Shape Shifters Team Chat - JULY 2022
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I appreciate all the wonderful contributions and stories. I would love to reply to everyone tonight - and I'm already feeling behind - but I had an early morning today and another one tomorrow. So, i'm going to bed now but I'll catch up within the next day or two.
I'm so energized by everything I'm learning about motivation, what brings us down or lifts us up, and strategies that have led to success! So, just a couple of random responses that I can' resist
@SavageMrsMoose - Thanks for the quick response. My mom had knee replacement surgery and recovered quickly but never had the other knee fixed. I think she would be much more mobile with two new ones. I remember the doctor said it would take a year to fully recover so I was curious about the hip surgery. Best wishes to your husband!
@frankwbrown - Excellent quotes! I love them all. i definitely need to listen to Yoda and eliminate try from my vocabulary and take more of an action orientation. The Buddha quote -- s/he is able who thinks s/he is able -- is an important one for me to adopt for my business. I enjoy my work and find it meaningful, but I often undercharge and "undersell" myself according to colleagues, and family members. I don't know why I procrastinate so much in sending invoices but I think it's wrapped up in this undervaluing mindset. As Yoda might say -- Change, it must :-)
Amazing story, @frankwbrown! You listed just about every Non-Scale Victory (NSV) possible, along with your significant weight loss. I'm looking forward to a future Shape Shifter discussion dedicated to the many areas of improvement you noted.
@Yukie_OP - Such a fun idea to roller blade! I always enjoyed roller skating when i was young and I looked into joining a rollerhockey league in my town. but covid interrupted my momentum. You reignited my interest and I loved the adorable picture of your daughter. I 'll definitely need a fun helmut like that if I join the local team! BTW, I'm sure your extra activity canceled out any holiday BBQ eating. Besides, one holiday won't set your regular healthy habits back.
@StacyAru - I'm a big list-maker, too! I wish I was better at crossing off completed items than I am about listing them. Sometimes I find myself re-writing and combing lists. Hence, my previous comment about taking more of an action-orientation. Oh well, incremental progress is better than no progress.
@jessicakrall8 - I hope you get the rest you need. Whenever I slept more than usual or feel asleep reading, my grandmosther used to say, "You must have needed it!" Thanks for all you do!
Wow! I'm enjoying all the wellness activities! I'm thrilled to see so many plans and "wins" @Yukie_OP, @jessicakrall8, @LaurieWrobo, and @cosmiccurves. I'm also undertaking a decluttering project as my wellness project so I think I'll post updates on my progress each Wednesday. Stay tuned!
I'm so appreciative to everyone who offered feedback, shared your thoughts on motivation, and inspired us with your wellness successes!
Thank you! 🙏3 -
DON'T BE THIRSTY THURSDAY
Do you think you drink enough water? Would you like to increase the amount of water you drink each day? Is it possible to drink too much water? What do you think, Shape Shifters? I'll look forward to your tips, experiences, suggestions, and insights!
According to Harvard Health, "[w}ater keeps every system in the body functioning properly. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report 6-Week Plan for Health Eating notes that water has many important jobs, such as:- carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- flushing bacteria from your bladder
- aiding digestion
- preventing constipation
- normalizing blood pressure
- cushioning joints
- protecting organs and tissues
- regulating body temperature
- maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance."
A recent magazine article quoted Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, a nutrition book author and podcast host* --"Traditional recommendations about water intake aren't so cookie cutter anymore, says "Typically, I'd recommend drinking around 8 cups of H2O per day — but I use that metric as a very general place to start, since many of us will need more or less depending on where we live, how physically active we are, medications we're taking and our current activities of daily living...
Women should generally drink about 9 cups of fluids a day, while men should aim for 12, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's 72 ounces for us ladies. Where does that number come from?
... The guideline is loosely based on an equation that determines milliliter per calorie consumed per day, but even if you’re eating much more or far less daily, it’s a good barometer to think of 2,000 milliliters or 2 liters (about 8 cups) as a middle-ground benchmark," London says.
