working out for Disney

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I did my last workout for a month today. It was a leg workout.

They called at one pm today to tell me I need to be at the hospital at 11:30 AM. I have to stop eating and drinking at midnight. I have to remember not to have my 2 glasses of water upon waking up and no coffee. Ugh.

Then, at 4:10, the surgical coordinator called me to ask if I'd made my pre-payment. I was like, HUH? She said someone from the hospital called her saying I hadn't paid and they will need to cancel my surgery. This was the first I'd heard of it. So, she made me call the hospital. They wanted $1008 right there and I said no. Then he came back with $854. I was irate bc you just don't drop this on someone less than 24 hours from surgery. Your inability to contact me in a timely manner is not my problem. Sort your stuff out. I wasn't sure we had that floating around this month, since I hadn't budgeted for it. The surgery coordinator told me to call her back if I had issues. She was going to be in until 4:30. I called at 4:22 and it went straight to voicemail.

Then my surgeon called because he wanted to know how I was doing and if I had anymore questions. I told him what was going on, because I wasn't sure if my surgery had been canceled. Since I told the guy on the phone I did not have that money right then and there. He was very sympathetic. My doc told me to call the coordinator in the AM and that he would wait until 10 AM before cancelling. He said we can reschedule for another time if we had to and it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not rescheduling. We're doing this tomorrow.

I do have the money. I am asking the coordinator who to call to provide feedback. This is unacceptable and they need to be aware this happened. I was already anxious and dropping this on me so soon before my surgery sent me over the edge. I spent all week Spring cleaning my bedroom so I would have somewhere cheery and nice to recover, I bought foods that will be easy to eat and I made peace with the fact that recovery is going to suck, but it will be short-lived. Doing these things made me feel better about it all and then this idiot threatens to cancel my surgery via my surgical coordinator. It feels like a set back.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Hello-

I did my last workout for a month today. It was a leg workout.

They called at one pm today to tell me I need to be at the hospital at 11:30 AM. I have to stop eating and drinking at midnight. I have to remember not to have my 2 glasses of water upon waking up and no coffee. Ugh.

Then, at 4:10, the surgical coordinator called me to ask if I'd made my pre-payment. I was like, HUH? She said someone from the hospital called her saying I hadn't paid and they will need to cancel my surgery. This was the first I'd heard of it. So, she made me call the hospital. They wanted $1008 right there and I said no. Then he came back with $854. I was irate bc you just don't drop this on someone less than 24 hours from surgery. Your inability to contact me in a timely manner is not my problem. Sort your stuff out. I wasn't sure we had that floating around this month, since I hadn't budgeted for it. The surgery coordinator told me to call her back if I had issues. She was going to be in until 4:30. I called at 4:22 and it went straight to voicemail.

Then my surgeon called because he wanted to know how I was doing and if I had anymore questions. I told him what was going on, because I wasn't sure if my surgery had been canceled. Since I told the guy on the phone I did not have that money right then and there. He was very sympathetic. My doc told me to call the coordinator in the AM and that he would wait until 10 AM before cancelling. He said we can reschedule for another time if we had to and it wouldn't be a problem. I'm not rescheduling. We're doing this tomorrow.

I do have the money. I am asking the coordinator who to call to provide feedback. This is unacceptable and they need to be aware this happened. I was already anxious and dropping this on me so soon before my surgery sent me over the edge. I spent all week Spring cleaning my bedroom so I would have somewhere cheery and nice to recover, I bought foods that will be easy to eat and I made peace with the fact that recovery is going to suck, but it will be short-lived. Doing these things made me feel better about it all and then this idiot threatens to cancel my surgery via my surgical coordinator. It feels like a set back.

That stinks that they dropped that on you so late, something similar happened to a friend of mine recently. I hope you are able to have the surgery today and that everything goes well.

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

Today is my first day post-op. Honestly, the recovery hasn't been that bad. I did have a horrible night's sleep because I have to sleep elevated, but I only need to do that for another night or two. But I expected that. I also don't know if was the saline or what, but I had so much water retention and I was up all night getting rid of it. I didn't have my surgery until 2:30 PM, which is not fun when you haven't eaten or drank since 9 PM the previous night. My husband stayed with me until they wheeled me into the OR and then he went home. We live only 5 mi away from the hospital, so it's stupid to sit around in the waiting room for 4 hours. He picked me up, had a bit to eat and I stayed up until 10 pm watching TV downstairs. He surprised me with a bottle of zero proof rum.

I asked my ENT about empty nose syndrome and he told me that was extremely rare and that there is awareness about it, so surgeons have adjusted their techniques accordingly. He called my husband when he was done with my operation and told him I still had an active sinus infection and that my right sinus was filled with pus. (I hope once this is cleared, the fatigue I had will go away.) He put medicated packing in there I have splints in my nostrils to help my septum set properly. I have this strap that goes behind my ears that keeps surgical packing under my nose for drainage. Callie is unsure about me. lol

The pain hasn't been bad at all. I don't know if this is normal or if I still have anesthesia in my body. I am alternating between Advil and Tylenol. I have Oxycontin JIC, but I was advised to take it was an absolute resort. I can't breathe through my nose at all. I could last night, right after surgery but I think the swelling from surgery has set in. It feels like a bad cold where you can't taste anything and my ears pop when I swallow.

