Maintainers Successfully Losing Those Last Five Pounds Over & Over Again
 

The other thread hit 500 posts. I don't remember what the optimal length of a thread might be, but seems to me like we might have reached it.

Saturday, feeling a little disoriented, just as I felt yesterday. It's a three-day weekend, I should relax into it. But the transition is so difficult, as I figure out how to apply the brakes when I've been speeding through the days, running on cortisol and caffeine and anxiety over whether I can get my work done. I worked yesterday morning from 7 AM till about 1:30 PM and then found myself restless and at a loss. My solution? I wanted to eat my head off. I had to sit with myself and these impulses and felt like an addict sweating & squirming it out.

Weigh-in: 141, not surprising, as I know my intake increased yesterday. But this is also due to ham and hummus at lunch. Still, it didn't feel good to see that number.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with spinach, broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon and yogurt
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Spring mix salad, roasted vegetables, steamed asparagus, pistachios, goat cheese, lots of sun-dried tomatoes
Snack: Gala apple
Dinner: Ham, half of a sweet potato, steamed asparagus, roasted cauliflower
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar

Exercise for Today: 20 minutes Cybex arc trainer, resistance at 10, then Workout 2B of the Strong Curves advanced program.

Brought forward from previous thread
 

Neurodoc wrote:

BillBlueEyes wrote:

Silverbirch wrote:

Mudpie wrote:
saef wrote:

Great thread title. Very apropos!

I am very tired of losing the same pounds over and over, but have to remind myself that, for me, that is what maintenance looks like. I'm healthy and strong and at a good weight. Do I want to be 5 pounds less? Absolutely. Will I get there and stay there? Who knows.

Weight was low yesterday. Indulged food wise. Weight up several pounds today. Lather, rinse, repeat... However, today is a holiday and we will have lots of food so I don't expect a loss tomorrow. I will attempt to reign it in....

Very bad news yesterday regarding my uncle, who is my only living older relative, and like a father to me. Looks like I will be planning a trip to Rhode Island asap. Have to remind myself that food isn't the answer to stress and sadness.

Sorry about your uncle, Michele. Sounds like my situation with my Dad. My SIL wants me to visit him soon as he is in such a decline. Is it bad for me to want to remember him when he was here last November? Granted he wasn't in the best health then, but I really don't want the memories I have of my Mom on her death bed. My sister is going to go up and visit toward the end of July and we may go at the same time, but I'm kind of thinking that might be too late.

And yeah, I lurk here and post on occasion. I belong to the other thread as I need to re-lose more than just 5 pounds. But there isn't as much participation there.

Allison, I'm going out to an induction session at a new gymn now but I'll come back and go over to the Losing a Lot thread. We have to focus!

I lurk in this thread, too. And in the more than 5 pound thread. I have been sporadic in my chat. :(

I have to admit to being a major lurker, although I do pop in now and again. Sometimes I find myself nodding my head in agreement with what's being posted, but then I never jump in myself.

So my gym is closed for a few weeks because it's moving down the street. I have a set of weights, a bosu, resistance bands, and a stability ball. What I don't have is the wherewithal to use them. I can feel my muscles atrophying. At least I'm walking every day--16 miles on Thursday.

Silverbirch, congrats on the new gym(n - what the heck is that n for, anyway?). I too joined a new gym a month ago, and the novelty hasn't worn off yet. I LOVE it, especially the interesting new group class options, though it's hard to be available at the start time for some of them, and walking in late appears to be frowned upon by the instructors and members alike.
And, yes, I would get more of a feeling of inclusion if I read/posted in more threads. It is definitely a trade-off, and some weeks I need the added reinforcement from reading and posting, while other weekss I simply can't afford the time.

Michele, is your "body pump" class one where you use a modestly weighted barbell and then do repetitive low platform step-ups, or small dumbbells to do like 20 arm curls together with step-ups? Because they have such a class here, though it's called "workout with weights," but it seems to be much more about the cardio aspect than the weight lifting aspect. Just wondering.

