted through 3 different fingers...I did the gold first...super short nails that didn't really deserve any color...I liked the gold...it was a neutral for me...then I did the green...didn't care for the green and the blue together...IDK...it didn't seem to go well with my clothes...and lately, I had an orange color...and while I liked the combination of the blue and orange...and didn't care for how the two colors together were with my outfits.

 

So I've decided that if I wear something in an accent color like teal...then I need a neutral to go with it...OR...I need another teal color...and so that's what I bought today. I'm trying out the ULTA brand of polish...they had a great color..."Dance Teal Dawn"...it's darker than the Nicole teal...so my thought was that these two colors together would be a great combination...in the same family...but not the same (I don't love when toes and fingers perfectly match)...here it is, with the Nicole color second:

 

 

 

So now I have the Ulta color on my toes...it's darker and non-metallic...and the Nicole color on my fingers...brighter and totally metallic...and my toes and fingers are in the same family of color...which I think is my preference for wearing accent colors.

 

I'll try to take pictures...but no promises. Life is really consumed with the move right now...according to my countdown...I have 14 days to get the majority of packing done...that is to say that there might be the very few things that are used daily still available...but otherwise...we're talking paper plates and leftovers. :rolleyes: My goal is the last trash day before we move...which is a Thursday before the Saturday. So far so good...I'm making steady progress.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Anita Latte

[Anita Latte]

This at home mani is the best one yet...it's hard to do your own nails...especially when you are out of practice...anyway...I am LOVING this combo. Today I wore a tribal print shirt (I wore it on the cruise) and a tan pair of bermuda shorts to lunch with some former students. We were at a Mexican restaurant and I could see my lady friend totally caught by the flash of my teal nails! :D

 

I took some photos before hitting packing again because I don't know how well it will last with all this work I'm doing...

 

 

 

[Joby]

Hi Laurie, it's Joby from the FIRE thread :) Just wanted to say I LOVE your new clothes, especially the green formal! Everything looks great.

Edited June 15, 2012 by Joby

[Joby]

This at home mani is the best one yet...it's hard to do your own nails...especially when you are out of practice...anyway...I am LOVING this combo. Today I wore a tribal print shirt (I wore it on the cruise) and a tan pair of bermuda shorts to lunch with some former students. We were at a Mexican restaurant and I could see my lady friend totally caught by the flash of my teal nails! :D

 

I took some photos before hitting packing again because I don't know how well it will last with all this work I'm doing...

 

Oh, Anita, I sooo love your new polish colors!!!

 

I'm much braver on my toes than I am on my hands with polish. On my hands, it just seems to wear off and look ugly so quickly. It's almost not worth the effort to me sometimes. I guess that's why I don't do my hands that much.

 

Good luck with the packing--you must be good at it by now :D I don't envy you at all on that.

[MJC]

Kohl's has some nice colors right now, especially in the Daisy Fuentes and Ralph Lauren collections, and many things are on sale.

 

I got this T:

 

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/daisyfuentes/women/tops/PRD~1025274/daisy+fuentes+Floral+Sublimation+Tee.jsp

 

 

And a nice teal one with a dark gold design on the front (can't find a photo on their website), and this cute tank in the color called exotic jade:

 

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/apt9/womens/tops/PRD~1010667/Apt+9+Animal+Embellished+Top.jsp

 

Lots of nice teal, orange, and purple things, and some cute dresses too!

 

Anita, you make me ashamed of the state of my nails, and I don't have any excuse. Your packing & purging has inspired me to sort once again, and I got rid of two more bags of clothes!

 

Laurie - I have a date with Dress Barn on Monday, can't wait to see what we have here.

 

My program ended on Wednesday, and graduation was yesterday, and now I'm off until September!! I'm so happy to have some time to myself, I spent the day washing & waxing my car, and cleaning the inside really well. So satisfying! Now that the sun has decided to shine, I should be able to take some pics of my new tank tops.

 

Pam, I hope you had a great trip - did you take any FIRE pictures? We're waiting for the pictodiary. :)

[Anita Latte]

Oh, Anita, I sooo love your new polish colors!!!

