I am super motivated by my weightloss last week-- the first *real* losses since Sept/October. I am really focused on keeping the trend going which will include a step up in exercise and continuing good eating habits.

I am in the process of making food for my nephew who will be staying with my mother/sister for a week. He has Stage 5 Kidney disease and his diet is extremely limited. I am making chicken and salad dressing this morning. And because I have a billion lemons, I am also making a green bean salad to which we can add shrimp or chicken. All will do double duty -- low sodium, potassium and phosphates for nephew and good lean meals for me.

I will be working from 5am-2pm all week so that I can spend some time with my nephew, cook an evening meal and just give my mom a break when needed. I think reverting back to my earlier schedule will be good. I have been staying up much later the last 2 months and that just increases the opportunity for boredom or craving snacks after my "eating window" closes.

I am looking forward to a very healthy week! How is your week kicking off?

We took the family skiing over the holidays and I put on several pounds there which pi**ed me off. In reality I think it was just fluid shifts from restaurant salty seasoned foods. I tried to make healthy choices but more blood sugar related than calories. Thankfully those extra pounds have come back off with a few days of a "normal" diet.

I have been working out again but have to watch stressing knees/back. My old Fitbit quit working so I got a new one. Maybe it will help to motivate me.

I have also been buying the packaged salad mixes and really enjoying them. They are such an easy way to make a salad and let's face it, they taste better with a lot of different things added. Sam's has them the cheapest I have found but it's not really about the cost.

Here's to a good week for us all.

Funky, what a wonderful aunt/sister/daughter you are! Best wishes to your nephew.

Gscience, I've been working on my calendar for this week, too. My schedule is getting back to "normal," which is both good and bad. I need structure, but it also means more planning for meals and exercise.

RNmom, yes, it's just the salty restaurant food. There's a clear cause/effect there with me, too.

My cardio has been good throughout the holidays, but I want to begin focusing again on strength training. This week, I will ease back into them with a planned workout with weights on 3 days. I haven't gained any weight the past month, but I've lost muscle. I can feel it, and I don't like it. Time to get back at it.

I have exercised consistently this past week, 3 peloton workouts (cycling plus weights) and walking on the other days. Yesterday I wasn’t feeling great early in the day but I forced myself to at least walk to the library to drop something off, which was a little over a mile so I got off my butt briefly.

I was making ”soft foods” for DS which included cinnamon rolls one day. I ate one, he ate a few and didn’t take the rest when he left yesterday. I eyed them this morning and then chucked them in the trash can. He left the popsicles and italian ice I had gotten but they don’t tempt me at all. I will probably offer them to my neighbor’s kids, who also inherited the ice cream DS couldn’t eat.

This week we will start our final season of traveling to gymnastics meets every weekend, which always challenges our healthy eating! Overnights in air bnbs, where I am not inclined to cook, means more restaurant meals. And we are mostly going to cold places (upstate NY in February, yay) so long walks outside are not always in the cards. We’ll do the best we can. DD is almost done with gymnastics after 15 years, hard to believe. Praying she has a great season and stays healthy. But I digress!

We have one dinner out this week, and no real socializing planned, so should be a good week to stay on track and I have no excuses not to exercise both indoors and out, since the weather is going to be pretty mild.

Oh my .. I swear you were just looking at colleges for DD last month! Sending good wishes for her final season!

Everyone is off to such a great start!

@Funkyart - glad you saw a swoosh! That's rewarding and definitely helps with the motivation.

@RNmomof2 zone 5 - definitely the salt or just general inflammation. Glad it came back off so quickly.

@Feathers11 - I am trying to get into the strength training. I think I am finally finding a routine I like. It's finally starting to feel like I'm getting somewhere.

@Sueb20 - traveling makes it hard for sure. Good luck to your daughter!

@gsciencechick - I hear you on the sacrifices. I hope you find good substitute foods that make you happy! It will be worth it, but I hope you're not too hard on yourself in the mean time. There are lots of yummy good for your foods out there, and I think 90/10 or 80/20 is still really healthy. I am jealous of your pilates!

I had a good week all in all. Met my plant product goal, found some resistance/weight exercises I like. Did my routine this morning and I did feel a "tad" stronger in the getting off the floor routine I am trying. Progress is progress!

Most importantly for me, I made it through the first week of DryJanuary alcohol free :) I think it helped with my sleep, but my watch says I'm still not getting enough deep sleep. I am going to try to add magnesium into my bedtime routine for a few weeks and see if that helps.

I also started jump roping. Wow, that's a learning curve for sure! But I like that it's easily trackable and small increases will be easy to make to see progress. It's a good indoor activity to add to my routine.

Hoping to get outside more this week. I keep reading how important morning sun is to circadian rhythm and sleep, but man I am not a morning person and can't seem to make myself do it yet.

Hoping to meal prep tonight with some more protein. Last week I ran out of all my favorite easy sources and think I ran a little shy of my goals. I am definitely hungrier when I don't meet my goals, and crave sugar and carbs.

