Hello WaistAways!! And, in particular, Bingo Players! I (finally!) our Bingo sheet ready. Sincere apologies for the delays - every time I thought I was done, I'd notice a cascade of related cells that needed to be updated :p. I severely underestimated the time it would take to shift from a Wed-Tue structure, to a Sun-Sat structure, and extend out 18 wks :p. I hope this doesn't dim your enthusiasm, and you're still in!

Yinka, I set your Bingo sheet up, and DM'd you the link. I hope you're still in! Xx

I'm going to go back through the thread and see if anyone else posted their list (Jackie, I know you did). I'll populate the Bingo Sheets for those who posted their lists, and DM the link. For the rest of the Bingo players, I'll DM you the link as well, if you need help using the Task List page (one scroll over from the Bingo board), I'm more than happy to help.

~ mk Xx (BIG apologies! I avoided the boards bc I didn't want to dally until I'd finally finished editing the Sheet).

MK - you are amazing! Thank you for all your hard work. I love my Bingo card - it is very comprehensive. I can't wait to start using it. After some sleep!

@mkksemail thank you! This is going to be great 😁 I'll take a look at my bingo card when I have a bit more time later today.

@lauren_989 that's not bad at all! I'm sure you'll be back in the green in no time.

It's been a little challenging here the last couple of days, both kids are sick with different things (really hoping they don't share their germs with eachother but I know they probably will) and early this morning my daughter accidentally gouged my eye. I'm going to try to see an eye doctor today to make sure it's OK, It's just sore and red but I don't want to mess around with an eye injury.

I have been getting more steps in the last few days. Yesterday I tried a new recipe for dinner, teriyaki chicken and veggie lettuce cups. It turned out a little salty for my taste but otherwise was yummy, I added some extra vegetables that needed to get used up. The kids were not fans but my husband went back for seconds 😋

Lauren, the garden and walkway look lovely! It doesn't look from the pic like the path needs a power wash, it all looks super cute. The stones edging makes it look sharp and well-dressed. Well done! Haha, cute chalkbord update, how long did it take hubby to notice? ;-) Ahh, ty on finger, but that was Vikki :D. Xx Ohhhh, oof, on sleep pattern getting out of whack. Totally can relate to that! If I let my night owl fly free one time, I'm up all night for weeks after. Blech. Nice steps! Awww, sweet on visiting hubby's grandma at the nursing home. Dementia isn't easy. I suspect that even tho she doesn't know you, the visit did her good. Happy 7th annivesary to you and hubby ! 💕

Micki, what do you do for your 2 weight workouts each week? Free weights/dumbells? I have some, but I don't really know what to do with them other than bicep curls and rows :p. Congratulations on your successful summer! Slow progress is good progress, more likely to stick, right? I went the opposite direction this summer. Buckling down for the fall.

Congrats on your new decade, Ellie ! How did the youngest sons first day of university go? Such an exciting time, the world is at their feet, everything is possible :). oooo, nice steps Wk 1 ! Awww, just read your post about your sad day, moving him back to campus. ((( Hugs )))

Hello, and nice to meet you, Kath @krea4 ! oooooooohhhh, so sorry on the long covid dx ! I only had covid 1x (took until fall '24 for the virus to catch me, but it did catch me!). It was a lot, way more than a cold, imo. Took me about 4-5 wks to fully recover, which surprised me, bc the first wk, it wasn't anything much. Empathetic sympathy for having to struggle with those virus effects for months unending Xx

I love the international flavor of this group. Is that 4 UKs, 1 CDN, 1 (I'm not sure where you are, Al, OZ, NZ, SA?), and the rest US? or other places too?

Huzzah! on succesful weigh-in, babyw8gone 🥳!

Ashley, you have a wonderful way with words! This was so beautifully written: "I find it very uncomfortable to live in this body of mine and want to be different but my mental health tends to get in the way. I was an athletic kid and am drawn to sports and movement naturally, but I'm also drawn to using food and drink to cope with all feelings and as a way to enjoy life." I hope that doesn't sound weird to describe your statement of desires and challenges in conflict as beautiful. It really hit me as so well articulated. Like, these are my goals and my whys, these are my obstacles and my challenges, but these things are things, they aren't me! It reminded me of my daughter telling me she'd once heard that in Irish (the language), they don't say things like "I am sad", they say things like "Sadness is upon me", meaning the sadness isn't me, it's here now, but it will be not be here later - it's temporary. Anyway, I'm not sure if that made sense. 🤔 Oh, right!, on steps, will do in next post.

