As I hinted at in last week's thread, I had a one-on-one with myself and faced up to the fact that my healthy eating was slipping into not-so-healthy eating little bit by little bit. I won't blame my mother's birthday-- but starting with the gathering ON her birthday and continuing through her actual party and beyond, I had allowed myself little transgressions-- poorer choices. It wasn't just a small indulgence at a celebration, I allowed it to become a daily thing. A slice of pizza one day, cookies another day, etc. I very much believe that a healthy lifestyle must accommodate some good days and bad-- some indulgences here and there-- but when my patterns start shifting towards them being an every day occurrence, then I need to recognize that it is no longer a healthy pattern.

So -- being a highly analytical person, I tried to break it down. WHY did I shift and how can I not only get back on track but also avoid the same pitfalls in the future? I did not even especially enjoy the indulgences-- one day it was chocolate chip cookies. I don't even LIKE chocolate chip cookies. I don't want to go so far as to say I was self-sabotaging-- but I wasn't doing myself any favors by choosing unhealthy options that I wouldn't even enjoy or appreciate. That stops now. I will allow myself occasional treats but only those I will appreciate and savor as a special treat.

Thankfully, I have been able to maintain over these last few weeks of poor choices but weight is only one marker of healthy eating. I have not felt great, my energy is low, I am not sleeping well and I feel very sluggish and bloated. On top of it, my joints and muscles have been stiff and achy. My body is begging me to return to better foods and patterns.

So, I am in the process of stocking my fridge for the week. I have shrimp and a fresh made chicken & spinach sausage but I am low on veggies. I am submitting another grocery order this morning to add more veggies and fruits. And I think I will make a small pot of soup today-- not sure what yet but something I can easily reach for during the week.

No more excuses or denial.

Your very low daily calorie intake may have more to do with how you're feeling than the treats you ate. When calories are too low, it affects your metabolism. I would talk to a doctor or a nutritionist about what may be causing those symptoms.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21893-metabolism

I would suggest you add calories and increase activity. It doesn't have to be a lot. I was surprised at how adding just a little cardio activity has helped me lose a few pounds, and they have not crept back on. You don't seem to like structured exercise and neither do I. What about putting some music on and dancing for a song or two once or twice a day? That's a great cardio workout and will help condition your muscles, joints and heart so that you can more easily add more structured workouts in the future.

My goals are to be healthier and avoid the misery I experienced when my diabetes was uncontrolled. An initial substantial weight loss and ongoing g

ood eating choices are helping to control my blood glucose levels. Recent BP has been stuck at around 160/100, new meds have helped but Clementine is helping to make sure I get daily exercise:)

Thanks for the suggestions, @Eileen.. but let me be clear.. i have not maintained my 1000 - 1200 calorie target through the weeks that I slipped! I have been feeling poorly because I have eaten poorly. I have felt great when targeting 1000 calories (not to exceed 1200) and following IF. I do have an extremely slow metabolism and have since I was very young-- even when I was an athlete. I am due for a dr visit but this isn't a new topic for us... especially given my poor thyroid health (which started in my teens).

@JustDoIt I am glad to hear that adding protein and calories added some losses for you. For much of the last year, my diet has been very limited due to my dental work-- I have been able to add some more protein (ground meats, scallops, flakey fish) and some additional veggies this last month and soon I should be back to a regular full range diet. I don't plan to increase calories but I will definitely shift the proportions to add more protein and a wider range of veggies! I can't wait! I never even ate steak more than once or twice a year before the dental work but since I couldn't eat it for the last year, it is all I want now!

I need to note one other change-- when I was so busy with work/prepping for mom's party, I switched from unsweetened home-brewed iced tea as my drink of preference to a store bought diet green tea. It has artificial sweeteners and artificial many things. I think it is at least somewhat responsible for my bloating and increased appetite for foods I wouldn't normally eat. I have seen similar in the past-- for example both Crystal Light and SF jello will spark food cravings for me. I made a large 3L jug of brewed tea this morning. It really was foolish to switch to store bought because it takes all of 3 min to make and it tastes better!

@lucillle I responded to your post in the other thread-- but just want to say again that your successes are inspiring! It is a feat to improve your diet to a point of reducing your diabetes meds-- hope you see the same improvements with your BP!

Well, I needed to hear that. Slipped myself the past two weeks and better to get back on track before things really snowball...

So...trying to eat better this coming week (more fruits and vegetables, fewer sweet treats), and get in exercise and my PT every day.

Blood pressure is a little better and trying to lighten the load on my two new knees. Good luck to all this week! One step at a time.

