Ugh

I'm using Chrome, so not sure about the not being able to comment thing. It seems to have started with the new interface. Gah.

So my stepdad has been given 48-72 hours to live. I am sitting here in a holding pattern waiting to find out details about service etc. We thought my great aunt was in her final stages, but she got up and started eating and talking so who knows????

I've probably gained a million pounds this week and I don't care. Whatever.

Thanks, and an update

First, thank you for the comments and well wishes. His doctor is running a ton of tests and mentioned things like thyroid, arthritis (RA is an autoimmune disorder!), etc. She's being very thorough and she also took him off his (new-ish) cholesterol medication just in case it was the culprit/ contributing factor.

Yesterday he reported feeling less stressed (I think I mentioned they've changed his responsibilities at work in the event he ends up needing to go out on FMLA), so he has less on his plate there and I think that alone is helping. Yesterday he had to run some supplies over to the Archdale unit since the manager there had forgotten to order to go supplies. T said that made him feel better in a way "Maybe I'm normal and everyone is forgetting stuff!" I told him I was sure there is some truth to that - we are ALL under an incredible amount of stress and just because we are all experiencing it doesn't make it any less real or scary.

For some reason when I go to other people's blogs and want to comment in only says "google account" but won't let me choose me. SO I can't comment on a lot of other folks accounts which I really hate!

I hope you all have a good weekend.

Oh! I was down a pound this week. I'll take it!

Take care.

Change

Well, they sent out the company wide communication regarding our department's re-organization. It said "effective immediately". When my boss left for vacation last week the timing was still TBD. So, the cat is out of the bag. We'll see what happens. I don't expect anything drastic in the short term.

This morning at breakfast T said he didn't remember the details of yesterday afternoon. Y'all, I am scared.

Take care.

Hanging in there

Thanks Paula - I so appreciate your comments! Do you have a blog?

Our new exercise bike arrived! T asked "Did you order this from Ikea?" Lol. Yeah, maximum assembly required. Eh, we'll figure it out.

Here is a picture:

My pictures don't really show a difference, but I can tell you that after drinking a gallon of water (straight water) every day for a week I am feeling a lot less bloated! I also began using a fiber supplement that I really love (it's from a company called Melaleuca) and lets just say I am more regular than I have ever been.

We've figured out a couple of dessert type things for T in the evening to satisfy his sweet tooth (The orange flavored fiber, a cup of pineapple juice, frozen mango. Vanilla protein powder with almond milk, ice, PBFit powder, and then 1 T each of pb and chocolate chips). His diet is getting overhaued as well. And after the doctor visit Monday he is on board. I am back to packing him an afternoon snack and sending a protein shake to work. He may not be making the healthiest choices there, but that's 1 meal a day and he's at least portion controlling.

Take care of yourselves - you only get one body.

Dr visit

My husband's doctor visit yesterday was a mixed bag. The good was we talked about what was going on (brain fog, short term memory issues, and his knees). Yesterday they did an x-ray of his knees (to rule out bursitis) and we have an appointment with mom's ortho for next Monday. She took about a gallon of blood for various tests (including covid antibodies and thyroid).

The not so good: she ran an EKG and he has an enlarged heart. Next week she is doing an ECG to figure out what is going on there. She is also doing a CT scan of his brain to rule out micro strokes and dementia. I'm not gonna lie, I'm concerned. But at least we're getting somewhere.

Please send some good energy our way.

Take care of yourselves.

For the better

Look at me, posting on a Saturday!

Our company bought a bunch of smaller, not doing so great companies. Which would normally make sense but now there are cash flow issues due to that + Corona. The CFO left back in March and I think the board wanted someone more conservative, hence the thing with the CEO. I actually am taking this as a good sign. The re-org will mean some changes to my job I'm sure, just not quite sure what or how. My boss will be the same at least. Not many companies are really hiring right now anyway it seems (at least here), but I'm willing to stick around a while & see how it goes.
I am more concerned about my husband's health issues. I am going with him for his doctor appointment Monday and we'll walk out of there with a plan of action or on the market for a new doctor. She's been blowing this stuff off for months and its only getting worse.

You can read about 75 Hard here if you are interested. I think it has helped me physically - I have cleaned up my diet and I am getting more exercise and water, but its also given me 1) something to focus on and 2) a sense of accomplishment.

Things are not great, but I am feeling a bit more myself at least. I'll take it.

Have a great weekend and take care of yourself.

Happy Friday

I'm not gonna credit drinking a gallon of water with changing my attitude, but I'm sure it helped. They announced the major re-org of our department yesterday (I had advance warning). Oh, did I mention that our CEO was invited to see his way out the door earlier in the week?

And have I mentioned we can now add brain fog to the mysterious leg/ knee pains my husband has been experiencing?

Yeah, TGIF.

Need a change

Y'all, I have been stressed. I don't want to get into all the details, but let's just say I am feeling pretty overwhelmed right now. I need to do something to help me feel like I can control some things, and be successful at some things.

I decided to do 75 Hard. This is more of a mental toughness challenge than a fitness one, although I am quite sure it will improve my health. Again, this is less about the scale and me feeling like I can persevere with some of the stressful stuff in my life right now. 

More to follow.

Yeah, I'm here

 

It's just been stressful. My work, my husband's work, my husband's knee injury, and I just reached a point where it's just been .. too much. I checked out for about a week. I'm scared to get on the scale. I talked to my doctor about getting some medicinal help and I am hopeful that between that and other measures I can get leveled off and back on track.

TGIF

 

Boring title but it's all I got. Weight was up a half pound - we did go out last night so maybe water weight or what I ate or maybe I'm really up. Oh well, that's not bad at all. 

We didn't get much from the hurricane and mom & the boy came through just fine. We have had several thunderstorms this week and the back yard is just super mushy, making mowing pretty difficult.

I'm glad it's nearly the weekend! I've made good progress on my guest room drapes. I'll post pictures when they are done.

Take care!

Hate the new interface

Well blogger put me back to their new template. I really don't like it. Whatcha gonna do?

That was T this morning. To say his work is stressful right now is a massive understatement. I'm doing my best to take care of stuff here so he can unwind as much as possible.

To that end, we bought a hot tub. Because we have a small yard with limited space to actually set one up, we bought a small inflatable one. We got in last night after dinner and it was really nice! I am hoping that will help him relax and help with the stiffness & soreness of standing all day.

My weight has fluctuated some this weekend and I'm still up a pound from Friday, but I lost 2 pounds last week and 1.5 the week before. So my covid 15 is down to the covid 9.

Take care of yourselves. We're expecting to get some bad weather from the hurricane.

When every day feels like Wednesday

Yesterday I woke up and the first thought in my head was to try & figure out what day it was. Especially because my husband has rotating days off, the days really all run together for me. This week he is off Thursday and Friday, so today is his "Friday" and my "Wednesday". It's both nice and frustrating.

Anyway, took care of some boring stuff around here, saw mom off yesterday, and I finished hemming the new curtains for my guest room. Now I need to make the pleats. It's a 50s room so it gets pinch pleat drapes, what can I say? :-)

Anyway, things are going ok. I've started adding an evening walk, which I am really enjoying.

Take care.

Doing ok

Good morning. Just checking in. I'm doing okay - just the same old same old. I have a very long period (5-6 days. Ugh). So when I dropped 1.5 pounds overnight I was relieved that there was a cause for me staying the same even though I had cleaned up my snacking.

Mom came up for a couple of dr appointments, it's been really nice having her here.

Take care!

Where I'm at

Not too much to report. This week has been less crazy so far. Busy, but less crazy. Work has said we're home and they will evaluate again in September. Salary decrease remains in place. :-(

I'm working on new curtains for my guest room, so that's exciting. It's hot here.

Take care.

