Nothing new here.. just pressing forward. As I noted in my post yesterday, I am doing well with my eating goals but not so much my activity/exercise goals. I will do better this week!

I have had a little bit of a sweet tooth these last few days which is unusual for me .. I have been very lax with my intermittent fasting and I think that may be why I am suddenly craving sweets. My sleep schedule has shifted/become shorter too. Going to try to get both IF and sleep under control and see how that goes .. in the meantime, I have fruit and tomatoes --both of which should get me past the sweets.

Hope you all have a great week!

Thanks Funky for continuing this thread. I dont often post but I generally check in.

My weight goal isnt seeing much progress, but I dont try very hard. More importantly, I feel good. My body positivity is up. And my cholestrol is down, no more threats from my primary care provider, yippee.

Last week, I got the results of my DEXX and I have osteopenia, so focusing on adding/increasing weights and resistance. This week, I’ll be checking out Wellbeats since I found out its free from my company, and focusing on getting out for my walk earliy so work doesnt interfere.

Hi, Local .. so glad to have you join us!

What great successes you've had-- feeling better and increased body positivity are both great markers! Even after losing a lot of weight, I struggle with body positivity-- in fact, I think I am struggling more now than before the weight loss. Even better is seeing your cholesterol decrease too-- it's great to have that confirmation that not only are you feeling good but it's reflected internally too!

Early morning walks sound so peaceful -- it's a time I can best fit in a walk schedule-wise but the early mornings are when I get the most work done. They are kind of sacred to me. I need to figure out when I can consistently fit in my exercise and I am leaning towards either noon or mid afternoon (when I most need a break).

Hope you continue to post -- and I wish continued successes for you!

Funky - Good luck with you IF and sweet tooth. I have sn on-going sweet tooth, just have built a tiny bit of sweer into my plan.

Local - It is wonderful that you are feeling good. Hoping that everything goes well with the weights.

No new goals here, things have gone well the last week. A small slow down; my SIL threw my DD a 30th birthday party, at our house yesterday. Lovely Italian food, enjoyed pasta both for dinner yesterday and lunch today. Will be back on my plan for dinner and forward. This does change my weekly goal, hoping to maintain. Then of course, we will have some wonderful less than healthy food for Father's Day. No idea what DH will choose, so we will deal with that next week.

I was going to concentrate on eating fewer calories. Incorporating more soup in my diet for instance. Hopefully I'll make more progress next week. I was feeling run down...and real quick like...made a PBJ sandwich...a high calorie pick-me-up. :0) Oh well. I had a good week. Got a lot done.

Not much to report here. We are still at our house painting and doing yard work. Afternoon lightning, thunder and rain has been forcing us inside so we aren't get the work done as quickly as planned. While I haven't been able to fit walking into my schedule, I did some very strenuous yard work the past two days; hopefully that will offset not getting the walks in. Our house is one block from the main street and we walk to whatever store, restaurant or pub we're patronizing so there is a little bit of walking in there.

While most meals have been at home, when we have eaten out, we've been ordering dinner salads and splitting an entree which helps keep the calorie count down. We will be going back home in a couple of days, and I plan to get back into my regular routine.

Sounds like while some of us haven't been able to keep up with all of our fitness goals, everyone is trying and still managing to doing well in spite of scheduling constraints. Healthy and happy week to all of you!

Hello, everyone--I've been reading this and prior threads, but not consistently adding to them.

Dawn--yard work and house painting count as workouts, for sure!

Funky, I struggle with timing my exercise, too. I'd love to get it out of the way in the morning, and so much research shows that's the best time to be consistent with exercise. But I, too, knock tasks off my work to-do list in the mornings. I've never been able to figure out the best trade-off.

May was a busy month with so many road trips and celebrations. I think I dined at restaurants more last month than I have in a decade. And when ordering, I definitely took the attitude of, "Why would I order a salad? I can make that at home. Instead I'll order..." Plus, one of my regular walking friends broke her ankle, so I'm missing that part of my exercise routine. I've been strength training, but inconsistently.

Still, I've not gained weight on the scale. I attribute this to my best life hack: intermittent fasting. But I'm not feeling as physically strong as I was earlier in the spring. This evening, I took 30 minutes to lift weights, do some squats, etc., and it reminded me it doesn't take that much to get it done. I also went to the grocery store and filled my refrigerator with vegetables, easy protein and spices. I've got some good, healthy meals planned this week.

And a few months ago--thanks to Funky's consistency in starting these discussions, I have proof!--I said I wanted to increase my water intake. I have managed to keep that goal. It's definitely helped to offset the added sodium to my diet from eating out so much recently.

