Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !

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Replies

  • skinnyjeanzbound
    skinnyjeanzbound Posts: 3,932 Member
    Hi everyone!

    I had a nice but busy weekend. Friday I met a former colleague out after school and we went for drinks and dinner. Then Saturday I had to go judge a speech competition in the morning. I walked gunner in the afternoon before getting ready to go to a friend's for a get together. It was nice but boy was it a long day. As a result, I slept away the morning today and got much less done than I had intended.

    No time for personals, but I wanted to say hello and welcome to the newlings. :smile:

    Grading Goals:
    1. 12/41 AP essays
    2. 2/4 student rec letters

    Exercise Goals:
    Mon-- gym DONE
    Tues-- walk gunner DONE
    Wed-- walk gunner DONE
    Thurs-- walk gunner DONE + gym DONE
    Fri-- rest day
    Sat-- walk gunner DONE
    Sun-- walk gunner DONE + gym NOT DONE
  • GOINSTD12
    GOINSTD12 Posts: 331 Member
    @cblue315 - how terrifying for your sister, I hope she is ok and gets counseling if she needs it.

    I'm not doing so well with my diet nor have I been consistently working out or even walking. DH hasn't been well. On the bright side, my son is graduating with his associates degree on Thursday and I'm really excited about it!
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    Monday Check-In: I guess "how I'm doing" can best be described as "blah." I can hardly wait for the end of this year, and the ability to ask my wound care team leader's permission to get back into school/life, because I'm the kind of girl who thrives on the ability to serve, share the Good News, and smile at someone who needs a boost. I'm quite literally going insane from the lack of stimuli! :scream:
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    edited December 2015
    Monday Check-in ... weight stayed the same this past week at this mornings weigh-in. That said, I suspect I am retaining some water weight because my salt and carb intake was a bit higher the past 2 days than normal.
    In this mornings mail I had a link to a recipe especially designed for diabetics that sounds good and, as serendipity would have it, I have all the ingredients on hand, ready to put together. Thought I'd share it with you all because it sounds so good. I'll be preparing it for tonight's dinner, with leftovers. I'm cutting the recipe in half. The recipe is from Everyday Health.

    Curried Chicken With Sweet Potatoes and Cauliflower
    Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, with a little help from the well-seasoned yogurt marinade, remain moist and tender when oven-roasted. Hint: Soaking the prepared vegetables in ice water for 15 minutes before roasting will hydrate them, making them more moist and tender when cooked.

    SERVINGS: 4 | TOTAL TIME: 4 hr 50 min

    Ingredients
    3/4 cup(s) yogurt, fat-free plain
    1 teaspoon curry powder Madras-style
    1 teaspoon coriander, ground
    1 teaspoon ginger, ground
    1 clove(s) garlic minced
    3/4 teaspoon salt divided
    1/4 teaspoon pepper, cayenne
    1 1/2 pounds chicken, thighs, boneless, skinless 8 thighs, trimmed
    1 pounds potato(es), sweet peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
    3 cup(s) cauliflower florets (1 small head), or broccoli florets
    1 tablespoon oil, olive, extra-virgin
    pepper, black ground to taste
    1/4 cup(s) nuts, dry-roasted, unsalted cashews chopped (or unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts)
    1/4 cup(s) cilantro, fresh loosely packed leaves

    Instructions
    1. Combine yogurt, curry powder, coriander, ginger, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and cayenne in a shallow glass dish; mix to blend. Reserve 1/4 cup of this mixture; cover and refrigerate. Add chicken to the remaining yogurt mixture and turn to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

    2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Lightly coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

    3. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the prepared baking sheet. Toss sweet potato with the reserved yogurt mixture in a medium bowl and place on the baking sheet. Toss cauliflower with oil in a medium bowl and add to the baking sheet. Season vegetables with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast chicken and vegetables, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

    4. Carefully turn the chicken over and stir the vegetables. Roast until the vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.

