February 8-14, 2023

SarahMaxx

LW: 131.6
TW: 131.6

Hi, all. It's after 11 p.m., and this is the first chance I've had today to get online. I'm too tired to chat and make much sense, but I wanted to at least log my weight. I did not have the best week in terms of meeting my goals and the result is obvious--I'm right where I was. For some reason, I was struggling more with intake this past week, doing things like eating a second piece of bread without thinking it through or indulging in one of hubby's pan sauces when I could have taken my protein plain. Hopefully I can do better this week.

My 7-day averages are also not quite as good as last week:

Steps = 10,496
Kcals burned = 1,638
Stairs = 14 floors

Since I've mentioned the negatives, I'll also try to mention a couple of positives. First, I've upped my weights in my class and I'm feeling soreness where I didn't before. Happy about that. I also increased the amount of fruit and vegetables that I ate, and other than some pepperoni on a pizza one night when we didn't have time to cook, I had no red meat. We are trying to predominatly eat a Mediterranean diet.

Now my contacts are sticking to my eyes, so I need to log off. It has been a busy week. Hope to get back to chat tomorrow. Hope all is well with everyone.

GaGasheesh

LW: 133.8
TW: 134.2

Good grief. It doesn't take much . . a few indulgences, a missed workout. Speaking of which, my trainer is coming this morning soon, so I'll have to log off soon. She took her family to Mexico for a break from the weather, so last week's workouts were cardio and only one day of upper body lifting I did for about 30 minutes. However, I did finish the butt challenge! I couldn't believe I was able to finish it. It's amazing how much our bodies respond to gradually increasing workload.

Sarah, I know that sore feeling from increasing the load on a muscle. I've gotten so that I like it if it's not too much because I know I didn't waste my time on the workout, and that I'm getting stronger as I recover. You sound like you've recovered well from your bout with Covid. I'm glad you were in a good place with your health to deal with that.

Kelly, mixing it up is a really good way to go. It's hard for me to do, especially in winter with indoor workouts. I've thrown in some HIIT and some yoga here and there. Pass along ideas. It snowed here again yesterday. The snow hasn't melted on our lawn for so long . . very different from recent years.

Lois, I look forward to your post and how your recovery is progressing.

Katie, update us when you can.

Sorry for being a day late (again). I'll check back later.

wiredkell

LW: 154.5
TW: 153.6

My doctor's appointment sure opened my eyes and has been on my mind ever since. I hope that with the changes I have been making, that I can work towards lowering my blood sugar to avoid having diabetes. I have been eating amazingly and have been really putting in time for me. Working out daily, getting in my water and even taking time for stretching and meditating. I know I need to find ways to lower my stress, so meditating is a good place to start.
I also signed up for a gut health program through a friend as well. It's 4 weeks and it is basically an elimination diet to find out what foods I should be avoiding and why. It's no dairy, alcohol, gluten, corn and artificial sweeteners. I'm also supposed to limit my coffee intake to 3 times a week, but I don't think that'll happen lol I did manage to only have 1 regular cup of coffee yesterday and the other 2 were decaf, so we'll see how today goes. Even if I cut back to 2 times per day, I'm sure that'll help with my stress levels. I'm feeling positive about the changes I am making. I go back in March for a follow up with the doctor. Curious if he'll do more bloodwork or just check me there.

Sarah - Way to think and talk about the positives with the negatives. I know how hard that can be, especially when in a bit of a funk or we're tired. Great job on upping those weights too!

Sheesh - Good job finishing that butt challenge! Hope you got the results you were hoping for

SarahMaxx

Hi, ladies. This has been a busy day, too, but I am getting a few minutes to read posts and log food. Kelly, almost a full pound! Way to go. And Sheesh, I wouldn't count those few ounces as a gain. It's probably just normal day-to-day fluctuation. Today I went to lunch with two friends to celebrate one of their birthdays, so I fully expect to be up some tomorrow since restaurant food tends to be higher in sodium and fat. I think that's why it tastes so good. I was really happy today to find that the restaurant we chose is one that is busy at happy hour and in the evening, but not at lunch (except weekends). It was just us, two other tables, and one lonely guy at the bar!

