Staying the Course -- 01/29/2018

[Superbob]

End of month fast approaching, which means my deadline for meeting my month's work quota in semi-retirement is fast approaching, which means I will keep this brief. You folks had a lot of great discussions on various happenings/concerns last week despite your thread-starter being in a funk, so you are self-starters anyway. I'll just say I will be extra careful to avoid typos so I don't have to attempt a fatal edit -- if you see typos, it will be because I have refrained from going back and making corrections.

Heavy rain here Sunday, and still a bit hung-over (weather that is) this Monday. I have nothing but boring news. I finally got a new medical ID necklace (tells a bit about my heart valve type, type 2 diabetes, emergency contact number). I should have gotten this replacement necklace before now; should wear it all the time. Anyway it's spiffy looking but chain was not big enough to get over my fat head. My wife needed/wanted/demanded to go to Wal-Mart yesterday (not my favorite place) but there I lucked into finding $2.88 chain extensions and they work perfectly with the ID necklace and fit the fake-gold decor perfectly. So I am ID-ed now as I walk and workout and just get around and about.

Down side is that my wife the sugarholic made side visit to bakery and purchased not just cookies not just a little strawberry cheesecake but a Patti La Belle sweet potato pie. Just the two of us to eat any of it. Okay I can avoid the cookies and cheesecake but sweet potato pie -- that's a Southern delicacy. Slab last night and a sliver with breakfast this morning. The calories, oh the calories! Now I will have to dawgwalk extra even in a drizzle today and work hard in core fitness tomorrow. That sweet potato pie is apt to stick around though.

Running -- used to do that in what now seems another life. Ran a few marathons, lots of 5Ks and 10Ks. Can't run at all now at 76 with a bionic knee, but thank goodness it enables me to walk,though my back will always be a challenge. I recall having had plantar fascitiis way back then, and best I recall a podiatrist made some orthotics to help deal with it. Somehow it went away.

Okay I have rambled more than I thought I would. Have a great week, folks.

Cheers,

Superbob

Whew -- dodged a bullet -- autocorrect changed my opening words to "end of month fasting approach" --- instead of "fast approaching." Ain't no fasting going on here, folks. Guess I would have had to do an extra post to clarify that. Oh well.... life in cyberspace....

 

[dornole]

That's ok, this weekend I got an autocorrected text from my husband about our eldest son telling me "Bill got rabies" . . . shoulda been Arby's . . .

 

[Superman]

Had our annual January thaw this weekend. Temps around 50 on Saturday. Almost to the 40's yesterday. I was able to take down all the exterior Christmas décor, which includes crawling around on the roof. Nice to get something productive done outside this time of year. The snow came back overnight, so I'm glad it got taken care of.

Last week at work we had a couple of mandatory training days. These included a continental breakfast and lunch was provided. Buffet style. The first day ended with hors d'oeuvres and an open bar. I wasn't going to hit the gym on either day, but ended up doing the 5:15 routine before day two so I could enjoy the food. I still need to learn restraint. Just because it's all you can eat, doesn't mean I need to see just how much I'm capable of. I had some 5 lb plus swings this week, which was entertaining. I managed to work things back off this weekend. I did another fitness class outside of spinning on Saturday and woke up some little used muscles. Who knew punching took so much out of your shoulders? Still feeling that today.

My new fitness tracker is cool. Tracks heart rate through my workouts. Sunday afternoon, I averaged 147 bpm. when spinning Different instructor and different time of day. My first three classes were around 130 bpm average. I covered 21.5 miles in an hour on Sunday, so farther than I usually go. I also discovered the tracker automatically tracks my daily walk as exercise as well. Don't know how important this info is - but it's interesting to see just the same. Hovered around 111 bpm on a brisk walk. My resting pulse varies from 61 - 63 depending on the day.

Good stuff, health-wise. Can't complain. Weight holding. Not really trying to lose anymore.

We moved last year. Still making the place our own. We had some cash we set aside to update furniture and paint - so we weren't watching the rest of the budget as mindfully as we normally do. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel on the improvements, so that feels good. Starting to have guests over and not feeling like we have to explain the condition of the house (outside of what five kids can do daily). With the work being closer to done, we spent the last few days finally sorting through the household budget and getting plans in place for 2018. Nice to know we can afford the new place. Had to adjust some of our set asides for taxes and insurance, but all in all it's been a great move.

All I have for this week.

 

[honeybunny]

Anyway it's spiffy looking but chain was not big enough to get over my fat head. M

That hit my funny bone!

Down side is that my wife the sugarholic made side visit to bakery and purchased not just cookies not just a little strawberry cheesecake but a Patti La Belle sweet potato pie.

SB, week before last I bought (and ate) a large apple pie from Aldi's that was oh so good Not in one sitting; over the course of the week.

I see my cardio on Friday for my annual. He reported via his nurse that my research-funded echo and other tests looked good so I don't have any qualms about reporting in. In fact, I should weight 5-8 lbs. less than I did last year, if I can forego buying another pie

:Smile:

 

[Superbob]

That hit my funny bone!



