ChefChiTown's Rebirth: I'm Back, BABY!!! (In More Ways Than One)...

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Day 19 of The Streak

For the past few days my left ankle/achilles tendon and my right knee have been killing me. I wasn't about to just stop my streak because I felt a little pain, so I figured I would just stick to the treadmill and avoid running until I felt better (I figured the treadmill isn't as intense as running so I would heal faster). Anyway, I haven't run for the past six days. I have done nothing but the treadmill. Until tonight.

The first time I ran I didn't take a watch to time myself so I have no idea how slow I went. The second time I ran I completed my run in 22:00 minutes. Tonight, which is only the sixth time I've run during my streak, I completed my run in 20:01 minutes. In 19 days I have cut nearly two minutes off my time. Now, that's not incredible in any way, shape or form, but it's a definite improvement and that's all I'm striving toward. One of the sayings I'm trying to keep in my head during this journey is "Strive toward progress, not perfection." And, that's exactly what I'm doing - making progress.

Oh, my knee is fine now and my ankle is "this close" to being back to normal. Probably should've mentioned that.
 
Day 22 of The Streak

My goal is to run every day this week. No treadmill. All running. So far, so good.

Good news - I noticed that I could run MUCH farther before I had to stop to catch my breath tonight. Usually, I would have to stop about three minutes into my run to begin to catch my breath but tonight I ran for nearly six minutes before I had to stop. And, I only stopped because I had to catch my breath, not because I was tired yet. It was purely an issue of me being unable to breathe (which is something I am working on - I'm pushing myself through it in hopes to increase my ability to go, go, go).

On a side note - it wasn't just the length of time I ran without stopping that improved, it was also the distance I covered. I ran about 3/4 of the way to the stop light (which is where I stop and turn around) before I had to take a quick breather. Before, I only made it about 1/4 of the way before I had to rest.

Now, I know that being able to run for six minutes without stopping isn't something to brag about, but hey...I'm improving. That's all that matters.

I also cut down on my time which is another improvement. Slowly, but surely, I am getting to where I want to be.
 
Non-weight-loss-related rant ahead...

I work as a chef in an Assisted Living community. Long story short, our management is a complete joke. I have made complaints (legit complaints that directly effect the work environment and overall success of the business) that have all but been ignored over the past few years. Many of those complaints have to do with my co-workers. More specifically, their utter laziness and complete lack of effort when it comes to actually doing their job. In summary, my co-workers don't do anything all day. Then, they turn around and claim that they're 'sooooo busy' they just 'don't have time to' do the things they are paid to do. They literally find any way they can to avoid doing their job - the things they are PAID MONEY to do.

What makes it worse? Our management is so scared of simply confronting my co-workers that, as I said before, my complaints have all but been ignored. My co-workers, on a near-daily basis, fail to do their job. There are always tasks they leave undone and, to make it worse, most of them aren't done because they, and I quote (which they have even said to management), "don't FEEL like it should be their job." Ok, first of all, it IS your job. You were hired to do a job and you are paid to do a job. No amount of argument will change that. Certain things ARE your job. Fucking deal with it. Second of all, your feelings don't matter when it comes to your responsibilities. Just because you don't feel like something should be your job doesn't change the FACT that it IS your job.

For instance, one of my co-workers refuses to make food for guests who arrive to visit their family members when she works by herself on the weekends (we work a double on the weekends by ourselves - usually there are two cooks on staff during lunch hours). She doesn't FEEL like doing it and she doesn't FEEL like guests should be allowed to order food because it is 'extra work on the cooks'...so she refuses to serve guests on the weekends she works. Umm, that is your fucking job - TO FEED PEOPLE. Just because you don't FEEL like it doesn't change the fact that it's your fucking job. Grow the fuck up and DO IT. There are literally dozens and dozens of SERIOUS issues I could mention - issues I have brought to management's attention for the past few years - but I will leave it at that.

Now, what REALLY pisses me off is this...

I make legit complaints about things that need to change and management does NOTHING to fix it. They make no effort to resolve the issue and they refuse to get involved. It's almost as if they don't give a fuck what I say (even though I'm the ONLY one qualified to work there - I'm a professionally educated and trained chef with years of experience in fine dining - the other two are untrained, uneducated housewives who just needed a job). But, the minute one of my two co-workers goes to management and makes a complaint about me - ridiculous complaints that are completely childish - management is all over my ass to fix something.

