My Afflation

via GIPHY I mean honestly, how many times do I have to do this? You know, before I learn my lesson? And just stick to a maintenance way of eating? Stress so gets in the way.

Sunrise view of Boston from Peter's Hill on Monday Morning I used to be able to walk a 5K every morning in 45 minutes when I lived in NoHo, played Ingress, and was maintaining my weight between 160-170lbs (ish). After a … conversation over the weekend and much nagging, I have been taking Pluto out with me. Zoe doesn’t do cold and she doesn’t walk as fast as she did 3-5 years ago.

Well, color me surprised. An impression was made after doing the 3-Day Refresh . We feel a bit lighter and our brains aren't in total revolt anymore. We planned some of the meals out on the train yesterday, now I just need to go grocery shopping or have someone do it for me.

Can I lose 42lbs by the time I'm 43?  My Fitbit stats from the time  I started using one.  The weight has kept creeping up on me, despite weight training. At one point I hit my almost interim goal weight and decided to be happy between 165lbs and 170lbs, allowing for water weight and the monthly ups and downs that come from being a woman, but then the creep started and never stopped.

No, this post is not about a new recipe nor a new dance. The burn! It hurts! My shoulders are on FYRE! I really need to book myself a hot stone massage.

I went to the gym at 8am today. Crazy right? But you know what? It was practically empty!!!! Anxious Introvert heaven! Locker room - empty. Floor - like three people. Cardio machines? Only two in use! I had my pick! The elliptical seemed like a good choice again. 45 minutes on an interval program and I did the majority of this week's video lectures for a Coursera course. I was feeling productive even though I hadn't had any coffee yet. Trying out this thing called "Time Management." via GIPHY Not too bad if I do say so myself, considering how I feel about cardio. I guess I was more relaxed today. Max HR only hit 154 according to the machine Fitbit has different stats I felt good as I got off the elliptical and then I had a brilliant epiphany. I had enough time to try the sauna! My trainer has been encouraging me to use it ever since the weather turned but I never make time for it. That is going to change STAT! I'm going to have to get over...

Resolutions or No Resolutions?  I don't make resolutions, but I do try to maintain any good habits that I may have picked up in the previous year. Currently, that's journaling. I started in April 2017, and I haven't been consistent, but I am working on it. That, and going to the gym.

OMFG I don't know if I'm really unfit or if I had a minor anxiety attack, but I could not get beyond the warm-up of Ropes and Rowers . I was dizzy and felt a fainting spell come on. I hate fainting in public. Left the class to get some breathing room and water and never went back in. Sat for a while and my heart wouldn't stop racing ... Right. Ok. No sense in wasting this trip to the gym. So I went downstairs where it was warmer and quieter and I knew no one would be looking and judging. via GIPHY via GIPHY Since I had signed up for a class I didn't bring my headphones. From now on, I will always bring headphones. But it was kinda nice to just zone out on the elliptical for another 30 minutes. Listening to the hum of treadmills and just letting my brain wander while my body did its thing. I feel more relaxed than I have in a while (though while I wait for my ride to finish his workout I'm starting to freeze and seize up) and I got a few more ideas for this blo...

Cardio and I are not friends. Never have been. Never will be. At this point, I wasn't sure if I was going to pass out or just puke, so I was just sitting, head down to get through the dizziness and nausea while I caught my breath. I'll take strength training over cardio any day. Not a fan (This is a test post to see if email to my blog still works).

The chores never end, even when you work from home. The Man asked if he could help with anything, so I handed him the cookbooks and said "Pick a few recipes". Going back to strict Whole30 is helping him, I'm supplementing my mood with raw honey and dark chocolate. Trust me, it's needed. And with the <insert expletive> heat and humidity in Houston, I'm ok with not losing weight the way I was in California. I figure I'll hit goal weight eventually. It's taken over a month for me to get back on a regular walking schedule, that's good enough for now. In no particular order this week: Sunday : Tilapia with Green beans and Cherry tomatoes #cy365 Day 27 Tonight's dinner is a #nourishing meal of broiled tilapia (liberally seasoned with Italian seasoning), green beans and cherry tomatoes with a side of avocado. Cooks up from frozen in about 15 minutes. #timesaver #whole30 #captureyour365 #paleo #oneography #foodphotography A photo p...

