Bodies in Motion

Do you remember that show?

I loved it. I used to work out to it after I moved back to NC from Hawaii - I enjoyed the familiar locations.

Even though I said I wasn't going to the gym, don't think I've been sitting around!

This morning's workout:

Yesterday's workout:

The doors are both the same color - it's a really nice periwinkle. The photo color is much truer on the den door. The step looks better in person than the photo - it isn't perfect since it's at a transition between oak floor and knotty pine walls. I used the correct vintage stain, but the pine step is new wood so lacks the same patina. But it matches the quarter round, so pretty pleased.

I also finished planting herbs. I wanted to get the outside stuff done before it gets hot. Next up is mopping the den and kitchen and washing Jordan. Good times.

Take care.

Diet v Exercise

I read "Diet determines the size of your body, exercise determines composition", and I have to say I believe that.

This week I've just been really tired. I've been walking a lot and been busy, but I've only gone to the gym once. I've tried to be extra mindful of  my eating in the interim. This weekend is crazy. T works Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. I'm using the time to paint the front and back (den) doors, stain the step into the den, wash the dog, take T's car into the body shop, plant the tomato & herb plants I bought, oh and cook at church and shop, food prep, laundry, tidy. Whew! I just don't feel like I have the time or mental head space to go to the gym! And yes, I could certainly *make* the time, but I want to knock out some stuff around the house, so I'll take walks and watch my food - then get back to it after this weekend.

Have a good one!

Busy, much needed day

I worked at home yesterday since I had a dental appointment. It was lovely. I worked quietly on work stuff, then quietly on house stuff. I had minimal human interaction, which was just what I needed to re energize myself. This weekend I have several house projects to tackle and I am really looking forward to it.

I hope you have a terrific Memorial day Weekend!

Down 1.3 pounds this week - turning it around!

Tighten up

Last night T and I rode to Lowe's to pick up a few things I needed for the weekend: a hedge trimmer (ours broke), a palm sander (I am planning to paint the front and den doors this weekend), a couple of dill plants, and of course the annual tomato plant to kill. Lol. I love home grown tomatoes. LOVE. A tomato sandwich is one of the finest foods on earth as far as I'm concerned. Every year I try to grow tomatoes and every year I fail. I feel a bit like Charlie Brown and the football, and yet I persist.

While we were riding we discussed the gym situation and I decided to go back to the kettlbell gym for now. I have a lot of stuff going on and I don't want to spend mental space learning something new & establishing a new routine - I already have enough change. And for training density (more work, less time), it's hard to beat kettlebells. Since I still have fat to burn, training density is important! I am going back tomorrow.

In the meantime, I can control my food. So I am back to tracking in Sparkpeople. First thing in the morning I enter what I plan to eat up until (if not through) dinner. My target is 1600 calories. Right now I am just monitoring my macros, if I need to adjust I will.

Another tweak is that now T isn't teaching, I don't pack him a lunch. Add to that he is in training which means homework and studying in the evening, so his time & energy is limited. It makes sense that I prep my breakfast, snacks, and lunches for the week - they are the same every day. Last night's dinner made 4-5 portions (home made "fried" rice), so we ate it last night and we'll eat it again tonight. Tomorrow I'm making beef stroganoff, which we will eat for 2 nights. We don't mind, although it does mean a bit less variety. but for now that is just fine.

Take care.

Workout funk

As much as I've gone on and on here about my kettlebells, it may surprise you when I say I am in a workout funk. I have felt no excitement lately. Oh, I've been checking in with regular half assed workouts, but I haven't really pushed it.

I'm trying to decide if I want to go back to the kbell gym for a while or try something new. Pros and cons to both choices, but I need to do something. On the plus side, I've been getting out and walking more. I've even done some yard work people, which I hate with a white hot passion. lol

Baked salmon and salad for lunch. Yum.

New scale, new day

Trip to Georgia was long but fine. Lots of traffic on the road since colleges were graduating. Also, picked up a HUGE screw in the tire and had to get it plugged on our way out of town Sunday morning, so our departure was delayed. Alma is slowing down and her memory is even worse. But she enjoyed the lunch we took her and the cupcakes we took everyone for dessert with dinner. I'm always glad we went, even if I could use the time at home.

T went to Costco and bought us a new scale, so I can now be reasonably certain I weight 157.7. So I've gained a pound and a half since my birthday April 19th. In other words, I've maintained for a month. Okay, I'm trying to be philosophical about this: I've had a lot going on and I've maintained. It's given my body a good long break from losing weight. Also I haven't been going to the kettlebell gym and I miss it and I know it pushed me. We quit when T quit his job, but I'm planning to rejoin.

So now it's time to refocus. 8.5 weeks until vacation and I would LOVE to have lost 7.8 pounds by then!

Food for the day is plugged into Sparkeople.

Take care.

Reset

I'm tired, exhausted tired, and somewhat overwhelmed. To take the edge off the grumpy I get snarky. When pushed I tend to say crazy stuff like "No", "I can't do that", "Your request isn't reasonable." So that's where I'm at today.

Also I am currently hating my workouts. All of them.

And someone left a box of pecan turtles in the break room and I may have stuffed one into my mouth and swallowed quickly before I could decide that it wasn't worth 85 calories.

Despite an IUD and perimenopause I started a period today, so I am blaming the last 3 weeks on hormones. I will ride that excuse until I return to something that bears some passing resemblance to sanity.

Have a good one.

Where to even start?

Let's see....

Plumbing to washer is broken. Scale is broken. New company president coming on site today. Out of town this weekend. Mom coming for said out of town trip tomorrow.

Honestly, exercise and my food plan are keeping me sane, but yesterday I nearly dove face first into a store bought cake I normally wouldn't even look at twice.

I'm not one to wish my life away but next Monday is looking pretty good.....

Back to what passes for normal around here

Either mom's scale is off, or mine is. Anyway, up a pound and a half? Something. In any case, back to normal - eating, exercise, & sleeping. That'll be nice!

Take care - hope your weekend was amazing.

Crazy weekend, busy week

Wedding, winery visit, errands. This week is blood work, travel, graduation, party. It's busy. It's easy to lose focus when life throws you a bunch of "out of ordinary" events. Walking the line between enjoying a taco at a wedding reception & going out for a wine tasting while keeping healthy is the line we all have to walk into order to maintain weight loss. To keep losing you've got to complete a gymnastics routine on the line. It's not easy, and I waffle sometimes, but I don't quit, and I try not to lose sight of the big picture.

It was a good weekend. 

I decided to go to Palm Beach Tan for a spray tan before the graduation. I'm glad I did it several days out since it feels a bit too dark. By graduation it should be a nice glow.

Too much tan IMO.

Wednesday I am going for some blood work to take my measles immunity level tested. Depending on your age, even if you were immunized as a child (which I was), you may not have sufficient immunity. A simple booster will fix it, so I am getting that done this week.

Take care!

Headed back down

I am within a half pound of my lowest recorded weight (this time around). I got up, got T out of the house and did my workout. I have a few errands to run today and things to do, but it feels good to have gotten my day off to a good start.

Make it a good one!

Turn the page

Why I blog - just writing about my frustration helped me break through. I had a good on plan day yesterday and packed great food for today. I am feeling MUCH better thanks to the antibiotic and had a good workout at lunch.

Onward and downward!

Every day I write the book

I used to love Elvis Costello. :-)

Every day gives us a chance to do something different or better.... or exactly the same! Lately I've been struggling with hunger. I mean actual hunger. And if I try to be too rigid during the day then things go sideways at night. But I've tried to be extra strict to make up for stuff like being out of town, dining out with family, etc. It's become a vicious, frustrating cycle with an end result of not losing or the scale going up. And I'm feeling anxious because I am going out of town again next week for my son's college graduation. And I'm taking ex MIL with me, and you know she makes me nuts.

And we're only talking 3-4 pounds, but I feel stuck. And I need to stop giving it so much power that its creating anxiety because that isn't helpful.

Also I have a sinus infection and feel like crap. I thought it was allergies but I finally broke down and went back to the doctor and now I have antibiotics. So at least maybe I will start feeling better!!

What I needed

While I love travelling and going out of town, I really needed some down time to re-center! Thankfully I made that happen this weekend, even though it was a busy one.

