Ugh.

My weekend was great. We had a nice little thaw, we spent time outdoors in lots of sun, I felt good and had full of energy at the end of the course of antibiotics. Went to the clinic for a re-test to make sure the infection was all gone and wouldn't you know it, I picked up a nasty disgusting cold. The kind that you have to keep plenty of tissues with you wherever you go. Almost one of worst ones I've ever had. It seems to be fast moving so I hope I'm not out for too long. 

I've been a couch surfer for the past couple of days but sticking to my morning walk, even if the temperature outside has gone back to being cold, colder and cold. T'ai Chi in the evenings instead of yoga. (Can't breathe in Downward Dog!) Been taking vitamins, cleansing my nasal passages using the Neti pot, not eating much but when I do it's nutritious food and drinking lots and lots of water. Also watching tons of movies from Jackie Chan to Pride and Prejudice has kept my mind off my clogged nose and aching/pounding head. I'll catch up with reading blogs later in the week when I can focus better.

One thing I am glad I did a few weeks ago was to make a ton of soup and freeze it. Squash-carrot with a chicken bone broth base. My cravings for bready carbs that I was dealing with since Valentines have faded away for now. Thank you nasty cold!

Weight is at 190lbs, so down a pound from last week. Once I'm back to 100% health I'll re-evaluate what I'm doing to see if I can get off this 190s plateau.

Links and Weigh-in

With the antibiotics kicking in, I've been staying quiet (other than going to work), drinking lots of water, and trying to keep a couple of nasty side effects at bay. Weight has gone up a pound but I know I haven't been as active as I should be. Come the weekend, my energy should be back to normal.

I have been thinking about triggers ever since Valentines Day when I had some gluten and lactose-free pizza. Looking back, I shouldn't have eaten any since it's triggered cravings for more. I really don't much eat bread or cheese anymore. Not very French of me, I know! A true insult to my heritage. My relatives think me crazy anyway for not wanting to set food into a bakery. I told them I have little control these days. Diane Carbonell at Fit to the Finish today posted some good  Tips for Managing Trigger Foods

A backslide can happen very very quickly. About 10 years or so ago, I was a size or two larger than I am now so an 18+. I began walking an hour a day and lost about 20lbs. I started lifting in the gym, using the machines and free weights with the guidance of a trainer and got down to a size 12. The regain back to the size 18 and plus-size didn't take too long at all. Less than four months. 

Backsliding is not an option for me. I know the health-risks if I regain. High blood pressure, diabetes and more await me if I go off the rails. 

To keep on the path to health, I choose when I can, and when I can afford to, to eat organic and local. I don't buy much processed food but did you know the maker of Oreos in the organic food business too? Lara Bars are owned by General Mills, the company promoting GMOs? How did I miss that? Corporations see there's money in this business so here a link to an infographic showing Corporate Takeovers in Organics

Valentines and Antibiotics

Had a great Valentines Day with my man. Lots of good conversation and laughs. Chose to have some gluten-free pizza and a little chocolate. No alcohol. Just didn't feel like it. Oddly, over time, my alcohol tolerance and cravings have gone down over time. Wish I could say the same about chips!

So the bad news is I'm currently on antibiotics right now. Kidney infection. Had a few symptoms on Friday night and woke up on Saturday morning with that pain in my side and I knew right away I had to get to the clinic. In addition to drinking tons of water, I'm taking some probiotics. Since I'm lactose intolerant, yoghurt is out, so I'm taking a fermented rice organic probiotic instead. Yoghurt is much cheaper! Once I'm done with the drugs, I'll be more vigilant about my water intake and getting in my cranberry capsules.

We got another dump of snow here so I've been shoveling and shoveling. Very glad it was fluffy snow and that it was windy so I had an extra push to help me fling it over my huge snow bank. I'm working my arms and shoulders like crazy this winter. My man spent the time indoors watching the Olympic hockey matches... Ain't love grand! LOL

Stress and other business

A lot of little stressors have been steamrolling lately into a big old ball of Stress. Sleep hasn't been good, work has been blah, the commute has been nightmarish, a needy colleague, TOM, and a new medication with some not so good side effects. 

What have I done to keep from letting things get to me?

• NOT giving in to cravings for salty chips, followed by a chocolate chaser
• Keeping my commitment to walk briskly every morning, even if it's -30C/-22F.
• Yoga or T'ai Chi in the evenings and some stretching at my desk during the day
• Preparing breakfast the night before so I save as much time as I can to walk in the mornings
• Talking, venting really, to my man and some friends
• Getting to bed early with a good book
• Breathing deeply

And above all, focusing on what I CAN change rather than what I can't.

• Sleep: Can't do anything about the quality, except no caffeine, but I have been able to improve the quantity by getting to bed earlier.
  
• Work: I do love my job, it's just everything can come flying in at once. I'm prioritizing and taking one task or project on at a time.
  
• Commute: Nothing I can do. Public transportation is the only way to get in and out of downtown. I'm currently reading a good book, so if I have to wait an extra 30 to 50 minutes then at least I'll be entertained.
  
