New Me Challenge

retirehappy
retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
edited November 14 in Social Groups
This is a new year, I know we all want to be better. This challenge is for all of us who want to set a goal for the year and work on it. Make a NEW ME this year. What will that look like and how will you get there, give it some thought and post in here if you are up for this challenge.

You can do this, just do it.
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Replies

  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    I want to exercise more, strength training and some more low intensity cardio is what I want to focus on this new year. I also want to reach my goal weight and be maintaining it during the feasting season at the end of the year.

    Here is my plan for 2017:

    I will do 3x a week strength training. This will be body weight and dumb bells training.

    My daily walking aim for 28 day average of 10k daily.

    2x a week I will do additional cardio, this might be a more strenuous hike, Zumba, or some other cardio dvd workout that gets my heart rate into the fat burning zone and keeps it there for an extended time.

    Keep up the lower carb lifestyle I have started since Aug. Slowly adding carbs back in using the Atkins ladder method so I have a smooth transition into maintenance.

    Keep up my logging streak on MFP.

    Continue to support others in this group and the LCHF groups I have joined as well.
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 225 Member
    Hello Joell, I am really excited for this year!! I'm going to put some thoughts in place and make a workable list, and share tomorrow ! Have a great night !
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Ok, so I screwed up. My mind is still in a fog. I posted new goals under December so I am going to copy and paste that here:

    starting the year I have several goals. I am planning to get back into my art and gardening to heal my grief. That does not have so much do to with my weight as my sanity. I met an artist the other day who actually lives in my neighborhood and I am going to take a few lessons in pet portraits and murals from her.

    I will continue with the AIP diet because I have to. As long as I stay on it, I have no problems with my RA and I hope that continues. That said, I need to work on the carbs. I think my calories are pretty good, but the carbs are too high which means I need to consistently JOURNAL for the rest of January. That tends to be my hardest thing! Also, I intend to follow the recommendations in Younger Next Year. That means 4 days a week of cardio - two walking and two on my exercise bike - and two days of weights and stretching. That is pretty much my whole program and I think all I need as far as tuning it up. In other words, my planning is fine, its the DOING I need to work on!

    I started a garden last year which is difficult here. We are close enough to the ocean that basically we have sand! I never started it until the Fall season last year and I used large containers. This year I am continuing that and also going to make a raised bed. So, I am planning on organic vegetables and the exercise that comes with gardening. I bought a bird feeder during the Black Friday binge and I am going to put that up today. I am going to back out of my AIP support group a bit and come back here and spend time with my art. some things just have to give for the sake of time!

    Time to get started on this year. I believe that this program will help to heal my grief as well as my body.

    Janet

  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Janet, so sorry to hear about your fur baby.
    Glad you found an artist in your area.

    Journaling is so very important. Glad you are planning on using MFP more this year.

    Leeks and asparagus are good for sandy soil, you might want to consider those if they are on your eating plan.

    I am looking into the Younger Next Year books thanks for mentioning those. I have found the way I want to eat going forwards, so this year I am zeroing in on exercise that I can keep doing long term.
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    Thanks Joelle

    I know how important journaling is and don't know why I hate it so much because it is EFFECTIVE! I also know that it will get easier after I force myself to reshape my AIP meals to fit into the nutrient balance I know I need. We recently did battle with my husbands blood sugar levels (he started on Remicade for his psoriatic arthritis and it shot his BG levels through the moon) and I found that for him a breakfast and lunch of 30 carbs with dinner at 60 work well. I am going to start with that goal combined with the exercise and see where it takes me. The 60 at dinner might be too much.

    Started back on my exercise bike yesterday and lost some endurance in the past two weeks of little exercise. Time to get back to my Younger Next Year goals.
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 225 Member
    I have put some ideas together in hoping I do better. I have not weighed myself. Start in the AM. 1. I will journal my food, as I eat. I believe that work best for me as far as keeping track. Exercise is still a struggle, I need to commit to something each day.
    I am really going to try and lose this 40 pounds this year to reach my goal.

