Quick Check-in (2011 Week 29 Update)

Here are my stats for last week:

567 calories under weekly budget (right about where I want to be)
12% protein (a little better than usual)
3,760 calories of exercise
Up 0.4 pounds (could be water weight from m.c.)


I'm getting more exercise in my day-to-day at my new job due to needing to walk around the property and check on residents, or close up at night.

Things have felt really busy and overwhelming sometimes in the last couple of weeks, and I know that it is only going to get worse in the coming few months due to double job, extra shift, school, lots up in the air complications.

When I hit September, I will have some sort of scheduled obligation every day of the week, weekends included -- but it is sounding like some of the time I can have Saturdays off if I switch with another volunteer, and I could cut back on my tutoring job if I needed to.

I'm worried about health insurance. Up until today I thought that when my COBRA coverage ran out I could automatically enroll in the same company's health insurance if I didn't leave any break, but it turns out that because I'm living in another state now I'm not eligible... Hopefully by January I will have insurance through a job again.

I'm still not doing great on the munchies at work, but I have improved some. Choosing ice water or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda or juice on my 10 minute breaks is a good decision. Avoiding cookies entirely is a good decision. If I let myself dip into the candy dish, taking a small hard candy instead of a large chewy one is a good decision. But I can still do better. I think if I focus on nice chilled, unsweetened beverages I will be better able to control myself around the sweets.

I am a little nervous about a physical I have to do for work. What information will my work have access to (medications? weight? conditions?) or what kind of things would limit me from working. I've never had to do a physical as a requirement of work before. This isn't for my normal job, it's for covering some extra shifts of someone who's going on vacation. We'll see.

Anyway...although I haven't been making leaps and bounds forward here lately in my health, I do feel like I'm making some good life changes and hopefully my physical condition will start showing it more soon.

Overdid it by a longshot. Ouch!

Today after I got home from a 6 hour on-my feet a lot volunteer shift, I saw that a group I sometimes go hiking with was doing a walk on a favorite local trail. It was a beautiful day, I was feeling energetic and had been inside all day... So I went for it. We started at 5 and were at the end of the trail by 6:45, and had dinner there, but afterward the only way to get back to our cars was to do the whole thing again.

We thought there might be a trolley to take us the other way. We were going even faster on the way back because it was getting dark. My friend went ahead a ways because she needed to stay close to her 6 year old son, who was on a scooter and very grumpy by that point (can't blame him).

When I finally made it home again and took a shower, the skin along my underwear line in front was rubbed raw to the point it burned to have the water there in the shower. My feet ache, my back aches, my hips are sore. And perhaps TMI, I have a blister larger than a quarter on the inside of my left butt cheek. How am I supposed to protect that while it heals?!

I should have called a cab for the ride back. I knew I was already pushed well beyond my curent fitness limitations. I hope I haven't put myself back to square one with my plantar fascists.

Temptations at work

My new job has added some exercise to my daily routine, between checking on residents and closing up buildings at night. But it has also added some unfortunate temptations. Right within reach when I'm sitting at my desk in the front lobby there is a huge bin full of candy of all kinds. Also, part of my job description is to make cookies twice a day.

These are both meant for the residents of the building I work in and their families, but it is okay if I snack too... But I need to stay strong and remind myself of my weight loss goals. It is really hard when the whole lobby smells like warm ginger snaps or chocolate chip cookies.

The York peppermint patties have been my downfall in the candy bin. Once I've eaten one it's really hard not to go for a second or third, and they are like 150 calories a pop. It's best just not to have any if I can help it.

False alarm, I think... (2011 Week 28 Update)

Here are my stats for last week:

1251 calories under budget
down 0.6 pounds
2,234 calories of exercise logged.
13% protein consumed (50% carbs, 37% fat)

My back/hip area isn't hurting today. And my foot, though still tender, is still alright. I need to be more disciplined about doing my physical therapy exercises and stretches, and wearing my splint at night.