I am really glad I set my room up for this I had a cool-mist humidifier and a bottle of water on my bedside table. I changed my sheets before I went to the hospital (I usually do on Thursdays) and I had a tin of vaseline lip balm, since I am breathing out of my mouth.

And because 2026 isn't done with me yet, I got a jury service summons in the mail.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

These leggings are adorable.

They have so many fun options. Shipping can take a bit but it is a small business that I believe is run entirely by women. So, I like that I'm supporting something other than Amazon. I got the leggings below for the races coming up. I'm particularly fond of the Lucky Charms marshmallows because I like silly and whimsical but the fireflies are very pretty.



I'm not normally one for graphic tees and tanks but these two spoke to me and will likely be part of my race attire. The first one I got in turquoise and it seems to match the fireflies. The humerus one, while Halloween technically, can work year round and I may just put it with the marshmallows to poke fun at myself for the silliness. It was better than any of their Magically Delicious tanks.



I also got these because Sam's school is the Panthers and our colors are black and green.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I don't go to Trader Joe's as much as I used to bc I don't have the patience for their parking lots (and I would buy too much snack-y stuff), I've never tried their extra lean ground beef. My husband bought a quarter of a cow and it's grass fed. I can't stand the way it smells when it's cooking or the flavor. So, I go out and sneak a pound of ground beef here and there. I might have to endure the universally inadequate parking lot to try it. My husband bought these Thai Yellow Curry flavored potato chips I wish he hadn't...and I am who can take or leave chips.

Our Trader Joe's is right next to the Planet Fitness I frequent, so I usually pop in after a workout. I've been pretty good about skipping the snack stuff and focusing on their more healthful options. That's so funny that you say that about the beef. Years ago, we purchased a steer at auction with a friend and split the meat. We got tons of ground beef. Now, this was some kid's FFA project, so this thing was fed the very best. The steaks and such were fine but the ground beef smelled and tasted awful to me...to the point that I was buying beef from the supermarket. The chips sound interesting. Not sure those would call to me but you just never know with some things.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Hello-

Today is my first day post-op. Honestly, the recovery hasn't been that bad. I did have a horrible night's sleep because I have to sleep elevated, but I only need to do that for another night or two. But I expected that. I also don't know if was the saline or what, but I had so much water retention and I was up all night getting rid of it. I didn't have my surgery until 2:30 PM, which is not fun when you haven't eaten or drank since 9 PM the previous night. My husband stayed with me until they wheeled me into the OR and then he went home. We live only 5 mi away from the hospital, so it's stupid to sit around in the waiting room for 4 hours. He picked me up, had a bit to eat and I stayed up until 10 pm watching TV downstairs. He surprised me with a bottle of zero proof rum.

I asked my ENT about empty nose syndrome and he told me that was extremely rare and that there is awareness about it, so surgeons have adjusted their techniques accordingly. He called my husband when he was done with my operation and told him I still had an active sinus infection and that my right sinus was filled with pus. (I hope once this is cleared, the fatigue I had will go away.) He put medicated packing in there I have splints in my nostrils to help my septum set properly. I have this strap that goes behind my ears that keeps surgical packing under my nose for drainage. Callie is unsure about me. lol

The pain hasn't been bad at all. I don't know if this is normal or if I still have anesthesia in my body. I am alternating between Advil and Tylenol. I have Oxycontin JIC, but I was advised to take it was an absolute resort. I can't breathe through my nose at all. I could last night, right after surgery but I think the swelling from surgery has set in. It feels like a bad cold where you can't taste anything and my ears pop when I swallow.

I am really glad I set my room up for this I had a cool-mist humidifier and a bottle of water on my bedside table. I changed my sheets before I went to the hospital (I usually do on Thursdays) and I had a tin of vaseline lip balm, since I am breathing out of my mouth.

And because 2026 isn't done with me yet, I got a jury service summons in the mail.

I'm sorry that we went through that pre-ops nastiness over payment. We had something like that when Sam broke her thumb. I remember going in the morning of surgery, thinking that everything would be run through insurance first, she was already being prepped and I was being asked to fork over thousands on the spot. I swear...medical billing is an absolute disgrace.

Sleeping elevated is not fun but at least it's not an extended period of time. It also sounds like your ENT gave you some peace of mind for the concerns over empty nose syndrome. I think that active sinus infection is a sign that the operation was worth it to try and correct all of this. Recovery is never fun but in time, you'll be back to you...hopefully, even better (from a nasal standpoint). I'm sure Callie can also smell that it's you even if visuals are throwing her.

That's good that the pain hasn't been bad so far. If you can manage with Tylenol and Advil, even better. Hopefully the bad cold feeling will soon subside.

Oh man...jury duty on top of this!?!??!?

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I keep starting posts to check in and keep getting sidetracked. So, if you're reading this...it means I actually made it through to the end!