Well, as far as long term keeping weight off, healthy habits, etc. I have a couple of insights. I didn't have a weight problem until after menopause, but the biggest shift came when my stress levels just went into overdrive. I was unhappy at work, my mother died and I was left with a hot mess of a father to deal with. I just couldn't keep up the discipline of doing all that I needed to keep from gaining a lot of weight. First I gained ten lbs and leveled off, and then I gained another 5 and rising during the pandemic, which kicked all of those stressors into overdrive plus adding the stress of my husband morphing into an unpleasant person to live with who was very negative about me. Plus financial strains.

Then, as is common with unhealthy eating, the health problems started. A diagnosis of high cholesterol and a bout if IBS and a diagnosis of GERD, bleeding ulcers and diverticulosis. Plus I was in danger of having to buy a whole new wardrobe and I just didn't like the way I looked. Not from a vanity point of view, I just looked flabby and unhealthy.

I took a sabbatical from work to try and spend time getting to a healthier, happier place. That got bogged down by the pandemic and my own depression at the deterioration of my relationship with my husband. The warning signs of high cholesterol were enough for me to gain the strength of saying to both my father and husband, "Right now I am going to focus on taking care of Lpink for a change."

It hasn't been easy because I don't know about you all, but the men in my life can't wrap their brains around women knowing sometimes what is best, or that taking care of your needs isn't necessarily the opposite or contrary to being sensitive to and taking care of theirs.

In fact, I was busting my butt to accommodate them with little reciprocation, and yet they were and still are oblivious to my contributions and wont to nitpick. All they see now is me being "selfish."

Well, it is what it is and I carved out time to shop for and make the healthy meals. And if my husband doesn't like them or want to eat them, I have nicely told him that the kitchen is his and he is free to shop for and make food that he likes. Prior to this I had been making and eating a lot of unhealthy options (unhealthy for me) because that's what my husband or father liked and I was taking a lot of food over to my Dad. He has an aide in four days a week to cook for him so I just decided that if that isn't enough, too bad, that's way more than most folks are lucky enough to have. Plus, he threw out half the stuff I took over anyway, even if he liked it. Talk about someone with "food issues" . . . .

I still make treats for my Dad and husband, just not as the priority. The priority is Lpink getting the food she needs to eat, etc.

Also, there are certain foods that are pretty well known to be addictive, so it is easy to get into a cycle of craving and eating them and even binging on them. In some cases, you just have to cross them out of your life. Perhaps some can have just a smidge of sugar, but others cannot. I know that for some things, I just can't get started eating them, I won't be able to keep myself to an acceptable portion size.

Lastly, I had to give up alcohol for the ulcers. But alcohol is an easy way to put on empty calories and also lower your willpower. I was using alcohol to try and de-stress. But it wasn't working and in the end all I got was ten extra pounds to carry around. I still struggle to find a good way to de-stress. I once came back from a particularly stressful encounter with my father, ate a pint of ice cream and a couple glasses of wine and found myself in a sugar alcohol haze. It felt good but no way could I maintain that state without it taking a toll on my weight. Just does not work.

So I'm still stressed, but have lost the weight. Perhaps pot is the answer, we have seven pot shops within a mile of our house. Pot seems just like alcohol. I don't like to smoke, using oil/lipids as a solvent for THC means edibles are fattening and either one will probably lead to lower willpower around foods.

I am still working on carving out an exercise and meditation space for yoga and some other quiet activities that might relieve stress. For me, the obstacle is I am so busy I can't get most of what is on my plate done. And the depression of falling behind zaps my energy, leading to more falling behind.

For anyone struggling, finding one's triggers and finding work arounds is key, but it still isn't easy. If the work arounds were easy we probably wouldn't have found ourselves in this situation. But whatever you need to support finding the triggers and implementing the work around, feel free to come here for support.

Pink - You hit the trifecta of weight gain reasons: age (menopause), work stress, family issues.

I did the same as you, stopped all concerns except me and my health. I have always hated when it seemed that the doctor's advice for every ailment was "lose the weight". Well, they might have been right! I recently had some blood work and the solution is always the same:

• Possible heart condition: lose the weight
• Diabetes: lose the weight
• Knee problem: lose the weight
• Feet problems: lose the weight

So, I'm losing the weight!

JustDoIt, you have clearly done it! Amazing work.

I don't know about you all, but the men in my life can't wrap their brains around women knowing sometimes what is best, or that taking care of your needs isn't necessarily the opposite or contrary to being sensitive to and taking care of theirs.

I apologize for going OT, but I really get bummed when people speak about men this way. I have no men in my life like that and never have. My aunt married a narcissist from a patriarchal culture, so I have seen what this can look like, but really the men in my life are pretty amazing and actually quite nurturing and always supportive.