    5. Arrange chicken and vegetables on a platter or individual plates and garnish with peanuts (or cashews) and cilantro.

    Nutrition Details per serving
    Calories 473, Fat 26g, Cholesterol 154mg, Sodium 655mg, Sat. Fat 6g, Protein 52g, Fiber 7g, Carbohydrates 34g

    gluten free

  • Morgori
    Morgori Posts: 954 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    Happy National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day!

    National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
    ” If you have nothing to be grateful for check your pulse.” ~Author Unknown

    11857432.png

    Tom
  • qtr0se
    qtr0se Posts: 3 Member
    zcb94. Thank you for your reply. Yes I am 5 ft. I haven't seen my nutritionist this month so she doesn't know and you're right I don't think she'd approve. I was doing 1,000 calories a day with my nutritionist's okay as long as I had all the necessary protein, carbs etc. I also take vitamins that she recommend to help with weight loss. I was swimming an hour a day until it got cold. I was basically burning off almost all calories I would eat which is what helped me lose 2 lbs a week which is healthy and acceptable. Anything more than that I think could be dangerous. I'm not sure I've never lost that much in one week. I am basically unable to do any exercise except my arms. I know eating 750 calories doesn't sound good but, and I'm not making excuses, it works for me. I'm not hungry because I still eat 5 times a day but really lean food with very few calories. Mostly Asian food. No carbs. No sugars, No salt. No fat. No preservatives. All organic and homemade. When I crave something I take a bite to satisfy the craving. Hopefully when I see my dietitian she will be able to give me some needed information on what I can do. For now, as long as I'm not hungry and still mostly on bed rest, which of course means I am not burning off most of what I'm eating, I will continue with being strict on what I put in my mouth. Hopefully I will be able to move around once I see the PT and Dr. for PM. I'm really hoping they are able to help me. If my dietitian increases my calorie intake, and I'm sure she will, then I'll be considering this past week "fasting" =) and the great thing is that I will be able to stay away from the things I listed above. =) Thank you for your kind words and information.=) Your encouraging words helped. =) Good night.
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    qtr0se wrote: »
    zcb94. Thank you for your reply. Yes I am 5 ft. I haven't seen my nutritionist this month so she doesn't know and you're right I don't think she'd approve. I was doing 1,000 calories a day with my nutritionist's okay as long as I had all the necessary protein, carbs etc. I also take vitamins that she recommend to help with weight loss. I was swimming an hour a day until it got cold. I was basically burning off almost all calories I would eat which is what helped me lose 2 lbs a week which is healthy and acceptable. Anything more than that I think could be dangerous. I'm not sure I've never lost that much in one week. I am basically unable to do any exercise except my arms. I know eating 750 calories doesn't sound good but, and I'm not making excuses, it works for me. I'm not hungry because I still eat 5 times a day but really lean food with very few calories. Mostly Asian food. No carbs. No sugars, No salt. No fat. No preservatives. All organic and homemade. When I crave something I take a bite to satisfy the craving. Hopefully when I see my dietitian she will be able to give me some needed information on what I can do. For now, as long as I'm not hungry and still mostly on bed rest, which of course means I am not burning off most of what I'm eating, I will continue with being strict on what I put in my mouth. Hopefully I will be able to move around once I see the PT and Dr. for PM. I'm really hoping they are able to help me. If my dietitian increases my calorie intake, and I'm sure she will, then I'll be considering this past week "fasting" =) and the great thing is that I will be able to stay away from the things I listed above. =) Thank you for your kind words and information.=) Your encouraging words helped. =) Good night.
    That was @skinnyjeanzbound. I'm glad you found good insight, though!
  • Morgori
    Morgori Posts: 954 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    Happy National Christmas Tree Day
    With Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to celebrate one of the most iconic symbols of the holiday season. It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, folks! Dec. 8 is National Christmas Tree Day in the U.S.A!

