Monday, May 31, 2010

Balance

Yep, it's definitely a balancing act.

My weight this week was 150.75, which is up a quarter pound from the previous week. It's not so much a gain as it is a matter of bad timing. That weight was actually taken on Friday rather than Thursday, because on Thursday I totally forgot to weigh in. We had a deadline at work and that on top of a dentist appointment for some roto-rootering of my gums (this after-forty stuff sucks, y'all)... well, the scale just wasn't at the forefront of my mind.

I belatedly weighed myself on Thursday on my way back from the dentist visit, and it came out 150.75 after breakfast, coffee, and other fluid intake. Then Thursday night we went out to Louis Pappas, a Greek/ Cuban eclectic type of cafe in our region. The food is awesome, but the sodium is intense. Then couple that with the hormonal ramp-up and... yeah. 150.75 for Friday morning.

Oh well. I'm not tickled by it. Logical as I am about the causes, it's still aggravating to see the scale move in that direction but it's just a standard weight fluctuation. After last week netting me over two pounds of loss, it's expected that I'd not really lose anything this week.

And I didn't.

On the good news front, I've been successful in increasing the intensity of my exercise a bit this week, from the safety of my treadmill. I've planned out a two-week program to get me ready to hit the actual streets. One week down and I've increased my caloric burn per session from 150 to 250 just by increasing incline a bit more. I've noticed a marked decrease in the leg instability while I'm on the treadmill, meaning I've had none my last two sessions, so that's awesome.

One more week here inside, then the boys and I are going to move this party outside, at least for a couple of days a week. They've got to join in the hikes too, so might as well be sure they're up for it! Not that I foresee a problem... they rarely stop moving. It's their mother who's the slug.

I'm really not sure what the scale's going to do this week. We had a big family event on Saturday that necessitated me baking two cakes (one dark chocolate with chocolate ganache glaze, and the other vanilla bean with vanilla bean glaze for those who are interested) and that involved massive consumption of same along with chips, dip, and assorted luncheon meats. A good time was had by all, but it definitely took me over my maximum calorie range. Then last night the boys required brownies and today I'm baking cookies... yipes!

The last time we had a weekend like this I ended up gaining a pound. But that was also when I was under doctor's orders to be as sedentary as possible as opposed to my current activity level so we'll see where this all ends up.

Balance. I'm working on it.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Restraint

I've been doing well with my exercise ever since I recognized my plateau for what it was -- a sign that I needed to get off my duff and get moving again. What's killing me with it, though, is the need for constant vigilance and restraint.

I want almost nothing more than to hop on my treadmill and run. Shoot, if nothing else I am a lazy woman and running gives me the biggest caloric bang for the time I expend. But my orthopedist was very clear that I need to do this stuff sensibly and methodically. In light of our upcoming trip to Glacier and Waterton (the Canadian side of the park), I need to work more on incline and distance than speed. I also need to walk on terrain outside of my treadmill. My big concern with moving this party outdoors (other than the TOTAL lack of air conditioning outside... I mean, how rude!) is that if my legs get tired and I need to stop, I can't just stop. I have to return home from wherever I am, then I get to stop.

And by then it could be too late.

If I just want to walk in an endless loop around my neighborhood (0.7 miles around -- I've checked), it's not that bad. But it's also mostly flat. I live in Florida, folks -- we aren't dealing with a bunch of contour to the land here, yanno? However, if I leave our subdivision and walk on the sidewalk paralleling the state road beside our development, there's actually some reasonable incline work I could be doing. In fact, there's a good two mile stretch one-way from our driveway to the intersection up by Publix that I could do for a four mile round-trip walk...

... but again, what if my legs decide they're done and I'm over a mile from home? While I want to get a good workout in and part of me is champing at the bit to get moving a bit more intensely, the one thing that holds me back is the absolute knowledge that if I don't take this slowly I will most certainly end up parked in a chair again, likely for more than just one month the next time.

