Surprisingly Upbeat

Wednesday, January 23, 2012

So it appears that an appropriate response to a rejection is to have a couple glasses of wine (or more), hang out and engage in impaired interneting.  Not sure how much was the alcohol and how much was the people but it was great to get a few laughs.  I could not tell you how long it's been since I've had that much to drink (an entire bottle of riesling plus two glasses of zinfandel).  Glad I was at home and could just tumble into bed.

I thought this morning might be a bit rough but it really hasn't been too bad.  Whatever headache I had went away once I went out for my walk - another cold day but I don't even notice it.  I will probably need to get some extra sleep tonight but otherwise I feel pretty decent.  Decent.  Sober and clear-headed.  I can even find the humor in what happened yesterday.

It isn't any big deal.  At least that's what I keep saying.  I may even believe it.

On a completely unrelated subject, apparently having a mostly liquid dinner is good for weight loss.  Either that or I need to check the batteries on my scale.  I weighed in today for kicks and it was down noticeably from last week.  I'm sure it was just dehydration (got rid of a lot of liquid yesterday) but it was still pretty epic.  I re-weighed and it was even lower.  Yay!

PM edit:  Random weight loss compliments continue to come.  Two women I don't really know from a nearby office made a point of commenting & they were pretty effusive.  And a friend stopped in and asked how much so far.

Also, I had a pleasant chat this afternoon with the rejector.  Nothing related to that, just a general chat, same as always.  Hoping to still be friends, that's pretty much it.  Mental health holding up so far, just the smallest bit of sad.  I'm doing a pretty good job of being objective about things and hey, I have a ways to go.

Breakfast:  Usual ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

Maybe this was yesterday's picture.  They look the same and I'm too lazy to check.

No more words needed.  Hell, the picture isn't really needed.  It's the standard 2 minute breakfast.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, 2 bubbies dill pickles.  I don't think I remembered to take a picture.

Snack:  Some peanuts in the shell, shelled.

After the fact pictures count, right?  This is how many I ate...

Dinner:  Meijer turkey and spicy beans.

Yum.

This is amazingly good.  I think I'll be eating a lot of this.  I'm almost out of turkey but I might have enough for one more meal.

Also:  A glass of zinfandel.  Probably going to keep it to one tonight and crash early.

Exercise:  C25K Week 4, Day 1.  Great time for a spike in intensity, right?  LOL at my thought process.  Today's routine was 3 min jog, 90 sec walk, 5 min jog, 2.5 minute walk, repeat.  I did the usual 3 mile loop, starting earlier than usual.  The first jog was no problem at all.  Second, no big deal.  3rd was uphill, not as much fun.   Last one started rough but finished OK.  Hey, guess what:  I can now jog (at a very, very, VERY slow pace) for five minutes straight!  Super short strides today, icy out there.  Other than being really slow, it felt almost natural.

I also shoveled the driveway when I got back.  Forgot to reset the pedometer, trying to mentally subtract yesterday I want to say it was 3.6 miles and just over an hour of activity.

36.4

Deep Freeze

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Coldest day in years I believe.  It was right about 0 degrees this morning, but the wind wasn't too bad.  Windchill was only about ten below.  Light flurries coming down.  Nobody out but the plow trucks.

It was beautiful.

And with the proper gear it wasn't even uncomfortable.  I think I'd like to add a wool bottom base layer for mornings like this but that's only a small issue.

Even better, I knocked off the mileage without the slightest difficulty, then grabbed a shovel and pushed the few inches of snow around without batting an eyelash.  I cannot believe how far I've come in terms of physical condition.

On the mental side, I made an important decision yesterday.  At the risk of jumping the gun I've got something I'm going to do months earlier than planned.  I will probably encounter rejection, but that's OK.  Better that than a missed opportunity.  I am nervous as hell about this.

Edit:  Shot down.  Crap.  No longer nervous.  Mostly past sad but still a little ways to go on that.  Intellectually I know that it just means an opportunity to go in a different direction, but still .... shit.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar, coffee

Exciting my breakfast pictures are not.

Pretty standard stuff.  I bought too much salami last week (it was on sale) - I just finished it off.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup.  I don't remember if I took a picture or not, it was the same as yesterday though.

Dinner:  Leftover spicy beans with a couple ounces of Meijer lower sodium turkey mixed in.

Turkey and beans.

I'm surprised, but I liked the turkey better than the pork.  This was stupid easy and very good.

Also:  Chateau Ste Michelle riesling.  Opened a bottle.  Quantity to be determined, but it's like to be most of the bottle.  It's a drinking night, for which I will pay come 4:30 am.

Exercise:  Usual walk.  I had to backtrack a few times to avoid snow plows.  I also shoveled the driveway when I got home.  The pedometer said 3.9 miles in 1 hour 13 minutes.  Time is about right at least.  I just plain forgot to do push ups and sit ups, I might have to remember to do those tonight.

Feel really good today.  Quality rest, good food, exercise, happy nerves.

40.6

Weather Non-Delivery

Monday, January 21, 2013

We didn't get slammed overnight as expected, just a little powdery snow.  It was bitterly cold, though, with a windchill down just below zero.  As a result there was nobody out an about - I only saw one jogger.

It's going to be a busy week.

Edit:  Had a decent conversation this morning, so I'm a little upbeat about that.  Also had someone I don't see often say nice things when I ran into her yesterday.

Evening edit:  I may have worked up enough gumption to ask a question that I've been planning on asking ... several months from now.  If only I can find an opportunity to do so.  I thought I had one tonight but I blew it.  I have no expectations - the answer almost assuredly will be "no" but I think I'm going to ask anyway.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar, coffee

Not the most exciting picture, is it?

Glad to be back to the regular cheese.  I should really start buying the local raw milk stuff, next time I hit the health food store I'll look at it.

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup

Soup, good.  Photography skills, not so much.

A day in the fridge was helpful, the soup was very good.  Might be my favorite meal (non-pizza division) right now.