I have today off. I am literally sitting on my couch right now enjoying my time away from work. It is my only day off all week. So, I check my work e-mail (which I usually do) and I see an email from my boss. Before I tell you what the email said I need to explain something. We get deliveries on Wednesdays which means we get a TON of cardboard boxes. Up until a few weeks ago we used to throw our cardboard into the dumpster. The garbage company would sift through the dumpsters and separate everything out so there was no need for us to do it. Things changed a few weeks ago and now we have to save our cardboard boxes. One of the hospital employees (we are attached to a hospital) comes and picks them up on Wednesdays. However, he doesn't show up AFTER our order arrives (where he could take all our boxes) - he shows up WAY BEFORE our order arrives. Meaning, we have to save our boxes all week long so he can pick them up. We literally have boxes filling our stock room, our kitchen and some of our basement. It's a fucking mess and I literally told management this would happen. Anyway...

The email from my boss, to paraphrase, said "I noticed some boxes in the kitchen that weren't broken down. Can you please take care of them on Wednesday?"

Umm, first of all, I'm not even at work. Why the fuck are you asking me to do anything at all? Second of all, why don't you ask the TWO COOKS who are WORKING TODAY to do it? Oh, I'll tell you why. Because, when my boss entered the kitchen and saw the boxes she probably asked my two co-workers why the boxes were there. I'd bet my last penny that their response was, "WE didn't put them there. Chef did." Then, my boss probably went into her office and typed me an email, asking me to take care of the problem.

Ok, first thing about that - if there is a mess that you want cleaned up, tell the people working to do it. They're not MY boxes. They're just fucking boxes. And, instead of asking ME to do it, why in the fuck would you not tell the two people currently working to take care of it? Quit being so afraid of hurting someone's fucking feelings and simply be a BOSS. This is how the scenario SHOULD'VE went...

"Hey, what are these boxes doing here?"
"Oh, Chef left those there. We didn't put them there."
"Alright, well I'll go ask Chef about that. In the meantime, clean up these boxes and take care of it."

Done. That's all she had to do. Let my co-workers know that she would follow up on their claim and, in the meantime, have them clean up the mess. That's it. Simple. But, no. Instead, I get singled out and get asked to complete a menial fucking task that would take one of my co-workers all of 30-fucking-seconds to finish. And, I'm NOT EVEN FUCKING WORKING TODAY!!!

I have never worked for management that has been so scared of their employees. I'm sorry, but if you can't simply tell someone to take care of some boxes then you aren't fit to manage. It's literally just telling someone (who is paid to do that job anyway) to take care of something quick, simple and ultimately not very difficult. Quit putting everything on me just because I'm the only grown up who works there. All you're doing is enabling my shitty, lazy co-workers and allowing them to continue being lazy. That's Management 101. And, you can't even do that.

I'm the only one fit to run that kitchen. So, fucking let me.

/RANT
 
So, my wife pointed out that something I said would probably be taken out of context.

When I made the comment about my co-workers being uneducated, untrained housewives who simply needed a job I wasn't insulting housewives or stay-at-home moms. I was only speaking for my co-workers. Neither of them are educated in the culinary arts or had experience working in a professional kitchen prior to getting their job where I work. They were both unemployed before and just needed a job so they applied to be a cook (we live in a small town where jobs are scarce, so people take what they can get).

That's all I meant. I don't think all housewives or stay-at-home moms are uneducated or anything nor was I trying to generalize the whole group. I was specifically referring to my two co-workers. That's it.
 
Chef- You obviously do a bloody awesome job & they are very lucky to have someone with your skills & dedication. Don't let the bastards get you down. Stick to your rights.
I can't believe what has happened in the US elections. My mind is so boggled I can't possibly get my head around it all. WTF just happened?
 
Dear World,

The majority of American citizens vited Against Donald Trump becoming our next President. Please keep that in mind.

Sincerely,

The majority of the US

cate said:
I can't believe what has happened in the US elections. My mind is so boggled I can't possibly get my head around it all. WTF just happened?
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I don't know. But, the US has officially now become a joke.
 
I don't think anyone took that comment about the untrained housewives like that at all . I think we all understood what you meant.

I hear you about Trump being President but he was voted in by the people whether anyone agrees with it at all. Being up here in Canada it is apparent from our own election that sometimes the best person does not win. We have to accept the majority or we don't have a democracy. That being said it is very important for people to be made more aware of policies and beliefs of the party they vote for and not to just vote AGAINST someone or some party.

I think there were a lot of people up here in Alberta that did just that in our provincial election and they didn't want the Tories in so they voted against them with the NDP rather than for either of them based on their party platform.
 
I agree with Cowboy, I think we most people understood what you meant, sometime we need a good rant, and to just put it all out there !
 
I'm offended. Not sure what happened, just feel like using a Drake gif.