First off, carb withdrawal after a mind-blowing cruise sucks sweaty monkey balls. Oddly enough, Sunday and yesterday weren't too bad, I think I was just too dehydrated, exhausted and sunburnt to notice. Today is my first day back in the office and I have had more mood swings than a pre-menstrual teenager (Gawd, I hated those days). Last night's dinner actually hit the spot, but that's probably because I hate a whole avocado instead of caving to the cravings. So, what do you do when 4-course dinners are not being served to you each night and you realize you really do want to fit into your jeans again? Because you gained at least 8lbs on vacation? I haven't weighed this much in at least three months Go back on a strict paleo cleanse, also known as Whole 30 . I actually gained over 8, but 8 is a lot easier to lose than 10. At least in my mind. I'm starting with hydration. Between the sunburn and alcohol consumption and just not drinking enough wate...

Yes, I am and I am not afraid to admit it. No justification. And I am not going to let it stress me out. There are some reasons behind it that make me okay with failure. Usually I would be beating myself up over failing something like this. First off, I am so sick and tired of eggs - and I love eggs!,  especially since I can't have cheesy omelettes.  Not that I usually put cheese in my omelettes, but that flat out restriction is really irksome. I like a light breakfast of Greek yogurt and fruit. The lack of raw honey every day is almost worse than the chocolate restriction. I don't have food relationship issues. Food and I get along very well. I now feed my body whole, nutritionally dense, natural foods to keep me healthy (and fit, we're getting there). Being on this for one week is causing me more anxiety than I care to deal with. Occasionally I splurge on the non-natural, not-so-nutritionally dense items, my body reminds me why I don't do that any more, and we ...

Sometimes you have to go to extremes before you find a good middle ground. I've been doing great on a  loosely paleo-based diet lifestyle change for over a year now. My current weight is in the high 160s, but with the weekly Fitbit Challenges, I've gotten to a point where people are telling me I can stop losing now. Luck be a lady tonight A photo posted by @hankito on Dec 12, 2014 at 6:26pm PST My kids are used to it, and even have a few favorites -- if you follow Menu Plan Monday , I bet you can guess which ones. But as of tomorrow, in solidarity, (you're making me give up honey and half-&-half  +Hank Yeomans , and chocolate . I can not and will not be held responsible for my mood swings due to a drop in necessary SSRIs), I'll be doing The Whole 30 . When I read the rules , I will admit, I blanched. That's not easy to make me do, you know. I mean, everything that makes a paleo-style lifestyle doable for me is on the NO YOU CAN'T EAT T...

Either my scale has been lying to me, or my emo-eating is out of control. I have managed to regain 3-5 hard lost pounds. This does not please me. Oddly enough, except for the Keebler version of Samoas, it's all been "gluten-free" treats -- double chocolate chip cookies, bread (Cajun Salmon, avocado and romaine on a slice of Trader Joe's brown rice gf bread #mouthgasm or maybe I was just really hungry and getting rid of leftovers), pizza, and other baked goods. I even bought gluten-free brownie mix, but haven't made it yet. My persistent food-baby-belly is calling me on my bullshit. I also noticed that my Starbuck's consumption is way up. Time to start tracking my food intake again (just for accountability +John Lieske , I have a tendency to eat just about anything put in front of me). No one ever complained about me being a picky eater when I was a kid.  Overall I have a healthy relationship with food. I like it and it likes me, a little too much. I like to...

Here goes. I'm starting at 171 lbs. Sigh At least being pear shaped means I am at less risk for all the diseases that have me wanting to lose weight in the first place. I used SparkPeople to help me get my measurements, because in all honesty, I have never taken them before and I wanted to make sure I was measuring the right areas. Result: Estimated Health Risk: Estimated Body Shape: 0.80 or below Low Pear Since storing excessive fat in the abdominal region (known as the "apple" shape) is correlated with an increased disease risk, this test is one way to measure your risk for lifestyle and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and more. Storing fat in your lower half, known as a "Pear" shape, is actually a healthier site for fat accumulation. The less common "avocado" shape is somewhere between an apple and a pear, with health risks higher than a pear-shaped person, but somewhat lower than a true apple-s...

