I Need A Vacation

Let's talk about October. I started off with a decent level of optimism. Feeling ready to work my way back to a good place with the eating, get back into my normal exercise routine.

Yeah, well. Life is what happens while you're making other plans.

October started off well enough. The long weekend rolled around and we probably enjoyed a few too many treats, but we had a good time.

The following Wednesday, Husband was doing a load of laundry when he heard a loud 'thunk' from the washing machine, followed by the smell of burnt rubber. Sigh. We called for a repair guy, and the soonest appointment we could get was a week away, on Thursday.

Friday morning: Husband wakes up with a red splotch on his torso; it was swollen and sore, looked kind of like a rash. He goes on with his day, but feels worse and worse as time goes by.

Saturday morning: The red splotch is now very angry looking. Husband is in pain and is experiencing fever and chills. Off to the clinic we go, to be told by the doctor that it's is a spider bite. We leave with a prescription for antibiotics.

Husband spends the weekend feeling very ill. We are going through towels and washcloths and blankets, since compresses seem to help with the pain. And, oh yeah, our washing machine is broken so we can't wash all these towels and washcloths and blankets.

Meanwhile, I am freaking out because spider bite! I have a hard time sleeping, I am busy all day taking care of husband and quietly having panic attacks.

Tuesday: Off to our family doctor. The infection is still spreading. Off to the hospital we go for the first of 3 IV antibiotic treatments.

Between my spider phobia and Husband's needle phobia, it's not a good week in the JavaChick house.

However, the IV antibiotics are the turning point, and by the third day Husband is much better. I'm still not sleeping, but at least one of us is improving, right?

The washing machine repair dude shows up. Our machine is fixable, however it will be a week and a half minimum, possibly longer to get the part. Husband has been waiting for the right opportunity to replace the ancient, 2nd hand dryer that came the house, and going another week and a half, possibly longer, before we can do laundry is not appealing, so I agree to buying a new washer and dryer.

Plus, during his convalescence, Husband noticed that we have blue splotches in the middle of our TV screen. I have been noticing this for a while. I have been willing to put up with it. It really only shows up during dark scenes. I'd rather not buy a new TV. (This is how my mind works). I swear, husband lives for the chance to buy new TV sets.

So on Friday we go out and buy a washer & dryer. On Saturday we go out and buy a TV. Now, in addition to my heightened spider fear, I am hyperventilating from sticker shock. I don't like spending large amounts of money all at one time. Plus, I don't really like the new TV. Husband tells me it is better than the old one and I will get used to it (I still don't like it).

Add to that all the rainy, gloomy weather we were having and I was pretty much a wreck. One rainy day makes me feel sleepy and unmotivated. A week of rainy days makes me feel fuzzy headed and depressed.

Gosh, life is exhausting.

Things did quiet down after that, and life started to get back to semi-normal. Then toward the end of last week we realized Zappa wasn't himself. On Saturday I realized he was hardly eating anything - he wasn't even interested in his favorite cat treats and that was a huge deal. So I pretty much worried the  rest of the weekend and up until we saw the vet yesterday. I spent a lot of the weekend sitting in a chair with my Kindle and letting Zappa sleep in my lap.

At the vet's office, Zappa had a thorough exam, x-rays and blood tests and nothing showed up. This was good in that it eliminated a bunch of bad possibilities, but it didn't tell us what was wrong. He'd lost weight and the vet was worried about him not eating, so she said to try giving him a quarter of a Pepcid AC tablet once a day for a couple of days, in case an upset stomach was the reason he wasn't eating. So I went out and bought Pepcid AC for my cat (never would have expected that), and we gave him a quarter last night and he did eat some. Then today he was actually waiting to be fed when I got home from work, like he usually would be, so that seems like a good sign. I wouldn't say he's 100%, but at least he is eating and that's an improvement.

I realize that many people have larger problems and none of this was really tragic. It was exhausting and disruptive though.

I need to get out and tidy the yard for winter, put away all my garden stuff, but we had so much rain and then so much other stuff going on that it just didn't happen.

