[curvynotlumpy]

What if you simply devoted this year to loving yourself more?

Greetings and welcome to the I Am My Own Valentine--2020 Daily Check-in and Accountability Thread. I ran across this quote and I started thinking about Valentine's Day. I actually enjoy Valentine's Day but I've often wondered why we need to single out one day to show outward love and affection. Shouldn't every day be Valentine's Day? And do we love and respect ourselves as much as we love and respect others? Honestly, there have been times I haven't. Thankfully, I do this less but I'm still learning.

February is a short month even with the extra day, but still enough time to address and/or challenge ourselves with actions that support loving ourselves more. Maybe this means stepping away from your desk or work a couple of times a day to do some deep breathing, turning off your phone and media when you get home from work, committing to stocking the fridge with good and healthy food, or spending more time with your children and family. Maybe it means accepting where you are right now and embracing a work in progress mentality. This month let's vow to be our own Valentine every day by making good and healthy choices in all facets of our life. We're not perfect but that's not what this journey is about.

Whether you are a long time poster, brand new to this thread or 3fc, or a lurker wanting to join the conversation, I want to welcome you. Here you can post your daily weight, share workouts and way of eating (WOE) plans, struggles and successes, life adventures and anything else. This is a warm and supportive thread so please settle in and make yourself at home.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and loving February!

[Vladadog]

What an excellent post Curvy!!!

December was “walk every day” for me, January was “stealth mode” (thanks WZin!) where I practiced just being normal. I’m not sure about February. But I’m taking Curvy’s post to heart while I figure out what’s most loving to myself.

[Martine]

Thank you so much once again curvynotlumpy for this monthly thread. And for having such a way with words that are truly inspiring.

My goals in February are to really drink 2 litres of water each day, to complete two workout programs (one focuses on the upper body, the other the lower body) and to do one yoga workout per week. I am demanding more of myself this month to keep January’s success going.

I’m wishing everyone a successful month filled with self love.

1: 34 minutes Yoga with Adrienne workout

[gulfmagnolia]

Thank you Curvy!!
I lost less than 10lbs in January. I didn’t reach my goal, but I didn’t give a huge effort, either. Still, I’m happy to get going in the right direction. And for the first time in a long time I feel better. Chapter one usually starts off slow, right? Onward! This month I want to incorporate exercise regularly. Starting tonight after work. Happy February everyone!

1/1/20: 269.6
2/1/20: 260

Start: 270lbs
Quarter: 236.25lbs (33.75 lost)
Halfway: 202.5lbs (67.5 lost)
Three-quarter: 168.75lbs (10 1.25 lost)
GOAL: 135lbs (135 lost)

[VickieLou]

Thanks for starting this thread Curvy! Good Luck, Everyone!


SW: 170.8 CW: 172.8 (+ 2) GW: 165


I have 7.8 LBS to reach my Goal Weigh this Month.


FEBRUARY


1. 170.8
2. No Weigh In.
3. No Weigh In.
4. No Weigh In.
5. No Weigh In.
6. 170.6 (- .2)
7. 170.2 (- .6)
8. 169.8 (- 1)
9. No Weigh In.
10. No Weigh In.
11. No Weigh In.
12. No Weigh In.
13. No Weigh In.
14. No Weigh In.
15. 171.6 (+ .8)
16. No Weigh In.
17. No Weigh In.
18. 171.6 (+ .8)
19. 171.6 (+ .8)
20. No Weigh In.
21. 171.4 (+ .6)
22. 171.8 ( + 1)
23. No Weigh In.
24. No Weigh In.
25. No Weigh In.
26. No Weigh In.
27. No Weigh In.
28. No Weigh In.
29. 172.8 (+ 2) I'm under alot of STRESS I gained + 2 LBS this month!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOSS:+ 2 LBS.

[Martine]

Welcome VickieLou

gulfmagnolia 9.6 pounds lost in January is amazing! And really, it's more than ok to round it out to 10 pounds What kinds of exercises are you looking to incorporate to build up a regular routine?

I decided to exercise first thing this morning (used to be the norm but now that's unusual for me) for 2 reasons: one, I think I will be too tired after work to do strenuous exercise (Sundays can be hectic at work) and two, we'll be watching the Super Bowl when I get home. And yes there will be some carbs and fats tonight. But I'll make the choice to have 1 veggie burger instead of 2, and to limit how many fries I eat, and to have 1 bowl of chips and salsa. Now time to get this day started.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

1: 34 minutes Yoga with Adrienne workout
WEEK 1:
2: 15 minutes HIIT + 35 minutes lower body strength training and pilates

[curvynotlumpy]

and happy Super Bowl Sunday!

