I am down a few pounds but it is definitely not a consistent trend or routine. Ive been a hot mess ... got through diverticulitus and now I have conjunctivitis in my left eye. I haven't had it diagnosed but it's pretty clear -- I don't think it is pink eye as I haven't been out in public in a week so i suspect it is from an irritation or allergy. I have been miserable the last two days-- kind of ridiculous as I have been through 2 eye surgeries.. with a knife vs laser .. so why am I being a baby now? LOL.. oh I had pain meds after surgery! I can't keep my hands off my eyes and my vision is even more wonky than usual .. and I am even more unsteady on my feet. I just about fell over just getting on the scale lol.. and I am bouncing off walls and corners. Just a mess... and not all that pretty either with a big red cylops eye!

I am a little ashamed to say i self-medicated with food the past few days. I had tortilla chips and bean dip for dinner on Friday and yesterday it was even worse-- spice gumdrops and nuts. Today I WILL eat well... not likely to do anything to sweat or require balance. I think maybe just some situps and legwork on the floor.

I need to get into a better spring routine... and increase my immune system!

Funky, Hoping you feel better soon. Anything "off" with our eyes is hard to deal with, conjunctivitis is so annoying.

Here in So Cal we have just had so much rain I have not gotten into a good outside routine yet. The last couple of weeks I have been more consistent at my indoor excercise routine, takes away the guilt and makes me feel better overall.

Yesterday, I did not count calories and I did not care. That said I could have eaten much worse than I did. My issue was a combination of stress and being super annoyed that I had stayed within my calories all week, even preplanned dinners out, and I lost nothing, not one ounce. So I had a why do I care and deprive myself attitude. Did not help that I spent a good part of my day with a friend that has been on a months long eating spree. Then I visited Trader Joe's where at least 1/3 of my purchase was treat oriented. Today I am past my snit of yesterday and determined to get back to better eating, I know blips are going to happen so I am going to be kind to myself on this.

"Snit days" is a perfect term and exactly what was in the last few days -- not proud of it but hey, I have to just move forward and commit to doing better. For me, I have too much more to lose to give in to these self-pity moments. What adult eats gumdrops and nuts for "dinner"? I haven't been this bad in a very long time. I need to pull it together.

@Funkyart - I'm really sorry you've had a rough week. And I totally get you on the self pity food thing. That's so easy to do. I hope you are able to turn it all around and get back to feeling good about all your efforts so far. I have nuts for dinner a lot! And this week I had too many chewy sprees! What adult eats those?!? They were my childhood favorite and I got a bag at the airport last week:) It is what it is. And I hope you start catching a break with the sickness. Those things seem to pile on one after another once our immune system gets down.

I had some sinus issues this week so I wasn't quite as active as I had hoped. But I did OK. I am still liking the weight training/resistance work. I can't believe how much better my body feels getting stronger. Trying to add the dreaded pushups back in. I feel so good with the added protein but this week started wondering if my "all natural" chicken sausage is considered bad for me processed meat. I've really come to depend on it for breakfast, but maybe I shouldn't be eating it so often.

I've been reading lots of women health posts geared toward perimenopausal and post menopausal women, and that is kind of gearing me towards more food, more weight lifting that feels good. Nutrient dense, not just calorie in calorie out. Even a lot of the younger fitness people are so geared to strength training and eating enough to support your body. It's definitely a different mindset than the "diet culture" I grew up in. It's very interesting all the different takes on how to be healthy and feel better. I do find it psychologically easier to add foods to my day than take them away. And if I eat enough good protein, fat and fiber, the cravings for "bad" food are a lot less.

So far this year I have done my bloodwork and my mammogram. The colonoscopy is on the books. Next up is finding a new dentist. I do not like dental work and my much loved dentist moved on. I have got to take care of that issue and get an appointment scheduled. These are very important aspects of a healthy lifestyle too that I choose to ignore a lot.

Funky, spice gumdrops are medicinal. So are spice jelly beans.

I am going to do Mark Hyman’s 21 day detox to recover from all the junk I’ve been eating and drinking for the last several weeks. Less than 4 weeks til DS wedding!

