[Georges] Accountability supports my goals.

[Georges]

Sunday, Feb 15 (yesterday)

Rest day.  Sunday is my "for reals" rest day, since I work on the other one (Thursday).

Did NOT get a 3rd day off all my veggies and fruit.  In fact, I ate kind of badly.  Sigh.

I did remember my therapy light.

I did not get a whole lot done.

What I did get done was clearing out some junk from the sewing room and deconstructing three pairs of jeans that need mending.  Taking stitches out is slow, when you know you need to be able to keep the fabric as intact as possible.  I also did some laundry and made breadcrumbs and called my sister. 

Not a productive day, partly due to interrupted sleep, partly due to February.

 

Monday, Feb 16th

*Yawn*  More interrupted sleep.  But I did feel more rested in the morning than I have been feeling.

Worked.  Remembered my light.  Drank plenty of water, ate fruit and veg... might have been a little high calorie (fried eggplant for 2 servings), but probably averages out over the last few days.

I had to skip my first lifting workout since I started lifting MWF.  *Twitch, twitch*  Fasting bloodwork tomorrow morning, and exercise can skew the numbers, and if someone's going to stab me with needles, they'd better get accurate results, dammit.  Brushed my teeth early, and now it's just water for the next 12 hours (most of which will be spent sleeping).

I did get a call from their office to let me know that I should be able to get my rescue inhaler tomorrow, too. Hooray for breathing!

So, tomorrow looks like: doctory appointment, breakfast, bills & errands (including pharmacy), coloring my hair so I can stop feeling dumpy, housework, step aerobics class.  Should be good.

[Georges]

Tuesday, 17 Feb

 

Day was a bit more rough than I expected.

Blood draw went fine, but the whole morning was thrown off. 

Inhaler was expensive.  Apparently, it's too effing bad that the less expensive one would put me in the ER, they aren't covering the one I need until my deductible is met.

Bills and errands went okay, except that I had less money to try to pay bills with.

Time spent on the phone with the insurance company slowed down housework, so I'm only partly done with it.

Step class went a bit poorly - I didn't think the tiny amount of blood drawn was affecting me, until I tried to exercise. 

Hair color didn't happen, maybe it will later this week.

 

All in all, I'm feeling out of sorts and tired of being poor and tired of not having close friends nearby and tired of not being able to visit my family.

A rough day with food or exercise is an awful day, because nothing else in my life is going well except exercise and weight loss.

[Georges]

Wednesday, Feb 18

Better day, until the workout.

I don't know what's going on, but that was no good.

Picked up an iron supplement, in case that's it...Tuesday's blood draw shouldn't have been enough volume to matter a day later, unless I already had low iron going in, which is possible/probable. 

Anyway, tomorrow is a rest day, and then I'll see how Friday feels.

Did get fruit and veggies today, at least.

Had a 2nd protein drink after workout, because I was hungry and tired, and figured it might do more good than harm.  Also, I skipped ice cream, although that's more because it wasn't Cherry Garcia than it is because I have willpower.

[Georges]

Thursday, Feb 19 (yesterday)

Rest day.  Much needed, after Wednesday's failopolooza.

Worked, which was not restful.  Busy day, which was okay until the last 2.5 hours of fighting with accounting.

(actual accounting, not a department.  I guess I'm that department.)

Home, fried food, and lots of it.  No regrets.

 

So very much need today's workout to go well, so that there's one good one this week.

[Georges]

So, I hadn't actually noticed that the last challenge ended (until I saw today that the next one starts Monday).  I thought I'd revisit the last 7 weeks.

Sunday, 4 January 2015

I'm not doing a Challenge thread, but I like to think about goals in about 6 week chunks, so I started thinking about what my goals would be if I were doing one.

 - Weight.  I need to start losing some body fat. I'm tired of 0.0% in my progress bar.

 - Learning more lifting.  I haven't even started looking at overhead press, or really, anything beyond bench, squat, and deadlift.  Also, there's a whole new vocabulary set.