What a week

Saturday my mom called, Jan (ex MIL) had fallen and been taken to the hospital. She'd forgotten her phone. Could I drive to Kernersville, get her keys, go to her apartment, and take her the phone? Then Sunday she needed a ride home from the hospital. Also Sunday found out a friend had a massive stroke Saturday. Ed died Wednesday. Also Wednesday T was going to make dinner (pasta carbonara). He was stirring it all together in a bowl and it slipped and it all ended up on the floor. We went out for Mexican and Dos Equis - my weight went up 2 pounds and hasn't gone back down.

How has your week been?

Frustrated

I feel like my stress level is part of the issue. Despite making many positive changes, the weight is just stuck. I have not been as consistent as I should be, but I've certainly been doing much better! In any case, that's where I am right now.

Stress

T's job is just a huge source of stress right now (lots of ridiculous employee drama). The weekend just pretty much sucked, neither of us have been sleeping well, my snacking has been out of control, and I am exhausted. I'm down to 2 pair of shorts and he has none. So it's time to get a grip and start doing the things I know I need to do to help me feel better. Yesterday I packed up all the wine and put it in time out. Lol

It's a start.  Take care of yourselves.

Life's a beach

Wow - I haven't posted in 5 days???? Things are fine - I hustled to get stuff done around the house so that we could come down and spend a couple of days with my mom. It's been awesome! Last night my son and his gf came over to mom's, as well as my old boss and his wife. I haven't seen Rich since February! It's hard to go from seeing someone every day to hardly seeing them at all. When he left he said "I'd rather be your friend than your boss" - I'm glad we've been able to stay friends even though we don't see each other much. He & his wife, T and I all get along wonderfully. We don't have many couple friends. It was awesome to see them both.

We are headed back home tonight. I can't wait for the 3 day weekend!!!

Oh yeah - I agree that having a tub in a house is important. Besides the fact that we actually both enjoy soaking in a bath from time to time, i figure having a tub will be good for resale. Our other bathroom has a tub - but no shower! Lol

Take care.

Random

So just some random stuff.

Bathroom is done (well, their part!). They removed the old tub & walls surrounding it and replaced that with the new step in shower. Since we were getting new shower fixtures, we went ahead and got a new faucet for the sink so it will match. We also replaced the floor since the old one was beige/ tan and went with nothing in the bathroom. They also repainted: walls, ceiling, and trim.

Now, my part! We need to rehang pictures and stuff (obviously), but I am also going to replace the knobs and hinges on the vanity as well as repainting it. That way the whole bathroom will have gotten a refresh. The floor is vinyl. Tile would have been lovely but a lot more expensive. We live in a nice neighborhood, but the houses are generally older and more modest, so we didn't want to sink a bunch of money into the remodel knowing we wouldn't get much of it back when we go to sell in a few years. I feel like what we spent (just under $5K) was reasonable - we will enjoy the bathroom and the update will help us sell the house when it comes time.

My mood is picking up a bit. Elle (at the gym) loaned me a 35 pound kettlebell - I haven't been able to find one anywhere. That will really boost my home workouts!

Other than that, same old stuff. Oh! I read a wonderful book yesterday: "The Whole Town's Talking" by Fannie Flagg. Highly recommend! It was the perfect feel good book for some much needed escapism.

Take care.

Things are different, so am I.

I realized today that my life is very different than it was back in March - I've made some pretty fundamental changes. One obvious one is my daily routine. I used to work out at lunch or after work - with no gym and no commute I have reverted to a previous (preferred) pattern and generally work out first thing in the morning. I walk my dogs nearly every day.

I'd say we are eating at home about the same amount - we didn't used to eat out very often either. I feel like I cook more, but it may be that I am simply prepping less in advance since I am at home. Tim's commute is shorter as well and he is helping around the house more.

My mindset has changed as well.  I'd been unhappy with my commute (although I didn't realize how much!) but hadn't really said anything. A couple of weeks ago I talked to my boss and basically told her I had no interest in ever going back to commuting as frequently as I used to. I think our whole organization has had a mindset shift in this regard, and I don't foresee going in to the office less frequently will be an issue.

My marriage is better. MUCH better. It wasn't "bad" before, but we were both busy with demanding jobs and long commutes and just weren't communicating effectively. Being in the same house for 5 weeks will rip that scab off, pour on the lemon juice, and then grind some salt into it for good measure. Which is to say it wasn't easy - and sometimes it was downright painful, but we held fast to the love we felt and worked our way through to more open and honest communication. Our relationship is the best its ever been and we are committed to putting in the work needed to keep it that way.

I find myself more generous, and more willing to extend grace (for the most part). I also find myself feeling far more protective of my family and immediate circle. I am more willing to let go of unintentional slights and misunderstandings, but more willing to cut you out of my life for toxic behavior.

This pandemic has been a crucible. Things like speaking up for what I wanted with my boss weren't easy, but weirdly enough I feel more willing now to take risks to get what I want and need. There are so many things outside my control - I guess I'm unwilling to voluntarily give up my power over the things I can control.

Lunchtime fail

I planned to do a kettlebell workout at lunch - I made 2/3 through before I stopped. I was outside and it was just too darn hot.

I wish I had positive news to share - just hanging in there. But I guess that's pretty good.

New shower & floor:

Nice birthday

So Sunday was T's birthday and by a happy alignment of the starts, he had the weekend off! We had a lovely time, got together with his family, and found a good balance between getting stuff done and relaxing. It's supposed to rain here all week and be really chilly for several days. Yuck.

Work continues on the bathroom and it's starting to come together! My husband cannot wait to take a shower!!!! Lol

Take care of yourselves.

Blah

World's slowest weight loss plan. Down a half pound. Gah. Consistency is the key, I hope I can find it soon!

Coming soon

They are going to start on the bathroom tomorrow!!! That makes me very happy!

Life's a beach

After a lovely Saturday with my husband, I drove down to mom's yesterday morning. T had to go back to work, but I brought along the daughter of a friend so she could enjoy some beach time and their family could get a break from each other. :-)  It was nice having a traveling companion.

I'm only staying until Wednesday - they are starting on the bath remodel later this week, plus T's birthday is Sunday and we have plans with his family.

Have a good day!

Ugh

Well I had stayed the same, but we ate out 2 nights in a row so now I'm up a pound for the week. Blech. Headed to the beach Sunday to hang with my mom for a few days.

Take care of yourselves.

So this happened

Yeah, that's the wall in our only shower. We do at least have a bath tub in the other bathroom. So we're doing a partial bath remodel.

Better, and what I wanted to post

I figured out how to revert - thank goodness! But I still can't post photos. What the actual heck blogger???

crap

I made the mistake of switching to the new version of blogger. Now it won't let me post pictures. :-(

Monday already

This weekend went by super quickly! Saturday I went to the park and worked out - which felt so amazing! Saturday afternoon I was really feeling down in the dumps. A friend came over and we talked and I rode with her to get potting soil, then I called a good friend in Alaska. It helped so much. I was exhausted and by the time we were ready for dinner I had nothing planned so we ordered pizza. We did get light cheese and double grilled chicken, so it wasn't too off plan. 

Sunday was a much better day! I shopped, dropped some stuff at church, tried out a new mask design for T (which he likes better), mowed the yard, did laundry. It was a lot but I paced myself so I didn't feel too worn out. When T got home we relaxed for a while and then made a really nice dinner: steak with sauteed mushrooms, baked potato, and wilted spinach. It was awesome.

My weight held steady over the weekend so even though I would like to be losing more quickly, I'm calling that a win on the health front. I did not feel like running this morning so I just went for a nice, brisk walk in the cool morning air.

Take care and stay safe.

New Blogger, new hope

I am trying out blogger's new format. I guess I will get used to it.

I lost another pound this week. I am finally beginning to feel some hope that I can relearn my good habits and turn this around. I kept plugging at it, but I will admit I was begin to feel pretty nervous. It was feeling overwhelming.