I am on my way back from France where I ate my weight in chocolate and bread! So worth it though😀 We walked a lot, but really no more than I do at home most days, so we’ll see. I was very glad to be in good shape so I could enjoy everything without struggling. The days were long. The lower elevators were closed at the Eiffel Tower so I did get a good stair workout in that day:)

Welcome back, Legomom! Glad you had such a great trip! And glad your improved fitness level allowed you to really enjoy it!

Feathers, yes-- the morning is the logical and best time to work out. I think I need to just carve out 30 min for pilates or the treadmill. I suspect it will add to my energy and productivity.

Love that intermittent fasting is working so well for you-- I was surprised what a difference it made for me. I had more energy and my mood was noticeably better. Also the focused eating window made me more focused on healthy foods. I suspect it was a mental game -- I wanted to be sure I had good healthy nutrients in the eating window... and when it closed, I was plenty satisfied. I started back to IF yesterday with zero struggle. I wonder why I even got off it. I suspect laziness and boredom.

Nicole, I am a firm believer that one meal isn't going to derail you-- as long as it is the exception not the rule. Sometimes you need a PB&J or a hamburger or a piece of birthday cake .. just don't use the indulgence as an excuse to derail the whole day .. or the next day.

I am doing well with calories and meals .. but I am NOT doing well with water. In fact, I did very poorly yesterday and I am feeling it. I need to start my day with water-- even before coffee-- and stick with it through the day.

I have been doing the 2lb dance with the scale. Up 2, down 2... but I have been consistently at my lowest weight the last two days. I am going to stay focused on fresh foods, increasing my water and sticking to IF ... and hoping that helps me break the threshold and hit a lower weight by the weekend!

Nicole - Thanks for the soup reminder. I love vegetable soup and it is an easy way to get a lot of veggies in. Got out of the habit when I went on vacation last month. Will make some today.

Oh, legomom, I am so jealous! I last went to France over 20 years ago and I would love to go again. I had a simple step counter pedometer with me then, and my friend and I walked 25-30,000 steps per day and actually lost weight from that and all the non-processed foods.

Like Feathers May into early June was a super busy month for travel. I did as best as I could with meals away, but it's always a guess. I tracked it all best I could. I did eat a lot of salads.

I was feeling a little discouraged but then again if I've maintained through all that, I guess it is a success. I'm supposed to see the weight management doctor next week, so we'll see what he says regarding me progressing. I just feel stuck. I have real weight to lose so I need to make forward progress. I would like to lose at least 5 more lbs. this summer. I did Zumba step this morning and then Pilates Reformer is this afternoon. I can maybe add additional Pilates group sessions or barre and then I need to up the resistance training game.

OTOH, my new Hoka sneakers in hot pink have arrived!

So, somehow I was 4 pounds lighter after my week in France - eating so much bread and chocolate and cheese. Totally not my normal way of eating at all, so who knows. We did walk a lot, but compared to total daily exercise I get at home, it was probably less.

Interestingly, our local tour guide always took us for a walk after dinner. Sometimes it was just to get back to the hotel, but if that was a short walk, she took us around the area for a post dinner walk. She was very adamant about digesting our food before sleep. Serving sizes were definitely smaller everywhere we ate. She never snacked, and skipped lunch a lot, although I did not:) I have heard the theory that their food is more natural, less additives, grown healthier even, so it leads to less inflammation and less pounds on the scale even if not fat loss this week.

But mostly, I was glad for the energy I had for the long days and the walking we did do. We did have a couple long days with 20,000 steps. I felt great the entire time and had no problem keeping up and carrying around my suitcase all week. That brought me a lot of satisfaction. Very happy I started these changes last year that lead me to this stage.

Now, back to the American lifestyle - blah. I want to be French for awhile longer :) Might have to get my bread machine out and start making my own.

I will say - the candid pictures of me showed my terrible posture. That is what I am going to focus on - it seems that my upper back is not strong enough, so in addition to the back stretches and core work, I need to add some upper back and lat work to see if I can improve that.

Let’s plan a trip to France to get past our plateaus!

Glad you had a great trip and the energy to enjoy it, Legomom. That’s so inspiring.

Enjoy the sneakers, Gscience—that’s motivation for sure.

Funky, that’s exactly what IF does for me, too. In that limited window, I focus on nutrition and fill up on healthy food. I find my attitude is there’s no time or room for junk, and somehow this works for me.

Make some summer waters with herbs and citrus, and enjoy! I’m in a good habit of increasing water in the afternoon and evening. (Not too close to bedtime.)

Scale is creeping up here…partly from vacation a couple weeks ago, partly due to laziness and I think also feeling melacholy bc my ”baby” is moving to her first apt in 2 weeks. Our lives will be pretty chaotic until then, after which I will re-focus on better habits. Even though DD lived away while she was in college, this feels like the final step in the nest-emptying process and I am feeling much sadder about it than I expected to! Waah!