Pink, I don't know how you manage. One thing the men in my life have always taught me, in a positive way, was the need for strong boundaries. No taking anyone's cr@p, my step father would say. At first I thought he was being unkind toward others, later I learned he was practicing what we now call self care ;-)

I have gads of men friends and my comment was not directed at men in general. It was about the men in my life, specifically my father and husband. I was talking to a divorced friend recently and she described the debitating effect of her former depressed disgruntled husband had on her life. She too has many wonderful men in her life including her current significant other and son and nephew. But her father was also verbally abusive and so we were just discussing that, not painting the entire gender with the same brush. I too don't like that but that was not what I was referring to, not men in general.

FUnky - I wish you all the luck on getting back on a good track. It is so easy to get off the routine when life gets busy and changes occur. But concentrate on the good things you can eat and enjoy and move forward. You got this:)

Lucille - dogs are the best exercise companions - and he is a cutey! He will definitely get you out for those walks.

Just do it - you are doing so well. I love your mottos - I never write down my goals, but I really should try that.

It was a pretty good week for me - different but ok. We traveled this weekend, but I concentrated on good food and fasting and it all worked out. Everywhere serves a good salad:) Last week I was craving some crunch I guess and ended up eating a bag of kettle cooked potato chips through the week. They are my weakness for sure! But I also remembered listening to a podcast about foods like that. How it is so easy to overeat the salt and the fat of the processed foods. I really need to not buy them, because it's almost genetically impossible not to overeat them once I get them in my hands! It's not my fault, it's the food manufacturers!:)

We went shopping a couple times this weekend and I am so used to walking in certain stores with people and just kind of browsing with no intention of really shopping because I can't really fit in or wear those type of clothes. Before I lost weight I was a 16/XL maybe, unless the cut was just right. But certain stores weren't really do-able for me and I would kind of be embarrassed. I totally forgot I was a pretty solid size medium/10 now and I could wear those clothes! It was really strange to feel so shameful about my size, and not even be that size right now. Weight really does play a number on my mind.

I keep hearing more and more about our gut health and the microbiome, so I am going to continue to concentrate on fiber, vegetables, protein and fat. When I base my meals around those, I feel satisfied and healthy.

Thanks, @legomom23! I totally get you on kettle chips and salty snacks. They are absolutely my downfall. I can walk by sweets almost always but a bag of chips -- especially the crunchy kettle chips in the house will haunt me until gone.

I also get the "shame" of shopping in some stores-- and the shame we carry with us even after having lost weight. It is totally a construct of our own minds but i think we pick it up from society. I have read countless accounts of workplace interviews and how overweight interviewees are perceived -- most especially in my area of work, an overweight person is perceived as undisciplined, unable to identify and achieve goals. I actually had a manager reference that directly -- despite my history of not only meeting and exceeding goals but implementing big improvements. He couldn't see past my weight (which at the time was on the high end of "normal"). He was a jerk in many ways to I brushed it off.. but while the shame is in our own minds, we don't get there without help!

Congrats on your losses, your focus on healthy eating and plant variety is inspiring! Don't look backwards, don't carry the baggage from the past. You are a beautiful person no matter your size now or before or tomorrow!

As for my getting back on track... I am ready and able! I think looking at WHY I went off track was helpful. I hadn't really planned to go into my reasons but in case they may be helpful, I will share. It is a little embarrassing, honestly. I had just had ENOUGH... enough isolation due to my dental work.. enough of a diet limited to softish foods.. enough of going without a hair cut/style in more than a year.. enough delayed vacations .. enough of limited activities due to my vision issues.. enough of being patient for the pounds to drop and my health and appearance to improve. Bottom line: I was feeling sorry for myself. Not in a maudlin way-- no. I was resentful. I am not proud of this. I think it is a very human response -- but not one I am willing to let myself indulge in. So this is why I am certain I will get right back on track-- I have too many things going on to allow myself a pity party. I have been on a more or less successful path for the last 2 years-- despite many challenges. I will succeed. Starting yesterday.. and for all days forward. :)

Funky, it sounds like you needed a break. Self-discipline is amazing and has tons of rewards, but a little vacation, a release from it is sometimes needed. Undertaking weight loss and adding exercise all the while coping with health issues is a lot. After this, most everything will look easy-peasy to you.

So yesterday as I was prepping veggies, it occurerd to me that having easily prepared lean protein, aside from frozen shrimp, boiled eggs and tuna salad may be helpful.

I put together lean ground beef, three pounds, with one red onion and a large bunch of Italian parsley into medium sized hamburgers ready for a quick, super satisfying lunch. I make the same burgers with turkey, adding freshly squeezed lemon when serving. I froze all but four patties and will thaw them as needed. Add a simple salad and I have a great main meal.

So yesterday as I was prepping veggies, it occurerd to me that having easily prepared lean protein, aside from frozen shrimp, boiled eggs and tuna salad may be helpful.

Yes, I need this, too. This week while the weather is still pleasant, I plan on grilling chicken and salmon, and freezing leftovers.