Things have been tough. My husband has been having a rough time - he's finally back at work, so he's feeling better. It's been emotionally exhausting. I am feeling more positive today.

Take care.

Re-opening for business

So our state is starting to gradually re open. I have mixed feelings, but T is going back to work next week. And he will be the manager of the restaurant here in town!!! So his commute goes from 30 minutes to 5. Especially since he does have to go back some evenings, this opens up a whole new world of his being able to go back to band, maybe rapier practice, the gym, and more time at home.

I am so happy for him - and me! :-)

No mountains

Well, the mountains are still closed. Lol. He wasn't able to stay with a friend and hotels are only open for essential workers, so he is home. It worked out well though, we've had some really heartfelt conversations and I feel like we're pulling together rather than apart in this difficult time. I love my husband so very much - he is such a good man even if he doesn't always see it. I know this is a difficult time for him - as it is for all of us. Sometimes I'm just not sure how to help.

I seem to have turned my weight gain around and have seen some slightly lower numbers. Fingers crossed for me! I'll let you know when I log my weight on Friday.

In other news I am doing the world's longest couch to 5k, because I'll opt to just walk for a week, or I'll miss a run and repeat the week. Good thing I don't have an actual race date! Lol. But I am determined to finish the darn thing!!

Take care.

Home again, home again

We are back home from the beach. It's good to go, but it's good to come home. My bed here is more comfortable :-) I think the change of scenery did us both good and T is looking forward to a couple of days in the mountains.

It sounds like he may be headed back to work soon and I am grateful. This has been TOUGH for him and he has been using food for emotional support, and a couple of evening drinks to relax. My husband doesn't drink regularly - and when he's working he can't on work days. Neither of these are good habits. Luckily he had a doctors appointment today. His knee is tendinitis (he was worried he might need surgery). It isn't anything serious, and his doctor gave him some stretches and chided him for the weight he has put on. I hope it is the nudge he needs. I don't want to harp on him, but I'm concerned. I assured him I would help support him however he asks.

Take care of yourselves!

Recharging

I took tomorrow off work and plan to help mom paint her bathroom. The weather has just gotten better every day, and I've walked on the beach every day but one. I think when we get back home T is going to head up to the mountains and stay with a friend for a couple of days. That is his "recharge" place. We are obviously being very careful, but are trying at this point to balance mental and physical health. NC has reopened somewhat, so there is a bit more flexibility - we are trying hard not to abuse that additional freedom.

Take care.

No shoes, no shirt, (no scale), no problem

Good morning from the beach! Despite a dead car battery (which thankfully happened in town Friday before we left), we arrived safely at our destination Saturday afternoon. It's been a pretty good visit. I am working, but it's so nice to have a change of pace. Not sure it's helping my husband as much as it's helping me, but I do think it's helping.

It was so nice to be down here for Mother's Day. I am so grateful. Other than that, it's basically the same old same old. I am not weighing since I don't have a scale down here, but I can tell you my eating is 1000% better than it was at home. There is an open air produce stand near my mom's house as well as a seafood market. So yummy, fresh & healthy food! Plus some special treats in moderation.

Paula asked whether or not the nutritionist is worth it - I think that depends on you & the nutritionist you see. I firmly believe you can learn something from everyone! It's mainly the extra accountability for me, but having someone review my food log is always helpful. I may know a lot about nutrition, but having someone experienced say "I've seen people have success when they try X" is good - they may see things you don't just because you're too close to it. Hope that makes sense.

Take care of yourselves!

This is hard

We are having a very difficult time. My husband is really depressed. Being a fairly extreme extrovert, sheltering in place is so hard for him. Add being furloughed and he feels he has nothing important going on in his life. I've tried to push him to do stuff here, but I'm afraid it's come across as nagging. We're both stressed. The up side is we are leaving tomorrow to go to my mom's. The state is lifting some restrictions, and we've been super careful over the last 2 weeks so we could go stay at her house and be fairly confident we aren't going to expose her to covid. I'm hoping a change of scenery and pace will help us both mentally.

My weight is up 0.2 pounds this week, which frankly I consider a major victory. I did go back to Lori (nutritionist) Wednesday evening. She said a lot of patients are coming in with 20 pounds weight gains. I stopped mine at 11. It may not fall back off, but I'm hoping that extra boost of accountability will help me. Look if I have to pay $75 a month to have someone look over my food diary, I'm willing to if it helps. My health is worth it.

You guys take care.

Back to what works

For quite some time I was visiting a nutritionist every 2 weeks. After a time it felt silly - do I really need that extra accountability? Right now the answer is yes. She is still open and I have an appointment for Wednesday. I also signed up for Rich Froning's daily workout. I've asked my husband for support.  As Barney Fife would say, I need to "nip it in the bud."

Take care - do what you need to do to take the best care possible of you & yours.

Big virtual hugs.

Fail fast

This has been a super rough week emotionally. I have made poor choices, and have felt a tremendous amount of shame and self loathing over those choices. That is a terrible place to be. Instead to hiding those feelings, I have said them out loud. I have started fresh every day even if the day before was a shit show. I feel like a plane that's been on a trajectory toward the ground. The last 3 days I've begun to pull out of the dive. I can't say I've been wildly successful, but each day has seen some improvement. Right now that may be my definition of "wildly successful."

There is a difference between giving something time to work versus realizing it isn't working and doing something different. I tried to start tracking on SparkPeople and it felt like punishment. Instead of tracking half a day & giving up every day (or just plain giving up), I'm going back to my paper tracking. Right now I need the accountability - even if all I do is write down everything I eat. That will help me take a moment between the desire & the act of shoving something in my mouth.

Last night T wanted a milkshake and Susie and I rode in the car with him. I was afraid that if I were home alone I would binge while he was gone. Secret eating/ drinking - those are really scary behaviors. It's been a long time since I felt the need to eat or drink in secret. If that means I can't be in the house alone right now, then so be it.

Do what you need to do to take care of yourselves.

It is what it is

The good news is my husband is feeling better. But the doctor told him to stay home another week anyway and he ended up getting furloughed. So now we have to figure out benefits etc. What a mess. He is really depressed about it and we are both struggling emotionally. Well, it is what it is. All we can do is move forward, be grateful we live in a state where the governor has a lick of sense, and hope for the best.

Take care of yourselves.

Gah

Weight is up, husband is stuck home because he has a low grade fever (maybe flu, almost certainly nothing else). He isn't getting paid. Will he get to go back to work? My pay was cut, his pay was cut. This sucks, I'm stressed. Like everyone else.

Good grief!

I didn't mean to fall off the side of the planet! My birthday was fine. T is at home for 14 days of self isolation. We don't know if he will be furloughed or just not paid and get to go back or what. So that's pretty stressful. My work is very busy and of course focus is a challenge. Some days are good others are tougher - just like everyone else I suppose.

Anyway, that's all I got. Headed out for a walk.

Take care.

Random observations

I really miss my gym. It's been years since I've run outdoors, but I started a C25K program because I need some challenging cardio. I'm on week 3. I'd forgotten how much more difficult cardio feels when you are dealing with weather and hills and pavement. OTOH I am enjoying it in a masochistic way. I always listen to music at the gym. When I run I either count or sing jodies. No music, just the quiet and me, singing or counting (very quietly). I am enjoying the quiet a lot more - sometimes I turn on Pandora but a lot of times I'll just listen to the birds or wind while I work.

Susie isn't sure what to make of 2 walks a day. Sometimes she seems excited, sometimes not so much. Generally Jordan only goes for 1, but other days she surprises me and wants to go again. We always take her stroller so she doesn't get too tired out.

I've started a new (very large) project at work which includes a systems architect. Let's just say that hasn't gotten off to a smooth start.  T is adjusting to a new routine at work. His business is way down, but his store remains open while a lot in the chain have temporarily closed. So that's a mixed blessing. We've both taken pay cuts, but we're still working when so many are not.