And put the medicinal spice gum drops in the fridge or freezer so they get extra chewy. Maybe you eat fewer because they take longer to eat....or maybe not! One of my faves!

I'm frustrated. I have been eating low carb-20-40 g/day for 2+ months and the scale hasn't budged for the last 5 weeks. We also have added IF and are currently doing 18/6. I started working out doing cardio and some mild weights but can't get it to move. We all are eating this way and we feel so much better. My blood sugars are great, can't complain about them. If only the scale would move!

listened to this podcast today and bought the book by Dr. Li. He had some interesting takes on metabolism you don’t hear a lot with some exact advice.

https://drhyman.com/blog/2023/03/22/podcast-ep692/

Lego, DH also listened and bought the book!

Sue— thats funny! good luck on your 21 day reset.

LOL do not encourage me on the spice gumdrops!

I looked up the 21-day detox ... it's hard! I think what makes it unattractive to me is exactly why I should do something like it! I need something to get me kickstarted ... the sad thing is that the foods that are derailing me are not even foods I enjoy. How ridiculous is that? I am working against myself!

I didn't listen to the podcast yet but I went ahead and downloaded the book.

Is the 21 day Detox what he's calling Eat Fat to Get Thin? I can't find anything else with his name and 21 days.

That's what I found also when searching for 21-day detox. It seemed to be the same to me ... I assumed it had been referenced in the book or podcast but I didn't confirm. @Sueb20 can you confirm that is the same one you are doing?

I’ve done the 10 day detox diet (Blood Sugar Solution.) Never heard of a 21 day detox from Dr. Hyman. If you are a big sugar eater, the first few days will be tough, but you’ll be amazed how the sugar cravings vanish.

The podcast is about a book by Dr. Li. In my very simple understanding of the podcast/book Dr. Li says metabolism doesn't really slow down much as we age, but rather from gaining weight and eating the wrong foods. Too much body fat slows down metabolism. Which makes it harder to lose weight and really seems to complicate things. He talks a lot about the science of that and related studies, but then goes on to talk about foods that speed up and slow down your metabolism and thus changing your diet to improve your metabolism and lose weight. He has a list in the book of slow down foods and then suggestions of speed up foods to replace them with.

Not surprisingly, fried foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners, refined grains, processed foods, etc. are on the slow down part.

But he has some interesting takes on olive oil, fish, dried fruit, etc that aren't typical. He also suggests fasting at least 12-14 hours at first, and then skipping meals every once in awhile to help with cutting down calories.

I have found myself eating fried foods(hello french fries and potato chips!) a little more often than usual, and having a Diet Coke when I'm out. Those are both on the slow down list. I'm going to try to be more strict about these and see if I notice a difference. He also says no red meat. I don't eat any seafood really, so that substitution is hard for me.

I like Hyman as an expert, but I don't care for him as a podcast host. And his guest was equally irritating. But I did push through and listen. It offers interesting finds on metabolism. I already practice regular cold exposure for other reasons, and it's nice to learn it may be improving my metabolism.

Yes, temps are rising here, which means my vanity is kicking in! I want stronger arms for warm weather clothing. I have been consistently lifting weights the past few weeks... it should be another few before I really see better results.

RNmom, I've experimented with every version of IF, 5/2, etc. Early on, I had weight loss results from cycling the low carb. In fact, when I started, I did the 5/2, which translated to very low carb on just 2 days a week, and it was successful. Perhaps stringent low carb every day is working. My body will respond to dietary restrictions for a short period of time, but not in the long haul.

Hyman calls it a ”21 day re-set” in his Pegan diet book. You can read about it here starting on page 14.

https://drhyman.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Companion_Guide_new.pdf

I agree that Mark Hyman’s podcast can be irritating! I didn’t discover the podcast until after I’d read the Pegan diet book. I’m sure it’s not the right fit for everyone, but following it (the 21 day reset and then the general guidelines) allowed me to lose weight in a way that I was never able to with WW or other programs. Not a ton of weight, but about 13 lbs. That was in mid-2021 and now I have gained about 1/2 of it back due to too much travel, laziness, eating fries and drinking beer. Among other things.

What helped maybe more than anything else was that DH was along for the ride so our fridge was full of only healthy foods and he was very enthusiastic about following the program. He lost about 20 lbs and wasn’t heavy to begin with but he had that ”dad bod” gut.

