January Health Challenge

Status
Not open for further replies.
I am going to get back to walking every day. Work has been so exhausting; I got 9000 steps at work yesterday! Things should calm down to normal soon. I also have to start cooking recipes; I have been eating horribly for weeks.
 
Not making any promises. As long as I keep maintaining I’ll be happy for now. Work has been busier than I’d like since I need to keep taking time off for house matters. Luckily I’m feeling a little better than I had been the last five months. But it’s still too dark to walk before work.
 
I “think” I “might” get on the scale today. It’s been awhile. I’m scared but I need to do it so I know where I’m at.
 
I've added strength-training to my workout routine. And now that I've joined a gym (for the winter), I can run on the treadmill on bad-weather days.

I was planning to go to the gym last night, but then I ended up shoveling the driveway. That was tiring. And the back of my right leg feels weird. It's not the hamstring but something else. I must have pulled it when I ran outside on Sunday.

Today will be a recovery day. And I'm starting a batch of homemade sauerkraut. I want more probiotics in my diet.
 
After laying around and napping for 2 hours this afternoon, I got up and walked my 30 minutes on the treadmill. I have to get back in the habit! I got on that dreaded scale the other day and it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. If I can lose 10 to 15 pounds, I will be happy. I stopped at Publix on the way home from work and got a delicious veggie sub. But then I spoiled that fairly healthy lunch with adding potato salad to it! There is still "junk food" at work too. Oh well, baby steps! :)
 
I've been eating better. Today I started with sweet potato, lunch was white beans with cauliflower, rosemary, garlic and nooch. Dinner was picky- a salad of Trader Joe's cruciferous crunch, cooked beet greens, a micro'd potato with v mayo and nooch, then mashed beans and Daiya on crackers.
I started jogging in place pretty successfully!
 
I walked yesterday, but not today. I'm back on the health train eating-wise as well. I've yet to step on the scale; I already know it's bad, haha, so I will wait until I have a few weeks on the health train before I do it. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Val
I haven't weighed myself for ages either. My clothes are all too big so weight is not a problem however I have not exercised for a long time & havent been eating well which is more important :sob: on a mission to improve.
 
I did get on the scale and I was ecstatic...I’m right where I’ve been the last few months and did not gain any more! Sure, I’d like to be a few pounds lighter but the fact that I’ve figured out how to eat and not feel deprived and not gain any more is huge for me. I will eventually try and kick back in to drop a few pounds but I’m not obsessing over it. I’m at a good weight for my age. I don’t like that people aren’t constantly telling me how “thin” I am...I miss that, lol lol lol...but I’m not overweight either. So I can deal.

And I don’t mean to sound like being “thin” is so important but I do have the self esteem issues, being old and wrinkled with bad hair...the weight is really the only thing I can somewhat control. I just feel so much better when the weight is down, physically and mentally. I know I shouldn’t obsess over it and that it’s a “society” thing, but it’s not something that is just going to go away. It’s ingrained in my head lol. I am constantly working on it and the fact that I can be content where I’m at is progress. I need to focus more on the health aspect of it more and not worry so much about “how I look”. I’m getting there. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Katrina
Yesterday I did well with steps. Today I go sit in the library bookstore in the afternoon so I don't know how today will go. People always tell me how "tiny" I am. They just can't see the "muffin top" I try valiantly to hide. I understand totally what you are saying KLS!

Screenshot_20200107-215358.jpg
 
Man, it's been up and down so far this year. My head cold is clearing, but not gone. No more nightly fevers, thank goodness, but I still have some intermittent stuffiness and a nightly dry cough - ugh! Dry January is going fine - thanks in large part to the cold, lol. We did go up to our walkable Irish pub last night to watch a basket ball game. I had an O'Doul's which wasn't bad at all. I'm not really a beer drinker, but I have an aversion to drinking water when I'm at a restaurant or bar. Seltzer with lime is fine, and now I guess there are some no/low alc beer options as well. The 12 oz. bottle has either 60 or 70 calories, depending on which website you check, and that's certainly a lot fewer calories than my usual 9 oz. sauvignon blanc or Manhattan would be.

Exercise has just been walking and only started in the last three days. I will add a little yoga today, though. The very interesting thing is that my back pain has been non-existent. Is this due to so little activity (very likely, imo) or could it possibly be the lack of alcohol, which is/can be for some a source of inflammation? I did Dry May last year and I thought I remembered having far fewer back problems that month, so I was interested in what this month's experiment would bring. And I'm not just not sure. But there's still a way to go in January…. :)

Weight-wise, the cold has helped. Over the fall and holidays, I'd come up about 6 pounds from my low-point last summer. I don't know that I can realistically maintain that, but to lose 2 or 3 of those would be nice and my lacks would feel better. I haven't weighed myself while sick, but I feel a little lighter.

So here's to everyone's efforts! Onward and upward! (Or downward…whatever!)
 
I did get on the scale and I was ecstatic...I’m right where I’ve been the last few months and did not gain any more! Sure, I’d like to be a few pounds lighter but the fact that I’ve figured out how to eat and not feel deprived and not gain any more is huge for me. I will eventually try and kick back in to drop a few pounds but I’m not obsessing over it. I’m at a good weight for my age. I don’t like that people aren’t constantly telling me how “thin” I am...I miss that, lol lol lol...but I’m not overweight either. So I can deal.

And I don’t mean to sound like being “thin” is so important but I do have the self esteem issues, being old and wrinkled with bad hair...the weight is really the only thing I can somewhat control. I just feel so much better when the weight is down, physically and mentally. I know I shouldn’t obsess over it and that it’s a “society” thing, but it’s not something that is just going to go away. It’s ingrained in my head lol. I am constantly working on it and the fact that I can be content where I’m at is progress. I need to focus more on the health aspect of it more and not worry so much about “how I look”. I’m getting there. :)
At least you take really good pictures! ;) I've never understood why you down on your looks, you've looked great in the pictures you post here- unlike me, who never has!
 
I didn't get as many steps in today (8250 right now) because I had to be a cashier at work this morning instead of wandering around the store like I did yesterday! Still not bad!
 
Did strength training today. I added some exercises for the abs and lower back. I'm still focusing on the major muscle groups, not worrying too much about my biceps and so on.

My goal is to do this twice a week. That's in addition to my runs.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.