Sunday, October 7, 2018

Weight: 135.8
Macros: Cals - 1,512, Carbs - 160, Fats - 54, Protein - 93, Fiber - 38
Sleep hours: 8
Vegetable/Fruit Servings: 9
Exercise: Walking, mowing
Meditation: Yes

The Prednisone Party continues, although yesterday I didn't feel the urge to Pig out. And apparently Pooping isn't part of the Prednisone Party. Phooey!

No TED talks or book recommendations today, but I do highly recommend the beautiful autumn weather. Summer and winter just hunker down and stare you in the face. But autumn and spring make promises and wear glamorous outfits that make you want to run off to Paris or Aspen with them.

Yesterday lots of mowing happened. Another couple of hours today will fini**** up. Lawn mowers are also great leaf blowers. :)

Today's theme: 'Tis the season for pumpkin carols!

Weight 122.2, calories about 1800. Phooey on undoing a good week with too much going out. We still have a birthday party dinner tonight and tomorrow. I need to make better choices!

It isn't sunny here today but it is warm (about 70). Yesterday was bright sunshine and definitely a gorgeous fall day. I don't know what we will do today - DH is not taking walks even though his knees feel better because he says they need rest. I'm not sure what is really going on there... Tomorrow we go sailing.

Have a super Sunday!

1. Within Range: Yes
2. General Wellbeing: 8 on SS (Serenity Scale); allergies and mild headache
3. 10,000+ Steps: 12,244
4. Fitness: Hoisting nine (9) 40 lb. bags of topsoil, mowing/raking/seeding
5. Self-Care: Showered by myself with leisurely shaving time
6. Play/Leisure: Checking out new frisbees with Sadie & Atlas
7. Interest/Talent/Skill: Nope

Yesterday, I was able to race around before the rain returned, spreading out and seeding nine bags of topsoil along repaved and expanded driveway. The previous rain washed away some of my initial efforts which hadn't included the lower portion of the driveway. About ¾ of the way through mowing the front, the rain resumed in earnest and I HAD to stop. At 59 degrees, it was just too cold !!

On MFP this morning someone set an intention of finding a self-care tracker. I use Cozi to attempt to manage lists (grocery, hardware, to do stuff) with DC, and MFP to log weight/food/exercise as needed. I do NOT need another data management system, so I'll play with parking some intentions to round out #s 5,6, and 7 if I need to go beyond sharing them here. One goal for play today is to design river rock edging on one side of the garage, and to find some Halloween decorations for SS, as we'll be glamping the weekend before when the resort encourages Trick or Treating.

I have such mixed feeling about self-care trackers. IRL, tracking anything at all has always been my nemesis even if I fundamentally believe it must be done.

Then, when I don't track something like self care, the lack of tracking itself becomes a negative. A failure.

So, as I read your post, I question the need for tracking.

I do realize that you and many on this board are tracker sharp shooters and I absolutely enjoy your data mining.

So, couple of thoughts on how to make it easier from someone who MUST have easy tracking.

- I have used the MFP water counter mark adherence to various goals. If you don't use it for water, could you use it for something else?

• Also, I suspected that you could make some of your self care activities into a no calorie food or activity. To test this, I started to add a new food in MFP. I labeled the Brand as "self care" and the Food as "meditation" and MFP informed me that there are already member entries in MFP for both meditation and self care. (One was "took at bath!") So, make your own or use something that is already there.
• You could also use one of your Food sections for self care. (For example, replace "snacks" with Self Care")

- And, for me, having passive tracking thru watch (activity/sleep) and scale (wi-fi) has made it easy for me to look back WHEN I WANT TO.

I only realized after another post of yours that I no longer remember my exact scale number. My brain let that go at some point but only after a zillion months of getting on scale and knowing it is recorded elsewhere. Sometimes I get on the scale without my glasses on so I don't have to see the number. But, so far, I have always gone into the data to look at it. Either way, there is no Ostrich (which, for me, IS THE WHOLE POINT). If anything there is just relief that I did not gain 200 lbs overnight.

Anyway, best wishes from the worst tracker in the world. May my slothful tracking hacks be useful in some way :)

Diane, interesting perspective on trackers for self-care, etc. Thanks.

