Health and Fitness December 2025

[Twins' Mom]

WTG LadyM! Gold Stars for you!

My weight will need to stabilize after that trip and after skipping Zepbound for a week. (Shipment was delayed, got here at home later in the day we left.) I'm getting in steps and today go workout. Oy! Lots of celebration and eating opportunities this week through the first of the year too.

[Kittykatt]

WTG Lady M!

Twins, I think it's hard to be disciplined this time of year, as there's just so much food everywhere. DH's annual GP review has shown he needs to make some dietary changes, so I think it's best if we both make changes and start in January when we've eaten all the Christmas goodies.

My preliminary thoughts are to order a locally produced organic veg box more often (start with once a month and see how we get on?) which will hopefully increase both the variety and quantity of veggies we eat, and also to introduce more oily fish into our diet (I've found a salmon recipe that looks both easy and tasty).

My main aim is to ensure we avoid Ultraprocessed foods wherever possible, so I'll continue with my weekly baking so we still have something sweet, and I know exactly what's in it. (Of course I can do nothing about DH buying his own snack foods and bringing them home, but I don't have to eat them!.) Maybe I could buy little bags of unprocessed nuts and see how he likes those?

I think baby steps in the right direction will be more sustainable, and hopefully create less resistance!

Friday
I've done my exercises for today: 19 hearts

I drank 8 glasses of water yesterday: 11 hearts

I've done 30 minutes with the lightbox: 19 hearts

Sit to stand 5 repetitions ( I've further reduced to 5 repetitions on advice from a friend who knows about these things, as my back / hip is still painful-) I managed this yesterday: 13 hearts

[Lady Maverick]

December H&F habit focus =
Circle walk goal is 10 laps a day, currently averaging 10 laps
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Fasting goal is 14+ hours a day, currently averaging 16:11 hours.
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I live in a house full of carb addicts. None of them will eat vegetables on purpose. They will eat fruit if it is surrounded by carbs (pies, cookies, etc) They love processed food and fast food. They eat sugary food & drinks every day. They all have health related issues from these choices.

I used to eat just like they do. I slowly changed because it made me feel better. All my carbs come from single ingredient fruit, vegetables and dairy (cheese & yogurt). I don't eat gluten so that eliminates bread, pasta, sweets (pie, cake, cookies, etc). I limit processed food & can't remember the last time that I ate fast food. I am selective who cooks my food and pick my restaurants by knowing the people in the kitchen.

I totally understand that eliminating gluten, sugar, processed and fast food is way more than most people want to do. I don’t push my eating habits on my family. I do buy healthy food and keep it on hand. There have been small successes, but I don't force them. At this point, I don’t think there’s any chance they’ll change. IMHO, it has to be a personal decision to change eating habits. If and when they get ready to change the way they eat, I will immediately provide support and anything else they need. But it has to be their decision.

[Kittykatt]

Thank you for the very helpful and thoughtful insights, Lady M. Fortunately DH enjoys veggies, so if I can buy a greater variety of locally grown seasonal organic veggies and serve more of them with each meal, that will be a good start. I'm already a conscientious "label reader" and dont buy things with ingredients one would find in a lab rather than a kitchen! For me, reducing added sugar has been an adventure. I don't eat artificial sweeteners as they don't with me, but far from limiting my options this has dramatically increased them. I dont have a boring supermarket yogurt stuffed full of sugar with the same boring fruit choices, instead I choose to have natural live Greek yogurt and add the fruit (s) of my choice. I'm a chocolate lover, but decline to eat the rubbish in most bars, but have tracked some down that jist have four or five natural ingredients. Of course, that comes at a price, but it means chocolate is now relegated to the occasional treat that it should be, and not a diet staple!

Saturday
I've done my exercises for today: 20 hearts

I drank 8 glasses of water yesterday: 12 hearts

I've done 30 minutes with the lightbox: 20 hearts

Sit to stand 5 repetitions ( I've further reduced to 5 repetitions on advice from a friend who knows about these things, as my back / hip is still painful-) I managed this yesterday: 14 hearts

[Twins' Mom]

Kittykatt, how is your back feeling? You can also use a slightly higher chair or bench to sit to stand. The height makes it easier too.

[Kittykatt]

Twins, thank you for the helpful advice. My back is improving, slowly but steadily. DF PM suggested some exercises her physio gave her to do, and they are definitely helping. I have an appointment with my podiatrist in the new year, as I think I also need new orthotics. And that should help, too!

[Lady Maverick]

December H&F habit focus =
Circle walk goal is 10 laps a day, currently averaging 10 laps
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Fasting goal is 14+ hours a day, currently averaging 16:21 hours.
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I’ve been keeping track of my sleep for several years and usually notice that during the winter months I naturally sleep up to 9 hours. This winter, though, my sleep hasn’t increased. I have to be intentional just to get 7 hours sleep, and without effort, it could easily drop to 6 hours. I rarely nap—maybe 2-3 times a year—and most days my energy stays high. I enjoy staying busy, especially when it involves being active. I’m continuing to monitor and look for clues as to why I’m not sleeping more this winter.

[Kittykatt]

Sunday
I've done my exercises for today: 21 hearts

I drank 8 glasses of water yesterday: 13 hearts

I've done 30 minutes with the lightbox: 21 hearts

Sit to stand 5 repetitions ( I've further reduced to 5 repetitions on advice from a friend who knows about these things, as my back / hip is still painful-) I managed this yesterday: 15 hearts

[Lady Maverick]

December H&F habit focus =
Circle walk goal is 10 laps a day, currently averaging 10 laps
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Fasting goal is 14+ hours a day, currently averaging 16:30 hours.
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I am in shock. Confused. But extremely happy.
I decided to start the habit of doing lunges. I am a novice, so I watched some videos to learn the correct form. I decided to start slow with only doing 3 lunges a day with plans to let my body tell me how fast I could increase. Three days after I started doing lunges, guess what happened? My hip pain completely went away.
Was that cause and effect? Or maybe a coincidence?
I am not sure, but I am now committed and eager to continuing doing daily lunges.

[Twins' Mom]

WTG on the lunges, LadyM. Be careful with those knees, wise to watch videos with proper form.

I had 60K steps in the week that ended last night. Sunday in NYC was nearly 12K, but the rest of the week was more normal days. I had three days between 8K and 9K. I'd like to keep up that trend. Of course, just tracking steps leaves me more amenable to walking more.

Workout again tomorrow.