Day 196 Under The Weather and A Birthday Dinner

Day 196

Under The Weather and A Birthday Dinner

I was feeling great last night after the wedding, then I went to bed and oh my. I couldn't get warm, my sinuses wouldn't stop draining, oh the sneezing, stuffy head, I just couldn't rest. It just hit me out of the blue. I've always been very lucky when it comes to getting sick, I hardly ever do, but something zapped me real good. I didn't sleep right last night and it's made me tired all day. I've noticed something about my eating habits when I'm tired and not feeling well. I eat smaller amounts more often. I had a 600 calorie meal when we enjoyed dinner with my grandma, aunt, and mom, but other than that, I've had something small about seven different times today. Feed a cold right? I think I've tried that today without exceeding my calorie limit.

I did allow my sickliness to keep me from working out today. I told Irene that regardless of how I felt, I was still getting out there and doing it, but that was just macho man talk. I'm sick, and the last thing I need to do is get out in cold weather to walk. I can't stand missing a workout. It's become a part of my daily life and to not do it feels unnatural at this point. But I'm not going to beat myself up too bad for this one, I'm allowed to be “under the weather” I guess. I don't like it, but who does? As long as “I don't feel good” isn't just an excuse to be lazy like it's been in the past, I'm cool.

Our dinner tonight in Stillwater was in celebration of my grandmas 82nd birthday. Her birthday was Friday, but because of the weather our get together was scheduled for this evening. It was a great meal. I enjoyed some breast of chicken, chunked, and fried with a serving of mashed potatoes and green beans. I requested the gravy on the side and I passed on the roll. It was real easy to get by at 600 calories or less. By occasionally dabbing the potatoes in the gravy, I saved some serious calories. By the time I was finished the gravy almost looked untouched. Had they poured it over the potatoes, I would have consumed a much larger amount. The same strategy is effective when eating salad dressing. It's strange, but very satisfying to actually enjoy a normal portion of potatoes. Mashed potatoes isn't a food you think of in relation to losing weight, but a normal portion isn't bad. I've enjoyed a normal portion of mashed on many occasions throughout this journey. A double, triple, even quadruple portion use to be the norm for me, but now I can enjoy a regular portion without feeling like I'm getting cheated out of taters. Grandma is doing great and looking great! She couldn't be prouder of the progress we've made in losing weight, and she completely understands the struggle. I wasn't even ten years old when grandma had the stomach stapling procedure. I watched her struggle with the after effects of that surgery for years, always getting sick after just a hint of dairy and never being able to actually enjoy a meal without getting sick. Now the doctor wants grandma to gain weight, not lose it, and I think Uncle Keith, Aunt Kelli, and my mom would all agree it's just as tough to gain weight at her age, they're constantly trying to get her to eat.

I'm a big baby about feeling sick. Irene is a trooper, she can be sick for days before she even mentions feeling bad, not me. I better get some more rest. As much as I'd like to take a sick day in the morning, there's just too much to do! I at least need to get through my show. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean