Hi all ... glad to be back to the board and ready to start a new year!

I ended the year with a 2lb weight loss -- I havent calculated how much I lost in 2024 but it was close to 10lb --not a lot compared to how much I'd lost in the previous 2 yr. I consider it primarily a maintenance year as I went up and down the same 3lb for much of the year. This is going to change in 2025!

I can take a photo I can accept on my own-- sometimes/often times after multiple tries. However, i saw some candid photos taken by others over the holidays and I was not happy with how I looked. I am motivated and reinvigorated to get more serious this year. I am going to target losing 4lb a month which i think is very doable as long as I am consistent and focused. I still have a lot to lose and I can honestly say I was neither consistent nor focused this last year. I am thinking the best way to stay consistent is to be working towards something-- an activity or a trip maybe. SO and I made some lose plans for the next 6 months so I will roll in some incremental goals into those as they solidify. I do think I need a longer term achievement and I will be thinking about that as well.

I am not yet sure how I will work more exercise and activity into my daily life and will be considering options in the coming weeks and months (as they will change as we transition seasons). I am very inspired by all of you and will borrow and adapt from some of what you are doing... and find the best ways for me to make exercise a part of my daily routine.

While I am not happy with my progress last year, I am not going to beat myself up. I am going to put that energy into making better choices and doing much better this year. I am ready to be thinner, stronger and healthier!

I wish the same for each of you-- may we all be healthier, stronger women this time next year!

I made it home ahead of the storm-- but I didnt outrun the cold/flu I picked up along the way. I am struggling to work today ... bleh.

Sue, glad you adjusted to the move to tea and that you are already feeling better as a result! And what is it with those darn 3lb?! I am now below that place so pretty committed to keeping them off and more. In your case, i think it is much harder the closer you are to goal weight but I think you are off to a great start! I love that you could move your exercise room. I know that would make a big difference to me!

Just re-discovered one of my favorite lunches — Trader Joe bagged salad mix (I got the Soithwestern mix) with their precooked grilled chicken added. I used half the bag of salad/dressing and added cucumber and some of the chicken. It ends up being a nice big salad in my special big salad bowl. And I can have the other half tomorrow.

DH will be away next week so I think I’ll have a TJ salad with added protein every night for dinner.

He is making a shrimp stir fry for dinner tonight.

Feeling virtuous today LOL. Morning workout: 15 min Peloton ride, 10 min arm weights, 10 min yoga. And DH is trying to convince me to go for a walk with him later even though it “feels like” 20 degrees and cloudy/overcast. Bah.

I used January 1 as a recommitment of sorts, something about the new year. I re- logged on to my Levels app which I used for my CGM, and now it's an entire food logging app. Since my subscription doesn't run out until February, I decided to log my food for the month. When I set it up, I could pick 3 goals, so I chose fiber, protein and exercise as my daily goals. I'm good at meeting the fiber and exercise goals, but the protein is a stretch for me. Still working on that. I do like exercising every day. I split up my strength traininng into upper and lower body, which I think is better for me. I am more thorough and don't rush through. I am also doing 2 dead hangs every day. I habit stacked them onto brushing my teeth. Those have been really good for my posture too. It's such a good back stretch and great for grip strength.

I listened to a bunch of podcasts on manifesting before the new year, and one part really stood out to me in regards to weight loss and a healthy lifestyle -

"I think the other thing is you have to give up the attachment to the outcome because again, and this may sound strange, but in some ways we're talking about the difference between fear and love. And what I mean by that is that the attchement to an outcome in some ways creates anxiety and stress, which is manifestation of engagement of your sympathetic nervous system, which fundamentally is a fear reaction. So if you're attached to that, you're always worried about that. I have to get there, I have to get there. Yet the very nature of that internal dialogue is actually working against you. And that's not to say having a goal isn't important. It's to say that goal is so prominent, that's the only way. Yet we know from manifestation that it can take different paths and turns, and in some ways it is smarter than you are about knowing the best way for something to happen."

So, this is kind of me - attaching too much importance to weight loss or dress size. It does lead to fear and stress for me if I think about it too hard, and not making progress towards that is a failure in my mind. I need to keep good food decisions and physical activity at the forefront, love my body for what it is doing for me, and let the results continue as they come. I can feel so good about myself, especially feeling strong, and then I get on the scale and see the same number, and bam - more bad feelings.

So, that's kind of my continuing mantra into 2025. Fiber, Protein, Strength training, movement, and appreciating my body where it is right now.

Also this.

@Sueb20 - the nutritionist for the 800 gram challenge swears by bagged salads plus protein. It's her go to meal. I need to get back into that. I did that a lot a few summers ago, and them just got sick of salads in general.

I'm glad you're doing well with your switch to tea and that your throat is already feeling better.

I've finally started riding my Peloton again. 3 times in the last week. Can't even remember the last time I did it that much. So I'm feeling good about that, but we leave for vacation early Wednesday morning and will be gone for 3 weeks. So no Peloton rides during that time. However, I always move more on vacation than when I'm home. Just a lot more walking than I do when home and working and sitting on by butt at my computer all day, every day.

We'll be in San Diego for 3 days. Not renting a car so we'll be doing a lot of walking around there. We've never been there so lots to see.

