As I mentioned yesterday, my weight and fitness will continue to be a priority this year, so I thought I'd write a bit about what I'm doing these days.
I still love going to the gym regularly, and it's still the same old elliptical/tv/music routine. At least if I have the TV on and music playing, it keeps me interested. And depending on the pace of the music and what I'm up for, I like to think some of what I do on the elliptical qualifies as interval training. I usually keep my tempo at a minimum of 140 bpm, and max out at 160 bpm. But boy, can I feel those extra bpm! Some days it just feels SO good to go fast and breathe hard and sweat like crazy.
And I think feeling good about your workout is so important, because I have found I can't really count on it to see lasting weight loss. I know I'm burning more calories than I would at rest, and I try not to use those calories up, but it is so easy to overestimate your calorie burn and to gobble up that loss. I think working out helps my general mindset more than anything. It helps me feel calm, it's a constant reminder that I'm working toward better health, and it does eat up some time when I would otherwise be checking the kitchen for snacks.
My typical gym routine on a weeknight is to get home around 4:30-5, change into gym clothes, grab a small snack if I feel extra hungry, and get to the gym by 5:15. I like to watch Jeopardy until it's over--it's a great show for the attention span I have at the gym. Then I try to find something else to watch until about 6, finish up, wash my hands (always! I just don't trust that people clean the equipment that well), and leave. Then I like to drive around a little bit while I drink some water. I consider this a bit of quiet "me" time that helps me focus on how my day has gone and what the rest of my night will look like. Then I get home and change into my pajamas (clean yoga pants), and eat dinner around 6:30. By 7, it feels like the work of the day is mostly over and I can relax. I actually try to get into bed by 9 each night, so I really only have 2 hours of downtime (optimistically) when I'm in a snacking danger zone. And I don't often feel like snacking right after dinner, so the whole gym thing at night is really helpful in the sense that it limits my grazing time.
As for eating, I'm currently just tracking calories using fatsecret.com
This is a free app. I first signed up for it years ago but never used it. Then a blog post at runsforcookies.com reminded me about it. Katie at that site has been successful using various tools, so when she recently recommended fatsecret.com over others, that was a good reminder for me to give it a try.
I don't know if it's just that I struggled with the WW app going down so much, but fatsecret.com seems so easy to use. It's easy to find food you need to track. You can enter by meal type, but I just load it all up in the default breakfast category because I just want to keep track of the number of calories. Also, unlike Weight Watchers, it's turning out to just be so much easier to count calories than Points. I thought it would be more difficult because WW allows you to skip counting fruits and veggies, but that's really not turning out to be a major concern. Points are not readily available for items. You have to look them up in the WW database, or scan, and often whatever you need in't there. So then you have to deal with the calculator and enter the 500 data points to get the one Point value. Calories, though, are just so easy to find for so many products. It's even listed there on fast food menu boards these days. It's just a lot easier to me to count calories than Points.
Right now I'm aiming for eating fewer than 1,500 calories a day (the amount I ate when life was easy and I didn't have a family or a deskjob and lost 50 pounds.) One lesson I learned from being on WW for so long is that you can really max out the amount you eat by eating high quality foods. People who are in the WW newlywed phase often say "but not all calories ARE created equal, and only through WW can you learn that." Well, if you're counting calories and load up on lean protein and salads, that's going to be clear when you get to the end of the day and have 500 calories remaining.
For a while I was tracking my workout times in fatsecret.com as well, but I got a new fitbit for Christmas (my first baby died in October after years of dedicated service). So I'm just using the fitbit to track activity and keep it separate from calories I take in. I'm sticking with my previous goal of 10K steps per day.
So, I feel like I've got my cardio handled, and my calories figured out. One other component of my fitness I have struggled with is weight training, or really, just adding exercise in that is not the elliptical. I've got all sorts of DVDs that attest to my desire to broaden my exercise horizons, but lazy me can't seem to bother to even get one playing most days. So I remembered that it's 2017 and there are tons of free resources on the Internet and voila! I found FitnessBlender.com
This site has a variety of free videos, they are searchable by length and type, and you can favorite them and add them to a calendar. I'll be honest and say I've only done a few so far but they are perfect for someone like me (lazy, reluctant, feet dragger). I've been sticking to workouts that are only about 10-15 minutes and target upper body, lower body, or core. I do these in the morning before my shower--that's why I need them to be short. I add the workout to the calendar once it's done so I can track my progress in that regard. If I just do a 10 minute video 5 days a week, that's 50 minutes of strength training per week I wasn't getting before. I'll take it!