 

I'm much braver on my toes than I am on my hands with polish. On my hands, it just seems to wear off and look ugly so quickly. It's almost not worth the effort to me sometimes. I guess that's why I don't do my hands that much.

 

Good luck with the packing--you must be good at it by now :D I don't envy you at all on that.

 

I really love what I'm wearing right now. It's been a good experiment...trying all the different colors with the blue toes. And I'm surprised by how much I'm enjoying the blue on my fingers...I finally bought a top coat. I got the Nicole by OPI one...that brand is $1 off at Ulta right now...$6.99 a bottle. My hands tend to start to chip and not look good quickly also...which is one way that I've been putting a new color on each week. I find that when I paint my nails (even if the first time, my nails are so incredibly short...) I stop messing with them as much and they have a chance to grow a bit...

 

Packing is going well...I'm trying a new technique with the kitchen and I'm really liking it. I am a box collector and have saved boxes forever...I'm using them to pack all the kitchen things (dishes, etc.) into smaller boxes and then I am planning on packing those smaller boxes into bigger boxes. For instance, I have 11 dinner plates in one pattern...and I fit all these into one box...all nicely protected and snug in that box...then I'll put that box into another one...it should be a very secure...even with strangers moving my stuff. :eek::o

 

Kohl's has some nice colors right now, especially in the Daisy Fuentes and Ralph Lauren collections, and many things are on sale.

 

I got this T:

 

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/daisyfuentes/women/tops/PRD~1025274/daisy+fuentes+Floral+Sublimation+Tee.jsp

 

 

And a nice teal one with a dark gold design on the front (can't find a photo on their website), and this cute tank in the color called exotic jade:

 

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/landingpages/apt9/womens/tops/PRD~1010667/Apt+9+Animal+Embellished+Top.jsp

 

Lots of nice teal, orange, and purple things, and some cute dresses too!

 

Anita, you make me ashamed of the state of my nails, and I don't have any excuse. Your packing & purging has inspired me to sort once again, and I got rid of two more bags of clothes!

 

Laurie - I have a date with Dress Barn on Monday, can't wait to see what we have here.

 

My program ended on Wednesday, and graduation was yesterday, and now I'm off until September!! I'm so happy to have some time to myself, I spent the day washing & waxing my car, and cleaning the inside really well. So satisfying! Now that the sun has decided to shine, I should be able to take some pics of my new tank tops.

 

Pam, I hope you had a great trip - did you take any FIRE pictures? We're waiting for the pictodiary. :)

 

Margaret...oooo...I'm glad you shared about Kohl's. I was given a gift card there by a student but I haven't been...you have inspired me...especially with that sleeveless shirt in "exotic green"...it reminds me of the tribal print that I was wearing today which has oranges and browns...I'd LOVE to another in those blue/green colors. I KNOW I would wear that. I think I've have to hit Kohl's soon.

 

I've been taking the time to deal with my nails. It does take time...and DS complains about the smell of the remover :rolleyes:...but I've discovered with this blue polish how much I really like seeing shiny sparkly nails...it makes me smile to see them...so I'm treating myself to this time in the midst of all this that I am dealing with right now.

 

YAY for your summer break! It's fabulous to do a bit of nothing and also to have that time to do those things that are harder to make time to thoroughly do (like your car) in your day to day...and time to do things like YOUR NAILS!!:D

 

And YES...Mom needs to post her pictodiary!!

[Anita Latte]

It's WAY too late...but I'm still awake...watching some lame movie on Netflix while on the computer...(drinking a few...:o)...decided to catch up on the Vivienne Files...she makes mention of the Project 333...I checked out the link to what it was...and, wow...interesting.

 

First of all...I'm thinking to myself that if people seriously give her $10 for whatever it is she delivers for $10...I WISH I'd have thought of this idea...

