Friday, January 22, 2016

Friday

I'm so tired, I'm pretty much speechless. And yet, I slept last night - solid blocks of non-rem sleep, it appears, too. And dreams that I remembered, both having them, and the substance of them.

Partly medicine head - Lee insisted that I take a night-time cold medicine last night - and partly a roaring backache. Charlie wasn't going gently into last good night, I'll just say, and ended up on the bed, firmly planted on the small of my back. The dogs know something is up, because we packed. I think it best to avoid comment on all of this, except to say that it needn't have been the case.

157.8 this morning; here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • the usual supplements
  • scrambled eggs with ham and cheese
  • an apple
  • 2 pieces of cheddar
  • 2 brats
  • sauerkraut (live)
  • 2 slices of tomato
  • a small quantity of potato chips
  • a handful of salted dark chocolate almonds
  • half a bowl of ice cream (strawberry Haagen-Dasz)
I have looked at my weight track on the new fitness band site (I do really like what Garmin is doing with this stuff), and I'm damn stable around 158. Like, setpoint stable.

I think it will be interesting to see walking and sleeping data this coming week. Like what a night's sleep in Chuck and Anna's very dark guest room will register. And how many steps we get with a hotel that is outside the quarter. Stuff like that. As I said yesterday, I will be avoiding bread as completely as I can, and staying as much on track as possible in a whirlwind of restaurant meals and being a polite guest. And we'll see how things go.

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Thursday

This week is dragging. I know, next week is vacation and all that, but I don't think it's that this time. I've been fighting a cold (winning, now), sleep's been disturbed (putting it mildly), we've been busy at night all week, and have had very little time to just sit and collect my thoughts. Although, reading that, you'd think I'd have started it out saying that the week has just been flying by. I don't know. 

158.2 this morning. To prove that it's out of my control, here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • the usual supplements
  • scrambled eggs with ham and cheese
  • an apple
  • 4 pieces of cheddar
  • Olive Garden salad
  • Chicken Piccata (covered in capers, tomatoes, and lemon butter sauce, not bad)
  • 2 chocolate mints
  • 2 small handfuls of cashews
  • an indeterminate number of nasty cough drops
Oh, well that's why - all those damn cough drops. Except the day before, when I LOST like 2 pounds I'd eaten even more of them.

We leave for NOLA tomorrow. I will eat as well as I can - I will ABSOLUTELY avoid bread, after the last trip there - and when we get back, there should be enough light in the evening to get a walk in. I hope. And all of the list-making and other cat-herding, organization and planning stuff will be done, and we can settle down and start eating right and getting some mild exercise.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Wednesday

The cold continues apace. Coughed so much yesterday that I ache in all my interstitial ribcage muscles, my diaphram, and my pecs. I hope today is better, because another day like yesterday and I'm afraid I'll pull something or break a rib.

157.4 today. No rhyme nor reason for it. It appears at the moment that I have no control whatsoever of my weight. Because we ate Mexican for dinner last night, and while it wasn't the chips-fest that our last outing was, I had chips, and enchiladas on top of them. Sigh. Veg and dip and cheese at lunchtime, eggs with ham and cheese at breakfast. Oh, and ice cream.

No exercise, sleep was probably better than the night before, but only because I took myself off to the guest room and took a Benadryl. I know I woke up coughing once, and with a sore hip one other time - and then coughed a bit. 

I do so hate being sick.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Tuesday

I feel like stale, fermented shit. Shit that's turning into compost. I had really hoped to keep this cold at bay, limit it to a nose thing. Unfortunately, I had a coughing, well, throat-sneezing, fit on the drive home yesterday (pushing into danger territory), another at 1 am, one walking across the living room on the way to breakfast, and another at work.

I am now eating cough drops. I hate them. And they're tiny sugar bombs, which is worse.

Eating yesterday included eggs and sausage, an apple and cheese, shrimp on salad, and a chocolate. Maybe some cashews. As a result of this very short list, I lost a whopping 0.4 pounds. 158.8 this morning.

Thinking back, I was uber-exhausted 3-4 days driving home, prior to getting sick. I think it's possible that, once we got through the luncheon, I collapsed a bit. I really hope that there's not another collapse coming once we get through next week. I really really wish we were leaving earlier on Sunday, maybe only doing the Captain's coffee. That would at least give me a tiny bit of down time before having to go to bed. But I don't think it's going to happen. In fact, there's a very real possibility that we'll still be in NOLA at 7 pm. Which sucks.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Monday

I spent the weekend with a vicious cold. Saturday, I went to bed around 5:30, I think. Felt a lot better yesterday, and got a good night's sleep last night, so I'm not as exhausted today as I was either day of the weekend.

