Morning all! Not much to report or share today ... I am up a lb but doing the dance around my lowest weight to date so not fretting it. I was hoping to lose another 5 this morning before I go on vacation but seems pretty unlikely at this point so I am just going to stay focused on my goals and remove the pressure.

I am going to focus on getting better sleep-- I have been staying up wayyyy too late and for no good reason. I am also going to work on my water consumption. This is going to be a hectic work week and those two things will make a difference in my health and in being at peak level for work.

Hope everyone has a great week! Looking forward to your updates!

Funky....Enjoy your vacation! Take lots of pics.....and bring back lots of stories. 🏖️

Funky- Enjoy your vacation!!! We cannot wait to hear about it!!

Water IS so important (at least for me)!! Yesterday, we went to se the Pinta replica, and I just did not drink much water. Today, up 2 lbs. All I ate was a sausage and some cabbage. I made it myself, so it was not junk. Today, I will concentrate on the drinking, LOL. I am staying home and doing a painting, while DH and DS take his Miata to the shop to replace some large piece....I know a lot about cars: can't you tell??

gscience- the mat class picture is great! Does the studio take those photos?

We also started a new line dance group on Wednesday! If I could get there at 5, I could dance for 2 1/2 hours, but it is in a town about 35 miles away, so 5:30 or 6 is the earliest.

(I still have a few weeks before my trip-- but thank you!)

63 lbs lost. It's a slow process but I'm not giving up. I double checked the last time I posted, 5/21, and it looks like it took me 6 weeks to loose 5 lbs.

I am temporarily dog sitting a 72 lb bully pit that demands a walk 2 times per day. I would have thought that since this increased my activity level by a factor of 100% that I would see a greater loss.

Have a great trip Funkyart. Have a great week everybody.

After laughing at DD’s huuuuge 40 oz Stanley water bottle that she carries with her almost everywhere, of course I suddenly started seeing ads for it. Then of course I wanted one. Thinking 40 oz was kinda crazy, I got the 30 oz version. It's a pretty color and it has a useful handle and fits in a car cupholder. Keeps water cold, pretty much all day. Because of the apparent thrill of a new container, I've been drinking a lot more water! I refill it at least 3 times a day.

Sorry in advance for the gabby posting.. sometimes I get of a mood.

Oh you get to walk a pitty this week. Have fun Justdoit. Almost more important than losing weight. ;-). Congratulations for the weight you've lost!

SpringRoz so lucky that you get to do line dancing. We have been looking for a place to go dancing that offers country music and line dancing but so far nothing around this area. Even when we went to the Irish pub there was definitely no Irish music involved. I suppose the next option is lessons.

Funky I admire that you have worked on your body weight and health despite surgery etc! We tell ourselves so many things but the important thing is that we keep going along despite sometimes it not being super successful. The journey is important. Even if it's annoying that you don't get to the end results as fast as you want to!

Pricklypearcactus I hate being sick! It is incredible how the cough can linger. DSis gets this all the time and her cough can last three weeks! I hope you recover thoroughly and quickly!

Things have been going okay here. I was so tempted to eat last night though and knew I would pay the price today. My trigger things are in the house creamy wonderful cheese sauce and whole wheat elbow macaroni noodles. Calling My name all day!

Otherwise I was really good except for I did have some mayonnaise with my mackerel fish.. it's very annoying but I have to watch every calorie otherwise it amounts to poundage pretty quickly.

Today I will indulge in a small portion of mac and cheese since I went dancing for 3 hours yesterday.

It was at an outdoor concert. It was fun and the bands were good for dancing. I danced pretty much the whole time with all the other women who danced pretty much the whole time. DH joined me fairly regularly. Three bands equaled 3 hours of dancing.

The ants ate DH's pizza though which we neglected to put in our cooler bag. We left it on the ground and paid the price.

I was supposed to do my exercises last Wednesday but had guests over that day to celebrate DBIL's birthday and DH's birthday one day early. As a consequence did my exercises on Thursday and then all the same exercises on Friday. If I don't I get them done by Friday boy do I guilt myself out. It is a good thing :-).

I tend to tire of things and find excuses not to exercise. I have to remember that all the time and freshen up the exercises. Which usually means I have to add another exercise in. Then I can keep the old standbys and with the addition of the new one feel it is freshened up.

