Useless Conversation

[RhyssaFireheart]

Put the mini-brownies inside the donuts.  They come with holes already.  If you want them to like you, get a tub of frosting as well.

Eh, don't really care if they like me or not, I actually don't interact with most of them on a regular basis. *shrug*

Points?  What is points?  Has the economy got so bad that we pay with points in the US now?  I've only been gone a few months!

It's a Weight Watchers thing - Points Plus program that is supposedly helping me lose weight. 

So far it's not working too terribly well.  I've lost a whole 28ish pounds since I started it at the beginning of Nov2011, and about 15 of those pounds were from having a hysterectomy.  I work out ~5 days a week (mix of weights/stationary bike and swimming/kickboarding) and yet.. zilch.  I track what I eat, have made significant changes to my diet and yet... nada.  Who was it in some thread that said fat people should just be able to lose weight by eating differently?  Yeah, right.  And in this same time, the husband is closing in on 70 pounds lost (which is awesome for him).  I hate men some days.

[Sky]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you just say you lost weight by eating differently?

My fiancee is going through the same thing. She's "only" dropped 15 lbs since getting back on the plan (which I'm pretty sure she's off again), something like a pound a month. That's pretty awesome in my book. Beats gaining or holding steady! And it's a more sustainable way of losing weight.

[Minvaren]

I've read that interval training (I believe Curves does some of this) is good for getting rid of stubborn pounds.  YMMV, naturally.

I'm having to pick up my exercise a bit - pistachios have been on sale EVERYWHERE lately.   Addictive little devils... 

[Ingmar]

1.5 pounds/month is a fine result, for normal situations, like someone trying to go from 200 to 180, or whatever. If you're someone who can lose 70 pounds and still have a long way to go, I can see why that rate would be frustrating. I've known a couple people who've tried to drop from 300+ and the idea of taking 100+ months to get to your target weight can take the whole process way out of the 'feels achievable' zone and put you right back into depression/eating/whatever.

[Merusk]

No pain no gain. Not saying this is you, but it takes a lot of effort.

 My wife needs a trainer, for example.  She was "working out" 3x a week while unemployed.  She never sweat and didn't want to lift weights because "it hurts the next day and makes me tired." Unsurprisingly she hasn't lost a pound.   I expect if I shell out for the trainer the pounds will suddenly fly off as if by magic.   She's never been physical in her life so I don't know why she expects she can do it on her own.. she doesn't know what exertion tired really feels like.

But I'd be thrilled at 1.5/2 pounds a month.  Drastic weight loss means drastic changes in behaviors and isn't always sustainable. I dropped 7# in a week earlier in the summer by calorie counting and not cheating.  I had the book with me every day and wrote down even mints.  That level of attention took too much effort and the calorie count (used one of those fitness scales that said I needed 1700/ day to lose) made me unhappy and sullen.  Still, it worked.

[Abagadro]

No kidding. I have had to radically alter my entire diet and lifestyle but managed to lose 28 pounds over the last two months. Still have 30 pounds to go to get down under 200 but I'm feeling a million times better.

[Nebu]

No kidding. I have had to radically alter my entire diet and lifestyle but managed to lose 28 pounds over the last two months. Still have 30 pounds to go to get down under 200 but I'm feeling a million times better.

That's impressive.  Losing that kind of weight not only makes you feel like you have more energy, but also helps your joints feel better. 

You should pass along some of your tips for success.

[Trippy]

He trimmed his mustache.

[Abagadro]

Heh. Well my diet and activity level was so unbelievably shitty that changing it up has had a pretty dramatic effect.  The second 30 is going to be tougher. I've been following The New Abs Diet pretty religiously.  It's based on eating 6 times a day (3 small meals/3 snacks) and based upon "superfoods" like whole grains, fruit, spinach, nuts/flaxseed, lean proteins/fish, and low-fat dairy.  It also has an exercise plan which is 3 days of cardio and 3 days of weight training a week.  I've been eating stuff I've hated for years (fruit, yogurt, etc.) but have managed to find good ways to do it and now I'm really liking it (doing a lot of smoothies).

I like that plan as it isn't all that radical and doesn't really restrict all that much in terms of types of things (such as a carb or no meat, etc.). You just have to eat the right types of stuff.  You also don't count calories so much as just being very mindful of portion control.  I've also significantly dropped my alcohol intake which has been pretty hard too. I'd drink a fair amount of bourbon every single night and now I am limiting myself to a few glasses of red wine on the weekends.

[Nebu]

I'm going to check out that diet, but it sounds pretty much the same as I already eat.  I'm a firm believer in the 5-6 small meals a day bit to regulate blood glucose and keep your metabolism going.  I like to read a lot on nutrition and diets and have been reviewing a few new handbooks on supplements as well if anyone has any questions.
 

[Abagadro]

Cool. I'd be interested in your opinion of it (and if you see any problems or improvements that could be made) if you get around to checking it out.

[Yegolev]

I've converted to brown jasmine rice.

