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.

Happy New Year

Well, I ended the month at the same weight I started it. Given my stress levels I guess that's not too bad. I lost a little over 21 pounds this year. Not great but not terrible. But I'm ready to wrap this up. Goal for January 6.5 pounds. We'll see.

Happy New Year!

Keeping it real

Just to keep it real, coming off those Christmas carbs SUCKS.

Home again

Well, it was a lovely Christmas. I'm back home. I think the hub and I are going to exchange gifts tonight - we'll see how he feels when he gets home. :-)

It was a nice trip, but now it's time to hit a couple of big goals: passing my PMP and hitting 140 on the scale. And since there is no time like the present I am starting today! Yes, we are eating Christmas dinner leftovers tonight (which I will enjoy), but I will eat a reasonable amount and I am going to walk the dogs and hit the gym today. The rest of the day is business as usual food wise and I have 2 study sessions planned in (I've already completed 1 this morning). Go me!

Happy holidays!

Balance

I find this time of year to be about balance. It's not the time to try and "white knuckle it" on a 1200 calorie per day diet, nor is it the time to say "Christmas only comes once a year" as you dive into a giant fruitcake. Special occasions come on a regular basis, so I try to find the happy medium.

For me that means I came down and had lunch yesterday at a special restaurant mom wanted me to try. I had their homemade corned beef hash & home fries with poached eggs. I ate half and sent the rest home with my son. Then I ate baked fish & sauteed zucchini for dinner. I got up and had one of my regular breakfasts then swung a kettlebell for 30 minutes. I had sauteed fish for lunch with diced avocado and tomato on top (it was delicious!), then my afternoon snack was a cup of coffee with one of mom's homemade ginger snaps. :-)

Every meal or snack doesn't need to be a party in my mouth - not even this time of year.

Take care.

Same old, same old

I weight the same as I did at the first of the month. Given the stress and the holidays, maybe I should be satisfied with that. But I'm not.

Nothing much to say

It's been a busy week - tying up loose ends at work since folks are getting ready to go out (including me!), busy at home, blah blah blah. So glad I postponed my test. I didn't even realize how utterly stressed, burned out, and utterly exhausted I was. I am beginning to regroup and feel like I have a handle and a plan.

Weight is around the same. Eh.

Decision Made

I re-scheduled my exam. Again. Part of me is frustrated with me, but I don't feel ready, and the more stressed I get the harder it is to focus, the harder it is to study, and around and around... So I rescheduled for January 31. That gives me PLENTY of time to study and be ready. I made my decision, maybe now I can stop having stress dreams and comforting myself with food. GAH.

A good night's sleep

Last night we were falling asleep on the sofa and decided to go to bed. It was 8 PM. I woke up this morning at 7 AM. So yeah, 11 hours of sleep. Gosh, do you think maybe I was exhausted???? A good night of sleep and a good workout at the gym have me feeling a lot better. I still have a lot on my plate, but I'm feeling a lot more like myself.

A new low on the scale - 146.9. I have no idea how long it will take me to get to "goal" (whatever that may be), but I continue to head in the right direction, despite the rough week.

Take care.

Hanging on

Down another half pound this week, which is amazing since I am NOT exercising and am turning to food for stress reduction. Dude, I have to take care of myself and I'm not. This isn't good. I don't feel confident about exam prep at all. I may postpone (again) just for the sake of my sanity. Then do I create test anxiety if I keep postponing? ARGH.

Conflicted

One of the gals from my class came over and we studied today. Ugh - sometimes I feel like I am getting this stuff and sometimes I am like a deer in the headlights! It's been a very long time since I had to study for a test, let alone a 4 hour standardized computerized exam! 

Christmas cards are mostly done, mom headed back home (with ex MIL in tow), house is reasonably picked up, I have a cleaning gal coming Monday which will get me through the holidays at least.

I haven't hardly worked out this week and I MISS IT.

Still here

First, thanks! It's a volunteer position (so it's a job, just not a paid one! LOL). But still, I'm excited. At least I will be if I ever have time to think about it. :-)

Doing okay, studying, trying to stay sane. Trip to Georgia was fine. Alma is really going downhill and it's sad. But she's still healthy, so even though her mind is terrible and her quality of life is crap, her body is hanging tough. :-(

Juggling way too many things. Studying but reminding myself if I don't pass on the first try it's okay - I just study more & take it again. Not the end of the world - just a bit more money.

You guys take care!

Oh, my dining room retro tree!

Trying

In various news:

• I lost a half pound this week. I need to focus on the positive. Not a lot, but the right direction!

• I have started studying. The amount and difficulty of the material is daunting. But I've started.

• A while back I applied for a national level position of the non profit we are active in. I got it! So, I'm excited, but hope I pass this exam before training for that gets going too much.

Mom and I are headed to Georgia to see my great aunt this weekend. (Have I mentioned that?) I don't feel like I have time, but it's important, so off we go. The tree is up and has lights and beads, maybe ornaments will happen soon!

Oh, we shot a short promo video for the kettlebell class! It's like 3-4 minutes long and includes an unwanted intrusion by my dog and my spouse then coming in and grabbing her up. Keeping it real. LOL

Have a good weekend!

Doing (mostly) okay

Sorry for not blogging - just isn't a priority right now. I'm doing okay, doing what I can when I can. I lost a pound in November, but hey - I LOST a pound in November, even with Thanksgiving right at the end, so I feel like I'm holding my own on the health front.

