Living The Lifestyle Friday 11/13/20

imastar2

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.

Monday - 88olds (George)
Tuesday - whathapnd (Emmie)
Wednesday - misterhub (Greg)
Thursday - linmueller (Lin)
Friday - imastar2 (Derrick)

Today's Topic: Sleep patterns and pandemic schedules.

How has the pandemic with it's interruptions in schedules effected your sleep pattern and in turn has this effected your eating habits or weight management?

imastar2

This pandemic has effected my sleep patterns somewhat. I'm not sure if its due to work schedule interruptions or getting all out of whack with the surgeries and health issues early in the year or what but with me I'm definitely having some changes.

As far as weight changes I'm not blaming weight gain on any interruptions as much as behind the scenes stress related eating. I sleep with a bi/pap machine and have for years and upgraded in late spring so not sure if that has anything to do with my sleep patterns or not.

I think concerns over the pandemic and not enough exercise has more to do with my eating patterns than interruptions in sleep. No matter what interruptions in schedules or what goes on with life events I still have to stay focussed on the weight loss issue on a daily basis.

whathapnd

Sleep has always been an issue for me. I don't think the pandemic has changed it that much. Although I should probably watch less news.

I was doing pretty well with sleep for a few weeks but got thrown off last week by staying up for election coverage too many nights. I need to remember my internal clock is easily thrown off.

My eating gets thrown off in a couple of ways. First, I might be hungry for an actual meal at 3:00am based on when I've last eaten. Other times, I might just graze because I'm awake. It's usually the former, though. What I need to get better at when my sleep schedule is off is to just commit to tracking the food and not fret over when it was eaten. 3:00am can be breakfast for a new day or dinner from the night before. What I need to focus on is how much was consumed in a 24-hour period.

Last thing. It's impossible to get an accurate weekly weight when my sleep is off.

podkey

Yes. Covid and politics haven't helped me in my sleep either.
I lost about 6-8 lb early on in the COVID pandemic but have gained that back plus maybe another 1 or 2. Hard to stay focused.

steve0mania

I never sleep well anyway, and certainly COVID hasn't helped any. I was at the dentist the other day and he asked if I was grinding my teeth because I've developed some clicking in my jaw. I don't *think* I'm grinding my teeth, but certainly my anxiety level has remained higher than normal.

I don't think that my sleep patterns really affect my eating. The pandemic certainly did. I gained a few pounds during the first couple of months of the pandemic lock-down period. Thankfully, that's when the 10 pound challenge started here, and so I jumped in and that really helped me manage my weight. I guess I needed something to focus on!

cakeman21k

I don't think the pandemic has done anything to my sleep patterns, they are not great due to my enlarged prostate and the need to get up for the bathroom multiple times a night. As for my eating well that's another matter, although I do not blame the pandemic for that, only myself.