Living Maintenance general maintenance topics and discussions

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 06-08-2015, 06:34 AM   #1  
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
 
BillBlueEyes's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Boston area
Posts: 12,143

S/C/G: 239/173/165

Height: 5'9"

Default Maintainers Weekly Chat June 8 - June 14

Dinner last night on the patio for the first time this year. Yay for one of life's simple joys.

My goal this week is to remember that a two week vacation is not permission to nibble when I think of Italy. My brain seems to believe that thinking about walking all day creates a calorie deficit.
BillBlueEyes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2015, 06:55 AM   #2  
Senior Member
 
Mudpie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Toronto, ON Canada
Posts: 6,353

S/C/G: 152/???/132/33

Height: 5'4"

Default

Bill I wonder how many cals our brains do burn? They are "on" all the time so you'd think, with all that activity . . . .

We are going to have a cold and rainy week. I think that is the Environment Canada weather forecast for the summer.

I've stopped sulking, after two Monday weigh-ins over 140 lbs. and am now acting. Yes it's not ideal weather but that doesn't give me an excuse to eat everything I want without documenting it.

Got out my notebook this morning and wrote down the cals for all the food I'm eating during the day. Will guestimate dinners - DH is cooking - but I'm doing the menu planning so they won't be too extravagant.

We'll see how it goes for the rest of June. I might try a system of one week weighing, measuring, etc. and one week not, after I get back down in the 135-138 lb. range.

Dagmar :
Mudpie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2015, 08:41 AM   #3  
Girl Gone Strong
 
saef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atlantis, which is near Manhattan
Posts: 6,836

S/C/G: (H)247/(C)159/(Goal)142-138

Height: 5'3"

Default

After a week of decent sleep, it happened again last night: I woke up around 1:30 AM, well before my alarm was scheduled to go off at 4 AM, dreading resuming work on Monday, worrying over all the demands on me in the coming week.

I'll be working from home for three of the five days, which helps. I don't like being physically onsite, near my ex-manager and my new manager. The latter is leaving this Friday. I will miss that demanding woman terribly, as she threw a lot of interesting stuff my way and kept me well-informed on what was going on in the rest of the org. Lately, though, every time I talk with her, I feel bad afterward, and that my current situation is hopeless -- that's why I'll be a little relieved once she has departed.
saef is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2015, 08:43 AM   #4  
Senior Member
 
alinnell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 10,823

S/C/G: 173/in progress/140ish

Height: 5'8"

Default

As Bill begins outdoor dining we end. I went out to clean the patio table for lunch yesterday and the hot breeze stopped me in my tracks. Thankfully it's still mild enough to use our evaporative coolers over the central A/C.

I planted a few new vegetables in our new gardens but it looks like one pepper plant won't make it. I harvested nine tomatoes yesterday so we'll have a lot of tomatoes to eat today!
alinnell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2015, 10:50 AM   #5  
Senior Member
 
traveling michele's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,448

S/C/G: 178/134/125

Height: 5'6"

Default

I ate outside a few times this weekend (solo) while watching Ellie in the yard. Weather was pleasant but today is forecast to be 100 (but just today-- then lower).

Dh returned home yesterday with dd after driving from Arizona. She was fairly cranky so I hope that improves-- I'm sure she is tired and she had a weird reaction (medicine?) and has sores in her mouth/throat so I know that is uncomfortable.

Dh leaves tomorrow for over a week though so I'll have to chat with dd, not really to set rules, but just expectations so we don't get on each other's nerves too much-- she can be quite messy and I really don't like that-- I'm not horribly neat but just things like clothes all over the floor, not covering food in the microwave.... irk me... Will also have to figure out dinners because when dh is gone I usually just fix a simple dinner for myself. I know dd won't really want what I'm fixing and will push to go out a lot. For many reasons, I want to keep that to a minimum. That being said, I think we are going for sushi tonight before dh leaves-- assuming dd's mouth can tolerate it.

