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I have to be honest — it’s been a while since I’ve felt good. I mean really, really good. In fact, as both my husband and I get older we notice more joint stiffness than we used to, and we aren’t as fast on our feet as when we were younger. In short, things that were once easy to do have become more difficult.

But in addition to the everyday aches and pains, we’ve also both put on weight over the years. While we’d both like to get healthier and lose weight, let me tell you from my past experience, dropping unwanted pounds gets harder as you age!

Of course, when your doctor tells you to shed some weight, it puts a new perspective on weight loss. That’s what happened at one of my family member’s recent doctor visits.

Since I really need to eliminate some unwanted pounds too, we decided to shed weight together using the information given to him by his doctor. Below are the highlights of my weight loss journey on the three-week plan. Stay tuned because I’ll continue to update this post along the way!

My 3-Week Weight Loss Challenge

The plan requires us to replace all meals with a selection of specific protein shakes for three solid weeks (at the end of the three weeks my family member will see his doctor again). In other words, NO FOOD! Personally, other than doing surgery prep (= yuk!), I have never been on an all-liquid diet before — or mostly liquid diet in my case. My thoughts are, we’ll see how it goes!

Day 1 (May 3rd, 2022)

What I ate and drank

Ok, I have to confess that most of the time I am borderline dehydrated all day every day. For some reason, I’ve never been good about drinking the water I know my body needs. I know it’s not good for me, I know I need to drink more, and I also know for a fact it contributes to some of my migraines, although not all because I have several migraine triggers, in case you were wondering and considered offing me advice on the subject. There’s really no need. Believe me, I’ve tried many, many different remedies and prevention methods with little to no success).

But I digress, so moving on… I already decided a few days ago that I’d start trying to do a better job of hydrating each day. I thought it might make me feel better and be more alert throughout the day, so I started drinking two 16 oz glasses of water first thing in the morning.

In the past, ensuring I get at least 64 oz of water each day helped me with successful weight loss. The problem is that I didn’t keep the pounds off. But going back to the issue of water, I plan to drink at least 64 oz each day and more if possible.

As far as food is concerned, there are still a few fresh vegetables in the fridge to use or freeze, so I chose to freeze some of them for soups, etc., and finish off the rest. I mean, fresh vegetables are good for you, right?

• Breakfast — Breakfast was simple. I drank two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. I’m not always a big breakfast person, so cutting out breakfast isn’t difficult for me.
• Lunch — I put a slice of fresh cabbage in our air fryer at 350°, drizzled it with olive oil, and sprinkled salt and pepper on it. After letting it cook for around 12ish minutes I removed it and ate every bit of it. It was delicious! I had a sugar-free Jello pudding cup for dessert with a small mound of cool whip on top. To drink I had another 8 oz of water.
• Afternoon — I didn’t eat anything, but I did drink another 16 oz glass of water when I felt a little hungry.
• Supper — My family member and I each had an 11 oz protein shake (mine was peach flavored) while watching one of our favorite TV shows. We also each drank a Gatorade Zero — mine was strawberry kiwi flavored — that was around 20 oz.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 87 oz.

What I did

I work as a virtual assistant, so I’m home all day, which also means temptation is just around the corner! However, I’m generally pretty good at resisting temptation when I set my mind to something, so it really wasn’t a problem.

Rather than chronicle every single thing I did all day (boring!) let me just say I worked and occasionally took my dog outside to do her business. Other than that, just work, work, work. I even worked a couple of hours in the evening after supper.

How I felt at the end of the day

Yes, I was a little hungry throughout the day, but not horribly so. And I used the bathroom a lot from the extra drinking. Overall I think it was a good first day.

How I slept that night

Here’s what I didn’t expect. I actually slept pretty well. I thought I might wake up hungry in the night. I did wake up needing to use the bathroom — I mean, who wouldn’t after that much water, especially when I’m not used to such a high fluid intake (in the past it has usually taken my body a day or two to adjust to the extra water, then the bathroom use slows down a bit).