Some days my eating is on point and some days not so much, but it does seem to be smoothing out some. My birthday is Sunday and I ordered myself a couple of books, some nice bath wash, flowerdy keds, and Twin Peaks on Blu Ray. I'm going to try not to feel too sorry for myself - birthdays are a big deal in my family and normally I would be at the beach with my family. Oh well, this isn't forever.

Take care of yourselves!

I'll leave you with a picture of Susie that always makes me smile!

Better

Good morning. Yesterday was a lot better. I did my C25K run, swung my kettlebell 500 times, took the dogs for 2 walks, made dinner. It wasn't perfect - I had insomnia, and I had a snack at 2 AM as a result. That's not good, but I'm trying. Each day is a new one. So I got up at my usual time (no sleeping in and messing up my schedule), walked the dogs and did my swings. Dealt with some work issues first thing, so hopefully that will lead to less stress and better sleep tonight.

Take care.

Easter kinda stunk

I started the day off really sad, was better for a while, and ended it really sad.

Today is better.

Take care of yourselves. This is hard. That's okay that it's hard.

What does TGIF even mean???

In the days of working at home, the days do tend to run into one another. Having said that, there are several things I want to accomplish this weekend so I am looking at some time off work. Work has been very busy, so even though I am home it's not like I don't have plenty to do!!

Weight is still bouncing a bit, I am up 3 pounds on the year. Not the way I want to go, but I'm coming back down and seem to be doing a bit better. Right now I just want to focus on the day to day choices and staying within 5 pounds of where I'd gotten to. If I can do that then I'll feel like I've stayed on a fairly even keel. Maybe that's enough to expect right now.

Stay healthy!

Good morning

I'm still here. Last week was fairly rough for me mentally, but for now at least I seem to be on an upswing. The good weather is helping I'm sure. I know these posts are boring, but so is my life. Lol.

Over 2 years ago I printed a PDF off of Sparkpeople called "30 days of quick and healthy lunch ideas". I'd been struggling to come up with some different ideas - especially since we're all having to get creative based on what we have or can get. The page has been stuck on the side of my fridge ever since I printed it. Sunday I pulled it off and actually looked at the recipes (I've used some before, but it's been a while). I'm sure the page itself is probably gone, but I searched the recipe section and found the tuna and white bean recipe (it's called tuna and white bean salad), which I made using some fresh herbs from a friend's garden. It's really good and a nice change!

I remember about half the time to make myself overnight oats, and dinners have varied. I'm trying to make a snack tray for the afternoon when T gets home. He showers, then we sit on the porch and have some light appetizers to hold us over until dinner. It's been a nice ritual. I usually have a deviled egg, pickles, olives, carrots, grapes, yesterday I had a dab of guac made from a stray half an avocado (not all of that at once!). It lets him unwind, gives us a few minutes together, and I try to make it somewhat healthy.

Tonight I'm doing oven fried chicken with boneless skinless thighs, rice a roni (Don't judge me!), and roasted okra.

I'm not helping with lunch at church on Sunday, but T is making the dessert (a sort of a tiramisu trifle) and I am making fresh yeast rolls. Unfortunately it's supposed to rain, so I don't know what sort of turnout we'll get. :-(

Hope you have a good day - stay healthy.

Getting stuff done

I organized a small area in our barn over the weekend. It's open-ish to the outside, so it was pretty full of dust, pollen, etc. Anyway, I have a pile of stuff to go to Goodwill when they reopen. Other than that, pretty much same old same old. I did go to the grocery for a few things but tried to be very careful, which is hard. other than that I'm just at my house.

Take care.

Could be better, could be worse

Today there were lay offs at work. While I am still employed, a dear friend of 20+ years is not. Two people on our team were let go. My husband's scheduled vacations are cancelled for ??? long. Times are really bad in a way that I can't really wrap my mind around. So I just keep putting one foot in front of the other and getting through. 

Thankfully we are the types to have an emergency fund and live beneath our means. Our goal is to get to the point that we are able to live off only 1 income. We aren't there yet, but that's what we've been working toward for a time. Now that T has taken a 25% pay cut, we are thankful for our lifestyle!

Take care of yourselves!

The show must go on

While I am very grateful and thankful that I am able to work from home, but I admit it can be difficult to focus. I mean, there are always distractions, but add the current situation and yeah, focus in on the day to day minutiae of work can feel difficult.

I am trying to create structure in my day: AM dog walk then settle in to work, take a break at lunch and turn off the computer, then in the evening a walk to workout post work to signal that part of the day is done. That part is working pretty well - it's the staying focused that feels like a challenge! My son has been deemed essential by the Army Corps of Engineers (their boat yard supports some military and coast guard vessels), my husband has been deemed essential (restaurant manager), and I have a mom that's older. Thankfully my family members are all taking this seriously and being careful.

We are all powerless in the face of this - there is only so much any of us can do. It's hard to shut off that part of your mind and worry about setting up a Sharepoint site. :-) Hang tough, one day at a time, blah blah blah. Thanks for reading my little corner of the internet. It helps me just typing it all out.

Big virtual hugs.

30 days to break a habit

I read the other day that it takes 30 days to break a habit. Also, my birthday is in April (no beach trip this year). So I decided that for my birthday I am going to give myself the gift of breaking my evening snacking habit!!  I will be at home - I can make a nice meal and even a little something if I want a bite of something sweet after. But after that I am going to pretend the kitchen is CLOSED! Calorie free beverages only after dinner is over!

Congrats Paula for hanging tough in spite of a longer work day!! That's awesome!

You guys take care of yourselves.

Stress eating

Yeah, it's happening. I'm struggling. Doing some things well - really the day is going well. It's post dinner stress eating that is tough. I've asked my husband to help. Bringing ice cream and chocolate bars into the house isn't the way to do it. OTOH, stress baking probably isn't it either.

OTOH, trying to give myself a little grace.

Don't save it for special

Earlier this week I sent out some of the special cards that a friend had sent. I wanted some people to know they are valued.

Today I took a few minutes to clean up my work area. I wanted it to feel more organized.

I am trying to find my new normal. I am working out first thing in the morning. That's a big change for me, but (like everyone) I am trying to figure out what schedule will work for me while I am at home.

Today is a good day, I 'm feeling positive about my little corner of the world.

Take care.

Thought of the day

I'm struggling, we all are. I started a couch to 5K this morning and ate a healthy breakfast. I'm doing what I'm able to self care. My husband works in food service, he is stressed and scared. I am scared for my family, and myself to a lesser extent. My son is still having to work, my mom is staying at home.  It's hard.

That ended badly

Sometimes my husband is my greatest supporter. Other times he's my greatest enabler. Let's just say last night didn't end well and move on, shall we? After all, today is another day. :-)

Take care.

Plenty of resources

Hi there. How are you? If you are anything like me "mixed bag" is a fair answer. Some days I'm doing pretty well, other days not so much. There has been some binge eating, but I'm getting that pulled back. Right now I'm about to write out a workout to do while I'm stuck here at home. I miss the camaraderie of the gym, but right now staying away from other humans is the healthier alternative.

What else? A lot of cooking, doing yard work, taking my furry co workers for a daily walk. Trying to keep up on the news, but not too much. Trying not to worry about the things I can't control. T is still going in to work on his regular schedule. looks like we will cancel out May trip to Alaska.

In the meantime, there are concerts, free workouts, Patrick Stewart reading Shakespeare every day - all kinds of things to inspire you and help you during this. Sometimes they help, sometimes you just want to binge eat a box of spicy crab poppers that snuck into the freezer at some point.

Take care.

Stormy weather

Anticipating something bad isn't fun. At first this kinda reminded me of waiting for Hurricane Iniki - trapped on an island with nowhere to go. But that isn't quite it - we were about as far inland as you can get on Oahu, on high ground, in barracks built in 1903 with 18" concrete walls designed to withstand shelling. We all knew we would be fine.

