Alligatorob's Diary

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good. Not as much exercise as some days, just a 6 km walk, but enough. I also helped the stepson move this afternoon, so I got in some heavy lifting.

Don't be afraid to have a lazy day

Thanks Cate, I kind of did. I am sure I am fitter, thanks for that too.

A lot of the early process is just getting better at the movement because your muscles know what to expect. Your muscles can´t really grow while in a caloric deficit.
This must be a scary time for you. The temptations of the world haven´t changed. Your weight is starting to look like you´re approaching maintenance. So what to do when you go out of weightloss-beast-mode and return to normal? Will you be able to resist temptations even if you have the calories to play with to have more than one bite of them? Moderation is hard, much harder than denying yourself stuff. And it doesn´t come with big, shiny rewards on the scale. But trust me, as someone who struggles mightily with maintenance, the struggle of being obese again would be so much more frustrating. You can do this, even if it´s not as straightforward (and easy to understand for outsiders) as "just" sticking to a calorie-reduced diet.

Thanks LaMa, you are very perceptive about how I am feeling, and I know you are right about the moderation being harder than denying myself. Even with just the slight increase in eating I have been doing I feel that. And thanks for your vote of confidence, I am going to try, give it my best.

Have you been back at the gym a while now Rob? How is it feeling in there re Covid?

A couple of weeks back and it seems ok. Things have changed, at the gym there is a 10 ft (3 m) spacing requirement, and everyone has to carry around a disinfectant spray bottle and spray every piece of equipment before and after touching. They do seem to be enforcing the rules.

That is one mammoth achievement, Rob. Well done champ!

Thanks Cate, that means a lot from you. And I know it does seem like a "mammoth achievement", but sometimes it doesn't feel so mammoth. I just wonder why it took me so long to finally do this.

By now you´ve lost an adult human being Sounds kind of careless, now that I come to think of it...

Got a kick out of that one LaMa. Thanks!

 

[Cate]

It is the funniest thing that it doesn't feel like such a big thing when you do it yourself. Everyone made such a fuss when I lost 36 kg. I think I would have liked to just forget that I had ever been so big in the first place. Along with some pride & satisfaction that I had actually done it, I think I had also felt shame that I had let myself get so big in the first place & wished people wouldn't fuss so much over me. We are such complex creatures, Rob, but learning to take compliments graciously was one of the hardest things I had to try to do. I can give them freely when I mean them, but I still can't take them very well.

Not as much exercise as some days, just a 6 km walk, but enough. I also helped the stepson move this afternoon, so I got in some heavy lifting.

Such a lazy day

 

[Emilyrose]

I think it’s all about trying to place the emphasis onto something else now. Weight loss has taken over your whole being for so long. It might be time to look at another area of your life to work on?

 

[DietAccountability101]

Bit late to the party, but congrats on your amazing milestone

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised, and feel good tonight. Walked 11 km today and did a session at the gym. Then I built an outdoor table to use for bbqs. A full day. Kind of tired tonight, but its a good tired.

It is the funniest thing that it doesn't feel like such a big thing when you do it yourself. Everyone made such a fuss when I lost 36 kg. I think I would have liked to just forget that I had ever been so big in the first place. Along with some pride & satisfaction that I had actually done it, I think I had also felt shame that I had let myself get so big in the first place & wished people wouldn't fuss so much over me. We are such complex creatures, Rob, but learning to take compliments graciously was one of the hardest things I had to try to do. I can give them freely when I mean them, but I still can't take them very well.

Well said, pretty much describes me too. I have never been good at taking complements. LaMa called me on that once here, and I thought about what she said. I know people mean well and I need to respect that and I have been trying. And no it does not seem as big a deal when you do it yourself as when you see others losing weight. Easy for me to relate to their difficulties and praise progress of others, harder to see my own. Thanks Cate!

I think it’s all about trying to place the emphasis onto something else now. Weight loss has taken over your whole being for so long. It might be time to look at another area of your life to work on?

Good point Emily, I have let weight loss kind of consume me, obsessed I guess. And now I do need to find a way to shift gears, plenty of other parts of life to work on I suppose. I just need to pick one and do it. Thanks.

Bit late to the party, but congrats on your amazing milestone

Thanks DA, you are not late and I appreciate your congrats!

 

[Llama]

So good to see your calories consistently over 1300. (Thinks.) Just 1000 a day more and you'll be in maintenance!

I wasn't being sarcastic but I do kind of like how thaose sentences ended up

 

[liza]

And now I do need to find a way to shift gears, plenty of other parts of life to work on I suppose. I just need to pick one and do it. Thanks.

Maybe as things start to reopen it'll be easier to shift gears...like getting back to volunteering at that bird sanctuary...it's hard when things are still kind of on hold. I know a lot of my normal life is still absent so the usual options just aren't there.
It'll be neat to see weight shift from the focus of attention to more of a background hum of maintaining health just being a natural thing. It may need to come back into sharper focus here and there but hopefully a lot of this will have just become a natural lifestyle choice. That's my hope for myself anyhow. I know when i first quit smoking it's all i ever thought about and now i don't give it a thought at all...

So good to see your calories consistently over 1300. (Thinks.) Just 1000 a day more and you'll be in maintenance!

That made me smile

 

[Cate]

That made me smile

Me too

 

[overlandflyer]

.... Then I built an outdoor table to use for bbqs. ...

pictures? the next time i'm at Home Depot i'm going to pick up some legs and put my new DowelMax to use. i need some sort of a potting table out on my porch. tired of always having to bend down to tend to things at deck level.