What I weigh

You never ask a girl her weight — don’t you know the rules? Anyway, suffice it to say, I do need to lose weight. While I’m not going to reveal my starting weight, I DO know how much I weigh starting out. I also won’t reveal my ending weight at the close of this journey, so if you wanted to know just how heavy I’ve gotten you’re going to be disappointed.

What I WILL reveal to you, however, is how much I lose through my weight loss journey and how I feel along the way and at the end. And that’s the important part — to shed pounds so I can feel better and be healthier!

Day 2 (May 4th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — Again, I drank two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. Easy peasy.
• Lunch — Air fryer fresh cabbage again cooked the same way as yesterday. Today I added a 6 oz key lime pie flavored Yoplait yogurt as it was in the fridge and needed to be used. I had another 16 oz of water as my drink.
• Afternoon — I drank about 8 oz of water throughout the afternoon.
• Supper — I drank another 11 oz protein shake — chocolate-flavored this time— while driving to an evening appointment. Throughout the evening I also drank a 20 oz watermelon flavored Propel.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 87 oz.

What I did

For the most part, I spent the day doing my virtual assistant work. I also took a few potty and play breaks with my dog. In the evening I had an appointment that lasted the entire evening, so when I got home I pretty much went straight to bed.

How I felt at the end of the day

I did experience some hunger throughout the day — I’d be lying if I said I didn’t! But when I got hungry I sipped water and distracted myself with work, so the day went by relatively quickly.

How I slept that night

I slept pretty well but felt I could have used more. After my husband left for work I did close my eyes for another 45 minutes, then I got up to begin day 3.

Day 3 (May 5th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank another 32 oz of water. Are you starting to see a pattern here? I am!
• Lunch — I ate celery, baby carrots, and broccoli for lunch along with another 6 oz Yoplait yogurt — key lime pie again because it would have expired the soonest. As you probably guessed, I drank another 16 oz of water. Incidentally, all of the things I ate today were items that needed to be used before they went bad in the fridge. Once they’re all gone, I’ll be drinking a protein shake for lunch instead.
• Supper — My supper consisted of another peach-flavored 11 oz protein shake while watching TV with my husband. Throughout the evening I also drank a 12 oz glacier cherry-flavored Gatorade Zero. I added another 8 oz of water to increase my water/liquid intake for the day.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 79 oz.

What I did

Once again, I’m mostly just working away today, but I also thought I’d add a photo example of what our 11 oz protein shakes look like.

How I felt at the end of the day

I did feel a little hungrier today, but all things considered, the stomach rumbling wasn’t too bad. I might just make it through this!

How I slept that night

I slept pretty well but felt like I could have slept longer. Although I will add, that’s pretty normal for me.

Day 4 (May 6th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I had my usual two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. By around 9:50 a.m. though, my stomach was a little upset with me (maybe because I took my morning pills a bit earlier than normal and my stomach was too empty?). So I added a pear cup (these are always in their own juice, no added sugar of any form) and sugar-free jello with a small scoop of cool whip on top.
• Lunch — Another 16 oz of water for me!
• Afternoon — I got a little hungry — probably because I ate earlier than usual. I mixed up a glass of raspberry lemonade Crystal Lite in 16 oz of water and drank it all.
• Supper — I drank another 10ish oz of water and had an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein shake that was actually pretty delicious (we are trying out a couple of different brands that are within the guidelines of my family member’s 3-week liquid diet received from his doctor.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 85 oz.

What I did

Work, work, work. I also did a little bit of laundry and dishes.

How I felt at the end of the day

I had a little bit of Fridayitis today around the end of the day which made it hard to continue working. I tried, but felt like I could have been more productive than I actually was. I felt fine, though, and only a little bit hungry.

How I slept that night

Pretty well, actually. I slept in until 7 a.m. which is unusual for me. Once again, I felt like I could have used another hour…

What I weigh

While I’m still not going to reveal my actual weight, I will tell you that, out of curiosity, I weighed myself in the morning and found I have lost 10 lbs so far. Now, I know it’s common to lose a bit quicker upfront, so I’m trying not to get too excited by that figure. But I will add that it’s definitely motivating me to continue this weight loss journey!