T's car got hit in the work parking lot last Thursday, so we are trying to find body shops to get estimates. And he needs new tires. So it's gonna be a very busy week before going out of town for the day Saturday to attend a friend's wedding. So some down time to just tidy the house, plan meals, and relax was just what I needed.

Saturday we went out to dinner with my in-laws to celebrate my birthday and MIL's birthday (yesterday). It was a lovely meal at a very nice restaurant. I was disappointed last Friday to realize that April was basically a wash - no weight loss. :-( And May is going to be busy, but I cannot let that derail me!

Breakfast was planned for the week: https://www.skinnytaste.com/egg-tomato-and-scallion-sandwich/

Snack is 1/2 c cottage cheese, 1/2 c frozen berries, 1 T chopped walnuts - half in the morning, half in the afternoon.

Dinners vary but are on plan, and lunches are leftovers. For lunch today I have steamed broccoli, diced rotisserie chicken breast, 1/2 c Barilla protein pasta and a lemon olive oil vinaigrette. Tonight's dinner is pintos & greens. Yesterday I did kettlebells, today is the elliptical plus some walk breaks at the office.



Make it a good one! :-)

Grumpy

I had a crappy day yesterday. I will make today a better day.

Take care.

I miss planning

I have a long history of planning and prepping meals in advance. It works for me on so many levels! So when I get back from out of town late like I did this past weekend, it's tough. Monday night I dug up some stuffed chicken breasts from the freezer (store bought) - I had one for dinner and one for lunch the next day. Yesterday's breakfast was a sandwich from Sheetz (gas station) - that was actually pretty good: egg, turkey sausage, and guacamole on a whole grain English muffin. Snacks were Muscle Milk Light. Dinner was leftover vegetarian chili out of the freezer. Sadly, by the time I got home yesterday I was utterly exhausted and wiped out and didn't feel like doing any food prep. I took a dose of NyQuil and crawled into bed at 8:30, although I did read a while.

When I woke up this morning at 5:15 I knew what I had to do: get my butt in the kitchen! LOL I got up and did food prep for about 45 minutes. I made coffee & tea, boiled eggs for snacks, spaghetti with homemade meatballs (meatballs and sauce were already available in the freezer, yay for cooking double batches!), protein pasta, and zucchini noodles for lunch, and I had an open face veggie burger on sprouted grain bread for breakfast. My weight is up a bit so I am tracking in Sparkpeople for the extra accountability. Yesterday I bought 2 bags of salad to stash in the fridge at work so I am pretty well set. T is in charge of dinners for the rest of the week. :-)

So back home, getting back into the routine, getting the holiday weight off. Feels good!

Take care.

I must be allergic to my house???

Got home last night, somewhat unpacked, and hit the sack. Woke up in the middle of the night - congested, nose running, throat raw from drainage. WTF!?!?! I went to bed feeling fine!! Is there something blooming here but not at the beach I'm allergic to? My house? I have no idea, but I slept for poop. :-(

ANYWAY. I am back at the office, T went in and finished up the paperwork for new job. So we are settling back in.

I am not a shopper. I generally hate shopping - most all shopping. It's one reason I'm so good at menu planning - because if I have a plan and a thorough grocery list, I can minimize my time in the store. But I'm going to a wedding to the 4th and needed a dress. Since I haven't worn a dress since my wedding and I don't remember before then, I knew whatever I bought wouldn't be worn much. Also there is a really good thrift shop near mom's place, so off we went.

I did some pretty serious shopping while at the beach. Not only did I need a dress, but it was much warmer at the coast than I was expecting, so I really needed some bottoms other than jeans, 1 pair of workout shorts, and a pair of capris that were too big. Thrift shop yielded 2 cute sun dresses and 2 pair of shorts. Goodwill yielded 2 skirts (who am I???). Target for undergarments (dude, the off brand spanx cost more than both dresses combined, not to mention the strapless bra!). Kohl's gained me a skort and workout top. Second thrift shop (unplanned, but it was across from the vintage home decor store I like) = 2 pair capris, workout top, and a swimsuit. Oh, and 2 pair of workout shorts when we went to W-M for shorts for T!

So yeah, set for clothes. And I didn't even melt down! I hit my limit a couple of times, but managed to wrap it up before I got panicky. Crowds tend to overwhelm me, as does shopping, so my ability to endure the combination is relatively brief.

Ironically, I was looking for some t shirts, didn't find any that fit well (the girl kind, not the usual cotton with something on it variety). Oh well!

Anyway, even though I seem to be allergic to it, its nice to be home. :-)

Return home - delayed

Our plan was to head home yesterday afternoon, but a friend needed someone to watch her kids today (husband flew out on a family emergency, baby sitter not available, and she HAD to go to work today). So T is over watching the kids while I work from mom's. We are headed home this evening. We have had a lovely vacation, but I can't lie - I am ready to be back into my routine. Over time it becomes increasingly more challenging to stay in my food routine in someone else's house. So I am ready. But it's been awesome. And no matter how much time I spend, I never get enough beach time!

Yay!

Down 2.6 pounds this week. :-) Okay, I'm outta here. Have a good weekend!

Checking In

Weather is lovely, having fun. Went to the beach yesterday. As Sean says, make the experiences the priority, not the food! LOL

There were 2 things I knew I wanted to eat while down here. The ice cream shop is open for the season and we went yesterday after the beach and I got one scoop in a cup. it was good but not amazing. I wanted to get a burger at Hang 10, so we are going there Sunday for lunch since they'll be open - so I get the burger I wanted and can make that our going out for lunch Easter, as opposed to having the burger one day and then going out for Easter lunch. Win!

Activity: Gym nearby I can use. Brought my kettlbell - used it yesterday. Walked the beach, and will go more of course!

Food: Yesterday baked some chicken and broccoli. Had that for lunch and breakfast today. Made a nice seafood meal with small new potatoes and asparagus for dinner last night. So lots of cooking at home happening and minimal eating out. While there are places I enjoy down here, its not about the food.

Okay, take care!

Almost outta here!

Yep, I'm already in vacation mode. :-) Even though its not a "big" one, we're headed to mom's for the next few days. I am very excited! If I don't post much you understand. :-)

take care.

No worries

Happy Monday!

Work priorities just got whammied, which is beyond frustrating, but whatever. I am on vacation after tomorrow :-)

T was offered the position he wanted so I am very excited for him. It's a big change, but in a positive direction. I am so glad that is falling into place!

I had a great weekend and I have a short work week! YAY!!!!!

Have a good one!

Holding steady

157 again today. Yes!

I knew it!

Yup, down a pound and a half today! LOL! Today I weighed 157, which puts me at 65 pounds lost. That feels amazing.

Okay, have a great weekend!

That darn scale

I am always honest when I record my Friday weigh in. But I admit when I was up 1.5 pounds this morning (carbs I had with dinner? Tough weight training workout?), I was sorely tempted to record yesterday's!! In short, 2 flat week. Pooh.

Turned the corner

I feel so much better today! I am definitely on the mend. How do I know? I actually felt like working out! LOL So that's good.

I changed up lunches this week. Typically its leftovers, but I decided to prep lunches this week as well. I'm having baked salmon, roasted green beans, and salad. That was the macros and calories are all planned out. Snacks and breakfast are the same. It's no hardship since its something I enjoy and its nice to know in advance what I'm having.

Take care.

Still miserable

And this is why my allergies are a mess. Yes, that is an actual photo! Tree sex is real in the south. LOL I have an appointment at the urgent care clinic just to be sure it hasn't morphed into a sinus infection or anything.

Take care.

Snacks

One thing I mentioned last time I found myself stuck was reducing snack size. This morning I wanted some dried fruit & nuts (a trail mix, but without the junky stuff), so I measured out 100 calories worth. Yeah, that's why you always read that nuts are good but you have to watch the portions. It was tiny! That's okay - I enjoyed it and that will tide me over until lunch (baked chicken and salad).

I slept horribly Sunday night - my allergies are a mess right now. We are in a pollen alert and don't I know it. Last night I was exhausted - I went to bed at 8:30! I'm taking Allegra and using Flonase. Last night I broke down and took some NyQuil gelcaps. (Sunday night I kept waking myself up coughing and sniffling.) I slept better but my sinuses are still a mess. I don't know if its because I'm getting older, the pollen is worse this year, or both. In any case, I'm hoping it will improve soon.

Take care.

