Jen-- that is great for your office party-- that is a dream for those of us wishing to maintain at this time of year.
Megan-- I'm chuckling at your fat Megan vs. desperately-pretending-to-be-skinny Megan! I'll have to remember that when I go to the holiday party this weekend with dh and decide which one I'm going for.
My weight is one pound below my red line so I'm holding on for dear life. However, dd came home late last night so the difficulties with my routine ensue. She needs the car which means I'll need to pick up dh which may knock me out of yoga or the gym. Sigh... I'll have to practice flexibility (and pray).
So scary last night! I was on Facebook around dinner time and was chatting with DD who got a text message from Cal State Fullerton saying that they were going into lockdown and if you weren't in a classroom to get off of campus stat. There was an armed robbery in Moreno Valley and the robbers fled and ended up on campus (which is about a 30 minute drive away). DD was at home when it happened, but she called her boyfriend to come and get her and they went out to dinner in a different city just to get away. Her roommate was in the music building and was in lockdown for several hours while SWAT teams scoured the campus and helicopters (3) flew overhead looking for the gunmen. As I understand, they found two, lost two and the fifth had stolen a car and was chased to Watts where they arrested him.
Everyone was safely evacuated. Still scary though.
Allison, glad DD is safe. I saw that on the news, so much scary news lately.
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Re: Amazon DIL passed another ToyRUs on the way home and picked up the walker in Elk Grove. I do order from Amazon, mostly books , sometimes for my Kindle and other times I want an actual book.
Amazing the various stresses that the holidays bring... food, office parties, food, shopping, food, family conflict, food... Best wishes to us all as we navigate this. I can think of two REAL things around the holidays: 1) for those of us with a religious or spiritual bent, we celebrate Christmas/Hannukah/solstice and it deepens our connection to God 2) for everyone, the holidays can deepen our love and connection with family, friends, neighbors, to all of good will. I remind myself that overeating has nothing to do with either of these core things (love), and keep trying to focus on what is deeper than the stresses.
So far I'm still losing my Thanksgiving weight and am within a half-pound of my ideal weight range again! This has no precedent in my adult life for this time of year.
This morning, a heresy occurred to me when I was walking back home from the gym. It's that I don't miss wine. And don't care if I ever drink a glass again. And am left completely cold by the prospect of having to order it. Yes, I am a traitor to my class! I'm not against drinking. Actually, I rather like being around people who've had a little to drink. And I support viniculture and the wine-tasting ritual, because I always love the idea of excellence and turning work into a kind of art, or at least, into something artisanal. Also, I like the flavoring that a bit of wine can give to something I'm cooking. But when I get a glass of it, I drink it because everyone else already is, and one is supposed to. It confers adulthood. It seems like the right thing to drink with a meal, if one is having a meal in which flavor is important. So the remaining reason would be getting a buzz on, and that doesn't really interest me. I am heretofore excusing myself from ever having to drink wine again because of my apathy about it.
I am not much of a wine drinker, either. I like it, but most of the time I would rather eat my calories than drink them.
I play tennis with a group of ladies on Fridays; it's casual and whoever wants to play just shows up at 10:00 and we play for a couple of hours. So today I get an e-mail from one of the ladies that says, "Tomorrow we are playing for drinks, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, your choice. I will bring a bottle of wine to get the ball rolling." Ok, first of all, it's at 10:00 in the morning. Secondly, I am there primarily to get some exercise, and have fun doing it. Drinking wine while exercising and also having to spend extra money to do so does not appeal to me!
I am debating skipping it just so I can avoid the uncomfortable position of being the no-fun, non-drinking one. What would you guys do? I think I will e-mail back with, "I can make it but it's a bit early for alcohol for me." and hope that other people will chime in with similar. And I also hope this doesn't become the norm; I will have to find a new tennis group!
