Another consideration would be to purchase a high density foam roller, they come in many sizes but if you get a 36" x 6" you can use it all over. Physical therapists use them for aligning the spine, neck stretches and a verity of other uses. I just ordered one and plan on using it for myofacia /fibromyalgia/arthritis pain. It most likely will not be 100% as affective as deep tissue massage but will hopefully come close. There are a few good books out there on this subject along with instructions and trigger points but I havenÂt weeded through them all yet. After years of studying Pilates, ball, yoga, and traditional weight training, this is new to me. However, after having three deep tissue massages lately and discovering how amazing the results were for me I can not wait to learn a way I can help myself. IÂm not kidding after three deep tissue massages I felt like someone had pulled me out of a little box and I could perform exercises at a much higher level, my concentration and energy was also greatly improved. Reading about deep tissue massage can be very interesting it also supposedly releases stored toxins.

Glassquilt, I know it is too hot to do much outside but do your best. You can always walk up and down steps. That is what I have to do when it rains (if it rains) here. I just go down then up 5 times and do that several times during the day. Scraphappy, I have started the 5-6 "feedings" a day. They are really too small to be meals. I do eat 1 good meal, usually about lunch, but the rest of them are smaller. I find I do better if I have something to look forward to in "just a little while". We have structured our day so we have breakfast, do our bike ride, have lemonade and fruit on the swing, do some yard work or something (since we are nasty anyway), then clean up for lunch. Then the rest of the day is mine (except for babysitting) especially weeks DH works 2-midnight. So far that has worked well for us. So far I have done pretty good with my chips and crackers. I did break down and have graham crackers for my late snack while we were camping, but I did limit it to 2 squares. I don't generally eat them at home so that should not be a problem. The chips on the other hand have been difficult. But when I want a munchie I just brush my teeth, have some water and look forward to my next "feeding" time. I have found a regular routine helps me keep on track. Keep up the good work everyone. beverly

Okay I haven't posted in awhile. I have been so busy I have only been posting what is absolutely nessasary to get by with. But I am checking in now. I have been doing okay. I am moving. I wouldn't say 30 minutes of a specific exersice but I am moving. With Hunter in football, I hardly sit down for his 1 1/2 to 2 hour practices 3 days a week and then I am on the field every saturday during the game which is 1 /12 hours plus the hour for warm ups before the game starts. Oh yeah don't forget we are in south Texas and it has been in the high 90's and 100's everyday since football started. I am the team manager and the side line mom so I am on the move all the time. So there is my weeks worth of 30 minutes plus more, that does not include the anything extra I might do on the side, which we do, my husband has been wanting to take walks on the weekend mornings or evening if it is cool enough. So exersice I am getting. Meals- I eat when I can, I try to have 3 a day or grab a slim fast for the vitamins instead of a burger or fastfood. I don't buy junk food anymore, I don't buy kool-aid or soda's. My son can't have any sugar drinks during the whole football season, team rule so I don't buy it. My husband does but only for himself and he buys stuff he knows I don't like, and leaves it in the garage where I don't go alot. I eat alot of salads, and have switched to whole grain pasta's, cholesterol lowering butters, whole grain breads, add wheat germ to stuff, 1 % milk, no-fat dairy on everything else. I even add whole wheat flour now to recipes, I usually do half and half, so my kids don't think it tastes terrible. We have even started eating ground turkey instead of ground hamburger, and added alot more fish to our diet. Not as much steak or hot dogs and brats as we used to. So the diet thing is getting better. Snacking, I believe I covered that in meals. I don't really buy snacks anymore. I have some for the boys lunches at school but I don't eat them. If I eat them it messes up my food budget because I have to buy more snacks for there lunches and that ticks me off. as for eating before bed I will have to work on that. I usually grab a bowl of cereal or pb&j sandwich, before bed if I didn't eat before football, but I will work on eating before football pactrice so I won't have to do that anymore. I know it's not good for me. And my progress. When we moved here from Michigan at the beginning of May I weighed 219. When I stepped on the scale yesterday morning I weighed 206. When we started football practice on July 31 I weighed 214. So I feel really good about my progress and my doctor says I am doing really well. I can pull some of my pants on with out unbuttoning them and I am walking around now pulling them up all the time. So I feel good. And I plan on loosing alot more. Amy

I'm another shortie. A couple inches less than 5' so every 5 pounds looks like 10 on me....going and coming....you'd think that would be an incentive. I think losing a pants size is a great thing!!! Don't know why, but I just thought of this. My ex-sister-in-law used to lead a women's weight-loss group at the church I was attending many years ago. We were LEOPARD's -Lose Every Overweight Pound And Rejoice Daily. SharonG/FL