Operation unstuckification

Clearly that isn't a word, but it's what I plan to do this week!! My weight is loitering right around 159 and hasn't moved much in the past couple of weeks. This week I plan to carefully monitor my eating and make sure the calories I get are good ones, push it in the gym, and work on getting plenty of rest and water. If I can do those things, then I believe I will get the results I want!

Make it a good day! :-)

Same old

Well, I've certainly been consistent this week! Yesterday was a really good, on plan food day and an excellent workout. Up 0.2. Eh, just gonna stay the course and wait for things to settle out.

Have a good weekend.

Half empty or half full?

The scale says what it did last Friday: 158.6. Should I be frustrated it's not going down (even though I'm doing pretty well!) or glad that despite all the stress it isn't going up?????

Better

Today is a better day. For one, having a good night of sleep certainly improves my attitude! T has an interview today, and one tomorrow. I'm hoping he finds something better soon.

Slugging out that workout at lunch yesterday made me realize that I am not, will not, allow my feelings or my lack of  motivation set me back. I may not make forward progress as quickly, and that's fine, but no throwing in the towel just because life has handed us a few lemons. Last night my sweetie took my car to the gas station to fill it up and ask me if I wanted a beer or anything. (He got a soda and I think he was looking for a partner in crime). I said no thanks and moved on.

Take care, and I will too.

Difficult day

Yesterday my husband had a really hard day. Even though he made the right decision (and he knows that), he is just incredibly sad. Teaching was a dream and had been a long time. And he gave it up not because he didn't like it or didn't like the kids - it was simply due to the horrible way in which our education system in this state is broken. And of course he is worried about finding another job, even though we have savings for several months so we aren't in any immediate danger of not being able to pay bills or anything.

According to my Fitbit I got 3.5 hours of sleep last night and today I am having the really rough day emotionally. I went to the gym and eked out 30 minutes of a passable kettlebell workout. I went to the grocery to pick up a lime to squeeze into my water and (barely) managed to avoid walking out with some buffalo chicken salad from the deli. I brought a perfectly fine lunch, but I seriously wanted to comfort eat.

I'm hoping posting about it here will help. I made the mistake of posting last Sunday "things are in a good place". And now they most certainly aren't, but I have to somehow stay focused and not allow my feelings to take over so that I sabotage all my efforts.

Take care.

Nice but quick weekend

Our plan for the weekend had been to go down to my mom's and from there head out with friends for a day event. Thursday I talked to my friend and she was having a serious case of being overwhelmed. So, we shifted gears and still headed down, but instead of going anywhere we hung out at their house. T made everyone an awesome lunch and I helped with closet decluttering. Sometimes if you can get just one thing looking better, it really lifts your mood, you know? Any this was a case where listening to her vent helped, but going down and helping her get started helped too.

My friend has gained some weight so I took my newest donate pile down. As she went through her stuff, I tried on her donate and she tried on mine. I'd never done that before, but we both ended up with a few new things! At the end of the day she had a much cleaner closet and a much better outlook. And we all had a really nice day!

Now we're back home and although I came home with a few new things (which was cool because we do have somewhat different taste and it lets me try some new things!), I also came home with a renewed determination not to keep things just because they fit.

I took Saturday AND Sunday off from formal exercise. Scale was up a half pound this morning. Back to the gym at lunch today of course. I did 30 hard minutes on the elliptical.

Take care.

New low, epic workout

Today's weight: 158.6, for a loss of 1.6 pounds this week.

This morning's workout - 900 kettlebell swings in 45 minutes.

Have a good weekend!

What a week

This week has been crazy. Without going into too much detail, my husband resigned from his job Tuesday. he has very good reasons, I totally support the decision, and he's been a pile of stress for a while. Still, it's both unfortunate and unexpected.

I'm still here, doing my best, which hasn't been 100% but has been (mostly) heading the right direction.

Take care.

Today's skirt

Good morning. Today I am wearing a skirt. Other than the funeral, I don't even remember the last time I wore a skirt. I bought this skirt at the Goodwill near my mom's old house. I'm guessing I bought it in 2015. It was "a little small", but it's a really cute wrap around jean skirt and so for $4 I bought it for "someday." Then of course I turned around and gained another 20-25 pounds and that skirt seemed a million miles away, but I would run across it occasionally in the back of the guest room closet.

As I lost weight, I began trying it on periodically. Today was the magic combination of it fitting well enough + the weather being warm enough that I am wearing it. Small victories.

I am headed for the kettlebell gym Wednesday and I have asked the trainer to redo my measurements - they haven't been done in a couple of months.

I have a meeting that is going to run late so I am meeting a friend for dinner on the way home. We don't get to catch up very often (she works crazy hours!), so that will be fun. T will be already gone to band practice even if I went straight home anyway.

This weekend was really good. I got a bunch of mending done, and pinned the hem in our bedroom curtains, not to mention grocery shopping, food prep, and general tidying up. We had the house opened up and it always feel so fresh & clean after that. T replaced the guts in one of our toilets - they crumbled as he took them out!! So yeah, a lot of leaking going on! He's doing the other one some evening this week. Our water bill has been creeping up and we think this is likely the culprit. Oh! And he mowed the yard.

So an awesome, productive, fun weekend that I feel so good about.

Take care.

Lucky day

Wednesday at lunch I went to Goodwill - to look for some slacks for my great aunt and a stroller for my dog. No luck on the stroller front, but I found 2 nice pair of spring slacks to include in her Easter gift package. While I was there I also looked to see if they had any jeans - I had 2 pair at home that fit but I missed my black pair. I found 6 pair I liked in my size and took them to the dressing room. 1 was tiny, 2 were too big, 2 were okay but the waist was too big, and one was just right. Lol! So for a whopping $5 I have a pair of black jeans again. Yay!

Workout yesterday was good. I spent my 30 minutes doing a pretty brisk and heavy kettlebell workout that included swings, snatches, cleans, presses, squats, and Turkish get ups. I told the trainer that it was get up day and she replied "I'll pray for you." Lol, she's told me more than once how much she hates them and how hard she thinks they are (because they are tough!!). So a really good workout.

This weekend is more spring cleaning, yard work, and staining the step down into the den. Just call me Cinderella.

Have a great weekend!!

Milestone

I crossed into the 150s today. That is pretty darn HUGE for me.

Boringsville

Not too terribly much to say. Our workout was great last night, but then we came home to a cold, raw soup because the crock pot died. :-( We grabbed a bite out and I bought a new one first thing this morning. I use my crock pot all the time, so that was a necessity!

I'm losing about a pound a week. I know that's a good speed, but given that I have 20-ish to go it feels like it will take forever. I know that's not true, and I know that I'll never really be "done" in the sense that if I want to stay at a healthy weight and fitness level, there always needs to be new challenges.

Next week I am going to have the trainer do my measurements again - I haven't had them done in a couple of months and I'm curious to see how that's progressing.

Take care.

Ironing. So much ironing.

Here's the thing about doing 6 loads of laundry - a lot of which is work type stuff that you can't simply toss in the dryer: First your house will look like a laundry with shirts and sweaters hanging everywhere! Then you will feel like you work in a laundry as you iron all the things.

Most of my stuff is wash and wear, but I do have some nice things that need to be pressed. In the greater scheme, it means maybe twice a month I have a couple of shirts to iron. But since I washed everything all at once, and because my older stuff is nicer (my old job was much dressier), there is a lot. I ironed several shirts last night, and I have a few more yet to do, as well as 3 casual linen dresses. But I am slowly getting all those clothes organized and put away. At the end, all my clothes will be in a closet or dresser - no more tubs (yes, TUBS) of clothes. I will have exactly 1 tub of too small clothes, and hopefully not for much longer!!

Yesterday was a cardio day. Tonight is the kettlebell gym. Today I am meeting a friend for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, but I will make good choices. :-) No undoing all my efforts by mindlessly eating the chips! Lol

Have a good day!

Super productive weekend

I tackled the house situation head on: we worked really hard Saturday and got A LOT of spring cleaning done! Floors, dusting, washing dog beds, etc etc. Things are feeling so much better! I am still facing another busy weekend, but I feel like a weight is off my shoulders.

One really big thing I tackled was my clothes. I went through everything in my guest room! At the end of the day Saturday I had 1 tub of clothes that are too small, a new stack of clothes to go to Goodwill, and 6 loads of laundry sorted on the tub. I washed everything, organized and put it away, and my plan is to wear everything. Figure out what I like, what I don't, and continue to pare down.