Saef, thanks for starting the new thread. Did you name it, or did Bill? In either case, it is a little depressing though all too accurate. Michele, I really like the "lather, rinse, repeat" phrase. Also "yo-yo dieting with a very short string."

Sheila- 16 miles???? WOW, I think that's worth as much as a little Bosu ball work any day.

HAPPY 4th of JULY EVERYONE.

Andrea gymnasium I think? Birchie?

I am currently not "losing those 5 lbs. over & over" but I will post. My stress levels went through the roof today and I maintained whatever composure I could. Without "eating my head off"- as saef said - to compensate.

My contractor emailed this morning. The kitchen reno was supposed to start Monday. He asked if I had picked up the flooring materials as that had to go in first. According to our discussions and the contract my understanding was that he'd do all the shopping. Now I have been waiting several hours to find out whether I should pack up my kitchen tomorrow. At least I only got a good start on the non-essentials so if the reno is delayed it's not that bad.

Then this afternoon the people I'm using for pet sitting when we go away at the end of the month called to tell me their person coming to stay had quit. And they had no one else available. I was able to contact the person directly and she will honour the commitment.

Now DH is freaking out because he wants to go visit his buddy up north next Thursday and I don't know at this point whether I need him here for the reno.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGH!!!!! :tantrum: :tantrum:

Thank goodness for Trixie. My two peaceful moments today have been the long walks I've taken with her. Poor girl is pretty anxious. I think the last time packing went on in her life she lost her whole family.

I'm going to a movie tonite. DH and his band are practicing in our basement so I'm clearing out. Trixie really liked the last practice apparently so she'll be OK. Natalie is immune to the sh*tstorm that today has been.

I will try to follow her lead.

Dagmar :beach: :yoga:

Allison... I'm sorry about your dad's decline. I'm unhappy that my aunt and uncle didn't fill us in when he started declining. I think it's their generation to not tell us things. I haven't seen him in six years though dh has seen him more recently. He used to be 6' 3" before shrinking and my aunt said he was down to 120 pounds. I can't imagine. It looks like a serious malpractice suit is in the works as well. Dh is traveling for several weeks so I'm hoping we can go after, assuming he doesn't decline further. My girls want to go too so travel arrangements, pet sitting, etc. get complicated.

Andrea... Body pump sounds somewhat similar. You have a barbell and hand weights. To music, you work different muscle groups and adjust your weights accordingly. So one song will be shoulders, another back, another biceps, etc. it's a great all around workout in my opinion.

Sorry for the kitchen stress, Dagmar! Hope it all works out well!

Andrea, yes, I named the thread, inspired by repeated references to this phrase in our discussions.

In my case, it's about three pounds, from 138 to 141.

Sunday, still benefiting from going downtown yesterday and seeing "Fun Home" at Circle in the Square, a theater in the round. "Fun Home" won the Tony for best musical, and deservedly so: It's funny, sensitive & heartbreaking, and it's about the cartoonist Alison Bechdel coming of age and coming out as a lesbian, and discovering that her father, an English teacher, old-home restorer and funeral home director (thus the title) was also gay. One incidental pleasure was its evocation of a 1970s childhood, with a couple numbers that sounded like old Jackson 5 songs or echoed the Osmonds or the Partridge Family, the kind of music we heard then as kids.

Weigh in: 141.9, and since I was walking around the city yesterday, and wasn't snacking, I'm attributing this to sodium retention. Enjoying ham comes at a price.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon and yogurt
Snack: Cherries
Lunch: Spring mix, roasted vegetables including cauliflower, half an avocado, goat cheese, pecans, sun-dried tomatoes and goji berries
Snack: Raw cauliflower (I was cooking) and a quarter of a mango (making those addictive muffins again, as overripe mangoes were once again on special at the market)
Dinner: Miso-glazed salmon, roasted cauliflower, steamed French green beans
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

20 minutes recumbent bike, then Workout 2B of Strong Curves. The high step-ups carrying 10-lb dumbbells are exhausting because of the weakness of my left leg -- which nevertheless is much stronger, as I couldn't have performed this maneuver about eight or 10 weeks ago.

