Took a few days of work to finish my reno project. That apt looks damn good, if I do say so myself. I redid - subfloor, tile, paint, trim, light fixtures, electrical outlets, even the doorknobs! It took about 70 hours of labour but I did it for about $2,500. I am feeling very very competent right now…lol.
All that physical labour kept my weight ticker creeping downwards. That is a good thing. Also used many muscles I haven’t flexed in a while. Nothing like going up and down a ladder for hours to build buns of steel.
Back to the real world routine today.
It is a beautiful hot, summer day. I am going to go home and lay tile in the apt kitchen, instead of going to the beach like I really really want to. Damn I hate being a grown up sometime.
Yesterday had a very high sugar day and boy was it tough! I crashed so hard - I could barely stay awake for longer than two hours at a time. I had to pull over and nap on the way home from the cabin…and that is only a three hour drive. I was actually seeing things at the edge of my vision…definitely back on the high protein, no white stuff diet today. Because the four or five day hiatus from fitday is going to ruin all the averages and history reports, I have started a new profile so I can see what I am doing with fresh eyes. Speaking of fresh, off to get some veggies and something for the bbq.
Loverboy is spending his vacation at his cabin with his teenage sons, and my dog. This will mean I will be able to do some exercise dvds - I really want to try the NYC ballet one. (Sucker for punishment, I know). It is hard to do when every time I bend over or wave my hands the dog thinks I am playing. Fighting off a 95 lb lab while ‘crunching’ just seems to throw off my form…lol.
I walked home for lunch today, even though the car is up and running. Feels good to get that break in the middle of the day.
And hey! I have biceps! Actually showing!
Haven’t been able to post for a few days because my home internet has been down and I have been’ too busy at work. I am currently away on a business trip although it feels almost like a holiday road trip.
I had forgotten what I love about big cities…the energy, the variety, the anonymity. I had a wonderful lunch and a great dinner, and spent the evening driving around. I would have stayed downtown longer this evening but I was wearing the hurtin’ shoes and I had to get back to the hotel to change. The hotel is sort of mid-town, so I headed in the other direction, and spent the evening in the ‘burbs along the western waterfront. And all day, I saw no one who new me, nobody stopped to chat, and I had no worries about running into someone I didn’t want to see, or the stress of scanning the crowds to make sure I didn’t leave anyone feeling like I had snubbed them. I have decided I can’t do the small town life 100% - I need to get away and melt into the crowd more often.
Proud of myself for not hitting the doughnuts while driving - doughnuts, doritos and coke have been my driving body fuel for years. And this time absolutely no wish for them at all.
I notice my face is looking thinner and I think my gut has shrunk…yay me! Even if it is an optical illusion I will take what I can get!
Slowly I am moving my little weight ticker, oh so slowly. Cutting out almost all flour and sugar has helped. I only stayed on induction for a week or so and now I am keeping the carbs at around 50 (most days). I just feel so much better eating this way. Although I had to take a break from eggs (no pun intended). Breakfast today was turkey, chinese veggies and couscous. Yes, I know its a pasta but it’s tom and I had such a craving - I figured probably better one serving of couscous than a chocolate bar.
I only managed a 30 minute walk yesterday but since I did hours of physical labour I cut myself a bit of slack. Poor dog got a bit cheated. Today the weather is beautiful and he is outside sleeping under the car. It looks very funny - at first you only see the legs of this big black dog sticking out from under the bumper. It takes a moment to register that he is leashed and has chosen that spot!
Loverboy is at his camp with his nephew supposedly painting but judging by the phone call at midnight I am not sure they will get much done today. He called me from the beach to describe the stars…aaah, so sweet. He may have been seeing twice as many stars as most people, if you get my drift, lol.
Blew the farmers market idea - in fact, completely forgot about it. Didn’t get dressed until 2pm because I stayed up until 3am watching ‘What Not to Wear’ and some Brit hgtv import show about selling your European vacation home. Time well wasted. However redeemed myself by eventually putting in six solid hours of cleaning and painting. (Note to self: can’t get paint off contact lenses.)
My dirty little secret is that even though I dive into these projects I totally SUCK at it! I painted cupboards, walls and floors and I had paint all over me. Hair, ears, eyes…even on my teeth. How is that possible????And I bought WAY MORE paint than I will need. Like, maybe, 5 or 6 extra cans, including the primer. At least I can take that back.