It's time for a new exercise but not sure what to do. So far I do squats lunges skip rope jumping jacks and lots and lots of walking. It doesn't even look like enough exercises. I was doing some running and will add that back in once the heat is a little bit less there.

I love to sink my teeth into learning new exercises at least in theory. My problem is that I am definitely part sloth... What I really want to be is an exercise and health obsessed ninja of exercise. I've always wanted to be a ninja of exercise or something. Plus keep it up forever through some kind of discipline I haven't yet discovered.

Wishing everybody a wonderful week. Hope all the health etc issues are somewhat circumvented.

Everybody is doing so great! I am super impressed with these weight loss numbers, because that doesn't seem to be happening for me at all anymore. Looking back I've been within the same 3-4 pounds since November. I gained a couple pounds when I was doing more strength training, but I haven't been good about that for a couple months now, and I am back down to the low end of the fluctuation. I have tracked for a little over a week, and although most days I seem to be under by 500 calories, I make up for it on other days too. I have a couple things I eat that really add up. And a couple things out that are hard to estimate. So, all in all - I guess I have found a very good maintenance routine at least:) Could be far worse!

I will continue to track for awhile though once I get back to pickleball, to see how that plays out with all that extra exercise. I haven't played in several weeks. I have been walking most days, but like everyone else, it is just so hot. If I don't time it right, it is just too hot. My simplified goals stay the same - sleep, water, 800 grams of fruits and vegetables, protein emphasis, and at a minimum - aiming for 10,000 steps, stomach roll-ups, pushups, and dead hang on as many days as I can.

I'm on Invisalign tray #4 (7 weeks). I don't see any change, but when I floss I can tell there's more space between my teeth, especially my molars. For years I've been a floss shredder because my teeth are so tight, but it's easing up.

I've stopped being self-conscious of how they make me talk and telling everyone I meet that I'm wearing aligners. The only challenge is trying to minimize the time they're out when I eat. It's easy for lunch, but I like to sip wine when I'm cooking dinner and taste as I go, so in the evening they're out a bit longer.

I'm surprised by how many people have used them that I wasn't even aware of.

Bunny, I’m currently wearing invisaligns (since last Dec) and noticed the same initially. I think the object is to create space at first and then move the teeth into those newly-created spaces. Make sense? I finally started seeing progress with a couple of the worst crooked teeth a month or two ago, so be patient.

As to weight, I’m holding my own which is just fine. Some dahs I’m down a lb and the I’ll be back up. I’m not the least worried about it. We’ve started the new Pilates program which is really going well and I’ve been doing more workouts at home in between classes. It’s way too hot most days to work outside.

Outside, thanks for the update. That's very encouraging. I visited my orthodontist at 4 weeks and she was pleased that my teeth were already loosening up.

I still have not made progress with getting invisalign. Long story but I did go for a consult, and later found out the dr was no bueno. So I am going for a consult with someone that my friend used.

Had my annual physical yesterday and got a clean bill of health. My weight has gone up 4 lbs since last year. My dr is so diplomatic — she always says something like, ”Are you satisfied with your weight?” instead of saying ”You’re getting kinda fat.” I said no, I am not, but I do know what to do about it. Definitely need to get back on track. I find summer to be the hardest time to eat right…I like summer treats like ice cream and cocktails too much.

Enjoyed my vacation to the Oregon Coast last week, arrived back home late Sunday. On my vacation I ate whatever I wanted but I did not really go overboard. Walked the beach everyday and did lots of sightseeing. I am comfortable with how things went but I have not weighed myself yet. Will weigh in on my normal Friday. Started back calorie counting yesterday.

Oh I used to lose so much more in the spring and summer -- but that's changed. I was kind of nervous about my vacation but I've decided not to sweat it. I may just not weigh myself until Sept. Life goes on ... I will be mindful while away and get back on the program when I return (it's still a few weeks away-- but I hyper focused on it as I try to prep work for my absence).

I think that ^ is a smart, healthy idea. Be mindful, and enjoy yourself.

I’m vacationing and eating less than usual, while being active. I wonder, why can’t I be satisfied with less food when I’m home? How much of my routine eating is purely habit and not based on actual hunger or satiety? My husband will also benefit if I cut back on the portions I serve.

