8/24/2020

Ouch! It's been awhile since I posted anything. That does not say I haven't been keeping track of weight, though; I'm down to 206 pounds as of today! BMI is 30.5, which means I have only 0.6 BMI points to go before I am officially classed as "Overweight" rather than "Obese." I am indeed looking forward to that! I'm cancelling my gym membership, though. I've been keeping fit during the COVID shutdown, and I will continue to do so. I have TRX straps, I have a NordicTrack, I have a garden that needs perpetual weeding, I can do this!

8/4/2020 Weighing In

Well, I'm down to 213.25 today (and yesterday ... the day before yesterday I was at 213.5, and the day before that I was at 213.75). It's going down ... far more slowly than I'd like it to.

Gotta love what the weight loss is doing to my BMI, though; I started at 33.6; I'm down to 31.5. That's still "obese," but "overweight" (the next category downward) starts at a BMI of 29.9, so I'm getting out of the "obese" category, which is great, Great, GREAT!!!!!

Some of the plateau, of course, has to do with the "cheating" I've done. Yesterday was my first non-cheat day since Friday (today's Tuesday). I desperately need to get OUT of the house in the afternoon, and I desperately need to stop munching at bedtime. Those are my downfall times. And it's just habit. I am, however, drinking far, far more water than I ever did. It helps to make a pot of mint tea and use that as water flavoring ... then drink through a straw!

I can't garden today; it's raining. So maybe I'll just go for a car ride to a mall and walk the halls for an hour or so this afternoon. I'll also use my TRX straps and my NordicTrack. Hey ... I have them; I need to use them.

Onward!

7/26/2020 Weighing In

Yesterday was 215.5; today is 215 even. That's half a pound, which is great! I'm down well over 10 pounds since 2 July!!

I get hungry in the afternoons, so my Optavia Coach and I came up with the tactic to distract myself. Do something other than sit starting at 2:30 pm and going on until I either (a) am no longer hungry and/or (b) have to eat again according to schedule (that would be 4 pm). It works ... to a point. The "something other" has to be active ... pulling weeds is one option. Going for a walk is another. Exercise on the NordicTrack or the TRX straps is a third. Gardening is the best option. Today I will weed-whack my overgrown yard and maybe start to dig the hole for my patio!

But winter will come ... sooner than I want it to ... and then I'll have to find distractors inside. Putting the pennies on the steps is one; that needs to be done, as does putting tiles on the ceiling in the entryway. Before I lay the pennies, I need to paint the spindles and bannister. I'm tired ... TIRED ... of Guinevere's colors!! And then I need to patch and paint the walls in the living room and the entryway.  I have selected a lovely shade of gray that will set off the reds and blues in the living room; that gray can easily carry over to the walls in the hallway.

But, meanwhile, I'm happy with the weight loss. And I feel good, too.

7/25/2020 Weighing In

215.5! Down a whole pound from yesterday! Yay!!

I love watching weight peel off. That is the fun part of the journey to health.

I'm finally at the point where I need to incorporate exercise into my daily routine. I'll start with half an hour on the NordicTrack in 5 minute increments and a few TRX squats.

12/12/2019 Weigh In

210.5, down 1.5 lb from yesterday's 212.0. Another 1.5 lb and I'll be owing myself a reward for losing another 10 lb!

I'm definitely back on the straight and narrow!

The TRX exercise system has not yet arrived; it's stuck in limbo in the UPS system because I want my UPS boxes delivered to a safe address. Well, it will get here eventually.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:30 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

12/11/2019 Weigh In

212.0, down one pound from 12/9/2019's 213.0.

I'm back on the straight and narrow, and the loss of the pound I gained in Meddy Oulde England shows that. Now to keep it up and get more off!

I ordered a TRX exercise system (they were having a half-price sale), and it shipped last night;. That will help with keeping the strength up and it will also help a LOT with my sore hips (which so effectively prevent me from moving much). This is the system they have at the gym; straps support me as I bend and squat and move my joints in ways that would surely have me falling on my head if I didn't have the straps to support me.

And there's always the NordicTrack. I've been remiss with that lately, and I notice the difference in breathing and in ability to walk any distance at all. With the travel plans I have for next summer, I'd better get my butt in gear and get on that.

