Current weight: 161.2
I had a revelation earlier today: The hardest thing about PWS is that outsiders don't help you like they should (i.e. not watching as closely, giving extra snacks because they 'feel bad', etc.) and the person with PWS doesn't help you either because they are constantly trying to go behind your back and sneak food. You're the lone person standing at the end of a very heavy tug-o-war rope with the rest of the world on the other end.
We have been having a bit of a rough time lately. We pulled K out of her public school and her dad is now home schooling her (he has his bachelor's degree in education and most of his master's degree at this point). It was getting to where every single day she was coming home with food in her bag or on the bus or we would find out she got into something. A 20 oz Mountain Dew bottle that was mostly empty that she had gotten, of all places, in PE class was the final straw. She had only been in school for about 3 weeks and there were several instances already. We just decided the best course of action for her was to pull her out.
Then today, as I periodically do, I looked under her pillow and around her bed which is where she likes to hide any food wrappers she has managed to get into. I found a wrapper for Ritz crackers with cheese (the sandwich kind) that was 150 calories. She said she got it in my room. Then I search her backpack and find 3 wrappers: One for shredded Parmesan cheese, one for a whole block of Gouda cheese, and the other was a Ziploc baggie with unknown contents as all that was left were crumbs. Now, I know these 3 did not come from me. I have never in my life bought Gouda cheese and I buy my shredded parm in a plastic container, not a bag. So I am thinking maybe these were just left overs from school, but I ask her anyway (something I feel is important to do because I need to know where it comes from so I can make changes) and she said the garbage. Are you kidding me? The f'ing garbage?? So disgusting. Her dad had been having her help by taking out the non-food trash and this is what happened. So now there's another thing to change.
Things around here with her have been really tough lately and as a family we're in a little bit of a difficult place with her. I am hoping things get better soon because living like this is really not fun.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Why don't they listen?
Current weight: Unsure
Why do people not listen or think they know better when you tell them how they have to deal with someone who has PWS? Don't they understand that no one knows better than family members what that person needs, how they act, how sneaky they are, etc.?
I am at the point where I want to rip out my hair out of sheer frustration at the whole situation. K's new school started out fine (as it always does) but then she gets comfortable, starts to see consistent areas where she can exploit and get food. This past week, we already had 3 instances of food issues. THREE. In one week. I am just so tired and so frustrated. I don't know how to continue living with the stress of this. It is too much to home school her because she is just so difficult, but sending her to school is equally bad. There is no winning in this situation.
I need to get going on all her paperwork and fast. I need to have a plan for the future in place. Right now everything feels so up in the air and that combined with my frustration is just a bad situation to be in.
Why do people not listen or think they know better when you tell them how they have to deal with someone who has PWS? Don't they understand that no one knows better than family members what that person needs, how they act, how sneaky they are, etc.?
I am at the point where I want to rip out my hair out of sheer frustration at the whole situation. K's new school started out fine (as it always does) but then she gets comfortable, starts to see consistent areas where she can exploit and get food. This past week, we already had 3 instances of food issues. THREE. In one week. I am just so tired and so frustrated. I don't know how to continue living with the stress of this. It is too much to home school her because she is just so difficult, but sending her to school is equally bad. There is no winning in this situation.
I need to get going on all her paperwork and fast. I need to have a plan for the future in place. Right now everything feels so up in the air and that combined with my frustration is just a bad situation to be in.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Challenges
Current weight: 161.2
Weight lost: 14.8
While K has lost quite a bit of weight and I am proud of that, there are so many challenges that just crop up with PWS. You get into a routine, you think everything is going fine and then BAM! You discover something that makes you change everything about what you were doing. This is how it always happens in our house with PWS. Seriously, it's almost something I can count on.
Today while I was changing the sheets on K's bed, I discovered a pile of wrappers of food she had collected from various places around the house, eaten, and stashed the wrappers. I was surprised and not surprised at the same time. We shop at Costco and since the girls moved in with us, we had to squeeze everyone in our apartment and so have had to go from storing our Costco foods in my office (now K's sister's room) to our bedroom. There is no room in the kitchen or pantry. So, we put them up super high thinking there was no way she could reach them. Unfortunately we were wrong. So I think the plan at this point is to go buy a door handle with a lock and key and swap out our doors. Also, her sister is going to have to keep her back pack in the kitchen or our locking bedroom from now on since she can't seem to remember to get the food out of it before K goes in her room and searches through her stuff for food. I was wondering why with the extra activity of having 2 PE classes at school her weight loss had significantly slowed. I guess now I know.
I am so very frustrated and tired and it can be so incredibly difficult from day to day. Of course I will march on because that it was I have to do, but today is just a day where I feel down.
Weight lost: 14.8
While K has lost quite a bit of weight and I am proud of that, there are so many challenges that just crop up with PWS. You get into a routine, you think everything is going fine and then BAM! You discover something that makes you change everything about what you were doing. This is how it always happens in our house with PWS. Seriously, it's almost something I can count on.
Today while I was changing the sheets on K's bed, I discovered a pile of wrappers of food she had collected from various places around the house, eaten, and stashed the wrappers. I was surprised and not surprised at the same time. We shop at Costco and since the girls moved in with us, we had to squeeze everyone in our apartment and so have had to go from storing our Costco foods in my office (now K's sister's room) to our bedroom. There is no room in the kitchen or pantry. So, we put them up super high thinking there was no way she could reach them. Unfortunately we were wrong. So I think the plan at this point is to go buy a door handle with a lock and key and swap out our doors. Also, her sister is going to have to keep her back pack in the kitchen or our locking bedroom from now on since she can't seem to remember to get the food out of it before K goes in her room and searches through her stuff for food. I was wondering why with the extra activity of having 2 PE classes at school her weight loss had significantly slowed. I guess now I know.
I am so very frustrated and tired and it can be so incredibly difficult from day to day. Of course I will march on because that it was I have to do, but today is just a day where I feel down.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Progress!
