I'm a bit of a train wreck. This year has been so stressful and I have just eaten my way through it. I'm up about 20 pounds. It's crazy how quickly it snuck up on me.

We are in NH until Sunday. We've had company off and on since before Christmas. All the kids that came up to ski brought candy, cookies, treats, etc. Or casseroles...Anyway, it'll be easy to get back into the groove after our last guest leaves today. I think tonight we will have a big salad and some chicken. DH has been taking care of all the Waffle business and he's lost weight this week. I'm pretty sure it is just because he's been too stressed to eat.

Meditation really sounds great. My friend at home has been going to some yoga classes that she is enjoying. Somehow between everything we're doing, I need to carve out some time for myself.

I've been test driving some different skin care lines, so far none has really impressed me. I've also started using the Clairsonic. I got a bunch of Gift Certificates for a spa up here for Christmas, I think I will schedule a facial soon.

I was reading the July issue of Prevention magazine this morning at the gym. This is the advice from Sharon Salzberg, a mediation teacher:

"Pause, breathe, let go of what you can't change."

She also said "even in the midst of the chaos, the breath is one of our most dependable resources for staying centered."

From the article: suffering to some degree is unavoidable, but, more important, it will pass.

Switching gears
Poor Sueb is going to be cold this winter as she goes gloveless and scarf-less to draw attention to the lovely skin on her neck and hands. Wear sunscreen!

HH, funny you should mention this -- DH and I are going on a big shopping excursion tomorrow and gloves are on my list, so yes, I'll be denying the general public the joy of viewing my lovely hands. Actually I have a big burn scar on one hand from Thanksgiving, so my hands aren't that lovely.

YES, sunscreen was also mentioned during my educational facial. I use a tinted moisturizer with 15 spf, which I assume is enough for this time of year, when I spend as little time as possible outdoors. For a day like tomorrow, though, when I'll be walking around Boston all day, I will break out the 30 spf. Good reminder.

Sueb, LOL...denying the general public...

Switching gears back to breathing
I like to give a gift of blowing bubbles to people in stressful situations. We tend to hold our breath when anxious or annoyed. You can't do that when you're blowing bubbles. They're pretty, it's relaxing to watch them float, it requires deliberate in and out breathing. Who doesn't like bubbles? Even if they don't use them, which is a crying shame, it ever so briefly makes them think about the beautiful iridescence of the bubbles, the floating, the breathing required to make it work.

Just thinking about it makes me want to go outside and create a few bubbles right now.

Hh, i like the bubbles idea.

DH and I used to do that when we were working...we'd come home after a stressful day and go outside and blow bubbles...simple great fun...good for pets too as they like to chase and try to catch them.

Gsciencechick,
I'm thinking about buying a new Polar heart rate monitor. My current one is old, is going through earth batteries frequently, and is unreliable (from the draining battery?) when I walk outside. I never notice the odd behavior at the gym, only when I walk outside. So is it I'm less sweaty and the connection isn't as reliable? Interference from planes, electrical towers, I dunno what? Anyhoo, which model are you using? The running store, where I bought the last one, only carries ginormous Garmin brand monitors now. I'm not sure my wrist is big enough to support them! I don't need a ton of bells and whistles or to have a showpiece to impress others.

Bethpen,
I am making a new year goal for you: find the time to care for yourself. There, now you have to do it.

Outsideplaying,
That would be wonderful if you could tweak your schedule to do a midday run. The sunlight will help your vitamin D levels and it should invigorate you to get thought the afternoon. It is hard to go out to exercise when it's dark and cold, particularly if it's the end of a work day. Good luck with that.

Thanks for starting this thread again. I like reading what people are trying.
I have given it a lot of consideration this year and decided to try something different. I am going with weekly goals this time. I think it will help keep me focused and give me the opportunity to concentrate on a few things each week without getting overwhelmed. Also I can tweak it every week to keep it fresh. I get so bored of doing the same thing!
I started last Sunday and this week my goals were 1) to have a green smoothie every day, to do the 7 minute workout every day, to take my vitamins every day, and to not drink any Diet Coke.
I have done well - missed my workout one day but did two to make up for it the next day. Everything else I have successfully done!
I ordered a new wall calendar and I will write them on there and mark them off as I go.
I'm also trying to concentrate more on gaining strength and getting in better shape instead of losing weight. I know I have lots of room to improve in these areas, so I can have success without losing weight.
Next week will be the same with a change in exercise and no fast food at all. That's going to be rough for me as I don't plan very well and get stuck out there hungry.
Thanks for letting me put all of this in writing. I think that helps and I'm hoping the calendar will help with that as well.
Good luck to everyone!

Legomom,
Your weekly goals idea is great. I carry a small bag of almonds in my purse, and sometimes an apple in my car, so if I'm out and get hungry it's something to take the edge off until I can get home to eat.

I need advice on a beauty issue. I found a few dark hairs above my lip. Ack! I plucked them but OMG the pain! What's the best way to deal with them?

HH, I had the Polar F6 for probably 6-7 years, but it was recently giving me erratic readings. The chest strap is sealed, so the battery either needs to be replaced by Polar or get a new one. Oh well, I got my money's worth on that one. . Or else, if the contacts are not wet or tight on your skin, they won't pick up HR well either. It really needs to be fairly snug. Now that it's colder, you may not be getting good contact either.

DH bought me the FT4 from Amazon, which has a different chest strap where the battery can be replaced by the consumer. So far I like it. I can track calories of my WO, but this is just an estimate based on physiological calculations. As HR and oxygen consumption (VO2) are related, and VO2 and calories are related, they use HR to predict calories. But it's a decent estimate.

For stray hairs, I pluck, but you might want to see an esthetician for waxing. More than a couple hairs would be worth it for waxing.

Thank you for starting this thread, and to all who have posted. It's very helpful to read everyone's plans and goals, and good motivation for me.

I'm coming into 2015 overweight, unhealthy, unhappy, and overwhelmed. I feel as if I need to change my entire life.

I'm going to start with things that have worked for me in the past, and add more gradually each week.

This week: Drink tons of water, and get to the gym at least 3x.
Get Christmas stuff put away, and begin some deep cleaning & organization projects.

Hopefully getting back to a schedule after the holidays, and getting my house back in order, will help with my overall well-being and making positive changes.

Jlc,
I'm glad you joined us! Getting back into a normal routine and getting the house back in shape will definitely help you move forward with healthy goals. Good luck. We're here for you.

Thank you Hhireno!

Here's a question-- has anyone used protein shakes for meal replacement? I'm thinking of drinking one for lunch so I can go to the gym at that time. I'm very bad at planning/bringing lunch to work, and end up using all my calories eating out.

Today's a good day to start! Veggies and Chicken sausage for Breakfast, dusted off My Fitness Pal and the Fitbit. Too bad the weather isn't a little more conducive to walking. The good news is I will probably go up and down the basement stairs 100 times with the Christmas decorations as I take them down.

WTG everyone for joining in and Hhireno for starting us off. Jlc, sounds like we're in the same boat. I'll be rooting for you! I also like Legomom's weekly goal idea.

Jlc,
I hope Annie chimes in, I think she drinks some type of healthy smoothie. I've never gone that route because I need to bite and chew to feel satisfied so just drinking, no matter now filling, doesn't work for me.

Bethpen,
Make it a goal to carry one box at a time and not a stack of boxes to get that extra workout!

I love this post! It's very motivating to see all the suggestions here. I need to change a few things, For years I was a go to the gym or walk 6 days a week. Now that my husband retired everything has changed. I am not jumping out of bed at 6AM to exercise and once the day wears on it get harder and harder. Last spring I lost about 7 lbs by using protein drinks for breakfast and lunch, no alcohol or sugar. I felt great and would like to feel that way again. I know I can do it, the hardest part is getting into the zone, but once I am there I love it. Thanks all.

jlc, this isn't a protein drink per se, but you could certainly add some protein powder of any type and make it one. I use this as most of my breakfast drink.

