Caregivers that are trying to diet.

Hoping both dogs are okay!

Both dogs are okay. Poodle used up one of his 9 lives, got 8 stitches in his neck,very very close call.

Also the same day after we picked up crazy poodle from vet's, my husband wanted to stop at Jacks', he has a bad weight problem, I wanted them to just shut the store down and bring me everything on the menu. However, after the day I had I just couldn't do that to my self, staying on target.

cripe, I thought for sure quitting drinking would lose me a pound... its been a few months! How can i not lose anything after I was having 3-4 beers a day?
I havent replaced it with food...
Someone said something about hormones up there- I'll ask for a test since I am over the 50 hill

Make sure and get your thyroid checked. Start keeping a food journal at first so you can see where the calories are coming from. It's a simple rule, if you burn more calories than you take in you WILL lose weight. However, due to medical conditions, genetics,male or female the rate you lose will vary,we come in all shapes and sizes. No starvation diets!!! Never let yourself get hungry.I myself know my problem is emotional eating and not enough exercise. At first I just kept eating what I wanted but also made time for a walk. Can now walk a 2 mile route but at first I had to break up walking into 3 ten minute walks around my yard just to get my "wind".The more I walked the easier it was to resist the emotional eating , but that is me. I suspect that there are a lot of emotional eaters on these forums and I feel for you. The dieting is hard enough, now throw in dealing with someone's dementia and failing health with no help and trying to watch out for your own health. It's now wonder "some" of us overeat.

Timbuktu you are doing great! I fell off the wagon. I got home last Monday evening to find out the lady helping us with overnights quit with no notice :-( I had just stopped at the liquor store for hubby so I ended up helping him out. I made it 9 days w/o alcohol though. I definitely felt less bloated. Maybe we'll have help again next week - whenever we do, I'll get back on the diet train, including the exercise train! I'm glad you all are out there staying on track to keep me focused :-)

Hey gang, you inspire me! About 10 years ago, I lost significant weight and did a decent job of maintaining and staying fit.......until 2 years ago, when caregiving turned my world upside down. Lord, what a trip. As they say, "you don't know what you don't know." (Heck, I didn't know the word "caregiver" for the first few months I was one!) And eyes wide open.....yes, I knew I was doing this to myself ....I stopped caring for ME. What a stinkin' mistake.

So here's a beacon I can't ignore: At the same time I started my journey down the elder-care rabbit hole, my employer started requiring a yearly biometric screening for our health insurance.
Nov 2013: weight was decent; all other markers excellent.
Nov 2014: weight higher; BP pre-hypertensive; all other markers good.
Nov 2015: weight even higher; BP Stage 1 hypertensive; glucose too high; all other markers good.

THE CHANGE STARTS NOW. I joined a homemade "biggest loser" group at work last week. Forced myself out for a delightful walk this weekend. Eating better and determined to exercise more. This is not rocket science; I've done it before. But the landscape is different now. Mom's b.s. doesn't suck up all my free time, but it does make me protective of the diminished free time I'm left with. I've talked myself out of countless workouts cuz I just didn't wanna run out the door one more time. TOO BAD. Time to get over myself. I need to be more disciplined with the free time I do have; and stop pointlessly mourning the free time I don't have.

My gene pool and my fondness for sitting on my can and eating whatever I want are a baaaad combination. I fixed myself before, and I can do it again. I'm older now and life is more complicated, but I need to make this work. This is the only life I get. I need to respect my body and treat it better. I distinctly remember having more energy and sleeping better when I exercised regularly – so I will turn to that for motivation (and stop moping around because my last half-marathon has indeed become my LAST half-marathon).

I will do what works for where I am right now, and do more as my endurance builds. To the rest of you – keep up the good work! We all have legitimate obstacles, for sure. Gotta stay on it. :-)

Blackhole, that's amazing health data you have. Tho sobering. Speaking of which, 1 day 'sober' again! heh heh. And more importantly, I exercised! Haven't done that in months. It felt good. Also making sure some of my meals are really healthy - to offset that Halloween candy and now the Thanksgiving goodies that are showing up :-) Thanks for the moral support of this group.

Even if you "fall off the wagon" do those 3 ten minute walks.

Yesterday I bought myself a couple of chocolate bars and some chips to stash away as my weekly rewards for good behaviour.... of course last night I ate all of it at once. You would think I would know better by now :(
(But I did walk to the store, that counts, right? lol)

Always be moving.

Well, I should take my own advice. It's been a long week and I dreaded looking down at the scale. However, much to my surprise, I am STILL 239lb. I was so afraid it was going to be more.So now enthused again and with the weather cold but clear unless I have to take Mumsy to the ER I am going to go walking today.

