Today was a MUCH better day.
I ran yesterday's scenario past my Male Co-Worker this morning -- not that I trust him, but because I think he has the most objective perspective and insights that I find really helpful.
He mentioned that this co-worker assistant is a Drama Queen. Her whole life is drama. There is ALWAYS something going on in her life that is bad/sad news. And whether it's intentional or not, she draws drama into the workplace. "She stirs things up" were his exact words.
This was SO HELPFUL. Once I realized that this is part of who she is and what she does - intentional or not - I realized that I have it within my own personal power NOT to allow myself to get drawn into her drama. So I did a few things:
My lunch walk was shorter today because I took lunch very late. Why do people think that lunchtime is a good time to call me? Hello, it's my lunchtime! But during my walk, all I could think about was Horn's GOOD advice: KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT AT WORK. Yes, and to this I want to add, for myself: STAY OUT OF OTHER PEOPLE'S DRAMAS.
My eating was on track today for the most part. At around 3:30pm, I wanted to go into the breakroom and snatch a few chocolate covered almonds, but couldn't because the downstairs clinic was having a staff meeting. This right there saved me probably 250 calories.
I left work at 5:30p which allowed me the time to take a walk after dinner, to make up for the short walk at lunch. So nice!
Now that my work issues are resolved - for now - I hope that I sleep better tonight. I haven't been sleeping as well the past 2 nights, and I do feel it.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
I woke up this morning feeling extremely anxious about my files at work. This set up my whole day for an epic fail.
My one co-worker, who has been an assistant to our associate attorney --- yes the one who stabbed me in the back --- for many years has decided today to start dictating what happens with that attorney's files. So rather than just forwarding the email to me to address, she sends it to our stupid intake assistant (the one who makes a million mistakes on every file she touches) to handle.
I told her, please do not have (Mistakes Girl) send out anything. Let's try to keep people working on a file to a minimum. It's bad enough that they're sending her settlement statements and closing confirmations.
Then she decides that she'll start preparing closing documents --- just out of the blue. No, please check with Male Co-Worker to make sure he's on board with that, because otherwise, he won't know what the hell is going on with the file when he gets it from me.
And on and on and on.... Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive, but we have a system, and she's not really following it. And that's a problelm for me, because I need to know what's going on with the file. I know Male Co-Worker doesn't care who does the work -- the less work he has to do, the better -- especially if it's not him. I just feel completely overtaken or trounced on by this assistant.
One added benefit of all this angst and anxiety: I took a longer walk at work, and I sure didn't feel like eating much today.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
I mentioned the volunteering to my son and he was quite receptive to it (surprisingly to me). Now let's see if he has the motivation to do something about it. Getting started is the hard part. I want him to do this on his own, not have me walk him through it. He mentioned that one of his instructors had mentioned about volunteering with dogs as a way to prepare himself, if being a dog handler is what he wants to do.
I was reading some posts in the groups on the FitBit boards. One guy was showing off (deservedly so) that he reached a personal best of over 100,000 steps in a day. He mentioned that he can easily get 60+ just at work, and that he can run 4 miles in like 25 minutes. Presuming he's telling the truth, and not clipping his FB to his dog, it got me thinking about how sedentary I am at my job. I know that when I buckle down to get emails cleared out, I can easily lose an hour or 2 of any activity. I started increasing my activity at work by printing at another printer that I have to walk more steps to than the one that I share with the attorney. I've also broken up print jobs, so that I print documents on the printers at opposite ends of the office. I take the mail out, I try to bring the mail in. I'll go downstairs to get something out of the refrigerator in the conference room.
If not for my efforts, I would not get in many steps at all! Yuck!
In my search for low-carb success, I came across a keto page through Facebook. I've been looking for a NO CALORIE sugar substitute. I love my saccharine (Sweet n Low) but I know that stuff is not good for you. And I don't like agave, which still has calories. And I cannot stand the taste of stevia -- way too bitter.
Anyway, I've been looking into sugar alcohols, and the keto page had receipies for Swerve, so I ordered some (to fill out an Amazon purchase), and I have to say... I don't like it enough to order it agan. It was quite expensive for what I got. It's not quite as sweet as sugar, so I have to use more of it.