I had a fun non-scale victory last week. The scale is simply not budging. The last weigh-in, I was at the low end of the 5lb flux range I've been in since just before Christmas. That being said, the jeans I bought around that time that buttoned/zipped but were horribly uncomfortable and gave me an unsightly muffin top now fit perfectly. I haven't been dragging out the measuring tape as much, but this says my hips/waist/posterior/etc. are several inches smaller even though the scale says otherwise.

I've really just been consistent. I don't change up a ton aside from routes, mileage, and alternating days at the gym. I think I've learned that for me, consistency is really the key. I may push myself faster/farther on a walk/elliptical/bike session or boost my weights/reps/difficulty of position, but that's really about it. With that in mind, I decided to break out my old Garmin to get some legitimate data on my pacing and distance since I don't always trust my mapping tool or the math factoring into the pacing website I've been using with my manual data. The bad news...the old Garmin cannot be trusted. I bought it in 2019, not realizing that it was a late 2017 model. So, it's nearly 9 year old tech. I invested in a new one and took it out on its first walk today, while pushing myself at a potential race pace. The distance came in just a hair over my mapping tool...so that's at least pretty accurate (6.10 miles vs. 6.13). My pace is actually faster than I previously believed. I thought I was hovering just below a 15 minute mile, but it turns out I'm closer to 14. Today's effort was an avg pace of 14:05, with my fastest couple of miles being 13:47-13:49. I have a 5k this weekend (assuming we don't get rained out) and I'm debating about pushing myself vs. a relaxing walk...knowing I have to go home or to the gym to get in at least another 3 miles to keep with my minimums.

Life is all over the place right now, so I won't take you on a bunch of tangents. Work is crazy, softball feels normal and yet crazy depending on the angles, K is coming home for break soon with friends in tow and a new guy I may get to meet, Sam has so much going on at school including testing today (fingers crossed she does well), and so on and so forth. I will say that with us being warmer, my walks have been pretty fun for wildlife. I've had two really cool snake sightings in the last couple of weeks. Not sure who is phobic, so I won't share video unless asked but I encountered an adult copperhead a couple of weeks ago and just yesterday, I was super excited to come across a really beautiful eastern hog-nosed. They are a big favorite in my snake ID group because they are the drama queens of the snake world. It gave me it's best cobra impression when I approached and then a nice little death scene as I tried to move it off the path so it wouldn't get run over by bike traffic.

 

[Sans Souci]

They have so many fun options. Shipping can take a bit but it is a small business that I believe is run entirely by women. So, I like that I'm supporting something other than Amazon. I got the leggings below for the races coming up. I'm particularly fond of the Lucky Charms marshmallows because I like silly and whimsical but the fireflies are very pretty.

View attachment 909443View attachment 909447

I'm not normally one for graphic tees and tanks but these two spoke to me and will likely be part of my race attire. The first one I got in turquoise and it seems to match the fireflies. The humerus one, while Halloween technically, can work year round and I may just put it with the marshmallows to poke fun at myself for the silliness. It was better than any of their Magically Delicious tanks.

View attachment 909438View attachment 909439

I also got these because Sam's school is the Panthers and our colors are black and green.

View attachment 909449

This stuff is so cute. Where is it from?

 

[Sans Souci]

I keep starting posts to check in and keep getting sidetracked. So, if you're reading this...it means I actually made it through to the end!

I had a fun non-scale victory last week. The scale is simply not budging. The last weigh-in, I was at the low end of the 5lb flux range I've been in since just before Christmas. That being said, the jeans I bought around that time that buttoned/zipped but were horribly uncomfortable and gave me an unsightly muffin top now fit perfectly. I haven't been dragging out the measuring tape as much, but this says my hips/waist/posterior/etc. are several inches smaller even though the scale says otherwise.

I've really just been consistent. I don't change up a ton aside from routes, mileage, and alternating days at the gym. I think I've learned that for me, consistency is really the key. I may push myself faster/farther on a walk/elliptical/bike session or boost my weights/reps/difficulty of position, but that's really about it. With that in mind, I decided to break out my old Garmin to get some legitimate data on my pacing and distance since I don't always trust my mapping tool or the math factoring into the pacing website I've been using with my manual data. The bad news...the old Garmin cannot be trusted. I bought it in 2019, not realizing that it was a late 2017 model. So, it's nearly 9 year old tech. I invested in a new one and took it out on its first walk today, while pushing myself at a potential race pace. The distance came in just a hair over my mapping tool...so that's at least pretty accurate (6.10 miles vs. 6.13). My pace is actually faster than I previously believed. I thought I was hovering just below a 15 minute mile, but it turns out I'm closer to 14. Today's effort was an avg pace of 14:05, with my fastest couple of miles being 13:47-13:49. I have a 5k this weekend (assuming we don't get rained out) and I'm debating about pushing myself vs. a relaxing walk...knowing I have to go home or to the gym to get in at least another 3 miles to keep with my minimums.