August 14, 2012
Current weight: 163.4
Total weight lost: 12.6 pounds
I haven't been following a strict diet at this point (I do watch what she eats, portion control, etc., but I haven't been writing everything down) and we haven't been doing a ton of exercising lately. She still walks the dogs 3 times a day and helps out with her little sister, but outside of that she spends quite a bit of time on the computer. I just have been so busy lately between getting them registered and ready for school, requesting medical records, making tons and tons of phone calls trying to get their insurance done and SSI started, plus trying to get her on the wait list for The Resource Exchange for housing funding (current wait is 7-10 years) I just haven't had a lot of time to stay on top of her exercising. That's why when I weighed her this morning I was so shocked: She had lost 12 1/2 pounds! We must be doing something right at this point. I even weighed her twice just to be sure. I am so happy about this progress. She has lost almost all the weight she gained while living in Washington this past year.
Things have been a bit difficult lately just trying to get settled. We don't like the schools in the dictrict we live in, so we had to apply to get the kids into the next district over. But, they don't want to go to the same school. We already got the younger girl registered, but we are waiting to hear if K got in. I imagine it is more of a process because of her special needs. I hope we find out soon, though, because school is scheduled to start this Thursday. I don't imagine she will be starting on time.
I also have sent requests for all her medical records to Seattle Children's Hospital, The Everett Clinic, and the University of Washington Medical Center (where the PWS clinic is located). I am still waiting for all the records to come back. So far I have only received a copy of her IEP. I needed this to include an IQ score for The Resource Exchange (as they will only accept you based on IQ score...) so now I have to wait until she gets into school and then request that the school perform a full IQ test. It seems like every time I get something done or I get answers about something, I come across more and more that needs to be done. So far this whole thing has been never-ending. Once we get her medical situation sorted out, we will have to establish her with a new primary care and then have them fill out paperwork for her SSI. Unfortunately, all the physicians she was established with in Washington haven't seen her in a year (...) and so they will not fill out the paperwork. Once I get everything gathered and sorted out for all of this, it will be about time to begin guardianship paperwork. Sigh. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
Current weight: 163.4
Total weight lost: 12.6 pounds
I haven't been following a strict diet at this point (I do watch what she eats, portion control, etc., but I haven't been writing everything down) and we haven't been doing a ton of exercising lately. She still walks the dogs 3 times a day and helps out with her little sister, but outside of that she spends quite a bit of time on the computer. I just have been so busy lately between getting them registered and ready for school, requesting medical records, making tons and tons of phone calls trying to get their insurance done and SSI started, plus trying to get her on the wait list for The Resource Exchange for housing funding (current wait is 7-10 years) I just haven't had a lot of time to stay on top of her exercising. That's why when I weighed her this morning I was so shocked: She had lost 12 1/2 pounds! We must be doing something right at this point. I even weighed her twice just to be sure. I am so happy about this progress. She has lost almost all the weight she gained while living in Washington this past year.
Things have been a bit difficult lately just trying to get settled. We don't like the schools in the dictrict we live in, so we had to apply to get the kids into the next district over. But, they don't want to go to the same school. We already got the younger girl registered, but we are waiting to hear if K got in. I imagine it is more of a process because of her special needs. I hope we find out soon, though, because school is scheduled to start this Thursday. I don't imagine she will be starting on time.
I also have sent requests for all her medical records to Seattle Children's Hospital, The Everett Clinic, and the University of Washington Medical Center (where the PWS clinic is located). I am still waiting for all the records to come back. So far I have only received a copy of her IEP. I needed this to include an IQ score for The Resource Exchange (as they will only accept you based on IQ score...) so now I have to wait until she gets into school and then request that the school perform a full IQ test. It seems like every time I get something done or I get answers about something, I come across more and more that needs to be done. So far this whole thing has been never-ending. Once we get her medical situation sorted out, we will have to establish her with a new primary care and then have them fill out paperwork for her SSI. Unfortunately, all the physicians she was established with in Washington haven't seen her in a year (...) and so they will not fill out the paperwork. Once I get everything gathered and sorted out for all of this, it will be about time to begin guardianship paperwork. Sigh. Makes me tired just thinking about it.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Unsure
August 3, 2012
Not sure of current weight.
We got off track on K's weight because I really got discouraged. In one day she gained 3 pounds and I just couldn't figure out where from. I was driving myself crazy over this when I felt like I was putting in all this effort only to send her back to her mom in 5 weeks to have her gain it all back because her mom could care less about her diet. As K once put it "My mom doesn't like it when I go on a diet". Nice, huh?
Well, yesterday we got the call I had been wondering if we would get. Her mom called us to tell us not to send her home, that she couldn't deal with taking care of her and we needed to just keep her. So, here we are! I am going to do some more research and really try to hone her diet. My husband is going to take over the exercise side of things for the most part. We are enrolling her in a new school out here where we live so it should be interesting to see how they adapt to her challenges.
I feel renewed because for once we won't have to worry about a lack of effort (or outright sabotage) from the other parent. We can just do what's best and hope for lasting results. I have also begun to work on getting her on state medical insurance and beginning the process for SSI. I submitted several records requests today (things I had already done once before and left for her mother to do, which she did not do and now has the records and is refusing to send us anything...). So, I am starting again. I feel better that I can control this all because I think it really needs to be done in an organized and efficient manner. This truly is what is best for K.
In the coming days, weeks, and months I will not only be updating about diet and exercise, but about the paperwork process of getting all of her stuff handled (SSI, guardianship {she's almost 18}, medical, etc.) and just general life with PWS. Thanks for sticking with me!
Not sure of current weight.
We got off track on K's weight because I really got discouraged. In one day she gained 3 pounds and I just couldn't figure out where from. I was driving myself crazy over this when I felt like I was putting in all this effort only to send her back to her mom in 5 weeks to have her gain it all back because her mom could care less about her diet. As K once put it "My mom doesn't like it when I go on a diet". Nice, huh?