    “Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” ~ Hamilton Wright Mabie

    11857432.png

    Tom
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    Tuesday Goal: keep stress at bay. I'm seriously close to losing my marbles because of lack of stimulation/motivation and reduced blood flow due to bedrest restriction! Pray/send positive thoughts for me, please.
  • wmander1
    wmander1 Posts: 53 Member
    edited December 2015
    Being a teacher in December definitely doesn't help the urges to stress eat! Pushing through and going to kill it in the gym tonight to work through! Slowly making these daily changes to better myself! :blush: Add me here or on Instagram: new_womanderson
  • Lauriek70
    Lauriek70 Posts: 2,087 Member
    zcb- if you are still on campus invite people over and play games, talk, discussions etc. There are always ways that you can get involved in the community, just bring the community to you.

    wmader- teaching is December is difficult, what do you teach.

    Karen- my Christmas breaks starts December 24. It is a very late start this year and it feels shorter since we go back the first Monday in January. It is nice that you have a long break this year.

    Cblue- Glad you and your sister were not hurt. What a scary situation to be in.

    Today, I decided not to go to the gym because I needed a night at home. The last several days have been very busy with non-stop running to different things. So, my body said enough and I am feeling exhausted. I still have a few things to do tonight but at least I am at home.

    I will catch up with everyone later. I need to accomplish a few more things before settling down for the night.


  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    @Lauriek70, if only that were possible. I'm an unashamed "kidult" who must rely on Mom and Dad until they pass away. For health reasons, I need to live in my childhood home until my Savior takes me to my real home in Heaven. I might try to find ways to get involved in causes that matter from home if needed (although freerice gets old after a while). You can only do so much TV, reading, phone video games, and crafting until you just want to scream. I can talk to family, friends and health care team members, but it's not the same as getting out there, helping others, and smiling at someone who needs it. That's kinda hard to do electronically!
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Tuesday Goals ... I resent my macro goals today and have to make a renewed effort to meal plan to get the percentags that I have set for myself. This came about after the statistician in me came out today. I looked back over the last 100 days of food diary and saw that my values are all over the place with no true uniformity. Thinking that might be why I only lost 3 pounds during this time ... and need to nip it before the weight loss comes to a complete stop. Thus, I am renewing my pledge to stick to and report on this goal here, like we did with the calorie challenges last year. I've also made a renewed committment to physical activity, and will be reporting on that as well. The calories for exercise will be taken from the MFP database as I don't have any other means to calculate it. I found a group of activities that I know I can do and made a list with length of time and calories burned to use.

    For me ... at my age and weight ... list of activities:
    . 15 minutes of walking at a slow pace (2.0 mph) = 70 calories
    . 15 minutes of cooking/food prep = 50 calories
    . 5 minutes of general dancing = 40 calories
    . 15 minutes of line dancing = 125 calories
    . 45 minutes of cleaning with light/moderate effort = 200 calories
    . 5 minutes of light bike riding = 50 calories
    . 30 minutes of low-impact aerobics = 280 calories
    . 15 minutes of circuit training/general = 220 calories
    . 30 minutes of Yoga - 130 calories
    . 30 minutes of Tai Chi = 200 calories
    . 15 minutes of treading water = 110 calories
    . 15 minutes of swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort = 190 calories
    . 5 minutes of eliptical trainer = 80 calories
    . 5 minutes of stationary rowing, light effort = 33 clories
    . 15 minutes of home light/moderate calisthenics = 100 calories

    This starts today and going forward I will report on Mondays as that is always my check-in Day. Here's the format:

    Calories at goal <=> 100 ... 0/0 days
    Macros at goal 40C/40P/20F within 10% ... 0/0 days
    Total exercise calories burned this week ... 0

    Lets see if this will make a difference and get me closer to the goal I set for the end of December! At the rate I have been going I will not reach my ultimate goal by my 72nd birthday ... after all, I will be 71 in just over 3 months!!!

    @everyone... keep plugging along! This is a project that needs constant renewal of committment and energy!
    follow-through N
  • wmander1
    wmander1 Posts: 53 Member
    Hey @Lauriek70, I'm a middle school special education teacher! :smiley: My kiddos get into a frenzy around this time of year! The countdown is on to break! 7 1/2 days left!
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    Wednesday Wishing: I have an in-home checkup this afternoon for wound care, and am really hoping it goes well, and that I can get permission to use my chair much more frequently than I currently do, especially when it comes to hygiene/personal needs (can't brush my teeth while prone without gagging), and later take my second cousin on a "tour de Christmas Lights." He recently moved in with us as part of the solution to a family problem, and said he really wants to see the sights.
  • Morgori
    Morgori Posts: 954 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    Happy Christmas Card Day!