My caution isn't based on an irrational fear. I'm still dealing with intermittent instability in both legs from the fractures, so the risk of re-injury is a very real possibility. And the only thing I want more than to just dive on into a more intense workout is to avoid re-injury.

Slow and steady. I'm the tortoise.

Bunnehs are cuter... dammit.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Invasion

A snake has moved into my garage.

This really wouldn't bother me under some circumstances. It's a black racer, and they're non-venomous as well as being good for killing off any little nasty critters lurking near my house.

Unfortunately, it's the middle of summer and that garage gets unbelievably hot. It'll bake that snake especially since, hello, reptile. I just don't see cold-blooded plus extreme ambient heat with no relief in sight being a plus, yanno?

Dead snake doesn't smell good.

Here's hoping it leaves through the little outside door opening I left it, and not through the door into the kitchen when someone else opens that...

Oh well, it'll make a good cat toy if nothing else.

Sigh.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Post Olive-Garden...

Week 12 Weight: 150.5 pounds

I'm almost in the 140's again, folks. Almost.

I started this journey back in the fall of 2006. I got down to 145 in the fall of 2007 after my divorce, but then I started dating again and the weight crept up...

Then I got down to 147 in March of 2009, but then I quit smoking and the weight crept up...

Then I got down to 149.9999 in October of 2009, but the whole family caught H1N1 and then we had the holidays and the weight crept up...

And looking at all that, sure I see the reasons. I also see that I used these life events, consciously or not, as an excuse to start chowing down and to stop eating mindfully.

Hopefully, now that I realize what I did, this will be the last trip I make through the 150's, and my trip through the 140's will be completely on the downhill slope.

I will do this.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Take THAT, Olive Garden!!

I had my lunch already entered on the nutrition tracker that I use. One can of Progresso Light Homestyle Vegetable and Rice soup, and one container of Del Monte's No Sugar Added diced peaches. Not the best meal out there, and a bit more processed than I'd like on the peaches (I'm a soup slacker and just can't bring myself to fret about the ick in there today), but it was low on the calories which I needed considering I'm planning on firing up a pot roast in the pressure cooker tonight.

Unfortunately, I'd forgotten that we had a "Lunch & Learn" scheduled today at the office. This is where one of the vendors (we're an architectural firm) brings in massive quantities of food, and those who are affected by the product -- i.e., everyone but me -- have to eat the food and listen to them deliver an educational seminar for an hour.

I make it clear to the vendors that, as I am She Who Puts Them on the Schedule, they are required to feed me as well. I haven't had any arguments from anyone, although my predecessor shared that one company told her, "Well, it's against company policy to include clerical staff in the headcount..."

Somehow, those folks didn't make it onto the schedule*. Shame.

So anyway, today's vendor likes to go above and beyond the standard Panera fare, which I can weather without much stress. No, no, they brought Olive Garden. And there was much rejoicing from everyone employed here who isn't me.

However, I'm amazed to say that I actually survived the meal without plunging my head straight into one of the (EIGHT!!!) bags of breadsticks they brought in. I had a little 9" plate, and I filled half that sucker with salad, and the other half with pasta. I went heavier on tomato-based sauces than cream. And although I did take a breadstick, I also threw it out after the second bite when I realized it was stale.

Why waste my calories on something that just wasn't that good? There was a time in the past where I would have eaten it just because... but (tooting my own horn here) my pot roast is that good, and I'd rather use more calories eating that tonight.

Unfortunately, there will be leftovers. So here's hoping my amazing willpower (I am the processed carb queen, y'all) holds out.

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In other news, I was down to 152.75 when I weighed in on Thursday. I kind of laughed when I saw the weight, because I remembered back when I was 24 years old is when I'd first hit the 150's.

I weighed 153 and at the time I thought I was huge.

Now? I'm tickled pink by it.

Gotta love perspective.

*Just to clarify, our office is very small, 10-11 people total, and there's only one clerical employee. So seriously not out to break anyone's bank here.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Third Time's the Charm!

From our local newspaper's website*:


Dead chickens, stinky feet... I await the next breaking news alert with bated breath!!

