Comic Con Recap

We've been going to various cons for the past few years, but this year was especially eventful. James entered almost every contest, and while we didn't win the $50 in gift certificates, he DID win a two-night stay at a downtown hotel. The room was nicer than I expected, and the bed was really comfy. The hotel wasn't super close to the convention center, but it made us feel like we were on vacation. And they gave us a bunch of Japanese candy for some reason. Yum!

James also won a photo op with Manu Bennett, who played Slade/Deadshot on the TV show Arrow as well as Azog the Defiler in the Hobbit movies (voice and motion capture).

I'm never one for dressing up, but I love watching James and Atticus have fun. Here are some of my favorite pictures:

Atticus got to meet the original red Ranger and the second yellow Ranger (not pictured--they didn't come in costume)

When they opened the Ranger panel to audience questions, I looked at James and said, "These are the nerdiest nerds I've EVER seen." But then when one of them thanked the Red Ranger (Austin St. John) for his work with the Autism Foundation, it clicked that all of these people were likely on that spectrum. It made perfect sense, and we felt bad for mocking them. We later stopped by Austin's booth so Atticus could ask him how it felt to be a Power Ranger ("It was totally amazing") and get a high five. He was kind to talk to us and give Atticus full attention.

Group costumes are the most fun.

A meet-up of amateur Star Wars cosplayers. Atticus is in the front row, and James is the only Wookiee. We left before the Star Trek cosplayers came for a stand-off photo shoot. That Wookiee mask gets hot...

The big-ticket event this year was the panel with the actors who play Captain America and Falcon. There was rumor that Agent Carter would also show up. To avoid a stampede for seats, the organizers gave out tickets on a lottery system. It made a lot of people mad that they didn't give preference to people who bought VIP tickets, but it worked out well for us. We scored three tickets and got a good seat toward the front. James took this pic off of the jumbo screen (we didn't get this close).

This was my favorite event this year. Chris Evans (Captain America) wasn't as comfortable on stage as Anthony Mackie (Falcon), but they both seemed really genuine and happy to be there. Hayley Atwell (Agent Carter) didn't get to say anything, but she got a big cheer when she appeared on stage. She wasn't scheduled to do a panel for some reason.

Another favorite part was my friend Cindy's art booth. She does amazing papercuts. We'd already bought a print of the Utah-shaped one (quote from the end of Raising Arizona, which ends, "I don't know, maybe it was Utah"). I also bought a print of the Yoda to the left of Utah, which reads, "Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter." I loved the quote but didn't recognize it--

it's from The Empire Strikes Back. I would have loved to buy everything she had, but we have only so much wall space.

Other things I don't have pictures for:

• Falcon and the commentator had an impromptu push-up contest on stage, so when Atticus saw the commentator on the convention floor, he dropped to the ground and started doing one-armed push-ups to challenge him. The guy was gracious enough to take the challenge and do a few himself.
• We took a break on Saturday and had lunch at a nicer place down the block. It was fun to sit in a restaurant patio with Luke Skywalker and a half-wookiee (James took off the top half of the costume).
• I stayed late to see John Barrowman, who played Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who/Torchwood. He's an amazing performer, but I was disappointed by how crude he was. I felt even worse when I realized I'd missed the general women's meeting to be there. It was kind of a bummer to end the weekend that way.

Overall, the experience was a lot of fun. The great thing about Comic Con is how nice people are. Even at the most crowded times and places, I never saw anyone rude or mean. You can talk to strangers and ask to take pictures with them, and it's all good. You stand in a long line and make friends with the people around you. I wasn't all that excited about going again this year, but I'm really glad we did. 

This boy...

Atticus and I had a good day today. James had parent-teacher conferences yesterday and today, so we were on our own until bedtime. And it was nice. I don't think I want to be a single mom anytime soon, but one-on-one time with my boy makes me happy.

Here are a couple things from today that I want to remember:

1. This morning we got to school just after the first bell rang. Atticus was a little frantic about being late:

A: "No time for kisses today, Mom."
Me: Uh-unh. There's always time for kisses.
He gives me a brief brush-by kiss, gets out hurriedly, and slams the door. [Pause]
He opens the door again.
A: "That wasn't a long enough kiss."
Climbs back in the car to give me a real kiss, gets out hurriedly, and slams the door. We exchange vulcan greetings as I drive away.
I smiled the whole way to work.

2. When I got home from work I put on my favorite Spotify playlist, and we listened to it most of the afternoon and evening. After he got out of the shower, he asked me to replay this song:

"It makes me feel whole," he said. I know exactly how that feels. It's how I feel as I write this now. My heart can hardly contain how much I love this boy.

Two brown eggs!

Ruby and Becky are both laying now! We were getting only one brown egg a day, so it was hard to tell if they were alternating days or if one just wasn't laying, but for two days in a row we got two huge brown eggs! And a half-eaten green one. Don't know what happened there, but we got a whole green one today. And only one brown egg. 

Really, ladies, would it kill you to all lay on the same day?

It's not about the eggs.

Meet our lovely ladies, Lucille, Ruby, and Becky. James named them after women in Kenny Rogers songs. We inherited them from our neighbors, who were tired of cleaning up chicken poop. And after having them just a couple weeks, I can see what they mean. I had no idea how much chickens poop. And the neighbors let them out of their small enclosure a few times a week to run free all over the back yard, which meant poop was everywhere. So when we got them I made sure that their enclosure was big enough for them to scratch, dust bathe, and exercise so we wouldn't have to let them out of it. Ever. And I have dedicated one pair of shoes to be my "chicken shoes," and they don't go past the back door. 

I'd been wanting to get chickens for a while now, but the start-up costs and planning and decisions were a little prohibitive. Where would we raise chicks? Buy a coop or build one? What design? How much is this all going to cost? And in one fell swoop, all of those decisions were made. The neighbor wouldn't let us pay him for anything, including almost-full bags of bedding and food pellets, heat lamps, and a watering container we can plug in in the winter so it doesn't freeze. The coop is made of crumbling particle board and will need to be upgraded/replaced soon, but it works for now. 

We get two eggs a day, one greenish white (from Lucille) and one brown. I'm not sure if only one red hen is laying or if they're alternating. Becky has an injured foot, which made me think maybe she wasn't laying, but she seems healthy otherwise. Her comb and wattle are bright and firm, which the internet says is a sign of good health. They're all eating and scratching and getting around fine. 

And they love us. Ruby (I think she's the alpha) used to peck the neighbor's feet whenever he entered their enclosure, but we've never been pecked. Well, I did get pecked on the hand the first day we got them, but I guess that was enough to put me in my place. They get all excited when we go into the back yard, following our movements and clustering where they are in the photos. I don't think they got food scraps very often before, and they never got "scratch," or the mix of wheat and corn and millet that they love. They also needed some calcium supplementation (oyster shells) to improve their eggshells. I feel like we've improved their quality of care, and they seem to like being here. 

So now I'm trying to figure out why I love having them so much, what need they fill. Because like the title of this post says, it's not about the eggs. My friend's 9-year-old daughter gets all wistful when she talks about how we get "fresh eehggs," which always makes me think of this video, which still makes me laugh since the first time I saw it (thanks, Suz). The eggs are great, don't get me wrong. But I can get really good eggs at the store for not too much money. And honestly, I don't eat eggs that often (though I plan to eat more now). But it still makes me very, very happy to see them out in our yard. 

They're not pets, and I don't pet or touch them or try to feed them out of my hand. I love that I can feed them my yellow lettuce that would otherwise go in the trash, but it's more than a practical thing. I feel silly saying that it's more of a spiritual thing, because it's not like I'm learning life lessons or anything. 

But it's more like I feel more connected to life. More real somehow. When I was applying for the job I knew that the trade off if I got it was that I would have to keep things at home pretty simple. Surface cleaning. Surface meal planning. Surface gardening. All so I could be more than a surface wife and mother. Yes, James would take a larger role in all of those things, so it's not like they'd be neglected, but my participation would be surface-level. When I didn't get the job, I asked God, "now what?" And the impression I got was "deeper roots at home." 

I can't quite explain how, but the hens are part of those deeper roots. I'm working only three days a week so I can stretch those roots. Deeper cleaning. More cooking (still working on that, but I did make three kinds of fruit leather last week). Garden planning and preparation. Eventually I'll get to sewing and lotion making and family history and piano. 

But for now I have hens, and that's enough.

Starting Over

Ok. I had a few bad weeks with the diet, and I didn't get the job I really (really!) wanted. I got knocked down and thrown for a loop.

But I'm back up. I went to the gym today, and I signed up for a 6-week "boot camp" class. I'm doing the diet challenge again, starting by cutting out all drinks but water and unsweetened herbal tea.

