Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?

DW2022

Hello! You both have had so much going on!! Paula, I'm happy that you had good visits with your family and with your friend who is a priest!! Shari, congrats on the weight loss! Also, I'm happy that the counseling is helpful!! I was down another lb. this morning after a good night's sleep. That sleep makes so much difference for me and I just can't get to bed on time through the week. We had 1-2inches of snow overnight on Friday. It wasn't supposed to stick but it has. Paula, I hope some of your snow has melted!!
Today we had a family meeting called by my son. It was on Skype at my request because I wanted to be able to see folks when I was communicating with them. It was just our son and his wife and our daughter plus DH and me. The topic for the meeting was our 50th anniversary and what we wanted them to do for it. We don't want them to do anything but if they want to come for a visit, they are welcome anytime. DH and I also have our 70th Bdays in late summer and they asked about doing a celebration for those....we declined again. The thought of a gathering with us being the center of attention is a nightmare for both of us! They then had the idea of coming to visit but doing a little trip together. DH and I have a week to get back with them about that. They are busy people and need to plan their calendars. It was very sweet of them to ask us and be willing to plan a party from afar. When we got married, it was just with us, two friends who stood up with us, and the minister. We are still people who like to avoid a fuss.
I guess it is Sunday already and I need to get to bed-I am responsible for a prayer in the service tomorrow. Have a blessed Sunday!!

shariletts

Paula- Thank you so much for giving us this space as a safe space to share. I have always thought that it is better to share than to stuff. I know it's always easy to share our hard times, but everyone has them and it is less isolating when we open up to those in our world that we can trust.

This is such a strange year with weather. We are typically so cold and so knee deep in snow and that just hasn't been the case. You both have had so much more snow that I have. Oddly enough, I wouldn't mind a little so we could cross country ski. We had the wrong timing for our gifts.

DW- I totally understand not wanting to have a big gathering to celebrate special events. I am wired that exact same way. My DH like the attention so we have had a few gatherings, but not for anniversaries or my birthdays. I hope you can find the way to celebrate these upcoming milestones in a way that you will enjoy.

Thankful for another day off from work.

Paulawilldo

DW, Woo Hoo on dropping another pound. Happy for you and inspiring too. I understand why your kids want to celebrate 3 important milestones in your life, but I think I would feel the same as you in not wanting so much attention. I am sure you all will work out a way to celebrate your wonderful lives and love together in a way that has meaning too much fuss.

Shari, Hope you enjoyed your Sunday. Does Canada have a national holiday on Monday? I recall that often our national holidays are similar.

I had another sleepless night Saturday into Sunday, again mostly because of pain. I couldn't sleep in because of church so I was really tired today. Terry (my nail gal) was due to come around 4 pm today so I thought I could nap after church till she got here. But a friend from my old church called to say she was on her way here to visit for a while....so there went my nap. There wasn't much time between her visit and Terry's arrival. After my nails and an early supper, I slept just about the entire evening away in our family room. I woke up feeling like a new person....very little pain and feeling strong and comfortable. This just confirms to me the importance of my being well rested. I know this also contributes to weight loss as DW mentioned. I was very much on track today (perhaps too tired to eat? LOL).

One more "small world" story before I close. Remember how Genny, my home health worker knows Craig? Well, yesterday I talked with Craig and told him who my health worker is. He then told me that Genny is the sister of my nail gal Terry! (Craig is the person who knew Terry and asked her to do my nails here at home). When Terry came today I told her and she was amazed too. Both of these young ladies are in their early 30s and about the sweetest gals you could imagine. I am so fortunate to have all 3 of these folks in my life!

Paulawilldo

Today was just the opposite of Sunday. I had a great night's sleep with very little pain. All day long my pain was tolerable for the most part. I had an optimistic to do list and completed all of it. My energy level was good too. I strayed from my meal plan a bit by caving to a sweet craving but nothing too bad. Looking forward to another good day on Tuesday.

shariletts

We did have a holiday yesterday. Ours is called Family Day. I didn't really hear from any of my kids, but I did go and see my parents. My dad turned 86 on Saturday, so we went over to wish him a Happy Birthday too.

That is such a good small world story Paula. All of these relationships so wound together in such a warm way.

I went to bed fairly early last night and slept well. I agree with you both about how important good sleep is. Not sure that I have had any success with my weight loss. I will weigh in tomorrow and see, but I am sure that I have stayed the same.

I just started reading the book called "Atomic Habits." Maybe I will develop some knowledge on how to make better dietary habits that will help me with trying to lose some pounds. I hope so!

Paulawilldo

I like that you have a national holiday focusing on the family Shari. I think the US could benefit from such a holiday. Yay for all of us for working on being well rested. I know it is an important factor in my well being.