Vikki, oh wow, you made goal last yr! Congratulation on that achievement! Sure, you'll get there again. Did it once, you'll do it again. 💪 Nice, on your first finished coozy! GL sorting the thread. I remember trying to learn as a kid, my Mom had her mother's Singer (from the early 20th century, not sure if was 20s, or 30s), given to her when her own kids were small, so she could make dancing school costumes and other stuff (I remember prairie dresses in the 70s when we were young, for my aunt's wedding, lol). But man! the way the upstairs thread and the below decks bobbin thread interact was a dense puzzle, that turned into balls of knots whenever I tried to 'drive' the machine, using the foot pedal! lol ~ Oh, hey, thanks for the cast idea! I didn't check. I remember checking with the Fitbit app awhile back. FB has a library of workouts, but same problem - way too small on the phone. FB wouldn't cast to screen. (rrggghhhh). I just guessed that PF would be the same, but maybe not! I'll look into it. Appreciate the idea (my phone is a Pixel). omgosh on finger! how is it? ohhh, just read your next post about not doing well with respect to fitness mind shap ((( hugs! )))

Michele, congrats on making it thru conferences! oooo, huzzah! on making it to the gym at school! So great that you have access to a fantastic gym like that. Haha on the weights machines - SAME. I finally learned how to use a few last February, when I took advantage of the free personal training (which they seem to be winding down, boo) at Planet Fitness. I had like, no!, idea how to use them. Now I have two sets of weights machines circuits that the trainer worked up for me, one for upper/core, and one for lower. I never venture past those machines he taught me how to use tho, bc I don't know what settings to use on the machines he didn't teach me (ie, where to put the seat, how to place your arms or legs, etc etc etc … ).

Kristi, I lol'd at this, after I looke it up, "I also practice tsundoku." Me toooooo ~ 😂🤣😄

Yinka! ty for this: "I have started a new program from Caroline's Circuits (she's on Instagram), and they're from her book - Fit at 50. I have an app in which I list the exercises and the times or reps needed. Then I start it and it tells me what to do - and when! This means that I can be watching something else on the TV while also doing my workout. So long as I have my weights, resistance bands and a mat - I'm sorted. All of the other workout programs I follow are on YouTube. And that's great too!" Def going to look into that. (I just got done typing that I have dumbells, but I don't know what to do with them, too!). Huzzah! on your 4 workouts Wk 1, and your dinner plans with brother and sil sounded lovely. I hope you enjoyed the afternoon of laughter :). Fingers and toes crossed on the internal vacancy at the local council ! 🤞🤞 ooooo, LOOK at all those happy choir faces! "Tipping down with rain', huh? LOL never heard that expression before, but it tickled my funny bone. oooo, you're a tiny thing, aren't you? 5'0"! My niece is that height, she says she's Fun-sized! haha

Veronica, congrats on your successful weigh-in !

Nice steps, Zan! Looks like you're feeling better, and recovered from your late August illness :).

Ahhh, Jackie, just read your post about forgetting to put your fitbit back on after kids' bath (I hate when I forget to put mine back on, I always feel 'robbed' of my steps, lol, like - if FB didn't log it, it doesn't count, silly, right?), and canceling your gym membership, and lack of motivation over the last part of last week and the weekend. That's okay, give your self some grace, you've been shining all summer - and you're right, every day is a new chance to begin again. Or, continue, bc really, a blip of a few days of lack of motivation doesn't erase your summer of achievement. Xx Jackie! wooohooooo! on the big whoosh! down! LOVE when that happens. I lul'd at testing the scale with weights :D

Steph, congrats on your WW signup and 5 lbs loss! Best of luck to you, it's sounds like you've found what you need, to achieve success on your journey. Xx

Al, safe journeys! You have a lot of traveling coming up!

Ashley, oooooo - funnnnn weekend, it sounds like! '… so bagged now', lol another expression I've never heard before, it also tickled my funny bone :D.

Joann, congrats on your successful weigh-in!

Cheers to all ! ~ mk :)

@mkksemail got my link for the bingo card and I've slowly started to put my goals in! Thanks for all the work. Your post had me go look up tsundoku myself, and then I stared longingly at the pile of books I've had untouched for forever and will likely stay that way for a long, long time. I love the idea of reading but when it comes down to doing it, I slack.

Ok - I heard some promises of steps, so I'll give it just a bit more time until I post the update!

My mood has been pretty darn good this week. My big boss at work asked for a one on one meeting tomorrow first thing. I have NO idea why… should be interesting.

My husband travels for work again next week so I'm busy just soaking up all the fun time with him before he goes.

2.) Steps:
Week 2 (Sep) ~

• Sunday: 8,426
• Monday: 8,715
• Tuesday: 13,692
• Wednesday: 10,343
• Thursday: 17,693
• Friday: 6,104
• Saturday: 3,524

Week 3 (Sep) ~

• Sunday: 8,444
• Monday: 3,442
• Tuesday: 6,095
• Wednesday: …
• Thursday: …
• Friday: …
• Saturday: …

Can you tell which 6 days I was sitting in front of my laptop madly editing the Bingo and Goals Sprint to the New Year? :p Okay, well the Thurs one isn't obvious bc I was out all afternoon at the gym, etc, but Thurs morning and night I was fingers to the keyboard, eyes to the screen, type type typing. I really thought I'd be done, each day. And was stunned when the day ended, and I wasn't done :p

~ mk :)

Sorry for the delay, team! 🤗

PW: 164.2

CW: 163.3

Thanks, Yinka! Enjoy your London holiday reunion! Xx

I missed a lot the last couple of days!

