I’m sorry, msbelle.

I got an automated phone call from my county’s COVID line. I was excited at first, but then I realized they were just calling to let me know my request to be notified when I could get vaccinated had gone through. It wasn’t the notification itself. I’m not really expecting to hear until April, but it was still disappointing.

Has anyone here tried Noom? I'm looking for something that will kick-start me toward my goal of losing 15 lbs by late summer (so I'll be securely under the maximum weight range to sign up for a horseback tour when we're in Glacier NP) and eventually lose 20-30 lbs and keep it off, but not to be too judgy about the fact that I'm not willing to do the sheer level of self-deprivation it would take to lose the 70 lbs or so it would take to get into the so-called healthy BMI range. Noom sounds good in podcast ads, but things are SUPPOSED to sound appealing and sane in ads.

Our mayor has announced that they got a big shipment of J&J vax in, so that should help accelerate it in SF. I'm ready to jump on the opportunity as soon as it presents itself.

Side note: There was good news on the Pfizer vax being very effective against the Brazil variant. (which like the South African variant, is a little trickier than the UK).

I know some people who are extremely pessimistic about things getting back to normal any time soon, but I'm looking at the science and the numbers and I think it'll happen within the next three or so months, depending on the rest of the vax rollout.

A lot of people seem freaked by the variants (which are, admittedly, more transmissible), but the vax are all effective against mortality with them, even if some of the variants are causing mild or moderate symptoms.

I think a lot of people expect vax (or science!) to be some exactitude, or binary state of Safe/Unsafe. But it's a probabilistic model and strategy. Most of the people who get vaxed will be almost entirely safe from serious illness and mostly safe from even mild symptoms or transmitting it further.

That plus the people who've already had it (which they calculate is 3X more than tested positive) means they're going to get to the herd immunity point this summer.

I try to keep in mind that the 1918 Pandemic - for which there was NO vaccine - still ran its course in about 18 months. (with, of course, massive fatalities)

I use Noom, Susan. I like it quite a lot. It is very interactive. Of course I could be better about actually doing the stuff I know I am supposed to do. I think maybe there is a discount if I send you a linky and that they give me something too, but not sure the details there, but I'll send one. Tracks food, water, exercise, steps, gives lots of lessons and stuff.

I did the 2 week free trial of Noom. It started me on a path of being much more careful about the calories I consumed, but my trial also coincided with becoming a vegetarian. I did not go beyond the free trial because I hated the fact that they resorted to name calling (e.g. the scientists who wrote the articles they cited were "geeks," "nerds," etc.) and were far too cute by half for me, and I definitely did not want to join any of the groups where they tried to get me to talk to other users. The calorie counting program I found from other sources, and that worked for me, along with the fact that I was motivated by a specific health reason. It is a program of restricting calories, and so to keep it off you do have to be willing to change your diet for as long as you'd like to keep the weight off.

Thanks, Laura and Sparky! I think I'll at least do the free trial and see how it feels.

I've tried Noom but it's was too pop science cutesy for me. In terms of how it tries to get you to lose weight, it's about the same as weight watchers. So nothing revolutionary. I really hate tracking what I eat, though, which both of those programs require. They just seem not to be made for people who don't eat much processed food.

I've been having a ton of pain the past few weeks, and just barely pushing through the pain and the brain fog to mostly be able to work. And now I've run out of painkillers and I can't get another refill for a little over a week. I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow and see if I can get a telehealth appointment. For now, basically surrounding myself with memory foam and trying not to cry.

Still not vaccine eligible. But getting closer.

House is still a mess, and I know the dust is aggravating my allergies, but also in way too much pain to do even basic cleaning. I need someone to help with this, but I don't know how to find or hire that someone. I can call Molly Maids or someoen like that for the actual cleaning, but I need help with clutter first.

{{hugs}} to Hil and msbelle.

Concur on the cleaning issues. I really really need to vacuum, but I hate my vacuum cleaner, although it's fairly new. I may blow some of the cash from my promotion on one of those fancy Dyson cordless vacuums.

Definitely want to hire a regular house-cleaner. And I want a massage. Multiple massages.

I hated the fact that they resorted to name calling (e.g. the scientists who wrote the articles they cited were "geeks," "nerds," etc.) and were far too cute by half for me

Mostly the writing style makes me roll my eyes, but there is a lot of good content, which is stuff I know but the reminders are helpful. I haven't talked with the other people, but I get that the buddy system works for a lot of people. I know lots of people who love WW, but I never tried that. My SIL uses My Fitness Pal, which is another of the same type of tracker.

{{Hil}} Yes, try and get someone in to help with the cleaning. I don't know how I would survive without help because my floors would never get done. Trust me, they are used to clutter! If you can get a recommendation from someone, or maybe from NextDoor that might work better than the services, but I have had luck with both.