Daily Check In: Are You On Track Today?

shariletts

Thanks Paula! I know you understand too well the loss of our furry family members. Last night I had a pile of laundry on the floor and for a moment, I thought it was Moe laying there and I almost bent down to pet him. The house feels so quiet. We decided to book a trip away to get some much needed mental rest. We booked a trip to Cabo, Mexico and we leave April 27 for a week. I am thankful that I have the vacation time and that we were able to find a reasonably priced package.

I did better with my eating yesterday, I missed tracking a few things but I see that I still lean heavy on eating fats. I need to focus on fruits and veggies if I am to fix that.

DW2022

Shari, I am so, so sorry for your loss. Our pets are such a big part of our day to day lives and it leaves such a big hole when they are gone. I'm glad that the decision became clear for you and your DH and that Moe had a peaceful passing. I'm also happy that you have a trip to look forward to-somewhere warm and sunny!
Paula, it sounds like you have had several good days in a row-that is awesome!!
I'm hanging in there with my weight and motivation going up and down. There is a slight downward trend but each loss is then followed by a gain of some sort-no consistent downward movement... Work seems to be going well and tonight I went to a Special Olympics volleyball game that one of the people that I drive invited me to. It was actually several games and I was very impressed with both teams! My congestion problems are hanging on but seem to be getting a little better. I am still very tired all the time and haven't found a good time to consistently take my vitamins. That's all the news from here. Have a good rest of the week!!

Paulawilldo

Shari, I am excited for you for your upcoming trip. April 27 will be here before you know it. So important to take the time you need and will enjoy.

DW, Nice to support the Special Olympics! It means a lot to the athletes involved. Seasonal allergies are year round for me for sure. I have had some days when I have been very stuffy.

I had another fairly good day. My demands were few. I got a little frustrated because Craig forgot he was to come today, and it threw my day off. By the time he got here, about 3 hours late, I was too tired to do what I needed to do, especially since we had our 2 online church classes tonight. He apologized, and I didn't let him know how frustrated I was. My frustration didn't ruin my eating however. I am pleased with staying on track, even though I considered straying today.

shariletts

I knew you both would understand the loss of Moe. Thank you for your kind responses. It's so weird not having him here, but we both have such good memories and that helps. He had a wonderful life. We went to our old neighbours last night. They loved Moe and wanted to see us. We shared snacks and wine. So my diet that went well during the day got side tracked at night.

I just declared allergy season for myself yesterday. I started sneezing and my eyes hurt. But it snowed last night, so I will have a day or two of reprieve. It's very cold out today!

Paulawilldo

Shari, I hope the snow cuts down on the pollen in your area, at least to temporarily subdue it anyway.

It was a good day here again. My pain level wasn't too high and my energy level was good. My carb intake was higher though than I like. I got lazy about tracking. I think it is a form of avoidance for me when I have a high carb day. Ugh! Tomorrow John and I are going to get haircuts. We are having the home health aide drive us because I am not driving yet. I haven't driven since March 11. It is kind of expensive to have the health aide drive us, so I think I am going to have to space out our haircuts to cut down on the number of times we go in order to save some money. I hope to be able to drive again, but not sure how this will all work out.

shariletts

I had a very short break from the pollen. My allergies are quite noticeable and I may need to start taking allergy medication. I try to limit how much I take because the side effect for me is insomnia. I am good for about 5 days and then my sleep is impacted.

DH leaves for Vancouver tonight and will be gone until Tuesday. I am hoping that I can have a really good eating plan while he is away. Maybe I can lose some of the extra pounds that have crept on since November. I am going to try and track before I eat. If I can do that, I should be able to balance my macros. I hope that it will help me to up my protein and reduce the fatty foods that I have been eating.

I hope you will be able to drive again soon Paula. I am glad you have a way to get to the hair salon in the meantime.

Paulawilldo

Safe travels to your DH Shari. I have tried some allergy meds but haven't had a very favorable response. I hope you get some relief. I know it is more difficult for you because you are an outdoor person. Not me. I am ok staying indoors and keeping the windows closed to keep the pollen out of the house as much as possible.

As usual, my hair looks good after a visit to my hair stylist. John's cut looks good too. I was exhausted by the time we got home. I made a quick meal for us and then rested for the rest of the evening. A friend stayed with Buster since we couldn't take him with us with the health aide agency policy. This was the first time Buster has stayed here alone with that friend, and both of them did well. I am so proud of both of them!

shariletts

Paula- That's great both your haircut and John's turned out. Knowing Buster did well with your friend is good to know, in case you need to do it again at some point.