At work, I still feel a twinge in my gut whenever I think of all the problems that made me want to leave, but it's time to stop whining and move forward. The project manager is advocating for me to take a bigger role, though exactly how is still to be defined. I also asked the writing manager to help me find a mentor for web and social media writing. That's my weak point, and it's the direction the field is heading, like it or not. And it will help me write for a more general audience, which is what got the other guy the job I wanted. 

This quote came to mind today:

"In times of change learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists." --Eric Hoffer

It's time.

Temporary Detour?

My goodness, the last two weeks have felt like an epic fail. I want to turn it around, and I'm just not feeling motivated. Help!

My diet slipped and I didn't make it to the gym for a week, and when I got on the scale I was back to my starting weight. Worse, when I got on the machine at the gym, I was panting like I'd never worked out. I worked hard to achieve so little, and with one bad week I lost all the ground I'd gained.

I was so discouraged I spiraled into even worse habits this week. Because that makes so much sense, right?

My body feels terrible, and I'm grumpier and more irritable than before. Yes, I'm experiencing a higher-than-normal level of stress. I've applied for a new job, a process that started in January and finally reached the interview stage a week ago Wednesday. I'd been hoping to hear back within a few days, but the person in charge of hiring was traveling all last week, so I'm crossing my fingers for the upcoming week. It really is cruel and unusual treatment to stretch out the hiring process this long, but they're historians, so maybe they have a different concept of "a long time." And I really, really want this job, so I will wait as patiently as I have to.

But it's not like getting this job will completely change my eating and exercise habits, though they do have a rule of no food in the office (the office is in the same building as the library and archive, so food is a big no-no). Right now I'm surrounded by snacks and eat primarily at my desk, so that would certainly change. And my office would be on the 4th floor, so I could take the stairs more.

Anyway. I'm frustrated with myself. Why is it so hard to translate knowledge into action? What is the key to making it stick?

Week 5

Weigh in: down half a pound.

Last week was rough. I got sick, and I just felt drained and grumpy all week. I made it to the gym once, and I did a bare-bones workout at home one day. Plus James got a box of chocolate from Indonesia and a dozen Kinder Surprise eggs from Canada, so my "no sugar" goals didn't stick. But the strange thing is, the sugar didn't satisfy me. I even broke out my fancy dark chocolate bar, and it was disappointing. I still craved good desserts, but I didn't cave.

Successes: I tried a 30-minute "boot camp" class at the gym. It was tough, but it pushed me harder than I push myself. They're starting the 4-week session again next month, and I plan to join. I also exercised at home when I really just wanted to stay in bed.

Goals for this week: Limit carbs (no specific guidelines). No fast food. Increase exercise duration/intensity.

How do I plan to limit carbs and junk this week? What foods do I need to replace, and what will I replace them with?
The key word here is PLAN. Saturday I wrote out a menu and committed to actually cook and prepare meals. Last night we had lime-ginger mahi mahi, and it was delicious. Super easy. James and Atticus even liked it, and James doesn't generally like fish. I don't think I can add it to the weekly rotation, but maybe once a month. On the side we had sautéed baby bok choi and brown rice with cilantro.

My biggest concern is lunch. I normally take leftovers, but I knew we wouldn't have leftover fish, and some of the other meals I planned wouldn't have leftovers either. So after dinner I stayed in the kitchen and made a batch of chicken-and-veggie patties. Prep was super easy with the food processor. Cooking took the longest, but even with that I was done within an hour. I made about 13 larger patties instead of 30 minis. They were tasty. Kind of like an omelet, strangely, but in a good way. I froze half for the future. Oh, and I also baked some chicken thighs for a recipe I'm making later this week.

Tonight is chili dogs for convenience and to keep my boys happy. I'll cut up carrots and celery to go with them. After dinner I plan to make a batch of granola and shred cabbage and carrots for a peanutty slaw I'm making later this week. I greatly prefer to prep a couple days ahead, when the pressure is off. I can enjoy the process rather than worry about getting food on the table quickly. I need to remember this.

Look back over the past month. What positive changes have I made?
I'm exercising again, and I like it. I'm eating more vegetables and planning my meals better. I'm spending less time on the couch. I've stopped raiding the snack cabinet at work. I wore a knee-length skirt to church yesterday for the first time in forever. I'm spending more time outside. All great things.

Update

I weighed myself again this morning, and I'm down two pounds from yesterday, so my total loss so far is three pounds.

And, small miracle, I could walk without pain this morning. My ankle is getting more sore as the day goes on, but I'm walking without a brace or a cane, so hallelujah! I'll wear a brace to the gym tonight.