If you want to determine the exact amount you should drink according to your body weight, you can follow these steps:- Take your weight (in pounds) and divide that by 2.2.
- Multiply that number depending on your age: If you're younger than 30, multiply by 40. If you're between 30-55, multiply by 35. If you're older than 55, multiply by 30.
- Divide that sum by 28.3.
- Your total is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. Divide that number by 8 to see your result in cups.
Reference
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a46956/how-much-water-should-i-drink/
*Jaclyn London is a NYC-based registered dietitian, author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked): 11 Science-Based Ways to Eat More, Stress Less and Feel Great About Your Body and host of the podcast On the Side with Jackie London, RD.
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Angmarie28
Wednesdays
Previous weight-163.8
Current weight-166.4
I gained 3lbs over night, no joke🤦3 -
6/23-10,298
6/24-8,384
6/25-5,140
6/26-13,207
6/27-11,598
6/28-12,006
6/29-5,008
6/30-10,875
7/1-6,368
7/2-7,340
7/3-12,991
7/4-??
7/5-??
Oops, I didnt think I was that far behind. Not sure my steps on the 4th or 5th, my fitbit app isnt saying what I stepped. I will see of I can fix it then update it2 -
@PatriceFitnessPal How lovely you have a garden so close. I can think of 20 things to improve in my own garden, but it all takes a lot of time, money and help. So I can't do everything at once. The visitors center of the national park also has a public garden. It is around 30 minutes biking from my home. I will try to go there next week when it is a bit warmer and less windy.
@LaurieWrobo I appreciate you reading my posts! I know not everyone has a lot of time, so I would totally understand it if people skip over my longer posts. Sorry to hear about the shooting. I can't imagine what it's like to live in a country where you have to worry about guns.
@Yukie_OP Awesome activity to do with your family! Kids are pretty fearless in my experience. I tried to roller blade again about 6 years ago and it was a bloody mess. Way too scary for me now and I had a really hard time getting my legs to where they were supposed to go; it takes quite a bit of strength. The helmet your daughter is wearing is adorable!
@StacyAru Glad you liked my pictures! We had one day with bad weather, the first one with the sheep is the only picture from that day. The others are from different walks and they turned out much better. The pancake plant is shown in the last picture I shared. They call it that because of the flat leafs. Some other names people call it are Chinese money plant, friendship plant, missionary plant and UFO plant. In the Netherlands we call it a pancake plant as well.
@cosmiccurves I actually do step indoors like a madwoman a lot of the time! Basically any time I am waiting for something, like the kettle. Or when I am brushing my teeth. I can go for walks, but sometimes I don't have the energy. I often step when I am outside taking my cat for a walk. He prefers to sit down, or nap in the grass, so when he isn't moving I step in place as well. I don't have a TV, but you can also step while watching something to make a little less boring. If it is that hot, I can imagine you aren't looking forward to doing an intense workout either.1 -
7/4-11,885
7/5-14,0052 -
Steps
July 5: 20.763
July 6: 14.593
Good morning Shape Shifters. I didn't do much the past few days. I went for an evening walk on Tuesday without my camera. It was cloudy and windy so I didn't think there would be much to see. My camera is pretty heavy as well, so sometimes it is nice to leave it at home. Thankfully I was right this time and didn't regret not bringing it. We also finally finished the liquid medication for Tinus. I am sure he is over the moon about that, and so am I. It was not fun to make him take something he absolutely hated 3 times a day. Somehow he also managed to get better at not swallowing it even though it gets put in his mouth with a syringe. He just licks and licks, somewhat drools it out and shakes his head like a dog. I was dying from laughing on Tuesday because his head was covered in drool strings, there were white spots from the medication everywhere and he had blown a big drool bubble on his chin as well; it was so ridiculous. Because of the 3 set eating times that he is not used to, he lost some more weight. I am not happy about it, but it has already gone up a bit again since he can just eat when he wants again. I will weigh him daily for a while to see if it keeps going up. Wednesday was very lazy. I wanted to walk in the evening again, but it started to rain and didn't stop so instead I just went to bed very early. Happy Thursday everyone
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Good morning everyone. Finally have a calmer day ahead of me, sorta. I need to tale my son in to replace his lost license, then go on the hunt for some affordable travel pillows and one rolling suit case. A week from today we will be driving 3 hours to the train station then taking a 24 hour train ride to Salem, Or. We will be there 10 days then 24 hours back so need some sort of pillows for sleeping on the train, and also my kids are finally old enough to be responsible for their own bags so I think if they can drag their suit cases, there will be less whining, haha. Then home to do laundry and some cleaning, maybe a workout but I think its supposed to be 90 degrees, so maybe not.2
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@angmarie28 - There’s often a lot of preparation needed for a family trip. I focus on how the tasks will help us enjoy the trip - and the visualization helps me - but my husband usually has some travel stress type of outburst that rattles me. I mostly just let it flow through me now - and I recognize that those are his emotions and I don’t have to take them on - but it used to really upset me. I hope your preparations go well and you enjoy your trip!