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
Transformation Tuesday: 2017
I have not been an active blogger.
In the spirit of a new year and Transformation Tuesday, let's move on and declare this blog to be active again! It's not like a resolution or anything to start blogging again, not exactly. More like I was home for two weeks over the holidays, hoping for some amazing inspiration. Still waiting.
Now I'm hoping to find some direction in my life. I don't know where I left off but I can tell you I feel different, and strangely, more optimistic. My job is going well, although it's not exactly fulfilling. I was filling some time transcribing, but that's not calling to me at the moment. I still think I'd like to get a library degree or something, but money.
Some updates: One of our dogs got killed--hit by a car--in October. Sweet Honey. It was so sudden and awful. The ass who did it didn't stop. It was right in front of our house, right when everyone was getting home from work. As awful as that was, I can at least be grateful it wasn't a kid. Very often on our residential street, cars drive too fast and there are no sidewalks, and lots of kids out trying to be social.
Our other dog, Sprocket, who was supposed to live only six months if we put her on chemo, is still going strong. She was diagnosed in April and it's now January and no, we didn't put her through chemo.
The kids are all doing great. I'm excited the youngest will be out of preschool this year!
The husband is good too, although a little more broken than he was. He fell down some stairs at the end of November and broke not one, but two arms.
I quit Weight Watchers, hopefully for the final time. I had a mini-crisis come up one day just as I was heading to my meeting and noticed the relief I felt as I realized I had to deal with the crisis instead of going to the meeting. So that was that! But the thing is--I'm doing better without it! I'm just counting calories and setting fitness goals for myself. With the holidays just being over, I'm not going to pretend I'm in great shape but I ended the year probably 15 pounds lower than I started it. Some of that was from when I started WW again at the end of January, but mostly, like all my other WW attempts, I lost a bunch, gained some back, and then just maintained. I've taken off real weight since quitting WW and I plan to continue now. I lost weight by counting calories all by myself once upon a time, so I know it's possible.
In related news, I finally had a real physical. It had been three years since the last time. Switching my antidepressants back over to Paxil from Zoloft. I swore the last time I went off of Paxil that I would never go back on it. It's not that the Paxil experience was bad, it was just terrible withdrawal and I figured if it was that bad to get off it, it wasn't good to be on it. Well, I ended up back on Zoloft because I was planning to get pregnant again (with Emma) and that's safer for pregnancy, and I was under the impression it was just as effective since they're both SSRIs. I guess that was wrong, because I am an anxious anxious person, and Paxil is the way to go for anxiety. It's been 5+ years back on Zoloft so I forgot what it was like to experience the calming effects of Paxil. So now I'm just waiting for that to take full effect and planning to never go off of it again for as long as I live.
Not that the physical was really bad but there are some numbers I would like to improve. I'm no spring chicken anymore. So that will provide some motivation to keep losing weight and such. And I vow to never wait more than a year between physicals again. See, when you have social anxiety and you cope by avoiding stressful social interactions, the anxiety only gets worse when you can no longer put it off again. Lesson learned.
I was doing a pretty good job of saving money until about when Honey was killed and then Trump was elected and holiday deals just kept on coming. So now I'm dialing it back and trying to get back to a non-consumer perspective. From now on I really MUST make the decision to shop local first and only make online purchases if necessary. I'm hoping to transform my checking account this year!
And we're still trying to find meaningful ways to spend our time as a family. Sunday we went on a hike at a local park and it was really nice! It was a sunset walk, and it was in the 40's so it seemed a little too cool at first but it ended up being ideal once we got moving. I definitely want to do more like that with the family.
Mostly, I am just going to have a goal of continuous improvement this year. Try things out, pursue the ones that work, ditch the ones that don't, and just keep trying. And I'm going to be less hard on myself for messing up.
Some updates: One of our dogs got killed--hit by a car--in October. Sweet Honey. It was so sudden and awful. The ass who did it didn't stop. It was right in front of our house, right when everyone was getting home from work. As awful as that was, I can at least be grateful it wasn't a kid. Very often on our residential street, cars drive too fast and there are no sidewalks, and lots of kids out trying to be social.