I have a NutriBullet 900 which pretty much pulverizes everything I throw in the large cup. I use half greens (mixture of spinach and kale) and half fruit (my choices are pineapple, frozen peach slices and maybe some apple, blueberries or banana). I buy bunches of kale, wash it and when you use it be sure to take it off the stem so it won't be bitter. Add a tbsp of honey, fill to the 'max' line with ice water as directed (I sometimes use half coconut water for hydration), including a couple of ice cubes, and a tbsp of flax seed powder. Here is where you can add your protein powder of whatever you desire. Blend for about 15 seconds and you have your drink ready.

I bought the NutriBullet because I wasn't sure I would enjoy doing these drinks and didn't want to invest in a big VitaMix just yet. Also it's small and doesn't take up a lot of room on my counter. You can really add whatever greens and fruit you want. If you aren't going to drink it until lunch, it should be refrigerated. It is not thick, but you should shake it now and then as it does separate after sitting a while.

Ahhhh, back on track for me after 2 weeks of my kids and dh home for the holidays. Normally, I would still exercise (run) during that time, but the combination of lots of cold, rainy days, and the ability to sleep in kept me from getting motivated for runs (all of my running friends were either OOT or busy). I normally set Jan 5th as my day to return to healthy eating b/c my son's birthday is Jan 4th and I don't want to miss birthday cake.

I was very excited to get myself out for a run this morning after finally having everyone out of the house. However, a text to my running group yesterday yielded no takers. After getting to bed way too late last night, I lay in bed this morning in the dark totally unmotivated to run alone. Instead, I thought of all the things I could catch up on today now that my gang is gone so I planned instead to drop the kids at school, then come home and lounge in the quiet for a bit b/f tackling some things. However, one of my running friends texted me and asked if I was planning to run. I was already dressed, completely NOT motivated at this point as I'd planned my morning, but alas, I told her I'd meet her and went to change my clothes. Soooooo glad I did…it was a beautiful (albeit cold and very windy) morning. Forgot to change my sneakers tho and had an old pair of running shoes on, and then noticed that my knees were hurting which never happens. I realized when I got changed, I put back on my old sneakers rather than my newer running shoes, so didn't get as far as I'd hoped but still got a good run in. HURRAY for people who hold you accountable and keep you motivated! My most reliable running partner has been suffering from plantar fasciitis since September and I miss her terribly, but thankfully, have several other friends that are usually able to go and keep me motivated.

Now that it's January 5th, time to get my family back to more healthy diets. I find one thing that really helps me is to plan out a weekly menu, buy the ingredients at the beginning of the week, spend one day prepping lots of veggies,etc so I have it all ready and don't get lazy. Today we are having grilled tuna over sautéed spinach with cous cous. I'll make a batch of ratatouille tomorrow - I eat that for lunch on top of quinoa with occasional days of salad in between.

I don't typically "diet" but I do like to cut way back on things like sugar and white/empty carbs, as well as add back in more fish/seafood and leaner meats. My problem is that my kids are picky and I hate making two meals. If I could cook to my own personal taste, it would be so much easier, but trying to find meals that my kids will eat that are lean and healthy can be challenging. For instance, they would never eat ratatouille and quinoa. They will eat the tuna, but not the spinach. Two of them will eat salad, but the other two won't. So nights I make salad, the other two eat raw carrots and cucumber. I told dh last night that I'm going to be a little more forceful about getting the boys to eat more veggies - I think part of the problem is that while I used to have a two bite rule, I've gotten lax and not "forced" them. I think if I made them eat it more, they'd eventually adjust and perhaps even like more veggies (I know it takes something like 7-9 times to develop a taste for certain things).

So that's my plan for now.

Outsideplaying, My husband and I also use the Nutrabullet. We didn't have it for too long and it burned out. My husband called the company to see if he could just buy the bottom part with the blades. They were wonderful and sent him a whole new system free, but said it is not designed to use with ice cubes and tha's what caused the problem. He does add frozen fruit with no issues.

I got a Nutrabullet as a surprise Christmas gift. I've had smoothies almost every day (and have missed them on days I didn't make them). Similar to OutsidePlaying, I do equal parts frozen spinach and frozen berries, 1 banana, a handful of almonds, then water to the 'max' line. I put the lid on the cup, and out the door I go. I work at a ski area, sip the smoothie as I get ready for my ski day, and amazingly it keeps me fueled for an entire morning of highly energetic, cold-weather work.

