You Can Call Me Madcat!

It’s been a month since my last post. I find it hard to get to write as much as I used to. I know it’s like whining at the moon, but I really do miss the old interactive journals. I think I’m going to try to switch to a weekly journal here as well, just to keep myself honest. Saturdays will probably be my post day since I can’t really post from work any more (since they are tracking on-line use now).

Highlights of the last month:

• Not much difference in the weight department. Current weight is 172. I cannot tell you how tired I am of that number.
• I have been working my butt off (literally) in the cardio department. A couple of weeks ago I ran 2.5 miles on the treadmill and was thrilled and then followed it up a couple of days later by doing 5K. A lot of my friends tell me I shouldn’t run because I do have arthritic knees, but I am careful and walk when necessary, watch my speed, and really only run 2 days a week at most. Oddly enough, I think my knees actually are feeling better. I feel a lot less pain than normal. That can’t be bad. Besides, running is so much fun (who thought I would ever say THAT?). I get more of a rush out of it than any other cardio. Other days I do other things and I’m trying to mix up what I do and not do the same two things two days in a row.
• I don’t know if it is the humidity we have had, or the drugs I’m taking for my allergies, or if I am really pushing it more than normal, but I have been a massive sweat ball at the gym lately. It’s sort of gross and cool at the same time. Makes me feel all athletic! LOL
• Couple of bad things: my allergies have been absolutely wicked this year - the worst I have ever had; and my back is hurting quite a bit. Today is particularly bad. I think I need to make an effort to do more back friendly activities - like yoga and more stretching. I spend most of my day scrunched over my keyboard and when I am stressed I clench my shoulders and neck. When will I find time for this?? I have no idea.

Ok I think that is enough for now. I should go get this day started.

Weigh-in 172. It’s been so long since I last posted I don’t event know that is up or down from my last post and, frankly, I’m too tired for math today. It’s more or less the same. I’ve been stuck in neutral both going neither forward nor backward since March and now I need to get past this and get this journey done again.

I need to post more, too.

Work has been crazy, and I’ve been trying to study for this huge industry exam. There is no way I can get through 484 pages of reference material that is drier than the Sahara in time. I think I’m going to have to defer until the next test in December. The problem is that allergies are really kicking my butt and work is tiring so the last thing I want to do at night is study. Really that’s a big excuse since I’ve known about this stupid test since January and just kept putting it off.

It’s sort of a metaphor for my weight loss at the moment too. I think I need a smaller goal to aim for and then I need to actually go for it. I’ve decided my next goal will be 165 which is only 7 lbs away. I can do it. I know what I have to do. Gawd, I’m tired of being in the 170s.

No loss at weigh-in this week, but I am OK with that.

In spite of the fact that I’m not losing tons of weight each week, I really do feel myself getting smaller. I wanted to test the premise, so I tried on my skinny black jeans and was able to get them on. The zipper is still hard to get done up, but when I tried them on at Christmas I couldn’t even get them up over my thighs. So I am getting smaller. I think we need a check-in with reality sometimes that does not involve the evil scale. Another 5lbs and I’ll be wearing those jeans. That’s my goal.

It’s a lovely day out. Last night the DH and I went out to celebrate our anniversary and had a very nice time. I had these amazing brandied shrimp with an Asian pear slaw. The shrimp were slightly sweet and served on a disk of red beet. So interesting and crunchy. And then I had mussels for my main course. We split a bottle of wine and then a cheesecake for dessert. I left the restaurant not feeling stuffed, just full and happy.

I also drank a lot of water with dinner and this morning I booked everything I had yesterday in WW. Went pretty deep into the flex points but it was worth it!

I’m skiving off work today and I’ve spent the morning doing some paperwork and paying bills. All caught up on the household bills, but I do have to sit down soon and get my company books in order. I need to get that stuff off to my accountant to do my corporate taxes. Argh, it is such a tedious job though. Still it does have to be done.

I think The Boy and I will be wandering off to browse through some bookstores and maybe have lunch on a patio somewhere. It’s a beautiful day and seems a shame not to savour it. I’m off to have some water.