I did extra workouts this weekend trying to combat the weekend gain-- both days I did bikram yoga (90 minutes) and went to the gym for my prison break/elliptical fix (60 minutes). I'm at 125.6 this morning which is two pounds lower than last Monday, so I hope I don't see a big sushi spike tomorrow.

Did you all hear about the real prison break with the two escapees in New York? Scary!

Two more weeks of work for me before the summer.... the library is being used for 2 hours today to show the Lorax movie to the 4th grade. I'm planning on "traveling" to classes to scan books during that time as it is hard to work in the dark!
traveling michele is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2015, 07:08 PM   #6  
Senior Curmudgeon
 
neurodoc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 970

S/C/G: 162/134/125

Height: 5'2"

Default

Michele, what is "prison break"?
Bill, I completely believe that thinking about exercising should count for something :>)
And, Dagmar, you're not wrong: 20% of your body's circulating blood glucose goes to the brain -it's the single organ that consumes the most energy, after your muscles (if those count as a single organ). Recent research studies point toward progressively slower and poorer decision making over a 4-5 hour stretch after a meal, as your body works its way through the "easy" glucose and has to turn to gluconeogenesis (the process of making glucose from glycogen and fatty acids) to keep feeding the brain.
neurodoc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2015, 07:29 AM   #7  
Girl Gone Strong
 
saef's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Atlantis, which is near Manhattan
Posts: 6,836

S/C/G: (H)247/(C)159/(Goal)142-138

Height: 5'3"

Default

Yesterday, the orthopedic surgeon told me the bone is healing well, and that we could schedule outpatient surgery to remove the two bottom-most screws in my shin, which have been causing me pain. Something about them being pegged there pulls at the tendons and muscles and it's often sore, particularly after activity of any kind or when the barometric pressure outdoors changes.

I am suddenly anxious about this surgery. Like, they're going to cut into my leg again. And probably that means a setback from where I already am. And another period of healing. Feels like going through the early days of the injury all over again. I looked at my calendar for Thursdays, the doctor's surgery day, and it's crammed full in July. This is making me procrastinate on what ought to be an easy phone call.

I need to get over this somehow and see it as part of my recovery and something that will remove a painful impediment.

Meantime, work has not relented. I have to meet with my departing former manager and each of her direct reports in three-way meetings as they're transferred over to me. That's seven meetings this week over just two days. It's only Tuesday and I am already looking longingly at the weekend.
saef is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2015, 10:34 AM   #8  
Senior Member
 
traveling michele's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,448

S/C/G: 178/134/125

Height: 5'6"

Default

Andrea-- Prison Break was a TV show about a man whose brother was on death row. He tattooed his body with blueprints of the prison and plans to breakout, got himself into the same prison and then attempted to break them both out. I won't say anymore in case you want to watch it-- I've been watching it on netflix while on the elliptical at the gym-- it really motivates me to get there and stay there-- some nice eye candy, lots of suspense and plot twists! My dilemma is that Orange is the New Black comes out Friday (not sure why I'm loving prison shows) and I don't want to start it while I still have prison breaks to watch. I'm only on the beginning of season 3 out of 4 and each season so far has had over 20 episodes.

Saef-- you know logically that the surgery will help you immensely in the long run. Better to schedule it sooner rather than later.

I've been hounding my older dd to schedule a dentist appointment. She hasn't been in a few years! She got new insurance when she started her teaching job and she has extreme anxiety about going so I haven't been able to berate her into making an appointment. Finally, she made one yesterday. It's in later July and they said they can give her laughing gas which made her feel a little better. I was debating a trip to Houston this summer anyway, so I may time it to coordinate with her appointment for moral support.