Awww Sue ... so many changes in a short time. Best wishes to your DD and hugs and cocktails for you!

Feathers -- I just got off the phone with one of my team members. He started IF 4 days ago and was telling me that he already noticed that his head is more clear and he woke up feeling lighter and less foggy than usual. He's still struggling a little with hunger but he feels great. As I've said, I feel the same way except I really don't struggle with the hunger part ... I have no idea why I stop every so often. I never have a reason.. I just wander off.

Legomom -- congrats on 4lb down! You were living right!

I always found that strengthening my core helped my posture but then I had a strong back most of my life (I was a butterflier when I swam competitively)-- now that all my strength has gone downhill, i need to work on it all. Back and front!

Hugs to you @Sueb20, three years ago my DD moved out. It was very hard for me. I too knew, unlike college, she would not be moving back home. I am now used to being an empty nester, I have my MIL instead, but even though DD is only 20 minutes away, the move was a big adjustment.

20 min.! Lucky! 😁

My middle DS moved across the country after graduation…at least DD is “only” 2 hours away. I do think eventually all 3 kids will end up closer to home. 🤞🏻

Thanks so much for continuing this topic, Funky. We were in NY for a couple of weeks-ate and drank everything in sight. Lol I started back at Pilates this week, and it was rough. Walking on concrete and lots of stairs in NYC really tightened all of my muscles despite twice daily stretching. I have not been brave enough to get on the scale. Maybe next week.

I am also thinking of doing the summer water aerobics that my private neighborhood pool does every summer. The heat is unbearable for any other kind of outdoor activity right now. I have also been doing great with my diet (and no wine) since we got home. It's amazing how much better I feel when I do not eat gluten or drink alcohol.

Aww, SueB I remember that feeling when our baby (and only girl) struck out on her own. You are lucky that she is only 2 hours away, though. Ours is still 10 hours away. Hugs.

Sueb, hugs to you ❤️ I feel your loss.

Honestly, the happiest day in recent memory aside from the birth of our grandchildren was the day DS2 called at the beginning of the pandemic and asked “would it be all right” for him to move back home because he would be working from home and could save on rent. I could hardly contain myself and croaked out a casual yes, fine, as I was ready to drive up that day to help him move! It was a wonderful having him here again. (sniff)

I'm on Tray #2 of Invisalign. No problems so far. My nails are naturally thin and brittle and I know they won't survive two years of taking the trays out. I found a cool tool online for popping them out and will probably buy another so I have one for home and away. I feel some snugness and pressure but it's not an unpleasant feeling at all.

One thing though. It's a weight-loss aid. For me that's not such a good thing. As I've gotten older, my weight has dropped and I need to keep it up a bit. In the 2+ weeks I've worn the trays I've lost 3 pounds. I'm eating regular meals, full fat and carbs, but no grazing anymore. No spoonfuls of peanut butter or handfuls of chocolate chips. I'm not going hungry, just not picking up extra calories. Something to think about.

I have also been lax about posting and more often reading. I have been really busy at work and the next two weeks will likely continue that way. I've been doing phenomenally at waking up early to get to the 50m pool 4x / week and then running 3x / week with my dog. The weather has been very odd for June here (50s at night, 70s during the day) but it's been wonderful for being active, even though we have had rain and thunderstorms nearly daily, but thankfully only parts of the day. I've been less successful about continuing weight lifting. I've slacked off for a few weeks and now I'm trying to force myself back into the 5x/week habit. I am so busy at work that I often have no break mid-day or am so exhausted from meetings (I'm an introvert) that I'd rather go outside for a bit with my dog for some fresh air. I've also been spending many hours weekends and evenings working in the garden, which is good extra exercise.

The scale is still hovering (maintaining) though I'd like to drop a few more pounds (around 5). I think my downfall is just plain eating too much, even with intermittent fasting. I need to work on more mental self control and better recognition of actual hunger rather than desire to eat. I'm also struggling to motivate myself to cook interesting things lately, so I'll be trying to do more of that instead of falling back on simple boring things.

Lately I've been feeling more aches and pains from exercise, which is frustrating. Last summer it felt like I rarely had any issues. This week one of my legs was really bothering me after running and yard work on Sunday. Now my back is quite sore after lifting weights yesterday and swimming this morning. I ordered some new running shoes as I suspect some of the trouble might be from worn out shoes. They were supposed to arrive yesterday but the delivery notice keeps pushing back.

On a side note, I really want to try to find time to squeeze in some yoga. A friend recommended I try an app called Down Dog and I just need to motivate myself to buy a year on it and give it a try.

