Thanksgiving doesn't usually present me with too many challenges/worries-- I have only "the meal". No appetizers or desserts. It is definitely a bit more rich than most meals but I look at it as one meal. One celebration. I load up on veggies and have a small serving of potatoes. No mac & cheese (just not a thanksgiving side imho) and I rarely have stuffing. I guess I think a normally healthy diet has room for a special meal or two.

I have been doing ok otherwise ... I don't feel exceptionally good about my diet/activity and I don't feel bad about it. Honestly, I have been focused on about everything else the last few weeks... work, christmas shopping, family stuff. I think that is ok-- it's where my time and focus need to be right now. Sometimes not being focused on diet means I lose weight but right now I am just holding steady-- or a few lbs up. I really want to drop some more lbs before the end of the year but if I can just hold steady, I'll be ok with that.

How are all of you beautiful people doing? Are you preparing for the holidays?

I am finally feeling much better! I was able to do Zumba step and some core work yesterday. That was my first real workout other than walking on the indoor track at work. Wrist is doing ok and I am treating the br**st hematoma with heat packs, but I am no longer sore there. Bruises are improving. I can actually wear a regular bra now. My primary care said to reschedule my mammo for about a month out. It was supposed to be this week. SueB20, glad yours was in the clear!

We had a couple of concerts this week, so I felt OK to go out and didn't have any more pain or soreness as a result.

I bought the delicata squash again this week but then realized I couldn't cut it, so I had to wait until DH got home. I am going to try to make the dutch apple pie. I think I will be able to peel and cut the apples? They're much softer than a squash. But I am otherwise going to limit what we cook. I will pick up the BBQ smoked turkey, collards, and mac and cheese on Wednesday. There are only 3 of us, so we do not need a mountain of food!

I finished the mindful eating webinars through our nutrition department, and I still can't really get into this.

Still have classes on Monday but Tuesday is a remote day. I still have a lot of grading to do. But the end of the semester is in sight.

Funky yes being devoted to just getting in shape and losing weight is a losing venture. And it waxes and wanes for all of us right? At least it does for me! Shrug :-).

Funky I admire your choices with regards to what to eat for Thanksgiving. I however am very confused by the words I don't eat mac and cheese.. but I understand that you don't think it's a traditional side. We've never had it as a side here but since I've been hearing about it more and more regularly from south of the border I have thought about making it. Shrug.

I wish I didn't love cheese so much. It seems like the only thing I can't turn my back on as far as high fat foods goes.

Gscience I am so glad you are feeling better. Glad you are able to wear your undergarment again! If I couldn't I might be one of those people who wears four t-shirts and doesn't go out at all. Not very comfortable without some kind of undergarment. Read br*a.

I'm kind of forced into a pseudo nutrition based life. But if I didn't have to I tell you I would be eating entirely differently. First thing I would add is licorice :-) yes licorice. But I can't eat it so I make do with things like Bliss balls. They are not licorice they are second best chocolate. Well or coconut and chocolate

I am continuing along with the same core exercises. A few times I've had to do it on Saturday instead of Friday but that has turned out just fine.

We have been going camping and DH been riding his electric mountain bike deep into the mountains. I stay in the camper mostly and cook meals sew clothes that need a bit of tweaking which I want to wear for dancing. We have a lot of fun doing this. I obviously do my exercises there as well.

We missed one week of dancing and boy did I miss it. We are practicing the two-step at home as the places we go are a mix of country and pop and rock for their dance bands. I will rock out at home and often it is music that I know I will hear at the clubs. :-). So I watch a lot of music videos and listen to a great variety. Last night at our dance they played Footloose. A lot of fun and everyone joined in.

We are getting back on track with walking the dogs for longer every day and I'm glad that that is happening. DS and I have been struggling with the usual weather change migraines. So frustrating. Shorter more frequent walks are what we can handle when we're sick.

I hope everyone is doing well and has a wonderful week!

@yeonasky - I am so jealous of the dancing for exercise, I so wish we had something like that around here. I love to dance. @gsciencechick _ i am so glad you are feeling better and getting back to your zumba! @funkyart - love your Thanksgiving plan - and you are so right. It's not the couple holidays, but all the days in between that really matter.

I've been successful with my two new habits - way more water and weights. I've been drinking at least one big water in the morning before my zevia, sometimes two, to try to get my water consumption up and it's working. I'm loving my gym setup in the basement still. I can really see some body comp changes in the mirror. No one else would notice them I'm sure but I can tell. No inches probably, but the shape is changing somehow. I'm very pleased and the results make it easier to keep going. I've got a little over a month before I try to ski, so that is keeping me going as well. I'm hoping to be brave enough to give it a go all these years later!

@sueb20 - so glad your mammo follow-up was good!

I just keep losing and gaining the same 2 pounds. I am also not doing enough to prevent the scale from creeping up. I know what to do, I’m just being lazy. I am pretty good with the exercise but with last week’s stress and this week’s holiday, I am just eating what I feel like eating.

I wandered around a cemetery collecting pine cones with a friend this morning (yeah, I know that sounds weird) and we ended up getting lost — could not find her car when it was time to leave! — plus we were both trying to get home for appts so ended up doing a brisk 3 mile walk, kind of by mistake.

I have had what the dr thought was bursitis in my foot but after two cortisone shots that didn’t work, I went to PT today and he thinks it’s actually a trapped nerve. He did some deep massage of the foot, plus needling, and I go back in a week. Maybe this will be the fix. It’s mostly an annoying pain, not debilitating, but it’s been going on for over 6 months and I’m ready for it to go away. This is the kind of thing that makes me feel old!

I'm nearing the 6-month mark with Invisalign. The first couple of months I couldn't see any change, but I could sure tell the spaces between my back teeth were opening up. I had (past tense!!) real crowding in my lower front teeth and now I can SEE that diminishing. They told me 24 months and I don't know if that's certain or just to keep me from getting ahead of myself, but I'm happy with how it's going so far.

Invisalign interferes enough with eating enough to be a serious weight-loss device. I have difficulty keeping weight on, so that's one negative for me.

Gscience and SueB, congratulations on your good health news (although, SueB, the foot situation must surely be annoying).

Funky, I agree that the holidays really are just a few special meals. And any healthy diet and lifestyle can accommodate that. But my holiday nemesis is egg nog, which, if I'm not disciplined, can easily be consumed for weeks on end. It starts with the annual trimming of the tree, with a traditional glass of eggnog. Cut with a bit of milk. And made smart with some Jameson whiskey. The next day, I'll have a splash of eggnog in my coffee, and that evening, since there's some left and I'll likely be doing more misc decorating, I'll have another smart eggnog. Then the balance of leftover Jameson, milk and eggnog is upset, so I'll have to buy more eggnog to use up the Jameson. And so on. It's a dangerous cycle that can last until New Years.

I generally do not have a sweet tooth and can pass up most holiday sweets. I don't bake, and cookies don't tempt me. But I have no willpower when it comes to egg nog. It's been in grocery stores here for a few weeks now, and so far, I've resisted.

Anyway, the rest of my health journey is going well. Weights, protein, water... I'm working on improving my sleep. With the shorter days, I am getting sleepier earlier in the evening, and that has helped. I was suffering from night sweats when I brought out my winter comforter, so put that away. It has helped.

We've all made so much wonderful progress these past months. My goal is to strike a balance between not losing what I've worked so hard to attain, and giving myself some grace to enjoy the season. January will be here soon enough.

Feathers, my weakness is egg nog + Jameson. I'm unable to resist.

Saw this on instagram just now: