Struggles on the road to health

I hope it all works out for you and your dog! I'm glad you found another vet to take her to.

After reading your post, it reminded me I needed to give my dog his heart worm meds for this month.
 
So far, Miss Emma is doing just fine. We're letting her outside when it's cool, because she's going nuts cooped up in a room all the time. But so far, so good...

Right now I'm suffering from severe workout boredom. On July 31 it will be one year of basically the same workout...blah. Maybe I need to reverse things...do the elliptical on MWF and the bike on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But that will severely mess up my schedule, since I also do weights on MWF. Or maybe instead of the bike one day a week, I should start walking or jogging.

I'm also having issues right now with sodium. Too much in a day. I know it's from processed foods, but when I get half an hour for lunch, and want some variety, what should I do? It's quick and easy to run home and pop a Lean Pocket in the microwave, but it's not good for me. Thoughts?
 
When you're making dinner -make an extra portion and stash it in the fridge for lunch the next day... At dinner time -immediately pack it up so you won't be tempted for seconds...

Grill/Broil/Roast some marinated chicken breasts and leave those i the fridge - they can become a quick lunch...

If your workout routine is becoming dull - do something to change it up - biking one day - take a class... treadmill... something that'd be fun for you to do - to look forward to the new challenge..
 
Hmmm...good idea, Mal! That'll give me something to do on Sunday afternoons while the husband's playing golf or watching golf or something otherwise too boring for words...

Gosh...I WISH there was a class here I could take. I'd Love that! But I've got a track at the school, and a treadmill, bike and elliptical at the little gym. So I'll throw in some walking, I think, until we can get our spare room reorganized and I can get maybe a workout video or something going, too....
 
Grr.....

The husband has balked at going to bra fittings with me, so I finally bribed my sister to go with me tonight. I know I could go alone, but I feel a need for female support in case I cry.

See, I made another self-measured, educated guess and bought a 38B...the girls didn't fill it. They're full enough for a B...but are like deflated balloons, so they don't fill the top. I'm so depressed right now I could just cry...
 
So the bra buying experience wasn't all bad or as embarrassing as I'd thought. The lady just measured me, gave me a couple to try on and we decided that I measured as a 32B. I told her I'd been a 38, so we settled on a 34. The B was way small, so I'm officially a 34 C. I could probably even go 32, but it'd be a little too snug. So I'm wearing a bra that holds 'em up and makes me feel good, finally!!!:hurray: :hurray:

As you'll see by the ticker, I lost weight again. Down to 152. I'd been going on about 1,600 calories a day, so I'm raising it another 50 or so. Since I only lose weight during one week of the month, I'll be at around 1,650 for the next month. We'll see what happens. I know I should probably go up 100 calories or so at a time, but...It's downright terrifying to be having to eat more. For a year I've been hitting my goal number of calories, and it's gotten to be a habit. Now I'm increasing that and it's scaring me to death!! That's why I'm inching up, 50 calories at a time. It's not as big a shock to me if it's a little bit, rather than an increase in the 100s...

Is that weird?
 
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It's nearly vacation time! The husband and I are going to Fredericksburg, Texas, for our one year anniversary. It's a little German town that's blown up into a huge deal for tourists, with tons of restaurants, museums, shops, etc. Leaving July 3 and coming home on July 6. Hard to believe it's been a year already! The end of this month, July 31, also marks a year since I began my weight loss journey. Time flies!

With all the vacation planning, the thing that's stressing me out the most is the food. This is the first trip we've taken, believe it or not, since I started all of this. It'll be different this time around...no eating at-will from the menus, and all we'll be doing is eating out. The thought of not being able to count calories is stressing me out!! The bed and breakfast we're staying at served breakfast TO YOUR ROOM at 9 a.m. I hate not being able to choose what I'm eating....aaaaaahhhhhH!!!!

But I guess maybe it'll be a good test of whether or not I can reliably choose healthier foods to eat. Wish me luck!
 
A lack of motivation

Having SERIOUS motivation issues recently. I don't know if it's that I'm sick of my routine or what. This morning I got to thinking, and I kind of believe it's more of an issue of not having a goal anymore.

When I started last year, I had a goal of 160 pounds in mind. Every day I got up and worked out and ate right, with that goal in the front of my memory. It pushed me and made me work hard.

Well, I reached that goal then set another for 150. Pretty much there now (fluctuating from 150 to 151), and I'm happy with the way I look and feel. And even though I like how I look and feel, it's getting harder and harder to get up and get on a bike or elliptical trainer, or the weight machine. I know the purpose behind continuing is to remain at this weight, and to stay healthy from here on out. But the motivation level isn't there.

