Follow the Yellow Brick Road 2023

SandyShores

My 7 day pill tray is working well - in showing me what vitamins I'm not taking.  The pots are going down, especially the multivitamins, but I'm not managing to each one every day  I'm glad I didn't fork out for the new expensive menopause tablets yet especially as I've overextended the budget this month.  

Goal Setting 2025

• Attend a dentist check up - can claim these on my health plan
• Have a regular eye test (free 60+) and claim for contacts or specs on my health plan
• Book regular haircuts - working my way from 2 to 3 month gaps.
• Book regular eyebrow and lash treatments - 6 weekly or 2 monthly
• Continue to book regular chiropractor appointments (claimable)
• Buy a metal water bottle
• Book a bra fitting
• Book a podiatrist appointment (partly claimable)
• Have my bike serviced
• Book GP check up

Daily Goals

• Use my calorie counting app every day
• Eat only between 8 and 8
• Drink 3 glasses of cold water daily
• Oats for breakfast
• Lunch to incorporate beans/pulses
• Kiwi fruit/apple daily and dark chocolate to avoid snacking on unhealthier things

I'm doing well on the bigger tasks so have added a few more.  The dental appointment resulted in some more work, so I'll be putting the Shark LED mask on hold until that's completed.

I'm really looking forward to having my bra fitting as I've self measured for the last few and am not 100% pleased with them.  One is so padded/wired I feel very matronly, the other one is unwired and a bit low cut so I feel like I'm in danger of falling out if I don't adjust constantly.  For daily wear I have M&S front fastening non-wired bras, but they've stretched and as there is no adjustment in the strap aren't supportive enough now.  Hoping to find something that is a happy medium - supportive but natural looking and comfortable.   

I started off well on the calorie counting app but then fell by the wayside.  I have been following the eating window apart from one evening when I was out exercising until 8 pm so had to eat before 9 pm - should I eat earlier that day?  And having the apple/kiwi and chocolate means I'm not craving sweet things.  Yesterday I made some noodles and added frozen edamame beans and canned butter beans with a blob of nando's sauce.  It was really lovely - think I've found a new favourite lunch or maybe dinner when DH is out/before my exercise class.

I'm getting used to black coffee but would like to try some soy milk for a latte or two.  And I somehow need to incorporate kale, broccoli and pak choi.  I'm sure I could buy frozen greens, and I love pak choi so will be doing a few stir fries next week.  I also love tinned tomatoes on toast - will need to buy some sourdough bread for that, and tarka dhal is such an easy comfort food meal.  And I will make the switch to olive oil where I can, but use so little oil these days.   I picked up a can of tuna yesterday and compared the calories in the sunflower oil and brine ones which are about half the calories.  

I'm really not sure about pickles and pomegranate juice.  Garners pickles are £3.40 for a tiny jar, and at £5 for the pomegranate juice I think I'll give it a miss.  And the macha tea is a definitely a no from me - can't bear to try it in my porridge yet - any ideas for a meal or drink that tastes good with grass adding?

I've upped my exercise a little.  I started with the dumbbells yesterday and I found out the weekly plan I devised last year.  But I'm just not ready to go full out with it at the moment, although I am starting to feeling a little more motivated which is very good news.

Edit - just had a quick look online and there are many polish pickled veg jars around for about £1.50 or less so will give those a try.

SandyShores

Over 13,000 steps today.  Also managed to find pomegranates for £1.20 so I've just been looking up how to tell they are ripe and also how to get the fruit out easily.  They last ages in the fridge so if this one works out I'll get more.  I do feel a little healthier for these simple changes.

savingholmes

Glad you are feeling health benefits already. 

I think your plan of incremental change rather than all out can work - you just have to find a rhythm that works for you. You can also buy little packets of fresh pomegranate seeds that could also be an option. I buy the occasionally and add to cakes, salad, fish. 

LadyWithAPlan

Polish pickled veg eg gherkins are amazing and the sauerkraut in jars. If you go to an actual Polish specialist shop you can normally buy 'fresh sauerkraut' -with no preservatives in like the jars. Its delish..

Well done on all the positive changes

SandyShores

Thanks Savingholmes, agree that it needs to work for me.  I managed lots of exercise today and I did have a couple of treats afterwards, but don't feel I've fallen off the wagon.  It was all planned and dinner tonight was a healthy lentil meal, followed by a couple of squares of dark choc. 

