No change in my weight this past week -- but the week prior I lost 3lb so I shouldn't be greedy lol. I have been experiencing some inflammation ... mild back and tummy stiffness and ache.. I am pretty sure I know the culprit(s)? 1. I still haven't kicked the diet pepsi thing .. 2. I am eating more meat. I am going to pull back on both.

I don't really understand why but I have been craving cabbage lately. I usually think a craving indicates something I am missing from my diet but cabbage is a lot of water... it is a good source of vit C and K and supposedly helps with inflammation so I'll have to add it into my plans for the week.

How are you all doing?

It's been a good two weeks for me. I'm in a good food groove and have managed to stay alcohol free so far. Two weekends down. Like I said in the other thread- I had non alcoholic rose this weekend. It was a little vinegary, but I added in some ice and a little sparkling water and it hit the spot. I have seen a small increase in weight loss rate these last two weeks, but no other life changing results. Sleep is off and on, some nights better than others. I didn't start on magnesium but am going to order some magnesium spray. I'm sick of vitamins and just can't seem to make myself do them again in the evening.

I'm sticking with the protein goals. I really find it satiating and although I don't count calories, I'm just not hungry so I'm sure there is some decrease. @Funkyart - my nutritonist told me if I was having a hard time with the added protein and meat to add Apple Cider Vinegar before I ate. The extra acid seems to help the digestive enzymes do their job. It's also supposed to help with higher carb meals and glucose control. That said, it wasn't a habit I could get into, so I have no personal experience.

I'm keeping a list of my daily health goals and plant product list and that's pretty rewarding to mark off and see at the end of the week. My resistance/weight training is going well and I was pretty steady with the jump roping this week. Going to try to up my total jumps this week.

The weather here is pretty sad, so I haven't gotten outside every day. But when I can, I have gone for a short morning walk. That really does help my mood and my daily glucose levels.

@Funkyart - There is a little controvery lately with stevia, but I have found once I got used to it Zevia was a good change for my morning Diet Coke. I just couldn't go to water and I don't drink coffee. For me, it was a good enough switch. Hopefully I won't have to stop it too. Life is too short not to have my morning fizz :)

So i have dropped a few pounds this week by not feeling well. DH and I have had the cough, etc thats going around. We have spent a lot of time in bed and just haven't had an appetite. I've been too weak to work out, hopefully in a few days I can. I've tried to get through to DH that he has been eating enough to meet his bodies needs, you don't need to eat bunches of food. I think I have fallen on deaf ears though.

Hope everyone has a good week. The sun is shining here!

Funky, I always have red (purple, actually) cabbage on hand, because I enjoy the taste and it keeps well. This past week, I roasted it on a sheet pan with some chicken and broccoli. It was really good! I also like it raw, and regularly add it to salads, etc. It's a good craving to have.

RN, hope you and DH are feeling better soon.

Lego, I'm sick of vitamins, too. I usually take collagen supplements that are like horse pills. But recently, I found a powdered collagen that also has protein, so I'm trying it out. I'm just not in the mode of taking powders so I'll have to form this habit.

Last week, I got in 2 days of strength training, and it felt really good. I'm going for more this week. The weather has been tolerable, and my friend and I walked a lot last week. One day, we covered 6 miles at a brisk pace. It helps to have active friends for motivation.

This thread helps for motivation, too! Thanks for continuing it, Funky. Have a good week, everyone.

Things are going well. I even upped my fiber a bit this week. I got some cherry tomatoes and I was having those with breakfast for extra vegetables and fiber. I’m trying to break into the next ”decade” so I feel pretty motivated.

We finally exchanged our Christmas gifts yesterday with MIL, and DH got some some extra Pilates sessions, so that is good to add those on to the package I have. I’ve done Zumba this weekend. Yesterday was pretty cold and windy outside. I’m rarely cold even though I wear long tights, a quarter zip with sleeves with the thumb cuts, a fleece vest and a hat. We rarely have wind here, but my rear end was certainly cold, lol. Usually after the warmup and one song, I am good to go.

Ha Feathers, I know that purple cabbage is cabbage but I never cook it. I use it exclusively in salads. I may need to change that. I really like baby bok choy too--- well ok, I like all in the cabbage family, really.

@RNmomof2 zone 5 hope you and your DH are feeling better soon. There are a lot of bugs going around this year.