Then we will be on a 17 day cruise. The first 5 days are sea days on the way to Hawaii. I will have to make it a point to do some walking around the ship. But even just the multiple trips form our cabin on the aft to our cabana at the front is a long walk and way more than I do at home. Then we'll be around the islands for 7 days and have lots of excursions planned including some hiking. Hope I don't die! Then 5 more sea days back to San Diego.

I hope I can keep up the determination to get back to my goal/good weight this year. Will take motivation from you all!

Nicole

Got the flu Dec 21, which turned into a cold with coughing, lungs with congestion. Slowly getting rid of it. Mostly eating canned soup & apple juice. I've lost 7lbs. I found this turtleneck sweater...the belted waist speaks to me. I need to trim my waist down. I "used" to have THIS figure.....I want it back. :0)

I had a weird but yummy (to me) lunch today. A good-sized baked potato with plain greek yogurt instead of sour cream (for protein) and a pile of roasted broccoli with a sprinkle of parmesan on top.

Other than the wedding reception, I have been ”good” for a whole week and the stubborn scale has not moved an ounce!

Hi, Everyone, I am that cold person. Gosh, it's super cold here so I cannot get warm. And the computer room and our BR are on the north end of the house which tend to be the coldest.

SueB, I am envious of your workout space. Turning our guest room into a workout space will be a challenge.

jsk, I love San Diego, and I hope the weather is good for you there and then on to Hawaii. But I hope they are not affected by the Santa Ana winds in San Diego.

Funky, congrats on 10 lbs. to end the year!

Since classes don't start until Monday I am mostly WFH revising syllabi and Blackboard shells. I made it to the Y twice for Zumba and then TRX yesterday so that was good. Pilates private session tomorrow so I will drive to campus. Not sure when I will get in a class, maybe Thursday or else Friday morning. Then a winter storm is supposed to arrive Friday evening so no one will be going anywhere.

Made Giada Beef and Butternut Squash Stew so that was a nice hearty meal the past couple of days.

Legomom, glucose has been good, and I just need to work on keeping it that way.

Have a good night everyone! Stay warm.

Yeah, I have full blown flu --went to bed Monday afternoon and only got up for the bathroom until this afternoon. No reading, no ipad, no tv --i just slept. I am also down a significant amount of weight but I havent eaten or had more than sips of water since Sunday, I am sure it will pop back up for sure when I do start eating again. I have zero appetite but will make a can of soup later tonight

I am so regretting not getting a flu shot -- it was in the plan but never happened.

I’m sorry Funky. I hope you feel better quickly.

Gscience, I usually call my office the computer room since DH used to have his play computer back here also. Both computer room and masterbed room are on the north side of the house so I feel your cold. Our north windows became drafty where the bottom window latch meets the top window & it was last year I discovered bubble wrap stuck tight in the gaps. What a difference!

The only thing different I'm doing beginning today is taking Centrum Silver. I don't eat as well as I should, especially meat/iron. Oddly enough, with my poor eating habits my blood sugar went down. Especially since I stopped taking another med (not Ozempic, yuck!) with my regular meds (I'm so done with Ozempic, makes me sick) because I had the main side effect, dizziness. And I unintentionally lost 5 pounds the past three months.

I guess this is a NYE resolution, I'm being diligent in keeping my whole body moisturized, especially feet, hands, and face.

Norovirus is breaking out everywhere, and of course OK doesn't keep track of it, but the day after Christmas DS & family went to OH for a week, and while driving home, the middle DGD threw up all the way. They had bags for her and had to get home before they got stuck in the OH snow. OH is having a Noro outbreak. I bet it's in OK now. lol

I've had it and I don't ever want to get it again!

2024 was pretty much not good, beginning with a broken leg and ending with an unforeseen surgery. Got Covid for the first time, thought I was going to be one of those people who never got it. Worst of all I lost my beautiful cat, Bessie. Hopefully I got all the #*%@$ out of my system.

Last week I got an RSV shot and had zero side effects.

Salads for Lunch!!! It takes me longer to make them than eat them, but that's okay. Speaking of bagged, I like Taylor Farms sweet kale chopped.

I have a deep (blind) cabinet that houses all my containers + lids for food leftovers, etc. It's not a drawer. For the better part of two years I kept it orderly, but lately it got out of control and it was a real rats' nest. Today I took everything out, threw away the ridiculous plastic containers from WF that I thought I needed forever, and re-ordered both shelves. Ommmmmmm.

Yesterday is known as Quitters Friday in the world of new years’ resolutions, and I did skip my 30 minutes of exercise. Must regroup today and not become another statistic😀

Sorry, you have the flu, Funky! I am not looking forward to going back to campus because of all these illnesses like flu and norovirus going around. I only have one in person class which is good. No lab this semester.

I did make it to Pilates yesterday before the winter storm came in. We had some snow, sleet, and freezing rain, but everything moved through very quickly and melted already. Did Zumba step this morning. Will go lift tomorrow morning. Pilates Monday.

Washed some of the new clothes I got for Christmas. I need to wear these sweaters since it's going to be cold all week. Lows in the low 20's and highs in the 40's which is at least 10 degrees lower than normal. It has been cold! Watching college basketball and NFL football.

I need to get a haircut, but having my hair a little longer in the winter feels a little warmer. But still, I need a trim. Some of my ends look a little dry.

Nicole

@Funkyart...hope your feeling better?

I'm going to go ahead and start this week's thread.