[saef]

Thanks, all. I never look forward to appointments with this doctor, as you know. The appointment was to go over the results of my annual physical which I'd done quite late in 2015, much later than usual, because for part of 2015, I couldn't access that doctor's office due to its steep front steps. (This raises another question: Shouldn't a doctor's office be handicapped-accessible?) The doctor seemed most interested in my heart murmur having gotten better AFTER I'd reduced my cardio but increased weight-lifting. Not a lot of his female patients lift weights so I am an anomaly among them.

I'd like to weigh 135, but I'd be happy maintaining closer to 138. Just like my ticker says. But you know what? That's about all. I have no desire to get thinner than that. I do have a desire to build up my upper body, partly to do pullups but also because honestly, I like how it looks. My aesthetic has changed. I remember a time, years ago, when I was in the grip of the eating disorder, and I rarely ever thought anyone was too thin. Now I look at some women and think, "Okay, that's her look, or her genetics, and that's fine for her -- but it's not for me."

And yes, Michele, I went to the play on Sunday. It's a new one called "The Humans," and it was indeed pretty good, and it made me want to buy some more theater tickets, because what is the point being so near to Broadway (and even better, Off Broadway) and rarely going?

[HowlinAtTheMoon]

Just sayin', the lighter you are, the easier pullups are. You are very strong, so no doubt you'll be able to do them, but pullups may be an additional motivator to drop a couple more pounds

[saef]

What a disappointing weigh in. That tuna wrap would have to be the culprit. There's reason that I have a salad or vegetable concoction with protein every day of my life when I can control my food choices.

I was trapped all day in our company's class, Excellent Manager Section 1, which I've taken twice before now. It's three days of working on various management skills. I have persuaded myself that the danish tray and the afternoon cookies are Other Peoples' Food.

Weigh in: Up two pounds, at 142.6

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin steelcut oats; egg bake with portabellas, spinach and turkey bacon; banana and yogurt
Snack: Gala apple
Lunch: Arugula with tuna, sunflower seeds, matchstick beets, roasted vegetables
Snack: Three big fat shrimp from the apres-class buffet laid out in the cafeteria, avoiding the wine and the guacamole and chips and cheese tray & mini pastries and God knows what all else, because I tried not to even look
Dinner: Sirloin, steamed mixed vegetables
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the elliptical, alternating forward and backward, then Workout 9A1 of the Strong Curves Advanced program. Back to deadlifting. I managed to lift 185 lbs just once before dropping to 165 lbs for 3x6.

[saef]

Hey, Alice, yes, it would be easier to haul myself up in a pull-up if I weighed less. But hey, let's do a cost/benefit analysis here: I'd also be eating less, and maybe beating up on myself more, and I'm not willing to do that.

Second day of the all-day management class. I was late because of slow traffic in a hard rain and my insistence on going to the gym beforehand; then I ducked out early at lunchtime to make a meeting. Which makes me look less than committed, but I liked this class a lot: It was good to hear other managers talking about the pressure they're under.

Weigh in: Lost those two pounds again, at 140.5

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; part of a papaya and yogurt
Lunch: Arugula with chicken breast, roasted vegetables and chickpeas
Snack: Bare Fruit Fuji apple chips, about a small handful from a large bag
Dinner: Steamed mixed vegetables, roasted pork loin stuffed with apricots
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the recumbent bike then Workout 9B of the Strong Curves Advanced program. My incline bench press is just 70 lbs 3x10, lower than my flat bench press, which is 80 lbs. 3x8.

[saef]

It's the third day of an all-day management training class, and I'm working toward the weekend.

Weigh in: Down a half pound, at 140.1

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; part of a papaya and yogurt
Snack: Blackberries and strawberry slices from the breakfast buffet
Lunch: Arugula with chicken breast, roasted vegetables and chickpeas
Snack: MacIntosh apple, bruised
Dinner: Steamed mixed vegetables, roasted pork loin stuffed with apricots
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

30 minutes on the Stairmaster

[saef]

Feeling the weight of the week in more ways than one when I awoke on Friday. After checking email at 5:45 AM, before walking to the gym, I knew it would be one of those Fridays that goes out with a bang.

Weigh in: Back up nearly a pound at 140.9

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; part of a papaya and yogurt
Lunch: Spring mix with marinated artichokes, cold asparagus spears and the last of the marinated tofu triangles, whose saltiness will show up on my scale tomorrow.
Dinner: Steamed mixed vegetables, roasted pork loin stuffed with apricots
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the elliptical, cranked to nine, alternating forward & backward, then a Leg Day

[saef]

Saturday morning, and every time I go outside, I feel like I've been living in a box and the lid has suddenly lifted off. The lesson there is probably to try staying outside for a little while longer, since it's invigorating, despite the stinging cold.

Weigh in: Down about a quarter of a pound, to 140.6

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Dried apricot steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; mango and yogurt
Lunch: Spring mix with roasted vegetables, pecans, goat cheese, Craisins and several forkfuls of hummus
Snack: Bare Fruit cinnamon apple chips, two handfuls from a larger bag
Dinner: Last of the pork loin roast with apricots, sweet potato, steamed asparagus, roasted cauliflower
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes recumbent bike, Workout 9A2 of Strong Curves Advanced Program and a Pilates mat class. Got a compliment from a woman at the gym at how I look, and I told her that I believe it's from reducing cardio and increasing weights. She called my program "aggressive." Today, it feels like it is.