And Shel, that's a very useful hack on how to expand MFP's utility. Hmmm ....

I do use MFP to log my daily exercise, as well as weight and for food planning/tracking. Of course, only God knows if the calorie expenditures are correct, but I don't obsess about that. The point is, MFP gives me structure and discipline, as well as records, around which to carry out my intentions. For instance, MFP is still MOST helpful in prompting me to PLAN what I'm actually going to eat today.

Zenhabits-wise, I fantasize about a future when my daily habits are so ritualized that I don't have to keep any metrics. I think I'm already there with daily meditation (been doing this 3 years), daily 10K+ steps (it's very steady right now, except on days that I'm driving long distances), reading books (only been doing this steadily for the last 3 months, but its lovely reward is built into the activity, so yea!). Others I'm working on are far from perfect and range from 50% - 90%. But then "perfection" has also receded as a goal for me. Instead, I'm working on becoming more competent at "relaxing into chaos and groundlessness." ;)

Because constant change, baby. ;)

Back from Aspen.

First thing's first,

Weight: 162.4. Say what?!! They had a scale there, and I made the mistake of weighing while I was there. But convinced myself their scale must weight 3-4lbs. lighter. Nope! No clue how that happened. This is my lightest postpartum weight. But I still feel fluffy.

The place we stayed was very accommodating to babies. They provided a pack n play, a highchair, a diaper pail, and even complimentary swim diapers. Even with all that, traveling with babies is hard. Especially since we were with SIL and BIL who have no kids, I felt a little paranoid about any time Becca cried and felt like I had to constantly be on. So I'm glad to be home. Although the fall weather there is so beautiful. We went up to the maroon bells and it was so gorgeous. It was a very low key trip (another reason I'm shocked I LOST weight) and I have trouble doing little, especially on vacation. Maybe that is a learned trait? My parents were very big into architecture and science and art museums.

My aunt is visiting so while we'd like to chill today, we are going to have her and my parents over so that they can see Becca. I'm trying a frozen turkey breast in the instant pot and I have a small pan of frozen dressing from last Thanksgiving...hoping it's good! I also have dry turkey gravy packets from last year. Figure I better go ahead and use this now! The goal is also that it be an easy lunch: turkey breast in instant pot, frozen dressing in oven. Then I think I'll roast some carrots and brussels sprouts.

Anne, I'm impressed by the prednisone alliteration!

Supah Sunday to you all!

Today I am going to work out, go to mall, and take care of some household duties. I am not sure in what order. Lots of rain so no hike. I might take Buster out for a walk because he has more technical coats than most people.

I am going to the Apple store to look at Apple watches which is a bit like going to look at puppies.

I didn't eat everything victories: For lunch, I had a partial pumpkin pancake yesterday with some sort of maple whipped butter. Partial! I left 60% on the plate. Also, I only ate a few bites of a spinach soup which was pictured as mostly brothy-vegetables but was in fact mostly cheesey with a few leaves of spinach. (In fairness, the description described it as "creamy" so I didn't complain)

About New-Love appetite suppression. We have to figure out how that works and market it. First of all for the appetite suppression but also just for that general feeling? I would like to think that at 50 you could just enjoy and not have all the new relationship anxiety that I also remember.

Food shackles: I was in a hotel two nights ago and GREATLY missed nighttime bites. So, I made up for my deprivation last night when back at home.

I grieve that first year post WLS when I never, ever, ate after dinner. Maybe I need to retire to a hotel after dinner. Or, maybe I'll retire to a room upstairs that is hotel-like but filled with my favorite non-food things....hmmmm. THERE's a project!

David, how's that body? DianeS, plz put Lucky's ribbon into perspective for us folks that don't show dogs.

Enjoy today!

Shel

I think I am going to be much better than pre back surgery once the healing is complete. You always hear of the people that had back surgery and the surgeon messed their back up. I was praying that it would be a success. I also had total faith in my surgeon. He was in Time magazine as one of the 10 best neuro surgeons. I was up a lot yesterday and it affected my sleep but I am up again today. Fingers crossed for tonight.

I'm so happy for you, David!

Yea for your doc, your prayers, and your good body that wants to heal!

Ann