Are you looking for support on your health and fitness journey? If you are, then this thread is for you.

There are no expectations in this forum. Post as often as you like. Post anything that you feel is relevant to your own personal health and fitness goal. Here are some ideas:

• Monthly health and fitness goal
• Daily health and fitness goal
• Progress (or setbacks) in reaching your goal
• Personal stories about why you are joining this topic
• Healthy recipes that you feel others will enjoy
• Links to articles or books that you feel others would find helpful
• Food Choices (healthy or unhealthy)

Remember, your health and fitness journey is your own. There is no one program, method, or philosophy that is right for everyone. This thread is for support only.

Happy March everyone. Hope it's a good month for all.

In February I didn't do very well with the numbers on the scale, so starting off March at 245.4 lbs. My big goal for the month would be to lose 10 lbs., but if I can lose 6 and get back out of the 240's, I'll be happy. My doctor would like to see me 17 lbs. lighter by my next wellness check-up in August, so that's the longer term goal for now. Most of the food I have in the house now are single serve sizes, so hoping that will help.

Vicki, I'm paralleling you again!

After a great month in January, I had a bad February, so I'll just hope I learned from it. I treated myself to sugary snacks, fast food, and weight gain. There are  some extenuating circumstances, but I thought I had said goodbye to ever seeing 240 on the scale again! But no...

here is a copy of my February goals:

February Goals:

• New habit:  remember yearly theme word of APPRECIATE as I go through my day.
• Firm up old habits:

1. Get in bed by midnight; lights off by 1.
2. Walk 50,000 steps each week.
3. Measure and record blood pressure daily.

• On February 26, weigh at most 232 pounds. (was 234.6 on January 29; trying for 2 - 3 pounds a month this year)

I did not meet any of them, and I have once again misplaced my Fitbit! On February 26, I think I was at 242 pounds. Today it was 243.4! Up almost 10 pounds!

like Lisa, I know it is the sugar. So it's got to go. I'm going to do a no buy month, and eat the things I have in my freezer and pantry already. That will eliminate fast food and the sugar will be less as I use it up. 
 

so, March goals:

• Firm up old habits:

1. Get in bed by midnight; lights off by 1.
2. Walk 50,000 steps each week.
3. Measure and record blood pressure daily.
4. Remember yearly theme word of APPRECIATE as I go through my day.

• On March 26, weigh less than 240 pounds. (was 243.4 on March 1; trying to lose 2 - 3 pounds a month this year)

As for weight loss: I started Feb. at 127, on 2/26 I weighed 125. My goal in Feb was to weigh 124...didn't quite get there.

Today I weighed in at 125.2. My goal in March is to be 123 by 3/26. I weigh in on Sunday mornings.

Goals I tracked in Feb:
Exercise 16/28
Dinner In 19/28
Read 10 pgs of success book 18/28
Read 30 min for fun 22/28
48 oz water 18/28
Floss 28/28
Nighttime routine (face & teeth) 22/28
Stretch 1/28....apparently I like the stretching idea in theory as I did not make this a priority at all. Won't be carrying this over to March.
Limit Facebook 28/28 This has been liberating & so good for my mental health!!!

I will continue March with tracking the same goals minus the stretching as I am obviously not too serious about that one. I like the idea of stretching, but not enough to put time/effort towards it I guess. I haven't thought of another daily goal I want to track into a habit so I won't be adding anything this month.

I had 7 "other" goals (not daily things) listed I wanted to get done. Some were house things, some were work things, some were life things, etc. I accomplished 4 of them. I'll be carrying the 3 not done over as they are work things & are important. I will be also adding a few "others" as well. Having the goals written down helps me accomplish them & is good for my mental health so I'm not worrying or consumed with things.

Here's to an awesome March of goal crushing & habits forming!

I just returned from a week in FL and have not been on the scale yet.  I will wait until the morning.  I do not expect to see a loss ...

I have realized in food and weight tracking that my biggest problem is not just snacking and sugar, but also eating out.  When I cook at home I am much more conscious about what I am eating.  Not so much when eating out! The problem is my husband and I do enjoy eating out.  But for March I am going to work on cooking at home more and eating out less.  In addition to the usual habits I am trying to form - more water, more exercise, more steps, and conscious eating and no eating after 7 pm.

I also tried to add yoga in February.  I started doing a 3 week yoga challenge on peloton.  I only did 1 1/2 weeks and then had some days where I had to be in the office early and was unable to do it.  Like Shayla, I like the idea of stretching and yoga but I found it boring in practice.  Even though it was boring I did feel the effects even just from 20-30 minutes a day.  So I am trying to decide whether to start week 2 again and see how I feel after I finish weeks 2 and 3 OR whether to ditch it and try to be more consistent with some other form of exercise like pilates. 