 

Meanwhile...33 items of clothing including accessories...but not including things like underwear, sleeping wear, exercise clothing (which you can only wear when you actually exercise)...for 3 months...I guess you box up anything that is outside of the 33 selected items. I told Mom that after my closet clean out, I think I could fit the great majority of my wardrobe in this one massive suitcase that Mom and Dad gave to me...it's heavy and so big...you can't fly with this thing...but seriously...I think all the clothes that I still own in this thing...

 

I just might have to count my clothes and see how close I am to 33 in the current season...

 

Anyone else intrigued with this idea?

[Member123]

Meanwhile...33 items of clothing including accessories...but not including things like underwear, sleeping wear, exercise clothing (which you can only wear when you actually exercise)...for 3 months...

 

Anyone else intrigued with this idea?

 

Not really. But why don't you offer people 34 items of clothing for $10.50? :D

 

Am I being snarky? :o ;)

[Anita Latte]

Yes you are snarky...lol

 

The whole idea of this Project 333 is based on less is more which is something that I have been working on now for such a long time. Having specific numbers just quantifies the goal. From what I can gather, this is a helpful exercise for those people that are having issues with permanently paring down their closet...like a short term project rather than a lifestyle.

 

What I'm thinking about though is to do this with the move. To just pack 33 items in a suitcase that would move into the basement following the rules of course...so certain other items don't count toward that 33...and I could pack the rest up and put it into the storage unit. I could always get at that the rest of my wardrobe if I really needed to.

[MJC]

Ideas like this appeal to my organized side, but I don't know that I could live this way in the long run. Though I am very modular when I pack for a long trip, I'm always sick of my clothes by the end of two or three weeks of the same stuff no matter how many combinations I can make. And I really miss all my shoes. :)

 

For me, having left a creative career means I find expression other ways now. Getting dressed nicely or setting my table for dinner can be a creative act and outlet that I actually enjoy, so I don't really want to deny myself those moments.

 

Anita, have you been reading the Style Statement book? I'm constantly thinking back to the idea of curating, and paring away the things I don't want around me any more. I still have too much stuff, so the process is by no means complete, but I'm trying to be more conscious about what I surround myself with, not only clothing but all the other crap that we've accumulated through the years.

[Anita Latte]

I have not been reading the Style Statement book. I glance through it now and again...but I want to take my time and do all the worksheets. I'm kind of saving it for a project after we land in Georgia. I anticipate a time of limited unpacking whether or not we move in with my SIL...I want to land and DO...not land and unpack...I'll have plenty of time for unpacking once DS goes back to school and so I want to know where my stuff is that I really need...and just focus on that...going swimming...maybe camping...exploring our new place...taking care of school business...etc...and this book is on my short list...so it will be available.

 

Meanwhile...

 

I am exercising the curating concept in absolutely everything that I can...I am amazed at how much stuff I have been able to let go of...I'm very proud of myself actually...because it is a hard discipline...to go through your stuff and really weed out what is used, what has a seasonal use, and what is still with you for some undefined reason. I'm finding that defining the reasons varies anywhere from...it's in a "donation pile" but I haven't made the time to deal with it to sentimental to "what if"...and I am rather ruthlessly going through the stuff. No excuses.

 

I'm not totally sold on 33 items for EVERYTHING...I think that is too restrictive, especially for shoes and accessories. But as I approach the time of actually packing my clothing...and especially if in fact we land in SIL's basement, a temporary housing situation...I will be keeping this concept in mind and seeing how it may or may not work in this situation.

 

Sad news...my wonderful Athleta skirts...the ones with the zippered pocket in the back...I wore one on the cruise...The photo is the one where I am wearing a coral shirt in front of the Johnny Rockets sign...they are WAY too big now...I tried to throw one on yesterday...and something must have happened...I thought when I recently tried them, they were okay, not wonderful, but still workable...and they just left workable...way too big...they are giving me a baby bump...and let me tell you...I don't have a baby bump! :rolleyes: So this will be a hard let go...but I am giving them away nonetheless.