Andrea, gymn is short for gymnasium, as Dagmar said. It was always abbreviated like this in British English before the internet came along. I like the way it looks back to Ancient Greece and over to the rest of Europe.

Wikipedia: The gymnasium in Ancient Greece functioned as a training facility for competitors in public games. It was also a place for socializing and engaging in intellectual pursuits. The name comes from the Ancient Greek term gymnós meaning "naked".

Wikipedia: A gymnasium is a type of school with a strong emphasis on academic learning, and providing advanced secondary education in some parts of Europe and the CIS, comparable to British grammar schools, sixth form colleges and U.S. preparatory high schools.

Birchie I dimly recall my grandmother speaking of her kids graduating from the gymnasium and my mom also talked about going to the "French Lyceum" (sp?). Interesting.

Dagmar :shrug:

I feel a bit stupid, considering I know the word "gymnasium" quite well (and, as a native Hungarian, I even know the European meaning of upper-level education).

Dagmar, there are few things in life more stressful than a remodeling effort (well, ok, losing your job, getting a divorce, preparing for your wedding ...) and I don't envy you the minutia of preparation, but just think how great it will be when it's done.

DS#2 has been at sleep-away camp for a week, and DS#3 is leaving for his on Tuesday. That leaves only DS#1, who is deep into his "leave me alone, I am completely independent" phase (nearly 17). DH and I should have a fairly quiet, relaxed week assuming my job stress doesn't interfere too much.

How fun to come back and find a new thread!

I'm back from a family reunion near Lake Tahoe. I was hoping to stay tomorrow also to get in some hiking up there, but several factors worked against that plan, so I'm home already. My new trainee is starting tomorrow. With any luck, he'll be able to replace me in 5 or 6 months and I can properly retire. My car was running hot going up hills on Friday when I drove to the reunion. It never overheated but it sure made me nervous. Probably a sticking thermostat valve. On the way home it was well-behaved, even up hills, but I think I need to get the thermostat replaced anyway.

The reunion was a very happy experience and I was reminded what a terrific extended family I have! These were all relatives from my mother's side of the family - a large Irish Catholic clan of Walshes. Out of the nine original siblings, three remain - my aunt is 86, one uncle is 83 and another is 80. The family behavioral traits among all the cousins, even those of us who have not seen each other since early childhood, is remarkable. And funny. We played horseshoes and cribbage. I ate a huge amount of food over the past two days, and I will not be stepping on the scale until Friday at the earliest.

Allison, sorry to hear about the decline of your dad, and sorry also to hear about your uncle, Michele. And condolences to JZJ on the other thread about her FIL. The reunion made me think about my departed mother and wish she was still here, but I'm also not sorry to be done with the hardship of parental passing.

Saef, glad to hear you got to do something enjoyable! Hope it carries you into next week with an upbeat mood.

It's stinkin' hot here at home and I have to prepare food to take to work tomorrow.

I'm kind of in-between posting to this thread or to the "losing a lot" thread. I haven't stepped on the scale since June 15 as it will only add to the stress.

I have decided to confer with DH and suggest that we postpone the "going away" part of our vacation to next year. I am completely out of control with eating and caffeine and stress. Piling a "vacation" to decide whether we might retire to a the city we'd be visiting is not a good idea at this point.

I will pile on some more lbs. with the kitchen reno. I'd like to take the 10 days I have booked off to seriously restrict calories, drop some weight, kick the energy drink habit I've developed, and start sleeping a bit more than 4-5 nights per week. I think 10 days is a good window for that.

Dagmar :tired: :faint:

Monday, feeling mutinous as I drove into the office this morning, in traffic that wasn't onerous. I wasn't grateful, I just thought of all the lucky people who must have added another vacation day to their long weekend. It's going to be warm and sticky today and I'm trying not to think of all that I need to do.