Life is all over the place right now, so I won't take you on a bunch of tangents. Work is crazy, softball feels normal and yet crazy depending on the angles, K is coming home for break soon with friends in tow and a new guy I may get to meet, Sam has so much going on at school including testing today (fingers crossed she does well), and so on and so forth. I will say that with us being warmer, my walks have been pretty fun for wildlife. I've had two really cool snake sightings in the last couple of weeks. Not sure who is phobic, so I won't share video unless asked but I encountered an adult copperhead a couple of weeks ago and just yesterday, I was super excited to come across a really beautiful eastern hog-nosed. They are a big favorite in my snake ID group because they are the drama queens of the snake world. It gave me it's best cobra impression when I approached and then a nice little death scene as I tried to move it off the path so it wouldn't get run over by bike traffic.

Yeah, I think when you reach a certain point in weight loss, the scale isn't the best measure of progress.

That's funny about the snake playing dead. I didn't know they did that. lol We have a lot of trees in our backyard and the first Fall after we moved it, my husband went out the rake leaves. He came in and told me he came across a rattle snake and it had rattled and hissed at him. I thought he was messing around, so I looked it up on my phone--one type of rattlesnake exists in NJ. I think it's a Timber Rattlesnake.

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I am 1 week post op and I feel so much better. I am breathing through my nose again. The first 3-4 nights were the worst and that is only because of poor sleep quality. I never needed anything other than Advil and Tylenol for pain. I woke up on the 4th day post-op and I felt a big shift for the better in how I felt. That was also the day I got my splints removed. I thought I was just going in for a post op look and splint removal, so when he pulled them out, I thought that was it. No, I had to endure "sinus debridement". He never mentioned this to me at anytime and I read every post op instruction given to me. Even though he numbed me up, it still hurt. He struggled to remove something, so was he scraping around my rt sinus. Then when he did find it, he felt like he had to stop what he was doing and show me. It was not necessary and I told him not to show me. I just hate this part so much, because I was reclined pretty far back and he was up well into my personal space. I was white knuckling the arm rests and sweating. I have to go back next Tuesday, but he told me to increase my sinus washes, both amount and frequency. I am hoping this will help and he won't need to be scraping around my sinuses.

I am going to go on my first walk since my surgery in a bit. It's not going to be far because I need to be watch my heart rate for now. It will probably be another 3-4 weeks before I can return to my old workouts. I am hoping my energy returns. I was so fatigued before my surgery and I really had to downgrade my workouts. Now I realize it's because I had a raging sinus infection. So, I am on my 4th round of antibiotics since mid-December.

But the best part is, the weather has been damp and rainy here most of the week and I have had no sinus pain, zero. Usually when it's like this, I am taking Advil like it's going out of style and I'm watching the clock until I can take the next dose. No post nasal drip! No waking up in pain at 3 AM because of post nasal drip collecting in my sinuses, so I have to sit up to relive the pressure. I have been self-managing this for decades bc I thought this was just how I was built.

It was absolutely worth it.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

This stuff is so cute. Where is it from?

It's an online store called Constantly Varied Gear (CVG).

Constantly Varied Gear Official Store | CVG: Workout & Gym Clothes

Shop Constantly Varied Gear for bold workout clothes and gym leggings for women. Discover squat proof leggings with pockets, sports bras, workout shorts, workout shirts, and activewear designed for lifting, running, yoga, and everyday wear. CVG is performance gear that stands out and supports...

www.constantlyvariedgear.com

It came up as a recommendation for me because a Disney runner friend and coworker likes them. It's one of a handful of recommendations I've seen from her run gear, but they stood out because of the fun patterns. It's a small business run by a number of women...in Rhode Island, I believe. Shipping can take a bit longer than going through big name brands or Amazon but the quality is very good and I like that it's something beyond the more generic basics. I also like how they handle sizing. They have a number of real women in varying body types who work for them model the various pieces in each pattern. They go as far as providing these women's dimensions so you can compare yourself when it comes to sizing vs. using a basic chart (which they have that too).

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Yeah, I think when you reach a certain point in weight loss, the scale isn't the best measure of progress.

That's funny about the snake playing dead. I didn't know they did that. lol We have a lot of trees in our backyard and the first Fall after we moved it, my husband went out the rake leaves. He came in and told me he came across a rattle snake and it had rattled and hissed at him. I thought he was messing around, so I looked it up on my phone--one type of rattlesnake exists in NJ. I think it's a Timber Rattlesnake.

It's tough though since I feel like we spend so much of our lives focusing on that number and now there are so many other factors that could make that number be less relevant.

I think that trait is specific to the hognose but a number of nonvenomous snakes developed defense mechanisms to mimic their more dangerous cousins. I think it's bull snakes and rat snakes that will try to rattle their tails and puff up their girth to mimic a rattlesnake. Hognoses have hood-like heads similar to cobras, so they give a cobra impersonation before playing dead. I saw a little Dekays Brownsnake on Saturday and even he gave me a bit of a rattlesnake impersonation. Timbers scare me though. They are big and they blend into their surroundings so well. Thankfully, the one your husband encountered rattled. Most venomous snakes, especially adults, do not want to waste venom on something they can't eat. So, they're more likely to warn and bluff/dry strike. Still, nobody wants to find out the hard way either.

