Well, I didn't win the entire March Knit and Get Fit challenge, but I did pretty well, and I won a prize (a fancy hank of yarn)! Here's what I most liked about this challenge. First, getting points for workouts means I actually made an effort to get to the gym and work out. I started Masters swimming again, regularly attended the morning strength class at the Y, and even did some walking and strength circuits on my own.
It was kind of gratifying when Jason joined me in those circuits one day and after one set, when I announced "Only 3 more rounds!", he looked traumatized. But he did them all with me. He's doing really great, actually, and lost seven pounds in March!
Second, we got points for posting pictures of the healthy meals we were eating, which is incredible motivation for actually eating healthy meals. March wasn't perfect, food-wise, but it was pretty darn good.
By the end of the month, I hadn't lost any weight, but I had lost an inch on my waist and hips, and a couple of inches on my chest. I was hoping for more, but the challenge was a really good jumpstart for me.
Now here's the bad part - I'm having a really hard time with my shoulder. Push ups and shoulder exercises in strength training class are bad. Swimming is bad. I went swimming on Saturday with Rebecca and even though we did half of the workout kicking, we did enough with our arms that by Saturday night my shoulder and head were hurting. Yesterday I realized the right side of my neck hurt. It's the end of the work day on Monday and my shoulder and the right sides of my neck and head are still hurting.
So today I made an appointment with an orthopedist.
I know I can do the 1.25-mile St. John swim right this second, and snorkeling doesn't really involve the arms, so no matter what, our vacation at the end of May is intact. However, I've skipped the last 2 weeks of Master's swimming because I don't want to aggravate the shoulder anymore than I already have.
So I've been walking. A lot. Since I seem to be useless for much else right now, my goal is to walk 10,000 steps per day in April. Saturday I got 7000 steps, but I swam, so I called it good. Every other day in April so far, I've walked at least 10,000 steps.
I have a feeling I'll also be adding physical therapy to the routine in the near future.
Monday, April 07, 2014
Thursday, March 06, 2014
Getting Fit
Unlike all the other times I don't post for almost a week, I'm actually doing really well this time. The Knit & Get Fit group is off and running and so far (4 days in), I'm killing it!
Not to toot my own horn. But I did win a prize today for being in the top 3, so... Toot!
It's been interesting because the only person I know in the group is the organizer (and I only know her through Ravelry and Yarnbox) and everyone is at completely different levels with their fitness and nutrition knowledge. We're all encouraging each other and the fact that I get points and am accountable to a group makes it that much easier to get up early and go to the gym.
Since it's Facebook-based, a lot of the points hinge on photos. We get a point for taking a picture of each of our meals, for taking a sweaty picture of ourselves post-workout, for taking a picture of our latest knitting project. We also get a point for posting a motivational quote, and it's been fun to find them and to read everyone else's.
This morning the organizer announced a mini prize. The top 3 of us are going to get a copy of a knitting pattern on our Ravelry wishlist. Nice! She told us that she'll be doing mini prizes like this all month, so that's fun.
The grand prize will be a set of interchangeable knitting needles, yarn handspun by the organizer (I've seen her stuff; it's gorgeous), stitch markers and some buttons. I understand none of this has any appeal to someone who doesn't knit, but the idea of winning makes me clap my hands with glee.
And now the reason you're really here: how are those workouts going, Kelly?
Pretty well, actually.
Monday: strength training
Tuesday: swimming
Wednesday: Masters swimming
Thursday: rest (I need it. I did both of those swims still hurting from strength training. I'm not sure what exercise we did, but my calves have been killing me.)
Tomorrow I'll go to strength training again and Saturday I have another swim planned.
I need to get used to this schedule again. First of all, I'm sleepy by 8:30 or so and basically out cold by 10 lately. Second, swimming two days in a row this week made me HUNGRY. I've been doing pretty well with the low-carb/Paleo approach, I just need to eat a bit more until I get used to being so active again.
It's amazing how quickly I get back into this pattern. Last week I was a lump on the couch. This week I'm feeling guilty for not working out this morning. Just got to keep it up. As the Nike motivation I posted yesterday for motivation says: Just do it. Then do it again.
Not to toot my own horn. But I did win a prize today for being in the top 3, so... Toot!
It's been interesting because the only person I know in the group is the organizer (and I only know her through Ravelry and Yarnbox) and everyone is at completely different levels with their fitness and nutrition knowledge. We're all encouraging each other and the fact that I get points and am accountable to a group makes it that much easier to get up early and go to the gym.
Since it's Facebook-based, a lot of the points hinge on photos. We get a point for taking a picture of each of our meals, for taking a sweaty picture of ourselves post-workout, for taking a picture of our latest knitting project. We also get a point for posting a motivational quote, and it's been fun to find them and to read everyone else's.
This morning the organizer announced a mini prize. The top 3 of us are going to get a copy of a knitting pattern on our Ravelry wishlist. Nice! She told us that she'll be doing mini prizes like this all month, so that's fun.
The grand prize will be a set of interchangeable knitting needles, yarn handspun by the organizer (I've seen her stuff; it's gorgeous), stitch markers and some buttons. I understand none of this has any appeal to someone who doesn't knit, but the idea of winning makes me clap my hands with glee.
And now the reason you're really here: how are those workouts going, Kelly?
Pretty well, actually.
Monday: strength training
Tuesday: swimming
Wednesday: Masters swimming
Thursday: rest (I need it. I did both of those swims still hurting from strength training. I'm not sure what exercise we did, but my calves have been killing me.)
Tomorrow I'll go to strength training again and Saturday I have another swim planned.
I need to get used to this schedule again. First of all, I'm sleepy by 8:30 or so and basically out cold by 10 lately. Second, swimming two days in a row this week made me HUNGRY. I've been doing pretty well with the low-carb/Paleo approach, I just need to eat a bit more until I get used to being so active again.
It's amazing how quickly I get back into this pattern. Last week I was a lump on the couch. This week I'm feeling guilty for not working out this morning. Just got to keep it up. As the Nike motivation I posted yesterday for motivation says: Just do it. Then do it again.
Friday, February 28, 2014
More Goals, Always With the Goals
But this time, I really mean it with the goals!
March is going to be awesome, just you wait and see. First of all, I've joined a get fit group headed up by a woman who works for Yarnbox. She mentioned on one of the Ravelry threads that she was organizing a Knit & Get Fit group and asked if anyone else would like to join. There are points involved and knitting-related prizes. She pretty much had me at "points", but prizes? Yes, please!
I had already started setting myself up for March to be the month it all comes together. I rejoined Masters swimming. It starts Wednesday. I'm a little nervous. When last I swam with Masters, there was a slow lane, a moderate lane, a pretty fast lane and a super fast lane. I started in moderate, but eventually moved up to pretty fast and held my own. Especially with kicking. (Kicking is where I am a Viking.) I don't ever think I'll be in the super fast lane, and that's okay because they are SUPER fast, but I'm pretty sure at this point I'm also no longer in the pretty fast lane. Back to moderate I'll go and just hope I can keep up.
The good news is, I roped my friend Rebecca into Masters with me this time, and I know she has been swimming as little as I have over the past several months so at least I won't suffer alone.
So for March my plan is to get my eating dialed in for reals (low-carb/Paleo), to swim 2 times a week and to go to strength training 2 times a week. The light is already better in the mornings and the evenings and (despite the storm forecast for Monday) I'm hoping overall March will let up with the snow already.
I've been having a really hard time this winter, and I'm not the only one. The snow just keeps coming, it's been very gray and it's been COLD. I think the entire northern US is over this winter. There is much grumbling going on. Usually in New England, we get cold and snow, but at least it's relatively sunny. I thought I was just being oversensitive this year until our farm share people apologized because their greens supplier couldn't get us the usual amount of greens. In the winter they grow greens in greenhouses, but this year it's been so gray and dreary that their crop isn't growing as well as usual. It's not just me! I think next year I need to invest in a winter light box.
I'm pretty excited for March and to be involved with a challenge group again. I'm feeling optimistic and excited to get going. And I already have plans to swim laps tomorrow morning, to welcome in the month.
March is going to be awesome, just you wait and see. First of all, I've joined a get fit group headed up by a woman who works for Yarnbox. She mentioned on one of the Ravelry threads that she was organizing a Knit & Get Fit group and asked if anyone else would like to join. There are points involved and knitting-related prizes. She pretty much had me at "points", but prizes? Yes, please!
I had already started setting myself up for March to be the month it all comes together. I rejoined Masters swimming. It starts Wednesday. I'm a little nervous. When last I swam with Masters, there was a slow lane, a moderate lane, a pretty fast lane and a super fast lane. I started in moderate, but eventually moved up to pretty fast and held my own. Especially with kicking. (Kicking is where I am a Viking.) I don't ever think I'll be in the super fast lane, and that's okay because they are SUPER fast, but I'm pretty sure at this point I'm also no longer in the pretty fast lane. Back to moderate I'll go and just hope I can keep up.
