There's nothing quite like a good old fashioned stomach bug to push the needle down on the scale. Once again proving that when the going gets tough, Nan gets sick, I had a brutal twenty-four hours. But when I climbed on the scale, there it was: five pounds down! Yes, I know its all water but there is still a psychic kick.
Several years ago, I got a parasite from eating South American raspberries (me and clusters of people in a few key cities at the same time, according the New York Times) and I lost eight pounds overnight and ended up in the hospital with several bags of IVs running in me. That particular bug came and went, every three weeks, lasting a few days each time, for the next several months, decreasing in severity till it went away. The cumulative impact was about fifteen pounds of actual weight loss without trying at all. It was the stomach pain that kept me from eating, as well as an inability to actually absorb any food before it passed through me. On my second trip to Zaire, HS was laughing at how much I ate but I had a secret - nothing stuck with me for more than a few minutes.
This time, I don't know if it was something I ate or a bug going around. No-one else in the family has had it (yet). I ate separately from them for the twenty-four hours preceding the collapse. One thing I've read that rings true: we have a deep aversion response to whatever we eat just before getting sick. Clearly protective in nature, it kicks in even if there is no real connection between what you ate and what made you sick. Sadly, I ate a fancy prepackaged salad and a frozen spinach curry just before being stricken - I won't be going near those for a while.
Now the stomach is smaller and things still hurt a bit. Today I had a grand total of about 600 calories of bland food, and kind of think I'd be more comfortable if it had been even less. My ordinary food groups and choices go by the wayside - whatever I think I can handle is allowed till I'm better.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Stress is Building Up
Press Conference tomorrow morning - is that any excuse for the sweets I ate today? I ate off-plan today, and too spontaneously, but I need to try to log it to add up the sorry total. It's important to know the real scale of my transgressions - I think because of the high vegetable content, it may be less than I am fearing. I am regretting the second set of chocolate pieces I had.
Food of the day: asparagus. Not yet local, but at least from this side of the equator. Snapped all the spears in the middle, boiled them briefly, quickly doused in cold water to preserve the brilliant green color, then marinated for a couple of hours in balsamic vinegar and served at room temperature. I went to town on them, and it could have been worse.
Food of the day: asparagus. Not yet local, but at least from this side of the equator. Snapped all the spears in the middle, boiled them briefly, quickly doused in cold water to preserve the brilliant green color, then marinated for a couple of hours in balsamic vinegar and served at room temperature. I went to town on them, and it could have been worse.
Embarkation
I walked onto the ship, sat down and ordered a pina colada. It might have just as well been a hot fudge sundae (something which is also always on the menu here). It just seemed like the thing to do. I was wanting the buzz as much as I wanted the tropic taste.
Overall, however, the day didn't go badly. Good late breakfast. Good early dinner. Ignored the bread basket. Ate about a third of my less than perfect dessert. And took a nice walk around the decks.
Lots of stairs on this little ship. Elevators behave badly, plus so many old people needing them. I need to distinguish myself from them.
Love love love the music here.
Overall, however, the day didn't go badly. Good late breakfast. Good early dinner. Ignored the bread basket. Ate about a third of my less than perfect dessert. And took a nice walk around the decks.
Lots of stairs on this little ship. Elevators behave badly, plus so many old people needing them. I need to distinguish myself from them.
Love love love the music here.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Things I'm not buying to afford personal training
Thought I should keep a running tally...
New swimsuit with matching board shorts and rash guard for cruise/kayaking. $125. (maybe I could go down a size after working out).
New dress for cruise. $100. (afterall, I haven't worn a dress at all since about September, but there are several in the closet.)
Since I get hundreds of catalogues in the mail every day, there are surely more things to come. Doesn't make a real dent in PT costs, but maybe the little things will start to add up.
- iPhone uPdate
New swimsuit with matching board shorts and rash guard for cruise/kayaking. $125. (maybe I could go down a size after working out).
New dress for cruise. $100. (afterall, I haven't worn a dress at all since about September, but there are several in the closet.)
Since I get hundreds of catalogues in the mail every day, there are surely more things to come. Doesn't make a real dent in PT costs, but maybe the little things will start to add up.
- iPhone uPdate
Planning and Goals
One week or so of routine, back to some discipline, and some success to show for it... But the next two weeks will be unusual in every way. I have to think this through, because if every unusual event gives me permission to be undisciplined, I'll never get anywhere.
Stress coming up. I'll be on-stage Tuesday morning in front of 700 or so of my closest friends, delivering an hour long talk. Monday is the press briefing. NPR and the Wall Street Journal are likely to carry stories - about the topic, though probably not a quote. Wednesday is stressful for personal reasons, coordinating with friends who are doing a memorial to my sister in the park. Then it's get work whipped into shape (things are popping unexpectedly in several areas) so I can get onto the cruise!
The cruise itself will be a huge challenge. Travel to and from will require opportunistic eating, and then I'll be surrounded by food everywhere I turn. Not to mention waiters offering drinks with umbrellas in them constantly. We're going to the land of rum, my favorite!
