I hear this, heck, I say this ALL THE TIME! I don't know what makes Monday so special, but it seems to be the day that everyone decides they will start on a new goal, go on a "diet", ect...
So, in honor of all those Monday starters:
Monday, May 9, 2016
Monday, January 4, 2016
The slumber party with grandma Patsy
On Christmas eve, my grandmother was sent to a hospital in Dallas with a severe infection. She had surgery a few week prior and this was the cause of the infection.
My aunt and uncle have taken primary responsibility for her "extra" care, outside of the normal hospital care. They have each taken turns staying the night on the lumpy fold out and assisting her during the day with all of her needs. She is a pretty good patient, but she definitely thinks she can do more than she should be doing. You have to love that sense of independence.
I came up to the hospital yesterday and stayed the night with her. Yesterday was full of activity like helping her to the bathroom, getting things for her ect. Last night, when I finally sat down, I was exhausted. I thought about all the independence that she is having to willingly relinquish and how hard it is for her.
My grandfather died more than 25 years ago. She has lived alone since then and has enjoyed it. (Not that my grandpa wasn't awesome!!) She enjoyed the ability to do whatever she wanted without having to worry about someone else's needs, ect.
Watching my grandmother's health deteriorate has been difficult. She has been slowly loosing strength for a while and was even diagnosed with polymialgia and leukemia. She is pain a lot. In contrast, she has been the healthiest eater on the planet! She has always watched her weight, made exercise a priority and has stayed fit and active. She, you would think, from her health habits would be a model for anyone trying to maintain optimal health.
All of this said, it certainly has me thinking about my own health and wellness. I have let my body down. I have treated it like a receptical for junk food and an abundance of sugary and fatty foods. I have avoided exercise like I am allergic to it. Things need to change. I need to make permanent changes in my life so that I may correct any of the damage that I have done.
I have had a laser focus on my calorie intake since January 1st this year. After deciding on a Dietbet that begins January 4th, I have made it a priority that I do not loose that money. Sadly, money is the motivator here... not the number on the scale. Crazy, right? My answer to that is: I'm not a gambler, and I am not rich. Or, as my dad would say: I'm not mad at my money. I can't stand to see it thrown away and not get anything in return.
With that said, my Hospital Slumber party Grandma Patsy over the last day has been pretty good. Fresh fruits and veggies were not allowed in the room, due to the potential of a bacteria entering her system. But, I was able to be vigilant when shopping for food and snacks that I could take with me so that I would have things to eat without spending a fortune of money (and calories) on take out or hospital food. I chose well, friends. I've even logged everything that I have eaten in my favorite App called "Lost It".
Lose It is a great free app for iOS, but it's an AMAZING app when you make the purchase for the year. Bt accesses both my fitbit and my apple watch for readings of my activity readings. You can also scan barcodes on your food packaging, most products are in the database.
Now that I am back home, I have more choices and can choose to eat fresh and raw fruits and veggies. I never knew how much I relied on them when eating healthy. SO Happy to be home, with a positive spin on my sweet Grandmother's bad experience in both health and great quality time that I was able to spend with her over the last couple of days.
At the end of this day, I am tired (from the amazing hospital staff - but frequent sleep interruptions) and thankful. I love my family. I know that my time staying overnight in the hospital with her was important for her other family care-givers, just as it was for us.
My aunt and uncle have taken primary responsibility for her "extra" care, outside of the normal hospital care. They have each taken turns staying the night on the lumpy fold out and assisting her during the day with all of her needs. She is a pretty good patient, but she definitely thinks she can do more than she should be doing. You have to love that sense of independence.
I came up to the hospital yesterday and stayed the night with her. Yesterday was full of activity like helping her to the bathroom, getting things for her ect. Last night, when I finally sat down, I was exhausted. I thought about all the independence that she is having to willingly relinquish and how hard it is for her.
My grandfather died more than 25 years ago. She has lived alone since then and has enjoyed it. (Not that my grandpa wasn't awesome!!) She enjoyed the ability to do whatever she wanted without having to worry about someone else's needs, ect.
Watching my grandmother's health deteriorate has been difficult. She has been slowly loosing strength for a while and was even diagnosed with polymialgia and leukemia. She is pain a lot. In contrast, she has been the healthiest eater on the planet! She has always watched her weight, made exercise a priority and has stayed fit and active. She, you would think, from her health habits would be a model for anyone trying to maintain optimal health.
All of this said, it certainly has me thinking about my own health and wellness. I have let my body down. I have treated it like a receptical for junk food and an abundance of sugary and fatty foods. I have avoided exercise like I am allergic to it. Things need to change. I need to make permanent changes in my life so that I may correct any of the damage that I have done.
I have had a laser focus on my calorie intake since January 1st this year. After deciding on a Dietbet that begins January 4th, I have made it a priority that I do not loose that money. Sadly, money is the motivator here... not the number on the scale. Crazy, right? My answer to that is: I'm not a gambler, and I am not rich. Or, as my dad would say: I'm not mad at my money. I can't stand to see it thrown away and not get anything in return.
With that said, my Hospital Slumber party Grandma Patsy over the last day has been pretty good. Fresh fruits and veggies were not allowed in the room, due to the potential of a bacteria entering her system. But, I was able to be vigilant when shopping for food and snacks that I could take with me so that I would have things to eat without spending a fortune of money (and calories) on take out or hospital food. I chose well, friends. I've even logged everything that I have eaten in my favorite App called "Lost It".
Lose It is a great free app for iOS, but it's an AMAZING app when you make the purchase for the year. Bt accesses both my fitbit and my apple watch for readings of my activity readings. You can also scan barcodes on your food packaging, most products are in the database.
Now that I am back home, I have more choices and can choose to eat fresh and raw fruits and veggies. I never knew how much I relied on them when eating healthy. SO Happy to be home, with a positive spin on my sweet Grandmother's bad experience in both health and great quality time that I was able to spend with her over the last couple of days.
At the end of this day, I am tired (from the amazing hospital staff - but frequent sleep interruptions) and thankful. I love my family. I know that my time staying overnight in the hospital with her was important for her other family care-givers, just as it was for us.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
I think it's a tumor....
Today is the start of my new healthy eating regime. I woke up this morning with a massive headache, I can only attribute to either an allergy issue or withdrawals. But, being the comical hypochondriacal nerd...I think it's a tumor.
I know, I know, it's not a toooomuh.... But, sugar withdrawals and allergies are not fun. And-- I'm just hoping that today is day 1 of that.... and that in a few days, I will be over it and all will be right with the world.
As far as my eating habits today, I count them as a 9.5. I won't count it as a 10 because I had to stop and get something from Wendy's. On the bonus: I went online and looked to find out the calorie, carb, and fat count. Although, it's my primary goal to simply eat healthy and nutritious meals, it's also a goal to cut out fast food. Today, I didn't plan as well as I should have. But tomorrow is a new chance to do it again!
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