thetigers
Tuesday 19 Oct
PW:145.5
CW:145.5

To be honest I think I deserved a loss but that's how it goes some weeks eh?
Food wise I've had a good week despite having to cancel a holiday to Rome that I've been looking forward to since February. My fiance has gout and is not up to hobbling around the wonders of Rome. bah! On the plus side I now have 25 weeks to get to a healthy weight and get fitter so I can scoff all the beautiful gelato al pistacchio and tagliatelle al salmone I can find!

Congratulations on making it so far in the interview process, @Beka3695! I’m sending positive vibes for Monday’s meeting with the vice-President! I hope you can enjoy the weekend and feel relaxed and confident in the meeting.

@thetigers —I hear gout cause terrible pain in the big toe so I imagine walking would be difficult for your fiancé, but I’m sorry to hear you had to cancel your trip to Rome. You have a good attitude, recognizing that you can prepare over the next 25 weeks for an even better trip in the future.

@chublet25 - In response to your questions -...how many people have tried (and possibly even succeeded) to lose weight before and gained some back? Did something trigger you to try to lose weight/get in shape (this time)? Is anything different this round for you? - the short answer is that the pandemic became a ‘crisis as opportunity’ because it motivated me to focus on my health. The timing was right because my young adult sons are forging their own identities and becoming more independent. I’m finding more balance.

Here’s the longer version: I’ve lost weight in the past but usually smaller amounts. When I’m experiencing stress at work - and have competing responsibilities across settings (e.g., home, office, community) - I tend to gradually put on weight. The pandemic was the catalyst for improving my nutrition and fitness this time. I couldn’t control much during the early days of COVID-19, when there were so many questions about how it spreads and even more uncertainty than we have now. So, I decided the one area I had the power to change was my own health. I always take precautions to avoid catching the virus but I also wanted to prevent - or at least reduce - any life threatening effects of a COVID infection.

After an initial surge at work, helping large health and education systems move to Telehealth and online learning, many of my day-to-day responsibilities paused. Our family (husband & two college-age sons) spent time hiking outside for a change of view from quarantining, and we took turns cooking dinner in pairs. The dinners became a healthy competition, literally and figuratively, as we prepared a variety of nutritious homemade meals and tried to ‘out-do’ one another to create the most delicious dinner. 😉. The time away from community commitments gave me an opportunity to build the habit of tracking my food, which helped me better understand the portion sizes that are right for me.

Although it was a bit scary in the beginning, I also created my own company which allowed me to schedule more flexibility into my day for exercise. The ability to set my own schedule is one of the biggest differences this time. I eat well and enjoy moving - walking instead of driving, spending time outdoors with friends and family, staying active - and it improves my overall wellbeing. These days, I work with a variety of states (and one of the Pacific entities) so they are in different time zones. It can be a little confusing to manage all the times but it actually allows for more life balance. I am able to get outside and row on the river 4-5 times a week during the spring, summer, and fall months. My sons are now back at college, living on campus, so the timing works for us.

My husband also retired and started his own business just before the pandemic shutdown. We were fortunate not to suffer too much because most of our work can be done remotely (though it’s not ideal and we hope to build in some face-to-face meetings when necessary). Now that our sons are independent, I can focus more on my health. I am still volunteering in my community and working but I’m able to take care of myself more.

I’m hoping I can continue to sustain my weight and fitness levels as I face future stresses (e.g., caring for my mother and other relatives as they age, etc.) so I’m trying to proactively prepare by downsizing the amount of staff we have in our house, and planning with my sons and extended family. I’m really trying to center myself and refine what’s working well so I don’t fall back into old habits. I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that I can adopt a healthy lifestyle long term. And, while I mostly trust myself to succeed, I guess want to verify it in the coming year.

Marni3369

PW: 241.8
CW: 242.3

Darn it! Still hoping to be under 240 by November 1st.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Cre804
Friday
PW 190.5
CW 191.5

Another yo-yo week. We’re in Houston this weekend visiting my daughter so that will be a nice change of scenery but a challenge in the diet area. If the hotel has a decent breakfast I should be able to manage ok.