Monday, December 14, 2020

Weight 128.8. I ate whatever I felt like yesterday partially because I was tired and partially because I just wanted to. But I went to the food store at 8:30 am. I am stocked up with the things I should be eating and had a healthy, high-protein breakfast.

I talked to Mike at 8 this morning. I think he is a bit depressed about being alone though he had been living that way for 15 years. Part of it is probably because he isn't going to see his daughters or grandchildren for Christmas as they don't want to gather. So he may have a meal with his son but that will be it.

It is supposed to rain today but I may try to sneak in a beach walk with Justice beforehand if I can. Oh and we have the potential for a major snowstorm on Thursday (1-2 feet). Justice will be truly freaked out!

Stay safe and healthy!

Your snowstorm looks to be significant- hope the beauty of it is worth the issues it will surely cause.

Sun has popped out here, but cold. Swann is proving to be a cold weather dog- Energy rises proportional to drop in degree. Entertaining zoomies (meanwhile fingers freezing even inside gloves).

The Xmas decorations came out after all- not because I necessarily wanted the house decorated, but rather because I want to handle the ornaments and reflect on Christmas(s) past. Also, DH likes the x-tra lights as winter days get dreary round here. I am not sure what the dog might do with a tree. I very often go with a stick tree- so am taking a bit of a different approach. Will post after pictures when I get stuff up. Am hopeful--

Monday weigh in. Down 1.6 this week and 23 over all. 11.2 to pre-Covid/post NZ low. The good news is I'm under 200 again. 199.2. It was really painful to see the scale so much over 200 again for so long. And embarrassing to me to have regained to 57 over my ideal weight of 165.

My hairdresser and her husband were positive, but by the time they got their results, they were already out of quarantine (10 days from symptom onset and 3 days with no symptoms). They basically had allergy symptoms for a few days and her husband lost his sense of smell and had a fever of 99 for one evening. An easy go of it.

I might think about decorating the tree today, but no promises... otherwise, just therapy this afternoon.

That's a lot of snow, Liz! Justice will get lost in that! Bonnie, good luck with the decorations!

Wow - you are doing such a good job at dropping the weight!

My goal over the holiday is not to gain any more, but I am not sure it is realistic to think about losing any. However Mike is really difficult to be around and lose weight. He is a champion snacker and high calorie eater. He likes to point out that the almonds he eats are healthy. Yes, but in the quantity he eats pack a ton of calories. And he eats extremely large servings at dinner. I guess my years with DH who was always slim and naturally just ate reasonable portions fooled me into thinking that people who say they want to control their weight know how to do it. Mike had told me he used to go to WW, but he laughs when I weigh or measure things which makes me wonder if he ignored those discussions. I was never actually a large portion person, but I sure could snack constantly on high carb/calorie food.

It's so hard to be around people who's eating patterns are different or dangerous to your own. I burrow into a niche that works for me when I'm alone. But the minute I have to crawl out of my niche and eat around other people, I often struggle.

And I have this built in "food fairness" alarm that goes off when people around me are getting food and I'm not (eg choosing to snack, when I hadn't planned on it) or if they get more than me (if we're dishing out in the kitchen, my eye is zeroing in on which plate has the most). Or if other people's food rules counter mine (eg my dad's wife announcing we shouldn't eat lunch because we had a big breakfast. "Don't tell me I can't eat!" my internal alarm screams). I wish I could just ignore other people's eating and food and just mind my own business, but I can't seem to!

Yes! The Food Fairness alarm!!!

Well done Cec - thats a great achievement

I reached my highest post surgery rate in September, at the end of my treatment. Too many comfort foods. I thought I'd bounce right back to measuring, tracking etc. and get back to the weight I've been maintaining at for about 3 years. That also is not the weight I want to stay at, but I was happy I stopped gaining. I could live there if I had to. Anyhow, I am now 7 pounds above that weight, and all I can manage to do is maintain this new high. But I'm not giving in.

Work is so stressful, I can't sleep well, and when I do sleep, I dream about it. I told my husband that all the web exing makes me feel like they've been in our house. I do confine my work to my office, and I close my laptop, and shut the door when I'm not working. If it really bothered me, I could go work in my classroom, but so far the comforts of home win out.

I saw an article about using walking poles (similar to cross country ski poles, but for walking). I'm kind of intrigued. First for the extra stability especially in rougher terrain, and sneaky ice patches. Also, because I think it would force better posture and form, I tend to not use my glutes properly. Anyone tried them?

I use them for hiking and love them! They make a huge difference for balance and supposedly burn more calories. Is it the Swede's that started it? I can't remember, one of the nordic nations started it, but they had them and a program on our cruise ship walking deck.

edit: Boy, I can totally see how all that online video stuff would feel like your sanctuary of home is being invaded. I remember when I was working and we were all given Blackberries (so long ago!) and the expectation was that you were always available via phone and email. I hated not having space and time that was my own and felt the intrusiveness of that. I can see how adding a video component would make that intrusiveness feel that much worse.

Good Morning All

Another hot one today - summer is here. DH is driving back from the farm today with the dogs and the chooks. My BIL will check the remaining cow tonight and tommorrow. He will head back up tommorrow after my work Christmas lunch. DS is looking forward to seeing the dogs again as they have been up there for ages. We had a heifer born on Saturday morning - both doing well. DH will put in a gate to our neighbours on Friday and we are taking our herd over there to help him eat down the grass. Helps both of us. Will strip feed so as to knock it down quicker then move them.

Heading over to DSS tonight. I have a big piece of silverside in the slow cooker. Planning to make Gingerbread Cookies with Ashton as well. I should also hear if I made the next stage of the process for that job. If successful it will be a face to face interview with the Director of the company - likely after Christmas. We shall see.

Not a lot else to report. Just been busy with the lead up to Christmas. Veggie patch is going crazy - have massive zuchinnis to cook with. Im going to shred and vacumn seal so I can make the zuch & bacon slice in winter. Hoping DH will be able to brush cut and blower vac the decks off whilst hes home - so I can start getting ready for Christmas Day etc

Thinking of you all and sending some Aussie sunshine. Stay safe

S