Insane schedule

The good news is I started physical therapy on my shoulder, which is great! But that is also one more layer of complexity on an already insane schedule. Seriously, between physical therapy, T's wack work schedule, holidays, work, shopping, I feel like I am being pulled in 567 directions at once. I find myself getting overwhelmed, which stresses out my husband, which I hate because right now his work is stressful enough. ugh!

Yesterday I went to breakfast with my in-laws, hit the gym, ate with friends (Jan was going to come over but she was sick), then fixed a turkey and we had a quiet meal when T got home. It was nice, but after dinner I spent probably 30 minutes wandering around the house just putting stuff away! LOL It does look better headed into the weekend at least. Very few leftovers left other than turkey, which was the plan.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Don't get discouraged - you don't have an expiration date!

Congrats to Paula who mentioned in the comments that she's had a run of a couple of good days. Awesome! Build on that and keep going!!

There's a lot of food around this time of year that isn't normally. And if you are the sort that wants to enjoy your grandmother's cornbread dressing or those special German Christmas cookies, I'm not going to judge you! It becomes a problem if you can't moderate those foods. Then it's easy to allow the stress of the season or the availability to short circuit your brain and justify having "just one more", which is often more like "all of them."

So there is a whole mindset built up around what a minefield this time of year is. And a lot of "diet" articles reinforce that idea. Well, only if you want it to be! I try to turn the frown upside down: There are foods I am going to want to eat. Because of that I am extra vigilant with my other foods. Little cheats I might normally let slide are off the table.

Here's my food for the week:

Breakfast: a boiled egg chopped up with a little cheese and half a slice of bacon. I mush it up with a half a tablespoon of mayo and a teaspoon of mustard and toast it on a slice of sprouted grain bread. I have my usual 2 cups of coffee with 2 T each of half & half. I forgot my 2 prunes, but I will have them later. I was still hungry when I got to the office so I had 6 raw, unsalted almonds.

AM snack: 1/2 serving (17 grams?) frozen mango chunks with 1/3 c homemade full fat yogurt.

Lunch: 6 oz baked catfish, 3 small boiled new potatoes, sauteed green beans.

Afternoon snack: 3 T tandoori flavored hummus & baby carrots.

Dinner: beef stew (homemade)

PM snack if hungry: 1/2 oz cashews

I have my relatively healthy grain early in the day then taper off. I stay away from processed foods, focusing on foods I've prepared myself and vegetables. My gym schedule is posted on the white board in the kitchen and is non negotiable - not because I believe in "burning off" the indulgences, but because when I am working out I tend to eat healthier and am more focused on my health overall.

I hope you all have a great day!

Accountability

I got my food planned and prepped, with extra healthy choices mapped out for the week. I have a scaled down Thanksgiving menu planned and I am not going to let the leftovers loiter! I didn't get everything done that I wanted, but my house is picked up and I feel ready for the week.

Make it a good one!

Disappointing

When you make a big meal that involves beef & carbs for your child the night before a weigh in? Yeah, nasty scale, I'm ignoring you!

Have a good weekend. :-)

Still here

Still here. Busy week. Good news at the ortho - shoulder is aggravated rather than injured (my bursa is inflamed). I do have rehab as well as exercises, stretches, and an icing protocol, but I should be good to go to teach my kettlebell class in January!

Rescheduled

I rescheduled my PMP exam until later in December. I didn't have enough time to study and do well. I've made out a schedule and a plan, so hopefully I can find some focus and get to it!

Goals and stretch goals

Good morning and happy Friday - we made it!

Thank you for the comments and good thoughts - we all go through rough patches - at work, in relationships, it's just a normal part of life. It is hard to compartmentalize, but it's important to not let the stress from one area bleed over and negatively impact other areas of our lives - at least not too much or all the time!

After dinner we went to Planet Fitness. We were both feeling cold and tired and wanted to hibernate. I walked on the treadmill for 20 minutes. That's it - no tire flipping, no beast workout, just 20 minutes of brisk walking. At the end we both felt so much better! And we both slept better than we had in days.

There are 6 weeks left in the year. I would love to lose 6 pounds by year end, but that's not really realistic - still, that's my stretch goal. My goal is to get under 145. Since I weighed 148.0 this morning, that is a goal of losing at least 3.1 pounds - so a half pound a week. That feels doable.

I lost 1.8 pounds this week. I've been bouncing a lot, but that's some good downward progress - especially in a tough week. I've worked out 4 days and am going to the kettlebell gym in the morning, so I'm hanging in there. Maybe with tears and some snacking, but I'm not throwing in the towel by a long shot!

Have a good weekend!

Not exactly true

In my last post, I said I didn't know what's going on. Not exactly true. Work sucks and my job stress is at an 11. I need to learn to compartmentalize work and leave it at the office because it's only going to get worse until I get a new job. I need to focus on doing the things I need to do to take care of myself and my family. Stress eating and stress in general isn't helping - it's hurting. Thankfully I have that appointment with the counselor in a couple of weeks. Hopefully that will help.

A bunch of stuff, not much studying

Besides work, I've gotten a lot of things accomplished the past couple of days, sadly studying for my PMP is not among them. I can't seem to focus. Not sure what's going on.

Le sigh.

Just ugh

Work was beyond frustrating yesterday. I just ran out of the proverbial spoons. Had insomnia. At 3 AM I felt something akin to despair. It was scary because honestly I'm dealing with some stuff but nothing of that magnitude.