Day 5 (May 7th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — An 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink and two 16 oz water bottles (don’t judge me and decide I’m wasteful because I drank from water bottles — I was out and about rather than at home, otherwise I would definitely have used a glass instead) for a total of 32 oz of water.
• Lunch — Another 10 oz of water along with a berry-flavored Yoplait yogurt and a chocolate swirl Jello pudding cup with a scoop of cool whip.
• Afternoon — A 16 oz glass of water with a raspberry ice Crystal Lite packet mixed in.
• Supper — Another 10 oz of water and an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 90 oz.

What I did

Slept in — it’s Saturday folks! Who doesn’t sleep in a little now and then? — had a leisurely “breakfast” with my husband while watching a previously recorded TV show. Gathered up my recycling to take to town to the recycling center (we live in the country so it is a short trip to drive to town).

After emptying the back-end of the Acadia I drive, my husband, son, and I went to Walmart to shop for boring stuff (normal supplies like Kleenexes, paper towels, laundry detergent etc. — no food since my family member and I can’t really eat for a few more weeks!).

My husband and son took me on a quick detour to our local garden center where they surprised me with a huge, beautiful pot of flowers they got me for mothers day. My daughter and son-in-law who live in Nebraska went in on it too. It’s beautiful!

Next, we dropped our son off at his apartment, drove the few miles back home, unloaded our purchases, and put everything away. Then we took a break and had our lunch while watching a TV program. I did laundry and a few other chores, but I have to admit, I was a little pooped from earlier in the week so I wasn’t motivated to do very much the rest of the day.

How I felt at the end of the day

A little hungry, but overall pretty good. While shopping in Walmart, as well as throughout the rest of the day, I noticed fewer aches and pains than I usually experience on a normal basis. I also discovered that I’m less “puffy” and swollen and I have less joint pain and inflammation than I’ve had in quite some time. That’s a great feeling! I almost felt like I had just woken up from a fog and now everything is clear. I attribute that feeling to the fact that I now have most of the sugar and sludge out of my system.

How I slept that night

Pretty good, actually! For one of the first times in a long time, I don’t feel like I need another couple of hours of sleep!

Day 6 (May 8th, 2022 — Mother’s Day)

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there! When I took my dog out to potty this morning, it looks like it could turn out to be a beautiful day!

Here in Kansas, we usually have a late freeze and bad weather at the beginning of May. So far that really hasn’t happened yet (I’m keeping my fingers crossed!). While we could definitely use the rain, the freeze not so much.

What I ate and drank

You may have noticed both yesterday and today I have added an 11 oz protein shake to my breakfast. According to the plan, I should be having 2 each day. The reason I was only having one before is that I’ve been eating a little regular food each day at lunchtime to use what we already had on hand in the refrigerator before it went bad. I will continue to do this for the next few days, but that food is almost gone.

• Breakfast — You guessed it! Two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. Like yesterday, I also added an 11 oz. protein shake to my breakfast.
• Lunch — I had one chocolate pudding cup with a scoop of cool whip and one 6 oz berry-flavored Yoplait yogurt. I also drank 10 oz of water.
• Afternoon — I drank another 16 oz glass of water and ate one slice of swiss cheese.
• Supper — I had my usual 11 oz chocolate protein shake along with another 10 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 80 oz.

What I did

I wasn’t very active today. A few days ago I had intentions of working through part of Mother’s Day, but my family had other plans. My son came over at lunchtime so I cooked for him even though I couldn’t eat any of it. Let me tell you, that took some willpower because it was one of my favorite meals.

We had a leisurely day watching some of our favorite TV shows and enjoying spending time together. We did part ways for an hour or so in the afternoon to do some farm chores, dishes, laundry, etc. Then I made supper, we watched a bit more TV, and went to bed.

How I felt at the end of the day

I was a little hungry today, but the hunger pangs were very mild so it was tolerable. I have to note that the inflammation in my body has decreased significantly since starting this weight loss challenge. My ankles and feet are not at all swollen and my whole body feels less “puffy”. I’ve even noticed an improvement in the way I move and walk. In short, moving is getting easier!