 

Also...I'm finally letting go of my awesome swimming suit. I wore it on the cruise. It's a great suit...but it is way too big and it's finally getting ridiculous. I bought a new suit today. The old one piece is a size 14. Today I bought separates...the shorts are a size 6 and the top a size 8! Woot Woot!! The colors are tending to be more FIRE-y than EARTH, but it is a swim suit...and the style is great. Here is the shirt:

 

 

And this is the style of short:

 

 

But in this color:

 

 

They didn't have the black shorts in the store...and I see that they are also supposed to be in BROWN!! Hmmmm...there was a definite EARTH shirt:

 

 

But I didn't like the darker, more EARTHY top with the coral bottoms as much...and I LOVE the shorts...I might have to try another Academy and get these awesome swim shorts in BROWN!! My legs aren't as skinny as the model's BUT...the shorts still have a bit of flare at the bottom, like athletic shorts...and there is a built in brief in the shorts...the waist is high enough to get up and over the "pooch line" I call it...and the wide band of the waist is helpful for feeling secure and looking attractive...without having the waist be TOO high...the shorts mean more freedom in shaving without having to deal with the skirt look...they aren't too long and yet they aren't booty shorts...being so short that you still can hang out the back...And the draw string is a great athletic look...yeah...I definitely have to try to find these in the brown...they are too awesome.

 

The shirt is okay. It's flattering, and covers enough...but it isn't the best support...nor the best for serious swimming...but again...it's hard to find the ideal everything...and I really LOVE the shorts. OBVIOUSLY. :D

[laurspag]

Well, I just had this big long reply typed out when my computer decided it was time to restart after an update. I hate it when that happens. :mad:

 

First of all, thank you for the compliments on my recent wardrobe additions. I have been giving things a lot of thought lately. I have often found myself wearing things that didn't fit properly, or that I don't like. With the weight gain from my thyoid problem, I've been unhappy with how I look.

 

It has taken me a year, but I've lost 8 pounds. Despite that, it seems my already too big chest got bigger, who knows why? I would rather lose the weight at a slower rate if I'm eating healthy and exercising, rather than losing it fast. In the past, I found that I made some very unhealthly choices to lose weight rapidly, and the weight loss doesn't stick. So, I'm trying to take care of myself the right way and work a bit slower.

 

I really like my clothes to reflect my personality, and it has been hard to do until recently. I've had to adjust for the fact that my body is shaped differently, and I want to flatter my shape the best I can. My chest area is very out of proportion with the rest of me at 40DD.

 

The green formal dress....I can't wait to get it hemmed and show you a picture of it on. It's full length, and the pleats you see in the picture at the hips are diagonal.I would call it semi fitted. Both the color and style feel just right for me.

 

I may gets some flak for this, but I ordered it from one of those made to order online places in China. I know it's not for everyone, but it works well for me. That dress, plus the brown one and soft gold one I posted pictures of a few pages back are all from Light in the Box. I'm able to find the style and color I want, with custom measurements. I have found that they are made beautifully. That is my experience, and I know it's not for everyone. One of their sister websites carries one of my favorite colors, a rust tone so I am considering a dress from them in that color also.

 

Anita, I am so happy for you. You are doing so well with your weight loss, and you are taking such good care of yourself! And your nail polish colors are pretty. My clothing choices are very bright, but my nail polish colors aren't simply because I work in a conservative, professional environment where it would be frowned upon. I tend to keep my work clothes toned down,but I love to throw on a bright scarf or necklace.

 

Just 33 clothing items? Well, my work clothes are not the same as what I wear at home, nor what I wear when I go out, or what I wear when I go walking or do weeding. I've checked out the Vivienne Files previously, so I will have to go take a peek and see if she is expecting that to be a total wardrobe. I don't think I could do that. I love to be organized, but that is confining for me.

 

My daughter's summer job at Dress Barn is just that...a summer job. I love the 40% discount, it made a little money go a long way.

[Joby]

Cute suit top, Anita!

 

Sorry (kind of ;)) to hear about your Athleta clothes not fitting anymore. You're a sewing person right, could you alter them at all? I've noticed on Athleta things that, to my eye, they have lots of seams and decorative stitching that in my mind would make it hard to alter. Do you see that too?

