Stories by Sidragon
Catching up on the Weight Posts…(18,19,20)
Firstly I apologize, I’ve been a terrible host of the ongoing weight posts having missed the last two in a row.
The week before last I just took the entire weekend off because work life got crappy enough that I needed to step away, and then last weekend a bunch of us met up in Nebraska, so was slightly distracted with hacking tractors and things….
However back! (And aiming to keep these going for ALL our sanities)
Let’s see, we last left this I was mid 240’s, and now am below that, just on the border of high 230’s so despite being out and about in a state not exactly known for health eating I managed to survive.. MOSTLY because road-trip snacks and I were planned ahead AND I didn’t eat everything I saw in the petrol stations!
Couple of things that I’m watching closely at the moment:
– Stress eating, work’s a challenge and I’m being VERY conscious about not substituting stress for munches. I AM having some snacks but monitoring them and making sure I don’t sit NEXT to the kitchen while eating them as that damm fridge is still calling TO me…
– Traveling without snacks is a no-no. Now that we’re venturing further afield I want to make sure I’m in control of what I eat and NOT the 7-11 on the motorway.
– Back to healthy food for lunches, it wasn’t going too far off the rails, but just bring more aware of what I’m munching on during the day…
– Given some of the “challenges” at the moment alcohol is a constant caller to try and solve some of the issues. Aside from the obvious concerns here (addresses in another post) the simple fact is MOST of the options out there are loaded with sugars…
– Just thinking before eating. I’ve found myself start to question “why” I’m munching on something OR why I want to munch on something, so it’s nice to see some of the voices in the head falling in line finally with the idea that trimming up isn’t such a bad thing.
– Back to the climbing gym WITH consistency. It’s helping both physical AND mental stats…
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
All My Fluffy Belongs To…(17)
This post IS going to cover two things:
Firstly weight post for Sat (posting a little late, blame the horses…)
Secondly, the upcoming Wizer – Free Security Awareness Training Webinar on PII (Privacy)
First, weight down this week, not much, but ever bit counts, AND this last week was rough so I’m going to give myself a pass for some late night stress munching AND a couple of glasses of wine. Didn’t pay as much attention as I needed to, re-focusing this week (and more climbing time.)
Secondly, the upcoming (THIS Wednesday 10:00 Mountain / Noon Eastern) will be my LAST WEBINAR as the host and coordinator for Gabriel Friedlander and the Wizer team. It’s been a good year running them and I wish them ALL the best, HOWEVER, for this one, IF you want to be ON the panel and talk about privacy, data, and our digital world hit me up and let’s talk. See folks Wed.
In summary:
Weight good
Webinar MY last one (Hit me up, come ONTO the panel, hang out and say goodbye!!)
Work, Watches, & Whisky post on Monday!!
‘all for now
Chris
(Shout out to Electronic Frontier Foundation for the graphic AND for helping to protect us/fighting for us!)
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
Realities of Weight(16)
My daughter and I talked this week. We talked life, numbers and being ones self.
During these conversations I realized she’s more adept at handling body image issues that I. She cares about how SHE feels, not how others make her feel, or the pressure of society. She’s aware of those things, but doesn’t let them rule her decisions on what to wear, eat, do, etc. She knows nutrition, training, and dealing with life, yet still maintains clarity of what’s important for her and NOT what others think about her.
She is comfortable in her own skin in a way I don’t think I have been in more years than I can remember, and I am learning from her about tactics, and how to be more confident in who I am.
The weight “number” is important to me, but it’s not AS important any more as simply feeling better, more comfortable with myself AND feeling healthier (climbing IS helping.)
So this weeks thoughts are listen to the kids, they have the same, IF not more pressures than we ever did over body issues, and apparently SOME of them have worked out a bloody good defense against societies pressures.
I love my rugrat and all she continues to show and teach me.
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health #kids
Back on Track (15)
Took a break from writing yesterday (Sat) somewhat deliberately as I wanted a day away from electronics. So apologies that the post is out today (Sun) however the scales and I still had our date Friday morning, and looks as if the body’s gotten used to me hitting the climbing gym AND a week of getting back TO thinking before eating meant I’m back on track and below where I was two weeks ago.
Now, if I can shake off the snuffles and the chest cough we’ll be good and I can get back out there.
Needless to say climbing has been halted while I work through what I though was just allergies, but appears to be something more. However it was going nicely, body slowly getting used to being back on a wall, and starting to move properly.
Food and I had a good week, worked out some things with the nuts/snacks again that will help (have a 1/4 cup sat on top of the container with the day’s amount in there and I just graze that throughout the afternoon/evening….)
Milo helped me with this post, hence he get’s to feature in it.
Happy Mothers Day to all!