I've been out of town the past 5 days. Overall, I ate well while in place. But the driving... I ate a lot of junk. I clocked about 16 hours in the car. But when I returned home yesterday evening, I took a long walk with a friend (felt so good!) and did a quick workout with weights. I'll be back on track this week.

I had just had ENOUGH...

This was me. And what happens when I have had enough? You guessed it, I will eat. During Covid I truly lost my mind and would order Ubereats for anything I wanted pretty much based on a feeling of pity. Unfortunately, it took me a while to get back on track. If I had focused during the 1-2 years of Covid, I could have been at goal.

Apropos of what Funky and Zalco are talking about, (healthy boundaries with food) that's sort of why I put on weight. It wasn't an inability to SET boundaries, it was the incessant effort to maintain the boundaries in an environment where boundary pushing is the norm/constant. It takes energy to maintain boundaries, and depending on the circumstances, some environments push boundaries more than others and some folks have more resistance resources than others.

For example, I was in a job where I had to defend boundaries daily. So I would come home mentally exhausted, seeking some way to distract myself and support myself from the daily exertion, with little energy left over to exert myself maintaining boundaries against unhealthy foods and binging. So something that is not naturally difficult for me, setting reasonable boundaries with food, became something I no longer could rally my limited energy for. It wasn't direct survival related so I let it slide.

Some people are not so lucky as to be able to find an alternative or quick way out of a toxic work or home environment. I know a few teachers and nurses who are suffering a whole host of health challenges including weight gain due to the stress of their jobs, for example. They can't leave due to needing the money for the health care of a loved one, getting a kid through college, or having enough to retire on or a combination of all three.

Another activity that I use to rest my brain by distraction is watching TV, but you are constantly bombarded by commercials DESIGNED to push your boundaries when it comes to food. So I would get hungry and crave the unhealthy foods with natural opiods, (like cheese, for example) or other soothing qualities (the comfort starches and fats).

I am trying to find some type of media I can watch or read that is relaxing (so nothing so banal as to be annoying, but also not violent or conflict ridden) and also without excessive commercials. The TV show "Monk" was perfect for that, it's intriguing without being too fraught with violence and the characters are usually interesting. But I've streamed all of that and then some. I just finished bingeing "Only Murders In The Building." I've tried to binge "Midsomer Murders" but some of them are so violent it defeats the purpose for me. I sometimes like the British garden shows but they also tend to depress me since they remind me of how much yard work I have to do. I have really become super sensitive to anything negative or excessively conflict ridden that includes and element of consistent violence. I don'[t mind intellectual conflict but I have zero tolerance for physical or emotional violence in my entertainment.

I was also too exhausted to cook the fresh foods so started eating out a lot and eating less fresh fruits and vegetables due to cost and time to prep on some of them.

My other stress reliever was walking, and I've already discussed some of the local obstacles to that. Even yesterday I was reminded of that again when I tried to take our dog for a short walk and had to turn back due to a large aggressive dog roaming the neighborhood. I am trying to come up with exercise alternatives for that. At some point I may feel comfortable going back to the nearby gym with treadmills and elipticals, both standing and sitting. Also trying to carve out a quiet exercise/meditation/reading/writing space for myself in the guest bedroom . . . I have an office too, but I can't conquer the clutter in there either . . . At some point I may need to enlist the help of a professional organizer, it's helped me before.

What a great idea, Zalco! I was just thinking this morning how booooooored I am with salads and the limited veggies I can eat. I love my roasted brussels sprout bowls but i can't eat them all week!

I am going to prep some ground beef/onions/parsley loose that I can use for taco salads, soup or meat sauce. I will also do some turkey or chicken burgers! Can't believe I never squeezed lemon over them what a great idea! Flaaaaavor is what keeps me happy with low calorie eating. To that end.. today I will have turkey rolled up with pesto for lunch. I love that I have been keeping pesto in the fridge. I find so many uses for it! I added it to scrambled eggs last night for a wonderful fast & easy "breakfast for dinner". I also tossed leftover grilled shrimp in it for lunch earlier in the week.

I am sad to see summer go-- but fall is my favorite season. I lhave always fallen in love in the fall 💕💕lol -- and I love the deep, rich flavors of fall foods.

Oh and that just inspired me too.. It's going to quite cool Thurs/Friday this week. I will use the Zalco@ prepared ground beef to make a shepherds pie with sweet potato topping!

And yes, Zalco-- I suppose I did need a mini vacay but I sure could have done without the self-indulgent pity and angst!

On my "to do" list is to blend up some herb pastes and freeze them in small containers to have on hand in winter to easily add flavor to various dishes. I made some with wild sorrel and lamb's quarters with olive oil and garlic that was great to pull out and just finished up a cilantro and pumpkin seed one, with lime juice, a touch of cayenne, and garlic. The next one I am going to try is parsley, pistachios and dried cranberries. I might use a raspberry balsamic instead of the cranberries . . . Great alternative to butter with its saturated fat and also a great way to jazz up stuff and still cut the salt.

