My biggest challenge has been sleep this week -- i went to bed fairly early for a Saturday (10:30pm) and woke up again at 3am (2am with daylight savings). I couldnt go back to sleep so I opted to get up and get some work done. I completed a lot in the middle of the night which is great-- but I am concerned that it is going to throw off my sleep patterns for the rest of the week! I really just think the work and e*ection stress is disruptive to a good relaxing sleep but I don't want to give it room to continue.

Otherwise I am doing pretty well -- I didnt weigh this morning because my morning started in the night lol.. but I am not feeling thinner so I'll assume I havent lost weight. I want to consciously reduce my calories this week. I have allowed them to inch up ... with the cooler temps. I have also gone out to eat a few times and not always chosen the best options-- not "bad" options exactly, but not the best.

Wishing everyone the best this week-- it is going to be a tense week here in PA -- even a bit more challenging for me as my client has a complete network blackout for progression of applications (pretty core to my team's work) -- it started on Friday and continues through the week after the Tuesday. This will be a good week to get in more walking/activity to work out some stress and frustrations!! Hopefully in the end things turn out well and I am looking forward to positive changes to come!

Hang in there everyone, it's going to be a wild ride no matter your political affiliation!

Note: it seems that filters may be flagging posts that include words related to what is going on this week. Be mindful and creative if you wish to reference the goings on.

It looks like a capital "i" for an L.. or a vague reference to the day of the week will work.

Hello, Funky and everyone. I've been reading the progress posts these past couple of weeks, and gain from it all. I'll try to add something of value here. Most of what I'm adding is in the context of my sister's recent cancer diagnosis, so read it with that in mind.

Funky, my sister and her partner have benefited greatly from meditation apps for sleep. My sister wakes up often in the middle of the night, and she uses the Insight Timer app to help calm her mind and go back to sleep. It has been a really helpful strategy for her during this time of stress.

I just returned from a visit with her. My eating habits were hit and miss. I cooked a lot of healthy food for her, but omg... the snacks... Friends and well-wishers sent so many care packages containing food, stuff I never keep in my house. I did get out for several long walks that were challenging because of a significant difference in altitude. It was good--fresh air, sunshine, beautiful fall weather. I completed a few brief strength training sessions, but am looking forward to getting back to my gym this week. My weight went up a lb or 2, and I know I lost some muscle.

I'm going to my primary care doctor this week for a physical, and will get several appts scheduled. All the things... I'm going to do all the things!

In terms of the e*ection season (the middle school girl in me just giggled at the various letters one could fill in there...), I'm just letting go of that stress. I'm limiting my exposure to news, definitely. While I am concerned with the potential violence and further division that seems will occur, no matter the results, I'm trying to go into the holiday season with gratitude and acceptance. I skipped fall decorations this year (it was so warm and I wasn't "feeling" an autumn vibe), but I'm going to start preparing for the Thanksgiving and Xmas holidays this week--getting out the warm throw blankets, candles, menu planning, planning local events with friends, etc. I've decided I'm going to wrap myself in a hygge-like environment for the next several months.

And it's officially soup season! I made my sister calorie-laden butternut squash soup and potato soup while I was visiting her. Her appetite has diminished, and so I had to figure out what appealed to her. We visited a farmers market in her town, and she was enticed by those ingredients. I'll make slimmer versions of them for myself in the coming weeks. Today, back home, I'm taking stock of what I have in my freezer, and going to do some cold-weather menu planning.

I hope everyone is doing well, and I look forward to your updates. Have a great week.

Feathers, so glad that you could spend some time with your sister and helping out in her household. I am sure what was most special was being there to provide support as she navigates this phase of her treatment -- I wish you both all the very best!

And thank you for the recommendation of the meditation apps. I have previously dismissed them-- not because I don't believe in meditation (I DO!) but when I get worked up, I become pretty singularly minded and am not in a state that is conducive to meditation. Not sure that is fair or true-- I've never given it a chance-- but this is not my normal type of sleep issue. I usually struggle to fall asleep but am fine once I do. This time it is waking up in the middle of a normal sleep cycle (surprisingly, I am doing much better with falling asleep). While it was odd behave to wake up at 2am and work, I feel good about my progress so there is that. It has totally mucked up my day though .. .i am very likely going back for a second nap this afternoon.