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
#wellness #weightloss #workout
Dammit… (14)
Rough week this past week. Dealing with the continued fallout from telling people “no” and the mental side of realizing a lot of what I’d been doing wasn’t going to end up where I’d been hoping.
Found myself back into snack habits. Multiple trips to the kitchen for munchies, nuts, fruit, cheese/animal… you know the pattern. You eat it AT the fridge but also take some of it away with you, that’s not satisfying enough so off you go and do it again with something different.
Brain knew what I was doing, body apparently didn’t care.
So, after beating myself up about it, I finally signed up at the climbing gym down the road.
FOR reference the last time I hit a rock face OR gym to climb was a LONG time ago, and this old body quickly realized that hanging from one’s wrists/arms IS going to take some work.
I’ve decided to go late in the evening and and basically starting from scratch, building up the core strength in my own way, doing basic climbing drills.
Upside feel a little more centered, downside realize how far I have to go AND weight went UP for the first time. I put back on 2lb.
So, back to basics, removed snacks and working on the mental side of things.
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
One of THOSE weeks… (13)
If you’ve followed other posts from this week you’ll see it’s been a week from hell, and one I’ve taken steps to not repeat. Sitting here reflecting on the weight project some of the decisions were based around the new awareness I have on food AND my health.
Firstly, in crisis weeks gone past I would have sworn at you, grabbed a plate of snacks and simply done the project myself. NOW, with the lack of snacking I have no “crutch” to get me through, so clearer head (and emptier plate) I’ve culled the client, terminated the advisory contract and walked away.
THEN, as the week was SO special, I’ve done pretty much the same with three other clients, two advisory roles, and am about to talk with 1-2 others.
ALL because I’m not using snacks as my compensation factor for numpties and their failings.
Apparently a large portion of MY snacking is directly related to those around me and their ability to adult etc.
Secondly, somehow I’m down weight again, BUT not as much as I want, so arguing with myself on do I want progress or PROGRESS…
Will try to get arse to climbing gym and see if I can meet myself 1/2 way on the progress thing….
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health #technology
Ducking Under 250! (12)
OK, so this might BE working.
AND, I might not simply JUST be fooling myself…
You know what I’m talking about, that continued nagging doubt that eats away, it looks back at you in the mirror and tells you that you’re dreaming you can lose weight, that you’ll always be fat, big boned and not able TO do it…
And you know what, I’m getting to a point where I can start to argue back with myself. I can stand a little taller and explain that I’ve gotten ONE goal out of the way. I’ve ducked under the 250 mark (248.5 to be precise) which means I’m down 28lb in the 12 weeks AND I’m keeping the weight off.
The voices in the head are talking LESS about rebellion and doubt and some of them are starting to feel better about clothing choices, about going out and being seen wearing things OTHER than black…
STILL a long way to go, but I am feeling as if this is real and not something I’m going to fail at because the voice tells me I can’t do it.
Oh, and I think I’ve found what to do… back to climbing/bouldering. I think that’s going to be part of my evening routine before going back to the lab to work…
WILL report out next week if I made it there!
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
Call Him Fat and He’ll Tie You in Knots… (11)
The fridge and I have been better friends this past week. Despite standing in front of it a few times I managed to lose another 3lb. Part of it is because I’m snacking on cooked chicken (thanks Whole Foods Market for the packaged rotisserie chicken meat!) AND pineapple covered in chili which is seriously nice BUT you only eat 2-3 pieces AND it satisfies the sweet, tangy AND odd flavor cravings I find myself having…
I AM doing Starbucks BUT I’m no longer doing Chai or the other drinks. I’m having their refreshers (NOT with lemonade) one every now and again works AND I’m not craving anything else (although their egg bite things are ok-ish, slightly strange but in a pinch they work WAY better than the sandwiches)
STILL not gotten on the bike or done much more than go round the block with the woofmutts, trying to work out what I DO want to do insofar as exercise (I want to get a hang board above one of the doors, last used in my climbing days)
Anyhow, progress IN the right direction. Is this helping any of you at all?
Up for ideas if folks want to talk about different things, but I AM going to carry on posting these on Sat/Sun
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health #weightloss
No More Chocolate OR the Bunny Gets It… (10)
I’m combining the fat/fluffy post with the Easter post… and I missed the Passover post, so consider this all three rolled into one.
This past week was Passover, a time for remembering and eating… splendid.
This coming weekend is Easter, a time for remembering and eating… déjà vu?
So far during this minefield I’m down another couple of pounds ALTHOUGH the scales and I are in disagreement as to quite how many… apparently I might need a new set of scales as I’m either down 8lb or just 2lb and no matter how many times I stand on it, it just seems to want to show those two weights…
How? Soups, LOTS of soups AND some help from Whole Foods Market and their prepared soups BUT beware… Mum’s chicken soup is about 200cal’s for the container (two meals with extra stuff thrown in) BUT The potato soup or some of the others are 600-1000cal’s so choose wisely!
