01/22/2020 Hump Day

1. Within Range: not yet
2. Blue SmartPoints: 23
3. General Wellbeing: 8
4. Fitness: YMCA elliptical and stepper
5. Self-Care: YMCA
6. Fun: YMCA, once I was there !

It is way, way too cold and we're expecting snow this weekend. The increase in cardio/strength work, along with water retention and early weigh ins has resulted in what I anticipate to be minimal change when I weigh in today. The WW cheerleader has lost the least, which makes yesterday's publication of the Before & After article OH asked me to write 4-5 months ago bittersweet. Now, I feel the increased pressure/incentive to get back to that place.

https://www.obesityhelp.com/articles/before-after-vsg-with-o cean4dlm-down-132-pounds

Great article! I had missed it. Thanks for calling out our "tribe".

Weight 133.4, WW points 12 (yesterday and today). WW weight 134.6 (+.6). I so hate that even though I am following plan. This WW meeting was only 4 days from my last one so I can change back from Saturday to Wednesday. I ate a lot of free points yesterday in my vegetarian chili and a baked apple. I keep hoping to hit Sunday's 132.4 soon, but I must have been super dehydrated that day.

I got my Real ID yesterday. Today I am going to the bank with a death certificate to change a couple of things and I need to do some other paperwork. Yoga too.

Have a warm Wednesday if you can (13 when I got up today).

161

That's awesome Diane O. I think we can all just keep working and fine tuning.

I hope so.

I've felt not so much busy as just overwhelmed with mundane life. I just need to focus on today. That's so true about all aspects of my life. My husband's industry is still suffering and I always worry what if he loses his job, what if we have to move. As a wise person once told me "that's future Bonnie's problem."

Happiness truly is a choice. But that doesn't mean it's easy. At least not at first. I feel like I have to exercise my muscles to ward away any worry, uncertainty, fear, etc.

So I've started trying to "watch" what I eat. Technically I started last week but it didn't go well!! This week has been much better. Man do I like to snack!!

But the scale is about the lowest it's been after Charlotte. Actually even after Becca I think the lowest I got was 165. Progress is good.

Weight: 142.2
Veggies/Fruits: 10
Macronutrients: Cals - 1,512, Carbs - 168, Fats - 46, Protein - 108, Fiber - 43
Green SmartPoints: 25
Water: 1 cup
Sleep: 6'15" hours total (5 hours last night + 1'15" hour afternoon nap yesterday)
Exercise: Yoga class (75") and 8,361 steps

I must admit to being a bit irked at the scale, too (gained a pound overnight). HOWEVER ... duh! Yesterday, I ate over 1,500 calories, including three servings of fruits (banana, apple, and mixed berries) after dinner.

However, and perhaps oddly, I am NOT severely discouraged. On the process side, I've never once eaten more points in a week than I was supposed to, I'm exercising really well (weekly yoga minutes lately been PERSONAL BEST, and my daily steps are on-trend to return to 10K by month-end). Everything else is in good shape (Rxs, supplements, sleep, stressors) with one exception: My water intake SUCKS SOOOOOOOO BAD!

So in response, today's eating plan is much closer to 1,200 calories. And I'm drinking water like crrrrraaaazy, which means at 8:41 a.m. I've already drunk 2.5 cups! Warm and ho****er goes down a lot easier for me than cold water.

Today I'm taking my yoga teacher to lunch, part of a New Year's Resolution to take a yoga buddy to lunch once a month to get to know them better. Then errands, then home with no evening social obligations, thank goodness. I'm looking for that socializing balance, too.

Enjoy Hump Day, my retired friends, and for those still hard at work getting one day closer to the weekend.

P.S. It's cold here, too. Will be 28 degrees Fahrenheit at noon, with snow later in the day / evening. The plus is that I get to wear more layers of fun winter clothes. Because winter clothes are so much more interesting than summer clothes. :)

P.S. DianeO, I had never read before your Before/After article. I didn't know you'd had those post-surgical medical issues and what your recovery entailed. Congrats on getting through all that in typical DianeO style.

I really do think you rock so HARD! I admire your problem-solving approach to life, your emotional transparency with us and yourself, and your persistence and follow-through. You're one of my VSG heros/heroines. I'm so, so, so glad you're here.

Weight 195.6

The Gaugin documentary was interesting. What a narcissist he was! And I still don't really like his paintings, but it was interesting to learn about his life nevertheless.

Diane, I wouldn't have seen your article as I have it bookmarked to come straight here, so thank you! I think it's all still true. Those are all tools you possess in spades. We're humans not robots and as such have blips in our lives that take us away from what we know works. You'll get back there, I have every faith. You're still my favorite cheerleader!

Chores needed today. My tidying has fallen by the wayside. Big time.

OH ate my lovely post from yesterday. GRRR. This one is to check if it works. DS

I hate that!

The days are flying by, and I'm not getting enough processing time. (Fancy name for time I sit in a chair, drinking tea and just staring).

The student panel was very interesting, but there wasn't enough time in my opinion. The facilitator started out by asking each student to state their name and describe its origins. I was surprised by how meaningful/powerful the stories were, and even if students said, oh, my mom just liked the name, there was still a story as they thought a bit more. One person talked about transitioning from Nicole to Nic (trans man), and how they struggled with finding the courage to add a k to Nic, but how important it was to have a name that matched their gender. So yes, very powerful, I think this would be brilliant to do in other sorts of groups.

Students talked about bullying, and how much it meant when teachers shut it down, or pushed back against demeaning language. They asked if we could use more inclusive language, move away from ladies and gentlemen etc. But the over riding message I heard was how much they want us to see them, to know them, to hear them. You could hear the hunger for connection. In that regard, I always feel fortunate to teach sped, because I get smaller groups and have the privilege to know them. (Although sometimes I feel like, nah, I didn't need to know that!)

We went to see Jesus Christ Superstar last night. It was a mixed bag. The singing was great, the acting mediocre, hated the costumes and choreography. Better to have paid rush ticket price, and it was good to be downtown.

I'm off to get a pedicure, have to get my feet in Florida mode. It's only a 4 day weekend, but I am ready for however much Sun I can get.

DD, I just love your posts. Y'all really do live a good life up there in the Frozen North.

The student panel sounds lovely. Lovely story about Nic transitioning to NicK. Good on him.

And here's a toast to your NOT being in the Frozen North very soon. Enjoy the sunshine. You deserve it.