Snack:  Peanuts.  I received a ton of peanuts in the shell for the holidays, had a few.

Burned several calories getting them out of the shell...

I have not idea on count/quantity/weight, probably a couple ounces.

Dinner:  2 Bubbies dill pickles, ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, leftover pork tenderloin and spicy beans

Kicked up a few notches...

Grazing.  It was enough.

Also:  1 glass red wine.  Finished off the bottle, it was a good one.

Exercise:  C25k Week 3 Day 3.  It was cold so I stayed closer to home, less of a warmup.  Pedometer said 2.85 miles in 47 minutes, including the 90 sec jog, 90 sec walk, 3 min jog, 3 min walk, repeat routine.  Felt good other than a few moments of knee grumbling to start - actually, today was probably the best I've felt while jogging.  It actually felt pretty natural.  Super short stride length to keep my footing at all times.  Not fast but that's OK, it was enough.  Once I got going I wasn't even cold.  A good day.

Big step up in difficulty for Week 4 on Wednesday, I need to remember to get good sleep on Tuesday night (like I did last night, yay!)

41.4

Extra Screwed Up

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Ugh, ugh, ugh.  Totally out of sync today.  I went to a show last night and didn't get home and in bed until 11:30.  And then I woke up an hour later to the wind howling and tree branches crashing down on my roof (gusts up to 70 mph).  I got up when the alarm went off, observed that it was bitterly cold and still blowing hard, and proceeded to doze on the couch for a couple of hours.

I have a lot of stuff to do but I'm having a very hard time generating the enthusiasm to do any of it.  I'm in a funk again today and this is getting very, very old.  I need to recapture the balance, if not pure joy.

Breakfast:  Omelet with bacon, sausage, ham, mushroom, onion, sour cream.  Some diced potatoes.  2 slices sourdough toast.  Coffee.

No idea why I got 2 slices of toast this time.  At least they use real butter.  Stuffed.

Lunch:  Deli turkey, 1 slice 2% cheddar, sauteed onion, jalapeno mustard (pictured), plus a couple more slices of turkey, a slice of cheddar, more onion and mustard, 3 slices leftover CF hickory smoked garlic-pepper bacon (not pictured)

Yum.  Could be more filling though, which is why I had more.

Snack:  2 corn dogs.  There is a reason, not worth going into it.

Dinner:  Casserole with pork, minute rice, celery and cream soup, green beans with cheddar cheese, roll with butter.  Yeah, Sunday dinner problems.

Exercise:  No morning walk due to abysmal weather.  Trying to decide if I can manage a mall walk or something this afternoon.  More stuff to do than time to do it - and I'm way short on ambition.

Edit:  Managed to make myself do two laps around the mall.  2.1 miles in 43 minutes according to the pedometer, not so good.  It's supposed to snow a bunch tonight so jogging tomorrow is likely to be a problem.

42.4

Wineover

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Thank goodness for the weekend.  A little sluggish again this morning - I think I had about 3 glasses of wine last night and it got to me a bit.

Extra quiet out there this morning.  Didn't see any joggers or walkers, just a handful of cars.  40 degrees, perfect for walking.  Too bad that today is the end of it, it's going to get much colder and snowier for the next week or so.

Breakfast:  2 eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 3 leftover oatcakes, a little coffee

I don't know if I can produce eggs better than this.  Just absolutely PERFECT.

Delicious.  I don't know why I even bother brewing the coffee.  I have a little when I wake up and by the time I come back to it the heat has switched off and it's lukewarm at best.  I dislike coffee at any temperature short of scalding hot.

Lunch:  A few slices of Meijer lower sodium deli turkey, 1 slice 2% cheddar, jalapeno mustard and some stovetop grilled onions.

Grilled onions are so good.

I had to test out the onions (part of this morning's cooking) and was ready for some food so there you go.  Turkey was on sale yesterday so I'll be having this a couple times.  The only problem is that there isn't a lot of fat, thankfully I'll have regular cheese again shortly.

Lunch (part 2):  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup.  I went back and topped it off after taking the picture...

Fresh out of the pot...

This batch is not quite as good as the last one.  A little more time on the stove probably would not have hurt and I really do need to make some beef stock so that it's beefier (I just use water).  Still very very good.]

Snack:  A couple of ounces of Meijer peanuts.  They're gone now.

Dinner:  Pork loin, marinated in buttermilk & spices.  Spicy pinto beans.

Pork.  And beans.  Yes.

This was pretty good.  The pork was super juicy but needed more aggressive seasoning.  Thankfully the beans had some kick.  A solid pairing.

Also:  32 oz Miller Lite

Exercise:  Usual morning walk.  3 miles (3.35 pedometer) in 1 hour 3 minutes.  Pace felt pretty slow this morning.  I've been pretty lucky thus far as far as injuries (none) and general aches and pains (few) but my right knee is beginning to complain a little.  Just soreness, but I have to watch it.  It's possible I may need to take a day or two off even though I certainly don't want to do so.  I'm quite obsessed with the walking.

Also:  Bonus exercise!  No snow on the ground and it got up into the low 40s, so 9 holes of golf, walking.  If I'd figured out that it was nice out there an hour earlier I could have easily gone 18.

41.6

Waiting On Snow

Friday, January 18, 2013

Thank goodness it's Friday.  Dragged big time this morning - snoozed for a few on the couch before getting going about 20 minutes late.  Super sluggish during exercise.  Managed to get out the door only about 10 minutes late.  Between the bad food and the staying up past 10:30 I knew I was in for a rough go today.

Breakfast:  2+ oz salami (probably closer to 3), most of a slice of 2% cheddar, coffee

On the run, just grabbed and left.  FAIL.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

Last of the soup and the pickles.  I forgot to take a picture.  Oops.

Snack:  ~ 2 oz Meijer peanuts

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, 1 container Fage 2% yogurt w/ frozen raspberries

Also:  A couple glasses of wine.  Bowers Harbor dry red, opened yesterday.