 - Add in my cardio.  Kettlebell is only 2 more classes, and it looks like it will be replaced with step aerobics.  Not sure yet if it will be more than once a week, but there's also treadmill and stationary bike options.

 - Budgeting.  I have poverty fatigue.  I have debts again.  I have a crappy income (40% cut in hours from last year :/ )  But Mr.Georges may have a raise and/or increase in hours this month.  I just wrote down the approx. amount of debt (excluding vehicle loan payment) and a Gold/Silver/Bronze set of goal amounts for Feb 15.

 

So, I'll probably check back with those at the end of the challenge, but I'm really more focused on battlelogging on.  If actions are producing results I want, I'll see if the structure of a challenge helps or hurts.

 

Jan 5th weight was 172.5, current is about 169, maybe a smidge under. ~3.5lbs lost (about half a pound/week)  So, today, I'm at 12% on my progress bar.

 

Got a lot more comfortable with my form on bench (still working on it), and happy with my squat and deadlift form.  Learned the press (OHP), still working on my form with it.  Learned lots of vocabulary, so I can actually follow threads/conversations about powerlifting.

 

Started step aerobics class, then added a treadmill day.  Tried the recumbent bicycle machine, but my knee didn't like it.  So, currently at 3 days of lifting, 2 days of cardio, 2 rest days.

 

Got caught up on monthly bills, and even met my 'gold' goal for reducing debt: $275 less (over the 7 weeks).

 

For the next 6 weeks, it's pretty much more of the same.

• Weight loss, eating more veggies, getting enough protein.
• Learning to power clean, getting happier with my bench and OHP form.
• Keeping up the cardio, maybe even getting to run outside...
• Keeping up with our bills, and whittling down that debt.

I'm also looking at

• stepping up my housework game
• seeing if my job can expand into a career
• car hunting
• sewing more

So, it's obvious to me that I'm going to have to prioritize a bit.

 

Anyway, that's where my goals are at these days.

[Georges]

Friday (yesterday) Feb 20, 2015

 

Worked, which included being gifted a piece of cake.  It made the accounting work tolerable (or maybe that was me getting used to it).

 

Worked out.

Basically re-did last Friday's workout, except that I deloaded on bench (! already?), but I got all my reps okay, and on deadlift, I kind of had to do 2x3 on my work set instead of 1x5.

Anyway, it was the first workout in a week that didn't suck.

 

Got my fruits and veggies.  Starting to feel like all I eat is fruits and veggies and protein powder, but that's obviously not the case (see cake above).

 

Saturday, Feb 21

 

Groceries, haircolor touch up (so tired of feeling dumpy!), time with Mr.Georges before he went to work.

 

Treadmill: tried to copy last week's workout, but I had to throw an extra 5 minute walk break in there.  Did a little less 15% incline walking (12 minutes instead of 15).  Next week I think I might do a steady run instead of intervals and walk breaks.

 

Working on veggies right now.  4 down, will hopefully snack on an orange later before bed.

 

Tomorrow: rest day, with lots of housework because I didn't do it today.

[Georges]

Sunday, Feb 22, 2015

 

Bad Day.

Got good sleep, remembered my SAD light, ate food, drank plenty of water, and still just feel too depressed.

I just looked back, because that's part of what a battlelog is for, and found that this seems to be a semi-regular thing on Sundays.

Maybe on a day that isn't a Sunday, I'll be able to figure out why or what I should do or whatever.

[Sloth the Enduring]

My wife gets the Sunday blues too.

 

Can you tell me about the SAD light?  How big a difference does it make for you?  My training log shows three Februarys in a row without anything worthwhile going on and I was thinking about giving it a try.

[Georges]

My wife gets the Sunday blues too.

 

Can you tell me about the SAD light?  How big a difference does it make for you?  My training log shows three Februarys in a row without anything worthwhile going on and I was thinking about giving it a try.