Buoyed by these positives, I just walked away from a double-layer ganache chocolate cake from Market Street. I'm still kind of hyperventilating inside, which is embarrassing because come on, it's just cake.

Week 4

I'm up a pound. This is supposed to be normal, because I'm building muscle. And I am building muscle. Not that anyone else would notice, but I can feel it in my arms, and this morning I found a nice little bulge in my calf while I was shaving. My body feel stronger--I carried the heavy bags of groceries without even noticing the weight. So this is all good and worth it. But being up a pound, especially when I've only lost 2 in three weeks, still stinks.

And I overworked my ankle Saturday, so I've been hobbling in pain for two days. I had expected to feel better today, but no luck. Which means I'm not going to the gym today. Hopefully tomorrow.

This last week we were allowed to have one dessert if we wanted, so with it being Easter and conference I indulged a little. But really only a little. I had one hollow chocolate egg, some Doritos, and three medium-size meringues with lemon curd and strawberries for dessert (yum!). And still I don't miss or crave sweets.

Today I took the day off to spend time with James, who has spring break today and tomorrow. Atticus went back to school today after his spring break last week, so it was nice to have some adult time. We went out to breakfast at our favorite French bakery, and I had hot chocolate, vegetable quiche with salad and rosemary roasted potatoes, and two macarons for dessert. I haven't made yummy noises in a restaurant in a long time, but I did today. But not for the macarons. They were just ok.

Now my "vacation" is over, and it's time to get back on track. Dinner tonight is greek salad, which is homemade potato salad mixed with romaine, tomatoes, feta, and olives with a lemony vinaigrette. When you mix it up the potato salad becomes part of the dressing, so it's not so heavy. I make it with delicious avocado-oil mayo, full of all those good fats. :)

The goal this week is to eat healthy meals--watching portion sizes, avoiding processed food, and increasing produce. She outlines a new strength training routine, but it's kind of high impact, so I'm going to continue with the one I've been doing. She also has a new ab workout.

Questions for Week 4
How do I feel about reducing my portion sizes? 
I'm ok with it. I don't feel like I have a real problem in that area, though I could certainly improve.

Is there a certain food that is tripping me up each week (as in, I eat too much of it)? How could I deal with that this week?
I seem to have replaced sugar with fat. They're all "good fats"--nuts, eggs, unsweetened dairy--but they're still fat. The nice thing about fat is that it helps keep you feeling full longer. I can eat a cup of yogurt and honey or half a peanut butter bar and feel satisfied for a while, but crackers or apples or carrots just don't have the same effect, no matter how many I eat. I think I'll cut back my portion sizes for the fats and increase produce to balance it out.

How am I feeling about my body? Is it growing in strength?
See above. I'm frustrated with the scale but satisfied overall.

What does the future look like if I continue developing these new habits?
It looks pretty good. Even if I never lose another pound (which I really really hope won't be the case), I like what exercising has done for me so far. I've been toying with the idea of getting a fancy blender for smoothies instead of a bike, but I really want the bike. I love being outside, and I'm really looking forward to exploring the neighborhood on a bike. I still want the blender, though...

Have I planned my exercises and meals for this week?
Kind of. I know what we're eating for four or five meals, and I know what I want to do at the gym once my ankle starts cooperating again. I just don't know which days I'll go.

Do I have any favorite exercises?
I really like hand weights and squats. I did 50 squats Saturday (20 with weights), and other than my ankle, I didn't have trouble walking. A few years ago I did 50 squats and I couldn't walk straight for three days. So that's something.

Birdie trash talk

These little birds hang out by our side door all day. There's a third one (maybe more) sitting inside the tray at the inside top of the eave. They chirp all day, talking to these birds next door:

Again there are three or four of them at this house. They chirp back and forth, fluttering from roof to railing to bricks. They never fly from one house to the other.

This morning as I watched and listened to them, I could almost hear them trash-talking each other. "Yeah? You think you're sooo great because your house has bricks? Well, we've got a dog with a bell. Boo-yah!"

"Before" picture and weigh-in

I was going to post this cute picture of me and my boy eating sushi for my birthday, but then I saw the picture. Yeah, that's not going on Facebook. I had already been planning to start this program, but this really cemented my goal. I don't like looking like this. But the boy is cute. :)

Weighed in this morning, and I've lost another 1.2 lbs. Total loss to date: 2.2 lbs. I was really hoping the first 5 lbs would come off faster than this, but at least it's progress. This is going to be a long, slow process. But worth it in the end. It's already worth it. I just have to remind myself of that every so often.

