Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?

shariletts

I wasn't too bad yesterday. I was chilled all day and a bit tired. No wallpaper was removed in the end. I didn't have the energy.

I struggle with anxiety and hope you can dispel yours. I know it's not helpful for weight loss. We just end up storing cortisol. A visit sounds enjoyable and I hope you find that it helps your anxiety Paula. Not cooking sounds like a treat too.

Today I don't plan to do too much at all. I hope to relax today even though I didn't do much yesterday.

Paulawilldo

Hope you rested and relaxed Shari. Sunday is a great day to do that. Hope your chills passed too.

I had a wonderful visit with my friend today. She is one of the sweetest kindest people I know. She loves John and Buster too. She has no kids and a DH who is very quiet and shy and never visits when she comes here. I must say that even while she was still here I could feel my anxiety lessening considerably. And now I do feel much better. I had a Greek salad that was delicious and not too big but satisfied me.

I had one call from the church group meeting I missed and then later another call from the prez who couldn't have been sweeter (wow!!). Later in the day I got a text from another member telling me how much she and her DH missed John and me at the meeting. I think we are going to work on a plan to have the next meeting here so John and I can be at the meeting but with the prez and the gal who texted me being the actual hosts of the meeting so I don't have to do much. I can agree to that. It won't be till June I think.

shariletts

Things are really turning around with the president for the church group. I think that is fabulous Paula. We are all capable of making changes that will make us better humans. When we do that coupled with our faith, it can be quite remarkable. That gives me the incentive to keep working on myself. Who wouldn't want the compliment from others seeing positive changes.

I had a pretty lazy day. I am fairly happy with my food choices. I made some bone broth so I can sip on that before meals. It's supposed to help with digestion. I had some big soup bones so I thought I would be easy enough to try.

Working from home today and very happy about it.

Paulawilldo

I have heard good things about bone broth but haven't tried it or made it. I remember seeing some packets to make bone broth from a powder like an instant soup but haven't tried that either.

I did well with food choices today and didn't really crave any unhealthy choices. I was very tired and not very productive today, perhaps from having company yesterday, not sure. I also had unplanned and unexpected visitors today. This threw off my plans and interfered with my needed rest. One friend was in the area and just wanted to drop in for a few minutes, while the other just dropped off something for us. .

DW2022

Hello! I'm happy to read that you are both doing well! Shari, your book sounds very interesting!! I need to find it and share it with my daughter! I'm glad that you are recovered from your latest vaccine!! Paula, I'm happy to hear that the group President is doing better! Also happy that you had such a nice visit with your college friend!
My weight has been up and down over the weekend-first I hit a new low (new for this year) and the next morning it was back up again. I had a dog event over the weekend and it was a disaster for my dog and me but a very good weekend for many friends. I was exhausted from the weekend so skipped dog class tonight because I have to drive there again tomorrow night for a board meeting which might become contentious. I am the kind of person who prefers to avoid conflict. Work is going well as far as I can tell and I am grateful to have a job! I will close for now and go on Amazon to try to find the book. Have a good evening!!

shariletts

I am really enjoying the book and making use of many of all the suggestions DW. A very good read.

Having issues with my laptop this morning g so I am checking in with my phone. A bit frustrating so just a quick hi today.

Paulawilldo

DW, Hope your meeting goes smoothly. Like you, conflict is not my style. Great that your job is working out.

Shari, Thanks for checking in on a frustrating computer day. Hope things are smoothed out for your laptop for Wednesday.

I did well again with food choices and some of my to do items. I was still a little fatigued, but pacing myself really helped. I am getting much better at not feeling guilty for resting when I need it. That is progress for me.

shariletts

It looks like my computer got sorted. A few minor issues this morning but I think I am almost back to normal.

I had a good food day. Just had a bit of chocolate that I didn't need. We have one more very cold day and then it will start to warm up. Which will be wonderful. We have snow, but it's been too cold to try out our cross country skiing again. I am looking forward to that. I got in a 36 minute walk on my treadmill last night. That was good. I am hoping to get up to about 40 minutes. That's what I used to walk outside daily prior to moving to the farm but as you know, being out in the country means I need to keep the walking to daylight hours and that isn't easy with our short days in the winter.

Paulawilldo

Good to get your walking in and especially so indoors given your cold temps Shari. Does Canada move to daylight savings time like the US does this weekend? If so, will that give you a little more daylight hours? I love it when it stays light out longer, as I suspect most people do.

I had another good food day as I wasn't very hungry again and I had a lot to do. I am pleased with what I accomplished as well as with my food choices. I am doing much better with portion control of course since my hunger is a bit less lately. Tomorrow I go for my mammogram, with my home health aide taking me there. We will use a wheelchair from the facility so that should work out. I understand they can do a mammo with me in a sitting position. This will be my first one done while sitting. I stood for the last one but it was far too draining for me, and now, 18 months later, I know I couldn't possibly stand like that again.

shariletts

We do have daylight savings time. It varies from Province to Province though. Our Province has considering not observing it in the past. I do love the extra light, but I don't enjoy the adjustment.