Our other dog, Sprocket, who was supposed to live only six months if we put her on chemo, is still going strong. She was diagnosed in April and it's now January and no, we didn't put her through chemo.
The kids are all doing great. I'm excited the youngest will be out of preschool this year!
The husband is good too, although a little more broken than he was. He fell down some stairs at the end of November and broke not one, but two arms.
I quit Weight Watchers, hopefully for the final time. I had a mini-crisis come up one day just as I was heading to my meeting and noticed the relief I felt as I realized I had to deal with the crisis instead of going to the meeting. So that was that! But the thing is--I'm doing better without it! I'm just counting calories and setting fitness goals for myself. With the holidays just being over, I'm not going to pretend I'm in great shape but I ended the year probably 15 pounds lower than I started it. Some of that was from when I started WW again at the end of January, but mostly, like all my other WW attempts, I lost a bunch, gained some back, and then just maintained. I've taken off real weight since quitting WW and I plan to continue now. I lost weight by counting calories all by myself once upon a time, so I know it's possible.
In related news, I finally had a real physical. It had been three years since the last time. Switching my antidepressants back over to Paxil from Zoloft. I swore the last time I went off of Paxil that I would never go back on it. It's not that the Paxil experience was bad, it was just terrible withdrawal and I figured if it was that bad to get off it, it wasn't good to be on it. Well, I ended up back on Zoloft because I was planning to get pregnant again (with Emma) and that's safer for pregnancy, and I was under the impression it was just as effective since they're both SSRIs. I guess that was wrong, because I am an anxious anxious person, and Paxil is the way to go for anxiety. It's been 5+ years back on Zoloft so I forgot what it was like to experience the calming effects of Paxil. So now I'm just waiting for that to take full effect and planning to never go off of it again for as long as I live.
Not that the physical was really bad but there are some numbers I would like to improve. I'm no spring chicken anymore. So that will provide some motivation to keep losing weight and such. And I vow to never wait more than a year between physicals again. See, when you have social anxiety and you cope by avoiding stressful social interactions, the anxiety only gets worse when you can no longer put it off again. Lesson learned.
I was doing a pretty good job of saving money until about when Honey was killed and then Trump was elected and holiday deals just kept on coming. So now I'm dialing it back and trying to get back to a non-consumer perspective. From now on I really MUST make the decision to shop local first and only make online purchases if necessary. I'm hoping to transform my checking account this year!
And we're still trying to find meaningful ways to spend our time as a family. Sunday we went on a hike at a local park and it was really nice! It was a sunset walk, and it was in the 40's so it seemed a little too cool at first but it ended up being ideal once we got moving. I definitely want to do more like that with the family.
Mostly, I am just going to have a goal of continuous improvement this year. Try things out, pursue the ones that work, ditch the ones that don't, and just keep trying. And I'm going to be less hard on myself for messing up.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Overdue Post :)
Hello! It's been a while since I've been here! The daily posting thing just isn't working out for me right now. We took a family vacation for the last TWO WEEKS! of July and since returning life has been busy, busy, busy! The kids are back at school and work is crazy. Some day I will return to a regular blogging schedule, I promise.
Our youngest just began her last year of preschool. I can now calculate how much I'll be spending on childcare for the rest of my life! (I hope...I guess stuff could happen.) $7,128 max. My oldest is now 10, and with two kids in daycare at times etc., I estimate I've easily spent $75,000 on daycare. I'm actually not complaining, it was worth it. For many reasons, least of which was my mental health, I needed to work. With one notable exception (with whom we entrusted our child for about 5 weeks), I have loved the daycare providers my kids have had, and they have enriched their lives. I wouldn't complain if there were some better system and childcare were free. But it wasn't, so when I think back on the amount I've spent I relax a little and I think oh, so that's why I haven't managed to build up a true savings. That's why my credit cards don't have a zero balance. Soon, I will be able to make real financial progress.
That said, I've been doing some gig work in my downtime to help bring in just a little more money. I will need to write about mTurk some time, but lately I've been obsessed with transcribing for Transcribe Me! (TM! for short). I've been getting a lot of typing practice while learning about interesting, random topics. It's flexible. Some days I can't even think about checking on available jobs, and other days I can do job after job. They have built a community there that is so kind and understanding.