The good news is, I roped my friend Rebecca into Masters with me this time, and I know she has been swimming as little as I have over the past several months so at least I won't suffer alone.
So for March my plan is to get my eating dialed in for reals (low-carb/Paleo), to swim 2 times a week and to go to strength training 2 times a week. The light is already better in the mornings and the evenings and (despite the storm forecast for Monday) I'm hoping overall March will let up with the snow already.
I've been having a really hard time this winter, and I'm not the only one. The snow just keeps coming, it's been very gray and it's been COLD. I think the entire northern US is over this winter. There is much grumbling going on. Usually in New England, we get cold and snow, but at least it's relatively sunny. I thought I was just being oversensitive this year until our farm share people apologized because their greens supplier couldn't get us the usual amount of greens. In the winter they grow greens in greenhouses, but this year it's been so gray and dreary that their crop isn't growing as well as usual. It's not just me! I think next year I need to invest in a winter light box.
I'm pretty excited for March and to be involved with a challenge group again. I'm feeling optimistic and excited to get going. And I already have plans to swim laps tomorrow morning, to welcome in the month.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Excuses - I Have Many
I went swimming Monday! Yes I did. Swim buddy Rebecca psyched me up via text on Sunday afternoon and Monday at 6:30 we were in the pool!
The good thing about swimming in New England in February is that chances are, you'll get your own lane.
The bad thing about swimming in New England in February is that it's still very, very cold and dark in the morning. Although on Monday the cold wasn't so bad, so it wasn't too painful.
Tuesday was Masters swimming and I didn't join this session, so I couldn't swim. I thought ok, Wednesday I'll go to strength training and Thursday I'll swim again.
Then Tuesday night into Wednesday we had a snowstorm.
Then this morning I couldn't take my car because Jason wanted to use it and given that he is the one who shoveled our walk and my car out, I wasn't going to take my car and make him dig out HIS car too. That would qualify me as Worst Wife Ever, I think.
My next plan is to swim on Saturday.
In diet news, I baked bread yesterday in the bread machine. I woke up with my alarm at 6:30, and after realizing it was going to be a snow day, I padded downstairs in my slippers and thought, "I should make some bread." I don't know why. I haven't made bread in months. For some reason, it seemed like a fantastic idea. When Jason came downstairs a couple of hours later and realized there was bread baking he was thrilled and told me that the night before he had thought how nice it would be to have some hot bread and butter* on our snow day. I think being psychically tuned into my husband's culinary desires might qualify me as Best Wife Ever.
The bread was really good and we ate most of the loaf yesterday. In case you forgot, bread is Not Paleo.
So, you know, this week hasn't been awesome in the healthy living department. But I'll keep trying.
*What he actually said was "hot b with butter" which is what our niece used to request to eat when she was 2 and it's a phrase we use a lot. Also useful as an exclamation: "Hot B With Butter!"
The good thing about swimming in New England in February is that chances are, you'll get your own lane.
The bad thing about swimming in New England in February is that it's still very, very cold and dark in the morning. Although on Monday the cold wasn't so bad, so it wasn't too painful.
Tuesday was Masters swimming and I didn't join this session, so I couldn't swim. I thought ok, Wednesday I'll go to strength training and Thursday I'll swim again.
Then Tuesday night into Wednesday we had a snowstorm.
Then this morning I couldn't take my car because Jason wanted to use it and given that he is the one who shoveled our walk and my car out, I wasn't going to take my car and make him dig out HIS car too. That would qualify me as Worst Wife Ever, I think.
My next plan is to swim on Saturday.
In diet news, I baked bread yesterday in the bread machine. I woke up with my alarm at 6:30, and after realizing it was going to be a snow day, I padded downstairs in my slippers and thought, "I should make some bread." I don't know why. I haven't made bread in months. For some reason, it seemed like a fantastic idea. When Jason came downstairs a couple of hours later and realized there was bread baking he was thrilled and told me that the night before he had thought how nice it would be to have some hot bread and butter* on our snow day. I think being psychically tuned into my husband's culinary desires might qualify me as Best Wife Ever.
The bread was really good and we ate most of the loaf yesterday. In case you forgot, bread is Not Paleo.
So, you know, this week hasn't been awesome in the healthy living department. But I'll keep trying.
*What he actually said was "hot b with butter" which is what our niece used to request to eat when she was 2 and it's a phrase we use a lot. Also useful as an exclamation: "Hot B With Butter!"
Friday, January 31, 2014
Day 28 - Getting Psyched for February
A month ago I set a goal to start swimming again in February. I don't know if you know, but February is tomorrow. It's not any lighter in the morning than it was when I set that goal. It's not any warmer - if anything, it's been colder.
Regardless, Monday morning I will be at the pool!
(With my awesome new swim bag.)
My SparkPeople swimming group will be doing a February challenge where we set goals every day and come back at the end of the day to report on how we did. The goals can be about food and exercise, but also about other things that we want to accomplish in February. Per usual, I am aiming for doing better with my diet and truly implementing my Paleo/Primal eating plan with ONE splurge day at the end of the month. I will start swimming Monday, and next week I'll plan to go to strength training Wednesday and Friday.
Over the next month, I also plan to list and check off some of the home organization goals that Jason and I have. We are determined to wrangle our clutter into shape before it gets warm again and we're out of the house every weekend.
I may include my knitting projects. I love checking things off of to-do lists. Sometimes I add things to my lists at work after I've finished them just to mark them complete. So satisfying!
Regardless, Monday morning I will be at the pool!
(With my awesome new swim bag.)
My SparkPeople swimming group will be doing a February challenge where we set goals every day and come back at the end of the day to report on how we did. The goals can be about food and exercise, but also about other things that we want to accomplish in February. Per usual, I am aiming for doing better with my diet and truly implementing my Paleo/Primal eating plan with ONE splurge day at the end of the month. I will start swimming Monday, and next week I'll plan to go to strength training Wednesday and Friday.
Over the next month, I also plan to list and check off some of the home organization goals that Jason and I have. We are determined to wrangle our clutter into shape before it gets warm again and we're out of the house every weekend.
I may include my knitting projects. I love checking things off of to-do lists. Sometimes I add things to my lists at work after I've finished them just to mark them complete. So satisfying!
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Day 25 - Sick/Not Sick
I'm really irritated at my body right now because it can't seem to make up its mind about whether it's going to get sick. For the past week and a half I've been waking up with a scratchy, pre-cold throat, that usually dissipates a little during the day, but is constantly there in the background. Last week I didn't work out because I let myself sleep in, hoping that whatever sickness was threatening me would just move on by. I've also been sucking on zinc lozenges because they've really helped me in the past with either bypassing sickness altogether, or shortening what is usually a 2-week cold followed by at least a month of lung-wrenching coughs (I had bronchitis a lot as a kid so pretty much every illness I have winds up with a month of lung-wrenching coughs).
But seriously, zinc is awesome.
The problem is, this time I feel like I'm just kind of holding the cold/flu/plague at bay so I keep feeling not great, tired and achy with a slight sore throat. I slept for 9 hours last night! I never do that.
I don't know what's going on, but I wish I would just sink into sickness, or get over it already.
Suffice it to say, I have not been working out while I've been feeling sort of sick. It's annoying.
But seriously, zinc is awesome.
The problem is, this time I feel like I'm just kind of holding the cold/flu/plague at bay so I keep feeling not great, tired and achy with a slight sore throat. I slept for 9 hours last night! I never do that.
I don't know what's going on, but I wish I would just sink into sickness, or get over it already.
Suffice it to say, I have not been working out while I've been feeling sort of sick. It's annoying.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Day 21 - Reasons to Swim
This is Day 21, right? I confess, I haven't been as stringent as I might have hoped with my diet so I can't really call this a Whole30, if we're being technical. However, it's been a Whole Heck of A Lot Better Than the Preceding 30 Days. I know for a fact that my torso circumference has decreased by an inch and a half in the last 21 days, so that's something. I'm not officially weighing and measuring until the end of the month, but I did a little sneak peek the other day and I'm relatively pleased. The tape measure is moving in the right direction.
Anyway, swimming. February is the benchmark I have set for getting back in the pool. And I have two good reasons.
First of all, I bought this:
(FYI, it's still on sale at Swim Outlet for half price.)
In one of those moments when the internet ad people prove they know me well, this beauty popped up in my sidebar last week. In these colors. Not only do the ads know what I like to do, but they know what colors will hook me. It's a little unsettling.
