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Introduction Text Hi! I'm Sylvia, wife of 1, mother of 8 and former teacher of many. I am a retired reading teacher and it is fortunate that books are my next passion. I have Lady, my beloved basset hound, our daughter's pug Frankie, and our son's Catahoula, Sadie. We have guinea pigs, rabbits, several other little animals, and we take care of stray kitties who sadly find their way here. I don't have a lot of technology skills, so my page will stay a work in progress. Getting my health under control has been my big goal. I deal with a lot, especially from my arthritis and fibromyalgia, along with many surgeries that include four total joint replacements and surgeries on all of my major joints except my left hip, my left shoulder, and my right ankle--but I know that keeping this weight under control will give me the improved health I crave. Please feel free to join me on this journey. I achieved my goal weight in 2010 and having friendship and support along the way has been the best! After I lost the weight, I realized that I am now 2 inches shorter than I used to be and am working towards the BMI that matches my "revised height." Now, I am trying to lose a bit more and really focus on keeping the habits that I have worked so hard to create. I have lost over 100 pounds maybe three times in my life, but keeping it off has never happened. This is the critical time for me. I go to the pool every day that I don't have physical therapy. Now, I am active in so many ways--many of them involve caring for several gardens and getting back to caring for our home since I retired from 35 1/2 years of teaching in June 2015. I have lost a lot of stress with retirement and that is an amazing feeling. My husband retired about 3 years ago and I am working hard to keep him going too. He has lost a good deal of weight since I retired and his mood and attitude are coming back after two knee replacements in about a four month period. Life is good and must be lived to its fullest. That is the most important thing I am aware of these days.

I must maintain my weight loss and work towards a healthy BMI at my newly established height that is 2 inches shorter than I used to be. I cannot lose track of the good health practices that I have used and succeeded with to this point. Exercise is critical to my health and I will continue to work out and seek out advice from the physical therapists and classes at the fitness center. I will follow my doctors' advice as well and I will take care of myself to the best of my ability.

I am combining Weight Watchers with Spark People to keep myself in the right place. It is important for me to recognize that it is too easy to spend too much time here at Spark People and it prevents me from being as active as I need. I will juggle both things appropriately.

I am from the Illinois Quad Cities. For those reading who haven't a clue what that might mean, there is one place where the Mississippi River runs East to West. Around this area, Rock Island and Moline, Illinois and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa have a friendly little community known as the Quad Cities.

Most of the things about me that make me who I am are in my introduction. I have a great life, messed up only by my health issues that are driving me to work on my weight loss. I have had weight issues my entire life, but am in a far better place than when I started here a few years ago. I am a Christian and believe that through prayer, my Lord and Savior will guide me and help me to be the best I can be. I love to help others and want anyone who has a question or need to contact me. I will do my best to help you with what you need either by tapping into my own knowledge and experience or by asking someone else. We are all in this together!

Add a Link Peace, Sylvia Mother of Eight, National Board Certified Teacher, Trained Reading Recovery Teacher, Reading Specialist, and Member of Church of Peace, UCC "We love because He first loved us."
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