I am feeling better today. Still stressed and a little overwhelmed, but better. This is the article with the meals I used to make breakfasts:

https://greatist.com/eat/healthy-freezer-meals

I made the breakfast quesedillas, bagel bombs, and oat bars.

Take care of yourself.

Awesome workout

Brad at the gym has had shoulder issues and recently had surgery. I told him what the doctor thought might be my potential issue(s), and he gave me exercises that were safe as well as some great rehab type stuff. It was a terrific workout!

One challenge is that my husband is not as much of a morning person as I am. Additionally, his time table is much tighter than mine, so I am generally in charge of getting his breakfast while he takes a shower. While I am perfectly happy eating the same thing 5 days in a row, he gets bored. And I like to get out at a reasonable time as well. 

I found some prep ahead freezer safe breakfasts and picked 3. That way he has a nice selection and a good 2-3 weeks worth of breakfasts in the freezer - more if I mix in something else from time to time. Win!

I saw this in an email the other day and I thought it was perfect.

If you aren't where you want to be with something, why not start now? :-)

Have a great weekend!

Two steps forward, one and a half back

It's so frustrating how you will do so awesome for days and days, then drink a beer and poof, the scale is up a pound. Drinking lots of water and limiting carbs today.

This week has been nuts. My boss is out for the week - on an actual vacation with his wife, so naturally stuff is blowing up. LOL.

Did my mid week food prep yesterday so I have breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners to get us through until the weekend plus.  So yay me! Going to the gym this evening, so I will let you know that the trainer has to say about workouts with my shoulder.

In other news, I got a haircut at lunch today.

Take care.

Too much reality!!

One of the things we came home to was a bill from the IRS. UGH!! I swear some days I feel like we will never be out of debt, let alone get ahead. Le sigh. Oh well, we will deal with it. Ugh, I say, ugh.

In other news, thanks for commenting Paula! My shoulder is feeling better! I haven't been lifting weights, but I've spoken with the trainers at the gym and they are going to help me with a plan. I have been doing cardio. My weight continues to creep down, but downward it is moving. So that is good!

I am taking my PMP exam on December the 9th and I need to buckle down and study. I am dreading both the studying and the taking of the exam.

Here is a lovely shot of today's breakfast. Clearly I should be a food stylist. LOL

Yogurt with some raw oats, raspberries, chia seeds, and a sprinkle of granola. I should have added some nuts but I forgot. Oh well. It was yummy!

Take care.

Back to reality

I am back from a lovely vacation with my husband. We went to the mountains! We went to the beach! We had alone time, time with family, cooked in, ate out, went to an SCA event and ended it all with the Jewish festival. Even though we did a lot, it still managed to feel largely relaxing.

Win.

argh

Well, I am on vacation. I saw my doctor. No bone chips, but I can't get in to see the physio until November 19th, so I am pretty freaking demoralized about that. :-(

Rocking it like an octogenarian

So last week I was carrying the recycling out and I tripped and fell. I landed on my hip, but put my left arm out (the one not carrying the recycling tub) to help catch me. I was a little sore, but no biggie, right? Except my left shoulder never got better, and has actually gotten worse. So today I broke down and went to the doctor. For x rays and a referral to a physio later, I still don't have any answers, just some good cream and the knowledge that we are working toward getting answers. The x rays are to rule out the possibility of any bone chips. She thinks its probably a torn labrum muscle or tendonitis of the rotator cuff. Who knew you could get tendonitis from a sharp impact? So I will find out. In the meantime, take it easy on the arm and no upper body lifting. UGH.

My Venezia jeans

I wore my size 14 ancient Venezia jeans yesterday and they were very loose. Those jeans are ancient - from the days before they added spandex to jeans, so they have zero stretch. So maybe I'm getting smaller even though I'm not really losing much weight? I dunno.

Here is my weight chart for the last few months:

06/21/19	151.7	-1.7
06/28/19	152.4	0.7
07/05/19	152.5	0.1
07/12/19	151.6	-0.9
07/19/19	149.6	-2.0
07/26/19	151.5	1.9
08/02/19
08/09/19	154.1	2.6
08/16/19	155.2	1.1
08/23/19	153.6	-1.6
08/30/19	153.5	-0.1
09/06/19	153.4	-0.1
09/13/19	151.3	-2.1
09/20/19	152.0	0.7
09/27/19	149.4	-2.6
10/04/19	150.9	1.5
10/11/19	151.0	0.1
10/18/19	150.4	-0.6
10/25/19	149.4	-1.0

So basically 4 months to lose 2 pounds. When I look at it that way, I get really demoralized! Then I think of the stuff that has gone on and the fact that I have maintained my loss - that's pretty good! There are 9 weeks left in the year - I won't get to goal. OTOH, there isn't a finish line, this is my life and I just need to keep making forward progress - including learning how to deal with stress in healthier ways to successfully maintain the weight I have lost.

I'm just feeling 2 minds of the whole thing I guess.

I need to fire my cleaning gal and I hate it but there is also that. :-(  She's the daughter of a friend but it just isn't working out and instead of being a help it's become still yet even another source of stress in my life and frankly I have enough of those without voluntarily taking more on. T says he will do it but realistically he won't so I need to find someone else. Ugh.

Tomorrow I am going to the gym and then just doing stuff around the house. Sunday I am helping make lunch at church - I haven't done that since we re-opened so I am excited about that. Volunteering brings me joy.

Have a good weekend!

I think we skipped fall

I fell like we've moved directly to winter. It was 39 this morning. Thank goodness for fleece pajamas. In other news, T and I have vacation next week - fun is soon to be afoot! :-)

Tonight is kettlebells.

