How NOT to Diet while at Mom's for Surgery Assistance

Okay, here are the absolute worst things about trying to diet just after your mother has surgery:

1) Even though this event has been planned for weeks, there was no menu planned of any kind...for her or myself. My own fault. Just habit. You know, go home to visit, eat whatever you like cuz Mom's cupboards are always stocked! What does this mean? Fast food! And not salads. Okay, one salad, the rest was chock full of fat and calories and...

2) Due to stress levels, eat hardly a thing the day of surgery. This is followed by acute bouts of binge-eating of anything chocolate that I can get my grubby little paws on.

3) Having sympathy constipation. Apparently, like the symptoms of pregnancy, loved ones can suffer right along with you. My mother is the one on pain pills that cause constipation and require her to take things such as Milk of Magnesia and stool softners with them daily, along with gallons of water. Who can't poop? Me. She appears perfectly capable.

4) Eating for two. My mother's appetite is decreased since the surgery. Duh. That's a no-brainer. However, whenever she takes one bite, I take at least three to make up for it. And then graze all the time in between.

5) Running around after and taking care of a post-op parent does raise the stress level and lack of sleep level, but does not involve enough activity to burn all the calories from #'s 1 thru 4.

My advice? See my blog for further funny info, though not weight-loss related, and plan a bit ahead next time!