Sorry for posting so late today -- it's just a reflection of where I am. I am not so sick anymore but my energy is low and I am just not getting to the things I need/want to.

I haven't been all that focused on my eating but I don't think that it has undone anything-- I am just not *focused* on my meals or eating.

I expect to get back to it this coming week as my energy and health improve. I have a grocery order full of veggies ready to submit-- but I am waiting until I actually feel like I'll use them.

Hope you all are doing well and that you had a great weekend!

Hi, Funky and everyone else. Sorry you are sill feeling under the weather/low energy. I had final exams then went out of town for a funeral for a good friend’s mother. I was also able to see my sister. This week was huge with eating challenges like a brunch, finals, sister’s, DH’s and MIL’s birthdays, but I did prettywell overall. I did track everyhting. I did have desserts but otherwise did not give in to snacking and was minful of protein, carbs, fat, and fiber.

I was listenign to the Dr. Danielle Bellardo podcast on the plane (Wellness Fact vs. Fiction) and she was saying she gets 60 g of fiber per day. She is vegan, but still, I struggle to get 20 and rarely get 25. She and the physician on the episode talked about seitan and textured vegetable protein.

It was awesome to be able to do Zumba in person in the studio and then I had the Pilates lesson the other day. I think I posted that before I left. I was only a little sore, so that was good. I’ll be back on Wednesday. I still have to do final grading.

Funky, I am so sorry you have been under the weather. This is a hard time of year to be low energy. It sounds like you are on the men. I hope you are all better soon.

gsciencechick, That is a lot of fiber! I eat a ton of fruits, veggies and seeds and don't think I reach that number. Do you think it comes from adding fiber through supplements, or sprinkling bran on stuff?

As for me, I have not gained any weight. I am exercising, and strengthening my arms, core and quads, so it's a win still.

I am sure you all have sources for finding good high fiber foods -- but this thread sparked me to revisit foods high in fiber. All the usual suspects were there, of course (beans, lentils, apples, etc) -- but there were a few surprises for me.

Raspberries - 1 c = 8g fiber

Pears - 1 med = 5.5 g fiber

Split Peas - 1 c = 16 g fiber

So that makes two of my favorite, easy prep meals great unexpectedly great sources of fiber..

• steel cut oats or Bob's Red Mill Oatmeal w Chia Seeds + almonds/pecans + raspberries.
• Split pea soup w/barley

Also, I do not completely avoid bread and other starchy carbs-- in fact, I have learned that my body NEEDS the water-soluble fiber from these sources. I don't eat them daily but I do try to make sure that they pack a big punch of fiber and protein when I do eat them. I happen to be an oddball who loves all-bran cereal.. even better when I load it up with apples and raspberries! Dave's Killer bread is great choice-- 5 g of fiber and 5 g of protein in each slice ... also bionaturae whole wheat pasta (which I think is the best ww!)with 5 g of fiber and 6 g of protein.

I hate to be that person always looking up nutritional values-- but I definitely think it helps to have some good meal options in your back pocket! It also helps to know those fruits and veggies that you can add to meal to give a fiber boost!

Hello everyone! @Funkyart I hope you continue to feel better. It is a hard time of the year to not feel your best. There can be so much to do. '

@gsciencechick - that's a lot of fiber! I guess as a vegan it might add up faster. If I'm really trying I can get to 35-40 but that's chia, flax, or basil seeds and berries in my smoothie, a bean and veggie soup, and lots of veggies in a big salad. I have a bar I eat called Papa Steve's no junk bar that has a lot of fiber, I think 16 grams. If I do all of that in one day, maybe I could get that high. My issue is a lot of fiber comes with carbs, and I can only do so much at one time without a spike. But, no one seems to disagree that fiber is great for you, so it's a great focus.

I had my health coach meeting this week, which ended up being a lot like a therapy session. I'm really getting in my head about all this contradictory nutrition and weight loss advice. So, we are going back to the basics. Walk 10,000 steps a day, resistance training 3-4 times a week and do my best to control glucose spikes with the healthiest food choice available to me at that time. I started rationalizing food as their macros, instead of the overall health benefit (in my mind) No one can seem to agree on a lot of things, but for me, if I believe I'm doing the right thing, then it's a lot easier to do. But once you go down the rabbit hole, there are a lot of opinions on what is healthy. And it can make a girl crazy!