[Anita Latte]

Yes...this skirt has several panels...it makes it an A-line...which is very attractive...but also...it makes the skirt be a little Marilyn Monroe like in the wind...I flashed everyone on the ship one afternoon going up an outside flight of stairs to the rock climbing wall place...from then on, I would grab my skirt to prevent that happening again...but it was annoying...so in the end...I'm not TOO sorry to let them go...I tried on a skort at the Athleta store and I really thought it was attractive on me...and with that try on I could see that the shorts weren't too tight or uncomfortable which is what I thought they would be when I went to buy the skirt only...I'll definitely be shopping for a skort to replace these when I decide to replace.

 

Laurie...it sounds like you are in a good place for pursuing your weight loss goals. It takes time...I've been in pursuit of my goal now for 21-1/2 months...and still going. If you are able to make the lifestyle change that supports the weight loss...that is the biggest obstacle. I am familiar with weight gain/loss challenges related to thyroid through Mom...and I know that those 8 pounds are probably hard fought...and so I say with sincerity...GREAT JOB! Mom could probably chime in with some specifics regarding diet that really has helped her with weight loss related to thyroid...if you were interested in that conversation. And as the OP of the thread...I approve this tangent! :p:rolleyes::D

 

Meanwhile...I took my new suit swimming yesterday. I was very glad that I decided to go tight with the shorts. You can't see any hint of the "panty line" of the built in underwear in the model picture...but as soon as you are wet and the shorts are plastered to your body...there would be no hiding it anyway...and they were very secure in the water...which just serves as a reminder...swimsuit material stretches when wet, so when in doubt...go tight...NOT SMALL...you don't need to picking at a crawling suit showing off your lower cheeks :eek: ...but muffin top may be a sad looking result of a swimsuit that will stay put and let you enjoy water sports.

 

AND...the coral color is a pinky color...it's similar to a color Mom has in a formal dress called "Hibiscus"...and it's just on that side of warm...well...when it got wet...it totally went to the cool side and turned into "Watermelon" and looked very AIR-like...and the hot pink colors in the shirt stood out more wet too...could have been the shade of the pool...but still, I'm pretty sure I just bought AIR FYI...at least when wet...

 

As much as I would like to get the brown...I've decided that one suit is enough for me...I have another Athleta suit that I am dealing with that is totally my colors...unfortunately, I need to deal with exchanging the top...so I'm not going to be pursuing the brown swim shorts...I just need to make some decisions on which size bra top I want to try next...and also if I dare to go to the actual bikini route instead of tankini...:o

[laurspag]

Laurie...it sounds like you are in a good place for pursuing your weight loss goals. It takes time...I've been in pursuit of my goal now for 21-1/2 months...and still going. If you are able to make the lifestyle change that supports the weight loss...that is the biggest obstacle. I am familiar with weight gain/loss challenges related to thyroid through Mom...and I know that those 8 pounds are probably hard fought...and so I say with sincerity...GREAT JOB! Mom could probably chime in with some specifics regarding diet that really has helped her with weight loss related to thyroid...if you were interested in that conversation. And as the OP of the thread...I approve this tangent! :p:rolleyes::D

 

Yes, I'd enjoy the digression! :D For me, it was one of those things. I assumed that because I was getting older and maybe not quite as active, that was the reason. By the time I went to my doctor, he asked me about my weight gain before I could even bring it up. It took a while to get it controlled by medicine. It's one of those things...it's always easier to gain than lose!

 

You make a very good point, and it is the exact point I am trying to make about a lifestyle change. I want to be in the habit of taking care of myself, not crash dieting to lose weight fast.

 

I also try to consider that exercise can come in different forms. I just spent a good amount of time this evening (2 1/2 hours) moving mulch by a wheelbarrow from my driveway to my backyard and mulching the garden. It may not sound like a big deal, but we have a good sized lot, and I was sweating pretty good when I finished up. I get to do this again tomorrow, as my husband hurt his arm and it's up to me to do. I don't mind...I want the exercise and we usually do this stuff together anyway.