I like the "full" feeling of protein drinks, but whey makes me bloated sometimes. YMMV, but try it before you buy the 144-serving Costo-sized, mega jug.

Kudos to all of you for sharing your healthy resolutions. Don't forget to put some fun into your routine too! The gym can be such a chore so I always like to build in something scenic, silly, competitive, social, or flat-out fun. Adults don't get to say "wheeeeee!" often enough! :)

Thanks for the Nutribullet info! They are definitely much more affordable than a Vitamix type blender.

I have the nutribullet too. Thanks for the tip about the ice. I do put several pieces in, but I'm not sure I could do without it. I like it cold and slushy.
We have had ours several months now and I am addicted - finally in a good way! I have one almost every day, and my weekly goals are to have one every day, even if it is just a small one before dinner or something. Most days I have it for breakfast and make it just like those above, greens, berries, flaxseed or chia and water.

I have done well these 8 days:) I started the Sunday before the 1st.
I am going to write my accomplishments because I am already sad I haven't lost any weight - I am ridiculous about that and I have to work very hard to remind myself that I am making progress and doing well even if the scales don't show that - which is completely reasonable after 8 days!

So - I have not had any diet coke, I have had my smoothies every day and I have successfully completed my exercise goals and feel like I could add more there which is great!

This week - no fast food and no wine! That is a challenge :) I also need to find a better way to track - I want to write down my goals and check them off every day. The wall calendar was too small.

Thanks again for the thread. It's nice to hear about everyone's plans. Good luck!

Legomom,
If part of enjoying wine is the ritual of it, for instance sitting calmly and decompressing while sipping a glass of wine, then it might work to substitute another calorie free beverage. Last winter I developed the habit of having a glass of wine after dinner while my husband did the cleaning up. I didn't need the extra calories almost every single night. Now I subsititue a decaf, flavored tea. I still have the ritual of preparing a beverage in a pretty cup, sitting down to relax and sipping my tea. I still have wine occasionally with dinner but not as a stand alone ritual.

Hhireno, what an excellent suggestion! I too like to unwind with a glass of wine at the end of the evening, especially while reading. I don't do it every night, but still enough that the extra calories were something I realized I should try to do without. I actually gave up wine for Lent the past few years and noticed it actually helped me sleep better. While I occasionally drink hot tea in the evening, especially when it's a chilly night and I want to warm myself up (red wine does this also!), I never really thought about making it a substitute for wine as a relaxation substitute. Thanks for the great idea!

Yes thank you HH!
I will try that or the Pallegrino with some lime. It was mostly just a bad habit I was doing too often. Substituting something else is a good way to make the change easier.
I also need to find an evening hobby that isn't just sitting. I sit all day at work. I don't want to sit at night too. I have been exercising a little, but my son is home, so I don't want to leave to go the gym, and it's getting ready to be so cold.
We've been playing ping pong and I've been hula hooping, but if anyone has any other ideas, thrown them my way!

This winter I've really been enjoying (all decaf) PG Tips, Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane, and Tazo Chai. I prefer it to be distinctly different than my regular morning tea so that feels special.

During the summer, I was making various iced decaf teas.

The whole ritual and, in the winter, the heat of the mug and the steam is very calming. All this talk is making me crave a cuppa tea right now!

My husband had a bad leg injury and it was healing slowly and he was in need of a skin graft, the visiting nurses keep saying protein, protein( which I thought he got plenty of). His regular nurse brought him protein powder from Trader Joes and he started it as his breakfast. All of a sudden everything started healing!! I too was drinking it and my hair and nails were great and I felt good too.Even my hairdresser asked why my hair was getting so thick~ We both have continued using the protein powder for breakfast in a shake for 2 years now. I use a vegan powder with coconut milk and half cup of coffee, taste just like a milk shake. It adds up to 160 calories and has 19 grams of protein. I get through the morning no problem. When I am good I do another for lunch, this time a handful of spinach, protein powder, coconut milk and h20, its very tasty. I enjoyed reading JJ Virgin's book and have used a lot of her suggestions.