    Date When Celebrated : Always December 9
    Christmas Card Day, honors Sir Henry Cole (1818 - 1874) of England. Cole created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843.
    Just a few decades ago, sending Christmas cards through the mail was a holiday "must". Sending cards through the mail continues to be very popular. The cost and time for writing and sending cards has caused many people to stop sending them. Free Ecards have surged in popularity. Animated Christmas and seasonal Ecards have made sending and receiving them a lot of fun.
    Today is a good day to send out your Christmas cards and holiday greetings. If you have yet to do so, use today to get a start.

    “There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly.” ~Publius Terentius Afer


    11857432.png

    Tom
  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Wednesday Wish ... that I had known this before ... a fluid ounce is a unit of volume equal to 2 tablespoons.

    @Morgori ... love todays' quote! And regarding Christmas cards ... this will be the first year that I do not send any by mail. I misplaced the cards I bought last year to send this year and refuse to buy more to replace the lost ones. I feel like a "Grinch"!

    @zcb94 ...hope you feel a bit more 'up' soon however I suspect that you need to feel better physically first. Did you get to go out and see the lights with your cousin?



  • DrivenDiva
    DrivenDiva Posts: 233 Member
    I keep losing this thread, but so glad to have found it once more! Hey group. ***waving***

    Just chugging along and trying to get my head straight for the holiday parties ahead. I've started by on Dr. Ian Smith's Four-Day Diet book just to keep me eating clean this week so I can indulge a little this weekend. Unfortunately, I just don't have the motivation to work out at all. Plus a nagging case of plantar fasciitis keeps me wanting to do nothing involving standing for long periods. I have to see a podiatrist soon to get fitted for orthodics/shoe inserts.

    A while back some of Chicago/Illinoisans mentioned participating in the Shamrock Shuffle. The best I may be able to do is cheer you guys on, if these feet o'mine are not better by then. Can yall share with me the details on that if you have it?
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    Nikion901 wrote: »
    Wednesday Wish ... that I had known this before ... a fluid ounce is a unit of volume equal to 2 tablespoons.

    @Morgori ... love todays' quote! And regarding Christmas cards ... this will be the first year that I do not send any by mail. I misplaced the cards I bought last year to send this year and refuse to buy more to replace the lost ones. I feel like a "Grinch"!

    @zcb94 ...hope you feel a bit more 'up' soon however I suspect that you need to feel better physically first. Did you get to go out and see the lights with your cousin?


    Update: my checkup went wonderfully, except that I forgot to ask her about how long/how often to be up, if at all. D'oh! However, she reassures me that the wound is healing quickly, and is going to support my efforts to get another wheelchair seating system after the holidays. Sadly, the battle for my marbles is still on! I don't think all of our block's decor is up yet, but hope to be able to see some of it soon.
  • Lauriek70
    Lauriek70 Posts: 2,087 Member
    Drivendiva- The Shamrock Shuffle in on April 5 in Chicago. We will welcome cheerleaders. It is an 8k run, which is about 5 miles. Karen has reserved a couple of hotel rooms and Susan also has a line a on place to stay.

    zcb- I can tell you that many organizations would love to have a volunteer who can help with things like website updates, Facebook posts and other activities that people don't have time to accomplish during the day but they need to be done. Is there a local park nearby that has a friends group, if so contact them and see what projects they have coming up. They could always use help with volunteer coordinating for events. This would enable you to talk to a variety of people plus helping a wonderful organization as well. Just a thought on a way to get involved. Good news about your check up going well.

    mwander- I am a middle school science teacher, 8th grade. Our kids are crazy right now. My Christmas break is 10 days away. We are not out until the 23rd, ugh.

    I am looking forward to a day off tomorrow. I need a mental break from school and the kids. I will be spending the day with a girlfriend. We are shopping then making cookies tomorrow. This will be a nice change of pace.
    The nice thing is I can sleep in tomorrow and that will be nice.