Still have a container of nuts and seeds in the kitchen that I gravitate towards as opposed to the snacks…
So, have a good, happy and healthy holiday time (no matter which deity you choose to wander with) and see folks Monday.
Oh, I’m tucking my shirt in sometimes, starting to feel better…
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
Not Fat, Slightly Less Fluffy (9)
There is balance, and for that I apologize.
In my own head, and likely thanks to the influence of the Late Sir Terry Pratchett, I have the belief that there’s balance in the world, and that it’s maintained by some highly trained monks carefully moving small weighs around to ensure the world doesn’t suddenly veer right (kinda like a certain container ship did in the Suez this week….)
Which means I’m causing them extra work.
Because I’m losing weight, which means someone, somewhere is gaining my weight, which probably means I need to say sorry to them, as they go through their day munching an extra cheeseburger or two on my behalf.
OR the balancing monks are having to work overtime.
Either way I’m happy…. somewhere an extra couple more pounds this week is being re-distributed in the world and we’re not going to go crashing into the sun because of my weight loss.
21 lb down, another 40-50 to go…
Life is all about balance….
‘All for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
Ah’ament Pie-eater a’m Fluffy (8)
Down this week, almost 20lb since kicking this off 8 weeks ago. Starting to think that I can actually do this. Which brings me to some goal setting…
Early July is typically lake house time, I get to go diving and can ignore the world for a while by sitting on the bottom of the lake.
However, in recent years I’ve felt more like a beached whale as I’m putting on the diving suit, it’s affected how much I’ve gone and how a dive “feels” and I didn’t realize it until I started to really think about it. Same with cycling and other things. I’ve avoided doing things I’ve enjoyed because I’ve simply NOT felt good about doing them.
So, plans for this July is to be down at 220…. and I can do it if I keep up the active thinking, step up some exercise and really just concentrate on how I’ll feel about being 50lb lighter THIS summer at the lake than past years…
So, a goal, and something to aim for. (Same goes IF we make it out to CyberWeek in Israel (220lb in summer way easier)
Oh, and I’ve realized I need a night off, so HillBilly Hit Squad meeting nights are MY night off, one must always make room for good pie…
Hope everyone else is doing good!
‘All for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
Slightly Less Fluffy (7)
Short one this week if folks don’t mind…
Mostly because it was a hell week and I need as much time away from electronics as I can. Other factors played into things, but I just need to get away, breath and do something OTHER than submerge myself in the digital realm.
The past week I lost more weight, mostly because food consisted of throwing a fork at anything that didn’t move fast enough in the fridge and eating it before it escaped…
Cooking this past week consisted of heating food up either over the aluminium casing of the laptop or microwaving it as I went into the bathroom and grabbing it no matter how it was done after coming out and washing hands.
I don’t want more weeks like this.
UPSIDE is I managed to not eat the kitchen because I was still aware OF food while working…
DOWNSIDE I didn’t prepare enough, and vegetables were drastically absent.
Planning out doing some batch cooking this weekend to help compensate, that way I can just throw some GOOD home cooked food in the nuclear machine between pee breaks and not have to worry too much.
Going back to the rest of Sat off, I HOPE everyone else wasn’t quite as manic this past week!
‘All for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness #health
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy (6)
1,001 ways to loose weight….
Each of them apparently IS the right way
Each has a specific way to eat, drink, sleep, approach life (or pop pills)
Each demands you follow their plan or else all hell will ensue
Each tells you there IS only their way
Reminds me a lot of our industry unfortunately.
And they’ve ALL sourced their extra-extra large trousers of “this is how I started” from the same big/tall shop I swear!
Why this slight rant?
Because we’re all unique, and each of us SHOULD approach this differently.
I don’t need someone to be a Sgt. Major to me
I sure as hell don’t need someone pointing out I AM fat
I don’t need to be told to cut out ABC, and only eat cardboard with marmite..
I think this is, for each of us, a personal journey, and if we’re going to make it stick we have to find ‘our way” WITH guidance, with some help, some encouragement and some solid science OR good logic for each decision we make….
This week’s been focusing on that, what do I want/need.
I’ve had a couple of offers to talk with people (and their significant others) I’ll be reaching out, I think it’s time to do a little more planning
DOWN another 2lb…. 🙂
‘All for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy (5)
I’ve realized I can’t come up from the lab space, sit at the dining room table with a cuppa tea at 0200, unwind AND not feel as if the kitchen is a close proximity magnet… I’ve been finding myself getting up, wandering round the kitchen debating what to eat, which is not great. Going to have to work out either what IS going on OR find somewhere else to park ones ass when done in the lab in the early hours of the morning with my cuppa.
