Physical Check-In #2

It is good to see you trying. One bite at a time. One day at a time.

The sun is out today!!! It has been a long time. So much rain. I am not complaining, but I am grateful to get out of the house and feel the sun on my face today.

I've been mostly on track with my eating this week and my exercise is on target. I'm still mixing in some seated workouts with my circuit training to make sure my foot doesn't flair up again. So far, so good.

How is everyone else feeling? Sending hugs and support to all that are hurting. Sending encouragement to all who are working toward a particular health goal.

Its back to being in the 30s today. It was 51 yesterday! So N3 and I took a walk to the park. It was an hour each way. Now I just need to do that every other day. My doctor said that walking isn't good enough- that I need to be riding my bike. You can coast on a bike, but you have to keep walking if you want to get home! I will ride my bike when its warmer- say, in a month.

I should really weigh myself. I keep putting it off. It could be anywhere on the scale. I haven't exactly had binge-type periods, but definitely too much of some stuff. Lots of almonds! With my mood a bit elevated, everything tastes so dang good, especially my cooking. The other day at my psychiatrist appointment, when describing the deliciousness of my soups/cooking, I looked up towards the heavens and said, out loud, "Thank you, God, for giving me this gift! I just wish my cholesterol and triglycerides would have a downward shift!" Then he (pdoc, not God) told me to take more Seroquel during the daytime.

This is day #5 since my fall down the stairs.

This is the most painful day yet!

I am still discovering bumps and HUGE bruises. My knees are especially painful, ,along with a shoulder. I need that arm to get up the stairs (railing).

It will be awhile yet. I find some solace when I consider what might have happened. I am VERY lucky!

Love to All!!!

Hunger is slowly returning since going back on Rexulti, but... it's still not completely returned. I wonder if cogentin is causing my hunger issues? I read that it can reduce appetite and lead to weight loss. Don't know how true that is or isn't.

Oh well. I had some candy and then I ate some Mexican food for lunch. Probably not the healthiest, but I enjoyed it at least.

I really think I need to eat healthier, though. Ever since my hunger vanished, I stopped getting bad reflux. Granted, I wasn't eating much food at the time, but it makes me wonder if I just need to overhaul my diet by eating less carbs and more proteins. I will still eat some healthy carbs like veggies, though.

For tomorrow's breakfast, I'll probably eat some sunflower seeds. I love sunflower seeds, which is great because they're a good substitute for nuts (since I strongly dislike nuts unless it's coconut or cashews mixed into an Indian curry dish). I also have some vanilla yogurt I can eat, too.

I'm glad to hear you were able to eat. You sound like you are perhaps feeling more like yourself today. It is nice to see.

Forgive me if I missed it before, but are you a vegetarian?

Thanks

I rarely eat meat. I get my protein from sunflower seeds, eggs, protein shakes, etc.. Red meat is a no-no for me because it's only worsened my cholesterol over time, so I leave that out of my diet. If anything, I would have turkey or chicken, but I haven't had turkey in like 4-5 years. I just find turkey to be bland even with spices and stuff. Also not a huge fan of turkey sandwiches, but I would eat one if that was the absolute only thing around.

I used to eat tons of sweets as a little kid up through high school, which was obviously bad. The funny thing is that I was overweight at like 4 years old when I DIDN'T eat tons of junk food, but I lost a lot of weight when I did eat tons of junk. (I started eating McDonald's Happy Meals about 2-3 times a week because my parents were too lazy to cook most days. And at 5 years old, you don't know any better.) It was definitely weird and made no sense! But I used to get lightheaded all the time and felt like I was going to faint, so I stopped the junk food thing because I think I suffered from malnutrition. And my cholesterol went up, so I started paying attention to red meat. People don't realize that weight doesn't always matter when it comes to cholesterol and diabetes. Anyone of any size can get those things. I was like 95 lbs and legit had cholesterol like you would see in a 300 lb man! Part of it was hereditary, but the other part was me eating cookies, cake, candy, etc everyday instead of fruits, veggies, etc..

Thanks for sharing. Yes, cholesterol and other hidden factors can easily get out of control. It can be hard as a parent when you are stretched for time or when you are feeding super picky little ones. I do my best to feed my kids well, but some nights they eat junk. Like tonight... My husband and I had leftovers and I fed my kids a slice of pizza, some chex mix and apple slices. I think the overall goal though is balance and an aim to stretch their pallete so they will be able to eat a range of foods as adults. We do great with fruits, but veggies are a constant struggle. I get creative and hide the veggies in foods a lot.

I hear you on the meat. I don't eat red meat or pork. I eat turkey, chicken and fish now, but I was a vegetarian for most of my twenties. I had extreme morning sickness for 9 months straight each time I was pregnant and my doctor encouraged me to eat protein. I couldn't keep veggie protein down so I went back to chicken.

