What a crazy week last week! I apologize for not being around, but first my co-worker who covers the front desk with me got sick and I had to fill in for all her shifts. Then, of course, I caught what she had but still had to work, which was a nightmare. Since then I've been trying to recover ... as well as get ready for Christmas ... I think I need a few extra days!
I'm about at 60% of normal and today is my long day, from 11 am - 9 pm, so I'm skipping the gym this morning. Hopefully the rest of the week will settle down and I can 1. get back to the gym, and 2. clean the house!! It's so bad that we could decorate the Christmas tree with handfuls of cat fur.
The only upside of being sick is that I haven't been hungry at all. I lost a pound but gained it back though, so I don't recommend it as a weight-loss plan.
How have all of you been? Are you ready for the holidays?
Good morning Meg! Sounds like you had a rough week.
I managed to not gain anything this weekend. I'm just staying away from all the "holiday" food and that seems to be working.
I am basically all set for Christmas except for decorating the tree which happens next weekend. Too complicated to explain what we have to do in order to fit a tree into our house. I also start my dog sit next Saturday so that'll be a busy day.
And I am so thankful for my housecleaners. They do a wonderful job, like my cats, and are the nicest, most reliable people. They make my life so much easier!
Oooh definitely a rough week. Meg, how is it your co-worker gets sick and she gets to take off - you get sick and you have to work even more?
Dagmar, staying away from the holiday food sounds like a great plan. Good for you for seeing it through.
I survived a holiday party fairly in tact, but then came home and ate some cereal . But yesterday was excellent and all in all I had a fairly good weekend.
I can also use a little (a lot) more time. Funny, I knew the holidays were coming for a long time now, the whole year in fact. But why does it seem they always creep up out of no where?
I still have lots of holiday shopping and baking to do. And stupidly I invited guests over for the weekend. My DD is coming home from college tomorrow. Oh just lots and lots of things coming up. And many food "challenges" among them. Luckily, my pants are fitting me REALLY, REALLY well, which always makes it easier for me, funny enough to STAY on plan. I think it's that I feel so darn good in them, I don't want anything to ruin it.
Be well everyone. Feel good and have a fabulous, healthy week.
Meg, sorry you aren't feeling well. Get better, this is a tough time to be sick.
I had an okay weekend foodwise. Not great Saturday, but good yesterday. 50% on plan LOL!
This week is crazy busy. I have final exams today and tomorrow for my online courses, and I am concerned. I know the stuff, but you never know what happens in an exam.
John and I are hosting Christmas Eve dinner next week - so we are trying to get a menu planned out.
Like Robin, I'd like to know why the coworker gets to stay home sick and you don't, Meg? Glad you're feeling better. I'm envisioning the cat fur decorated tree.
Dagmar, for staying away from the holiday food. Wish I could. *Sigh*
Robin, have fun with your DD. Congrats on the pants! It is nice when all the clothing fits.
Lori, good luck on your final exams!
Not a great eating weekend for me. Today's another day. I made my DH take the leftover stuff into work--let those guys have the tight pants.
Lots of icy roads and snow around here with more predicted for later in the day. I detest driving in snow and ice, but having studded tires is helpful and makes me feel safer. Looking at Christmas lights in the snow was fun, though. Even though I hate the white stuff, it definitely adds a nice touch to the holidays.
My DH and I spent almost three hours at the animal shelter in the cattery. Because of the weather, there weren't as many people as expected, but we had a good time petting the cats. The kittens were especially popular with people. All I could think is how sad it is that there are still kittens coming in and why the heck can't people spay/neuter their pets?
I overdid it a bit at the holiday party I went to this weekend, but the damages aren't too bad. I couldn't apply my "no seconds" rule because it was set up as a buffet with teeny plates, so in order to get enough food to not be hungry I had to go back a few times.
My parents are coming into town tomorrow night and I go on vacation starting Friday, and that's when food is going to get crazy. I'm hoping I can keep up my exercise okay while they're here and insist on cooking dinner for them most of the time. There are a lot of meals already scheduled though: Friday night we have reservations for dinner at a fried chicken restaurant, Sunday is at MIL's house, xmas is at our house, I'm scheduled to go to a new year's eve party, and then we're hosting our cooking club Jan 4.
My goals for the next couple weeks:
1) Continue with operation: NO SECONDS.
2) DO NOT SKIP WORKOUTS. PERIOD.