Right now I'm taking two bags to the gym when I swim: my gym bag, which holds a towel and all my swimming gear, and my other bag, which holds toiletries and clothes and all the stuff I need to get ready for work. According to the reviews I read, this Speedo backpack is perfect for holding ALL the things. Women just like me all over the country are taking this bag to the pool and then getting ready for work. It has a separate pocket for wet things, which is key, since my Y is still in the dark ages and doesn't have a suit spinner.
I'm excited to use my awesome new backpack!
Second, we're doing the St. John swim again!
!!!
Right this second it's 17 degrees outside with a windchill of 4. To say I've been daydreaming about this trip even though it's not for 4 months is an understatement
I'm not sure if we're going to do the relay again or if we're going to do the intermediate, 2.25 mile swim. The one thing I do know is that this year we're using fins. It's not as hardcore, but hardcore is overrated (and it's still a little hardcore). I love swimming with fins! It's like flying through the water.
The point is, we need to train, and we need to start soon. I haven't been to the pool since October and my swimming muscles are definitely out of shape. First Monday of February, I'm back in the pool!
Anyway, swimming. February is the benchmark I have set for getting back in the pool. And I have two good reasons.
First of all, I bought this:
(FYI, it's still on sale at Swim Outlet for half price.)
In one of those moments when the internet ad people prove they know me well, this beauty popped up in my sidebar last week. In these colors. Not only do the ads know what I like to do, but they know what colors will hook me. It's a little unsettling.
Right now I'm taking two bags to the gym when I swim: my gym bag, which holds a towel and all my swimming gear, and my other bag, which holds toiletries and clothes and all the stuff I need to get ready for work. According to the reviews I read, this Speedo backpack is perfect for holding ALL the things. Women just like me all over the country are taking this bag to the pool and then getting ready for work. It has a separate pocket for wet things, which is key, since my Y is still in the dark ages and doesn't have a suit spinner.
I'm excited to use my awesome new backpack!
Second, we're doing the St. John swim again!
!!!
Right this second it's 17 degrees outside with a windchill of 4. To say I've been daydreaming about this trip even though it's not for 4 months is an understatement
I'm not sure if we're going to do the relay again or if we're going to do the intermediate, 2.25 mile swim. The one thing I do know is that this year we're using fins. It's not as hardcore, but hardcore is overrated (and it's still a little hardcore). I love swimming with fins! It's like flying through the water.
The point is, we need to train, and we need to start soon. I haven't been to the pool since October and my swimming muscles are definitely out of shape. First Monday of February, I'm back in the pool!
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Day 12 - Bookish
I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts on my lunch walk today* and it was all about resolutions and the panelists' success, or lack thereof (mainly lack thereof), with their 2013 resolutions. It occurred to me that for years my resolutions have been all about health and fitness, which is fine, but maybe I should be resolving to do something to better myself in a more cerebral way.
So here's my second resolution of 2014: I resolve to read one book per month.
If my grandma just read that she is shocked and appalled. Yes, I am still the same person who used to come visit her for a few weeks every summer with a bag that weighed 100 pounds because it was filled with all the books I would read on vacation. And I usually bought a couple more while I was there.
For some reason, I have fallen out of the habit of reading books. I still buy books and start many, but I'm not sticking to them. Except for Unbroken. That was a page-turner that I could not put down.
I have a stack of books on my shelves to get through, and a couple of new books on my Kindle that are unread. I'm in the middle of two books right now and I'm really enjoying them both, but I'm not taking the time to actually finish them. So right off the bat, I resolve to finish at least one of them by January 31. Even if I just read a couple of pages a night before I drift off to sleep, books will be read!
That will mean that my Nexus tablet will be turned off long before I turn off my bedside lamp. No more last-minute Facebook discussions and Scramble games. I will be improving my brain!
* Did you notice how I slipped that in? The lunch walks are back!
So here's my second resolution of 2014: I resolve to read one book per month.
If my grandma just read that she is shocked and appalled. Yes, I am still the same person who used to come visit her for a few weeks every summer with a bag that weighed 100 pounds because it was filled with all the books I would read on vacation. And I usually bought a couple more while I was there.
For some reason, I have fallen out of the habit of reading books. I still buy books and start many, but I'm not sticking to them. Except for Unbroken. That was a page-turner that I could not put down.
I have a stack of books on my shelves to get through, and a couple of new books on my Kindle that are unread. I'm in the middle of two books right now and I'm really enjoying them both, but I'm not taking the time to actually finish them. So right off the bat, I resolve to finish at least one of them by January 31. Even if I just read a couple of pages a night before I drift off to sleep, books will be read!
That will mean that my Nexus tablet will be turned off long before I turn off my bedside lamp. No more last-minute Facebook discussions and Scramble games. I will be improving my brain!
* Did you notice how I slipped that in? The lunch walks are back!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Day 10 - Strength and Carbs
I'm pleased that on the day I returned to strength training class after a very, very long absence, the teacher decided to tailor it just for me. Seriously, today was my ideal class. Lots of abs, some triceps and biceps, some quads and glutes. I am a rock star when it comes to ab exercises, for which I credit swimming for many years. Except for plank, that is. We did 3, 1 minute 20 second planks and I couldn't hold them for very long. However, I blame the slippery floor (toes sliding out from under me) and my weak elbows for that, rather than my core. I assume as I lose weight, it won't hurt my elbows quite so much to hold plank.
Hopefully I won't be too sore and can elliptical tomorrow. I should probably elliptical anyway since I'm sure it will help work out some of the muscle soreness. My plan is to elliptical 3 times this week and go back for more strength class on Friday.
On Saturday I had a planned diet deviation and I really suffered for it. We went up to Cambridge for a music festival all day Saturday and it's tradition every year to go to a Mexican place there with friends. My entrée was ok on the carbs, but I planned to, and I did, indulge in the chips and salsa. I've always said that I don't react strongly to corn, but I think I might have been overly optimistic.
By the time we left the restaurant, I was starting to feel bloated. We went to the festival's closing concert and two hours later when we left for home, I felt like my whole body had puffed up to double its size. Not only that, but an hour into the closing concert I suddenly felt insanely tired. Even with all the noise, I could have fallen asleep right there. The next morning it was so hard to get up.
I know I've written about these experiences before, but I keep writing them down in the hopes that they will sink in, and also act as evidence to myself that I really do have extreme reactions to grains.
Yesterday was a stellar food day and today is on track so far as well. I just feel so much better eating this way!
Hopefully I won't be too sore and can elliptical tomorrow. I should probably elliptical anyway since I'm sure it will help work out some of the muscle soreness. My plan is to elliptical 3 times this week and go back for more strength class on Friday.
On Saturday I had a planned diet deviation and I really suffered for it. We went up to Cambridge for a music festival all day Saturday and it's tradition every year to go to a Mexican place there with friends. My entrée was ok on the carbs, but I planned to, and I did, indulge in the chips and salsa. I've always said that I don't react strongly to corn, but I think I might have been overly optimistic.
By the time we left the restaurant, I was starting to feel bloated. We went to the festival's closing concert and two hours later when we left for home, I felt like my whole body had puffed up to double its size. Not only that, but an hour into the closing concert I suddenly felt insanely tired. Even with all the noise, I could have fallen asleep right there. The next morning it was so hard to get up.
I know I've written about these experiences before, but I keep writing them down in the hopes that they will sink in, and also act as evidence to myself that I really do have extreme reactions to grains.
Yesterday was a stellar food day and today is on track so far as well. I just feel so much better eating this way!
Friday, January 10, 2014
Day 7 - Back to the Gym
That's right, I finally made it to the gym this morning, only 4 days after I originally planned. Not only that, but when I walked outside I realized it was snowing pretty hard. The snow had just started so the road was fairly slick, but by the time I finished my workout, there was about an inch and a half of snow on the ground and not a plow to be seen. That was a tricky drive home...
I think I should get extra points for that.
I ellipticaled for 30 minutes, which isn't much, but it's a start. I sweated a little and breathed heavily and realized I have a long way to go to get back in shape.
The bad part about becoming a regular at the Y is that if you disappear for a few months, they notice. I felt kind of sheepish when the women at the front desk greeted me with a cheery, "Welcome back!"
I'm determined not to disappear again!
I think I should get extra points for that.
I ellipticaled for 30 minutes, which isn't much, but it's a start. I sweated a little and breathed heavily and realized I have a long way to go to get back in shape.
The bad part about becoming a regular at the Y is that if you disappear for a few months, they notice. I felt kind of sheepish when the women at the front desk greeted me with a cheery, "Welcome back!"
I'm determined not to disappear again!
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Eggs!
I love eggs. Sometimes I get tired of them, but generally speaking I eat them pretty reliably for breakfast almost every day. Just this morning I had 2 eggs scrambled in some butter with a couple ounces of leftover chicken breast and a bit of feta cheese on top. Delicious!