Along with the Super Bowl, it's also Groundhog Day and it's a palindrome day 02/02/2020. The last time that happened was 909 years ago when the calendar hit 11/11/1111. The date and month (not year ) is actually my birthday so I perked up when I say that. Thanks to CNN for this news tidbit .

No real plans today other than to watch the game and get some chores done around the house while I have it on. Since the new year I've become obsessed with refrigerator organization and watching YouTube videos about it. Seems like I'm not the only one with the weird fascination. I enjoy learning how people store and label their food, condiments, etc. There are a lot of good ideas but some of these videos/refrigerators are next level material and a little intimidating They look like they came straight out of a magazine. It's not something in my skill set but I admire folks who can organize and keep the organization. I tell you all this because last weekend I cleaned out my main refrigerator shelves and now need to work on the door shelves which won't be too hard. This will be one of my tasks during the game.

gulfmagnolia: Are you kidding me...9.6 pounds in a month? What an accomplishment Congratulations!

Martine: Great idea to work out first thing in the morning. You can walk around all day knowing you accomplished it and can enjoy the game.

WZin: Cauliflower is so versatile and has really come into its own these last few years. Riced, baked, pizza crust, onion rings, etc.

VickieLou: Good to see you !

Vladadog: Taking that times one of the most loving things you can do for yourself . Our lives are so rushed that we tend to undervalue time for thought and reflection.

Wishing everyone a lovely Sunday!

[Martine]

WZin great choices you made for the Super Bowl. Reading your comment made me change MY choices a bit. One burger, no fries, and popcorn instead of chips and salsa. I like that you are changing up your goals/your approach this month. You have to find what works best for you.

curvynotlumpy I love palindromes, can’t believe I didn’t see it until you pointed it out. I can see how easy it would be to become obsessed with organizing anything. I can spend hours on Pinterest looking up creative/beautiful/useful ways to organize everything. If only I spent half that time actually making things organized, I’d have the best looking apartment ever

Yesterday I didn’t start my upper body program as planned. My back and shoulders were so sore from yoga on Saturday, I was surprised. And I think my restless sleep is catching up with me because I just could not get anything done yesterday morning. Today has been much more productive though and I completed day 2 of my lower body program, a looooong pilates workout that targeted the legs and core and a short workout consisting of cardio intervals targeting the same areas. I’ve also been hitting the 2 litres of water per day mark, though yesterday that meant chugging a lot of water late in the evening at work. I just forget to drink water when I’m at work.

I have to be mindful of what I’m eating because I am currently dealing with the stress and worry that comes with dealing with my father’s health issues. He’s on a waiting list for cataract surgery and his sight has gone down some since his eye exam in January, so it’s no longer safe for him to drive right now. And he’s been dealing with itchy, flaky skin and some rashes for about 3 months now and finally he’s willing to have it checked out. It might be related to untreated iron deficiency. He hates hospitals and doesn’t trust doctors, so he’s stubborn about being treated for anything. I just hope they help him find some relief from the itchiness and find the root cause, and that I can get some visual aids for him soon. Lots on my mind and sometimes that leads to poor food choices...

Hope everyone is enjoying a great start to their week!

1: 34 minutes Yoga with Adrienne workout
WEEK 1:
2: 15 minutes HIIT + 35 minutes lower body strength training and pilates
3:
4: 60 minutes pilates + 10 minutes lower body cardio workout

[shellofself]

curvynotlumpy Happy be-lated birthday! (I wasnt sure if you meant 2/2 or 11/11; either way, it's belated ) Thank you for the beautiful & inspirational thread post, as always! Now you have me thinking about what non-food/weightloss goals I should have.

gulfmagnolia Congratu-freaking-lations! 9 lbs is a HUGE LOSS! I've been stagnate since December, so I'd take a 2lb loss for the month at this point What changes that you've made do you think have had the biggest impact on your weight loss journey?

Martine I accidentally worked out this morning when I forgot my jacket on the 10th floor of my office building and had to run out to get something out of my car in the cold... I got that heartbeat up; that counts, right? ... Sorry your dad is going through that. I have an iron deficiency (anemia) so I have to take iron pills every once in awhile & make sure to eat iron rich foods. Any chance he can be tricked into doing either of those things? My parents are just as stubborn when it comes to their health.

WZin I'm envious of people that cook with cauliflower & manage to get a tasty result. Every attempt Ive made has been a massive fail. Congrats on starting the month strong! I'm following suit... but not totally by choice. Ate some bad wings on Sunday, had food poisoning early Monday morning... So my healthy, limited eating goals have been hit by default/necessity vs will power

VickieLou & Vladadog Good luck this month!