I would share pics of my recent encounters but my Facebook friends have informed me that too many people are fearful and that I should not just be posting snake pics and videos. Me...on the other hand... thought the hoggie was gorgeous and too stunning not to share. The DeKays was just a cute little guy and was a lesson on how that little twig might not be a twig. And...well...the copperhead was a note to how easily some of these snakes can blend in with their environment. i.e. more reason to stay on the trails.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Happy Monday! I'm starting to get a little antsy about the upcoming races, but I'm feeling pretty good, for the most part. I allowed myself a few more indulgences this past weekend because I need to be super clean all week and this weekend. In fact, I used puff pastry dough to make my own version of sticky buns with TJs cinnamon roll spread, golden raisins, candied pecans, honey, butter, and brown sugar. I also tested a number of their candies, including their Easter egg truffles.

Yesterday was my last hard effort before the first race on Saturday, but it was a tremendous confidence boost. I have been consistent with my daily walks and 5-6 days a week at the gym for ages now. Standing and shifting/dancing around at my desk for 90% of the day is now an every weekday thing. Putting a running watch back on was the start of the test to see where I'm really at but when it comes to distances, it's kind of like being in a live game or a performer going on stage. The only way to really know where you're at is a race setting. Now, I know a 5k is significantly different than a half marathon and a single half marathon is a different approach than back to back half marathons. Still, I did a 5k with Sam, her friend, and the friend's mom yesterday.

The mom is something like 6'1", played college basketball, was in the military, and has run NY, so it was a given that we were going to do our own thing. Which is fine. I'm a solo person when I walk so we can be sociable before and after the race. What's funny is I shocked her with my speed. I shocked myself. Based on my hard effort days walking at home, I was expecting a pace in the low 14s and to be finishing just under the 45 minute mark. I positioned myself at the back right at the start figuring everyone would start out hot in a full run...which was what happened. I just did my thing, but that thing was also what I normally do at home. If I see a walker ahead, I pick up pace and make it my mission to pass them and stay ahead of them. Well, here I am in a race and I suddenly had all kinds of people I could "take out." I quickly made it my mission to pass each and every single walker. I accomplished that within the first mile. So, my mission shifted to start passing the interval runners. I was following all of the proper racing course etiquette so it was just a matter of speed and what was driving me forward. I eventually hit a pocket of interval runners who were just fast enough to volley back and forth with me...except a couple of them would get very obviously frustrated when being passed by "the walker" and would almost immediately go into a run. They shifted into a full jog in the last 1/4 mile and made up some distance on me but I had so much gas left in the tank because I was still miles below my daily average that I was able to sprint the finish line .10 mile section and leg it out to pass them. Even when walking, I prefer to run the finish line. It's not my fastest 5k (that was back when I was interval running), but I actually think it's my third fastest overall and fastest as a walker. My overall pace was a 13.12 minute mile.

This week, it's easy pace walking, standard gym days, and some yard work that hopefully doesn't hurt more than help. We're towards the end of planting season and it was my goal to update a few of the beds. I have a bunch of bulbs arriving tomorrow. I plan to turn the soil over the next couple of days and plant by Thursday. I have a bunch of the giant elephant ears coming as well as giant hostas, canna lilies, Oriental lilies, and Asiatic lilies. My new shoes also arrived. I will not wear them for both races but I think they'll be my Saturday shoes. I plan to take a slower pace Saturday since the course will be open more than twice as long to accommodate the marathon. It makes sense since I'll be on my feet longer by going slower and stopping to soak in the scenery. My current model has been on sale because the newer version came out in early February, so might as well cash in while they still have discounted ones available in my size.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

Sharing a little midweek update with a victory, of sorts.

I had my annual with the doctor yesterday. For starters, it was a middle of the day appointment where I had already eaten a couple of times and had hydrated. The scale was right where I expected it to be...since I usually weigh myself early, totally fasted, often after I walk. By midday, I'm usually registering several pounds heavier. In any event, it was a victory to have the dr's scale be in line with my home results. She and I also talked about that number, the range I've steadily been in for the last 2.5 months, and BMI...as well as everything I'm consistently doing. She noted that unless I'm unhappy and would like to lose more, I'm in a much MUCH healthier place than I was a year ago and significantly healthier than 2 years ago. So, if this is happy and I'm able to do a lot of normal stuff within moderation without punishing myself, then I can just work on maintaining. Rather than recommending a dietician, it was noted that I've been maintaining for nearly 3 months now. So, it's just keep on doing what I'm doing and stick to what's been working.

Here's my only pain point with yesterday. I shared this news with David when I came home and he gave me a response that shows me how little he understands about any of this...and is probably why he hasn't made much in the way of progress. When I told him, he said, "So, now you can go back to eating and drinking normally?" Eating and drinking the way he sees is normal is part of what made me grossly unhealthy in the first place and is why he hasn't made much progress. Rather than point out that fact, I clarified that my current approach is my new normal. That my current nutrition and exercise is basically like the natural version of a person who needs to stay on a GLP1 for weight loss. It's just so frustrating that he still does not get it. Not that I expected much but it just defies logic to think a person is going to maintain their current health by going back to eating junk all of the time with excessive drinking in the mix. That approach is the very reason why so many people are yo-yo's. Hit goal and then go back to eating and drinking in excess. Sorry...venting.