Now that we get eggs in our weekly farm share, I enjoy them even more. Fresh eggs are fantastic.
A couple of years ago when I went to a nutritionist to try to figure out why I wasn't losing any weight (Spoiler: she didn't help) she looked horrified that I might eat 3-4 eggs per morning when I was swimming 2500-3000 yards before breakfast. I never could quite figure out why, other than a lingering fear that dietary cholesterol has anything to do with blood cholesterol. (She had other ideas that didn't quite add up in my mind.)
Well, I have news for that nutritionist. I had some blood work done recently and despite the whole needing to lose weight thing, all of my numbers are pretty great. Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar - all good. If anyone has eaten enough eggs to impact cholesterol, it would be me over the last couple of years. So after my own unofficial n=1 experiment, I feel pretty safe in continuing to eat my eggs.
Now that we get eggs in our weekly farm share, I enjoy them even more. Fresh eggs are fantastic.
A couple of years ago when I went to a nutritionist to try to figure out why I wasn't losing any weight (Spoiler: she didn't help) she looked horrified that I might eat 3-4 eggs per morning when I was swimming 2500-3000 yards before breakfast. I never could quite figure out why, other than a lingering fear that dietary cholesterol has anything to do with blood cholesterol. (She had other ideas that didn't quite add up in my mind.)
Well, I have news for that nutritionist. I had some blood work done recently and despite the whole needing to lose weight thing, all of my numbers are pretty great. Cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar - all good. If anyone has eaten enough eggs to impact cholesterol, it would be me over the last couple of years. So after my own unofficial n=1 experiment, I feel pretty safe in continuing to eat my eggs.
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
Day 4 - How It's Going
It's going pretty okay actually. Not perfect. Yesterday I had a meeting after work that happens every month and sometimes lasts until past 9 PM and is usually very, very dull. So I ordered a Diet Coke as soon as I got there. I also ate some mashed potatoes and berries because that's what we were served (and chicken and broccoli. I did not eat the roll. Victory!).
My sugar/grain/caffeine withdrawal has not been as extreme as in the past. I chalk that up to me eating pretty healthy during the fall. It's amazing how thinking there's another person depending on the nutrients in your body makes you clean up your dietary act pretty quickly. As of the end of November, though, all bets were off and I descended into a caffeine and sugar-fueled spree. Still, having only a month to detox from versus several months or a year has made this pretty painless. I had a brief headache Saturday evening and just wanted to fall asleep by about 6 PM, and I've felt pretty drowsy for the past 3 days, but today I've reached the magical Day 4.
Day 4 is always my day for feeling great when I do one of these detoxes.
Exercise is not going so well. The past 2 nights I have diligently prepared my bag so that I could get ready for work at the gym, laid out my workout clothes so I could grab them in the dark, and set everything I would need for the day by the front door, ready to go. And the past 2 mornings I haven't made it to the gym. Yesterday, I woke up at 4 AM, stayed awake for an hour and a half, and then fell back to sleep just in time for my 5:45 alarm to go off. Then I realized it was pouring rain outside. Never mind, it's only Monday. I still have 5 more days in this week.
This morning I woke up just before my alarm and it was 9 degrees out, with a wind chill of -5. I could hear the wind whistling around the house. It was still pitch black out. Yeah, no. I still have 4 more days in this week.
When I woke up for real I remembered I have an early meeting in Boston on Friday, so really only 3 days left in the week. Still, I can walk the mile from the train station to the office in Boston, right? That will count for something.
So I'm basically to the point where tomorrow it is mandatory that I go to the gym. I think it's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow morning (though still pitch black), which will help a little.
My sugar/grain/caffeine withdrawal has not been as extreme as in the past. I chalk that up to me eating pretty healthy during the fall. It's amazing how thinking there's another person depending on the nutrients in your body makes you clean up your dietary act pretty quickly. As of the end of November, though, all bets were off and I descended into a caffeine and sugar-fueled spree. Still, having only a month to detox from versus several months or a year has made this pretty painless. I had a brief headache Saturday evening and just wanted to fall asleep by about 6 PM, and I've felt pretty drowsy for the past 3 days, but today I've reached the magical Day 4.
Day 4 is always my day for feeling great when I do one of these detoxes.
Exercise is not going so well. The past 2 nights I have diligently prepared my bag so that I could get ready for work at the gym, laid out my workout clothes so I could grab them in the dark, and set everything I would need for the day by the front door, ready to go. And the past 2 mornings I haven't made it to the gym. Yesterday, I woke up at 4 AM, stayed awake for an hour and a half, and then fell back to sleep just in time for my 5:45 alarm to go off. Then I realized it was pouring rain outside. Never mind, it's only Monday. I still have 5 more days in this week.
This morning I woke up just before my alarm and it was 9 degrees out, with a wind chill of -5. I could hear the wind whistling around the house. It was still pitch black out. Yeah, no. I still have 4 more days in this week.
When I woke up for real I remembered I have an early meeting in Boston on Friday, so really only 3 days left in the week. Still, I can walk the mile from the train station to the office in Boston, right? That will count for something.
So I'm basically to the point where tomorrow it is mandatory that I go to the gym. I think it's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow morning (though still pitch black), which will help a little.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Obligatory Resolutions Post
Like everyone else in the world, I'm making some resolutions for the new year. I'm usually pretty good with sticking to resolutions and challenges, at least in the short term. It helps to have goals and end points and rewards here and there so that I have a defined structure, rather than this vague idea of "This is how I'm living my life forever starting today!!!!" Which is all well and good, but for me winds up being an unrealistic way to frame things in my head.
These past few months have been a bit of a roller coaster, emotionally and physically. For those who didn't see my last couple of posts, I had a miscarriage at the beginning of December. I had just passed 12 weeks, but we had known since 9 1/2 weeks that the pregnancy wasn't viable. I had grand plans to keep being active and at least go for a walk most days during the first trimester, but the nausea and fatigue quickly made that just a pipe dream. Then I was sad and just didn't feel like doing much while I healed. I still feel sad at times, but it's getting better. Now, a month later, I finally feel relatively normal again.
So I'm ready to set some goals and get going. I'm really frustrated with how I look (double chin) and feel (uncomfortable in my own skin) right now. I've never been a picture avoider, but while we were in Utah with the in-laws for Christmas, I realized that I really don't want any documentation of how I look right now. Sad, right? I've gained back all the weight I lost several years ago, plus about 10 more pounds for good measure. I have truly accepted that because of my build, I'll never be skinny, but I don't want to be obese either. I love when I feel strong, and have defined muscles in my arms and legs and back. I want to get back to feeling sort of like an athlete again.
So here's the plan.
Food
Step 1 - Sugar detox. I am so over-sugared right now, thanks to the holidays. One good side effect of the nausea/pregnancy hormones was that I had zero sweet tooth. It was kind of remarkable. Jason and I went apple picking and he made a few apple pies over the next few weeks and then wound up eating most of them himself because I just didn't want more than a piece here or there. At the same time, I could not get enough salt. Like, I probably would have been happy if Jason had bought me a salt lick. Anyway, last month my sweet tooth came back with a vengeance. Coupled with crazy hormones, a tiny bit of depression and the holiday free for all, I'm pretty sure my pants are tighter now than they were a month ago.
So starting tomorrow (Saturday), I'm cutting out the carbs - no sugar, no grains. If we get invited to someone's house for dinner, I'm not going to turn up my nose at something they make, but my goal is to eat protein, fat and vegetables. I'm going to do the first 2 weeks as a super low carb start, like Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, which I've done several times before. Saturday is a good day to start in case I have withdrawal headaches or just generally feel yucky.
Step 2 - Maintain Paleo/Primal diet. After the first 2 weeks, I'll work some sweet potatoes and other root vegetables back in. It is winter, after all, and we'll have a winter farm share starting up soon that will be giving us lots of roots (and probably some greenhouse greens). I haven't noticed a dairy sensitivity, so I'll keep dairy in my diet. However, if I find I don't lose weight (which has been a problem for the last few years), I'll experiment with cutting out dairy.
Step 3 - Institute a once a month Cheat Day. Many people have opined on the Cheat Day and whether it's a good practice or not. All I know is that when I know there's a Cheat Day coming, it's much easier for me to forego a treat when it's staring me in the face. I say to myself, "I won't eat it now, but when Cheat Day comes, I can have it." As the months pass, not only does it become easier for me to not eat the crap, but I find I want much less of it on Cheat Day. For instance, in the past, I have devoured a pint of Ben and Jerry's on my first Cheat Day, but by month 5, I couldn't eat more than half a pint without feeling ill. It's totally a crutch, and I embrace that.
Exercise
(At this point, I've been so inactive for so long that I'm a little scared about how much it's going to hurt when I start exercising again. But it's a good pain, right?)