Our pile of wood is still sitting in the driveway and neither one of us really wants to go near it. I tried wiggling my fingers at it while saying  Wingardium Leviosa but nothing happened. It's because I didn't have a wand, right? Somebody find me a wand. Otherwise I have no idea how that wood is going to get stacked in the garage, and we will freeze this winter.

Okay. I'm done. I don't have the energy to whine any more.

Zappa thinks new TV sets are great. They come with boxes!

The birds ignore this peanut wreath feeder all summer, now I can't keep it filled.

In my diminished mental state while all this was going on, I put a bowl of grapes on the patio table because the fruit flies were driving me crazy. I forgot about them. A raccoon found them, and while I do not begrudge him the snack, I wish he had not broken my pretty ceramic solar light. Sad. Also, I could have done without the pile of scat outside my patio door. Is my life entertaining or what?

At least taking pictures of the moon is still fun.

Figuring Out The Hows and Whys

[I know. That title looks funny. Oh well. I started this post almost 3 weeks ago. I planned to give it a week, to think about it and see what I could remember. Which I did. I kept coming back and adding little notes. Then Husband got sick for a week, and our washing machine broke down, and things were just turned a bit upside down. Anyway, time call this one done. It's a long one. Sorry. I suppose it's also more for me than for anyone else, but I'll welcome any thoughts & comments!]


From November to early April, I lost about 6 pounds. I was not actively trying to lose weight. I did not feel like I was depriving myself, or making myself miserable (for the most part - I will get to that). I was doing moderate amounts of exercise, not killing myself with workouts.

Then in late April I suddenly turned into a potato-chip-and-pound-cake-scarfing fiend. Those pounds came back in short order, and I've picked up a few more (seems to be the way it goes). I already posted about this - at the end of May - and what have I done about it? Not a whole lot.

Reading this post about all calories not being equal over on Cranky Fitness got me thinking about what exactly I was doing while those 6 lbs quietly melted away...And then thinking that what I really need to do is write it down and figure out what I was doing right. That seems like the sensible place to start, right?

It should be stated: This is a whole bunch of random stuff that I remember. It's not any kind of organized weight loss or health plan because I wasn't planning anything at the time. I was not counting calories or points. I was not measuring portions. I was not following any specific diet. I was just living. Husband was away a lot, I was figuring out how to be on my own after 10+ years of always having him around. I was trying out some things that would have been harder to do when Husband is around - cutting out wheat & dairy, full time vegetarianism.

What was going on:
- Husband left for his first trip to Japan just before Halloween 2011.
- Husband has been traveling back and forth periodically since then, but he was certainly home during some of that 6 month time period
- I went to Japan for a week in March
- Looking back over my workouts now, I would say that when Husband is away I probably get in more workouts, but honestly not more than I have done at other times in the past. A lot of Zumba, strength training/circuit workouts, but also walking, yoga & Pilates.
- When Husband is home, we probably eat out once a week. When he was away I rarely ate out.
- I did not count calories or otherwise track what I was eating (wishing I had now, so I would know exactly what I was eating)
- I did often stop think before eating to determine if I was really hungry or really  needed to eat. Honestly, I think this came later as I realized I was losing weight, and I felt motivated to try. I felt like I was in a good place with my eating, like I was in tune with my body.

What I was eating:
- I did two weeks of strict no wheat, no dairy. After that I tried to avoid it most of the time but sometimes if I wanted pizza, I ate pizza. I really missed cheese a lot. Bread & yogurt too, but mostly cheese.
- When husband was away, I was mostly vegetarian, though I did eventually start eating fish once or twice a week.
- I ate corn pasta, brown rice pasta, soba (buckwheat) noodles, corn tortillas.
- I sometimes ate guacamole & Organic Tostitos as a meal. Yes I did.
- I also ate fish tacos with guacamole. And black bean tacos with guacamole. I was probably eating 2 or 3 avocados per week.
- Lots of Peanut Butter Noodles
- If I wanted something sweet I had a couple squares of Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt (I love that stuff!)
- I had the occasional margarita or can of coke.
- I cooked with coconut oil most of the time.
- I was eating the little bags of chips with my lunch at work semi-regularly. It didn't seem to be doing any harm for a while, did not seem to be sending me out of control.

