I am running a little late for my morning bookstore date with my 3 yo nephew ... so I will update more later.

This past week wasn't my best -- bursitis kicked in again with the weather changes and I have been a little burned out and turned to some comfort foods I wish I hadn't. I feel the results ... this week I am turning to more veggies and getting outside more (assuming the bursitis has worked itself out). Those are my perpetual goals -- but I WILL do better this week!

What are you up to this week?

Good weather DOES help-- the last week was cold and rainy but starting today it is going to be much warmer (70s and low 80s). I went to the bookstore this morning and then I kept walking up and down the shopping center. It wasn't a ton of distance but it was 15 min more activity than I had yesterday in the rain!

Going to be a nice weather week. Still wrapping up things for the semester. Had Pilates private sessions and classes, so that is going well. Still no Zepbound in stock. It is supposed to be in this week, so fingers crossed. 🤞

One positive thing from this past weekend. We went to a concert in Asheville and I wore my skeleton dress I wore for Halloween 2022 and it was great to see the visible change in my body. I didn’t take a photo, but I should put it on at home and do that. LOL the band plays in these skeleton jumpsuits so I had to wear it.

My weight is holding steady without the meds, and DH is down about 3 lbs. Two weeks to the festival.

I'm feeling pretty good. All my health tests have been normal and I've gained 3 lbs and feel better about my weight. My goal is to stay where I am which is thin, but not alarmingly so.

I've also been working on taking on less responsibilities in the care of my parents (ie, I have spent the past 8 months planning their menus, ordering the food twice a week, and keeping track of inventory). It took several hours each week. Starting this week, we hired one of the aides to take over that job. It sounds small, but it has made a huge impact on me. It was a job that hung over me like a black cloud. I know the stress over my parents (mom in particular) was my weight loss trigger.

I'm also off to NC tomorrow for a visit to my dd and the grands. I can't wait. I've been puttering in the garden and working fairly often. I need to get back to the gym, though, for better fitness in general.

DH had a heart attack in Dec (mild--he is fine) so our diets (lo carb, no meat, non dairy) have

also been a factor in my weight. I'm trying to add some fats back into mine without over doing it (or flaunting it to dh, lol)

In general, I'm in a good place.

Jo

The good weather here is really motivating me to exercise. One of my favorite exercise activities is outdoor 50m swimming and one of the outdoor 50m pools I frequent opened fairly early this year so I've been taking advantage of that as much as I can (depending on my work schedule). Running is also much more enjoyable when the weather is in the 50s and 60s than the 40s. I am feeling a bit frustrated that my running companion, my dog, has been really slow on hills and I end up essentially pulling her up the hills. It's probably really good exercise for me, but it's painful and discouraging. I talked to the vet about this last year and there's nothing wrong with her.

Eating has been a bit interesting. My sister in law and her dog moved in with us after my mother in law passed away suddenly. My SIL had lived in a small town with her mother and is relocating to our bigger city to be closer to friends and family since the death left her very alone. While she's house hunting, she's living with us. Her college aged daughter will be moving in here as well in a few weeks. How does this affect eating? Well, I'm the only one in the house that's gluten free and I already struggle to protect myself against gluten poisoning from my husband, but now I must be even more vigilent. (I did get gluten poisoning one Saturday morning from them cooking breakfast. Not quite certain how.) I'm also used to cooking up a storm all over the kitchen while my husband is out and stuffing the fridge with vegetarian leftovers, but I need to be more considerate now that there are three of us cooking in the space and using the fridge. On a positive note, I think having someone else in the house all day while I'm working from home, and with a dog that is used to being fed people-food so he stares at you while you eat has probably decreased my snacking habits.

Jo, have a wonderful trip! It sounds like there's been a lot in your life, so enjoy. Funky, your bookstore date sounds like one of the the funnest things possible. Lego, I'm back to my barn weight but not my barn shape. I was hoping they'd be the same, but nope, so I'm at a decision point about amping up activity.

I'm still tracking and finding it invaluable. My diet is a baskillion times better than a month ago. DH and I wandered through a local Culvers (WI custard and fast food chain). They post their calories and I had no compunction about alotting some of them to a scoop of the flavor of the day.

I started antibiotics for a tick borne illness on Monday and we're going to Florida for four days next week, so I'm going to need a hat. I'm supposed to avoid dairy within an hour of my two daily doses - uh,oh vacation ice cream for breakfast dreams. And my plan to lie around for a couple days and read within earshot of the ocean is no longer quite as attractive as it had been, ha! I spent all weekend immoble.

It's great to read everyone's updates.

On a positive note, I think having someone else in the house all day while I'm working from home, and with a dog that is used to being fed people-food so he stares at you while you eat has probably decreased my snacking habits.

Haha, Prickly! Inspiration can come in the strangest of forms.

The weather here has been so nice, too. On Saturday, I covered 6 miles with a couple friends, and it did wonders for me to both catch up with them and get some steps in. I'm still going to the gym 3-4 days a week. When I joined last September, I was so intimidated, but I've since gained confidence about what I'm doing and my progress. I generally dislike gyms, but I have to admit that when I go, I'm efficient and get the work done. (Because I can't wait to LEAVE. lol)

My sleep is slowly improving. I'm taking magnesium glycinate in the evenings, about 1/2 the dose recommended. It does make me relax, but I do have some pretty vivid dreams.

My diet continues to be good, and mainly because I just don't have junk in the house. I'm pretty strategic when I grocery shop to focus on vegetables and protein, and some healthy carbs. Last night, I was driving home from errands and was tempted to get a quick, tasty snack like chips or a burger. But I instead came home and assembled a sort of fish salad with leftovers and a homemade lime dressing. Having healthy food readily available at home is key for me. I'm going out with friends tomorrow evening, and so I'll indulge then. I didn't need to last night after just running some errands.

A friend recently shared some advice to never go 3 days without exercise, and never have more than 3 bad meals in the row. That's enough to allow ourselves some indulgences and grace, without completely falling off the wagon.