It sounds like you have a lot of good support for your appointment today Paula. We look forward to hearing how it goes.

I had a bad eating day yesterday due to eating out twice. I met up with two different friends. I did eat half of my lunch order and brought the rest home. At dinner, my friend and I shared a meal. So I did better than I could have done.

Looking forward to working from home today. I am hoping that it warms up outside too.

Paulawilldo

All went well with my mammo appointment. I had a wonderful technician who had no problem with doing the mammo while I was in a wheelchair. My home health helper did fine too. She is a little scattered at times but a sweet person who is willing to help. The mammo appointment went fast and when we returned home my helper had time to do her usual routine for us here like changing our sheets and a few other little tasks. By the time she left I was exhausted however. I rested and fell asleep in the evening for quite a while. My food choices were good again, and I wasn't very hungry at all. I have a small to do list for Friday which means I should be able to take it pretty easy and feel better.

shariletts

Great news that your appt well Paula. You have been getting some solid support.

DH and I have counselling this afternoon. Not sure what will come up but it is always helpful and we are figuring out how to move forward when it comes to his parents and the strain it puts on our relationship.

My eating was improved from the day before, but not where I was hoping to land. Today should go better! We are hosting our Bible Study group tonight so we do have those plans in place. This week seemed to go by fast for me.

DW2022

Hello! Paula, I'm happy that your appointment went well!! Shari, I hope that your busy day has also gone well!!
I am always so tired by the time I get to Friday evenings but work continues to go well! At my age, I am grateful to have a job but also, having one related to the field I was in has rekindled something....maybe feeling like I have purpose again. I have always thought that my profession was also my ministry. After retirement, I accepted positions in church that are not a good match for me. My term is up by 7/1/24 and I will not renew.
I am also giving serious thought to the dog club Board position...the meeting was worse than I could have imagined and I was sitting next to the person who was yelling and making things feel toxic in the room. The only thing stopping me from walking out is that I have a good friend also on the Board and she counts on my support. My position there is up for re-election this year so I need to pray hard about it....
The agency I work for is a non profit and we have a big fundraiser tomorrow night. I have volunteered to help serve the food, which just involves putting a scoop on a plate-I had a lot of experience with this in the college cafeteria-LOL!! There is a DJ, raffles, silent auction items, and dancing. I'm not sure how much I will do other than the meal or how late I will stay since I'm going alone...we'll see how it plays out.
Diet-wise, I think I've been eating well and getting many steps in but the scale has held steady this week after it went back up from my newest low....I haven't yet seen that lower number again...maybe tomorrow. I almost forgot to share that tomorrow morning we will take our daughter to the airport to join her brother and his family for spring break in CA. We will have 2 extra dogs for the week and I'll be stopping at her home to visit the cats. I hope that this will be a positive time for her!! Have a great weekend!!

Paulawilldo

DW, Your life is so full and busy! So sorry about the dog board meeting situation. As you know, I can relate to some degree given the group I am involved with, although I think things are looking up for my group these days. I love that you are working for a non profit. I have a great deal of respect for non profits and the good work they do. Fund raisers can be crucial to such agencies! Your fundraiser sounds like a lot of fun. I hope you are able to enjoy it without working too hard. Looking forward to learning how it goes. Wishing your agency lots of success! Prayers for safe travels for your daughter.

Shari, So good that you and DH continue to see your counselor and that good is coming of this. Ending the week with a Bible study is a positive thing too.

I ended up doing more than I planned to do today, not because I wanted to but because seeing how much needed to be done was getting to me. So I did accomplish things and didn't rest as much as I had hoped. Maybe I will be able to rest a little more tomorrow, though my to do list is ready for tomorrow and it isn't a short one. I tracked my food today and reached the top of my points plus used a few of my "weeklies," which is ok overall.

shariletts

Thanks for catching us up DW. You have a lot going on. I have prayed for you today. Let us know how the fundraiser goes. I have a couple coming up myself. They are a lot of work, I trust the finances will be raised.

Counselling went well. It was more focused on me, which isn't what I was hoping for. It was still good, but now we will wait to see what comes up for next week. DH is doing better talking about difficult subjects, but we still have a ways to go.

No progress in the weight loss department yet. I have dedicated to myself to really work hard the next four days to see if I can get one stubborn pound down.