I slept pretty well again, and today my pain level was not off the charts. I took an afternoon nap because of our 2 online church classes back to back now. Sitting in my wheel chair for both classes consecutively becomes tiring, but taking the nap today helped. I made good food choices today without having to fight off cravings (so far). My to do list was short and easy today so that is all completed too.

shariletts

I had a busy day at work and I am falling behind. I work from home tomorrow and that should help me catch up. I hope so!

I didn't weigh in because I had Vietnamese for dinner and I know it was salty. I woke up thirsty. So I will skip my weigh in today and hope that this coming week involves better food choices and that I can sense some weight loss and feel more confident about stepping on the scale next Wednesday.

Good to hear that taking a nap is helpful for you Paula. Glad you are listening to your body's clues.

Paulawilldo

Wise move skipping the scale after a salty meal Shari. I have never had Vietnamese food and am not familiar with the seasonings/tastes/selection. I will have to look into this to satisfy my curiosity if not me appetite!

I had a super duper day today....got so much done.....hunger under control....and not even a nap. Not needing a nap is a big deal, so I am thinking that maybe the terrible flare I was experiencing has passed. Of course another flare could hit me at any time, but I felt really good today. I am heading to bed early in an effort to stay well rested.

shariletts

I had a very busy day at work and I am thankful to be able to work from home today. I know I will be able to control my diet better from here. I will have a full work day again. I have a lot of vacation days, so I think I will plan to take a Friday off in the next few weeks. I would love to go away for a week, but with our dog being so old now and in great health, I don't feel good about leaving him.

Paulawilldo

Shari, nice that you have built up some vacation days. Good idea to take a Friday when you can. You deserve it.

Not much going on here. Today was good for me but I was a little tired. My diet motivation seems to have kicked in again so eating has been healthy and on track. My to do list today was minimal, and I managed to do most of it. Tomorrow's list is not too bad either. I know I will get it done without any difficulties. I have a project coming up for our inter church group. I have been avoiding this project but plan to tackle it next week....actually must do it next week as there is a meeting planned for March 3. I am not sure I will be able to attend in person which I know will cause problems with the "prez," but I am not bringing that up to her yet.

DW2022

Hello! I don't know where this week has gone! My work schedule changed this week but will change back next week. I received a questionnaire for jury duty and needed to go online to complete it. I will be "on call" for the month of April.
Paula, that is quite a coincidence with the sisters and Craig! I'm glad that you are feeling better!
Shari, I hope your day working from home has turned out well!! Fridays off sound wonderful!!
Last Sunday when I had the communion prayer, a funny thing happened...I got dressed for church and wore a dark purple sweater that I've only worn anywhere once or twice. When I got to church, the church was decorated in purple for Lent and the minister was wearing a white robe with a purple stole (I don't know if that's what it is called). It was very strange to be color-coordinated and blend in with the background-LOL!!
I am entered in Rally Trials on March 2nd and 3rd with my younger dog..we haven't had much time to practice or get many classes in but I was feeling confidant at the time I entered her... at the worst, it will be a learning experience!
I continue trying to make good food choices! Have a great weekend!!

shariletts

I made it to Friday!!!!! So happy it was a short week.

I had a good diet day and I managed to motivate myself to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes. After sitting all day, that was good.

I wonder how long this president will be in her role. It would be so nice if she could self reflect and could be more considerate. You do so well to handle her Paula.

Paulawilldo

DW, I bet you looked lovely in the purple sweater at church. Sounds like it was meant be. Nice to have something like the rally trials to look forward to. Hoping your girl does well.

Shari, the prez will probably be in that position as long as our group exists, mostly because no one else will step up to take it (including me). Most of the group is seniors who all have their share of health concerns and such (again including me). I have suggested to the prez that it would be ok with me if the group disbanded, but she doesn't want that to happen. And I suspect if we do disband, she will blame me for the group going inactive.

I did well with food choices today, but my energy level was lower than I hoped and my pain level was much higher than I expected. I ended up resting more than I anticipated, but as the day wore on I was stronger and less tired. So later in the day I was able to accomplish a good amount of my to do list.

shariletts

DW- I missed your last post somehow. Usually MFP prompts me to the last unread post, but maybe I imagining that and need to scroll up to check. I will keep an eye on that. Purple is a beautiful color! Glad wearing it made your day more memorable.

Paula- I hope you enjoy the rest of the church group and your role in it. You are a very loyal person and that is so wonderful.

I don't have plans for today. I do want to drop things off for a second hand store today. I have a couple of boxes of things that I want to move out of the house. After that, I am hoping to buy a pair of new running shoes. I will be on to reading for an hour and then get a start on laundry. So much fun lol!

Paulawilldo

Shari, It always feels good to move some things out of the house, especially if it is going to a place where it can be used by others. Hope you find a good pair of running shoes.

I planned to do some reading today but didn't get much of it accomplished. I hope I can read more tomorrow. I made another big pot of beef stew this afternoon. We will have a few days of meals with it again, and John really enjoys it. It also reminds me of my childhood because my mother used to make beef stew quite a bit in the winter. I wish I would have accomplished more today than I did, but I gave myself a break because it is the weekend (funny really since every day is very much the same for me being retired). I enjoyed taking it easy and resting again. Tomorrow will also be mostly a day of rest, at least that is the plan for after our online church service.

shariletts

I found a pair of running shoes. I was looking for an off white pair to go with some cream colored pants that I got near Christmas time. I didn't love the look wearing them with my white runners. The new shoes are very comfortable which is wonderful.

I will be cooking a roast today. DH tends to buy them when they are on sale but then since there are only two of us, I rarely cook them. I have a rule on right now that we are not buy anything that needs to be frozen. We have to much food in the freezer once again. It will take forever to get through it all!!!

We will enjoy a day of rest up until I have a mission meeting at 6pm. I am not looking forward to going to the church for it, but I need to. Sunday evening meetings are not my optimal time, but I guess it is for young adults.

Paulawilldo

Congrats on the running shoes Shari. I know some folks have quite a difficult time finding a pair that suits them well. Enjoy them. Like you, I have a full freezer, but mine is simply one side of my side by side refrigerator. I keep it far too well stocked and often wish I had a second freezer chest or otherwise. Many years ago I had a second fridge in the basement and used that for extra storage of cold and frozen items. When that fridge died I never replaced it. Since I can no longer access our basement, it wouldn't do me much good now anyway I guess.

I had a fairly restful day. But I grazed way too much and stopped tracking my food early in the afternoon. Must get back on track tomorrow and resume tracking my food.

shariletts

I did much better tracking yesterday. I didn't add a few foods, but it's a move in the right direction. I was far too high in fats and that offset the protein. It's going to help to see where I can make some improvements if I can keep up with the tracking. I have added a reminder note to my fridge and hope that will help me to do it.

We got a snowstorm yesterday that lasted through the night. I had to drive home in it and it was a bit stressful but I made it. I am a little excited that I will be able to do some cross country skiing again. But that is the only thing that I am happy about with this snowfall. Thankful I get to work from home today and avoid what I think would be a terrible drive into the city. Hopefully there aren't too many collisions.

Paulawilldo

Brave lady Shari driving home in a snow storm. My anxiety would have been extreme enough to keep me wherever I was rather than driving I think. Congrats on tracking!

It was a good day for me all around. I had some energy and was able to tolerate my pain fairly well. I tracked all of my food and used all of today's points with one point remaining. I spent a good part of today texting and emailing relatives because one of my mother's first cousins passed away at age 86. John and I remained in touch with this cousin until her dementia set in and she moved to a special care facility. My mother had many many first cousins covering a great age range as her mother was second oldest of 11 children. Some of my mom's first cousins are my age or younger while others are much much older. I have enjoyed being in touch with so many of these cousins today thru group emails and texts. We have been reminiscing about many family related stories, etc.

shariletts

I had some anxious moments driving home. I am a bit nervous to have to drive in to work today. I hope it's worth the travel. I think I might message my supervisor to make sure he will be at the office. If he isn't, it's not worth me having to be there. We shall see.

I tracked yesterday and I was over my calorie goal and far too high with the fat macro. I guess that explains why I can't lose any weight. I will need to work on reducing the amount of fat I am eating and add more fruits and veggies to my diet.

Sorry to hear about the passing of your family member. I trust that she has received her healing from the dementia and is enjoying the newness of eternity. I am sure there is great comfort in having family to connect with and share about the good memories.

Paulawilldo

Shari, Have you determined what foods are contributing to your fat numbers? Just curious. I don't get a break down with WW the way your macros are broken down, but I do know that the higher the fat content in the food, the higher the point value.

I had a really good day today all around. I tracked all of my food....one pt over my range, but I have plenty of "weeklies" which are extra points allotted for each week. I didn't have a huge to do list today so it was an easy day in that sense. My pain level was really tolerable again today which I think contributes to having a bit more energy. My 2nd online church class (the 7:30 one) was cancelled at the last minute. That made the evening easier with having to sit in my wheelchair for only one class.

shariletts

I haven't taken a good look, but I think it's the eggs, milk, butter and meat. Those are the better types of fats and there is the extra ones from chocolate. I know I could balance things out better by adding more fruit and veggies into my diet. I haven't had a good variety on hand lately.

It's super cold here again and I was thankful to be given the day to work from home. I do need to go in to day and I hope the roads are in better shape than they were the last couple of days. We had a lot of snow and the clearing took some time.