Well, yesterday we got the call I had been wondering if we would get. Her mom called us to tell us not to send her home, that she couldn't deal with taking care of her and we needed to just keep her. So, here we are! I am going to do some more research and really try to hone her diet. My husband is going to take over the exercise side of things for the most part. We are enrolling her in a new school out here where we live so it should be interesting to see how they adapt to her challenges.
I feel renewed because for once we won't have to worry about a lack of effort (or outright sabotage) from the other parent. We can just do what's best and hope for lasting results. I have also begun to work on getting her on state medical insurance and beginning the process for SSI. I submitted several records requests today (things I had already done once before and left for her mother to do, which she did not do and now has the records and is refusing to send us anything...). So, I am starting again. I feel better that I can control this all because I think it really needs to be done in an organized and efficient manner. This truly is what is best for K.
In the coming days, weeks, and months I will not only be updating about diet and exercise, but about the paperwork process of getting all of her stuff handled (SSI, guardianship {she's almost 18}, medical, etc.) and just general life with PWS. Thanks for sticking with me!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Day 12
July 20, 2012
Current weight: Uknown
Weight lost: Unknown
Lunch:
1 spaghetti and meatball lean cuisine (270)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
Total: 270
I did not weigh her this morning as she came back from her grandma's after breakfast. I normally weigh her first thing in the morning before she eats anything in order to keep her weigh ins fairly consistent. From what I can tell of what she ate yesterday (according to K so take it with a grain of salt)... she had pizza for dinner with fruit snacks, grandma took her out for ice cream and they sat around watching TV and movies all night. This morning she had cocoa puffs and I know her grandma uses 2% milk only so she had that also. I asked her if she got into the kitchen at any time while there and she said no but who really knows. I am not hopeful about her weight tomorrow morning. We shall see how it turns out.
Current weight: Uknown
Weight lost: Unknown
Lunch:
1 spaghetti and meatball lean cuisine (270)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
Total: 270
I did not weigh her this morning as she came back from her grandma's after breakfast. I normally weigh her first thing in the morning before she eats anything in order to keep her weigh ins fairly consistent. From what I can tell of what she ate yesterday (according to K so take it with a grain of salt)... she had pizza for dinner with fruit snacks, grandma took her out for ice cream and they sat around watching TV and movies all night. This morning she had cocoa puffs and I know her grandma uses 2% milk only so she had that also. I asked her if she got into the kitchen at any time while there and she said no but who really knows. I am not hopeful about her weight tomorrow morning. We shall see how it turns out.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Day 11
July 19, 2012
Current weight: 169.8
Weight lost: 6.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c 1% milk (50)
1 medium banana (105)
Total: 255
Lunch:
2 c Progresso light clam chowder soup (200)
1 packet Craisins (100)
1 Cascade ice (0)
Total: 300
Finally she has started on a downward trend again. I hope we continue on this trend. Even if she only loses a little at a time, I just want her to keep losing. Today should be interesting. She is going out today just her and her grandma. I am sure they will be gone during lunch time so hopefully that goes well.
Update: I sent her with some easy to prepare foods to her grandma's, listed above.
Update 2: She ended up spending the night with her grandma so I am unable to finish yesterday's meal list.
Current weight: 169.8
Weight lost: 6.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c 1% milk (50)
1 medium banana (105)
Total: 255
Lunch:
2 c Progresso light clam chowder soup (200)
1 packet Craisins (100)
1 Cascade ice (0)
Total: 300
Finally she has started on a downward trend again. I hope we continue on this trend. Even if she only loses a little at a time, I just want her to keep losing. Today should be interesting. She is going out today just her and her grandma. I am sure they will be gone during lunch time so hopefully that goes well.
Update: I sent her with some easy to prepare foods to her grandma's, listed above.
Update 2: She ended up spending the night with her grandma so I am unable to finish yesterday's meal list.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Day 10
July 18, 2012
Current weight: 170.6
Weight lost: 5.4
Breakfast:
1 Fiber Plus granola bar (120)
1 medium banana (105)
1 Cascade Ice drink (0)
Total: 225
Lunch:
1 Del Taco classic taco (130)
1 large glass water with a little bit of Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 130 (the fact she only ate this was due to the fact she got the bloody nose right as she was eating her taco).
Dinner:
2 pieces of low-calorie whole wheat bread (90)
1 packet low-sodium tuna (80)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12)
1 tsp dill pickle relish (0)
2 stalks of celery (10)
1 tbsp almond butter (90)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
1 packet Craisins (100)
Total: 382
DAILY TOTAL: 737
ACTIVITY:
15 minutes walking dogs
45 minutes walking around mall
I am starting to get really discouraged. The first week it felt like we were taking off a lot of weight and now for the past 3 days we have had either weight gain or no loss at all. I am just feeling like I need to do something different because obviously what I am doing has stopped working, but I am not sure what else I could possibly do. She is already eating about 800 calories a day and I don't want to go any lower than that (and I think it is probably not safe to go any lower). She already exercises/moves around for about 2 hours a day. I could increase the duration and intensity of the exercises she does and I guess I will give that a try today and see how it goes. If I get no results from that I don't know what else I could possibly try. I am just getting very frustrated. I thought with all the weight she is carrying around and the lack of calories + movement that should automatically equal weight loss. Apparently not.
Update: I e-mailed the nutritionist we have worked with in the past in the hopes she might be able to point out anything I am doing wrong or could do better.
Second update: This afternoon she got a really bad bloody nose and we almost had to go to the ER. Outside of the walking around the mall she got done this morning I don't think I am going to push her to do anything else today. If she gets another bloody nose today it will be straight to the ER for us so we're going to take it easy this afternoon.