I need to remember I can't control the scale, but I can control my behavior. Let's think this through, do some planning and prep, and set some boundaries for the behavior.
Next week, I need to have cottage cheese for breakfast and carry a salad for lunch every day but Tuesday, where there's the big ceremonial lunch. So Trader Joe's for salads tomorrow. The big lunch will be chicken, of course, and I can skip the starch. Dessert will be chocolate, and I can cut a line through it before I start on it. The reception that night I can have white wine and shrimp cocktail and do very well with it. If I skip the wine, I can have another choice for eating. (At least I've been through it before, I know what to expect.)
Saturday is travelling; I need to scope out more details on the hotel and restaurant options. Something easy and less expensive will be our approach. We'll be boarding on Sunday, and can lunch on the shipboard options.
My goals for the ship? Be conscious at all times. Do not just go on vacation from the diet. I love the promenade deck - plan on at least two miles a day in circles around the ship. Make sure I've got some fun books loaded up for listening while I walk. Food? I love the breakfast after the early morning walks. Sadly, the salad options for lunch are limited, but I need to focus on vegetables. and portion control. Dinner in the dining room will be just fine - pick what I want, clean the plate if I like it, but be circumspect on dessert. And drinking? I should probably choose each day between one drink and dessert. I'd be pleased with myself if I stuck to it - at least I'm not traveling with other drinkers. And I'm not such a fan of wine with dinner - I'd rather have a happy hour or after dinner with the show drink.
At least there will be multiple entertainment options that don't require drinking. I truly love club soda with lime, and I'll allow myself to pay outrageous prices to indulge in that rather than feel totally deprived. Last time I checked, a pina colada was right up there with a hot fudge sundae for sugar and calories, but its my favorite drink in the world. I need to think about other rum cocktails that may be made less sweet than that.
I will report honestly success or failure at keeping to these plans. In the meantime, I've got a weekend to get through, with exercise opportunities on hand, and the best weather this calendar year. Time to address the day!
Stress coming up. I'll be on-stage Tuesday morning in front of 700 or so of my closest friends, delivering an hour long talk. Monday is the press briefing. NPR and the Wall Street Journal are likely to carry stories - about the topic, though probably not a quote. Wednesday is stressful for personal reasons, coordinating with friends who are doing a memorial to my sister in the park. Then it's get work whipped into shape (things are popping unexpectedly in several areas) so I can get onto the cruise!
The cruise itself will be a huge challenge. Travel to and from will require opportunistic eating, and then I'll be surrounded by food everywhere I turn. Not to mention waiters offering drinks with umbrellas in them constantly. We're going to the land of rum, my favorite!
I need to remember I can't control the scale, but I can control my behavior. Let's think this through, do some planning and prep, and set some boundaries for the behavior.
Next week, I need to have cottage cheese for breakfast and carry a salad for lunch every day but Tuesday, where there's the big ceremonial lunch. So Trader Joe's for salads tomorrow. The big lunch will be chicken, of course, and I can skip the starch. Dessert will be chocolate, and I can cut a line through it before I start on it. The reception that night I can have white wine and shrimp cocktail and do very well with it. If I skip the wine, I can have another choice for eating. (At least I've been through it before, I know what to expect.)
Saturday is travelling; I need to scope out more details on the hotel and restaurant options. Something easy and less expensive will be our approach. We'll be boarding on Sunday, and can lunch on the shipboard options.
My goals for the ship? Be conscious at all times. Do not just go on vacation from the diet. I love the promenade deck - plan on at least two miles a day in circles around the ship. Make sure I've got some fun books loaded up for listening while I walk. Food? I love the breakfast after the early morning walks. Sadly, the salad options for lunch are limited, but I need to focus on vegetables. and portion control. Dinner in the dining room will be just fine - pick what I want, clean the plate if I like it, but be circumspect on dessert. And drinking? I should probably choose each day between one drink and dessert. I'd be pleased with myself if I stuck to it - at least I'm not traveling with other drinkers. And I'm not such a fan of wine with dinner - I'd rather have a happy hour or after dinner with the show drink.
At least there will be multiple entertainment options that don't require drinking. I truly love club soda with lime, and I'll allow myself to pay outrageous prices to indulge in that rather than feel totally deprived. Last time I checked, a pina colada was right up there with a hot fudge sundae for sugar and calories, but its my favorite drink in the world. I need to think about other rum cocktails that may be made less sweet than that.
I will report honestly success or failure at keeping to these plans. In the meantime, I've got a weekend to get through, with exercise opportunities on hand, and the best weather this calendar year. Time to address the day!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Diet and Exercise in the News
The New York Times comes through with articles right on point.
Tara Parker-Pope
First, Tara Parker-Pope breaks the news to us: the little cuts do not add up after all. There is little point in worrying about just one less cookie, because the body will conserve energy and strive for homeostasis. However, one more cookie will definitely add pounds. In other words, it's totally not fair. Cutting out 100 calories a day will not make you lose weight, because the body adjusts its basal metabolism to spend fewer calories. Adding 100 calories a day is more likely to make a difference, however; the body is more likely to gain weight than lose it (like this is a surprise?)