DH was quite nervous about this trip which isn't like him. I think he is learning to express and feel his feelings rather than stuff them. That is such good progress. He has travelled short trips like this on his own before, so he didn't have a reason to be nervous. Our time with the counsellor is helping us a lot. I am very thankful for her.

I will work from home this morning and just go to the office this afternoon. I will pop into a mall to see if their winter coats are still on sale and if there are any left. My current one is starting to fall apart. Three weeks ago there were so many, but I didn't need one at that time. At least I didn't think that I did.

Paulawilldo

Will pray for safe travels for your DH Shari. I can strongly relate to nervousness about traveling. Good to know you are seeing positive results from the counseling.

It was a really good day here today. I was a bit tired but trudged through the day and was able to rest after our 6 pm online church service. My friend Lola came to visit today, one of my closest and dearest and sweetest friends. We had Chinese food, which I have been craving for weeks and weeks. Remarkably, the food wasn't terribly salty. We also had wine, which I also have been craving. It was a lovely afternoon. She is so easy to talk with and relax and laugh. We hadn't seen each other in quite a while. She lives about an hour away but has been quite tied up with her DH and his health issues.

Enjoy the weekend!

shariletts

DH made it safe to Vancouver. I haven't heard from him that much but I have been super busy. I worked a 12 hour day yesterday. I did my regular work, with help from other admins as I was so busy. I was about to head out but I checked on the kitchen team making Chuchitos for the mission trip fundraiser and they had a lot of work and not many people pitching in. So I rolled up my sleeves to help. I feel like chuchitos are like a Chinese steamed pork bun, but with masa flour. I need to head back to work at around 3 today. I knew it would be a busy weekend.

Paulawilldo

Happy to learn of your DH's safe arrival. I think "Churchitos" is a great name Shari. I hope the fundraiser is a success.

I had an easy day today. We were up much earlier than usual for an earlier than usual morning church service. I rested again afterwards. Since we had leftover Chinese food, I didn't have to concern myself with cooking today. Woo Hoo for that! I had a small grocery delivery this afternoon and easily got that put away. Another pretty good day in terms of pain and stiffness. Resting was a big help today.

shariletts

I made it through yesterday with our fundraiser set up, today we go again. It's a lot of walking which is good, I think. I am quite tired today and need to be back at the church for 9am. I really hope we can raise a good portion of the funds that we need.

Then I will be off to see my oldest to celebrate a birthday! Another full day. I am so thankful that we have a trip booked. The rest will be wonderful.

Paulawilldo

Hope your son had a nice birthday Shari. Did you have a special meal?

I had an ok day. I had rest and relaxation plans that got changed because a friend called to tell me she was coming in 15 minutes to drop off some of her DH's birthday cake. She called at the same time I got a text from another friend telling me she desperately needed to talk with me. After my friend with the birthday cake left, I called the other friend whose situation wasn't as bad as she initially made it sound. But I knew she needed to talk. It all turned out ok, but I didn't get the relaxation and rest I was planning on. I was glad to help the 2nd friend and thoroughly enjoyed the birthday cake from the first friend. So did John. The cake has a blueberry cream filling with a buttercream icing. No way to track something that decadent! Onward to Monday!!!

shariletts

For my son's birthday, I picked up the ingredients to make one of his favourite meals. Christmas Morning Wife Saver. It needs to sit overnight, so he will enjoy that today. Then we ordered from Earl of Sandwich. We had a nice visit, quiet and low key. We were going to go shopping, but the garage door to his building broke and no one was able to go in or out. Hopefully it got fixed. I can't imagine people being stuck and not able to get to work today.

Not much rest for either of us yesterday. Five days of heavy work for me, and then a whole week of relaxation. No weight loss, but it feels like weight gain. I don't dare step on the scale.

DW2022

Hello! Paula, that cake sounds amazing! You are such a good friend to so many people!! Shari, it sounds like you have been so busy! I'm glad you got to spend some time with your son!!
My son also had a birthday over the weekend-4/20. I was very happy that his card and gift card arrived in time and I kept our tradition of me calling to sing "Happy Birthday"-I do that for all the adult "kids" and the grandkids. I had the communion prayer for church on Sunday and will do the liturgist job again in May. Other than that it was a quiet weekend and I got a few things accomplished around the house and got an overdue oil change for my vehicle. This morning I had an (also overdue) eye Dr. appt along with DH and we both had some changes and needed new glasses. DH has to go back in 3 weeks for more testing and has prescription eye drops. He doesn't seem to know what the testing is for so I will try to go with him. That's all the news from here-Shari, the countdown is on for your trip-so exciting!!

