Back Again

Hey, it's been a while. After my last post here, I kept working my plan and got down to 165 lbs. I felt great, was living life and having fun. Still not quite at goal, but then, I got sick and stopped moving as much. The weight came back on so quickly, waaaaaay too easily.

This past Monday: 203.2 lbs.

A combination of things got me really demotivated, but work was the trigger. Long hours, complex work, low pay and a slacker still on the team, meaning we have bad supervisors and bad management too. I felt stuck and powerless, and finding a new job these days was (and is) extremely tough. Apathy, then depression set in.

So I made the decision to get some therapy to deal with my mental health overall, but specifically in the workplace. While going through that process I also decided to go back to college part-time to get a diploma (in the USA I think the equivalent is an Associate's Degree?).

No lie, it's often tough with juggling my schedule, home life, work, and school is not cheap.  Ultimately, it is about changing the things I can to be happier and more fulfilled, now and in the future. I still have to work at the same place, but I just don't care anymore=I clock in and out, assist my customers and that is it.

To get back on track to a healthier lifestyle, here was this week's plan:

• Tuesday: Cleaned-up the food in my pantry, then the fridge and freezer. No junk, just some was expired/freezer burnt and the rest needed organization.
• Meal planned for next week using seasonal vegetables and meats on sale.
• Prepped online grocery list. It'll always be Wednesdays so I can get my order in on Thursdays=the first day of the new flyer (and, I have coupons for free delivery). 
• Got more steps in.

The more movement part was already happening, but it feels good to write it all down as part of a plan.

Although the online shopping with my local grocery might be a tad bit pricier than going to the store, I have low resistance to snacks. Plus I can only grocery shop in person after work, which is the worst time: I'm hungry by 5:30PM.

Otherwise, looking around ye olde blog-o-sphere for some inspo, so many left or are off all social media.
Unfortunately, I did have to do some searching and was saddened to see that Sean Anderson from The Daily Diary of a Winning Loser passed away from a heart attack. He was a nice guy who really wanted to help people so much. I remember back in the day, he got into it with another blogger so I contacted him with a message of support. I didn't expect anything in return, but after the dust had died down he reached out to thank me. In remembrance, since he was such an 80s music guy, here is a cover of one of his favorites songs by Howard Jones (covered by Troubled Hubble):

I see Mrs Swan is still going strong! And a few others are still around, or on different platforms, so I've started updating my reading list. There is real value and inspiration to read others' experiences and maybe learn something new in these kind of long-form blogs. For me, Insta is too short, and TikTok is the realm of influencers.

**Editing to add some more sad news that Katie J is On Her Way also passed. She had hit an amazing goal of over 150 lbs down, only to find she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Wow, sometimes life isn't fair.