I haven't really focused on this yet... which is weird for me, cos that's normally my motivation to get started. Writing them down, breaking them down into shorter term goals, how to get there, etc. This time - I just started. I landed in Greece and that was it. Diet On. All I knew is something must be done. And so far so good.
The ultimate goal right now is to lose weight ..to get pregnant (ha, won't that be fun! ;p) And I haven't settled on a number at which I'll be comfortable. 150-155 maybe? Basically right now my body just hurts under the pressure of the weight I've gained. ..and I want the hurting to stop before I decide to put on baby weight. My lower back inparticular. . . I've also got this nagging feeling that actually getting pregnant isn't going to be a cakewalk, so I feel like the more I do to help myself the better off I'll be. Hopefully.
I took my measurements today.. labeled them 'OH, THE HORROR!' :P And I admit to taking a peak at the scale. . . the water weight is thankfully coming off in leaps and bounds -- but I'll wait to record on Friday. I knew it would be since my feet were SO swollen and completely unrecognizable. Should be a good chunk of the vacay weight tho. :)
Thanks guys for the welcome back. It feels good to be back on track... :)
In non-diet news... For anyone who is interested I have started a photo blog - a photo a day for 365 days... you can find it here.. It gets me out of the house and walking on most days to take a picture of something altho I can't promise it will be a picture of something interesting :P
Well, I'm back. . . and quite obviously, I need to be back!
Life got the best of me for a few months. .
After my last post in Feb. I flew back to Athens and after the jetlag wore off ...I landed a nasty flu bug. . . then after about a week things started going wrong. I was dizzy and my fingers and feet started to go numb... We thought it was dehydration from the flu. . . but after a few days of no improvement (and walking into a lot of walls!) we called the Dr. He came to the house (they do that in Greece! :p) and said it's probably nothing but go to the ER since there is a teenie chance it could be Guillain-Barre. . . but the odds of that are slim to none since it's so rare. (Ten ppl in Greece diagnosed with it a year..) Well, I had it. The public hospital sent me home saying 'it's nothing, maybe you are depressed.. take some aspirin' ...eh?! But after another day and a half of *not* feeling better -- we took me to a private hospital and after convincing them I wasn't pregnant, the neuorologist nailed it. The link will explain it better than I can -- but in a nutshell -- the flu virus I had had the same genetic code as my nervous system. So, when my body attacked the flu ...I attacked my nervous system as well. Scary. As. Hell. I was paralyzed from the neck down and my face was starting to go numb. I *really* didn't want to talk because it was hard (weird to say it was hard, but ..it was??) but husband was excellent and enforced a little tough love.. made me at least say 'yes' or 'no'. Lung failure was a concern - but thankfully never happened. My neurologist was fantastic. . and pushed for starting treatment before it could actually be diagnosed (takes 10 days after the symptoms show up for it to test positive..) He had ruled out everything else that it could be. ...which was just a terrifying list of choices . . . MS, brain cancer... etc. And as fast as I got really sick... I got better. It was 5 days of medicine via IV.. and the first 3 days I would continue to decline before I showed signs of improvement (just the way the medicine works..) Ten days in the hospital and I walked out on my own (ok, husband held my hand... and I might not of been mrs. speedy or balanced ;P) ..sporten a really cool eyepatch since my vision was still a little screwed up.
However, the flu 10 days in the hospital with no appetite was great for my weight loss. Altho, it didn't last. :P I gained a few back once I started eating properly again and then played with a few lbs. gain, lose, gain, lose... right up until about a month ago ..when I went back to the states for my brothers wedding in July and then husband joined me Aug. 1 for his first visit to the states. :) BUT that meant many manymany BBQ's and beers and ice cream.. etc. And barely any water... You get the picture. :P In a months time I gained just over TWENTY lbs. *cry* It was so shocking when I got on the scale that I couldn't even be upset, it was just crazy. I had to laugh...
But now - it's back to business. Drinking my water, aware of what's going in my mouth and taking the time to get out and walk each day. When it cools off I'll rejoin my gym but for now I'll ease back into it with walking and a bit of swimming. It's too darn hot (constantly) to even think about an eliptical. :P
As soon as I can muster the courage, I'll post some new 'before' pictures.
