2019 Weight-Loss, Health, & Fitness Goals

[ondreeuh]

Reviewing the 2018 thread has really shown how different our goals and methods are, so I thought I would start a new thread for 2019.

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time Bound. I know this works for many people, but honestly it doesn't for me. The more specific and strict I am about goals, the more pressure I feel. I feel like I am doing something because I have to, and that makes me not want to do it. Personally, I like to set goals about habits, not about results - since I can control what I do, but I really can't control the effect it ultimately has on my body. So my goals are all about things I wan to do, and wherever it leads me is great. I would prefer to lose about seven more pounds, and I think these habits will lead me there.

I have started using a Clever Fox planner to jot notes for each day (how I feel, how I ate) plus it has a spot for habit tracking & self reflection. It's awesome. It keeps me mindful of my health and non-health goals (like reading more!).

My 2019 goals:

Exercise: Continue with daily exercise, and aim for 30-60 minutes a day - 30 in the morning and maybe another 30 in the evening. Last year I got in basic shape and want to take it further with more intense cardio & strength training. I am doing the Jessica Smith 6-week transformation, and I'm enjoying it so far. I will probably do phase 2 & phase 3 of her Walk Strong program. I'm actually going out today to get weighted gloves to make the workouts more intense. My resting heart rate is about 55, and it takes a lot of effort to get me in the cardio zone. I'm interested in trying Yvette Bachman's YouTube routines - they would definitely be challenging but look really fun. My current step count goal is 8000 but I think I will move it back up to 10k.

Eating: I have to fit in my ball gown in two weeks, so for now I am eating pretty light and trying not to bloat. I do a lot better without this kind of pressure. I have used various methods to track my food, but ultimately my goal is to keep tracking it. I have a target calorie range of 1200-1600 and plan to keep that until I lose these last 7 lbs. Then I will bump it up to maintenance. My Fitbit says I burn 2000-2400 per day but I'm not sure I believe that.

I plan to keep doing what is working; I have settled on a routine of four meals, about 200-400 calories each, at 9, 12, 3, and 6. I don't eat after dinner so I have a bit of a fast. I am happy with the quality of the food I eat so I don't have specific goals there. 

I have been making lunch bowls and they are LIFE CHANGING. I roast and/or saute a bunch of veggies, cook up some whole grain (barley, farro, brown rice, quinoa), and cook up some protein (chicken, Boca burgers, turkey). I portion it out into 2-cup food storage containers and those are ready to go. Right now I have brown rice, peppers/onions/zucchini, and fajita steak in some and I also have farro, pumpkin/zucchini/onions, baked chicken, and salsa in another. I want to keep doing this!!

So basically, my goals are to keep exercising daily, aim for 10k+ steps per day, eat in my target calorie range, eat on my schedule, and batch-cook healthy lunch bowls - and hopefully I will lose fat and gain muscle by doing that.

ETA: I found this and thought it could be helpful!

 

Edited January 6, 2019 by ondreeuh

[IvyInFlorida]

Thanks for starting this thread!  It's very timely for me--not only is it a new year, but most of the dust from a lot of changes have finally settled in my life and so I have been reevaluating my health goals.

2018 has been the year when I've made the most progress, health-wise, probably ever.  I started doing martial arts in September of 2017 with my older son, and it was a sort of kick in the rear that started a health avalanche for me.  I don't know how much weight I lost because, since my frame is muscular and dense and puts on muscle easily, I LOATHE the scale.  I do know I went from measuring 38-34-41 to 35.5, 30, 37 and from size 12 jeans to size 8.  I can't believe I just typed that!!! 

This is what I've been doing the last year:

Martial arts class (Choi Kwang Do) 3x / week.  Additional exercise, usually outside, at least 2x / week, such as practicing CKD technique, punching bag routines, jogging, and bodyweight exercises like pushups, lunges.  Mentally, I think of the martial arts stuff as the core, and the extra exercise as a way to manage stress.

With eating, I don't restrict food groups or macros anymore.  The biggest thing is that I don't eat out.  I made up a daily routine where meal planning, food prep, and cleanup are clearly defined so I don't feel rushed into making bad food choices.  I try to cook from scratch as much as humanly possible, eat 3 good meals with plenty of protein, and don't eat dessert.  I TRY not to snack.  It just so happens that I don't eat anything from about 6pm to about 8am, so there's a nice built-in fast there.  I don't get hypoglycemia-feeling between meals anymore since I'm eating plenty of meat and fat.

