By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Dear Abby 10/4
Friends' workout rivalry is no laughing matter
Placeholder Image
    DEAR ABBY: A friend and I have the same personal trainer. Occasionally, he has used me to make her work harder.
    Yesterday he worked me very hard, and so I called her to tell her that she would need to eat an extra protein and complex carbohydrate because he had worked me unusually hard, and she would be worked hard, too. She is very competitive and called me while her husband was present to tell me that she had done better during her workout than I had.
    I have laughed off other comments she has made, but I think this is her way of keeping herself on a higher level than I am on. I recently lost a lot of weight, and she is now on a diet to make sure she stays smaller than I am.
    As you can see, this has upset me, and I am tired of her one-upmanship. Am I overreacting? -- HURT IN ARKANSAS
    DEAR HURT: Competition is a two-way street. It's time to either find a different trainer or stop competing with your friend.
    Getting in shape and staying in shape is a personal journey. Constantly comparing yourself to what others are doing is not only unhealthy, but can also be dangerous. A word of warning: Many people have injured themselves doing this, and have torn themselves down instead of building themselves up.

    DEAR ABBY: I have a friend I'll call "Louella" who constantly repeats stories she has told me before. My husband thinks it is all right to interrupt her and remind her that she has already told the story.
    I think the polite thing to do is let her finish and react as if I've never heard it. What is the appropriate thing to do when you've already heard a story once, twice or 10 times before? -- HEARD IT ALREADY IN PORT ORANGE, FLA.
    DEAR HEARD IT: If you have heard the story once, let Louella tell it again. However, if she is repeating the stories more than once, I agree with your husband. It is not rude to speak up and point out that the story has been related to you before.
    If Louella is literally telling the same stories as many as 10 times because she has forgotten that she has told you, it could be that she is in the early stages of dementia. As a precaution, her family should be told so that, if necessary, she can be evaluated by a physician.

    DEAR ABBY: I work as an animal control officer, and today I was again called to the shelter because of yet another dog bite. (The person is now facing surgery to repair her chin.)
    Please advise your readers that when they visit a shelter to adopt a pet or just look, putting their fingers and hands in the cages can be both risky and dangerous. I wish I could say that unfortunate things never happen, but they do.
    Please remember it's not your dog or cat. You don't know its temperament or what illness it might have. You can bring that illness home to your own pets, or worse, spread a disease from animal to animal. -- NO MORE BITE REPORTS, PLEASE, IN NORTH CAROLINA
    DEAR NO MORE BITE REPORTS: Thank you for stating the obvious because it appears that people need the reminder. I am told not only does this happen at animal shelters and pet shops, but also at zoos.
    Thought for the day: Do not put your fingers and hands — or chins — where they don't belong. This can save you from pain, regret and doctor bills.
Sign up for the Herald's free e-newsletter