This is my last week of flexible schedule since we have to go back for opening meetings, then school starts the following week. It is all too soon. Every year it gets harder and harder but i am on the 5-year countdown to retirement. Also, my Zumba schedule will be off this week since the studio owners are at the big Zumba convention in Orlando. Yes, Orlando in August--not ideal. It is pretty big since it's at the convention center. Last year one of the other instructors got the C from it. My sister would love to attend but she does not do well in heat and humidity. I will have my normal Pilates lesson and then I can do classes at the Y. There is a TRX class I'd like to try!

Yesterday it was super hot but we finally got DH out on a bike ride on the greenway. He did incredibly well, and I'm so proud of him. He's never had a bicycle as an adult and last rode with me at a conference in Hilton Head about 10 years ago. My bicycle rack worked well, too. We have greenway entrances in our neighborhood, but both involve pretty steep hills, so I wanted to take him to where the entry is flat and where the greenway is pretty flat, which means a park and ride lot.

We are supposed to have severe storms later this afternoon, so I am typing this on the treadmill now since outdoor Zumba is unlikely. I will do some core work before I shower. I will need to go for service for my Outback around lunch. So, this could impact what we do for dinner.

Have a good week, and stay safe and cool!

Thanks for starting this @gsciencechick. Funky - I hope you are having the best time!

@gsciencechick - that's great that you and your DH had such a great ride. Staying active with DH is one of my big motivators.

I had a good week. I've been doing the group challenge at work, and it is motivating me. I would have not met a daily goal several times if not for the group aspect. I also started wearing my CGM and tracking my food every day while I am doing it, and I have definitely seen some pitfalls with my habits. The awareness has been good for me. I can see now while I'm maintaining and not losing.

I did do well with my exercise. I am not good at the weights thing every day, so I've decided to go more lax on that, aiming more for a total minute flexible approach. I feel so great doing it, and I know it's so important, but it's just hard still to make myself start. I did well last week though, and got in lots of pickleball and several walks.

This week I am going to try to stop snacking -- those are really adding up calorie wise for me. I am also going to try to do some sort of exercise after my last meal of the day. My overnight blood sugars seem to be creeping up.

Have you modified your activities because of the extreme heat?

No I have not really modified my activities. I do a lot of walking early morning and late evening but really we've always done that because work.

What are you cooking/eating to stay on track with your goals?

I eat very simply as it is but I have cut out my lovely soy sauce to keep the salt in check. I absolutely adore Slurpy ramen style noodles although I eat sweet potato noodles which are sweet potato starch. Yes I am only 12 years old or maybe a 25-year-old Bachelor man or woman. Also I can eat those almost daily; they don't bother my system. did I mention they're nice and slurpy. No more soy sauce though! Instead it's apple cider vinegar and garlic. In case you were wondering yes I do have them with a fatty fish like sardines or salmon and tons of veggies. Yum. I try to make sure to get my fatty fish to help with omega-3s.

What is working well for you .

Keeping up on the Monday Wednesday Friday exercise routine has been the easiest thing I have done besides the intermittent fasting. Both of those are fantastically helpful for me.

Where are you struggling?

Getting enough muscle Russell. I struggle with that immensely. I am resistant to going to a weight lifting trainer because well I can't afford it. Plus I really love exercising but I like it to be over and done with so I can carry on with my day because the guilt if I don't do it. The farther along in the day the less likely I will do it and then I have to defer and do it the next day or I really give myself a mental beating.

It's good to have but bad to have that mental beating. The exercises won't do themselves old lady.;-). Just like the laundry /dishes / cleaning won't do themselves and the bills won't do themselves etc darn.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day and week. It is BC day here so it is a day off for me. DH as usual has found a way to work during the day but we will have barbecue tonight to celebrate. :-)..

I am so glad you started the thread, gscience!!! Funky, have a LOVELY time on vacay!!!

We just returned from the Smokies! It was our first trip with the new dog, and DS said, "If you want to find Mom, just look for the crowd of people admiring the dog!!!" It was true. She is a child MAGNET. Thank goodness she loves it as much as they do!!!

I did my Pilates this morning...Center and Balance, which I figured would be beneficial after being in the car for 4 days! It is a stretchy class. LOVE it!! I am taking care of my friend's three horses for a week+...so lots of steps this week!!!

Jill I hope that PT helps. It helped my DH immensely. They recommended he does not get the rotator cuff surgery instead tries to build everything around the area and that's what the PT did. Way fewer pain episodes nowadays etc etc. Very much recommend the physical therapy route.

Oh, that is one cute doggo!

The TRX class was fun! Unfortunately, I go back to campus next week and can maybe do it again on fall break? I did stay around and do some extra weights. Yeonassky, I hear you. It is difficult for me to sometimes do weight training too. Can you maybe take an "exercise snack" approach and break it up into a few things throughout the day? Can you look for inspiration for older women and resistance training on Instagram? Trainwithjoan is a good start but there are others like Silverandstrong. I wish DH would want to lift with me. I think getting a buddy is good, but I've never been able to rely on anyone to do it.