I got a little "not good" news today at my class. The HOA failed to schedule us for the summer and has booked a kid's summer camp during our time. So place and times for my class between June and August are up in the air. Oh, well. The pool will be open and I can water walk and swim as well as land walk when it's cool enough and dreadmill when I have to.

Kelly, a while back I did a modified FOD diet, which is similar to what you described, to see if it would help my tummy issues. It didn't make a lot of immediate difference (I think antiobiotics messed me up), but I do still think about those foods identified as harder to digest, and I try not to eat those too often. So perhaps that is at least part of the reason I've seen some improvement. I'm not back to normal, but it's much better than it was in the late fall.

Well, it's time to feed the kitties and think about dinner. Hope everyone has a good weekend. I will check back soon to see if we hear from Lois and Katie (thinking of you both).

Lastchancelj

Happy Friday Ladies. Sorry it's been a crazy few days

Kelly - great reduction!! WAY TO GO!! Keep doing what's working for you! By the way, I am so impressed with you and Shawn and your commitment to the kids and their activities. You guys are so supportive. Keep watching what you and eat and you can stay clear of the diabetes - I'm sure of it with your focus. Good luck on your coffee. I can't believe I was caffeine free for a number of years and this past year I'm now back up to a venti coffee every day (peppermint mocha to boot) or two mugs of home brewed with peppermint mocha creamer). Good luck - that will take commitment.

Sheesh - you'll be back in your groove. and I really hope you got the results you wanted from your butt challenge. I miss those little challenges from my trainer. Keep it going! I love your family's commitment to the zoom scheduling. We have a Saturday night FT with my daughter while she's in Okinawa (started when they moved to Japan). I'm hoping it will continue when they move to San Diego. It's hard to get Rhea to engage on FT. She tells us one or two things (if she's in the mood) and then it's "Grammy - shhh you guys are too loud." haha. She's an in-person communicator. They came up Saturday and we hadn't seen them in 3 weeks (they're about a 45min drive on a weekend and over an hour plus on weeknights). Grandpa and I are just about read for an overnight. We need to pick a weekend and then I'll head over to their place Friday night, stay and then bring Rhea home with me on Saturday. The kids will pick her up on Sunday.

Sarah - great maintenance! That so stinks about your class. I hope they find somewhere for you to go, maybe you guys could share a small space and the camp can use the other area for that hour. Thoughts. Just keep moving. If you have Netflix, and want a good series to watch on the DM, have you watched Jack Ryan? If you like Tom Clancy books (I do) and I really enjoyed the series. Hubby says I need to watch the Reacher series as well. I also enjoyed Emily in Paris. It might help keep your mind going.

I am only able to get in two days of PT in a week. Since my work schedule doesn't really have room on Mon/Wed for me to be away for 2 hours, Tues/Thurs is it. When I add Friday, I just feel like I don't get as much from it. The clinic is super busy and I feel my hands on time is shorter. And I need the hands on time to clear the tissue and help me progress so, only twice a week. At home I do have some exercises I do. I do the band stretches on my ankle, runner's stretch, toe raises, step over my hurdles and I walked to the mailbox and back focusing on not limping. When I realize I'm limping, I stop, and consciously take the next few steps to stop my brain from saying we have to limp. My foot is usually tired by the time I get back. I could walk farther if I wear my brace, but because I'm focusing on "not limping" the brace restricts movement and I limp. I'm not taking the Tramadol during the day, only after 7pm and at midnight. I do find I need a 2nd one to sleep and stop the night time cramps. I'm eating a banana a day as well to help. Water intake is also good. It's the cramping I feel during the day, but I can push through it. It's enough to wake me up and I'm so tired from not sleeping well already. I've tried replacing the 2nd dose with Tylenol, but it wasn't quite as effective. Still also getting used to the CPAP. The nose piece isn't too uncomfortable, but the flow of airs sometimes has me feeling like I'm suffocating. Hubby and I are both still sleeping downstairs. I'm on my recliner and he's on his couch and sometimes his recliner. Neither of us are comfortable in our bed upstairs yet. I try it on Friday nights. I need one good night sleep that I don't have to wake up to an alarm so I end up back in my recliner on Saturday night with no alarm for Sunday morning. I also find myself waking about 1-2am and then can't go right back to sleep, sometimes up until 3am. I'm not usually hurting, just kind of awake. And then I wake up groggy when my alarm goes off. Ah well. I'm working through it.