Just read your message LWAP, I bought some pickles from the supermarket but like the idea of fresh sauerkraut.  I also bought a sourdough loaf for £2.75 (!).  But the plan is to slice it up tomorrow and put it in the freezer so I can have it a slice at a time.  I might have a go at making my own if it goes to plan.   

I'm having porridge oats consistently for breakfast and have filling but healthy options sorted for lunch - sour dough bread and pickles, noodles and greens, lentil soup or beans/tomatoes on toast.  I seem to have halted the snacking, but have apples and a square of choc or a low cal hot choc if I need a boost.  Dinners next week are going to be veg stir fry, pasta with tuna, lentils. 

I don't feel deprived at all, and eating 8-8 has definitely stopped me reaching for snacks in the evening.  I'm going to make sure I complete the calorie counter every day, and keep up the exercise.  I'm looking to have made a good difference by June.  

SandyShores

I set some SMART goals after listening to Mel Robbin's podcast about setting goals this morning. First one is to have a 500 calorie deficit per day from now until mid June (1lb per week with interim goals of 1 week and 8 weeks).  It will help me to focus on a daily achievable goal.  I've also set up my exercise routine - small steps .  There are some more podcasts about decluttering and financial goals too, so I'll be listening to those over the next week or so too.

SandyShores

Goal Setting 2025

• Book a podiatrist appointment (partly claimable)
• Have my bike serviced
• Book GP check up
• Shark LED mask

Daily Goals

• 500 calorie deficit every daily x 21 weeks
• Use calorie counting app every day
• Eat only between 8 and 8
• Drink 3 glasses of cold water daily and one before morning coffee
• Oats for breakfast
• Lunch to incorporate beans/pulses or tuna/cottage cheese etc
• Apple/kiwi fruit daily and dark choc to avoid snacking on unhealthier things
• More veg
• Follow exercise plan
• Achieve goals quietly

I was just reading that people who achieve their goals quietly are more likely to succeed - so I'm just whispering shhh.  Almost 7,500 steps today and have achieved almost 24 miles this week.  Aiming for a 7,500 average from now on.  I've decided to weigh once a week on Friday mornings, otherwise I'm measuring all the ups and downs.  Hopefully just downs now, determined to do this for the next 5 months and to have some good habits formed by then.  Nothing is too onerous, but I know how life has a habit of getting in the way so I need to keep motivated

debtfreeoneday

i like the health goals. I’m in a similar position and have fallen off the rails since Christmas but will look at the notes you’ve posted about the podcast and the 500 cal per week deficit sounds achievable. Equally want to up my steps as well. Today was my line in the sand day!  The only thing I couldn’t do is tea without milk. It’s my one vice in life. 😜

Idreamofplants

Those daily goals look good. I followed N@@m for a while last year and lost lots of weight - not sure how much I've kept off as I don't regularly weigh myself now - but some of the habits I picked up from it were about making things simpler - I always have porridge for breakfast and then rotate a couple of lunch choices in the week - I have a daily protein shake (a water based one) - I drink skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed - I pick smaller snacks if I want something sweet eg part bag sized sweets or chocolate - whereas in the past I would buy huge bags of crisps and then overconsume through mindless eating.  I stopped the subscription to N@@m because I felt like these habits stuck after a couple of months & it was pricey! I also got OH on board so hr no longer will buy me snacky things like cookies which I used to eat because I was a bit bored not because I was actually hungry. 

SandyShores

Same here @debtfreeoneday I can't do without milk in my tea, but I'm having soy milk in coffee.  Dr Li's advice was about adding healthy stuff rather than thinking in terms of taking things away.  So if you really need something in your diet, you can have it but you also need to try and eat healthily alongside that.  I think its just what I need as since menopause I can feel quite faint if I get too hungry.  Good luck!

@Idreamofplants it sounds like that really worked for you.  Changing those habits can be so difficult.  I seem to fall regularly into the habit of picking at crisps and biscuits through boredom too.  My new habit is to have an apple, a cupasoup or a black coffee if I feel peckish during the day.  That seems to keep me going, and I really look forward to my 2 squares of dark chocolate in the evening.

I've also been listening to a few more of Mel Robbins podcasts and the ones about mental health have been interesting.  One thing I've taken away is that there are a couple of parts to healing your mental health.  One is the improving your emotional wellbeing stuff.  But separately its important to look into what happened and come to terms with it, which is probably the CBT (or counselling) type stuff.  I never thought of it in two stages before, both important, but it makes sense to me now i.e. the emotional wellbeing stuff can't paper over the cracks if you haven't done the deeper work.