Jane Brody
On a more positive note, Jane Brody reiterates several studies supporting the value of all forms of exercise at all ages - and at all weights. "Regular exercise is the only well-established fountain of youth, and it’s free." It helps your body and it helps your mind and memory. Who wouldn't want to do it? And then she laments how few people actually take advantage of it. So just one more bit of motivating news, to help counter the way the deck is stacked against us in losing weight.
Tara Parker-Pope
First, Tara Parker-Pope breaks the news to us: the little cuts do not add up after all. There is little point in worrying about just one less cookie, because the body will conserve energy and strive for homeostasis. However, one more cookie will definitely add pounds. In other words, it's totally not fair. Cutting out 100 calories a day will not make you lose weight, because the body adjusts its basal metabolism to spend fewer calories. Adding 100 calories a day is more likely to make a difference, however; the body is more likely to gain weight than lose it (like this is a surprise?)
Jane Brody
On a more positive note, Jane Brody reiterates several studies supporting the value of all forms of exercise at all ages - and at all weights. "Regular exercise is the only well-established fountain of youth, and it’s free." It helps your body and it helps your mind and memory. Who wouldn't want to do it? And then she laments how few people actually take advantage of it. So just one more bit of motivating news, to help counter the way the deck is stacked against us in losing weight.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
NOT Exercising
I'm ok on my eating, at least for the past few days. But I'm not at all doing the level of exercise I need. Remember, between thin and fit, I would always choose fit. But that's when I'm sitting on the couch contemplating the choice. But I'm not coming through when the choice needs to be made, to just do it.
When the alarm goes off in the morning, I doze rather than hop on to the NordicTrak. By the time I feel up to the exercise, I've run out of time and need to head to work. I've been to the gym a few times at work, but as soon as anything comes up in the office, I give up my time at the gym. It's always the last priority. I am walking some, and really loving it, but it takes a really long time to get enough exercise from walking to be really worthwhile. So much time, I only can find it on weekends. I am working smaller bits of walking into the day (park far away, take the stairs, etc.) but I'm not sure how really worth it all the little stuff is.
I want strength and flexibility. That can only come from a concentrated and disciplined program. I worked with a personal trainer for about a year and learned how far I really can go. I got up to being able to do TEN pushups - that's 10 BOY pushups, mind you, not the wimpy girl "knee" pushups. I could bend and twist and lift and pull. And I weighed only a little less than I weigh now, but I really liked the way I felt.
I want that again. I want it badly. But I don't seem to be able to do it on my own. It's the lack of prioritization that does it to me.
The way I was able to do it before was through personal training. I worked with a studio near my house, where I did one-on-one training in a private room with one of several trainers that worked there. I liked the trainers, it was fairly convenient, and I had a financial penalty for being a no-show. It is extraordinarily expensive. It is really really worth it. If I really want this, I will find the money. This is worth dipping into savings for. It's that important.
The only "found" time I've got is early in the morning. I'm thinking two weekday mornings, and Saturdays. I know I already do not sleep enough, but I'm hoping this will help me sleep, even if at first it comes at the expense of sleep. The next two and a half weeks are not possible, but as soon as I come back from the cruise I'd like to start up. Perhaps I'll even call or stop by before then, to get on the schedule. Right after I break into my piggy bank funds.
When the alarm goes off in the morning, I doze rather than hop on to the NordicTrak. By the time I feel up to the exercise, I've run out of time and need to head to work. I've been to the gym a few times at work, but as soon as anything comes up in the office, I give up my time at the gym. It's always the last priority. I am walking some, and really loving it, but it takes a really long time to get enough exercise from walking to be really worthwhile. So much time, I only can find it on weekends. I am working smaller bits of walking into the day (park far away, take the stairs, etc.) but I'm not sure how really worth it all the little stuff is.
I want strength and flexibility. That can only come from a concentrated and disciplined program. I worked with a personal trainer for about a year and learned how far I really can go. I got up to being able to do TEN pushups - that's 10 BOY pushups, mind you, not the wimpy girl "knee" pushups. I could bend and twist and lift and pull. And I weighed only a little less than I weigh now, but I really liked the way I felt.
I want that again. I want it badly. But I don't seem to be able to do it on my own. It's the lack of prioritization that does it to me.
The way I was able to do it before was through personal training. I worked with a studio near my house, where I did one-on-one training in a private room with one of several trainers that worked there. I liked the trainers, it was fairly convenient, and I had a financial penalty for being a no-show. It is extraordinarily expensive. It is really really worth it. If I really want this, I will find the money. This is worth dipping into savings for. It's that important.
The only "found" time I've got is early in the morning. I'm thinking two weekday mornings, and Saturdays. I know I already do not sleep enough, but I'm hoping this will help me sleep, even if at first it comes at the expense of sleep. The next two and a half weeks are not possible, but as soon as I come back from the cruise I'd like to start up. Perhaps I'll even call or stop by before then, to get on the schedule. Right after I break into my piggy bank funds.
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