Paulawilldo

Shari and DW, Both of you are so good at celebrating the birthdays you mentioned. No matter how old they get, our kids are always our babies. It is wonderful to keep the traditions and even create new ones.

I had a very full day today and am fairly tired but not miserable. I completed my to do list early in the day as I knew Craig would be here early in the afternoon and I wanted my chores done before he got here. Between 4 and 6 pm John and I had our in-home PT evals. Both went well. The physical therapist is a young woman who is very nice and seems very knowledgeable about our conditions. She did some exercises with us individually and gave us exercises to do on our own when she isn't here. I am tired but glad that I am getting some new exercises to do. I tried to get into our van with the therapist but was not able to do so. Maybe eventually I will be able to do so, but not yet. John and I will be getting in-home PT twice a week for about 2 months I think.

shariletts

I worked at work and sprinkled in some housework yesterday. I worked until close to 9pm. I am trying to get ready to miss a week of work and there is so much going on right now. I will do my best, but I am not going stress out over it either. I will do what I can, ask for help for the things that I can and the rest will have to stay undone until I get back.

I had a good food eating day, I was at the lower end of calories, but my fat macro is sill way off. I need to get that number lower and perhaps then I will lose weight instead of gain. I have to keep trying.

Paulawilldo

Shari, I admire your attitude! Do what you can, as I know you will because you are so conscientious, but do not stress over what remains to be done! Stressing can be so unhealthy in so many ways. Remember you need to take care of you in order to be effective in all other areas. You well deserve your time off!

I thought of you today Shari when a friend brought me some frozen pierogie with the brand name Cheemo. I had never heard of this brand so I looked at who makes this and where. Well, Cheemo pierogie are made by Heritage Frozen foods on 124th Ave. in Edmonton Alberta! The pierogie are delicious too. Just wondering if you are familiar with this brand.

It was a full and productive day for me again. I had a lot to do as my cousin and her husband are coming to visit tomorrow. (This is the cousin who is like a sister to me.) I got a lot done and am pleased with how well I did and how good I felt afterward. I was too busy to overeat today too....another plus!

Paulawilldo

I enjoyed the visit from my cousin and her DH. They didn't want to eat anything. I think they thought it would have been too much for me to do, but I was considering getting something delivered too. I think they might have planned to stop for a meal on their drive home. So I didn't insist on anything. I stayed on track today with a big salad for supper. I had gotten away from salads for a while but enjoyed one for my evening meal.

shariletts

I missed checking in yesterday as DH forgot to let me know he booked a tire change and so I needed to bring him home from the tire place. It was such a rushed morning. I was upset that he didn't tell me the night before.

I am glad you had a good visit Paula and you got to stick to your meal plan. I have not been eating salads lately either. I will once my garden is producing. I haven't had as much time to enjoy getting things started. When I get back from Mexico, I will put my starter plants in the greenhouse. At this time of year I worry the seedlings will easily dry out so I can't leave them unattended in that environment for a week. Two more sleeps and I will get a needed break. I am so excited. I have to try on my shorts to make sure they fit.

Paulawilldo

My eating was ok today but could have been better. I had another salad at supper and ate more veggies in general today than I had been eating this week. I hope this helps because I feel as if I have gained a few pounds. I must get stricter again with my food choices.

Both John and I had occupational therapy evaluations in our home today. I expected the eval for John but not for me. Both of us showed needs in this area, of course very different in nature. John will probably have 3 months of OT at home, while I will have 2 months. We are hopeful about what this could be able to do for us. We will also have physical therapy for probably 2 months.

I am thinking you will be busy Shari, packing and getting ready for your trip. How long will you be away?

shariletts

Today we fly out to Cabo and we return next Saturday. I will check in here if we have access to wifi in our room. DH always sleeps in so I will have time. I am excited for fresh fruit being at the ready. I haven't been eating enough of it lately. I am really looking forward to being away from home and not working.

I have a bit of a gut issue, it started last night. We went to a friend's for dinner and I bloated instantly and my stomach is upset. I don't think I will do that again before a travel day. It's pretty uncomfortable. Best to stick to my own meals.

Glad your appts went well Paula. I will be interested to hear what they will have you doing. I am sure it will be very helpful.

Have a good day all!