Here's to a better March than February was.  I ended February 2.4# up from where I ended January and 3.4# up from my end of February goal.  Yes, I'm only trying to lose 1# a month and I couldn't even do that.

But, I'm going to do a sugar fast this month.  Not all sugar, but desserts, candy, generally junk sugar.  I've been doing it for a few days already and it's amazing how much easier it is to pass up that stuff once it's out of your system.  I feel better too I think.

Vicki and Margaret, here's to a better month for you too.  We all seemed to have a rough February.

Margaret, like you, during February when my eating was off track, so were the other habits that I generally do.  Such a link between my eating discipline and all the other disciplines.

I don't like stretching very much either Shayla.  I know it's suppose to be so good for us, and even help us burn more calories after a workout, but it's so sloooow.  I don't like yoga for the same reason.

Debbie, eating out is a big problem for me too.  I like eating out #1, but also I use socializing over meals as a way to keep up with people.  And, I refuse to be that person that makes it difficult on everyone else by saying "I can't eat here or there or whatever."  I just need to learn to make the best choices available and watch quantities.

Well, I've been gone all day and so I need to get some stuff around here done.  Later. . . .

I just got on the scale and I am down two pounds this week. I am having brunch with my daughter, sisters in law and nieces today and plan to make good choices. It might be easier than usual because my two sister in laws I know will probably eat a salad so I will not be tempted by the other people I'm with ordering burgers and fries. 

I'm down 2 lbs. since the 1st of March. Just want to see it keep going down. Have a good weekend everyone.

Good job, Debbie and Vicki! I am back to 198.  With a foot of snow outside, I expect to be doing some shoveling tomorrow.

Seems like y'all are doing well for March.  I was down a pound yesterday morning, but it's back this morning.  Going to the Rodeo Grounds today and will try not to be tempted by all the wonderful foods.  Fortunately, I am doing well with my sugar fast and so it's easier to pass up the tempting stuff that's sweet, but there will be lots of stuff that isn't sweet and still is calorie laden.  Intending to make whatever I eat there all that I eat today.  Tomorrow is my official weigh in and I hope I'm at least the same as last week, even if the end of the week "eat-a-thon" keeps me from actually losing.

Didn't make the gym at all last week either, so that doesn't help.

Good job Vicki and Debbie and Teri.

Lisa, good job with staying away from sugar!  Truly, the constant craving for sugar does ease up the longer you don't have it.  I will admit I eat a tiny bit of sugar. I may enjoy a teaspoon of maple syrup on plain yogurt or a drizzle of buckwheat honey on my half bagel. I found several 4-packs of snack pudding cups in my pantry when I reorganized. One of those isn't too bad so I'm keeping them.

I weighed 198.4 this morning. I could see 197 real soon because I have to shovel some today!  

For supper last night, I cooked one of my 5-oz packages of ground chicken with sauteed mushrooms-onions and put it over quinoa. I tried one of those shelf-stable microwave trays of quinuoa.  It was a little bland so I spiced it up with paprika and salt-free seasonings. And a pat of margarine since the quinuoa was dry.  It wasn't bad!

I'm yo-yo-ing, which isn't unusual for me. The 2 lbs. I was down yesterday, I've reclaimed it this morning. So I'm 245 lbs. this morning. I haven't felt good the last couple days due to all the pollen in the air and have spent 90% of the last 2 days sleeping, so you'd figure the numbers would still be going down. Who knows what the scale will show tomorrow.

 Good luck everyone. Hope you all meet your personal weekly goals.

Down only .2 from last Sunday morning, but down is down.  :)  I went to the rodeo grounds yesterday, but the only food I had was a brisket/bacon melt.  I'm sure it was easily 1K calories, maybe even 1200, but I had only eaten a breakfast burrito earlier in the day, so overall I felt good about the day.  I chose to say no to ice cream and funnel cake, and I'm sure was only able to do that because I'm 8-10 days into a sugar fast so it's out of my system.

Teri, I'll still have syrup on waffles and I'm still having jam on my toast.  What I'm mostly trying to avoid is desserts and candy and snacks that all sugar.

I think you'll see 197 any day now with all that shoveling.  :)

Vicki, I think all of us yo-yo day to day.  I actually put my scale in a closet so I'm not tempted to get on it every day.  Better for me to focus on eating right and let the scale take care of itself.  I can fall into a pattern of "I was down 2# this morning so I deserve a treat" mindset.  Not good for me to be too focused on a number.

Hope everyone has a good week with whatever the goals are, being achieved.

Tonight I'm having liver and onions for supper. I have never made it but I like it a lot.  Not sure how I feel about left over liver because I can't eat all that. Its not expensive if I choose to toss most of the rest. I'm having a baked potato with it.. Yum!  I shoveled enough that I might treat myself to a little ice cream.

