What a weird day. 

[Editor's note: So weird, apparently, that I wrote this whole post and forgot to actually post it yesterday! Oops! This was written Tuesday evening, but I am publishing it on Wednesday morning.] 

This semester, Tuesday and Thursday are usually my longer school days, with one class from 11-12:30 and the other from 12:30-2, and then I catch the city bus on campus around 3 to get me about 2/3 of the way home and then walk the last few blocks. That extra hour on campus waiting for the bus is handy for reading, schoolwork, or taking a little walk, and then by the time I get home, my 3-7 eating window has started, so I can go ahead and have something to eat. It's not a bad setup. 

But that is not what happened yesterday. I had a home repair issue that I had called about getting looked at, and we all understood (I thought) that they would come by around 4 PM or so. Well, inexplicably and without warning, they showed up just before 10:30 AM. So instead of going to school yesterday, I was stuck at home dealing with this. Luckily, when I emailed my professors, they were both very nice about it, being well-acquainted themselves with home repair issues, and both wished me well in the endeavor. It is now (allegedly) fixed, and I am happy to report that there are no longer any sounds coming from my basement which resemble the horde of Genghis Khan riding over a tin roof. 

Tomorrow will be what would have been my dad's seventy-third birthday, which I'm sure I will be feeling some kind of way about. In some ways it feels like he died a decade or more ago, but then sometimes I am amazed that the real number is three-and-a-half years because it feels like it's only been a year. Death and grief are odd things, as I am learning as time goes by. 

On a more cheerful note, I am still drinking (and liking) the chocolate protein shakes, although I just had one today since drinking two yesterday seemed to mess with my digestion. (Nothing a dose of Pepto couldn't fix, but still.) Still, 26 grams of protein in a little bottle with only 4g of sugar is excellent, and I'm grateful to have discovered it. Do any of you have a go-to protein shake or drink that you swear by? I'd love to know. 

Tuesday, 11 February 2025
(Tuesday in the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time)
Location: Ohio (home)
Reading: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Weight: 320.0 lbs. (145.1 kg)

 Hi everyone! 

Well, folks, today I actually remembered to weigh in! Yay me. (Cue the Jeb Bush "please clap" meme.) 

And I've also discovered a new protein shake that I actually like, which is rare. It does have a little bit of an aftertaste to it, but it's not that noticeable, and the taste of the drink itself is pretty good. I think at some point I'm going to try blending it with some plain Greek yogurt and maybe a banana to see if I can do something about the aftertaste, but for now, it tastes just fine. It also doesn't have a ton of sugar or carbs (5g and 8g respectively) or calories (170).

Monday, 10 February 2025
(Monday in the Fifth Week of Ordinary Time)
Location: Ohio (home)
Reading: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Weight: 320.0 lbs. (145.1 kg)

Hi all,

Just a quick check-in today. I forgot to weigh myself this morning (which happens from time to time) which is a bit embarrassing, but I'll do it tomorrow. It was a good, on-plan day otherwise. 

Until next time, 

Simone

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Sunday, 9 February 2025
The Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Location: Ohio (home)
Reading: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Weight: unknown (forgot to weigh in)

So, confession: I have been putting off writing my first post because there's a part of me that feels like that first "Hello World" post needs to be special in some way-- like it should contain a manifesto about what this blog aims to accomplish, or some long, detailed saga of how I got to be this size in the first place, or, I don't know, something profound. But I don't particularly want to do any of that. And I don't want to write a long self-intro, either, as I intend to be largely anonymous. So, I don't know quite what to say. 

What I do know is that I want to blog my weight loss, both for accountability and to keep a record of the journey that I can look back on. I also like to think it might help others-- not so much by way of advice, as I'm not qualified to give that, but perhaps simply to show it can be done. I probably should have started blogging about a year ago, when I started losing weight, but what is it they say about trees? Something like, "The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, and the second-best time is right now?" In any case, the second-best time to start this blog is right now, and I'm finally doing it. 

Be sure to check the bio in the sidebar for some basic info on me like my height, age goals, and some of the things that make my particular journey unique. I think I explained things pretty well there. I'll tell you more (about me, about my weight loss, about whatever you'd like to know) in future posts. I just needed to write this first one and get it out of the way before I lost my nerve again.

Until next time,

Simone

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Saturday, 8 February 2025
Saturday in the Fourth Week of Ordinary Time
Location: Ohio (home)
Reading: Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Weight: 322.6 lb. (146.3 kg)