I just bought Hyman’s newest book on longevity, so I plan to live to 100 and be thin(ish)!

@Feathers11 - I agree. Hyman’s little laugh he does drives me crazy.

BTW I did not follow the "schedule" or take the supplements. Just followed the food rules.

@Feathers11 cold exposure is something I’d like to try, but it just sounds so miserable and scary!

I have been in a bit of a tizzy for the past month and a half dealing with pretty serious problems with our house. At one point my poor eating resulted in weight loss, that has evaporated. So for me the the next few weeks have to be about vegetables and protein with as little starch as possible. I feel like a broken record on this subject.

Ok. Didn't start back on low carb on Monday like I planned (too much bad food in house) but made it through Tuesday clean. Hopefully will start to see movement.

I listened to a portion of the podcast above and read through the document Sue shared (as well as another similar one I found). I think there are some interesting points and certainly some guidelines I can roll into my weekly diet -- but I don't think I can completely follow the "reset". Sure, there are things that will be hard because I have leaned into the carbs in recent past but there are a handful of deal breakers for me -- like coffee. Bullet-proof coffee does not sound appealing to me and my early morning coffee is seriously one of my joys in the day. I often go to sleep looking forward to waking in the early hours and having my coffee. It's part of a ritual of self care .. 1-2 hrs of quiet time before emails and calls start coming in.

Still, there are lessons to be had .. I know I need to make some changes in order to start losing weight again .. so I will be digging in deeper to the program and recipes. I think my biggest fault right now is that I have been spending very little thought and time on preparing food. It is partially that I've been lazy and partially that I've been bored. And maybe a bit defiant also. Sometimes, I just eat what I want-- or think I want. I need to be more intentional... and accountable.

@Sueb20 have you started the 21-day re-set yet? If so, how is it going?

@legomom23 I appreciate the information/links you bring to our group! So helpful! Like you, I have been giving into items on the "slow down" list ... and I think they are the reason I have been feeling slow and bloated. I will be starting there!

@Zalco/bring back Sophie! sorry to hear you are still dealing with house issues. Stress usually causes me to eat much less but lately, it has gone the other direction. Protein and veggies sounds like a good strategy -- I know I can deal with life better when I am feeling better/stronger. Hope things start going more smoothly with the repairs/issues.

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It is so helpful to hear what others are doing to improve their health!

My eye infection is getting better but it is still annoying and gross... and it is adding to the issues I already had with my vision. Hoping it will clear in another handful of days. Thanks for the kind thoughts.

Have a great rest of your week!

Funky, I started the re-set, for like a day, then our old doggo died on Tues and I already had plans to go out with my two BFFs that night…I am pretty sure mojitos and yucca frita are not on the list of recommended foods, although I didn’t check. Sigh. But: medicinal.

We are spending a few days at our beach house and DH mentioned going out to dinner and I almost took his head off. NO NO. No more restaurants for a while! We have a good fish market nearby so planning on fish, lots of veggies, and lots of long walks. Fortunately the weather is finally warming up.

I have a foot issue that I finally made a dr appt for. I have pain along the outer side of one foot. Same thing happened several years ago and I saw a podiatrist, who recommended some kind of shoe insert that I could get on amazon. I looked back at the appt notes (all online) and there are none, so I guess I have to go back and ask again. Anyway, it’s not stopping me from exercising — it doesn’t really bother me much when I am walking, it is more painful afterwards or the next morning.

@hhireno - lifting your luggage into the overhead is the BEST goal!

@Funkyart -I'm not good with the resets and all or nothing. I've never been an all or nothing type girl, but they do work for a lot of people for sure. I think when you get a few days into them and realize how much better you feel and see some changes, it's easier to keep going. And I totally feel you on the coffee! That's how I feel about my morning zevia fizz. I look forward to it and I'm not planning on giving it up. I think it's better for me than my old Diet Coke habit, so for now that's good enough.

For now, I continue to try to lessen the slow foods - wine and fried foods - and add in something good. This week I was pretty good at that. I bought low alcohol wine for the times I wanted a glass, and I added matcha tea a few mornings. Baby steps that eventually add up to something is the only thing that works for me.