I use ground turkey a good bit in place of ground beef for tacos, spaghetti, burgers and the like. If you use the kind that is 93% lean or less you can barely tell a difference. I don't eat a ton of lunchmeat either. My kids are obsessed with turkey pepperoni though

I asked about your vegetarian status because I know you mentioned trying to incorporate protein. They make plant based protein crumbles that mimic ground beef that aren't terrible. Also, today I ate a breakfast sandwich at Dunkin donuts that had a plant based 'sausage' on it. It was surprisingly good.

How do you feel about smoothies? You can throw spinach in with berries and bananas and you cannot taste it. You can also use almond milk, yogurt and protein powder to boost the protein. I serve those a lot to my family when we need a quick meal. My kids think they are getting a treat because they are sweet. Sometimes they are easier to process and digest becasue they are already broken down to an extent.

It is great you made the changes you did when you did. Your body and heart thank you!

Yesterday I had a stomachache in the afternoon, then in the evening it turned into an upset stomach. I almost felt like vomiting, but luckily that passed and I feel a bit better this morning, but my stomach is still not perfect. Every single time that happens my husband tells me that I likely have lactose intolerance. I really do not believe that, because I eat/drink regular dairy all the time with no problems. I think he just wants me to be more like him, since he's lactose intolerant.

I weighed myself yesterday morning expecting to find a real gain, but I didn't. It's odd how sometimes I feel and seemingly look lighter and am not, and vice versa. I truly wish I could have some discipline enough to lose a few pounds. That would finally FINALLY get me into the next lower 10 lb range (i.e. 160s vs. 170s). I have been stuck within a 6 lb range for almost 2 years now, but at least I'm at the lower end of it now.

Speaking of weight, did I mention how mine was fluctuating last week? Probably. But I know I didn't mention that yesterday the scale was back to the lowest number. It's very strange considering my period has just started...but I'll take it! I mean, it might not last, but whatever. But same as you birddancer, I'm in the lower middle of this range and would like to be down to the next bracket. It's very hard...and I'm only on one true weight affecting medication atm, I think. So I just feel kinda frustrated even more that I believe I should be losing more and it takes more effort for that. :/

But my main reason coming here today is that I've been feeling tired lately and sleeping in more. Granted I go to bed later due to hubby being up playing video games. I tried to go to sleep earlier one night, despite his playing and succeeded, but still slept in. Then comes daylight savings today and while I managed to go to bed an hour earlier, it doesn't mean much since the clocks moved forward an hour. Sigh! Still waking up late and tired, I forced myself up. I keep forgetting to mention my period probably being a factor, but also might be from the sadness of my "vacation" being over. But ill likely be fighting against this sleep schedule for the next few weeks to get back to normal...if I can get hubby to get back to normal. I seriously don't know how he manages to stay up so late and wake up so early for work...perhaps it's part of why he's so stressed about work though lately. I mean, granted it hasn't been an easy adjustment from his previous job, he still might do better with more sleep...regularly and not just playing "catch up" on the weekends. :/ I'm kinda rambling but I really feel like talking things out today...at the same time, I need to be present for my husband on his last day off before going back to work, so I'll wrap this up.

Coronavirus. Meh! It's starting to affect our neighboring city and near hubby s work. He may end up having to work from home. That becomes hard on both of us because his desk is less comfy and it's harder for him to communicate with his colleagues. Plus we both get stressed when he's in meetings and I have to be quiet but I still have to get things done and he sometimes interrupts me and I also don't feel as relaxed to take my down time when I want or need it...or I take too much time because I'm overwhelmed and get "stuck" and then we end up bickering. Sigh! ...

But, hopefully it won't come to this and/or this virus business will be contained very very soon. Fingers crossed! Um, I guess this was just the latest topic discussed today at home and because I had that sore throat the other day, I felt it relevant here...??? Btw, the throat kinda feels better, I think. So I'm hoping it's nothing. Hubby and I are also slightly concerned about my folks returning home from vacation and possibly having caught something. While they seem fine right now... Anyway though, I'm still try I g to be positive, but hubby and I are going to play it safe for a few weeks and keep contact to the phones or text.

Wow! I really needed to get that out?! Sorry. I don't know what's going on with me right now. My GP appointment is getting closer and I'm anxious about not saying all the things I need to say that have been bothering me over the past few months. I'm trying to make a list, but even with that, I get so stressed at the meeting and plus others need to talk too. And also, i need to get a followup appointment to get fasting bloodwork done in addition to the regular bloodwork (thyroid, vitamin levels) at my next appointment because i havent done it yet or in awhile and hubby is concerned about my vitals (i eat too much and exercise too little. Whatever! Hes too worried. I dunno) Anyway, It's just so stressful. Sigh!