Exercise:  C25K week 3, day 2.  Same as last time - 90 sec jog, 90 sec walk, 3 min jog, 3 min walk, repeat.  Usual walk a mile first, total distance covered 3 miles (3.25 on the pedometer), 58 minutes and change.  I can't believe it was that fast because I had several extra blocks to walk to get home compared to Monday.  The only time I really felt good was during the last 3 minute interval -- I think "jogging" downhill helped.  Super, super poky today.

In case I haven't already said it, I'm really looking forward to the weekend, going to get rested and caught up on a few things.

42.2

Some Bad

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Busy day thus far.  Fairly tired this morning, dragged home on my walk.  I need to try and grab a good night's sleep tonight and yet I have several items on the to do list that will push me well past 8:30.  Ugh.

There was also some good - despite eating way too many peanuts yesterday -- seriously, I was quite uncomfortable shortly thereafter -- the scale teased me with a lovely low number before settling on one that was still acceptable but not quite as exciting.  It's coming, though today will not help.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice 2% sharp cheddar cheese, coffee

On the run, no picture.  I didn't even finish my coffee.

Snack:  A couple handfuls of microwave popcorn

Lunch:  Jimmy John's #17, salt and vinegar chips

No time for lunch, five minutes to bolt this down was all I could manage.  As you might expect from so much starch I'm now dozy mid-afternoon.

Dinner:  Qdoba naked burrito, the usual one.  On the go, shoveled it down.

Also:  2 McDonald's cheddar onion burgers, chips & onion dip.

FAIL.  Not extreme FAIL, but FAIL.  Going to pay for this tomorrow.

Exercise:  Usual morning walk, 3.33 miles on the pedometer (3 in reality), one hour and 3 minutes.  As mentioned above I dragged home, glad I wasn't jogging.  I skipped the sit ups and push ups today and did some reading about core exercises instead.  If such a thing is possible, I'm more confused than I was before. But I do think I have a couple other things I can work into the mix so that's good.

41.0

A Slight Bump In Intensity

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

I was glad that I decided to check the weather forecast last night.  I had heard that today is supposed to be windy and I was wondering whether I was going to have to put my OCD walking obsession to the test this morning ... but I learned that the wind won't pick up until later.  It was actually quite nice out there.  It sounds like some seriously cold stuff is moving in, though, and that could prove interesting, especially if it's backed by a bunch of snow.

Turned up the heat a tiny notch on the exercise, details below.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 3 slices 2% cheddar, coffee

I did not eat the waxed paper.  Stupid reduced
fat cheese sure likes to stick  though.

The soup that I took out of the freezer last night was still quite frozen so I'll have that either for dinner or for breakfast tomorrow.  I need to remember to do that 24 hours in advance.  I also took out a pork tenderloin for Friday and need to remember to take out some beans too.  It's pretty convenient having all this stuff in the freezer -- I wonder if I can figure a way to make an even bigger batch of soup - I'm guessing not, I don't think my pot will handle a true double batch.  Maybe 1.5x and I do something else with the rest of the ground beef.  Hmm.

Lunch:  3 egg omelet with bacon, cream cheese, avocado; sausage; coffee.  Out to lunch, old favorite.

Snacks:  Lots and lots of meijer peanuts.  Like 5 or 6 oz worth.  Waaaaaay too many.

Dinner:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup.

Photo taking FAIL.  Oops.

It was still pretty frozen.  It may be that I have my fridge set too cold.  Fortunately since I ate soooo many peanuts I wasn't real hungry and could wait to heat it on low for a long time.

Also:  I feel a glass of wine coming on.  Not sure if it will be riesling or a red.

Exercise:  C25k Week 3, day 1.  Today's intervals were 90 second jog, 90 second walk, 3 minute jog, 3 minute walk, repeat.  It went reasonably well and I now know that I can do three full minutes (duh, I did it twice).  The second one hurt a bit - it's not a huge incline but it was definitely going uphill.  I didn't check the mileage or time but it was the same old favorite 3 mile loop lead off by a mile walk to the start point.  I had a little further to go to get home so I'm going to guess it was pretty much a full hour.  LOL at my jogging "speed".  If I can break 45 minutes in May it will be miraculous.

On a related note, I signed up for a mile walk/fun run in February.  I'm just planning to walk for fun, but it's still the first one I've committed to in a long, long time.

41.2

Post Title Forgotten

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Not much to say this morning.  Great conditions for the walk, not as cold, no wind, everything clear and dry. Saw a couple joggers and a couple walkers, not much else going on.

Breakfast:  Leftover vegetable beef soup, coffee

This is what lunch yesterday looked like, minus coffee...

Confirmed nailed it.  So good.  Decided to have it for breakfast and have breakfast for lunch.

Lunch:  2 large CF eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 5 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, one large avocado.

Hey look, eggs!  How about that!

All around excellent.  Eggs perfect over easy.  Incredible bacon.  And the avocado I thought was overripe turned out to be just fine.  A lot of food and quite a few calories but it was needed.

Dinner:  Leftover spicy beans, 1 container Fage 2% greek plain yogurt with some frozen raspberries

Not pictured:  The yogurt part of the proceedings.  Or the wine...

I like the beans but I think I'm going to experiment with the spicing a bit.  I just don't think it's quite right.  Part of the equation may be that I need to buy a new chili powder, I'm sure mine is quite ancient.

Also:  A couple glasses of pinot noir.  Probably going to finish off this bottle.  A nice treat.  The Bearboat is decent, being open (corked) for a couple days may actually have improved it some.

Exercise:  Usual 3 mile loop (3.25 on the pedometer) in 1:01.  A couple minutes faster than usual.  Felt good this morning, a couple of minor complaints threatening though.  Hopefully they turn out to be nothing.  Also did 15 girl push ups, 15 sit ups and 4 x 7 count leg lifts.  Sit ups and leg lifts are notably easier, push ups are still quite hard.