I am planning to take it easier tomorrow so that I have a little more gas in the tank for race weekend. The only thing that might set me back is getting in some cleaning before K and her friends come into town. As it is, I turned a large flower bed and did some planting this week that has my back a bit angry with me.

 

[Sans Souci]

Here's my only pain point with yesterday. I shared this news with David when I came home and he gave me a response that shows me how little he understands about any of this...and is probably why he hasn't made much in the way of progress. When I told him, he said, "So, now you can go back to eating and drinking normally?" Eating and drinking the way he sees is normal is part of what made me grossly unhealthy in the first place and is why he hasn't made much progress. Rather than point out that fact, I clarified that my current approach is my new normal. That my current nutrition and exercise is basically like the natural version of a person who needs to stay on a GLP1 for weight loss. It's just so frustrating that he still does not get it. Not that I expected much but it just defies logic to think a person is going to maintain their current health by going back to eating junk all of the time with excessive drinking in the mix. That approach is the very reason why so many people are yo-yo's. Hit goal and then go back to eating and drinking in excess. Sorry...venting.

What did he say when you said this was your new normal? This is the truth about maintaining weight loss, sad as it may be. lol My husband has been on a GLP1 (Zepbound) since last summer and he tracks no food. He's been losing weight and he eats a lot of protein, but he still buys cookies, candy, chips, etc. Then he gets surprised that he hasn't lost weight in a while. He actually lost a decent amount of weight about 4-5 years ago through a tracking app, but he's such a stress eater. I don't feel like it's my place to ask why he's not doing that again, but his doctor put him on this unprompted. He has sleep apnea and Zepbound is indicated for that,

 

[Sans Souci]

Hello-

I had my second post op appointment AKA torture on Tuesday and he cleared me for all activity for Friday (yesterday)! I was surprised bc before I had the surgery, he said I was looking at minimum 3-4 weeks after surgery before I could do everything again. I asked him "I can do everything?" He said, "Everything, even pickleball," while making a pickleball stroke motion with this hand. lol I don't play pickleball, but I guess he assumed I did bc of my age. lol

So, yesterday I did a full body workout and went more slowly and used lighter weights than I would have just to see how I tolerated exercise. I had no pain or bleeding, so that was a positive sign. Today I did a leg workout. I am taking a break tomorrow, bc I am worried about pushing it. I am still not fully healed, my nose is still a bit tender if I go to rub it or bump it.

I've been walking a lot this week, too. It was so warm and this past winter was so brutal. I think this was the coldest winter I've seen since moving here--weekly snow storms, single digits highs. Ugh. But, it looks like we're post that. I have crocuses in bloom in my yard and my daffodils really grew this week, still no buds, but that should happen very soon.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

What did he say when you said this was your new normal? This is the truth about maintaining weight loss, sad as it may be. lol My husband has been on a GLP1 (Zepbound) since last summer and he tracks no food. He's been losing weight and he eats a lot of protein, but he still buys cookies, candy, chips, etc. Then he gets surprised that he hasn't lost weight in a while. He actually lost a decent amount of weight about 4-5 years ago through a tracking app, but he's such a stress eater. I don't feel like it's my place to ask why he's not doing that again, but his doctor put him on this unprompted. He has sleep apnea and Zepbound is indicated for that,

He just shakes his head. I don't understand what he doesn't get. It's completely illogical to think I can eat and drink like him and stay where I'm at. Honestly, I'm pretty angry today about all of it. I'm going to post about the weekend...which was very positive (if you don't factor him into the equation). I got home from race 2 yesterday. I had already eaten a burger at the race as well as a couple of protein bars, a banana, and had started to rehydrate. I decided to weigh myself and I was 2 pounds below the low end of the weight spectrum I've been in since December. That also means that I was probably even lighter after the race, before I started to refuel. I made mention of it and he got mad...like I'm not supposed to be losing any more weight. First off...I just raced and sweated out a ton, but secondly, that's not what the dr said. She said I could maintain if I was happy. I'm still above BMI, so I can also continue to try and lose if I want to get closer to that normal range.

Does the Zepbound at least help with the sleep apnea? I have a friend who was on that for weight loss and while she had results, I think she recently switched to a different one. Those meds can be tremendously helpful but it's not going to do everything you want it to if you still do chips and candy all the time. I'm all for enjoying things like that now and then but the meds just aren't going to help as much as they could if you don't work on the root cause. I also understand stress eating. I don't think saying anything would even help because it really has to be something he wants to do.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

While I did see the scale move after the second race of the weekend, this week's victory is different. It's not even that I completed back to back half marathons. I've done several standalone half marathons within time limits. I've even walked it a number of times lately just because I know I can. I've also done back to back mileage just to see if I could before signing up for this challenge. Maybe some was proving that I'm on the road to getting a full under my belt and may actually have it in me to do Dopey. Still, I think I found something stronger this weekend. This weekend, I got some respect from the racing community...respect that went beyond just doing the distance. Even bigger...this weekend I realized that I am capable of so much more with this than I previously imagined.