And if they treat freelancers so well, I can't begin to imagine what it's like to be their client. While I'm transcribing, I think about how useful the services would have been to me when I worked in a program evaluation office. I had so much qualitative research to do, and I spent hours and hours transcribing interview data--hours that our office billed to clients at a very high rate. If only they knew about Transcribe Me!, they could have saved so much money, I could have saved so much time, and they could have had their reports back much sooner than they did. Live and learn, I guess. I know in the future there's no way I would ever consider taking on those kinds of projects as a researcher, not when an accurate, affordable service like TM! exists.
Because I believe in the work I've done with Transcribe Me!, I recommend this service to anyone. So...visit us at www.transcribeme.com !
Our youngest just began her last year of preschool. I can now calculate how much I'll be spending on childcare for the rest of my life! (I hope...I guess stuff could happen.) $7,128 max. My oldest is now 10, and with two kids in daycare at times etc., I estimate I've easily spent $75,000 on daycare. I'm actually not complaining, it was worth it. For many reasons, least of which was my mental health, I needed to work. With one notable exception (with whom we entrusted our child for about 5 weeks), I have loved the daycare providers my kids have had, and they have enriched their lives. I wouldn't complain if there were some better system and childcare were free. But it wasn't, so when I think back on the amount I've spent I relax a little and I think oh, so that's why I haven't managed to build up a true savings. That's why my credit cards don't have a zero balance. Soon, I will be able to make real financial progress.
That said, I've been doing some gig work in my downtime to help bring in just a little more money. I will need to write about mTurk some time, but lately I've been obsessed with transcribing for Transcribe Me! (TM! for short). I've been getting a lot of typing practice while learning about interesting, random topics. It's flexible. Some days I can't even think about checking on available jobs, and other days I can do job after job. They have built a community there that is so kind and understanding.
And if they treat freelancers so well, I can't begin to imagine what it's like to be their client. While I'm transcribing, I think about how useful the services would have been to me when I worked in a program evaluation office. I had so much qualitative research to do, and I spent hours and hours transcribing interview data--hours that our office billed to clients at a very high rate. If only they knew about Transcribe Me!, they could have saved so much money, I could have saved so much time, and they could have had their reports back much sooner than they did. Live and learn, I guess. I know in the future there's no way I would ever consider taking on those kinds of projects as a researcher, not when an accurate, affordable service like TM! exists.
Because I believe in the work I've done with Transcribe Me!, I recommend this service to anyone. So...visit us at www.transcribeme.com !
Friday, July 1, 2016
Family Friday: Wife of Christopher
This isn't going to be easy to write. How do I sum up my love for my amazing husband?
I think I'll start by showing some pictures of people he sort of looks like to varying degrees.
And here he really is, the handsome culmination of the best characteristics of all the above:
I think I'll start by showing some pictures of people he sort of looks like to varying degrees.
 |
| Chris "Mr. Big" Noth |
 |
| Australian Actor Anthony LaPaglia |
 |
| Bad Boy Charlie Sheen |
 |
| Hilarious Comedian Eugene Mirman |
And here he really is, the handsome culmination of the best characteristics of all the above:
 |
| I looked through my own recent pictures and they're all blurry action shots, so here's the picture from his work. |
We met at probably the worst possible moment in time. I was out at a bar with a friend celebrating signing my first real job contract. I was going to be teaching at a college in Illinois in a few months! The bar was in Kansas, where I was attending grad school and where C was pretty well established with his house, new business, and full-time job. He was out with friends after helping one of them move. He still can't believe I found him attractive when he'd just been moving a friend all day. But he smiled at me from a neighboring booth, and I smiled back, and we waved back and forth, and he invited me over to his table and bought me a drink. It was pretty sickeningly sweet, now that I think about it.
So we clicked, but had some decisions to make. I'd been through relationships with at least some long-distance component, and those never worked out well (obviously). So we spent a lot of time together that summer and decided that we'd make it work, distance be damned. And we did! We talked every day and had some long weekend visits and on New Year's Day (7 month anniversary) at around 3 in the morning he proposed. Having completed one semester of full-time teaching I was already pretty certain that it wasn't something I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so I finished out the second semester to fulfill my contract and then moved back to Kansas. Then we got married a couple weeks later!