It is hard to believe it is only Tuesday. My exercise the rest of the week may be impacted and tricky. I try not to miss any days, though of course I do here and there. Tonight we have a vet appointment at 4:00, so then I'll have to debate going after/ what to do for dinner, etc. Tomorrow dd wants to see Pitch Perfect before it leaves theaters this week, so if I make the gym it would have to be before and that will be tricky. Thursday we have puppy class at 7 pm and my end of the school year work party before, so I know Thursday is a lost cause... not sure after Thursday....
traveling michele is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2015, 11:12 AM   #9  
Just Yr Everyday Chick
 
JayEll's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 10,852

S/C/G: Lost 50 lbs, regained some

Height: 5'3"

Default

michele, laughing gas is great. I have it for every cleaning "just because I can." My dentist doesn't charge separately for it, either, so there's no cost reason not to.

saef, schedule that outpatient surgery, and also clear some days afterward for recovery. You come first. Ask what you can expect afterward, and for how long.

Last edited by JayEll; 06-10-2015 at 10:18 AM.
JayEll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 08:41 AM   #10  
Just Yr Everyday Chick
 
JayEll's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 10,852

S/C/G: Lost 50 lbs, regained some

Height: 5'3"

Default

Before I lost weight so many years ago now, my fasting blood glucose was around 109. This was a concern to me because my mother developed diabetes later in life and I didn't want to go that route.

After I lost that 50 pounds, my fasting blood glucose dropped to around 75. That was primarily due to the increased exercise I was doing.

Recently, having regained, I've been concerned again. So I bought a glucose meter at Walgreens. A simple meter, complete with test strips and puncture device, etc., costs $10. And, you can get that $10 back by sending in a rebate card and proof of purchase.

This meter is good for 9 readings. It would be 10, but one strip has to be used for calibration testing. That's just the startup--you can buy more strips if you want to keep using it.

This morning I found that my blood glucose was 85. That is a relief. So I haven't lost everything I worked so hard for. I may be overweight, but I'm not prediabetic again.

This is incentive for me to keep exercising, maybe even increase what I do. I'll see how it goes for the next couple of months.

My blood pressure is still good at 116/75. It was as low as 106/56, back when I was going to the gym 5 times a week. But I have always had lower-range BP

These numbers are much more important to me than clothing size and number on the scale.

Last edited by JayEll; 06-10-2015 at 10:19 AM.
JayEll is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 11:03 AM   #11  
Workin' It
 
Shannon in ATL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Wherever I go, there I am...
Posts: 7,841

Default

Morning everyone. Haven't talked much in a while, am going to try to come back in and chat more. I just rambled in a long post on the Losing a Lot thread, if anyone is interested in catching up on my beck and sundry dramas.
Shannon in ATL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 11:22 AM   #12  
Senior Member
 
alinnell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 10,823

S/C/G: 173/in progress/140ish

Height: 5'8"

Default

I'm ticked off.

In January we discovered our grapefruit tree had attracted rats. We harvested the grapefruit, gave most of it away and had our gardener really prune the tree back. I prefer the years when we get a couple dozen fruits rather than hundreds!

I also planted a garden on the opposite side of the house. It's been going great--especially my tomato plant (well, one of three I planted--the other two hybrids were finicky and have died). A week or so ago, we had our gardener rip out more bushes so I could expand the garden. We were too busy to do any planting until last Saturday and it was then that we discovered that the established garden was dying. We had the gardener look at it and apparently when he was pulling up the bushes he severed a line and there had been no water to the garden for a week! I lost about 4 or 5 plants. Anyway, Saturday I harvested 9 beautiful tomatoes. I went out last night to replant a pepper plant to replace the dead one and I noticed a few more ripe tomatoes. While harvesting them, I noticed one had been partially eaten and on closer inspection, there was RAT POOP all over the ground!