I’m here but mostly because I’m very afraid of LindaT’s prod! LOL

It’s been a couple of very busy weeks at work and there has been no time for reading let alone posting during the day. I guess I can’t complain about that since it’s good to be loved and to be busy, but when I get home at night I mostly just want to sit on the couch and stay away from the computer. I need a better computer chair at the very least. It’s much more comfortable on the couch with the laptop.

Weight-wise it’s been a roller coaster. I gained a few lbs at the beginning of the month but I’ve almost lost them again, so that’s good. It’s amazing how upset I got when I saw those numbers going up. All that progress gone in one ill-considered weekend. After having a horrible eat-fest on the Easter weekend, however, I have been back on track. The numbers stuck for a while but I just kept on track and now I’m seeing loss again.

It helps that it’s so much cheaper to bring my lunch than buy it everyday.

I’ve been going to the gym as usual and even jogging on the Dreadmill once a week or so. I know with bad knees it’s not something I should do that often, but I really enjoy it. I just go to my happy running place and I can go and go and go. It’s the same sort of “flow experience” I sometimes have when I write. Hard to not want to do it.

What the heck is this - a Wednesday check-in actually being posted on Wednesday? That incredible!!!

Down another lb this week, and this brings me, finally(!!), to my 10% weight loss goal. Nice to see that number finally get here. It seems like it has taken forever and I still have a long-ish road to go. But I also know that LindaT is right that part of this is probably part of this late 40-something body being darn stibborn. Hey, it worked hard to get all this fat and it seems kinda cranky about giving it up again. But it’s Ok, I believe this will happen in its own time if I just stick to it. I’m in no real hurry.

Working out has been good. I finally bought new running shoes and though my knee still feels wacky the new support does seem to help. I’ve been taking it easy and sticking to exercise other than running. Well, OK, I did lightly jog for four minutes today, but that was at the end of a walking treadmill workout and my knee felt fine. Like many things in this journey it is going to be about listening when a body part complains.

I’ve gone gym-ways three days in a row so I’m taking tomorrow off. If I get to work at a decent time I want to be able to leave early and start the long weekend off correctly. Maybe a movie and a small dinner out? We’ll see how tomorrow goes.

Summary: 19 lbs down and somewhere around 26 to go.

Long time no post, I know. I’ve just been busy in the evenings and somewhat low energy. I think it’s the spring allergies hitting. I’m allergic to outside mould so you can only imagine how much fun rainy warmer weather is. Anyway, enough with the excuses.

I’m down 2 lbs from the last time I checked in. Sometimes it feels as if the progress is so slow, but then I have to just take a step back and a deep breath. I have to remind myself that I am down 8 lbs since the end of January and 18 lbs since Sept 9th. That is progress

I still haven’t switched down to the next smallest size but my current size clothing is starting to get big. That feels good, even if I look like a bag lady. I don’t really want to buy anything new when I have a closet full of next size smaller clothes just waiting. Luckily we are still in sweater season and I do have some of those that fit.

I’ve had to take a couple of days off the gym (well, OK, one day off from the gym) because my knee is hurting. My plan today is to finally go out and get a new pair of running shoes. I cannot continue using the old ones I have or I’m really going to hurt my knee. There will not be any jogging in my near future either. I will rest and ice until it stops hurting.

In the agenda today is lunch with the in-laws. We’re going to a Portuguese restaurant where they do the most amazing grilled calamari so that is what I will have. Apparently my MIL has been diagnosed with angina so we need to find out what that means. After that we’ll hit a couple of stores for some office supplies and my new shoes.

Enough babbling for now. I’m off to shower and start this day.

Weigh-in this week at 174 (again).

It’s funny how the last time I went on this weight loss journey (around 2002 when I first joined 3FC), I was pretty steady loss-wise, averaging about a lb a week, but this time I seem to lose two, then plateau for a couple of weeks and then lose another two. Nothing wrong with that though. I have to remind myself that in Sept of last year I weighed 190 lbs and now I am under 175. It’s not speedy but it is progress.

