Schools out, time to rest and refocus

Yesterday was my last contract day wiith students.  So to sum up my last year, I developed and implemented a brand new program including the curriculum for 8 different grades, completed 21 grad credits (yep, more than full-time status), served on a gajillion committees, and  oh yea... multiple cancer diagnosis, a double mastectomy, and an abdominoplasty thrown in the mix.  I am exhausted.  I have a few more critical deadlines to hit by this Saturday, and then at least from that point I have time in my schedule to manage the deadlines more around how well I am feeling instead of this insane pace I have maintained.  Frankly, I am surpised my weight is only up 5 pounds (and still below my fatty trigger rule of automatic weight loss mode).

I started today while at home pounding out a couple papers due tonight for my grad classes cleaning my diet back up.  And I ALREADY feel better.  I still surprises me even this far out how quickly clean eating clears the mind, feeds the soul, and just plain old makes you feel better about how your day is going.  

So to all of my exhausted breathren- hang in there! I am thinking about all of the teachers on the boards that is embroilled in the frenatic pace that hits all of us at the end of the year.  May your summer be recharging and your path lead you to your goals. 

Just reading your post exhausts me, Happy!  Whew...you have been through the wringer this year, lady    Here's hoping for a much more calm and restful summer so you can focus on healing and getting well.  

What a crazy year! May this one make you stronger and the next have less surgery.

You neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed to get some rest in there! Cancer + stress = bad bad. Please take care of you!!!!!  {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{hugs and healing}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

Welcome to summer.  Refresh, rest up, continue to heal well, get strong, ffind peace, focus on self and family----In short, enjoy and celebrate

Thanks Bonnie- that is the plan :0)

I hear you! I have a few more days and am packing up my classroom to move into a portable next year.  But right now I'm Day 4 pre-op and I am NOT A HAPPY CAMPER. I am so crazy hungry. This isn't really a liquid diet, it feels more like starvation! Two week, "Protein only liquid diet" so only protein shakes (without milk), decaf tea, sugar free jello, broth. When I take a handful of vitamins in the morning (the ones my doc has advised me to take) I feel good because at least there is something in my tummy! I honestly want to cry right now. Evenings are crazy hard. I am SOOOOOO hungry and so frustrated not being able to eat ANYTHING. I had to grocery shop for my kids yesterday and it was so depressing to pick up a package of Crystal Light for me and call it a week (I already bulk-ordered my protein mixes). Someone, please someone tell me that it gets better!!? I have 10 more days of this?!

Oh goodness,

You are dealing with a lot right now.  The preop diet is tough, no doubt. You are also in the worst part of the preop diet.  Hang in there, because your stomach will adjust and the hunger will be a little easier to bear.  Keep focused on the fact that you are prepping for surgery, that pounds you lose now will make it so much easier to make it to goal, and it will also help you in the adjustment immediately post op with the eating changes.  It will help when you are finished with the classroom change.  

I had to move classrooms too... still do actually.  I am just not able to lift anything or even reach to pull a poster of the wall so I am bringing in my kids next week to do it for me.  When we are done we can both lift a glass of Cyrstal light and say cheers together! 

I read your post and thought to myself that I just need to suck it up. My life doesn't come close to yours on the stressful situations level (except I've been running on about 4 to 5 hours of sleep for over 6 months now - which is NOT working for me...). Yet, I feel like an absolute mess right now. Perhaps it is because tomorrow is the last day for me and I'm not quite over the last hurdle.

As for the 5 pounds you're up - rock on! That is really awesome! I wish I could say the same for myself. This school year saw a double digit gain for me - most of it since January. Of course, I've gotten rid of half of it, but still I'm not pleased with my behaviors that allowed me to gain weight. Oh well, I'm hoping to get some much needed rest and hope that, as you say, clean eating and decent rest will help improve my outlook.

Happy summer to you!

Karik,

I have followed you for years at this point, and I think you have one of the healthiest mindsets overall on the board.  Gains are rough on any of us, but you are so highly reflective of your process and proactive in your daily living that I have loads of confidence in you.  Honestly, I think your lack of sleep has a tremendous amount to do with it.  I used to work in a sleep lab before I was a teacher, and there is a boat load of research that supports the idea of inadequate sleep translating into weight gain.  I am happy for you that summer break is almost here for you, and hopefully you too can get some much needed rest.  I totally can relate to the "last hurdle" and the challenges of closing out the year with the kids.  I know you mentioned you are not pleased with the behaviors that caused the regain, but you are aware and learning from it.  Here's to clean eating :)