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Love Your Health: February 2024 Challenge

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baconslave
baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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Let's show some love to ourselves by selecting a goal that is going to further your health in some way, whether it be physical health or even mental health.

This challenge is for all levels: weightloss or maintenance!

You could keep trying to get some pesky weight off.
Or make sure your electrolyte levels are better.
Or commit to more exercise.
Or decide to forgo a bad habit you KNOW is hampering your health from being what it could.
Or start a good habit you've been putting off.
Or simply continue to focus on whatever health-conscious New Year's Resolution you made for last month.

And of course, hit dem Basics! ;)
The Basics? Glad you asked :joy:

Planning ahead!!!
Staying under carbs
Staying under calories
Logging and measuring
Getting in exercise/movement if that's one of your goals
Keeping an eye on electrolyte levels
Getting enough water
Planning ahead!!! Oh, wait. I said that already? Yes, I frickin' did. Because you must! "Failing to plan is planning to fail."


<3 Love your health <3 by "sprinting," (focusing hard and giving your all) for the whole month. It's only 28 days.
You've got this!

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Replies

  • TXISPA
    TXISPA Posts: 93 Member
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    how do you measure electrolytes?
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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    TXISPA wrote: »
    how do you measure electrolytes?

    If you are low enough carb to be close to ketosis, assume you are low and add some. The process of ketosis causes extra excretion so that you have less available on hand. You'll get what they call keto flu. Which is just symptoms of electrolyte imbalance, nausea, fatigue, muscle cramping. Here's a link to a bit of an explanation. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10358179/low-sodium-and-keto-flu-electrolyte-imbalance-may-be-your-problem#latest
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    I think my February goals will be similar to January.

    I need to lose more weight. I think my goal for this month is to move from and overweight BMI to a normal one. I am within 5 pounds of that, and should be able to do that in a month.

    I will be eating Keto all month except for one meal that is the "Christmas" dinner of the company I work for, and possibly a meal for valentines with my wife. Either way, my plan is to load up on meat to try to minimize the carb consumption, but I am not going to avoid the carb filled stuff completely.

    I want to stick with my workout program, and add some cycle sprinting since the weather outside here is cold, snowy, and icy. When warmer weather comes, I will likely switch to actual sprinting as I was watching a Sean O'Mara Youtube on it, and the potential health benefits appeal to me.

    I think that is enough.
  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    I’ll continue my fasting plan this month with a focus on protein and fat. I will try and stretch a fast or two a week but if my body isn’t feeling it, I won’t push it. Since I seem to over eat at night, I need to try some mindfulness. Slow down, enjoy the experience and not worry if I don’t clean my plate. I’ve been watching stress so that may be an area I start to think about managing more this month. Maybe some breathing exercises or some light meditation is in my future.
  • YoungatheartXOXO
    YoungatheartXOXO Posts: 16 Member
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    Great to find a challenge on day one. I usually discover challenges when the are half way through. My challenge is to complete 5 workouts a week that are specific workouts (attending a class) not steps walked through the day.
    I have found in the past that I find exercising beneficial in so many ways.
    Good luck to everyone with your Feb 24 challenge x
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,577 Member
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    Repeating January goals for February:

    Planning ahead
    Staying under carbs-aiming for 60 net or under daily
    Logging and measuring
    Getting in exercise/movement at least 20 min a day
    Jan SW 179
    CW 175.5
    Feb GW 171

    Work continues to be stressful but should lighten up in another week or so. Added a Thursday night whole body workout class and spin class on Monday nights to my routine.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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    My goals for this month:
    • Planning ahead!!!
    • Staying under carbs
    • Staying under calories
    • Logging and measuring
    • Getting in exercise/movement 5 days a week
    • Pivoting like a mf when the saboteur strikes

    Let's GOOOOOO!

    Already had to exercise the last one. Blew my prelog for this morning out of the water. Have to recalibrate the WHOLE DAY. But I'm going to do it. :triumph:
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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    Feb 1:
    CW: 207 ( :rage: )

    Planned ahead? :+1:
    Stayed under carbs: :+1:
    Stayed under calories: :+1:
    Logged and measured: :+1:
    Exercise day: 1/5 :+1:
    Pivoted like a mboss: :+1:
  • Megan_smartiepants1970
    Megan_smartiepants1970 Posts: 39,308 Member
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    My February Goals are:
    *stick with Keto
    *use my home gym 5x a week for 30 minutes
    *meal prep with my daughter's help
    *drink 140 oz of water daily
    *get in at least 6 hours of sleep (I am still in a soft cast and then I will be in a hard cast for 8 weeks) then hopefully I can start PT (it has been a lonnnnnng road and 8 surgeries later)
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    First part week of February is pretty much done. I did my workouts, even today when I was exhausted before I even started. Kept carbs down, although not as low as I would like as I went on a peanut butter binge. Just peanuts type peanut butter with salt and I added a bit of powdered monkfruit/erythritol sweetener. I didn't go super crazy with it, but definitely ate more than I wanted to. On the positive side, I finished off the part container of peanut butter, so the temptation is gone.