Weigh in: 141.9, same as yesterday.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; strawberries with yogurt
Snack: Enormous MacIntosh apple
Lunch: Watercress salad with quinoa, roasted vegetables, artichokes, grilled chicken breast strips
Snack: Cherries
Dinner: Roast pork with apricots, steamed green beans, roasted cauliflower
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

At physical therapy: 12 minutes Cybex elliptical, then goblet squats, 3x12, from 15 lbs to 20 lbs to 25 lbs, alternating with 3x20 crunches; 3x12 quad raises and hamstring curls, 3x12 abductor/adductor, and finally, 12 minutes on the treadmill, which kicked my butt, being mostly at 3.6 and 3.8 at a steep incline, up to 4.0, which was at the edge of my ability. I was panting and sweaty. Definite loss of cardio fitness since before my accident.

Tuesday, hot and humid, with me looking out the car window at the haze over Long Island Sound, thinking of escape. But this week I've got to drive into CT all five days of the week to train a new hire.

Weigh in: 140.5, down about a pound and a half.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; strawberries with yogurt
Snack: Enormous MacIntosh apple
Lunch: Arugula with goat cheese and fresh figs, tuna, sunflower seeds
Snack: Cherries
Dinner: Roasted pork, roasted cauliflower and steamed green beans
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the arc trainer that passed by without me being completely aware of it, as I was thinking about work, of course; then Workout 2C of Strong Curves advanced program.

Wednesday, not enough sleep because it was my first night running a window unit air-conditioner and I'm not yet used to the noise. It's warm, sticky and thunderous-looking outdoors & I keep longing to escape somewhere green and cool.

Weigh in: 139.3, down just over a pound.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; strawberries and blueberries with yogurt
Snack: Enormous MacIntosh apple
Lunch: Arugula with bell peppers, steamed asparagus, cold red rice and roasted vegetables, chickpeas and chicken breast
Snack: Yellow and red cherries
Dinner: Roasted pork, steamed green beans, roasted cauliflower
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

20 minutes on the recumbent bike, sweating hard in the humidity; then Workout 2B2 of Strong Curves advanced program. Back to deadlifting the Olympic bar and plates, at 120 lbs.

Saef - what are your thoughts on Strong Curves?

This week I am recovering from the family reunion food fest last Saturday & Sunday. So far I am on plan even with attending a potluck last night (I brought my own salad and chicken to eat). But I'm skipping the daily scale reading until tomorrow or Friday.

My main meal of the day is an egg beater scramble with baked potato, broccoli, mushrooms, grated turnips, onions and a diced sweet red pepper. And 2 wedges laughing cow cheese. Later I'll have salad with chicken.

My knees are feeling halfway decent today, therefore Friday I will abuse them with a strenuous day hike to the top of Mt Silliman in Sequoia National Park. Next week I'll be going on another 4 day backpack.

Shannon, my thoughts on Strong Curves are: By golly, it works! I followed the program with Strong Curves workouts four times weekly. My backside has NEVER looked better. And I also have decent upper body strength because I'm closer to doing a chinup from a dead hang than I've ever been. However, be prepared for some curious looks from other gym-goers as you do barbell hip thrusts and glute bridges.

Weigh in: 139.1, down fractionally -- like a glass of water could tilt the scale either way.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon & yogurt
Snack: Two apricots and a peach the size of an apricot, but immensely flavorful
Lunch: Arugula salad with peppers, black rice, tuna and roasted eggplant
Snack: MacIntosh apple, sizeable
Dinner: Roasted pork, frozen mixed vegetables steamed (the broccoli, cauliflower & carrot thing where it's all broccoli stumps)
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

30 minutes on the Life Fitness elliptical, random program, resistance at eight, alternating forward and backward

Thanks, Saef! I bought the book yesterday and am going to give it a shot. I don't know if I can get four days a week for a while, but I can at least do 3. I started with the beginner one last night as I've been kind of half hearted with my weights lately.

Today I braved the scale and it said 126. That's about where I want to be, although 124 or 125 are really the numbers I like. No one else cares but me.

My food has been on track this week. I just ate an egg beater "souffle" (I cook it in a glass dish in the micro and it rises like a souffle) with mushrooms and brocc and 2 wedges laughing cow. It seemed decadent with all that cheese, but quite low in total calories. Oh, almost forgot to mention that I add grated turnips to the eggs, which are crazy delicious, believe it or not! I'm also having tuna salad and a veggie concoction of onions, peppers, potato, eggplant and tomato sauce. Sounds weird I know, but tastes great.