Wait, what?? ..what's that noise??? Oh THAT would be the water weight just falling off. :p 5.5 lbs......
I'm not foolen myself, but I'm also thrilled. I even kind of fell off the water drinken bandwagon the last day and a half. Not totally, just wasn't as good as I should of been. And... last week my dad asked if he could take to me lunch today to a tavern that has been there for at least 30 years we figure -- and serves burgers. Just burgers (and fries and onion rings.) A small burger or a jumbo burger. :P So, lunch wasn't exactly full of stellar choices, but then it was nice to go to lunch with dad. ..and since that doesn't happen that often, especially now that I'm living overseas, I didn't let the burgers stress me out. Plus, they are famous for them - so I guess if it's going to be a big ole hamburger, it might as well be a good one.
That said, not steppen on the scale in the morning ;) Give that one a few days :p
5 days till I'm heading home. . . Can't wait to see husband I promise once I'm back I'll get back in the groove of checken in on you guys... I've checked when I can, just haven't commented. The computer situation here isn't exactly ideal :P
Hope everyone is doing well -- Have a great weekend!
is you guys are the best... I can't even tell you.. thanks for the comments
..and it looks like things have changed around here. ;p I'll have to take a better look when I get home on my computer (and not sat with the laptop perched on a pillow daring to hurdle itself onto hardwood floors ;p)
Being home is great... altho, I have to say.. I'm ready to get back to Athens (!) and husband :) It's very weird tho.... Portland will always be home -- but now it's just a little off, hard to explain. And I'm calling Athens home now when talking to ppl but yet ..the feeling isn't quite there and I'm don't know if it ever will be. My only conclusion is that home is where husband is. ;p
But there are bagels here... mmMMMmmm. I've only had 2 (in almost 3 weeks time!) so that's gotta count for something. ..and I can't wait to be 8000 miles away from Ben and Jerrys again. It's a much safer world :p
Anyways... I've been watching what passes my lips. I can't say I've been perfect but I'm at least aware ..which is more then I can say for the last month or so. And, I've been getting in my water. I think I was about 16 oz. short yesterday but the day before and today were good. I've gone down to track and walked 3 of the last 4 nights.. 3-1/2 miles.. One night I only did 1-1/2 miles because it was unbelievably cold and I couldn't get moving fast enough ;p So, until I get home -- that's the plan. :)
I'm so glad to be back... making the first post was really half the battle... getting thru the next week and a half of temptations is the next step. Just get me on that plane!
Well ladies (and gentleman, of course..) I've been shocked back into the game.
I don't even know what to say, I'm so mad at myself.
One horrifying step on the scale and I dropped everything, put on my workout clothes and went to the track to walk 3-1/2 miles. ..and filled up a water bottle on my way out the door.
So, I'm back. Mostly. I'm actually in Oregon right now visiting family and friends for another week and a half then I'm back home to Athens. But I am not waiting till I get back to get started. My goal is to be 5lbs lighter by the time I step on the plane. I realize that's kind of a large number for 11 days but two words, water weight. And even tho I know it will be just that - I don't care! It's still 5lbs. Then when I get home I'll step on my scale asap ...anticipating that it's probably going to be a different number then the scale here at my parents. ..and haul myself back to the gym.
This is short and sweet but if I didn't get it posted now, I knew I would just keep putting it off. I'll try to post daily before I go back home but it may be spotty.. But here I am, heavier then I've been in YEARS, embarressed... and I'm back :)
First, lemme say thanks for the comments and emails. . . Funny how the world works. The last week or so I've been thinking about everyone and EP in general ..and the total lack of attention I've been paying my blog. And then, this morning for some random reason my inbox was flooded w/ email notifications from old comments. If I was waiting for a neon flashing sign or an engraved invitation -- I'd say that's it.
My absence wasn't totally voluntary. My computer did eventually go belly up. BOTH drives and memory were apparently eaten by a virus. (yeah, thanks wonderful virus writing scumbags.) I nearly lost *all* of our photos ......because someone hadn't backed them up.......but my brother-in-law performed some computer geek hocus pocus and saved our photos and music. Now I think husband has about 739 firewalls up and various virus protection crap -- I've nick named my computer Alcatraz.