How I slept that night

I feel like last night I truly got the best night’s sleep I’ve had in an incredibly long time.

What I weigh

Curiosity once again got the better of me this morning prompting me to jump on the scale. I have lost two more pounds. That brings my total so far to 12 pounds! What’s weird is, while I do feel hungry part of the time, it really hasn’t been that bad! I think keeping busy helps.

Day 7 (May 9th, 2022)

I am raring to go today and feel like I could practically take on the world! I hope that feeling lasts throughout the day so I can get a lot done. At the end of today my family member and I will have officially made it through one week and 1/3 of the way through our weight loss journey.

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — Two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. I didn’t drink a protein shake because I honestly didn’t feel like I needed one.
• Lunch — Another 10 oz of water. I also heated up a bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy, which were leftovers from yesterday, but I ate nothing else.
• Afternoon — I drank another 16 oz glass of water.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake and just 2 more ounces of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 71 oz.

What I did

I worked the day away! I was a bit behind on my work all day which made the day fly by.

How I felt at the end of the day

I was pooped at the end of the day, but overall I felt good all day.

How I slept that night

Pretty good. Not quite as good as the night before, but almost!

Day 8 (May 10th, 2022)

Today officially marks the first day of the second week of my 3-week weight loss challenge.

What I ate and drank

• Early Morning — In the early morning hours I noticed I felt a little dry and thirsty, so I drank about 8 oz of water.
• Breakfast — I drank my usual two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. and I also drank an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein shake.
• Lunch — I heated up another bowl of leftover mashed potatoes and gravy. I didn’t need a beverage because I had just a skosh of water left from breakfast that I hadn’t finished off yet.
• Afternoon — I drank another 16 oz glass of water with a raspberry lemonade Crystal Lite packet mixed in. I also ate a small ice cream bar.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake and had about 8 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 86 oz.

What I did

I didn’t mention it earlier in this post, but I had finger surgery on April 28th. I was supposed to wait until tomorrow or the next day to remove the stitches, but I decided this morning that today was the day! So, my husband grabbed some supplies from our medicine cabinet and removed the stitches. It hurt a little, but I’m glad they’re out now.

Other than the finger drama, I did a few chores in the morning and then worked the rest of the day. During supper, I watched a little TV with my husband, then went back to work for a few hours before bed.

How I felt at the end of the day

I still get a little bit tired in the afternoons, but I attribute this to the fact that I’ve been having some carbs in my lunch the past couple of days. I know I’d feel better if I ate something healthier, but I’m simply using food that would otherwise go bad. I’m still hoping to move on to fruit, a protein shake, or salad once the leftover food is gone.

How I slept that night

I could have used another hour of sleep, but once I got up and around the next morning, I was fine.

Day 9 (May 11th, 2022)

I haven’t really reported how I’ve felt at the beginning of each day, only at the end, which means anyone reading this is missing out! I feel amazing!!!

The inflammation has all but left my body completely. I can move so much easier and with nearly no pain. If you’ve never tried cutting out nearly all carbs and sugar from your diet, I highly recommend it. I believe by doing this type of diet I’m not only experiencing weight loss, but I’m also cleaning the sludge out of my body.

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — Two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz and one 11 oz chocolate protein shake. I’ve tried a couple of different ones and discovered the one I like best, which happens to be chocolate so I’ll probably mostly stay with that one. I mean, who doesn’t like chocolate, right?
• Lunch — A 16 oz glass of raspberry Crystal Lite plus the last of the leftover potatoes and gravy. I also had a chocolate swirl Jello pudding cup with a scoop of cool whip.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein shake and 8 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 78 oz

What I did

For the most part, I worked all day. However, when my husband came home he brought rhubarb that one of his staff members gave him. He also picked up a bag of onions he ordered several months ago from a friend who was placing a bulk order for several people at once. So we both went to work cutting up first rhubarb and then onion to vacuum seal and freeze.

How I felt at the end of the day

Tired, but pretty good overall. I’m trying to get caught up on work and maybe even get a little ahead, but that last part is not easy!