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Hey, chef. As Barack Obama said-
"We all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy."
We have to still have hope, for without that we would be lost.
:grouphug: if you need one xo Cate
 
cowboy48 said:
I don't think anyone took that comment about the untrained housewives like that at all . I think we all understood what you meant.

I hear you about Trump being President but he was voted in by the people whether anyone agrees with it at all. Being up here in Canada it is apparent from our own election that sometimes the best person does not win. We have to accept the majority or we don't have a democracy. That being said it is very important for people to be made more aware of policies and beliefs of the party they vote for and not to just vote AGAINST someone or some party.

I think there were a lot of people up here in Alberta that did just that in our provincial election and they didn't want the Tories in so they voted against them with the NDP rather than for either of them based on their party platform.
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Well, that's one of the MANY flaws in the US voting system. There is a thing called the "popular vote" which is the sum of all votes received by individuals who voted during the election. Then, we have a thing called the "Electoral College" which is very flawed system of dividing up the country and allotting a pre-determined number of "Electoral College" votes to each state - the larger the population of the state, the larger the number of Electoral College votes it receives.

So, to become President of the USA, one doesn't have to receive the most votes overall...one just has to receive the largest number of votes IN THE RIGHT PLACES. Which is absolutely idiotic. It's an extremely outdated system that needs to change.

So, should we really have to accept our "choice" as President when the majority of American citizens voted AGAINST the person who won? I don't know - I just think it's all very flawed.

Little John said:
I'm offended. Not sure what happened, just feel like using a Drake gif.

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I wake up this morning and this is the first thing I see.

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Not Drake's boner. Or, my own. Your gif.

cate said:
Hey, chef. As Barack Obama said-
"We all go forward with a presumption of good faith in our fellow citizens, because that presumption of good faith is essential to a vibrant and functioning democracy."
We have to still have hope, for without that we would be lost.
:grouphug: if you need one xo Cate
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He also said...

"If you're walking down the right path and you're willing to keep walking, eventually you'll make progress."

The RIGHT path. "If you're walking down the RIGHT path..."

We're not doing that anymore in this country. We took a sorely misguided turn off the path and are now looking as if we're going to be in a dead sprint toward "Only God Knows Where."

I'm just afraid the progress this country has made over the past few years is going to be completely undone in the matter of a year or two once that joke-of-a-human-being takes his place in the White House.
 
Day 27 of The Streak

Once Jen gets up I'm going to get on the treadmill and complete my cardio for the day. They just opened a Denny's in the big city near us so we're going to head out to brunch then do some Christmas shopping for the kids. My body is tired and my mind is growing weary, but my attitude is unhinged. I'm fighting within myself today - "Do I have a cheat day or do I not?" - but I'm still in a really good place and my motivation is still at 100%. I don't know what I'll end up doing. We'll see.

I am going to be weighing myself at the end of every 30-day segment of my 300-day journey which means I will be weighing myself on Tuesday. I'm not going to focus THAT much on the scale (my main goal is fitness and overall health - which includes my weight, obviously) but I'm still hoping to have lost at least eight or so pounds after all the hard work I've put in. If not? Oh well. It's not a sprint. I'll get there. I just have to be patient.

One thing I've decided to do in order to keep myself motivated (well, more so to prevent myself from becoming lazy and comfortable, really) is to go through all my clothes at the end of every 30-day segment and get rid of everything that is too big for me. That way, I don't have my "fat clothes" to fall back on which will hopefully keep my ass in gear. I figured if I get rid of all my "fat clothes" I won't have that comforting knowledge in the back of my mind that says "It's ok...you can eat like shit if you want...you always have your fat clothes in the back of the closet if you start gaining weight again." I don't like that comfort, so I'm getting rid of it.

Ok, I'm going to try and write for a bit before the wife wakes up.
 
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:iagree:with all that you are thinking about "that man" & the path he may lead you. No matter what happens in life I really try to put a positive spin on it, otherwise, I would go stark raving crazy. I'm glad your motivation is still high. Getting rid of your bigger clothes is good thinking!
 
Jen and I had a really fun day yesterday. We went and had brunch at the new Denny's nearby (there was an HOUR wait to get food - at a Denny's!!! - but, it's brand new so I'm assuming it was because the cooks were overwhelmed - no big deal) then we went out Christmas shopping for our kids. We try to buy Christmas presents ahead of time in small batches (a few this week, a few next week and so on) so it doesn't do as much damage to our bank account. We've done it the past few years and it has seemed to have worked our really well for us.

We also did a little shopping for ourselves. Jen picked up a nice spring/fall coat and a nice winter jacket. I ended up getting a new running jacket and a super comfortable zip-up sweater...both of which were on SALE!!! WOOOO!!! I LOVE SALES!!!