Hello, beautiful people! I've read all the updates, but won't respond to individuals, other than to say keep going. Your health and well-being are worth it.

So I'm finally tracking protein, consistently. I've been getting at least 100g/day and usually more. I've been consistent with weights, and I can tell it's all making a difference. I've lost a few lbs, and I know I've gained some muscle. It's enough "reward" to keep it up. Even the whey protein (blah! I'm not a protein shake person, but it's an easy way to get 30+g protein when I add greek yogurt). And doing so really does keep me satiated. I'm not having cravings for snacks.

I'm thinking about joining a gym because I need to increase weights. I either need to buy them or join. There is a gym within walking distance, so I'm looking into it.

Next up, is sleep. I want to focus on more quality sleep.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

Am starting some Pilates exercises. I have some videos and have a book coming. I'm going to start with some simple basics as it is obvious that some of those muscles are in puny shape.

This has been a low ego week for me-- probably why I haven't posted much.

I am doing fine.. I am down a lb.. but reality has hit. Much as I have made good (but slow lately) progress, I still have at least 75 more lb to lose. Also, my shape has changed since my 30s and even 40s. I have been digging into boxes of old clothes I'd saved and while I have pulled out a few things that fit, there are still some out of range. Worse, I saw pictures of myself at a gathering earlier this week and I looked terrible ... i was slouching which didn't help at all.. but more so, I looked much larger in the photo than I did in my own mirror. I always find it so shocking to see myself as others see me.

It is a big reminder to always be mindful of my posture and stance ... but it is also a reminder that this is a journey and I am only part way there.

I can't let my battle with myself slow down my progress or erode my resolve ... so today I will be doing some pampering. I have a mani/pedi scheduled and then chilling with my sister. Temps have cooled down so I will head out with my hiking sticks for a bit too. I KNOW that toning and adding muscle will also help me feel better about myself.

Lucile, that's great-- your muscles will respond quickly!

Feathers, great progress! I still struggle with protein but for now I am going to let it go. I need to do better with sleep and water. It's a constant struggle! Love that you have a gym in walking distance! I am going to start looking for a gym in easy uber distance. I need to do something more regimented-- even if it is only one day a week!

Hhireno, I also eat more when I am at home -- habit? ease of access? boredom? probably all of the above for me. I do my best when I am crazy busy-- but I should be able to maintain the same always!

Here I am bringing up the rear - seems to be a pattern for me most weeks!

I applaud all who have lost weight no matter the amount or the length of time it took. The older we get, the harder it is to take off those stubborn pounds and I really appreciate how hard everyone is working. It doesn't go along with the calorie/weight charts, but I find that if I consume more than 1200ish calories per day I gain. To lose, I have to drop my intake to about a 1000/day. Exercising helps a bit, but I think it keeps us healthy more than it helps us lose weight. At least for me that's the way it seems to work.

Funky, I know it's a few weeks off, but enjoy your vacation and be proud of how much you have lost. That's a lot of hard work you've done and you should pat yourself on the back.

Bunny, I did Invisalign a few years ago and it took a couple of months before I noticed any difference in how my teeth look. But, I knew it was working because my teeth were always sore for 2-3 days after getting new trays and I could feel the gentle pressure the trays were putting on my teeth. The original plan was for 18 months, but at the end of that time, my dentist decided to go an additional six months. It was all worth it as I now have beautiful straight teeth and I feel so much more confident when I smile. During the time I was wearing them only one person noticed and commented, but she was someone who was considering doing it herself so she was tuned in to them. As far as not leaving them in as much as recommended, I wasn't always diligent. I like to drink tea in the mornings, and because I'd been told that tea would stain the trays and my teeth, I'd leave them out in the mornings so I could enjoy tea time. In the end, I don't think it mattered; I got the end result I was after.

We were out of town last week, and despite my best intentions, I did not get much movement in. We were in the car for several hours a day each day and when we did stop for the day, it was so hot (triple digits) I just could not bring myself to move around. I tried to be careful what I ate, but when out of town and eating out, there are so many temptations. I don't think I gained any weight, but I felt so bloated when we got home. After getting back on my regular routine, I'm feeling much more myself.

I hope all of you have had a great week and that next week is even better! :)