Sue, so sorry to hear you have issues with your shoulder. I hope it is not a rotator cuff injury. Not that bursitis or frozen shoulder are fun to deal with, at least they do not to require surgery (to the best of my completely uneducated knowledge!). I had a terrible time with frozen shoulder --twice/once in each shoulder. I also have a lonnnng history of bursitis (all the way back to elementary school -- which is highly unusual). Both caused pain that went down my arm. If you can take aspirin-- literally aspirin vs tylenol etc-- I recommend giving that a try in advance of your dr appt. It is what my ortho suggests and the *only* thing that helps when my bursitis kicks in. You may not have bursitis but it isnt going to hurt anything to give it a try. For me, it gives pretty relief that increases with time and doses. I have another suggestion for frozen shoulder that I will share if you get a dx. It seems harmless to me but I'd be concerned that it might cause more damage if you have a rotator cuff injury.

Hope you get some good answers from the dr! In the meantime, enjoy your beautiful walks with Bugs!

Sorry to jump in, @Sue20, I am no doctor, but could it be you are getting frozen shoulder? It’s like a burning sensation down the arm from the shoulder and you start to loose mobility. I had it and it was debilitating. Physical therapy was the only answer.

Oh! I see @Funkyart had it also

I can move my shoulder just fine. I think I just have a chronically wonky shoulder. I had surgery in this same shoulder 20 years ago to remove a piece of bone from my acromion that was impinging on the tendon. Three years ago (this was all seeming familiar so I looked it up in my online medical record) I saw the orthopedic dr with very similar pain in the same shoulder. He called it impingement syndrome, gave me a cortisone shot, and it has been fine since then. Hoping I can just get a shot again and be fine again for several years!

Chiming in to say I've had 2 frozen shoulders. My mobility wasn't impacted until the second stage (the freezing stage). The first stage, which lasted for several months, was pain. My sister had a frozen shoulder, and a cortisone shot helped her, and I wish I had known about that when I had mine.

@Feathers11 I am sorry to hear about your sister's diagnosis. I am sure you will be a great support to her. @Sueb20 I hope you get a good treatment for your shoulder and can get back to your weights.

@Funkyart - sometimes mid night wakings are due to blood sugar issues and people have success with a protein and faat snack closer to bedtime. I find that to be an issue for me if I go to bed too hungry.

I just started listening to a sleep podcast called nothing much happens. She has a very soothing voice and nothing much happens in the stories except for enough to keep your mind engaged if you try. I bought the mask with the headphones and used it last night when my dog kicked me awake in the middle of the night and it did help me go back to sleep before my mind could start its wandering too badly.

I was able to up my weight routine some today, so very happy about progressing in that regard. We are contunuing to have great weather so I have been walking in the woods and playing pickleball as much as possible still to take advantage of that.

I too have tried to stay off social media and away from the news. I have liked and followed a bunch of Christmas decorators on Insta trying to keep my algorithm cheery:) I might actually decorate my front porch this year. Some fun ideas out there!

I finally got in for my colonoscopy consult, but can't get the actual colooscopy until January. It is at least on the books!

On a NSV I am officially 6 months alcohol free now. I'm really happy to not be drinking right now, because for me it was a hindrance to my health for sure. My weight is the same, but I have lost a little over an inch on my waist. I need another inch to meet the final healthy metabolic guideline where my waist to height ratio is less than .5. That is my health goal now.

Congratulations, Legomom! 🙌🏼

Yes, WTG, Legomom!

Add me to the list of those who can work on sleep. I am working and on the computer too late every night. Oh, yeah, and tonight won't help either!

We had off work today because of the big event happening, so I was able to go to TRX class at the Y. Have Pilates tomorrow and Friday.

The good thing if it might be bursitis in your shoulder, SueB, that can resolve.

We had chili the past two nights, but tonight we ordered thin crust pizza.

I had issues with the latest cgm in that it was reading super high compared to finger stick, about 20 points higher. So, I put a new one on today. I had a little bit of blood, and I need to to do another check since it seems low. So I will give it another day and keep checking. Update: CGM 100 ad fingerstick 108 mg/dL so this seems OK since it's a new sensor,