I was hoping to sleep better last night but it was not to be. I'm dragging at work today. Tomorrow I need to get up at 4 am for a day hike.

I too am planning to jump on the Strong Curves bandwagon - I've ordered the book from Amazon. Also, after reading Saef's meal post for today, I now want black rice, tuna and roasted eggplant for dinner (though it is currently 9:50 pm and I have long since eaten dinner). And, if I can find turnips around here, I think I'll buy one to try grating some into my eggs. I get lots of good ideas from this thread ;>)

I'll be out of town yet again from Sunday through Thursday night, attending an NINDS-sponsored workshop/symposium on developing clinical trial protocols. Once again, food will be a challenge though at least I won't have anyone guilting me to eat more (parents), or to try the fabulous Russian tea cake and Belgian chocolates (friends). I have lost 4 of the 8 pounds that had crept on since last summer, but I know how stubbornly the last few will linger. And considering I have upped my goal weight by 5 pounds already (from 120 to 125), I really can't afford any further "mission creep" if I plan to continue enjoying my current wardrobe.

Weigh in: 138.3, of course, on a Friday, with me feeling as wrung out as a washcloth. I just worked this week. That's all. I went to the gym, commuted on I-95, worked, ate, fell into bed. Got up & did it again.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon & yogurt
Snack: Two slightly overripe black plums
Lunch: Arugula salad with cubes of smoked turkey, roasted eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes, sliced red bell peppers, steamed cold edamame
Snack: MacIntosh apple, sizeable
Dinner: Roasted pork, frozen mixed vegetables steamed (the broccoli, cauliflower & carrot thing where it's all broccoli stumps)
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

Physical therapy: 12 minutes Cybex elliptical, 4x12 squats with weighted bar on shoulders alternating with 4x20 crunches; 3x12 quad raises and hamstring curls; 3x12 abductor/adductor. Then 12 minutes walking on treadmill incline at 3.0, not easy at all for me.

I made it to the weekend, and slept in -- till 5:30 AM. It felt like a luxury. Again, I'm finding it difficult to apply the brakes. I feel as anxious about getting errands run and home-making tasks completed as I have all week about assignments at work.

Weigh in: 138.6, as the weekend increase begins.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon & yogurt
Snack: Bag of Bare Fruit Granny Smith apple chips, the 40 calorie bag
Lunch: Spring mix salad with roasted vegetables, pistachios, half an avocado, Craisins, several forkfuls of garlic hummus
Snack: Red and yellow cherries
Dinner: Swordfish marinated in hoisin sauce, steamed mixed Asian vegetables
Dessert: Cookies n' cream Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

At the gym, my usual Saturday of cardio (20 minutes on the recumbent bike with resistance to push against), Strong Curves workout, then Pilates mat class

Today I remembered another of the adages that I used to see around this site frequently, and so I'll offer it to anyone who sees the title of this new thread as depressing: You don't have to lose 10 pounds, you just have to lose five pounds twice over. That helped me many years ago when I had more than 100 pounds to lose.

Also thinking about what Tony Bennett said in the documentary "Amy," which I saw yesterday at our village cinema: "Life teaches you to live it, if you live long enough." Amy Winehouse didn't live long enough.

Sunday, waking up just a little earlier, to birds singing, at 5:15 AM. Today feels active but manageable. I look forward to going nearly nowhere.

Weigh in: 138.2, actually down. Well, what do you know.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; cantaloupe; yogurt
Snack: A large and delectable peach
Lunch: Arugula salad with roasted vegetables, half an avocado, pecans, goji berries and some forkfuls of hummus
Snack: Bare Fruit Granny Smith Apple Chips, the 180-calorie bag
Dinner: Miso-glazed salmon, steamed green beans, roasted cauliflower
Dessert: Cookies n' cream Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

Workout 3B of Strong Curves, not my favorite, because my weakened left leg makes it strenuous to do high step-ups (on a plyo box that's just above my knee) carrying 10-lb dumbbells. That's at the outer edge of my current abilities, just as doing five reps of squats at 130 lbs was at the very edge of my ability yesterday, and I wasn't sure I was going to make it.