Not Sharpest

Monday, January 14, 2013

Another week is upon us.  I was a little more ready than usual ... which is good.  On the flip side, I forgot to take meal pictures at breakfast and at lunch so I may not be 100% all there...

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar cheese, coffee

FAIL on my part - I discovered that I bought 2%, reduced fat cheese.  Doh.  I mean, at least it wasn't fake cheese -- I like to think I would have just thrown that junk away -- but come on.  How can I possibly have missed that??

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup.

From yesterday's batch.  Nailed it.  So good.

Dinner:  ~ 8 oz CF ribeye, broiled.  Spicy pinto beans.  Also had a couple Bubbies dill pickles.

Yeah, I was a little hungry.  Not any more though!

Good, not great.  I took the lazy approach with the steak since I don't really care to smoke up my kitchen at all (and I wanted to eat relatively fast).  Beans were made yesterday, best batch yet.

Also:  A glass of pinot noir

Exercise:  C25k Week 2, day 3.  Same ol' deal - walk a mile, do the routine, walk the last couple blocks home.  Same intervals (90 sec jog, 2 min walk, repeat x 6).  Felt mostly OK, though I can sure tell when I push it or when it's uphill.  A long way to go, but it is coming.

On a related note, registration opened and I signed up for my 5k the first weekend in May.  Either I'm going to do it -- and it would be great if I could manage something under (LOL) 40 minutes -- or I'm going to fail spectacularly (and lose $25 in the process).  I never thought I'd be excited about this ... but I am.  I can't deny it.

45.4

Weather Mercy

Sunday, January 13, 2013

As expected, the weather turned overnight.  We were quite fortunate, though, that it stayed warm enough that the precipitation stayed in the form of rain.  I don't even know that it rained real hard.  I'm just thankful that it wasn't ice.  Ice is hard to handle.

Breakfast:  Oatcakes, 4 slices CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

Weekends sure are wonderful.

I can't even describe how delicious this was.  Might be the perfect breakfast (I mean, other than the fact that it's higher in carbs than I'd truly like).

Lunch:  2 bowls of homemade vegetable beef soup

So good I had a second bowl...

A fresh batch ... and I have 4 jars for the fridge/freezer.  Hopefully it'll last the week...

Dinner:  Broiled chicken breast, spanish rice, black beans, about a dozen Tostitos chips with salsa

The usual Sunday dinner issue.  Eh.

Exercise:  Usual loop, walking, about 3 miles.  I could go check the pedometer to see what it says today, but  since I know what the mileage is I may or may not bother.  Felt OK, maybe a bit sluggish.  Also did 12 girl push ups, 12 sit ups (both using good form, nice and slow) and 4 x 6 count leg lifts.  I'll be looking to bump those up, though the push ups are still quite hard.  A decent workout.

44.0

Morning Is For Thought

Saturday, January 12, 2013

My thoughts were all over the place during my walk this morning.  It really is a wonderful time for thinking, especially on days like today when nobody is out there.  Since it's the weekend I managed to keep them off work and for once they were largely off the subject that's been bothering me lately.  Unfortunately that means I didn't really solve anything or gain any great insight but it was still a lovely hour.

One thing I did think about was the curious link between my change in lifestyle and the increased variation in my mental health.  The holiday blues hit fairly close in time to the point when I started getting up earlier and stretching out the morning walk.  I don't think there's a direct relationship there, but if I'm honest about it, it probably hasn't helped that I spend more hours alone and in the dark.  The thing is, I like getting up early and walking.  I don't really know how I'd fit it in otherwise.  Maybe it'll be different this summer but for now (and at least through early May) I'm pretty committed to doing it this way.  If I knew something different would produce the same results and I'd be happier I'd switch but I don't.  Thankfully getting back to the regular routine and being busy was helpful

Breakfast:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, coffee

This is a weirdly good winter breakfast.

Yum.  Last of what I made last weekend -- I think I'll make another batch this morning.

Lunch:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky before golf, ~ 2+ oz salami after golf.  I guess we'll call that lunch.

Dinner:  Taco salad, spicy pork

Couldn't eat it all.  Probably a good thing.

Pretty good, not the best one I've had lately.  It's hard to get everything exactly right.

Also:  A couple glasses of wine.  Bearboat pinot noir tonight.  We'll see how deep I get.

Exercise:  C25k, Week 2, Day 2.  Usual stuff, I walked a mile, got set up, did the routine (90 sec run, 2 min walk, repeat x6), walked the rest of the way home.  3.25 miles in 57 minutes according to the pedometer.  The time seems right - it's a mile to start, which is 20 minutes, the routine is 30 minutes, and I had about six blocks left to get home after it was over.

I had good energy while walking this morning, which was a bit of a surprise.  I was a bit sluggish getting up -- I'll chalk that up to having a couple drinks and some fried garbage yesterday -- but as soon as I got out there it melted away and I was perky.  Okay, perky-ish.  The jogging wasn't great - my knees were not keen on it today, but I was slow and super careful so I made it through.  I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't hurt too bad - I did luck out and caught the biggest incline on a walking stretch, though the 5th repeat was up the 2nd  biggest incline and into the wind.  That one wasn't much fun.  Overall, though, I'm feeling like I'm making some modest gains.  Looking ahead at the program, it takes some pretty serious jumps - as it should to get to 5k in less than 3 months - but today at least I'm optimistic that I'll make it.  I will be slow as hell when we get to the longer runs, but my goal will mostly be to not fail.  To not walk, no matter how slow I jog.

Also, I know I've said this before, but I cannot emphasize just how surprised I am that I am actually enjoying this.  Not only is the walk the best hour of the day, I'm even enjoying pushing myself a bit with the C25k.  I don't know this me but I like it.

Bonus:  9 holes of golf, walking.  Pedometer said 3.75 miles which is of course inflated.  Could have easily gone another 9 no problem.  Feeling good.