The light I have was gifted to me by a friend, so I didn't pick it out for any special qualities or anything.  It's by Phillips, called a GoLITE.  It's a little bigger than a CD case, but about 2" thick (in its case).  The light source is LEDs that are blue.  I think it's supposed to mimic the color of the sky, and give off wavelengths that one normally gets outdoors.  However, it doesn't have any UV light - which means no UV damage, and also means no UV-helps-us-make-vitamin-D benefit, either.  I take a Vitamin D supplement (but I only started that recently, well after noticing a difference from the light, but worrying about not getting outside ever).

 

I think if it wasn't a free light, I would have either a) never bought one, or waited until I could ask a doctor.  There are a lot of lights on the market, and I've read that they vary a lot in effectiveness, and it's pretty hard to do a controlled study on something like seasonal affective disorder.  I still have no proof that my results are anything other than a placebo effect, but I've felt a lot better this winter than last winter, so I'm not sure I care if it is.

[Georges]

Monday, 23 Feb

 

Worked & Worked out.

 

Morning had a rough start.  I had to do a dump run before work, because my crappy little car wouldn't have made it up the hill at the entrance (at least, not safely), so I needed to do it while Mr.Georges wasn't at his currently 45 hours a week job and during the limited hours the dump is open.  So everything was rushed, and I was still 5 minutes late to work, and brought no food.  Spent the entire workday trying to catch up.  On the up side, a busy day at work is a good thing, for the long term.

 

Ate between work and workout (limited time means microwave food...)

 

Workout was okay.  Missed reps on squat, but with better form than Friday.  Increased bench by 5 lbs and got all the reps, although I wasn't sure I would be able to.  Deadlifted Friday's weight, but without the pause-that-really-turned-it-into-2-half-sets.  Had to use mixed grip though.

 

Got a phone call from the doctor today with my bloodwork results.  Good news is that my cholesterol is great (as usual), and since she didn't mention my glucose level, I'm guessing that's fine, too (I'll double check at my upcoming physical, because I want a copy).  Bad news is that both iron and vitamin D are not okay.  So we'll have stuff to talk about at the physical. Yay?

At least the iron level confirms my suspicion after getting all woozy after the blood draw.  I was feeling a bit of a failure for last week's crap workouts, and a tiny bit worried that it could be something else/worse.  Because the ability to worry nonstop is yet another secret super power of mine.

[idealistinfire]

heyla, sorry I haven't checked in for a bit. I just wanted to let you know that I really admire that you post pretty much every day, no matter what. It helps when I'm having my bad days too, and I have fun cheering your high points, even if I'm not posting anything directly.

 

And the placebo effect is nothing to scoff at - if it makes you feel better, then it's working, right?

[Georges]

heyla, sorry I haven't checked in for a bit. I just wanted to let you know that I really admire that you post pretty much every day, no matter what. It helps when I'm having my bad days too, and I have fun cheering your high points, even if I'm not posting anything directly.

 

And the placebo effect is nothing to scoff at - if it makes you feel better, then it's working, right?

   My inner scientist cringes, but I honestly don't care if it's lightwaves or headology or voodoo, as long as I'm not feeling like I did last winter!

 

I've been pretty absent on the forums, except for my own thread, so I can relate to the cheering-but-not-posting!  I'm working on culling my less positive (non NF) internet time so I can be here more, and hopefully as that goes on, I'll be better at speaking up on other threads...  Sometimes, when I haven't commented in a while, I start thinking I have nothing anyone will care about reading, especially from someone who never comments... It gets to be a bit of a vicious circle.  And then I get a comment and remember how nice it is just to know that the support is out there!

[Georges]

Tuesday, Feb 24, 2015 (yesterday)

 

Day off from work.

Went for my physical, got a prescription for Vitamin D, some crazy high level dosage once a week that is supposed to get the level in my body back to normal levels.  Got a copy of my test results (although glucose level is missing, so I'll have to call and see if they actually tested that?) so I can nerd out over my numbers. 