____
My husband and I finally decided we want to try for baby no. 2 at the end of this year ... so I'm motivated to lose these last 25 lbs.! Because I had a very high risk pregnancy the first time around, my doc says I need to be in a "healthy weight" range to start. That means sticking to IF and my calorie limits this month & on-ward. HITT is taking a backseat again; I'm trying to stick to things I can realistically continue to do when pregnant/post-pregnancy, so mostly walking and light jogging.

SW: 184 (<-I was 183.6 this AM, but I'm rounding up since I had food poisoning the day before & I'm probably still recovering from being dehydrated)
GW: 180

[gulfmagnolia]

Hello darlings! Thank you for the kind support. This place is so refreshing when I get down in the dumps or start to feel sluggish or start eyeballing French fries

My scale hit 258 the third week in January, and I was ecstatic! 12lbs a month is my goal, and I was going to do it! Then I gained half a pound a day for the next 4 consecutive days....defeating. I’ve fluctuated between 258 and 261 for three weeks now. It’s maddening! Yesterday down again to 258, up to 260 this morning. I know I shouldn’t obsess over the numbers, but at this point the numbers are the only proof I have that I’m making the proper changes. I’m still a bit far from clothes fitting better and other NSV. So I fixate. I figure I’m allowed to obsess, as long as I don’t quit. Quitting is what I always do when it comes to weight loss, no matter how far I’ve gotten. I can’t do that anymore.

Martine My goal is to commit to exercise every single day. As of right now I’m sticking with walks in the neighborhood and living room yoga. I’d like to start my running app again once I hit 250, right now my joints are a bit too cranky. So power walking for now, jogging later. I hike about once a week (kayak when it’s warmer) but that’s more for outdoor enjoyment, not a designated exercise time. I’m a massage therapist and I work A LOT so I get plenty of upper body movement, and that’s probably why I hate weights - I’m tired! Baby steps for now, I suppose. Looking after parents is tough! Good on you, and fingers crossed that everything goes as smoothly as possible with your father’s dr appointments.

Shell I’m so sorry you had food poisoning! I’m glad to hear you’re out of it and getting back to right. And what a sweet motivator to get to a goal weight range Thank you for the congrats, I so appreciate it. This morning my scale went up and I was in a sour mood, so thank you. I started back on MyFitnessPal and have been watching my caloric intake. To be fair, that was the only change I made in January, and even then I was lax about it. I know I need to be changing several aspects of my lifestyle to actually be healthy, so I’m tackling one a month. February I’m adding exercise, March I’ll add focusing on water intake, etc. until I’ve formed new, better habits. I keep hearing that small changes are what’s necessary for long term success, so I’m doing it.

Wzin I hope your follow up goes well Friday! Let us all know how you’re doing.


1/1/20: 269.6
2/1/20: 260

Start: 270lbs
Quarter: 236.25lbs (33.75 lost)
Halfway: 202.5lbs (67.5 lost)
Three-quarter: 168.75lbs (10 1.25 lost)
GOAL: 135lbs (135 lost)

[Martine]

gulfmagnolia I love that you're doing various types of exercises. I've never kayaked, but then again I would likely fall in the water just trying to get in or out, I'm very clumsy. Yeah hiking may be outdoor fun, but it really is a tough workout. It's good that you are looking at this weight loss endeavour as a lifestyle change. That's very much my approach as well. And going at it one step at a time is a great way to build up to your ultimate goal.

shellofself how wonderful that you and your spouse have made the decision to have a second child. You could never find a more perfect incentive to reach your goal weight. Sorry about your food poisoning, hope you feel better already. And thank you for the advice about my dad. He actually did take iron pills last Summer, but his feet just swelled up really bad, so he just stopped taking them but never went back to tell his doctor. I don't know if he still suffers from iron deficiency but I would sure like for him to get checked out again. At least he went to a clinic this morning for his itchy skin. That doctor prescribed antihistamines and blood work. Baby steps.

WZin great job on hitting all of your goals. Let's keep it going!

I have finally started my upper body program today. I REALLY wasn't feeling it after work, I think I am still in a funk a bit about my father, and an employee confided in me about her ill mother back in Bulgaria and I was just feeling down I guess. But after walking Loki, I figured I'd get to it, since it's upper body work and that's what I enjoy the most. The strength training part was fun, I have now "graduated" to 8 pounds per hand for reverse flys. But there was also an extra credit workout, all bodyweight, and that one was torture. At the end, I almost hurt my back bending too much to one side while doing an overhead tricep stretch. And since this morning, I have had this constant pain towards the side/back of the top of my right hip. Nothing related to movements, it's just a nagging pain. Hopefully it goes away soon.