Well I spent most of last week sick. Some sinus thing, it wasn't Covid, but it zapped my energy. Just ate food here; lost 3 pounds. But didn't walk much at all and didn't monitor blood pressure.

Goals for today

• find Fitbit
• cut off eating at 9. Should be 8 according to IF but I have choir till 8 and going straight there from thrift store so I won't have a chance to go home and eat first.
• take BP reading ( have to attach new cuff first, hope this works)
• APPRECIATE throughout the day
• in bed by midnight 

Reading through posts... I did do stretching for a while and it got eaten by the move. I haven't made it a priority to get that routine back in place, but I know I feel better if I do it!

Weighed in on Sunday & am up 2.2 lbs & really don't understand why. I hope it's a fluke & maybe sodium related. Saturday night I did eat a few chips w/ salsa & the asparagus I had at Chili's w/ my 6oz steak seemed to taste a bit salty. That's about all I can come up with b/c I've been exercising & eating at home. Thinking it has to be back down by next Sunday. We'll see..

Shayla, probably sodium.  I have that same problem when I eat at Chili's, even when I choose their healthy options.

I went and did bloodwork this morning for my wellness physical that is next Monday.  I just saw the results online, although it doesn't look like the doctor has seen them yet.  For the first time ever I got flagged for cholesterol being high.  I suppose I should try to figure out what to avoid to make it come down into the range naturally.  I'd rather not take another pill.  My 'good' cholesterol (HDL) is always too low or bordering on too low because I'm not a fruits and vegetables (in this case probably vegetables) person.  I'm also sure that I probably eat too much 'fat' in a day.  Probably need to choose lower fat options, but I'm a red meat girl over chicken for the most part.  I'm sure the doctor will be glad to provide some "guidance."  A good thing is my PCP is an OD instead of a MD and so is always open to more natural ways to deal with things.

Lisa- I hope you're right about Chili's bc I chose off the Guiltless dishes, so the healthiest the offer. I do think it was the asparagus. Hopefully your cholesterol isn't too high & will be able to be managed with a few changes & no meds. 

Yesterday goals:

• DONE find Fitbit
• DONE cut off eating at 9. Should be 8 according to IF but I have choir till 8 and going straight there from thrift store so I won't have a chance to go home and eat first.
• NOT DONE take BP reading ( have to attach new cuff first, hope this works)
• DONE APPRECIATE throughout the day
• DONE in bed by midnight 

Try again today:

Goals for today

• cut off eating at 8.
• take BP reading ( have to attach new cuff first, hope this works)
• APPRECIATE throughout the day
• in bed by midnight 
• walk at least 5000 steps ( I lost stamina with 3days in bed and need to start slowly.)

Lisa, they say cholesterol goes down if you eat oatmeal every day! Also I think now they are saying that too much sugar will raise cholesterol, so yet another reason to limit that.

But I got to work today and a friend who makes their own maple syrup has left me a bottle!

Margaret, maple syrup lasts a long time, both unopened on the shelf or i  the fridge. So don't worry about it spoiling if you just use a little now and then.  I find that its so sweet and flavorful that just a teaspoon satisfies the craving for a taste.  I just mailed a quart jug of syrup to my dad in Tucson. Its from a farm down the road. Fresh and local.

Margaret, the doctor's nurse called today to go over the bloodwork.  She actually told me "watch fat and sugar and exercise."  I do exercise, but I probably need to be more diligent about cardio exercise - something I hate.  Not an oatmeal eater - nasty texture.  But, a good reason to say no to sugar is never a bad thing.

Sounds like you are getting those goals going this week.  Keep it up.  And, attach that BP cuff because that's an important thing.  :)

I wish I could say I had a loss for the week but it wouldn't be true. I'm up 3.6 lbs. for the week. Too much sodium. And I can't blame it on anyone but myself. I've been craving pork eggrolls and I know not to ignore the craving or else I'll eat everything else in the house. So I have the eggrolls and I know they have a lot of sodium in them. I try to have less sodium at other meals to even it out but yesterday was a very high sodium day Between eggrolls and mac & cheese (comfort food), so the scale told on me this morning. All I can do is try to do better this week and hopefully the numbers will be back down next Sunday. I'm not going to weigh again until Sunday so I don't see all the yo-yo-ing.

Hope everyone else does well with their weekly goals.

I'm hovering at 199 this week. Still trying different dietary combinations with carbs. Today I have to fill the wood rack. There is a forecast of a foot of snow due Mon-Wed. Oh well.

I'm down 1.6 for the week. I only ate out once this week, lunch with friends, and I made sure that day to have just fruit for breakfast and a very light dinner. Cooking at home helps me make better choices. 

Down .4, but I've still got a ways to go to get to my end of the month goal.  Sugar fast going well, but maybe I'm eating too much food to compensate.