My youngest grandchild had his adenoids out and tubes in his ears because of recurrent ear infections. Since he could not leave the house and both parents work full time, this Grandma came to help. But, only after his mommy was there to snuggle with him the day of surgery–I wanted him to have that mommy cuddling so I waited to visit until that night. Although I was honored that my daughter said he would only want me when he saw me, us Grandmas want the best for our grandchildren. Having a mommy or a daddy with him or her is always best for an ill child, if possible.
Day one after surgery was difficult. My toddler grandson would not drink. Grandma distracted. Grandma made silly. Grandma danced and sang. He would not drink. What a responsibility to take care of a grandchild!
I really think I did not feel this deep sense responsibility with my children. I think I did not know enough as a parent to realize how hard parenting is. I was so busy doing, I did not think about what I was doing. In retrospect, I know how deep the responsibility of parenting is.
I am thankful for being able to text my grandma friends for help. Thank goodness for texting–telephoning not so good taking care of a young one. My grandson would take a sip of water, hold it in his mouth, not swallow, and spit it out. When I texted this problem, one of my grandma friend suggested giving him water from a straw. Perfect! He swallowed. Poor little thing. His throat must have really hurt. Now I gave him ice pop after ice pop. By the afternoon, he was fine. Amazing how quickly they recover.
I did not finish his ice pops. Yuck. Not my thing. But, as the afternoon and second day progressed, so did the parade of calories. He ate. I finished what he ate.
The unfinished bakery sugar cookie was delicious. Of course, he ate only one bite. The vanilla ice cream, even melted and with colored sprinkles, was tasty as a drink. The gold fish spilled on the floor were not so, but I ate them anyway. The half eaten pretzels were one of my favorites. Salty and sweet.
Unfortunately, my mouth is closer than the trash can! You, too, Grandma can relate or you will!
So, am I depressed and stressed? Of course, not. The precious time with my last baby grandchild is worth every calorie. I know what I have to do when I get home. I now have a rhythm for grandma weight maintenance. Home means:
No sugar. I found out from a doctor that women’s bodies after menopause cannot process sugar. We can process fat. I don’t eat low fat, because I have found low fat means pump up the sugar for taste. No sugar added is okay. Natural sugar, for example, fruit is okay. Olive oil okay. Moderation is always key.
Carbs before 11am. Yes, that means no bread, pasta, or potatoes after 11am. Carbs turn into sugar. See number 1. Yes, wine in the morning is okay and at night not so okay, but a few sips–we must watch our carbs. Hmmm. Wine is good for some health issues but not on our middle.
Always a protein with a carb. This helps us not to be craving again fast. Lunch is protein and veggies. No sandwich unless wrapped in lettuce for lunch or dinner.
Reverse pyramid. Largest breakfast, moderate lunch, light dinner. I save my salad and protein for dinner. If I crave pasta and pizza, I eat it for breakfast. Dinner for breakfast. Breakfast for dinner. A veggie omelet for lunch or dinner works wonders. No deprivation–no craving something I can’t have. If it is bad, I just eat it for breakfast and exercise a little more to burn it off during the day.
Exercise. No way around it. Cardio. I read somewhere that no one loves cardio and if you find a form you can tolerate, stick with it. Okay, yoga, Pilates, and treadmill should help mitigate those delicious sugar cookies.
Being a long distance grandma is difficult but really helps weight maintenance. I cannot imagine how I could control my finishing grandchildren’s food often, however awful it is!
Yes, my clothes are a little tighter when I leave my precious grandchildren. But I know what I have to do to take off the extra weight in pounds, as I intend to leave with my fuller heart and remembering the
Joy,
Mema
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