What's Your Most Recent NSV

ceiswyn · January 1

I’ve taken up running.

I’ve tried taking up running several times before, but every time I got injuries that stopped me in my tracks. Pulled a hamstring, pulled a ligament in my arthritic ankle, developed pain in my forefoot…

Well, I decided to try again, but this time I went to a sports podiatrist first, told him everything, and asked him whether I was onto a loser even trying given my medical history. He did a bunch of tests and some measurements, then told me I had weak lower leg muscles, very stiff ankles, one leg 2cm longer than the other, and absolutely I could run if I was willing to work on those things.

I walked out of that appointment with a lot less money, a whole bunch of leg strength and ankle flexibility exercises, and ridiculously expensive custom insoles. For the past five months I have been doing half an hour of physio three times a week (mere words cannot express how much I hate one-legged glute bridges). For the past two months I have also been doing a 10K cross-country run every weekend. The ankle that has been my bane for over twenty years just… doesn’t hurt. I don’t even need to wear a support. And my tendency to forefoot pain is gone.

When I was 27 stone with an ankle that sprained multiple times a day, I never thought I would be able to run. But here I am. Admittedly often facedown in the mud; even my magic physio can’t cure my tendency to trip over tree roots

Corina1143 · January 1

ceiswyn wrote: »

I’ve taken up running.

I’ve tried taking up running several times before, but every time I got injuries that stopped me in my tracks. Pulled a hamstring, pulled a ligament in my arthritic ankle, developed pain in my forefoot…

Well, I decided to try again, but this time I went to a sports podiatrist first, told him everything, and asked him whether I was onto a loser even trying given my medical history. He did a bunch of tests and some measurements, then told me I had weak lower leg muscles, very stiff ankles, one leg 2cm longer than the other, and absolutely I could run if I was willing to work on those things.

I walked out of that appointment with a lot less money, a whole bunch of leg strength and ankle flexibility exercises, and ridiculously expensive custom insoles. For the past five months I have been doing half an hour of physio three times a week (mere words cannot express how much I hate one-legged glute bridges). For the past two months I have also been doing a 10K cross-country run every weekend. The ankle that has been my bane for over twenty years just… doesn’t hurt. I don’t even need to wear a support. And my tendency to forefoot pain is gone.

When I was 27 stone with an ankle that sprained multiple times a day, I never thought I would be able to run. But here I am. Admittedly often facedown in the mud; even my magic physio can’t cure my tendency to trip over tree roots

Those custom insoles were a game changer for me. I don't wear them as much now because I have built up my muscles. But I never could have without the insoles. I'm happy for you!

stegeem · January 1

I did my 10,000 steps even though it's too hot to go outside! used a treadmill duh lol

ceiswyn · January 2

Corina1143 wrote: »

Those custom insoles were a game changer for me. I don't wear them as much now because I have built up my muscles. But I never could have without the insoles. I'm happy for you!

I’ll probably continue needing the custom insoles due to my shorter leg; apparently that, combined with a couple of other things that they also address, is what was causing my forefoot pain. I confess I was dubious at first, especially as initially they mostly felt like torture devices for my feet, but now I’m a true convert!

(And also to spending lots of money on sports physios, but never mind)

AwesomeSquirrel · January 2

I went downhill skiing for the first time ever yesterday (I’m 33 and live in Scandinavia, so I’ve been something of an odd duck before).

It was heaps of fun, a little frightening but physically well within my comfort range and I’m not even sore today. In fact I’m hoping to be back on the slopes tomorrow after alternating with 8km cross country today.

I can really feel the benefits of sticking with running consistently since June and putting up with a weekly workout video for runner”s strength. I think my legs are STRONG!

stegeem · January 2

I haven't been walking for about four days because of the heat, and one of the neighbours asked what happened to me, lol. People also recognise my dog, so they ask after me if someone else is walking him.

stegeem · January 2

I walked the maximum amount of time (on purpose) on my treadmill and it turned itself off, lol. 99 minutes and 59 seconds.

I can walk for much longer than that, but never done it on the treadmill. I find walking outside a lot more comfortable and I'm feeling sore today.

stegeem · January 3

I set out to do 5000 steps one day, then 10,000 the next and managed to double the amount both days!