Oohhhh… those flavor combos sound good, Pink. I’ll be harvesting the remainder of my herbs later this week and will borrow these ideas.

Funky - those are some real challenges, and I'm glad you addressed them to yourself so you can move forward in the way you hope to and feel better. Having so many food limitations has to be be tough. And a good haircut can make all the difference! I totally agree with that. I'm 4 months away from my last one and it's making me sad.

I read a lot about weight loss and even eating right - so much else is in play - sleep, stress, etc. Life can get very challenging and like many of you I have turned to food for comfort many times in the past as well. Even when we know it won't make us feel better in the end, we try it anyway.

I don't love to cook, and I'm pretty lazy about it, so I have also found that having prepared healthy, easy foods available makes a big difference to me. And finding satisfactory substitutions for the foods we are trying to avoid. Foods that are a lifestyle change for some bad habits. For me some of those were zevia soda instead of Diet Coke, grapefruit water with lime as a sub for wine - some times :) Chipotle salad as a sub for my chick fil a when I need a fast food fix. I always double up any recipe so leftovers are readily available.

I also batch roast chicken breasts one day a week so I have available protein ready to go. I have dry roasted nuts as an easy hunger fix. I have a smoothie recipe that fills me up and is full of good fiber. I order the salad mixes prewashed and then add chicken or avocado to make a fast and good meal. The two things that have great health benefits that I don't eat enough of are eggs and greek yogurt. Those are great and easy sources of protein I need to incorporate more.

I might do another ground meat batch this week - taco salads sound good!

I also added a more consistent high quality vitamin routine - b complex and a probiotic. Can't hurt and I think they help my mood and energy.

I was down 1 lb from my lowest this morning-- the first since 9/1. (and there were definitely days when I was up from my lowest). It is a small change but also a small reward for recommitting to better choices and healthier eating.

Last week and this week have been tough and I'm working hard not to let life derail my focus on exercise, healing my digestive system, and losing some weight. I eased up last week on my exercise routine due to feeling sick, but tried to keep exercising daily with whatever my body felt capable of. This meant that I didn't lift weights for just shy of a week, but I picked it back up this morning. I even took a full day off (Sunday) from exercise, which I haven't done for a while. I am struggling some this week with crazy busy work schedule interfering with lap swimming hours, but I'll keep doing whatever I can and know that taking a few easy days isn't going to derail me. I'll just pick back up whenever I can. I've been working on getting some extra sleep and I definitely noticed that it helped me feel better faster. Food-wise I still managed to keep to IF, but I also indulged with several meals out with friends. On a positive note, my weight is still at or maybe a little below my previous goal.

In terms of digestive health, I am mostly keeping up with my new prescribed supplements and avoiding wheat. Last week my digestive system was distressed from whatever was making me sick, but I do feel mostly better now. Interestingly one of the friends I met for dinner (whom I hadn't seen in a few years) was recently diagnosed with celiac. She has had several issues over the last few years (low B & D vitamin levels in blood, infertility, thyroid, and recently early osteoperosis) and after 20 years of trying numerous doctors, she finally found one that diagnosed her with celiac disease. Interestingly, I have been experiencing several of those (low B & D vitamins, thyroid) and it does make me wonder if my gluten intolerance could be celiac disease and I may need to be very serious about no wheat (not even cross contamination). Apparently the celiac blood tests are notorious for returning false negatives, especially since previously I was already pretty limited in my wheat consumptions.

Inspired by @lucillle and her beautiful Clementine, I thought you might like to see my running companion. This is Kona taking a short break in the shade while we're out running.

Kona is such a beautiful dog! My dogs were never good running companions but we loved our long walks!

Sorry your work stress and stomach issues continued last week but glad that you are feeling a bit better and that you were able to spend time with friends, @pricklypearcactus! Good health isn't all diet and exercise-- it's good to take time to enjoy friends and life!

I don't know a lot about celiac disease but it sounds like it is worth looking into.

Sorry I haven't had much time to go through posts this week, but I just wanted to say @JustDoIt congratulations on 40lbs lost! That's fantastic! I hope you feel great. Also congratulations @Funkyart for hitting your lowest weight yet on this journey!

@l pinkmountain I sometimes use ice cub trays to freeze pesto mixture (without parmesan - just oil, basil, nuts). Then once they are frozen, I can put the cubs into a container for storage and just grab a cube or two when I need them. Saves me from having to find a whole bunch of smaller containers.