I've tried telling myself that I need to increase my muscle tone and strength...but I don't want to push it too far and look too muscular. And the extra skin that I have around my middle and under my arms is too depressing....can't tone loose skin. Right now I'm trying to tell myself that I need to stay healthy so one day, when we decide to have kids, I'll be healthy while I'm pregnant, and have healthy habits to pass on to the baby. But that's so far off it may never happen.

Maybe I'm just whining too much today. Maybe it's just vacation anticipation making me all blah and unmotivated. Maybe I just need to change my routine and throw in a workout video one or two days a week... :ack2:
 
Yeah, I'd say I was whining a little last week. The vacation seems to have gotten me over that for now.

I backed off counting calories for the days we were there, and so far the scale's holding steady. Whoo hoo! I did ok, I think...stayed within range at least. And we walked a TON, so that's good.

But yay!
 
Wow, I haven't updated in a little bit. Here's what's gone on since vacation...

I got back and got on track with my calorie counting again. I'm averaging 1,650 to 1,750 calories per day. I'm working out 30 minutes per day, five days a week, and lifting weights three times a week. I didn't lose any weight, and hovered around 150-151 for the past three weeks.

Until now. My TOM....This morning...147. It's staying with my pattern for the past several months, I had no losses during the rest of the month, and a big loss this week. It's hard to gauge where I'm at during the rest of the month. It seems as if I'm eating enough and balancing it with exercise, them BAM! More losses.

I think I'm getting too thin. So...eat even more? Exercise less? Combination of both? I don't want to quit exercising...in fact, as soon as I can afford good shoes, I want to start walking/jogging a couple of days a week.

I know this is a luxury type of problem to have on a weight loss board...so why am I complaining, right? It's just that I never thought I'd have problems NOT losing weight, since I previously had that problem for years.
 
My husband has recently had a serious case of "foot in mouth" syndrome.

We were sitting on the couch the other day, talking about self esteem and things of the sort. Mine's still in the dumps since I still pretty much am grossed out by the extra, sorta saggy skin on my belly, underarms and inner thighs. Still working on that self-esteem thing.

Anyway, he said it's weird that I'm less confident about myself now than I was before, when I was bigger. And, get this. He said "You look 1,000 times better now than you did before!"

And I totally took it the wrong way. I mean...he MARRIED me like that, right? I didn't say anything to him...just still a little hurt over it.

I mean...it's weird. Before I lost weight, we'd go out to a little local bar every weekend, and we'd go other places and go dancing, etc. After about 50 pounds and a couple of pant sizes, though...nada. He never feels like going anywhere in public with me anymore. He's been out with his brother a few times...but not me.

Seriously not helping my self-esteem at ALL. :reddevil:

Anyway...I may have found an equilibrium with my weight loss at 1,650 calories and 30 minutes of cardio per day. I lost a couple of pounds during my last TOM, but it came back and I'm still at 147. I'm also having some issues with woman stuff that's causing some TOM-like bloating, and think I need to change my birth control to solve them. So I may be a little lower. Who knows. I'll wait and see.

Also still having weird issues. Remember me talking about the pain in my right side they thought was shingles, but turned out NOT to be. Yeah...still don't know what's up with that. But I got to thinking.


It all started several months back. When I'd sleep on my left side, I'd wake up and move and my hip would hurt really badly. Like a shot or prickling of needles, and it'd be numb. Then my right side started doing the same. Then it was about gone and I had numbness and serious pain in my left elbow. When the shooting pain went away there, it moved to above my right breast, and now directly into my right underarm. All places still have lingering numbness. I'm trying to decide now if all this started at about the same time as my dizzy/blackout spells early in the morning.

Only problem? Can't afford to go to the doctor. Even with insurance, I'm still paying off the x-rays and blood work from the last waste of my time there. Blah. not sure what to do.
 
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Hi Mindi,

Sounds like you are doing well.

I think husbands have a way of wanting to say the right thing but not being able to (it coming out wrong.) As far as him not taking you out, why don't you ask him out? Maybe he's afraid you're too hot to handle now. :p

I hate the saggy skin too, but just think of it as battle scars.

I wish I would've done better about taking care of myself when I was younger, but since that didn't happen, this is the best I can do.

You're doing great! I'm glad to hear you've found what works - I'm still trying to figure that out. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough. LOL :willy_nilly:
 
You'll get there, Sweatpea!!!

