Every day I write the book

I used to love Elvis Costello. :-)

Every day gives us a chance to do something different or better.... or exactly the same! Lately I've been struggling with hunger. I mean actual hunger. And if I try to be too rigid during the day then things go sideways at night. But I've tried to be extra strict to make up for stuff like being out of town, dining out with family, etc. It's become a vicious, frustrating cycle with an end result of not losing or the scale going up. And I'm feeling anxious because I am going out of town again next week for my son's college graduation. And I'm taking ex MIL with me, and you know she makes me nuts.

And we're only talking 3-4 pounds, but I feel stuck. And I need to stop giving it so much power that its creating anxiety because that isn't helpful.

Also I have a sinus infection and feel like crap. I thought it was allergies but I finally broke down and went back to the doctor and now I have antibiotics. So at least maybe I will start feeling better!!

What I needed

While I love travelling and going out of town, I really needed some down time to re-center! Thankfully I made that happen this weekend, even though it was a busy one.

T's car got hit in the work parking lot last Thursday, so we are trying to find body shops to get estimates. And he needs new tires. So it's gonna be a very busy week before going out of town for the day Saturday to attend a friend's wedding. So some down time to just tidy the house, plan meals, and relax was just what I needed.

Saturday we went out to dinner with my in-laws to celebrate my birthday and MIL's birthday (yesterday). It was a lovely meal at a very nice restaurant. I was disappointed last Friday to realize that April was basically a wash - no weight loss. :-( And May is going to be busy, but I cannot let that derail me!

Breakfast was planned for the week: https://www.skinnytaste.com/egg-tomato-and-scallion-sandwich/

Snack is 1/2 c cottage cheese, 1/2 c frozen berries, 1 T chopped walnuts - half in the morning, half in the afternoon.

Dinners vary but are on plan, and lunches are leftovers. For lunch today I have steamed broccoli, diced rotisserie chicken breast, 1/2 c Barilla protein pasta and a lemon olive oil vinaigrette. Tonight's dinner is pintos & greens. Yesterday I did kettlebells, today is the elliptical plus some walk breaks at the office.



Make it a good one! :-)

Grumpy

I had a crappy day yesterday. I will make today a better day.

Take care.

I miss planning

I have a long history of planning and prepping meals in advance. It works for me on so many levels! So when I get back from out of town late like I did this past weekend, it's tough. Monday night I dug up some stuffed chicken breasts from the freezer (store bought) - I had one for dinner and one for lunch the next day. Yesterday's breakfast was a sandwich from Sheetz (gas station) - that was actually pretty good: egg, turkey sausage, and guacamole on a whole grain English muffin. Snacks were Muscle Milk Light. Dinner was leftover vegetarian chili out of the freezer. Sadly, by the time I got home yesterday I was utterly exhausted and wiped out and didn't feel like doing any food prep. I took a dose of NyQuil and crawled into bed at 8:30, although I did read a while.

When I woke up this morning at 5:15 I knew what I had to do: get my butt in the kitchen! LOL I got up and did food prep for about 45 minutes. I made coffee & tea, boiled eggs for snacks, spaghetti with homemade meatballs (meatballs and sauce were already available in the freezer, yay for cooking double batches!), protein pasta, and zucchini noodles for lunch, and I had an open face veggie burger on sprouted grain bread for breakfast. My weight is up a bit so I am tracking in Sparkpeople for the extra accountability. Yesterday I bought 2 bags of salad to stash in the fridge at work so I am pretty well set. T is in charge of dinners for the rest of the week. :-)

So back home, getting back into the routine, getting the holiday weight off. Feels good!

Take care.

I must be allergic to my house???

Got home last night, somewhat unpacked, and hit the sack. Woke up in the middle of the night - congested, nose running, throat raw from drainage. WTF!?!?! I went to bed feeling fine!! Is there something blooming here but not at the beach I'm allergic to? My house? I have no idea, but I slept for poop. :-(

ANYWAY. I am back at the office, T went in and finished up the paperwork for new job. So we are settling back in.

I am not a shopper. I generally hate shopping - most all shopping. It's one reason I'm so good at menu planning - because if I have a plan and a thorough grocery list, I can minimize my time in the store. But I'm going to a wedding to the 4th and needed a dress. Since I haven't worn a dress since my wedding and I don't remember before then, I knew whatever I bought wouldn't be worn much. Also there is a really good thrift shop near mom's place, so off we went.

