Finding your Happy Place šŸƒšŸ‚September-Decemberā„ļø

Itā€™s been a tough year, and I think we could all use a place to go to find some positivity and some happiness on our road to getting healthier. Today is September 1st and the holidays are just around the corner...although we donā€™t really know what that will look like yet...after all, itā€™s 2020.

Everyone is welcome and encouraged to post. Introduce yourself and post things that give you joy.
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Replies

  • jm216
    jm216 Posts: 3,711 Member
    Hi, My name is Karen- I am 61. I've been married 39 years, I am the mother of 2 grown sons, 2 wonderful daughter-in-laws and a 22 month old granddaughter who is the light of my life.

    About 2 weeks into quarantine when I realized this wasn't changing soon I made a decision to get serious about my health and weight, I have been making small changes and have taken off about 10 pounds.

    I love the idea of posting things that bring us joy. There are so many challenges in the world right now - I think it is important to find joy in every day. What brings me joy today is decorating for fall. Though the weather is humid today we have had some fall like days and we know more are coming!

    Hi Karen!

    Welcome...weā€™re so glad youā€™re here! You have such a nice family. Congratulations on your 10 pound loss šŸ„³

    I love fall, too! Once we close the pool in mid September, itā€™s time to decorate. Do you love pumpkin spice coffee, too?
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 228 Member
    Wow Michelle, you have been through a lot. I am sorry about your dad. It is so tough to lose a parent. Good for you for stopping the weight gain early before it got out of hand.
  • jm216
    jm216 Posts: 3,711 Member
    Michelle,
    Like Karen just said, itā€™s hard to lose a parent. Iā€™m so sorry.

    Weā€™re glad that youā€™ve only got 9 more pounds to lose, and weā€™re thankful that you found us. You also have a wonderful family. I hope you feel a little less isolated by joining this group.

    Jill šŸ„°
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Hi all! Great thread!
    I'm Elizabeth, 58, single but live with a roommate in Chicago. 19 years ago I was 260 lbs. It took several years but I maintained at 180 for almost 10 years. I was very active. The last few years I've seen the scale go up and down about 20 lbs. I was on a good streak last year and I'm back up to 195.

    Things that bring me joy.. my bicycle. I use it along with some public transportation for most of my day to day life. I even ride in the winter..as long as the sun is shining and there's no snow on the road. And this time of year it's wonderful! I think I'll go out today.

    Also bringing me joy is my cat Bug and my roommate's dog Abby.

  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 228 Member
    Chicago is a place I would love to visit some day (but not in the winter!) Good for you for riding your bike in the winter. That is inspiring to me.
  • jm216
    jm216 Posts: 3,711 Member
    Hi all! Great thread!
    I'm Elizabeth, 58, single but live with a roommate in Chicago. 19 years ago I was 260 lbs. It took several years but I maintained at 180 for almost 10 years. I was very active. The last few years I've seen the scale go up and down about 20 lbs. I was on a good streak last year and I'm back up to 195.

    Things that bring me joy.. my bicycle. I use it along with some public transportation for most of my day to day life. I even ride in the winter..as long as the sun is shining and there's no snow on the road. And this time of year it's wonderful! I think I'll go out today.

    Also bringing me joy is my cat Bug and my roommate's dog Abby.

    Welcome Elizabeth!

    You can get back down to 180... thatā€™s my goal too! Thatā€™s awesome that you love your bike. I just got mine and I love it!

    We of course need to see pictures of Bug and Abby.

    Jillā¤ļø
  • clutterqueen
    clutterqueen Posts: 1,652 Member
    My name is Barb. Iā€™m 56 years old and live in TN with my husband of nearly 30 years( in Dec). Iā€™ve got 2 grown girls who live back in NC and a step son, daughter-in-law and sweetest almost 2 year old granddaughter in Orlando.
    My weight battle has been off and on for years. I gain weight whenever Iā€™m highly stressed, like moving. Why oh why canā€™t I be one of those people who canā€™t eat when theyā€™re stressed!?! No, Iā€™m a major stress eater and emotional eater. Eat to celebrate too. At any rate I was only 5 pounds from goal weight preCovid, then gained 6 1/2 pounds during quarantine. Itā€™s not from lack of exercise. I jog regularly and have an awesome spin bike I love. I also do strength/ weights to keep my bones strong. Iā€™ve lost 4 of those Covid pounds. So about 7 1/2 pounds from goal weight. I tend to self sabotage as I get closer to goal weight. Not sure why that is. Hopefully, I can break that cycle!
    @jm216 Jill Love that picture of Roxie! She looks so sweet! Iā€™m sure you get out the door regularly for a walk so you donā€™t disappoint her!

