Fat Nerd Fit

Seasonal depression has a way of sneaking up on you. Looking back, I can see that my depression snuck in  about two and a half/three weeks ago.  It super hard this week.  I fell into my "exhausted for no reason" pattern and that's when I realized I'd slipped in. Tbis week, having realized I was mid-depressive episode I leaned into it to a certain extent. I had a couple days were I took un-necessary naps.  I didn't beat myself up for the days I slept in.  In the mean time I've also taken measures to combat my symptoms. I've made a point of spending time outside when the sun is out. I've made sure to eat healthy foods. I've snuggled with JackJack (my dog), and just allowed myself to be lazy and unmotivated. Today was my first day off by myself in over a week so I allowed myself a bit of chill and a bit of pampering.  I gave myself a facial, did an undereye treatment, and made my favorite meal.  I'm mixing it with some productive tasks as well...

I guess you could say I’m in a mildly manic phase right now.   I’m not really sure what else to call the “up” periods of Seasonal Affective Disorder. I’ve got loads of perk and energy and it’s noticeable.   I had a coworker say to me “I’m not sure if your positivity is infectious or pathological.” And I suppose it’s a fair reaction when your manager is singing a little tune narrating how she’s going to set you up to count down your registers. One of the symptoms of SAD that has always affected me is lethargy and sleeping all the time. My mom always talks about when I was a kid, I was a 12-hour baby. You could set your clock by me, put me to bed at 7 pm I wouldn’t wake up until 7 am. As I grew and became a teen I still slept like crazy and no matter when I went to bed, I was sleeping in on weekends or sleeping until the last possible moment. I can get out the door in ten minutes- I’ve perfected it. Except in the spring and summer in which I’d stay up all night doing noth...

This week has been a whirlwhind of the good kind of busy. It was a 50 hour work week, plus my side hustle. Then there's a house to run and oh, yeah! I have a husband that I didn't see for five days straight even though we live in a tiny one bedroom apartment. My alarm went off this morning and I jumped out of bed ready to go... only to realize that it's my day off! My new job is at an amazing and HUGE bookstore. This was week two and I got assigned my sections. Apparently I have already cemented my reputation as the nerd among nerds. I am in charge of the Manga, Graphic Novels, and RPG Guides. My knowledge from ThinkGeek has already come in handy. I found some back-stocked mangas and put them out on the floor and the set sold in less than four hours. I would have never known about Death Note if I hadn't worked at ThinkGeek. Now I know about the anime and that the live action version is about to come out. Every copy of Naturo that we had in the back I put on the f...

The universe dropped this in my lap recently. I know the whole Apple Cider Vinegar ("ACV") Drink thing is not new, by any stretch. I've never given it any real thought, I've always passed it over as a fad diet and moved on. Last night someone in the From Fat to Finish Line group was talking about it and it seemed like quite a few of my FFTFL people had given it a try with various results and no real complaints. I trust my FFTFL peeps as they are always candid about their experiences good or bad. It really piqued my interest and I was mulling it over when today on the news they ran a story on it. It was the usual fluff piece that made no real assertions because they weren't about to take sides, but it once again on my radar. I continued to mull it over as I ran my errands this afternoon and when I popped into Whole Foods for a couple groceries, the first thing I saw an end cap with all the ACV drink ingredients. As this was the third time in less than t...

One of the terms that comes up over and over again in the From Fat to Finish Line Facebook group is "NSV" or Non Scale Victory. I hadn't really taken this side of the journey into consideration until I starting seeing other people's victories. When working on weight-loss and health it is so easy to just look at the scale as the only tool of measurement. When I confessed my weight to the group at the New Year one of the first comments I got was to only weigh once a month and not focus solely on the number as there is so much more to take into consideration. Yes, we celebrate everyone's weight loss numbers but there is also just as much support and excitement for the NSVs in the group. Yesterday I posted that it was my fourth day with no cream or sugar in my coffee. Over 120 people as of this writing have showed their support for my achievement. From a huge group of people who have either been there, done that, or are struggling themselves, or just starting...

After a crazy holiday season logging overtime on my feet at the store I developed Plantar Fasciitis. To quote the Mayo Clinic "Plantar fasciitis (PLAN-tur fas-e-I-tis) is one of the most common causes of heel pain. It involves inflammation of a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of your foot and connects your heel bone to your toes (plantar fascia). Plantar fasciitis commonly causes stabbing pain that usually occurs with your first steps in the morning. As you get up and move more, the pain normally decreases, but it might return after long periods of standing or after rising from sitting." It was most likely caused, in my case, from prolonged standing at work and wearing old shoes. Like when it happened last time, when I get up in the morning I hobble like an old person and it takes about half an hour of old person hobbling to work my way back to a normal stride. It sucks, it hurts like hell, and I had to keep going to work and being on my feet for ten ho...

I done did it, y'all. I got my scale out this morning. I can't say that I'm surprised, but I can say that I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Two hundred and freaking forty six pounds. It was a bit of a gut punch. I'm not happy. I know that I have lost weight since our move. I can see it in the mirror. I can tell by the way my clothes fit. But, as it stands this morning I have an official number. 246 Gross. Have I been heavier? Yes. Earlier this year. Have I (as an adult) been lighter? Yes... also earlier this year. Was I heavier when I got my ass in gear a few months ago? Yes. Can I do better? Also, yes. Am I going to be better? HELL YES!!! It's easy to pick a start date that is "later." You screw up on your new diet on Wednesday and decide to start over on Monday, or the first of the month, or the first of the year. Well, guess what? The first of the year is tomorrow. I'm not giving myself "one last night...