Bookish Badger

It sounds like you're doing a good job of dialing back your expectations while you kick the crud. With all of the flu panic, it's not something to mess with! Maybe block out a dinner or two as "Leftover Night" or "Whatever's in the Fridge Night?" Maybe do that on the day that you get the veggie box, that way you won't be locked into a specific meal and can play with the new goodies that appear.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

I love this community. So many varying viewpoints, all expressed respectfully and with consideration. If only the rest of the internet were like this! We're all programmed by media cues about artificial "ideals" and struggle with the damage they do. It's real. The fight to lose 20 pounds can be as bitter and long as the fight to lose 200. The fight that a life-long anorexic has to gain healthy weight can be even worse and failure can have higher consequences. So I wasn't trying to put down anyone's struggle just because I'd love to weigh 140 pounds. (Besides, I know me. When I hit that target, I'll start eyeing 120 because why not.) What I was reacting to was the implied assumption that the author's weight of 140 pounds was somehow shameful. It may be too much for a short, competitive marathoner to carry safely. (At one point, she crunched the numbers for amount of force absorbed by every footfall when running downhill and calculated how many tons of force was saved for each pound of "lard" she "whittled" off.) It may be unhealthy. Some might find it unattractive. But none of that = shameful. I found it odd that a feminist who believes in the power of women to change the world through sport would still be entrenched in such a destructive mindset. I felt like I was back in the 50s, when "a lady never reveals her age or weight" since those numbers could devalue her. Sad that we haven't gotten past it. For a complete 180 from that stance, I offer A Beautiful Work In Progress, by Mirna Valerio. She's a marathoner and ultra-marathoner who makes no apologies at all for her size.

Yesterday was a tough day in some ways. Nothing specific, just that I let the usual annoyances get under my skin so by the end of the day I was feeling very put-upon and unappreciated. It was quite the pity party. And when I got home, my new medical insurance cards had arrived, but they had the old plan number on them because of course they did. Which is a problem, because our PCP is in-network on the new plan but out-of-network on the old one. Plus, Mr. Bear was feeling lousy and so hadn't done anything in the dinner department (he's taken over the cooking chores since he lost his job). You already know where this is going. Follow the bouncing ball and sing it with me: We got a pizza. That's ok. One pizza (one half pizza, actually) isn't going to undo my progress or make me a bad Rebel. Onward. To quote @Tanktimus the Encourager, today is a good day.

Reciprocally stalking!

So sorry that UC messed up Logan's medication! Fingers crossed that it gets its act together immediately if not sooner.

That sounds like a lovely end to any day!

"Boy, I really don't want to [insert appropriate thing], but this one time, I will." "I don't want to [X], so I will for just 5 minutes." (then, once you're started) "Might as well finish now." "I'm building a habit of [X] and habits need consistency to develop, so I will even if I don't want to." Hope any of that helps!

It's so good to hear that Elsie finally received tribute, however delayed.

Aww, thanks, folks! You guys are going to make me blush.

New friends are always welcome! Apologies are never needed. Hijack away.

That worked, thank you!

That soup looks AMAZING. The recipe link won't load for me, though. *sad eyes*

Dinner and your meal plan look delicious! And with the way you're feeling, more than enough effort for the day. Now go back to bed and get more rest!

Oh, how I dearly love a good nap. And it's just the thing when you're fighting off the last dregs of whatever plague is going around. Good to hear you're feeling better!

Welcome to you both! To be fair, she used that sort of language only when speaking of her own weight, not when talking about weight issues in general. I wasn't sure if she thought she was being self-deprecatingly funny or if she didn't realize how it came across. Or even if I'm just too sensitive to that sort of language. And overall, it was a tiny portion of the book so I'd not recommend anyone avoid it on that basis alone. On to the Week One/Zero/Whatever Update. Note: I started my challenge on Tuesday, 1/2, so this is a 5-day week. Eating Keto: 4/5. On Saturday night, I really wanted some ice cream so I thought I'd try some Halo Top (chocolate mocha chip). I figured it was an okay compromise because while not totally low-carb, at least the total calories would be lower than typical ice cream. While I found it tasty, let's just say that eating the whole pint was not the best choice....It seems my digestive system doesn't agree with so much sugar alcohols, and I still don't feel great today. No Light Armor point for this week. Bodyweight Exercises: 5/5. I've been doing the Darebee's Foundation program, which is 30 days of low-impact calisthenics. Each workout has 4-5 exercises which are done back-to-back with 2 minutes of rest between each round. It has been eye-opening. One the one hand, I feel like such a short, easy workout (especially since I've been doing the Level One three rounds) couldn't possibly have any impact. There's that good ol' all-or-nothing mindset again. On the other hand, the exercises might be "easy," but I can't always do a full set without stopping, and sometimes I have to modify even the "easy" exercises to do them at all. Plus, I notice the effects throughout the day. Not really DOMS, but just that slight fatigue in the exercised areas that lets me know that my body knows it did something that morning. So, yeah, those little "bites" of exercise just might be what I need right now, at this moment in time. One point each for Blade and Acrobatics. Walking Daily: 5/5 There were a couple of days where I went for two walks; one on a break, and a longer one during lunch. I'm enjoying being outside and moving around more, and start feeling antsy if I can't get outside during the day. One Athletics point. Gratitude Journaling: 3/5 I'm still finding my way with this one, but that's still an improvement over last challenge. No Restoration point, however. Overall, I feel like I'm off to a really good start! Here's to momentum. Thank you for your compliment! And that particular section really hit me. Between hitting one of my own landmark birthdays and seeing how my parents and in-laws have aged, it has me thinking a lot about the body I want to carry me into my final years. And what IS the point of trying to prolong life if it only prolongs decades of misery and dependence? I don't want to "live well into my 90s," I want to "live well, into my 90s." (Actually, I want to live a lot longer than that but only if I'm not sick and immobile while doing it!) And what am I doing about it now?? These are the thoughts going through my mind these days.