This is not to say that everything was all kittens & rainbows for that 6 months. I had my bad moments when Husband was away and I was missing him. I had periods of work stress and planning our trip to Japan was a little on the crazy-making side.

And. Every day that I avoided wheat & dairy was hard. However, those restrictions were not motivated by weight loss and I definitely was not going hungry. Avoiding wheat and dairy meant I had to stop and think every time I planned a meal or wanted to eat something. I think that stop for thought may have been a big factor in the weight that I did lose.

Where it went off the rails:
- Who knows why it suddenly happens? It often feels so random!
- I do know that stress eating was part of it. Husband was away, high priority project at work, and the cats were peeing all over the house after we were so unkind as to leave them with a house sitter and take off to Japan for 10 days.
- And I know that once I give in to the potato chips and pound cake (or whatever), they can take over very quickly.
- I don't know if it's the 'what' (specific foods) or if it is the 'how' (allowing that out of control, mechanical feeling when) I am eating.

I know 6 lbs over 6 months may not sound like a lot. But it's the most I've managed to lose in...um...well, ever I think. And I did it almost without noticing. I must have been doing something right.

September Summary & October Goals

I'm kind of sad September is over. I feel like I've missed out on sunny September days when I should have been out enjoying the last bit of summer...but I think that's because we've been getting a lot of rainy weather, so there haven't been a lot of nice days to enjoy.

Good stuff:

• My treadmill is back in working order
• The new Zumba schedule is working out really well for me
• I feel like I'm back in a more normal workout routine...

September Workouts

01: Ellen Barrett Barefoot Cardio DVD[45 mins]

04: Strength Circuit[35 mins]

05: Pick Your Level Pilates DVD[30 mins]

09: Kathy Smith Staying Strong - UB + Abs[30 mins]

10: Kathy Smith Staying Strong - legs + Glutes[30 mins]

11: Zumba

13: Zumba

18: Zumba

20: Zumba

22: Jackie Warner Power Circuit Total Body[30 mins]

24: Crunch Joy Of Yoga[35 mins]

25: Zumba

28: Jackie Warner Xtreme Circuit

30: Strength Circuit[45 mins]

 

Not so good stuff...

Actually, I don't have too many complaints at the moment, aside from the rainy weather. 

 

• The days are getting shorter and my sunrise alarm clock is pretty much at the end of it's life. I've ordered a new sunrise clock though, and it can't rain forever. We're bound to get some sunny autumn days soon.
• We have a portable dishwasher and last night, as I was rolling it across the kitchen to the sink, I managed to smash my hand between the dishwasher and the pointy edge of the china cabinet. That's not so good. I'm sure I didn't do any serious damage, but it's mighty sore and I think I am on my way to a rather spectacular bruise. 

Onward to October!

Exercise: I want to keep the momentum going. September was decent, a good mix of activities, I want more of the same.

Eating: Husband came home from Japan and noted that I am pretty much off the wagon when it comes to avoiding wheat & dairy. I was going through a phase where I just couldn't think of things I  wanted to eat and didn't want to be bothered with cooking. Which leads to making poor choices when I finally decide I'm hungry and I need to eat. So, at the time, I decided it was better to let myself have a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on whole grain bread than to eat potato chips for dinner (sad but true). So far I seem to be doing okay with the wheat & dairy, so I'm just going to see how things go.

However, there have been some bad habits creeping in. Like those bags of potato chips that are so easy to grab from the lunchroom at work. I don't need to be eating those every day. So my goal is to stay away from them for the next four weeks. I can do that.

Still picking tomatoes - at least I was a week ago. It rained really hard all weekend, so I didn't get out to the garden, but the previous weekend I brought in another bucket full. Aren't they pretty?

So we have been eating lots of tomatoes...Really, there is pasta under that pile of tomatoes, olives & feta. 

I have also experimented with taking pictures of the moon. I was surprised at what I can get with my little camera and lack of photography experience. This was cropped out of a larger image taken with a 55-250mm lens.