How I slept that night

I slept really well, but need another hour or two.

What I weigh

So it looks like my curiosity keeps prodding me to check my weight every day or two. This morning I jumped on the scale to see I’ve lost 13.5 pounds so far. While my weight loss rate has slowed considerably, I’m still making progress and I feel so much better physically it’s unbelievable.

My guess is that my weight loss probably isn’t that noticeable to other people who look at me since it isn’t a very significant amount. However, because I feel so much better physically, I plan to continue this journey. I may even try to keep going once the challenge is over.

Day 10 (May 12th, 2022)

I’m feeling very tired this morning, but overall, I still feel really good. I am nearly halfway through this challenge.

I am having some food cravings, but not for anything sweet. What I’m craving is beef and noodles or roast with vegetables. I may cook that when my family member and I get to the end of this challenge. I feel like I could make better food choices and eat healthier when we finish the challenge. Time will tell.

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — Two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz plus one 11 oz chocolate protein shake.
• Lunch — Another 16 oz glass of water plus 3 eggs fried in olive oil. I added two slices of low-fat baby swiss cheese (they would have gone bad before too much longer otherwise).
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake (trust me, I don’t get tired of the chocolate one — it’s pretty good, actually!) and about 2 oz of water.
• Evening — I drank a 24 oz strawberry-kiwi flavored Propel.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 96 oz.

What I did

I essentially worked the day away! I had A LOT to do today, so work, work, work was my top priority. I did watch a little TV in the evening with my husband.

How I felt at the end of the day

Tired, but overall pretty good.

How I slept that night

I slept really well. Had a weird dream, but that’s not that unusual for me, haha!

Day 11 (May 13th, 2022)

Today is Friday the 13th, but I’m not really superstitious. As of today, my family member and I are officially halfway through this challenge — May 23rd is the last day.

I still can’t believe how good I feel! The blah feeling has mostly left me. Even though this is not the easiest or most fun way to drop weight, I think it is worthwhile and my family member and I are proving it can be done!

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz. It’s getting easier to make sure I drink this in the mornings. I also drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake.
• Lunch — I ate 3 eggs fried in a little bit of olive oil and one slice of low-fat baby swiss cheese. I drank another 10 oz of water.
• Afternoon — I drank a 16 oz glass of raspberry lemonade Crystal Lite.
• Supper — I drank another 10 oz of water, an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink, and a 12 oz cherry-flavored Gatorade Zero.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 102 oz.

What I did

Work, work, and more work because I am a little behind and need to catch up! I also watched a bit of TV with my husband.

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty good, but a little hungry. For the past couple of days I have been craving food — but not sweets, actually. What I really want is my favorite Paleo beef stew or roast with potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery. In other words, I’m craving foods that are good for me. As soon as this challenge is over, I intend to satisfy a few of these good food cravings!

How I slept that night

I slept pretty well and don’t feel like I am deprived of sleep. I have noticed a lot less yawning and afternoon “blahs” since the beginning of this weight loss journey.

What I weigh

Miss curiosity here again. I jumped on the scale this morning to see I am down a total of 14 pounds so far. That makes me happy! I hope it keeps trending downward.

Day 12 (May 14th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink and had two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz.
• Lunch — I ate three eggs fried in olive oil with one and a half slices of low-fat baby swiss cheese. I drank 10 oz of water.
• Afternoon — I drank another 10 oz of water.
• Supper — I drank one 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink and a 24 oz strawberry kiwi Propel.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 98 oz.

What I did

I did some miscellaneous household chores, like dishes, laundry, cleaning my diffusers, etc. Then I drove to town and made two batches of strawberry jam with my mom at her house. After that I made a Walmart run to buy flowers. When I got home my husband helped me unload a few things and then we watched TV for a while and went to bed.

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty good. A little tired from the day’s activities.

How I slept that night

Really, really good! I woke up refreshed and raring to go!