Take care.

Wednesday already???

This week has been pretty busy, but not too bad. Monday I was in the office and went to Anytime Fitness and used the elliptical. Last night I went to Master's and did kettlebells.

It didn't take too long, but it was intense and I used heavier than usual weights, so I felt like I got a good workout. I sent what I had put together for the challenge to Elle, so we'll see what she says. Anyway, I am having fun working on it! I will keep you guys posted.

That's about all I know - just the usual stuff.

Take care.

Oh my gosh!

So I went to the gym yesterday and worked out (which is kinda the point of going to the gym). I spoke with Elle. We are developing a 6 week long class/ challenge that will kick off in January based on the concept of high volume kettlebell swinging. I will come up with each week's workout. Each week we will make a video of me doing the workout and we will do it in the gym as a group 3 times with me helping facilitate.

I am going to be helping teach kettlebells in a real gym y'all!!

Feeling Stuck (again)

This:

07/05/19	152.5	0.1
07/12/19	151.6	-0.9
07/19/19	149.6	-2.0
07/26/19	151.5	1.9
08/02/19
08/09/19	154.1	2.6
08/16/19	155.2	1.1
08/23/19	153.6	-1.6
08/30/19	153.5	-0.1
09/06/19	153.4	-0.1
09/13/19	151.3	-2.1
09/20/19	152.0	0.7
09/27/19	149.4	-2.6
10/04/19	150.9	1.5
10/11/19	151.0	0.1
10/18/19	150.4	-0.6

The 2.6 gained mid August was vacation. The 1.5 early October was prednisone. But still, the reality is I've been hovering around 150 FOREVER. It's time to get it over with already! I need to move to 145. No days off, no cheats, no bullshit excuses until then. Period.

Have a good weekend.

Big accomplishment

When I packed up my house in 2011 to move to Florida, I donated a lot of clothes that didn't fit. I also packed up a bunch in tubs where they have remained. Until today. Today I unpacked the last tub. There are 4 pair of jeans and 1 shirt I think are too small, and 2 shirts I'm not sure I like the fit. Those are all in a single dresser drawer waiting a decision whether I hang onto them or they get donated. But there are no more clothes in tubs waiting for the day I finally lose weight.

Whoops

I didn't mean to drop off the planet - just been busy and focused on other things and hadn't blogged, but everything is fine.

I finished my last class on Saturday, so now I just have to finish my certification package and schedule the exam. My son and his friend are coming up this weekend to help with a few projects around the house - yay! I am looking forward to having a weekend to work on some stuff around here and not think about that work type stuff. :-)

One thing I have managed to do is pull out my fall/ winter clothes:

Saturday I went a bought a couple pair of slacks, so I think I'm okay on the pants front. I could use a pair of navy, but they aren't necessary. I knew I had a lot of tops, I just wasn't sure what fit. So I pulled it all out and tried everything on.  Good times. I have a large pile of stuff to donate - it either doesn't fit or I don't like it. I have enough. Not saying I might not look at tops here and there when I got thrift shopping with mom, but I don't *need* anything. So that's nice. We are moving from our satellite office back to the main office, so I will have to start wearing business casual every day. Sigh.

I am getting together with Elle Saturday after the regular workout to discuss my class she wants me to teach. I will keep you guys posted. I may be making a video!!! If they post it on the facebook page I will let you know.

Have a good day!

Workout

I haven't done as much with the fitness challenge as I would have liked, but last night I finally made it to CrossFit. I did it! Tonight I am going back to the kbell gym, but it was fun to do something different with different people and get out of my comfort zone.

My weight is still a bit up, but I took my last antibiotic and prednisone last night. Hopefully we can turn this bus around.

Overall, feeling better.

Take care.

Things I am doing to take care of myself

The good news is it looks like my boss will be staying through the end of the year! Yay! The (lack of) transition had me worried as this is our busiest time of year. I am still sad and have some concerns, but I feel less stressed about it. He is the best boss I've ever had and I love our team. I have some concerns about how things will be moving forward. I'm working dealing with that uncertainty & stress.

I've watched my eating in spite of being sick and the family stress, and I am thankful of that. Eating won't solve anything, it will just help me ignore it for a little while.

Lastly T and I have been struggling with some issues and after some tough but heartfelt conversations we are taking steps (together and individually) to address them. We deserve to do better for each other, and we are committed to working on it. His mom is home, he seems to be settling in to his job, and we can identify and work on these things now before they become bigger, tougher issues.

I went to the gym last night. As you guys know, I love going to the gym, but before I ever joined I was swinging a kettlebell on my own. I began reading a blog over a decade ago and loved what the author was doing. I read her routines, taught myself by watching videos, copied her routines, made my own routines, and embraced her philosophy. Fast forward and she is now a trainer & author (Tracy Reifkind).

Last night I told Elle how if it hadn't been for having a kettlebell under my desk, these last couple of weeks would have been tough and how awesome it is that I know how with 1 bell, a tiny bit of space, and 20 minutes I can craft a great workout for myself and I wished I could share that. So we are going to do a class at the gym! Can you believe it!? I am going to help develop/ teach a class at a gym!?!? Shut the front door!!! How neat is that?????

Anyway, I am definitely having my ups and downs - on the scale and in my mind, but I'm doing okay.

Take care of yourself.

