Alligatorob's Diary

[liza3]

Glad you had a nice celebration for Father's Day Rob--even if the cake didn't quite live up to its name! haha

 

[Cate]

Your Father's Day celebrations sound good, Rob. There's nothing better (for me anyway) than being surrounded by your family. Those trees sound tough!

 

[alligatorob]

Today was a good day, ate well, exercised and feel good but tired tonight.

I am beginning to feel a bit tired and light headed, kind of like I did at the end of my long weight loss. Now I believe that was from some combination of being under weight and malnourished. I am still ~40 lbs heavier than I was then... not underweight. However it has been more than 2 weeks since I have gone over 1,500 calories, and most days have been nearer to 1,200. Maybe I will try adding a few calories back in. I did today. My worry is that has always been a slippery slope to start bingeing again... Have to think on it.

I had to look up Russian olive tree. They're reasonably common here as park trees but not a threat to native plants, possibly because anywhere the soil is poor enough for that to be likely it's also cold enough that the fruit doesn't ripen. Those are some huge trees though: you have your work cut out for you!

They can be attractive, from a distance, but up close they have way too many branches and sprouts close to the ground, all with huge thorns. No fun to be amongst. Problem is I have discovered that the town has an ordinance against burning them, no such ordnance in this town. So I have to figure out how to legally dispose of them. Services exist to haul them off, but that would probably be real expensive... Maybe I'll need to learn to love them, won't be easy.

Glad you had a nice celebration for Father's Day Rob--even if the cake didn't quite live up to its name! haha

Thanks! Maybe falls into that “Most fun I’ve had with my clothes on” thing...

Your Father's Day celebrations sound good, Rob. There's nothing better (for me anyway) than being surrounded by your family. Those trees sound tough!

Thanks Cate, it is nice. Not happy about those trees today

 

[Cate]

With the amount of exercise you get, Rob I think you would need those extra calories. How strange that there's an ordinance against burning those trees!

 

[Llama]

Ours don't really bother with thorns since nothing tries to eat them once they get a bit bigger. Makes them a lot more pleasant to be around I imagine. I hope you find a way to dispose of them safely and affordably. Is the burning ban for felled trees as well as standing ones? I could see the town being afraid of people causing wildfires by just setting fire to the whole lot.

 

[liza3]

I would def add some calories if you aren't feeling well. That's no fun. You seem like you are at a good weight and don't need to lose and you wouldn't need to eat such a small amount to maintain a healthy weight...

 

[Emilyrose]

Your property sounds beautiful Rob. Hope you start to make progress thinning out the trees.

 

[alligatorob]

Today was a good day, a bit less time in the gym, but plenty. And I ate well. I feel good tonight and the tiredness and lightheaded feeling of yesterday are gone. As I said a good day.

With the amount of exercise you get, Rob I think you would need those extra calories.

Maybe, but I don't usually see much connect between my calorie intake and how I do exercising. But it may add up...

How strange that there's an ordinance against burning those trees!

It is the next town over from this one, I could burn here. In fact I do burn peach tree trimmings and other farm/yard waste every year. I think the problem is the new town invested in a "green waste" facility to take trees and the like for chipping and compost, so they feel the need to force all to use it. That will cost me a lot more than burning, and I am not sure it will really be much "greener". But I don't make the rules.

Ours don't really bother with thorns since nothing tries to eat them once they get a bit bigger. Makes them a lot more pleasant to be around I imagine.

No thorns would help, but nothing seems to eat them here. Maybe a different variety? Are they native to Austria. Even without thorns they are really bushy, nice appearance from a distance but you can't really get under them without fighting a dense cluster of branches, with thorns here.

I hope you find a way to dispose of them safely and affordably. Is the burning ban for felled trees as well as standing ones? I could see the town being afraid of people causing wildfires by just setting fire to the whole lot.

Actually the State of Utah issues burn permits on a day to day basis, you can only burn when its safe and air quality allows. I'd wait for snow on the ground. However the town does not allow burn permits within its City limits for anything larger than a campfire, 3 ft (~1 m) in diameter, I'd need about 10,000 or so of those...

Your property sounds beautiful Rob. Hope you start to make progress thinning out the trees.

Thanks Emily, right now it has more potential than current beauty. But when done it will be nice. Also very close to the mountains, even more more rugged than here, really a nice view. And when the pond is done the mountains will sit right behind. Really a great view from the house.