[Minvaren]

Holy cow, I got lucky on my guest bathroom.  I stripped a section of damaged wallpaper behind a door, and found it was put up directly on the sheet rock when the place was built!

Two hours later, and only a small bit of glue to go and some skim coating to do.  Amazing difference compared to that border around the kitchen mashed into the textured wall which took days to remove...

[RhyssaFireheart]

No, I realize that the fact I've not gained the weight back and have continued a very slow, but steady downward trend is good, but it's also extremely frustrating at the same time.  I've seen no outward physical changes and that's very disheartening, especially when coupled with the fact that the husband has shown huge changes.  I know I have it harder as a woman over 40 and post-menopause, but geez, I'd like something to show for this work. 

I do try being happy with the little things, like I didn't get winded walking through the airports when we were hurrying this last trip.  I wasn't even breathing very heavily.  I move much more easily.  I can see and feel the improvement from lifting weights, although I may treat myself to a trainer for a session or two, since I have a feeling what I'm doing is rooted in old practices.  When lifting weights, I've switched from the traditional style machines to the freemotion ones aka not free weights, it's still a machine, but with cables, like this:  

I use those kinds of machines because they make me work harder rather than just sitting there going through the motions.  I'm now riding a stationary bike for 15 mins (just started it, need to build up more time) to keep my heart rate at the "fat burning" range.  I swim a half mile twice a week.  I can't even say I've lost inches instead of weight!  Blarg.  Just feeling rather down about it all atm. 

[Trippy]

No, I realize that the fact I've not gained the weight back and have continued a very slow, but steady downward trend is good, but it's also extremely frustrating at the same time.  I've seen no outward physical changes and that's very disheartening, especially when coupled with the fact that the husband has shown huge changes.  I know I have it harder as a woman over 40 and post-menopause, but geez, I'd like something to show for this work. 

It would've been better if you did this before you started this but you can still do it now, which is to take measurements of various "wellness" stats like blood pressure, resting heart rate, cholesterol levels, bone density, body fat percentage, etc. on a periodic basis. That gives you something more meaningful to compare to as you continue exercising.

[ghost]

I know I've pounded on this until most of you are probably ready to claw your eyes out, but cut sugar completely out of your diet, RF.  You'll see some results then. 

[Minvaren]

Say, what about those honeycrisps?   

[ghost]

Apples are okay because they come with tons and tons of fiber, so you won't absorb all the sugar   

[Merusk]

Say, what about those honeycrisps?   

I saw the first sign today.  I wasn't going to go there, but since you did.  YAY!

[ghost]

It always comes back to apples..........

 

[MuffinMan]

Still waiting for my Honeycrisp shipment from Sky from last year and probably the year before that. This will be the year, I can feel it.

[Morat20]

No, I realize that the fact I've not gained the weight back and have continued a very slow, but steady downward trend is good, but it's also extremely frustrating at the same time.  I've seen no outward physical changes and that's very disheartening, especially when coupled with the fact that the husband has shown huge changes.  I know I have it harder as a woman over 40 and post-menopause, but geez, I'd like something to show for this work. 

I do try being happy with the little things, like I didn't get winded walking through the airports when we were hurrying this last trip.  I wasn't even breathing very heavily.  I move much more easily.  I can see and feel the improvement from lifting weights, although I may treat myself to a trainer for a session or two, since I have a feeling what I'm doing is rooted in old practices.  When lifting weights, I've switched from the traditional style machines to the freemotion ones aka not free weights, it's still a machine, but with cables, like this:  

I use those kinds of machines because they make me work harder rather than just sitting there going through the motions.  I'm now riding a stationary bike for 15 mins (just started it, need to build up more time) to keep my heart rate at the "fat burning" range.  I swim a half mile twice a week.  I can't even say I've lost inches instead of weight!  Blarg.  Just feeling rather down about it all atm. 

Might check with a nutritionist or your doctor -- from family experience, there are both hormonal and blood sugar issues that can make it much harder to lose weight.

Plus it might be that a generic "good diet" for most people doesn't work so well on you. You seem on a pretty good track though. :)

I've managed to lose about 10% and keep it off, but until I find a time and way to reliabily exercise, I'm kinda stuck.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Yeah, I need to schedule a checkup with the doctor, especially since I need to followup to see how the thyroid medication he put me on is working.  My readings were just a tiny bit low so he gave me a pretty small dose (50 mcg).  I'll talk to him about it then, especially in light of the fact that I've really gone from a very sedentary lifestyle to working out very regularly since the end of June.

While it's not the best, the husband and I hit the gym after work.  If we are going to eat first, we do it immediately when we get home, wait about an hour and then head out.  That means we're working out from about 8-8:30 to 9:30ish, but then we come home, watch the news and head to bed.  Otherwise we reverse that - gym immediately after work and then a lighter meal afterwards.  It's worked for us, or rather me.  He'd be fine getting up extra early to hit the gym before going to work but I have enough issues getting up at 5:30, much less any earlier and working out. 

