Catch-Up - Nooming It, Cubs in the Playoffs (MLB), WNBA Playoffs are Nigh

Cubs Clinch a Playoffs Spot

Noom With a View

Well, the weight-loss thing continues.  Slower, but happening.

As my PA Nurse has shared, your body adjusts to what you're doing, and it starts to try to slow you down a bit as it sorts out how many calories are coming in versus what is expended.  I think there's also a percentage thing that I could do the math on, but here's the idea:

I am some percentage lighter than I was, and so my loss may be, percentage wise, keeping pace.  

But I haven't crunched the numbers because it doesn't really matter.

I am also having to take my scale at its word, which isn't worth much.  All I can do is try to step on it the same way every day and hope its not wrong.  I do seem to be the right trajectory, but would I like to step on a real scale built for someone who wears a 14-wide and be sure?  Sure.  It would be great to get actual numbers instead of what feels like I've just pulled the slot machine wheel and am settling on whatever number comes up today as the numbers tilt and whirl if I move my toes.

My clothes are getting looser.  Really, I need a new shorts size (it's still 100 every day here as we enter Fall, so no long pants yet), but I suspect I'll need new jeans, so I'll need to do that first.  A lot of my shirts are ill-fitting now, and same story.  But I kept a lot of shirts from prior weight-loss regimens, so expect those to come back.

I do think I'm learning the new diet, and I don't have impulse control issues, exactly.  There were donuts directly behind me at work Monday, and I never wanted one, which is *new*, and probably good.  The challenge is really if I eat early, before bed I want something, and that is terrible timing.  But I can't always ask for a 7:30 dinner.  

I do idly wonder how much of the problem is that open floor plans have made walking into the kitchen something you're already doing just by moving around.  But remaining conscious of not grabbing things and remembering "my guy, you just ate a snack an hour ago.  Keep moving." is important.

Less Fun

I developed some weird dry skin under my beard, which essentially meant I had beard dandruff.  Two years at least with the beard, and suddenly, my face goes weird.  

I had already been pondering shaving off the beard, and after trying a number of internet-recommended treatments to no avail, the beard is gone.  

I'm not sure I'm a beard guy, anyway.  I didn't like having a shower routine where a beard was also involved and could never really wash my whole face with soap - I was shampooing and conditioning the beard.  And the beard was never a mighty beard, anyhow.

So.  yeah.  I'm back to having a smooth-ish chin.  Jamie at least claims she likes it better.  I assume it's hard to say "hmmm... no, go cover your face again" to your husband.

But it was weird seeing myself again.  I am not getting younger, team.

Cubs to the Post-Season

The Cubs were trying very hard not to make the play-offs.

I mean, I get it.  More days off, watch some baseball on TV instead of actually playing.  See you in March or so.

But we only had to win like one more game to make it to the Wildcard round, and we lost TWO to the Marlins, almost entirely off of terrible batting.  We won on Thursday, 2-1 (with a homer by Seiya!).  

We're in the Wild Card race.

People will blame the bullpen this season, which is fair.  We've had monumental struggles with throwing games away as our clown car of pitchers gave up leads.  But we've also gone cold at bat over and over.  You can't wins games if you don't get runs.

good day in the friendly confines

Meanwhile, Pete Crow-Armstrong (if you've heard the acronym "PCA", that's him) has just entered the elite 40 Home Runs / 40 Stolen Bases in-a-single-season club.  He's an obvious lead contender for MVP of the MLB this season, but if they don't make the play-offs... I dunno.

Oh, and, yes, our star veteran Alex Bregman took a foul ball to the face while waiting in the batter's on-deck circle (or near it).  I am sure Michael Busch feels awful as the ball ricocheted off his bat, but it was just physics.  He isn't to blame.

Bregman may be better by the time we get to the play-offs and have to play with a mask or something as he fractured... his face.

Anyway, we made the play-offs!

Go, Pete!  Go Cubs!

So long, Taylor

On a sadder note, sideline reporter Taylor McGregor is moving on from the Marquee Network, accepting a full-time gig with ESPN.  She's great at her job, and I wish her well.  Our loss is the gain of the rest of the sports TV-viewing public as she's done lots of NCAA football and killed it.  She's smart and genuinely pretty funny.

I think we're keeping the rest of the crew, which I'm happy about.  

Don't leave us, Elise Menaker!

WNBA Heading For the Play-Offs

Well, it's been pretty obvious since before the FIBA break who would be in the playoffs for the WNBA.  The stats are kind of interesting how bifurcated the league was this season.

Of the 15 teams, the top 8 make the playoffs.  And the difference between 8 and 9 tells the story.

expand to see those numbers

It's really tight with those first 8 teams and the next 7 have bizarro win ratios.

And, yes, I primarily watch those first 8 teams.  I'm still an Aces fan, still love me some Valkyries, but am thrilled for everyone who made the cut.  It's hard not to like the Lynx.  It's gonna be a fun play-offs.

But those stark standings have meant the last week of games has gotten weird.  Official or not, teams have been resting players, essentially, prepping for the rigor of the play-offs.  So the other night, the Lynx kinda rested their starters while playing the Fever, and tonight the Fever rested some of their starters against the Lynx.  (Of course the Fever fans really thought they beat the #1 team by 30 points, even though the Lynx clearly don't need the wins in order to stay on top, and flattened the Fever tonight while they rested Clark).

I'll settle in for the playoffs, but Unrivaled is also firing up its engines for the winter, and I highly recommend tuning in.

I also am excited about the Connecticut Sun organization moving to Houston to become a new version of The Houston Comets.  I'll be heading to Houston for some games, absolutely.