*Note: Although I usually do not edit these pictures in any way, I will confess to redacting the name of the specific area affected by the small depressed skyrat.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Slacker

Ten days since my last post? Whoa, I feel like I should be in a confessional or something.

I had a follow-up with my orthopedist on my legs that I so cleverly managed to break all by my very own self (I have mad skillz!). To my surprise, I learned that I have "fluffy" bones.

His words, not mine.

The actual translation of the "fluffy" is that new bone growth is showing in the fracture lines, which signifies healing and is a good sign and all of that. So I'm now officially allowed to intensify my exercising, and although running isn't recommended at the moment, it's something I will be able to do in the future should I desire.

That's a hard call. Running broke my freaking legs. Like, with minimal effort from me. So... yeah, going to have to think on that.

Speaking of causes on why our femurs fracture with very little notice or fanfare, I should have the results of my bone density test back soon. I don't want to be diagnosed with osteoporosis at my age (hello, only forty here), but on the other hand if it isn't osteoporosis, I can't imaging what else would cause that kind of break in one of the heaviest bones of the body. And I'm not so sure I want to imagine what could cause it, to be frank.

On the weight front, I was at 154.5 last Thursday, which is up half a pound from the week before and which I'm totally okay with. I'd had a sodium fest the night before I weighed in, so I'm pretty tickled it was only half a pound. If it lingers (which considering my Mother's Day brunch intake it could), I'll worry about it then. Likely in a couple of weeks.

I would chatter more after such an prolonged silence, but my beloved offspring are making "I'm starving" noises. To protect my own health and sanity, I suspect I should go fill the trough.

Have a good one, folks :)

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Plateau Busting

First, really quickly, I've responded to all comments on my last entry so if you had a remark, check back. And yes, I'm feeling much better now on the sniffledy-sneezy front. Whew.

Now on to the main event.


Starting Weight: 166

Week 1 Weight: 162

Week 2 Weight: 159.75

Week 3 Weight: 158

Week 4 Weight: 156*

Week 5 Weight: 156

Week 6 Weight: 157

Week 7 Weight: 156

Week 8 Weight: 156

Week 9 Weight: 154

Nope, don't know how I did it. Perhaps the Caloric Expenditure Gods realized they owed me and decided to pay up?

What I do know is that, in spite of sticking at the same weight for weeks and weeks and weeks, I did not give up. And for me, that's huge. Time was, after careful eating netted me zero results for a couple of weeks, I'd throw my hands in the air, say "What's the use?" and suck down a bag of potato chips, block of cheese, and anything else that happened to be within reach.

This time, I just kept on eating carefully. I mixed things up again a bit with my food choices, but kept within the same calorie range. And I started exercising again -- I got in a whopping 105 minutes last weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for 35 minutes each) at a light intensity per my orthopedist. I was pretty psyched by that, but...

Then I was derailed from the exercise with my "no fever but holy crap I feel like shit" illness. And with that, I missed two days of work. And clearly, there was no exercise. So I'm at a loss. Who knows, maybe the two days of complete food weirdness did it for me. I ate within range those days as well, but my food choices were very different than they are on actual work days, or even on weekend days when the boys are home.

Shoot, I almost didn't even get to weigh in this week. I woke up on Thursday morning at 5:00 a.m., still feeling like garbage. Pretty sure I was going to have to stay home again. I finally pried myself out of bed and went to get the boys up and ready for school, and while I was getting them moving a sudden rush of "get your butt dressed and to the office" came over me. So I grabbed ahold of it.

And that's how I ended up on my mother's scale at 7:40 a.m. on Thursday, fist-pumping and croaking out "YES!!!!"

Now I just have to reacquaint myself with my treadmill today. Again. Damn you, inertia!!!

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In other news, note to the Elder: your mother knows what she's talking about when you ask her questions about Michael Jackson. Yes, Thriller and Billie Jean came out on the same album, so M.J. was the same age in those two videos. Yes, they did. Yes he was. He was!

And yes, we really did argue about this. Because I'm twelve.

Sigh.