Being a substance abuse counselor I don't drink at all. I've never had a problem with drinking, but once you've seen so many people piss their lives away over alcohol it loses its appeal, I guess. Plus since I've lost weight I can't imagine wasting any calories on empty calories!
Just got back from my first run in over a week. First 2.5 miles were COMPLETELY pain free. Suddenly it then started hurting again. This is so discouraging. I just ordered an IT Band Strap but any other recommendations are being solicited!
I'm sorry, Jen... I was hoping it would go better. From everything I read the pain starts up after 2.5-3 miles because it takes that long for the wear on the IT band to cause it to flare up. I guess the IT band itself rubs against the knee bones or something? I have to admit that I'm not as familiar as I should be with the anatomy there, especially as I did loads of research about it this summer.
Don't wear heels today and try to avoid a lot of stairs if you can. More stretching. Try the strap and see if it helps, if not maybe lay off running - do you have access to an elliptical? That didn't hurt me at all and I used it as a sub for about a month, mixed with some shorter runs.
Last edited by Shannon in ATL; 12-13-2012 at 02:08 PM.
I also don't waste my calories on alcohol like you Jen.
I drank when I was younger but now when I drink I get sick-- doctor says I'm intolerant to alcohol-- so not exactly allergic-- but not worth doing. Dh says I'm boring sometimes but I know he likes having a designated driver when we go out.
I do find it interesting to see the nature vs. nurture regarding alcohol. My parents rarely drank and now I don't drink at all. Dh's parents are alcoholics (in my opinion-- but others just might say they drink a lot) and most of his family drinks a great deal. Dh drinks more than I would like and we've had many discussions about it. I wish he'd cut back but until a doctor tells him to I doubt he will. My girls don't drink. My older dd (21) will drink very occasionally but not much at all and she hates to be around drunk people. My younger dd (17) REALLY doesn't drink-- she's the one who just became Mormon. So, how much is nature and how much is nurture??
Sorry Jen about your running too! I'm glad you've found other exercise options though.
Michele, I am oddly fascinated by your daughter's conversion to Mormonism. Maybe because down here near Manhattan, it's unusual to run across a Mormon. I mean, I know they're out there, but they don't have a strong cultural presence in this area. I think it's fair to say that it would be unusual in this area to find a child of Jewish descent through her mother who converted to Mormonism.
Jen, I've thought of you on & off today, wondering at what time you were going to run, and how it went. Sorry to hear that it flared up again. Shannon seems to be offering the soundest advice here. Mine will be: Do not despair, and remember not to give into the little irrational voice that says this is going to ruin everything permanently & reverse overnight all your good work. It will not. You are a different person now in many ways, not just in your exercise habits.
Me, I'm hoping for a quiet night and then tomorrow's challenge, which will be a dinner out with old friends in Connecticut. The friend, an Italian-American whose family originated in the Bronx, is craving cavatelli & meatballs, which he feels just isn't done correctly in the section of Virginia where he now lives. So he goes for pasta dishes whenever he comes back to the area to visit. On that pasta-heavy menu, I think I'm just going for that reliable standby, grilled salmon. And tell myself that it's about his company, which I enjoy. He last saw me maybe 50 pounds ago, about halfway through my weight loss journey, so this should be an interesting dinner.
Jen, I focused on the injury piece and not the emotional side of it, but I agree with Saef. This injury will not destroy everything you've accomplished so far, not at all. Take care of yourself and don't push too hard so you can get back on your feet faster. You'll be just fine - you have made so many positive changes in your life, this is just a minor bump in the road. I remember I gave in to despair when mine was bothering me so badly, read all the worst case scenario articles about how I'd never run again, etc. Don't do that to yourself, it doesn't help at all. I did end up changing my shoes over the whole thing - I was wearing Asics with a lot of support, but have found that my stride actually prefers a more natural shoe. I used Newtons for a while, but discovered a philosophical problem with the company and their service model so moved to a light Saucony back in September. When I use a shoe with more support I actually pronate more rather than less, and put too much pressure on my ankles and knees. The more natural shoe with the thinner sole lets my feet set their own stride easier, feels better at the end of the day.