  • Morgori
    Morgori Posts: 954 Member
    Good morning everyone.

    Happy Human Rights Day!
    Human Rights Day is celebrated annually across the world on 10 December every year
    The date was chosen to honour the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the first global enunciation of human rights and one of the first major achievements of the new United Nations. The formal establishment of Human Rights Day occurred at the 317th Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on 4 December 1950, when the General Assembly declared resolution 423(V), inviting all member states and any other interested organizations to celebrate the day as they saw fit.[1][2]
    The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations active in the human rights field also schedule special events to commemorate the day, as do many civil and social-cause organizations.

    ” It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.” ~Annie Gottlier

    11857432.png

    Tom
  • KristineArden
    KristineArden Posts: 33 Member
    Morgori wrote: »
    Good morning everyone.

    Happy Christmas Card Day!

    Date When Celebrated : Always December 9
    Christmas Card Day, honors Sir Henry Cole (1818 - 1874) of England. Cole created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843.
    Just a few decades ago, sending Christmas cards through the mail was a holiday "must". Sending cards through the mail continues to be very popular. The cost and time for writing and sending cards has caused many people to stop sending them. Free Ecards have surged in popularity. Animated Christmas and seasonal Ecards have made sending and receiving them a lot of fun.
    Today is a good day to send out your Christmas cards and holiday greetings. If you have yet to do so, use today to get a start.

    “There is nothing so easy but that it becomes difficult when you do it reluctantly.” ~Publius Terentius Afer


    11857432.png

    Tom

    Really interesting info
  • KristineArden
    KristineArden Posts: 33 Member
    I had included a smiley and a Thanks!! Great info--I'll share w my mom:)
  • KristineArden
    KristineArden Posts: 33 Member
    Nikion901 wrote: »
    Tuesday Goals ... I resent my macro goals today and have to make a renewed effort to meal plan to get the percentags that I have set for myself. This came about after the statistician in me came out today. I looked back over the last 100 days of food diary and saw that my values are all over the place with no true uniformity. Thinking that might be why I only lost 3 pounds during this time ... and need to nip it before the weight loss comes to a complete stop. Thus, I am renewing my pledge to stick to and report on this goal here, like we did with the calorie challenges last year. I've also made a renewed committment to physical activity, and will be reporting on that as well. The calories for exercise will be taken from the MFP database as I don't have any other means to calculate it. I found a group of activities that I know I can do and made a list with length of time and calories burned to use.

    For me ... at my age and weight ... list of activities:
    . 15 minutes of walking at a slow pace (2.0 mph) = 70 calories
    . 15 minutes of cooking/food prep = 50 calories
    . 5 minutes of general dancing = 40 calories
    . 15 minutes of line dancing = 125 calories
    . 45 minutes of cleaning with light/moderate effort = 200 calories
    . 5 minutes of light bike riding = 50 calories
    . 30 minutes of low-impact aerobics = 280 calories
    . 15 minutes of circuit training/general = 220 calories
    . 30 minutes of Yoga - 130 calories
    . 30 minutes of Tai Chi = 200 calories
    . 15 minutes of treading water = 110 calories
    . 15 minutes of swimming laps, freestyle, light/moderate effort = 190 calories
    . 5 minutes of eliptical trainer = 80 calories
    . 5 minutes of stationary rowing, light effort = 33 clories
    . 15 minutes of home light/moderate calisthenics = 100 calories

    This starts today and going forward I will report on Mondays as that is always my check-in Day. Here's the format:

    Calories at goal <=> 100 ... 0/0 days
    Macros at goal 40C/40P/20F within 10% ... 0/0 days
    Total exercise calories burned this week ... 0

    Lets see if this will make a difference and get me closer to the goal I set for the end of December! At the rate I have been going I will not reach my ultimate goal by my 72nd birthday ... after all, I will be 71 in just over 3 months!!!

