Yesterday, I finally finished taking all of the videos needed to put on a storage device, to place in a safety deposit box (showing my house, contents, etc, for insurance in case a wildfire consumes our house, a possibility here). While doing it, I was thinking that I have to tell this mfp group and then I saw your messages, Becca, when I went on my computer to save the videos. What a time-consuming job that I dragged out to make it even longer! Now I have to put them on the external hard drive. This is competing with holiday tasks, of course. During the summer, my excuse was camping and such, ha ha.

Ok, so I lost the weight I needed to lose (high 140's to mid-130's, put it back on (far more quickly than it was lost) and I am just now, starting to drop a little. I struggle with actually logging, even though it isn't that time-consuming or hard; I just don't want to bother. Just the other day, I was complaining to my husband that I never had to be attentive to my weight when younger and why can't I be that way now? Then reality came crashing back; we both will have to be attentive to our weight from here on out. I literally think now, what would a normal person eat/how much, etc? The funny thing is that I am a counselor an I know that this thinking isn't helping, lol. I am yet again, back to intuitive eating and consciously eating less; this is they way I wish to live, so I need to figure it out. I really have a pretty good diet and I exercise most days; I just eat simply too much for my height. I don't eat that much, though; on days I'm not working to lose weight, I eat maybe 1500 typically and 1800 on a higher day. I don't binge ever. I am currently right at 25 BMI. I want to lose 10 lbs for vanity and then I may need to lose 10 more pounds for helping my borderline high cholesterol to drop a bit.

I have had several parties at my house just recently, for some church folks, neighbors on this (short) street, book club--my house is so clean right now, I love it! My house truly never needs to be picked up (it is just my husband and me), but we have our son's dog, a German Shepherd. This is a breed that really sheds, so we live with dog hair. (My son is in the military and is overseas). This is our 4th German Shepherd over the years; before, we never thought about the shedding much, it was just something that had to be dealt with. We were without pets for about 10 years and then we got this wonderful dog (he is such a sweetie). The difference from no pet hair to now is not a positive, but we love this dog and my son will have to fight me to get him back!

I decorated my house for Christmas a week ago (no tree, a kid will have to churn out a grandchild before we put in that much effort). None on the horizon, so easy decorating.

That's about it for me; I hope all you ladies and doing well and achieving your goals. The new year is coming up. I'm not into resolutions, per se, but have, 2-3 times a year, starting in 7th grade, wrote out goals. Back in my engineering days (first career), it was always thought, if you don't track it, it will probably never be achieved. A business concept not exclusive to engineering, of course. When this was first a 'thing' in the 1980's, we had to have one goal that we tracked/charted and hang it on our cubicle walls (with a frame, why?), for all to see our progress (and make us work on it all the harder, presumably). We all used those cardboard 'frames' for transparencies (clear, plastic, set on overhead projectors). I guess using those cardboard frames to frame our charts was as wild a protest that engineers could drum up. I do know that I am showing my age. Some funny memories...

Happy New Year to all! I think we're down to only a few ladies these days, but we will soldier on!

Weight-wise...still on the high side of my usual weight range. I would like to drop a few in the next weeks prior to a cruise in the Caribbean. I continue to exercise pretty much every day and although I don't look forward to it, I do enjoy it while I'm doing it. I'm still doing intuitive eating, which is great for me to maintain; unfortunately, I would like to drop 10 lbs. I am thinking that I will track when I get back (insert sad face here). We do have a number of shore excursions that will include exercise (walking, biking, kayaking). I might use the ship's gym when we have 'at sea' days (there are 3) and I may laugh when I get there, having thought this!

Just today, I loaded up my external hard drive with the files on my computer, including the videos of our house and possessions (for insurance purposes if our house is consumed in a CO Rockies wildfire). Next week, my husband and I will go 'down the hill' and obtain a bank safe deposit box to drop this and some papers in. That will conclude my very-long-drawn-out wildfire project.

I'm not really one for resolutions, more of a goal-setting girl throughout the year. However, since my big project is just ending, maybe my goals will turn out to be resolutions by default, timing-wise. I will have to give them some thought. I plan to start them upon my return from the cruise, however.

I wish the best for you and your families in the coming year!

Hello, ladies, I hope you all are well. I have been reading your posts; it sounds like you are.

If you may recall, I went on a Caribbean cruise, starting at the end of Jan; we went to Key West and seven different countries/islands. Totally enjoyable! My husband and I got the proverbial cruise COVID (first time for both of us) at the very end. We thought it was just a cold, but tested positive when we got home. For us, it has been like a long-lasting cold, with every cold symptom possible. We are supporting the OTC cold medicine companies just by ourselves. We feel muuuch better.

I dropped a few pounds prior to the cruise, but gained them back, even with our excursions of biking, kayaking, and whatnot. Some excursions were less physically exerting, though. COVID only suppressed my appetite for 4-5 days (why only 4-5!?!). I was not trying to diet upon return from home until just a few days ago and have dropped a couple pounds already. I don’t like calorie counting, but it is the only for-sure way for me to drop weight, so I am just buckling down with it. It hasn’t been awful (so far).

I planned on giving my goals for the year some thought following the cruise and this is what I came up with:

FOOD:
-Eat slower
-Drop to 135 lbs using mfp. I got to 136 lbs last year and am just really displeased that I popped back up, now at 148 lbs. I am more than feeling that this is possible. I plan to keep at it until done (as opposed to one pound away!). At a pound a week, this is 3 months, end of May.

EXERCISE:
-Continue with same, as often as possible, typically six days/wk:
25 min elliptical on fat burning program (incline with resistance)
~30 min of yoga/stretching/PT exercises
~30 min strength training, alternating upper and lower body on different days

GENERAL:
-Comb hair more gently - I’m like a child, running the comb way too fast through my hair, as though I couldn’t wait to go out to play!
-Go through five old emails/day - I send many emails to myself when doing other things, so I don’t forget a thought. I do it to myself!!! Maybe I should just stop sending them.
-Go through one paperwork thing a day - Some things are just being stored (that’s ok, but file them somewhere, out of sight), some are in a holding pattern, waiting for something else to occur (then place on my desk upstairs and get them out of my sight!), and some are to-do things. The stack is ~2.5" deep.
-Brush my dog’s teeth every day - I used to do this, but got out of the practice. He puts up with it, but neither one of us enjoys it, lol. He gets a treat, though, afterwards; I just am able to check it off of my list.

Thought/input on my goals? I am open to ideas.