 

[Llama]

No thorns would help, but nothing seems to eat them here. Maybe a different variety? Are they native to Austria.

Their native range is further to the east, in the Himalayas. Gardens and parks only here, as far as I can tell, but they are generally seen as weeds. Different varieties is always a possibility but I do wonder why they were introduced in the Americas. The German name is "narrow-leaf oil willow" and the locals just call it oil tree but apparently that's just because they look like olive trees although both the flowers and fruits can be used to flavor grappa.

 

[alligatorob]

This morning was another tired weak feeling morning... but I went to the gym anyway. Had a session with the trainer so I told her how I was feeling and after a few questions I told her I had cut my calories. She was originally trained as a dietician or nutritionist, but liked doing the gym stuff better so never really worked as one, but she does know about nutrition. She said it the tiredness was due to the calorie cut. And that I was cutting too much. I know she is probably right, I know many of y'all here have often said the same thing to me...

So to fight this off I am trying to increase calories, maybe target 1,500 to 1,800 a day, not sure yet. It worries me though, every time I have been through this it seems to lead to bingeing... But I want to feel better. To be honest I feel better when I am eating too many calories and gaining weight, but I know that is not sustainable. Anyway just complaining, no obvious solution in sight. I will probably end up eating more today, just have to see how that goes.

 

[Cate]

Thank you, Rob's trainer!
Thanks to you too, Rob for this link- https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2023/health-and-weight-loss-70s.html It's very interesting & I will take it onboard. If I could slowly lose a little bit of weight it would be healthier, but I definitely don't want to be thin.

 

[alligatorob]

Today turned out all right, I did eat a bit more and may feel better tonight, hard to say. I think the effect of eating on how I feel takes a while to sink in. The trainer told me that the weakness I am feeling often takes a couple of weeks to set in after lowering calorie intake... seems right. Anyway I'll shoot for a few more calories tomorrow and stick to my exercising. One thing I have noticed is that feeling tired does not seem to effect how I do with weight lifting. Despite feeling pretty exhausted I was able to increase reps or pounds for most of my exercises today.

Their native range is further to the east, in the Himalayas. Gardens and parks only here, as far as I can tell, but they are generally seen as weeds. Different varieties is always a possibility but I do wonder why they were introduced in the Americas.

The introduction was like most invasive species, not a great idea. I imagine someone liked one they saw somewhere and brought it home... They are relatively new to Utah, only been here for the last 40 years or so, but they have taken over a lot of the stream bottom areas. The state is actively trying to eradicate them, but with little success. One problem is they suck up a lot of water, not good in our water starved desert.

The German name is "narrow-leaf oil willow" and the locals just call it oil tree but apparently that's just because they look like olive trees although both the flowers and fruits can be used to flavor grappa.

Got to be the same tree, except for the thorns that is exactly what they look like. Now I need some grappa to flavor!

Thank you, Rob's trainer!

I know I should have listened to you, and probably asked the trainer sooner. Now I got to figure out what to do with it...

Thanks to you too, Rob for this link- https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/info-2023/health-and-weight-loss-70s.html It's very interesting & I will take it onboard. If I could slowly lose a little bit of weight it would be healthier, but I definitely don't want to be thin.

I think it helps to know that being just a little overweight isn't the end of the world. Now I have to convince myself!

 

[Llama]

One thing I have noticed is that feeling tired does not seem to effect how I do with weight lifting. Despite feeling pretty exhausted I was able to increase reps or pounds for most of my exercises today.

Could mean you weren't maxing out before but it also takes a while for the body to start cannibalizing muscle you're actively using. I know the stress of omg this would be the sensible thing to do but how am I going to balance it and not go crazy? But I'm still glad to see at least a few more calories.

 

[Cate]

I know I should have listened to you, and probably asked the trainer sooner. Now I got to figure out what to do with it...
I think it helps to know that being just a little overweight isn't the end of the world. Now I have to convince myself!