This week seems like a struggle. The past few weeks have seemed like a struggle honestly. I'm bored of my regular food and my walking route. All my podcasts seem to say the same thing lately, so I need something new to listen to. I'm not wearing my glucose monitor this week and it's weird not having the data to see how I'm doing. I'm trying to be two weeks on, two weeks off so I can transition to eventually not wearing one, but it seems strange not to get that feedback.

I also realized again, that when I am bored, or sad, or just blah, food has kind of been my fun. I turn to it to brighten my mood and that's not a really great thing:)

I decided I should try a personal trainer for the strength training and got two wonderful recommendations. One local I would go to in person, and one I would train with by zoom at my house. Both great options, but I can't seem to commit to either one even for the first trial visit.

In positive news - I got some new bras:) If you've lost a shirt size or more, I highly recommend this! They really do fit better and I look better in clothes. It makes you look like you've lost the weight you lost. Very flattering.

Anyway, writing this out is therapeutic and I know I'm still doing a lot of things right. So, onward I will go! I went to the grocery tonight and got a few new recipe ideas. And the weather is absolutely beautiful fall walking weather. So, I'll find something good to eat and something new to listen to and keep on moving forward.

Oh, I hear you, @legomom23! Boredom is the enemy for sure-- I am absolutely done with salads for awhile! There is no variation that is going to spark me right now.

Maybe you can have some fun with some new ingredients? I ordered some rancho gordo beans to use in soups and such. They havent arrived yet but they definitely inspired me. Of course, it doesn't have to be beans. I saw my local store has white sweet potatoes-- which I love. I am going to make a shepherds pie with them-- but loading up the meat mixture with roasted mushrooms, green beans and peas to add fiber and volume.

This is how I feel this week.. except I was never a beer drinker.

Well I survived my in-person company events. One of them served wine and I was very tempted but just drank water. I did end up doing dinner with a few out of town coworkers and had a glass of wine and found one gluten free vegetarian item on the menu that was probably no where near as healthy as the non-GF vegetarian item I really wanted. Oh well. Yesterday we had the second in-person event and there was only beer or tap water. After 3 hours people were wanting to still hang out but I'd had enough sitting around sipping tap water while everyone around me was getting tipsy and starting to get annoying. Probably better for my health to not be drinking on a Thursday afternoon anyway.

But I am really upset about some changes from my regular swimming place. They were supposed to have hours 10am-2pm until Oct 15 outside in the long 50m pool, at least 4 lanes (often all 8). Well, apparently they do not have enough staff so they're not going to have outdoor lap swimming hours for just the patrons anymore. There will be 2 lanes available during the time when the high school swim team uses the pool 3pm-6pm, which means it will be far too crowded for my comfort. I'm absolutely willing to share a lane, but I am just an amateur and once it's 3+ people in the same lane I just hate it. We all swim different speeds and I end up hurting my neck craning up trying to make sure I'm not running into someone. Plus I can usually disappear around lunch time without anyone being upset, but skipping out early several days a week seems like I'm pushing it. There have been so many people swimming during the hours of 10-2, almost always all lanes full. So the demand is definitely there. It's hard to believe that with our membership fees or daily fees, plus the taxes that pay for the facility that they cannot pay enough to get someone to come hang out by the pool watching people swim. Low stress this time of year. But it's probably tough to find people part-time once school starts up. I may have to switch to indoors which I find very depressing, especially when the weather is perfect. Hard to motivate myself to want to swim inside right now. I worry I will fall off the exercise wagon.

@Funkyart thank you for always being so supportive. Yes, I should try some new ingredients. And get over myself :) I have a fun weekend ahead and a little getaway next week, so hopefully my mood will improve and bring with it a better attitude!

I know some people say they love their exercise time and that they really look forward to it, or they don't even think about it, it's like brushing their teeth. I have never been able to get there with exercise, it's always a chore for me, and I hear ya on the podcasts. I was listening to one that had to do with my profession, but finally instead of being inspiring they started to be depressing because it just added to my feelings of stress about not getting more done. Now I am back to just my Pandora station of bubblegum oldies, which work out great for the rhythm level of exertion that is good for me in exercise.

I think I have reached the point of saturation with Noom. It's not that the Noom resources aren't great, but interacting with my phone is no longer motivating for me, it's just annoying and I hate paying money for something I'm annoyed by and not using. I thought that paying for it would motivate me to stick with it, but that is counterbalanced by the negative and resentful feelings I am starting to have towards its requirements . . . and they are minimal so some of this is just me whining, but logging my weight, exercise, calories and water does not motivate me to keep up with anything anymore.