Saw this article that did have some good tips -

Ways to Get More Protein

Legomom, DH and I both take magnesium and it doesn’t affect me, but it gives him bizarre and vivid dreams every night! Not nightmares, but just weird dreams that he always remembers in the morning.

@legomom23 i suspect you will see a quick rise in your jump rope skills -- unlike the hula loop lol which I am STILL not getting going well. I have to believe even my failed attempts count as movement though!

I started adding walnuts to salads and side dishes for the extra magnesium. I have fallen off that some in the last few months, I'll have to get back to it. I especially love walnuts with spinach and parmesan -- salad, pasta, whatever. Probably not for everyone, but i used to make a meatloaf with walnut, spinach and parmesan ... I know it sounds a little crazy but it adds moisture to lean meats and I really enjoyed the flavor. I need to make one again soon.

Do you believe I've never cooked a sheet pan dinner??? I will grill the equivalent but never made one in the oven ... a friend sent this recipe and I think I'll give it a try later this week.

Sheet Pan Suppers: Garlic Shrimp Recipe | The Beachbody Blog (beachbodyondemand.com)

Sheet pan dinners are a staple here. Just had one last night. I wasn’t feeling great so I took a shortcut with a prepackaged assortment of cut-up veggies from the market (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus) and chicken sausage. DH is still learning the ropes in the kitchen so SPD are perfect when it’s his turn to cook.

I have not tried shrimp in any of our SPD concoctions and have now saved that recipe! Looks yummy.

I’ve also never done a SPD! This looks great espeically since it’s got some fiber, high protein, but I do not like garlic. If you have others you can suggest, that’s good.

Pilates was great yesterday. I feel my balance and control has improved.

I love garlic but I am sure you can remove it, GS! I suspect the key is the right combo of veggies and protein so that the cooking time works for both. I haven't tried it yet ... I havent eaten at home for a few nights ... but definitely in the next day or two.

I have been doing fairly well with eating, exercise and activity has been down a bit this week mostly because of my schedule/other priorities but I things will settle down after Friday. I am feeling bloated and sluggish this morning-- probably because of the lack of exercise. Minimal as it is, it makes a difference!

Gscience, no need for a specific recipe, just cut up a bunch of veggies and meat (or no meat), add some olive oil (I use my hands to kind of massage the oil in!) and whatever seasonings you like, and bake for maybe 20 min or so. We have experimented with all sorts of stuff and it always comes out good. Brussels, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots all work well. Chicken (cut into smallish pieces) or chicken sausage (cut up) are usually what we add for meat.

I need portion control and exercise. It's 21F, snowed yesterday...so I'm going to get on the treadmill. Watching Kelly & Ryan...Price Is Right...should keep me going. Tomorrow, hubby wants to do 5 miles in the park. My new wireless ear buds will work with each of us using "one". A new toy...and the park is always gorgeous. The running trail is always clear. I look forward to it.

This past week I have refocused on my health goals and am getting back into my regular exercise and eating routine. I am still up a few pounds from the holidays and I'd like to work on that. I have been swimming, running, biking, and lifting weights. My sinuses are finally better so that's helping too. I am struggling a bit with energy levels when I'm exercising, though I'm not certain exactly why. On the eating front I'm trying to be more mindful about real hunger vs boredom/mouth hunger. I am continuing IF, cycled in a 36hr fast this week. One thing I notice is that my skin looks amazing after a fast. Some of my reasoning for doing fasting is the autophagy/healing component (beyond caloric intake reduction) so it's kind of nice to see something come of that (at least in my eyes even if no one else can see it). Also in the summer I kept myself quite busy with yard work and projects and I've been feeling a little bored so I'm tackling some indoor projects like tediously steam cleaning every single grout joint in the miles of tile in my house. It's not really exercise, but it's still activity and I think it's good for me to keep occupied and feeling like I'm accomplishing things outside of my career.

On the sheet pan front, I do sheet pan veggies all the time and sometimes full sheet pan meals. For super simple, I chop up veggies (commonly brussel sprouts, cauliflower, red onion, broccoli, sometimes delicata squash or sweet potato, bell peppers, green beans) and toss with olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for around 20 minutes at 400-415. I frequently do sheet pan Tandoori tofu and vegetables from this website, but it looks like they have a whole page of 25 sheet pan meals. Thought others might enjoy some of these too.

https://www.feastingathome.com/10-sheet-pan-dinners-to-make-life-simple/

I recently ordered some dried guajillo chiles online because I really want to make this pinto posole and I couldn't find them at my local grocery store. Lately I've really been feeling soups and brothy recipe for warmth in the chilly winter. I haven't made this yet, but I'm looking forward to making it in the near future.

https://cookieandkate.com/pinto-posole-recipe/

@nicole___ I'm very jealous of a clear running trail. That sounds lovely! My husband doesn't like to run with me, but when we take walks together we share a single pair of earbuds too. I love it.

@Funkyart you're so thoughtful in taking care of your nephew. What a wonderful aunt.

@RNmomof2 zone 5 skiing is such great exercise! That's wonderful to have done a ski trip. I'm impressed that you've been able to shed the few holiday pounds already. Well done!

@Sueb20 and @gsciencechick great job keeping up with the exercise! I think it' so great for our health to keep ourselves moving. Strength, flexibility, cardio vascular health. All of it!

I'm really impressed with how well everyone is taking care of themselves individually. Love feeling motivated by this group. Thanks!

So glad you are feeling better, Pricklypear -- I am sure that makes everything else easier.

I was just thinking to myself that I am back to enjoying the basic salads that were feeling so boring a few months ago-- that has really helped me to stay on track on busier days. I have been getting some great tomatoes (at wegmans) and i think that's helped a lot. They are pricy -- but I use them not only on salads but also as a side to an omelet or scrambled eggs.

For anyone near a wegman's, the Orange Poppers are my favorite but i usually get both them and the flavor bombs. For delivery (higher cost), they are almost $7 for 12 oz so definitely a splurge.

I have all the ingredients for the shrimp/zucchini SPD now so planning to give that a go tomorrow.

I also ordered tomato vinegar -- seems the shipping is delayed but I am excited to make some fresh new salad dressings when it arrives!

Anything sparking your healthy eating this month?

This is kinda lame but one thing that has kept us going is keeping a big supply of seltzer on hand at all times. Our favorite is the La Croix lemoncello flavor. It is sooo good. We like Spindrift, too. We have a middle drawer in our fridge that is the perfect height for cans. It is packed full of seltzer at all times!

Occasionally, vodka is added. 😎 But not during Dry January!

Tea, too. I have become a tea hoarder. When I think I’m hungry, I try to have a cup of flavored/herbal tea to see if that cures me.

So many things - like @Sueb20 lots of seltzer water. I also have some N/A beer that hits the spot sometimes. And the other day I had some dealcoholized rose. It's not winning any wine awards, but surprisingly it worked for me.

Food wise - my go to lately has been Aldi. They have the highest quality protein around here. My breakfast go to has become sliced and fried organic chicken sausages. They also have organic sliced turkey lunch meat that makes an easy snack. The other day I had organic grass fed prepared meatballs from there for an easy dinner. I've been concentrating on the protein, so these finds have been really helpful.

Our local health food store has the best dry roasted garlic and herb cashews that really fill the salty crunchy cravings I have a lot.

I am about to post the new thread for this week but wanted to respond to a few things above first ..

I tend not to do seltzer unless I am making a cocktail ... for me, seltzer bubbles are a gateway to soda (which I still haven't kicked, darn it!). I DO enjoy it and almost always have La Croix around (though not the limoncello-- will have to try it!)

I have also been a little more focused on protein, Legomom -- but boy did i have a disappointing steak last night. It was so bad that I almost called the store! It was not cheap and I bought 2 of them (one is in the freezer). I think I will need to stick with grass fed ... but it's over $35/lb! I don't eat a lot of steak so I guess I look at it as a splurge calorically and financially. If I only have it every few weeks or months, I surely want to enjoy it!

I don't shop at Aldi's often-- I have liked their produce and the prices-- but since I have groceries delivered, I have a hard time meeting the min purchase price without buying junk I should be avoiding -- but I haven't really shopped there for meat. That would make the difference.

Ack this thread reminded me that I didn't take the shrimp out of the freezer! I wanted to mloake the Garlic Shrimp and Zucchini SPD tonight. I guess it may still thaw in time but I am off tomorrow so may just leave it for then. I am also making a pot of mushroom wild rice soup (can't get enough of this) so it works out pretty well.

I have shared the links before.. but inserting below in case someone is interested:

Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup - Iowa Girl Eats (I make it without the milk and flour)

Sheet Pan Suppers: Garlic Shrimp Recipe | The Beachbody Blog (beachbodyondemand.com)

Other proteins I have been enjoying are chicken meatballs and spinach stuffed chicken breasts -- both my own recipes but there are plenty on the internet. For the stuffed chicken breasts, I saute spinach (stems removed), shallots and garlic in EVOO. Let it cool a bit and add fresh shredded parmesan (prepackaged works well too if that's what you have). Pound the breasts until pretty thin and then layer with spinach mixture and roll (I don't secure but you could with a toothpick). Then I roll in the "shakey" cheese.. green can parmesan. Not sure why it works best here but it does. Bake at 350 deg ... sorry, can't tell you how long but until it starts to look golden (it doesn't get dark). Doesn't take long-- maybe 20-25 min?

The more spinach stuffing the better! You can serve with tomato sauce but I usually skip it.. and serve with steamed green beans with garlic and lemon.

Will post this week's thread soon!