I got my walking in last night while I visited with a friend on the phone. We used to check in more frequently so we had a lot to talk about.

I weighed in today and I am at 0 pounds gained or lost. I have been making little changes and one day they should add up to tip the scale to a lower number. It is hard to have the patience to see the progress and not give up.

DW2022

Hello! Paula, I am so sorry about the passing of your Mother's cousin. Shari, I hope you have had safe travels today!! Our temperature was in the 60s this morning and has dropped to the 20s with a great deal of wind. There was a tornado near my sister's home-about a mile away from her. She lost power but no damage. Answered prayers!! When I got up this morning and turned on the news, I saw that her county was under a tornado warning. My 1st thought was to call her but my 2nd thought was much better-to pray!! And so I did. A while later she was texting me to say that they were OK.
My weight has been up and down this week but I am hoping to end on a good note...time will tell! I am still tracking my meals and weight on NOOM. Today I learned that the state offers a healthy living program that I can access through my employer. I plan to sign up tomorrow. Gift cards can be awarded for participation and accomplishing specific things...I will explore it more thoroughly! That's all the news here. Have a great Thursday!

Paulawilldo

Nothing compares to the power of prayer DW. So glad your sister is ok. Your state's healthy living plan sounds interesting. Programs with incentives such as gift cards are said to be effective from what I've heard.

Shari, you are so right about how hard it is to keep going when the scale doesn't seem to recognize all of our efforts. I commend you for getting in your walking with the bonus of enjoying a conversation with a good friend. That can be an excellent incentive.

I am pleased with my day today. My project for Sunday's meeting took almost no time at all. I called the prez and told her my info and added that John and I would not be attending the meeting. She tried to talk me into coming but did so in a pretty nice way. Eventually she accepted my decision and did so nicely. Woo Hoo!! Perhaps she is finally beginning to understand my situation.

I did very well with food choices today. I made a low point WW soup using ground turkey, Rotel, chicken broth, beans, and corn as well as some seasonings. John just loved it and we have enough for tomorrow. I enjoyed it too and especially because it is so low in points.

shariletts

It's so good to hear that everyone is doing well and walking with faith.

Not much to report on my end. I am enjoying a book called Atomic Habits and I am hopeful that I incorporate some of strategies into my life to help with weight loss. So far it's been very insightful and an easy read.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I looked up your book, and it sure looks interesting. Please keep us posted on what you gather from it as you read.

It was another good day for me with eating and taking care of my to do list. I am so happy that my pain remains tolerable, and I just hope and pray I stay at this level or maybe even get a little better if that isn't too much to ask. We finished the soup I made yesterday so it was an easy supper. I am pleased that my hunger level is manageable which helps me so much with portion control.

shariletts

I don't think it will take me long to complete the book. The first lesson in it is about making a 1% improvement every day towards a goal. There will come a time where you can tip the scales (so to speak) and you will see the impact the changes made. The theory being that it is easier to manage small changes that last rather than making one big change that you will give up on in the long run because it's too hard.

I am starting to make small changes that will impact my weight loss goal. The first one that I have implemented is reducing the sugar that I put in my coffee. The second thing I did was switch out the cream to milk. I have started a list and I will add these little habits up and I really hope that by the end of the year, I will have made some progress in my weight loss goal. There will be other pointers from the book. That was one of the first tips.

We are back in the deep freeze and I don't like it! I am not a winter person at all. We got the snow, but now it is far too cold to be outside. No cross country skiing yet.

Paulawilldo

Shari, your comments about your book have already given me some good things to think about. I appreciate your sharing very much. Thank you.

I did not do well with food choices today. I went over my points and then stopped tracking. Ugh!!! I will get back on track tomorrow. I realized that when I stray as far as I did today, I don't feel well, not RA related, just not myself because of my poor choices. Onward to a better day tomorrow.

shariletts

I was having a good eating day, but then messed up at night! I will have a better day today. I always feel bad after having a day like that too!

We are working on our back entrance and I am hoping I can, and have the energy, to remove some wall paper boarder. Not sure what else I will get done, but that is my goal. I had my second Shingrex vaccine, so I may not last the whole day if I end up feeling like I did the last time.

Paulawilldo

Hoping you did ok following your most recent vaccine. Removing wallpaper boarder sounds tricky to me, especially as I have zero home improvement skills.

Today was a much better day for me with food choices and getting some things done, but I really still don't feel like myself. I felt a little anxious today which happens now and then but hasn't been happening lately. I am expecting this will pass. My friend from college, retired nurse practitioner, is coming to visit tomorrow. She lives about 90 miles away so we don't see each other as often as we'd like. She wants to treat John to a special lunch (delivery from a local restaurant) in advance of his birthday which coming up in 2 weeks. I am planning to make a healthy choice for this lunch.