Current weight: 170.6
Weight lost: 5.4
Breakfast:
1 Fiber Plus granola bar (120)
1 medium banana (105)
1 Cascade Ice drink (0)
Total: 225
Lunch:
1 Del Taco classic taco (130)
1 large glass water with a little bit of Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 130 (the fact she only ate this was due to the fact she got the bloody nose right as she was eating her taco).
Dinner:
2 pieces of low-calorie whole wheat bread (90)
1 packet low-sodium tuna (80)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12)
1 tsp dill pickle relish (0)
2 stalks of celery (10)
1 tbsp almond butter (90)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
1 packet Craisins (100)
Total: 382
DAILY TOTAL: 737
ACTIVITY:
15 minutes walking dogs
45 minutes walking around mall
I am starting to get really discouraged. The first week it felt like we were taking off a lot of weight and now for the past 3 days we have had either weight gain or no loss at all. I am just feeling like I need to do something different because obviously what I am doing has stopped working, but I am not sure what else I could possibly do. She is already eating about 800 calories a day and I don't want to go any lower than that (and I think it is probably not safe to go any lower). She already exercises/moves around for about 2 hours a day. I could increase the duration and intensity of the exercises she does and I guess I will give that a try today and see how it goes. If I get no results from that I don't know what else I could possibly try. I am just getting very frustrated. I thought with all the weight she is carrying around and the lack of calories + movement that should automatically equal weight loss. Apparently not.
Update: I e-mailed the nutritionist we have worked with in the past in the hopes she might be able to point out anything I am doing wrong or could do better.
Second update: This afternoon she got a really bad bloody nose and we almost had to go to the ER. Outside of the walking around the mall she got done this morning I don't think I am going to push her to do anything else today. If she gets another bloody nose today it will be straight to the ER for us so we're going to take it easy this afternoon.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Day 9
Current weight: 170.4
Weight lost: 5.6
Breakfast:
1 container of honey vanilla 0% fat Greek yogurt (150)
1/4 c Cheerios (25)
1/4 c blueberries (21)
1 slice low-calorie whole wheat toast (45)
1 fruit cup in water (70)
1 Talking Rain Ice (0)
Total: 311
Lunch:
2 c Progresso chicken & dumplings light soup (160)
1 c broccoli florets (20)
1 nectarine (60)
2 c 94% fat free popcorn (30)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 270
Enjoying lunch :)
Dinner:
1 slice low calorie bread, toasted (45)
3 oz boiled boneless, skinless chicken breast (135)
1 tbsp BBQ sauce (30)
1 c sugar snap peas, whole (26)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
1/2 c coleslaw without dressing (10)
1 Otter Pop (40)
Total: 286
DAILY TOTAL: 867
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
1/2 hour walking around the block twice (appx. 0.8 miles, uphill/downhill).
15 minutes doing stairs (6 times up and down).
Total was another day of hardly any change on the scale. She was down from yesterday but only slightly and still up from the day before. I got some advice on diet and am going to give her slightly more food in the hopes that this will help with her weight loss. I also am planning on ramping up the exercise some today. I am thinking about putting restrictions on TV time as well as internet time. So far she has earned about 5 hours of computer time so far and has yet to use any. I think this is because she is substituting TV for internet/computer time. I would like to get her to be more physically active but it is difficult because she will literally do nothing but sit there all day if I don't make her.
Weight lost: 5.6
Breakfast:
1 container of honey vanilla 0% fat Greek yogurt (150)
1/4 c Cheerios (25)
1/4 c blueberries (21)
1 slice low-calorie whole wheat toast (45)
1 fruit cup in water (70)
1 Talking Rain Ice (0)
Total: 311
Lunch:
2 c Progresso chicken & dumplings light soup (160)
1 c broccoli florets (20)
1 nectarine (60)
2 c 94% fat free popcorn (30)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 270
Enjoying lunch :)
Dinner:
1 slice low calorie bread, toasted (45)
3 oz boiled boneless, skinless chicken breast (135)
1 tbsp BBQ sauce (30)
1 c sugar snap peas, whole (26)
1 Cascade Ice (0)
1/2 c coleslaw without dressing (10)
1 Otter Pop (40)
Total: 286
DAILY TOTAL: 867
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
1/2 hour walking around the block twice (appx. 0.8 miles, uphill/downhill).
15 minutes doing stairs (6 times up and down).
Total was another day of hardly any change on the scale. She was down from yesterday but only slightly and still up from the day before. I got some advice on diet and am going to give her slightly more food in the hopes that this will help with her weight loss. I also am planning on ramping up the exercise some today. I am thinking about putting restrictions on TV time as well as internet time. So far she has earned about 5 hours of computer time so far and has yet to use any. I think this is because she is substituting TV for internet/computer time. I would like to get her to be more physically active but it is difficult because she will literally do nothing but sit there all day if I don't make her.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Day 8
July 16, 2012
Current weight: 170.6
Weight lost: 5.4
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c 1% milk (50)
1/2 c raspberries (32)
Total: 182
Lunch:
1 whole wheat sandwich thin (100)
1 packet low-sodium tuna (80)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12)
1 tsp dill relish (0)
1 c 94% fat free kettle corn (20)
1 c broccoli florets (20)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 232
Snack:
Otter Pop (40)
Total: 40
Dinner:
9 yellow corn tortilla chips (90)
3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded (138)
1/4 c fat free shredded cheddar cheese (45)
1/4 c salsa (20)
1 c cherries with pits (87)
1 Cascade Ice drink (0)
Total: 380
DAILY TOTAL: 834
ACTIVITY:
1 hour swimming
20 minutes climbing up/down stairs
30 minutes walking dogs
I am really confused today because she gained almost a pound overnight. Yesterday she ate only 800 calories that I know of and we walked a ton. How things have been going she should have either lost weight or stayed the same. Why did she gain almost a pound? I questioned her on if she got into something and she kept denying it. I don't know if I believe her or not, though, because she had something suspicious looking stuck in her teeth. It is so difficult. I feel frustrated this morning because if there was ever a morning where she should have lost weight it would be this morning. We worked her out hard yesterday and if that wasn't enough I don't know how hard I should work her out today.