I think we often don't ask because we know the answer already & don't want to hear it.
Being a little overweight isn't the end of the world.
Being a little overweight isn't the end of the world.....
Thanks, Rob

 

[Marsia]

Hi Rob, I don't know good books on binging, but I am going to start looking out for good free articles on the psychology overeating. I really want to understand this demon and conquer it for once and for all. I'll share if I find something good. Your property with the pond sounds intriguing. Do you have pictures of the pond? I adore ponds and would love to make a natural pond someday. It's awful that it's so expensive to get those trees chipped. It would be so good to have the chips to spread around your new plantings there. Have you had your blood tested in a while? I ask because I get anemic if I am not careful on a low calorie diet, and also we have been really needing electrolytes after sweating hard doing physical (do you know how many tries it took to spell this little word correctly?!) work outside, and we come in dizzy and panting at times. I agree with everyone, no harm in a piece of cake after hauling trees around like some Paul Bunyan guy! Do you think slowly upping your calorie intake would be better as far as not triggering binges?

 

[liza3]

I am glad you are into the idea of adding calories--I agree that how we feel is much more important than numbers on a scale.

 

[alligatorob]

Written last night, but just posted. Got to hit that button!

Today was a good day, up about 200 calories from where I was before. I may be feeling better, not sure. Made it through 3 hours in the gym and wasn't too tired afterwards. I had a candy bar after lunch, just one, been a long time since I have eaten just one candy bar...

Could mean you weren't maxing out before but it also takes a while for the body to start cannibalizing muscle you're actively using. I know the stress of omg this would be the sensible thing to do but how am I going to balance it and not go crazy? But I'm still glad to see at least a few more calories.

I do try to max out with the trainer, but I am also careful. If something begins to hurt I usually ease off it.

Being a little overweight isn't the end of the world.
Being a little overweight isn't the end of the world.....

Absolutely!! You know I can see every fat cell in my body, but in others I don't notice a few pounds here or there.

Hi Rob, I don't know good books on binging, but I am going to start looking out for good free articles on the psychology overeating. I really want to understand this demon and conquer it for once and for all. I'll share if I find something good.

Thanks, if you find something let me know.

Your property with the pond sounds intriguing. Do you have pictures of the pond? I adore ponds and would love to make a natural pond someday.

I'll try to get some, not much to look out right now, I pulled the plug to see what it looks like. Lots of sediment that needs to be removed, got a friend with a backhoe will try to get him to help. I plan to make the pond reasonably natural. No exotics! It has a pair of wild ducks who have taken up residence, will try not to run them off.

It's awful that it's so expensive to get those trees chipped. It would be so good to have the chips to spread around your new plantings there.

It will be thousands of pounds of chips... I will try to get as much firewood out of it as I can, probably a lifetime supply.

Have you had your blood tested in a while? I ask because I get anemic if I am not careful on a low calorie diet, and also we have been really needing electrolytes after sweating hard doing physical (do you know how many tries it took to spell this little word correctly?!) work outside, and we come in dizzy and panting at times.

It's been about a year so I need to get tested. When I was at the very lowest weight I was anemic, but since gaining some back I've been fine.

I agree with everyone, no harm in a piece of cake after hauling trees around like some Paul Bunyan guy!

Thanks, but Paul Bunyan I ain't, LOL

Do you think slowly upping your calorie intake would be better as far as not triggering binges?

I am going to give it a try. Problem is in the past it has lead to bingeing, strange as it sounds it is easier for me to resist bingeing when I am eating very few calories. However I know that is no long term solution...

 

[Llama]

The binge urge is a sneaky fellow, isn't he? Maybe stick him in that wood shredder while you're at it. Just mind your fingers.

 

[alligatorob]

Today was a good day. Did 4 hours in the gym, my longest day in a while. By the end I was feeling pretty tired, but rebounded after lunch so no damage done. I am not sure I will try to do another day that long for a while.

I am glad you are into the idea of adding calories--I agree that how we feel is much more important than numbers on a scale.

Hey Liza, yes how we feel is really what matters. I know the scales have some effect on how I feel psychologically, but I think I feel as good or better now than when I was at my lowest. The extra ~200 calories seems good so far, will try to stick to it.

The binge urge is a sneaky fellow, isn't he? Maybe stick him in that wood shredder while you're at it. Just mind your fingers.

They don't get much sneakier... The wood shredder would be good place for him (or is it a her?)

 

[Llama]

Depends on the language, I'm pretty sure. Or maybe on the person. Maybe I'll try visualizing shredding them next time my brain won't stop skulking around massive amounts of calories.