He always wanted kids, lots of kids. I wasn't so sure about them. But we adopted our dog Sprocket together, before I went to teach, and he let me get two kittens as soon as we got back from our honeymoon. And this may sound ridiculous, but when one of the pets misbehaved, seeing the way he handled the situation helped me to relax about the whole thing. He was able to laugh things off, and that made me laugh things off, and I realized if I could laugh off whatever mini-catastrophe had occurred, I may just be able to handle a kid.
But first, he insisted I finish my dissertation. Always looking out for me, that one. He knew better than I did that once we had kids it would be so all-encompassing that I may never return to that, and I would always regret getting so close to finishing my degree. So he supported me and put up with me as I was learning to navigate a full-time job and spending my weekends holed up in the home office he cleared out just for me. But I got that done, and then the kids came.
He's the most awesome dad. Just like I predicted based on the pets, he can take any bad situation and turn it around with his sense of humor. And he actually started collecting Box Tops before the kids were ever in school, can you believe that? He is so loving and involved in the kids' lives, and it's so fun to observe.
He's a practical dreamer. He is always thinking about ways we can have a better life and he has so many great ideas. He's completed multiple NaNoWriMo's! But he also stays firmly grounded in our present reality, so we never have to worry about paying the bills or putting food on the table. And a major bonus--he handles all the major paperwork because he knows paperwork makes me cry. And the technology set-up at home. I have no idea how people manage these days without having a professional tech person at home.
He's not perfect, and I'm not perfect, and we occasionally butt heads. But even our fights are pretty funny sometimes. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I'm so glad I met this guy at the worst possible time.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Thoughtful Thursday: Procrastination
At Weight Watchers this week, the leader spent some time reviewing the previous week's topic of clutter, and referred to clutter as the result of delayed decisions. And as I thought about the fact that I'd been storing a pair of tanning goggles for 12 years with no plans to ever go tanning again in my life, that certainly struck a chord!
That also sounded to me a lot like procrastination. You can talk about clutter as being physical or mental, but what seems to clutter my mind are the various tasks of life that I know I need to do but don't want to. I generally try to tackle the things that are bugging me so they're no longer on my plate, and I always feel fantastic after I do them. There are some things I take as just a fact of life--I always do laundry on weekends, for example, because if I don't then there will not be clean clothes to wear. There's a clear consequence of not doing laundry.
But there are many other things that just sit there, waiting to be done and because there's no real punishment for not getting them done, they can sit there, waiting, clogging up my brain. Sometimes I can just make a list of things that need to be done, and that frees up my mind a bit. But sometimes I start the list and I think, "Why am I making the list when I can just do the thing?" When I catch myself writing down these sorts of tasks, I can be pretty confident I'm just procrastinating.
Here are some recent things I've done that I'm glad are done:
1. I went swimming with the family at a nearby pool
I've been putting this off for so long. I like to swim, but I hate the preparation, the worry while we're at the pool about something happening and needing to stay vigilant the whole time, seeing co-workers while I'm in my swimsuit (this happens a lot in a small town), and then the rush when we get home to change, shower, etc.
But we went a couple weeks ago for the first time this summer and it was fun! It took a bit of time to get our stuff together but now that we've done that, we've got a system in place where we can pretty much just grab our stuff and go. In fact, we went back again this past weekend and I was looking forward to it.
2. Haircut
I hate getting my hair cut because I just always feel so awkward and I don't know what to say to the hair stylist and I hate sitting there with my glasses off and not being able to focus on anything. I hate making the decisions and communicating what I want my hair to look like, or feeling awkward showing a picture of a celeb with the hairstyle I want. It seems like most people like the experience of being pampered, but not me.
My recent strategy to get out of getting a haircut was to try to grow it out. It's summer, so why not try out something new? But my limp hair just hung there and I couldn't deny I needed to do something. So I went to Great Clips on Tuesday night (the height of luxury, I know! But when you procrastinate about something and decide you just want to take care of it, it's best if you can just walk in) and got a couple inches chopped off and I love it! I need to remember that it may feel a little awkward for 15 minutes but then it's over. And now my hair is a lot easier to do in the morning and my neck is cooler, which is no small thing when the temperatures frequently reach over 100 degrees.
3. Email to my new boss
The boss I've had for the past eight years is retiring as of this afternoon, and the new boss sent a lengthy email on Monday to all of us in the department with some questions she wanted us to answer. I was actually eager to start on this task, but not to complete it. I started jotting down some quick thoughts but then put that list aside. I thought, if she doesn't start until Friday why bother replying now? And then there's a three day weekend, and she didn't put any sort of deadline, so I could just wait.