Got the Vitamin D prescription filled.

 

Step Aerobics - better this week in that I didn't get woozy during class.

 

Cheap steak and spinach for dinner... even though history tells me that iron-rich foods don't really help me much compared to a supplement.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing if fixing my iron and Vit D is what it takes to get me back to a good level of energy.  I work and I work out, but I don't always feel like I get much else done in life.

[Georges]

Wednesday, Feb 25

 

Worked.  It was busy.  I'm feeling a little down about work, because I found out yesterday that there isn't really any chance of more hours in the near future, much less any career development.  I haven't decided what (if anything) I'm going to do about it.

 

Worked out.  It was busy.  I did deadlifts in front of the squat rack.

I got all my reps, for the first time since forever (or before my bloodwork).

Got 10 minutes walking on the treadmill... kind of really needed more, but whatever.

 

Got my five a day in, too.

 

Edit to add numbers from workout:

 

Squat

warmup

bar 2x5

75  1x5

105  1x3

workset

135  3x5

 

Press

warmup

bar  2x5

workset

55  3x5

 

Deadlift

warmup

135 1x5

workset

160  1x5

[Georges]

Thursday, 26 Feb

 

Worked (early start to run workerrands, busy all day)

 

Rest day.  Thought about going in to treadmill, even a brisk walk, but just not feeling up to it.

 

Got 5 fruit&veg, unwound with some netflix, remembered I need laundry.

 

Probably going to call it an early night.

[Georges]

Friday, 27 Feb (yesterday)

 

Worked, with a lot more things to get done than I really had time for.

 

Worked out.  Missed bench reps again at 85lbs.  Got all my reps for squats (still at 145) and deadlifts (still at 160, still mixed grip). Edit to add: tacked on a 25 minute treadmill walk, because I need to start getting some cardio (but don't feel up to running more than Saturdays).

Am just tired of feeling weak.  Stupid low iron.  (And vit D, although I have no idea if/how much that affects lifting.)

And kind of angry that there's nothing more I can do about it.  I eat foods with iron in them, and with vit D added to them, and I'm now on a prescription strength vit D supplement and an iron supplement.  Now I'm just supposed to be patient until I feel better/retest my blood.

 

Picked up some canned salmon at the grocery to try, although I might wait until I'm through my vit D prescription... I don't really know how much is too much...

[Georges]

Saturday, Feb 28

 

Had to go in to work (!) 3 hours earlier than my normal start time.  Did get 3.5 extra hours (not overtime) out of it.  My day is all thrown off, though.

Got to have lunch with Mr.Georges before he left for work.

Need to get ready to treadmill, actually go and treadmill, come home & wash up, and do the last bit of dishes (he did them before lunch) and some laundry...

and yes, I'm still feeling a little tired.  Need to be productive today, though, so I can feel notguilty about visiting my family tomorrow.

 

PM:

so. much. blisters.

[idealistinfire]

blisters?

[Georges]

I've been getting a little non-painful blistering when I run on the treadmill - they're on caloused skin, and there's plenty of skin beneath them, so even if I remove skin & drain them, they don't hurt while they're healing.  I think it's a little bit of a problem with my running form (feet are landing a little too forward of my center of gravity), mostly caused by not being used to using a treadmill yet.  This last Saturday though.... I got a blister in a new place, on my sole, but very lateral, near the widest part of my foot.  I don't even know why, unless it's because the fabric of my shoe is tearing there.  (Maybe there's some fraying or something that rubbed my foot?)  This one hurt. (And I got the usual painless ones, too.)

[Georges]

Sunday, March 1, 2015 (yesterday)

 

Real Rest Day.

Visited my parents.  Low key day, which was just what I needed.

Didn't really drink enough water, and didn't eat enough fruit and veggies, and snacked on candy, and had dessert, and it was just what I needed.