43.6

Walking In Rain

Friday, January 11, 2013

It rained this morning.  Not super hard and definitely not sideways, but a steady rain.  Thanks to the proper use of rain gear (a novelty to me), I not only did not get wet, I was warm and dry throughout my walk.  I don't think the jacket would hold up to a serious rainstorm but it did just fine today.

Super glad it's Friday otherwise.  It's going to be a very busy day but (hopefully) it should move right along.

Edit:  Wow, it seems like this morning was days ago!

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, coffee.  Running late so I grabbed and ate on the go.  I didn't even take the time to open a new package of cheese.  No picture, either.

Lunch:  Qdoba naked burrito, usual light rice, pinto beans, extra steak, pico, hot salsa, sour cream and cheese.  Wow was it busy!  I didn't have time to stop home, glad I had time for this.

Snack:  1 Miller Lite, about six assorted fried things.  I had a dill pickle, a cheese stick, a mushroom, a couple jalapeno slices and one or two unidentifieds.

Dinner:  3 oz Meijer CAB deli roast beef, 1 Fage 2% yogurt w/ a few raspberries.

Also:  A couple glasses of pinot gris.  Bottle almost gone!

Exercise:  ~ 2.25 mile walk in the rain.  I sliced off six or eight blocks from the usual route, being a little unsure as to how things would turn out ... and a general feeling of fatigue.  I wasn't dead tired or anything but I was definitely dragging today.  Quite glad that I had already decided to postpone the jogging intervals to tomorrow due to the weather.

Needless to say there was not a single other person out there.  Lots of traffic, though, dodged a lot of cars today.

44.0

Less Dodgy

Thursday, January 10, 2013

It was much cooler this morning, but with no wind it was a very pleasant day for the walk.  Tomorrow is likely to be a washout so I was glad to get out there.  There wasn't a lot of activity - I didn't see any joggers, missed some of the regular walkers and I only had to dodge about three cars.  No idea why.

I continue to be up and down emotionally and it's honestly baffling.  I've been generally content for many, many years, it's really strange to me to have all these highs and (mostly) lows.

Edit:  The UPS guy dropped off a box for me this afternoon.  I picked up a Columbia rain jacket - good timing, huh? - though I don't know if it's up to a real soaker.  Regardless, I need to be ready to deploy it.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

I am a creature of habit.  This really IS not a duplicate picture

Same as yesterday.  Salami is definitely sliced thicker this time, a serving of four slices may even be more than 2 oz, I should probably weigh it.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup. 2 Bubbies dill pickles.

Apparently I kicked it up more than enough, this had ZIP.

Yum.  No other words required.

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, Fage 2% plain yogurt with a few frozen organic raspberries

No picture.  Just grazing around a tour of the local YMCA.

Also:  Glass of pinot gris.  Making a dent in this bottle.

Exercise:  Usual walk of 3 miles (3.33 on the pedometer, 1 hour and 3 minutes).  I do love that loop.  Also did 10 girl push ups 10 sit ups and 3 x 5 count leg lifts.  Changed my approach on these - instead of cranking them out I went long and slow and focused on correct form.  No question that I pushed it.  Also added the leg lifts, not really sure how to measure those.

45.8

Grapefruit Addition

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

First day with the new contacts went well.  They're a lot different than the ones I had years ago, but I'll figure them out.

Great morning for a walk.  Temperature up in the low 40s, only negative was a bit of wind and a couple of slick spots on the road.  Not bad at all.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee

I for one welcome the return of grapefruit seaon

Again running just a few minutes late today, I dawdled just a bit getting ready.  I need to try to leave five to ten minutes earlier.

Lunch:  2 CF large eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF hickory smoked garlic pepper bacon, 2 Bubbies dill pickles.

Pictured:  Eggs.  Bacon.  Not pictured:  Pickles

I'm mystified as to how one of the yolks broke - I'd swear it was fine when I cracked it in the pan.  Not that it matters a great deal but still.  Also, that bacon is really, really, really good.

I was going to have soup but the jar I took out of the freezer (last night?) was still frozen solid.  So plan B kicked in and I had eggs.

Dinner:  Leftovers - pork chop, spicy beans and a fresh jalapeno pepper.  Reheated, cut and mixed up.

Those jalapeno slices sure look impressive, don't they?

Not bad.

Also:  I'm sure I'll have a glass of pinot gris when I do the dishes later.

Exercise:  C25k week 2, day 1.  90 seconds of jogging, 2 minutes walking, repeat x 6.  As usual I walked a mile before starting and did my favorite loop.  Pedometer read it as 3.25 miles today, 57 minutes.  To be honest, the increase in intensity hurt a bit.  The last couple jogging segments were up a modest incline and into the wind and they burned.  I made it through, though, and am pleased.  I definitely should think about repeating some days and taking this very slow.  I still have nearly 4 months to be fully ready.

45.8

Some Excess Removed

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Loving the morning walk.  It truly is the best hour of the day.  I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do on Friday - the forecast is for heavy rain Thursday night into Friday.  I will be disappointed if I can't get my walk in.  I wonder if I have sufficient rain gear to go anyway...

Getting back in the routine.  I'm struggling a bit at work, not highly motivated.  Crisis mode is about to engage, though, so I'll push through.

Edit:  On the personal front, today is proving to be a milestone day -- I washed up a brand new shirt the next size down this morning and it not only fits, the neck is actually a little loose!  Hooray!  I cannot wait to banish my assortment of bigger and biggest shirts to the trash and/or Goodwill!

Also, I had an eye exam and decided to get contact lenses for the first time in more than 15 years.  Wearing them right now, in fact.  It's a different look, that's for certain.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese, coffee

Aside from the coffee mug, this could be yesterday...

Ho hum.  It's not great but it is quick.  I could still use to be about 10 minutes faster getting through the morning stuff and to the office.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

I mean, I could have had eggs...

Confirmed that this was a good batch.  Yum.

