Happy August everyone!

August is a long hot month where we often find ourselves mentally in two different spaces; anticipating the fall season and making the most of what is left of summer. The long days and busyness that summer brings often leads to less focus and being more lax in our attitudes and habits. Whether this summer has been one of progress and success-yet you feel your energy waning-or one of struggle and challenges and in need of a fresh start, let's alter our perspective and view August as a mid-summer recharge in our efforts. Maybe you have your eye on fall. That's great but what do you need to be doing now to enter the fall season where you want to be? Wishing for a summer do-over? While we can't bring back days and weeks already gone, there is still plenty of time to rethink our choices and set new goals so by the time summer ends we can still feel a sense of accomplishment.

All our to our monthly neighborhood block party so feel free to check in and share your goals, what's working for you and what's not, or to chat about how life is going. This thread is what we want it to be. So, welcome back to the regulars, and if you enjoy reading the posts but haven't posted, please make yourself known and join us! We'd love to have you here.

Good luck and may our August efforts be rewarded well.

Good morning .


I hope everyone has had a good day so far. When I was setting up the August thread last night the realization that we are half-way through summer hit me. I'm three months a way from my next birthday and as I get older the days, weeks, and months seem to pass even more quickly. This is just the opposite of what I experienced in grade school when time seemed to move so slowly.


I've been knee-deep in training a new staff member. He's learning lots and is taking a lot of notes. The most frustrating part is getting him access to all the systems and platforms we use. I work at a Research 1 university and there are so many forms and permissions needed to get gain access. I get it; we can't be too cautious especially with nearly everything online and electronic. Still, at times it seems like there's just as much back and forth as we had when everything was paper based.


Nothing new on the food or exercise front. My weight seems to have stabilized and toggles 2-3 pounds one way or the other. At least it's not gaining.


Wishing everyone a great day!

Curvy,

Great job on maintaining! That is my biggest battle these days and I admire anyone that can do that and not be super strict. And if you lose, it is all just a bonus!

I hope you and the new guy get comfortable and things go smoothly soon!

Have a great weekend!

KStrong: It's so good to have you back and posting! How did your surgery go? How are you feeling? I guess your comment about tells me something about how you've recovered. Happy to hear that you got yourself a rolling cart. Save yourself some grief by alleviating the stress and strain of really heavy items. Taking the stairs is always good exercise.

Your comment about not feeling good at your current weight? Well, I could right a book on that statement along. I'm in the same boat!
*****
I hope everyone is having a great weekend. I had my hair cut and colored yesterday which always makes me feel like a new woman if only for a brief moment. I'm actually taking a vacation day tomorrow which will be nice. I'm hoping some day in the near future I'll actually be able to take some real vacation time. I'm not even looking to go anywhere, I just want more than a three-day weekend! I've been able to get some good walking in the last couple of weeks. Having a new staff person has provided opportunities to walk him all over campus to show him where departments and things are. We try to do these "tours" first thing in the morning before it gets too hot. It feels good to get away from my desk.

Happy Sunday!

Curvy, Thanks! I hope you have a nice day off! Yay for the hair refresh and the extra walking.
Have a great one!

Curvy, hope you enjoyed your day and it was just like you wanted!

Have a great day!

KStrong: I had a good day off. I'm looking to see if I can take the Friday before the Memorial Day holiday off as well. Being short-staffed has not left a lot of opportunities to take a real vacation so I'm thankful I can take days off here and there when I can. Happy to hear that you're getting a break from the heat. It's cranking up over here and we'll be in triple digits for the remainder of the week. Today it's supposed to be 105 degrees.

Taking a break from coloring your hair is a great idea. I haven't done that since the first year of the pandemic and only because every place was in lockdown. It was like time lapse photography watching the gray come in over the weeks and months.

About my new avatar...I do like it. It's a happy one and so is yours! With all the updates 3FC has made I somehow lost my previous Misty Copeland avatar. I tried to upload different images but haven't been successful. Oh well!

New and old clothes are an ongoing challenge for me as well. I have the same five outfits that I wear repeatedly. I call them my "uniforms". I'm not against buying some new clothes but thinking and doing it just depresses me. I have clothes in my closet from when I was thinner and I sometimes can't believe I was ever that small (for me). Water weight is a mystery to me. Meds may be interfering with your progress but I wouldn't be surprised if you see a swoosh in the next few days. Just keep doing what you're doing.
****
Back to work and happy to be doing so in AC. I had a good three-day weekend and it made me realize how tired I am and that I need work more of these into my calendar. My new staff person took the opportunity to go for a yesterday in the campus arboretum after work and just hearing about it both inspired and made me jealous (in a good way). I used to do that 3-4 times per week about 10 years ago when I was actually putting effort into losing weight and getting more active. I need to get back to that. It's a good excuse for new running shoes!

Happy Tuesday!

Curvy, I hope you made it through the heat and that you get that four day weekend for the next holiday. I know you could really use it!

Have a lovely day!

Good morning

KStrong: Congratulations on your streak of no alcoholic beverages! That's a big deal! Sounds like you came out of your surgery stronger and more focused.

I got tired of the broken link as well! I started to look at others and they had the same and then I wondered if it was just me seeing their broken links. Way too much time thinking about my missing/broken avi!

Couldn't agree more about graying hair. I don't know how yours grays but mine is most prominent at my hairline. I have a lot of hair so the other grays are sufficiently covered. Around week 4 the gray is clearly evident especially if I pull my hair into a ponytail. On good days, if my hair falls just right you can't see it at all. Most days you can though.