100_Rabbits · January 3

This is kinda silly, but I've wanted this sweater for YEARS. I decided once I could fit into a large, I'd order it. I fit! It'll fit a little better in a few pounds, and it'll be cute-oversized once I'm at my goal weight. Now to spend the rest of my life explaining to Americans what Vegemite is lol

stegeem · January 4

I think a guy has told me he loves me for the first time (I'm 34). A top that I ordered that I expected to be too small fits, even though the measurements indicated otherwise.

takinitalloff · January 4

@stegeem Congratulations! I hope the feelings are mutual, and that you enjoy wearing your new top

takinitalloff · January 4

I took some measurements this morning, and my progress is astonishing. Compared to exactly two months ago, I've lost 2.3" off my waist, 1.6" off my upper arm, 1.7" off my thigh, and 0.5" off my calf.

My physical therapist called me "the disappearing woman" today

Lately (especially when washing my hands) I've been noticing that my grip strength has improved dramatically. This is weird because I don't do anything specifically to strengthen my hands, but they feel powerful now. I can also feel the bone structure of my fingers (rather than a layer of fat), which is another totally new experience

soniakircher1 · January 4

My NSV using fitness pal exercising on indoor bike everyday up to 1 hour , creating new habit been doing it a month! Pretty happy with that , I have been fasting past year now incorporating nice berries and yogurt if not Advo on toast late mornings . Two main meals a day! Feeling better high blood pressure was very woobly walking now feeling better and better! In size 18 first time not putting on weight over Xmas and I can’t wait to fit into 16 thanks for inspiration !

LenGray · January 5

I had a pretty good non-scale victory today ^_^ After my daily yoga session, I worked on some edits and was feeling really frustrated by the end of the work day. I had almost decided to crash my deficit and eat some of the cookies in the pantry for a 'motivation boost'... but instead I slowed down, thought about how I was really feeling, realized I was just feeling a bit under-stimulated (aka, bored) and started reading a good book instead. I instantly felt less frustrated and stayed within my calories!

mtaratoot · January 5

This is hardly even worth writing.

I went for a walk today. That's not really a big deal. What was interesting is that it's in a nearby park that I had developed a good habit of walking several times a week. I hadn't intentionally walked along these trails in over six months.

It's a very nice park - actually two parks that are adjacent. Between the two of them there's over 400 acres and includes a riparian forest, a forest restoration area that used to be a farm, sports fields, and a boat ramp. From my front door, it's less than a third of a mile walk to access the trail system. You'd think I'd have just kept going. I can use the trails to walk over 10 kilometers without really retracing my steps much at all.

I have been doing so many other fun things, I just haven't been going down there. I hiked a local mountain once a week in the spring to see how the wildflower boom progressed upslope. I did a lot of canoeing and kayaking - I had 69 days on the water in 2023. I've been doing some other fun hiking in the area, and I'll continue doing that.

Perhaps also I wasn't enjoying being there when the weather was nice. It's much more crowded. There were people out today because we had a break in the rain.

I guess the victory is I'll make time to get back down there on a routine basis, but not at the expense of missing out on seeing other great places I want to see. I bought an annual State Parks Parking Pass. There's not very many that have day-use fees, but some have great trails or other features. In 2024, I will be visiting and hiking the trails at Silver Falls several times I'm sure. Weekdays only! It's very crowded there on weekends, especially in summer. I better get up there soon before the trails get icy. There's some other nearby trails I haven't been to in a while - now's a good time to go see them. Yeah. Weekdays. There's some others farther away I've been thinking about going to, and I'll do that this year, but not until there's more daylight because it's such a long drive. Or maybe I'll treat myself to an overnight stay. I can always just sleep in my car. My ex is going to make me a set of curtains for stealth camping. Sounds good.

Is that a victory?

Maybe.