For a while, logging the calories motivated me to stay within my limits and make good choices, and it still might, but it is a heck of a time-suck, trying to find the right entries that really reflect the calories of what I am eating. I kind of have certain meals memorized as appropriate now, so it did initially get me educated on how much I could realistically eat and stay within my calorie goals, portion sizing, food type selection, etc. For example, I'm not going to give up bread, but I have come to realize that a half a sandwich is the portion size that fits my calorie limit for lunch, if paired with a salad/soup and fruit. Same with figuring out how much protein and salad dressing will be enough but not too much for calories. But I'm not sure I want to constantly give it that much thought. Not never, but not constant either . . .

As you can see, I am in no danger of becoming overly regimented in my food intake . . . although I do find myself having to "just say no" to a lot of what is offered socially out in the community. I don't mind bringing some of my own stuff, but that's not always going to happen. Last night I went to a wonderful reception for all the local community foundation members and groups. and they had an appetizer spread catered by the local vocational school culinary program. I didn't necessarily overeat, but the food was so dang salty I ended up coming home and downing a root beer I had languishing in the fridge just because I was desperately thirsty and calories be darned at that point. I finished off the evening with some unflavored soda water and a couple of glasses of water, but the damage was done. That was not something I had pre-planned for . . .

@legomom23 I don't think you need to "get over yourself" LOL! I just think that following the same plan.. the same patterns (even with 1000 new plant types ..) can get old when we're on it for life/the long haul. Without some excitement and inspiration, it becomes routine and dull.

That said.. I do my best when I am on a pretty set routine. Yawn.

Pink, have you tried 20 minute workouts? I don't enjoy working out as much anymore. I used to enjoy the high I felt lol. Now, with all my aliments, anything over 30 minutes takes a lot out of me. My goals are different as well. Of course looking better would be good but I view that more as an eventual positive side affect. What I really want is to go into older age with balance, good range of motion and reasonable strength. If you don't use it you lose it. I do feel good after twenty minutes of a workout that uses many different muscle groups at the same time. And, I do not look at it as a failure if I have to make modifications. It's ok to slot something in that doesn't hurt but still works the same muscle.

As pathetic as it sounds, my workout timing goal is 15 min. The reason I'm not motivated is because I am so busy and I have to stop doing something else and make time for something that has limited short term benefits for me. Meanwhile I have deadlines for work, family, home, etc. looming . . . but 15 min. is seriously easy to do. But add that in with all the rest--water, food prep and shopping, recording, etc. That's why I think I am going to jettison the recording it all part. Not necessarily going to improve my record with all the rest, but it will free up some time . . .

Eventually I should be doing at least 20 min. cardio and maybe a little yoga stretching before bed to help with my insomnia. I should also do a little resistance or weight training three or four times a week but that would be a very auspicious goal for me at this point. I lost my hand weights and exercise ball in my last move although they are probably in a box I haven't gotten to in unpacking. I do resistance using the top part of my stationary bike for a bit of it. If I don't bend my arms but bend at the waist to push the handlebars, it is a bit of a core workout.

@l pinkmountain there are definitely times where I look forward to exercise. And there are many times that I do not. :) For me it does help having a routine / planned schedule to keep myself to so that I have "no excuses'. (I can always come up with excuses, but if I set myself on a schedule, I can usually make myself go.) I'm really sorry that your neighborhood is so awful for walking because that really does just ruiin things. Nothing ruins a run, walk, hike, or bike like the worry that you're going to be attacked or even just harrassed by a loose dog. Sometimes I also am not motivated to start the exercise, but once I get going I really enjoy it. I think different people also find different types of exercise rewarding. I really enjoy solo activities (or with my dog). A friend of mine will not exercise unless she has a buddy. Some people thrive on classes and other cannot stand that atmosphere.

@just_terrilynn I really identify with the "if you don't use it you lose it" issue. If I go more than a week without doing one of my regular exercise routines, especially weight lifting, it is 10x worse to start up again. And it is 100% ok to do motifications or "just a short workout" for any reason or no reason at any age. Yeah, it's good to push yourself, but if doing more moderate exercise is more sustainable, that's probably better in the long run. Also great reminders to think about balance and flexibility too. I should remember to incorporate more of that into my routine!

Yes, hubs and I used to walk almost every day back when I lived in a walkable neighborhood. And before that I walked by myself all over the place. And I used to walk a lot for work since I worked at an arboretum. Even my friend who is an inveterate walker commented on how unpleasant it was walking in my neighborhood. I love our lot, and there are many lovely homes on lovely lots, but the in-between parts are not very good. I think this is relatively recent as the neighborhood has gone down considerably in the last ten years, along with most neighborhoods in my home town, outside of the lake properties, which have just sky rocketed.

Hubs has taken to driving the dog to a big park on the other side of town, known as the more ritzy neighborhood, and even there he saw homeless people camping out. There is a homeless person apparently now living on the steps of our local library, (It has a portico over the unused back entrance) just below the "Keep Off the Steps" sign . . . sigh. We have homeless shelters and people working on this problem, but it doesn't seem to get better, just worse. We are just off of a major freeway interchange which I think is a big part of it.