Yesterday we helped with lunch at church, took a nap, and did food prep for the week. So it was a lot of work, but it feels really good.

Have a good week!

Short break

Got up, finished the grocery list, did the shopping. Dropped by car off for an oil change. Came home, we ate lunch. T got most of the vacuuming done before lunch. After lunch he headed out to run errands and I continued to clean. I am sitting down for a short break. We aren't anywhere close to done but I already feel like 50000% better!  I love a clean house, I wish I had time to keep it as clean as I'd like, but honestly I have other things to do as well - including fun stuff!

Have a good weekend!

More exploring

I got up early this morning, and ended up going into the guest room to explore some of the last vestiges of the clothes I've been carrying around that were too small.

I had 2 sets of capris: One set of 4 pants still had the tags on them. I don't remember when I bought them, but I remember they were just "a bit" too snug (yeah, right) but that I'd be able to wear them "in a few pounds". They are too big, so I guess they will go to the thrift shop, tags intact.

Another set (2 pair of jean capris, and 2 pair of Lee khaki material type in brown and navy) are all size 14. Jeans fit fine, Lees are a tiny bit snug but wearable. I'd like an actual khaki colored pair, but I should be good to go for spring! (If it ever arrives!!).

Overall it's been a good week for a number of reasons. We got bonuses at work (not huge but helpful!), my son passed his certification test as a marine electrician, work is going well, I had good workouts and food, and I lost about a pound and a half.

The only negative is that it's getting tougher to lose. Not only are the losses slower, but I am really reducing my food intake to keep the scale moving. I still have 20-ish pounds to go, and I know these are going to be much harder than the last 60. A part of my brain is mourning the fact that I can't go back to eating the way I used to, even though I know I ate too much, and not always of the good stuff! And I know I can have some of those things in my life, just not as much or as often. But that doesn't always make it easy!

My plan for the weekend includes massive amounts of housework!!!

Take care.

Much better

Last night was a good workout:

I made a good meal (Korean stew). I prepped lunches for today and cleaned the kitchen. I planned for success and made it easy even though today is super busy.

Have a good day!

Stressed to the max

Y'all, I am tired. TIRED. My house is dirty and I am feeling overwhelmed. Also, I am HUNGRY.

That's all I got today.

Take care - and I'm gonna try to do the same.

Keeping on

Even though I slept crappy and drank one too many cups of morning coffee, yesterday was a good day. I went to the gym at lunch and did a good job of kicking my own butt (something I am not really good at). I forgot my snacks (2 string cheeses), but I had a protein shake pre workout and then a few raw almonds in the afternoon - so I improvised and didn't veer off course.

Last night I met a good friend at Zoe's Kitchen for dinner - I had chicken kebabs and double roasted vegetables. It was good and it was great to catch up - her schedule is way too hectic and we don't see each other much. So that was awesome!

I got home around 8:30 and had 3 bites of ice cream (I wasn't hungry I just wanted a taste of something). I then brushed my teeth and called it a day, knowing I had faced some common pitfalls: not having planned food available, dining out - and done a great job of navigating them.

For breakfasts this week I made myself a crustless veggie quiche which is really tasty, so that's nice to have. I made T a Thai chickpea dish that rocks and he seems to like. This is the second week in a row that I have both our breakfasts prepped and portioned out for easy reheating - it makes the morning SO much easier! Sunday when I was doing food prep I dragged out a bunch of leftovers and packaged them up into 4 lunches, so the past couple of days lunch prep has been a lot easier as well. I love it when I manage to set myself up for success!

I am getting my hair cut at lunch today so exercise will probably just be a walk around the parking lot. Tomorrow I plan to swim and hit the kettlebell gym with T in the evening.

Take care.

Monday!?!?!

Man that went fast! Lol

Mom came up for the weekend and we did a bunch of stuff: her taxes, looked at graduation announcements, planned out vacation time & booked hotels, hit a thrift shop (no jeans but I found 2 new tops).

After mom left Sunday morning, T went to church and I opted to stay home and work on food prep, laundry, etc. I finally crossed the 60 pounds lost mark, and I was sick of my jeans not fitting! I found one pair in the guest room that fits, so I at least have something. I ended up pawing through clothes - it feels so random right now! Oh well.

T went to the doctor Friday and got an antibiotic (he has a sinus infection), so he is FINALLY feeling better! He's felt crappy for what seems like forever. It's been a rough winter.

I can't remember if I mentioned it or not, but T decided to give up meat for lent. Rather than making 2 different meals, I've been largely eating the same thing. I know it hasn't been that long, but so far it hasn't been too tough. And the up side is that we have tried a lot of new recipes - and he's eating more vegetables. So yay for that!

Okay, have a good day!

It's a wash

Well, down 0.8 pounds this week, but I was up that amount last week so the month of March is a wash so far. Time to renew my focus!

Gym was awesome. I am now about to take my "lunch" at 7:30 to go to the gym, because I've been here a while already and it's probably the only chance I will have to get out of the office today.

Have a good weekend!

Crazy days

Today has been a whirlwind at work and tomorrow promises to be the same (or worse). I met a friend for lunch (a lovely treat!) - I got seared tuna tacos and a side salad. Yum and pretty healthy!

Headed to the kettlebell gym after work - never got there last week and I miss it!

Take care.

Perspective

It feels like I've been stuck again. The stress of the dog last week, travel, being sick.... you get the idea. But when I look at my weight chart, I was down 6.6 pounds for the month of February! I lost a good amount of weight in a short month that's still cold, which makes it tough to get outside for exercise. Yes the process is going slower than I would like, but it's still going!!

Anyway, not too much going on. Elliptical Monday, kettlebells yesterday, elliptical planned for today. Lifestyles of the rich and famous over here! Lol

Take care.

What a week

I don't even know where to start.

I was on a conference call Wednesday afternoon when T opens the back door and I hear "I need help!". Turns out he had found a puppy in the road (not hit, just wandering). So all our plans were summarily tossed out the window while we tried to deal with what to do about this puppy AND get his car inspected because his tags expired Thursday so we HAD to get the inspection done Wednesday so he could register the car.

Without going into all the gory details, the dog has a maybe home and a rescue to take it if things don't work out. No collar, no microchip, no response to the found dogs signs we posted. A week with a puppy that isn't house trained and you both have to go to work and your dogs are confused is very stressful. Oh, and we were going to the beach to celebrate my son and his girlfriend's birthdays. Add to that I ended up having a pretty nasty cold. In any case, with all that I haven't worked out since last Monday.

Having said that: I am feeling better. The Saturday birthday dinner was a huge success! I got to go to the beach! I found 2 shark teeth! It was a great weekend, the puppy is settled into a potential forever home. I'm not 100% it will work out, but we have a back-up plan with a rescue organization if it doesn't. Laundry is done, food is prepped and packaged, and we are starting the week off on a solid note.

Going to the gym today no matter what.

Same old same old

Good morning. Feeling better today, although I have a runny nose and sore throat. Yuck. Other than that, just the same old around here. Going to kettlebell class tonight, doing some food prep. We're headed to the beach this weekend to celebrate my son's birthday. I am making a traditional German meal for dinner Saturday by request. :-)

For the month of March I wanted to get some more organization & cleaning projects done around here. I talked to T and we agreed to take 15 minutes after dinner every evening to work on it. I'm hoping we'll have some solid progress by the end of the month. He worked on his desk last night and discovered his vehicle registration - which expires tomorrow. Oops. I can only be responsible for just so much, you know?

The funny thing about keeping this blog for so long is reading the reality of my daily life a decade ago. I used to keep my house clean by 1) having a cleaning lady when we could afford it (which is so not an option right now) and 2) using vacation days to clean (also, not an option as I have about 20 less). So I'm hoping that the 15 minutes/day will help us do a better job of keeping up with everything. Wish me luck.

Take care.

Feeling cruddy

Ugh, I don't know if I'm trying to come down with something, just tired, or what. Yesterday I felt like I was moving through quicksand all day. I went to bed early and woke up this morning feeling worse. I decided to take a sick day. I'm loathe to use one up, but I really needed it - I just feel totally worn down. I am taking it easy today.

We had a lovey weekend visiting with friends. As always, it was too short!

Take care!

Still slow, still in the right direction

Another new low - 163. Leaving after work for the event.

Have a good weekend!