@Pupowl - It sounds as though you have a good plan for making gradual improvements, with fiscal responsibility, etc.! I definitely appreciate the gardens at our local park. The gardens are maintained by the people taking the City’s Master Gardener course. It was founded by the person who led the course for many years , along with her husband - a botanist for the Smithsonian Museums - who live nearby. Our family always helps with the ‘work parties’ and we volunteered as the citizens association ’Adopt-a-Park’ program liaisons when our children were younger but haven’t done it since our sons started college. As program volunteers, we picked up trash at the park and then the Adopt-a-Park officials check the cleanliness monthly and award a small amount of money based on their monitoring. The citizens association uses the money to make improvements, etc.2 -
Here’s my maintenance weigh in report:
Name: PatriceFitnessPal
PW: 128.2
CW: 127.2
SW: 168
LTD: 40.8
Target maintenance range: 120-130
I’m not so sure this is representative of my weight this week. Some of my morning check ins were a bit higher so I might see an increase next week. With my older son visiting, and a party last weekend, my calorie intake was more than usual. I haven’t looked at my weekly report to see how often I exceeded my daily targets, but I plan to review that data now. Maybe I wasn’t as ‘off’ as I thought, or maybe my lack of exercise while visiting family last month led to some muscle loss. There are too many possibilities in the short-term so I guess I’ll just reflect on it later — as the trend emerges. Best wishes as we head into the weekend. Enjoy!4 -
Thank you all for commenting on my little skater (@pupowl @StacyAru @PatriceFitnessPal @jessicakrall8) - It is my goal to raise a fierce, confident little lady, and so far she is definitely on track.
@angmarie28 - fantastic step count!
@pupowl - [ quoting: he had blown a big drool bubble on his chin ] Oh, Tinus! 🤣 glad to hear he's done with the meds.
@cosmiccurves - Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up" is an amazing read, i read it 2 years ago and recommend it to anyone who will listen 😅 . It really is "life-changing", IMHO
Thirsty Thursday - Luckily i don't struggle in this area. I keep a big (refillable) 30oz bottle with straw around at all times (work desk + home) and always take a bottle along in the car. I like/enjoy plain water so I drink plenty throughout my day. The only inconvenience is the restroom breaks, but then again it adds to my step-count.
Note on Motivation:
I noticed that when it pertains to motivation, individuals respond differently to content/messages that are intended to be motivational.
As an example, I'll note my hubs and I who are on a mission to be better with money/finances, so we share motivational content around finance with each other:
- The hubs seems to respond better to messages that are worded "nicely" or (to me) more "sugar coated"
- Whereas I respond better to straight-no chaser content (i.e. tough-love motivation)
(Real-life sample: I like Dave Ramsey's messages/quotes/content, but my husband thinks he comes off as a jerk)
Dave Ramsey Quotes
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Hi everyone I have spent the morning reading and catching up on all the posts. So much lovely information shared, I really appreciated the glimpses into your lives.
@angmarie28 let me know if you find a nice budget friendly travel pillow. I've been looking for one too.