Well, I am happy to be working from home this week. We have the Phoenix Open going on (was offered tix for a couple of days but had to decline as I can't walk that far and I'm not going to battle the course and crowd with my knee scooter - plus the hills! And this Sunday is the big game just about 10 miles south of me. The roads are going to be insane in every direction. Many visitors stay in Scottsdale as there are many more night venue options on that side of town than on ours so the cross-town traffic will be nutso. Hubby has a tournament tomorrow in Tempe, so he's going to have fun with the traffic. I'll be staying home. I think we'll watch the game with our neighbors. (I should have Air BnB'd the upstair rooms, since we're not using them...haha.)

Lastchancelj

Happy Monday ladies. Hoping everyone had a great weekend.

I didn't sleep well at all Friday night. I had done two walks on Friday. Weather was beautiful but windy and I don't know if that triggered a slight asthma situation. I couldn't breathe when I was trying to lay back in the recliner. Took a few puffs on my inhaler and nose sprays - and a couple more thorughout the night. So I didn't sleep well at all. Hubby and I had breakfast and he moved one of the recliners in my office and had me go in there to sleep some more - he was worried and said I looked "exhausted". I slept about 2.5 hours and felt so much better. Slept a bit better Sat night and last night. But because of the "asthma' possibility, I did not walk outside, I did all of my exercises inside. I have ordered more zyrtec (couldn't find any and we didn't go to the store due to the superbowl craziness). Since hubby doesn't enjoy football, and I feel like I've monopolized the TV lately, I went across the street and watched with my neighbors. It was just us three and I didn't expect snacks etc. but they had some. I had brought hummus and pitas. My downfall was some frito scoops and the dip. UGH. I NEVER buy fritos, so they were a treat. I probably ate a small bag or two . But I drank my water and refrained from over doing it on the other snacks. It was a good game. The commercials were just ok. a couple of funny ones but I think we've set such a high bar for them that we're now let down. I did like the Tmobile Grease one tho.... haha.

My office had a pool thing going (the squares). I didn't win. UGH. This week I have therapy tomorrow and Thursday and work of course. That's my plan along with my daily exercises.

GaGasheesh

Hey everyone . . hope you enjoyed the Super Bowl. Lois, I also indulged in some Frito scoops and 7 layer bean dip and TWO Stello Beers! Yikes. I never do that. It was a good game. I was cheering for the Chiefs (the underdogs) only because I have a friend who lives in Kansas City and I don't know anyone in Pennsylvania, lol. I did pretty well on the questions side game too . . better than hubby, which is all I ask, lol. I thought some of the ads were great. The Pringles one made me laugh, and the Ram truck one was hilarious! The dogs one (some kind of dog food) made my daughter get teary. And the half time show was spectacular. Rihanna did a great show with the Valentines colors and an adorable way to announce her pregnancy. When we left it was a bummer because the baby cried and was reaching for me as we went out the door!!! I've felt sad thinking about it today.

I worked out extra hard today with my trainer and some afterward. Apple Watch decided I needed to increase my move goal. I think the butt challenge gave it the wrong idea of how much exercise I'm willing to do! But, I went with it, so we shall see how that goes. You asked if I got results, and I would say yes. Hubby complimented my butt so that's always good!

Lois, I'm so impressed with your commitment to your PT and walking and pushing through pain. What you've been through is a real challenge! I know you'll be fine soon and come out stronger on the other side . . physically and mentally. Know that I'm thinking about you and cheering you on every day.