GS glad you are finding ways to add fiber -- those little tomatoes are so easy to add to any meal or snack. We're about the same age -- I turn 59 in April. I feel good about the improvements I will carry forward. The best gift we could give ourselves!

Legomom, I could try Zevia .. I use stevia sometimes... I just think I may need to go cold turkey instead of taking baby steps to wean myself off of the sodas. I do drink coffee so it isn't like I need the caffeine .. in fact, I am also having sleep issues that I am sure are related to the diet pepsi. I'll get there.

I am having a bowl of this Stuffed Cabbage Soup Recipe | EatingWell for a late lunch (or "Linner"?) .. it's pretty good but I made a few tweaks to the recipe..

• I added garlic powder .. and next time fresh chopped garlic
• Replaced tomato sauce with diced tomatoes and tomato juice (16 oz). Next time I'll add more of both and maybe even whole tomatoes crushed in my hand.
• I used the brown rice as called for .. and it is nice but not sure I need it.

I have made big steps forward in drinking both water and tomato juice vs diet pepsi today. It's going well but I just have to say that tomato juice just isn't the same without vodka! ;) I did serve in a pretty glass and added pepper, celery seed and a couple of celery stalks. That helped ... but not as much as vodka would have ;)

Cabbage is something that never makes it onto my plant product list, so I should definitely make that soup. It looks good. Thanks for the tips for cooking.

I hear you on the vodka. Today was a yucky work day, and the January blahs has really hit hard lately. I read that today is the most common day to stop with New Years Resolutions, which I can totally see. All I wanted when I finished work was a glass of wine! But, I got myself one of my mocktails instead. It helps that it is nothing like wine. Sometimes when it's close, but not quite, it's almost worse.

@legomom23 i really enjoyed the cabbage -- the soup could have used more flavor but it did let the cabbage shine.

I am finding that while trying to focus more on protein, I am not eating as many vegetables. It's like my focus on improving one area compromises the big picture. I should be able to do both but with smaller and fewer meals, it's just a challenge for me to hit all the checkboxes. I feel best when I am eating lots of vegetables and I don't want to lose sight of that. I tend not to stick to a menu plan but I may try it this coming week. I just need to commit to it no matter my mood or schedule.

I haven't weighed the past few days -- I guess I feel like I am coasting through the month. January is often a quiet hibernation month for me. I need to spark my fire!

I have a head of cabbage sitting in the fridge so will try that soup recipe soon!

Gymnastics season is not conducive to healthy living. Also, DH is a bad influence. Dry January seems to apply to us only Sun-Fri and is ignored on meet days. Because we need a drink after tensely watching gymnastics for 2-3 hours. And today we are headed to a meet in New Haven, so we HAVE to get pizza.

But I did go to a social gathering the other night and drank only tea!

Long covid is still rearing its ugly head periodically and I am currently in another slump. Fatigue, joint pain, the blahs. So serious exercise is off the table for now. The last time I felt really good was several weeks ago, when I did several peloton rides followed by strength training, as well as a couple of outdoor walks…can’t help but wonder if that’s what set me back, which is just kinda depressing. I do have a dr appt at the end of the month partly to talk about LC and also about a pain I’ve been having along the side of my foot.

Me: 👵🏻.

This week has been a little blah for me in terms of successfully focusing on my goals. I've been really slammed at work and missed a few cardio days and had to shorten a few of my weight lifting sessions. On the eaitng front I'm doing ok, but not great in terms of reducing calories to drop my few extra holiday pounds. I'm still where I was last week. I will keep trying to do better. It really helps reading all of your successes and challenges. Thanks.

@Funkyart I think you can't go wrong with vegetables! I think when you eat what makes you feel good and you believe is good for you, that's a win-win. I do feel like protein is satiating for me, and because I don't really eat grains, it's pretty easy to fit in. Some people recommend a lot more than I can comfortably eat. I personally just don't feel comfortable getting those numbers if the protein is rom supplements or protein powders. That's just a me thing, I have no basis for that! I listen to a lot of vegan podcasts, so I stay wary of the the animal protein thing, while still trying to eat enough. It's hard to know if you're doing the right thing.

It's been ok here. I am doing well with #dryJanuary and although I don't feel like it's a big life changing improvement, one of my sleep trackers did tell me I had the best 5 day sleep run since I've been tracking ( about 4 years with that app) . And this week I had the longest deep sleep recorded on the other app since I started using it in November. So, that's probably not a coincidence. I was pretty confident it was going to speed up my weight loss, but that hasn't been the case so far.