My week has been spend trying to get over a head cold and taking care of our dog who was spayed on Tuesday. She is doing well and thankfully we were able to borrow a recovery onesie instead of using a cone. I put a picture of her under the spoiler
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@Yukie_OP - Thanks for sharing your tips for drinking enough water, and your observation on differences in motivation. It’s a bit ironic for me to fill one of the Shape Shifter motivator role because I don’t think motivation is sustainable long-term. So, my approach is to use motivation - or intentional practice, really - until I can build a habit in the area I’m trying to improve.
For me, natural consequences are fine and become a teachable moment to remember, but I’m not motivated by put downs or threats at all. The Dave Ramsey quote is a good example: “Adults devise a plan and follow it, children do what feels good.” I think we’re more likely to follow a plan if we organize our environment so it’s easier to implement the plan (or new behavior), and link it to something we find meaningful or enjoy. I definitely like to think about the improvement in simple, factual, problem-solving terms that get to the essence of the change that’s needed, but I like to take a positive approach rather than a fear-based (or else you’ll have to face the consequences!! 😡) avoidance approach.
Thanks for the book recommendation @Yukie_OP and @cosmiccurves. I’ll put it in the list for my next library visit. I’m buying fewer books as part of my decluttering effort but I like Marie Kondo’s philosophy and strategies. If I think I’ll revisit the lessons regularly, I might need to buy my own copy though —
@CasandraW - I hope you and your puppy recover quickly and you’re soon out enjoying walks together again. The ‘onesie’ is a very comfortable- looking alternative to the ‘cone of shame’ — beautiful picture!1 -
KHill875
Friday weigh in
PW: 142
CW: 143.4
I need to commit myself to logging my food.1 -
PatriceFitnessPal wrote: »KHill875
I have completely stalled out. I thought that working out would have produced more results, but I am really going to have to get my eating habits in check if I want to start losing weight.
It’s so difficult when we move closer to our goal weight and it takes longer to lose those final pounds. At one point, I stayed at the same weight for about eight weeks. Finally, I just thought to myself: If my weight is staying the same, it’s better to maintain at the current level instead of gaining.
I agree that it’s a good idea to work on “eating habits.” Most of us can improve in this area. I continue to test out healthier habits like eating more vegetables to fill up on lower calorie options but reframing my mindset - from not losing to not gaining - helped tremendously. I apologize for the unsolicited comment and wish you the best!
-How are you doing with your recommitment to getting your eating habits in check?
Getting better sleep and not eating in the evenings helps me. Sometimes I mistake feeling tired with hunger. So, I have to really reflect on what I need in those late night moments of craving something sweet to keep me going.
-What works for other Shape Shifters when it comes to building better eating habits?
I'm starting to drink more water, so this past week I drank around 96 oz every day. I think I was eating more instead of drinking. Also been rage eating, which hasn't been helping.2 -
Bearchested
Friday (going on short vacation so weighed early)
PW: 198.0
CW: 196.6
LTD: 10.4
I've been eating a protein shake before meals and large snack times, which has helped me feel fuller sooner.3 -
@casandraw Hope your sweet fur baby feels better soon. He's adorable in his onesie enjoying a sun puddle!
@bearchested and @KHill875 I can tell you two are married...one of you took the weight the other one lost...took one for the team, so to speak...love is so sweet!!
Jessica2 -
Feel Good Friday
Let’s help each other feel good as we close out the typical Monday through Friday ‘work week’ and start off the weekend. Fellow Shape Shifters told us that success stories are motivating. This is your chance to shine 🤩 while helping others learn some successful strategies to replicate.
Have you overcome a challenge? How did you do it? — I remember @AC204 recently recovered from Covid (and some injuries?), and rallied with a strong loss this week! Do you have any tips for getting through those tough days?
What non-scale victories (NSV) made you smile? - I certainly smiled reading all the accomplishments listed by @frankwbrown. I’m sure there are other stories among our Shape Shifter teammates. We want to hear them!
