Barbara, I agree with all that you have posted. We have three cats and a number of fi****'s amazing how relaxing it is to watch the fish. The cats enjoy it also. The cats also keep us active as one or the other is always wanting to go in or out all day and day long. I'm off to take my vitamins and then my first walk of the day. Thanks for the reminders. Oh I need to check my lottery ticket too. Have a great day, Rick

Instead of a kitten...how about a semi-well-behaved pug!!!! John would probably jump onto the roof at the thought of giving up one of the pugs - from joy! Well maybe not really - he loves them - he just doesn't want to say he does! I don't mind living to 100 - especially if I win the powerball between now and then!

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.....Zig Ziglar So here is a little daily motivation!!!! Late-Breaking Health News... 1. Taking three or four short, brisk walks through the day can lower blood pressure...for people with pre-hypertension the same amount as does taking one 40-minute walk. A study, published in the Journal of Hypertension, found people with prehypertension who walked on a treadmill continuously for 40 minutes, and those who walked four times for 10 minutes over the course of 3.5 hours, both experienced a drop of systolic blood pressure of 5.4 to 5.6 mm Hg and distolic blood pressure of 3.2 mm Hg. A reduction of 5 mm Hg in systolic blood pressure has been reported to substantially reduce mortality and reduce the incidence of stroke and coronary heart disease. 2. People who live past 100 keep up with the latest trends and lead healthy lifestyles. Evercare, a health insurance plan that specializes in older people, polled 100 people 100 years of age or older about their secrets of successful aging. Their responses included keeping up with current events, having healthy habits, and holding spirituality in high regard. They avoided smoking, exercised regularly, kept active and ate a balanced diet. 3. Owing a pet can ward off depression, lower blood pressure, boost immunity and reduce the risk for allergies. According to a study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, if a dog lived in the home, 19 percent of infants had pet allergies, compared with 33 percent among those who don't have pets. Children with dogs also had higher levels of some immune chemicals - a sign of stronger immune system activation. In another study, stockbrokers with high blood pressure who adopted a cat or dog had lower blood pressure readings in stressful situations than did brokers without pets. Finally, according to several other studies, heart attack patients who have pets also survive longer than those with no pets. So in conclusion....take 3 or 4 short brisk walks during the day if you are not doing any other type of exercise...don't smoke - keep active - eat balanced diets and lastly GET A DOG or CAT!!!! So some of these things are things we should be doing as WLS patients....you know the other rules for today...drink your water, take your vitamins, get your exercise and eat protein first. Let's all be posting here on this forum until we are 100! Unfortunately I will be leaving before alot of you because I will get to 100 way before most of you because I am one of the oldest MARCHers! Thank goodness we have a good chance of getting to 100 because of WLS!!!! Hugs to all...Barbara

Rick, congratulations on your new promotion! That's just great! Hugs, Stephanie

Barbara, Those are some great ideas. Years ago I used to square dance. It may sound a little corny, but it was great exercise. It was also good clean fun and it was a very social thing to do. I would like to get back into that again, but it can be a pain in the keaster working shift work. My shifts change every two months so it is hard to take a class or join a club. Maybe with my new promotion I can work something out, but I don't know yet. Have a great day, Rick