I vacillate between the mindset that losing 5(ish) pounds over and over is the most Sisyphysian (sp?) task in the world and the one where I think "thank God it's just 5 pounds; I can do this and never outgrow my clothes." Currently, I'm in the latter state, but it's like the Necker's cube illusion (if you don't know it, you can look at one here) - the mindset flips in a heartbeat, and I don't know how to flip it back volitionally.

I tried grating some turnip into my scrambled egg this morning, along with a little fresh pesto. It was delicious though I didn't really taste the turnip, prob. because the pesto is so strongly flavored. No other culinary experiments on my end, but I still intend to make black rice, tuna and roasted eggplant for dinner as soon as I get back from my conference.

Glad you tried the grated turnip, Andrea! It seems to add a little sweetness and moistness to my eggs, but no particular taste.

I'm to the point where I've whittled down my acceptable weight range so I'm always losing 1 or 2 pounds. But it seems just as hard as losing 5. And if I don't actively try to get the scale down, it will go up. Ah, life's tribulations.

Sure wish I could do Strong Curves, but I'd have to eliminate most of the exercises because my knees won't tolerate them. I will have stick to hiking up a lot of hills, a few deadlifts and some donkey kicks for my glutes.

I'm doing another 4 day backpack starting on Wednesday. It will be to the Big Five Lakes and Little Five Lakes in Mineral King.

Monday, not pleased about going back to the office. Heading out to physical therapy at 5:30 AM, thinking how nice it would be if I had nothing to do or worry about, if I had taken the day off, which I can't.

Weigh in: 139.3, not up two pounds after the weekend! This reflects all the errand-running and activities over the weekend, which was not relaxing. I'd worked late every day of the previous week and had lots of domestic tasks to perform (picking up clothes strewn across the guest bedroom, vacuuming, shopping & cooking, that sort of thing).

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with broccoli, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes; cantaloupe; yogurt
Snack: A MacIntosh apple of some distinction
Lunch: Spring mix with roasted asparagus, roasted sweet potato, peaches with cilantro & chili powder (seriously, this was delicious), and chicken breast
Snack: Red and yellow cherries, a bit too soft
Dinner: Ham & vegetable soup
Dessert: Chocolate chip cookie dough Quest bar

Exercise for Today:

At physical therapy, 12 minute warmup on Cybex elliptical, 4x12 squats with a weighted bar (if they only knew what I am doing at my gym, on my own) alternating with 4x20 crunches; 3x12 leg raises and hamstring curls; 3x12 abductor/adductor machine; 12 minutes on treadmill, alternating from fast walk and slow walk, at an incline

Tuesday morning, feeling saddened by how my work piled onto me yesterday, as I realized all that I've got to accomplish before next week's offsite meeting in San Diego.

Weigh in: 139.9, an unusual trend for my weight this week

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with spinach, ham, mushrooms and tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon, yogurt
Snack: Bare Fruit cinnamon apple chips, the 130-calorie bag
Lunch: Arugula salad, roasted vegetables, lots of almonds, some plain tofu chunks, goji berries, half of a tasteless California avocado
Snack: Peach
Dinner: Ham & vegetable soup
Dessert: Cinnamon Swirl Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

At the gym, the usual 20-minute recumbent bike warmup, resistance at 10, hill program; then Workout 3C of the Strong Curves Advanced Program. I can now bench-press a single 30-lb dumbbell in one hand for eight reps, probably could do more. This is a relief when I think back to where I was in February after several months of barely moving.

Wednesday morning, walking through air so humid, it feels like wading through water. Reminds me of visits to Florida in July for meetings during the past two years. Just a resigned feeling when I think about work and anger growing at management over how long I've carried jobs for two people. It must be saving them so much money.