Today was a busier day than I wanted it to be, and I didn't quite manage to get everything done that I  had hoped, but I still accomplished a lot. The rest can wait for tomorrow. October off to a good start!

Teeny Tiny Baby Steps

I wouldn't say I'm 100% back in the exercise groove, but I'm on my way.

Bad news: My treadmill conked out on me. We did buy the extended warranty, so hopefully I can get it fixed.

Good news: The schedule at the fitness studio changed again, so I might start getting back to Zumba.

July:
July 03: Zumba
July 04: Jackie Warner Power Circuit Upper Body

July 10: Jackie Warner Power Circuit Upper Body

July 11: Jackie Warner Power Circuit Lower Body

July 28: Pick Your Level Pilates DVD

August:

Aug 10: Kathy Smith Personal Trainer Stretching workout

Aug 13: Treadmill Walk [30 mins]

Aug 15: Treadmill Walk [30 mins]
Aug 17: Crunch Fat Burning Yoga DVD
Aug 20: Weeding garden
Aug 22: Weeding garden
Aug 27: Treadmill Walk [25 mins]
Aug 28: Pick Your Level Pilates DVD
Aug 31: Kathy Smith Staying Strong DVD

Food wise, I started to  make some progress...was feeling good...did some major back-sliding...and now am hoping that I'm ready to get back to good. All within the space of a couple of weeks. All over the place. That's me.

I have so many tomatoes this year, we've had an excellent growing season (aside from the lack of rain early on) and I'm loving it. Carrots also grew really well, so I've been eating lots of this:

That would be grilled cheese & tomato with carrot sticks. Husband is still away, which means this is often dinner. I like it. Not so much that husband is away, but that I can eat what I feel like.

Of course, sometimes I do feel like something a bit fancier:

That would be haddock that I cooked on the BBQ, wrapped in foil with lime juice and a Thai spice blend. I then topped it with a fresh peach salsa and had fresh veggie spring rolls on the side. Sometimes I amaze myself. :)



Did I mention the tomatoes have been fabulous this year?

Hello from the Fabulous Felines!

And good night!

Hello Treadmill! Remember Me?

This has got to be the worse exercise slump I have ever experienced. I am unmotivated, disorganized and easily distracted. My routine - I used to have one - is completely shot. I could go back through the series of events, list causes and explanations...but the important part right now is the solution.

Why hello there treadmill! It's been a long time...

In my unmotivated, disorganized state of mind, I can't settle on any exercise that I feel like doing. Since I have no routine, I can't look at a schedule to see what my next workout should be. But my treadmill is still there, faithfully waiting. This is one of the reasons I wanted a treadmill in the first place; barring injury or illness, I can almost always manage a walk on the treadmill. Tired? Busy? Lacking in energy or motivation? A short and/or easy walk on the treadmill still adds some exercise into my day.

So Monday after work I liberated my treadmill from it's corner in the basement. When I first turned it on, it did this horrible shuddering-groaning-grinding thing, but once it started up it was fine. I went back through my workout notebook and found that the last time I used my treadmill was in February; I don't think it has ever gone unused for such a long period of time.

So we're getting to know one another again. I'm taking it easy for now. I think I need new sneakers. But I'm getting back in the game.

Now to tackle the eating. When Husband first started traveling for work, I was all enthused to cook purely for myself. I enjoyed experimenting with full time vegetarianism. Then adding in some fish. Trying to cut out wheat and dairy and finding that it does have health benefits for me. But I've lost my motivation there too. I don't want to be bothered with cooking. I can't think of anything in particular that I want to eat. What is the healthy eating equivalent of the treadmill? Any thoughts?

I did stop at the grocery store on the way home yesterday to stock up. Hard to make eating your veggies a priority when the fridge is pretty much empty. In addition to my usual veggie staples, I bought a bag of Broccoli Slaw. Open bag. Dump in bowl. Consume. I should be able to manage that. Baby steps in the right direction.