And I haven't experienced the laxative effect that some folks have with using sugar alcohols. Either I'm not using enough of it (no, thanks) or I have a very stubborn GI tract. Not that I was looking for a laxative, but I appreciate anything that helps things move along smoother, if you know what I mean.
So I'll use it all up, but I'm still looking.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
i hope your son can do it on his own to set up the volunteering...if for some reason he doesn't i do think you'd have to go with him when is conveninent for you but i do agree that you should just try to motivate him with words and talk at home, before you actually and hopefully don't have to go with him...
100,000 steps is huge. he must have been traveling or touring!
I can't believe I'm about to write this, but I was actually praying last night for a weigh-in under 130 this morning. Such things are vaniety! And that's really not what praying is for! So I guess what I really meant is that I was praying for a little encouragement -- or at least asking for less discouragement, after the kind of week that I had at work. My prayers were answered, LOL...
I plan to relax this weekend. I have nothing on the agenda -- and as you may recall, this is kind of dangerous for me, because when I don't have anything to do, then I tend to get into trouble with eating too much. I'd like to get some outside walking in and I'd like to take my son shopping at the thrift store to pick up some shorts.
A few things to update on, that are not weight-loss related, but kind of are because I'm a stress-eater:
More to come...
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
I totally agree...tough love is in order. Our oldest got 2 football scholarships but chose not to use them. His best friend was going off to college in the fall.....right after sons high school graduation...he informed us he was taking the summer off before starting work...I thought D was going to have a stroke!!!!!!! he told him that now he was an adult and he would not be getting anymore summers off...that he would be either going to college and working summers or going to work 12 months a year....son was quite surprised!!!! Said "OH"....and went to start his apprenticeship......After 13 years of summers off and working at jobs as he wanted to like helping on area farms and in a egg factory...he figured the summer vacation thing was just going to continue. He started his carpenter apprenticeship...and moved out when he got engaged...he was 20 or 21 then. I also had all of the kids start doing their own laundry between the ages of 12 and 15. Since he is a legal adult...if he isn't paying you room and board...he can also be responsible for things like lawn, landscaping, snow shoveling etc...the older he gets and the longer he just lays around the house...the more entitled he will get.....he's a man now. We raised a couple of boys...and we had to teach them the ropes about adulthood....they don't always understand or want to do it all themselves...
i do hope he's still exercising and he might way to look at what is required fitness wise for what he wants to do so he isn't ill prepared (like i was).
i also crave weekends to relax after lots of activity and social events! i hope you enjoyed relaxing. it's something we do need, as i always agree with you especially if you are a person who enjoys your quiet time! that is important!
I do not know how anyone can say that they really love and appreciate the work that I do for their clients and then turn around and say, "I know she can be unaccessable or crabby sometimes..." WHAT?!? OMG... Well, fire me then, so that I can collect unemployment. My male co-worker says that I can't really let these things bother me. They've all happened to him and then are forgiven. Whatever. I'm unaccessable because the client needs to speak with an attorney and they are out, shopping, at the law library, having lunch at the title company, having lunch with the family, running errands, etc. If I sound crabby, well... I push. I push to get things done. Clients may not like that but I do what it takes to get the deal done. I'm not a counselor, I'm not an attorney, I'm not a fairy godmother with a magic wand.
Came home, ate dinner, loaded up the dishwasher, walk around the yard with my son showing him spots for tomorrow's mowing that need attention. Come back inside and it's 7:30p.
I stayed up too late on Tuesday because we had to take Daughter to the ER -- for nothing. Last night, the cat got all upset about a visting cat on our deck, so that woke me up at 3:27a. Then I figured I should go outside and get my purse out of the locked car because someone might just break in. Woke up EXHAUSTED. So 2 days at work where I'm running on empty before I even get started.
In all this exhaustion and craziness, I'm finding it very hard to just eat my way through everything. My male co-worker, who is under as much stress as I am, just grabbed a big bag of chips and started plowing right through it.