Current weight: 170.6
Weight lost: 5.4
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c 1% milk (50)
1/2 c raspberries (32)
Total: 182
Lunch:
1 whole wheat sandwich thin (100)
1 packet low-sodium tuna (80)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12)
1 tsp dill relish (0)
1 c 94% fat free kettle corn (20)
1 c broccoli florets (20)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 232
Snack:
Otter Pop (40)
Total: 40
Dinner:
9 yellow corn tortilla chips (90)
3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded (138)
1/4 c fat free shredded cheddar cheese (45)
1/4 c salsa (20)
1 c cherries with pits (87)
1 Cascade Ice drink (0)
Total: 380
DAILY TOTAL: 834
ACTIVITY:
1 hour swimming
20 minutes climbing up/down stairs
30 minutes walking dogs
I am really confused today because she gained almost a pound overnight. Yesterday she ate only 800 calories that I know of and we walked a ton. How things have been going she should have either lost weight or stayed the same. Why did she gain almost a pound? I questioned her on if she got into something and she kept denying it. I don't know if I believe her or not, though, because she had something suspicious looking stuck in her teeth. It is so difficult. I feel frustrated this morning because if there was ever a morning where she should have lost weight it would be this morning. We worked her out hard yesterday and if that wasn't enough I don't know how hard I should work her out today.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Some of my favorite products
I thought I would share some of my favorite products for helping to get the weight off and still providing nutrition.
Favorite tortilla:
At only 80 calories and with 10 g of fiber, 3 g of protein, and 200 mg of sodium this is by far the best tortilla out there. I love making tuna wraps, burritos with pinto beans and tomatoes, and a peanut butter and strawberry wrap for lunch. They are so versatile!
Favorite tuna fish:
This entire pouch has 80 calories, 130 mg of sodium, and 19 g of protein. Combined with the toritilla above, it can really keep you full and energized for quite a while! Plus, this doesn't have loads of sodium like many other tunas do.
Favorite sweetener:
Splenda plus fiber is awesome! Not only do you get the no calorie sweetening that Splenda normally offers, but now you can have 1 g of fiber for every packet you use. Why not add a little fiber for no extra calories?
Favorite cool treat:
Yep, the favorite of many of us as kids - Otter Pops! They have no HFCS and are sweetened with fruit juice. One tube is only 40 calories and perfect for enjoying on a summer day. Plus, they come in 6 flavors. Gotta love Otter Pops!
Favorite snack:
Orville Redenbacher Smart Pop Kettle Corn is great because it is both sweet and salty and only 19 calories a cup popped. I usually give 3 cups as a snack so only 60 calories! And 3 cups is a large snack that can really be enjoyed. Plus this snack offers nearly 4 g of fiber. Yum!
Favorite drink:
Talking Rain Sparkling Ice is so yummy! It is sweet and delicious tasting and it is fizzy so it seems like a soda. It even has some real fruit juice and vitamins in it. It comes in a bunch of flavors like black raspberry, orange mango, lemon-lime, lemonade, pomegranite, etc.
Favorite bread:
Oroweat/Arnold whole wheat sandwich thins. I love that you can make a whole sandwich (and a decent sized one, too!) for 100 calories. There is no yucky crust to deal with, either, so that's another plus.
I will probably do another post like this as we get closer to fall with some cool weather favorites as well. If you have your own favorites, please feel free to leave them in the comments!
Favorite tortilla:
Favorite tuna fish:
This entire pouch has 80 calories, 130 mg of sodium, and 19 g of protein. Combined with the toritilla above, it can really keep you full and energized for quite a while! Plus, this doesn't have loads of sodium like many other tunas do.
Favorite sweetener:
Favorite cool treat:
Favorite snack:
Favorite drink:
Talking Rain Sparkling Ice is so yummy! It is sweet and delicious tasting and it is fizzy so it seems like a soda. It even has some real fruit juice and vitamins in it. It comes in a bunch of flavors like black raspberry, orange mango, lemon-lime, lemonade, pomegranite, etc.
Favorite bread:
I will probably do another post like this as we get closer to fall with some cool weather favorites as well. If you have your own favorites, please feel free to leave them in the comments!
Day 7
July 15, 2012
Current weight: 169.8
Weight lost: 6.2
Breakfast:
1 packet original Cream of Wheat (100)
1 packet Splenda plus fiber (0)
1/2 c blueberries (42)
1 c 1% milk (100)
Total: 242
Lunch:
1 Del Taco classic taco (130)
1 small diet Coke (0)
Total: 130
Snack:
1 Otter Pop (40)
Total: 40
Dinner:
1 Lean Cuisine chicken enchilada suiza meal (290)
1 c 1% milk (100)
Total: 390
DAILY TOTAL: 802
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
2 1/2 hours walking at Renaissance Fair
1/2 hour swimming
Despite yesterday's eating difficulties, she still managed to lose another pound! I am so encouraged by her progress so far and hope it continues. At this point I am hoping she loses a total of 15 to 20 pounds before she goes home. I am unsure if this is realistic but I'd like to think it can be done as long as we continue to follow our current pattern of diet and exercise. We could ramp it up a little on the exercise at this point, I think, because she has had some time to adjust to the altitude difficulties by now.
Today was interesting on the eating front because we basically skipped lunch and combined lunch and dinner. It will be a more snack-y night around here since we went to the Renaissance Fair today and ended up not wanting to eat there because of the lack of calorie control. We walked a TON and a lot of it was up and down hills on uneven terrain. We are all tired from this one but it was a ton of fun!