SB, week before last I bought (and ate) a large apple pie from Aldi's that was oh so good Not in one sitting; over the course of the week.

I see my cardio on Friday for my annual. He reported via his nurse that my research-funded echo and other tests looked good so I don't have any qualms about reporting in. In fact, I should weight 5-8 lbs. less than I did last year, if I can forego buying another pie

:Smile:

Honeybunny, not long after I received by diabetes diagnosis when we were living in Northern Virginia 15 years ago, we went to a farmers market and bought a huge berry pie. All sorts of delectable berries in it, and I ate the whole thing within a few hours. Blood sugar spiked over 300 -- probably should have gone to hospital. Survived, but also learned my lesson. I love pie but one reasonable slice a day (if that) and never again any all-berry pie. Apple, blackberry, cheery, peach, pumpkin, and oh yes sweet potato are all mighty fine -- but moderation in al things.!

 

[epstns]

All this talk of pies. . . and my wife bought a jar of "pie weights" last Saturday. She says she needs them to pre-bake the crusts for quiche, but I imagine some fruit pies will just have to follow. More to worry about. . .

I'm back in "externally forced frenzy mode" at work. Others keep jamming things onto my calendar when I already have a full day. This mess cannot come to an end quickly enough for me. We're trying to firm up vacation/holiday plans for 2018 and the current boss/company can't decide if they want me to stay on part-time or not. It will be interesting, because at 70 years old, I am not worried about finding or keeping a job any more, so I can just say it like it is. For once, I hold all the cards, and they don't seem to like it very much. What are they going to do - write me a bad reference letter to the Social Security Administration? Ooooh, I can be a cranky old fert.

My only avenue currently open for weight control this winter is to manage the quantity of snack/junk food I consume. I have continued eating moderately sized (wife says bird-sized, but I'm pretty big for a bird) healthy meals, but I do a fair bit of stress eating, mostly snack foods at work. If I reduce that component of my diet, I can possibly make enough of a difference in my weight that I can work the rest of the excess off as soon as the weather is nice enough to be active outside. The winters around here are rough. Can't walk outdoors very much, as far too many homeowners choose not to shovel the walks, and it is not safe to walk in the street. Of course, once I enter retirement (or semi-retirement) I will have time to extend my gym time, so there is that to look forward to as well.

I hope everyone can manage to stay on course well enough to finally meet their goals in the not too distant future, but I will, in any case, be Stayin' the Course!

 

[Paleowoman]

I just saw my rheumatologist today after having an MRI on my shoulders a few days ago. I have inflammation in the rotator cuff in both shoulders with a slight tear in one tendon on the left and bursitis in both shoulders. I mustn't do any exercises that work my rotator cuffs. The actual rotator cuff muscle bulk is well maintianed so it's not that it is weakness caused this. I'm taking naproxen anti-inflammatory meds to reduce inflammation and pain (the warnings in the patient leaflet are scarey) and diazepam to reduce muslce spasms.

My cardiac function continues to do well and my symptom of breathlessness on stairs is hardly ever there. They do the Bruce test each week and it improves weekly

 

[jwinter]

Fruit pies???? Hard to resist for sure. These snowbirds in Arizona major in eating, I swear! I am going to dig up my Volumetrics book again as my appetite has increased lately.

Sounds like everyone else is doing the best you can considering circumstances. Funny you should bring up rotator cuff Anne, as my friend and I were just talking about this day before yesterday. She just had both her knees replaced and her husband has had knee and hip replace. She said both of them had rotator cuff surgery quite a few years ago and was quite a bit more pain, longer healing and physical therapy than any of the other surgery they have had. Could be because it was years ago. Go easy, regardless.

Well I jump in line Tuesday. They herd us all in here, first come first serve, hand them our doc orders and they do our INR and blood draws. They open at 7:30 and close promptly at 10:30 so if I miss it is off until the next week. Seems a bit weird but I guess whatever it takes.....got to stay the course!

81 here today and same for the rest of week. Not bad

 

[dornole]

Doing well -- lost another pound - diet the nutritionist gave me has been fairly easy to stick with. Feb is going to be a killer month work-wise . . . gonna have to stick with my exercise routine through it all. I know I will stress-surf the internet regardless if I don't. I can't write 24/7.

 

[MartinF]

Started a log this year of my walking and running miles. Today I'm at 49 miles, a little below my target. I would like to do 1000 miles this year which is about 84 miles per month.
Lost a couple of the pounds that I gained over the holidays. Superbowl Sunday won't help but it's part of life.
Weather here in southern California is warm, into the 70's today. I'm spoiled. Took the dog for a walk last night and this morning. Tomorrow I'll try to do 6 miles with some running.
Pies? I love pumpkin and apple but don't usually have many deserts around the house. If we did I wouldn't be able to resist.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.

 

[jjay32]

all this talk about walking I decided to figure out how much I walk at work during the year, It is over 2000 miles, now I know why I go through shoes so fast