My new job has a fair amount of walking and stair climbing built in. And I *do* take the stairs, rather than the elevator, as most of the residents where I work really _need_ the elevator and it is a good reminder that I don't actually require it yet.

I am way behind on the whole year-long goal I had set out, but moving in the right direction. I can tell it may be a challenge to keep up a solid exercise routine now that I have two jobs, but I'm feeling determined.

Over and out.

I think I have sciatica. At 31. Ugh.

Yesterday was my first day of volunteer work at a local hospital. It included a lot of walking. I feel like my plantar fascitis is much improved after physical therapy and still using anti-inflammatories, etc, but with 6 hours of on and off walking (much less than I hope to be doing in my future career), I have this sharp stabbing pain at the back of my right hip.

I am taking it easy today. I know I will be doing some walking tomorrow at work when I walk around the building to do resident checks; and there will be some stair climbing too.

I really hope that all of these aches and pains go away with the extra weight. I will do my usual weekly check in tomorrow.

There is a woman I'm friends with on loseit who is close to her goal weight (150 or 200 pounds down, like I'm hoping to be) and recently has been doing plastic surgeries to remove extra skin. She had lap band surgery, so the weight probably came off more quickly than mine will. I hope my skin isn't that bad at the end of my journey; it would bring a whole extra set of self esteem issues. But we'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

Went to see the last Harry Potter movie in the theater today. I am enchanted with the whole series again; I had lost it a little bit after reading the last book, but during parts of the movie I wanted to stand up and cheer when a favorite character had an awesome line.

I had some movie popcorn (bought by a friend) yesterday and some caramel corn (made by me) today and felt somewhat sick after eating both. I think my body is starting to reject things that aren't very good for it.

I plan on posting my weekly update tomorrow.

Got behind, but back on track (2011 Week 27 Update)

I'm way behind on posting this.

My stats for last week:
Up 2 pounds
29 calories under weekly budget (with several "oops" days)
about 2100 calories of exercise
about 9.5% protein

I meant to post this on Monday, that's supposed to be my check-in day, but this week has been hectic and I wasn't doing a good job of keeping up. Good news is, by the time I'm writing this, those 2 pounds are gone again and then some.

I've started a new job this week and have been training so I just got a little behind.

Will write more on Monday!

Shame on them (Week 26 Update, a little late)

Here are my stats for last week:

0 weight change
1329 calories under weekly budget
3657 calories of exercise (stretching, tai chi, pilates, yoga, stationary bicycle, cleaning, gardening, elliptical, weight lifting, and walking)

The "shame on them" from the title is relative to something that happened at a volunteer training I went to at a local hospital. I had just spent the last 6 hours sitting through various company policy/safety/anti-harassment training videos and activities. I went to the front desk to ask about getting a uniform (there were 5 experienced volunteers there, all of whom had been through the same training I just did). The one who's in charge asked me what size scrub uniform I need (in front of everyone there), and I very matter-of-factly say well, I'm a big girl, I usually need a 4x on the bottom and a 5x on the top. She made an exaggerated big-eyed face, and said something in a loud voice like, "Well I don't know if we have any uniform jackets THAT big, we may need to order something for you!!!" She wasn't so slender herself, so I don't know where she gets off talking like that.

Afterwards I thought I really should have said something; like I should have publicly pointed out her crassness the same way she publicly pointed out my size. I also didn't really want to draw any more attention to myself or the issue though. (Sigh)

You'll notice there is a wider variety of exercises this week. I've mentioned I have a low-income discount membership at the Y, but a friend of mine really wanted me to do a free 1 week trial at the gym she goes to. So I was trying out some of the classes and equipment there. It was nice having someone to make a gym appointment with and who could push me to go a little harder while we were there.

Another thing you might notice is that I'm back to walking again. My plantar fascitis isn't completely gone, and I'm still taking an anti-inflammatory 2x daily, but I'm slowly adding walking back into my routine again and the pain hasn't been worsening.