[HadEnough]

We will be moving to a new state, sometime this summer. We have a house to sell in a very bad market/economy (that needs a lot of work to get it ready to sell) and a new house to buy. How do I stay on track with motivation for one (with all the added things to do), excercise for two (finding time, again with all there is to do) and food for three (with all the added stress). Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Hyacinth]

Housework and many home-improvement projects will be adding physical activity to your day, so in theory that should help your weight loss. You could center your social activities around walking/hiking/biking or other forms of exercise. Keep your meal plan simple and convenient for now, things that don't require much prep work (something like those individually frozen pieces of salmon or tilapia, rice, and a salad for dinner).

Use yahoo local (or similar) to find grocery stores, gyms, parks, etc in your new neighborhood. Community ed often offers exercise classes for cheap, you could get some exercise in that way and meet new people as well. As soon as you know where you're moving, get online now to some social networking sites (3FC, even) and start meeting people online who live in your new community. There are even web sites out there that help you find exercise buddies in your area.

Good luck to you! Moving can be stressful. 3FC will be here before you move and after!

[djay]

I lost weight when I was trying to move a couple of years ago and I wasn't even on a diet at the time. I was so busy with trying to get everything fixed and keeping the house spotless all the time when it was on the market...my hands were always busy. I didn't have time to snack. Meals were simple since I didn't want to make a mess. Moving into a new house keeps the mind and hands just as busy as you get unpacked and set everything up the way you want it. This could be a very good thing for you diet-wise.

[Scarlet]

You may be eating out or eating deli style a bit more than cooking, so make deli salads and soups your best friend, and stay away from the bakeries and candy stores!! Have fruits and veggies in the house you can grab and munch on if you're super busy. Find out where the best stores, healthiest restaurants, etc. are in your new area so you can make good choices.

And since you are going to be very busy and your stress level is higher, allow yourself a few healthy good surprises as well. A nice dessert at a nice restaurant, or a super healthy roll or sandwich (if you're watching the carbs) once in awhile will make you feel good without adding the lbs----just keep it special and try to keep on your plan the rest of the time. Since you'll be very busy you will burn it all off and may find your weight loss doing better than ever!!

[rodeogirl]

After my Christmas experience I'm a big fan of planning for maintenance during stressful times. If you know what your maintenance numbers are you can plan a range of calories or points or whatever that go from your losing number to your maintaining number.

That way it's one less thing to be stressed about but you can still keep things reasonable.

In my opinion losing weight takes a toll on your body/mind and it's much better to anticipate a reasonable load for yourself and maintain rather than slip back into old "who cares" habits. Having the range also gives you the option of staying right on losing if that works out.