I mostly wear jeans too and you're right, they're a good gauge of what's happening with my weight. Both of the pairs I've been living in need to be replaced. One pair is okay shape but the other pair is pretty worn. The 10-11 pounds I've managed to keep off have left them a bit baggy too. I probably will invest in replacements and maybe a couple of new shirts. I have to fight the voice in my head that tells/scolds/reminds me that "You're fat and don't deserve new clothes." Again, it's not like I enjoy shopping but I do recognize that I need to add a few things to the uniforms.

I am so looking forward to fall and cooler temps! Taking the lead of my new staff, I'm going to start walking in the arboretum after work. I'll pack my clothes the night before. I need regularly scheduled exercise. The last two nights I've had a difficult time sleeping due to lower back pain. I haven't done a thing to my back so I'm left to believe my sedentary job and lifestyle has led to this. I'm 53 (soon to be 54) years old. Unless I truly had some physical impairment, there is no way I should feel the way that I do.

Okay, I've blathered on too long. Wishing you a great day!

Curvy -
Thanks. I hope your back is better and you got some good sleep! It could be that you slept wrong or just stayed in a weird angle for too long. If I don't remember doing something that I know to make my regular issues unlivable, that is usually the culprit.

Congrats on the baggy jeans!
The arboretum sounds lovely. Is it big?
Have a nice day!

Good morning

I slept a tad bit better last night but am still experiencing back pain. I say pain but there is no pain in my actual spine thank goodness. It's clearly in my muscles of my lower back. One side feels like it has a knot in it so I've been doing some gentle stretching and also applying Icy Hot and kneading it into the region. Upon application it doesn't feel great but it has helped to relax the area and loosen things up a little. I carry way too much weight in my abdomen region and I can't pretend that the two aren't related. And I can't help but notice that when I'm up and active the pain decreases significantly. As I mentioned yesterday, my sedentary work and lifestyle have done me no favors. Now I see why so many folks invested in standing desks during the pandemic.

It's going to be another busy and hot day. Glad it's Thursday. Have a great day everyone!

Curvy, I hope your back feels better and you get some rest this weekend! I hear you on the abdomen fluff. If I could lose 10 lbs there, I'd be happy. Well that and another 10 in my saddlebags.
Have a great weekend!

KStrong: Your comments about rain left me envious and living vicariously through you. I love rain and rainy days. Some of my most productive days are when it rains. I'm originally from Nebraska where we have four real seasons and it rains regularly during the summer. Nothing like a Midwestern thunderstorm! I imagine it's probably similar in Texas, yes? Once I moved to Northern California I had to get used to dry, dry, dry, summers. Admittedly, there are days where I realize I haven't gotten used to it. Your rain yesterday must have felt and smelled refreshing! And a 72 degree day today...

What's going on with your foot? I hope it's nothing some rest can't fix.

We're on the same page about when holidays begin. When the weather begins to change, I'm in active holiday thinking mode. I love to bake too but it's usually for others during the holidays. I have a standing Monday dinner date with some friends that I've had for years and I'm the dessert bringer. Depending on my workload/schedule I'll alternate between baking something or buying something yummy that is pre-made. You've earned that trip to Trader Joe's so enjoy the shopping trip!
****
I slept a bit better last night. After doing some research on Dr. Google, I'm pretty sure the root of my back ache and stiffness is my sciatica nerve. All the symptoms align: lower back pain and stiffness and running down only one side of my body. For me, my left side. You know what's a big contributor to sciatica pain? Being overweight and carrying too much weight around the abdomen. I'm ticking every box!

KStrong, to your question about the Arboretum. It is big; a 3.5 mile loop filled with trees and flora and fauna of the region and beyond. From your description of plants it sounds like a place you'd really enjoy. There is a small lake that separate the two sides of the loop and I often see turtles sunning themselves, ducks and their babies (spring), fish, and varieties of other birds. Fall and spring are my two favorite seasons of the Arboretum. It's a great place to exercise. I used to run it 2-3 days a week on my lunch hour and sometimes come on the weekend to run. I can't run it now, but it is an equally good place to walk.

You have a great weekend as well!

Hi Curvy & KStrong! Long time no check-in-- It appears I've created an annual trend of needing to reset my diet in August-- 238.8 today. Peak weight this month 245.5 on the 13th. I went off the rails with diet (and wine consumption) during our trip to England in June and I've been struggling to get back on track. Not to be one of those gals, but my current "long term" goal is wedding-related and it's to not need my gown to be let out. I did a comparison photo from today to fall 2020 and spring 2021 and really didn't like what I saw. I've been avoiding the visual comparison for a while, but it was the mental slap in the face I needed

Onward and downward!

SW: 240.7
GW: 235.0

Week 1:
8/1: 240.7
8/2: 241.4
8/3: 240.7
8/4: 240.6
8/5: 242.3
8/6: 241.2
8/7: NWI
Total for week 1: +0.5
Total for August: +0.5

Week 2:
8/8: 239.9
8/9: 241.4
8/10: 240.4
8/11: NWI
8/12: 243.2
8/13: 245.5
8/14: 243.9
Total for week 2: +2.7
Total for August: +3.2

Week 3:
8/15: NWI
8/16: 240.4 – restarted measuring, weighing, and tracking; recalculated macros/kcal needs.
8/17: 241.2
8/18: 241.5
8/19: 240.4
8/20: 238.8 – 60 minutes yoga

SW: 240.7
8/14: 243.9
GW: 235.0

Week 3:
8/15: NWI
8/16: 240.4 – restarted measuring, weighing, and tracking; recalculated macros/kcal needs.
8/17: 241.2
8/18: 241.5
8/19: 240.4
8/20: 238.8 – 60 minutes yoga
8/21: 238.8 (+/-0)
Total for week 3:-5.1
Total for August:-1.9