Paulawilldo

Just a quick check in from me today. I have good news and not-so-good news. The good news is that I weighed in today, the first time since Dec. 9. I am down 4 1/2 pounds since Dec. 9. Just a little over a pound per month but I am pleased. The not-so-good news is the result of my mammo which states the following:
FINDINGS:
RIGHT1) MASS [A]: There is a 9 mm round mass seen in the axillary tail region of the right breast, 20 cm from the nipple. This is a new finding.
The message says that they will contact me to schedule an ultrasound of the right breast. I am staying positive but am concerned, especially because my maternal grandmother had breast cancer at age 66 (my age).

Please keep me in your prayers. (there was no problem with the left breast)

shariletts

I wasn't able to check in yesterday, this community page wouldn't load. Paula- I will be praying for often. It is hard not to be concerned and waiting for tests and results is extremely difficult. I have tried to follow the advice not to worry about things that not happening, but I just haven't been successful. I will be praying for peace while you wait. That the Lord will comfort you. That he will take care of this mass.

I am glad you have the weight loss to celebrate Paula. It is motivating that maybe I can do it. I am going to take another look at Weight Watchers. I need outside help.

Paulawilldo

Thank you so much Shari for your kind understanding, prayers, and support. My mood has been up and then a little down when a wave of anxiety hits. Mostly though I have been pretty ok. I am writing this via my iPad as my laptop is having its 6 month maintenance check. I expect to have it back sometime Tuesday.

My breast ultrasound has been scheduled for March 22. There will be a radiologist there who will read the results right then and there and make recommendations on what is needed based on the ultrasound.

I am pleased with my slow but steady weight loss with WW. I suspect I might start to lose more quickly as the anxiety over my mammogram had taken away my appetite and interest in food to some extent.

shariletts

Paula- I mentioned your mammogram results to my DH. He wanted me to convey that will also be praying for you. I am glad your appt is in March, but that will still be a difficult waiting period. I hope you won't suffer greatly with anxiety.

I had an okay day yesterday. I think I ate well. I didn't track, but I will today.

Paulawilldo

Shari,please tell your DH that I appreciate his kindness and prayers. I know friends like you mean so much always, but especially at times like this. A friend offered to drive me to the ultrasound appointment, but my challenge is getting in and out of most vehicles. I might have to hire the home health aide to drive me as her car is ok for me to get into. I am not wild about her driving skills, but I might just have to go with her because her car is low to the ground. I ate healthy and within my plan today without any difficulty. It is good to have my laptop back.

shariletts

Paula- you were on my mind yesterday. I am so glad that you had a healthy eating day and it was easy to do. That's a win. Maybe your friend can come to the appt along with the health aid. Having someone there when you get the results will be so good. I went with a friend when she was getting the ultrasound done. We didn't think she would get the results right away, but she did. There was a big wave of emotion when she got the good results back that it was so helpful for her to process alongside someone until the adrenalin subsided. Just a thought.

I gained one pound rather than lose one this week. I guess I am still eating too many calories. I had a very emotional weekend, so it could be that compounding things. I am working towards a more joyfilled week and really hope to be back down that pound for next week.

DW2022

Hello! I just caught up on the communications since I last posted. Paula, I will be praying !!!!! I do think that Shari's idea is a good one to have a friend that you trust go with you to help listen.
Shari, one difference between NOOM and WW is that NOOM wants you to log your weight every day...that does get frustrating at times-MANY times!!
Paula, congrats on your weight loss!! Mine continues to be up and down within the same range. MY GP told me at least twice that some women my age need to really restrict calories to lose weight-900 was the amount she mentioned...I'm still pondering that while I eat between 1200-1500 usually.
My dog guests are doing well and I enjoy spoiling them! The cats seem ok, too, but I can tell they miss the attention that they usually receive. My daughter returns Friday evening and I have received photos from her as well as from my DIL-everyone looks happy!!
I will close and go attend to my canine guests.....Paula, I'm sending "prayer hugs"!!

Paulawilldo

Shari, I agree that emotions could slow down our weight loss efforts. I hope you land some joy into your life this week. It's there but finding it can be a challenge at times. Thank you for thinking of me.


I called the home health agency today and arranged for a care giver to take me to the ultrasound appointment. I am waiting for confirmation that someone will be able to do so. My friend agreed that her car would be difficult for me to get in and out of, though she thought she could figure out a way to make it work. I thought about asking her to go along with me but got the sense that she didn't want to do so, so at the moment I will go there alone, though that could change. I did ok with food choices again today. And I prepared all my tax info to give to my accountant to do my income taxes whenever he is ready. I tend to procrastinate on that task, so I am pleased that it is all taken care of.

shariletts

DW - I don't think that I could 900 calories. I am sure that would help with weight loss, but I would gain it all back once I started eating again. So glad you are enjoying the guests at your house.

Tax season is here and I am thankful DH looks after it. I should pay more attention, it would be good for me to be more involved. I just end up looking for the receipts that he misplaces.