@micki48 wow that's a long day, no wonder you're tired! My younger self handled long shifts like that no problem but now I'm wiped after 8 hours 😅

@ashleycarole86 I bet you were anxious all day wondering what the meeting would be about, good news I hope! I also have piles of books in the "to be read" category.... one day I'll make time for them haha. Great weigh in btw!!

@mkksemail the teriyaki chicken was chopped and included in the lettuce cups with crushed peanuts on top for added crunch.

Oh my goodness @lauren_989 I'm sorry to hear about your dad, I hope he's OK and that you're able to have some peace soon 🙏

I too engaged in some stress eating this week. It wasn't as much as it would have been in the past and I'm really proud of myself for being able to use other skills to cope with some of the cravings, so I'm not upset by it. Idk if it was the full moon or what but the last 2 days at work have been rough. Lots of trauma processing, which usually I'm mentally equipped to cope with but when I'm sleep deprived (kids still sick) and several people all need to process trauma one after another it takes a toll. Good news is today is my "Friday" and I don't go back til Tuesday so I have the next 4 days to regroup. Whew. This therapist needs a therapist lol.

My kids both seem to be improving thankfully, and my eye is feeling much better. The eye Dr. said it wasn't too bad of a scratch and gave me some drops to help it heal.

I didn't get many steps yesterday or today but I'm too exhausted to care lol. Like @mkksemail said it's OK to give myself grace.

I did have fast food for lunch today, I went to Panera and had a salad and half sandwich. I love their food, it's fresh and it doesn't make me feel gross like some other options.

Oh one really good decision I made today was to disengage with all social media (except MFP, if this even counts as social media?) There's so much toxicity and negativity and it's a huge time waster for me, so I'm taking a break for the unforeseeable future. I already feel lighter.

CW 82.2

I will try to post an update later but it might not happen 😕

Fascinating article on the '4x4 Norwegian protocol' as part of a structured exercise program that can reverse cardiovascular 'age' by up to 20 yrs . The structured exercise program is 1 hr of exercise, 4-5x/wk, that includes 2-3 cardio sesh's (30 min workout, plus warmup and cooldown), and 1-2 ST sesh's, each week. One of the cardio sesh's was the 4x4 Norwegian protocol that included 4 min of high intensity, which means, "a high-intensity 30-minute workout, such as aerobic interval sessions in which heart rate tops 95 percent of peak rate for 4 minutes, with 3 minutes of recovery, repeated four times (a so-called "4 x 4")."

Expert biochemist says a daily exercise that takes less than an hour is the ‘gold standard’ for reversing your age by decades

• By Dave Smith Editor, U.S. News
• September 11, 2025 at 12:52 PM EDT

… Participants who followed a structured exercise program that included the Norwegian 4×4 protocol once weekly showed remarkable improvements: an 18% increase in maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and a more than 25% improvement in left ventricular compliance, effectively reversing structural heart changes by approximately 20 years.

“As we age, our hearts get smaller and stiffer,” Patrick said during her Diary of a CEO interview. “After those two years of 5 to 6 hours of physical exercise every single week, their hearts looked 20 years younger in terms of structure.”

Central to the protocol’s anti-aging effects is its impact on VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during exercise. Research consistently shows VO2 max as one of the strongest predictors of longevity and cardiovascular health.

more: link

• - - - - - - - - -

The 2018 study that this BioChemist's comments are based on:

Proper exercise can reverse damage from heart aging

• Date: January 8, 2018
• Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
• Summary: Exercise can reverse damage to sedentary, aging hearts and help prevent risk of future heart failure -- if it's enough exercise, and if it's begun in time, according to a new study by cardiologists.

(snip … ) To reap the most benefit, the exercise regimen should begin by late middle age (before age 65), when the heart apparently retains some plasticity and ability to remodel itself, according to the findings by researchers at the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine (IEEM), which is a collaboration between UT Southwestern Medical Center and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.

And the exercise needs to be performed four to five times a week. Two to three times a week was not enough, the researchers found in an earlier study.

"Based on a series of studies performed by our team over the past 5 years, this 'dose' of exercise has become my prescription for life," 

(snip … ) Study participants built up to those levels, beginning with three, 30-minute, moderate exercise sessions for the first 3 months and peaked at 10 months when two high-intensity aerobic intervals were added.

The more than 50 participants in the study were divided into two groups, one of which received two years of supervised exercise training and the other group, a control group, which participated in yoga and balance training.

At the end of the two-year study, those who had exercised showed an 18 percent improvement in their maximum oxygen intake during exercise and a more than 25 percent improvement in compliance, or elasticity, of the left ventricular muscle of the heart, Dr. Levine noted. He compared the change in the heart to a stretchy, new rubber band versus one that has gotten stiff sitting in a drawer.

Sedentary aging can lead to a stiffening of the muscle in the heart's left ventricle, the chamber that pumps oxygen-rich blood back out to the body, he explained.

more: link