But it just kept gnawing at me on Monday night, and I knew I needed to put some closure on this particular request. So Tuesday morning I got to work. I spent hours writing my response and editing it. I knew going into this that it would take a long time. It's always hard to sit and reflect, right? That's why I was trying to find ways to procrastinate. But now that it's done, I don't regret spending that amount of time on it.
I figured this was probably the one opportunity I'll have to introduce myself, describe my role and communication preferences, and honestly assess some problems we've had in the department. I did more professional reflection that day than I have in a long time. So I finished editing my response and sent it off, and felt so relieved. And then I was so much more productive for the rest of the day! Because as it turns out, when I put off doing some big thing I don't want to do, I'm not actually motivated to do other necessary tasks. I waste time instead.
In general, I've learned that this is one of the biggest benefits of adopting the "Just do it!" mindset. When I have the big thing looming in the back of my mind, I don't really want to accomplish anything at all. But once I decide to tackle the big thing I feel so accomplished that all the little things just fall into place, and then I can sleep soundly at night. And I love my sleep.
That also sounded to me a lot like procrastination. You can talk about clutter as being physical or mental, but what seems to clutter my mind are the various tasks of life that I know I need to do but don't want to. I generally try to tackle the things that are bugging me so they're no longer on my plate, and I always feel fantastic after I do them. There are some things I take as just a fact of life--I always do laundry on weekends, for example, because if I don't then there will not be clean clothes to wear. There's a clear consequence of not doing laundry.
But there are many other things that just sit there, waiting to be done and because there's no real punishment for not getting them done, they can sit there, waiting, clogging up my brain. Sometimes I can just make a list of things that need to be done, and that frees up my mind a bit. But sometimes I start the list and I think, "Why am I making the list when I can just do the thing?" When I catch myself writing down these sorts of tasks, I can be pretty confident I'm just procrastinating.
Here are some recent things I've done that I'm glad are done:
1. I went swimming with the family at a nearby pool
I've been putting this off for so long. I like to swim, but I hate the preparation, the worry while we're at the pool about something happening and needing to stay vigilant the whole time, seeing co-workers while I'm in my swimsuit (this happens a lot in a small town), and then the rush when we get home to change, shower, etc.
But we went a couple weeks ago for the first time this summer and it was fun! It took a bit of time to get our stuff together but now that we've done that, we've got a system in place where we can pretty much just grab our stuff and go. In fact, we went back again this past weekend and I was looking forward to it.
2. Haircut
I hate getting my hair cut because I just always feel so awkward and I don't know what to say to the hair stylist and I hate sitting there with my glasses off and not being able to focus on anything. I hate making the decisions and communicating what I want my hair to look like, or feeling awkward showing a picture of a celeb with the hairstyle I want. It seems like most people like the experience of being pampered, but not me.
My recent strategy to get out of getting a haircut was to try to grow it out. It's summer, so why not try out something new? But my limp hair just hung there and I couldn't deny I needed to do something. So I went to Great Clips on Tuesday night (the height of luxury, I know! But when you procrastinate about something and decide you just want to take care of it, it's best if you can just walk in) and got a couple inches chopped off and I love it! I need to remember that it may feel a little awkward for 15 minutes but then it's over. And now my hair is a lot easier to do in the morning and my neck is cooler, which is no small thing when the temperatures frequently reach over 100 degrees.
3. Email to my new boss
The boss I've had for the past eight years is retiring as of this afternoon, and the new boss sent a lengthy email on Monday to all of us in the department with some questions she wanted us to answer. I was actually eager to start on this task, but not to complete it. I started jotting down some quick thoughts but then put that list aside. I thought, if she doesn't start until Friday why bother replying now? And then there's a three day weekend, and she didn't put any sort of deadline, so I could just wait.
But it just kept gnawing at me on Monday night, and I knew I needed to put some closure on this particular request. So Tuesday morning I got to work. I spent hours writing my response and editing it. I knew going into this that it would take a long time. It's always hard to sit and reflect, right? That's why I was trying to find ways to procrastinate. But now that it's done, I don't regret spending that amount of time on it.