I am feeling stressed this morning. DH did some work on our laundry room while I was at work. He doesn't pay attention to detail, and I took a look at the work and I have some issues. He never receives the feedback well so I am really stressing about what to say and when. If he starts to get mad, I will have to walk away. I don't want to leave things as they are since they could still be fixed, but I just don't know if we can handle resolving this right now. He gets so upset when I am pick out what's wrong with the work he has done. I am not so picky either. Thanks for letting me vent, it may help to have felt my feelings with others before him. I hope to be more tempered.

Paulawilldo

DW, You and I must have been posting simultaneously because when I did my previous post only Shari's post was there. Thank you so much for your prayers and prayer hugs. I feel them. 900 calorie seems quite low to me. I suppose you could fill up on low calorie veggies and such, but I am not sure how sustainable a plan like that would be for me. Enjoy your pet visitors! So nice they have a familiar place to stay with your DD away.

Shari, So tough to comment on your DH's work! Timing can mean everything when addressing such sensitive concerns. Hope it is a smooth discussion.

Today I applied for a senior driving service. I found out about this service on Monday after the problem I had at the hairdresser's. When we got back from the appointments, out of the blue a woman whom we know stopped by because she saw John out walking Buster. Her daughter and John went to school together, but we haven't seen them in many years. (Her daughter now lives in Texas.) The mom is a physical therapist and asked how I am doing. When I told her of my driving/transportation dilemmas, she gave me info about an agency that helps seniors get places. I called the agency and finally today they got back to me. It seems close to a dream come true. There is an annual membership fee ($10 per month paid annually) and then a fee for the rides ($5 per ride plus $2 per mile). Sounds wonderful. The agency rep was terrific when we spoke. I should hear soon about my application and then will be able to use them for transportation. Unfortunately, John would not be able to go with me with this service because he is not over 60 yrs old. I love this story because it shows how another God breeze came into my life at a much needed time. So very blessed!

shariletts

Paula- This driving service sounds like it will be so very helpful. It is another God moment.

My conversation went much better than it typically does with DH about the finer details on the projects he completes. It was very wise of me to look at what he had got done and then have time to work through my emotions before speaking to him. I told him I checked things out and was so thankful for all of his hard work. Then I asked him to let me know when he was ready to hear about some the details that I thought could be looked at. He received things so much better. I hope I can remember that this way of communicating is better. I do need time to process my emotions as I have a very hard time containing them. And he has already fixed what I pointed out and was even thankful for my input.

I am going to work on being very vigilant on food tracking these next four days. It should be something that I can commit to as I will be at home for my meals. I really need to see my where calories and fat macros are at. The information should be eye opening.

Happy Friday

Paulawilldo

Shari, Sounds like your laundry room discussion went well. Hope you had a good day for food and otherwise.

I am posting a picture of John's birthday cake, made for him by a friend from our old church. It is a peanut butter chocolate cake and quite delicious. I had just a very small piece. John's bday is March 15 but he always appreciates St. Patrick Day decorations. He had a nice birthday. Another friend from our old church brought him her homemade potato pancakes, one of his favorite foods, and too much work for me to make. I indulged in some of the potato pancakes too but didn't over do it.

shariletts

That is such a fun cake! It sounds like John had a good birthday being able to enjoy some of his favorite foods. Thank you for sharing the photo Paula.

I got a bit caught up at work and I think by Monday I will feel even better. Today we will work on our laundry room and I want to try baking French Macarons. I have never made them and thought it might be fun. I could take them to church to share during coffee time with a small group of friends.

DW2022

Hello!! Happy Birthday to John!! The cake looks amazing!!
Shari, I am so in awe of the way you approached the laundry room concerns! I tend to get upset and blurt things out.
Our DD returned last night without any travel problems. She was very tired so picked up her dogs this morning. She had a wonderful time and really enjoyed spending time with her nephews.
I have started a project that I committed to for the dog club more than a year ago-I have to make 5 base sections out of PVC filled with cement for added weight. I put it off as long as possible but now it is needed. I have my first test model sitting overnight for the cement to harden🤞🤞🤞. If it seems ok in the morning, I will purchase the rest of needed materials. It will be a huge relief to get it finished!!
Have a blessed Sunday!!

Paulawilldo

DW, Your project sounds difficult to me, but I am sure you will do well with it. Let us know how your test model turns out. I admire folks who take on projects such as that. I would be all thumbs and probably end up wearing the cement.

Shari, French Macaroons sound so exotic to me. Can't wait to hear how they turn out.

I didn't sleep well last night and was tired and in high pain all day. I spent most of Saturday sleeping and resting in our family room on a recliner that is very comfy for me. This is likely another flare. Sure hope it lessens by Sunday afternoon as 2 friends are stopping by for a late lunch with us to celebrate John's birthday. They are bringing take out from Olive Garden. I am having salmon. I considered changing the plans but decided not to because John and the friends are looking forward to this get together. I plan to rest for the remaining time of the day after they leave.