Now it's time to get ready for bed.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
I feel you on realizing you left something in the car that you can't live without and then being restless in the middle of the night because of it.
Good job making your son earn his keep by mowing. He can also play matchmaker... hook me and Molly up with any 40+ non-married vets, lol.
keep up the good work. on days when i'm tired, i am MUCH hungrier too. that's why i try to get sleep when i can.
i hope your daughter is ok? sound like she is :)
enjoy your weekend, it's here in a few hours for you.!!
i bet you were more tired due to houseguests...now you can decompress this weekend.
I'm still here, just too busy lately, mostly trying to catch up at work from the shortened work week.
The cake is out of the refrigerator, so this is no longer an issue for me. I strongly suspect that it isn't completely gone, but out of sight.... well it's still on my mind, obviously! (LOL!!!)
Our houseguest, the boyfriend, left today. I did not have the opportunityto say good-bye last night as I had planned, so I ended up leaving him a post-it.
I've been eating more than usual lately, so I have no expectations for Saturday's with-in, but I'll keep trying. Most everything is in check, but my lunches have been larger and with more carbs.
I think I mentioned that they changed the taste of the protein powder I've been buying, so I no longer take shakes to work for second breakfast. Tastes yucky. But what to do with all that leftover powder? I have been adding a small scoop (1 Tbsp?) of the vanilla protein powder, thanks to happy's suggestion. It's delicious!
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
you can offer it to your son.
i put the protein powder in my oatmeal to make it more satisfying and filling since oatmeal doesn't generally have much protein. i add extra sweetener (stevia as you know i use) bc i also don't love the taste of my protein powder...
now that bf has left, i think your eating will go more back to normal.
Confession time: I'm struggling with having this graduation cake in the house.
Yesterday, I had a large salad for breakfast at around 10am, and then cake at around 1pm. And as I was finishing the cake, I said, this is the last of the cake for me. This usually works, except that I had another piece last night after dinner. The problem - for me - is that nobody likes the edge pieces because there is a lot of frosting, so those get left behind. Well, that's the part that I LOVE..... and I wouldn't want to waste cake, that's like a crime against humanity.
I may have "offset" some of the damage by having a very active day- over 20,000 steps per my FitBit, but I don't like to play to that mentality of "Oh I exercised so it's OK to eat (insert unhealthy food here)." For me, that can lead to a self-defeating mindset and a slippery slope.
And here's the dumbest part -- the reasoning behind having cake last night was my drinking-water-during-dinner challenge - which is supposed to help me NOT eat more for dinner. UGH! I had only gotten in one glass of water during dinner, and had most of my second glass left. What better way to finish my 2nd glass of water (per my challenge) than to have a piece of cake? Right? WRONG!
Anyway, I will pledge to do better today. Personally, I think I'm having a hard time with the realization that my daughter is growing up and will be leaving us (me) behind soon. And so if there's still cake to eat, then the graduation isn't really over, and I don't have to deal with reality.
On the other hand, we have our 20 year old son who I think, left to his own devices, would be living in our basement until he's 40. Ah, he's still working on getting back into the Air Force - fingers crossed - and if that works out the way it SHOULD, he'll be gone next year as well. He just needs to get out more. Once he finds a job, then he will start having his own life back again. Right now, he's working out and then hanging out at home ALL the time. Daughter (and the boyfriend, who is here until Wednesday) works and goes out; she's seldom home.
*sigh* I will do better today.
AFTERNOON EDIT: Logging in so that I'm SURE I don't partake of any more cake... The struggle is real.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
That's the only thing that would keep me from eating it daily until it's gone. Oh, and I'd have to take the trash bag to the dumpster, otherwise I might still be tempted to grab a fork and eat the middle section that "hadn't touched the other garbage".
(only partially kidding about being tempted to eat out of the garbage can)
Being in the freezer normally wouldn't stop me, but it might be enough for now.
i'm glad there's a way he can still get back in!
i was tempted by a boatload of desserts yesterday and so proud of myself for not finishing either and only trying a few bites. so instead of being very off track, i'm getting back ;)
Way too many leftovers in the refrigerator... I'd been craving a fresh salad, but you can't have salad for breakfast, can you? Well, I waited to have a later breakfast at almost 10a, and had salad.
