Weighty Matters

I wrote yesterday's post on my lunch hour at work. It was a nice healthy lunch -- a nice low-point Lean Cuisine, paired with some extra veggies from home. I even skipped snack that morning, because of the skinny latte my coworker brought me. About 45 minutes after I typed my post, I was filling in at the reception desk when... WHAM! Headache. Another migraine. Mine are weird enough as it is -- I can feel the dang headache progress to about a 4-on-a-10-scale (see my Jan 11 post), and that's it. Same thing yesterday ....... it came on very suddenly and just threw me for a loop. I was able to go until 4:00, took care of some things I needed to do, and then left early. I hate that, more than you know. I hate the feeling of being out of control of my own body. I made my way home and slept for nearly 3 hours. On the way home, I delved into my snack stash from my lunch bag -- I was thinking that maybe even with lunch, something wasn't right and food might solve it. Yeah, back to s...

Years ago, I met Jerry as part of a ministry team at my parish. Whenever there was a question he couldn't answer or it really was a religious puzzle, he'd throw his palms up, shrug and say, "It's a mystery!" It became a running gag after a while, and even years after he moved out of state, the rest of us would laugh and say, "It's a mystery!" I thought of that this week........ it's one of those times when I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing. I'm watching what I eat, having an occasional indulgence too, exercising (read: working my @$$ off!) ...... and the scale is going in the wrong direction -- incrementally but WRONG. It is indeed a mystery!!! Of the 35 extra weekly points, I used 11 throughout the week --- usually 2-3 here or there a couple of times during the week. However, I earned 18 activity points this week -- so it's like I never touched the 35 and came out 7 points ahead. I changed up my workout timing routin...

Okay, with the great protein experiment ..... I did my very best on this with getting more protein. I made some AWESOME chicken BBQ for Saturday night. I cooked a turkey tenderloin with some amazing roasted veggies for Sunday dinner. So Monday night, I had a protein-packed dinner...... 1/2 c of Egg Beaters with about 1/2 c of shredded carrots and cut broccoli florets (pulled apart into tiny brocco-lettes) and made into a thick omelet. I cut it in quarters and stacked it in a Sandwich Thin with 3 slices of extra-lean turkey and even a 2% cheese single. I have no idea how much protein was in it but I'm betting it was plenty! By 10:00 PM? If it wasn't nailed down, I was looking for it. So what gives? Beats me. I spoke with my leader last night, and all we can figure is that with the exercise I've been doing (and usually not eating my activity points), my body just said, "ENOUGH! I need food!" I stepped on the scale this morning, and I'm not up that much; it's...

I did a courtesy weigh-in last night -- WHEW! Just where I was 2 weeks ago. But then....... My Thursday treat is that after the meetings, I go to the Jason's Deli there in the same shopping center. I purely love their salad bar, and they have a great half-sandwich deal. In the winter, I'll add a cup of soup to go along. So I ended up at the salad bar (just veggies, no cheese, no meats, no pre-prepared pasta or other types of salads..... and their fat-free Italian which is SUPER!), with my cup of vegetarian vegetable, and what was supposed to be a half-turkey wrap. The cashier put it in as a half-veggie wrap -- but hey, that's okay. Well.... I sure could have used the protein, and had I realized sooner that it was a veggie wrap, I'd have gotten a hard-boiled egg from the salad bar. Folks, if you don't think protein -- even an ounce or two -- makes a difference, tell that to the 6 or 7 points I consumed between 10 and 11 PM. I was completely ravenous and all carb-crav...

I finally got back to the gym Friday night after work. For most of the time, it was just me and maybe two other people -- and the owners, who were absolutely perplexed by a very loud whine from one of the treadmills. I went tonight after work: a miracle in itself. Lemme 'splain: I had battled a mild migraine last night before bed and again today from lunchtime on. It was one of those irritating "4 on a 10-scale" pains: not enough to be a full-fledged, "take the good meds and knock myself out for a day" headaches but still irritating all the way around. One of those nagging, just-under-the-surface things. The little brother going, "I'm not touching you, I'm not touching you" while holding an index finger a half-inch from your face. I thought it might have been a hunger thing at first. So I ate the healthy lunch I brought, but it didn't make a dent. I took a nice, lovely, short nap? (And God bless my coworkers for fending off people and for w...

Yep -- I am now off injured reserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Went back to the doctor's and got clearance to exercise, and I don't have to see them for another year! I'm so glad I have another ally in managing my lymphedema. I am THRILLED to finally have a chance to get back to the gym, or at least even set up the treadmill at home.... Oh Lord! I will most likely stop in tomorrow night on the way home from work. I did a courtesy weigh-in tonight...... can you believe a whole pound lower than Saturday? DANG!!! I shoulda waited! To all new WW members, WELCOME ABOARD!!!!!! To all those who are starting over, WELCOME BACK!!!!!!!!!! And special congrats to Sally, one of my fellow Thursday @ 7 members -- she hit Lifetime tonight, even after the holidays!! Fantastic job!!!!

If you aren't a follower of my regular, non-weight-related blog ("Meanderings & Musings"), I have a post there regarding a mild concussion I suffered last week. I'd like to say that it came from some derring-do, like rock climbing or a fall from a mountain bike. However, the sad truth is that it was more like a scene from the Three Stooges: I fainted at the doctor's office. It was my first faint, and I'm quite sure that in slo-mo, it was purely graceful. At any rate, after my fall from grace, the doctors sent me home for two days with a concussion -- HEY! Does that count as a sports injury? No? Didn't think so.... The worst part of this? No exercise until cleared by the docs, certainly not for 7 days or so -- at least according to all the information on concussion & post-concussion syndrome that they sent home with me. Now certainly, for those first 48 hours, I didn't plan on doing anything. The first day, all I could do was sleep. So what was ...

Ah yes -- January 1, the day millions of Americans decide it's time to do something -- for real, this time -- about (insert not-so-good habit here). It may be a written thing, or just a mental "I'm gonna do it. I mean it. For real...." thing, but it's resolution time. I propose a change: no more resolutions. Make a revolution. As well-intentioned as they are, resolutions are usually doomed to fail. It is great to be all psyched up and full of positive energy at the start of the year. You know that you've got changes to make and so you make your list: stop smoking, lose weight, exercise more. You come up with all sorts of schemes to keep you on track: each time you smoke, you'll donate $10 to a smoke jar. Every pound you lose, you'll treat yourself to something. Every day you get up to make it to the gym, you'll do something to make yourself feel good. These are not bad things in themselves, not bad at all. Change is good, and necessary ....... But ...