January Health Challenge (2019)

[Chryssie]

I am still struggling with getting my eating under control! Since I am not much of a cook, I have been buying the frozen processed stuff which I know isn't very healthy. I am trying to be more active but it's so hard! I am going to have to force myself to get on that treadmill that is just sitting in my bedroom!

I have been afraid to get on the scale for months. I can tell I have gained quite a bit by my clothes and the noticeable increase in "muffin top."

 

[PTree15]

My sister, friend and I walked 3.2 miles today in a lovely park in Rhode Island. It was chilly, but once we got moving, we were fine. I want to walk outside again tomorrow.

 

[KLS52]

My sister, friend and I walked 3.2 miles today in a lovely park in Rhode Island. It was chilly, but once we got moving, we were fine. I want to walk outside again tomorrow.

If you don’t mind my asking, how far of a drive is Rhode Island from you? What is the traffic like?

 

[PTree15]

If you don’t mind my asking, how far of a drive is Rhode Island from you? What is the traffic like?

I don't mind at all. It takes about an hour and a half, and traffic isn't usually an issue because it's mostly back roads. I take Route 6 through eastern CT to 95, which can be a pain sometimes.

 

[KLS52]

That isn’t bad. So it’s about three hours for me. I want to visit more of New England before I’m too old to do so, haha. I want to go to Maine and New Hampshire, too, as well as Rhode Island.

 

[PTree15]

That isn’t bad. So it’s about three hours for me. I want to visit more of New England before I’m too old to do so, haha. I want to go to Maine and New Hampshire, too, as well as Rhode Island.

Maine and New Hampshire are beautiful, too. I would love to live in Maine, but the winters would kill me. Too long! You might like that with your love of snow. Maine and NH can get a lot of snow.

ETA: If you ever have questions about Rhody, I'm your gal.

 

[Katrina]

I was shocked when I stepped on the scale and saw I gained yet another 5-7 pounds (couldn't tell the exact number). Just how big am I going to get?? I never had issue with weight gain until I turned 30. Getting older sucks!

Anyway, I am focusing on eating more vegetables. I think I mentioned somewhere earlier that I've been cooking lots of Mediterranean recipes. There's not much protein in the recipes I've made so far, so I've started to eat more bean dips. First store-bought hummus, then a homemade black bean dip. They work well for snacking, and I get in more protein that way.

 

[Val]

I was shocked when I stepped on the scale and saw I gained yet another 5-7 pounds (couldn't tell the exact number). Just how big am I going to get?? I never had issue with weight gain until I turned 30. Getting older sucks!

Anyway, I am focusing on eating more vegetables. I think I mentioned somewhere earlier that I've been cooking lots of Mediterranean recipes. There's not much protein in the recipes I've made so far, so I've started to eat more bean dips. First store-bought hummus, then a homemade black bean dip. They work well for snacking, and I get in more protein that way.

I dunno, i saw your photo in summer (the one with courgettes, at your garden plot). You look great on that photo. I wish i was as slim as you!

 

[Katrina]

I dunno, i saw your photo in summer (the one with courgettes, at your garden plot). You look great on that photo. I wish i was as slim as you!

Thank you. Most people who look at me think I am skinny, but I have muffin top and I have to keep buying bigger clothes.

 

[Val]

Thank you. Most people who look at me think I am skinny, but I have muffin top and I have to keep buying bigger clothes.

Eeeh... I haven't seen you from different angles, but i would say, you look neither skinny nor "in flesh" (sorry for my bad English). Your constitution is pretty normal, if it's appropriate to say so, LOL. Actually, i would love to see more photos of yours, especially with your newly-grown vegetables!!

 

[KLS52]

I was shocked when I stepped on the scale and saw I gained yet another 5-7 pounds (couldn't tell the exact number). Just how big am I going to get?? I never had issue with weight gain until I turned 30. Getting older sucks!

Wait till you hit 60...

I’m sure it’s different for everyone but I feel like I gained 5 pounds every 7-10 years or so, after I hit 30. That part of getting older definitely sucks. You have to eat less and increase activity, it seems, just to break even. I hit 160 pounds five years ago which is why I finally joined Weight Watchers. I need the structure. I hover, now, between 128 and 135, which is a healthy weight for me, but damn, it’s so hard and so frustrating to constantly have to watch what I eat. But my mental state suffers when I gain more than that so it’s the price I pay, I suppose.

 

[Chryssie]

I am still having a problem controlling my eating. I have been going out to eat way too much! I have tried to be more active but I know the eating all the junk has to get under control. I haven't gotten on the scale in months. It will just depress me so I won't do it. I can tell I have gained a lot by my clothes and that dreaded "muffin top."

