Women 200lb+, Let's Remember to Nurture Ourselves This November!!!

Hello I’m Tina from Florida. I have been off and on MFP for years. I started at 285, got down to 189, then back up to 226. I also had PCOS, IF, and diabetes. I no more PCOS or IF. 2 kids and a hysterectomy took care of both. Diabetes is diet controlled now. Current weight is 210 with a goal of being under 200 by the end of the year. Im back in the gym and eating right. Staying on track this time. My health and my family are too important to ignore.

Kacy
51 years old
5'10"
SW 9/11/22: 253
10/1/22: 246
11/1/22: 241
Next goal: 234 (a 5% loss)
UGW: 165

Overriding Goal: Keep working the system and don't add too much too soon. Build a system that makes desired habits obvious, easy, attractive, and satisfying.
Overriding Question: Will this choice help me become the person I want to become?

October was good overall. Being sick the last two weeks really cut into my exercise routine and upset my sleep schedule, but it did not derail my overall goal to make healthy choices. It’s wise to skip going to the gym when you’re too congested to breathe! I continued to eat well and log my meals, which is the backbone of everything.

I’ve been avoiding sugar for so many months now that the Halloween chocolate bars did not tempt me in the least. Honestly, I look at stuff like that now just like I look at a cigarette. Would one sugary whatever be that harmful? No, of course not. If I really wanted something, I’d eat it and enjoy every darn mouthful. But I’ve found I DON’T enjoy it anymore because I think of it as toxic. No more allure, no more interest. That is a huge difference from last year. I think our family had already eaten two boxes’ worth of chocolate bars and had to buy another to give out on Halloween night.

Another October win was not stress eating when a very difficult blended family situation erupted. Instead, I chose walking (= exercise, sunshine, and music), and given that this situation is not going to disappear, I will need to draw on that for stress relief this month as well.

🍁What do you hope to accomplish this month or before the year is out?

Food Habits
• Daily logging on MFP; virtually no sugary or processed foods; limit alcohol
• Stay within an 8-hour eating window
• Start taking ACV at mealtimes
Exercise Habits
• Swimming biweekly
• Walking daily: keep the abs drawn in; work to increase speed to 3 mph on average
• Gym visits M-W-F. Go to establish the habit even if I don’t have it in me to work out—just do some stretching.
Sleep Habits
• Shift times earlier by one hour, to 9:30 pm–6:00 am.
Stress Reduction Habits
• Keep exercising! Huge positive effect on my mental well-being.
• Keep decluttering! Tidy spaces calm my brain to an amazing degree.
• Add meditation or deep breathing exercises: I said I would do this in October and still haven’t. Look into options and the best time of day to stack it on top of an existing habit.

🍁What are some tips and tricks you have for staying motivated and remembering to put yourself first?

Fact: NOBODY stays motivated, and our prefrontal cortexes are bad at remembering things. It is crazy for us to think otherwise. Motivation WILL wane, we WILL forget, and then we will blame ourselves for being weak and failing again. Let’s get off this crazy train once and for all. Set up your environment and your systems so that the healthy choice is the obvious choice. That’s why we hear advice such as have a water bottle beside you, clear the crap food out of the pantry, plan your meals, don’t shop when hungry, and put out your gym clothes the night before. Do those things! They work! Know thyself. Where do you tend to fall flat? What could you change to avoid or prevent that situation so that you don’t have to remember and you don’t need willpower? Where could you add friction to make a bad habit less desirable? Small changes add up to big differences. Pick one thing and start making those positive changes!

Here's to a great November, everyone. Let's go!!

Good morning. Today is day 3 in a row at the gym. I’m sore, but sticking with it. I will get below 200 by the end of the year. Pushing through and keeping on track while dealing with enablers (are you sure you don’t want any ice cream) and derailers (you don’t need to go the gym every day). Where are my encouragers 🙁?