@Zalco/bring back Sophie! - those are parts I am trying to strengthen. I can see some improvememts already, and that is making it a lot easier to stick with it. I have found some exercises I enjoy doing, put my dumbells in front of the TV, and just go. I'm very happy to have become mostly consistent with that.

Hope everyone has a great week ahead!

I typed up a list of high fiber foods and taped it to the inside of a kitchen cabinet door!

Thanks for continuing this, Funky!

Since recovering from the flu around Thanksgiving, my motivation to exercise has been low. I can feel it, too--my energy levels and sleep quality are impacted when I don't exercise.

My eating has been fine. I got lazy and made popcorn for dinner last night, but now you all have reinforced it as a good decision for its fiber content. Thank you, collaborators!

Speaking of reinforcement, one of my closest friends is a great influence on my health--she's active and we share tips/strategies. Lately, we've been discussing the challenges during this holiday season, especially with the stress, entertaining, being around foods that we normally wouldn't eat, and the dreary, gray weather here. So, we've started sharing some funny memes to lighten the mood, and remind ourselves this is only temporary. And it's OK not to be perfect.

(Legomom, thank you for the reminder to make a giant pot of vegetable soup this week!)

Hummus, my new fave snack, 15g fiber per 1 cup.

I have been taking walkies every day with Clementine, she has a lot of energy. (There is a little fenced area in back of the apartments where she can run around, she got the zoomies yesterday and actually inadvertently knocked me down, I think I am going to get one of those portable travel chairs and sit next to the fence where she can't do that).

I have not been making an effort to decrease calories but I have lost 3 lbs. in the last few weeks and I think it is all that walking must be building up leg muscle which might be using more calories?

Struggling to balance a very busy quarterly planning week at work, constant snow requiring lots of shoveling and snow-blowing, and exercise. Most days I'm getting at least my cardio in, though I'm having to adapt due to the snow and do indoor cycling or use my treadclimber. But I missed a few days. And weight lifting time sometimes is getting repurposed for snow removal.

In terms of eating I'm still doing IF but feeling a little frustrated that I'm hovering just a little above the goal weight I hit and not having much luck dropping the pound or two that crept back on. At least it's not going up from there. None of my new clothes are tight, so I'm just trying to keep consistent with weighing in regularly and keeping up with IF.

Doing final grading this week but I’ve stayed on track. I’m back down to what I was before I left.

Doing OK on the targets other than fiber remains around 20 g.

Had the Pilates lesson again on Wednesday, so I really liked the things we did.

Great work everyone-- especially those who have seen losses in the last few weeks! My revised goal is to hold steady as I continue to recover from being sick for 2 weeks and as Christmas approaches. I wish I had it in me to do a push for extra losses before the end of the year but for this next week, this is the approach that is most realistic/least stressful for me.

I am at the end of a semi hectic work week-- the early part of the week, i was still pretty low energy after being sick. I am doing much better but trying to do holiday prep, work all while trying to spend some quality time with family! Tomorrow I have a day planned with my 7 great nephew and his mom/my niece #2! I made plans to have breakfast at a place that will delight him and also provide many healthy options for me. The other night I went out shopping and to dinner with niece #4 and had ONE piece of a wonderful wood fired pizza. Making the best choices I can where I am works for me for now. Just trying to keep my home meals simple and very healthy, low calorie...

@JustDoIt I used to be all about the scales too-- and i am sure I will be again but I stopped weighing when I was sick and haven't picked it up again yet. I feel like I am holding steady.. no great losses but no real gains either. I'll return to the scale and the numbers after Christmas.

Hope everyone is doing well! I know the holidays can be stressful and/or sad ... I hope that we're all getting plenty of joy and magic along the way!

My basic goal for the next couple of weeks is to eat lightly around the bigger meals/events (so, if I’m having dinner out today, my breakfast and lunch will be light), exercise daily, and keep an eye on increasing fiber. I have definitely seen that eating more fiber decreases my cravings for sugar and other junk.