Hi Everyone.

I need advice, please. Here's the situation: at the end of August my husband left for a 3-month rotation to the Middle East, and I promised myself that while he was gone I'd slim down and shape up. I was able to do it the last time he was over there (2 yrs ago), but this time nothing seems to be working . I know one big difference is exercise: A series of illnesses and injuries has kept me from both aerobic exercise and weight lifting almost since he left. I'm not sure that accounts for the entire problem I'm having, though.

He'll be back in about a month (we hope, our 8-year old son is having a particularly hard time with it all!), and I need/want to/must (depending on my mood) do as much as I can between now and the time he comes home. The problem, though, is that WW (or anything else for that matter) doesn't seem to be working (yes, I'm journaling, drinking water, counting points -- and staying only with whole, low-glycemic index foods, which is the way I've always eaten anyway). I've even tried the "Wendie Plan."

So, two questions:
1) WHAT CAN I DO TO MAXIMIZE THESE LAST FEW WEEKS? I'm getting pretty stressed about all this (and I know that doesn't help), and I want to channel it into action, but I don't know what action(s) to take.

2) I'm almost 44-years old (which may be part of the problem), 5'2" and weigh around 133 (after last week's weigh-in I just couldn't bring myself to get on the scale this week); what can I realistically expect to lose between now and the last week of November? I think I look and feel my best around 118 lbs. (but when I last weighed that there was a lot more muscle than there is now )

I'd appreciate any and all advice you can send my way !

Thanks.

Linda,

Boy, I can only imagine what it would be like to have my husband away for 3 months. I think you are fantastic for being a single parent for so long.

My advise is pretty simple. ----- Stay on program. Do the best you can and let the scale say what it says.

You have a lot of other things going on in your life right now, so why add stressing over what the scale says to the mix? Stay on program, get in what exercise you can and have some fun thinking about your husband coming home.

I wish you the best.

Hi. I agree with Loralee.....you sure do have alot of stress at the moment, what with worrying about him and being a single parent while he's been gone.
Are you eating your max in points? Try analyzing your journal and be very critical of your habits and qty eaten. Try re-arranging your foods to have your larger 'dinner' type meal for lunch and then have a lighter meal for dinner. Something has to be the culprit. If injuries are bothering you, can you sit and do hand weights? What about walking, but taking it slow. You seem to need your metabolism revved up abit. I wish you lots of luck and a safe return for your husband!!

Linda,
Omg i know how tough those deployments are uggghh. we have been so lucky so far my lil one is almost 2 and dh hasnt been sent over seas in that amt of time and he couldnt be deployed during my pregnancy cause i had to many problems but, those deployments seem to last forever.. BIG HUGS for being so strong and helping your lil one stay strong while daddy is gone. My dh is airforce only reason he hasnt been deployed in so long here lately is he hurt his back and we are awaiting surgery now. so that will put him back out there for that i'm dreading the korea deployment when he will leave us for a year.

Anyways I'm with loralee do the best you can stay on program and the scale will say what it says when he gets home but, make sure your drinking your water you may try something like water aerobics I have heard thats now really hard on the body and a great excercise as far as getting your excercise in.

Goodluck I hope you feel great and look great for your dh when he gets home

oh yeah my dh has 9 years left and he can retire hes been in the airforce for 11 years now I had go to go through the long deployments before we had are son. I think if he does korea before my son starts school i will go home to ohio and be with my family since i have nobody here but, my son and him. I dont know how us military women get through the deployment when we first got married I used to hate everytime to phone would ring or the days he would call me and say I've got bad news i'm being deployed blah blah blah. its a scary time we live in God bless your husband and everything he does I hope he returns home safely to you and your son this november