Ups and Downs

My weight has gone up a couple of pounds. It's about two pounds within my original goal, but about four pounds higher than my "sweet spot'. That is the weight where I feel my best.

There are a couple of things that could be the reason. One of the downsides to my PT position is the amount of food that in the office. There are a lot of student events that our office sponsors, which means a lot of leftovers. Also, folks bring in all kinds of sweet and tasty treats. Needless to say, it has been a challenge for me to stay on track.  I do my best to ignore the temptation, or to just indulge a little. But damn, it is so hard! I do try to take breaks to go for a walk and I take the stairs as often as possible. Even when it's crazy outside, I will walk the halls, just to get my butt moving.

I have increased the number of days that I run and the distance. I am being mindful of how much the joints can take. I don't run every day; it's more like three days a week. However, I do walk Junior every day. The joints have not been too angry with me. Also, I've increased the number of days that I do yoga. I wonder if that is part of the reason for the weight increase. More muscle? I mean, I'm pretty sculpted right now. 

The other thing that crossed my mind, and this is probably where I will get a little TMI, but my period has returned after a 7 month hiatus. Not uncommon, since I am in the homestretch of my 40's. But, Auntie Flo's return has put me back on that up and down roller coaster with weight gain (Hello...bloating!). 

Lastly, I've been feeling rather sluggish for the past couple of weeks. Even with eating well and exercising, something is "off".  I am eating well; I usually do in the summer. I drink plenty of water. My calorie tracking does not show anything off. I do wonder if with the chaos of the last six months has finally caught up with me. Perhaps the exhaustion is my RA body attacking itself a little harder than it normally does? 

So, I am trying to figure out where to go from here. All of my usual tricks, hacks, and strategies are not working. Or, they are working for a short period and then I bounce back to being in my current state. I shouldn't complain. I still look great. My current size still fits, for the most part. But, I am just not feeling my best. I've scheduled a physical with my PCP, so maybe she will have some insight. Something needs to be done because I have about a month before my final year of coursework for the PhD kicks into high gear. I will need all the energy that I can muster to make it.