Dinner:  CF pastured pork chop, pan fried in a bit of butter with rosemary, salt & pepper; leftover spicy beans with 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped

Pork + beans = WIN

This was quite good.  I totally winged it on the chop, browning it over medium high for about 90 seconds on each side and then cranking it down to medium low.  Came out just about perfect.  The addition of the jalapeno kicked up the beans a bit, all in all a delicious meal.

Also:  1 glass pinot gris.  Not a real big glass, either.

Exercise:  Usual morning walk of 3 miles.  Clocked at 3.33 on the pedometer, one hour and three minutes.  Felt very good the whole way, no aches or pains.  Also did 20 girl push ups and 20 sit ups, so-so form on the push ups.  An all around pleasant workout.

46.4

Post Weekend Bloat

Monday, January 7, 2013

Yesterday came to an abrupt end.  I wrenched something in my back playing last night and it hurt like crazy. I could hardly walk.  Fortunately it looks like it may have just been a muscle issue, it felt quite a bit better this morning and I was able to get in some exercise.  I'm still being careful though, that was no fun at all.

Considering that I had potatoes at all 3 meals yesterday it's no wonder I feel a bit bloated this morning.  Not terribly worried about it but I think that I need to do a better job on the weekends.  Between Qdoba on Saturday and the mess that was yesterday I was way over quota on carbs both day.  I'm not following a strict low carb plan but I do notice a difference when I restrict them and intend to do so.

It's going to be a hellish week, I need to get at it.

Breakfast:  ~ 2 oz salami, 1 slice cheddar cheese

Action shot!

Finished off the salami I bought a week ago.  A bit more than I would usually eat.  It's been a while since I had a picture of that so there you go.

Lunch:  Bowl of leftover homemade vegetable beef soup, 2 Bubbies dill pickles

Exciting?  No.  Delicious?  Yes!

This is one of the better batches I've made.  Very tasty and obviously very easy.

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, 1 container Fage total yogurt with a few frozen raspberries

Grazing, not super hungry.  Yogurt was on sale at a different store this week and they had the Fage full fat version (unlike Meijer, which does not carry it) so I grabbed one.  Better flavor in my opinion, less bite, better mouth feel.  Still under 200 calories for the container.

Also:  1 glass pinot gris

Exercise:  Day 3 of C25k.  Same deal, 1 minute jog, 90 second walk, repeat x 8.  I did my usual loop, about 3 miles, but did not do the extra loops during the jogging session - the roads and sidewalks were all clear so I didn't have to worry about footing.  Pedometer clocked it at 3.25 miles in 58 minutes.  I don't "run" very fast.  It went pretty well, though the fifth interval was up a decent incline and that hurt a bit.  I have a long ways to go before I'm in any kind of shape.  Felt pretty decent otherwise.

On that subject, I'm debating as to whether I should repeat the first week stuff a couple more times.  The pros of doing so are I will theoretically build a bit more of a base before moving on to week 2 and I can monkey with the calendar so that the "weeks" start on Monday.  Then again, I'm not so sure that bumping up the intensity on a Monday is all that great, doing so on Wednesday might actually be better.  Thankfully I'll have at least an hour tomorrow morning to think about it!

50.6

Hit Hard, Fighting Back

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Another super peaceful morning.  I only saw one other walker, no joggers and I only had to dodge 3 cars.  I do love the early hours -- how the hell did I never know?

Rough afternoon and evening yesterday.  I finally managed to pull myself out of it but since it's uncharted territory I don't really have a lot of experience doing so, nor do I have a lot of tools.  I'm looking forward to getting back into the usual routine tomorrow and golf season can't come soon enough.

Breakfast:  Omelet with all kinds of stuff - bacon, sausage, ham, tomato, onion, jack cheese and sour cream.  Diced redskin potatoes, 1 slice sourdough toast, coffee

I have not mastered the art of suavely taking
 a good photo when dining out.  Sigh.

I know that I need to not eat out so much.  It's true that I love me some breakfast prepared by other people though.  One of these days I should ask them about their preparation methods - I'm sure there is some kind of (ugh) vegetable oil involved in the preparation of the potatoes, but at least it's not noticeable.

Also:  Portion sizes.  My stomach must be shrinking, I am STUFFED.  Completely full.  Right to the very edge of uncomfortable but thankfully not over.

Lunch:  Bowl of homemade vegetable beef soup

This might be my best batch yet!

Didn't need a lot, this hit the spot.

Dinner:  Meatloaf, boxed potatoes, green beans with cheddar cheese.  Ate quite a bit.

Exercise:  Usual morning loop, pedometer said 3.5 miles today.  It's still 3.  Also did 20 girl push ups and 20 sit ups with better form.  Those are starting to come a bit easier, though I pretty much died on the last push up.  If I can get to 50 maybe I'll try real push ups.  Oh, and I really should add leg lifts.  I always hated leg lifts, but they would definitely help strengthen the abdomen.

48.8

At Least I'm Noticing

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Thank goodness it's the weekend.  3 day work weeks that aren't that busy should not be so rough!

It was super peaceful out there this morning, almost at the level of a holiday.  I guess even people with fitness resolutions sleep in on Saturday.

I was thinking yesterday that I'm finally starting to notice a bit of difference in my appearance.  I mean I've seen a little as things go but not really all that much.  Finally it's really noticeable to me.  Don't get me wrong - there is still a long, long, long way to go (and patience is HARD) but it's great to finally SEE some results.

Edit:  I ran into someone I know at the grocery store and he was over the top effusive.  Nice.

Also, for whatever reason I'm really down again tonight.  This is hard to figure out.  I do know that it's sapping me of any desire to do anything and that's going to become a big problem if not rectified real soon..

Breakfast:  2 CF large eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF applewood bacon, coffee

Note the deft bacon placement to hide the broken yolk

I'm getting pretty darned good at frying a perfect over easy/over medium egg.  Happy about that.

Lunch:  Qdoba naked burrito, extra steak.  I asked for very light rice but got a pretty normal complement - the same disgruntled worker didn't give me the extra steak I asked for, so I asked the next guy on the line.