Day 13 (May 15th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank my normal 11 oz chocolate protein shake and two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz.
• Lunch — Our son was here so I made pizza pockets for lunch and cinnamon rolls for dessert. I ate three pizza pockets (they were small) and one cinnamon roll. I drank a 16 oz glass of raspberry ice Crystal Lite.
• Afternoon — I drank 10 oz of water.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein shake and 10 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 90 oz.

What I did

In the morning, I did a few household chores and then planted flowers on the back patio with my husband. I cooked a delicious lunch inspired by a Pinterest post I saw a few days ago. After lunch we watched TV and then parted ways to do some chores for a few hours. I did the lunch dishes, laundry, and a few other tasks. Then I planted the rest of the flowers on the front porch (it was too hot already to do them in the morning).

How I felt at the end of the day

Tired, but pretty good.

How I slept that night

I slept well but could have had another half hour.

Day 14 (May 16th, 2022)

I woke up feeling pretty good, although a bit tired. As of the end of today, my family member and I will officially be two-thirds of the way through this weight loss challenge!

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank my normal two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz of water, and one 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein shake.
• Lunch — I ate one leftover cinnamon roll and one leftover pizza pocket. I drank another 8 oz of water to go with what I ate.
• Afternoon — I drank another 8 oz of water.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake plus one 12 oz strawberry kiwi Gatorade Zero.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 82 oz.

What I did

I watered my flowers and did a few household chores before settling down to work at my computer for the rest of the day. When my husband got home, we watched a little TV while we had supper. Then I went back to my computer for a little while longer before bed.

How I felt at the end of the day

I felt pretty good. The difference between how I feel now and how I felt just two weeks ago still amazes me. I no longer feel like my butt is dragging the ground all the time because I’m so tired.

How I slept that night

Pretty good, but I didn’t go to bed quite as early so waking up I felt like I needed another hour or so of sleep.

What I weigh

Jumped on the scales again this morning to see that in spite of yesterday’s carb-filled lunch, I have now officially lost 15 lbs! I’d say that’s pretty good in two weeks!

Day 15 (May 17th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I had my usual two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz along with one 11 oz chocolate protein shake.
• Lunch — I ate the last leftover cinnamon roll from Sunday along with the last slice of low-fat baby Swiss cheese. I also had a strawberry sugar-free Jello gelatin cup and a no sugar added applesauce cup. There was no reason to drink anything additional because I was still finishing my water from breakfast. Unfortunately, I am a little bit behind on my water intake today, which is partly why I keep track. I better step it up!
• Afternoon — I drank another 16 oz glass of water.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz vanilla protein shake — mixing it up a little! I also had a 12 oz bottle of cherry-flavored Gatorade Zero.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 82 oz.

What I did

I started the day by watering my flowers outside — I will say it looks beautiful out this morning! I had one dramatic moment when I brought a hitchhiker into the house with me.

I was just sitting down to do a little bookwork at my computer before starting my actual workday when I saw a wasp crawling on my arm. It startled me and nearly made me jump, but instead, I calmly got up, walked carefully through the house, opened the back patio door, and then stepped outside and brushed it off. Luckily, it didn’t sting me before I could return it to its natural environment.

This morning I found out that my family member who’s also on this weight loss journey with me has lost 20 pounds as of today, so that’s awesome!

The rest of my day was spent keeping my nose to the grindstone, so to speak, working away! I also did two loads of laundry.

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty good and a little tired, but that’s pretty normal for me.

How I slept that night

I slept pretty well, but once again feel like I could use a little more.

Day 16 (May 18th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank an 11 oz chocolate-flavored protein drink and two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz of water.
• Lunch — Lunch consisted of 3 eggs fried in olive oil and the last sugar-free Jello pudding cup with the last of the cool whip. I also drank another 16 oz of water.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz chocolate protein shake plus another 10 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 80 oz.

What I did

To start the day I watered my flowers outside and did a few household chores. Then I settled down to work. What can I say? I lead a pretty uneventful life most of the time!

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty good but tired. I worked a very long day today trying to get caught up on work. I got behind somehow over the last few days.

How I slept that night

Pretty well, but once again I could have used a little bit more.