Paulawilldo

Shari, I hope your stomach issue resolves quickly and doesn't interfere with your good times on your trip. I am praying for your safe travels and for a relaxing enjoyable time for you and your DH.
It was a very lazy day for me today, after yesterday sort of wearing me out a bit with an afternoon physical therapy session. I am very impressed with the physical therapist and feel like she is already making a difference for me. It will take some time to build up my stamina if that is even possible, but I am learning lots and doing well with good supervision from the PT. I ate very little today as I wasn't very hungry. That is good because I think I was overdoing it on a few previous days.

DW2022

Hello! Shari, I hope you are having a fabulous time!! Paula, that is so awesome that you are getting PT and will also have OT! I have been pleased with the results the several times I've had PT ordered (shoulder, back, heel cord area-all at different times). I keep telling myself that I need to find my PT homework exercises and start doing them again. My weekend was pretty relaxing-ie; no commitments but I did a lot of errands with my DD and didn't get the housework completed that I'd hoped to do. I did decide to not continue with one of my church positions. Now that I am working so much, I don't have the time needed to do a good job. I will complete the term, which goes until 7/1.
My weight is back down to where it was when I did so well with the 17 day diet but is also at the point when I plateaued and couldn't break into the next "tens" weight. I am trying to create better thought patterns so I don't psych myself out and repeat the pattern.
DH was prescribed eye drops at our eye appointments last week. Once/day at bedtime....he can't do them. I have to do them every night. I've told him that he needs to learn to do it himself but no progress has been made in that direction. That's all the news from me. Have a great Tuesday!!

Paulawilldo

Good to read your post DW. Congrats on getting to your 17DD weight. You will be able to keep going down. It can be done. I am now over 10 pounds less than my lowest 17DD weight...but much more to lose! I understand giving up a church position when there are other demands on your time with work. I have to put drops in John's eyes when he needs them, sometimes for seasonal allergies. I can do my own eye drops too but some guys are not able to do that for some reason.

I had a full day again today. With our PT and OT now (each is two times per week), we are spending 2 hours a day in therapy four days a week. Both of us enjoy the therapies and feel like we are making progress already. It does tire me out however and cuts into my housework "productivity" at the moment. But I am managing to do what needs to be done and work in some rest as needed too. My eating choices over the past few days have been mediocre at best. I need to be more careful because I will have lots of food to deal with as our Easter (Pascha) is this coming Sunday.

Paulawilldo

I had an ok eating day but still not at the level where I feel like I am losing weight. I think it will be till after next week when I get truly serious and on track. With our Easter (Pascha) this Sunday and all the special foods we enjoy, I will make an effort to eat in moderation, while realizing that most of the foods are high in calories. On a brighter note, our family is rejoicing today over the birth of a new baby boy, born to my Godson and his wife. He is their first child. He arrived 2 weeks late via C section. Mom and baby are doing well. We are so very happy about this. My Godson was also 2 weeks late and born via C Section (in 1991), just like his new son today.

Paulawilldo

This is our Holy Week with many church services. Tomorrow we have services at 10:30 am, 4 pm, and 11:30 pm (this service will be about 3 hours, ending around 2 am or later). We will also have an 11am service on Sunday. John and I participate in these services online now but used to attend them in person (like most other members of our churches). I miss being in person but am ever grateful for the live streaming of services. I am a bit tired tonight but plan on having a good night's sleep. My eating is ok, but I haven't been tracking lately. I have to cook in between our services on Saturday, so it will be a full day again.

shariletts

Hello! So good to be able to check in again. Our wifi while we were away was awful, but it was good to take a break from being online so we could be present in our immediate surroundings. It was a wonderful trip with no hiccups. I loved being in the sunshine and spending so much time reading outdoors. The food was plentiful and very good. Now it is time to get back to business.

Paula-You will be spending a lot of time online today. I trust it will be very good for your spiritual soul!

Good to hear that your weight is at a good place DW. You got this!

Paulawilldo

Welcome back Shari! Sounds like your trip was just what you wanted. Glad you had a great time.

It was a long but beautiful weekend of church and celebrations. It was tiring but worth it in my estimation. I rested when I could so that helped. We have way too much food here now. I plan to freeze some and give away more.

shariletts

Paula- Your fridge is the direct opposite of mine. It is so empty! We popped in to the city to go to Costco, but the parking lot was the most full that I have ever seen it. More than during the Christmas season. I am not sure why. We opted to not go and we will see if it is less busy today. Kind of funny to know that we still have so much food in the house even if the fridge it empty. I made use of left overs that I had in the freezer. Always a good plan to freeze when possible. It's a blessing for your future self.