It's not that I am "too good" to be around homeless people, quite the opposite but who knows with the mental illness and drug problems that accompany so many, and also, it is just sad to see but I have tried referring folks to the local services but they never follow through. So its sad and depressing.

Ironically, on the flip side, my home is very conveniently located for driving to shopping places and getting on the interstate . . .

I think/hope I will be back at the senior center on the treadmill in the not too distant future . . .

Edited to add as a side note, we used to have a huge state home for mentally challenged children and adults that was the major employer in our town. We were known for the "State Home." Lots of sadness and problems there too, only certain people could leave of their own volition, along with folks really trying to help in that situation as well. It closed and we've gone to a smaller, non-mandatory model for care, but that leaves folks unable to fit into that situation either on the streets or often in jail or prison, which is right back where we started only worse . . . It's one of the most confounding problems of our time. Of course like most problems it's going to take a multi-pronged approach to solve. My uncle was in intractable alcoholic and it made my grandmother so sad. She gave him just enough money to keep him housed, but it was a constant battle to keep a roof over his head because he would drink away any offering of help in any realm.

I absolutely think it is understandable to have concerns about homeless people residing in areas that you might be exercising alone. My brother (a sturdy 6ft tall man in his 30s at the time) was out trail running in our foothills and happened to cross near a homeless man's camp. The man became enraged and came after my brother with a hammer for no reason other than that my brother was running by on the trail with his dog (the dog did not approach the man). Sadly we have what I view as an ongoing mental health crisis that causes people to self-medicate with illegal drugs and as a society we have not found housing solutions that cover everyone. Many of these people are suffering mental health issues, drug or alcohol addiction issues, and are already outside of society enough that they may not abide by the same social rules we do. That is not saying they are not human beings worthy of our help, they absolutely are. But it is also reasonable to be cautious and think about our own safety as well. Just as we can love dogs and love having them as pets and not want to be approached by a strange loose dog and not know how the dog may react. As a runner I am well aware that dogs instinctively chase when they seem me running. It just happened to me earlier this week (when thankfully my dog was home resting up a sore leg). Sometimes it's annoying and other times it has been downright terrifying (multiple dogs at once, pitbulls, etc).

I am back to my usual daily workouts, which was a huge victory for me this week since I had a lot of unexpected travel. I despise working out, but love feeling fit, so I give it my best shot. I try to frame it as conditioning for playing tennis.

PS WRT exercise, Minimum Viable Product is my guiding light.

A bit behind on posting here. We were traveling, then came home for the Celebration of Life for my FIL, He passed last month. A two day event, yesterday and today. Lots of yummy food and visiting relatives. Monday, we are back on another short trip again. Then we plan to be home for the rest of 2022. As much as I love to travel, I am looking forward to being home for the rest of the year.

Glad to see how everyone is faring at this lifelong challenge. Appreciate hearing both of successes and challenges.

What am I working towards - a healthier old age and being comfortable with my body now. Will need to eat better and excercise more to obtain these goals. Also, need to be kinder to myself.

What works for you - Not much at the moment, I have been off the rails. We have been traveling and my heathy eating is not so healthy. Although I have been getting a lot more exercise, so there is a positive. When I am at home, WW helps me stay in control with my eating.

Struggle with - Exercise, especially in summer with the heat. Sweets, I have a sweet tooth. However, I am getting pickier, trying to really think about sweets as I eat them, is this item really worth the energy, what is the payoff. Want to stop indulging in items that are really not worthwhile. Totally understand what @Funkyart said about the chocolate chip cookie, although I do like some chocolate chip cookies:)

Benefits - Feeling better about myself. Clothes fitting better. I was hoping for more energy but even when I have done well with both excercsie and eating nothing changes enegry wise.

Wishing everyone a great week, be kind to yourself and make yourself a priority.

I have the same problem with energy. Exercise and getting sleep doesn't make me more energetic. I think I have built up quite the sleep deficit though. Supposedly exercise helps with sleep too, but so far I'm not seeing it . . .

I take all the energy vitamins and eat lots of protein, etc. so I dunno quite what it is . . . but I totally run out of gas around 8 pm. The worst thing is being exhausted but not being able to sleep. Last night I did pretty good, took a melatonin, expecting it to take a while to kick in, was watching TV on the couch in the family room, and the next thing you know it's the middle of the night. Hubs turning off the tv and saying he was going to bed didn't even register. Luckily I went to bed and was able to fall right back asleep.

Pink, you don't have to answer this personal question but are you going through menopause? I started in my later forties. It didn't dawn on me that I could be going through menopause at such a young age. My sleep was horrible. Lunesta got me through those times, hated Ambein. My whole outlook on life changed once I got some sleep.