42 Days: Week 3

Pep talk from the booklet: "This 42-day thing is no fad diet. It's not get-slim-quick regimen. It's about putting in the time, the commitment, the effort, the mental shift, all of it. Because at the end of the day, and at the end of the challenge, and someday at the end of our days as we know them, we'll look back and have to answer one question: What did we do with what God gave us while we were here on the earth?"

Way to bring in the heavy, lady. Thanks a bunch.

But really, that's what this is all about: all of the things I want to do and experience that I can't right now because of my limitations. Because I haven't taken care of my body like I should. I want to hike. I want to travel. I want to have the energy and strength to do and see the beautiful things in this world.

I'm still having trouble with my ankle, but it's going to hurt whether I exercise or not, so I might as well exercise. I'm going to make an appointment this week for a cortisone injection, so we'll see how well that helps and how long it lasts.

Here are the official questions:
Am I starting to lose my motivation? 
Yeah, maybe a little. I'm not seeing big results, and even though that's what I expected, you always hope for more. Plus the psychology of weight loss is sometimes self-defeating. I've been this size and shape for a while now, and I haven't always liked it, but I was ok with it because I knew I wasn't ready to do anything about it. Now that I'm ready to do something about it, I want it to change NOW. I'm no longer apathetic about my situation, so I'm more impatient.

But I'm actually getting MORE excited about exercise. The plan has you just do cardio three days and just do strength with a short warm-up two other days, which means you're getting some kind of exercise 5x a week. I combined the two, so I'm getting a solid cardio AND strength workout three days a week, which is an extra strength workout. But I haven't done anything the other days, so maybe the cumulative effect is less. Dunno. But this works for me.

I've started watching Magnum P.I. on Netflix when I'm on the elliptical machine. I workout longer and dread it less. Magnum is just for a workout--I'm not going to laugh out loud, and I'm not going to miss any major plot points (because there aren't any) if I look away to take a drink or check my progress. It's also funny to see the beginnings of feminist television--the lady cop (parole officer) is described as a no-nonsense "barracuda," but in a fight she still cowers back and tries not to get hurt.

But I digress...

Food challenges
This week wasn't much different for me, as I was already eating breakfast. I still don't crave sweets, and I'm ok passing them up. Starting tomorrow we are allowed one dessert a week, and I'm not sure I want to open that door. I've been thinking about making something special for Easter, but portion control is the hardest. I only get ONE dessert per WEEK, so having cake or cookies lying around for three days is not going to go well for me. My VT has figured out how to make half a cake mix so there aren't any leftovers when her family has dessert, but (1) I don't like cake mix, and (2) her family is bigger. Still, the concept applies. If I can make a really small batch of something James also likes, we might be ok. Pinterest, here I come. :)

If I have changed my diet and exercise in a positive direction, I have made progress. Is this progress visible yet? Can I admit to myself that it is still progress, even if I can't see it today?
Thanks for the reminder. Yes, positive change is progress. Not bingeing on chocolate every day at 3 is huge progress. Going from no exercise to three solid workouts a week is progress. Even if the scale doesn't budge, even if my pants are still too tight, I have made progress.

What are some of the positive changes I feel?
I'm less bloated and uncomfortable. I have more energy. I enjoy healthy food more. I look forward to workouts.


So there's my progress for this week. Next week the food challenge is to have a food "curfew" three hours before bedtime. I'm glad that starts tomorrow, because it's 7:45 and I'm about to eat a bowl of granola. :)

42 Days to Fit: Week 2 Begins

This morning was my weekly weigh-in. I lost exactly one pound, and my waist measurement is the same. Not the fireworks I was hoping for, but about what I expected.

I'm a little worried about today because I'm feeling stressed and anxious. This is when I normally crave chocolate and caffeine. I've packed a healthy lunch and snacks, but if I can't turn my mood around, this is going to be a rough day. So what do I need to do to feel better?

Figure out the problem.
I thought I was doing well this morning. I got into the shower on time, but somehow the rest of the morning got away from me. Atticus was taken care of, but I was still doing my hair when I realized we needed to be out the door. I thought I would have time for breakfast. I thought I was on schedule. Can I blame Atticus for suddenly having a million questions about the Titanic? Where did that come from?

Then I realized spring break is next week. How did I let that sneak up on me? It's been on the school calendar all year--how did it not make it to my calendar? What am I going to do with Atticus? I can't take a whole week off, which means I need to set up play dates and such. That means I have to call people. I hate calling people.

Then there are my general frustrations about work. Not excited to be here, but I have lots to do.