Jumping rope is hard, and I have to say I don't look forward to it like my other exercises, but I am going to try to stick with it a few days a week, not every day like I had planned. We had two pretty days this week where I was able to get my long walk in. I am really looking forward to some better weather.

I do feel like I am getting stronger and can see some improvements in my core and back strength and posture so I am happy about that. That is a big goal of mine and it is helping me work towards getting off the floor better.

I ordered some new clothes and returned most of them, kind of sad I wasn't able to wear the smaller size I ordered. I don't know why that bothers me. I heard someone say - get the clothes for how they fit, no one seeing you knows what size you bought. But, I was really hoping I was down another size :)

So, let's try this again - I need to be more positive with myself - I had a great week! - I didn't drink, I had the best sleep in months, I did two great strength workouts and got off the floor from a lying down position holding a kettle ball - and I bought a new pair of smaller size jeans. There, that's better!

@Sueb20 _ have fun traveling! I have read about long covid and not overdoing it until you are truly healed. It sounds like you really have to listen to your body. I hope you get to feeling better.

@pricklypearcactus - I had a busier than normal workweek this week too - work really gets in the way :)

I'm sorry you're having trouble with LC, Sueb.

This week is good. I met my fiber goal a few days this week, so I'm really happy about that. I have an RD appointment with the weight management group at the hospital on Tuesday so I will ask the elusive to get more fiber will limiting carbs and getting adequate protein.

Loved my Pilates lesson this week! This has been a really energizing experience.

Sue so sorry that you are taken over by long covid! I hope it gets kicked to the curb soon. I was kind of worried about DH as he had a very bad flu and that had him down for a while and then over Christmas we got covid .. He has recovered luckily but feels a little under the weather still. Mostly just tired. Thank goodness the horrible joint pains have left him alone now.

For myself I have just started back exercising. I was told to wait for 10 days and so did so. The week went well and I don't seem to have any problems exercising. I did end up waiting as advised here because I had some dizziness that persisted a few days after I was covid free.

I hope everyone does well with your goals this week and ongoing. It truly is very helpful to read your health and exercise journeys.

@Sueb20 I hope you are feeling back to normal soon. LC is no joke!

I have had pretty bad joint pain and general muscle lethargy the last few weeks. I don't think mine is due to LC as I had a very mild case? I swear, I feel like an old, frail lady some days the thought and process of standing up after sitting for awhile. It isn't just my legs, hips, etc ... my hands have been very achy. I am blaming it on the weather -- we've had very warm days (almost in the 60s) and some very cold days comparatively. My joints have always been an issue-- and I have had bursitus since I was very young (8 yo)... but it reminds me that the best way to combat the joint issues is to build up my muscle.

@pricklypearcactus and @legomom23 sorry to hear work has been a little crazy-- a bad week can definitely influence how I feel about myself and my progress and eat away at my focus. I was glad to see you "restart" your summary of the week, Legomom! So often it takes just a little shift in perspective for me to regain my positive outlook and momentum! I hope the coming week treats you better and brings you continued success!

@gsciencechick and @yeonassky your enthusiasm with exercising are inspiring -- way to go! Glad to hear you are doing so much better increasing the fiber too, GS!

I will be making another pot of soup this morning (if I ever get off my butt)-- having a good soup at the ready makes it so very easy for me to stay on track. I say this over and over but then there are some weeks that I go 3-4 days without. I think my attempts to add more protein took me away from the soups-- and I think you are right, Legomom, we need to listen to our bodies. I FEEL better without so much meat and I enjoy the soups. I still want to add more of a variety of vegetables though. My favorite soups lately haven't had much of a variety (I will need to add Sue's Eating Well Veggie and Pesto soup to the rotation!)

I swear by turmeric for joint pain and inflammation.

Funky, cabbage soup is still on my list to make.

Legomom--enjoy the new jeans! Congratulations!

Thanks, everyone, for sharing your updates and progress, as well as your challenges. I find all of you inspiration and reassuring.

Re: protein, I'm adding more to my meals. I made a ground beef Asian salad that was linked on another thread, and it was very good. But there's only so much meat I can eat--as I get older, it doesn't sit well with me. I take collagen capsules, but found a powder that has protein, so I'm switching to powder. And I hate powders! But I'm doing it.