Thanks for the ideas!

It's a bit better today so I was able to get a good workout in. It is something that I have been struggling with since I started. I think my hips need more stretching/strengthening work done. I have a great massage therapist I see for such things but she is unavailable this week.

Despite getting a horrible knot in my shoulder that prevented me from doing judo, I'm having a great week. Got in a mini weights session on Monday before we went to an animal rehab facility and dashed back to get to bjj on time. Rolled hard even though we all had to do it one handed (this may be where I got the knot) and one of the blue boys told me I'm improving. Tuesday was breakfast with a friend and Start Wars with Dad (I want a BB8!). Wed morning work and then massage to sort out shoulder. Got a swim in with my friend before bjj. Today is family brunch then work (hoping to get to open mat as well) before Christmas dinner with the tribe (my gym family). Tomorrow is fitness class (yes, on Christmas day!), church and then family time. My brother is only in town for a few days so parents are planning stuff.

This year has been incredible, mostly because I found the most incredible gym where I learnt to love training (and definitely enjoy the benefits). The people there are my tribe and have supported me through so much. I can't wait to celebrate with them tonight. The best thing about hanging out there is that generally there are only healthy options to eat. We all enjoy the occasional treats, but we also understand that we need to fuel our training properly.

Almost everyday between now and the 29th is planned around food. Christmas Eve is an Italian Buffet, Christmas Day is a Prime Rib feast, Sunday is a delicious buffet brunch out and Tuesday is a work pot luck. I already felt fatter this morning and I haven't eaten a thing yet. I will do my best to eat smartly but you know everyone makes their seasonal specialty. I am making roasted vegetables, a low sugar pineapple pie and planned some low calories drinks but only husband and sons are watching their weight with me so it's a challenge. On any account, it just a few days and then life will settle down and get more routine. I want to thank this group for it's support and I look forward to continuing our friendship in 2016. Happy Holidays!

@JMarcella57 - way to go! I am super close to having my BMI out of the obese range, so I am looking forward to that.

I am also looking forward to having a healthy body fat percentage. I am waiting for my body half to catch up with the rest of me, as that seems to be where my fat is just clinging to right now. I feel like a lumpy pear sometimes when I look in the mirror - all svelte on the top but still round on my lower half, especially the lower belly and thighs. BUT I know I am a work in progress, which I am looking forward to tackling in 2016!

Today has been wonderful. I ate too much, but so what? I already know I will get back on track tomorrow.

Stayed in my calories today not hard when my Mom fixed my daughter's favorite food but food I really don't like. LOL But the company was good and I wasn't at work.

I feel tired; didn't want to to get on the scale or exercise this morning. But, I did. The scale was kind, I only gained .2 lbs this week. Today I exercised about 1/2 of the time I usually would, fully back on track tomorrow. The past two days I only ate dishes and desserts that I really wanted. There were many freshly baked desserts and in the past I would have tried some of each. This year I was a sampler of those that won't be back for another year or I won't make myself. Overall, it was a wonderful holiday for my family. I hope the same was true for you!

One more week left of 2015. We can do this ladies! 2015 has been a great year for me but I am definitely excited about all of the great things that 2016 will have in store.

I started my current MFP program in October and often wasn't as diligent as I could have been. In the back of my mind I knew the holidays were coming and that's the toughest time for me to stay on track. Happily, I will celebrate the New Year with a head start on my resolution. I am actually looking forward to Summer 2016 because I know I will be slimmer. This is a great group. Yes, "Let's do it!"

@CaptainBoing Congratulations! Very few people stick to their New Year's resolution for the entire year.

I started my "get fit plan" on March 23rd, and although I haven't been as strict with food and exercise as some of you I am proud to still be with it and on my way to making a permanent lifestyle change.

@Living360 With support from you and others in this group sticking to my plan is much easier now. Thank you! BTW, I know Kris said she was going to have a trying week, but I thought we would hear from her yesterday. I hope she's doing okay.

Hi everyone! I know this is a personal question but I'm wondering if anyone has or is going through menopause? I have been overly emotional lately (more like the last year), eating everything, lack of energy and depressed (I know sounds like a sad song). I have twenty pounds to loose to get to my happy weight and am struggling to get myself on a consistent routine. I see my gynecologist tomorrow, hoping she will shed some light on this situation. I keep telling myself I will be better tomorrow with my eating and exercise only to do it again. I think I need to find my motivation - what will drive me to stay on a healthy lifestyle
? What drives everyone else to get healthy and stay healthy?

Thanks for the encouraging comments. I'm still amazed at what I have achieved this year, even with a couple of months off thanks to knee surgery.

Menopause is not relevant to me yet, but as for motivation, I find that firstly I need to do some form of exercise that I enjoy. If it is not fun (most of the time at least), I will struggle to get the motivation. Then, when I exercise regularly, I eat properly, without much thought or effort. This year I have tried many new things and discovered that the exercising style I most enjoy is actually the one I always thought I hated. I just needed the right trainers to show me and I actually needed to try it for myself. It is nearly a year since I first walked through the door to the MMA club and there are so many positive changes that have happened in this year as a result of training with those people. Not all of them are health and fitness related either.

Menopause and motivation, huh? Well, since you asked, I'm 59 and had endometrial ablation surgery about 8 years ago and was too busy with life to notice any menopausal symptoms. My husband walked out, and I had to "pick myself up". My motivation to get in shape came about a year and a half ago when I retired from teaching and finally had time to think about myself. And the timing has been great because I learned about mfp last spring and have now found some wonderful supportive friends in this group. I don't "add friends" because I become overwhelmed with technology and obsessed with keeping up with others. I have joined only this one group and participated in a monthly "challenge", but I don't think I will do any more challenges in 2016. I plan to continue the way I've been doing, slow and steady. I tutor at an elementary school and am a new grandma. I am enjoying my slow-paced life now and want to be healthy to enjoy many more years like this one. This may be more than any of you wanted to know, but there it is.