And I'm looking forward to apple season.    I fell in love with plums all over again this summer and added peaches to the snacks.  I've started to gravitate towards fruit for snacks versus junk, so go me!

[Lantyssa]

Don't you love it when your server room's AC turns off?  And it's Saturday?  And you're sick?  But you're the only one paying attention, so you have to drive an hour to flip a switch and see what damage has occurred from the room being 95 degrees?

I know I do.

[Chimpy]

Don't you love it when your server room's AC turns off?  And it's Saturday?  And you're sick?  But you're the only one paying attention, so you have to drive an hour to flip a switch and see what damage has occurred from the room being 95 degrees?

I know I do.

Could be worse, could be Sunday before a Monday holiday.

[Minvaren]

Don't you love it when your server room's AC turns off?  And it's Saturday?  And you're sick?  But you're the only one paying attention, so you have to drive an hour to flip a switch and see what damage has occurred from the room being 95 degrees?

I know I do.

To be fair, I don't think your current boss knows there's even an A/C in that room...  But your previous boss should have set all the servers to shutdown on overheat.

(faxes you meds)

[Salamok]

Don't you love it when your server room's AC turns off?  And it's Saturday?  And you're sick?  But you're the only one paying attention, so you have to drive an hour to flip a switch and see what damage has occurred from the room being 95 degrees?

I know I do.

Had this happen to an ex-employer and he decided just leaving the door open to the room was good enough for a few months (other than everyone nearby complaining about the sound).  I happened by 1 day and made the mistake of pointing out a few failed drives and found out he also hadn't been paying his outsourced tech support ppl.  My mistake was I went ahead and fixed it all up so I could watch him not pay me either, should have just let the cheap SOB crash and burn.

[ghost]

That's why they pay you the big bucks, Lantyssa..... 

[Sky]

Still waiting for my Honeycrisp shipment from Sky from last year and probably the year before that. This will be the year, I can feel it.

Only one on the tree still. Only had about a half dozen total and black spot got all but the last one. I should go pick it, it looked pretty good when I was splitting wood the other night. Trees are getting a bit bigger, around 10' tall, but still pretty scrawny as they've only been in the ground a year and a half.

[Morat20]

Well, my plumbers -- who to date have done a fabulous job on everything from repiping my house to rooting out a slow drain -- screwed the damn pooch today.

Garbage disposal died. Not "poke it with an allen wrench to fix it" died, but outright dead died. So I bought a new one, paid them to install it. (I am not screwing around with that hot wire thing. Not a plug, a flat out wire into the wall. My breakers aren't even labeled, for Pete's sake...).

They got here in 30 minutes, got the job done in 30, left. Everything's working fine. Until I run my dishwasher and my floor becomes a lake. Since it did at the end of the dishwashing cycle, I'm guessing they merely didn't tighten the connection from the dishwasher and it pushed off on the last rinse cycle.

It was not connected and water was pouring out when the lake was noticed. So I mopped it up, reconnected it, tightened it properly.

If we'd caught it a minute or two later, water would have gotten under the stove and fridges, at least it was...containable.

[lac]

Under plumber law you are now allowed to stab them in the buttocks once. So that's both plumbers once, unless the culprit identifies himself then it's just him once. You have to stab him in the fat/muscle of the buttock, you can't hit anything that's important and you can't just slice a guys asshole open, it's a straight stab, about two digits in, into the fat/muscle of the buttock.
Keep it clean, boys.

[Soln]

That sucks Morat.  Hopefully they're BBB so you can complain.

We had our first WA honeycrisps yesterday.  +1 no competition.

BTW when did Hippies merge with the Affluent Elderly and the Regular Rich Douchebags?  We had a daytrip yesterday to a nearby island and I genuinely couldn't tell who authentically needed to sell stuff versus who was just posing in a Farmers Market.  The High Street was similarly filled with a weird combination of over gentrified stores.  Maybe I'm feeling middle class antagonism because of QE3.  Angst.

[Engels]

Sorry Lantyssa! I know how that goes. I really really do. Every single summer our server room AC fails at least twice, and yours truly is the one that has to drive over.

[Morat20]

Don't you love it when your server room's AC turns off?  And it's Saturday?  And you're sick?  But you're the only one paying attention, so you have to drive an hour to flip a switch and see what damage has occurred from the room being 95 degrees?

I know I do.

Oh damn. :( I don't know the feeling from personal experience, but the server room was right next to my office in the job-before-this-one. I knew the guy in charge of all expensive boxes and whatnot, and for two and a half years he fought with building maintance over the server room temp on weekends.

I felt for the guy. If he wasn't in there over the temperature, he was doing maintaince or whatnot that was easier done when no one was using the system. Guy kept incredible hours.

[MuffinMan]

God damn power outage killed one of my refrigerators.  

Heh, right after you said this I started having refrigerator issues myself. Freezer compartment was working but refrigerator was room temperature. Took the back panel off to find a frozen solid block of ice around the coils, blocking the vents into the fridge. Took quite a few towels to defrost that much ice. I hope this isn't a thing with this refrigerator.