Snark Infested Waters

I really should mix up my blog post writing time. Evening posts probably sound more worn out and tired than morning posts, when I'm still on a full tank of energy. At least most of the time anyway. Post coffee of course. At the moment my back hurts, I've been cleaning house for most of the day, and my kids are pushing the frustration level up to near mama-starts-shouting level. Not there yet fortunately, but close. The good news is, they're both in bed. I can hear them chattering away but at least they are tucked in for the night.

Yes, my back started hurting again a couple days ago after quite a spell without any back pain. It's that same lower back ache. My exercise and eating remain, hmmm, let's call it off. As in off routine, off plan - "plan" being redundant to routine because really there's no official plan, though maybe I should institute one soon. Heck, maybe I'll have to institute one if my weight keeps climbing. And why shouldn't it? I'm eating too much, moving too little. There's no funny science that can make that equal maintenance.

As if they're on to me I got an email from Weight Watchers about a new aspect to their program called Simple Start. It's not a new program, as I understand it (and that's important because I just skimmed the info) it's a new 2-week plan within the plan where they give you all your meals, etc (you can "skip" a meal and ask for an alternate) for two weeks as a way to get started or if you need a fresh start. I would be in the latter category. I need something to help me re-align in some department so I'm considering following it for two weeks. You know, just for kicks. Or, really, for a kick in the rump.

Ok, so enough about my slump. How about a few words on things that are going right? I got some exercise this weekend. I went on a nice long bike ride on Thursday. It was a bit chilly but I was riding along the coast and the beautiful views of the Pacific made up for my cold hands. Halfway through might have involved a stop for tea at a Ritz, which also helped balance the chill. I didn't take a single picture during the ride so I lifted a couple from the Ritz Carlton website to give you an idea of the surrounds. Most of the ride wasn't amidst landscaped lawns but the coast was just as beautiful the entire time.

 And here's the room where I had tea.

Lovely yes? I was in a big, leather easy chair by a fire. That was halfway through an out-and-back ride. It wasn't easy returning out to the then even chillier sunset air to ride back but no way in hell I was going to bag the ride and catch a cab back to my car. It was a leisurely ride but I don't want to discount the calories I surely burned. And the mental reinforcement of activity.

On Friday I actually stepped foot in a gym. I ran for two miles on the treadmill, which just about killed me, and then I did a random mix of weight training - some pushups, squats, planks, bicep curls, you get the idea - to say "hellooooo in there!" to my muscles. They let me know today how unpleased they are with the lack of attention they've been getting. In other words, I'm sore. But not so bad that I can't exercise tomorrow, which is on the agenda. My cold is almost completely gone and the deal-with-the-devil to ward off pneumonia seems to have gone through, so far no signs of that.

The other good thing I did was dump out the remainder of a 15-pound bag of M&Ms. Yes, I'm exaggerating on the size but it might as well have been 15 pounds and I was pretty much the only one eating them since Wednesday when my mother so kindly brought them over. I asked her why she got them, "it's your birthday." Oh right, thanks. But I shouldn't won't blame her, I'm the only one that chooses what goes into my mouth. And tonight I chose no more M&Ms. Now, the package of Ghiradelli chocolates is another story. Yep, it's all fun-house eating over here. Except, really it's not fun. Which I know. Sort of. No, I know. I do. But I'm in an amnesic state where I don't know what I do know. Or I'm pretending not to. Good Lord this is insane. But writing about all the mental gymnastics helps.

Anyway, the M&Ms went down the drain and I felt better for it. I was eating so many of them the sugar taste was sort of burning my throat but that didn't seem to be stopping me. I blame stress. And lack of exercise. And a sickness induced slump. And anything else I can blame because assigning blame removes the consequences of my behavior, right? Oh wait, no it doesn't.

Despite my snark-filled post I'm actually feeling somewhat hopeful. The exercise was good and while my muscles are super-weak, that's only in comparison to how strong they were. In comparison to before Michelle I've still got it. Ohhh, the kids are quiet. Ahhh, I think I'm going to light a candle and take a bath. My back could use it and so could my mind. And I'll feel ten times better after a bath and a good book than I would more chocolate.

One last note - I haven't been posting my weekly weights because of the Blogger snafu and how much of a pain it is. But I think I'll start a new Maintenance: Year 2 weight log as I've heard starting a new list fixes the snafu. Of course I'll leave the old one up for posterity. Or maybe I'll move it to it's own page so I don't end up with years of weight maintenance logs on my page. I'll always leave weight losing years of logs up - I know how much new readers get from seeing how my weight came off. I have been weighing myself, albeit not weekly like I should. And I haven't been getting to a WW meeting every week like I'd like to. Last time I checked my weight was 142 point something. Getting closer to 145 all the time. 145 = sound the alarm. As if it's not already blaring. But, lots of things I can do to get the fire started over here. And continuing to write here is one of them. So is self care, which means I'm off to draw a bath.