    Believe me I know it will not be easy !!
  • DreamOn145
    DreamOn145 Posts: 460 Member
    My biggest challenge is the journaling! I am doing a super entire house deep cleaning to start the new year and a lot of that has to do with the fact that grief fuels cleaning for some reason. Yesterday I finished my art studio and I hope that by the end of this week I will be back on a regular schedule and back to painting. I thought back over the past year and realized that it was such an insane jumble of bad health for both me and my husband and finally my dog that all creativity fell by the wayside. I hope this year will be different. As for the journaling, I'm not doing well with it. Perhaps if I do weekly meal plans that will helpl.
  • seeingthelight
    seeingthelight Posts: 128 Member
    Good morning ! A new year - a new me! It was inspiring to read what each of you wrote, but it is staggering to think in a years timespan, instead of a month. What do I plan to do every week for a whole year to make a new me??? What CAN I do every week for a whole year????
    What will I do is the real question. I will log in every day. I will eat healthier with 5 vegetable and fruits daily , no more than 1 "treat" a day, and protein with every meal and snack. I will exercise 5 times or more a week. I will fast (16/8) at least 5 days a week. And lastly, I will truly enjoy something everyday and take a picture to remember that moment. Have a good year all, I plan to!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    edited January 2017
    Seeingthelight, Love the idea of taking pics of enjoyable moments. I am going to steal that one for sure.

    Janet, weekly plans are a good idea, one I seem to fail at a lot. What I am doing now is using the Atkins weekly plan for foodies as a guideline. I do sub things of equal value, but it gives me good ideas on what I need to have in the house, so I can easily throw together meals.

    I find my journaling time happens most when I look at it as me reflecting on myself and my choices, it is "me time" now. So I do it much more frequently, some days I don't send send up my food diary before the day ends, but I tend to finish it off the next morning, otherwise I will forget what I had the previous day. What every works.
  • Itreadlightly
    Itreadlightly Posts: 86 Member
    Oh man I don't know why I struggle so much. I do well for a couple days and then I stop and think why am I doing this at my age… Well because I feel better. So here I go again
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 225 Member
    Doing better each day, ( only 3 days ). Writing what I eat at the time has been reveling to say the least. Need to watch the carbs and fat !!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Wanda, I sometimes take a pic of my meals with my smartphone when I am eating out. Another tool for good logging.

    Ithreadlightly, Check on the sugars in your foods. I find too much sugar makes me starving within a short period of time. I finally decided to just go much lower carb, Atkins induction and then working my way up the ladder, so currently I am usually in the 50-60 net carb range.

    Good luck on finding what works for you, just feeling better and not moving so much weight around feels so wonderful.
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 225 Member
    I have always wanted to try a lower carb approach, I'm determined to make it to my goal this year! !
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    I am tweaking my macros again. I want to get the loss started. My calories are in the right range, so leaving those for the time being. Weather has warmed a tiny bit so I am trying to up my walking. Winter just is not my fav season.
  • amflautist
    amflautist Posts: 939 Member
    For the rest of January, I pledge - to myself - to log everything and do at least 30 min exercise each day.
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    I have managed to walk every day since I have come back on here, and that is my committment for the year: I am going to exercise SOME every single day without fail. Some days will be more, and some less, no doubt - but not exercising at all for the past few months is something I have to change for good - in every sense of that phrase.
  • wandakc
    wandakc Posts: 225 Member
    Ok so I blew it today with too many snacks, so much for my lower carb approach :( I am hoping to make 10,000 steps tomorrow! Good Luck to everyone on our journey to a healthier New Year !!
  • Rocel135
    Rocel135 Posts: 6 Member
    I haven't been on this site for about a year. I have been stressed and depressed and have not been able to get it "in gear". I'm afraid my health is really going to decline if I don't get off my behind. I am planning on going to an exercise class tonight!

    (PS. Is there a way to see the latest posts first?) Thanks.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Welcome back Rocel135, As far as I know you can't see the last posts first. You can use the End key when you are on a page to go to the bottom of that page, then if there are more pages list (2,3,4, etc.) you can click into the last page to see the latest postings.