Keep the faith, Timbuktu. And keep moving! The benefits go way beyond a number on the scale. I, too, felt invigorated by cold-but-clear this weekend. Took a fantastic 6 mile walk yesterday! And lost my debit card along the way. Didn't know it happened til I got home and saw the blinking light on the answering machine. The good samaratin who found my card had googled my name for contact info, and wanted to return my card to me. I hightailed it outta there (in the car, this time!) to meet her and retrieve it. This will be my dinner-table story for Thanksgiving 2015. How perverse! That I would inject something uplifting into the fam's yearly recitations of death, diseases, DUIs and who married a hopeless psycho (everyone, apparently). Can't wait! ;-)

my scale tricked me... I got on and it said I lost three pounds. In my elation I got back on it and nope, it's the same LoL! Darn thing :P

I had to go to a doc in the box recently for a dog bite(my poodle) and their scale said I weighed 3 more lbs. than my home scale. Just keep using the same scale. I never walk with my wallet, of coarse I am on a little dirt country road, everybody knows everybody. Still working up the courage to do my walk, I guess I have a little depression going on.Sometimes I wonder how many more years of mother, it's been 3. When I read on hear about how long some have had their "loved ones" in their home I feel bleak. Somehow I have to find an emotional balance.

timbuktu, doctor scales always seem to weigh 3 lbs more than home scales. That is almost universal from what I've seen.

I remember my 3-year mark with caregiving. My father died a few months earlier and Christmas was coming up. Now I am on my 6-year mark and the holidays are here again. Sometimes people say I sound a bit depressed. Well, doh. :-)

I hope we can pick each other up this holiday season. What we are doing is important. And what we do for ourselves is even more important, don't you think? I hope we all have the best holiday season ever.

Well I guess maybe I have a little holiday depression. I only put up a tree the 1st Christmas mother was here and just was to exhausted mentally/physically to do it again.I have had 2 back surgeries since she moved in. Also my Lexapro was increased about 3 weeks ago. That could be the culprit for my lethargy. Don't feel depressed just no " get up and go".Maybe I am a little to relaxed. I have noticed that I don't feel like the top of my head is coming off when I hear her voice. I am like Pavlov's dog around her. Her voice,smell, just the sound of her moving around makes my stomach clench,just like when I was a kid.But I am determined about losing this weight. Although I haven't exercised in several days I have stayed on my diet and I am hanging on to that.

Timbuktu, By the way I love your moniker!! I think you are doing great! I have no reason not to lose, except I eat too much and don't feel like working at a diet. If you can stick to that, you are way ahead Then whatever exercise you get, just moving and caring for your home and for Mom is a bonus. That is why you actually lose when you get away and go for a walk or run or whatever. Do take care of yourself, The 'get up and go" just leaves and never tells us why!! I will push myself, if you will and we will get through this! ((Hugs))

Gonna have to push myself. Didn't walk today, but the victory I had was I didn't mentally beat myself up over it. I watched funny stuff on Netflix,walked around the yard with the dogs,did stay on my diet, didn't do a lick of housework except what I have to do for Mumsy which I now at present have streamlined only because I stood my ground on some issues with her. I am determined not to let her kill me. I worked to long and under stressful conditions for this "old bat" to put me under the ground.It has also taken the help of a therapist to work thru some stuff, wish I had seen one sooner.I am lucky that my insurance helps pay for therapy. But some of the best therapy I have had has been on this site. Just to know I am not alone. So many stories on here are my story. I may be an only child but not when I am on this site.

Timbuktu, I couldn't agree more. This site is more helpful than any resource I've come across. Hang in there :-)

Well, I am taking a food holiday today and tomorrow. Back to it on Friday.Everybody have a good holiday, be good to yourself, you have earned it.

I love this idea of sharing about this topic! I keep gaining weight but perhaps we could do it together and have some success. Thoughts to follow. Happy Turkey Day everyone!!!

Would love to have a diet buddy/group.However,at least for today, it is a diet free holiday but back to it tomorrow morning. Until then I am going to do some guilt free damage to some food.

Well, feel like I got run over by the Macy's Day parade. Weight back up to 245lbs. I ate so much sodium. But I kinda knew this would happen. Back to it this morning.

Back on the plan, everyone! Let's all make good choices and have a good week. :-)

You girls are inspirational. I only have my dad for 8 months now and I feel nuts and whiney. You gals have stuck with your parent much longer her than I. Your comments are so candid that they free me to say what I am really feeling and thinking. We really are not alone and that is so comforting. Thanks!!

Suzie, I remember the first year caregiving. It was the hardest year. It took me a long time to adjust. I remember being mad and nutty a lot.

The first year so far was the worst. I still can't believe how much weight I packed on in 3 yrs. So Suzie , vent away.

It was much fun going to the favorite recipes page, but of course my body has suffered. If I even think about dieting, my mind goes in the opposite direction and so does my weight. So, I am going to finish out December eating what makes me ultimately feel better physically, when I eat it and the next day too. That means steamed vegetables and great tasting salads. Not just a salad for salads sake, but a really great salad. Pkg. Salads with all the fixins. I will try.

Hey, Timbuktu, put some parsley on your plate. Wouldn't it be great if the weight is only water retention? Would it help if anyone listed simply what they ate in one day?