• Needy colleague: Letting her know I got a lot on my plate right now and if she wants me to review her work, rather than disturbing me every hour we can schedule an block of time in the early afternoon instead.
  
• TOM: Well... he's predictable anyway.
  
• New Meds: Talked things over with my friendly neighbourhood pharmacist who reassured me the side-effects were not unusual, dizziness, headaches, dry mouth, ect., just that I'm getting them all. She recommended a few things to try to lessen them, but if to talk to my Doc if things get bad.

Weigh-in time: The scale has been up and down 5lbs with water retention since I last posted and has now settled these past two days at 190lbs. In view of this past week, that's a number I'll take.

Consistency and a Challenge

Glancing at the workout calendar on my fridge, I noticed more frowney faces than smiley ones.  Looking back on January's calendar, one week I've hit my targets then the next week, only 2 of 6.  I've been constantly struggling with this since mid-January.

I delved into the Angry Trainer's archives and found a little post Why Your Workout Isn't Working: Consistency. Everything he says here applies to me.

No matter how clean and compliant my food intake is, it just can't make up for not being active on a regular basis.

Exercise is a habit that is not yet ingrained in me. It should  be by now. I know that if I'm sluggish and don't get any activity, it builds and builds into total inaction day after day. This is a cycle I want to break. Before I start gaining weight and going back to the way I was.

Looking back at what works for me.... with eating anyway... it was the Whole30 that changed what I eat and the way I eat. Simply, I feel better.  And what the reason I tried the Whole30 in the first place? It was that it came to the point where I needed a big swift kick in the ass to change my ways. I felt myself backsliding mentally into my old ways, exactly like I do now. 

 

For the next 30 days, during weekdays I am challenging myself to wake up a half hour earlier, at 6:30am to walk briskly outside rain or shine.  Well, here where I live,  it'll be in either a snowstorm or icy cold, or maybe both. On weekends, this will be the first thing I do when I wake up.  The only way for me to get into this habit is to make a firm commitment starting today.

Wednesday's Weigh-In, Body Signals, and BL

Posting this a day late, oopsie! Had a nice evening with my man last night and decided to focus on us instead of hopping on line.

Well the damage I did on Sunday has almost gone away, I'm at 191lbs.  I'm back on track with food portions but having a hard time getting water in.  Just not remembering to drink. I'm averaging about 1.5 litres or about 50floz, so that's not enough. I don't drink much else other than water, a morning cup of coffee and maybe tea or juice or almond milk once in a while.

Have stayed up late a couple of nights this week so getting 5 hours sleep out of a usual 7 or 8 really has an impact on my day, fuzzy-brained thinking at work is so not good. But this was my choice to stay up late. Will get to bed at a reasonable time.

I thought that changing my diet would have an impact of my natural feelings of hunger and feeling full. But it hasn't yet. I usually don't eat anything after 8 or 9pm but I rarely feel hungry in the morning. I aim for nothing after supper.  I've had a few times lately when I've felt hungry an hour or two after waking up but otherwise, I just fuel-up with a healthy breakfast and get on with my day. After meals I feel okay but unless I know how much I've eaten, I don't feel full, even though I am. I will sometimes feel way too full, but that is rare as I'm keeping an eye on portions. From what I've read, obesity screws with hormones and  proteins like leptin, ghrelin, ect) in  a big way. The solution wont magically come overnight but over time by sticking with my plan and losing this fat.

So a lot of folks are talking about the Biggest Loser these days. I stopped watching a while back, when the product placements seemed to me to be taking over the show. The sit-down talks the trainers had with contestants were about some energy bar, breakfast cereal or sandwich place. There have been plenty of contestants in the past who've appeared gaunt and were under a healthy weight at the finale, like Helen, a blonde lady, is one that stands out. I think it's most likely the buck$ at the end of the day that make those three or four contestants lose their muscles as well as fat to become "Biggest Loser".  Time will tell if Rachael gains back her healthy and fit form. 

Have to say that I find the TV shows that follow people of the course of a year or more as they lose weight (successfully or partially) and show the typical daily struggles people have in real life to be the most inspiring. Much like the bloggers around here :)

Not a Good Day

Thought my man and I were going to a healthy Superbowl party, but there was not much healthy to eat there. My man was very much misinformed. It would have been easier to deal with if the party was held in the city, I could have stepped out and bought a tray, of veggies but it was at a cottage 1.5hrs away in the middle of Nowheresville. I did rummage through the kitchen  and refrigerator but there was no sign of fruit or veggies. One of the ladies there said "Well this is our day to skip the diets!" I held out as long as I could but I hadn't eaten anything beforehand, so I was feeling very hungry. I tried to stick with a few chicken wings, but... yeah, I caved. 

I have wicked heartburn from nachos and chips and other manufactured crap that I usually don't eat. I can't remember the last time it was this bad. Well lesson learned. Before any party, I'll be eating a healthy meal at home.