I wanted to add that after we finished up the cake and ice cream from the graduation party, I had a 13 hour fast. I was feeling "munchy" at around 7pm but wasn't really hungry. Just wanted to eat out of habit. So I waited until 8pm, and was still feeling "munchy" but not hungry. Made plans to go to bed instead. So hopefully that helped balance calories out. My fingers were too swollen to wear my wedding band this morning though, which is probably due to the extra salt from eating out yesterday (French dip) and the humid weather.
Went for a walk outside at around 11am. After about 20 minutes, the bright sun and humidty started to get to me. I'm probably staying in, now, until this evening. Or at least until there is more shade outside.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
Up half a pound but as long as I'm under 130, I consider it "happy maintenance land". After today's graduation festivities for my daughter, though, I'm not so sure what next week will bring. Kind of a heavy lunch of French dip sandwich and then a large piece of cake to celebrate.
It was a wonderful day, and I'm so proud of my daughter. She's not sure what her next step will be -- although she's fairly certain that it won't be in Illinois -- but I'd rather she take a little time to figure it out than to rush into something that she's not ready for or not really interested in.
Decided not to drive to continue the visiting with our out-of-town guests as I think everyone is very tired and very full and would just like to relax.
Progress as of today: 57 lbs lost so far, only -7 lbs to go!
Glad you all had a great day and that you are relaxing a bit. It's important to be able to have a little down time here and there especially if that's what you enjoy! That's how I'm doing it as of late :) Busy days but time to recoop here and there also. Keeps me happy and the stress lower.
One more thing to add to my list of things that one should not eat in large quantities:
I wonder if I will regret this as items #1 and #2... Tomorrow will tell.
So this was at 3:30p and husband grilled a delicious dinner with a nice big salad and fruit salad. And I was so full from the kale :-( that it was hard to partake much less eat. But I did have a piece of meat and some salad. Why did I eat if I wasn't hungry, you might ask? I dunno, says Donkey. A couple of reasons:
And right now, I'm comfortably full. It was a struggle to get in the 2 cups of water, though... Today I did not do as well with the water, unless I lost count. Sometimes I do that, especially when I'm at work, and I just fill up my water bottle but don't log it in FitBit right away.
Progress as of today: 57.5 lbs lost so far, only -7.5 lbs to go!
Happy Friday...3day weekend!?
Happy Friday...3day weekend!?
I have been eating a large salad nightly (mostly lettuce with a light vinaigrette and few or no other toppings). The taste / texture of the salad is marginal, but feeling full on something does offer some satisfaction for me.
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LOL. **** stirrer!
bearcountrygg on 06/06/2018:
That gal you talk about reminds me of 4 people I know...who are bipolar. They ALL act exactly the same.......things are catastrophic...HUGE plans...EARTH shaking...NO ONE LOVES Me...NO one listens to ME....I have the POWER!!!!!.Threats to hurt people..and then they all calm down...and become perfectly sane...for awhile...until their next manic episode. My guess is that your coworker is bipolar.
horn_of_plenty on 06/06/2018:
your entry made me smile...i have more to add later...just catching up myself at work this AM but wanted to say hello and that i'm glad my advice worked. lately, i'm needing a reminder to shut my mouth too...as i'm in a new office and don't know the people that well yet...so better i observe than talk or say something wrong...which i do always, i have a tendency to speak without thinking of the consequences...so for me being quiet is just better too...there is so much drama in my office you wouldn't believe. i'll maybe write about it when i have more free time.
innerpeace on 06/06/2018:
We have people like that too. I always just think they feel they need to be the center of attention and want everyone in their business to make them feel important.
legcramps on 06/06/2018:
LOL! Great post. I work with drama-stirrers too. They work me up when I let them; I have to always be aware of how the behavior of those around me impacts me, and decide whether to "buy in" to their balogne or not let it affect my day. Sometimes, the latter choice is a difficult one to make, especially when you know they are just spouting bad news. Chin up!