The past two weeks I only got in one run per week, instead of the three I was supposed to. I'm planning to go run tonight, but of course it's turning into an ice storm outside. If the sidewalks are going to be covered in ice I'm not sure I should go run. This darn weather! It sure makes exercising outside hard!
Meg - I hope you're feeling better! We're cleaning the house too, since my parents are coming to visit. It looks so empty and huge without all the junk all over!
Dagmar - I wish you lived out here so when I go to LA in March I could have you dogsit for me!
Robin - they do creep out of nowhere. The other thing creeping out of nowhere at me is that my work deadline is in four days! Ack!
Lori, good luck on your exams!
Sheila - we're having icy roads and snow too. I am thankful for my all-wheel-drive car. It doesn't prevent slippage, but it sure helps.
I caught my dog red-handed last night doing something he shouldn't have been! Usually we keep the guest bedroom doors closed so he won't sneak in and cause trouble, but I opened them up yesterday so the rooms would air out before my parents came to stay. He was laying on his dog bed downstairs with us for hours, then at one point I glanced over and he was gone. He wasn't downstairs, so I snuck quietly up the stairs and into the guest bedroom, and there he was! In the middle of the bed!!! Bad dog! He knows he's not supposed to go on the beds, but he sneaks in when we're not looking. I yelled at him and he jumped right off the bed and ran out of the room, then came slinking back wagging his tail like crazy like he always does when he's done something bad. I just can't stay mad at that dog for more than about 10 seconds.
I had a totally OP weekend and I got tons of things done. So why is my weight up 2 pounds this morning? Saturday I finished my Christmas shopping and I came home and wrapped everything. Sunday I did my grocery shopping and included ingredients for holiday baking (which I have not done in 6 or 8 years) then we put up the Christmas tree and other decorations.
This is interesting: DD wrote that her dorm mate has been suffering from a weird rash in and around her mouth that has been so painful she couldn't eat. She went to the doctor and the doctor said it was an allergic reaction to mono--she herself doesn't have mono, but someone near her does (could be DD or another dorm mate) and she got a reaction from it. Has anyone ever heard of something like this? DD was sick around Thanksgiving, but we thought it was strep. It seemed to go away after 2-3 days of antibiotics (although she stayed on them for 10 days).
Allison - do you drink less water on the weekend? I know I do, and that often leads to water weight for me. I've never heard of an allergic reaction to mono, but I do know that you can have mono and not know it and not have symptoms. My freshman year roommate got mono from her boyfriend, who had no idea that he even had it. Some people only get sick for a day or two, some it's a couple weeks, and some are off for months. I got mono in grad school (still not sure how, probably from people coughing and then grabbing doorknobs) and I was sick for about five weeks.
Thanks Jessica. I know I drank enough on Saturday with all my running around, but yeah, Sunday I only had one large glass of water which is tons less than usual. I find that I get sleepy in the afternoon if I don't drink my water. That's weird!
As for DD and possible mono, it makes sense. All the people I've known who have had mono have been sick feeling for weeks before they are diagnosed. I guess that's why I didn't think DD had it. I guess it is possible that she did have it. The reason she wrote to me is because she was feeling really bad that it was she that caused her dorm mate to get the weird rash.
I have 4 busy days until BF & I leave first thing Friday for our holiday travels. I have a few rehearsals and will be out on the boat all week for work, so I'm trying to plan my schedule extra carefully to get in all my workouts and I cooked up lots of OP food yesterday. I ate way too much at the Christmas party Saturday night. Saying "well I didn't make myself sick with food and I have done that in the past" (this party was with my friends who always have tons of delicious food at our Christmas parties) doesn't feel like a victory. Sunday I could only make the end of my street's party, and I had a small slice of cake and a little spoonful of bread pudding (homemade and really delicious). POP food & exercise-wise the rest of the weekend, I guess I had just showed more restraint Saturday night. Oh well, move on. I've got a few more days to make sure I'm POP before I leave for my travels.
At least the last of my presents (er, presents I have bought for others) will arrive today and then I can wrap them. I love online shopping.
Meg, I had the same question - why do you have to work, sick, when the other person gets to take off? I hope you feel better soon and make it through these long days you're working!
Lori, you'll do great on your exams!
Sheila, I live in an area where there are tons of stray dogs and cats, and people just don't seem to care about spaying/neutering their pets without regard to whether or not they want to breed them, then let them roam around. Our humane society is very underfunded and constantly turning animals away. It's very sad. I wish people would be more responsible!
