IamMCM

Howdy all! This is perfect for me, since I have my Basis Peak now and am trying to get up to at least 10,000 steps per day. I hit 8400 yesterday...almost there! I have a dog who loves to walk, so I really don't have an excuse for not getting out there and getting it done.

50 here and always happy to have new friends! I hope to lose around 50 lbs. in the coming year.

Glad you're trying again! I know the feeling well, as I just turned 50 this year. Those new bodily annoyances aren't fun, but I look at them as not so subtle reminders of the importance of living healthy, especially at this stage of life.

I'd be happy to mentor up to five people. A bit of quick background: I'm a 50 year old married woman who knows what to do to lose weight, but I got lazy and came to MFP after regaining what I'd previously lost. That laziness, plus hormones of the "dreaded change," mean a few extra challenges for weight loss. This site is…

Thanks to those who wrote! I sent out messages and look forward to mutual support, and anyone else is welcome to join in.

You already know the right way to do it, so that money would be much better spent on a Fitbit. If you get tired of waiting like I did, look at other options. I love Fitbits (have had two of the older models) but finally gave up and got a Basis Peak. It's motivating me to walk more; so much more useful than fad diet…

Bio, I'm with you on the smart watch, I hate answering my phone as it is; I don't need my watch bothering me too! I just wish it had activity notifications right on the watch, like "you need to start walking" or "you're close to your daily goal," but that's enough notification for me. I'm hoping they might add that at some…

I think a big part of the New Year is that people jump on the resolution bandwagon rather than really feeling committed to long-term change. I suspect the people who make here here to MFP have more of that commitment and therefore are likely to make up a higher proportion of the success stories. For most, it's just "do it…

Hopefully the sushi one turned you into a fan! Spicy tuna rolls...mmmmmm.

If things don't go well with your Fitbit, take a look at the Basis Peak. I'm a long time Fitbit fan but got tired of waiting for the HR and got the Peak. Very happy so far, although I don't like how it looks (very big for a woman, with blah black band, and colored bands are $30 each). But I love its functionality.

I think goals/objectives are very important over and above a broad resolution, at least for me. It helps me so much to have a step by step plan. At New Years, many people forget that part and just go with the broad idea, and I suspect that fuels some of the problems with following through successfully.

Therealobi, I'm certainly no expert, but I think you're onto something with the planning/goals. A resolution is a sort of goal, but it takes more than that. It sounds like you had goals beyond a generic resolution and kept your eyes on the prize. I know that goals help me tremendously, especially if I write them down and…

For the critters, have you ever seen the fainting goats? Those would be a fun addition! I saw some at a farm a few years back. Poor things literally collapse and pass out when startled, but they are so cute. Not sure if they're good milk producers or mainly just good for novelty though.

Wow, these are fascinating so far! I love vintage Christmas decor, although I don't collect it. I have both a vintage and modern silver Christmas tree, though, complete with color wheels.

I haven't been tracking exercise here but will probably just start doing that manually. I don't mind the fact that it's less accurate than a chest strap since the fact that I wear it much more offsets the minor loss in accuracy. With a strap, I only bothered while exercising, but with the Peak it's on almost 24/7. I do…

Wow, that's great! Congrats on the loss.

I think inches can be just as important as weight. I know it's tempting to want dramatic results fast, but these things take time. As long as you're eating at a deficit, it sounds like you're doing fine and that more visible progress is going to come if you keep at it.

Hmmmm, smoothies sound like a good idea. I generally have them for breakfast, but I'm not much of a breakfast person anyway so I may try shifting that and having one when I get a snack craving in the evening. My favorite is banana with almond milk or yogurt, just a teeny dab of organic honey, and some fresh grated ginger…

Thanks so much for all the great strategies! I do hope to get to the point where I lose the taste for processed snack foods. I got to that point in the past, so I know I can do it. Sadly, I'm back at square one now, but small steps will lead to success again.

I've got two main walking motivations: my Basis Peak (similar to a Fitbit) and my dog. I had a Fitbit for years but lost my One and then lost my Flex and didn't have one for a long while. I just got the Basis Peak to remotivate myself. I've also had a dog for the past year and just moved to a very walker-friendly area so I…

I have the Basis Peak, but HRM was one of my requirements and I didn't want to wait for the newest Fitbit. It has all of your requirements other than the reminders to move, but it does let you set up "habits" (goals). I'm normally a Fitbit fan, but I really like my Peak.

I looked at the Garmin and was strongly considering waiting for the new Fitbit (have had Fitbits in the past but didn't replace the last one that I lost), but then I went with Basis Peak. I mainly wanted HRM but I also like a larger display, and so far I really like it. My only complaints are occasional syncing issues and…

I haven't heard of Runners World either, but I plan to do C25K and just repeat weeks as needed. There's no reason you have to finish in 8 or 9 weeks unless you're planning to do a run. I'm doing it for fitness, so why rush? That way, I do t give myself a reason to give up; if it's too hard, that just means a temporary step…

I wear my Peak pretty tight during activity and the HRM seems to be quite accurate. I loosen it up at night before bed. I wish it weren't so big, but that's the sacrifice I have to make for the display. Kevalicious, I'm totally with you on that syncing. I miss having my Fitbit just sync to my laptop. I know I'm going to be…

You'd just have to add in the exercises and calories manually in the MFP system. I'm still loving mine for the most part, but it has issues with syncing to my phone and iPad Mini. Also, it thought I slept in two separate spans the other night, and it sometimes picks up inactivity like watching a movie as sleep. Those are…

Coffee, you say? I think that's the stuff I use to flavor my morning cup of half & half.

Thanks! You're all so inspiring! I've got 50 pounds to lose, so I know the "baggage" will slow me down, but I remind myself how much easier it will feel to run and exercise once I lost the extra weight. The knee problem is from an old injury that likes to flare up now that I'm getting older, but I don't mind a slow pace as…

Do you have others at your work that go out walking at lunch time? I work from home now, but I used to work for a large company and didn't have to feel self-conscious because there were a few contingents of lunchtime walkers. It was in an area that gets cold in the winter, but luckily there was a large warehouse where we…

Thanks for the info! I always love it when they have modification options, just in case. I'll keep an eye out for Beachbody to offer free shipping. I found a Black Friday coupon link online for free shipping on BB products that was supposed to be good through today, but it didn't work when I tried. Maybe they'll have some…

I've had Fitbits for years but didn't replace my Flex after I lost it. With the original Fitbit, I would forget to clip it on sometimes and I had a habit of losing it. I loved the Flex being a wristband, and being waterproof, but I eventually managed to lose that one, too. However, when I had them, I used them regularly…