[saef]

Sunday morning with watery eyes. I've taken an allergy pill because that's what it feels like, though I'm not sure what's irritating me. Isn't it too early for any kinds of pollen or allergens to kick in? I'm going to have lunch with a friend who wants assistance with her resume. She was fired last fall and has been through a difficult period of crippling anxiety attacks but is now emerging, going to the gym daily, and she had an interview on Friday.

Weigh in: 141.3, up .7 pounds. Looking over today's food, I will likely exceed 142 by tomorrow morning.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Dried apricot steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; strawberries and yogurt
Snack: Gala apple
Lunch: Grilled shrimp on spinach with lots of parmesan shavings, roasted red peppers and split asparagus spears
Dinner: Roasted cod with eggplant caponata, steamed asparagus and broccoli
Dessert: Mint chocolate chip Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on arc trainer, hill intervals at 10, then Workout 9C of the Strong Curves Advanced Program.

[saef]

Pushing myself on Monday morning to get on time and get to the gym earlier. I'd been dawdling last week, getting stuck in traffic, and sprinting in close to my first meeting time or even late for class one morning. I had to make a meeting with a VP in Dubai at 8:30 AM this morning for yet another product launch.

Weigh in: Up to 142.6, so up another pound and a half, just as I'd expected from yesterday's salty restaurant luncheon -- the price for supporting a friend.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Dried apricot steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; strawberries and yogurt
Snack: Three guavas
Lunch: Watercress and arugula with tuna and roasted red peppers
Snack: Small plum
Dinner: Steak with steamed asparagus and collard greens
Dessert: Cookies and cream Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the Stairmaster, which is never easy, then a Leg Day.

[krampus]

Hi Maintainers - I haven't been on here in a long time. Things are going pretty well. Been eating a bit too much here and there, caved and downloaded MyFitnessPal and am tracking food. Going OK so far - nothing like the pointlessly restrictive days of yore.

I am consciously trying to drop about 5 pounds and magically keep things steady there until December 9, which is a dear friend's wedding in London in which I am a bridesmaid. We are to wear green jumpsuits, which is going to be...something...considering we have a week of tourism and joyful reunions with "the buffet crew" from December 2-9.

[traveling michele]

Krampus-- you have no idea how often I've thought of you and hoped you were doing well!
Glad to see you're checking in.

Green jumpsuits in London? I'm trying to picture that....
My BIL and family live in London. I LOVE London.

[saef]

Krampus! Good to hear from you! And so glad to hear you are living a good, balanced life, with a wedding to look forward to, and what a wedding, if you're wearing green jumpsuits. I think I need to hear more about this, like the venue. If you are all actually jumping out of something at some point during the ceremony, so much the better.

As for me, I'm trying to dig out from under a pile of work today, astonished that there's only a single meeting on my calendar. Super Tuesday, indeed.

Weigh in: Down slightly to 142.4.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Dried apricot steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; strawberries and blueberries with yogurt
Snack: Two guavas
Lunch: Spring mix, roasted vegetables, pistachios, goat cheese, half an avocado, several forkfuls of hummus
Snack: Large handful of Bare Fruit cinnamon apple chips
Dinner: Cod with eggplant caponata, steamed broccoli, collard greens
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the recumbent bike, resistance up to 12, and Workout 10A1 of Strong Curves Advanced Program which wore me out. I didn't have access to a machine and substituted a different exercise, and I shouldn't have -- my upper body was shot before it should have been.

[saef]

Wednesday, waking to rain and low spirits, but gaining energy as the morning goes on.

Weigh in: At 142.6, I'm back up.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Dried apricot steelcut oats; egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; blueberries with yogurt
Snack: Two guavas
Lunch: Watercress with kale, goat cheese, beet matchsticks, steamed haricots vert, wheatberries and roasted vegetables, cherry and sundried tomatoes, chickpeas
Dinner: Sriracha ground beef in lettuce wraps, steamed white asparagus
Dessert: Cookies and cream Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the arc trainer, which is harder than I remembered, and Workout 10B of Strong Curves Advanced Program. Again, a tiring routine. I forgot how difficult the last four weeks of this program are.

[neurodoc]

Wow Saef, I'm jealous of your lunch today. Was it from your workplace's cafeteria, or someplace more exotic?
I had lunch at a newish chain restaurant called Zoup, which is positioning itself as a Panera alternative without the bakery section. The salad I had sounded much better than it actually tasted (Lemon Caper Tuna- it was ok, but nothing special and nothing at all like yours) but the soup was very good.

Krampus! How nice to hear from you. Like everyone else on this thread, I'm wondering about the green jumpsuit as bridesmaid attire. Plus, it's seemingly very far away (in time) to already know what you're wearing. The bride seems like an interesting person.

[saef]

Thursday, feeling my energy diminish as the temperatures dropped 20 degrees in a day. I'm determined to pay for a ticket for something over the weekend. Two weeks ago, a matinee of that new play "The Humans" helped me feel I have some quality of life.

And Andrea, yes, that was a cafeteria meal. (Why would my company want me to ever leave the building complex? That saps productivity.) We have a fantastic salad bar, to help us keep the company's insurance premiums lower, and it's slightly subsidized.

Weigh in: At 142.8, up further, near redline territory.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Steelcut oats; last of the egg bake with mushrooms, broccoli and turkey bacon; blueberries with yogurt
Snack: Four guavas
Lunch: Again watercress, this time with roasted eggplant, artichokes, chickpeas, red rice and chicken breast
Dinner: Sriracha ground beef and lettuce, collard greens
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

30 minutes on the Stairmaster, and then 3x12 curls with 20-lb dumbbells, varying between bicep curls, cross curls and hammer curls.