Then I remembered something I hadn't thought about in years - waiting for an especially bad storm in west Texas. My roommate and I were sitting out on the balcony watching a sick green sky, just waiting for the proverbial sh^% to hit the fan. It was tornado weather and those are no joke. It's that sense of being utterly helpless in the face of mother nature. You can do some preparing, you may have some advance notice, but moments like that leave you feeling like a speck in the universe. We were (obviously) fine, but it feels a bit like that now.

Not every minute - a lot of this has felt strangely relaxing - being forced to slow down, being given the gift of time. But watching the sky and knowing a storm is coming and there are no guarantees for any of us.

My special gym is still open

I think I may go to the gym tonight. It's a huge space and generally maybe a half dozen people there. My plan is to go, wipe down the handles, work out, wipe down the handles, leave, and wash my hands.

Am I crazy?

Stress shopping

I'm pretty nervous. I haven't bought 6 months worth of toilet tissue, although I might have done some impulse buying of shoes and liquor. Don't judge me. In the meantime, trying to figure out what I want to do for fitness while the gyms are closed.

Take care!

Up in the air

We haven't gotten the "work from home" from on high even though we all do periodically and can. Luckily we have a couple week's worth of food - we generally do. My gyms aren't closed (yet), but I've downloaded a couch to 5K program and am thankful its warm enough to get outside. I also have a variety of kettlebells and a TRX at home.

Take care of yourself.

Oh Friday

Happy Friday. What a week. People are stealing the TP from my husband's restaurant so we made a trek out Wednesday in an effort to find some. INSANE.

Below are a couple of (unappetizing) photos, but they make a point. Sometimes what you want is a certain flavor profile, and you can graft it onto something else and make a new, yummy thing. I diced up boiled egg and added: diced turkey pepperoni, olives. sun dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. I toasted it on a slice of Ezekiel bread and boom! Breakfast pizza toast! It was pretty good and satisfied a craving.

I'm working at home today so I can head to urgent care. I think my seasonal allergies may have morphed into a sinus infection. Ugh.

Have a good weekend!

Be the tortoise

Consistency beats perfection. Two years, 76 pounds. I'm not where I want to be, but I'm a lot farther down the path.

Today's weight 145.8.

Take care.

Doing okay

Is it just me or does time change seems extra hard this year?! I've had a hard time getting up the past couple of days. Instead of going to the gym this morning, I opted to take the dogs for an early morning walk. They went back to bed after that - I wish I could have!!

It's going pretty well - I don't have any answers about cloning myself to get everything done, but at least T and I are talking so I'm not just stewing in silence. :-) LOL

So I took a walk today and I'm going to the kettlebell gym this evening. I've moved a lot during the day. I've done some physical therapy exercises for my shoulder (I back slid A LOT on those!! I have some lost ground to make up there). Food is good.

I've worked at home today so that's given me a little bit of room to recharge.

Weight today: 145.9.

Take care.

One or the other

I have come to a conclusion: with my current work schedule and commute I have enough time to take care of my house or myself. Since I like a tidy house I have to figure out a solution.

Things are okay. I just want more free time!

Work the plan

I need to knock on some wood, things are going so well!  T and I were planning to go away for a day event tomorrow - I know he is really excited about it. I am not. I was out of town last weekend, I am out of town next weekend, and I am cooking at church Sunday. So I was just feeling very anxious about not having some down time. I was able to ask if he'd mind if I stayed home - we don't get a lot of time together and this would have been a day together. OTOH, I would have felt anxious all weekend. He understood and we came up with a plan so we have some stuff together Sunday but we each get what we need Saturday. Relationship communication victory!

It's been a hectic week but I was able to incorporate some of Elle's suggestions. I was able to drop the 3 pounds I picked up last week! I gained 4.3 pounds for the month of February and I'm hoping that March is much better. I'm off to a solid start!

Take care and have a good weekend!

Try again

So, again this week my husband has agreed to prepare a simple meal for when I get home from the gym: stuffed flounder (moosh a thawed store bought crab cake between tilapia fillets), cauli tots, and salad. There is a plan B in the fridge in case its needed. :-)

Today is a double gym day so I packed a protein shake for after I lift this evening. I am doing HIIT at lunch.

Today's food:

AM: coffee with 1/2 1/2 and prunes
Breakfast: chickpea and tofu salad in an extreme wellness wrap, roasted chicken thigh.
Snack: 1/2 c greek yogurt with 70 g blueberries
Lunch: spicy thai soup
Snack: boiled egg, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes
Dinner: we'll see! Lol

Have a good day!

Starting the day off right

After I got T up & out and the dogs fed, I went to the gym and then voted on the way home. So yay me!

My trainer wrote me up some suggestions, which I've already mentioned: additional cardio day, mixing it up, go heavy at the gym, protein shake added for workout days.

Today's food:

AM usual coffee & prunes
Breakfast: 1/2 mini bagel with cream cheese pre workout, omelet with asparagus and mushrooms post.

AM snack 1/2 c greek yogurt & 70 grams mango

Lunch: spicy thai soup with veggies, chicken, and shiritaki noodles

afternoon snack: boiled egg

Dinner: pot roast & roasted root vegetables

Sunday I made a big pot of chili in the crock pot, which we had last night. Lots of leftovers. Tonight is a big pot roast we'll have a couple of nights. Tomorrow I am making a big pot of ground beef veggie soup. So 3 large meals with a lot of leftovers. No excuses! :-)

Take care.

Prepared

Happy Monday (ha ha).

I took Friday off for a quick trip to the beach to celebrate my son's birthday. It was fast but nice. Yesterday was a whirlwind of shopping, laundry, and food prep. Thursday night we had a SITUATION at the house - I got home from the gym (starving) at 7 PM and the husband who had promised to cook dinner was on the sofa watching TV. Chicken was nowhere near done and sweet potatoes were so overdone as to be inedible. I didn't lose my cool, but I left and got take out. So yeah, let's just say that this week all meals are being prepared or at least prepped by me in advance and there will be an emergency back up available in case of failure.

I had gotten down to 145. Today's weight is 149. The journey to regain lost ground begins today, with a single bite. Lol.

Take care.

Hello DOMS, my old friend

Oh yes, I am sore from yesterday's workout. It's been a while. :-)

Also, a good article on cultivating healthy habits I read yesterday. Some great tips!

Have a good day.

Tuesday

Chatted briefly with Elle - she & Brad are going to write out some details & suggestions for me. They are awesome. :-)  I did a good workout today and did some heavy lifting - some really good bench press. It felt terrific!

I wrote down last week in a book so I could give it to Elle, but I do (sometimes) track using SparkPeople, which will track my macros. So yeah, I will probably do that next week so I can see where they are.

I'm just glad to have some ideas for changing things up.

Take care.

Some possible changes

Good morning and happy Monday (Lol).

Meeting with Elle went well - she took my book home to review it with Brad (her husband, co owner and also a trainer), but things she tossed off the top of her head:

• At least 1 day lift heavier
• When I do weights at home, do snatches and not just my high volume swing workouts
• Add in an extra session or two of cardio (currently I do 3 sessions)
• Mix up my cardio more - add in the rowing machine
• Add protein - up my calories a bit

I like all of those ideas - any of them is easily doable. And yes Vickie, I agree about the macros. I will admit I don't really want to religiously count my macros, but I'm willing to build my food plan with them more in mind. At this point I'm willing to try everything she said.

To that end, today's session on the elliptical was HIIT, 23 minutes totoal, and I did a couple of sessions of going backward rather than forward. A small change but one Elle specifically mentioned since it works the muscles in a slightly different way. Anyway, wish me luck.

Take care and have a good week!

Yep, stuck

I am glad I am meeting with Elle tomorrow - my weight seems to be well and truly stuck. And I get HUNGRY when I go below 1600 or so, and I am not going to starve myself. I need to change the equation in a way other than "eat less".

