Thank you, GScience! I was running around yesterday and then at my mom's and just plain forgot! I appreciate that you have my back!

I’m on a roll with exercise and refined carb reduction. Haven’t bought any junky carb snacks and it’s been long enough now that I’ve forgotten the taste and when I see that stuff at the store the word poison comes to mind. Pretty much getting some kind of exercise every day - cardio yoga routine, golf, walking or yard work. Multiple veggies for dinner instead of rice or pasta sides. I will still have dessert sometimes but no sweets snacking. We have lots of fruit on hand, nuts and healthy dried fruit/nut snacks and cheese without crackers. DH loves sweets but he is now limited to oatmeal raisin cookies and is complaining mildly. He’s very health conscious though so doesn’t really mind. There was a time - for years - that I pretty much only ate what I considered to be healthy fuel for my body. Not exactly sure why I went so far off the rails but I’m feeling back on track again.

Gscience -thanks for starting. This is like a little journal for me and I look forward to hearing how everyone is doing. I'm glad you were able to get your subscription filled and I hope the concert is loads of fun.

I had a good week last week - I have now done week 1 and 1 workout in week 2 of my couch to 5 k, and so far so good. Of course, it's early. I also played lots of pickleball last week. And I am doing fine on the alcohol free thing. Day 11. The only time I really miss it is if we go out to dinner in the evenings. so, for now I am cooking at home :) I am exercising a lot, but probably eating more too. It's hard to keep a good balance there and be fueled enough to feel good and play well. I really like all the cardio though, so mentally it is great for me and my mood. And I'm sure it's good for my heart and lungs. We'll see if it helps for the weight loss.

Sleeping is not improving yet, like I thought it would when I stopped drinking. Some nights are pretty good, but not last night. I just couldn't fall asleep. So, today I am so tired and eating junk trying to get some energy. I KNOW it won't help, but it seems like when I feel like this I just skip trying to be healthy for the day. It's beautiful weather here today though, so I am going to make myself go for some sort of walk at least.

Hope everyone has a great week!

My sleeping has been rotten too, Legomom! I can't really explain it but it is driving me nuts! I have been staying up a little later than usual by choice ... but I am just not sleeping through the night.

The rain has been messing up my walks -- I wish I was motivated to go out even in the rain. I surely could but I don't. I need a big ol kick in the pants.

3Katz that is major progress in a short period of time -- congrats! Doubling up on veggies helps me and I actually prefer it. I dont eliminate carbs-- but I don't eat them often as a side dish. That allows me to have pasta every once in awhile or a sandwich here and there. I do stick to very high fiber breads -- even for a chicken burger, I will use a high fiber multigrain roll.

GScience how nice to have a music festival to celebrate the end of the semester! And thanks again for starting the thread!

Are any of you ladies caffeine drinkers? Some days caffeine doesn't bother me but other days it does. Those nights I kick myself for being reckless with tea.

I do take magnesium although I am not sure if it really helps with sleep although it is supposed to . I find silly things like background noise and routines such as mouthguard and eye mask help.

Another thing that can really help sleep is a CPAP machine. Even if you don't think you snore, ask your MD to give you the question and answer test for screening.

@legomom23 - discontinuing alcohol had absolutely no positive impact on my sleep. In fact it may be worse now. I attribute it to menopause, TAHBSO 12 years ago and 4 years of estrogen blocking meds. I take trazadone but that doesn’t do much unless I take 75mg instead of 50. I still wake up a few times but I do get right back to sleep. However then I’m still sleepy after 10-12 hours so I don’t take that much unless I’m going to bed early and really need a good nights sleep.

I have finally been able to shed the 4 or so pounds that had been hanging around and not going away. It was really because DH and I both got sick for a couple of weeks and didn’t feel like cooking or eating. I kinda lived on fruit (grapes, fresh strawberries, blackberries and bananas) and some toast now and then, plus some chicken soup i managed to make one day. We both are much better now and have managed to keep the weight down.

I cannot promise to keep it off since DD and I will be in Italy enjoying ourselves for 2 weeks. I keep telling myself we will be moving around and walking a lot. Plus my appetite has really been smaller lately so we’ll see. I too have eaten very little sweet stuff lately but i do plan to enjoy the gelato.

I’m also back to Pilates and had a great workout today so hopefully I didn’t lose too much muscle during the illness.

We had a wonderful trip to Florida last week and I realized that if I lived by the ocean, I would have no trouble walking several miles a day.

Alas, I live in a beautiful rural area that I find excruciatingly boring to walk in. We're heading into the nearest largish small town today that has a Y and talked about stopping in, but I wonder honestly if I'm going to drive 40 minutes to take a class. It seems doubtful. OTOH, I haven't exercised beside a short daily walk to visit our barn kitty since last Thursday, so I have to figure something out.

It was easy to eat well and wonderfully in Florida and I didn't gain. OutsidePlaying, your trip plan is exactly what I did and it worked out fine. I wanted to eat out daily as part of the trip and I am so glad I didn't get all puritanical about dessert!

I'm tracking again this week. The tracking isn't so much about calories as keeping me aware of eating for nutrients, not entertainment and reminding me to avoid processed, thoughtless snacks that I used to eat rather robotically. So, musing about exercise but still feeling good about food.

Lots of good points on the sleep. Last night was better, but I was super tired, so there's that. Good point on the caffeine, sometimes I do mess up and have it later in the afternoon than I should. I tried magnesium before, but honestly I'm just bad about taking vitamins or supplements of any sort, especially at night. I can manage the Olly Sleep gummies, but I'm not sure they really work.

Thanks for starting the thread, Gscience. I am glad that you were able to finally get your script for zepbound. I have been doing pretty well with my eating and Pilates 3x/week. I still can't walk very far without pain due to my continuing ankle issue. It is getting better, but it's been slow.

I went back to my pcp for continuing shortness of breath (started in December when I got covid). She tested me, and I now have moderate asthma. She prescribed an additional inhaler which has helped greatly. I never had any lung issues before getting covid, so hoping this resolves eventually. I am still taking many supplements and seeing a functional med dr. I also added acupuncture a few weeks ago, and my joint pain in my hands and wrists is now gone!

For the first time in 5 months, I finally feel like I am getting well. My brain is not 100% back, but it is much better. It is so easy to take good health for granted until we lose it. I certainly did.