Let's Do this! - 2019 Challenge - Be the best you can be!

loonyhiker

Hi everyone! We got home Saturday after a 25-hour trip home and I was exhausted. We went to bed at 3 and I was up at 6. When I called my parents, the news was bad. My stepmom is in a coma and is only expected to live days or hours. Hospice told me that when she dies, my dad will be all alone and he needs 24-hour care because he is dying. When I asked why hospice wouldn't care for him if he was that bad, she said that he can dress, and use his walker, and tell people how to make his oatmeal so he wasn't dying bad enough for him to need 24-hour care! What? Anyway, I've spent 2 days calling people trying to get help for him and finally got the VA! I think I'm on the right track now.

Yesterday was an emotional roller coaster. My dad called to tell me that my stepmom died and he was all alone. Then 2 hours later I find out that she had not died!

All of this to say, my stress level is out the roof! I gained 4 lbs on the cruise and my hubby lost 4. He ate more sensibly than I did. But I have lost 1 lb. already. We also have been doing our 3-mile walk every day we've been home.

Please keep us in your prayers!

msarobix

Hi everyone,

Sorry for not checking in during the week this week. I had ever intention to check in on Wednesday and then they day go away from me.

I am doing well on Noom. I have lost 3.6 lbs in the past two weeks. I gained those same pounds in May when I wasn’t working out much and eating everything in site. I still have 2 more pounds to lose to get back to where I was before my mini vacation in April. Hopefully I will be able to do that this coming week and then I will be back on track.

I also haven’t been logging my stats in my spreadsheet since the end of March, so I want to work on getting that updated so I can really see how much I didn’t do in April and May. I need to start challenging myself again, and I can’t do that if I don’t know what I have been doing recently.

@KeriA - It sounds like you had a great plan for the week with pre-made meals. I need to work on that this week. I have mostly been eating raw veggies and smoothies this week because I haven’t wanted to take the time to cooks. I have a couple of new recipes I want to try to maybe I will get motivated today to do some cooking for the week.

It is good to hear that your bathroom project is moving forward. It is always my fear of contracting home projects that the contractor won’t do what the are supposed to do. Although, having my husband do the job works the same way, he tends to procrastinate or split his focus on more then one project at a time. It sometimes drives me crazy and I wish I had the skills to do the job myself.

@Loonyhiker - Wow, that is a week I wouldn’t want to wish on anyone, and it sounds like it will be awhile before things start to settle down for you. I hope you have found some support for your Dad and can at least have that piece off your shoulders. Remember to take time for yourself even when the world around you is spinning out of control. Please share any tips you find have worked for you in these stressful times. I find when I have stressful situations I over eat and make every excuse in the world to not workout. This is one thing I want to change for myself over the next several months.

KeriA

@loonyhiker Sorry to hear about you dad and stepmom. We just got my Mom out of the hospital recently and there was a night she almost didn't make it. She hasn't been herself since she got out either. Today we are meeting to see what assistance she still may need. So far it has been covered by her Retirement Community. After this is extra. These decisions are hard. I can see how it would feel like your dad's needs are not being met due to your stepmom's being worse but both needing attention.

I didn't gain on my cruise but realize after months later that it had an affect on my weight even so since we don't exercise as much as we did on the cruise but got used to eating more. I have been fighting off an extra 5 pounds ever since coming back.

I am glad you feel like you are on the right track now with helping your Dad and I think you will get back into the swing of things now that you are home. Take care and I will keep you in my prayers.

KeriA

@msarobix I am glad that you are continuing to make progress. I am only filling in my spreadsheet about 3/4 of the days a week.

I started the week off right and then had some out of routine days that knocked me off course. We waited to pick my daughter up by having drinks and salads. Even though I didn't eat anything else for dinner I still gained. Then yesterday I went to a Drs appt. with my Mom and took her home. We didn't have lunch so we picked up my daughter and had a late big lunch. We had a small healthy dinner but I gained more. Time to get back to routine. Eating out doesn't do well for me.

The good news is that is the last time we will have to wait for my daughter to pick her up late the rest of the year. Her fall schedule will be better.

loonyhiker

Thanks for all your warm thoughts. Please keep us in your prayers!

My stepmom did pass away on Wednesday night and hospice never called me to inform me. I found out through a FB message from my dead stepsister's husband!

We immediately got in the car and drove to Southern Florida to be with my dad. While traveling, I got a phone call to tell me that my father was being transported and admitted to the VA Hospice Facility.

Needless to say, I have not been eating well or exercising. Today I made a conscious effort to eat better. We went to Panera for a salad and soup. I had green beans at KFC with my chicken for dinner instead of the mashed potatoes and gravy that I really wanted.

msarobix

Hey everyone,

Sorry it has been another week since I checked in. It has been a busy week.