 

Anita, my little sister teaches Zumba also. She lives close, but not close enough where it is convenient to go to her classes. I was thinking of giving one a try since a few places around here offer them. How well does it work when one has a severe hearing loss?

[Anita Latte]

Laurie...first...I must share the story of the housekeepers. This is a little blurb in a magazine like "Self" or "Shape" but it is so powerful, it has stuck with me. An experiment was conducted with housekeepers of a major hotel chain. One half of the housekeepers received education regarding exactly how their jobs satisfied their daily requirements for exercise. The other half, the control group, received no such education. With no other changes made, that is, no change to diet or exercise programs...the housekeepers that received the education lost weight. It is a display of the power of the mind. If you think of your physical activity as exercise, you body will follow along with the results that are appropriate.

 

As I am packing...I wear workout clothing...clothing that I feel good sweating in...and I have the thought in mind that what I am doing is exercise...not exactly like Zumba...and not able to replace the cardio necessarily...but in a different way...good physical activity that is helping me to maintain or even lose weight. Yard work is HARD work...Mom wore her heart rate monitor one day when she was doing serious pruning, just to see...and got confirmation that yard work is great exercise. So keep that in mind.

 

As for Zumba...I can't say enough good things about it. As for hearing loss...the most important thing to hear in Zumba is the beat. And generally, you can feel the beat even when you can't hear the music very well. Generally though, Zumba classes have loud music. The music is the key to Zumba, so definitely give it a try. Margaret has been going too...Mom goes...Debbie from the FIRE thread went for a while (I'm not sure if she is still going)...it's very instructor dependent...realize that song selection and even choreography is instructor choice...so if the class appeals at a certain level but you wish it were some how different...odds are a different instructor would be greatly different.

 

So Mom didn't chime in with thyroid advise...but I know one...avoid soy...avoid it like the plague. Soy is in everything these days...EVERYTHING...it's hard to buy bread without soy...it's added to everything...and it is BAD for anyone with thyroid issue. Try to limit it.

 

Also, non-cooked broccoli family foods...something about heat helps to lessen the effect of a chemical in this family...so you want to eat it cooked...not raw.

 

That's what I remember for sure...

[MJC]

So Mom didn't chime in with thyroid advise...but I know one...avoid soy...avoid it like the plague. Soy is in everything these days...EVERYTHING...it's hard to buy bread without soy...it's added to everything...and it is BAD for anyone with thyroid issue. Try to limit it.

 

Also, non-cooked broccoli family foods...something about heat helps to lessen the effect of a chemical in this family...so you want to eat it cooked...not raw.

 

That's what I remember for sure...

 

I've had sub-clinical thyroid issues my whole adult life. My test routinely comes back at the bottom of the normal range so my doctor won't prescribe meds, yet I struggle with all the symptoms of hypothyroidism. My endocrine system in general is a little wacky.

 

I see a nutritionist. He recommends eating legumes, there is something in them that supports thyroid function. I go for peas, chickpeas, and white beans, which are the only ones I like. Also avoid sugar. It's tempting to grab sweets to get your energy up, but it is a downhill spiral. I also avoid soy, even though it is recommended for pre-menopausal women, because it seems to exaggerate all my pms issues including the fatigue.

 

I am easing my way into returning to a wheat-free diet, since I felt best when I was on it, but it is challenging to eat that way and the withdrawal is not pleasant. I chose to start during vacation when I have more time to plan meals and stick to a schedule.

 

Wellness is an important component of being truly fashionable, so we are still in EARTH compliance IMHO. ;)

[MJC]

After the great winter closet purge, I had a few things I wanted to experiment with, so I threw them all in the washer with a bottle of RIT brown dye. You can see that I got a wide variety of results, based on the original color of the item.

 

From L-R:

 

turquoise skort that turned a yucky gray

lime green shirt that's now a cool green/brown heather looking thing

brown pants that had that faded I've-been-washed-too-many-times look

ivory capris that I spilled red wine on, now a nice warm medium brown

FIRE orange t-shirt that is now a nice brick color

a light blue shirt that turned an unattractive cool brown

 

I also tea-stained a couple things that I'll try to take pics of if the sun ever comes out today.

