My Learning Curve Is Curving the Wrong Way

Okay, WARNING because there is oversharing ahead.

The day actually started off well. For the first time since I started this, my scales reflected enough of a difference I could finally say that I'm making a dent, although at this point the dent is really more like a small dimple, but STILL, I'm making a small dimple in my weight loss efforts.

Yes, I did type "scales." No, it wasn't an accident. This is because I have two bathroom scales. Now before you go assuming I'm nuts (this is beside the point), let me try to explain.

Scale #1 I've had for probably 13 years. It's broken. I keep it not because I'm sentimentally attached to it, but because even though it's broken, it's consistent in how it measures. It's about a half a pound light for every 10 pounds. People love using this scale when they come to visit because it's very encouraging. I didn't replace it for ages because despite knowing it was off, it is kind of my standard of comparison for past points in my life. So I keep it.

Scale #2 we got shortly after my daughter was born. It's a Weight Watchers scale that goes to the tenth of a pound. We got it because she didn't put on weight terribly quickly when she was born and we were constantly having to do check-ins. Unfortunately, this scale is also broken. We tried to take it back but the store wouldn't take it. Why do I keep this one? Because although it's broken, it's usually a closer shot to my actual weight. It's off by plus or minus up to 10 pounds--and usually by the plus, but it's a more realistic gauge than my other one.

So scale #2 showed a number lower than it has ever shown me before and scale #1 showed me a number lower than I've been at since well before my daughter was born.

This meant I started the day feeling positive and like I'm on the right track.

Today was one of my hikes with my friends and instead of a where the HEK, this is a what the HEK story.

Last week I got dehydrated, didn't feel well, was fairly queasy for a couple of hours in the evening, but it passed. I figured I needed to 1) hydrate more beforehand and 2) eat better (more) during the day--I'd really kind of used up all my available energy and then some. While I know that ideally you want to PARTLY be in this situation in weight-loss terms, there's also a level of maintenance energy that needs to be taken in before your body turns on itself. Last week I totally felt like I was on the border of that.

So, I drank plenty of water through the day, ate honestly as much as I could--I can't seem to eat as much as I used to, even when I try. This is a good thing, with the single drawback of getting my money's worth at an all-you-can-eat buffet not possible. I rarely go to that type of a thing except for my husband's and my birthday, when we visit Todai, an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet where the birthday person eats free. I doubt we'll be going this year because he can't eat fish right now due to the mercury poisoning and I wouldn't be able to enjoy it quite as much. Oh well--it's a loss I'll accept.

Anyhow, I couldn't take in as much as I thought I'd need, so I took in what I could and figured I would just not push myself if I felt like it was getting to be too much.

Yeah, so I still haven't got the idea of "moderation," "balance," and perhaps even "common sense" quite down yet.

We took a slightly different trail that connected to the one we took last week. This actually had a much more gentle slope (ironically, more along the lines of what I'd expected for last week) and then connected to the more up and down trails we took before.

Since it started out so well, I figured I could make it the whole way with Ijja on my back. I had one opportunity to hand her over, which I didn't take because even though I was ...*PANT*... telling ...*PANT*... stories ...*PANT*PANT*PANT*... slowly again, I felt stronger.

I probably am, but at the next opportunity to hand her off, I did. Despite wanting to make it the whole way, I just had a feeling I was pushing it too much, so I decided to be sensible.

Apparently "sensible" is also not something I completely have the grasp of, because the sensible thing to do would have been to hand her off earlier as I think I overdid it even more than last week. I stopped on the way home and got four bottles of Recharge. I ended up drinking a whole bottle, plus another of my full water bottles.

I also scarfed up a chicken strip and a half (not much, but again, all I could seem to get down) and a couple of mini croissants.

I then took my daughter to gymnastics class and taught a private lesson (despite the increasing pounding in my head--and trying to offset it by drinking more water and sticking my face/head in the water fountain).

Driving home, I actually was thinking I shouldn't be driving since I felt so awful...headache turning to stomachache.

Less than a mile from my house, I had to pull over and dash out of the car.

Let's just say that by time I got back into the car, my stomach was no longer bothering me. And I hope you can't get arrested for leaving a biohazard in a public space, or if you can, no one connects it to me.

I came home, told my husband that I left our daughter sleeping in the car and would he mind getting her out because I was going to go lie down. Which I did, with a cold washcloth on my head. (For some reason, I find this extremely soothing for the following ailments: overheating, headaches, upset stomach, general yuckiness, and even just plain grouchiness.)

It's now 2.5 hours later and I feel better. I managed to eat (and hold down) another mini croissant as well as some more water. Don't ask me why the mini croissants appeal--I'm sure I could find something more nutritionally valuable, but one of the things I've noticed when my stomach is in "revolt mode" is that there are only certain things that appeal and I should (selectively) stick to them.

I don't think my calves will be as bad this week, so although in some ways the effects of today's hike were more dramatic, perhaps they were more short-lived.

I think I prefer the sore calves anyway.