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Anyway, the best part? When I tried on the zip-up sweater (which some people also call a "fleece jacket" - pictured above for those who don't know what the hell I'm talking about) it made me realize just how much progress I've made over the past few weeks. My stomach is getting flatter. I still have a long way to go to get rid of my stomach fat, but when I tried on the zip-up sweater my stomach didn't bulge out very much. The same happened when I tried on the running jacket. I was in the dressing room smiling like an idiot, saying to myself, "OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, LOOK AT ME!!!" Then I started twirling around with my arms thrown into the air like Julie Andrews dancing on a hilltop in The Sound of Music.

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You know, manly stuff. So, why was I so excited about that? Because - the jacket was a LARGE. Not an EXTRA Large. A REGULAR LARGE!!! And, it FIT!!! Now, to be fair, it is a little snug. However, it's obvious that within two to three weeks I'll be able to comfortably fit into it without ANY tightness. That made me feel really good about myself.

Hopefully, Jen feels the same way about herself because I've noticed her clothes fitting her differently too. She isn't one to go out and spend a bunch of money on clothes (and I'm honestly the same way 90% of the time) but I'm noticing a spark there - one that might ignite into the desire to go buy some new clothes. That's one of my favorite things - watching her buy new clothes. Not for the "new clothes" part of it, rather her face. When she buys herself new clothes that make her feel good the happiness definitely shows on her face...and I love that. She should do it more often.

Alright, I'm going to try and get some more writing done again this morning. Then, I have a "to do" list I want to get through today. Laundry, get all the Halloween stuff packed away (it's taken down, just not put away), clean the house a little, etc. After that, I think I'm going to have a cheat day today. I've done really well the past few weeks and I've made a lot of progress. Tonight? I'm just going to take it easy and enjoy myself. I deserve it.

I also deserve a full-body massage. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, honey. ;)
 
ChefChiTown said:
So, why was I so excited about that? Because - the jacket was a LARGE. Not an EXTRA Large. A REGULAR LARGE!!!
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That is a wonderful feeling Chef! Coming down in sizes & starting to feel that you are a normal size is a wonderful, wonderful feeling! Well done you!. I love that you so want Jen to be happy. :beating: I'm glad you two found one another xoxo
 
I just finished cleaning up (most of) the house which included going through our closet and organizing it. Well, MY side anyway. Jen is going to do her's tomorrow - or so she says :p

Anyway, every 30 days I'm going to go through my clothes and get rid of the things that are too big for me. Today, the first time of doing this, I threw out four things. A couple of sweatshirts/sweaters, a polo shirt aaaaand...my old work clothes. Why? Well, because they were getting beat to shit, but also because they were an XL and TOO BIG ON ME!!! WOOOO!!! So, I got Large work clothes (and new work shoes) which I will be wearing from now on.

I also tried on EVERYTHING in our closet. Let me rephrase that. I also tried on everything of MINE in our closet (I neglected to slip into Jen's sexy, low-cut blouses - sorry). I organized my side of the closet so the clothes in the back are the ones that definitely don't fit yet (but possibly by Spring), the clothes in the middle I miiiiight be able to comfortable wear in a month or two and the clothes in the front are the ones that fit. I got rid of all the crap that was clearly too big for me. I'm going to try and keep my closet organized like this and continue getting rid of clothes that are too big for me until I eventually don't have any clothes that are too small - my goal is to have everything in the "I need to lose weight in order to fit into these" section become my normal size.

cate said:
That is a wonderful feeling Chef! Coming down in sizes & starting to feel that you are a normal size is a wonderful, wonderful feeling! Well done you!. I love that you so want Jen to be happy. :beating: I'm glad you two found one another xoxo
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Thank you, Cate :)
 
I don't say it enough but I have the most amazing wife in the world. Don't I, super hunky celebrity, Jason Momoa?

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Excuse me? You don't know? My wife is AMAZING, you piece of shit!!! I will FIGHT YOU!!!

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What's so funny? You think I'm JOKING? I said I'LL FIGHT YOU, you punk BITCH!!! BRING IT ON!!!

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I mean...I was...it was just...ha...what I meant was...

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Oh, Jason Momoa knows how amazing I am. I'm sure I'm all he thinks about while he's working on his motorcycle....

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:smilielol5:
 
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Great job on getting the large. I always like the L without the damn X in front-lol. New smaller clothes is awesome. I always throw out my big clothes too. Gives me incentive to stay thinner. I used to keep them but like you said it was a safety net so out they go. Oh by the way- you do have an amazing wife!
 
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