I did some pretty serious shopping while at the beach. Not only did I need a dress, but it was much warmer at the coast than I was expecting, so I really needed some bottoms other than jeans, 1 pair of workout shorts, and a pair of capris that were too big. Thrift shop yielded 2 cute sun dresses and 2 pair of shorts. Goodwill yielded 2 skirts (who am I???). Target for undergarments (dude, the off brand spanx cost more than both dresses combined, not to mention the strapless bra!). Kohl's gained me a skort and workout top. Second thrift shop (unplanned, but it was across from the vintage home decor store I like) = 2 pair capris, workout top, and a swimsuit. Oh, and 2 pair of workout shorts when we went to W-M for shorts for T!

So yeah, set for clothes. And I didn't even melt down! I hit my limit a couple of times, but managed to wrap it up before I got panicky. Crowds tend to overwhelm me, as does shopping, so my ability to endure the combination is relatively brief.

Ironically, I was looking for some t shirts, didn't find any that fit well (the girl kind, not the usual cotton with something on it variety). Oh well!

Anyway, even though I seem to be allergic to it, its nice to be home. :-)

Return home - delayed

Our plan was to head home yesterday afternoon, but a friend needed someone to watch her kids today (husband flew out on a family emergency, baby sitter not available, and she HAD to go to work today). So T is over watching the kids while I work from mom's. We are headed home this evening. We have had a lovely vacation, but I can't lie - I am ready to be back into my routine. Over time it becomes increasingly more challenging to stay in my food routine in someone else's house. So I am ready. But it's been awesome. And no matter how much time I spend, I never get enough beach time!

Yay!

Down 2.6 pounds this week. :-) Okay, I'm outta here. Have a good weekend!

Checking In

Weather is lovely, having fun. Went to the beach yesterday. As Sean says, make the experiences the priority, not the food! LOL

There were 2 things I knew I wanted to eat while down here. The ice cream shop is open for the season and we went yesterday after the beach and I got one scoop in a cup. it was good but not amazing. I wanted to get a burger at Hang 10, so we are going there Sunday for lunch since they'll be open - so I get the burger I wanted and can make that our going out for lunch Easter, as opposed to having the burger one day and then going out for Easter lunch. Win!

Activity: Gym nearby I can use. Brought my kettlbell - used it yesterday. Walked the beach, and will go more of course!

Food: Yesterday baked some chicken and broccoli. Had that for lunch and breakfast today. Made a nice seafood meal with small new potatoes and asparagus for dinner last night. So lots of cooking at home happening and minimal eating out. While there are places I enjoy down here, its not about the food.

Okay, take care!

Almost outta here!

Yep, I'm already in vacation mode. :-) Even though its not a "big" one, we're headed to mom's for the next few days. I am very excited! If I don't post much you understand. :-)

take care.

No worries

Happy Monday!

Work priorities just got whammied, which is beyond frustrating, but whatever. I am on vacation after tomorrow :-)

T was offered the position he wanted so I am very excited for him. It's a big change, but in a positive direction. I am so glad that is falling into place!

I had a great weekend and I have a short work week! YAY!!!!!

Have a good one!

Holding steady

157 again today. Yes!

I knew it!

Yup, down a pound and a half today! LOL! Today I weighed 157, which puts me at 65 pounds lost. That feels amazing.

Okay, have a great weekend!

That darn scale

I am always honest when I record my Friday weigh in. But I admit when I was up 1.5 pounds this morning (carbs I had with dinner? Tough weight training workout?), I was sorely tempted to record yesterday's!! In short, 2 flat week. Pooh.

Turned the corner

I feel so much better today! I am definitely on the mend. How do I know? I actually felt like working out! LOL So that's good.

I changed up lunches this week. Typically its leftovers, but I decided to prep lunches this week as well. I'm having baked salmon, roasted green beans, and salad. That was the macros and calories are all planned out. Snacks and breakfast are the same. It's no hardship since its something I enjoy and its nice to know in advance what I'm having.

Take care.

Still miserable

And this is why my allergies are a mess. Yes, that is an actual photo! Tree sex is real in the south. LOL I have an appointment at the urgent care clinic just to be sure it hasn't morphed into a sinus infection or anything.