Step 1 - I am declaring for all the world that exercise begins Monday with a gradual cardio increase. Yeah, it's freaking cold outside (although it's supposed to be warmer on Sunday), but this is the time that I need to start getting in shape for beach/kayak/open water swim times in the Summer. So I'm hitting the elliptical next week. I'm going to shoot for 4 days of ellipticaling next week. Long-term I will aim for 3-4 days of cardio per week.
Step 2 - Strength training. Time to go back to the MWF strength training class at the Y, starting Monday after next (the 13th). Long-term I will aim for at least 2 days of strength training per week.
Step 3 - Swimming. To be implemented in February when it will still be freaking cold but maybe won't be quite so freaking dark in the mornings. I'm still having pain in my right shoulder, which is baffling considering how little it has been doing lately. I have to confess that I'm a bit terrified that it's a chronic issue and is going to seriously inhibit how much I can swim for the rest of my life. My mom has severe rheumatoid arthritis and I would be lying if I said that the idea of this pain being the beginning of something like that hasn't crossed my mind. So I will elliptical and I will strength train and if the shoulder still hurts by the end of January, I will go to the doctor and try to figure out what's going on.
Step 4 - Walking. I joined a 10,000 steps per day challenge several months ago and until I got sidelined by an illness, it was amazing the machinations I went through to ensure I got 10,000 steps per day. One night I got home from a meeting and was still severely short, so I went for a 3 mile walk at 9 PM. I'd like to challenge myself like that again in the next couple of months, but it's difficult when there's snow and ice on the ground to get it done reliably. I'll save the challenge for, say, March, but in the meantime, I'll take advantage of the warmer Winter days and head outside for a walk as much as possible.
All of my goals are perfectly reasonable and doable. I'm trying to not be too crazy and just work on getting myself more healthy and gradually losing weight. Let's do this!
These past few months have been a bit of a roller coaster, emotionally and physically. For those who didn't see my last couple of posts, I had a miscarriage at the beginning of December. I had just passed 12 weeks, but we had known since 9 1/2 weeks that the pregnancy wasn't viable. I had grand plans to keep being active and at least go for a walk most days during the first trimester, but the nausea and fatigue quickly made that just a pipe dream. Then I was sad and just didn't feel like doing much while I healed. I still feel sad at times, but it's getting better. Now, a month later, I finally feel relatively normal again.
So I'm ready to set some goals and get going. I'm really frustrated with how I look (double chin) and feel (uncomfortable in my own skin) right now. I've never been a picture avoider, but while we were in Utah with the in-laws for Christmas, I realized that I really don't want any documentation of how I look right now. Sad, right? I've gained back all the weight I lost several years ago, plus about 10 more pounds for good measure. I have truly accepted that because of my build, I'll never be skinny, but I don't want to be obese either. I love when I feel strong, and have defined muscles in my arms and legs and back. I want to get back to feeling sort of like an athlete again.
So here's the plan.
Food
Step 1 - Sugar detox. I am so over-sugared right now, thanks to the holidays. One good side effect of the nausea/pregnancy hormones was that I had zero sweet tooth. It was kind of remarkable. Jason and I went apple picking and he made a few apple pies over the next few weeks and then wound up eating most of them himself because I just didn't want more than a piece here or there. At the same time, I could not get enough salt. Like, I probably would have been happy if Jason had bought me a salt lick. Anyway, last month my sweet tooth came back with a vengeance. Coupled with crazy hormones, a tiny bit of depression and the holiday free for all, I'm pretty sure my pants are tighter now than they were a month ago.
So starting tomorrow (Saturday), I'm cutting out the carbs - no sugar, no grains. If we get invited to someone's house for dinner, I'm not going to turn up my nose at something they make, but my goal is to eat protein, fat and vegetables. I'm going to do the first 2 weeks as a super low carb start, like Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet, which I've done several times before. Saturday is a good day to start in case I have withdrawal headaches or just generally feel yucky.
Step 2 - Maintain Paleo/Primal diet. After the first 2 weeks, I'll work some sweet potatoes and other root vegetables back in. It is winter, after all, and we'll have a winter farm share starting up soon that will be giving us lots of roots (and probably some greenhouse greens). I haven't noticed a dairy sensitivity, so I'll keep dairy in my diet. However, if I find I don't lose weight (which has been a problem for the last few years), I'll experiment with cutting out dairy.
Step 3 - Institute a once a month Cheat Day. Many people have opined on the Cheat Day and whether it's a good practice or not. All I know is that when I know there's a Cheat Day coming, it's much easier for me to forego a treat when it's staring me in the face. I say to myself, "I won't eat it now, but when Cheat Day comes, I can have it." As the months pass, not only does it become easier for me to not eat the crap, but I find I want much less of it on Cheat Day. For instance, in the past, I have devoured a pint of Ben and Jerry's on my first Cheat Day, but by month 5, I couldn't eat more than half a pint without feeling ill. It's totally a crutch, and I embrace that.
Exercise
(At this point, I've been so inactive for so long that I'm a little scared about how much it's going to hurt when I start exercising again. But it's a good pain, right?)
Step 1 - I am declaring for all the world that exercise begins Monday with a gradual cardio increase. Yeah, it's freaking cold outside (although it's supposed to be warmer on Sunday), but this is the time that I need to start getting in shape for beach/kayak/open water swim times in the Summer. So I'm hitting the elliptical next week. I'm going to shoot for 4 days of ellipticaling next week. Long-term I will aim for 3-4 days of cardio per week.
Step 2 - Strength training. Time to go back to the MWF strength training class at the Y, starting Monday after next (the 13th). Long-term I will aim for at least 2 days of strength training per week.
Step 3 - Swimming. To be implemented in February when it will still be freaking cold but maybe won't be quite so freaking dark in the mornings. I'm still having pain in my right shoulder, which is baffling considering how little it has been doing lately. I have to confess that I'm a bit terrified that it's a chronic issue and is going to seriously inhibit how much I can swim for the rest of my life. My mom has severe rheumatoid arthritis and I would be lying if I said that the idea of this pain being the beginning of something like that hasn't crossed my mind. So I will elliptical and I will strength train and if the shoulder still hurts by the end of January, I will go to the doctor and try to figure out what's going on.
Step 4 - Walking. I joined a 10,000 steps per day challenge several months ago and until I got sidelined by an illness, it was amazing the machinations I went through to ensure I got 10,000 steps per day. One night I got home from a meeting and was still severely short, so I went for a 3 mile walk at 9 PM. I'd like to challenge myself like that again in the next couple of months, but it's difficult when there's snow and ice on the ground to get it done reliably. I'll save the challenge for, say, March, but in the meantime, I'll take advantage of the warmer Winter days and head outside for a walk as much as possible.
All of my goals are perfectly reasonable and doable. I'm trying to not be too crazy and just work on getting myself more healthy and gradually losing weight. Let's do this!
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Feeling Better
I wrote a blog post about the miscarriage, but I don't think I'm going to post it. It was good for me to write it out, an exercise I've done since I was a little girl. I wrote about it, and now the story is out of me, and I feel ready to move forward a little bit more every day.
I will say that it was much more dramatic than I had expected. When I miscarried at around 5 weeks, it just felt like a slightly heavier, slightly crampier period. Miscarrying at 12 weeks is a whole different animal. After being in severe pain all day, pain that a Percoset prescription didn't touch, Jason took me to the ER, where I praised the staff who got me in and hooked me up to a Dilaudid IV within 20 minutes. A miracle. I even wrote the hospital administration an email telling them how great everyone was.
I think the experience scared Jason pretty badly - I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything except moan. It's made me rethink whether I'm really going to have a hippie no medication birth after all.
It feels monumentally unfair that I went through the first trimester and essentially experienced labor, and in the end we're left with nothing.
Still, we're moving forward. It's put a bit of a damper on the holidays. I've been moody, as Jason will tell you. Tears are right under the surface for the entirety of my days. Not just sad tears, though. As we move toward Christmas, every hokey attempt at sentimentalism that in past years I might have been able to ignore has been making me well up and think, "That's just so lovely!"
So if you see me crying, it's not necessarily a bad thing.
We got a Christmas tree and decorated it, and that helped. Jason filled the house with poinsettias like he does every year, and I pulled out my stuffed snowmen and teddy bears dressed in Victorian Christmas garb (they're adorable!), and that helped. A couple of days ago, I felt like myself for the first time in ages.
We're moving forward and we'll keep trying, because it would be nice to have a child or two to share this life with.