I did want to say, that although his chuckle is annoying, I do like Dr. Hyman a lot. I have learned a ton from his podcast, and his info really does motivate me to be healthier. And I like what he is doing on the national scale trying to make some changes in our food culture and government. We have a lot of subtle things in our way when we are trying to get healthy. It's not how most of our day to day lives are set up to live and eat.

My weight is still up a few pounds and I haven't had luck budging it down. I am still doing IF and have been mostly doing 5:2 where one of the 2 fasting days I do a 36 hour fast and 1 day I allow myself 500cal. Bottom line is that I need to get myself back to a deficit (probalby focusing on the 5 regular days) to burn off the extra pounds again.

I'm working on getting back into my exercise routine with challenging and conflicting work and pool schedules. The weather unfortunately has been incredibly wintery with snow nearly every day here. Hoping for a warmer day this weekend for a run. In the meantime I did try out aerial silks with some friends and wow was that fun and insanely challenging! Two days later and I am still so sore I can barely put on a sports bra. It was fun to try something new. I will gloat and say that my arms and shoulders are strong from swimming and lifting weights so I was able to do more than my friends who don't exercise much. There were still some that I really struggled with and I was shocked at how exhausted I was from the workout. I hope to try it again sometime.

I need to reorder some of my digestive supplements. I've run out and they're expensive so I've waivered on buying more. But my digestive system took a hit going to Mexico and eating gluten contaminated foods, so I need to get it back to a good state again.

Another thumbs up for Hyman, despite my disparage above. I follow him on Instagram, which I find a better format for me to gain his information than his podcasts. He himself is a great example of what strength training and good eating can do for the body.

@pricklypearcactus aerial class sounds like fun! Was it beginner-friendly? I'm afraid I'd get tangled up and fall. Good for you for trying something new!

@legomom23 you mentioned cold exposure. I started doing it in January. My current method is cold showers (not the whole time, but for the last 2-3 minutes). It is not pleasant, but there is science behind it. Huberman has a good podcast about it, if you haven't listened to that one.

@Feathers11 it was very beginner friendly in terms of walking us through each of the steps and patiently helping those of us who had never tried before. The teacher was very reassuring when I had concerns about my own limits. (I cannot do the splits and was worried about the poses he was showing where he was doing the splits.) I did get a bit tangled up a few times and needed a little help to untangle, but even my friend who is very accident prone never fell. We didn't get too high off the ground either, so I think even if we had, it wouldn't have been too bad. The experienced people were climbing practically to the ceiling, but we didn't make it that far up in the air.

My two friends and I are planning to continue trying some new experiences, and I'm especially keen on new sports/physically active experiences. One on the top of my list to try is kickboxing or boxing! I've done some self defense classes, but I think a fitness focused boxing/kickboxing class would be a lot of fun and great exercise.

Thanks, Prickly! Sounds like a wonderful experience facilitated by a very competent teacher.

I've typed two posts on the iPad that got eaten this week, so here I am trying again on the PC. I've had a super busy week with advising, registration, and classes. We are at the end of the semester--just a couple more weeks and everyone is tired. Watched some good March Madness this week, so I've really enjoyed watching the women's games. They are incredible.

Not much else going on. Had a good Pilates session and then I did mat Pilates at the Y when I was able to WFH the last two Fridays, but the next two Fridays I have be at school so that will not happen likely unless I do Youtube videos. I am getting stronger, more flexible, and have better balance. I'm also doing my core and resistance training other days. Like Legomom said, the RT is more important as we age, and we shouldn't just focus on cardio. See quite a few IG accounts o women who got started over 40, 50, 60+ and although progress may be slower, we are in it for the long game and it's what you will be a year etc., from now.

Weight has been plateuing but body comp looks better, so I'm not super concerned yet. I do need to lose a lot still, so it is the long game. I really would like to lose about 5 more lbs. before my birthday in June.

I need to put some shrimp on my shopping list this week. I keep forgetting. That would be a good thing to put in salads for lunch.

Pricklypear, that is so cool on the silks. I know a Zumba instructor who's done both silks and pole for new challenges.

Hang in there everyone.