I'm also needing to increase my water intake. I'm thirsty!! No, I'm not showing a high blood sugar; my A1C was "perfect" last year, and it will be again this year since I'm not eating piles of processed sugar (and will avoid most sugar over the Christmas holidays). I simply am dehydrated. Traveling has done that, I think. Airplanes are desiccators.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
10:30 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

12/9/2019 Weigh In

213.0, up one pound from 11/22/2019's 212.0.

I'm actually quite pleased with that. Thanksgiving ... Hog-Out Holiday ... happened in the interim, as did a week-long trip to London, which is the Land of Scones and Clotted Cream. I gained only a pound over the two weeks, despite all that. I could have lost weight (I certainly did enough walking in London), but I didn't. No excuses. And yes, I enjoyed myself.

I shall be back on the straight and narrow today. I have some grocery shopping to do for salad stuff (mine wilted) and eggs, but that will be an easy thing to do.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Chicken thigh (air fried), water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/22/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change since 11/17; that was Sunday and today is Friday. I stepped on the scales yesterday, but did not have time to make the blog entry.

It's been five days without change. I hate ... HATE ... plateaus. They are frustrating as all get out. If this one does not break tomorrow, I will do an egg-grapefruit day tomorrow to kick it into gear.

Next week is Thanksgiving. I'm off to the Boston area to visit my daughter; we plan to do sushi on the holiday itself (no one in my family, including me, likes turkey). I'm staying in a friend's condo in Gloucester, MA, about two blocks from the beach ... to which I will go and walk. I can walk a beach for miles and miles. The ocean air, even in late November, does something for me.

Jim wanted to be scattered at sea. I will fill four small urns with his ashes, one each for his three sons and one for me, and keep those, and I have part of his ashes (and his eyeglasses) in a lovely rosewood box urn on my dining-room mantel. That box urn I will eventually cause to be interred in a national cemetery (he was a veteran, and I will have my ashes interred with his when the time comes), but I will do as he wished and scatter the rest of his ashes on the Gloucester shore this Thanksgiving. It's been five years as of 12/7; it's time to follow his wishes.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/20/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. For several days now, no change.

Well, that's frustrating. I HATE plateaus like this. I followed my Plan to a T yesterday. If I do that again today and tomorrow and still lose nothing, I'm kickstarting this process with an egg-grapefruit day on Friday.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Climb the State St. hill
Lunch: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken/Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/19/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change. Again. Sigh. Well, that's what I get for not following yesteday's Plan well. I had two bowls of yogurt last night, and I put butter on my Wasa bread. On the other hand, I drank all the water I was supposed to drink yesterday.

Exercise becomes a necessity today; it's snowing enough to require me to shovel the sidewalk. So ... I shall shovel the sidewalk after I get home from the 341a meeting I must attend with a client. And I get to test out how my CR-V does in the snow!

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 Shovel snow off my sidewalk
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/18/2019 Weigh In

212.0. No change from yesterday.

I have no profound words this morning; I'll just keep on plugging away, taking the weight off little bit by little bit.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/13/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change.

Thank goodness no change. I ended up finishing off the crackers in the house last night, on top of following my Plan for the rest of the day. That added probably 1000-1100 calories to yesterday's intake. That can't go on, of course; the rationalization is that now the crackers are GONE and I'm not buying any more. But did I need to finish them all off last night? I did not. I simply had a case of late-night munchies.

Back to the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/12/2019 Weigh In

213.5. No change from yesterday, and that's fine.

I was completely and delightedly startled by yesterday's precipitous drop and don't expect the same drop day after day after day ... though that would be nice!

I got back on the straight and narrow yesterday (well, all but the package of Club crackers I ate last night ... the last package of Club crackers in the house). I will stay on the straight and narrow today.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Chicken, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Fish, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/11/2019 Weigh In

213.25, down 1.75 from two days ago's 215!

Well ... that's a nice surprise!! I got very, VERY lazy yesterday and went entirely off-track. Didn't even weigh in. Food and drink consisted of three stacks of Ritz crackers (at 480 calories each) and five cups of cocoa brewed with peppermint tea (now THAT is How To Make Cocoa...).

Today I'm thirsty and I don't feel great (not bad ... just not great). I will get right back on the bandwagon and drink my eight glasses of water and eat right.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/9/2019 Weigh In

215, down 0.25 from yesterday's 215.25.