Weigh in: 139.9, same as yesterday. I double-checked after a scale re-set. That's unusual.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with spinach, ham, mushrooms and tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon, yogurt
Snack: Slightly overripe plum
Lunch: Watercress salad with farro, roasted peppers, almonds, chicken breast and two small stuffed grape leaves
Snack: Cherries, a small "white" peach
Dinner: Roasted chicken thighs with harissa and yogurt sauce, cauliflower & carrots, broccoli rabe
Dessert: Double chocolate chunk Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

At the gym, the usual 20-minute Cybexz arc trainer warmup, resistance at 10, slogging through the interval program; then Workout 3A2 of the Strong Curves Advanced Program. Here's where I am: Rowing a 40-lb DB, squatting 110 lbs, deadlifting 125 lbs and weighted glute bridges at 125 lbs.

As long as one is successful at doing the work of two people, no matter the personal cost, management has no incentive to change anything. They will just let one keep on doing it.

It might be time to start slipping deadlines instead of meeting them, saef, so that you actually have a life again and management perceives the problem.

Thursday morning, at the office at 7:30 AM, and just feeling tired, looking at email from India, time-stamped 1:30 AM. At least the humidity dropped and the temperatures did, too, and it was even a bit chilly, in the 60s.

Weigh in: None. The scale wouldn't work. Even after I changed the four batteries and am pretty certain they're pointing in the right direction.

Meals for Today:

Breakfast: Coconut mango muffin; egg bake with spinach, ham, mushrooms and tomatoes; blueberries with cinnamon, yogurt
Snack: Two peaches, and then later, since lunch was very late, raided my afternoon snack of cherries
Lunch: Half watercress salad with tomatoes, half kale Caesar salad, with six dolmas on the top
Dinner: Ham and vegetable soup
Dessert: S'mores Quest bar


Exercise for Today:

At the gym, 30 minutes on the recumbent bike, pushing hard with the recovering leg and sweating hard, too, even though the gym was chilly and not humid.

At Trader Joe's I saw Quest bars so picked up a cookies and cream bar. Usually those kinds of things are overly sweet IMHO and don't have much protein. I was surprised to see 21 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar. It tasted pretty darn good, too. I can see why you like them, saef. They're pretty spendy at TJ's, though--$2.29 each. My DH and I are going to try for a walking PR of 20 miles through Seattle on Saturday, and a Quest bar might come in handy.

Sheila, that's a wonderful West Coast regionalism: "Spendy." And actually, $2.29 isn't bad. If I get from at Shop Rite, they're $2.50 each. Or I buy a 12-pack from eBay with free shipping for $25.95.

I don't mind because I don't buy alcohol, or drink, and I don't buy any junk food anymore, I work hard, and honestly, I make a decent salary, so I find Quest bars affordable.

And yeah, the low sugar/high protein and the great taste of some of the flavors is why I'm eating one a day, as a dessert.

I go on jags like this with food. I am sure I'll get tired of Quest bars, and one day I'll look back on 2015 as my Year of the Quest bar, but right now, I like them a lot.

Back from the workshop. I learned some, and definitely made some important and (hopefully) useful contacts in the Neurology grant-funding world. Now the onus is on me to finish my research study protocol and write the grant proposal to go with it. But for the first time in my career, I actually feel like I have the same advantages that all the other grant applicants have (that I never had, like an understanding of what it takes to submit a competitive grant application, and a mentor who advocates for me).

A little afraid to get on the scale because I sat all day, ate big (for me; they were 1/2 of what other people ate) meals and had wine with dinner two nights in a row. We'll see.

Very Off Topic
 

This is wildly off topic. Thanks for your patience with my curiosity.

Thank you very much, Sheila and saef, for pulling me up and making me think. 'American' has obviously been challenging me so much that I haven't even considered its regional variation. And yet I do this all the time in British English and other languages ...

From neurodoc:

So very glad to hear at last of a workshop that was positive and encouraging. And it sounds wonderful to have someone who's going to be on your side, helping you out. This phrase jumped out at me as I understand mentoring and advocacy to be two different things. Roughly: mentoring ~ support and encouragement; advocacy ~ speaking on someone's behalf. I'd be very interested to know what this person will be doing for/with you.