I love the calming effect of tea. I also drink Pellegrino water. I gave up diet sodas over a year ago, though I will have one maybe once a month. Although I am good about drinking water, the Pellegrino is a nice change.

Well, I had a bit of a scare. I was very fatigued, lightheaded and nauseous for a few days, so I had DH take me to the ER yesterday to get evaluated for heart attack. since women do not have the same crushing symptoms as men. We were there 6 hours, and everything checked out OK. I may just have had a virus. I followed up with my primary care doc today. I will need to monitor my BP because I do get some higher readings, but i will probably go for other tests like an echocardiogram or stress test just to be on the safe side due to family history and I do have mitral valve prolapse which normally gives me no problems. I am feeling much improved today compared to the past three days.

Cran, what protein powder do you use?

DH and I like a glass of wine with dinner, but in November we switched to one bottle for the whole weekend, nothing during the week. I've lost 5# so far, and feel great. You're right about the substitution: I have San Pellegrino in my little wine glass. It has to be sipped! If we go out, I start with that, and sometimes I never get around to ordering a glass of wine :)

I'm trying very hard to let go of a stressor that I am involved with but cannot change. It's easy to say "let go of the things you cannot change" but so hard to do. And darn it, it started up about the time we gave up the wine lol!

So far doing well with keeping carrots and celery cut up for nibbling in the fridge. We like the Fresh express etc salads that come in a big box! We are eating more salad, and since we don't use dressing (weird, but I just never did) it's all good :)

I got a Vitamix for Christmas but can you believe I haven't used it yet? I'm almost afraid of it. But DH got a little rice cooker for Xmas (makes really good rice, I'm so surprised!) and we need to find counter space for our new toys.

My goal this year is to have a long-delayed physical, and eat 5 servings of produce a day (and they can't be wine!).

Hi ellendi. I use Sun Warrior raw vegan protein powder in vanilla. From what I read this is a really good tasting one, taste fine to me. I get it at the vitamin shoppe. Let me know if you try it. Not sure if they have the individual serving that you can purchase to try.

Thanks for remembering hhireno...I do have a green smoothie for breakfast every a.m. I soak a Tbls of chia seeds in some water for about 10 min. Then I add 1 rounded scoop of whey protein powder (I use whole foods 365...look for no added sugar or artificial sweetener), 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 large handful of kale, 1/2 banana, then frozen fruit...usually pineapple, mango, mixed berries and cherries. I add some ice cubes to keep it cold.

I never thought I'd be satisfied with just a beverage, but this is very filling, and a really great way to get greens in in the a.m.

Wow, gschick, that must have been pretty scary if you, wisely, decided to go to the ER. Take it easy until you're feeling 100%, you don't want to relapse.

Legomom,
Do you have a Wii or one of those gaming systems? They have all sorts of fun games and sports that you could buy so that you could be active in the evenings. An added benefit would be having an active and fun thing to do with your kid. I don't play video games but I sometimes think about getting one of those gizmos for the bowling and tennis. I have no idea what they cost, I've never taken my interest in them far enough to research it. I play with one once a year at my sisters, when the kids will give me a turn. I'm going to add that to my to-do list today "check out gaming systems."

Thanks so much for the protein smoothie recipes! I think I need a Nutribullet. I bought a few pre-made protein drinks, and had one for lunch after going to the gym yesterday. I was definitely hungry by late afternoon, but I had a small healthy snack and I was fine.

Over the weekend, I did a ton of heavy housecleaning-- moving furniture, trips up and down the stairs putting away Christmas stuff, etc. I love the idea of getting exercise while accomplishing visible improvements to my home! It's great multi-tasking.

Help! My arms are shrinking! In length! Apparently, Most of the weight I (Hope) I am losing is in my shoulders, because ALL of my long sleeves are down to my knuckles.....my jackets look like I accidentally got DH's.....

I have managed to increase my winter water intake, yay! Still no formal exercise, but I have been working hard at the barn, because the horses are in since it is cold, and that creates a LOT of manure shoveling. Probably why my sleeves are too long, lol.

I worked on the pantry yesterday, and sorted the unopened pasta to go to the food pantry, from the opened, which I will give to my neighbor, who has 3 teenagers.