Current weight: 169.8
Weight lost: 6.2
Breakfast:
1 packet original Cream of Wheat (100)
1 packet Splenda plus fiber (0)
1/2 c blueberries (42)
1 c 1% milk (100)
Total: 242
Lunch:
1 Del Taco classic taco (130)
1 small diet Coke (0)
Total: 130
Snack:
1 Otter Pop (40)
Total: 40
Dinner:
1 Lean Cuisine chicken enchilada suiza meal (290)
1 c 1% milk (100)
Total: 390
DAILY TOTAL: 802
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
2 1/2 hours walking at Renaissance Fair
1/2 hour swimming
Despite yesterday's eating difficulties, she still managed to lose another pound! I am so encouraged by her progress so far and hope it continues. At this point I am hoping she loses a total of 15 to 20 pounds before she goes home. I am unsure if this is realistic but I'd like to think it can be done as long as we continue to follow our current pattern of diet and exercise. We could ramp it up a little on the exercise at this point, I think, because she has had some time to adjust to the altitude difficulties by now.
Today was interesting on the eating front because we basically skipped lunch and combined lunch and dinner. It will be a more snack-y night around here since we went to the Renaissance Fair today and ended up not wanting to eat there because of the lack of calorie control. We walked a TON and a lot of it was up and down hills on uneven terrain. We are all tired from this one but it was a ton of fun!
Day 6
July 14, 2012
Current weight: 170.8
Weight lost: 5.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c raspberries (42)
1/2 c 1% milk (55)
Total: 197
Lunch:
4 piece chicken nuggets from McDonald's (190)
Sliced apples (15)
Child's size diet coke (0)
Total: 205
Dinner:
1 Hawaiian bread hamburger bun (250)
1/4 c macoroni salad (110)
1 hamburger patty (~250 calories)
1 piece of lettuce (0)
1 tsp mustard (5)
4 slices pickles (0)
1 slice onion (0)
Crystal lite (0)
Total: 615
DAILY TOTAL: 1017
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
1 1/2 hours walking tour of mining museum
Today was a tough day eating-wise because we went on a tour of a museum around lunch time and so ate out. Her lunch wasn't as nutritionally complete as I generally try to make her meals but it was good calorie-wise. Dinner was also eaten out at a family BBQ. I am not sure of the amount of calories that were in the burger patty, so I am just guessing at 250. She didn't get a snack today because dinner calories were so high. She did walk around for an hour and a half straight at the walking tour today and took the dogs out a few times. We didn't do any true structured exercise, though. We will see how it plays out on the scale in the morning. So far she has been doing amazing with the weight loss.
Current weight: 170.8
Weight lost: 5.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c raspberries (42)
1/2 c 1% milk (55)
Total: 197
Lunch:
4 piece chicken nuggets from McDonald's (190)
Sliced apples (15)
Child's size diet coke (0)
Total: 205
Dinner:
1 Hawaiian bread hamburger bun (250)
1/4 c macoroni salad (110)
1 hamburger patty (~250 calories)
1 piece of lettuce (0)
1 tsp mustard (5)
4 slices pickles (0)
1 slice onion (0)
Crystal lite (0)
Total: 615
DAILY TOTAL: 1017
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour walking dogs
1 1/2 hours walking tour of mining museum
Today was a tough day eating-wise because we went on a tour of a museum around lunch time and so ate out. Her lunch wasn't as nutritionally complete as I generally try to make her meals but it was good calorie-wise. Dinner was also eaten out at a family BBQ. I am not sure of the amount of calories that were in the burger patty, so I am just guessing at 250. She didn't get a snack today because dinner calories were so high. She did walk around for an hour and a half straight at the walking tour today and took the dogs out a few times. We didn't do any true structured exercise, though. We will see how it plays out on the scale in the morning. So far she has been doing amazing with the weight loss.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Day 5
July 13, 2012
Current weight: 171.8
Weight lost: 4.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c fat free milk (45)
1/2 c blueberries (42)
Total: 187
Lunch:
2 c Progresso pot roast soup (160)
1/2 c strawberries (26)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 186
Snack:
1 Weight Watchers ice cream sandwich (140)
Total: 140
Dinner:
1 packet Cream of Wheat maple & brown sugar (130)
1/2 c 1% milk (55)
1/2 medium banana (52)
Total: 237
DAILY TOTAL: 750
ACTIVITY:
15 m walking dogs
1 1/2 hours walking around mall
1 hour walking around grocery store
Today was exciting because despite the unknowns of yesterday, she still managed to lose another pound. Down 4.2 pounds so far! This is really amazing as she has never really consistently been able to lose weight before despite everything we've done. I can't wait to see if she keeps dropping weight like this.
Current weight: 171.8
Weight lost: 4.2
Breakfast:
1 c Cheerios (100)
1/2 c fat free milk (45)
1/2 c blueberries (42)
Total: 187
Lunch:
2 c Progresso pot roast soup (160)
1/2 c strawberries (26)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 186
Snack:
1 Weight Watchers ice cream sandwich (140)
Total: 140
Dinner:
1 packet Cream of Wheat maple & brown sugar (130)
1/2 c 1% milk (55)
1/2 medium banana (52)
Total: 237
DAILY TOTAL: 750
ACTIVITY:
15 m walking dogs
1 1/2 hours walking around mall
1 hour walking around grocery store
Today was exciting because despite the unknowns of yesterday, she still managed to lose another pound. Down 4.2 pounds so far! This is really amazing as she has never really consistently been able to lose weight before despite everything we've done. I can't wait to see if she keeps dropping weight like this.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Day 4
July 12, 2012
Current weight: 173.2
Weight lost: 2.8
Breakfast:
1/2 c Kashi blueberry oat flakes (100)
1/2 c Fat free milk (45)
1/4 c blueberries (21)
Total: 166
Lunch:
1 low carb whole wheat tortilla (80)
1 tbsp peanut butter (90)
1 sliced strawberry (2)
12 baby carrots (48)
Crystal Lite (5)
Total: 225
Snack:
3 c 94% fat free popcorn (75)
1 popsicle (50)
Total: 125
Dinner:
1/2 c vegetarian chili (95)
1 Yoplait whips yogurt (140)
Crystal Lite (5)
Total: 240
DAILY TOTAL: 756
ACTIVITY:
1 hour walking around stores
15 minutes walking dogs
Today poses a challenge because she is visiting her grandma and I have no control over whether or not she has kitchen access or if she will be fed what I send. I am pretty sure there will be no physical activity. I will be able to tell at tomorrow's weigh-in if she got into the kitchen or was fed extra because up until now she has been consistently losing weight every day. One day will not kill us but I am not happy about the unknowns. It is much easier to just control everything.
