I slept wrong and gave myself a kink in my neck so all my motivations to exercise have turned into motivations to nap. I'm trying to convince myself that I should get out of bed. It's so warm and comfy. There's still a couple of things on the to-do list I could accomplish today.... But it's so warm and comfy.....

D'oh!

Back to work, time to get back on track. Cat woke me so early I have loads of time to prep 4 great salads.

This neck pain is kicking my butt. When I finally got out of bed yesterday I was convinced to go outside immediately and help with the last of the yard work so alas there was no hot pad on my neck until I was back indoors. We have an electric heat pad that I've worn for most of the day and I've been rolling my shoulder and neck with a lacrosse ball against a door frame as much as I can stand. Sneezing is excruciating. I'm hopeful this will ease soon.
We don't have snow accumulation here, just wet slush and mixed precipitation so the motivation to go outside is null. I had great losses on the scale and did lots of exercise last week but things have tipped back the other way a bit more than intended with Sunday dinner/Monday leftovers and this neck pain. I'm going to be very conscious of my portion size at dinner to do my best to stay in the green for tomorrow. I still have 1.5 weeks left in my personal challenge to make it down below 190 by 'boat launch day'. That's my tried and true method. I need a short term motivator like an event or a reward to keep myself logging consistently and staying away from the red wine.
Last year I used a bathing suit as a motivator, this year is the boat. Next event I'd like to use as a push will be the last weekend of May when extended family I haven't seen in years will come to Ottawa for a gathering to remember my dad. There will be a lot of gardening etc to do at my mother's house before the event so that should help me burn some calories.

@jugar Oh dear...I definitely fall into the gain category lately! I have been having such a hard time getting it all together. I get parts of things going but not enough things to make a difference. I think I just keep trying to go back to where I was in September. But September was a very long time ago. I can't just jump back to that routine. I need to baby step my way back up to that level again. I don't want to take baby steps! I want to take big huge steps...but I just keep falling on my face. Humph🙄

I have a consultation with a wellness coach this Thursday. We have had some phone conversations already. I am 90% sure we will starting working together. Just need to confirm she is a good fit in person. I will do an inbody scan which looks at muscle mass, fat and visceral fat ratios. Should be interesting. I told my husband I have been having a hard time and I just need some help. My husband took a lot of my attention this past school year. He needed it and I would do it again in a heart beat. But there were definitely some negative effects for me. Luckily my husband is in a better work situation and will most likely interview and see what else is out there. Now it's my turn to focus on my needs again. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I am a bit in mourning for the ground I gave up this year. It makes me mad and sad but I just have to put the work in again.

@PlaneMonkey I hope your neck is feeling better today.

jugar wrote: »

What helps break a stuck streak? We have seen some great examples here. @eggfreak springs to mind. Sylvia was stuck for a good while and is now leading the team for this month. Proof that it is possible!! Share some ideas, including things that do not work. Give a hand to a team member who might need some encouragement. New and crazy strategies, old tried and trues - whatever you've got

For me, starting/doing it now, instead of putting it off. No 'waiting until Monday' or 'just one more..'. I could find reasons to procrastinate indefinitely if I allowed myself to do so! As soon as I start seeing the number dropping on the scales my motivation is up and I get a big boost of motivation and can-do attitude about it. I know the 'one perfect day' is mentioned a lot, but if you weigh in daily like I do, that one day is enough to get things kick started. I'm realising it has to be a day, and not a meal, because it's in between meals that I fall over.

conleywoods wrote: »

@jugar Oh dear...I definitely fall into the gain category lately! I have been having such a hard time getting it all together. I get parts of things going but not enough things to make a difference. I think I just keep trying to go back to where I was in September. But September was a very long time ago. I can't just jump back to that routine. I need to baby step my way back up to that level again. I don't want to take baby steps! I want to take big huge steps...but I just keep falling on my face. Humph🙄

I have a consultation with a wellness coach this Thursday. We have had some phone conversations already. I am 90% sure we will starting working together. Just need to confirm she is a good fit in person. I will do an inbody scan which looks at muscle mass, fat and visceral fat ratios. Should be interesting. I told my husband I have been having a hard time and I just need some help. My husband took a lot of my attention this past school year. He needed it and I would do it again in a heart beat. But there were definitely some negative effects for me. Luckily my husband is in a better work situation and will most likely interview and see what else is out there. Now it's my turn to focus on my needs again. I'd be lying if I didn't admit I am a bit in mourning for the ground I gave up this year. It makes me mad and sad but I just have to put the work in again.

The first part of your post is something I could've written. This time last year I was ON IT and now, I'm about 2kg higher than I said my highest weight was allowed to be this year - and about 5.5kg heavier than I was on this day in 2021. I like Jugar's advice of just picking the most important thing - but we would call it a 'must win battle' at work. I'm going to write down my must win battles (and a maximum of 3 for the rest of the month), then find an action for each of them.

The thing about the wellness coach sounds really interesting. I'm glad you can now lean on your husband for support and have your turn to focus on yourself. Life definitely seems to chop and change like this as a couple/family.

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My manic long weekend is over. I left home at 6.30am yesterday, dropped off and built some furniture at Mum's, then spent 10-4 decluttering my Grandma's attic before getting my hair done (it's purple, I love it!) then having tea with a good friend. Finally got home about 11pm, then was in a meeting at 7.45 this morning... I am a can of energy drink down and it's just gone 12.40pm. I don't have them often at all now, maybe one every couple of months, but I like to finish them early so it can wear off long before bed. I've not been overly hungry though, and whilst the energy drink has calories I have only had a cereal bar this morning, so that's an improvement on my recent snacking!

Admittedly it looked better with the hairdresser's styling last night



I've also had a chiropractor session this morning which I was grateful for as I've had quite a few headaches over the weekend, stemming from a sore neck and tension in the jaw. He said he could feel my lymph nodes and to keep an eye on them, but they tie in with the tiredness and general congestion I've been feeling. Interestingly, as well as some massage he used a laser thingy on me so I'm looking forward to see what that does. I did feel better when leaving.

Planning to take it a bit easier this evening but the weather is gorgeous so I want to go for a walk, and I shall declutter at least one basket of the stuff from our bedroom (there are 3 total). The room does look more spacious, but we have nothing hiding the many holes in the walls now and I don't think it'll be long before I'm asking the plasterer for a quote which in turn means more decorating...

4/19 exercise:
9597 steps + 46 minutes Peloton