 

Obviously I'm not very good at the dye thing, but I did learn two important things. One, a cool blue or green should probably only be dyed a warm blue or green. Too far into the opposite side of the color wheel makes for mud. And second, just because an item is cotton doesn't mean the thread is. My brown capris still have white stitching, which is ok by me because these will probably just be hanging out pants.

 

If anyone can tell me how to get a photo into a post, rather than as an attachment, I'd be grateful. I've been all over the help files without finding any help!

[Member123]

@Laurie. Hi, there.

 

My background is that I had to have goiter surgery, so the hypothyroidism became a real issue for me. Just to let you know, I spent most of my younger self with a raging fueled metabolism which meant that I could eat, literally, anything I wanted and I didn't put on fat. I wasn't fit as in muscular strength, but I was thin. I weighed 128 lbs. When I met my DH, he was fond of a few things that I didn't usually indulge in: (1) a cocktail hour, (2) restaurant dining, (3) Sunday champagne brunch, (4) steak and baked potato dinners. I immediately gained about 10 lbs., but didn't consider it a big deal.

 

After my goiter surgery, I had a drastic change in my body's ability to burn fuel. I went from 140 lbs to 181 lbs, and this happened very quickly. I was so tired; I have never been an exercise enthusiast and the acute tiredness that I felt just didn't allow me to have a pinch of motivation to do any form of exercise.

 

After trying to reduce my calorie intake, not by dieting but by eating just a load of complex carbohydrates, limited processed food intake, and lean proteins, I finally started researching an exercise program. I have been on a maintenance dosage of thyroid medication for years, but it doesn't seem to help me with my weight gain... only my feeling of acute tiredness. So, I found strength training. I really researched this exercise regimen, and I can report that the strength training stopped the weight gain. That was the first step. I managed to lose about 20 lbs by doing strength training 3x a week, about 1-1/2 hr sessions: leg presses, leg curls, leg extensions, hip adductor, hip abductor, lat pulldowns, shoulder shrugs, row, back extensions, chest press, bicep curls, tricep extensions. I did 3 sets of 10 reps at 75% max rep weights. A lot of weight. And a lot of effort. It took me about 18 months to lose the 20 lbs.

 

So, I went from 181 to 160, and hovered there for years and years. I began to research diet and calorie intake. I read that hypothyroidism means that your body is less efficient in burning calories and more efficient in storing calories. The general rule of thumb is that you need to reduce all the calorie formulas by 10%; in other words, rather than eating 1200 calories on average, a hypothyroid person would eat 90% of that or 1,080 calories. It's really, really tough to get all of your nutritional value numbers and to feel satisfied eating so very little.

 

And, then, like Anita mentioned: I found information on the phytoestrogens available in plants like soy, flax, and the brassica vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage). It's best to avoid soy altogether, especially soy oil, soy protein, soy flour. Soy lecithin isn't as bad as the other forms and is used as a thickener in a lot of processed foods. The brassicas can be eaten, as long as they are cooked. Cooking destroys the chemical nature of the vegetable that blocks thyroid uptake. That's what it's all about: the blocking of thryoid uptake by the chemicals in these foods. As soon as I found out this information, I felt so much better and the weight situation started to stabilize for me. I went from 160 lbs to about 150+ and stayed there.

 

It is really, really difficult to avoid and/or eliminate soy. You can't believe foods that have soy added; i.e., tuna fish, ice cream, ketchup, bread, barbecue sauce, spaghetti sauce. Just make it a habit to check all labels. Anita was talking with me about some frozen yogurt treats that she had found that were very tasty; I asked her to look for soy and she couldn't believe that soy was an ingredient. It's amazing. Just get into the habit.

 

Of course, I have to plug aerobic exercise. After finally stablizing my weight and finally getting my diet choices under control, I felt good enough to do some aerobic exercise. Much like the sweating that you are doing in your yard work, you need to really raise your heart rate to help your body with its metabolic burn. Just to meander around and walk without sweating or get on the treadmill and spend some time reading a book isn't good enough. With a hypothyroid condition, you've got to get yourself into a good, strong, solid aerobic zone where you are working, working, working.