Tomorrow I get to use the power tools. Stand back world.
Staying home this weekend to redo that apt. I have paint, floor tiles, a new sink and a lot of odds and ends to install/replace/restore. My ‘to be done’ list so far has 23 entries. Some of them are very bg jobs too, but I think that once I get going I will be able to accomplish a lot. The trick is to do things in the right order. Plus I will get to use several power tools!
Walked to the bank machine last night with the dog (145 minute round trip) and it was CLOSED! I was so upset! This particular credit union only has 2 machines in town, both far away. Well, I will bike down there at lunch time. Payday tomorrow (thank you universe) and I have to tweak my unique financial management system.
Good news is that it resulted in a big jump on my exercise ticker.
Being home alone this weekend means that I can go to the farmers market Sat morning, and also that I will be eating healthy and reasonably-sized-and-timed meals. So it should be good all round.
Time to head to the salt mines.
I know I am being silly, but I am counting on the placebo effect. Please do not tell me how useless these things are, or that I just wasted $30 - but I bought a pack of otc weight-loss pills. I know they don’t do anything, but maybe just this once I am wrong? (cringe).
There’s quite the elaborate schedule attached to this regime, so if nothing else it is making me pay attention to the timing and amount of my meals. And if I was silly enough to buy these damn things, I’d better stay away from the candy machine and the biscotti. And the wine.
Well, still car-less, and I have to go to the bank machine tonight, which is an 2-hour round trip by foot. Better get started.
Nothing like power tools to make a girl feel in control!
I power washed my front porch tonight - it’s prep for fixing the cracks and painting,which I am determined to do before the end of the summer. But, even though it was a total pain to go down to the basement, find the power washer, read the instructions, get the extension cord, get the hose, plug/twist/snap all the connections - whew! Whoosh and then everything was clean!
Loverboy somehow drove away with the keys to the downstairs apt, so even though I have $1,500 worth of materials and supplies I can’t start working down there. He’s going to drop them in the mail. That means I’ll likely get then Friday.
I am in total clean, update, renovate mood and trust me, there is no shortage of projects to take on. (But can I get the dishes done?? hmmm…you never see that on hgtv)
I decided I need to lower my daily goal to 1,400 calories, and then promptly blew that away with a muffin AND a biscotti today. Carb count too high to think about. Aargh. On the positive side still car-less so walked back and forth to the office. Tomorrow I will be back on my bike. Overall I feel I have improved my activity level AND eating habits enormously over the past few months. I do feel a lot healthier and better able to deal with things. I just don’t know why I am still losing weight so slowly.
It is pouring rain but I am going to do the long route with dog tonight. I need the movement…and so does he!
Loverboy has fully recovered, thank you. At least this time. We had a long talk and I shared my observations - in a loving, supportive way 
- about his diet choices. This is a guy who talks about his digestive system a lot - to the point where I told him a few months ago that it was too much information and there was a limit to intimacy.
But he can start out the weekend telling me how milk makes him sick, he can’t drink it, etc., fill up on cheese all weekend and then pour himself a big glass of milk to “settle my stomach.” A guy who thinks riding his ATV around and around his cabin all day counts as exercise. He just is not very self-observational. He has a picture of himself in his mind and when his behaviour contradicts it (over the long term, I mean) he just does not register that.
Anyway, it was a little scarey at the hospital since with a middle-age male smoker they rule out all the really bad emergency stuff as fast as they can. The happy point is they found nothing. Now he has to act like a grown up and deal with what his body is telling him. And we all now how EASY that IS!
As far as my turn to act like a responsible healthy human being goes..had a pretty good weekend, a bit more wine than necessary and a bit less sleep than required, but otherwise good. Two days under the 1,700 mark - well under. yay me!
Almost 4am. Spent the evening in the hospital emerg with Loverboy as he was having very bad stomach pains. They couldn’t find anything urgent, sent him home with some drugs and advice to see his doctor Monday. He is not happy, still in pain. I am totally wound up and can only hope I can sleep. Struggling with the whole situation…of course I want to know what is wrong with him and help him get better, but half my mind is going: smoking! no exercise! huge portions! milk! bread! desserts!
None of that is helpful just right now.