It snowed here - roads are basically okay, just really pretty. AND COLD!!! :-)

Have a good weekend.

Snow!

It's supposed to start snowing this afternoon! I am at home again today for an appointment, and I'm glad since it is supposed to start snowing mid afternoon.

The house next door to us sold to an investor and is being fixed up. We are glad - the gentleman that lived there had reached a point where he couldn't take care of it (or himself we're pretty sure), so I see it as a win that he hopefully has better care and it will certainly help our property value. So yay!

My weight seems pretty well stuck between 145--147, so I am hoping I can get some good feedback from Elle.

Food so far today:
AM usual coffee & prunes (100)
Breakfast: grits with 1/2 T butter and a piece of sauteed tilapia (295)
Snack: muscle milk light (100)
Lunch: chickpea salad with extra vegetables and 1/4 c of quinoa (350)

Afternoon snack will be a boiled egg. Dinner tonight is a chicken soup recipe with sweet potato that sounds yummy.

Take care!

Still writing

Boy has the morning flown by.

I got up and went to the gym after I got T off to work. He still isn't feeling great, but a little better. Now my mom is sick as well. There's a lot of crap going around. I'm okay (knock on wood.)

I ate 3 oz of the corned beef last night, maybe 1/4 of the thousand Island and opted for baked tomatoes instead of a salad. I am working at home today so things are a bit different:

AM: 2 cups coffee with 2 T half and half, 2 prunes - 100 cal
breakfast: 1 egg, 1 oz turkey breakfast sausage, slice cheese on a slice of ancient grain bread - 280
lunch: Mediterranean tilapia quinoa bowl with okra - 335

snack: ??
Dinner: Shrimp and grits

Yesterday I didn't get in 10,000 steps and my calorie burn was lower - barely over what I ate according to the Fitbit. Hopefully I will be more active today. OTOH, I did HIIT at the gym yesterday so my calorie burn is questionable.

Take care!

Writing down all the things

Good morning. I'm on day 4 of writing down all the things. No lie, it's a bit of a hassle. Also, there is an incentive to not mindlessly nosh or take a bite if you have to write it down! And there's no point in NOT writing it down, because if I'm not honest I can't get good feedback.So yes, I have been dutifully logging - the good and not so good.

I got a lot of good quality sleep over the weekend which was a really nice change. I actually slept in a couple of mornings! I also spent A LOT of time trying to get caught up on housework. I finally put away the Christmas stuff that has been stacked on the back porch for forever. Yesterday was the warmest day of the weekend so I worked on the porch and took the dogs for a walk. I have to admit by the end of the weekend I was sick of cleaning and I just wanted to do something fun. T is sick - not the flu but a virus with very flu-like symptoms, so that stinks.

Also, I am hungry.

Here is food today:

AM: 2 cups coffee with 2 T half and half, 2 prunes - 100 cal
snack: 2/3 c greek yogurt, 70 g frozen mixed berries - 170
lunch: shrimp quinoa bowl - 325
dove dark chocolate (1) - 31
snack: 4 T hummus, baby carrots - 100
2 turkey sausage snack sticks - 90

That puts me at 1116 so far for the day.

Dinner:
extreme wellness wrap - 50
provolone - 80 per slice
corned beef - 45 per oz
thousand island 70 for half of what I made up
saurkraut
salad & dressing (70)

Not sure of how much of these things I will eat. The way I feel now the answer would be all of them and my husband's arm. LOL  I will report back.

Take care.

The beginnings of a plan

Okie dokie, took my measurements and had a LONG chat with Elle at the kettlebell gym. For the next week I am tracking all the things - exercise, food, fitbit steps etc. I am going to show my log to her next week and we are going to develop a plan. We will see how that goes. I could totally sign up for Nerd Fitness (and I might eventually), but right now I plan on taking advantage of the expertise I have already available.

If anyone is interested in me posting that log, let me know!

Next steps?

The last 10-ish pounds are feeling H-A-R-D, and I'm feeling stuck.  I've talked about counting macros, but I keep not doing it. I feel like I need help! I am seriously considering signing up for some one on one coaching through Nerd Fitness. While not cheap, I can afford it and I think it might give me some new direction, not to mention motivation and accountability - and a fresh perspective!

Hope you have a nice Valentine's Day (if that's something you celebrate), and a great weekend!

Crazy week

Sorry about disappearing - it's been a hectic week. I am adjusting to the new work area & office, although not happily. I've been feeling kinda tired - things aren't getting caught up as quickly around the house as I had hoped, but that's okay. Weirdly enough we have Monday off - I'm not going to complain!! Maybe I can catch up this weekend.

Take care.

Good weekend

Hope you had a nice weekend. I did, just not long enough! I did get darts put in my work pants - they are still a little loose, but the waist fits better in them now. they will do until capri season. :-)

Weather here is crazy. Tornadoes Thursday, snow Friday. Nuts.

I have had a slight cold - not terrible but enough that I don't feel like doing much. Hopefully I will get it kicked to the curb soon.

Have a good week!

The wrong side of the bounce

So last Thursday saw a large overnight drop in the scale, the weekend saw a large increase (and there wasn't any rhyme or reason), then a gradual slide until this morning's mysterious increase. UGH. My plan is to review the results of my hydrostatic testing with my trainer and formulate a plan to help tackle the last 5-ish pounds of fat.Hopefully I won't go insane.

Have a great weekend!

Ugh

The scale is doing that annoying bouncing thing. Ugh.

Turn the page

Yesterday was my first day in my new office. I hate it. My old office was so nice. The area around the building was so nice - woods behind so we saw deer, turkey, groundhogs, etc. It was at the end of a pretty quiet industrial park, which doesn't sounds nice but it really was. My office was big and I had 2 windows. Everyone had windows! We enjoyed getting out and walking when the weather was good.

The new office is tiny and of course there are no windows in the space at all. The cubes are worse. It's so depressing. And the area is highly developed so walking means in a busy parking lot.

And I loved the old place not just because it was so nice, but because my office was next to my boss, and we actually had adjoining offices. It made for easy conversation. At first I found him a little intimidating, but gradually we developed a terrific rapport and had an awesome working relationship. That office was the nicest work space I've ever had, and the fact that I had one of the nicest offices in the building (even though they were all pretty nice) was a symbol of the value my boss place in me and the work I did on the team.

Take care.

New clothes

Well, we've moved to the new building (a post about that later). That means business casual instead of jeans. All my slacks I bought in early December were a little too big (especially in the waist). In intend to simply take them all in, but yesterday that felt like a lot of work. I did one pair, sorted skirts so I would know what still fit, and went to Goodwill. I got a pair of pants and 5 tops for under $30. I am in 12 pants and medium tops. So that was cool. I feel better about my clothing options - or I will once I put darts in all my pant waists!

Take care.

Big sigh of relief

I have stuff to post but very little energy. For now:

I passed my Project Management Professional certification. That's a HUGE stressor and time suck off my plate.

Lost 0.6 pounds this week, for a total of 3.5 this month.

Enjoy your weekend. I think I will collapse.

IIFYM

I was reading an article the other day about counting macros.  Given the speed (or lack thereof) of my current weight loss, tracking calories doesn't feel sufficient. Maybe I will give this a go, although a part of me is like "Ugh! That just smacks of effort!"

Other than that, sale old same old.

Take care.

Happy day (Friday!)

Happy happy Friday, it's been a weird week - looking forward to the weekend.

So yesterday's post prompted some discussion! And no, not planning to do Medifast. I found the discussion interesting because 1) that's where my husband's mind went and 2) I thought about it for more than 2 seconds. :-)

Yesterday I went to Planet Fitness before work to walk on the treadmill for half an hour.  According to my Fitbit, that workout burned 187 calories. (According to the treadmill, I burned 160). After work I went to Masters Fitness and did a kettlebell workout.