Current weight: 173.2
Weight lost: 2.8
Breakfast:
1/2 c Kashi blueberry oat flakes (100)
1/2 c Fat free milk (45)
1/4 c blueberries (21)
Total: 166
Lunch:
1 low carb whole wheat tortilla (80)
1 tbsp peanut butter (90)
1 sliced strawberry (2)
12 baby carrots (48)
Crystal Lite (5)
Total: 225
Snack:
3 c 94% fat free popcorn (75)
1 popsicle (50)
Total: 125
Dinner:
1/2 c vegetarian chili (95)
1 Yoplait whips yogurt (140)
Crystal Lite (5)
Total: 240
DAILY TOTAL: 756
ACTIVITY:
1 hour walking around stores
15 minutes walking dogs
Today poses a challenge because she is visiting her grandma and I have no control over whether or not she has kitchen access or if she will be fed what I send. I am pretty sure there will be no physical activity. I will be able to tell at tomorrow's weigh-in if she got into the kitchen or was fed extra because up until now she has been consistently losing weight every day. One day will not kill us but I am not happy about the unknowns. It is much easier to just control everything.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Day 3
July 11, 2012
Current weight: 174.6 pounds
Total weight lost: 1.4 pounds
Breakfast:
1 Fiber One granola bar (120)
1 medium banana (105)
Total: 225
Lunch:
100 calorie whole wheat sandwich thin (100)
1 tsp mustard (5)
4 slices oven roasted turkey lunch meat (30)
2 pieces lettuce (0)
1 medium nectarine (62)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 197
Snack:
1 Yoplait whips yogurt (140)
Total: 140
Dinner:
1 c vegetarian chili (190)
3/4 c raspberries (48)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 238
DAILY TOTAL: 800
ACTIVITY:
1 1/2 hour walking tour
1/2 hour swimming
15 min walking dogs
Today was an exciting day because I weighed her (even though I was going to wait a week, I just couldn't) and she was actually DOWN! In the past even when she would work out an hour a day on the treadmill she would never lose weight. I think this was due to the fact that her diet was not tightly enough controlled. I am being extremely controlling when it comes to diet and she actually showed a loss! I couldn't be happier. This was with all her clothes on, too.
Today we didn't do any official work outs. We just did a lot of walking and some fun swimming time.
We were in a hurry to get out the door today so she grabbed a Fiber One bar and banana for breakfast. We went to the Olympic Training Center today and took a walking tour that took roughly an hour and a half of constant standing and walking. It was great exercise and we got to learn a lot about our olympians and how they train.
Current weight: 174.6 pounds
Total weight lost: 1.4 pounds
Breakfast:
1 Fiber One granola bar (120)
1 medium banana (105)
Total: 225
Lunch:
100 calorie whole wheat sandwich thin (100)
1 tsp mustard (5)
4 slices oven roasted turkey lunch meat (30)
2 pieces lettuce (0)
1 medium nectarine (62)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 197
Snack:
1 Yoplait whips yogurt (140)
Total: 140
Dinner:
1 c vegetarian chili (190)
3/4 c raspberries (48)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 238
DAILY TOTAL: 800
ACTIVITY:
1 1/2 hour walking tour
1/2 hour swimming
15 min walking dogs
Today was an exciting day because I weighed her (even though I was going to wait a week, I just couldn't) and she was actually DOWN! In the past even when she would work out an hour a day on the treadmill she would never lose weight. I think this was due to the fact that her diet was not tightly enough controlled. I am being extremely controlling when it comes to diet and she actually showed a loss! I couldn't be happier. This was with all her clothes on, too.
Today we didn't do any official work outs. We just did a lot of walking and some fun swimming time.
We were in a hurry to get out the door today so she grabbed a Fiber One bar and banana for breakfast. We went to the Olympic Training Center today and took a walking tour that took roughly an hour and a half of constant standing and walking. It was great exercise and we got to learn a lot about our olympians and how they train.
Day 2
July 10, 2012
Breakfast:
2 Eggo blueberry waffles (190)
1 tbsp syrup (70)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 260
Lunch:
Half size berry almond salad w/grilled chicken from Wendy's (140)
1 packet fat free raspberry vinagrette (50)
Small diet coke (0)
Total: 190
Snack:
2 c kettle popcorn (80)
1 c fat free milk (90)
Total: 170
Dinner:
1 baked potato (110)
2 tbsp fat free cheddar (30)
1/4 c diced ham (30)
1 kiwi (46)
Crystal lite (0)
Total: 216
DAILY TOTAL: 836
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour eliptical/boxing/weights
15 min walking the dogs
1 hour walking around the mall
Today was a good day. She did well with her work outs and even did the eliptical for a while. Her form doing weight (i.e. bicep curls with 10 pounds in a resistance band type machine) was poor so I helped her do the reps. She did 10 minutes on the eliptical, 5 minutes of punches, 20 jumping jacks, some lunges, squats, and kicks. We also walked around the mall for about an hour.
