Tips on managing diet and exercise while taking care of elderly parents

vgab90

I am not complaining at all, but it's been really hard trying to manage diet and gym time since I've started taking care of my elderly mother in law and I was already taking care of my 80 yr old dad to a point (grocery shopping and cleaning)
I work full time and our parents live about 20 minutes from us. Anyone else managing something like this with some helpful tips?????????? I've gained 20lbs back and just can't get back in a groove to manage it all.

Lounmoun

What is your major diet issue? Not eating at home? Not logging?
You might eat a limited menu of foods that you know fits your calorie goal without exercise.
Perhaps you can't manage it all because it is too much for one person. Look for some help. Can you (or they) get help caring for them? Either paid help or rotating tasks between family members?

My dad stayed at my house following surgery for several weeks. It was stressful. I didn't get as much purposeful exercise but maybe did more walking. I was still logging food though.

brandmaa

I am sorry you are going through this, I can relate as I am going through similar experiences. The stress is overwhelming at times and it is hard to take of you. I would try to set aside some time 1 day a week so you can meal prep. Even if that means eating a lot of the same meals throughout the week that fit within your goals. That way you know you are getting the right nutrition and it will make logging from day to day easier. Make the meals easy to take with you. You could switch the meals up a little each week for variety. Having a pattern for the week may be boring but it will save you precious time. Then tell yourself that you have to get 20 min (or whatever you want to set as your goal) a day of movement specifically from exercise. Make yourself a list of some things that you could do in a 5 min period like jumping jacks, squats, or going up and down a flight of stairs several times. Exercising in three to four, 5 min sessions is better than nothing at all. Last, give yourself 10 min a day to close your eyes and rest your mind...or read a chapter of a book or play a game on your phone...whatever will help you decompress. In my experience, I found doing these small things for myself makes me feel like I have some control while going through this extreme stress that feels uncontrollable. You may find that by allowing yourself to take care of YOU, you may actually feel better when handling the day to day stresses that you are facing. Good luck and don't give up.

fitoverfortymom

My first instinct is to tell you what I told myself when I was just starting out and when things seem hard: Do what you can. Don't get caught up in what you can't.

Eventually, your can do list becomes greater than the can't do. Life is hard, and like weight loss, isn't linear. It throws us curveball, and caring for aging and sick parents is one. So focus on what you CAN do (whatever it is for you) and do that.

Here's more practical stuff...

Are there things you can do to plan easy meals and do prep work? That way you have foods that are premeasured and at your disposal to pack with you. I would be dead in the water of I didn't boil eggs each week to have for breakfast. I almost always have salmon and tuna packs around and 100 calorie sandwich buns and cans of soup I can grab and go with minimal prep and know I have substantial meals to help me stay within calories that are easy to log.

markrgeary1

brandmaa wrote: »

I am sorry you are going through this, I can relate as I am going through similar experiences. The stress is overwhelming at times and it is hard to take of you. I would try to set aside some time 1 day a week so you can meal prep. Even if that means eating a lot of the same meals throughout the week that fit within your goals. That way you know you are getting the right nutrition and it will make logging from day to day easier. Make the meals easy to take with you. You could switch the meals up a little each week for variety. Having a pattern for the week may be boring but it will save you precious time. Then tell yourself that you have to get 20 min (or whatever you want to set as your goal) a day of movement specifically from exercise. Make yourself a list of some things that you could do in a 5 min period like jumping jacks, squats, or going up and down a flight of stairs several times. Exercising in three to four, 5 min sessions is better than nothing at all. Last, give yourself 10 min a day to close your eyes and rest your mind...or read a chapter of a book or play a game on your phone...whatever will help you decompress. In my experience, I found doing these small things for myself makes me feel like I have some control while going through this extreme stress that feels uncontrollable. You may find that by allowing yourself to take care of YOU, you may actually feel better when handling the day to day stresses that you are facing. Good luck and don't give up.

Great post. One thing to over emphasize. Take care of you! Caregiving is very hard emotionally and physically. Don't be afraid to ask for some help or to take a day or whatever you can manage. Sometimes community centers have events or contacts for alternative arrangements.

Best wishes to you.

indiacaitlin

I'd also suggest doing some meal prep whenever you can, make things in batches and freeze it or keep it in the fridge where you can get it when you need it. Breaking up the exercise too is a good idea - for example sometimes when I'm at work and haven't moved around a lot I go to the bathroom and do some squats (weird but it makes me feel like I'm doing something!). Best of luck, just remember that you can do this and slow and steady is the best way to do it