I still haven’t fixed my husband’s computer, but I now know what is wrong. At least I know that I didn’t screw stuff up. The computer I got him for an anniversary present didn’t have built in wireless, but I had a wireless card, so I didn’t worry. The security on the wireless router in the newer WPA which my computer has already, but the old wireless card only had the older WEP security. Tomorrow I will get a new wireless card, and all will work. In the meantime, he’s bootlegging off a neighbor’s wireless that is unsecured. When we get his up and running, I’m going to help our neighbor get her wireless security enabled. I had both laptops on the desk with the pullout keyboard for the big computer. It was serious geekness for someone whose last computer training was in Cobol and Fortran.
As for staying OP, I’ve found in the past that when I have a slip, I just quit writing down calories for the day. Recently, I’ve started writing down the bad stuff, and trying to finish out the day. It has really helped. It hasn’t meant any real progress on the scale, but it has made me feel better. I’ve found that I always assume that I have ingested a million calories, but when I actually haven’t done that bad. Even on my worst day, I don’t go over 3,000. Knowing I’ve only blown it a little has helped me get back on track easier.
I’ve found a long article on taking baby steps to change different behaviors, and I will start posting them tomorrow. The first one will be on dealing with stress.
Wyllenn-I never used online bill pay, but my husband did, so I have learned to use it, and I also love it. Postage here is 52 cents, so that really adds up fast. Happy Birthday, if you are still celebrating them. I think I’m going to skip mine this year.
Toofat-I had some corns pop up several months ago, so walking hurt so much it was driving me crazy. When I finally got these little toe pads, and some Crocs, and was out of pain for the first time in months, I just hop and skipped around, so I understand how great you must feel to not be in pain.
Jersey-I went through that once for 18 months, once for 3 months, and now for about 6 weeks. It didn’t matter what I did, the scale would not move. I survived the 18 months because at the time I hated myself so much that I actually believed I deserved to be tortured like that. It feels like torture at times. I have broken plateaus by increasing calories more than by decreasing calories. I have also broken them by totally eating new types of food. I ate Moroccan for a month once, and basically confused my body. I’ve picked up 6 or 7 new cooking styles that way. I don’t know your age, so this analogy may make no sense, but I once had someone describe liquid diets as moving a phonograph needle to the other side of the record away from a scratch. Making small changes is like trying to move the needle over just one groove and it tends to slip back in again. Moving the needle works because it is so far from the problem area, but once you have to go back into that old area, it is easy to slip back into that old rut. In other words, liquid diets work because we don’t have to make choices or do cooking like normal, but the minute that you have to go back to eating like normal, if you haven’t dealt with the original problems it is easy to fall back in the ditch. I think they work if you are using it as a jump start and use the time to clean out your pantry, learn how to make your favorite dishes lower in calorie and set up support systems to lean on.
Shadie-I fell about a month ago, so I know what trying to defy gravity at our size can be like. If your neck doesn’t start feeling better immediately, you might want an X-ray.
Lillion-It’s nice to know that someone considers me an expert on something. I wish it was for something other than plateaus. They are so infuriating. If you’re diabetic, you can check your blood sugar level. If you’ve got high blood pressure, you can check it. I wish someone would develop some way to measure exactly how many calories you are currently burning at any time so that you could adjust your eating to match. Wow, think how much that patent would be worth.
Middlesister-We’ve all been where you are. It’s like an alcoholic hitting rock bottom. Reaching out for help is a big first step. Just take it one baby step at a time, try not to be too hard on yourself, and remember that the only way to fail is to give up. As long as you keep trying, you are a winner.
Annie-There are some people out there who are good enough businessmen to understand that your hips don’t do the work, your brain and eyes and fingers are the important part. I’ll get my fingers crossed for you. Having a job will help with everything else, self-esteem, having a routine schedule, and getting out of the house.
Sandy-If it wasn’t for snow shoveling, I’d not have much exercise at all. You got 6 WHOLE inches of snow. Wow. Don’t pay any attention to me, I’m thinking about my little apartment 2 blocks from the beach in St. Pete where it got up to 65 degrees today, and we’re going to be 25 below tonight.