This weekend, I showed up as a self declared power walker. I knew where to start and what spaces to occupy as not to get in the way of faster people. I knew how to pass. I enjoyed myself. I sang along to the music. I did have moments where I threw in some arms and choreography. I was friendly and supportive to those around me. On day 1, I really was not planning on being race fast. I had the time of the full marathon to get it done, but something happened. My casual...I'm not putting that much effort into it pace...well...it was fast! It's kind of a paradox because it's still slow if I were running, but it's really fast for a walker. In fact, just like the 5k I did the week before, it's much faster than I normally walk in my daily walks...and those are already really fast (according to everyone I pass- and sometimes accidentally scare). I tried to slow down but I was so into it that slow became even faster. I was pretty pumped just by hearing my watch call out my pace into my headphones, but what started to happen next was incredible. The runners that had passed me at various points started to compliment me. We're talking 20-30 runners saying things like I'm an incredible walker. I even paced with a slower runner for a while who couldn't stop marveling at my speed...until I passed him! I made sure to cheer him on each time we passed during lap overlaps after that. Just like the 5k, I literally passed every walker, most of the interval runners, and was now passing all of the slower continuous runners. In mile 12, I ended up passing someone who was slowing down to walk for the first time. I ended up finishing before him. In fact, he wound up being parked next to me. He told me I was the fastest walker he'd ever seen. He just shook his head in awe, like he couldn't understand it. I thanked him, but I was already in a state of denial. The time on my watch was sub 3 hours. I have NEVER - not even as an interval runner, been that fast for a half marathon. I know my watch is pretty accurate, but I wanted to see my official time before truly celebrating. Still, I'll admit that I started to cry when I saw my pace and overall time according to my watch. I cried again when I saw my official time and pace were even faster. Even my splits were nearly even...like a 12 second difference.

I went into day 2 with Sam and her friend with me to run the quarter marathon. Day 2 had a different vibe. Maybe it's because the quarter marathon and 5k brought out a different kind of group. In fact, a woman called me over to show her husband my bib. He likes to hand out popsicles and she wanted to make sure he only focused on challenge 'runners' and maybe some of the single day half marathoners. She remembered seeing that I was one heck of a walker. I know it sounds kind of mean and elitist but in the same sense...I was being accepted as a legit distance athlete. The kid who collapsed because of the presidential fitness challenge mile is being accepted by runners. And this woman was fast...like placing for the marathon fast...and in an older age group than me! Day 2 was a struggle due to the warmer weather and higher humidity. I just wanted a respectable finish since I was on tired legs. I never expected to best myself...but I did. My second half marathon was 5 minutes and 12 seconds faster than my first! Seriously...I power walked a half marathon a day after walking another half marathon with a pace of 13:15 minute mile! Day 1 was a 13:39 minute mile. Oh, and that fast runner lady...she saw me a few times on the course and was all encouragement. On day 2, I finished 60th out of 172 and on day 1 I finished 95th out of 236. I'm just floored that I did this walking! I am never this fast in my training walks. I'm thinking consistency and all of the hill work I've been doing...just because it's fun (as well as hard core leg/hip/glute work) is paying off. This was a trail race in warm conditions, so now I'm starting to wonder what I could do in a road race in cooler temps.

While Sam was not impressed with it...she finished second in her age group for the quarter and got a special pin. She refused to get up on the podium to accept.

Oh, the tops I bought from that one shop are not good for racing. They are not moisture wicking, so I was pretty miserable. The one yesterday even caused me to chafe. The legging were at least great. Oh...and I got glitter...LOTS of glitter. We're going to be finding it around the house for years.

 

[Sans Souci]

He just shakes his head. I don't understand what he doesn't get. It's completely illogical to think I can eat and drink like him and stay where I'm at. Honestly, I'm pretty angry today about all of it. I'm going to post about the weekend...which was very positive (if you don't factor him into the equation). I got home from race 2 yesterday. I had already eaten a burger at the race as well as a couple of protein bars, a banana, and had started to rehydrate. I decided to weigh myself and I was 2 pounds below the low end of the weight spectrum I've been in since December. That also means that I was probably even lighter after the race, before I started to refuel. I made mention of it and he got mad...like I'm not supposed to be losing any more weight. First off...I just raced and sweated out a ton, but secondly, that's not what the dr said. She said I could maintain if I was happy. I'm still above BMI, so I can also continue to try and lose if I want to get closer to that normal range.

Does the Zepbound at least help with the sleep apnea? I have a friend who was on that for weight loss and while she had results, I think she recently switched to a different one. Those meds can be tremendously helpful but it's not going to do everything you want it to if you still do chips and candy all the time. I'm all for enjoying things like that now and then but the meds just aren't going to help as much as they could if you don't work on the root cause. I also understand stress eating. I don't think saying anything would even help because it really has to be something he wants to do.