Wintering On

Still cold & yucky here. Schools were delayed yesterday so I ended up working from home. M's funeral was yesterday, so I went to that (as did about half our team). So it was a weird day. I realized mid morning that I didn't have actual panty hose - I had a bazillion pair of knee highs, so I had to run out to the store. It was rainy so my hair got a little messed up, but I think I looked okay. I found 2 skirts in the guest room that fit pretty well, and had a nice sweater to put with the darker one that I think looked okay for a funeral.

Tuesday's workout was really good. I took a day off yesterday, and I'm back to kettlebells today.

Here's what I wore to the funeral. This was taken after I got home so yeah, hair at that point had been rained on twice.

Notice the dog photo bomb! :-)

Have a good day!

Back to reality (work)

Good morning. We are now returned to our regularly scheduled job, and winter. It's cold and we may even get a little snow tonight!!

This week's breakfast is this egg sandwich from skinnytaste: tomato egg scallion sandwich I get so tired of eggs, this is a really nice change of pace. Lunch is leftovers and dinners vary. I bought a bag of the mini avocados on sale, so those are going to be snack.

Went swimming yesterday and today we are meeting at the kettlebell gym after work, plus I am going to do the elliptical at lunchtime.

Nowhere near ready to go out of town cabin camping for the weekend. Never enough time.

Okay, have a good one!

Day off (lol)

Ah adulthood, where your day off is filled with fun stuff like taxes and taking pets to the vet! Lol

The theme of the event we are going to this weekend if Viking, so T now has a nice outfit, complete with coat and hood (in case it's cold). I've pulled out my stuff and found something to wear, so no more sewing for right now. Although I do need to mend the sofa cover while I have the sewing machine out.

I was pretty worried about the taxes - I keep seeing in the news about people getting smaller returns this year, so I was afraid we would end up owing (which is NOT in the budget!). So I sat down this morning and did them as soon as I got home from the gym (swimming). We're actually getting some money back - yay!

T is really struggling with work this year - for a lot of reasons. He's been really depressed and even though he just went to his doctor for his physical and discussed it with her, she was not at all helpful! I wish there were a way I could help beyond doing my best to be supportive.

Not too much to say, just thought I'd jump on and check in.

Take care!

(Early) morning!

I woke up at 5 am this morning. Probably because I fell asleep on the sofa last night before 9. lol. I have become my grandpa! :-)

My plan is to get my workout and grocery shopping done by lunchtime. Then I am going to watch movies and sew. :-)

Have a good weekend!

Choices

Last night after careful consideration, I decided I did want a beer, so I had one. The scale was up a half pound (I suspected it would be). Weighing daily has helped me understand how certain choices impact my weight - carbs, exercise, food choices. But the overall pattern is still tracking downward, so I'm fine. While I am willing to put in the work to get the results I want, I can't make every choice about the short term changes on the scale. Does that make sense?

As usual, more to do than I have weekend, but I'm trying to 1) work efficiently and 2) prioritize so I have some much needed down time.

Take care.

Happy Pre Friday!

Also, happy Valentine's Day if that is something you celebrate. :-) We are having a quiet dinner at home - going out to a restaurant on a holiday is my idea of punishment.

Workout last night was awesome! Here's a picture:

It's nearly 4 and I haven't even eaten my salad, so I am cutting this short.

Have a good one!

Mid week WAH

Ah, Wednesday. Today I am WAH (working at home). I had my eye exam, and decided to go ahead and get my prescription reading glasses updated. $90 isn't terrible, and I haven't gotten a prescription pair since 2015.

I had planned to go swim this morning, but I woke up at 3:30 and didn't go back to sleep until 5, so getting up at 5:30 was not going to happen! I slept until nearly 7:30, and got right to work since I knew I'd need a long break for the doctor. We are going to the kettlebell gym this evening, so I will get in a good workout - no worries!

I have been walking outside some, but the weather here has been cold & yucky, so certainly not as much as I do in good weather. I have been focusing on making my workouts good ones. Yesterday I did 30 minutes on the elliptical - but I really pushed it hard - upping the resistance and keeping my speed over 5 mph. I was able to get my heart rate up into a good "I'm pushing it" range. I'd like to do more, but the quality is good, so I'm okay with that.

Food is going well - I do have a small snack in the morning sometimes, but my snacks are smaller and I'm trying to make sure I am eating more chicken & seafood - especially seafood.

So, nothing really new or exciting to report - just doing the things that lead to good results!

Take care.

Another milestone

Today the scale read 164 - the weight at which I cross from "obese" to "overweight". (I find it funny that I'm wearing 14s at "obese" - not quite the image we think of, is it?). I hope to shop my guest room this weekend and see what I have (if anything) in the way of jeans & bottoms.

Breakfast this week is meatloaf made with lean ground turkey and green beans. Snack(s) are 2 boiled eggs with pickle to nosh on as needed. Sunday we did a potsticker stir fry and hot & sour soup from Nom Nom Paleo. Last night was grilled chicken over salad from skinnytaste. Tonight is bolognese sauce with zucchini noodles.

We are headed to a medieval thing at the end of the month and I have *MO* idea what the weather will be. Since we tend to go to stuff more frequently in warmer weather, we don't have a lot of costumes for cooler temps, so I am working on that for the two of us this weekend (as well as last).

Based on what I'm hearing in the news & from other people, I am dreading doing our taxes. :-(

Take care.

Where did the weekend go?

I am feeling vaguely robbed. Since we weren't going anywhere, I thought I would feel more rested, but nope. Another overly busy weekend. Le sigh. It was productive though. T was under the weather yesterday so we ended up not going to church. Anyway, Monday came way too fast!

After we finished up our personal training sessions, T and I signed up for a small group class once a week at the kettlebell gym. We've been going on Wednesdays but this week planned to go Thursday. Long story short, T went Thursday but I needed to stay home while the handyman finished up, so I went Saturday morning. I loved the class! It felt so good to start my day off that way! I do feel like it took some time out of my day - and it meant I didn't get to the Y to swim. I would definitely go at that time again if I could work it into my schedule.

Other than too short, the weekend was fine. I really need to figure out a way to not head into Sunday evening feeling cranky. That is a recipe for overeating and I was doing great for a while then started overbooking and slipping into bad habits. I don't like to feel stressed and rushed headed into the week. OTOH, food was all prepped, house is cleaner than it's been in a while, and we set ourselves up for success. I need to find the balance.

Have a good day!

Weird week

Looking back, this week has felt weird. For some reason I never really felt like I got "into the groove" - more like I just muddled along. Not really sure why.

In any case, my weight is the same is last week. Exercise was okay - food was pretty good except: Monday I was SUPER hungry - I definitely ate extra calories! A couple of nights I woke up in the night and I was hungry - I mean tummy growling hungry. One night I managed that well and one night not.

Anyway, busy weekend planned. Here's hoping next week feels a bit more normal!

Take care.

Nearing the finish line

Well, it's "pre Friday" as my boss likes to call it. :-) It's been an okay week. Today I had my annual physical - that went really well. The weather here is crazy - it was 77 degrees today! It's supposed to cool back down over the weekend, but in the meantime everyone has had their windows open and enjoying the fresh air.

Have a good day!

Blah blah

I read this quote somewhere and I really liked it: "You're not in competition with yourself, you're in collaboration with yourself."

This week is going okay. I had insomnia last night and ended up sitting on the sofa for over an hour reading in the middle of the night, which makes for a somewhat blurry morning. :-)

I hope your week is going well!

Home safely

Well, we made it there and back again. Another trip to Georgia is in the books. Alma did not feel like going out to lunch with us this time, so we brought her a take out from our usual lunch spot, which she thoroughly enjoyed. We felt kind of bad bringing her a yummy lunch while everyone else had to eat the same old same old, so we bought cupcakes for everyone to have for dessert with their dinner.

Alma's memory isn't great, but she enjoyed the visit. We picked up a few items she was running low on and enjoyed spending some time with her.

Friday I did my workout before we left the house. Saturday I used the fitness room at the hotel, and I took yesterday off from formal exercise. I used my time to do some food prep so I would be ready for the week. I have meals planned through Wednesday at least. I need to figure out something simple for Thursday since we are going to go to the kettlebell gym that evening. The workout is at 5:30, so I figured we would come home after the workout and have dinner at the house.

That's about it. Stayed up for the (not so) Super Bowl - pretty mediocre all around IMO.