An amazing positive side effect of my no sugar, no wheat diet....I no longer cough in the morning! I always thought this was an allergy symptom....good riddance, as it always bothered me.

Sun is out again today, so I should get some riding in today! Wish it would snow so I could drive the sleigh!

Deleted double post

This post was edited by springroz on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 16:56

fourkids, I know exactly what you mean about getting out to run during the holidays. I think we had 4 days of sunshine during December, and we live in the South! The weather man actually said that the other day. Good grief! So I didn't run near as much as I meant to during my holiday break either. Gscience, that was a scare for sure! Glad you went to the ER and got checked out. Take care!

Glad everyone is making smoothies or planning to and hope you enjoy them. Regarding the ice in the Nutribullet, I don't use but a couple since I use frozen fruit. I put a few in a a measuring cup, then add the water I'm going to pour into the container so they sort of melt down a bit before adding the water to the max line. My ice 'cubes' are sort of elongated like a slice of peach, not really big cubes. Hope that helps.

I'd be interested in hearing what sort of protein powder you use too cran. We don't have a Trader Joe's here. I am not a fan of any of the flavored powders I have tried over the years. I'm currently using Barlean's flax and chia seed blend for the Omega-3 benefits. I do like that brand.

Hi outside, I think that is a good idea with the ice cubes. When I use water in my drinks I always use very cold. I use Sun Warrior raw vegan protein powder100 calories, 19 grams of protein. Its gluten, soy and dairy free. I read a lot on line about various protein powders and their bad taste, this is the one that got the best reviews. I buy the vanilla because again the reviews said it was the best. I would not care for a flavored one ordinarily also I am very surprised that I enjoy the coconut milk as well, I don't really care for almond milk. I get this at The Vitamin Shoppe but is available else where. If you give it a try let me know how you like it.

I just want to butt back in and say that my friend made black bean brownies from Skinnytaste (recipe found online) and gave me some...they are amazing! I may never make regular brownies again. You'd never know there were beans in them!

It's still a dessert, with (I think -- I need to look up the recipe) a fair amount of sugar, but it's better than eating a "real" brownie!

Sorry, here's the recipe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brownies

Those brownies made my mouth water......I may try them with coconut sugar!

I finally decided I had to get on the exercise bike.....the seat is not right for my anatomy.....but It has the workouts in 15 minute segments, so I got off, stretched, did another, then came back in the afternoon and did 2 more sets!
Yay, me!! I "rested" yesterday, and will do another hour today.

My jeans are now loose in the thighs. I am sure the legs will look too long before long, and my sleeves will be dragging the ground, so I will be quite a site...

Tidbits that caught my eye in Prevention magazine's August issue (I'm behind in my magazine reading!):

1) use unsweetened coconut water, made into ice cubes, in your smoothie and get a hit of potassium

2) "Not only is walking uphill a stellar thigh and butt sculptor, but it turns out that it can burn fat as much as working out with kettlebells, one of the most challenging training methods of all time. People who walked briskly for 30 minutes at a 4% incline burned up to 350 calories, the same number as those who alternated between two basic moves with kettlebells (two handed swings and sumo dead lifts)."

3) "Interval training is tops at burning belly fat, and wearing a heart-rate monitor is the best way to learn if you're hitting the sweet spot: 80-95% of the maximum heart rate with recovery periods at 50-65% of MHR. Mayo clinic researchers found the MHR declines with age, making the old formula (MHR = 220 - age) inaccurate. Consult these equations instead.
Females 200 - (67% of age)
Males 216 - (93% of age)

Update on me: I am feeling much improved . I saw a cardiologist yesterday, and he thinks my lightheadedness was vertigo-related. I do have benign positional vertigo (BPV) but this lightheadedness was different than the room spins I'd had in the past Anyways, I am going to have an outpatient echo and stress test in a couple of weeks moreso for reassurance purposes and family history. My brother, who is 63, has been in the hospital since Monday with chest pain and difficulty breathing. He had 3 stents put in today. Luckily, he should be home by the weekend. So, I am getting back to my normal exercise routine. I do not have any restrictions on my activity.

Edited for grammar. Clearly I was tired last night.

