Milove how lovely to see you!! Thanks so much for checking in - i can just imagine how great it was for your to spend time with your grandkids.. we no longer take such things for granted thats for sure so i'm very glad to hear you were able to do so! and considering everything going on i think it's amazing you're maintaining at your weight.. well done you!! Take care of yourself - hugs...

Suzy thanks for letting me know.. i did notice it wanted me to log in again on the community screen, even tho i AM logged in as you said, i can see my profile and stats so why would i have to log on again? I don't think i even remember my password for here anymore lol... at least i can still use it to scan barcodes so since i do spend a lot more time on my laptop anyway it'll work.. i just find it way easier to type on my laptop than my phone lol.. and these days even when i use siri to dictate my post on my phone? He has a mind of his own and sometimes what he comes up with is nothing to do with what i said!!

We are in the last week of our "virtual" family fitness challenge for January and they decided they want to do another in Feb - so now i'm working on coming up with something that is different and fun... and i admit im having a hard time lol..

This month they had a choice of 3 options to do every day.. I called it the "one a day" challange.. the 3 consisted of one cardio, one balance and stretch, and one strength training. They got 5 pts for every option they completed each day, and each option only has to be 10 minutes. So if you are having a bad day, you could choose to only do only one option but if you were feeling good, you could do 2 or all 3 and earn more points.. so a little fun competition as well.. it worked quite well considering i had to take into account the ages of everyone (from 40-74) and some injuries (broken hand, knee replacement etc ) lol..

anyway i have a week to come up with something different for February, and that is a bit fun too.. i think after 2 months of exercising every day they need something different - so i'm asking for help from you guys for ideas!! I would like to stick with 3 daily options for february again, they seem to respond well to having of choice of how much to do...

So far i have come up with 2 options -

1. United we Move option: perform 15 min a day of your choice of exercise (endurance, strength, balance or flexibility)
2. Bigfoot open: Complete a Half Marathon! Complete a half marathon this month - count your steps or your distance on a bike, and rack up 21 kilometers this month to complete a half marathon!! (just 1000 steps a day or 1/2 mile on a bike will get you there -

I had to have something that woudl take a bike as one can't walk with knee injury can only bike, plus 1/2 of us are in full winter with snow so can do indoor walking videos.. so i figured the half marathon option would sound cool and also be doable..

so i'm asking for your help in coming up with a 3rd option please?? lol... any and all suggestions would be appreciated.. i have a week still to finish the plan hahahah.. thanks!

Suzy... just an idea.. but maybe go with seeing how much you have lost this month in February at the end, rather than as you go? We know weight loss is linear and sometimes just eating something salty can make you retain or gain... but maybe if you just focus on the whole month rather than a weekly or daily loss it might go easier? (That said i am a scale hopper... and i know how just seeing any increase can play with your head...) but thats why i'm thinking maybe just tell yourself to keep doing exactly what you're doing, and at the end of the month you will see your progress? Just a thought.. but you're right.. we all do that spiral thing.. as soon as it takes a left turn we start to self sabotage, and if it goes down we do the same thing!! But it truly what you said.. its about committing to it and sticking with it even when the mind games start... and thats the hardest part for sure. You're doing great so yes just hang in there and know you're doing everything right!

love that Suzy - the "i choose today"!! Yes !!! I have got to print that and put it on my cupboard door!!

you've been inspiring me too - trying to do better every day - i think this is the longest i've gone since the start of the pandemic without a daily dose of potato chips LOLOL.. i am truly still fighting that demon every day ha...

The feb challenge is going ok.. the 2 youngest have already completed the half marathon (21 km) LOLOL.. but the rest of us are still plugging along... its hard finding things that are kinda "equal" for all.. but altho there was some resistance to the Tai Chi session, this week it's "Tabata" and i picked a 6 minute video for them to do - and it's going over MUCH better LOLOL.. it also has 3 people doing it in various modifications (one even sitting) so I suspect the fact its only 6 minutes is it's true appeal - not actually trying something new LOLOL..

i have the one for next week (Essentrics) but i'm not sure i like the one for the last week.. its something called "muve" which is basically kind of a dancy sort of thing to hawaiin music.. i may replace it if i can find something else.. i checked out Soba but its too hard on the hips and joints for some lol.. but i have 2 weeks so i'll come up with something... im running out of ways to google ideas tho...but i will perservere! hahaha

I'm trying to stay off the scales for this week - taking my own advice to keep working hard and waiting for the woosh lol..... hope the hand and foot are doing ok btw and that you got your dads' 2nd jab trip done ok

I totally get it Suzy... i'm not going to lie my scale hopping is indeed what keeps me from going down the rabbit hole sometimes lol... its so damn hard to find the happy balance of using it to keep us in line with our goals, or hating the tiny piece of plastic that rules our lives at times!

omg on the supplments tell me about it!! I take 2 CoenzymeQ10 pills a day (because i'm on a statin for cholesterol and it protects your heart) and a fish oil supplement on top of my regular meds... i HATE that i have to use a daily pill holder with 5 spots in it to cover everything!! It totally makes me feel OLD .. and every Sunday i sit and fill them all up for the week.. and i feel like i'm 100 those days!! So i have to force myself to say nope it's all keeping you healthy! But none of them are covered under any insurance plan i have.. and it probably costs me about $60 a month. which doesnt sounds like much til you realize thats like $720 a year! arghh.. I also have an orange every single day for my vitamin C, the price of them is prolly close to or more than the EmergenC so I feel for ya!

LOL @ the tai chi.. nope... however the Tabata is getting props right now ha...

Ha ha ha Suzy.. right now at just before midnight, its -18C which i think is about 0 farenheit... so it was downright balmy this afternoon!! i agree with you about the vitamins and supps tho.. as long as they are good quality - i remember a nutritionist telling me once about making sure they were "3rd generation" ones.. meaning whatever they are encased in is easily absorbed by the body like food so the vitamins can actually get in your system.. a lot of them have binding agents that are too hard for our body to break down so you dont get the benefit of the vitamins before it passes thru you ...