But ...in all honesty. I've been in a mean, nasty, ugly funk.
/tantrum on
I'm homesick and I wanna go home. I want rain. I want crisp cold nights. High school and college football. Pumpkin patches and apple cider. I miss my family. My mom and brother are a riot (..fairly certain my dad thinks we are baboons and wonders where we came from..) I miss my friends.
/tantrum off
I've decided to use my airline miles and fly home in January for a month. Yay! The horrible news is that husband can't come with me. Last time I went home (sans husband) I was in tears because I want so badly to show him my home. But ....next August. He will come home with me.
And NONE of this has to do w/ weight loss, does it?!
The good/bad news on that front is I've pretty much stalled out. Not gained, not lost. ..the bad bit is that I am still working out like a bunny. . . and the scale is not budging. On Monday I am going to call the Dr. and find out about having my thyroid checked. I've gained and lost a lot of weight and I've never hit a wall like this. So, we'll see. If that's not it -- then I'll just keep pluggen away.
I hope everyone is doing well... ..and I'm soooooooooooo sorry for being a bad EP friend. I will have time this weekend to check in on everyone ..husband is going to Thessolonikki for some appts so I've got the weekend to myself.
WI on Saturday and a confession. WI went very well. . . but you will notice that my graph hasn't moved.. because ...I weigh the same. The previous week I was too embarressed, ashamed and depressed to actually fess up to what it said. 182.6 (yes, exactly..) I was back to where I started. . . . . and this week I was back to 179.4 (again, exactly) So basically a loss of 3.2lbs. A nice start. . . and I will say, if anything -- my body is consistent. I had to blink twice when I matched up the numbers to previous weeks.
Next.. the interview.
It went well. It may not be for me, but at least it was a good experience ...and my first in Greece. It was for an administration job in a shipping lawfirm. ..and a big chunk of the job is rewriting reports w/ the lawyers scribbles and edits all over them -- with lines going everywhere and stuff squished into margins. The woman interviewing me asked me to stay and work an hour or two to see how I liked it (and they liked me..) ...and she handed me a 10 page report that was a cryptic puzzle that only seasoned wizards could figure out. I fumbled my way thru it and asked a series of I'm sure quite stupid questions but literally, I had no idea what some of the things were.. and between following lines across pages and onto the backs of pages "..and copy information from previous pages" (which information, there are 10 pages!?!) and ".......please complete" (eh?), I think there was smoke rising from my head. . . from brain exhaustion! Seriously ...Jenny, Svanita ...kudos. ..and you guys write the stuff, I just had to go and edit the previously written reports (or whatever they are called. :P)
All in all tho, it went ok. The office manager knew I had *zero* experience as a secretary... and even less experience in a shipping lawfirm. She said she appreicated the fact that a lot of the terminology is foriegn to me and in time, I would know what was what. ...and that I could rattle on to her about art and framing and design and she would be totally lost.
That said, I don't think I got it. :P Which I'm totally okay with. Depsite the fact that the pay was great for P/T (it is nearly that of some F/T positions u will find.) ..with anything over the 4 hours a day being overtime.. and lots of overtime ( 2 - 3 days a week..) expected.. they paid for taxi fares home if I worked after 10.. and when there are transportation strikes. Smoke free office (a rarity here..) ..seemingly very nice people... I just don't know if I could do that 5 days a week. I was exhausted! Previously, at home ...my job has always been on my feet (or ice skates early on..) 8-10 hours a day. . . and after the 2 hours I spent there it might as well of been a 16 hour day at home :P
But, while I'm not holding my breath for an offer, I'm also not stupid, if they want me, I'll take it. I'm good for a go... Besides, just think of all that shopping I could do!
So, that's the last few days... The gym has seriously suffered this week. ..as in, I've forgotten where it's located. I will venture there in the morning and make my amends. . . and pay my respects to the treadmill once again.