Have a good day!

Shock and awe

Today I hit 165 - for a loss of 4.6 pounds this week. In fairness, the weight I recorded last Friday was a pound up from the lowest I saw that week, so I probably "really" lost 1.6 pounds last week instead of 0.6 and 3.6 this week. But it doesn't matter - the fact is the scale is moving down again at a nice, brisk pace! I don't know how long it will last, but for now I'm grateful.

I had a really weird moment this morning. I was remembering last time when I weighed that weight and what was going on in my life. It was right before I ended all contact with my dad. It was a stressful time. I also slipped into a pair of size 14 shorts. And a pair of 14 capris, although those were tight. I dunno - 165 is a weight I remember vividly, so hitting that feels really ... weird.

I'm thankful - I'm grateful and amazed at the recovery my body is making but it's also weird. I just need to be cognizant of those feelings and know that being a certain weight and wearing certain clothes may bring up feelings - both good and bad.

Last night I went for my second swim lesson, which was very awesome. I feel a lot more confident going to the pool now! I'm doing kettlebells today, I'll do the elliptical or something at the hotel tomorrow, and then Sunday is a lovely drive through Atlanta on Super Bowl Sunday. Good times.

I hope you have a terrific weekend!

Changing my goal

My lunchtime gym (Anytime Fitness) has Life Fitness brand cardio equipment. The cool things about these is that in addition to broadcasting television, they also have videos of scenery through various national and state parks (the picture below gives you an idea). You select the difficulty, but the incline changes based on the terrain of the course you've selected.

When I first started going to the gym, my goal was to do 15 minutes. Then 20. And I've gradually ramped it up until I've been doing 30 minutes, targeting a minimum speed of 4 mph, covering 2 miles, and burning 200 calories (yes, I know the counts aren't accurate, it's just a target). That's gotten pretty easy.

For me, the purpose of even doing the elliptical is to help improve my cardio fitness (which my swing workouts do as well). So yesterday I set a new goal: speed of 5 mph, covering 2.5 miles, burning 250 calories. Previously, I was able to easily achieve my goal - usually with minutes to spare. Today my workout ran over a couple of minutes in order to hit those targets and get cooled down.

I do enjoy walking outside when the weather permits, but using the elliptical is a good way that I can quantify my targets and progress. There's enough variety in the courses, plus the machines face the windows, so that helps stave off boredom. Sure, there are times I do get bored, but not as often as you would think!

We also went to the kettlebell gym last night for a good workout. The a quick bite of dinner and by the time we got home we were both pooped!

Today I am Taking it easy - I have my swim lesson at 5, but other than that I am resting today. I've been pushing hard this week.

Take care!

Unexpected

I like structure, I like plans, I like knowing what to expect. But life doesn't always work that way!! Last night I was maybe 5 minutes from home when Jan (ex-MIL) called. She was at W-M over in Kernersville and her car battery was dead. When I got home, dinner wasn't even started because T had forgotten that he had his annual physical THEN it took forever to get a prescription filled. I used the bathroom then we jumped in the car and headed back out.

On the way we ran through the Wendy's drive through where I got a cheeseburger (without the mayo so I'm guessing a little over 500 calories), ate a couple of T's fries, and had a diet coke. We then went and jumped her car, followed her home to make sure she got there, and then T pointed out that even though there was no light bulb, her dome light was on and drawing power, which is what killed her battery. So he turned that off and then we headed home.

He prepared the fish we'd thawed for dinner (we'll eat it for lunches) while I took a shower, then we had just enough time for an episode of "Westworld" before bed. I wasn't really hungry but I wanted something crunchy, so I put 4 pork rinds in a bowl. I had 3.5 and gave a bite to the dog. LOL My dinner wasn't nearly as satisfying as what I would have eaten at home and it wasn't the "best" choice, but I didn't go overboard on calories but ate something that felt a bit comforting. And I don't eat hamburgers very often so while it wasn't the best around, it was a nice treat.

Yesterday I went to the gym at lunch and did 30 minutes of kettlebell swings followed by 20 minutes on the elliptical. I'll do 30 on the elliptical at lunch today and then after work we are meeting up at the kettlebell gym for a good workout. Dinner tonight is at a local chain called "Clean Eatz". So it will be a nice meal out while getting a really healthy meal. Win!

Have a good day, and remember "Semper Gumby" (always flexible! LOL)

All new low

As I said yesterday, these small tweaks seem to be making a difference - today I saw a new number: 167.2! I went back on my calendar to see the last time I recorded a weight this low. On 16 October 2009 I weighed 166.6 and then bounced back up. So it's been nearly a decade.

It is so weird. On the one hand, I've lost nearly 55 pounds and I feel a tremendous difference! But I can't believe I've lost that much weight because I find it hard to believe I reached a point where I had that much weight to lose! It is really strange and I don't know how to explain that disconnect, except it's there.

Anyway, yesterday I did 25 minutes on the elliptical and never did my kettlebell workout, so I am doing it today. I was really tired from the weekend last night, so I just took it easy and went to bed early. It was lovely if slightly boring. Sometimes I like boring. :-)

Take care.

Seems to be working

Operation snack reduction seems to be working. The scale is still wobbling, but it's wobbling on a downward trajectory, so I'll take it!

My next plan is to move to a lower fat plan. Nothing super radical, but just some small tweaks. for example, last night we had steak and we might have made creamed spinach to go with it, but we made sauteed spinach instead. Breakfast this week is made with roasted boneless, skinless chicken breast as opposed to something made with lean ground turkey.

My intention is to still watch the snacks. Since we ended up eating dinner later several evenings, it was easy to cut out the evening snack most nights. Mornings have varied - one day I was super hungry so I had a snack but then ate lunch later and had a smaller afternoon snack. In short, I'm trying to go by my hunger signals rather than the clock, and so far it seems to be making a difference. The reality is I have probably lost enough weight that I do need to scale back on my calories a bit.

We had a really nice weekend. I did a few things around the house and T cleaned out his chest of drawers - resulting in a massive pile of clothes to donate! Yay!

Yesterday after church we stayed and helped make lunch - our church is part of the Second Harvest food bank network, offering a food pantry on Saturdays and a free lunch on Sundays. We enjoyed it, but it meant not getting home until 2:30. So it's a serious chunk out of the weekend. But it felt good to do it.

I hope you have a good week!

S-L-O-W

Well the scale is moving downward, albeit slowly and with some fits and starts. Cutting back on snacks has been a bit of a challenge, but not impossible.

Last night I had a swim lesson. Yes, I do know how to swim but I wanted some help on my strokes. Since I can buy lessons individually at the Y, I signed up for 2 just to improve my strokes and hopefully get me back in the groove of going to the pool. T rode with me and worked out while I was in the pool, so that was nice.

Not much going on this weekend, which will be good since next weekend is a trip to Georgia.

Have a good weekend!

Meat Salad

Good morning. This is my breakfast this week. I jokingly call it "meat salad". Lol

I used Rachel Ray's faux gyro meat recipe (subbing ground turkey) and turned it into burgers. I heated & chopped it up and added it to basically the stuff you would get on a gyro (cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, tsaziki sauce). It is a gyro without the pita. The recipe calls for feta so you've got some good fats from the feta and the greek yogurt, plenty of veg, and lean protein. The veggies hold up well under the sauce so I can prep all of that in advance, which makes getting out of the house in the morning easier. Definitely my kind of breakfast!

Yesterday I went into the disaster that is my guest room and left with a huge pile of clothes to donate. The closet was pretty bare when I finished. I had 2 tubs with clothes that fit (but needed washing) and clothes that don't quite fit yet. The tub with "not yets" is in the closet and the clothes that fit are washed and put away. That was a HUGE accomplishment.

Last night was the group class at the kettlebell gym. This was the workout:

I did all the moves but I did not finish 5 rounds. But we have to start somewhere and showing up is a good place to start!

Yesterday I had my usual couple of cups of coffee and meat salad for breakfast. Lunch was leftovers (sirloin tips with peppers, onions, & mushrooms over brown rice) and dinner was a burger on one slice of sprouted grain bread with roasted vegetables. I had 2 deviled egg halves prior to working out and after supper I was wanting something sweet so I had a few bites of yogurt and a couple of nuts. We had dinner late since it was after we got home from the gym, so evening snack was very small - just those couple of bites to satisfy that sweet tooth. So a second day of snack reduction. I am definitely hungrier when I sit down for a meal, but not miserably so.