Carrying on

Two more days of the steroids. My weight is up a pound, but not going any higher. I am not 100%, but am feeling better. I'm tired and am feeling pretty overwhelmed, but I'm doing the best I can right now.

Pseudo gumbo (cooking edition)

Yeah, pretty much. :-)

I was able to get food prep done yesterday, even though I wasn't really feeling it. Since I generally feel like eating, I cook whether I "feel" like it or not! LOL

Menu for this week:

breakfast: overnight oats or "deviled" egg salad toasted on a slice of sprouted grain bread
snack: hummus & veggies
lunch: seafood gumbo & a salad
snack: fruit & plain Greek yogurt

Dinners vary.

The gumbo came out really tasty - I didn't have a recipe and didn't find one I really liked, so I ended up winging it. My husband told me he could sell the heck out of it in a restaurant, so that made me feel good! He came home hungry, so I gave him a cup as an appetizer.

Pseudo gumbo

Saute the trinity (bell pepper, onion, and celery). I used a little olive oil and then sweated it down with a couple tablespoons of white wine. I also added a couple of cloves of garlic. I set that aside. Then I made a roux with ghee and a couple tablespoons of flour. This is where I went off course - I didn't have anything to make fish stock so I used Japanese dashi powder. (Hey, its powdered fish stock!). Cooked my okra and a can of tomatoes in it, added Cajun seasoning blend plus hot sauce and Worcestershire. Once I had seasonings adjusted just to the spicy side I added my shrimp and fish and let them cook in the hot liquid until just done. easy peasy! I'll probably be tired of it by Friday but I was pleased with the result.

Deviled egg salad - This is super easy and I make it "on demand"

1 boiled egg
1/4 avocado
a little bit of shredded cheddar (depends on your calories)
bacon bits (use the real deal)
S&P (I like season salt here)
a squirt of mustard
Just enough mayo to help it hang together (less than a tablespoon)

Mush it all together, put it on bread and toast until cheese is melty. Really good, different, quick, and you can easily adjust your calories and macros.

Ok, have a good day!

Trying to be okay

Ugh, you guys.

My weight is up 1.5 pounds this week. Considering that 1) I am taking prednisone and 2) last night was our eating out night for the week, I am not surprised. But it's still hard to see. Hopefully it will come back off quickly when this is over. In the meantime, I am trying to accept water weight and stay the course with my diet via meal planning.

MIL continues to improve and is ahead of schedule with occupational and physical therapy, so that is good. She will not be able to be left alone for a while, so that will have to get figured out. I am hanging on by my finger nails.

Class 4 of 5 tomorrow. I can't wait for this to be done.

Have a good weekend.

Is this week over yet

My nose is like an old drippy faucet - not gushing, but running just enough to be super annoying. Ugh.

Crazy

I tell ya, the hits just keep coming. Friday I called and got an appointment with my doctor - and I'm glad I did. She told me my ear drum was bulging from the pressure of the yuck. I went to class this weekend - still feeling not good but doing what needed to be done. Sunday I did the grocery shopping, then I took a short nap & had some lunch. My plan was to do food prep after that. T called - my MIL had a stroke and he was on the way home. He came home & had a bite to eat, then we headed to the hospital.

She was doing pretty well, took a turn for the worse Monday, and then woke up yesterday doing better again. So obviously there's a lot that is going to change for my in-laws and my husband is very concerned.

My doctor gave me an antibiotic and prednisone (to dry up the copious drainage).  I am feeling better but I still coughed myself awake a lot the past 2 nights. Last night I skipped the kettlebell gym so we could go to the hospital - I did go a quick workout at lunch with the bell under my desk. This morning I went to spin class.  Food has been on point and I am doing what I can to get rest and manage stress, but it's not easy just now - which means now is when I need it most.

Take care.

Sinus infection

I went to the doctor today. As I suspected, sinus infection. Bonus ear infection. Yuck. No wonder I feel like poop.

Sleep

I skipped spin class Wednesday and I don't feel guilty! It's been a tough week and I don't feel good. I emailed my doctor - I'm wondering whether I have a sinus infection. I don't feel like I have a cold but none of the OTC remedies I have tried have touched the runny nose & cough I have had for 2 weeks now. So I don't think it's just allergies either.

I slept until 4:30 Wednesday and Thursday, and 5 this morning. I was up for about an hour in the middle of the night Thursday, but honestly that's still an improvement. Workouts have been light and I've focused on rest. It sucks this has been in the middle of my month to try all these new gyms for free, but I certainly don't want to make myself sicker by wearing myself down.

I was down 2.6 pounds this week, after being up 0.7 last week, so that feels good! I have my all day class again tomorrow but I'm hoping to squeeze in a quick walk with the dogs before I head out.

Have a good weekend!

A little better

This morning I managed to sleep until 4:30. It used to be I'd wake up at 2 or so, be awake for an hour, then go back to bed. Now when I wake up it's too late to go back to bed so I end up just staying up, which is leaving me exhausted. I need some sleep! T is off Thursday, I have to come in but I don't need to set the alarm until 5:30. I am working from home tomorrow but I signed up for spin class, so I will get up early, but then go to the dentist then head back home. I can have my breakfast ready to go and my clothes laid out so I can roll out of bed, grab my stuff, & head out pretty quickly. Alarm set for 4:45 I'm thinking. God, if only I can sleep until then!

I think my weight isn't moving because I'm not rested.

Just sad

Not gonna lie, this weekend was just sad. My son is just heart broken, and I am just so sad for everyone. And being in class all day on Saturday leaves me very little time to do the things I need to get done, so I am tired. And my insomnia was tough last week - so sad, sleep deprived, too much to do. Yeah. Not the best for sure.

