Year in Review!
steve0mania
Posts: 3,150 Member
Happy New Year everyone! I thought we might take a moment and do a little retrospective of how last year went for everyone and consider what we'd like to do differently in 2025. This can certainly be weight-focused, but if there are other things of importance, feel free to bring those up too!
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Well, this has been a "good-news/bad-news" sort of a year for me, at least from a weight perspective. The good news is that I am starting 2025 three pounds less than I started 2024. The bad news is that I started 2024 at one of my highest weights in a long time, and my 2025 starting weight is 11 pounds over my personal target weight. At least I have something to work on, right? ha ha ha!
Over the course of 2024, I did manage to lose those extra pounds and made it down to my personal target weight. Unfortunately, I didn't sustain that loss, and in the past 2-3 months I regained most of what I had lost. I guess the positive side of this was that I reminded myself that I *can* lose weight when I'm in the mode, but that getting into the mode is the hard part. I plan to buckle down again, starting today, and shoot to get back to my personal goal.
Here's my MFP chart that makes this point pretty well:
One key high-point of the year is that I set a new running record for myself: I ran 785 total miles in 2024. I know it's not much compared to "real runners," but it does represent a level of consistency in my running that I haven't had for a while. Plus, there was an injury mid-year that took me out for a few weeks. I might just keep the same "consistency" goal for 2025 and see how it goes without setting a distance goal.
There have been all sorts of other ups-and-downs, but I guess the biggest change is our plan to spend more time in Israel. We bought an apartment there and once it's renovated, we'll plan to spend some real time over there.
So, overall, 2024 was a good year with a couple of bumps in the road.2 -
steve0mania wrote: »One key high-point of the year is that I set a new running record for myself: I ran 785 total miles in 2024. I know it's not much compared to "real runners," but it does represent a level of consistency in my running that I haven't had for a while.
That is really great Steve. I reached the 700s twice back when I was training for half-marathons, but not lately. That is something to be proud of. Way to go!
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Well, I'm 13 pounds over last 01/01. I have been over Goal for the last 4 months. I know how I got there (multiple excuses including a few medical issues), and I do know what I need to do, but will I?
On the plus side, TOL and I are still around. 60 years married! I'll be 81 next Sunday. A number I never expected.
Still walking a good number of steps, making dinner daily, doing the dishes, making the bed, etc.
Life is good. PTL!1 -
My weight for the year was up about 10 lbs, almost all of it in the 2nd half of the year. Two things that may have been played a role: starting a new drug that can lead to moderate weight gain and high anxiety from my wife’s brain surgery for an aneurysm pushing on the optic nerve. I did have a nice slow weight loss since Thanksgiving. 2024 was a year of consistent exercise, but I plan to do more flexibility, core and balance exercises in 2025 and reduce aerobic exercise to the 150 recommended minimum minutes per week. I walked 1,200 + miles and cycled 1,900 + miles in 2024.0
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Consistency is such an important element of this process, so congrats to all who are still plugging at weight and health management in a world that wants us to eat burgers and cookies!
My “accomplishment” this year is hitting 1000 days of tracking as of Christmas Eve. That doesn’t represent consistently good choices, but it’s at least one consistent behavior to carry forward.
My weight is up about seven pounds from year-end 2023, and five of those were added in Q4 as a result of poor decisions and off-plan behavior. I wish I were smart enough to have any given lesson stick in my behavior patterns, but at 69, that’s just apparently not gonna be me. Another thing that’s not gonna be me? Resolutions. I’m not making any; my intention is more about putting the past behind me than it is about making a specific change.
On the non-weight front (and probably TMI front), complications from my 2023 TURP procedure led to a second round of surgery this past summer. Suffice it to say I’ve discovered a medical procedure that I dislike more than going to the dentist. I’ll stop there . . .
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steve0mania wrote: »positive side of this was that I reminded myself that I *can* lose weight when I'm in the mode, but that getting into the mode is the hard part.
Plus, there was an injury mid-year that took me out for a few weeks. I might just keep the same "consistency" goal for 2025 and see how it goes without setting a distance goal.
So, overall, 2024 was a good year with a couple of bumps in the road.
Same, I know I can lose weight. I've done it before, its just a matter of WANTING to get into that mode . I hear you on the bumps in the road...Injury sucks. My 2025 goal is NO injuries.
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This past year - I'm really just in a maint. phase. I would like to maintain my bottom number. But my top number is only 6# heavier. so.... as long as I'm in this # swing range - I'm okay.
I hit my mid range a couple times, my low range once.
I was injured from April to today with Lower back and with a Popeye arm injury and a completely torn rotator cuff (front side) I did not do any surgery, I simply did physical therapy. Thru ALL of that - I did not gain over my high # or go beneath my low# . I have maint. figured out. Its just that i WANT to do my low # more consistently - which is a lifestyle change.... not a diet/short term give up a food thing.2 -
I finished 2024 four pounds lower than I started it, so ... that's good, right? I'm not sure there are any broad lessons to learn except that maintenance ain't easy and losing weight is even harder. I learned some helpful things in my month or so on the Mayo Clinic diet and can see myself taking that plunge again.
I'm "ok-ish" with my fitness level, but can definitely do better. I didn't have any serious injuries or other setbacks, but as time goes by I feel less and less capable of ramping my running up again. Steve, I am so impressed with your ability to maintain. I tend to have small breakdowns when I get up to 25-30 minutes of continuous running (no matter how slow I build up and how easy I take it on the running path). I need to get back on my bike this year. I had (have?) some mental obstacles to overcome after taking a painful spill late in 2023.1 -
I tend to have small breakdowns when I get up to 25-30 minutes of continuous running (no matter how slow I build up and how easy I take it on the running path).
This one struck a chord with me. It’s tough to reach a conclusion that a certain activity isn’t good for you. I gave up downhill skiing after I realized (following two bad falls in one season that I escaped uninjured) that my desire for speed exceeded my ability by about 2:1.0