I almost didn't go. I was busy doing computer work and realized that if I didn't go, it would get dark. So I got up and went. Maybe THAT is the victory. Just getting started! Now to stick to it is the next victory.

springlering62 · January 5

Many state parks have “friends” groups who volunteer to do things in the park. My husband is on the board of a couple of park friends groups. The work they do is amazing, and you can combine getting out with good deeds. 👍🏻

stacywatkins14 · January 5

I went back home for xmas (England) ate not terrible, drank a-lot and made myself go back to the gym the day after I landed in the US.

Normally any "derailment" would normally put me off going/tracking food or eating well, very much a "well I have blown in now attitude" and I would start on the poor train again and try and avoid it. So this shows me a massive shift in my thinking.

Even though I expected to have gained significantly as I had my monthly weigh in today ( which I was dreading and I would normally have avoided!) I hadn't gained a thing during my time away! Now there was some contributing factors but I would have been happy with even a 2/3 lb gain considering.

So it just shows me that had I have listened to me old self, I wouldn't have gone and by the next 3/4 weeks would have slowly shifted the other way! This is a huge victory for me and so thats a massive NSV for me

stacywatkins14 · January 5

seltzermint555 wrote: »

I think my most recent NSV (even though it's happened before along the way) is finding that I can't wear certain tops anymore because they look horrible on me. But it's an NSV because the REASON they look horrible is the fact that I am smaller and they fit all wonky and weird because they are too large, rather than too small. Last night I had one of those times when I was out with my husband and felt totally blah and not very cute, but it was because I had too much sag in my pants and my cardi-tank combo was too large and long to be flattering. In my book, those are good things since I like the way I look in smaller clothes now!

I love it when this happens!

CrazyMermaid1 · January 5

I can’t believe what a difference losing a few pounds makes in going down stairs and up hills.

mtaratoot · January 5

springlering62 wrote: »

Many state parks have “friends” groups who volunteer to do things in the park. My husband is on the board of a couple of park friends groups. The work they do is amazing, and you can combine getting out with good deeds. 👍🏻

There's not many state parks that close by. There is one maybe 20 miles away, but it feels longer. It's actually the very first State Park in Oregon. A family donated about five acres to the State Highway Department to be used as a park 102 years ago. State Parks had a big celebration a couple years ago to celebrate the centennial. It was only in 1990 that the State Parks Department was turned into its own agency separate from the Highway Department. A couple interesting aspects about this:

It is because Parks were administered by the Highway Department that all Oregonians have access to the beaches from the Columbia River to the California Border. In 1913, Governor Oswald West declared all beaches as State Highways. There weren't roads back then. You had to time your trip for low tide in many areas! In 1967, Governor Tom McCall signed the Oregon Beach Bill that declares all wet sand up to 16 feet above low tide belongs to the State of Oregon and is not private property. No person may be excluded from any beach by an adjacent property owner. Access to the beach is not guaranteed, but if you get to the beach on public property, the world is your oyster so to speak and it belongs to us all!
It is because the beaches were parks, and the parks was part of the highway department that the parks department had easy access to dynamite. You may or may not have heard the story of the Great Exploding Whale from about 50 years ago. Last year a local minor league baseball team changed their name for one month from the Emeralds to the Exploding Whales.

Our City Parks department has ample opportunities for volunteers to shovel wood chips onto paths. I know there are trail maintenance opportunities on the school forest. There's an arboretum about an hour from here that has ample opportunities for volunteers. A friend of mine runs a non-profit that maintains mountain bike trails about 90 minutes from here in a really beautiful area that attracts cyclists from around the country and world. For now, most of my volunteer work is with the aquarium on the coast and with a non-profit that focuses on the 13th largest river by volume in the USA. They wrote me up as their highlighted volunteer in their biannual newsletter last month. That was sweet. They did that once about 20 years ago. Yeah - I'm a long-term volunteer. I actually do work with State Parks to some degree with this non-profit. They are partners. There are lots of State Lands along that river, and many are managed by State Parks. One of the people who is now a manager is a friend, and his wife now works with the non-profit. I work with her on invasive species stuff.

I wonder where I'll "get going" to today....