    @1poundatax Karen Good for you for getting serious about your health only 2 weeks into quarantine!! Then you didnā€™t have time to gain the extra weight some of the rest of us did!
    @NadiaMayl Michelle Thatā€™s amazing you lost 6 of the 15 in one month! You are almost 1/2 way there! Itā€™s definitely tough to lose a parent. Sometimes out of nowhere, it just hits you all over again like it just happened.
    Tough finding a way forward sometimes. But youā€™re doing great!

    @bebeisfit Elizabeth I am so impressed you ride your bike during a Chicago winter! I put mine away when the temp drops to 45! I cannot take the chill of going downhill then!

    What brings me joy? Going to my happy place, my spot in the shade by the lake where I like to read and let my mind wander for a while. It used to be a 34 mile long trail along the river where Iā€™d bike, jog or walk before we moved out of state. But I have to say, listening to some good praise music brings me joy as well!

  • jm216
    jm216 Posts: 3,711 Member
    My name is Barb. Iā€™m 56 years old and live in TN with my husband of nearly 30 years( in Dec). Iā€™ve got 2 grown girls who live back in NC and a step son, daughter-in-law and sweetest almost 2 year old granddaughter in Orlando.
    My weight battle has been off and on for years. I gain weight whenever Iā€™m highly stressed, like moving. Why oh why canā€™t I be one of those people who canā€™t eat when theyā€™re stressed!?! No, Iā€™m a major stress eater and emotional eater. Eat to celebrate too. At any rate I was only 5 pounds from goal weight preCovid, then gained 6 1/2 pounds during quarantine. Itā€™s not from lack of exercise. I jog regularly and have an awesome spin bike I love. I also do strength/ weights to keep my bones strong. Iā€™ve lost 4 of those Covid pounds. So about 7 1/2 pounds from goal weight. I tend to self sabotage as I get closer to goal weight. Not sure why that is. Hopefully, I can break that cycle!
    @jm216 Jill Love that picture of Roxie! She looks so sweet! Iā€™m sure you get out the door regularly for a walk so you donā€™t disappoint her!

    @1poundatax Karen Good for you for getting serious about your health only 2 weeks into quarantine!! Then you didnā€™t have time to gain the extra weight some of the rest of us did!
    @NadiaMayl Michelle Thatā€™s amazing you lost 6 of the 15 in one month! You are almost 1/2 way there! Itā€™s definitely tough to lose a parent. Sometimes out of nowhere, it just hits you all over again like it just happened.
    Tough finding a way forward sometimes. But youā€™re doing great!

    @bebeisfit Elizabeth I am so impressed you ride your bike during a Chicago winter! I put mine away when the temp drops to 45! I cannot take the chill of going downhill then!

    What brings me joy? Going to my happy place, my spot in the shade by the lake where I like to read and let my mind wander for a while. It used to be a 34 mile long trail along the river where Iā€™d bike, jog or walk before we moved out of state. But I have to say, listening to some good praise music brings me joy as well!

    Hi Barb,

    Welcome to your Happy Place!
    You can do this! Youā€™re only 7 1/2 pounds from your goal... that is totally doable! Weā€™re all here for you!

    Jill
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Chicago is a place I would love to visit some day (but not in the winter!) Good for you for riding your bike in the winter. That is inspiring to me.

    It's truly a beautiful city. I've lived here or in the burbs my whole life. There is so much to do in the summer..well not this summer. It's really not all that bad in the winter, except for those days when it's sub zero. But spring, summer and fall are spectacular!
  • 1poundatax
    1poundatax Posts: 228 Member
    clutterqueen- sitting by a lake sounds wonderful. I also love listening to praise music and will sometimes play it loudly when I am having a tough day.
    jm216- great job on logging in for 145 days and the weight loss!
    Today what is bringing me joy are my flowers and garden. They look beautiful. Usually we go away in late August so my garden and deck containers were pretty much done by now since I wasn't around to water them. This year we couldn't go away so the upside is I am still enjoying my flowers.