Tuesday evening fail. The kitchen won. snacked on chicken at 0100, then some sweets, then some munchies I found and then some chocolate… Wanted one thing, ended up eating 1/2 the kitchen, got to work that whole thing out.
Also, decided that Friday weighing at 1900 isn’t going to work. I spend 1/2 the bloody day thinking about it, the other 1/2 the day cussing that I’ve eaten or drunk something, so not obsessing over it BUT also not healthy. So plan I think is morning weigh in ON Friday and then get on with the day.
So, ended up checking weight a day late, but down another 1lb, not anywhere close to where I want to be, but this week’s been a LOT harder, need to get back to focus AND good food choices etc.
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy (4)
Ok, so guess which numpty ordered Girl Scout Cookies JUST as I was starting this whole journey, and guess what showed up (I DID also order some for them to donate) So I’ve got a case of thin mints, a case of other things, and I’ve spent the week donating cases of s’mores, coconut things and others….
Thankfully the case of peanut butter ones ARE earmarked to ONLY share with the dogs (Milo and I have 1/2 a biscuit each some nights…..)
Thin mints though… damm those things call…. it’s WAY to easy to simply munch a whole roll of them and NOT think about it. (Haven’t done it yet, but the force IS strong with them…)
Weight? Down again, not as much, but still heading in the right direction 263.
Plan for this week IS to tackle the bike, and start to work out when/what time of the day IS going to work for me to get on it and pedal like a trapped hamster for a period of time (will be working up to decent cardio times…)
Short post this Sat, going to now head off with the rugrat and take some down time.
Take care everyone!
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy (3)
Rough start to this last week, not sure what I ate (probably vegetables) but, without going into details I think I was already down another 4lb without even doing anything… Basically Sat and Sun was rice, cauliflower and chicken broth…
Thankfully 72 hours later I was better, and back to needing real food.
Upside I’ve got the taste for soup back… so this is going to be the general “filler” for the next few days (AND was a good snack around midnight…)
Here’s the basic ingredients for folks:
Handful of roast chicken
Handful of cauliflower
Handful of rice
Roast chicken bouillon
Onion
Garlic
Salt/Pepper
Rasam powder (Southern Indian)
Water
Heat up and enjoy!
Rest of week was simply a battle of wills between the fridge and I. I DID find myself standing, staring into the fridge a couple of times and ended up reaching for some chicken OR back out to the nuts, but I have found I slipped on being more aware of what games the brain was playing… so have to focus again
Bike and I have YET to make friends, I need to do more than just pump up the bloody tyres!
Anyhow, weight Friday night: 265.5 (Down 7 from last week)
‘All for now, hope others are doing ok on the journey too!
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy! (2)
Second post…
Started the week playing games with my brain. Found myself sitting at the table at 1am contemplating snacks again, so what I’ve done is put a container of nuts and seeds ON the kitchen counter that I’ll likely go to instead of opening cupboard and trying to eat everything in there. Figure a small handful of nuts is better than trying to justify why I’m eating the entire fridge or larder 🙂
Also cut down and been more selective on alcohol, I’d been splitting some of the drinking between dark beers (proper ones you can stand a spoon in) and mix drinks (daughter testing out her chemistry skills) Now taken a step back from the beer and having a single of whisky or bourbon. Same taste experience, less sitting on stomach at midnight etc.
Gout or something decided to flare up this week, not sure if it’s because of what I’ve eaten or some additional stresses. Hoping it’s NOT because I’ve cut out snacks or beer… If my body’s rebelling because of that, then we have issues!
DID made it to Friday, and my once a week weight in:
272.5, down 4lb on the week…
This coming week I’m going to work on types of food, and get the fluid trainer set up with the bike.
‘all for now
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food #fitness
I’m not fat, I’m fluffy!
I’m big boned
I’m working out for the Highland games…
All these things AND more I’ve been saying to myself for the last year…
While the body has deteriorated.
So, yesterday there was a reckoning in the household. The kitchen, cupboards, hidey holes and location where I go to snack at 2am were all raided by myself and my daughter.
I also got on the scales, it’s not pretty. 276.5lb
(I’m 6’3” but still too much)
Why talk about it? Because I know I’m not alone, I know there’s others out there feeling similar thoughts, probably not wanting to look in the mirror and saying “I’ll deal with it tomorrow”
And I also know it’s eating me up inside both mentally AND physically (knees are starting to hurt again, gout pinging etc.
So, time to get on with it, and I’m going to do a weekly report here and drag ALL of you along on the journey, partly because that makes me accountable and partly because I hope this helps others who are feeling the same/similar…
Snacks, crappy and unhealthy foods were kicked out, snack areas filled with better options AND I’m going to hit the scaled EVERY Friday at 1900
Sat LinkedIn will be the update day 🙂
‘All for now, welcome to the journey
Chris
#selfesteem #hacker #awareness #healthy #exercise #food