Thanks everyone for sharing your progress and what is working for you. It's so encouraging to hear real physical changes like @localeater cholesterol and @legomom23 energy and endurance!

@pricklypear I hear you on a busy work schedule.. my team (again, all new to my company, new to my client, and new to our tech stack) will begin development on our new project (4 yr) project next week. I have been scrambling to answer the million questions and advise/guide as well as my own tasks. I feel like I don't have time for much of anything (other than posting here lol). I was skipping meals and water in previous weeks but broke that habit quickly. There is no question or issue that should keep me from my basic needs-- it's not like I am performing heart surgery! Still, it does impact mealing planning/prep and exercise... but I am doing better!

Finally have a pair of glasses with a prescription and custom lens that is working for me. It has been a long trial and error period. As of now, I have computer/work area glasses. The "walking around" glasses are on order now that we have a prescription that works. This helps a lot-- I am not getting headaches, dizziness or nausea from working which improves everything else. Woohoo!

Sorry your work is so crazy too, Funky! That's also fantastic that you have some new perscription glasses that are helping your headaches, dizziness and nausea. I hope the walking around ones are a huge help too! I have terrible eyesight (since I was a toddler), but I've been lucky that so far contacts have worked to correct the issue. I'm so impressed with all you do despite your vision troubles!

I'm going to wear Invisalign on my trip to France.

I've had a few friends list the same benefit of Invisalign! My teeth are still pretty straight from braces, but maybe it'd be worth the touch-up to make them perfect and drop a few extra pounds at the same time. :)

Also, I did want to say that I think it's great that we're each listening to the changes our body needs. For some (like me) there is a weight loss component. For others, maintaining or gaining weight is important! Others it's balance or strength or flexibility. And yet others its nutrition or hydration. There are so many facets to health.

I went for my Invisalign consult…The office was nice, convenient, etc, but the dr himself just gave me sort of a weird vibe. But still I thought, whatever, it’s not like I’m going to spend that much time with him. Luckily, I talked to a friend the next day and she knew him and his ex and not only is he apparently a very odd person, he has a rep for having some shady business practices. So, I am going to get another consult with a dr who did another friend’s invisalign.

The side effect of weight loss sounds good to me!

Bunny - my young adult son started Invisalign a while back. Maybe 9 months or even a year. He's lost about 35 lbs! For exactly the reasons you stated. He just isn't snacking anymore. So if keeping your weight is an issue for you (oh, how I wish that was a problem for me!), definitely be mindful.

I haven't posted on these threads (or many here) but I do read these every week. You all do inspire me.

I am not overweight, but as I get older (early 60s) it becomes harder and harder to take off any weight added. We have been traveling more. That son I mentioned just graduated college and he's our last. Amazing how finances change when no longer paying that college tuition! Anyway, I always have a very hard time getting back on my exercise routine after getting home from vacation. And I usually put on a couple lbs while on vacation as I don't worry about what I'm eating. But string a few of those vacations together and it's becoming an issue. We are away again for a week mid July (Cape Cod) so I must get back on my exercise routine pronto! If I don't do it first thing in the morning, before even coming downstairs for coffee, it doesn't get done. And I've never been one that enjoyed exercising, so it's a constant battle with myself to get myself to do it. Ugh.

I have to be intentional about eating now. Normally I have a leisurely coffee in the morning and don't eat breakfast for another hour or two. I'm trying to eat earlier so my trays are only out once. In/out/brush/brush all day long. I just had some mid-morning yogurt and berries. Yum! Last night I baked an apple pie (frozen Gravenstein, the best) and have been pigging out guilt-free on pie.

My trays are quite comfortable to wear. I barely notice them.

When I had my extensive dental work last year, I feared I would gain a ton because few of the soft foods I could eat were low calorie ... but I didn't gain weight. I didn't lose weight either.

Not the same as invisalign but a few of the best soft food options for me (mostly boring) .. eggs in any form, overcooked pasta, rita's italian ice (the best thing ever!), pancakes, jello, apple sauce, stuffed shells and baked fish

Also good for others: Pudding, Yogurt, Ice Cream, cottage cheese etc weren't options for me as I am lactose intolerant.

My mom fell, so she’s in the hospital. Not great and a reminder to keep up with the strength and balance exercises. It can go so wrong as we age.

I started another new eating challenge- 800 grams of fruits and vegetables a day. This should get me back on track from my bread and chocolate fun! And helps me keep up my fiber intake.

This is the challenge-

https://optimizemenutrition.com/800g-challenge/

I’m still trying the 30 plus plant products, but a lot of those are nuts and seeds. So this is a good pairing goal.