I must be doing something right. Last week my massage therapist (who sees me every week) said that I was looking slimmer (woot!) and my daughter said I felt skinnier when she hugged me (let's ignore the fact that she's on a growth spurt and that her arms are probably longer). In reality, I think my rather slow detox from my road trip was finally taking effect. At least the bloat is gone and I am back to my pre-trip weight (only 15lbs to go!). However, getting rid of the carb cravings re-created on that trip are something that I struggle with every day ( as I put down the Mrs. Fields triple-chocolate cookie and practice something resembling self-control instead of emo-eating )... I also have been convenience eating or not eating properly at all since it's just myself and really, why should I just cook for myself? Almost 30 years of cooking for other people, I have a hard time cooking for one. Even if I know I will be eating the leftovers for lunch the next day. This week...

I'm feeling a little bit under the weather as I plan this week's menu and I'm trying to balance the need for comfort food with sticking to my diet -- pardon me, lifestyle. Paleo is a lifestyle and the only way I have been able to lose and at this point, maintain and not go back up to 180 or higher . Especially since for the longest time my back didn't allow me anything more than walking. I got on my scale this morning for the first time in about 6 months and was so pleased to see that I have only gained .5lbs, which I know is from emo-eating (work has been extremely stressful and, well, Mrs. Fields is right downstairs at work). For those of you who are following my weight-loss journey, it appears I've been holding steady between 168/169 since November of 2013. In the last few weeks I've started adding in a little yoga and core work. And now for what  you came here for: Monday: Grilled Pineapple Chicken Burgers Tuesday: Bacon Apple Cheddar Fritatta (...

The last few weeks (months?) I have been lazy and fell back into some old habits. The result, I've gained back some of my hard-lost weight, I feel weak and tired all the time, and I crave carbs like nobody's business. To the point where I resorted to eating a piece of (Orowheat Honey Wheat Berry) bread dry. No butter (apple or otherwise), and once with chocolate coconut frosting on top. I mean, who does that???? You don't even want to know how much chocolate I have eaten in moments of emotional stress, or boredom. It doesn't help that the office candy lady now sits right next to me ... This week I have endeavored to eat more healthily and get back on the mostly paleo diet that has been working wonders for me (losing weight with minimal high impact exercise? Sign me up!). Dinner menu is below, IP had some input, and the Teen is back in town so I'll have to adjust how much I cook for the next three months. My lunches for the week will either be leftovers or Tuna...

We're back from vacation and I had a week of more eating processed than I would have liked, but I only had a chance to get to the grocery store yesterday. I am afraid to step on the scale. The weather isn't helping either. I do not deal well with humidity. 78% in L.A. and the sky should be poring. Humidity apparently makes my kids crave exotic and spicy foods. My daughter requested Indian curry and Cajun Salmon this week. Sunday : Indian chicken curry with spinach. I thought about addig purple sweet potatoes, but chickend out. The last time I made them ... I nuked them and they came out tough. By the way, the McCormick curry was not spicy enough. Damn bland. Luckily I found my Fresh & Easy one. Monday : Thai Green Curry -- it's been two (or three?) weeks since we last ate it and both kids like it. The Teen can still eat rice, but Joy has gotten used to eating Paleo when she's with me. Tuesday : Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken - comfort food item for the we...

So the last time I weighed myself, about a week ago, I did a happy dance because I was 171. And then I stepped on the scale this morning and let out a gasp of dismay. I probably need to stop with the mid-afternoon stops at the office candy jar, drink more water and less coffee, and increase my ingress radius at lunch. Time to pack the tennis shoes. I really want to continue the downward trend. Next goal is 150. Then I'll re-evaluate and see if I want to go all the way to 135.  Pin It