Gosh I haven't updated in a while. Here's where I stand...

Still losing weight, I think. I'm down to 145, so I guess it's eat more time for me. It stinks because I can't tell 'til my TOM if I've been eating enough the rest of the month, and by then I've dropped more weight. Maybe this time I'll get it right...

And...amazingly...I seem to have made a breakthrough with my husband! Last night we were going to make some quick, frozen french fries with an otherwise healthy dinner, and he said he PREFERRED them baked, rather than deep fried. Whoo hoo...baby steps, people...baby steps...
 
You're doing great! I would love to be at 145.

Good for your dh! They do seem to get the hang of things after awhile.
 
Well, the weight is still at 145...so maybe I finally found my calorie cutoff at 1,650-1,700 calories!

The only stress in my life right now, other than work, is the husband's job. He got SO fed up with the place he's working for now that he applied to drive a truck for an oilfield company about 30 minutes away from here. He'd work six days, be off two, and make $16.50 an hour plus time and a half for 30+ hours of OT a week. A TON more money, and less physically demanding.

Well, he turned in his notice at his current job and they flipped. His supervisor is offering everything under the sun to keep him. His only concern is that they've made promises before, about raises and such, and it took them a year or more to follow through. If he stays now he'll still hate his job, and their promises may never come to pass. Then the job he applied for (and has been given by the way) will be gone, and he'll have burned that bridge.

His biggest concern about the new job is that he'll have to work nights for the first month or so, but even then it's not so bad. The most major part is the six day work week. He'll have revolving days off, rather than every Saturday and Sunday, and probably won't always get holidays off like he does now.

His last day at his current job is supposed to be Friday, so the stress can't last forever. Right?
 
Well, he turned in his notice at his current job and they flipped. His supervisor is offering everything under the sun to keep him. His only concern is that they've made promises before, about raises and such, and it took them a year or more to follow through.
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I'm not a fan of the counter offer when it comes to employment...

Once you've given notice to a company... you've already proven your 'disloyalty' -- they may promise the world because you serve an immediate need... but as soon as that need is gone... then they don't have much of a reason to keep you around...

As I once told someone in HR -if the company was that interested in keeping me around -they should have made it interesting enough for me to stay around... So thanks for the offer but - I have to do what's right for me..
 
I was kind of leaning toward him taking the new job....but they talked him out of it yesterday. So we'll see how it goes. He's supposed to call the new job people and talk to them today, so maybe he won't totally burn that bridge, just in case he needs it again...
 
I agree with Mal on that one. Dh did that - said he was going to another company, they first one offered him the world, and then 2 mo. later he ended up quitting anyway because the 1st company didn't do much of anything that they had promised.

He likes his job now though so it's all good.

I think it's great you are at 145 and have found what works for you. I bet you feel fabulous!
 
Hey, SweatPea!! Work has been crazy recently...it's so bad that I sit in front of a computer and haven't even had time to update!!!

Things are going ok. I made it through two birthday celebrations WITH cake, without gaining weight. Yay me! Today I weighed in at 143. I fluctuate these days from 143-145, generally. Seems as though I finally found an equilibrium with 30 minutes per day of cardio, weights three times a week and consumption of 1,650-1,700 calories per day. Finally!!

On the exercise front...I've been SOOOO bored with the routine. So today I went to the track this morning, intending to jog/walk about 2 miles. But when I got there the stinking CROSS COUNTRY team was there, so I mostly walked, all but 1 1/2 laps that I jogged. That's the most I've run in a LONG time. It took half an hour, and GOSH I need better shoes!!

But that's something I want to do at least one day a week, for something different. Just a nice change of pace. I'll be able to vary the routine a bit, from now on, as well. The guy who takes up the elliptical all morning on MWF went to working days, so he works out in the afternoons now. So I've been riding the bike some at home, then hitting the elliptical to finish at the workout center. But the track will still be a welcome change.

I've got a plan to turn our spare bedroom into our game room. Right now it's got a full size bed it in, but we want to get rid of it and get one of those futon things, or a couch with a pull-out bed. That way it allows room for people to sit and play video games, for me to work out, and just about anything else we'd need to do. In fact, our current couch pulls out into a semi-comfy bed, so maybe we just need to get a new couch and put that one in the room.

Anyway, that's what's going on in my world recently.

OH, and we got a new puppy...a rat terrier named Daisy! She's about 3 months old and I love her!! If only she'd stop going to the bathroom in the house....grrr....
 
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