Something seems to be helping - the scale is beginning to move down. We'll see what happens when I record my weight at the end of the week.

Have a good day!

Changes

We've been working with a personal trainer at the kettlebell gym for 10 weeks and he did before and after measurements. Even though I haven't lost much weight, my measurements changed significantly - including over 2 inches lost on my waist and hips!. So obviously things are changing even if the scale is not.

I am eliminating my AM snack to try and shake things up a bit. I can tell you by lunch I've been seriously hungry! LOL

We have signed up to do small group training once a week at the kettlebell gym - cheaper than sessions with the trainer. So we'll give that a go and see how we like it. I just want to keep pushing my fitness level - I feel like it's starting to get to a good place.

Take care.

Holding steady

Sadly, I'm not holding steady at my goal weight, but I'm rocking 169.4. le sigh.

Still exercising, still tracking food.

I got nothing.

A recap

Good morning and happy Monday. LOL

Mom is doing fine. We think what happened was a combination of an undiagnosed UTI + dehydration (she was in the car & didn't drink a lot on the way up) + maybe something disagreeing with her at dinner (chicken or the egg?) = low bp. She fainted and couldn't sit up and we called 911. They got there quickly and rushed her to the little hospital in our town. They did some tests, but ultimately 3 IVs and some IV antibiotics and she was well enough to be released around 3:30 AM. (It's been a long time since I pulled an all nighter!!). I worked at home Thursday and we filled her antibiotic and she drank water and gatorade and is feeling much better. It was so scary, but I am thankful everything seems to be fine.

I'm doing okay. Weight seems to be holding steady right around 170, which is beyond frustrating! I am still tracking my food and exercising. It's cold as heck here - yuck. We made more progress in the den this weekend - arranging furniture & accessories and going through drawers etc. It feels good to be making progress - our vision is coming together!

Take care.

Back Monday

Crazy week - mom went to the emergency room Wednesday night. She's on the mend and fine, but the last couple of days have been wacko.

Take care, back Monday!

Perspective

"I didn't worry about 'how fast can I get there' and instead came to the conclusion to prioritize my health for the rest of my life. So each day was just an opportunity to be better". - Fahad, in an interview for the Nerd Fitness newsletter

So the scale was up a pound. I am bouncing a pound and a half above and below that 170 pound mark and seem stuck. I have to be honest and say that this morning my frustration level was through the roof. I'm trying to avoid knee jerk reactions "I'll just do protein shakes for one day!' and remember how far I've come and that there is no due date.

Right now my plan is to stay the course with tracking and exercise, continue to focus on real foods in the amount of 1700 calories per day. My annual physical is 4 weeks from tomorrow - if nothing has changed by then I will ask my doctor for a referral to a nutritionist.

Yesterday:

Take care.

Getting into the groove

It's funny how tracking your food seems to hard at first, but once you build a baseline it gets easier.

Here's yesterday:

You can click on the picture to get a larger version btw. I wasn't as hungry and I stayed within my target number.

The scale was down 2 pounds today, so I was back to the number I saw last Saturday? Sunday? - over a week ago in any case. It's frustrating and I'm not sure what's happening, but I really won't know if I don't record any data!

Saturday we worked at our church's food bank. Sunday we had icy conditions so we stayed home and worked around the house. We (finally) got Christmas taken down and put away. Last evening we worked a little bit more on getting the house cleaned back up (ran the Roomba, put more stuff away, cleaned bathrooms) and then watched the 1st episode of the 2nd season of "Glow" on Netflix. I'm really enjoying it. We have season 2 of "Westworld" but that felt a bit too intense.

Hitting the gym for weights at lunch since I did kettlebells on Sunday. Have a good day!

Ugh

Weight this AM: Up 1.4 pounds.

Food yesterday:

I got nothing.

Saturday food

Weight - 0.6

Saturday:

Observation: Two days in a row I was short in fiber even though I ate vegetables. I am adding in a serving of Metamucil stirred in my morning coffee and will try to incorporate more today.

Take care.

Tracking

Weight - no change.

Tracked yesterday, tracking today in Sparkpeople. I ended yesterday at 1800 calories. Over what I wanted but I was seriously super hungry and added half an avocado last night. I know where I'm starting from.

Today we volunteered at the food bank, went grocery shopping, checked out the Planet Fitness that just opened (for T, I plan to stay at the Y), and he went to go to the chiro and Costco. Then we are taking down Christmas (finally!).

Anyway, just wanted the accountability.

Take care.

Back to basics

Okay people, here is the result of my weekly weigh in for the past 5 weeks:

12/14   -0.4
12/21   -0.2
12/28   -0.0
01/04   -0.0
01/11   -0.4

So in 5 weeks I have lost 1 pound.  Yes, I could justify "But it was the holidays! Most people gain!" or I could simply acknowledge that I have continued to make tremendous progress without diligently tracking my food for quite a long stretch. But I don't know how much I eat a day. Oh, I have a general idea and since I cook at home nearly all my meals I have a good idea how much fat & salt are in them. I weigh my evening snack since things like nuts or pork rinds are very easy to underestimate. But no, I haven't been tracking. I'm going to start.

Beginning today, I'm going to record my food in Spark People. I've set a target for myself of 1700 calories per day. It feels like a number that should be enough but allow me to make progress. I will adjust as needed.

Today:

I was running late and bought breakfast. Sweet lordie check out the fat in that sandwich. Holy frijole! Well, it did have 2 slices of cheese. Also, eating out twice = not enough fiber!

Have a good weekend!!

We prioritize our priorities

I know that statement sounds redundant (or just plain stupid), but how many times have you found yourself telling someone (including yourself!) how important losing weight/ getting fit/ meditating/ doing yoga/ saving the whales/ is to you, BUT.... ?

If something is important to you, you will find the time or money or energy to participate, even if it's at a small scale. If you don't, then probably something that conflicts is MORE important. Maybe you always dreamed of starting your own business but you haven't and when you think about it, you realize that right now a stable income and benefits for your growing family is more important to you. Nothing wrong with that! Just don't tell yourself you can't - you can! But if something else is a higher priority, then figure that out instead of bashing your head against a wall. And then examine if it really is still more important or if you are just in a rut and old habits & patterns are holding you back.

I'm not saying that figuring this stuff out is easy, but if you spend the time on it, I guarantee whatever goal you are pursuing will be a much more straightforward process.

Wednesday was my work at home day. I got up and swam at the Y, I walked the dogs at lunch, and I did a short (20 minute) kettlebell workout in the afternoon. It feels so good to move my body throughout the day in small (20-30 minute) increments.

By the time I was halfway through prepping dinner I was pooped. I was also not feeling terrific and when I thought about it I realized I had seriously under eaten carbs! A few bites of oatmeal and a mini corn muffin and I felt so much better. Crazy. Anyway, I made the bi bim bap bowl and it was yummy but a bit much work for a weeknight dinner. Leftovers are my friend for the next few days - lunches are set. T is responsible for dinner tonight (yay)!

I am of two minds regarding where I am right now: the scale is still up a pound and seems "stuck" at the weight it's been for the past 3 weigh ins. So that is frustrating. OTOH, my clothes are fitting very differently, my food feels good, my exercise feels fantastic and in general I'm sleeping well and feeling great. Maybe my body is just doing some sort of other change/ adjustments and the weight loss will resume shortly? Maybe I'm over analyzing this? I dunno. Tomorrow is my "official" weigh in where I actually record the number, we'll see what happens!

Take care.

Science experiment and 15 (so far) in 19

Monday my weight popped up 2 pounds. Okay, we'd eaten lunch out and then had taco salad for dinner. I came down a pound yesterday then stayed the same today. Again, taco salad last night. The salt maybe? I dunno.  I've also been eating yogurt and a fair bit of beans. Since I am home today I decided to mix it up.

Today's food:

Protein shake pre exercise. (I swam at 6:30)
Breakfast: omelet with 2 eggs and a little sausage, cheese, and black olives.
Snack: 2 deviled egg halves made with avocado instead of mayo
Lunch: turkey meat loaf & salad
Snack: 2 deviled egg halves made with avocado instead of mayo
Dinner: bi bim bap bowl (Korean flavored ground meat & vegetables) with cauliflower rice
Snack: 100 calories of something

So watching both salt and carbs today. We'll see what happens.