Figure out a solution.
I got the boys to school on time (barely), and I have microwave oatmeal at work. Let today go and figure out how to make tomorrow better. Win for today: I packed my lunch last night, so I didn't have to worry about that this morning. Focus on that drop of awesome and let the rest go.

One friend's mom works at the Snowbird kid's camp, and she offered to take Atticus up with her son next week. That takes care of one day. James will be home Thursday and Friday--two more down. So it's just two days I need to worry about. Veronica has Wednesdays off--maybe she can take him that day if I take Kaden for another. I really don't want to take Kaden, but maybe we can go to a movie or something. I can take one day off.

Work stress... right now the only way out is through. Just dig in and get it done. Be grateful that my very nice but very chatty neighbor is out today. I feel bad for being relieved, but I'm just not in the mood for him today.

Ok. I'm feeling a little better. Back to the diet.

Here are my goals for this program:

• Lose 10 lbs. That's 1-2 lbs a week, which is reasonable and maintainable.
• Clean up my diet. Get rid of most of the junk and increase produce intake.
• Get in the habit of exercise. Do something every day.

Thought questions for this week:

How did I do with week 1? Was it too hard? Too easy?

It was a little on the easy side, but overall it was just about right. I could increase the intensity of my workouts a little, and I could eat more vegetables.

Who am I doing this for? When working out, do I remember why this is worth it?

I'm doing this for myself. I'm tired of feeling "blech" and out of shape. I'm tired of being out of breath after one flight of stairs. I'm tired of hurting all over. 

You've been recruited.

If anyone still reads this blog, this is to inform you that you are now my "accountability partner" for the next five weeks of my new diet/fitness program. Yea! Lucky you!!

I'm following the 42 Days to Fit program, which slowly cleans up your diet and gets you focused on exercising 5 days a week.

I'm not going to post my weight and measurements here because they horrify me, but I'll keep you posted on the ups and downs.

Tomorrow will be the last day of week 1. Here's how it's gone so far:

How I Feel

• I started the week feeling like I'd swallowed a balloon. That hasn't changed much.
• I've had heartburn for more than a week. It doesn't seem to matter what I eat or don't eat. This is annoying.
• I'm motivated to make real changes gradually. This is a good program for gradual diet change.
• I've had more energy this week and slept a little better. 

Food

The challenge this week was to eliminate all sweets/desserts and to drink only water. Unsweetened herbal tea is ok, as is one glass of 100% juice with breakfast. 

• I had no problem with limited drinks. I have some favorite herbal teas I drink at work, plus plenty of water. I didn't even have the allowed juice. 
• Sweets were actually not a temptation. There were a few days when I wanted chocolate around 3 p.m., but it wasn't hard to redirect my attention. We went out to dinner Friday, and Atticus got a scoop of chocolate frozen custard, and I had two bites. It was really good, but I was able to stop and not miss it.
• The rest of my diet didn't change much. I made sure to eat breakfast every day (that's next week's challenge), and I brought my own lunch and snacks to work.
• I tried to increase my intake of produce.  
• I discovered that fat satisfies sugar cravings. Full-fat greek yogurt, even unsweetened, is incredibly satisfying, and you don't need a lot of it to do the trick. 

Exercise

The plan is to do 20 minutes cardio three days and two days of strength training.

• I did it! Elliptical machine and stretching at the gym Monday and Wednesday, two sets of the prescribed training circuit Tuesday, one on Thursday (no abs), and today I did 10 min on the elliptical machine and an extended training circuit. 
• My ankle hurt so bad after my workout this morning that I used my brace and a cane for half the day. Everything I'm doing is low-impact, and my PT even had me doing squats and lunges in my sessions, so I don't think the program is the problem. It's just my ankle. Time for cortisone. We'll see how long it lasts.
• I need to find a cardio exercise I enjoy. I'm going to get a bike for my birthday (when I can get up the nerve to drop a lot of money on a decent one), so maybe a ride around the neighborhood will do me more good than trudging on a machine. We're also close to the Jordan River Trail.

Goals

• Continue with patterns established this week: breakfast, pack lunch, exercise daily, make healthier choices.
• Pay closer attention to what upsets my stomach.
• Increase my strength training. While I'm tired after each set, I'm not sore later. Does that mean I'm not working hard enough? Or does that mean I've hit a "sweet spot" where I work just hard enough? I don't want to overdo it and not be able to walk or lift anything for three days, but I can probably increase the intensity a bit.

So there's my download for this week. Tomorrow I'll start prepping for week 2. :)