 

 

Monday, March 2, 2015

 

Worked, which was busy.  Busy enough that I didn't get everything done that I wanted to get done.

 

Worked out.  My recovery is still feeling like crap.  I couldn't get all my squat reps today.    I did get all my press reps and deadlift reps.  I've pretty much stopped increasing weight, though, until my next bloodwork.  Didn't really have time to treadmill.  It's kind of an excuse, because I could have done it and locked up behind myself, but I couldn't get excited about walking after missing reps because I'm run down.  I'm also tired of seeing every little nick and scratch I get linger for weeks when I know they should heal in days.

 

In an effort to add something positive... I noticed today on mfp that my weight has been 168.5 or less every day for a week, which means I can bump my progress bar from 12% to 13%.  And bills are still caught up.  And I had a good weekend.

[idealistinfire]

Sounds like we both hot what we needed (and wanted) this weekend.

I forget, but when was the last time you took a break (say, a week) from lifting?  If you're really struggling with lift form and improvement, maybe switching to a different workout style or just taking time to recover is needed.

[Georges]

Sounds like we both hot what we needed (and wanted) this weekend.

I forget, but when was the last time you took a break (say, a week) from lifting?  If you're really struggling with lift form and improvement, maybe switching to a different workout style or just taking time to recover is needed.

Yay for weekends that let us face the week!

 

I only really started lifting again in December (and switched to barbells in Jan), so I don't think I need a break yet.  I'm working through some crap with my doctor - low iron and vitD level so low it didn't really register on the test.  It's super frustrating, because all I can do is take the recommended supplements and wait.

[Georges]

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

 

Day off from work.

Spent a large chunk of the day arguing with my health insurance company.  Did not get what I wanted, but hopefully resolved the fact that money I spent isn't showing up as deductible being (partially) met.

Spent all that time "taking care of my healthcare" and none taking care of my actual self.... ate like crap today.

Also, got about half of the housework I wanted to get done finished.

 

Step Aerobics - good class.

Yoga - first of 8 classes (and first ever yoga class for me).  I think it went well.  I think I got a lucky combination of the right kind of class and the right kind of instructor.

 

In general, today was an anxious day.  I didn't have a good day, and really, the only part I enjoyed was gym time.

I took a look back to see if it's a Tuesday trend, and it might be.  The last couple of Tuesdays were a bit weird because of healthcare appointments, and there have only been 6 other Tuesdays since my work schedule change... but I think I'm seeing a trend where I take care of my food/water/light needs on workdays and kind of neglect them on my days off.  I'm also in the homestretch of making it through winter, and fighting poverty-fatigue, and a little down about a few of my goals and how they're (not) going.

 

Just some things for me to think over this week and keep an eye on.

[Georges]

Wednesday, 4 March

 

Better day.

Worked - hectic, still can't catch up paperwork.

Worked out - got all my reps - no failures!  Although I still may end up having to deload on squats to get happy with my form.

 

Not much else to note here - had kind of crappy (interrupted) sleep, still need to snack to get my 5/day, still wondering if I'm going to start feeling better soon (had my 2nd weekly crazyhigh dose of Vit D yesterday, and when I realized that my iron supplement is less than half the dose of the one I used to take, I decided to double it (Monday), so maybe I'll see some improvements between now and retesting).

[Georges]

Thursday, March 5, 2015

 

"Rest" Day.

Yet another hectic, busy work day.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to work late tomorrow or early on Monday to get caught up.

 

Sleep wasn't as bad as yesterday, but still wasn't great.

Got my 5-a-day.

Weight was high this morning.  Guts are not-quite-right this evening.  Probably will sort itself out.

 

This was the first Thursday in a while where I haven't felt like I needed a rest day way too much.  I'm going to take that as a first sign of improvement for my iron & vit D levels.  I'm not going to take it as the go ahead to add Thursday workouts, though.  Maybe after the follow up test (April 24), or maybe when I start feeling stronger in my lifting workouts.