Saef - griilled salmon is always a good fallback, and a good food in general. Enjoy your visit with your friend, I hope he is appropriately wowed by your progress.
I probably drink more than I should, even though I do it very seldom. I have a family history of some alcoholism as well as an addictive personality, so I try to be very careful with it. If i sit down for a glass of wine I often end up finishing the bottle, so I don't always sit with a glass of wine without someone else there to help police it.
Jen, I've thought of you on & off today, wondering at what time you were going to run, and how it went. Sorry to hear that it flared up again. Shannon seems to be offering the soundest advice here. Mine will be: Do not despair, and remember not to give into the little irrational voice that says this is going to ruin everything permanently & reverse overnight all your good work. It will not. You are a different person now in many ways, not just in your exercise habits.
That voice - the one that says "f*ck it" and that I am going to be fat again? It has been SCREAMING at me all afternoon. I have said before that I don't deal with the unexpected well and this is just throwing me into a total panicky tailspin.
Shannon - I don't have any access to an Elliptical - just a very expensive treadmill that DH and the dogs all use as well. I wear Vibrams when I run. I have had foot and ankle problems all my life. I tried a regular sneaker (Merrell) earlier this year - ended up in AGONY AND lost a toenail. Hoping the IT Band strap helps and I will continue to work on stretching and strengthening.
Trying to fight the black cloud of despair..........
I am not much of a wine drinker, either. I like it, but most of the time I would rather eat my calories than drink them.
I play tennis with a group of ladies on Fridays; it's casual and whoever wants to play just shows up at 10:00 and we play for a couple of hours. So today I get an e-mail from one of the ladies that says, "Tomorrow we are playing for drinks, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, your choice. I will bring a bottle of wine to get the ball rolling." Ok, first of all, it's at 10:00 in the morning. Secondly, I am there primarily to get some exercise, and have fun doing it. Drinking wine while exercising and also having to spend extra money to do so does not appeal to me!
I am debating skipping it just so I can avoid the uncomfortable position of being the no-fun, non-drinking one. What would you guys do? I think I will e-mail back with, "I can make it but it's a bit early for alcohol for me." and hope that other people will chime in with similar. And I also hope this doesn't become the norm; I will have to find a new tennis group!
Take a bottle of sparkling cider, non alcoholc but still festive. I don't drink at all, I have had enough and no. I do not have any religious reasons not to. It is just like food, if I prefer something low calorie or refuse the second helping of desert and they think I am a picky eater, OK, same with alcohol it is my preferance and if they think I am no fun that is OK, too. I have no problem if other people drink as long as they don't drink and drive.
Jen,
When I read the studies that show that people who drink one or two glasses of wine/beer/shots reduce their Alzheimer's risk by 40%, I became a religious one-glass-a-day wine drinker. I have taught wine tastings for charities for 25+ years and raised over a hundred thousand dollars doing it. And I was able to lose 30 pounds drinking a glass a day through most of it. All that said, there are days when the taste of wine doesn't do much for even me, with all my knowledge!
Last edited by ChrisMohr; 12-14-2012 at 12:40 AM.
Reason: data I forgot to enter
This is so discouraging. I just ordered an IT Band Strap but any other recommendations are being solicited!
I remember I gave in to despair when mine was bothering me so badly, read all the worst case scenario articles about how I'd never run again, etc. Don't do that to yourself, it doesn't help at all. 
I did end up changing my shoes over the whole thing - I was wearing Asics with a lot of support, but have found that my stride actually prefers a more natural shoe. I used Newtons for a while, but discovered a philosophical problem with the company and their service model so moved to a light Saucony back in September. When I use a shoe with more support I actually pronate more rather than less, and put too much pressure on my ankles and knees. The more natural shoe with the thinner sole lets my feet set their own stride easier, feels better at the end of the day. 
