HOLIDAY SEASON CHALLENGE

Restfinder

I ended up putting this on as a challenge for all of MFP! Sigh.

This is a challenge to keep us on track for the holidays. I want us to make three goals, things that often trip us up over the holidays.

Goal one for me: Allow myself two treats a week (meaning - one cookie one day, a piece of pie the second day - not two days of eating treats, but two treats).
Goal two - exercise. Walk six days a week, either outside or inside adding on laps as I am able, but (Lord willing) not going backwards unless something physically wrong holds me back.
Goal three - eating healthy and not overeating at special times. Be conscious of what I am putting on my plate and make it healthy and enough to satisfy, not stuff me.

Let's encourage one another in our walk with Christ and in our healthy journey.

God bless, Kim

connierandel

3 goals
1 - no more than one cheat day a week...try to keep at one meal
2 - exercise more regularly (at least 2-3 times a week). Need to look up exercises that Bill and I can do together.
3 - loose one pound by end of November, another pound by end of December.

I know that these look really easy, but I have a hard time losing and hope to keep it going. Losing slowly usually stays off easier, too. Right now with this thing in my mouth, they are still keeping me on soft foods and low exercise. I'm tired of pasta, mashed potatoes, etc.

Restfinder

I don't know, Connie, you could throw your whole meal in the blender! Yuck! I'm so sorry this is taking such a long time to heal! I pray that you will be able to eat normally again soon.

I didn't set a starting date for this, but I think Nov. 1st would be good. What do you think?

connierandel

Last night was pasta and green beans...today a half sandwich (cut in tiny pieces) with well done veggies and a cheese stick. Tonight is potato soup probably with some type of sandwich or maybe pea salad.

Restfinder

Oh man, I love potato soup. I'm on track today. I had a coffee drink this morning, just a part of one (keto friendly, healthy). Will do a fruit smoothie for lunch and probably do a taco salad for dinner, but I may switch lunch and dinner, because that taco salad sounds really good! LOL!

Will be walking this afternoon. I noticed that I am able to stand longer than I used to since walking. My back and leg (the numbness in the right leg) tolerate it better. God is good!

pianolady831

I appreciate this challenge because it seems that as the Christmas season starts, the busier I get and the more I let important things go. I may need to adjust this list as I get into it, but these goals quickly come to mind...

1) Be more consistent with my morning quiet time
2) Walk at least 4 days each week, gradually increasing speed
3) Consume more fruits and veggies

A friend from church invited me to walk with her last Sunday, and while I enjoyed being together, I couldn't keep up! We walked on a long path at East Tennessee University that was fairly level. I thought I could walk at a good speed, but she has been doing this for years and was really fast. And she walked the route four times! With regular walking, I hope to improve on endurance.

connierandel

I have been so negligent in my walking! First it was the oral surgery, then weather, now just forgetting. I need to do the dreaded treadmill, but I enjoy the outdoor walks so much more. It is really rainy today, so it won't happen outside.

Restfinder

Some days I feel strong and can go farther, and other days I want to quit at two laps. My laps are short, up and down my driveway - I add going around the puddle at the end of our driveway to add more steps. One day I did 800 steps, the next I was happy to get 550 - but, we are doing it! It may be slower and it may be less some days, but any movement is better than none! I'll be doing house laps as soon as the weather gets a wee bit cooler, I can't breathe in cold air, it burns my nose and just hurts too much, and breathing through my nose helps me to feel like I am getting enough air!

You'll get it figured out, Connie. I would love to have a treadmill - I could listen to a book and just keep going! How different we are again!

Eating well the past couple of days and getting in my walking.

pianolady831

Today was a great day for walking outside and I managed to get one in. Not as long as I would have liked, though, because I waited so late in the afternoon that it got cold and dark. Eating fairly good, but still need more fruits and veggies.

Restfinder

No treats today! I did get in 1015 steps today. When that wind came up it definitely got cold, but I was able to get them all in. Yeehaw! Now to find a pair of walking shoes that I can wear socks with - although, I will probably be doing my walking indoors, so that really won't matter! Yeah, just saved $50!

connierandel

I have not gotten back to my exercise, yet. I have to motivate myself again. AARG!!!

Restfinder

The only way that I keep myself working at it is to set a time for it. I do my Bible Study at the same time (or time frame within an hour) each day. I walk at the same time (within an hour) each day as well. 2:00 rolls around and I know I need to go and take my walk!

Not sure I'll get it in today though, having quite a bit of pain.

connierandel

No "walk" today, but I did do a lot of walking around stores. I guess that is something. Two big stores= quite a few steps, at least.

Restfinder

Can't say my treat over the weekend was as healthy as it could be, but we'll fix that in the future. No walking, but will get some laps in today and see how the calves hold up. I need to get my compression wraps on!

pianolady831

Did good with my eating today - but the day's not over yet. My exercise was raking leaves, which has become a daily routine for a while.

connierandel

Well, after yesterday's Mexican dinner (and cookies), I did make up for it some today. I at least got my mile walk in, along with quite a bit of parking lot walking.

Tomorrow I am going to lunch with a friend, so may not be an overall great day, but since she is working at losing weight as well, she won't be a bad influence on me! I will probably have soup and salad unless something else strikes my fancy. The reason we chose that restaurant was for some semi-healthy options.