Sarah, they should put the kids outside and let your class use the space. Just kidding. I know you love the pool, and that you'll find a way to get your exercise. I haven't seen my friends in a while . . I need to set up a lunch. You're so good at keeping up with socializing.

Kelly . . WOW. You're kicking health care into high gear! Good for you. It's so important. I'm glad you're thinking about prevention. Young people need to pay closer attention to what could be down the road if they don't pay attention.

I gotta go fix dinner. I had better keep the calories in check after yesterday, ha ha.

SarahMaxx

Hi, all. I was so happy to find a couple of new posts to read after I logged food. Lois, I second that you have done great managing all of the challenges you've had on your plate. I know the daily exercise will help in so many ways, and I hope you are soon out of pain able to sleep the night through in your bed.

I didn't watch the Superbowl. Hubby threw in the towel with football years ago when Dan Snyder bought the Redskins, aka Commanders. However, this east coast gal also wanted Kansas City to prevail. For some reason, fans in Philadelphia are just awful. They're the only team I know of that has a holding cell in their stadium. And although they are not quite as bad, the Philly baseball fans are still the most obnoxious. So after we got home from the pet shower on Sunday, I got on the TM and watched some shows I had taped. And mentioning TV shows, thank you Sheesh for mentioning The White Lotus. We watched both seasons from OnDemand and loved it. We remember Mike White from Survivor. If you have other recommendations from HBO Max, pass them on. We have yet to subscribe to Netflicks, AppleTV, or any of the other options. We do get Peacock free with our Xfinity subscription.

My class today was big disappointment. Instead of exercising, our teacher demonstrated alternatives for each of our regular exercises for people who have shoulder, knee, or other problems. So I got the most exercise carrying my 30-pound bag and helping to put away the chairs. I think I will try to do the routine on my own and then walk my hilly route. Sunday, we had rain and sleet, and yesterday it was cold and cloudy, but today the sun is shining and we should hit 50 degrees. I had planned to bundle up and do a partial outdoor route yesterday, but I ended up delivering homemade soup and bread to two friends who have covid and a third that just had shoulder surgery. So by the time I was free, it was late afternoon, and the temps were already headed down.

Kelly, changing his diet has helped my hubby's blood sugar levels tremendously, and I just wish he had done this sooner. I'm sure you'll see positive changes. And I feel your pain with the coffee. My doc wants me to switch to decaf to see if it will bring my blood pressure down. I'm borderline high. But hubby is resisting, and I don't want to make two pots of coffee every morning. So, I am limiting myself to one cup of regular in the morning, and if I decide I want another hot drink during the day, I make either decaf coffee or decaf tea. I'm not sure if that's enough change to make a difference. I guess I'll find out at my March appointment.

Hope everyone has a nice Valentines Day.

GaGasheesh

LW: 134.2
Yesterday: 134.8

Lordy! The Super Bowl and Valentine's Day (and myself, lol) did me in. I'm going to have to really focus this week. My trainer comes this morning, so I'll have to be brief.

Sarah, really great job maintaining at a low weight for so long. I wouldn't want you to reinjure any old injuries, but I was glad you tried doing heavier weights, even just one day. Soreness and pain is your guide, so listen to that.

Kelly, I'm so happy you're doing the health work you're doing. I don't think I could give up my coffee though I know it would probably be good for me. I have 2 black cups in the morning, and I know I would get a headache. Did that happen to you?

Lois, I'm sending healing vibes. I know it's discouraging, but remember we're all pulling for you as I'm sure your family and friends are also. One day at a time.

I'll just quickly say that I've had the same hair stylist for 30 plus years. I've followed him from salon to salon to his own salon to another salon, lol! I definitely consider him a friend, have worked out with him, been to his home, gone to his birthday party. My daughter here goes to him, also my daughter who moved away did, and still does sometimes when she's in town. He's fun, and funny and a wonderful person. And an excellent stylist and colorist. I wish I could fix my hair at home like he can! I'm sure he'd do my hair for my coffin if I weren't doing cremation!

Gotta run . . I'll check back later.