kc! Good to see you! Get under the covers again, if you can. Take a torch and a book (or a Kindle). That's what I do.
Saef, have a great break! It's definitely allowed.
I've been forgetting to tell you all how my ancient windcheater fits better round my bottom this year than last year.
But.
I took some rough measurements yesterday and they were a bit shocking. As in several-inches-wrong type shocking. But I wasn't starkers, I just fiddled around under my clothing, so they aren't scientifically accurate to several decimal points. All the same, all this taking it steady over a few years to get my back in order has taken its toll elsewhere. (Becky, thanks for noticing! It's been a few years, as you'll remember. I haven't heard anything much about yours either for quite some time - which is good news, I'm assuming.)
Must dash, baths to run and all that. Be good! I will if you will?
Silverbirch, you must have injured your back before I joined this maintainer's forum because I don't recall every knowing what happened. But, speaking for a moment with my medical hat on, the less you do, the less you can do. Since you used to lift weights, may I suggest a book called "The New Rules of Lifting for Life" - a wonderfully comprehensive and well-written manual on getting into (or back into) weight lifting in a way that is safe for middle-aged bodies, even ones with a history of prior injuries. I'm a HUGE believer in regular, vigorous exercise, especially for folks who are on the mend after an injury. Starting with physiotherapy for a month or two (which I think you are way, way past), and then moving on to regular conditioning and strength training, so that you build up the "core" muscles that are what protect you from reinjuring your back. The longer you take it easy out of fear of hurting yourself, the more the disuse will make it difficult to do much of anything without twinges of pain.
137.8 this morning. No surprise there. Had 2 slices of home made veggie pizza for lunch Saturday, an ice cream cone, and sushi and half a chocolate bar Sunday. Apparently that's enough to make my weight stay the same, rather than drop.
I will have to seriously get into calorie counting and weighing food and logging into the food journal again when the weather gets warmer. I am quite determined to get down to 132-134 range for the summer.
Andrea, agreed (use it or lose it) and agreed (NRLW).
I think my "taking it steady" has perhaps got lost in translation.
I’m a former heavy lifter but I found myself on a merry-go-round of niggly SI joint / recovery / re-occurring niggle. At present, I’m taking a different and highly successful path of tiny, tiny steps forward which are ensuring that my body becomes realigned and stays realigned. This has been my focus for the last few years rather than weight or inches. I challenge myself physically most days of the week with workouts from my trainer (movement-based flexibility, corrective exercise and beyond), walking and general daily living (which is rather physical here - we live some distance from the road and also have a wood-burning stove).
I think I could be on the brink of a new phase which might see more focus on cardio and looks – thus my post about inches.
Have a lovely Passover / Easter / Ēostre, everyone. I’m on tour, so I’ll be lurking not posting.
I'm ready to get back to work on better eating. My good friends and usual bad influences just came back from a cruise and are signing back on with WW. My spouse has found to his surprise that even though he's doing interval training on the treadmill 6 days a week, traveling on business 5 days a week is negating his efforts - so he is acknowledging that when he's home, he needs to eat better (even caught him exploring a Cooking Light magazine). And my mom is going back to WW as soon as she comes home from her trip. I believe that the stars are now properly aligned for me to get back in the saddle. My first clear benchmark is that anything in my closet that does not fit on June 1 is gone. Today is the day!
kittycat - good to see you again! I agree with Silver's recommendation about the flashlight and the book.
saef, I have never had the vigilance and intent that you've displayed over the years, but I have found taking a break to be very invigorating. I hope yours does the same for you!
Dagmar, our weather appears to have turned the corner finally. Everything is easier when it's warmer!
The good in Savannah: Walking and walking, a really decent elliptical at the hotel and a great set of iron hexagonal dumbbells, my eschewing the awful choices at Paula Dean's restaurant (I know, I know, but my mother's friends told her she had to go there) for salmon steamed in parchment and in the evening, having a great spinach salad with a crabcake on top
The "bad" -- but I'm not sure I want to call it that: Eating more than was comfortable at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House. I rarely ever do this -- can count on one hand over the past year, like apple pie at my cousin's house last October, and a home-made Indian dinner at a friend's last summer. This was another occasion, a fascinating venture into vernacular Southern cooking. My first piece of fried chicken in maybe six years, a wing, and my first white biscuit and chunk of cornbread in maybe a decade. I live in NY, for God's sake, we don't eat cornbread. I'm slightly conflicted but mostly feeling like it was worth it, because I'm unlikely to eat this food again, possibly ever.