Breakfast:
2 Eggo blueberry waffles (190)
1 tbsp syrup (70)
Crystal Lite (0)
Total: 260
Lunch:
Half size berry almond salad w/grilled chicken from Wendy's (140)
1 packet fat free raspberry vinagrette (50)
Small diet coke (0)
Total: 190
Snack:
2 c kettle popcorn (80)
1 c fat free milk (90)
Total: 170
Dinner:
1 baked potato (110)
2 tbsp fat free cheddar (30)
1/4 c diced ham (30)
1 kiwi (46)
Crystal lite (0)
Total: 216
DAILY TOTAL: 836
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour eliptical/boxing/weights
15 min walking the dogs
1 hour walking around the mall
Today was a good day. She did well with her work outs and even did the eliptical for a while. Her form doing weight (i.e. bicep curls with 10 pounds in a resistance band type machine) was poor so I helped her do the reps. She did 10 minutes on the eliptical, 5 minutes of punches, 20 jumping jacks, some lunges, squats, and kicks. We also walked around the mall for about an hour.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Introduction/Day 1
Living with Prader-Willi Syndrome is extremely difficult. Most people can't imagine what it is like. Imagine that everything in your life revolves around food. Most people don't consider that almost any activity you do involves food. Going to the mall? People are eating around you and there is a food court with the smells of food. Going to the carnival? Same thing. How about the doctor's office? Suckers and candy for a good visit. Escaping food is nearly impossible. This makes life very difficult.
My step-daughter is 17 years old and has PWS. Over the past year she has lived with her biological mother but from 9 to 16 she lived with my husband and I 4 days a week. Now she visits us for a month at a time 3 times a year. I am creating this blog because we just started a month long visit and I weighed my step daughter when she got here. She has gained more than 15 pounds in less than a year. So this time I have decided to take action. I have implemented a strict 800-900 calorie a day diet (as recommended by her nutritionist) and workout regimen. I will outline what we have done each day in the hopes of documenting successful weight loss at the end of this month that can hopefully help others out there in our situation.
Current weight: 176 pounds.
Height: 4 feet, 11 inches.
Meals today:
Breakfast:
3/4 c Kashi blueberry oat cereal (187.5 calories)
1/2 c 1% milk (50 calories)
TOTAL: 237.5
Lunch:
1 Del Taco regular taco (130 calories)
1/2 c raspberries (42 calories)
1 small diet Coke (0 calories)
TOTAL: 172
Dinner:
1 packet of tuna (low sodium) in water (70 calories)
1 carb balance whole wheat tortilla (80 calories)
1 fruit cup (70 calories)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12 calories)
TOTAL: 232 calories
Snacks:
1 string cheese (80 calories)
1 granny smith apple (90 calories)
TOTAL: 170 calories
DAILY TOTAL: 811 calories
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour of boxing/low impmact aeorbics
1/2 hour of swimming laps (appx. 4 laps [back and fourth counts as 1]).
10 minutes of climbing stairs (5 times [up and down counts as 1]).
15 minutes of climbing stairs (6 times).
1/2 hour of light exercise (tossing a basketball around, walking uphill).
DAILY TOTAL: Almost 2 hours of activity.
I have implemented a system where each half hour of activity she does she earns 10 minutes of computer time which I will time. So far today she has earned 20 minutes of computer time. As it is only 2:30 in the afternoon, I am hoping she will earn roughly 40 minutes of computer time by the end of the night. Our boxing activities include punches, jabs, and kicks and she did 10 push ups, 30 seconds of jumping jacks (interrupted), plank on her knees, small lunges, small squats (10 of each with 10 lunges on each leg). I laid a resistance band on the ground and had her step from side to side up and down it 5 times. I also had her jump over it and back 10 times. She did 10 crunches. I am not sure what else we will do today. As our elevation is so high I do not want to push her too hard but I want her to be up and moving, which is why I have been doing relatively easy exercises thus far. I will gradually increase the difficulty but as of now my goal is just to keep her moving as much as possible. When I am not actively making her move around, she is just sitting around not moving at all. I hope I do not run out of activities.
Current weight: 176 pounds.
Height: 4 feet, 11 inches.
Meals today:
Breakfast:
3/4 c Kashi blueberry oat cereal (187.5 calories)
1/2 c 1% milk (50 calories)
TOTAL: 237.5
Lunch:
1 Del Taco regular taco (130 calories)
1/2 c raspberries (42 calories)
1 small diet Coke (0 calories)
TOTAL: 172
Dinner:
1 packet of tuna (low sodium) in water (70 calories)
1 carb balance whole wheat tortilla (80 calories)
1 fruit cup (70 calories)
1 tsp olive oil mayo (12 calories)
TOTAL: 232 calories
Snacks:
1 string cheese (80 calories)
1 granny smith apple (90 calories)
TOTAL: 170 calories
DAILY TOTAL: 811 calories
ACTIVITY:
1/2 hour of boxing/low impmact aeorbics
1/2 hour of swimming laps (appx. 4 laps [back and fourth counts as 1]).
10 minutes of climbing stairs (5 times [up and down counts as 1]).
15 minutes of climbing stairs (6 times).
1/2 hour of light exercise (tossing a basketball around, walking uphill).
DAILY TOTAL: Almost 2 hours of activity.
I have implemented a system where each half hour of activity she does she earns 10 minutes of computer time which I will time. So far today she has earned 20 minutes of computer time. As it is only 2:30 in the afternoon, I am hoping she will earn roughly 40 minutes of computer time by the end of the night. Our boxing activities include punches, jabs, and kicks and she did 10 push ups, 30 seconds of jumping jacks (interrupted), plank on her knees, small lunges, small squats (10 of each with 10 lunges on each leg). I laid a resistance band on the ground and had her step from side to side up and down it 5 times. I also had her jump over it and back 10 times. She did 10 crunches. I am not sure what else we will do today. As our elevation is so high I do not want to push her too hard but I want her to be up and moving, which is why I have been doing relatively easy exercises thus far. I will gradually increase the difficulty but as of now my goal is just to keep her moving as much as possible. When I am not actively making her move around, she is just sitting around not moving at all. I hope I do not run out of activities.
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