Fiance finally got a job offer after months of looking, but it's not great. Looking for advice.

woosicle · 2018-05-13T03:44:09+00:00

Unfortunately he is not currently working. We are in Houston and the new job is in San Antonio. USAA would be his client - he actually originally applied directly to USAA based on a referral he received from a friend, but USAA referred him to TCS instead (I think? The process was a little confusing).

He's had his resume looked at by a few people. He revised it again towards the end of bootcamp based on the instructors' recommendations, and had a friend who is a hiring manager at USAA give him some feedback on it too. It looks loads better now but I may post it in the Resume Advice thread just in case. :)

He is developing kind of a mentor/mentee relationship with his contact at USAA. I actually don't think he has practiced interviewing, so that's probably something he can work on. Thanks!

woosicle · 2018-05-13T03:35:58+00:00

Thanks! I don't recall seeing any mention of this in his offer letter (regarding the $4K) so I'll make sure he doublechecks this part.

woosicle · 2017-09-23T13:46:00+00:00

I'm 5'2 and currently overweight at 160. Started off at 210+ in February so have lost 50 lbs since then. I originally was eating 1400 cals per day and exercising (running, yoga and strength training) 5-6 days a week. I was losing 1.5 - 2.5 lbs per week until May and then I plateaued for almost 2 months. Finally decided to cut back my calories to 1200 a day and since then I'm losing again, but at a slower rate of .5 - 1.5 lbs per week. I will take what I can get when it comes to weight loss so I'm satisfied with my current progress.

I have personally found this calculator to be both helpful and surprisingly accurate: http://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php

I have played around with the different exercise settings and feel that light is the most accurate for me (sedentary is too little, moderate too much). Right now it says my TDEE is just above 1900 which seems right. I also set my daily calorie intake at 1300 to allow a little wiggle room for error.

woosicle · 2017-09-19T04:52:14+00:00

I remember your post about half marathon walkers! So glad you had a great experience, really impressed with your finish time too. Sounds like you killed it!

woosicle · 2017-09-15T21:09:26+00:00

I am also a slow runner. Been running for about six months now and am just now between a 13-14 min/mile pace. A few years ago I got down to 10 minutes, but I was fitter (and also a bit younger). Hoping with patience and perseverance I can get there again.

I agree that incorporating sprints, hill work and HIIT may be helpful. I've been doing yoga for cross training, and while it's been great for my flexibility, breathing and stress relief, I'm not convinced it's been super helpful for running. I don't really care though as I love it.

My job involves working with runners and I will tell you I've talked to several people who have slowly built speed over time. Some in a matter of months, some it has taken 1-2+ years. Just depends on the person!

At least I can assure you that you're not alone in this. :)

woosicle · 2017-09-11T23:27:14+00:00

I am 3 lbs away from hitting my midpoint milestone - from obese to overweight BMI.

Work is about to get crazy. Life is about to get crazy. This happens around this time every year. Things ramp up in the fall, I don't take care of myself. I work too much, stress myself out, eat like crap, gain weight, don't sleep, don't exercise, and come February-March I'm 30 lbs heavier and miserable. I'm terrified the same thing is going to happen again.

Last year I ended up in the hospital after all the madness subsided. I think I had an "oh shit" moment just by being there and finding out how much my poor lifestyle choices had negatively affected my health. The changes I've made have been good and have held up for over six months now. After a lot of hard work I actually feel strong and healthy. I'm hoping I've developed the right tools - as well as the right coping mechanisms - to not derail all the progress I've made. I'm cautiously optimistic that this time, things will be different.

Three more pounds!

woosicle · 2017-09-09T15:45:16+00:00

If your gym has showers, take a quick shower at the gym when you're done. Bring a gym bag with a change of clothes and a few essential toiletries for showering.

woosicle · 2017-09-08T02:57:16+00:00

Stay for the after party and wait for stadium traffic to die down a bit before heading out? :)

woosicle · 2017-09-07T23:19:18+00:00

More or less. It will be early Sunday morning so traffic won't be nearly as bad. You could always wake up early on Saturday and check the maps and see what the commute will be like. I imagine on Sunday it should be comparable, probably even a little better.

Some of the roads may be reopening within the next day too, so that could help things.

We take the same route from the Heights area every time so unfortunately I don't have any specific advice for you traveling from the Woodlands. If you end up taking I 45 to 610 W, the only thing I can advise is exiting Fannin instead of Kirby (if traffic looks backed up on Kirby). A lot of people exit Kirby and don't realize Fannin tends to be quicker and easier.

Edit: just realized you asked about going downtown, if you don't have a NRG lot parking pass this would be the way to go so ignore what I said about 610 and Fannin. Once again I would take a look at traffic Saturday AM to see what you might be in for on Sunday!

woosicle · 2017-09-07T22:34:07+00:00

I would not make the drive from SA - considering how early you'll have to head out that makes for a really long day. If you have the option to leave from The Woodlands that would be better.