I am GREEN with envy over your meals at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House! Hopefully, the cornbread wasn't too sweet. Cornbread doesn't need sweet when it's dipped into the juices of Collard Greens.
Stay healthy with all that walking. May the slooooow Southern style give you calm.
I am GREEN with envy over your meals at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House! Hopefully, the cornbread wasn't too sweet. Cornbread doesn't need sweet when it's dipped into the juices of Collard Greens.
Stay healthy with all that walking. May the slooooow Southern style give you calm.
For the first time since ?Nov? I saw 128 on my scale. Considering how utterly devastated I was when I got up this high back in the fall, I should be pretty underwhelmed by getting back here, but I'm nearly giddy with relief. I was becoming convinced that I was doomed to be 130+ from here on out.
But man, is it HARD. I am eating a pre-measured, pre-packed breakfast and lunch of 300 cals each, STARVING from 4 pm on, and then eating a wholly inadequate 600 cals for dinner. Nothing passes my lips after dinner is done except for tea or decaf coffee. I'm nearly constantly thinking about food and very fearful that the instant I let up, it will all come rushing back on.
Bill, Dagmar, I love me some leafy greens. Spinach, kale, collards or swiss chard, I'll eat it all, the darker the better. The rest of my family thinks I'm an alien, because real humans don't eat cattle-grazing crops.
Saef, it's good to see you reconsidering the application of the word "bad" relative to your considerable restraint. As you mentioned, they are local specialties and not foods that will tempt you when you head home. It is definitely worth it to check out what makes that area unique and unfamiliar - that's why travel is cool! Years from now, when someone says "Savannah", it shouldn't bring up memories of things you wish you'd been able to enjoy, or any other forms of negative stuff. Sounds like you're doing a great job of going with the flow and maintaining very reasonable limits!
Andrea, the 1200 sounds really challenging. Glad to hear it's getting you in the right direction, scale-wise; I hope it gets easier with time.
We're learning our way around the greens. Swiss chard and spinach have always been faves; DH planned some space in the garden for some new stuff, including several varieties of kale. Our local store carries dandelion greens - I am surprised that they've gone mainstream. I generally buy them for the bunnies and sometimes will add a little to a salad. Still working on developing a taste for them.
It's been a rough couple of days getting back on track, mostly because of some lingering poor habits. I made a few changes back to things I did when I was in loss mode, like saving a bit of lunch for late afternoon so I don't hit the door completely starving - which leads to rooting for fast snacks and way too much nibbling when preparing dinner. I am still sitting at 154, a number that appears to have settled in and decided to act like a setpoint. I suppose it won't change until I do.
Better day yesterday. Saving the apple and mozz stick til 3:30pm worked just as well as it did in 2009/10. Funny how the simplest things are the easiest to forget! Practice last night was grueling - we now have split workouts that are geared toward folks going on to the national short course competitions in mid May (Santa Clara, I think?), and those for the triathletes and open-water swimmers who are training for distance and endurance. I fell into the latter. 4200yds in 85 minutes. Yow. I'm sitting at my desk here, vibrating.
Last edited by ICUwishing; 04-17-2014 at 07:54 AM.
I love collard greens. My grandfather grows them in his garden - fresh ones are just lovely. I diverge from the southern tradition of preparing them with bacon, bacon and more bacon and instead use fresh garlic, diced onion, hot pepper and olive oil simmered in with them.
kc! Good to see you! Get under the covers again, if you can. Take a torch and a book (or a Kindle). That's what I do. 
As you mentioned, they are local specialties and not foods that will tempt you when you head home. It is definitely worth it to check out what makes that area unique and unfamiliar - that's why travel is cool! Years from now, when someone says "Savannah", it shouldn't bring up memories of things you wish you'd been able to enjoy, or any other forms of negative stuff. Sounds like you're doing a great job of going with the flow and maintaining very reasonable limits!
That sounds like something I could attempt to overeat. 