Two rounds of Turkish get ups (2 per side). This is an extremely challenging exercise (which I love). If you aren't familiar, here is a video. This exercise is the bomb and it's way harder than this guy makes it look!

Next up:

5 swings followed by 7 goblet squats (4 rounds)
5 swings followed by military presses - 3 per side (4 rounds)
5 swings followed by cleans - 3 per side (4 rounds)
5 swings followed by snatches - 3 per side (4 rounds)

I used the 31 pound kettlebell for these swings.

Next was a sequence where you squat, curl, stand, do a dead lift, then put the bell down - 2 sets of 7 rounds. I used the 26 pound for this.

Lastly you moved to another board which had 2 15 minute swing workouts - I did 20 minutes, 400 swings, using the 26 pound bell.

The total workout took me 45 minutes and according to the FitBit burned 324 calories, which does not count the afterburn. Most of the workouts at the gym I do are more CrossFit style, but sometimes I enjoy just focusing on the kettlebell and really powering through it. It was cold and I really didn't want to have to leave the house, but I had to anyway so I followed it with a trip to the gym and I am so glad. In related news, I have graduated from physical therapy and am now doing everything and am ready to rebuild strength lost when I was unable to do some shoulder exercises.

Food today is pretty usual, but lunch is seafood tacos on lettuce with salsa and homemade guac.

If you are curious, I ate my pb & pecan overnight oats again for breakfast - I love it! Here's the "recipe":

Put 1/2 c. oats, 2/3 c. plain unsweetened almond milk, and 1 tsp. chia seeds in something with a lid and stick it in the fridge overnight. Next morning stir in 2 Tbsp. PB2 powder and 7 g (6-7) pecan halves, broken up. 285 calories, tastes amazing.

Have a great day!

The old calorie calculation mystery

I read a pretty good article yesterday about estimating your caloric needs. It's not just written for weight loss and discusses the pros and cons of a couple of different methods. Whatever method you use, really you need an estimate of your body fat percentage. Without that you are going to be off the mark as lean body mass components and body fat use fat for fuel at very different rates. Being a numbers geek, I thought it was interesting.

Speaking of interesting, I had an interesting conversation with my husband at the breakfast table.  He and his ex did Medifast and both lost a significant amount of weight. He gained the bulk of his back, but she kept hers off for quite awhile before regaining some when they divorced. Anyway, I expressed my frustration at the snail's pace of the scale and he offered to order me Medifast for a month. He said he felt like I could take 10 pounds off, although he admitted I'd probably regain a few when I went off it.

Price aside, would it be worth it? Do something radical to get off those final 10 pounds? Then go back to the way I am eating now? I dunno.

Semper Gumby (always flexible)

Good morning. Time got away from me and I didn't get to the kettlebell gym yesterday. That's okay, I did an awesome kettlebell workout at home! While there's plenty to love about the gym, sometimes it just doesn't work with my schedule and when it doesn't I appreciate having a fallback plan.

I try to keep a plan "B" both for food and exercise - that's why I try to keep 2-3 meals available in the freezer if we need a quick dinner, a couple of healthy choices for snacks on hand, and some prepped breakfasts in the freezer for T. That way when we do go out, it's because it's something we want to do and not just a quick way to get some food.

I know I sound like a broken record, but IMO planning and planning a backup is critical to success in anything you do.

Take care!

Choices

Sunday night we wanted to go out to dinner - a date night. I wanted something enjoyable but also somewhere I could make a healthy choice. I love going to local restaurants, but that does require a bit of planning if you intend to stay "on track" (whatever track you're on). This wasn't a special occasion - just wanted to go out together.

We ended up going to Bonefish Grill, which is a chain. I was able to choose a seafood entree and sides that I really enjoyed and were well within my calorie and carb parameters. It's easy to go over in a restaurant - the roasted brussel sprouts with ham side vegetable had over 600 calories! That's more than I had for my entire meal!! That's the plus side of going to larger chain restaurants IMO.

I have really nothing of interest to say. Meals for the week include:

B: overnight oats
S: yogurt & fruit
L: quinoa with cauli rice bowl with shrimp and salad
S: Boiled egg

Dinner tonight is a seafood lasagna. I went to PLanet Fitness this morning and am going to the kettlebell gym this evening. I have a load of gym clothes to wash. Also, I guess clothing makers think women that exercise have no hips. I need a large in workout tops (usually), but they are always way to baggy in the under arm area if I want them to fit in the hips. SO I end up having to put darts in them. Sigh. No matter how much weight I lose, finding clothes that fit my figure (at least in some departments) remains a challenge!

Have a good day!

Non scale boost

Now that the losses are slowing to a crawl, sometimes finding those little boosts to encourage me to keep going can feel challenging. Yesterday we went to Kohl's - I had a 30% off coupon and I was looking for some gym socks and underwear. (It was a no go on both.) I did find a cute pair of fleece PJ bottoms (with dogs) for my husband. As we were ambling toward to the front of the store and the checkout, I noticed a T-shirt display.

A few years ago my husband bought me several T-shirts for my birthday. Some we got at Target and some at Catherine's. (I'm guessing it was 2017). I love having a nice, soft, comfy T-shirt to wear in the spring & summer - not your usual white tee with some graphic on it, I mean a woman's T-shirt that is flattering, but not too tight. As I lost weight those no longer fit and I haven't found any suitable replacements, although I've looked around a lot. Luckily I found 2-3 in my tubs of too small clothes (with tags!), but now even those are a little large. I picked one up - just what I was looking for! I grabbed a large and started toward the fitting room. Then I turned, and said I should probably grab a medium as well "just in case." Well, you know which one fit, right!? So now I'm pretty well stocked up on T-shirts come spring. :-)

As far as the scale, I am actually 0.1 pounds less today than I was Friday. It always feel good to come out of a weekend not having put on weight (even if it's just bloat from a salty meal or something). Weekends can be a challenge, but I try to make smart choices and keep it between the proverbial rails.

Have a good day!

One man's trash is another man's treasure

I thought of that saying yesterday morning as I headed for PF for 30 minutes on a "dreadmill."  Yeah, I despise fasted cardio and the drive plus walk between building and car & scanning in & wiping down equipment etc. all adds up to 50 or so minutes I could be doing something else in place of a "workout" where my heart rate will top out at less than 120. What's the point? For me it's a way to set my intention for the day. I'm up, dressed (albeit in workout gear), out of the house, and active - all before work!

I've also found with everything going on in my life right now, exercise is my island of sanity in the midst of a lot of stuff. It helps to keep me anchored to self care, and it helps my perspective.

Breakfast and lunch were the same, AM snack was the infamous triscuits and a slice of cheese, afternoon snack was skipped. Dinner was beef vegetable soup and a salad.

Today is the same old same old for food. Down 0.6 pounds this week. Remember what I said about being in workout gear most of the day? Yeah, got home from running errands and realized I was wearing this:

No wonder I got some funny looks!

Have a good weekend!

Double time

I didn't take a picture, but accountability for food:

AM: Usual 2 cups of coffee and 2 prunes
Breakfast: 2 baked corn tortillas with refried beans, salsa, and guacamole.
Snack: Plain yogurt with blueberries
Lunch: spicy Asian salmon bowl. It's got salmon with matchstick carrots, marinated cucumber, avocado, cilantro and sesame seeds with a spicy mayo over a bed of cauliflower rice and quinoa.
Snack: boiled egg with 1 T mayo
Dinner tonight is black beans, baked chicken, and a salad.

Yesterday I went to Planet Fitness for 30 easy minutes on the treadmill early in the morning (before work). After work I went to the Kettlebell gym and did a short but intense workout. I will likely replicate that same workout at home Thursday rather than going to the gym (in the interest of time). T has the staff meeting and I'll need to get home to feed the dogs.