@giddykitty: Just being honest... the virus likely won't be contained any time soon. There are too many cases in the U.S. for that to happen. The best our government can do is quarantine sick and possibly infected patients to minimize the impact of the virus in the U.S. until a vaccine comes out, which is what they're doing right now. But it's likely in every state at this point.

I know people are hoping that the coronavirus is "seasonal" (i.e., like the flu where it will disappear during spring and summer, but reappear in fall and winter), but Singapore has a huge outbreak and it's summertime there. I just looked up the weather, and it says it's 79F. Plus, there are cases in Hawaii and Florida, where it is also obviously very warm.

My recommendation is to come up with a plan between you and your husband about how you're both going to handle him staying home. And I honestly think he will have to stay home at some point because even big companies like Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc. are already telling their employees to stay at home. I mean, I'm not trying to be a Negative Nancy, but I think it's inevitable because many, many companies are starting to follow suit. Even business conferences are being switched to "virtual" (i.e., everything will be done over Skype or some equivalent of that where you can stream the events live).

If your husband makes lots of noise, can you ask him to get headphones? I know that won't drown out his own talking, but it'll at least prevent you from hearing the entire meeting. You can also wear headphones yourself and play some music or something so that you're doing your own thing without bothering anybody.

I adjusted my MyFitnessPal daily calorie allowance to 1,300 instead of 1,200. I think 1,200 calories is currently not a goal I can manage. We'll see how 1,300 calories goes. If I struggle, I'll try 1,400. I want a goal I can manage. I have been pretty good so far this week. I have probably exceeded 1,400 calories slightly each day, but not 1,600.

I found a calorie calculator online at Calorie Calculator. It allows you to calculate calories needed for certain levels of weight loss, given your age, sex, height, current weight, and activity level. I realize that some days/weeks have other variables at play. My suggestions were as follows:

* Maintain weight - 1,978 Calories/day

* Loss of 0.5 lb/week - 1,728 Calories/day

* Loss of 1 lb/week - 1,478 Calories/day

* Loss of 2 lb/week - 978 Calories/day

I hope to be good at tracking my food on MFP. I did today.

Good luck with your 1300 cal diet. Sounds like a good plan.

In looking at the "weight loss of 2 lb/week," I think your body would probably go into shock if you ate only 978 calories a day when you're used to eating roughly 2000. I'm confused why this website would even suggest such a drastic reduction in calories, as I think that could trigger an eating disorder...?

Anyway, I should use MyFitnessPal to eat healthier. My dad uses it all the time, and has been using it for years.

Good Morning!

I hope this finds everyone doing as well as possible.
I haven't been around as much. I am still recovering from injuries from my fall (down the stairs) recently. I've needed more rest. I've had a lot going on as well. It's interesting to catch up by reading here. Much Love

Morning! I'm very happy to see you taking the time you need for rest. I know you remain busy, but I am glad you have been able to slow enough for self care when you truly need it. Continuing to send thoughts of recovery and wellness your way.

Woke up with a cough. I really hope this doesn't last long. My immune system seems to take a dip every "time of th month", so I'm kinda hoping this will fade with that...or sooner even...could also be from too much screentime. Arrrgh :/

Wild Coyote and giddykitty, I'm hoping you feel better soon.

I think I am eating too little without even realizing it because I have been lightheaded as hell. Or maybe I am dehydrated. Not sure. But my hunger has not returned and I find that I forget to eat, so then I have to remind myself to eat something, even if it's little.

I want to hope that my hunger will return someday, but I think cogentin is killing it altogether. However, if I go off it, then I have to find a new AP that doesn't cause akathisia.

I just ate one of the most delicious sandwiches of my life. Anyone who goes to Panera should try their Frontega Chicken sandwich/panini. I couldn't help but go "Mmm, mmm, mmm" the whole time. I don't feel guilty eating it because I walked to the Honda dealership then went downtown and walked around there, too. I went to a total of three pharmacies. One on one side of the town. I found that the same horrible head pharmacist was there from Rite Aid days. Walgreens must have hired her. That was out! Then downtown I went to a CVS. That was so-so. No better than the CVS much closer to me. I decided to go with the one closer to me. I also went to the pharmacy I've been going to, which I always liked, but that will not be "in network" as of April Fools Day. Honestly, I think the pharmacist there was happy when I said I had to switch, but of course he said he was sad. I did pick up two medications I needed, that are really the only meds I even get filled by brick and mortar pharmacies. All the rest are mail order. Of course I went to Panera to pick up a lunch. I confess I also bought an iced sugar cookie in the shape and design of a pink tulip. I super chowed down. Me bad!