I will say that it was much more dramatic than I had expected. When I miscarried at around 5 weeks, it just felt like a slightly heavier, slightly crampier period. Miscarrying at 12 weeks is a whole different animal. After being in severe pain all day, pain that a Percoset prescription didn't touch, Jason took me to the ER, where I praised the staff who got me in and hooked me up to a Dilaudid IV within 20 minutes. A miracle. I even wrote the hospital administration an email telling them how great everyone was.
I think the experience scared Jason pretty badly - I couldn't talk, I couldn't do anything except moan. It's made me rethink whether I'm really going to have a hippie no medication birth after all.
It feels monumentally unfair that I went through the first trimester and essentially experienced labor, and in the end we're left with nothing.
Still, we're moving forward. It's put a bit of a damper on the holidays. I've been moody, as Jason will tell you. Tears are right under the surface for the entirety of my days. Not just sad tears, though. As we move toward Christmas, every hokey attempt at sentimentalism that in past years I might have been able to ignore has been making me well up and think, "That's just so lovely!"
So if you see me crying, it's not necessarily a bad thing.
We got a Christmas tree and decorated it, and that helped. Jason filled the house with poinsettias like he does every year, and I pulled out my stuffed snowmen and teddy bears dressed in Victorian Christmas garb (they're adorable!), and that helped. A couple of days ago, I felt like myself for the first time in ages.
We're moving forward and we'll keep trying, because it would be nice to have a child or two to share this life with.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Where I've Been
I haven't written anything very substantive on my blogs for a little while now because I've been preoccupied. I've been waiting until an appropriate time to share some news here, and in the meantime I've been drafting posts about what's been going on to post once I could talk about it.
But now there's nothing really to share except this: I'm waiting to have a miscarriage.
I've written a bit about our struggles to have a baby. As of next January, we will have been trying for 3 years. We've been to doctors and the problem has been figured out and essentially fixed, so we've only been really trying with everything working well for about 8 months or so.
In September we planned to do an IUI at the fertility clinic, only it seemed like I never ovulated, which is weird since I'm like clockwork. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when I got two positive pregnancy tests. After all of the doctors and appointments and everything, we had done it on our own!
For the last month I've been experiencing pregnancy symptoms - all-day nausea, bloating, gas, sore boobs. These things were irritating on one hand, and exciting on the other, because it meant I was growing a baby.
Only, no.
Thursday night, Jason and I went to the hospital for my first ultrasound. I was 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, so we expected to see our teeny baby for the first time and to hopefully hear its heartbeat. Instead, there was nothing. A yolk sac, indicating that things had started out well, but no baby. The fetus never grew.
The technician couldn't tell us what it meant, because that's not her place, but it was clear from her face, and painfully obvious that there was just no baby.
We left the hospital devastated. At 9 1/2 weeks, I had already imagined telling family and friends in a few weeks. I was so excited to be able to share this right before Christmas. Based on the conception date, baby would have arrived around June 15, which meant having the summer to spend together. I envisioned possibly, once I got coordinated enough, taking baby to sit on the beach with me. We have had a dramatic shift in how we envisioned the next 8 months (and after) since Thursday night.
As much as I would like to close the chapter and have it end immediately, I'm just going to let nature take its course, which could take a couple of weeks. I spoke to my doctor on Friday afternoon and she was so kind. She even gave me her cell phone number in case I need to talk. I feel good about choosing her as my OB even though we've only interacted a couple of times.
Jason was emailing with a friend on Friday, and it must have been on his mind because she's expecting a baby, and so he told her. It turns out the same thing happened to her and her husband. She went in for the ultrasound at 9 weeks, and nothing was there. I honestly didn't know this was even a possibility. I thought if there was something wrong like that, surely you miscarried much sooner than almost 10 weeks. I can't say that I'm glad it happened to her too, because it's terrible, but it's nice to feel not so alone.
Which is really why I am writing about this. The more I talk about fertility issues, the more I realize we have lots of friends who have also struggled with having a baby. And the more we discuss miscarriage, the more friends we realize have also dealt with this. No one talks about these things, because they are personal and the hurt is deep, but it's nice to know we're not alone. Knowing there's a friend I can email when I am sad or if things get hard over the next couple of weeks who knows what I am feeling, is really a comfort to me.
I'm supposed to be 10 weeks today, but I'm just waiting for it to end. We're going to try again, of course, but today we are sad.
But now there's nothing really to share except this: I'm waiting to have a miscarriage.
I've written a bit about our struggles to have a baby. As of next January, we will have been trying for 3 years. We've been to doctors and the problem has been figured out and essentially fixed, so we've only been really trying with everything working well for about 8 months or so.
In September we planned to do an IUI at the fertility clinic, only it seemed like I never ovulated, which is weird since I'm like clockwork. Imagine my surprise a few weeks later when I got two positive pregnancy tests. After all of the doctors and appointments and everything, we had done it on our own!
For the last month I've been experiencing pregnancy symptoms - all-day nausea, bloating, gas, sore boobs. These things were irritating on one hand, and exciting on the other, because it meant I was growing a baby.
Only, no.
Thursday night, Jason and I went to the hospital for my first ultrasound. I was 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, so we expected to see our teeny baby for the first time and to hopefully hear its heartbeat. Instead, there was nothing. A yolk sac, indicating that things had started out well, but no baby. The fetus never grew.
The technician couldn't tell us what it meant, because that's not her place, but it was clear from her face, and painfully obvious that there was just no baby.
We left the hospital devastated. At 9 1/2 weeks, I had already imagined telling family and friends in a few weeks. I was so excited to be able to share this right before Christmas. Based on the conception date, baby would have arrived around June 15, which meant having the summer to spend together. I envisioned possibly, once I got coordinated enough, taking baby to sit on the beach with me. We have had a dramatic shift in how we envisioned the next 8 months (and after) since Thursday night.
As much as I would like to close the chapter and have it end immediately, I'm just going to let nature take its course, which could take a couple of weeks. I spoke to my doctor on Friday afternoon and she was so kind. She even gave me her cell phone number in case I need to talk. I feel good about choosing her as my OB even though we've only interacted a couple of times.
Jason was emailing with a friend on Friday, and it must have been on his mind because she's expecting a baby, and so he told her. It turns out the same thing happened to her and her husband. She went in for the ultrasound at 9 weeks, and nothing was there. I honestly didn't know this was even a possibility. I thought if there was something wrong like that, surely you miscarried much sooner than almost 10 weeks. I can't say that I'm glad it happened to her too, because it's terrible, but it's nice to feel not so alone.
Which is really why I am writing about this. The more I talk about fertility issues, the more I realize we have lots of friends who have also struggled with having a baby. And the more we discuss miscarriage, the more friends we realize have also dealt with this. No one talks about these things, because they are personal and the hurt is deep, but it's nice to know we're not alone. Knowing there's a friend I can email when I am sad or if things get hard over the next couple of weeks who knows what I am feeling, is really a comfort to me.
I'm supposed to be 10 weeks today, but I'm just waiting for it to end. We're going to try again, of course, but today we are sad.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Size Deflation
I have a bone to pick with Target. A few years ago I discovered their black tights in a roll, which gave me cheap, comfortable tights to wear in the winter with a waist band that landed somewhere near my belly button (versus right under my chest like most tights).
Only, the last time I bought a pair, the size I bought before (and still wear) suddenly was WAY too small. OK, fine, I've gained some weight. I can go up a size. Last night I bought 2 pairs of the next size up, only to discover this morning that they are both too small. Well, one I could yank on after some effort, but there is no way the other pair is going to fit unless I lose about 40 pounds. This is the size that's supposed to fit up to 5'11" and 230 pounds. I call major shenanigans!
If I didn't still have a couple of pairs from past years that fit perfectly fine, in the smaller size, I would probably be really depressed and bemoaning my state of fatness. Instead I'm just irritated at Target. I thought everyone was complaining about size inflation lately, but Target seems to be going to other way, at least in its tights.
Now I have to find a new source for a winter staple. Sigh.
Only, the last time I bought a pair, the size I bought before (and still wear) suddenly was WAY too small. OK, fine, I've gained some weight. I can go up a size. Last night I bought 2 pairs of the next size up, only to discover this morning that they are both too small. Well, one I could yank on after some effort, but there is no way the other pair is going to fit unless I lose about 40 pounds. This is the size that's supposed to fit up to 5'11" and 230 pounds. I call major shenanigans!
If I didn't still have a couple of pairs from past years that fit perfectly fine, in the smaller size, I would probably be really depressed and bemoaning my state of fatness. Instead I'm just irritated at Target. I thought everyone was complaining about size inflation lately, but Target seems to be going to other way, at least in its tights.
Now I have to find a new source for a winter staple. Sigh.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Obsessive Much?
I don't know what it is, but lately I am obsessed with knitting. Maybe it's the change in the weather. Or the knowledge that I have a bunch of big things I want to get done for Christmas presents and, oh my gosh, it's almost the end of September!