I had to laugh at myself this morning. I was at the gym, on the treadmill and my final jogging interval might as well of been 20 minutes (rather then two..) it was killing me. I don't exercise w/ an mp3 player because my ears (earholes?!) seem to be abnormally small. I can't find headphones that will stay in/comfortable while standing still, let alone jogging along on a treadmill. So I am left with the radio in the gym. Sometimes good, sometimes bad.. sometimes Greek. Well, ~20 seconds into my last interval, Eye of the Tiger came on. That song, single-handedly, got me thru the next minute and forty seconds. (Hence, the laughing at myself.. ..because of alll the songs.... Eye of the Tiger.. )
Yesterday, I barely got out of the door to get to the gym. I actually got dressed, packed my backpack, walked out the door, took the elevator down ..and decided.... Nope! Not gunna go. I didn't even open the elevator door.. Just pushed my floor number to go back home. I tried all the tricks in my arsenol on myself. ..the old stand-by I always feel better after working out and I'm never sorry I went. I am, however, usually quite sorry at the end of the day if I didn't go. And that didn't even phase me. I just didn't want to go. Finally, after sitting here for an hour or so (dressed for the gym...) Baggy jeans. I want baggy jeans. I went to the gym. ;P
Anyways, it's Friday. Yay! :)
Athens and malls.. To answer your questions.... Yes, Athens has a mall. Called The Mall. (original, yeah?) Consider there are 4 million people living in Athens. ...one mall. And, it's brand spanken new. So the whole concept of the mall is relatively new and has not quite caught on yet. Shopping in Athens prior to the mall was, for an ex-patriot, gruelling. ..and probably quaint for the tourists. Not quite cobblestoned streets (except in the center) but definitely streets lined boutique type stores with customer service that doesn't even register on the scale. Especially if you looked like you didn't belong in there. . . OR, the exact opposite. Sales girls that follow you around and ask you if you like everything you touch. (Not kidding, this has actually happened to me... numerous times.) If you say yes - it's as good as bought. If you say no...."Why not?!" Ehhh... dunno? And, I've since discovered, that in some the smaller shops they don't like you to actually touch something unless you intend to buy. I'm sorry, but that is crazy. There are still some of the boutique stores but they are bigger than a shoebox and the mentality is just different. There are the exceptions to every rule, of course... We do have Zara's (Old Navy, Gap, BR-esque-ish?) here and H&M just opened. . . and Marks and Spencers. So yes, to me. . . The Mall is a welcome addition to the Athens landscape ..and apparently there are plans for another one soon. Plus, it doesn't follow the sometimes crazy hours of the stores outside of the mall. ..closing at 3 in the afternoon on certian days of the week.. Staying open later on Thursdays, etc. Closing at 2 on Saturdays ..I can't keep up! Except it is closed (like everything else) on Sundays. Which is actually kind of nice. :)
...and the fires. Yes, I think nearly all (or all??) are extinguished. The issue now is helping the victims. It's being called a national tragedy ..and when you see the pics on the local news, it's just heartbreaking. The miles and miles of burnt landscape, apparently in some areas as far as you can see in all directions. Ppl who lost everything they had. Groves and groves of charred olive trees (their livelihoods.. ) The outpouring of charity tho has been significant, so ..hopefully it all goes to the right places. The tragedy lies in the fact that everyone pretty much fears that lessons were not learned. It was really just a tinderbox waiting to go up in flames. . . but Greeks tend to have an invincible gene bred in them that it can't happen to me ..to my Greece!... Now, it's just a flooding disaster waiting to happen. So, we'll see.
So, ha... two days in a row now I've jabbered on about not much weight loss related.
Not sure if the computer is going to the 'doctor' this weekend or next now.. But, I did get a callback and have an interview at 11 on Monday morning! Ohmygosh!
...but it's been pretty busy tossed in with some computer malfunctions.
I picked up the weekly edition of the english newspaper here, Athens News, and flipped thru the classifieds ...as I always do. Sometimes wanting a job ...sometimes loving my 'stay at home' status and enjoying cooking and freetime. Always curious. :P There was an opening for a P/T secretary, english speaking. Eh, what the heck, I'll apply. I have absolutly NO admin experience (only what you get from managing a small frame shop..). . . NO idea what I'm getting into ...and not sure I want to. :p A nice Scottish woman called me for an interview -- which led to a mad panic of finding something to wear. Haven't exactly had to have a lot of business clothing on hand since I moved -- and I kind of purged most of it before I left. . . and after a complete search of my closet, I certianly didn't have anything that was appropriate *and* suited for summer (read: hot and sweaty...) weather. Pants and shoes weren't a big prob, but needed to find a top. ..so off to the mall I went.
