(For those not following along, or visiting for the first time, please note that this is a maintenance week. The theory is to let the body reset hormonal levels before putting it back into a deficit. The calorie levels are specifically not weight loss ones.)

So, I did manage to get all of the turkey dealt with today. I ended up with enough smoked turkey for 15 lunches (for two), dinner tonight with two big portions, and some quite reduced stock with another 20oz of chopped turkey in it. I also got my laundry done and my homework as well. And I’m all prepared for the morning.

And for the last hour I’ve been playing an extended game of throw with one of the cats. Most people would call it fetch, but since he brings the twist tie (a big black one) and I throw it, I think it’s more a game of throw. Since he’ll decide when it’s over as well.

So I did go to maintenance levels today. It was harder (and easier) than I thought. I added some food to my late lunch, and then beefed up my afternoon snack. Funny, but even with all that extra food I was tempted to nibble on almonds when packing my lunch. So for the next 6 days (Mon-Sat) I will do no organized exercise and eat somewhere over 3000 cals each day, with no specific macro level. I think I was going to try for 3500, but unless I end up going out (which is unlikely) it’s probably going to be more between 3000 and 3250.

Food for the day:

Total: 3014 (33% fat, 31% carbs, 28% protein)

Breakfast: two fried eggs, honey oatmeal bread, peach (362)
AM Snack: zucchini snack cake (184)
Lunch: egg/egg white omelet with mushrooms, onion, salsa and cheese, zucchini snack cake, nectarine (655)
PM Snack: hummus, carrots, cheese spread, 12-grain crackers, jack daniels & lemonade (564)
Dinner: roast turkey, pecan stuffing (w/onions, celery, mushrooms), salad w/dressing (815)
Late Snack: protein shake, nectarine, peach, hot toddy (434)

The Sunday to Sunday loss this week is 2.4lbs. I can finally think that I’m much closer to 250 than 300. Okay, I’ve been that way for a couple of weeks, but 268 for whatever reason just feels much closer. The 9-week loss is 18.6lbs (2.07/week) which is usually the ‘number’ I look at to see how things are going overall. I’ve pretty much decided that the daily weights are going to be out of whack while I’m in school. The other little compulsive number I look at is how many days I’ve been ‘on plan’ primarily with food. I still consider the maintenance week ‘on plan’ since I accomplished what I wanted to. So, since I started keeping track this is day 255 on plan with food.

Busy isn’t the issue this morning.  I’ve had to admit finally that I’m not well.  The head cold/throat tickle has migrated into my chest.  This is probably why I couldn’t motivate myself to multi-task yesterday.  So today I have to do the ‘must dos’ and make sure I can fight it off.  I’m probably a little gun shy as this is (three years ago) what started the decline that ended with me in the hospital.  Quick recap on that - chest cold in April eventually ended with a large amount of fluid in the pleural space around one lung by June.  Yes, it was probably 5 weeks later.  I was doing 5 days a weeks of high HR cardio, working a job I was on my feet all day, and eating under 1500 cals.  Oh yes, and I ignored the early symptoms and the fact that each day was becoming harder to get through.

So this time I’m listening to my body and will give the exercise a rest until I’m feeling well.  I’m wavering between going to rest/maintenance now (was planning it in two weeks) or just going to rest day calories.  For today I’ve adjusted to rest day calories and will do that for a few days.  If I’m on the road to recovery at that point I won’t worry about it.  If I’m not feeling any better in a few days then I’ll bump it up to rest/maintenance levels.