    @everyone... keep plugging along! This is a project that needs constant renewal of committment and energy!
    follow-through N

    WOW!! Great information! Sometimes when I put my exercise in, MFP shows some huge amount of calories I've burned, which doesn't seem correct:)
  • KristineArden
    KristineArden Posts: 33 Member
    DrivenDiva wrote: »
    I keep losing this thread, but so glad to have found it once more! Hey group. ***waving***

    Just chugging along and trying to get my head straight for the holiday parties ahead. I've started by on Dr. Ian Smith's Four-Day Diet book just to keep me eating clean this week so I can indulge a little this weekend. Unfortunately, I just don't have the motivation to work out at all. Plus a nagging case of plantar fasciitis keeps me wanting to do nothing involving standing for long periods. I have to see a podiatrist soon to get fitted for orthodics/shoe inserts.

    A while back some of Chicago/Illinoisans mentioned participating in the Shamrock Shuffle. The best I may be able to do is cheer you guys on, if these feet o'mine are not better by then. Can yall share with me the details on that if you have it?

    If you are using your phone to view this thread, you can hit the little star next to the thread and it will be saved---later, when u go into Community to see what's going on, you can hit the star at the very top of the screen to see your favorite threads =) I hope this helps!
  • rmullins1981
    rmullins1981 Posts: 8 Member
    Thursday... I have found out that my drinking is tied together with me gaining weight... I printed out 3 months worth of credit card statements and bank statements. I only highlighted when i ate out and when i went to the store to get alcohol. I was shocked and that put things into prospective. Since then i have been in recovery.

    It is easy right now to be motivated. I have started watching calories and not drinking for about 2 weeks. I feel great. I will keep on keeping on....
  • DrivenDiva
    DrivenDiva Posts: 233 Member
    DrivenDiva wrote: »
    I keep losing this thread, but so glad to have found it once more! Hey group. ***waving***

    Just chugging along and trying to get my head straight for the holiday parties ahead. I've started by on Dr. Ian Smith's Four-Day Diet book just to keep me eating clean this week so I can indulge a little this weekend. Unfortunately, I just don't have the motivation to work out at all. Plus a nagging case of plantar fasciitis keeps me wanting to do nothing involving standing for long periods. I have to see a podiatrist soon to get fitted for orthodics/shoe inserts.

    A while back some of Chicago/Illinoisans mentioned participating in the Shamrock Shuffle. The best I may be able to do is cheer you guys on, if these feet o'mine are not better by then. Can yall share with me the details on that if you have it?

    If you are using your phone to view this thread, you can hit the little star next to the thread and it will be saved---later, when u go into Community to see what's going on, you can hit the star at the very top of the screen to see your favorite threads =) I hope this helps!

    Ah-a! Perfect.. thanks for the tip! I will do just that! ;-)

  • DrivenDiva
    DrivenDiva Posts: 233 Member
    Thursday... I have found out that my drinking is tied together with me gaining weight... I printed out 3 months worth of credit card statements and bank statements. I only highlighted when i ate out and when i went to the store to get alcohol. I was shocked and that put things into prospective. Since then i have been in recovery.

    It is easy right now to be motivated. I have started watching calories and not drinking for about 2 weeks. I feel great. I will keep on keeping on....

    Congrats to you and best wishes on the road to recovery!!
  • zcb94
    zcb94 Posts: 3,678 Member
    Thursday Truth- I'm TERRIFIED about a simple test tomorrow, namely an A1c blood test. Because I'm an adult, the best veins for phlebotomy are in my left arm, specifically the crook of my elbow, or (when lying down, as is my life right now) the back of my right hand. Sadly, I use my hands a lot, so testing in either of those zones would cause long-term injury, lameness that would last the rest of the week, and off-and-on pain during hand-centric activity. Essentially, the only site that phlebotomists can use with a clean conscience is my right leg/foot because I have no sensation in that region. Unfortunately, it seems that heel sticks are only for babies. Furthermore, since my doctor has told me that it's okay to eat/drink before the test, I have no intention of living NPO, so general anesthesia is not an option, and local anesthesia/cold spray only makes the pain worse. :scream: Anyone who wishes to send prayers/positive thoughts, or even advice is welcome to do so.
    Rant over, my apologies for the long post. It does feel good to get that off my chest, though. Phew!