We did take the dogs to the park to walk around the lake for a bit which was really nice. F and his gf went with us and then left from there to head back to Wilmington. I made some pumpkin spice yogurt - I like it this time of year but some brands are better than others so I tried my hand at making my own. I had a can of pumpkin so I mixed some pumpkin, plain yogurt, pumpkin pie spices, and sweetener together. I should have added a little vanilla - I forgot. Anyway, it came out pretty good! And it's cheaper and healthier than pre made.

Not too much else to report. I'm sticking to making (mostly) healthy eating choices because eating garbage won't change anything but my pants size.

Friday

Plan for next week:

Monday - CrossFit
Tuesday - Kettlebell gym
Wednesday - boy band smackdown at CycleBar
Thursday - Kettlebell gym
Friday - yoga to help recover from the week

My son and his gf are coming up tomorrow for the funeral.

Take care.

This week

I went to spin class Monday morning at Cycle Bar. I really enjoyed it.

My son's best friend from high school was killed in a car accident Monday when a car crossed the double line and hit his head on. They don't know what happened, but does it even matter? They were still really close - he was over at the house 2 or 3 weeks ago to pick up a propeller. We don't know what the arrangements are yet. I think we're just in shock. My son has never lost anyone his age and I know it's hard. So that sucks.

I dunno. It's a week, you know? Going to work, working out, eating food, had a meeting at church about re-opening the lunch program. Just life. It goes on for the living.

Thought

As I was packing my lunch to take with me to class on Saturday (and feeling weird about it), I had this thought: Those who know me don't care, those who don't know me don't matter. It's hard to feel that way, but it's true! I need to do what's right for me and not worry about what strangers might think! (And I wasn't the only person to pack lunch!).

Class was boring, but not as bad as it could have been. The instructor was really good. The good/bad thing is that we have a different instructor each Saturday. One Saturday down, 4 to go.

Happy Friday!

We made it to the weekend! The week started off rough but it's ended much better. I had a good workout last night. I went to the orientation for the Wellness Challenge and I am fired up and ready to go. I am NOT excited about my project management class, but I am accepting of my fate (LOL).

Plan for tomorrow is to get up & walk dogs, eat breakfast & pack lunch, then head for class. Come home & change and T and I are meeting friends for dinner at a restaurant in Old Salem Old Salem is a historic district/ living history museum. George Washington ate at the tavern, which features food inspired by the meals served there in the 1700s. My husband has never been and he's really excited! So it should be a nice evening.

Sunday will be busy with shopping and food prep. I also plan to watch the final "Halloweentown" movie since the spousal unit won't be home. (Don't judge me!).

I lost 2.1 pounds this week, bringing me to 151.3. I am thrilled to be headed in the right direction at more than a snail's pace again. Oh, and I did a PULL UP at the gym last night. So I am a BEAST. In case you didn't know.

Make your weekend awesome!

Gearing Up

Tonight is the Wellness Challenge orientation at 6:30. It's going to be at a CrossFit gym 10 minutes from my kettlebell gym. Since my workout is typically 5:30 to 6:30 I will need to leave 15 minutes early to get there on time-ish. I already let Ellie know. Tonight's dinner is meat loaf, mashed cauliflower, and salad. I tossed half a serving of meatloaf into my lunchbox knowing it could be 8 PM before I got home this evening (I left the house at 6:15 this morning). When I think about what my schedule is going to look like on the weekends I want to cry, but then I just decide to take it one day at a time and focus on the fact that I am going to get to try some new & fun stuff.

I will let you know how it goes!

Oh, our cleaning gal starts today! I am SO excited!!!!!

We plan and god laughs

The best laid plans....

Monday morning at 4:30 some jerk (either drunk or high I'm sure) smashed into a telephone pole hard enough to break it in half and then drove off 2 houses over. Our power was out for 13+ hours and we lost the contents of both refrigerators and the inside freezer. All my food prep went into the garbage. So my week didn't get off to the best start.

Oh well. We went out for dinner, I made a good choice. We picked up a few things to get us through the next day and I'm working at home today so I can pick up a few more things. We have a food spoilage rider on our home owners insurance. It's an inconvenience and I wasted some time, but I can replace the food.

I've been in a funk. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's this class I have coming up? It's one of those things I file under "necessary but not pleasant". It will help with career and salary advancement (I hope!), but I don't like giving up my weekend time. Maybe I'm looking for a goal - something to focus on besides weight and doing a pull up. Things are basically okay, but there isn't anything I'm especially excited about right now. I guess that's why I signed up for this fitness challenge even though the timing is terrible - I just want something different and new to try.

Take care of yourself!

Falling into fall

I'm not typically a fall person, I'm more an unrepentant summer person. But I bought pumpkin spice yogurt, put up fall decor, and watched "Halloweentown" yesterday. Who am I???

Meal plan for the week (assuming my power is restored). It was knocked out this morning when someone smashed into a power pole.If all my food prep is for nothing because all my food in the fridge goes over if the power is out for hours I will be highly irate!

Breakfast:
egg salad on sprouted grain toast

Snack 1:
greek yogurt

Lunch:
oven fried catfish, vegan collard greens, lightened up squash casserole

Snack 2:
surprise dip with veggies

Dinner varies. Tonight and tomorrow are seared ahi tuna with a thai seasoned brown rice & quinoa blend and asian slaw

Even as I am lamenting my lack of time I up and signed up for the Winston Salem wellness challenge Maybe I just needed something to be excited about.