I figured this was probably the one opportunity I'll have to introduce myself, describe my role and communication preferences, and honestly assess some problems we've had in the department. I did more professional reflection that day than I have in a long time. So I finished editing my response and sent it off, and felt so relieved. And then I was so much more productive for the rest of the day! Because as it turns out, when I put off doing some big thing I don't want to do, I'm not actually motivated to do other necessary tasks. I waste time instead.
In general, I've learned that this is one of the biggest benefits of adopting the "Just do it!" mindset. When I have the big thing looming in the back of my mind, I don't really want to accomplish anything at all. But once I decide to tackle the big thing I feel so accomplished that all the little things just fall into place, and then I can sleep soundly at night. And I love my sleep.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Wellness Wednesday: Back into a Routine
At my weigh-in last night I was down 0.8 pounds! Yay me! That brings my grand total to 15.8 pounds. Honestly, I would love to be down more. There was a woman who joined the same night I did and she is down 36 pounds now. But I am trying hard not to feel bad, because I still know I'm making the best progress I can right now.
I am going to be proud of the fact that I FINALLY returned to the gym on Monday night. The longer I'd been away, the easier it was to find excuses not to go. And I didn't sleep well on Sunday and had a bad headache because of that on Monday. So I went back and forth so many times: You can go to the gym on Wednesday instead, it will be fine...No, go tonight, you'll feel good! And maybe you'll stop having so many sleep problems...But this headache...But just go!
So I told myself I could just go, I could stop after a half hour, and I could take it at the world's easiest pace. And I did just that. Usually once I make those promises to myself I end up going harder and longer (heh), but that didn't happen on Monday. I did my half hour and I was out of there. But I was nice and sweaty and relaxed! I finally got the big, scary return out of the way.
I also decided to try to give up counting Points on Monday, and go with a more flexible WW-inspired approach as well. I know what's been working--basically cutting out snacks between meals (even the healthy ones) and carby side dishes. Getting to the gym more times than not. Making good choices more often than not. And I've kept a cheat sheet of the meals I've had while losing weight as a quick reference.
Now the hard part: Finding out if I will still make progress without tracking every bite. I've gone through this before and usually I need to go back to counting eventually. But just as a life practice, I don't know that I can continue. Tracking puts me on the all-or-nothing diet mindset. I am a lot better than I used to be about that but there is still that tendency. I've read so much on intuitive eating to know what I need to do to have a healthy balance.
So that will be my plan for July: To make the healthy choices, to assess my hunger frequently and honestly, and to move as much as possible. We're planning two weeks of travel at the end of July and I think it's good I'll have a couple weeks of practice under my belt before then. I think if this works out I can actually maintain or even lose on vacation!
I am going to be proud of the fact that I FINALLY returned to the gym on Monday night. The longer I'd been away, the easier it was to find excuses not to go. And I didn't sleep well on Sunday and had a bad headache because of that on Monday. So I went back and forth so many times: You can go to the gym on Wednesday instead, it will be fine...No, go tonight, you'll feel good! And maybe you'll stop having so many sleep problems...But this headache...But just go!
So I told myself I could just go, I could stop after a half hour, and I could take it at the world's easiest pace. And I did just that. Usually once I make those promises to myself I end up going harder and longer (heh), but that didn't happen on Monday. I did my half hour and I was out of there. But I was nice and sweaty and relaxed! I finally got the big, scary return out of the way.
I also decided to try to give up counting Points on Monday, and go with a more flexible WW-inspired approach as well. I know what's been working--basically cutting out snacks between meals (even the healthy ones) and carby side dishes. Getting to the gym more times than not. Making good choices more often than not. And I've kept a cheat sheet of the meals I've had while losing weight as a quick reference.
Now the hard part: Finding out if I will still make progress without tracking every bite. I've gone through this before and usually I need to go back to counting eventually. But just as a life practice, I don't know that I can continue. Tracking puts me on the all-or-nothing diet mindset. I am a lot better than I used to be about that but there is still that tendency. I've read so much on intuitive eating to know what I need to do to have a healthy balance.
So that will be my plan for July: To make the healthy choices, to assess my hunger frequently and honestly, and to move as much as possible. We're planning two weeks of travel at the end of July and I think it's good I'll have a couple weeks of practice under my belt before then. I think if this works out I can actually maintain or even lose on vacation!