Day 17 (May 19th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank my 11 oz chocolate protein shake plus 32 oz of water.
• Lunch — I drank another 16 oz glass of water and ate a low-fat mozzarella cheese stick, a strawberry-flavored sugar-free Jello gelatin cup, an applesauce cup (no sugar added), two peanut butter Club cracker sandwiches (actually sunflower butter because I became allergic to peanut butter at the age of around 36ish, but that’s a whole other story!), and one “PB” Ritz cracker sandwich.
• Supper — I drank an 11 oz strawberry-flavored protein shake and another 10 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 80 oz.

What I did

I watered flowers and did chores in the morning then started working. When UPS came, I got a package of those cheap pinwheels kids like to play with, but assembly was required so I quickly put them together.

I bought them from Amazon to stick in my flower pots because the bunny rabbits have been eating on my recently planted flowers (they are pests out here because they eat all of the vegetation they can find — except weeds, of course!). Over the past few years, I’ve had trouble with the darn bunnies eating my flowers down to literal sticks so I’m trying to find deterrents.

I took a few minutes to stick the pinwheels in my flower pots and make sure they work, then back to my computer to do regular work.

After my usual liquid supper, I watched TV with my husband but then went back to my computer to do more paid work.

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty good, but ready for bed by the time 11 pm rolled around.

How I slept that night

I slept pretty well, although I did wake up a couple of times and had two weird dreams. I could have used another hour, but oh well!

Day 18 (May 20th, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I drank an 11 oz strawberry-flavored protein shake plus my normal two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz.
• Lunch — I drank an 11 oz strawberry-flavored protein shake plus 20 oz of water.
• Supper — I drank 16 oz of water and ate Mexican food I picked up at a restaurant. I took it to my daughter and son-in-law’s house and ate with them there.
• Afternoon — I stopped at a Scooters on my trip and got a 16 oz Decaffeinated Turtle Latte. It was delicious!
• Total liquid intake for the day — 106 oz.

What I did

I started working earlier this morning because I’m leaving around lunchtime to go visit my daughter in Nebraska. My husband won’t be able to go on this trip, so he will water flowers and take care of the dog over the weekend. But before I leave, more work, work, work — and packing.

I didn’t get to actually leave for my trip until 2:10 p.m., which was actually about an hour later than I’d planned. However, that’s just how it goes sometimes! That means I didn’t arrive in Lincoln, Nebraska until about 7:10 p.m. It took longer this trip because I had to take a different route than normal due to road construction along the way.

How I felt at the end of the day

I was tired but didn’t feel too bad. I was glad to get to see my daughter and her family — especially my baby grandson who’s 8 1/2 months old.

How I slept that night

I didn’t sleep well at all, and it definitely wasn’t the accommodations! The bed was wonderful. I think I may have just been keyed up and overtired. I slept from about 10:30 until 12:30 and then ended up camped out in the living room in the sofa/recliner from about 12:30 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. when I finally fell back asleep in the chair. I slept until 7:30 a.m. and then got up for the day.

What I weigh

I hopped on the scale this morning to see I’ve lost another pound bringing my total weight loss so far to 16 pounds. It’s not much when you compare it to how much I still need to lose, but I do feel a lot better physically and it’s a start!

Day 19 (May 21st, 2022)

If you’re like me when you travel, you often find that you’re off schedule. That’s what happened on this trip.

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I didn’t really have breakfast. I wasn’t very hungry because I’d eaten a pretty big meal for supper the night before. It was more than I’ve been eating for over two weeks, so there really wasn’t a need to eat a big breakfast when I wasn’t hungry. Instead of eating breakfast, we all decided to grab a coffee to drink and then go out shopping. We stopped at Scooters and I had another 16 oz Decaf Turtle Latte before we all went to Hobby Lobby to do a bit of shopping.
• Lunch — The baby needed a nap, so we went back to my daughter and son-in-law’s house to let him sleep for a bit. While he slept, we ate Chinese cuisine and talked. I drank about 8 oz of water — I’m definitely behind today on my liquid intake!
• Supper — We went to one of our favorite, family-style restaurants where I had pulled pork (about half of it), mashed potatoes and gravy (I ate less than half, and some of that I shared with my grandson), macaroni and cheese (again, shared some with the baby but I DID eat the rest because it was amazing!), and garlic bread which I ate all of. We also ordered these awesome onion rings and two different dips for an appetizer which we shared but polished off all of it! I drank approximately another 10 oz of water while dining.
• Evening — I drank another 8 oz of water. We also had a couple of nightcaps, which I am not going to count in my liquid intake for the day since they can actually dehydrate you some rather than really providing much hydration. I will say, though, that I’m a lightweight, so I only drank about 14 oz total.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 42 oz.