Maybe this time I am not being quite as hard a$$, watching every bite I eat, but I’m taking a bit more relaxed approach. I’m still not going wild, but I’m trying to let this process teach me how to live. I don’t want too have to do this again, this rollercoaster fo lose weight and gain weight and struggle and gain more weight and then lose some, etc. This is not a fun ride.

But it is an interesting ride.

I’m feeling better so thought I’d do a quick post.

It’s been a good weekend but weird in sleep. Saturday the Boy and I did a cleaning of the apartment. Cleaning a bathroom, really have to scrub the darn thing, is really a good workout for the arms and legs. Frankly, though, I’d rather go to the gym. Then we went out for dinner at one of our favourite places Saturday night. I let the tight reins loosen a bit for one night. I started with a grilled calamari salad with tomatoes and capers and all manner of good things and had mussels as a main course. It was all very delicious. May have had a bit too much wine, but it was all very relaxing. I sometimes really do think it is not merely good but necessary to not always be so tightly wound.

I have fallen off the no sugar bandwagon. So it goes.

Saturday night though both The Boy and I woke up at 4 AM and it took for ages to get back to sleep. Not sure if he woke me up or I woke him up. I was tired Sunday, but we drove up to see my Mom and have lunch with her. That was nice. If I had been smart I would have called it an early night but I ended staying up to watch the Oscars – even though I’ve only seen very few of the nominated films (Avatar, Julie and Julia, Up in the Air and not much else). It seems the films I like don’t usually win Oscars  It wasn’t as good as other years, but I loved the opening number by Neil Patrick Harris, and thought Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin did a funny job. The thing is just too darn long.

Here’s something else I have been considering: when I get to my goal weight I’m going to buy a red dress. I’ve always wanted one and though I have owned a red dress here and there I have never owned The Red Dress. The Red Dress that ends all other red dresses. I want a true, drop-dead, blue-red, red dress. Maybe like this one or this or maybe vintage like this or this.

And matching red shoes

Missed my check in yesterday. Weight was 174 so I am still mantaining last week’s loss but have not yet added to it.

Sorry that I have’t really been around much lately. I’ve just been feeling a bit off for the last couple of days - sorta loggy and having some digestive issues. I got up this morning, feeling great, went to the gym and it was as if I hit a brick wall - sudden exhaustion. I’m not sure what the issue is since I have been eating well. Maybe I’ve overdone it a bit. Maybe I just need a nice quiet evening on the couch with a cat or two. Maybe a husband, even. He’s soothing on occasion.

See y’all on the flip side and when I have more energy.

For various reasons, I didn’t get in to post on my normal Wednesday, so here we go. Weight 174, which is down 2 lbs. Total loss is sixteen lbs, 34 to go. I wasn’t sure if I could count this as an official weight since Thursday I weighed 176 again, but I was back at 174 this morning so I’m taking it!

BTW at this weight I am now an overweight, NOT an obese, woman. Let me do the dance of celebration!

I’ve made a few changes this week and I think that’s why I had results. I made lunches and made sure there were lots of veggies involved and I also started having a planned afternoon snack – usually a piece of fruit and some melba rounds. This was a direct result of the giving up sugar for Lent issue. I struggled with it earlier this week because in the afternoons I just want a little something, something and candy is right out. The snack seems to be the perfect answer.

Another thing I did this week was be very anal about recording food and not going way over my daily points. I often eat 1 or 2 points more than the base just to give myself wiggle room, but I also like to bank those flex points for little splurges – a meal out, a glass of wine, something like that.

One more change is that I’ve been switching up my workouts and trying some different cardio machines. I have to say that I really love the stair climber and it kicks my butt. I’ve heard people say that it is good to do workouts that mimic actual real-life actions we do in our days, even on the elliptical and the treadmill I’ve been switching up and doing intervals and getting my heart-rate higher than I had been doing, I actually feel the difference it is making.

I should probably get my act in gear and get dinner started. Tonight we are having shrimp “steamed” in white wine with some fresh baguette. Decadent but surprisingly low in calories. The Boy is snoozing beside me and I almost hate to rouse him, but food must be made.

Have a great weekend all!