Have Pilates private lesson Wednesday and then group class on Friday. Will have sirloin steak tonight.

It’s been so hot here that I am walking on our indoor track, which is surprisingly pleasant. Airconditioned, big windows to see the trees and a beautiful pond and waterfall, and the track is cushioned. I’m loving it!

My biggest health concern right now is my hair, which I am shedding far more than is usual. I had more labs yesterday for thyroid antibodies to assess the Hashimoto’s situation. Regardless of the results I won’t be doing anything about it until September.

The weather is finally cooling some here, at least at night. It's making morning exercise more pleasant. I've been doing great with running and swimming. Still not achieving my weight lifting goals. Just too busy with work during the day and then finding myself busy at night and unable to find a second exercise window.

I'm continuing 5:2 intermittent fasting and doing ok. Not sure if I'm cutting down snacking as much as I should. Went on a few weekend trips and ate pretty well, so that seems like a positive. Managed very moderate alcohol intake even when surrounded by people imbibing quite a bit. On one of the weekend trips my husband and I spent hours walking (to a museum, in the museum, then around a nearby community garden) and ride-share biking (back from the museum instead of using Uber/Lyft). It was nice to be quite active while also enjoying site-seeing in a new city.

I am currently on a running sports bra quest. My beloved Brooks Rebound Racer has been discontinued and I am devastated. I've ordered probably 5 sports bras and rejected most of them. I don't understand why Brooks got rid of this very popular really phenomenal sports bra. So many of the high intensity bras have moved to this weird foam layer, including Brooks. Sizing is really confusing too. I measure one size but that seems to be too big. I think my swimming has caused the measurement just below the armpits to be a little larger, while the actual band underneath needs to be smaller. It's all very frustrating and confusing.

Your ALL are doing so well. Love the cute doggo!

Today, I went walking with my GF, then with the ladies group in my HOA. Funny, I have this huge crack in my foot that split open. When I put on my Nike tennis shoes, I can't feel it, barefoot...and it's painful. So...it's not keeping me from walking.

I forgot to eat lunch yesterday...that's a good sign to be able to skip a meal and not care. I keep looking at dogs, thinking this will help me get out and walk "more". Then I pass. The cats would not be happy with a new addition. I don't want to upset the household.

We're getting huge amounts of rain and hail...almost daily! I'm in Colorado, no heat where I am. I have 5 hail claims open. It's very time consuming to keep up with. A roof is being stocked today, new roof goes on Saturday. I just checked, a building permit "was" pulled. Whew.

pricklypearcactus, I have the same sports bra issue! I held onto those rebound racer bras way past their fraying demise. I have finally found 2 that I like...Brooks Dare 2.0 scoop back bra (has to be 2.0... the regular one was awful!) and Brooks Drive Interlace run bra (that one looks to be discontinued...what!?). My only issue with them is the fabric. It seems to hold in sweat rather than wicking, but I am otherwise comfortable unlike the eleventy hundred others I tried to like. Good luck!

Thanks for starting this, Gsciencechick!

Jill, good luck with PT. Chronic pain is terrible. I hope you get some relief.

I have amped up my protein, and it's definitely keeping me satiated.

Exercise is going well. I've been focusing on strength training, and I can feel it working. The past 2 weekends I have been able to do difficult activities that I would not have been able to do without strength.

What's working:

Increasing protein--it's apparently helping with muscle but it also keeps me full and not craving anything between meals.

Exercise snacks--a podcast a while back (I probably shared it here, but I don't remember which one) talked about small bursts of exercise throughout the day. While I wouldn't say I work them in throughout the day, I do keep weights handy nearby, and will do a few minutes here and there.

What's not working:

Our heat here is entirely tolerable (I'm in Chicago) and I have not once gotten on my bike. I want to incorporate more outdoor activities because.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Thanks jmck_nc for the recommendation! I'll checkout the Brooks Dare 2.0. I am worried about exactly what you've described about breathability with so many of the high support sports bras I've been finding. They all seem to be a thick foam instead of a double fabric layer like I've historically preferred. Most likely I'll have to just bite the bullet and spend the money on a few and see how they feel.

I am sorry you are struggling KSWL.

Edited for the more succinct reply. I know shocking coming from wordy me.

I took extra omega-3s and my hair became thicker and it changed my hairline on the front. You could just take a normal amount and see if it improved anything for you.

Thank you for starting the thread, GS!! I had full intentions to keep up-- but I haven't been spending much time online during vacation! So glad to hear how everyone's doing ... keep it up!

GS please start tomorrow's thread also-- I won't be home until Monday night and not sure what my schedule will be tomorrow morning.

Will update you all soon but vacation has been great and the hiking poles have been really great!

Funky so glad the poles are working! Hope you have continued enjoyment on your vacay.