159.0 this morning; probably water. In my head. I was at 157.8 yesterday morning.

I am so very grateful, though, to have had this happen when it did. One week later, and I'd be doing the "having a cold" thing in other people's guest rooms and at a hotel, and trying to make it through Mardi Gras in a weakened condition. As it is, it hit big on a Saturday, when I was able to stay lying down most of the day, and two days complete rest have left me feeling pretty functional, even if stuffed up and a bit hoarse.

Obviously, even though the weather was pretty decent, I did no walking at all over the weekend. Such is life. I did get a 2-hour massage on Saturday, which was challenging, to say the least. I went through a lot of Kleenex.

Sudafed and Mucinex are my constant companions until this clears up for good, though - I DO NOT want it to hit my chest.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Friday

And thank Goodness it is. Bad, bad night last night. I slept fine until around 2 am, and then was awake until slightly after 5. Fasciculating legs, threatening to cramp if I so much as bent them slightly. A stuffed up head and rough throat (I don't think it's a cold, but am not sure what it is) and that hopeless feeling of just being awake. Which sucks. I took a mucinex for my sinuses, and they stopped bothering me, but my legs are still at it. I guess I need to drink some bouillon.

157.2 today; here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • the usual supplements
  • lemon gelatin water
  • scrambled eggs
  • bacon
  • veg and dip
  • 2 pieces of cheese
  • mahi with crab meat and lemon butter sauce
  • green beans
  • a couple of spoonfuls of cheesy grits with andouille
  • a handful of cashews
  • a handful of salted dark-chocolate almonds
You know, that last item SHOULD have taken care of any cramping, right? Carbs, salt, etc. Nope. I haven't taken magnesium this week; maybe that's it.

In any event, I'm super tired today, and achy. Once I got up, I took aspirin as well. And I have a 2-hour deep tissue massage tomorrow, which should help with some of it. I haven't looked at the weather, but if it's decent, I mean to get a couple of on-purpose walks in. And spend quality time getting organized for our Mardi Gras trip, since that's in a week (how on earth did it come so fast???).

Onward.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Thursday

Mexican food for dinner last night. 158.2 this morning. I really need to lay off the chips.

Here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • the usual supplements
  • lemon gelatin water
  • scrambled eggs
  • bacon
  • veg and dip (carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, HVR in sour cream)
  • 2 pieces of cheese
  • chips and salsa and green sauce
  • chicken with pico and cheese and avocado
  • about a tablespoon of black beans (they were nasty)
  • a small handful of cashews
I think that was it. Hungry by dinner time, but I think the veg-and-dip helped overall, so I'm doing it again today. Not that it helped with the chips, but you do what you can. We finished the basket of chips, pretty much. Sigh.

I came pretty close to my step goal yesterday, by running errands after dinner again. It's still darkish in the evenings, and pitch dark in the mornings (not that we really want to get up early in any event). Evenings may be getting close, though - I think we were in the car en route to dinner when the sun officially set.

Sleep was okay - not great, and we haven't managed to get Charlie to sleep in his crate since we got back. Sigh. We're figuring it'll have to wait until the weekend to work on that. I feel rested this morning, and alert. That's a good thing.

Oh, and I wasn't sleepy on the way home last night. Still not sure what that was about.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Wednesday

So this is weird. Two days in a row, I've driven home slapping myself in the face to stay awake. I come out of work just freezing, turn on the seat heater and car heater to warm up, and the instant I'm no longer freezing, I get amazingly sleepy. I put on extra base layers today, to see if that will ward it off, but it's bizarre - especially as I haven't been able to take a nap for the past 3-4 years or longer, and don't usually get sleepy in the afternoon.

I suppose it could be low-carb flu, as I get back to normal eating after last weekend. Maybe.

157.8 this morning. Here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • the usual supplements
  • scrambled eggs
  • bacon
  • 4 pieces of cheese
  • about 1/2 pound of grassfed ground beef (patties)
  • mustard and ketchup
  • green beans
  • a Lindt truffle
  • about 2 handfuls of roasted peanuts
I think that was it. I was quite hungry in the afternoon, too - maybe related to the sleepiness. And I got a good night's sleep the night before, so it really didn't make sense.

Walking adequate, because we went grocery shopping after dinner. I also did my shoulder exercises, and am starting to think I need to raise the weight level from 3 lb to 5. Maybe.