Which lead to a whole 'nother can of worms.
I hate shopping for blouses on the best day. I despise doing it here in Athens. I am used to having issues w/ finding ones that button and not pull across 'the girls' ...add very broad shoulders and it's enough to lead me to tears. ...it's total habit, if I'm buying a button down shirt to just go for the largest size and see what happens. Usually, fits across the chest and then the rest of it looks like a tent. The oddest thing happened tho -- and it was so ridiculous I had to laugh rather than cry. I found a beautiful blouse ..priced right, good color. I loved it. Grabbed the largest size there was (US12) and headed off to the dressing room. My arms didn't fit thru the sleeves. Eh? It was short sleeved and I could get it about halfway between my elbow and shoulder.... I'm sorry, but what the hell??! The really funny thing was that I could actually button it with my arms not totally thru the sleeves. I looked ridiculous but I actually stood there and thought to myself, ok, how can I fix this. But yeah, still can't think of a solution for that one. But seriously, what were they thinking?! My arms are not that out of control. . . Okay, sure they need some work -- and they've gotten nothing but better since lifting weights -- but come on! I needed to be skin and bones to get my arms thru those holes! Anyways... I found a shirt. The price was right and I was cool and comfy at my interview, which is what was important.
The interview went well ...except for the typing test that I totally bombed. Not totally, but not to my best ability and slower than what the ad said they were looking for. I was *way* too nervous ..the keyboard was slightly different than mine at home. The / key was over by the shift key on the left ...which after looking into it is a European standard. . . Dunno where this keyboard I'm using at home came from. Plus, there were some words thrown in there with British spellings ..and well the American word for check flows off my fingers much easier than cheque. ;) We talked about it and she will put me thru to the next interview but practice between now and then. ;)
Either way, I'm not totally bothered because 1) I have zilch experience in admin and 2) I still go between being a total domestic housewife and wanting to work. . . there is a twang of wanting to have a baby too thrown in there -- but the plan is to wait a bit for that. ...still can't help the feeling tho ;P So, if I get the job, great... If I don't, well ...I'll keep buying Athens News to look at the classifieds. ;)
On the food and exercise front I've actually been doing well. Saturdays weigh in certianly reflected the error of my ways in the previous weeks... I didn't record it here because it would totally depress me, but the number is engraved on my brain. So, Saturday ...I hope for some improvement.
And ...still jogging! Two minute intervals, but I've upped the speed a bit. I've read the C25k in the past ..and thought about it but for some reason I guess I need to fly by the seat of my pants with this. I'm not sure what my goal with jogging is (except to lose weight...) I suppose I should have one, but I've never had a burning desire to be a runner ..and I find it a bit like pulling teeth still. ;) Maybe when it cools down a bit I can concentrate on more of a distance goal. For now, I'll just gradually up my time and speed. . . and listen to what my body is saying if it's screaming to stop. ...or screaming to push on. :)
Chatty, aren't I.
I apologize for being a bad EP friend ....I have been checking up on all of you! Thanks for all your comments tho ...keep me honest in my absence. :) I may be a bit scarce thru the weekend as computer has gone and caught a virus and needs to visit the hospital (aka: brother in law) to be fixed. Hopefully Monday I'll be back!
Take care everyone.
Oh, and it's cooled down dramatically!! Today was 28C w/ a nice breeze ..and at night we've actually had to sleep with a light blanket! (rather than just wishing we could take our skin off...) Yay!!
I promise once I'm back I'll get back in the groove of checken in on you guys... I've checked when I can, just haven't commented. The computer situation here isn't exactly ideal :P
Now I think husband has about 739 firewalls up and various virus protection crap -- I've nick named my computer Alcatraz.
But seriously, what were they thinking?! My arms are not that out of control. . . Okay, sure they need some work -- and they've gotten nothing but better since lifting weights -- but come on! I needed to be skin and bones to get my arms thru those holes! 