Take care.

Snacks

One thing I mentioned last time I found myself stuck was reducing snack size. This morning I wanted some dried fruit & nuts (a trail mix, but without the junky stuff), so I measured out 100 calories worth. Yeah, that's why you always read that nuts are good but you have to watch the portions. It was tiny! That's okay - I enjoyed it and that will tide me over until lunch (baked chicken and salad).

I slept horribly Sunday night - my allergies are a mess right now. We are in a pollen alert and don't I know it. Last night I was exhausted - I went to bed at 8:30! I'm taking Allegra and using Flonase. Last night I broke down and took some NyQuil gelcaps. (Sunday night I kept waking myself up coughing and sniffling.) I slept better but my sinuses are still a mess. I don't know if its because I'm getting older, the pollen is worse this year, or both. In any case, I'm hoping it will improve soon.

Take care.

Operation unstuckification

Clearly that isn't a word, but it's what I plan to do this week!! My weight is loitering right around 159 and hasn't moved much in the past couple of weeks. This week I plan to carefully monitor my eating and make sure the calories I get are good ones, push it in the gym, and work on getting plenty of rest and water. If I can do those things, then I believe I will get the results I want!

Make it a good day! :-)

Same old

Well, I've certainly been consistent this week! Yesterday was a really good, on plan food day and an excellent workout. Up 0.2. Eh, just gonna stay the course and wait for things to settle out.

Have a good weekend.

Half empty or half full?

The scale says what it did last Friday: 158.6. Should I be frustrated it's not going down (even though I'm doing pretty well!) or glad that despite all the stress it isn't going up?????

Better

Today is a better day. For one, having a good night of sleep certainly improves my attitude! T has an interview today, and one tomorrow. I'm hoping he finds something better soon.

Slugging out that workout at lunch yesterday made me realize that I am not, will not, allow my feelings or my lack of  motivation set me back. I may not make forward progress as quickly, and that's fine, but no throwing in the towel just because life has handed us a few lemons. Last night my sweetie took my car to the gas station to fill it up and ask me if I wanted a beer or anything. (He got a soda and I think he was looking for a partner in crime). I said no thanks and moved on.

Take care, and I will too.

Difficult day

Yesterday my husband had a really hard day. Even though he made the right decision (and he knows that), he is just incredibly sad. Teaching was a dream and had been a long time. And he gave it up not because he didn't like it or didn't like the kids - it was simply due to the horrible way in which our education system in this state is broken. And of course he is worried about finding another job, even though we have savings for several months so we aren't in any immediate danger of not being able to pay bills or anything.

According to my Fitbit I got 3.5 hours of sleep last night and today I am having the really rough day emotionally. I went to the gym and eked out 30 minutes of a passable kettlebell workout. I went to the grocery to pick up a lime to squeeze into my water and (barely) managed to avoid walking out with some buffalo chicken salad from the deli. I brought a perfectly fine lunch, but I seriously wanted to comfort eat.

I'm hoping posting about it here will help. I made the mistake of posting last Sunday "things are in a good place". And now they most certainly aren't, but I have to somehow stay focused and not allow my feelings to take over so that I sabotage all my efforts.

Take care.

Nice but quick weekend

Our plan for the weekend had been to go down to my mom's and from there head out with friends for a day event. Thursday I talked to my friend and she was having a serious case of being overwhelmed. So, we shifted gears and still headed down, but instead of going anywhere we hung out at their house. T made everyone an awesome lunch and I helped with closet decluttering. Sometimes if you can get just one thing looking better, it really lifts your mood, you know? Any this was a case where listening to her vent helped, but going down and helping her get started helped too.

My friend has gained some weight so I took my newest donate pile down. As she went through her stuff, I tried on her donate and she tried on mine. I'd never done that before, but we both ended up with a few new things! At the end of the day she had a much cleaner closet and a much better outlook. And we all had a really nice day!

Now we're back home and although I came home with a few new things (which was cool because we do have somewhat different taste and it lets me try some new things!), I also came home with a renewed determination not to keep things just because they fit.

I took Saturday AND Sunday off from formal exercise. Scale was up a half pound this morning. Back to the gym at lunch today of course. I did 30 hard minutes on the elliptical.

Take care.