- Quitting Smoking by Cutting Down: 3 Basic Tools for a Gentler ProcessA ton of research shows that the most effective way to quit smoking is to just go cold turkey. But stopping all at once can be particularly hard for people with chronic illness, because the physical and psychological impacts are a huge body slam. If you have a chronic illness with pain and fatigue, like… Continue reading Quitting Smoking by Cutting Down: 3 Basic Tools for a Gentler Process
- Holidays Fibro FlareThere’s no possible way I’m the only one having a freak flare of fibromyalgia this month. It’s so predictable, and yet I was caught off guard! It was surprising enough to suddenly feel achy, tired, and like I was hit by a bus, that at first I thought the thought we all think when we… Continue reading Holidays Fibro Flare
- Fear of Quitting SmokingMy doctor gave me a month to get my blood pressure down. She asked me to lose 5 pounds and go on a low-sodium diet. I’ve lost 4.2 pounds and I cut salt from my diet, but my blood pressure is still high. And the reason it’s high is because I’m smoking. It’s amazing and… Continue reading Fear of Quitting Smoking
- Hair repair during home workoutsJust before I turned 40, I started to have major problems with my hair thinning. I’ve always had periods of hair falling out to a noticeable degree, usually after surgery or when my body goes through other periods of intense stress like autoimmune flares or divorce. It tends to grow back, and I’ve tried a… Continue reading Hair repair during home workouts
- Month 1: Lost 2 Pounds OverallWell… my doctor gave me a goal of losing 5 pounds, and I only lost 2. Yes, I’m disappointed. I was totally sure that 5 pounds would be no big deal with the level of commitment I had (and still have) in my mind. Lifestyle changes so far… 1. I’ve figured out how to develop… Continue reading Month 1: Lost 2 Pounds Overall
- Emotional Eating & Hunger After Having my Colon RemovedI have to imagine that most people eat emotionally, at least to some extent, but probably to a large extent. It seems reasonable that everyone gets hangry sometimes, and that the dysfunction of “emotional eating” is a spectrum, where some people far to one side comfortably eat ONLY for nutrition 100% of the time, and… Continue reading Emotional Eating & Hunger After Having my Colon Removed
- Week 1 Weight Loss: 3.6 lbs!According to Weight Watchers, I’m supposed to aim to lose 1-2 pounds a week, but I think it’s pretty common for people to lose a little more in their first week due to what’s probably usually a big lifestyle change. For me, those changes have been: Avoiding processed foods Joining Weight Watchers (but barely tracking… Continue reading Week 1 Weight Loss: 3.6 lbs!
- Eye clouds: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-gel Eye PatchesI woke up on Election Day kind of out of sorts. The pipe under my kitchen sink had sprung the strangest leak the night before: a hole in the SIDE of the METAL pipe. Not a leak at a joint or something normal, but a little punch hole as if it were possible to drill… Continue reading Eye clouds: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-gel Eye Patches
- One transformative year starts todayTurning forty: fat, fabulous, fatigued, fibromyalgic, and fine with it all (at first…) I turned 40 about 6 weeks ago. It was a pretty pleasant experience, in spite of the fact that we were 6 months into a global pandemic and in the middle of major civil unrest in the U.S. I was “comfortable” enough… Continue reading One transformative year starts today
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.