Also, sigh, I seem to have really tweaked my shoulder, which has put the kibosh on my swimming challenge. We've gone kayaking twice this month, and that, plus the yardage I have managed to get done, plus my feeble attempts at the Cross Fit-esque workouts for my OTHER challenge have seemed to have really done a number on my right shoulder. Basically whenever I do anything requiring shoulder movement, it hurts. I figure I'll give it another week and then I'll go to the doctor.
Anyway, in lieu of challenge updates, I will post pictures of my knitting works in progress because that's what I've been doing this month.
A couple of gift sweaters I'm working on using Techniques! (multi-colored knitting and cables, specifically):
And here's the hat I'm making with my new Yarnbox yarn, with a lovely cabled brim, since I lost my winter hat last year and need a new one anyway:
Also, sigh, I seem to have really tweaked my shoulder, which has put the kibosh on my swimming challenge. We've gone kayaking twice this month, and that, plus the yardage I have managed to get done, plus my feeble attempts at the Cross Fit-esque workouts for my OTHER challenge have seemed to have really done a number on my right shoulder. Basically whenever I do anything requiring shoulder movement, it hurts. I figure I'll give it another week and then I'll go to the doctor.
Anyway, in lieu of challenge updates, I will post pictures of my knitting works in progress because that's what I've been doing this month.
A couple of gift sweaters I'm working on using Techniques! (multi-colored knitting and cables, specifically):
And here's the hat I'm making with my new Yarnbox yarn, with a lovely cabled brim, since I lost my winter hat last year and need a new one anyway:
I'm also going to make a cowl to match the hat.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
September Update
I've been feeling down on myself because I haven't done as much as I wanted to with regard to my September challenges, but I think I need to cut myself a little slack. So I still have 19,200 yards to swim this month. On the other hand, I swam 5 miles last week, including a 3000 yard workout on Saturday.
I haven't been keeping up with ALL of the prescribed workouts with my challenge group and I'm in last place, but I have done a few of the workouts and challenges and I've also been kayaking and boogie boarding the last couple of weekends.
The point is, I'm not meeting all of the goals I set this month, but all told I'm still being pretty active.
This is also taking into consideration that since last Saturday my right shoulder has been really aching. My arms and chest are no longer sore from the boogie boarding, but the shoulder pain is lingering. Sometimes my shoulder bugs me if I ramp up the swimming too fast, so I think I just need to let it rest for a bit. Rebecca and I are swimming tomorrow morning and I have a feeling I'll need to rely heavily on kicking drills to get my yards in. Good thing I'm a strong kicker!
We were supposed to swim yesterday morning, but I got a mini-flu on Tuesday night thanks to the flu shot I got Tuesday morning. I was absolutely fine all day until about 8 PM, when suddenly I couldn't walk straight and my eyes started burning like they did when I had the real flu in February, along with a solid fever. My temperature got up to 101 on Tuesday night and I wound up not going into work until noon yesterday. I had better not get the flu this year after that! Antibodies, do your job!
So, not where I wanted to be as of September 19, but not terrible either. September, I'll give you a "Not So Bad."
I haven't been keeping up with ALL of the prescribed workouts with my challenge group and I'm in last place, but I have done a few of the workouts and challenges and I've also been kayaking and boogie boarding the last couple of weekends.
The point is, I'm not meeting all of the goals I set this month, but all told I'm still being pretty active.
This is also taking into consideration that since last Saturday my right shoulder has been really aching. My arms and chest are no longer sore from the boogie boarding, but the shoulder pain is lingering. Sometimes my shoulder bugs me if I ramp up the swimming too fast, so I think I just need to let it rest for a bit. Rebecca and I are swimming tomorrow morning and I have a feeling I'll need to rely heavily on kicking drills to get my yards in. Good thing I'm a strong kicker!
We were supposed to swim yesterday morning, but I got a mini-flu on Tuesday night thanks to the flu shot I got Tuesday morning. I was absolutely fine all day until about 8 PM, when suddenly I couldn't walk straight and my eyes started burning like they did when I had the real flu in February, along with a solid fever. My temperature got up to 101 on Tuesday night and I wound up not going into work until noon yesterday. I had better not get the flu this year after that! Antibodies, do your job!
So, not where I wanted to be as of September 19, but not terrible either. September, I'll give you a "Not So Bad."
Monday, September 16, 2013
The Board-Related Water Sport I'm Good At!
After Rebecca and I swam 3000 yards on Saturday morning (because we're fabulous), we went to the beach so Jason, Tad and I could take a surfing lesson. A Grouponed surfing lesson, of course, because that's how we do things in our house.
I just have to say, it was a PERFECT beach day. Maybe it was a little cool for some people, but as the person who is always hot, I loved it being in the 70s. When the sun came out it was nice and toasty. Even though the water was a little chilly at first, it warmed right up once you got moving.
So our lesson consisted of: here's where your chin goes when you're on your stomach, here's where your feet go when you pop up, let's pop up twice, ok, let's hit the water! Um... I do not feel prepared...
I suppose, though, there really isn't that much to it. You just have to go for it. We had some nice waves due to a tropical storm passing by off the coast. Everyone mocks East Coast waves, but there can be some pretty great surfing conditions in southern Rhode Island, depending on the weather.
I managed to get on my board and sail into shore on my stomach twice, without it even occurring to me to try to pop up onto my feet. Baby steps. I spent the rest of the time wrestling my board and trying to get back out to where the waves were breaking.
So, I know I need to lose some weight, Mr. Surfing Instructor*, but I'm still only 5' 6" and I suspect that the board you gave me was way too big. I had the same size board as 6' 4" Tad. Yeah.
After 40 minutes of getting dunked and rolled around by the waves, while the leash on my board chafed my ankle, I decided I had gotten my Groupon's worth and I was done. Jason immediately snatched my board because he thought he needed a bigger one, which he did because he's six inches taller than me, and I went to go chat with Rebecca and watch the guys surf. They did pretty well.
Back to the subject of this post though. As you've probably guessed, the board-related water sport I'm good at is not surfing. It's also not stand up paddle boarding, which I've tried and once I got over the weak ankles-related searing pain in my calves and finally felt stable, I enjoyed, but thought it was too slow. We paddled on a river that we've kayaked on several times and I missed the speed of the kayak.**
It's boogie boarding! Seriously, I'm kind of sad beach season is basically over and I probably won't be able to boogie board again, because it's awesome. All of my summers spent wave jumping at the beach in Florida have made me pretty good at reading what a wave is going to do, and I managed to ride the crest of some fantastic big waves that carried me all the way into shore. After church yesterday, I was kind of thinking maybe we should head to the beach for the afternoon, but I decided to be all practical and get stuff done around the house. Lame.
I am SORE today, though. Actually, Saturday night my right shoulder was sore, and I thought maybe I had done too much pulling when we swam that morning. But yesterday evening I started getting really sore in my chest and arms, like I had done a bunch of push ups, and I still hurt today. When I think about how I propped myself up on the boogie board for an hour or so that makes sense. In contrast to push ups, boogie boarding is about seventeen million times more fun, and totally worth the pain.
*Who, by the way, had one leg and was teaching surfing, which means he's pretty much the most awesome person ever. We decided that if it wasn't a shark, he needs to say it was a shark.
** Between the Alpine Slide and the boogie boarding, I think this summer has been about discovering I'm a closet speed junkie.
I just have to say, it was a PERFECT beach day. Maybe it was a little cool for some people, but as the person who is always hot, I loved it being in the 70s. When the sun came out it was nice and toasty. Even though the water was a little chilly at first, it warmed right up once you got moving.
So our lesson consisted of: here's where your chin goes when you're on your stomach, here's where your feet go when you pop up, let's pop up twice, ok, let's hit the water! Um... I do not feel prepared...
I suppose, though, there really isn't that much to it. You just have to go for it. We had some nice waves due to a tropical storm passing by off the coast. Everyone mocks East Coast waves, but there can be some pretty great surfing conditions in southern Rhode Island, depending on the weather.
I managed to get on my board and sail into shore on my stomach twice, without it even occurring to me to try to pop up onto my feet. Baby steps. I spent the rest of the time wrestling my board and trying to get back out to where the waves were breaking.
So, I know I need to lose some weight, Mr. Surfing Instructor*, but I'm still only 5' 6" and I suspect that the board you gave me was way too big. I had the same size board as 6' 4" Tad. Yeah.
After 40 minutes of getting dunked and rolled around by the waves, while the leash on my board chafed my ankle, I decided I had gotten my Groupon's worth and I was done. Jason immediately snatched my board because he thought he needed a bigger one, which he did because he's six inches taller than me, and I went to go chat with Rebecca and watch the guys surf. They did pretty well.
