Health and Fitness January 2026

[Lady Maverick]

A new year, a new month and a fresh start.

This is the place to share our health and fitness goals, thoughts, setbacks, and achievements.

Join us!

[Kittykatt]

Thank you for starting us off for a new year, Lady M. A very happy New Year to you and all who join us!

I'm going to keep all my current habits for now. When spring comes and the daylight levels consistently improve, then I'll drop the light box. But until then, it's an important part of my day.

[Kittykatt]

Thursday
I've done my exercises for today: 1 heart

It's too early in the day to record water totals yet: 0 hearts

I've done 30 minutes with the lightbox: 1 heart

Sit to stand 5 repetitions 1 heart

[Lady Maverick]

For January, my H&F habit focus will be paying attention to when I eat. The word “fasting” just doesn’t sit well with me, so I want to reframe it in a way that feels more positive. I’ll focus on the times I do eat rather than the times I don’t. Logically, I know it’s the same thing, but the emotional side of my brain is happier when I think about eating. It might not make perfect sense, but I’m rolling with it.

My goal is to eat within an 8-hour window each day, ignoring the fact that this means fasting for the remaining 16 hours. I plan to adjust the eating window based on social activities—some days it might be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., while other days it could be from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Will this work? I have no idea, but I’ll never know unless I give it a try.

Yesterday’s eating was a hot mess thanks to NYE. I brought chips into our home, which is never a good idea when there’s a chip-a-holic (me) around. It happened, I logged it in Cronometer, and now it’s done. Time to move on and continue with what works.

2026 I will be continuing to track these items below on spreadsheet and rewarding myself when I meet each of the goals. The reward is super simple ...just turning the background color of each spreadsheet cell to green. If I don't reach the goal, then the cell gets turned a ucky grey color. I do realize that makes no sense on one level, but it works since I am motivated by ME vs ME challenges to try to get as many cells turned green as I can.
** Sleep - goal is over 7 hours.
** Weight - goal is to lose even the smallest of amount
** Calories - goal is under 1300
** Protein - goal is over 36%
** Fruit/vegetables - goal is over 9 a day
** Steps - goal is over 7k
** Hourly movement - goal is 10 hours or more
** Circle drive walks - goal is 10 or more (aka 30 minutes of walking outside)
** Pathway - goal is to track # of cards completed every day. As long as I give effort, then I am pleased.
** paper planner - goal is to use it daily.
** Declutter - goal is one item or more.
** Bedtime routine - goal is to be in bed before 10pm
** Eating window - goal is 8 hours or less.
** Exercises/stretches - goal is 5 reps of the 10 exercises/stretches every day.

This seems like a lot when I see them written out like this, however because I have slowly added each one I have become used to doing them and tracking. They are now just an integral part of my daily doings.

[Harriet]

Hi!

Kittykatt, what do you do while lightbox is happening? Something different all the time or is there a certain plan?

LadyM. that's nice to think "there will be an 8-hour window of eating today" rather than "there will be a 16-hour window of abstaining from food today".
Love the emphasis on that number 9 of fruits and veggies.

Yes, CHANGING a space that represents a goal for visual appreciation - motivation.
I hope to change, for instance, my blank squares of my little habit tracker stamp in planner so that they have color checkmarks in them. I hope to change my bubble-in goal trackers for projects so that they are penciled rather than blank, and show progress. I hope to change my large habit tracker circle with color that represents nutritious food to me - berries are purple, cruciferous are green.

It makes me happy to think that our villagers have optimism for health and fitness, and encourage.

[Bama]

Thank you for the start to the new year and to you all for a very encouraging place to set new goals.

I’m still working out how to word mine and keep track. There are a lot of things I will be attempting so may just keep it in my planner and post a generic type update? Or post one big item and track here? Still thinking on it. Today is a freebie .

[FrenchFlybebe]

Hi everyone ! Thanks for this thread ! Thanks for the accountability !

I will be tracking my health habits again in January. I can't post daily, so I will be tracking on paper. In my purse paper-planner or on an index card near my bed, I will try and see what works.
I hope to post here often to share how well I'm doing.
5 daily habits :
MR - morning routine : nothing too specific, include legs moves, arm moves (1-2 mins), stretching, quiet time, and possibly reading or writing, although that last part doesn't happen much.
Move C/W - either Cardio or Weights, daily
MicroMove - tiny times of movement at payroll or during the day, includes getting up from desk, stretching, short lunchtime walk if possible - no set number of breaks
Time for me - to at least read, maybe write, maybe thingk, maybe journal - I hope to have bonus sessions, like sewing or stitching, but those need to be planned in order for them to happen...
K - pelvic floor exercises. 1 minute minimum. Done at bedtime, therefore I can mark it done the next day only.

MR . . . . : 1
Move C/W : 1
MicroMove : 1
Time4me . : 1
K . . . . . . :

[Kittykatt]

How nice there's a group of us on this thread, so we can all encourage each other.

Harriet, sometimes I do some of my exercises while using the lightbox, sometimes I catch up here, sometimes I just drink my tea. The idea isn't to stare at it fixedly, but just to keep glancing at it.

[Bama]

Cheering for you all!

My January habit will be to Try Something New. I’m very content with the status quo and I need to grow in all areas from health to education to pure fun. I will keep up with the rest in my planner (water, walk, weights, brush/floss/mouthwash, …)

I haven’t read a book for pleasure in awhile so started “The Southern Mirror” by Brenda Gantt today. I just read the intro and forward so far and she has me looking for an older wooden table with fat legs to cut down and use as a coffee table. I’m checking Facebook marketplace for one. It’s the perfect thing for me, pets are hard on furniture and if it’s already broken in, who cares if it’s scratched. Fat legs and a thick wood top will be very sturdy for holding items as well as a place to do laundry or sit in a pinch. Rambling because I am excited to read this book and also to find a new coffee table. Ours now is a leather top maybe 3’x3’ with storage shelf underneath and is over 17 years old, it’s a little wobbly and the leather needs replacing.

Try Something New

[Kittykatt]

Bama, that's a very exciting habit! I totally understand how pets can be hard on furniture. Do let us know how your coffee table endeavour turns out!