Have you sustained a positive habit that now feels easy or natural? — I see that @Pupowl achieved 655 consecutive login days, @izzyred9400 logged for 755 days and @LaurieWrobo was at 760 days according to today’s news feed! Have you learned any tricks to maintain such great consistency?
What milestones are you happy or proud to report? How did you get to this successful point? What’s your next goal? — I know we had some milestone weight loss among this week’s weigh in reports with @bearchested and @SavageMrsMoose both losing at least 10 pounds so far!
We’re feeling good, flexible, and free-wheeling this Friday so share anything that comes to mind.
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@PatriceFitnessPal Love the theme!! Thanks for all that you do!! You're amazing!
I've had about a six week period of stressful time on the job. Lots of changes have begun, but I feel that things are beginning to smooth out. I've had some days where the stress has felt really heavy, but I haven't "eaten my feelings" so I think that's a victory. I'm trying to stick with what I know works, stay active and try not to let the stress overwhelm me...so far so good, although just as with everything, some days are harder than others.
I'm glad to be headed into the weekend. On the personal front, my kitchen prep for the remodel is about 90% complete and my friend from work is coming back on Saturday morning to complete the rest. Excited to just get it started on the 18th at this point.
Thanks for all of the great posts this week...I've enjoyed reading them and have replied to a few, but probably haven't posted as much as I should have...have just been trying to relax in the evenings and re-center myself for the next day...but wanted you all to know how much your thoughts have meant to me. Hope everyone has a great Friday and even better weekend!
Jessica
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PatriceFitnessPal wrote: »DON'T BE THIRSTY THURSDAY
Do you think you drink enough water? Would you like to increase the amount of water you drink each day? Is it possible to drink too much water? What do you think, Shape Shifters? I'll look forward to your tips, experiences, suggestions, and insights!
According to Harvard Health, "[w}ater keeps every system in the body functioning properly. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report 6-Week Plan for Health Eating notes that water has many important jobs, such as:- carrying nutrients and oxygen to your cells
- flushing bacteria from your bladder
- aiding digestion
- preventing constipation
- normalizing blood pressure
- cushioning joints
- protecting organs and tissues
- regulating body temperature
- maintaining electrolyte (sodium) balance."
A recent magazine article quoted Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN, a nutrition book author and podcast host* --"Traditional recommendations about water intake aren't so cookie cutter anymore, says "Typically, I'd recommend drinking around 8 cups of H2O per day — but I use that metric as a very general place to start, since many of us will need more or less depending on where we live, how physically active we are, medications we're taking and our current activities of daily living...
Women should generally drink about 9 cups of fluids a day, while men should aim for 12, according to the Mayo Clinic. That's 72 ounces for us ladies. Where does that number come from?
... The guideline is loosely based on an equation that determines milliliter per calorie consumed per day, but even if you’re eating much more or far less daily, it’s a good barometer to think of 2,000 milliliters or 2 liters (about 8 cups) as a middle-ground benchmark," London says.
If you want to determine the exact amount you should drink according to your body weight, you can follow these steps:- Take your weight (in pounds) and divide that by 2.2.
- Multiply that number depending on your age: If you're younger than 30, multiply by 40. If you're between 30-55, multiply by 35. If you're older than 55, multiply by 30.
- Divide that sum by 28.3.
- Your total is how many ounces of water you should drink each day. Divide that number by 8 to see your result in cups.
Reference
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a46956/how-much-water-should-i-drink/
*Jaclyn London is a NYC-based registered dietitian, author of Dressing on the Side (and Other Diet Myths Debunked): 11 Science-Based Ways to Eat More, Stress Less and Feel Great About Your Body and host of the podcast On the Side with Jackie London, RD.
When I was in the hospital last year due to being severly dehydrated during pregnancy, the L&D nurse said that women should be drinking half their body weight in liters. I thought that was insanely high lol. She also said when you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated so it's important to drink throughout the day instead of trying to drink all you water at a certain time.
I know I definitely don't drink enough. I aim for 8 but usually drink about 6. I can drink coffee all day but water is difficult to get in lol2
This discussion has been closed.