I brought veggies and dip and cheese to work to eat today - hope that is enough. Turned a carton of sour cream into dip with Hidden Valley Ranch - not paleo, but ultimately, a minor part of the overall food, so I hope it won't cause issues.

Sleep seemed okay last night - although we haven't got Charlie into his own bed yet. So I wake up with him pushing against my back, and it's a bit painful. But I felt rested, and didn't wake much in the night.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Tuesday

About mid-morning yesterday it occurred to me that I'd been retaining water. Apparently so! 157.6 this morning.

Here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • an apple
  • 4 pieces of cheese
  • a few peanuts
  • steak
  • Southern-style green beans
  • a single-serve Haagen-Dasz strawberry
  • a Lindt truffle
I didn't eat breakfast, because my stomach was still upset. Once I was ready to eat, though I was pretty hungry - so I inhaled dinner. I was so tired yesterday that I had to fight off sleep on the drive home, something that hasn't happened before. I hope it doesn't happen again.

Didn't do much yesterday - work, dinner, a stop at PetSmart, and then home. Snuggled with the dogs, who were all happy to be home. I should have done my shoulder exercises, but didn't. Need to do them tonight.

Sleep was good - but then, I took a benadryl, so it was helped along. I'm still a bit groggy.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Monday

Survived the weekend; it actually went quite well. Although Lee wasn't happy with me in general - and I know why. I was pretty surly last week, and I need not to do that.

Anyway, I ate bread on Saturday. Part of a croissant at breakfast (mine are better). Bread pudding at lunch. A small piece of King Cake after dinner. And beer. And my stomach rebelled. I'm still getting through it. 

So I guess I'm really truly done with wheat. Can't eat it anymore. It makes me sick.

That should simplify things in a few weeks. 

Anyway, stress source is over and done with, and I do hope I can relax now. Even with Mardi Gras itself still to come - for that, I'm fairly sure that all we have to do is go where people tell us, and spend a bit more money. A pittance, in comparison with what's been done up to now. Hair, makeup, second-line beads. I think that's it. A few meals, probably.

159.6 this morning, although really I would have thought I'd lost several pounds yesterday. Maybe I did... Here's yesterday:
  • tea with half-and-half
  • an omelet with ham, cheese, and tomatoes
  • grits with butter
  • pulled pork BBQ and cole slaw
  • homemade potato chips 
  • half a Domino's gluten-free pizza, extra pepperoni
  • salad with vinaigrette
Not the best day's eating by any means, but far better than Saturday.

We did get a lot of walking in. Beat goal 3 days in a row, including Friday. That will probably stop abruptly today. Yet it took so little to do it - we walked a few blocks to breakfast yesterday, and that was nearly enough by itself. My goal's up to 5600ish this morning as a result. Sigh.

Friday, January 8, 2016

Friday

The "raveled sleave of care" is knit back up. One Benadryl last night, and I had a 2-hour stint where, according to Vivofit, I pretty much didn't move. So needed. I'm much less likely to kill people and break things today. And I've been up since 5. So there.

158.8 again today. I ate sugar at work (more of the blasted Cashew Crunch), and at home (several truffles). Also an apple, which is what I brought with me. And potato chips and cashews, that I bought because the apple wasn't enough. So not a great day for eating.

I have cheese and another apple with me today; have had tea with cream so far (and one of the pieces of cheese). Probably nothing good for dinner; flying to NOLA directly from work (plus-or-minus commute time). Possibly nothing at all for dinner, which is why I made sure to have cheese. I'm not in condition to fast extensively right now.

No significant walking yesterday. But up from the day before, which is something, I guess. Since I got up early today, I did my shoulder exercises this morning. I have a knot under my left angel wing, and the exercises didn't kill it, but they seem to have calmed it down a bit.

My plan for the weekend is to attempt to stay sane. I do hope I can manage it.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Thursday

Well, I weigh less today. 158.8.  Managed not to eat candy while at work. Tried harder to walk in response to the red bar of doom on my Vivofit, and that sort of helped. My step count went up from the day before, anyway.

I seem to be operating on the minimum possible brainpower right now. Autonomic nervous system functions and the ability to drive a car may be all I'm capable of. I guess I hope that more will surface after this weekend, but I guess I won't be super surprised if it doesn't.