    Exercising is good for stress relief. We have a nice thread I just made a stickie on the announcements at the top of our home page. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10381673/what-exercises-do-you-do#latest
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    Welcome back, Rocel135 - I have just recently gotten "back in gear" myself after having been away for a few months. I'm already feeling more hopeful than I have in quite a while. ~ Kathy

  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    I want to exercise more, strength training and some more low intensity cardio is what I want to focus on this new year. I also want to reach my goal weight and be maintaining it during the feasting season at the end of the year.

    Here is my plan for 2017:

    I will do 3x a week strength training. This will be body weight and dumb bells training.

    My daily walking aim for 28 day average of 10k daily.

    2x a week I will do additional cardio, this might be a more strenuous hike, Zumba, or some other cardio dvd workout that gets my heart rate into the fat burning zone and keeps it there for an extended time.

    Keep up the lower carb lifestyle I have started since Aug. Slowly adding carbs back in using the Atkins ladder method so I have a smooth transition into maintenance.

    Keep up my logging streak on MFP.

    Continue to support others in this group and the LCHF groups I have joined as well.

    Ok, I am doing the 3x a week strength training sessions. I go to Body Flex and use my gear at home now.

    Not quite up to the 28day average, but it is just mid month of the first month, so will just keep plugging along on this one. It will come :)

    Using Jessicasmithtv hiit sessions to get these in. The snow and cold helped me do those.

    Still low carbing, since I haven't been losing lately, I am not adding any further carb families in, I am pretty happy with the cheeses, nuts, etc. that I am allowed already, so will stay on this 5th rung area for a while more.

    Still logging daily.

    The groups here are very important to me, reading and commenting is the easiest part of this Journey. There are some wonderful MFPers!

    Hope everyone else is making progress.
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    You're doing great, Joell - and you know, I was just thinking of you this morning as I was shoveling snow. First I thought of how many minutes I was going to get to enter on my exercise diary. Then I thought of the MFP group and how grateful I am it is STILL HERE even though *some* people (like me) fade out and then come back and expect to find it still here. So I was thinking of *you* with gratitude for your faithful leadership of our group. Thank you!! bravo-009.gif
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Thanks Kathy, this group has been here for me for a long time. I was so grateful to Californiagirl, and when she left it. I was afraid it would go away. Since I spend so much time on my computer now that I am retired, I enjoy "giving" back to community by making sure this groups and some others I am involved in stay active. The general boards can get so nasty, it is nice to have the groups for refuge from the storms. It also some place to keep references that we might need over and over again. I do love MFP and am so thankful even the free version is worth my time and efforts.
  • Rocel135
    Rocel135 Posts: 6 Member
    Yeah, retirehappy, you have a great plan! Inspires me to up my plans!
  • Rocel135
    Rocel135 Posts: 6 Member
    Oh my goodness tonight I tried a "PyYo" class. Down on the floor ... get back up...., down on the floor ... get back up ...repeat. When the next thing was burpees, I left.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Rocel135, I would have too. Those classes are for the 20somethings. Next time try a beginners yoga or thi chi type class. Doing too much at first is a great way to hurt yourself or end up totally discouraged. Hate burpees and there is no real reason to ever do those, you can get same results from other exercises. If you enjoy dancing, Zumba Gold classes are terrific to start for cardio. Try to make it fun. The best exercise is the one you will want to do.
  • mxchana
    mxchana Posts: 666 Member
    I agree with that move, for sure Rocel - getting injured would mean a tremendous setback in your exercise routine. I have had such a busy day today - I don't know if I can face getting on my ski machine quite yet but, maybe I can just put on some music and dance around a little.

  • Rocel135
    Rocel135 Posts: 6 Member
    Yeah, I have liked some Zumba classes (teachers I guess) better than others. There's another class I go to that uses weights and bands. But that getting up and down thing ... By the time I get down, they're getting up and by the time I get up, they're getting back down again!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Got my 28 day average back up to slightly over 9K. With all the cold weather that has not been easy. Thank goodness for the jessicasmithtv youtube channel!!!!
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    It is going to be over 60F here today, can't wait to get outside and take a LONG walk.

    I hope everyone else is moving forward on your challenges.
This discussion has been closed.