The big oak (Quercus) needs to drop some dead limbs!

Rough day. I went a little over on base calories, but I burned a ton today. We are in several miles of wetland complexes with no access for truck or 4 wheelers. Wet feet and rough clearcut. My feet and sciatica hurt a lot. It's going to be a tough week.

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ouch!! no kidding. Hope it gets better. Dont worry if you went over base calories - seems like you needed it!
 
Today was easier walking for the most part, but a lot more of it. On an up note I found a mountain lion skull today. That's very unusual for here. I'll put a pic up one day, but it's in rough shape and the incisors are missing. Still a super cool find. I found part of a pelican skull and bill a couple weeks ago. I'll be working this weekend again and have to start a before 6 tomorrow.
 
Feeling beat up and about to start my Saturday in the field. I'm up to 328.0 this morning, but my belly measure is down, so I don't feel that I have gained any fat.

Hopefully I will have a dramatic drop in weight once this thing is over. My left leg is swollen. That is the side that I have sciatic pain and there is fluid on my ankle and knee. I iced everything last night and did some physical therapy exercise for my hips that helps with the sciatic pain, but what I need is to rest my body. My boss told me to refuse to work next weekend so I have that.

I'll sleep in and work from home tomorrow so that will help too. I'm not abandoning this site or more importantly my weightloss. Gain, maintain, or loose for the time being, I'm sticking to it. I'll be around and more on task eventually. I don't like how this has effected the end of the contest, but there isn't much I like about this projects effects on me in general. Hopefully by middle of next week I'll be out of the very wet stuff and progress will be much more swift. I'm ready to have this project in the rearview.
 
So many ways to measure how we are doing good for our bodies BESIDES the scale. If you're eating pretty well (taking veg and fruit with you now?), controlling the awful stuff, drinking water, and getting the exercise that you are getting in the field, you ARE doing your body some good. Hang tight, Q.
 
Hard physical labor like that is a bear. Interesting job you have in that it seems to require lots of physical exertion and at the same time requires a pretty decent education too. Not a lot of construction workers are throwing Latin around. "Hey Vinny! Semper ubi sub ubi, ya jerkoff."

I think when you do get the rest, it will have quite a rejuvenating effect on you. Hang in there, Quercus.
 
Thanks Don and Vee!

Don I have been eating a fruit/yogurt smoothie for breakfast and carrying at least 1 fruit with me. I've been eating too much though, but I'm genuinely hungry. I also realize that with exertion and fatigue comes increased stress and cortisol levels which increases the appetite. I'm trying to fight against it, but when I'm exhausted so is my will.

Mr. Vee I'm a biologist and I perform environmental surveys which includes delineation of wetlands, characterizing streams, an evaluating habitat suitability for threatened and endangered species. Usually it's literally a walk in the woods, but when it's a 100 foot corridor 77 miles long mostly in a river bottom with a tight timeline it gets rough. Mostly it's the lack of down time that makes it tough. I have chosen to specialize in the larger projects as it gives me a niche and means less office time/report writing. Sometimes it's just too much of a good thing. I left a career in bio-pharmaceuticals because I love to be outdoors. In short, I like my job but not this project. It will be over eventually.
 
Finished the swampy part of my project today. I'm hopeful that things will be easier or at least quicker for the rest of the project. I ate pretty well today.
 
Its great that you are finished with the swampy part of the project.

Well done for eating pretty well today.
 
Quercus said:
Thanks Don and Vee!

Don I have been eating a fruit/yogurt smoothie for breakfast and carrying at least 1 fruit with me. I've been eating too much though, but I'm genuinely hungry. I also realize that with exertion and fatigue comes increased stress and cortisol levels which increases the appetite. I'm trying to fight against it, but when I'm exhausted so is my will.
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GREAT job getting some good foods in there. I would definitely not ignore that increased appetite, just find ways to satisfy it using healthier alternatives, like the fruit you've been hauling. I think your appetite (in this case) is directly tied to your levels of exertion. Jerky is OK, lean meat and all, but the sodium is a killer... both figuratively and literally. I ate well yesterday (Sunday), but had reasonably sized serving of corned beef and cabbage (no taters) and gained 1.2 pounds overnight... ALL water retention from the sodium.

Keep hangin' in there, Q. We'll be waiting for you when life permits. BTW, good deal that the swamps are behind you. :)
 
Quercus, I'm glad you're done with the swampy part. Just keep hanging in there, huh? Life throws us curveballs sometimes and the measure of success is how we adapt. I hope your leg starts feeling better.
 
I'm feeling decent today. I got to sleep in because my partner on this project had a Dr. appointment this morning. I'm supposed to be doing paperwork for the project, but I'm feeling like slacking while the slacking's good. I'll be out in the field later, but it should be an easier and shorter day in the field. It feels weird to sit at my desk as I haven't been in the office with my coworkers since February 15th.

Positives:

I'm coming up on my third month of no alcohol. I've faced temptation in the form of stress, hanging out at a bar, and hanging out with drinking buddies while they drank. I feel no temptation to drink. Whatever my weight is doing, I am healthier for not drinking.

I'm out of the river bottoms. There is still a lot of pipeline left, but no more full days of nothing but wetlands.

I get this weekend off!

It's 9 AM and I've already had 3 servings of fruit.

All this working has made both of us hermits over the last month and that saved money. We sent a big payment off to the student loans and we will likely do that again before the project is over.

The weather is pleasant and everything is greening rapidly. Long days are here.
 
Hey Quercus! I m loving this positive post!!! I am so happy for you!
Yay for the 3rd month & no drinking!
Yay for the good weather & longer days!
Yay for slacking a bit :)
Yay for saving money!!!
& yay 3 fruit portions before 9am!
 
Congrats on the day of relative rest. Hard work has a way of consuming our thoughts and causing us to neglect other important aspects of our lives (including our health) that need just as much attention. Looks like you're doing a good job of not falling into that trap.

For me, a lot of where I found myself before this started had to do with just that: a single minded obsession with my work that caused the rest of my life to simply disintegrate. No more.
 
I like this finding all the positives, too, Q! We can always dwell on how things could be better, but finding the good can be elusive. You've found some GREAT things to focus on. Don't forget, we have a tapas bar to hit someday... for food, of course. :)
 
I managed several miles of hiking despite the late start. I forgot my sunscreen today so I'm pretty sunburned and scratched up too.

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Most of what isn't dark brown is pollen. Thank goodness for allergy medicine. Also, I need new work boots.
 
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