Sleep was utter shit last night - our phone was out, and the alarm system beeped approximately 2800 times while I was supposed to be asleep. I dreamt about it. I managed to fall asleep with it going, but every time I surfaced even a little bit, I heard it again. Finally, at 5, I just got up and mucked with the cable modem (again) to see if it would stop, but it turned out to be the cable company's issue, and nothing I could fix. I think it finally subsided around 6:30. 

The sleep tracker indicates that I slept a total of less than 7 hours, with just over 3 in deep sleep. That feels about right. Well, wrong, but accurate. Benadryl tonight, I think, possibly 2 of them, taken around 8:30.

Didn't do my shoulder or back stuff last night, either. Because of needing to pack and to talk with my folks, who got here yesterday to go to Lee's luncheon - I'm on my own - even dog-free - until I get to New Orleans on Friday night. 

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Wednesday

Just a bad week. More sugar yesterday - cashew crunch, this time, and very stale it was. I walked marginally more yesterday than Monday, but other than that, did nothing. Not even stretches. I was in a putrid mood, stressed out by last minute Mardi Gras stuff. I really hate to think that I'm going to be enduring it this year, but that seems to be the trend at the moment. Not good. Something I just need to work on in myself, I think.

159.6 this morning. No real surprise there. suffice it to say that eating was just out of control.

I slept with Benadryl - and apparently needed it. I feel a bit better this morning, more rested. I'll probably repeat that tomorrow night, when I will, for about 15 hours, have the joint to myself entirely - no dogs or anything. Shoot, I may fall asleep as soon as I walk in the door.

Guess that's enough for today. Will try to improve over yesterday.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Tuesday

Yesterday, I had bad cravings for chocolate, and ate all sorts of crap. We'd sent old Halloween candy and Hershey's nuggets to work last week, and by this week, were down to stale Nestle's Crunch bars and Butterfinger things - both single-bite sized. 

Thank Goodness for that, at least. Because I ate probably 6 or 7 of the Crunch bars, a couple of Nuggets, and 2 Butterfingers.

Also pecans. For good measure. I had a nasty headache on the way home, that subsided after eating dinner.

159.2 this morning. Not surprised, I guess. Here's yesterday:
  • tea with cream
  • lemon gelatin water
  • the usual supplements
  • scrambled eggs
  • sausage patties
  • chocolate as described above
  • 1/4 cup of butter-roasted pecans
  • 2 brats
  • about 1/2 cup of live sauerkraut
  • some potato chips
  • a Lindt truffle ball of some sort
  • a few walnuts
I think that was it. Very weird, altogether.

No walking - I didn't even respond to my Vivofit going all red during the day. I did get my shoulder PT exercises done - and I can feel that this morning!

Monday, January 4, 2016

Monday

Wow. Let's see how the weekend went.

Thursday night we went to bed around 9 and went to sleep sometime well after midnight, surrounded by freaked-out dogs. Always delightful, fireworks.

Friday night, I went to bed and to sleep (to start with) before 8 pm, but spent from 11:30 to after 2 am up with horrible leg cramps. I finally got up and went out to the garage for a Gatorade, drank the whole thing, and that allowed me to sleep.

Saturday and Sunday nights, I got pretty good sleep, with nothing but melatonin. 

The weather mostly didn't permit a walk, until yesterday, when we got out, but to hit the mall. Epic fail there. We need to acquire a treadmill. Also to use it once acquired, obviously.

Wednesday night I had a really hard time finishing my shoulder exercises, and did nothing since then. I will resume tonight. The thinking is that I got my 3 sets in on Saturday/Monday/Wednesday for last week and am getting started on the right schedule today.

Eating - not so great. I was so annoyed by the utter failure of the fat fast that I pretty much reverted to SAD for the weekend. However, we ate meat and salad last night and have plans to repeat that process until my parents get here on Wednesday. After that, outlook is dim, at best, since we are going to New Orleans with eating as at least part of the point of the trip. I'll do my best to behave.

159.0 this morning. Full of water - all my joints ache, and my fingers are stiff. Full of other things too - rebound reaction from being ill a week ago? Not sure. I would like not to be full.

I did manage to hit my step goal on the Vivofit yesterday - a combination of a morning spent matting and framing things and an afternoon trip to the mall. Of course, that means that today's goal is higher than yesterday's. We will arrive at equilibrium eventually.

I restarted lemon gelatin water in the morning today - partly to start working through our lemon crop. We have a lot of lemons in the house. And a lot of lemon juice saved from making limoncello (which is starting to look possible - the vodka is brilliantly yellow and the zest is starting to look somewhat washed out).

All right, then. Here's to a good week!