Hi Jessica, Allison, Robin, Dagmar, everyone - hi!
Nothing special to tell. Still busy getting myself back on track. i'm on beck diet solution and I'm trying to get myself into good habits.
Jessica - I'm also on the no seconds rule, difficult but I count it as a victory every day I manage it. I purposely serve dinner on breakfast plates to have some portion control.
Just popping in to say hi! I am not dealing with the holiday food very well, but my workouts have been good. Just a couple more weeks and things will get back to normal, right?
Hi! Crazy Monday stuff here, but I had to come by during lunch. Our weather is warming up, but the wind is picking up so it doesn't feel any warmer. Grrr.
I'm working my way through my parties pretty well. Tring hard to concentrate on the people vs. the food, and applying Jessica's NO SECONDS rule. I did have seconds at one, but it was salad - of of those with all kinds of greens, grapes, pomegranate, oranges and nuts.
Rabbit - we eat on smaller plates (what I call a luncheon plate) about 95% of the time. It really works to trick you into thinking you have a larger serving.
Meg - I'm with you on the cat fur! We won't have a tree til next weekend, so I'll just have to collect the fur. We have a new kitty since last Christmas, so it'll be intersting to see what she does. Our other cat leaves the tree alone, but she insists on drinking the water out of the tree stand!
Meg - I'm with you on the cat fur! We won't have a tree til next weekend, so I'll just have to collect the fur. We have a new kitty since last Christmas, so it'll be intersting to see what she does. Our other cat leaves the tree alone, but she insists on drinking the water out of the tree stand!
My male (cat) lies quietly under the tree, eating the needles that drop down on him. Then he sicks them all up somewhere where I can hear him in the middle of the night. Good thing he's got such a cute face!
I think, judging from her major brat behaviour the last few weeks, that Mud will try to bring the tree down this year. We are tying it off to a window, just in case.
Anyone who hasn't had a pet encounter a Christmas tree should probably tie the tree off to something, not use any tinsel (gets caught in their intestines when they eat it - major surgery), and for the dog owners you want to keep all the ornaments above "tail wagging" height. Oh and don't use an anti-fungal treatment in the tree stand water (my male cat drank that one year and had the runs for days).
And, dog owners, if you wrap anything edible or scented and put it under the tree, chances are the dog will think it's for them and unwrap it without asking you first.
Hello to everyone!
I hate to drop by and not personally say hi to everyone, but like so many others, this promises to be a very hectic week!
My dd is coming home from college Thursday and all the rest of the relatives start arriving Sunday--- from Hong Kong, London and Houston! We've never done Christmas/New Year's at our house before and since they are coming from such great distances they will be staying for a long time. Luckily my house is small so they will be mostly in hotels nearby. I am Jewish and my dh is Catholic and this is his family that is coming-- so we are having to decorate much more for Christmas than we normally do. His side of the family goes all out for the holidays so I will have many, many celebrations and food challenges in the next couple of weeks. Dd's 18th b-day will also be while she is home-- she wants a tattoo-- aack! Dh is not on board with that and I'm trying to talk him into it for her.
I'm starting some classes (dance, etc) at the gym and enjoying them so far.
My house is a disaster as we are trying to clean, decorate, reorganize, etc. I've got rooms torn apart and no time to do anything!
I journaled (how do you spell that?) my food last week for the first time in months and my weight was down 3.4! To my lowest weight ever but it is up a tad since then. Dh is making comments about my being too thin so I can't wait to hear what the relatives say--they've been making comments already and they haven't even seen me. I think part of it is that my dd is already overweight and we think she has gained more since going to college and he doesn't want her to feel bad or something?? I can't figure it out.....
Maintainers Chat: Week Of December 15 - 21
Hopefully the rest of the week will settle down and I can 1. get back to the gym, and 2. clean the house!! It's so bad that we could decorate the Christmas tree with handfuls of cat fur. 
which happens next weekend. Too complicated to explain what we have to do in order to fit a tree into our house. I also start my dog sit next Saturday so that'll be a busy day.
. But yesterday was excellent and all in all I had a fairly good weekend. 
for staying away from the holiday food. Wish I could. *Sigh* 
Crazy Monday stuff here, but I had to come by during lunch. 
Our weather is warming up, but the wind is picking up so it doesn't feel any warmer. Grrr. 
Pets and Christmas