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Transformation Tuesday: Bathroom Decluttering
After last week's Weight Watcher's meeting, which demanded a commitment to declutter something, I decided to pursue my little, personal bathroom. Occasionally someone else will use the toilet in this bathroom when the main bathroom is occupied, but otherwise it's all mine. Therefore, I had no one else to blame for the cluttered state it was in. It's very tiny, but I still managed to get a lot of stuff in there over time, thanks to a plastic drawer set and a medicine cabinet we put in.
I had actually already decluttered under the sink recently, thanks to a leaky pipe, so that was done. But I needed to get serious about the set of drawers, which I believe I've owned for nearly 15 years and has not ever been cleared out.
First I tackled the top, which functions as a small counter, and the top drawer. I kept my makeup on top, and a small jewelry box, and whatever random toiletries I was using at the time. Here you get a peek at the top drawer as well.
So I cleared that drawer out, tossing probably half of the stuff in there and giving away most of the rest to my daughters, who will look adorable even in a dated fashion accessory. I don't really have an after picture of the 3rd drawer, but it basically holds the rest of the electronic gadgets that used to be in the 2nd drawer.
Then I tackled the medicine cabinet. This was mostly just reorganizing, taking things out of boxes so they would take up less space, etc. Well worth it!
So since this is a tiny space, it's hard to see a major difference, but I can tell you the bathroom is so much more functional now! It's hard enough to wake up and get ready for work each day. Now it's just a little bit easier.
I had actually already decluttered under the sink recently, thanks to a leaky pipe, so that was done. But I needed to get serious about the set of drawers, which I believe I've owned for nearly 15 years and has not ever been cleared out.
First I tackled the top, which functions as a small counter, and the top drawer. I kept my makeup on top, and a small jewelry box, and whatever random toiletries I was using at the time. Here you get a peek at the top drawer as well.
Before: "Counter" and top drawer
My makeup case (yes, it's a Caboodles) was very disorganized and had makeup in it that is probably considered a biohazard at this point. I tossed most of the makeup that was on the bottom of that case, which you can't see in the picture. The black thing there is a Curl Secret, which is new and not cheap and kept falling off its precarious perch. That is part of what motivated me to undertake this project. I'd be pissed if I broke it because it fell.
The top drawer was very full too. I kept all kinds of stuff in there, so it was part junk drawer but also part storage for products I didn't need yet. Also, books, random printouts for quick bathroom reading, etc.
And here is the result! Here's the top. It may not look less cluttered but nothing is stacked on anything else anymore. Plus that book is pretty to look at, and funny!
After: Top of counter
(You can see by the Nyquil that I was still getting over my recent awful sinus infection.)
After: Top drawer!
Now the top drawer is mostly just storage for products I will need and a few books. Don't ask about the ointment please. You can't handle it. It's nice to be able to see at a glance if I need to purchase more toothpaste or whatever.
Next, I cleared out the second and third drawers. In the second drawer I kept all my electronic hair gadgets. I know I had at least one straightening iron that didn't even work anymore, so part of the decluttering process was plugging in every last gadget to see if it would turn on. Once I identified the offender I got rid of it once and for all.
Here is my second drawer before and after. It used to contain all the electronic hair gadgets...
Second Drawer Before
But now it only contains a hair dryer and the Curl Secret. I use one of those each day, so it's nice to be able to grab what I need quickly and to know they're safe.
Second Drawer After
And then there was my big, secret shame: The bottom drawer. I found so many headbands in there, all my failed past attempts to do something interesting with my hair. There was old jewelry from ex-boyfriends, and those little butterfly clips that people wore all over their heads 15 years ago. There were goggles you wore when you use a tanning bed. I used a tanning bed approximately three times before my wedding 12 years ago, so I don't know why I was still holding onto them. It was just a big, jumbled mess of stuff I didn't know what to do with.
Third Drawer Before
So I cleared that drawer out, tossing probably half of the stuff in there and giving away most of the rest to my daughters, who will look adorable even in a dated fashion accessory. I don't really have an after picture of the 3rd drawer, but it basically holds the rest of the electronic gadgets that used to be in the 2nd drawer.
Then I tackled the medicine cabinet. This was mostly just reorganizing, taking things out of boxes so they would take up less space, etc. Well worth it!
Medicine Cabinet Before
Medicine Cabinet After
So since this is a tiny space, it's hard to see a major difference, but I can tell you the bathroom is so much more functional now! It's hard enough to wake up and get ready for work each day. Now it's just a little bit easier.
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