Back to the subject of this post though. As you've probably guessed, the board-related water sport I'm good at is not surfing. It's also not stand up paddle boarding, which I've tried and once I got over the weak ankles-related searing pain in my calves and finally felt stable, I enjoyed, but thought it was too slow. We paddled on a river that we've kayaked on several times and I missed the speed of the kayak.**
It's boogie boarding! Seriously, I'm kind of sad beach season is basically over and I probably won't be able to boogie board again, because it's awesome. All of my summers spent wave jumping at the beach in Florida have made me pretty good at reading what a wave is going to do, and I managed to ride the crest of some fantastic big waves that carried me all the way into shore. After church yesterday, I was kind of thinking maybe we should head to the beach for the afternoon, but I decided to be all practical and get stuff done around the house. Lame.
I am SORE today, though. Actually, Saturday night my right shoulder was sore, and I thought maybe I had done too much pulling when we swam that morning. But yesterday evening I started getting really sore in my chest and arms, like I had done a bunch of push ups, and I still hurt today. When I think about how I propped myself up on the boogie board for an hour or so that makes sense. In contrast to push ups, boogie boarding is about seventeen million times more fun, and totally worth the pain.
*Who, by the way, had one leg and was teaching surfing, which means he's pretty much the most awesome person ever. We decided that if it wasn't a shark, he needs to say it was a shark.
** Between the Alpine Slide and the boogie boarding, I think this summer has been about discovering I'm a closet speed junkie.
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
The Camping Gods Hate Us
So this weekend we were supposed to camp Saturday and Sunday night, but we came home late Sunday. Rained out. Again. We always seem to get rained out in New Hampshire now. The giant pile of firewood in our sun room attests to the number of times we have gone to New Hampshire, bought wood at some roadside stand, and then never burned it because it rained and campfires are hard to maintain in the rain.
Anyway, we went up Saturday morning, set up our tent and sleeping bags, and spent the afternoon at Attitash Mountain, a ski resort in the winter, and fun mountain amusement park in the summer. However, we only went on the Alpine Slide twice and the Mountain Coaster once because of, you guessed it, the freaking rain.
The second it starts raining, they have to shut down the Alpine Slide because the brakes stop working completely. They kept the Coaster going a bit longer, while we stood in line getting rained on, until a guy couldn't stop on the slick track and plowed into the lady in front of him at the end of the ride. Everyone was okay, but they shut the Coaster down.
Regardless, I loved both of the rides and really want to go back and do them each 7 or 8 times in a row. I admit, I was chicken about it at first. I'm not a roller coaster person and I hate that out-of-control feeling, but Jason insisted we go and I'm so glad he did. The genius of these rides is that you're in your own little car and have a manual brake so you control how fast you go. I felt much more confident the second time on the Alpine Slide and was speeding along right behind Jason, but we kept getting hung up by the slow mom in front of him.
No offense to moms, but I observed that moms traveled slowest down the Alpine Slide and the Mountain Coaster. FYI, when we have kids, I will be the awesome mom speeding down the track.
I'm glad we set up camp before we headed to Attitash. We managed to get our dinner and a s'more cooked and eaten over our smoking fire, hissing with each light raindrop that hit it. We cleaned up the food (bears!) and tucked ourselves in the tent.
Another thing we have a knack for when we camp (in addition to being the best rain prediction tool out there) is finding the campsite right next to "The Bros." These are the backwards baseball cap-wearing guys, who stand around the fire with their beers, getting drunker and louder as the night wears on, inserting f-bombs in place of "um" when they speak. Charming, especially when campsites aren't really isolated at all. So we listened to The Bros for awhile, and then I managed to drift off to sleep, only to wake up at 1 AM when it started pouring rain and didn't stop for several hours. Good thing I can play Candy Crush without a cell phone signal.
The Bros woke us up at 6 AM as they packed up camp - loudly. Bros do nothing quietly. I guess they decided they would stay drier drinking their beers with their baseball caps in their apartments back in Boston. We woke up again around 9 AM, and while the day dawned a little cloudy, it started clearing up and Jason pressed on with his hiking plans. I had planned to go for a 6-mile walk through some wetlands and a wildlife preserve, but it was REALLY muggy, and I figured with all the rain the night before I would wind up really sweaty and harassed by bugs. So I hit the outlets in North Conway and found some great Fall work clothes.
I picked Jason up at about 6 PM and showed him the weather alert on my phone that came in at 4:30 saying there would be flash floods and a major storm and thunderstorms that night. Yeah, I don't think so. Jason might have wanted to stay, but I was pretty resolute that I needed some sleep at least one night this weekend. Also, based on the forecast, his plans for us to go rafting on a lake on Monday probably weren't happening.
We drove back to camp, threw our tent and everything into the car, and went to dinner. I drove us home since he had been hiking all day and we hit pieces of the HUGE storm on our way out of New Hampshire. It was seriously scary driving for a bit there, but we made it. I haven't seen lightning like that since I left Tucson, and the Arizona monsoons, behind.
So Monday wound up being a lot more low-key than we planned, but our summer weekends are usually hyper-scheduled and it was kind of nice to have a rainy day knitting at home.
Frankly, I'm kind of scared to go camping again. We always plan these super fun New Hampshire weekends and we wind up soaked with no campfire. But I'm sure we'll keep pressing on. After all, we've got all of this awesome gear!
Anyway, we went up Saturday morning, set up our tent and sleeping bags, and spent the afternoon at Attitash Mountain, a ski resort in the winter, and fun mountain amusement park in the summer. However, we only went on the Alpine Slide twice and the Mountain Coaster once because of, you guessed it, the freaking rain.
The second it starts raining, they have to shut down the Alpine Slide because the brakes stop working completely. They kept the Coaster going a bit longer, while we stood in line getting rained on, until a guy couldn't stop on the slick track and plowed into the lady in front of him at the end of the ride. Everyone was okay, but they shut the Coaster down.
Regardless, I loved both of the rides and really want to go back and do them each 7 or 8 times in a row. I admit, I was chicken about it at first. I'm not a roller coaster person and I hate that out-of-control feeling, but Jason insisted we go and I'm so glad he did. The genius of these rides is that you're in your own little car and have a manual brake so you control how fast you go. I felt much more confident the second time on the Alpine Slide and was speeding along right behind Jason, but we kept getting hung up by the slow mom in front of him.
No offense to moms, but I observed that moms traveled slowest down the Alpine Slide and the Mountain Coaster. FYI, when we have kids, I will be the awesome mom speeding down the track.
I'm glad we set up camp before we headed to Attitash. We managed to get our dinner and a s'more cooked and eaten over our smoking fire, hissing with each light raindrop that hit it. We cleaned up the food (bears!) and tucked ourselves in the tent.
Another thing we have a knack for when we camp (in addition to being the best rain prediction tool out there) is finding the campsite right next to "The Bros." These are the backwards baseball cap-wearing guys, who stand around the fire with their beers, getting drunker and louder as the night wears on, inserting f-bombs in place of "um" when they speak. Charming, especially when campsites aren't really isolated at all. So we listened to The Bros for awhile, and then I managed to drift off to sleep, only to wake up at 1 AM when it started pouring rain and didn't stop for several hours. Good thing I can play Candy Crush without a cell phone signal.
The Bros woke us up at 6 AM as they packed up camp - loudly. Bros do nothing quietly. I guess they decided they would stay drier drinking their beers with their baseball caps in their apartments back in Boston. We woke up again around 9 AM, and while the day dawned a little cloudy, it started clearing up and Jason pressed on with his hiking plans. I had planned to go for a 6-mile walk through some wetlands and a wildlife preserve, but it was REALLY muggy, and I figured with all the rain the night before I would wind up really sweaty and harassed by bugs. So I hit the outlets in North Conway and found some great Fall work clothes.
I picked Jason up at about 6 PM and showed him the weather alert on my phone that came in at 4:30 saying there would be flash floods and a major storm and thunderstorms that night. Yeah, I don't think so. Jason might have wanted to stay, but I was pretty resolute that I needed some sleep at least one night this weekend. Also, based on the forecast, his plans for us to go rafting on a lake on Monday probably weren't happening.
We drove back to camp, threw our tent and everything into the car, and went to dinner. I drove us home since he had been hiking all day and we hit pieces of the HUGE storm on our way out of New Hampshire. It was seriously scary driving for a bit there, but we made it. I haven't seen lightning like that since I left Tucson, and the Arizona monsoons, behind.
So Monday wound up being a lot more low-key than we planned, but our summer weekends are usually hyper-scheduled and it was kind of nice to have a rainy day knitting at home.
Frankly, I'm kind of scared to go camping again. We always plan these super fun New Hampshire weekends and we wind up soaked with no campfire. But I'm sure we'll keep pressing on. After all, we've got all of this awesome gear!
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