What I did

Some of what I did is spelled out above and intermingled with eating. However, after my grandson’s nap and our lunch, we went back out and did a little more shopping. Then we went back to the house where I babysat and played with my grandson while my daughter and her husband did a little organizing project in their basement storeroom. After that was supper, a tiny bit more shopping, TV and conversation, then bed at around 11:00ish.

How I felt at the end of the day

Pretty tired since I hadn’t slept well the night before. I was definitely ready for bed — especially after having a drink!

How I slept that night

I did wake up during the night again, but for only about an hour and a half this time rather than 4 hours like the night before.

Day 20 (May 22nd, 2022)

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — My son-in-law and daughter left me with the baby so I fed him breakfast while they went out and picked up coffee and bagels. When they got back, I had a 12 oz Decaf Turtle Latte from Scooters and a cranberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese. I also ate the last of my pulled pork and mashed potatoes. It was all delicious!
• Lunch — I didn’t really eat lunch after having a late breakfast. But I did drink some water, I’m not really sure how much. I’ll just say 6 oz.
• Afternoon — I left to drive home at around 2:00 p.m. and stopped on way to grab my last 16 oz Scooters Decaf Turtle Latte (we don’t have a Scooters where I live but we do have Starbucks, although it means driving to town and since I live in the country and gas prices are high, that rarely happens).
• Supper — I made another stop on the way to get a small chocolate turtle pecan Dairy Queen blizzard and also a medium Mcdonald’s french fries. I didn’t feel like I needed a big supper and I really wanted ice cream because we don’t have a Dairy Queen or other ice cream shop where I live. I also drank another 16 oz of water.
• Total liquid intake for the day — 50 oz.

What I did

I pretty much outlined my day above along with what I ate. I will say I got home around 7:15 p.m. I was pretty tired so I crashed at around 10:15.

How I felt at the end of the day

Tired, ready to sleep and then get started on my week tomorrow.

How I slept that night

Good, because I was so tired from the weekend’s activities.

Day 21 (May 23rd, 2022)

While I did get off schedule and eat regular food this past weekend, I am going to go back to my challenge eating today. Even though technically today is the last day of the challenge, I’m going to try to continue to be careful of how much I eat and what I eat. I’d like to drop another ten pounds by July 4th and I think if I set miniature goals, I should be able to hit them and keep the momentum going! At least, that’s my plan.

What I ate and drank

• Breakfast — I’m getting back into my regular routine so I drank two 16 oz glasses of water for a total of 32 oz and one 11 oz strawberry protein shake.
• Lunch — 
• Supper — 
• Total liquid intake for the day — 43 oz.

What I did

I unpacked, started a load of laundry, and did other morning chores, then started working.

How I felt at the end of the day

How I slept that night

July 1, 2022

As you can see, I didn’t really get a chance to finish the last couple of meal entries for the last day of the challenge. My family member had surgery the next day — May 24, 2022. It went fairly well, but the stitches were ripped out the next day and he had a second surgery about two weeks later. Needless to say, the recovery was difficult and I have been EXTREMELY busy, which is why I haven’t finished this post until now. Things are finally calming down and he is recovering well after the second surgery.

I haven’t concentrated on losing more weight right now since we’ve had so many other things to worry about with his recovery and me just trying to keep up with household chores, helping him, and work. We’ll see what the future brings, but I HAVE been doing better at staying hydrated and I still feel better than I did before we started the challenge, so that’s a win!