Good as always, not sure if it's $10 good though

I guess food service workers aren't the happiest bunch.

Snack:  2 Bubbies dill pickles.  These are fermented, not vinegar pickled.  Different, had to try them.

Dinner:  Leftover homemade vegetable beef soup

Goodness.

Last jar from that batch, I need to make some more tomorrow.

Also:  Glass of pinot gris.  New bottle, new variety to me.  Pretty decent.

Exercise:  Usual loop.  3.4 miles on the pedometer, three miles in the real world.  Roads were clear and it was a nice morning for it.  Maybe just a bit chilly.  It took a while to get into it, I was a little tight to start.  And I definitely lollygagged, time was an hour and five minutes even with no ice and almost no traffic.

Edit:  I'm sure I tacked on a couple more miles, between a bunch of shopping and walking through an ice carving competition.  Didn't wear the pedometer or anything.

48.8

Hours of Solitude

Friday, January 4, 2013

Maybe I was wrong about people breaking their resolutions already.  I saw several people this morning -- actually I think everybody I saw looked familiar from Wednesday.  So perhaps it was just an off day for some folks yesterday.  Nothing wrong with that.  I remain interested to see how long people last with their resolutions - to be honest, I like the solitude that I've had out there at 0 dark 30.  I could change my route and will likely do so once spring hits but this time of the year I definitely prefer to walk streets that are more likely to be clear and that means busier areas.  So be it.

Although it's just a 3 day work week and it hasn't been super busy I'm still glad that we're coming up on the weekend.  I have stuff that I want to do that doesn't involve sitting at my desk - a lot of stuff that I could have accomplished over the past couple of weeks if I didn't have the doggone holiday blues.  Doing better now, thankfully.

Breakfast:  1 container Fage 2% plain greek yogurt, a few frozen raspberries, coffee

I might just start referring to this as "yogurt".  I almost never eat anything other than the Fage and the individual containers are both generously sized and convenient.

Snack:  ~ 1 oz salami

Lunch:  2 large CF eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF applewood bacon, some leftover spicy beans, a few jarred jalapeno slices, 1/2 grapefruit

2013 will once again be the year of many egg pictures

Quite hungry today, despite the mid-morning snack (I doubt very much it was a full ounce, just a couple slices).  I cleaned out the fridge a bit, eating the last two eggs, the rest of the beans and finished the jar of jalapenos.  Also ate the other half of the grapefruit I had earlier in the week.  All very good - it may just be that I've figured out how to make a perfect over easy fried egg!

Dinner:  Taco Salad, spicy pork.

Plus hot sauce.  LOTS of hot sauce.

Good as always.  Hungry again, must be that extra exercise is triggering an appetite.

Also:  Glass of pinor noir.  End of the bottle.

Exercise:  Day 2 of C25k.  Same deal as Wednesday - I walked for a mile plus to get to the clearest spot around (though the streets weren't bad at all today), did the routine (jog 1 min, walk 1.5 min, repeat 8x), then walked back 1.25 miles or so.  Pedometer clocked at 4 miles, it's about 3.5 in reality, with the 3 mile loop and a mini-loop added during the running portion.  It wasn't too awful - giving thanks again to the basic conditioning that's in place from walking - but it definitely is higher intensity.  It gets the heart rate up a bit (but not excessively so) and by the end I'm huffing and puffing just a little.  Pretty happy with how it's going so far.

Not sure if I'll do day 3 on Sunday or wait until Monday.  I don't want to overdo it and I'm thinking about an extended walk tomorrow morning.  Also it's supposed to snow Saturday night and I have my doubts about doing much of anything if it's slick.  So yeah, probably Monday.

Edit:  I'm feeling it a bit - legs are heavy and I'm tired.  Looking very much like I'll do day 3 on Monday.  Need a good night's sleep tonight and we'll see how far I go tomorrow!

49.8

Broken Resolutions Already?

Thursday, January 3, 2013

After seeing notably more activity yesterday, today was back closer to normal.  I only saw a couple other people walking, no runners.  There was a very light dusting of snow which I guess could have discouraged people but it's not like we got the 2-4 inches that was predicted.  I'm obviously not complaining, though.  I enjoy the peace and quiet.

I could have used more sleep.  I went to bed at a decent hour, got to sleep fairly soon but was still deep in REM when the alarm went off.  The slow start put me about ten minutes behind schedule but otherwise no problem.

Breakfast:  1 tub Fage 2% plain greek yogurt with a few organic raspberries, coffee

Lunch:  ~ 5 oz leftover pork tenderloin, leftover spicy pinto beans

Decided to have this instead of eggs for lunch.  Shocking I know.

Perhaps not quite as good as last night but still tasty.  Upped the bean quantity a bit, I was rather hungry.  I had intended to grab a couple of slices of salami as a mid-morning snack but forgot to do so.  When I eat breakfast before 7 and lunch around 1 that's a lot to ask of a little yogurt.

Dinner:  ~ 2 oz CF cajun beef jerky, ~ 1 oz salami, 2 slices cheddar cheese.

Grazed.  Got home super late, not super hungry.  Probably going to hit the store tomorrow, didn't really have much in the way of vegetables on hand - I thought about going to get a taco salad but I wasn't hungry enough to really want one.

Also:  A glass of pinot noir.  Almost done with this bottle.

Exercise:  Morning walk, along what is now officially my favorite wintertime loop.  Pedometer said a whisker under 3.5 miles today, I know that it's just over 3 miles.  Not real surprised at the error, I kept my stride length quite short to make sure I didn't have too many footing issues.  Only came close to wiping out once.  I'll sure be glad when spring gets here - in fact I"ll be glad if we get the projected warm up next week - sounds like it might be warm enough to clear the streets and sidewalks.

Also did 20 girl push ups and 20 sit ups.  Form still not good on those.  Next time I'll probably drop the count and be absolutely certain to use correct form - all the way down on the push ups for one thing.