I decided to make a "19 in 19" list of things I want to do thins year - not really goals per se, just things I'd like to finally "get around to." But I've had a hard time coming up with 19, so here is my list so far:

1. make tamales from scratch
2. take the dogs hiking
3. go snorkeling (done before, but its been a while!)
4. Do a 5K (ditto)
5. Make out our wills, POAs, etc. (we don't want our exes grieving in the Bahamas! LOL)
6. Register a new medieval name (don't really like the one I initially picked)
7. Do a pull up (been years)
8. Buy a new swimsuit
9. Teach a class at Pennsic (the medieval battle recreation we go to)
10. Use up my note cards (I want to send more actual real notes - not just email)
11. Cook a recipe from Vincent Price's cookbook. This is an awesome book - what haven't I done this?
12. Cook a recipe from the "City Tavern" cookbook. Ditto.
13. Host a cocktail party in our tiki theme den (when its done)!
14. Wear a dress (to the cocktail party?) note - must buy one first! Lol
15. Go white water rafting (T's been wanting to go back & I've never been).

So that's what I've got so far.

Take care.

Weekend

Our weekend was super busy!

Saturday we had a bunch of errands to run in 3 neighboring towns, so we spent a lot of time on the road. We listened to a Ben Greenfield podcast. He does a lot of stuff on health and wellness - I'm not normally a podcast person, but it was interesting! Anyway, if you are into podcasts I recommend it.

By the time we got home we were pooped, but thankfully got the grocery shopping done after dinner since Sunday was another busy one. I got up early to bake a birthday cake for my FIL (angel food), went to church, met the fam for a birthday celebration lunch at a local restaurant, then came home and knocked out a bunch of food prep. You know the weekend is busy when you set your alarm both mornings - 6:30 Saturday and 6 yesterday. Yikes!

Anyway, back at it again this week. I tried to set us up for success in the kitchen on Sunday because it's a busy couple of upcoming evenings. Monday is band practice and tonight we are planning to attend a meeting of the food ministry committee at church. We have similar but different religious backgrounds (T was going to Lutheran church and I grew up Episcopalian) and that plus moving to a new town for both of us meant we didn't have a church and with busy lives we tried a couple but nothing seemed to stick. Christmas Eve we went to church with my family down in Wilmington and T remarked that he intended to start going to church again because he really missed it. So we went this past weekend to the church we really liked and figured if we got involved in something right away that would help us commit to it. We'll see how that goes.

Scale is bouncing around (ugh) but I should show a loss this week. Exercise is good! We are having a respite from winter and I am taking advantage - yesterday I went for 2 short walks at work in addition to my kettlebell workout. Today I am going to the gym at lunch, plus walked this morning plus hopefully another short one after lunch as well. I donated blood yesterday so I didn't get to the gym at lunch. Food is fine. I made my chickpea greek salad for breakfast - the only problem is I get hungry earlier when I eat that, so I ended up having a mandarin orange plus 6 almonds to tide me over to morning snack. I need to either use it for a snack or make it larger. Which brings me to....

Food this week:

Breakfast: greek chickpea salad 
AM snack: greek yogurt
Lunch: leftovers (yesterday and today it's been lasagna soup) and a salad
Afternoon snack: mock chicken salad (yesterday and today. vegetarian, made with chickpeas) left over from last week - not planned since I already have a chickpea salad!
Dinner: Sunday was taco salad. Monday was meatloaf with mashed cauliflower and salad. Tinight is taco salad. Tomorrow is bi bim bap bowl with cauliflower rice.
Evening snack: maybe nuts, maybe pork rinds?

Okay, I think that's it for now! Take care.

Before and after (the floors)

Kitchen, with everything put back in it:

And the den, with nothing in it! (we're still working on the layout)

And here's the floors that were under the carpeting. Sadly, they were in too bad of condition to be saved, but the craftsmanship was amazing.

I hope you had a nice weekend and have a good day!

Take care!

The obstacle course of food

I was in line at the grocery yesterday behind a gal that worked there. She grabbed some candy while standing there and joked with the cashier about standing there too long and had to buy it. The cashier commiserated and said something about having to look at it all day, to which gal in line replied "I know. Have you seen all the junk food in front of the produce!" So today when I went to the grocery I actually looked, and it's true, they've created a veritable obstacle course of BOGO junk food in front of the produce. It's like a gauntlet you have to run in order to get to the bagged salad! Luckily most of that crap doesn't interest me in the least and I don't even notice it. Now those mandarin oranges on sale.....

My weight today was exactly what it was 2 Fridays ago. I would love to say I lost weight over the holidays, but I didn't gain. I lost a measly pound and a half for December, but the holidays are behind us and now its focus focus focus.

Have a good weekend!

Bye bye old underpants!

As you know, I've been going through the clothes in my guest room. I've donated the too big stuff and added new items into my wardrobe as I've gotten smaller. This has saved me a lot of money, and these are clothes I love enough to have hung on to - so I'm really enjoying wearing them!

One area that hadn't worked was underwear. I kept wearing the same ones for over 50 pounds. Seriously. On one recon mission in the guest room I found a dozen like new pair in 2 sizes down, but at that time they were still too small. Over Christmas I went shopping but wasn't able to find what I wanted in that in between size. After we got back home I thought "what the heck" and tried on the 2 sizes down. And you know they fit. Boom! A dozen new pair of underwear - for free! What a lovely Christmas surprise! Lol!

Yesterday was my kind of day. I got up and went to the Y to swim. Afterward I had a nice shower and used the sauna, then headed home to sign into work and enjoy breakfast and a second cup of coffee. After a productive morning I had homemade soup & salad for lunch then T and I took the dogs for a walk. A productive afternoon and then it was off to the kettlebell gym for a great workout with Brad. We came home to a yummy dinner in the crock pot. I gassed up my car, cleaned the kitchen and did some prep work, then we sat down to watch a little TV before going to bed. (T wasn't feeling great after the workout, so I told him to go soak in some epsom salt and I would clean the kitchen.) We took care of ourselves, enjoyed some time together, and I had a productive work day. Although I enjoy being in the office, that one day a week at home helps keep me sane!

Take care!

Reflection and resolutions

I am trying to take some time to sit down and reflect on what I accomplished in 2018 and what I want to achieve in 2019. These may be related to health, finance, hobbies, or whatever. Some I will talk about here and some not.

On the health front I have come so far I can't even believe it! Not just the weight loss (although losing 50+ pounds is pretty huge!), but making healthy eating, regular exercise, and quality sleep priorities in my life - especially the exercise. I'm exercising 5-7 days a week usually AT A GYM, doing weight training, and that doesn't count dog walks, work walks, beach walks, etc. I am rocking the exercise.

Obviously hitting goal weight is high up on my to do list for 2019, but also I want to do a pull up and start taking the dogs hiking.

I have also started putting together a "19 in 19" list of things I'd like to do this year. Some are health related (like that pull up) and others are just things I've wanted to do and haven't - like using up my note cards. I want to put more personal notes in the mail to people. I'll share the list once it's done, right now I'm up to 10 things I think.

Take care and happy new year!

Finish what you started

About halfway through 2018 I adopted the phrase "Get it over with" after reading a fantastic post with that title over at Runs for Cookies. Meaning: the sooner we get it done, the sooner we can stop worrying about getting it done!

If you are ever bored enough to read my archives, you'll see someone that lost just over 50 pounds and then proceeded to "diet" her way back up the scale and pick up some extra weight along the way. I worried about my weight for years, but due to other stressers in my life I wasn't prepared to deal with at the time, all I did was worry. Last year was the year I decided to stop trying and start doing. I knew I wouldn't get to my goal weight (and to be honest I'm not exactly sure what that number is), but I knew I could get pretty far and make significant improvements in my health.

This year my phrase is "finish what you started." It's a bit misleading - the reality is that there is no finish line in health & fitness, it's a journey of a lifetime! But what I do intend to finish is getting to goal weight. That number is probably somewhere between 140 and 150, which means I have somewhere around 20-30 pounds to lose. I lost over 50 last year, so losing half that seems pretty manageable!

I've laid a solid foundation of sleep, stress management, eating and exercise, and I've created a life where I feel comfortable addressing my feelings instead of eating them. I feel that I'm going into 2019 in a good place and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish this year!

More to come.

Take care.