    I have always been sort of sceptical about the whole seed oils cause inflamation thing, but I prefer my homemade butter mayo and dressings made with it over anything I can buy at the store anyway. I had a really busy week and decided to do a canned chicken, grated cheese, bacon bits, and a caesar bacon dressing I bought and simply wanted to use up for lunch at work. I ate it and had gas and acid immediately afterwards. When I got home and checked my blood pressure like I do everyday, it was up as well. I guess for me, seed oils are going to be a no go from now on. I found an avocado oil mayo at Costco that, surprisingly, uses just avocado oil, so I picked it up since I am going to be extremely busy this weekend, and for the first part of next week. I figured I would try it out to see how my body reacts. If all goes well, it gives me an option for when I know I am not going to have time to make homemade butter or bacon grease mayo.

    I made up a roast in the slow cooker last night using a super simple recipe that has worked well for me two times before. I shake garlic powder, onion powder, some black pepper, and a bunch of sea salt on the roast. Put in in the slow cooker and top it with a sliced up stick of butter. It cooks on low for the whole day in the butter and its own juices. I put is on before I left for work around 7am and took it out around 6:30 or 7pm. It is pull apart tender. It will give me meals for several days. This time I simmered down the liquid that was left and it turned into a very tasty, albeit, rather salty sort of gravy.

    Now to get back to working on the message I need to finish off for tomorrow. Maybe a shower first since i just finished my workout.
  • ddmonroe
    ddmonroe Posts: 8 Member
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    February goal is to incorporate more exercise. Today was day 1!
  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    My mindfulness has been out the window this week. I don’t know why I find it so hard to do. Regardless, I’ve mainly stuck to my macro targets with a hitch last night because I underrate earlier in the day then over ate at dinner along with some off plan junk. Surprisingly it didn’t affect my sleep quality. That and my recovery daily has been very good, so that doesn’t seem to be the cause of my weight stall. I looked at my weight a year ago and was about 10 pounds lighter so I need to figure out this perimenopause/ middle aged weight creep. I’m watching stress so I don’t think that is it. Fasting has been consistent so maybe now I just need to go cleaner and start eliminating things like dairy to see the result. I have a physical in a few weeks and will bring up testing like food sensitivity, inflammation and toxins.
  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    Today I’m really trying mindfulness. Fasting is staying between 16-19 hours a day but while walking today I tried reviewing all that I’m working on and what is causing my gain or plateau. I think it comes down to over eating. I’ve had a bit of a carby week but in looking over the last month and a half, my macros are at 15-20% carbs. It has to be just eating too much so I need to not stuff myself and see how things go.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    taylok23 wrote: »
    Today I’m really trying mindfulness. Fasting is staying between 16-19 hours a day but while walking today I tried reviewing all that I’m working on and what is causing my gain or plateau. I think it comes down to over eating. I’ve had a bit of a carby week but in looking over the last month and a half, my macros are at 15-20% carbs. It has to be just eating too much so I need to not stuff myself and see how things go.

    When it comes to keeping track of carbs, I find that percentages are far less helpful than grams. I strive to keep my carb grams at 30 grams or less, although for me 30 net carbs works well also. That generally makes sure I am getting enough protein and fat to fill me up and keep me full.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    I had a pretty good week despite being extremely fatigued due to a very busy weekend. I did generally stick with my carb goal. I got all my workout sessions in as well. The only downside was going over calories on several days. Even with that, my weight was down 1.3 pounds for the month.
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,577 Member
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    Doing all the things, will weigh in tomorrow and do a status check on goals.
  • tishsmith101
    tishsmith101 Posts: 1,577 Member
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    Mid Feb check in

    Planning ahead ✅
    Staying under carbs-aiming for 60 net or under daily ✅
    Logging and measuring ✅
    Getting in exercise/movement at least 20 min a day-better but not there yet
    Jan SW 179
    Feb SW 175.5
    CW 174.5 Finally moved
    Feb GW 171

    On C25K week 4/day 2. It's taking me a long time to get back into it.
  • baconslave
    baconslave Posts: 6,952 Member
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    Sorry I haven't been posting. I've been keeping on top of my exercise, but I had a dental thing last week, and I'm still not recovered enough to eat certain things so I eat what I can and most of it isn't low-carb. Looking forward to being able to eat meat and veg soon. This is so frustrating. :rage::cry:

    Anyway, hopefully in a few more days I can get back to normal
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,116 Member
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    This week has not been going great eating wise. I have stuck to foods low or no-carb, but it feels like I am hungry far more than usual. I am pretty sure this isn't real hunger since I am definitely way over calories. It is in my head, and I need to figure out what is up. The positive is I have stayed at a high level of ketosis according to my breath meter. The negative is my weight is not going down. It is only Tuesday, but tomorrow I will be driving around and doing things with my wife, and with valentines day being tomorrow, we will likely go out to eat. I will see how things work out, but my goal is to stick to eating as keto as I can.
  • taylok23
    taylok23 Posts: 818 Member
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    @rileysowner, I can relate. This week I have been crazy hungry with lots of cravings. I try to get at least 100g of protein a day and even then I have a hankering to keep eating. I have no idea what is going on. I don’t feel stressed but my Outa ring says otherwise. I’m on top of lifting and walking but the amount of food to keep me satisfied is off the hook.

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