Both workouts were relatively short so please don't think I'm overtraining (HA!), think of it as a 1 hour workout broken into 2 parts. :-) In any case, it helps keep me focused and keep my energy up. I am taking today off since I am using my lunch break to get a much needed haircut.

Have a good day!

Back to normal

Since I am working at home today and I have food in the house I can actually take the time to prepare my food and get back to my regular eating routine. I love travelling, but my stomach doesn't always enjoy it, if you know what I mean. I ended up taking a famotadine and Tums yesterday when I got home. Thankfully it seems to be back to normal today.

The unseasonably warm weather is creating havoc around here - thunderstorms and tornadoes. Yes, walking on the beach Saturday was great but this isn't good. It should be winter, not tornado season.

Take care!

Beach trip!

We had a great trip - the weather was awesome and I had a great time visiting with my old boss & his wife, long time friends, and of course my family. We got home later than planned, but managed to run out and grab most of the groceries. I am eating a tv dinner for lunch today (it's an Amy's organic, so not total garbage). I will catch up this evening & tomorrow. No regrets.

Now back to reality - which includes studying.

Have a good week.

Tracking works

Good morning and happy Friday.

I lost 1.5 pounds this week, so yay me! I'm at 146.7 this morning - the lowest I've been in many years. Tracking and being consistent with my exercise has helped not only my weight loss, but my mood as well. Yes I am still stressed, but T's schedule is getting back to normal now that the holiday insanity is over and I am beginning to feel like I might pass this D^%$ exam at the end of the month. :-)

We are going to the beach this weekend. Yeah, there's plenty I could do around the house, but I need a break!

Food yesterday:

AM: usual coffee with 1/2 1/2 and prunes (100)
Breakfast: breaded chicken breast (280)
Snack: 1/2 cup black eyed peas (100)
Lunch: the Greek chicken thing I've been eating - 345
Snack: slice of cheese, slice of salami, 3 triscuits (160)
Dinner: 2 of the meatballs that were leftover, 2 homemade manicotti (made with lowfat cottage cheese) and steamed broccoli (550)
Snack: half ounce cashews (80) and a diet ginger beer with a twist of lime (0)

I did assisted pull ups at the gym last night for the first time since my injury and they felt fine!

Have a good weekend!

Another day

Good morning.

I am working at home today. After 3 days of oatmeal I felt like something different for breakfast today, so I had a breaded chicken breast (280 calories). Other than that I had my usual coffee & prunes (don't judge me!). :-) Lunch will be the same that it has been. Not sure yet about snacks.

Even though I am going to the gym this evening for weight training, I did go to Planet Fitness this morning for a 30 minute walk. On the treadmill there I typically walk so that my heart rate is between 110-120. When I work out like I did yesterday at lunch, I use the elliptical and may have hills and speed changes - my heart rate is generally in the 130s-140s. I just wanted to get in some movement before the workday began.

Not too much to say - I will wrap up physical therapy on my shoulder in the next couple of weeks. It feels like it's pretty much back to where it was before I fell. I plan to start taking a good joint supplement and do some of the PT exercises ongoing.

It's chilly but sunny, so I hope to get the dogs out for a walk after lunch.

Have a good day!

Food

Good morning. Yesterday was a busy day. When I am at home I sometimes will vary my snacks a bit or have leftovers for lunch instead, but yesterday I stuck pretty close to plan.

Tuesday:

AM: 2 cups coffee w/ 2 T half n half, 2 prunes - 100 calories
Breakfast: peanut butter & pecan oatmeal (oats, almond milk, PB2 powder, pecans, flax seed) 300 calories
Snack: slice cheddar cheese and 3 triscuits (leftover from the holidays) 140
Lunch: Greek chicken rice bowls, adapted from Skinny Taste. I used quinoa in place of rice and added raw spinach and adjusted measurements a bit. 345 calories
Snack: deviled egg - 100 calories
Dinner: chicken thigh and the world's smallest chicken leg, skin removed. Green beans. 3 bites of a biscuit, half a cookie. I was at church, tired and really hungry. You see what happened. Ugh. Simple carbs were available and I mindlessly went there. Luckily I stopped myself and threw the rest of the biscuit and cookie in the trash!

Wednesday:

AM: 2 cups coffee w/ 2 T half n half, 2 prunes - 100 calories
Breakfast: peanut butter & pecan oatmeal - 300 calories
Snack: plain Greek yogurt & mango - 130
Lunch: Same Greek chicken rice-less bowl as yesterday. 345 calories
Snack: deviled egg - 100 calories

Dinner tonight is leftover seafood chowder I made Sunday and a spinach salad. Soup and salad will be roughly 400 calories, which will put me around 1400 for the day, leaving me room for a small after dinner snack.

Workout today is elliptical at Anytime Fitness at lunch - either 30 minutes at a pretty good heart rate or HIIT for 20.

Take care.

No sleeping in

Yesterday since I went into the office, I struggled when the alarm went off at 5, hitting snooze twice and feeling like a zombie. Naturally since I am working at home today AND T is at home (he is sick), I couldn't sleep late, waking up and laying there until conceding defeat and getting up at 5:30. I cleaned the kitchen, had a cup of coffee & 2 prunes, fed the dogs, and headed off to Planet Fitness for 30 minutes on the treadmill. My neighborhood is fine for walking but that early it's dark and cold, so I am just not feeling it.

Not 100% sure what I am eating today since I'm at home so I will have to report back tomorrow. I hope you have a good day!

Monday, fun day

Good morning. It was a productive weekend. Saturday morning I went to the gym and did my workout, then I helped with the "learn to swing" class, then we filmed a short video. Yes, there are going to be some videos posted on the gym's web page. I will share a link when they start going up.  I also did my grocery shopping and some studying.

Sunday I went to Planet Fitness to get in a 30 minute brisk walk. They know their  demographic well - the "PF" channel on the tv shows music videos, primarily from the 1980s. I am obviously their target audience age! LOL After I got home I studied, ate lunch, then spent the next several hours cleaning the house! By the time dinner rolled around I was exhausted!!  I also took the dogs for a walk since it was a sunny day - they really enjoyed that.

So today I am whipped, but feel like I got a lot done.

I said I wanted to lose weight in January and that means going back to tracking my food! So in the interest of accountability:

This is a photo of what went in my lunchbox. I had 2 cups of coffee with 2 T each of half and half + 2 prunes (100 calories) at the house, followed by a bowl of oatmeal with protein powder, chia seeds, pecans, and mango (340 calories).

Pictured:
1 boiled egg (I will add mustard and maybe mayo, so call it 100 calories)
1/2 c plain full fat greek yogurt + raspberries (135 calories)
Lunch: 3/4 c protein plus spaghetti noodles (165) + 3 Omaha steak meatballs (280) + marinara (35) + cooked zucchini
Baby carrots, a large carrot if the baby ones aren't fresh, and a few cherry tomatoes

Dinner tonight:
Leftover stir fry - 4 oz chicken breast (110) + stir fry veg (70) + oil to saute (100?) + 1/2 c rice (120) + 3/4 c cauliflower rice (25)

That puts me at nearly 1600 calories, which is right around where I like to be, so I'm not going to plan an after dinner snack. If I am genuinely hungry I will look at something less than 100 calories.

Since I am donating blood at lunch today, I did a 30 minute kettlebell swing workout this morning. 30 minutes, 600 swings with a 25 pound bell.

Here's to forward progress!

Take care.

New year, same me

We started off the new year by (finally) celebrating Christmas with my in-laws yesterday. It was a busy day running errands, which I hated because I know T would have loved a day of doing nothing - he is whipped. But it was good. Made stir fry at home last night and picked up hot & sour soup to go with it. Down a half pound this week. Hitting the gym tomorrow morning where I will work out and then attend Elle's "learn to swing a kettlebell" class - gotta support!

Decorations are pretty much down - planned to just do a little and just kept going. Agenda for the weekend: STUDY. Gah. I feel like this torment will never end.

Take care.