I just started reading it this morning, and am interested in seeing where it goes. I'll post about it in my thread after I've got a better idea of what the authors' approach is. I don't want my skepticism to .... well, "contaminate" is too strong a word, but something like that ... Tank's thread, especially since he's finding it useful already.

Please, let us know how it goes and what does/doesn't work for you! I struggle with meal planning, too - maybe I'll add it to the next challenge - but in my case, the planning is the challenging part. And now I must know - what are deconstructed samosas?

Oh, dear. You have my deepest sympathies - that is just so young for a disease like this.

This is also true. When visiting the MIL, we went out for lunch. I chose a French Dip sandwich because stress-comfort-eating and it's my favorite sort of sandwich. I got a salad instead of fries so at least I cut out those carbs, but was still bummed about eating so much bread (while still choosing to eat it...shut up, brain). I'd taken a bite or two when it dawned on me....I scooped the meat out of the second half, plopped it on the first half that I'd started and had an extra-thick half French Dip sandwich. Still not perfectly keto, but a waaay better than the whole thing with fries.

I've heard great things about the Pentel Hi-Tech Cs, but I just can't drag myself away from the Uni-ball line. I like their .5 Vision Needle rollerball for regular writing and journaling, and the gel .38s, along with a Platinum extra-fine (which I think is .25mm?) fountain pen for my hobonichi. Which I discovered from one of your challenges way back, so thank you again! Too true. And while I doubt that the writers meant it that way, I found a certain legitimate point in the way the movie handled Eddie's "gratitude practice." Superficial gratitude isn't gratitude, it's going through the motions and making a checklist. Gratitude is something I do need to practice more, so I'll find a way to make it work.

I just finished reading Older, Faster, Stronger by Margaret Webb. The book is about the author's attempt to become "super-fit" at the advanced age of 50, which she defined as qualifying for the Boston Marathon - with a time that would qualify an 18-30yo woman - and being on the podium for her age class at the World Masters Games half-marathon in Italy. To accomplish this, she bartered with a nutritionist/personal trainer to trade writing advice for nutritional and training advice (this nutritionist is clearly Paleo-ish, and the chapter where she tells Webb, a conventional-wisdom long-distance runner, to give up grains and legumes is hilarious - a major freak-out ensued). She also used her running and writing credentials to interview a number of sports and aging researchers who are studying the world's elite elderly athletes, and was able to meet and train with several of these very athletes. The book was entertaining and mostly interesting. There were some parts where IMO she spent too much time talking about the "women's running boom" that started in the 70s and tying it into feminist movement happening at the same time, and then doing the same with "the new resurgence of women's running" and the second (or are we now on the third?)-wave feminist movement. It read to me like she was trying to make it bigger than just one person getting in better shape, and justify participating in such a time-consuming and sometimes expensive hobby - which should need no justification in the first place. And for such a staunch feminist, she sure uses the language of body shame. When relating her weight struggles she never just gained weight, she "larded on 8 pounds" here and "packed on the lard" there. Every time I came across a "lard" reference, I wanted to smack my belly and shout in my best redneck-truck-driver-stereotype voice, "I gotcha lard right here, bitch!" She even, with great difficulty, admitted that her weight had reached a high of ... wait for it ... 140 pounds! I'll pause for y'all to un-clutch your pearls and wave your smelling salts. Please continue when you've regained your composure. Yes, that was snarky, even for me. Yes, I know that 140 pounds is probably heavier than a 5' woman would like to be, especially a marathoner. But, really? When I read that "admission," I imagined it being said in the kind of hushed, shame-choked whisper of an addict admitting that she'd sold her baby's formula so she could buy heroine. But overall, I'd recommend the book to anyone who is interested in long-distance running or being athletic in later life. One thing really struck me, so strongly that I had to write it down and post it where I can see it daily. She was attending an aging conference in San Francisco. Most of the attendees were well-heeled folks in their later years, all looking for the fountain of youth. The "fountain" that all of the presenters gave them - eat well and exercise - was not the answer they wanted. Webb's comment: "I couldn't understand their desire to live longer when they didn't seem interested in living stronger and more fully in their bodies now."

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this too, it sure is not easy. I misspoke when I said "early-onset," I should have said "early stage" as mine's 84 as well.

Take it easy until you feel better, please! I suggest chicken soup with a little (or more) cayenne or habanero powder. Easy on the system and the chili kick opens those airways right up.