51.6

More Activity Noted

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

I wonder how long it's going to take before I stop typing 2012.

Between it being a back to work day and people out there getting going on their new year resolutions there was definitely more activity this morning.  I saw at least a half dozen people and a couple dozen cars - quite a bit more than has been the case the last couple of weeks.  It's pretty hard to beat the absolute silence (this is in town) of early holiday mornings.  It was also fairly cold but once I got going I was quite comfortable.

Breakfast:  ~ 1.5 oz salami, 1 slice sharp cheddar cheese, coffee

Assume without additional information that these are the armour novara deli salami and the Kraft big slice sharp cheddar.  I have a couple more days supply of each, then I will probably switch to soup for a few (assuming that I get around to making another batch).

Lunch:  2 large CF eggs fried in a bit of real lard, 4 strips CF applewood bacon, ~ 3 oz Meijer organics vegetable juice, 1/2 of a large grapefruit

I ate two strips of bacon before I remembered to take a picture.  Oops.

One of my better efforts.  Eggs were perfect over easy.  I was actually a bit hungry come lunch time.

Dinner:  6-7 oz CF pork tenderloin, leftover spicy pinto beans

Pork tenderloin and spicy beans

Holy moly was this delicious.  I browned the tenderloin in a bit of real lard in an enameled cast iron dutch oven, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders and threw it in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  When I pulled it the instant read went right up to 150.  Let it rest for a couple and sliced.  Served with some leftover spicy beans which I did a month ago and had in the freezer - the time REALLY improved these, they were so tasty.

The best news of all is that I have about 5 oz of roast and lots of beans leftover for tomorrow!

Also:  I'm assuming that I'll have a glass of pinot noir when I do the dishes in a bit.

Exercise:  Day 1 of the Couch To 5k (C25k) program.  I did it exactly as programmed, using the app, except that I walked a mile or so to get downtown to clear streets and then after I was done I had at least a mile and a quarter home.  Day 1 involved 8 sets of run for a minute then walk for 90 seconds.  It didn't hurt too bad - let's be realistic, I was doing a slow jog not a sprint - considering that this would be the most I have run in years.  By the end it actually felt like my form was coming - it was an actual jog, not a shuffle.

Anyhow, the lolpedometer said the end total was 4.1 miles - with the few extra loops I did to complete the jogging plus the 3 mile walking route I'd guess it was close to 3.5 miles.  Walked mostly in the street again, the pavement is nice and clear while the sidewalks are still icy.  It's supposed to snow tomorrow which will potentially screw up the walk, but hopefully it'll be cleared up for Day 2 on Friday or Saturday.

Also:  Thank goodness I didn't start C25k totally stone cold.  That would have really sucked.

51.8

Starting At 54

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

May 2013 be a breakthrough year for me and a happy and healthy year for anyone reading.

I did not stay up to see it in, preferring instead to greet the dawn.  I went for a walk and then went to the beach to see the sun rise.  Beautiful.  I am going to be more appreciative of such things this year.

Pre-breakfast:  1/2 oz salami, coffee.  A tiny bit of fuel before the hike.

Breakfast:  3 egg omelet with bacon, cream cheese and avocado; sausage; coffee.

New year's resolution ... even MORE egg pictures!

The old standby, one more time.  It was actually too much food - I may be too full to have lunch!

Lunch:  None.  Was actually too full and had an early dinner.

Dinner:  Strip steak, green beans.

This was a grocery store steak, broiled.  It was OK.  Wouldn't be my choice but as a guest I try not to be too critical of other people's choices and cooking.

Also:  1/2 glass of pinot noir.  A nice treat while cleaning up my kitchen.

Exercise:  I got up at the usual time and did my favorite 3 mile loop (which showed as 3.3 miles on the pedometer today).  That is about the perfect distance for a regular morning walk, at least it is for me.  After that I had some coffee and waited for it to get closer to sunrise, then I went to a local park and hiked down to the beach.  Lots of stairs, it was a good workout.  The not-so-trusty pedometer clocked it at 3.2 additional miles.  I'd guess it was more like 2, but with the stairs it was an excellent workout.  It was also very peaceful -- there was nobody else there in part because it was still dark when I started -- and I'll definitely be going back.  I feel absolutely wonderful today.

54.2

December in Review, 2012 Wrap Up and January Goals

Time for a quick wrap on 2012.

December was more successful.  If my quick look back is accurate, I dropped 19 pounds.  Granted that I had put on some in previous months, but I still ended the year at a new low.  I think I'm down 111 pounds total from my worst official weight.

The exercise front has also been successful beyond my wildest dreams, and most of my losses can be attributed to that.  I've been able to walk nearly every day (thank you mother nature) and have been stretching the walks out because - much to my shock - I have found that I truly love a good walk early in the morning.

I failed miserably at my goal of being more organized at work.  I'm doing a bit better at home though.

It's been a roller coaster ride the past couple of weeks.  I had been in a great place mentally for the entire year until the holidays hit.  I have survived and I hope to be in a spot where they don't come back next year. That's where my new year's resolutions and goals come in.

January goals:

1.  Lose 15 pounds.  This is the standard, and one which I need to meet to accomplish my longer term goals.  There is absolutely no way I will fail if I keep getting in good walks and avoid bingeing.

2.  Continue the exercise.  I say 15 days minimum but in reality I want to at least walk every day the weather permits (and indoors when possible on days it does not.  Oh how I wish I could afford a gym membership for the winter even though I hate treadmills).

3.  Fix the work flow at work.

2013 goals:

1.  Lose a bunch more weight.  I have a specific number in mind but I don't feel the need to post it.  It should suffice to say that there is still a bunch to go.

2.  Start a couch-to-5k program and soon.  I'm going to take it super slow.

3.  Do a 5k, just because I can.  I have one picked out the first weekend in May - if the weather permits me to be ready.

4.  There are some social goals to be accomplished as well but they are far beyond the scope of this blog.