I know I found a dead rat a few months back, but apparently he/she had a family and now they've found my tomatoes! We put out a glue trap last night but DH didn't want to put in on the cement because of the dogs. We put it inside the little fencing we have around the garden. This morning I checked it and no rat but a tomato hanging over the fencing (a green one) was gnawed on so I moved the trap to outside the fencing for the day while the dogs are at work. I sure hope we catch the darn thing before accidentally catching a gecko.
alinnell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 03:40 PM   #13  
Senior Member
 
HowlinAtTheMoon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: The central valley of California
Posts: 524

S/C/G: 184/132/125

Height: 5'5"

Default

Allison, that's too bad about the garden But this time of year you can still put in new plants and have them producing in a month or two. I hope you can solve the rat problem - I recommend cats. I had a nice little gray zucchini that came through the fence pecked by chickens. I have seen them actually in the garden too, so I hope they do not make it a habit. We harvested our first regular zucchini yesterday. I still have kale, but it won't last long. I'm going to dehydrate it and turn it into kale powder for adding to soups, stews, etc.

JayEll, your blood readings are commendable! I am 60 and a few years ago my blood pressure was going up. After losing 15-20 more pounds and doing a food makeover, it is normal again, as is my cholesterol. One of the biggest factors for blood pressure is getting enough potassium (4500 mg per day is recommended), which is difficult for most people. Now I chow down on broccoli, chard, spinach, romaine, etc and usually meet the goal. Greek yogurt and mushrooms are good sources too.

Shannon, I hope DSS doesn't mention anything about your vacation to XW. Yeah, DH should have made prior arrangements to drop him off early. I'm crossing my fingers it works out. I think all health insurance companies are incompetent. Mine sure is. My dr submitted a claim in May and was told I had no coverage. WRONG! Took me 3 phone calls to get it corrected. Just like govt, those companies have absolutely no incentive to provide good cust svc.

Last edited by HowlinAtTheMoon; 06-10-2015 at 03:40 PM.
HowlinAtTheMoon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 03:45 PM   #14  
Senior Member
 
alinnell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Southern California
Posts: 10,823

S/C/G: 173/in progress/140ish

Height: 5'8"

Default

Quote:
Allison, that's too bad about the garden But this time of year you can still put in new plants and have them producing in a month or two. I hope you can solve the rat problem - I recommend cats. I had a nice little gray zucchini that came through the fence pecked by chickens. I have seen them actually in the garden too, so I hope they do not make it a habit. We harvested our first regular zucchini yesterday. I still have kale, but it won't last long. I'm going to dehydrate it and turn it into kale powder for adding to soups, stews, etc.
This is my first stab at a spring/summer garden. I just planted three peppers, a zucchini, a tomato and a cucumber. We'll see what materializes. In the past I'd try tomatoes in the fall only to have my dogs eat them before they were ripe. This time we put everything in a far off location and the dogs seem to leave everything alone (except for a couple times when Bogey stole a tomato--he didn't get to eat them, though).

I have cats. But they're indoor cats because we have too many coyotes in the neighborhood. The last rat was (I think) caught and either killed by or scared to death by Bogey (my sheprador).
alinnell is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-10-2015, 04:28 PM   #15  
Senior Member
 
Mudpie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Toronto, ON Canada
Posts: 6,353

S/C/G: 152/???/132/33

Height: 5'4"

Default graphic content

My sheplie (shepherd/collie) just tried the raw food diet - caught and ate something in the ravine where DH takes her walking. She ran off from DH for a couple of minutes (probably more - he has a poor sense of time passing) and came back with her tongue all covered in blood. He thought she was injured at first but all the blood disappeared after she had a drink. He leashed her and she happily led him back to where she made the kill. There were other critters in a burrow all shrieking their heads off with fear. We looked up Toronto wildlife and DH is pretty sure it was a muskrat.

Gonna be a lot of poop in the basement tonite I think.

What are you going to do? She is a bush hunter and this is normal for her. DH is going to keep her on leash for awhile but she doesn't get enough exercise that way. I take her down to the lake but the off leash areas down there are pretty small and she's not interested in swimming or retrieving.

SIGH.

Dagmar
Mudpie is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:02 AM.


We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.