 

[KLS52]

I am still having a problem controlling my eating. I have been going out to eat way too much! I have tried to be more active but I know the eating all the junk has to get under control. I haven't gotten on the scale in months. It will just depress me so I won't do it. I can tell I have gained a lot by my clothes and that dreaded "muffin top."

When that happens me I refuse to get on the scale too. I start watching for a week and if I’m doing well I’ll get on the scale then. That way I’m like, ok, it’s bad but not as bad as I thought...I can do this!

 

[Chryssie]

I have reset my LoseIt! goals and will start tracking my food TODAY! I tried on a pile of pants just now and have decided to donate the ones that I think I will never fit into. I have a pile of "goal" pants that I WILL fit back into and in my drawers are the ones I can wear. I have a lot of pants!

 

[PTree15]

I am still having a problem controlling my eating. I have been going out to eat way too much! I have tried to be more active but I know the eating all the junk has to get under control. I haven't gotten on the scale in months. It will just depress me so I won't do it. I can tell I have gained a lot by my clothes and that dreaded "muffin top."

I am having this issue as well, and I haven't been like this in years. I, too, am pretty sure I've gained some more, and I don't want to step on the scale until my clothes feel a bit better. I've had trouble keeping up my exercise routine as well. I'm sure most of this is due to being down/stressed about not having a job. That said, it's time to pull myself out of this little funk before my clothes stop fitting! I can't afford to buy any clothes right now, haha.

So yesterday I told myself that I will not let myself get bigger, because it affects my mental health as well. It's mostly snacking during the day now that I have been home a lot that is doing me in. Also, I've been eating too much crunchy junk like chips and pretzels. So that stops immediately. I will get back to drinking more water as well. I've been slacking on that of late, but yesterday I did really well with food and water. Today I did the Leslie Sansone 3-mile iWalk free video. It's a good butt-kicker, which is what I needed. And I so have to cut down on bread and pasta. It makes me bloated when I have too much of it. I can do one serving of that a day without it bothering me too much. So I will focus on veggies and protein for dinner and maybe some tasty wraps and salads for lunch. I made hummus yesterday as well, so I can have that with veggies. I have an eye doctor appointment in a bit, and on the way back I can hit an Aldi. I need fresh veggies.

 

[Chryssie]

I got my courage up and got on the scale and it was as bad as I thought. I have gained 15 pounds over the last 4 or 5 months! I am back to a place I was 2 years ago and I am really disappointed in myself. There was a lot of stress and tension going on in my life and I am an emotional eater but that is no excuse. I am back on my LoseIt! app tracking my food. That said, I will still have my Sweets-n-Eats and beer but I will not get the cheesecake or fries anymore.

 

[Val]

I've begun to feel hungry more often! I have very controversial feelings about it. I even think of asking my sumerian gods to cancel this improvement (and i've been doing it before,- that's why i'm stuck: neither do i like being hungry, nor i like the absence of hunger at all). I'm so hesitant and infirm,- i don't know what i want.
I've bought asian pears! (They were on discount). I know that they increase my metabolism, plus they contain much beneficial water (not like that crappy water from the tap). In winter we usually can't afford fruit, as they are ridiculously expensive and of low quality. I would willingly eat peaches, as they boost my digestion as well, but there are no peaches this time of the year. Moreover, the newsmedia have scared us: they say that most of turkish fruits are now contaminated with maggots of a malicious tiny fly (i don't remember the name), and those maggots cause ...death. OTOH, sometimes i eat abkhaz mandarines (they are the most delicious of all mandarin oranges' cultivars). If i don't get poisoned with asian pears, i'll buy them more often. If i were a billionaire, i would buy blueberries every day. I'm pretty satisfied with my various sorts of cabbage though.

 

[PTree15]

... I have an eye doctor appointment in a bit, and on the way back I can hit an Aldi. I need fresh veggies.

The weather was just awful, so much rain and wind, so I didn't stop at Aldi. I will go tomorrow when it calms down.

 

[KLS52]

Omgosh I hate to say misery loves company but I’ve been ravenous the last few weeks, totally overindulging in not only food but snacks like pop chips and popcorn, corn chips and potato chips! I had kicked back into WW and then blew it after about a week and a half lol.

 

[Katrina]

I did a full-body workout last night. Normally I do an upper/lower body split, but then I decided it makes more sense to do both in one day. I just can't seem to make myself go to the gym more than 3x a week (and usually it's just 2x), so yeah. I saw in a video that it's more effective to strength train each muscle group twice a week.

My next goal is to start tracking my protein intake. I need to make sure I'm getting enough so I don't burn off muscle by accident. I mean, I'm sure that I'm getting enough, but I'd like to know precisely how much.