Have a good day!

More questions than answers

This post isn't really about weight loss, so feel free to skim. :-)

My class starts next Saturday for my project management certification course. It's 5 Saturdays in a row, all day. Getting my certification is going to be a significant amount of work, and I can't say I am looking forward to it. The purpose is to give my boss leverage to justify giving me a nice raise because honestly I am seriously underpaid.

My cleaning gal starts this week - I really hope it works out. I have been feeling so overwhelmed and frankly a bit resentful because I've been feeling my husband could do more. Partly he's been working hard at work, partly it's because he's not in the physical shape to handle his job as well as he could. Partly it's that I'm a control freak and like some things done a certain way.

I'd like to spend more time to seeing my friends and doing things I enjoy, but my friends are busy too and I'm not even sure what I enjoy. My crafting mojo seems to have left the building. I dunno. Am I depressed? Overwhelmed? Being a baby? I wish I knew. I just know I don't feel very satisfied with things right now, but I'm not quite sure what to do about it.

Three week streak!

First of all, I have lost weight 3 weeks in a row. The past 2 weeks that has been 0.1 pounds - lol. I did speak with my FNP Wednesday and she gave me a couple of suggestions/ recommendations as well as reminding me that the last 10 pounds are the toughest. So I have a game plan.

This week has been incredibly tough. Mom made what I am calling her second annual hurricane evacuation vacation to my house. Which is nice, but a change from routine. T has jacked up his knee so I am doing his chores as well as my own while we figure out what is going on and what that will mean. My son and his gf opted to stay on Carolina Beach for the hurricane for several reasons. And while I agreed that it was the logical decision given the downgraded status of the storm, that doesn't mean this momma wasn't worried.

I'd say I'm glad for the weekend but I'm afraid it's a case of no rest for the wicked. Ha ha. Too much to do. I am going to try and pace myself, do what needs to be done, and include some fun things.

Take care.

Boringsville

Happy Hump day! The vestry meeting went okay - we are planning to reopen the lunch program in October. So we have work to do between then and now. Starting my PMP in a couple of weeks is just going to add a layer of busy, so I need to nail down the cleaning lady (starting next week) and meal planning. I won't be able to go to the gym on Saturday since my class is all day, so going 2 evenings per week will be imperative.

I found a really good evening snack!! Vintage Surprise Dip is really yummy and the addition of green beans means the calorie count for a reasonable portion isn't crazy. I added some dried minced onion for a nice extra punch, but its a solid dip as is. I paired it with a (weighed out) serving of pork rinds for a satisfying and low carb evening snack. It's a keeper!

Have a good day!

Food prep

Howdy, howdy, welcome back from a long holiday weekend. I did my best imitation of a house elf and did a bunch of stuff around the house & yard, so that's good! I overdid it a couple of times, but overall it was a restful AND productive weekend!

When T was teaching, he got home early and was done for the day. We pretty much alternated cooking duties and took leftovers for our lunches. That model is no longer working. He comes home more tired, and doesn't take a lunch since he works in a restaurant.

For lunches I've flipped back to an earlier model where I prep 4 lunches for the week, doing something different on the 5th day. These days that's my "at home" day, but I used to indulge in the food truck or going out once a week. With no need for the leftovers, I am planning 4 servings but we eat the meal twice in a row. So it looks something like this:

Mon & Tue: meal 1
Wed: meal 2
Thur & Fri meal 3
Sat: out maybe
Sun: ?

We generally eat out once a week. This model lets me prep on Sunday (the day I'm doing food rep anyway) for Mon & Tues, then Wednesday I generally work at home so I'll prep for Thu & Fri. I'm not really cooking when I get home (since I get home so late), but T doesn't have a lot he has to do either. That frees him up to relax, work on the house and/or yard, etc. Since we're only eating the same meal twice, and only doing that twice, we still feel like we're getting a good variety and I don't feel like I'm overwhelmed with planning, shopping, and prep for a bunch of different meals.It works for us because we both like leftovers and we both have input into the meals we eat. That way we are both getting our favorites into regular rotation.

This week's meals:
Breakfast: turkey burger on a slice of ezekiel bread
Snack: 12 almonds & a clementine
Lunch: spicy salmon bowl
Snack: string cheese or almonds & clementine
Dinner - varies as above.

My mom came in from Wilmington today to wait out the storm, so we'll need ot change up dinner plans a bit.

I went to the kbell gym Saturday and yesterday. That worked well since I typically go Tuesday night but can't tonight due to a vestry meeting on re-opening the lunch program.

I hope you had a good weekend. Take care!

Same same

Well my weight is the same as last Friday (well, down 0.1 pounds lol). Okay. This has felt a bit like turning an aircraft carrier in terms of getting my good habits back, but I am getting there. I went to the kettlebell gym again last night and did a great workout. I have a solid plan for getting food prep manageable and I am interviewing another potential cleaning lady Monday.

Have a great long weekend!

It's been a week

Work has been busy, life has been crazy. having said that, I'm back at the kettlebell gym and food is largely on track. I've just been too busy - or too cranky! - to post.

But I'm still here, and doing ok despite this week's best efforts.

Logging it

Good morning.

I am taking tomorrow off and we are headed to the beach as soon as T gets home from work. Yay!! Since I won't be here tomorrow, I logged this morning's weigh in for the week. 153.6 - down 1.6 pounds from last Friday. I won't make my goal of being back under 150 by the end of the month, but God laughs when we set deadlines. I am headed in the right direction, feeling much better, and am okay with where I am.