Restfinder

Raking leaves is great exercise, pretty much a whole body workout as well as being aerobic!

Have fun at lunch, Connie. - well, you're probably home now! Sigh! Hope you had a good time.

I had a busy morning this morning and didn't get the computer time I'm used to. I'm trying to finish up just before I go out and get my walk in.

connierandel

No time for a walk today. Did get a little bit of walking around a store, but not even much of that. I did have a good lunch, and a much needed visit with a friend. We all need that once in a while.

Restfinder

Did do a shorter walk today. If I miss then I'm prone to make more excuses, so even though I wasn't feeling great (allergies and pain) I did get 600 steps in. I did 1241 steps yesterday, which is almost half a mile. I was surprised. I would love to be at 1500 steps by the end of the year, but bad days keep me from moving that number very quickly.

connierandel

I have a lot of back and neck pain today and really needed to take a walk! The cold and terrible wind kept me inside, though. I guess I need to break out the dreaded treadmill pretty soon. Either that or figure out some other type of exercise. I have a feeling that the nice days to walk are growing further apart.

Restfinder

Haven't walked for a few days with this bad knee. I don't want to aggravate it more. One of the things to help it is rest, so that is what I am trying to do. I'm wearing my knee brace as well.

Eating is good after having treats over the weekend. We had a Church get-together on Saturday and then we all ate together after our service in the morning on Sunday. It was so cool. Several of the young folks as well as some of the 40 somethings play electric guitars and they all got together and were playing choruses and songs together (along with a couple of bass players and one gal who had her acoustic plugged in). So fun! There are just around 25 of us in our Church, so the six or seven who were playing together is a good part of the Church, and that wasn't everyone who plays - so we are very blessed with musicians in our Church. Oh, our building that we meet in is called THE NETHOUSE because a net house is where fishermen go to gather what they need to go out fishing, to prepare themselves. That is what a Church does, it prepares it's members for going out and fishing for men. We believe the Church is the body of believers, not the building, so we don't call our building a Church.

I did have a toasted cheese sandwich last night which wasn't on my food plan for yesterday, but I made one for Mom's dinner and it looked so good I just needed to have one too. My last food yesterday was at 5:30.

connierandel

I didn't get a walk in yesterday, but I was in and out of the house all day. I followed my eating guidelines, but since today it Bill's birthday we are cheating big time. We will be going out to lunch (I hope) and just having a light dinner. I won't try to track.

Restfinder

Went out for breakfast this morning. I had the Lingonberry Crepes. Four crepes with a ligonberry sauce on top. The menu said that there would be ligonberry cream on the inside, but there wasn't any and the calorie count was 580, so not sure how many calories what I had was! LOL!

No walking until this knee straightens up. It went out a bit again today, not enough that I fell down, but enough that I had to stop for a second to catch my balance! Just trying to rest it. I'll put on the pain cream tonight.

Restfinder

Down a wee bit to 235.6. Been there a bunch of times, let's hope I can keep it going down even if it's a tiny bit at a time.

No walking yet, the knee isn't quite as painful, but it's more unstable. Walking with a cane just in case it decides to go out on me.

connierandel

I will be back on track today with the food. I don't know if I will get my walk, though. All of that remains to be seen at this point.

Restfinder

So far so good. I haven't been able walk yet, too much pain and my knee is unstable. I'm wearing a brace and walking with a cane.

connierandel

Kim - Have you made a doctor's appointment about the knee. This has gone on for quite a while. Seems like something that needs further exploration and maybe a shot of cortisone.

Restfinder

I talked to Wade about it, but him getting enough time to take me to the emergency clinic is the hold up. We may be able to go tomorrow since it's affecting the other knee now since it has to do most of the work and it's also been damaged in the past. Hopefully it will work out for tomorrow. He probably won't be able to do much but should be able to get me in to see someone who can much more quickly than I could!

Been ordering some Christmas presents. A couple of my friends raise chickens, and they are very fond of them. I found a metal lighted chicken Christmas yard art thingy for them - they will get a kick out of that. Mugs and shawls, Journals and pens for the other ladies and gals. It's been fun! We hadn't had so many to buy for in awhile.

connierandel

Hopefully you can get the knees taken care of quickly. Have you tried diclofenac sodium topical gel? Bill used to get it by prescription and it really worked well. I.have taken it orally (similar to naproxin). They made the topical gel available without prescription, now. Several companies make it,.but you see Voltaren most often.

Restfinder

I just checked it, but it's an N-said, and even using them as a gel or rub I get stomach pain. Well, the two different ones that I tried as a rub in both had aspirin in them. I know that when I've tried steroids other than orally I also got stomach pain, so I hate spending the money for something I may only be able to use once or twice. My doctor couldn't believe I had stomach pain from the steroid shots I got in my back, but I did! I had to use a suppository with steroid in it once, and after just two I had terrible stomach pain. The Amish cream works well but I get nauseous from the very strong menthol smell. It gets in my throat and then I can feel that queasiness in my stomach. I put it on Mom and then quickly have to wash it off. I'm weird!

Eating well today. Using Mom's spare walker around the house just to take the pressure off when I get around.

connierandel

Kim - something else that is supposed to work is emu oil. My chiropractor has recommended it, but I never tried it. I use 2 Old Goats lotion - It smells fresh and is all natural ingredients. A friend recommended it to me. It sounds funny, but it does work.