Hope everyone enjoys a great evening!

1: 34 minutes Yoga with Adrienne workout
WEEK 1:
2: 15 minutes HIIT + 35 minutes lower body strength training and pilates
3:
4: 60 minutes pilates + 10 minutes lower body cardio workout
5: 40 minutes upper body strength training + 10 minutes bodyweight workout

[shellofself]

gulfmagnolia Someone once advised me to chart my weight (since I obsess over numbers too ) Their point being that I should be able to see a gradual decrease over time even if the decrease is accompanied by a few "bumps in the wrong direction" along the way. It's helped me manage my obsession. Seeing my progress in chart form vs. just numbered form puts my struggles into perspective. Hopefully six months from now, I'll be sooo frustrated with being 159 lbs! (a girl can dream!) ... Also, kayaking is awesome. I can't wait for warmer weather.

Martine Getting bloodwork done is a HUGE baby step! That will give him so much insight on his health (currently trying to convince my husband to get blood work done). ... 8 lbs!! That's a great achievement! I'm dying with 5 lbs. In an arm workout last week, I had to drop the weights five minutes in! Hope your soreness subsides soon!

Wzine Haha! You're too funny. "Great weather here...for a duck." ... I think we're dealing with the same calorie restriction struggles. I'm also good about staying under my limits...until the weekend hits. Then the struggle begins. It's had me trapped in a vicious cycle of loss > gain/maintain > loss > gain/maintain. I'm not a scientist/dietitian but I feel like my fat should be just flying off me with how structured I eat M-Th. ... We're going to try and make cauliflower pizza crust this weekend! Wish me luck

____
Second day at 183. If I see 182.x on Monday, this will be huge progress for me! I've been stuck between 190-184 since early December

[Martine]

WZin can I trade you all that rain for 30-50cm of snow they are predicting here overnight and all day tomorrow? And to think sidewalks had finally become totally clear and dry this week and I could walk without crampons. In regards to hitting a plateau, I think the body definitely needs something new to kick start the weight loss again. I don't count calories (I have zero patience for it), so I'm afraid I'm no help in that department.

shellofself you must be thrilled with the new number on the scale. I too read somewhere that charting your weight loss over time is a great visual aid in staying motivated throughout the process. For people who weigh daily, it can be a real relief from the stress over those fluctuations.

Overnight the pain in my right hip subsided, which was a good thing considering I was in charge of the delivery at work and we had 13 skids total to unload. But my right ankle feels stiff again, it was a struggle to do lunges during my workout. I thought it was doing much better so I stopped working on gaining all my mobility back, that's the problem. It was a lower body day, with strength training and cardio intervals. Glad it wasn't too long of a workout because I was tired and felt "heavy" today. Now onto a relaxing evening.

1: 34 minutes Yoga with Adrienne workout
WEEK 1:
2: 15 minutes HIIT + 35 minutes lower body strength training and pilates
3:
4: 60 minutes pilates + 10 minutes lower body cardio workout
5: 40 minutes upper body strength training + 10 minutes bodyweight workout
6: 31 minutes cardio and lower body strength training + 5 minutes squats and lunges workout

[sarahshisho]

yoga + hiking

[Vladadog]

Happy belated birthday Curvy! Mine was 2/1 so last weekend was full of brunch and lunch and dinners with friends. Great way to start a month imo!

shellofself - many happy congratulations on your baby plans!!! That’s some serious motivation right there!!

Martine - February is just hard even without family health issues and aching bodies. It’s so cold and grey and while the big pile of snow we just got is so pretty it also makes getting around outside much more challenging. Good thing February is short. Props to you for keeping on with your routine!

gulfmagnolia - don’t give up! You know that NSV will come soon. Suddenly something that wasn’t fitting right will feel
great. Someone will notice and comment you’re looking good. And the scale will move down. It will! And slower than you want is still losing. It all adds up. Or subtracts down. Just keep on keeping on!

WZin - you’re like the little engine that could. Your determination REALLY motivates me on my less stellar days. you just have a very real approach to this challenging journey we’re all on.

Four days for fun with friends was a nice start to the month but not a great way to lose weight. So today was the first day I weighed in this month (part of being my own valentine is not weighing in when I am guaranteed to show a temporary weight gain!). But I weighed today and I’m down a bit. So close to a new decade but not quite. Soon though, soon. This month for sure.

I’ve started a new morning routine - 45 minutes of reading in front of my SAD light and then 10 minutes of tai chi while my tea steeps. Then I’m ready to tackle the day. Building this routine so it becomes just a habit is my valentine to myself this month. Gonna keep up December’s walking routine too. Although not today. Today is for shoveling snow!