Take care.

A work in progress

It's scary how easy it is to return to old habits. I've been dealing with some major stressors - one is a work issue (mostly resolved I think) and the other is a crappy insurance/ incorrectly submitted medical bill issue. I left work yesterday VERY upset. I called T and asked if he wanted anything from the grocery on the way home. So I stopped and got a soda and 2 boxes of TGIF appetizers. After dinner I made a couple of each for each of us. Then he had to go back into work and I finished both boxes. It was scary.

This morning I woke up at 3:33 very shaken. I asked myself what I could do to "take back my power." I made the medical billing thing my top priority this morning. I sent what additional info I had to the patient advocate gal I'm working with. (What does it say about our system that companies hire other companies to deal with medical claim issues for their employees to salvage productive work time?). I then got every bill I've paid so far this year and sent them over to our reimbursement group. It's like an FSA, but the company will pay after you've spent $500 out of pocket (up to $2000). I submitted $528 for the year so far, so if I do get hit with this, at least I will be able to get reimbursed.

Still frustrating, but at least I know I won't get slapped with a big medical bill out of the blue. Or if I do I can be reimbursed for it.

I am trying hard to reclaim my peace and focus.I sent a note to Ellie at the gym saying I would see her Tuesday. No, I haven't been to the kettlebell gym since we got back. I have been using my kettlebell at home and going to Anytime Fitness though. But I need that extra bit to push me, so I set myself up to be accountable to someone for going next week.

Have a good day!

Turning the aircraft carrier

For whatever reason, getting back into the groove has been so hard. I am trying to be patient with myself, making consistent, positive baby steps back to where I was. It's not a race, every improvement is improvement, and it's okay.

I need that on a repeat loop in my brain until it all gets back into place.  I am frustrated with myself, and trying hard not to be. Boy, isn't that a fun cycle to be in!

I control my choices

I have several stressors right now. T and I are having work stress, and I am struggling to get back into my ore holiday groove. This weekend I told myself I just needed to do a 15 minute kettlebell workout, which I did. I felt better! Food wasn't totally on point, but its getting there. I did another 15 minute workout this morning. the dog was upset I was closed off in the guest room and peed on the floor to show her consternation. UGH!  Oh well, I cleaned it up and moved on. I am heading to the gym in a few minutes for my lunch break.

Breakfast this week is baked corn tortillas with refried beans, and egg, and a little chorizo for flavor.
Lunches are baked catfish, 14/ small potato and cold veggie salad.
Snacks are boiled egg and a string cheese.
Dinners vary.

Have a good week.

Time to get out of the river

Happy Friday. The title refers to the river of "denial" of course - lol. Seriously though, I popped up 1.5 before I left, then had a crazy week once back, then had to go on a business trip. I got on the scale today to a total of 5.6 pound gain - I'm sitting at 155.2.

So yeah, ugh - and it's funny, but I can feel even that little bit in my clothes. Workouts haven't been great this week, but food has been dialed back down and I am back at the gym. Not sure if I'll get below 150 in 2 weeks, but I will do my best!

Have a good weekend - here's to not going anywhere! Yay!

Weekend Recap, and ... What's next

As my mom wrote my cousin "We didn't slap anyone!" Yeah, people who haven't bothered to see Alma in a decade or more (I'm talking grandkids, not distant kin) came out of the woodwork to see each other and enjoy a free feed. Ugh. We made an appearance and left. I enjoyed the pool at the hotel - highlight of the trip.

Got on the scale this morning - up a pound from Friday. No bueno. Time to find my routine.

I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish (fitness wise) the rest of the year. Here's what I'm thinking.

Goals:

Get back to where I was on the scale (by end of August)
Under 140 (end of year)
Under 20% body fat (end of year?)
Pull up ???
Begin training squat and bench press (begin before end of year)

Not sure how it will develop - I haven't even gotten back to the gym yet. T's work schedule is insane. I'm doing everything at the house and that includes cutting the grass. I'm exhausted. But this is just temporary.

Take care.

Tough week

This has been a tough week. T's work schedule has been insane, my work has been stressful. Mom and I are driving to Georgia tomorrow, returning Sunday. I've been handling everything at home because T simply hasn't had any time at home to help out. Not his fault, just the reality this week.

I haven't managed the stress as well as I could have, but it is what it is. I gained 2.6 pounds while on vacation. Totally not a bit deal at all, I just really want to get back into my routine. Next week promises to be crazy. Working at home Monday, then to Atlanta a couple of days for a business trip. I'm trying to be smart and set us up for success.

Tonight's dinner is prepped and ready to pop into the oven when I get home. There are a couple of meals of leftovers for T while I am gone. I've hired our pet sitter to come feed critters since his work schedule is so bananas - so that's off his plate.

I'm hiring a cleaning person to do a deep clean Monday - that will help me feel better about the house. I'm planning an easy dinner Monday with plenty of leftovers for Tuesday. We'll go out Wednesday, T will cook Thursday, and I have an easy meal planned for next Friday. Then I will have a glorious weekend at home!

Take care.

I'm back

We are home safe, back at work. We have not unpacked - we dumped everything out of the car and onto the back porch! LOL This week is as hectic as can be, but I'm trying to get back into a routine. Anyway, busy day but I wanted you to know that we made it home safely after a nice trip!

Take care.