What's Up For July

Had a fantastic Canada Day Weekend! Took Friday off as well, so I had 4 days and the weather was perfect. Spent lots of time out in the garden, got a few things done inside, made time for some relaxation and fun - a pretty perfect weekend all around. It was hard to go back to work on Tuesday.

This month I am:
Trying to get back to food journaling - not calorie counting, just moving towards intuitive or mindful eating (still) so more about how I feel. Cutting out wheat & dairy is a lot more difficult with Husband home full time. Aiming for 5 out of 7 days to start (though this past week was a bust).

Since the schedule changed at the fitness studio, I will only be able to get to zumba once a week, instead of twice. I definitely need to get back into the home routine. Last week was bad because I ended up not feeling well, this week will be busy, but I will try to fit some short ones in.


I signed up for a month long online photography course. It actually started on June 28.I consider myself a beginner, but the first bunch of lessons were basic, even for me. Still, the review didn't hurt, and the lessons seem to be getting into the things I want to know/feel like I need to learn. It's good in that the lessons come by email, they are videos that I can watch when I have time, so there's no pressure.

Workouts for June:
Again, I did not keep track. I only had four written down in my notebook:
June 2: Garden
June 3: Garden
June 4: Zumba
June 5: Zumba

....And that was it. I know it was mostly Zumba Mondays & Tuesdays, with yard work in between, and I remember one strength workout for sure. So this is all I can fill in for the rest of the month:
June 11: Zumba
June 12: Zumba
June 18: Zumba
June 19: Zumba
June 24: Kathy Smith Personal Trainer Sculpting workout

I like to have these records, so I am definitely going to try and keep better track this month, though so far there hasn't been much to keep track of.

I will say though, we are having a fabuolous summer so far. The weather has been great, I have been spending quite a bit of time out puttering in the garden, so I'm less worried about the formal workouts. I just want to enjoy the summer!

Late June Update

I have been meaning to post an update for the past week or so, but somehow I never find time in my day. But here I am now, so let's get this done...

Eating and Excercising
I am working my way back to the gluten & dairy free eating...The extremely itchy skin is very motivating. Based on last time I know it will take almost 2 weeks to see a difference, so I am gritting my teeth and hanging on.

Exercise has basically been Zumba on Mondays & Tuesdays, then gardening on the weekends. I used to have a pretty good routine, and was getting in some workout DVDs, but lately that has not been happening. I have reasons though...

a) My beloved cats are kind of being monsters, and I'm having to take them out for a lot of walks
b) I think it's time to switch workouts; I tend to settle on a routine - which has been Jackie Warner DVDs for a while now - and then suddenly I get to a point where I just don't wanna do it. I realized last weekend that's where I am now - time to switch to something else for a while.

The Zumba schedule at the fitness studio I go to is changing anyway, and now it looks like I will only be able to get to one class a week. I am undecided on what to do. I was thinking of trying a different class - they offer yoga which might enjoy...Then it came to me last night (after work, as I was out weeding and hanging out with the cats) that I should just play it by ear; when the weather is good, it probably makes just as much sense to go out and work in my garden and not worry about formal workouts. I wait all winter for the warm weather, and there is plenty to do out there right now.  Plus...

My Little Monsters ~ previously known as the Fabulous Felines
Ever since we went to Japan the cats have been peeing all over the house. We had a house sitter while we were away, and I had asked her to open the basement window for the cats if the weather wasn't too bad, but she didn't let them out at all. So I don't know if it's the fact that they didn't get outside at all, or if they just didn't like having someone stay in the house...or if they were just upset that we were gone for 10 days...In any case, they were showing their displeasure by peeing in the house.

I think that may have been what triggered my binge in late April/early May. Husband was away again, and I was cleaning up cat pee and trying to figure out how to make them stop. I wasn't talking to anyone about it because somehow "I'm living in cat pee" is just not something you want to say to people. I was stressed out.

The vet said it can take up to 3 months for cats to stop behavior like that, assuming it was stress induced. It has pretty much been 3 months now. It hasn't completely stopped, but it's less frequent now and taking them out for lots of walks seems to help.

So that's my life right now. Doesn't it sound like fun?