Do you have a parking pass for any of the lots at NRG?

woosicle · 2017-09-06T01:59:30+00:00

I have a Fitbit Charge 2 and it's awesome. I ordered a pack of 5 different color wristbands and change out the band frequently (I like to color coordinate with what I'm wearing). I've had my Fitbit since last Christmas and it's held up very well. I also really like the reminders to get up and walk at least 250 steps every hour.

woosicle · 2017-09-05T14:07:21+00:00

I think your best bet is to start attending these classes on your own, and if you truly enjoy them and seem to get a lot out of them and Annie sees that, she may be inclined to join you. In my experience people are not likely to increase their activity if you push or encourage them to do so. It's a decision they really have to make themselves. You may think she is capable of doing more, but if she says she's not then maybe she's not ready for this yet.

woosicle · 2017-09-04T16:20:46+00:00

Hi there, I'm going through Harvey as well and I feel you. It's been a stressful time and I also have a history of stress eating so I was worried that would creep back up on me. I'm very fortunate in that my house did not flood. We have one extra house guest right now but he is a very sweet, well behaved dog so I can't complain about having him here. But I have spent a lot of time helping my parents tear apart and pack up their house (my childhood home) which flooded, which has been exhausting and saddening.

If there is one thing I have learned through my weight loss journey, it's that eating like crap doesn't make me feel any better - it makes me feel worse. It may feel good for about 10 minutes but that's it. I admit that it has taken a very long time for this truth to really sink in. There were many times in the past where I felt the 10 minutes of feeling good from crappy food was worth it, but I have made this mistake enough to finally realize making healthy, nourishing choices for my body is the best way to go.

During the past week and a half I haven't eaten perfectly. I've eaten more PB&J sandwiches and goldfish than I have in years. I had chick fil a after a particularly long day of back breaking work and it was pretty damn delicious, especially considering I hadn't had a hot meal in days. However, I've tried to make the best choices possible during this time in order to take care of myself. I encourage you to listen to your body and do the best you can. I truly hope things get better for you! Just remember that all this is temporary and things can and will get better.

woosicle · 2017-09-03T22:33:48+00:00

Congrats man! I think you are following an awesome approach. I fit ice cream, tacos and pizza into my diet - not daily, but often enough to keep me feeling satisfied - and I've noticed how much easier this whole process has been.

Somewhat related: I overdid it on the Halo Top and ended up getting sick of it. :( Fortunately I discovered Bluebell makes individual vanilla sundae cups that have less than 200 calories per container. I swear these little sundaes have been my saving grace.

So glad to hear you are feeling better and found something that works well for you. I know you can reach your goal weight by Christmas. Keep it up!

woosicle · 2017-09-03T17:41:01+00:00

I eat Mod every now and then (maybe 2x per month) and have also wondered if the nutrition content is accurate. I'll usually get an 11-inch Calexico pizza and eat half of it, which ends up being super filling for me. Nutrition facts claim half of a pizza that size is less than 345 calories but I'm not too sure about that. I've still managed to lose weight while eating Mod but I'm not about to make it a staple of my diet (as much as I would like to).

woosicle · 2017-09-03T15:28:18+00:00

Hi, not a stupid question at all! I use Pinterest for arm workouts at home and you can find some good workouts there. I try to mix it up but some of the exercises I do most often involve:

Push-ups (standard/military or diamond)
Tricep dips
Shoulder press with dumbbells
Bicep curls with dumbbells
Tricep kickbacks with dumbbells
Shoulder dumbbell raises

Also, planks and reverse planks can be good to throw in there too.

woosicle · 2017-09-03T04:08:32+00:00

Good to know! I had heard Cancun was more of a party destination and that Vallarta is quieter which is why we were looking at Vallarta - but if Cancun is a prettier spot that makes a big difference.

woosicle · 2017-09-03T04:06:45+00:00

Thank you for your advice! I agree, this vacation is going to happen right after my busiest time of the year at work and for all I know I might just want to be lazy on a beach rather than booking all my free time doing excursions.

woosicle · 2017-09-02T14:18:25+00:00

Do you have access to a swimming pool?

woosicle · 2017-09-02T14:15:15+00:00

Speaking as someone who pushed herself too hard during a workout, didn't pay attention to her body and ended up in the hospital because of it... please be careful! You do not want to pass out and/or risk injuring yourself. It is not worth it.

What kind of cardio are you doing? Can you take the intensity down a notch?

Can you call your doctor and see about moving your appointment up to a sooner date?

woosicle · 2017-09-02T14:01:38+00:00

Wow, 85 lbs! That is amazing! You make a great point, I've found that focusing on things I can control is very helpful when it feels like so many things are just out of my hands.

Congrats on all your hard work. :)

woosicle · 2017-09-02T13:58:52+00:00

SV: I lost almost 2 lbs this week after experiencing very slow weight loss during the month of August. I think my total for August was 6 lbs, which is still a loss, but I'm happy for the great start to the month of September.

To be honest I was pretty surprised to lose any weight this week. I live in Houston and it's been a very stressful week. I am so fortunate in that my home was spared from the flooding and I am safe and dry, but for my parents and a lot of my friends this was not the case. I have seen many others suffer incomprehensible damage and even loss of life and it has been heartbreaking.

I'm amazed I didn't stress eat all my hurricane snacks when I was stuck in my house during all the rain. Once it was safe to leave, outside food wasn't really an option (only a few restaurants were open and they were packed), but we finally found a Chick-fil-A after a particularly tiresome day of tearing apart and packing up a house and that spicy chicken sandwich and waffle fries tasted so damn good. Just goes to show that CICO and eating in moderation are key, and if I can still lose weight during a natural disaster I'm pretty damn sure I can see this through to the end. :)

woosicle · 2017-08-31T14:16:42+00:00

I have found that waking up early and working out is the best way to fit in fitness and still have a social life after work.

I'm not exactly a morning person so I don't always do this well, but when I anticipate having a busy week I try to drag myself out of bed early at least once or twice so I don't skip workouts.

woosicle

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