Maybe I should get a canoe out!

stegeem · January 5

I'm at my lowest weight in about 7 years!

stegeem · January 5

I have cut back on my exercise by 50% and am still losing a decent amount of weight :-)

bartcal · January 5

I had to buy new shorts a size down - most of my regularly worn work pants/shorts are all so baggy they will fall down if I don't wear a belt. I also had to up my shirt size a few years ago; now I'm starting to order them the size down again. Feels good.

stegeem · January 6

My mum used to have to force me to walk the dog everyday and now I go out multiple times a day without being asked or complaining.

stegeem · January 6

My parents keep telling me they are proud of me for how well I'm doing with weightloss (have lost 20kg now). It has taken 7 years though!!!

Yivs_87 · January 6

I'm back on MFP. First step towards a healthier me.

eleneivy777 · January 6

My latest non scale victory is how I feel more strong...even in my mind I feel more strong after exercising. It is becoming part of who I am.

mtaratoot · January 7

I can hardly call this a victory; it's really just kind of normal stuff: I went for a walk. It was 4.44 miles; not huge, but respectable.

I was thinking I would, and we even had some sun breaks earlier. Forecast is pretty much wet, wet wet. The rain was for sure coming down. I figured that would be the PERFECT time to go for a nice long walk in my local park because - rain!

I suited up: Neoprene boots. Waterproof breathable pants and coat. Gloves, warm hat for under my hood. I got a few houses away, and I realized it was raining hard enough that it would be a good time to check my gutters to see if they needed attention. Slight delay while I put up the ladder, climbed up to the roof, and cleaned out the gutters. I came back down and put the ladder away; my gloves were soaked, so I changed them out.

You know you're in western Oregon when you go down to the park when it's raining like mad and there's over a dozen cars in the parking lot and there's plenty of people out enjoying the weather. I only saw one person that had an umbrella. We don't usually use those around here.

I walked down to look at the river and then headed down the river path. Not wanting to slog through the thick mud even though I was dressed for it, I moved up to the bark path just above it. I went through the forest past the sports fields to the south end, then got on the paved path that goes into the next park over. I walked up to see the river some more and walked on upstream to the shelter, then crossed over to the first hole of the disc golf course, then around the course and a shortcut back over to the first park. There was a twosome playing golf. I walked through a different part of the forest, and as I walked up the hill towards the street, I figured I'd walk a little more, so I diverted through the cemetery, up to the street, then through an apartment complex to a path that goes by the old brick pond and back home.

It even quit raining about 2/3 of the way through my walk.

It really was nice to see my neighbors out enjoying the outdoors even in the cool rain - liquid sunshine.

LenGray · January 7

A twofer for today! My dad called while I was at my writing group meeting and asked me to pick up something sweet. I looked up nearby places and saw that there was a cookie shop about a quarter of a mile away. Since the weather was nice, I figured I'd just walk (NSV #1). Once I was there, I decided to get us one cookie apiece. The second NSV is that, when I got home, I only ate half of my cookie and saved the rest for tomorrow ^_^

mtaratoot · January 7

Sigh. I've got another one, but not sure I can call it a victory either.

Tonight is the third night in a row that I took some brie with wild mushrooms out of the refrigerator to come up to room temperature so I could enjoy it with some tasty crackers. It sat out a few hours, and was probably ready to go. I just put it back in the refrigerator. This is for sure a victory. Cheese AND crackers? Three nights in a row that I put them back? Not only that, but three nights in a row I could have fit them in my budget, but just really wasn't that hungry.

The part I'm not sure about is that I'm about 10% below my calorie goal for the week - an average of 214 calories a day not counting today. To be sure, I had several weeks I was over, but I really try not to under-eat - it's not healthy. I logged two ounces of cheese and two servings of crackers. It would have put me a little over for the day, but got me back on track for the week.

I will tell myself that maybe the calories my Garmin device has been reporting to MFP are too high, and I'm not actually that far under. If I ignored all exercise calories, I'd be 16% over. The scale has been working its way down for the past week, so I can't be over. I think I'm just full from beans, rice, and fresh vegetables.

Oh well.

Maybe I'll have cheese tomorrow. It's really good cheese. Not too long ago, I would have eaten the whole chunk AND the entire box of crackers even if I weren't really hungry.

OK, I guess I can call this a victory. Thanks for helping me talk myself through it.

What's Your Most Recent NSV

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