 

I can't stand aerobic exercise. But, I love music and, as it turns out, I'm a social exerciser. So I love Zumba. I can tell you that I thought I was done with the weight loss when I finally achieved the 150s, but my scale is currently hovering around 137! I'm amazed. I didn't really start Zumba to lose weight. It's a weird story, but losing weight with Zumba has really surprised me as I had totally given up on the idea that I would ever be able to lose, due to the hypothyroidism.

 

One last word: crash dieting and hypothryoidism is the worst combination. Because of our body's efficiency at storing being kind of high, you're just training it to do what it already does best... store fat. You can't cut your calories that much without doing yourself harm. Unfortunately, for our body type, you have to eat your calories and then burn calories through exercise. That is our prescription for healthy lifestyle. Enjoy your food. Eat healthy food and appropriate portions. Burn, baby, burn through enjoyable exercise. When you think about it.... Not so bad, really.

 

I've just discussed the last 18 years of my life. So I've been doing this for quite a long time. I've been exercising with Zumba for about 18 months, with some significant breaks for cruise vacations. So, what I've outlined above isn't something that I've accomplished quickly. I don't know how long you've been dealing with the hypothyroid conditon or what your medication dosage may be and how long you've been on it, but I would tell you the best steps to take: (1) get your medication dosage stabilized as evidenced by your blood work, (2) take your dosage in the proper way; i.e., an hour before you eat any food (you can have a cup of black coffee or black tea, but make sure you don't have any dairy for at least an hour as calcium will interfere with your medication's absorption), (3) eliminate soy, flax, and raw brassica vegetables. When you feel like you can handle it (although yardwork for 2-1/2 hours sounds like you aren't overly tired), then begin an aerobic exercise program. When you feel loads better, consider adding some flexibility and/or strength training (yoga, pilates, weights).

 

How's that for a digression? :D

[jubie]

So, to continue digressing...

 

I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Hypothyroidism 14 or 15

years ago and was able to get my medication balanced pretty

quickly. Then about 10 years ago I stopped having milk with my

morning cereal because it made my stomach hurt and have been

using soy milk :eek: ever since! I had no idea that soy is so bad

for hypothyroidism. What do you think I should try? Rice milk?

Sheeps or goats milk?

I have been a regular exerciser for a long time now, but had to

pretty much quit jogging because of Osteoporosis and now lift

weights twice a week, off road biking twice a week and walk/run

twice a week. Would love to get back to swimming, but unfortunately

I still have to work for a living!!

I wonder if by getting rid of the soy milk I'll be able to lose the

7 pounds that I've gained in the past two amd a half years!!

 

Pam, your weight loss is amazing and we can all see how wonderful

you look from your latest pictodiary...

 

Laurie, I think it's alot like the the Tortise and the Hare. Slow but

steady wins the race. I think the secret to exercise is to find what

you really enjoy doing so that you'll stick to it. And don't forget, we're

all here to support you.;)

 

Julie

[MJC]

Just when I was beginning to think I wouldn't get to wear these, it turned 95 degrees. Here is my new array of summer tanks to get me through the heat:

 

http://s1093.photobucket.com/albums/i438/Marjaline/summer%20tanks/

 

 

Laurie - thanks for sharing your Dress Barn photos, I went on Monday and got the pretty orange tank above and a lovely lacy tan sweater. I was tempted to buy dresses but I'm trying to hold off until the end of summer.

 

Pam - I'm enjoying your pictodiary on the FIRE thread so much! Thanks for taking the time on your vacation to think of us and take so many photos. You look fabulous!

 

EARTH ladies in general - you are all so great - supportive and helpful and just plain good people. You inspire me so much, to take better care of myself, to look and feel better, and to bring thoughtfulness to each day.

 

Day three of my no wheat diet, and all I can think about is PIZZA. :eek: I'm hoping I'll sweat it out of me in Zumba tonight. :)