This post was edited by gsciencechick on Thu, Jan 15, 15 at 10:07

Hey Gsck,
That certainly seems to be good news, thanks for the update.

Gsciencechick, glad to hear you are feeling better!

My update: in the past 7 weeks, I have lost 8 lbs.
I can stand on 1 foot to put on my riding pants(almost like putting on pantyhose)
I am no longer hacking my lungs out every morning
I can now walk in the morning, instead of being so stiff I have to hobble
The carpal tunnel/tendinitis symptoms are MUCH better
My arm muscles are not sore anymore

I never thought it would be possible. I have no cravings for anything. I do not worry about how MUCH I eat. I am very rarely hungry between meals. I just eat when I am hungry, and quit when I am full. Without the sugar and gluten, my body knows when that is.

My friend gave me a couple of cookbooks, and one is a Paleo book called Well Fed. It has some wonderful recipes, and I use it about 4 times per week.

Late to the check-in. Every few years I seem to have gained a "few" pounds and then have an epiphany and get back on track to lose it. This time around I had my epiphany in December instead of January and got started one week when DH was out of town - easier to cut back on eating when he isn't here. I increased exercise, cut back on food and lost about four pounds. I thought it would be a struggle to maintain this through a couple holiday feeding frenzy events but forged ahead anyway.

I think I might have done okay - maintained without losing more - but for falling on my knee the Saturday before Christmas on my way to one of the feeding frenzies. I really bruised the underside of my patella and couldn't do anything requiring bending my knee with pressure or weight on it. Since I only have one real leg (and one prosthetic leg) this precluded any of the exercise I usually do. I could barely go up and down the stairs in the house, get up from the floor, etc.

I had one more weekend food fest in early January but I'm finally back on track and re-lost the four lbs again. I let the knee heal for four weeks so this weekend is my first time back to exercise and it's great. I thought I didn't like exercise but I really missed it and was very happy to get back to it this weekend so I guess I like it more than I thought.

Now my latest healthy improvement is to cut back on sugar free soda which I love. I drink water only at work but all bets are off after that. I really don't like water except for Dasani so I'm substituting that for soda. I think it's ridiculous to buy water but I like the taste of that brand and we have a whole house water softener so I don't really like drinking large volumes of that water with extra sodium. It tastes fine but since I'm prone to HBP I think it best not to consume a lot of it.

So glad to see this thread for January. I started a new job in December, which helped keep my weight stable during the holidays due to stress. Now I have a vacation planned next month and will have motivation (have to wear a bathing suit) to hit the gym more. Due to the job change, I am changing gyms also. My goal is to pump more iron this year!

Kudos to all who read this and who try. That really is half the battle.

HH. I have my upper lip waxed when I have my brows done. It is fairly painless.

Interesting article in the NY Times magazine today...

Here is a link that might be useful: Eating within 12-hour period

Well, interesting but I'm not a mouse and I think he's making quite a leap to think that results in mice are transferable to humans. In any case I can't awake late enough to be snacking at midnight so if this is transferable to humans it's good news for me.

New to the "check- in. Thanks, hhireno! Years off attempting to permanently
be a healthy weight. My mind is in the game this time: a life change vs. diet.
No wheat, bad starch, sugar, and five pounds off in two weeks. My goal is 15 more....and stay there! Have begun walking again.
Cran! You're driving me nuts ! You said:Posted by cran (My Page) on Mon, Jan 5, 15 at 18:13
"My husband had a bad leg injury and it was healing slowly and he was in need of a skin graft, the visiting nurses keep saying protein, protein( which I thought he got plenty of). His regular nurse brought him protein powder from Trader Joes and he started it as his breakfast. All of a sudden everything started healing!! I too was drinking it and my hair and nails were great and I felt good too.Even my hairdresser asked why my hair was getting so thick~ We both have continued using the protein powder for breakfast in a shake for 2 years now. I use a vegan powder with coconut milk and half cup of coffee, taste just like a milk shake. It adds up to 160 calories and has 19 grams of protein. I get through the morning no problem. ."
It was the Trader Joe's powder that worked the original magic, but you then switched ? Correct? Why? What was the name of the TJoes protein
Powder ?? I could use some magic . :)