I have been on Noom for 3 weeks now, just started week 4. In that time I have lost 5.3 lbs. This brings me back to were I was a few months ago. I hope to continue the trend.

One thing that I have noticed with my daily weigh-ins is that every week so far, and maybe two times in one week, I have a lower weight on the scale only to follow with slightly higher weights. But if you look at the over all trend it is definitely following the same path downward. Noom has a projection that if I continue on this trend I will reach my goal weight by December 8th. If that really happens I will be super happy. I will be even happier if I am able to develop new habits in the process to prevent me from gaining all of the weight back.

So far I feel like the Noom program might be just what I needed. I have been working with a Goal Coach who has been encouraging me to look within to discover why I ate that way I did, and we are also working on mini goals that will progress me towards my ultimate weight loss goal.

We are also assigned a Group and a Group Coach. The group is much like this one where we share experiences, wins, and failures, and support each other along the way. The only difference with that group from this one is that we are all at the same point in the Noom program. The Group Coach also challenges us each day to discover how we became overweight and what we can do to reverse that effect.

If anyone is interested in trying the program, let me know and I can send you a link for that includes a special discount to the program.

@KeriA - I find that it isn’t always easy to log stats in my spreadsheet every day so I have promised myself that I will take one day during the weekend to log the past week. And until I get April and May caught up I will also log at least 1-2 past weeks as well. I still find it very motivating to look back over my spreadsheet and see what I have been, or not been, doing.

@loonyhiker - So sorry to hear about your stepmom. Have you been able to find the necessary care for you Dad. I am guessing that your cross country road trip was sidelined, which I am really sad to hear.

In times like these you can’t be concerned about losing weight or eating completely healthy, but it sounds like you are still making some better choices. I know I probably wouldn’t do the same in your shoes.

loonyhiker

@msarobix Yes, I had to cancel ZK and our road trip. My father is getting excellent care at the VA Hospice and we are spending time with him, taking care of my stepmom's death arrangements, packing up the house, sorting out the finances, and trying to find a probate attorney that the court says we have to have. It has been a crazy time!

Efsim

Hey friends,
Sorry it’s been a while since I’ve checked in. Everyone sounds like they are doing good and busy. @loonyhiker I’m so sorry about your loss, I hope it all works out!
I’ve been busy we are moving in two weeks across the country and with working till we move it’s been very stressful, I have not had time to log or really eat right for a month. I’m hoping once we get to our new place that I will get back to logging and exercising ( besides walking)
Hope everyone has a great couple weeks!

KeriA

@loonyhiker sorry to hear your sad news. Take care of yourself when taking care of so much else.

@msarobix I am glad things are going well.

@Efsim hope the move goes well

Sorry I have been away for so long. I have been going up and then back down lately. I have started to log my food again on MFP this week. Pretty much being regular with Aquafit except like this coming Wednesday when I have a night meeting. I think the problem is that things have been less of a routine.

The good news is that the bathroom remodel is just about done. Soon we will be moving things back into there from the living room and have a normal life except I feel like I am at a resort when I am taking a shower. One of the reason's I have taken a while to get back on here was we did go to a hotsprings resort for a long weekend last month. We swam alot and walked some (more than usual). It was a much needed fun, relaxing time.

Hope all have a great week or so. I will plan to check in more often now.

KeriA

Well we seem to be petering out here but maybe a good start to the year was what we all needed. I have been struggling this summer. I get my weight down some then it pops up higher. I just got it back down and have to work hard now to keep doing what I did to get down so I can keep it going. I think our camping trip helped last weekend. We didn't do our usual big hike but we did go visit Mount St Helens and walked around there and through the exhibit. Too bad the Mountain wasn't out. Camping keeps me more active with longer walks to the bathroom and packing and unpacking. I made Butter Chicken. Pretty good to do that camping. It was good.

This week I stuck to me routine and diet that I can lose slowly with. Before that there were too many disruption to food and exercise routines. I have been trying some food tweeks such as breakfasts. My hardest time is after work before dinner is ready. I need a healthy satisfying low calorie snack. Maybe nuts would help although not low calorie they are healthy and satisfying if I can limit the amount.

Hope all are doing well.

KeriA

Yes tracking food is really eye opening. We had steak last night which we don't have very often. I did manage this time to leave a lot of steak and potato for another time. We do have hamburgers once in a while but we share the fries. They can be very high in calories.

KeriA

A better week in terms of tracking. I got an app on my phone for tracking daily weight too. I put it into the spreadsheet yesterday. I got back to my eating routine that works. I did pop up a bit this weekend and I am not sure why but not as high as before. Yesterday went to aquafit and then we have been cleaning up our office so it was active. I found my old fit bit alta which I have since replaced with fitbits smart watch the Versa. Some more cleaning today. We have healthy leftovers planned for dinner.