 

[Petal001]

Rob not sure if I congratulated you on the further loss but congrats again if not. I was feeling a bit tired just now but have decided to push on now and do some jobs after reading all your activity. Be interesting to see how many steps you do a day . Have you an iPhone ? I only check mine onan odd occasion as those things don't motivate me but I'm guessing you have to be 20k plus

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, ate well, exercised, and I feel good tonight. Got in a 10 km walk and did a workout. Tomorrow will be a serious help stepson move day so I may not do any formal exercise, but should get in some workout. We'll see how it goes.

Just 1000 a day more and you'll be in maintenance!

Is it really that much? I guess I can investigate, I kinda thought maybe 2,000 a day max.

Maybe as things start to reopen it'll be easier to shift gears...like getting back to volunteering at that bird sanctuary...it's hard when things are still kind of on hold.

We are and have been less shutdown than most places. Very few virus cases here. However the bird refuge is a federal facility and they are reopening more slowly than most. The visitor's center is still closed. And it seems the volunteer program is still on hold. It won't be forever though and I do want to get back to it.

Me too

Good to see you and Liza smiling! Thanks LaMa!

pictures? the next time i'm at Home Depot i'm going to pick up some legs and put my new DowelMax to use. i need some sort of a potting table out on my porch. tired of always having to bend down to tend to things at deck level.

Sure, my outdoor tables are very simple and basic, here is my material list:

• 3 - 12 ft pressure treated 2 x 6, I cut them in half giving me 6 pieces for the top. If the lumber yard had 2 x 12s I would have used them.
• 3 - 8 ft pressure treated 2 x 6 for the rails.
• 1 - 12 ft pressure treated 4 x 4 for the legs.

I just put it together with my power nailer, sometimes I use galvanized screws. This makes a 6 ft x 33 inch table, basic and a little rough, I am no finish carpenter. You can adjust the size pretty easily, I have gone as big as 12 ft long. Over the years I have probably built more dozen of these for various purposes, good outdoor utility tables, nothing fancy. Once I have the materials I can build a table in a couple of hours.

Rob not sure if I congratulated you on the further loss but congrats again if not. I was feeling a bit tired just now but have decided to push on now and do some jobs after reading all your activity. Be interesting to see how many steps you do a day . Have you an iPhone ? I only check mine onan odd occasion as those things don't motivate me but I'm guessing you have to be 20k plus

Thanks Petal, I appreciate it. I have not figured out how to use the step thing on my iphone, but I don't carry the phone most of the time. I do take in on walks, I use the Under Armour free app to track my distance and pace. Today's walk was 10.66 km at an average pace of 12:54 min/km. I gained 149 m, and according to the app burned 759 calories. Not sure I believe the calorie burn. 15,170 steps. I usually set it to metric, but it also tracks in Imperial, I like tracking km better than miles, the number is bigger. The app tells me my distance and pace every 0.6 km. Here is a link to today's walk: 10.66km Walk

 

[Cate]

I love your table, Rob. The hand on top looks quirky

 

[Llama]

Is it really that much? I guess I can investigate, I kinda thought maybe 2,000 a day max.

It depends of course but 2000 is the general government guideline for women around here. For men of average age/height/weight/activity level it would be 2500. Of course if you were to suddenly stop moving that number would probably drop by 500 or so kcal/day. I think 2300 kcal/day would be around maintenance for you, but that´s just my WAG.

 

[liza]

Yes great table Rob. Looks good.
Good luck with the moving day.

 

[overlandflyer]

.... This makes a 6 ft x 33 inch table, basic and a little rough, I am no finish carpenter. ...

i think you could easily add rugged to your description.
i just might just go with 4x4 legs, too... my application doesn't have to be a work of art, just functional (i also require strong).
thanks.

 

[overlandflyer]

... Of course if you were to suddenly stop moving that number would probably drop by 500 or so kcal/day. ...

i don't keep very good track of the exact numbers, but with the general idea in mind, i tend to go the other way. i figure in my basal metabolic requirements ... maybe 1700-1800... then i add in as much as i think i might move that day (or sometimes i base it on the day before). a few unknowns, but it seems to get me in the ballpark.

 

[Llama]

It´s fine either way, as long as the numbers average out.

 

[alligatorob]

It was a good day, I ate well, exercised and feel good. No formal exercise but I helped with a big moving project, hauled 9 loads in my pickup and was at it for about 10 hours. The MFP app estimates moving calories, but their numbers seem way to high. Not a work out or a walk, but good exercise.

I love your table, Rob. The hand on top looks quirky

Thanks, the iron hand is just a weight. We get a lot of wind and sometimes need a hold down. I like it.

It depends of course but 2000 is the general government guideline for women around here. For men of average age/height/weight/activity level it would be 2500. Of course if you were to suddenly stop moving that number would probably drop by 500 or so kcal/day. I think 2300 kcal/day would be around maintenance for you, but that´s just my WAG.

Thanks LaMa, I appreciate the input. I guess I will probably end up figuring it out by trial and error.

Yes great table Rob. Looks good.
Good luck with the moving day.

Thanks Liza, and it was a long moving day, but now over.

think you could easily add rugged to your description.
i just might just go with 4x4 legs, too... my application doesn't have to be a work of art, just functional (i also require strong).
thanks.

Yes it is quite rugged, one key to that is the 2 x 6 framing, really gives you something to attach the 4 x 4 s to. Good luck with yours.

 

[Llama]

Sounds like a solid day! I wonder if stepson would have expected you to be able to help him move a couple of months ago...

 

[Emilyrose]

10 hours of manual labour! You’re a warrior Rob!!