Health and Fitness March 2025

[Twins' Mom]

We chat here about all aspects of health, with an eye to building strength for the calling of Homemaker. Taking care of ourselves is vital, but it also means a better chance at taking care of those around us. We hope you will join us.

The month of March is Women's History Month. (Did you think I'd work History into Health and Fitness?) Women have historically been underserved in health studies and clinical trials - even now new information comes to our attention slowly. A common example is the difference between women's heart attack symptoms and men's' symptoms. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/ ... k-symptoms

It behooves us to become educated about our health and share widely, and apply what we learn about our health.

Have a great month enjoying the sunshine and spring days!

[Lady Maverick]

Twins - Thank you for the H&F March thread.

It behooves us to become educated about our health and share widely, and apply what we learn about our health.

Very well said!

I am happy to close out a disappointing February and start a fresh new month of possibilities.

According to my records for February (all this data is an average of individual daily amounts)
1.15% weight lost
1227 calories
39% protein
9:35 hours sleep
3935 steps

Onward to a better month!

[Nancy]

Did not gain any wt. that is a win!
Got my steps in for today.
My activities included walk garden stairs and cleaning out on the shed & putting up a curtain.

[Lady Maverick]

I seek out people who have been successful in taking better care of themselves. I like reading their words about their journey. It is like a mini motivation & inspiration session to me. Here is one that I read today -

I realized two things: I needed a plan I could actually stick to, and I had to stop being so hard on myself. Every other time I tried to lose weight, I would go all in—strict diets, aggressive calorie cuts, unrealistic workout plans. And every time, I burned out, got frustrated, and gave up.
So instead of chasing quick results, I focused on consistency and sustainability.

The Three Things That Helped Me Succeed
1.I focused on food first, not exercise. In the past, I thought I had to hit the gym hard to lose weight. But weight loss isn’t about burning calories—it’s about controlling what you eat. This time, I tracked everything with LoseIt app, set a realistic calorie goal, and focused on eating enough to stay satisfied without overeating.
2.I prioritized protein and filling foods. I come from a background where big portions are the norm, so tiny, high-calorie meals didn’t work for me. Instead, I followed a high-protein diet (30-40% protein, 20% fat, the rest carbs). This kept me full longer and prevented cravings.
3.I allowed myself to mess up. Setbacks are inevitable. Some weeks, I ate more than I should have. Some weeks, I felt unmotivated. But I told myself: “It’s okay to lose a battle, as long as I win the war.” Instead of giving up, I just got back on track. That mindset kept me going

Every time you eat or drink something, log the calories. Apps like LoseIt make it easy—you can scan barcodes for packaged foods, and for homemade meals, you can add individual ingredients. It might feel a bit tedious at first, but over time, two things will happen:
1.You’ll develop an awareness of calorie cost. You’ll start recognizing which foods are “expensive” in calories and naturally make better choices.
2.You’ll get good at estimating portions. Even when tracking isn’t possible, you’ll have a solid idea of when you’re over or under your target.
Also, in my view, the journey should feel sustainable. Prioritize feeling happy and satisfied at every step, and weight loss will be much easier to stick with long-term!

If You’re Struggling, Here’s My Advice
1.Weight loss is hard, but it doesn’t have to be miserable. Find an approach that works for you.
2.You don’t have to be perfect. One bad day (or week) won’t ruin your progress—just keep going.
3.Don’t overcomplicate it. Track your food, eat foods that keep you full, and stay consistent.

[Ramblinrose]

LadyM…good advice, but I do believe you need to put yourself first. I know my future will change but like Twins listing her to-do list the night before I am doing that with my health habits.

Like this morning .., I am working on higher protein so I made my menu last night for today. No need to wonder abt it, my food is planned for the day. I make sure I have food ready the night before

I cook for Sweeti but eat way different than him. I bake and make cookies for him but only allow myself one. That satisfies my cravings

On weekends I try to figure out when I can get my steps. That’s me time for me. Yesterday I had to do two walking videos at two different times. Today I have a jewelry workshop and will walk to th club house so I can get my steps in.

And I am recording everything that goes in my mouth.. calories and now grams of protein. I learned a long time ago when I lost 40 lbs and a few years later 20, that this is important to me

I realized when I was cooking and preparing meals for my family, I was tasting… really eating.. bites as I went alongside ones not bad, but they can accumulate fast. Another thing I did at first was to put a plate next to the stove while I cooked and instead of tasting as I went I put the spoonful of food on the plate. By the time I was finished those spoonful of food was almost enough for a full serving of food… boy was that an eye opener for me!

I needed to keep my mouth shut while I cooked so to remind myself to keep my mouth closed I put a carrot stick across my mouth so if I opened it, the carrot would fall out

I make Sweetie my taster now. I carry spoonful of food to where ever he is to do this

Right now I am hyper focused on me because I need to get my weight off for health reasons. I look at Nancy and think she has no options and if she can do it, so can I.

I have joined another diet bet, but it doesn’t start till March 10th. I am being real and tired of making excuses to myself. I’ve humbled myself and asked for Gods help and guidance every morning now.

So yesterday I had 111 grams of protein, made 12k steps, my goal is 10k… and drank 64 ozs of water. My goal is 60.

I haven’t eaten yet, but I’m not always a morning eater so after I finis my routines will do so. My note pad… paper and pen is ready to record my day. Nothing fancy for sure, just grab my food and write it down … easy for me so we’ll see how it goes

[Nancy]

Up on time still fighting off this bug it's better did church at home.
Pie was bfast pumpkin = veg. it has egg counts for protein, edge crust dog gets that. took Rx
Plus helps with my gut health and being regular.

Did basement walk about.
Coffee helps me with not having low blood pressure! 3 cups today one had whipped cream no whipped cream on pie!
Making Sunday special is great.

I did not put cheese in or on the meat balls yesterday just katsup and no sauce and they were still great!
Sat. 7.5K + steps / 2.86 mi.
Did my walk in segments today two of them.
Some more steps to get in still.
Sun. 9,140 steps, 3.57 mi. 1 flight of stairs.

Got my steps in on Mon. & Tues.

[Twins' Mom]

I was only off by 650 steps in getting to 52500 steps this week - that's average of 7500 daily. I've lost nearly 5% of body weight since November 25.

[Twins' Mom]

I was only off by 650 steps in getting to 52500 steps this week - that's average of 7500 daily. I've lost nearly 5% of body weight since November 25.

[Lady Maverick]

Taking care of myself = physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

I am committed to doing my best today.

I am refining my go to bed & get up times. For me, sleeping from 9pm to 6am feels right. I have been staying up later than this to monitor the teens, but they are older now and are trustworthy. They have no problem in waking me up if they need anything. I feel comfortable establishing this earlier bedtime with the teens still up. Hopefully they don't prove me wrong.

[Lady Maverick]

9pm-6am bedtime achieved. I naturally wake up before 6am but I make myself stay in bed and return to sleep. This morning, I woke up at 5:30am ready to get up. I thought that was close enough.

We have been told to find something that you enjoy doing and it won't feel like a drudge. I am still looking for the thing that I enjoy which would result in more daily steps.

Sleep, hydration, healthy food and volume, moving body, and finding joy each day. Keeping them all going in a positive direction seems to be a full-time job.