Yesterday's egg-grapefruit day was a success. Eight eggs, eight grapefruit halves, eight glasses of water and nothing else for one day cleanses the system and kickstarts the weight loss. 0.25 lb is a good start; we'll see what tomorrow brings.

And I'm almost halfway to my 10-lb mini goal (10 pounds is a far more achievable goal than is the ultimate goal of 150 lb; that's 65 lb from now, and I need to break that one down; the whole goal is just daunting. I will get there, little bit by little bit).

I've been bad about climbing onto my NordicTrack lately; I'll use today to kick that back into gear.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/6/2019 Weigh In

215.5, up 0.25 from yesterday’s 215.25.

That’s what I get for eating a stack of Club Crackers at 3 a.m.

I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so hungry. I’m not sure why; usually, I’m fine after the yogurt. But last night, I was STARVING. And thus I made a bad choice.

Tonight I have a date. We’re meeting at the coffee shop at Barnes and Noble in Wilton. His name is Richmond; I don’t know his surname, which is fine; he doesn’t know mine, either. We’ll see what happens....

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: Tea
When I get home: Apple, water
10:30 pm: Yogurt

11/5/2019 Weigh In

215.25, down 0.25 from yesterday! Little bit by little bit...

I cannot sing the praises of the old Diet Center weight-loss diet highly enough. It works. I feel good while I'm on it. And the weight comes off at a healthy rate.

Diet Center has revamped its weight-loss diet, I believe; it's now online and not quite so regimented. Me, I like the old regimen. I don't need the online thing, I have done this and am doing it on my own, and I have no doubt that I will reach my goal weight.

However, I have a trip coming up; I'm off to London right after Thanksgiving. The eating regimen will be different for a week. I will take food with me on the plane for the trip so I don't eat airline food on the way over. I will get a lot of exercise while I'm there; I'm going to be walking around museums and around the streets of London doing the tourist stuff I've never done. I will, though, maintain control of my eating whilst there, but I will not kick myself for stalling or even gaining a bit over that week; I will simply return to the regimen when I get back.

Last year at the holidays, I said those very words and didn't follow through. I ate whatever I damn well pleased from November until October; the result was that I gained back 29 of the 50-something pounds I lost last year. I shall remember that, and not repeat the mistake.

Today's Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/4/2019 Weigh In

215.5. No change from yesterday. And that's okay.

I didn't quite follow my Plan yesterday. I skipped lunch; had brunch instead because I didn't get my keister downstairs to the kitchen until around 12:30-12:45. So I gave myself a three-egg-white-one-egg-yolk spinach omelette and a bowl of strawberries for brunch, then chicken and bok choy for dinner. Not a huge deviation, but worth mentioning.

Daylight savings time ended yesterday. Can't wait for March when it starts up again!

Today's Plan (which I shall follow better, since it's NOT 12:30 at this moment):

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/3/2019 Weigh In

215.5, down 0.5 lb from yesterday's 216.

It's coming off! Every loss is a win for me and my health! Little bit by little bit, I'm losing all there is of it ("it" being the extra tonnage).

And now it's time to eat. I'm hungry, and it's well past breakfast time.

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken, salad, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt

11/2/2019 Weigh In

216.0. No change.

It's a gray day. We had a big windstorm a couple of nights ago that knocked most of the leaves down from the trees, so it's beginning to look a lot like winter. I already can't wait for the dead sticks that are the hibernating trees to come to life again ... in May. And Daylight Savings Time ends tomorrow. Darkness will reign. In 50 days, we'll have the winter solstice ... and then Christmas is upon us. And another year will be gone into the history books.

Winter is not my favorite season. Jim died in the winter (Dec 7). The days are short in the winter, and the nights long; I don't react well to that much darkness. It's always a sad season for me. But then spring comes and things look up again ... eventually.

At least there's no snow on the ground ... yet.

Meanwhile, we go through day by day. Just because winter is a sad season does not give me a reason to break my healthy eating. So ...

Today’s Plan:

Pre-breakfast: Lemon juice, vitamins
Breakfast: Bran pancake, strawberries, water
11 am: 5 minutes on NordicTrack, water
Lunch: Fish, salad, water
2 pm: Wasa, water
4 pm: Wasa, water
5 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
Dinner: Chicken stir-fried with bok choy, water
7 pm: 5 minutes on NordicTrack
7:30 pm: Apple, water
9:30 pm: Yogurt