He has a CPAP machine so, I am not sure if it's working for that. I don't even know if getting off the CPAP is a goal. He has lost a lot of weight, though. I'll let him defer to his doc about maintenance. He is under a lot of pressure at work bc they keep jerking people around "There's going to be another round of RIFs." then "No, there are not going to be more RIFs. We never said there were going to be more RIFs." So, I do understand his stress eating. I want make it clear that I don't have a problem with these drugs. My concern is for what happens after he loses the weight and he needs to deal with his true hunger without tracking anything. I have been down this road with him before (losing weight without a maintenance plan in place).

Why does your husband care about losing weight? Is he worried about men looking at you? Or id he worried you're going to leave? Are you cooking food he doesn't like?

 

[Sans Souci]

While I did see the scale move after the second race of the weekend, this week's victory is different. It's not even that I completed back to back half marathons. I've done several standalone half marathons within time limits. I've even walked it a number of times lately just because I know I can. I've also done back to back mileage just to see if I could before signing up for this challenge. Maybe some was proving that I'm on the road to getting a full under my belt and may actually have it in me to do Dopey. Still, I think I found something stronger this weekend. This weekend, I got some respect from the racing community...respect that went beyond just doing the distance. Even bigger...this weekend I realized that I am capable of so much more with this than I previously imagined.

This weekend, I showed up as a self declared power walker. I knew where to start and what spaces to occupy as not to get in the way of faster people. I knew how to pass. I enjoyed myself. I sang along to the music. I did have moments where I threw in some arms and choreography. I was friendly and supportive to those around me. On day 1, I really was not planning on being race fast. I had the time of the full marathon to get it done, but something happened. My casual...I'm not putting that much effort into it pace...well...it was fast! It's kind of a paradox because it's still slow if I were running, but it's really fast for a walker. In fact, just like the 5k I did the week before, it's much faster than I normally walk in my daily walks...and those are already really fast (according to everyone I pass- and sometimes accidentally scare). I tried to slow down but I was so into it that slow became even faster. I was pretty pumped just by hearing my watch call out my pace into my headphones, but what started to happen next was incredible. The runners that had passed me at various points started to compliment me. We're talking 20-30 runners saying things like I'm an incredible walker. I even paced with a slower runner for a while who couldn't stop marveling at my speed...until I passed him! I made sure to cheer him on each time we passed during lap overlaps after that. Just like the 5k, I literally passed every walker, most of the interval runners, and was now passing all of the slower continuous runners. In mile 12, I ended up passing someone who was slowing down to walk for the first time. I ended up finishing before him. In fact, he wound up being parked next to me. He told me I was the fastest walker he'd ever seen. He just shook his head in awe, like he couldn't understand it. I thanked him, but I was already in a state of denial. The time on my watch was sub 3 hours. I have NEVER - not even as an interval runner, been that fast for a half marathon. I know my watch is pretty accurate, but I wanted to see my official time before truly celebrating. Still, I'll admit that I started to cry when I saw my pace and overall time according to my watch. I cried again when I saw my official time and pace were even faster. Even my splits were nearly even...like a 12 second difference.

I went into day 2 with Sam and her friend with me to run the quarter marathon. Day 2 had a different vibe. Maybe it's because the quarter marathon and 5k brought out a different kind of group. In fact, a woman called me over to show her husband my bib. He likes to hand out popsicles and she wanted to make sure he only focused on challenge 'runners' and maybe some of the single day half marathoners. She remembered seeing that I was one heck of a walker. I know it sounds kind of mean and elitist but in the same sense...I was being accepted as a legit distance athlete. The kid who collapsed because of the presidential fitness challenge mile is being accepted by runners. And this woman was fast...like placing for the marathon fast...and in an older age group than me! Day 2 was a struggle due to the warmer weather and higher humidity. I just wanted a respectable finish since I was on tired legs. I never expected to best myself...but I did. My second half marathon was 5 minutes and 12 seconds faster than my first! Seriously...I power walked a half marathon a day after walking another half marathon with a pace of 13:15 minute mile! Day 1 was a 13:39 minute mile. Oh, and that fast runner lady...she saw me a few times on the course and was all encouragement. On day 2, I finished 60th out of 172 and on day 1 I finished 95th out of 236. I'm just floored that I did this walking! I am never this fast in my training walks. I'm thinking consistency and all of the hill work I've been doing...just because it's fun (as well as hard core leg/hip/glute work) is paying off. This was a trail race in warm conditions, so now I'm starting to wonder what I could do in a road race in cooler temps.

While Sam was not impressed with it...she finished second in her age group for the quarter and got a special pin. She refused to get up on the podium to accept.

Oh, the tops I bought from that one shop are not good for racing. They are not moisture wicking, so I was pretty miserable. The one yesterday even caused me to chafe. The legging were at least great. Oh...and I got glitter...LOTS of glitter. We're going to be finding it around the house for years.

Congratulations! That sounds like an amazing weekend. I could never do two marathons in one weekend, let alone have such good placements. Are you going to run the Dopey next year?