All that said, I need to both maintain and push forward.  I have a grueling black belt test looming about a year and a half away, and I would like to be fitter in terms of cardio by that point, plus about 5 or 10 lbs lighter (I'm 5'5, about 150-155).

My plan is to continue my exercise routine as is (except the outside stuff will change to swimming in April or so), trying to do better making sure I don't get injured.  I want to try to find the sweet spot between too little and too much, which makes me ravenous and prone to overeating.  I'd like to focus a little more on bodyweight exercises and the punching bag from now to swim season.

With eating, I'm going to try cutting out my late afternoon glass of alcohol (sob sob), do better about not snacking, and try to replace some of my bread/starch in my lunch and dinner with vegetables.  I love veggies, but I adore bread...

Emotional/mood stuff...this needs help.  If I'm out of whack with stress or something, I don't meet my daily goals.  I need more sleep.  I need to somehow manage my PMS every month.  Stress and the related mood swings sabotage me big time.  I'm still pondering this part and how best to attack these problems.

Looking forward to reading everyone else's goals!

[teachermom2834]

I am attempting to work out with Fitness Blender videos M-F in the morning before starting school with the kids. I was in that routine for several months but quit for some reason in October. So I am trying to get back to that.  

I am trying to stick to a calorie count around 1500 with a little bit more when I work out. It is enough food, technically, but I still struggle to stay in that range. I am home all day and I find that does lend itself to snacking so I am working on that.

I feel like my body has become very resistant to weight loss and I need to do the right things and not focus on the scale. It is hard though, because I am pretty healthy and so far my desire for weight loss is driven by vanity/appearance.  As I get older that can’t be the only reason. It isn’t so easy to get results that are measurable on the scale anymore.

[Ottakee]

I have a goal of losing 20 pounds this year.  Hopefully more.  I have much more to lose by step one goal is 20.

I am doing the old weigh watchers point system because I know it, it is free, and it previously worked for me.

I have a list of 52 goals for the year and some involve fitness...biking, hiking, kayaking challenges, some relationship/people ones, and some pampering ones.

[Pawz4me]

I like the SMART goals idea. Mostly because over the last year as I've dealt with the onset of chronic illness I've come to the conclusion (for myself) that I need to set goals that are both realistically attainable and reasonable enough that I can stick with them over time as I age. I am a creature of habit, and IME consistency in these things is key.

So my fitness goals for this year are to

(1) continue my daily walk (25-30 minutes) with longer walks/hikes as weather and my body allow, and

(2) average a minimum of 10 minutes a day of yoga/stretching/flexibility/balance/body weight exercises. I set the time low intentionally. I'd rather do 10 minutes every day. which is easily attainable, than set a higher goal and fail to meet it, get discouraged and give up. This week I've averaged 19 minutes a day, so off to a good start.

Diet/weight is harder, and something I'm mentally struggling with. I'm at a good weight and eat very healthfully (both in terms of types of food and quantity) but I've had a couple of pounds of weight creep in the past year. Which I know doesn't sound significant, but I'm less than five feet tall. Two pounds on me is easily equivalent to five pounds or more on a taller person. I'm positive it's due to illness (RA makes it difficult/impossible to move much some days) and to one of the medications I'm on. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that trying to restrict calories does not play well at all with the fatigue of RA. I absolutely notice that I feel better when I eat enough, but "enough" to feel better and somewhat counteract the fatigue is enough to cause the weight creep. So . . I don't know. I might have to re-think what weight I'm okay with in exchange for feeling a bit better.

[teachermom2834]

I’m going to throw this out there even though it isn’t exactly health and fitness. Part of my approach is also just taking care of myself in general and by that I mean taking care of my skin, keeping my hair cut and colored and wearing clothes that I feel good in. In the past I had all those things wrapped up in my head with my weight. Like I didn’t deserve to have my hair maintained because I was overweight. Or why spend money on new jeans when I wouldn’t look good anyway? So I have resolved to do those things independent of my weight. I started taking better care of my skin and it makes me happy and I feel good and look good! I am not giving up on weight loss goals but I am not putting everything else in my life on hold until I meet them. 

[Ottakee]

24 minutes ago, teachermom2834 said:

I’m going to throw this out there even though it isn’t exactly health and fitness. Part of my approach is also just taking care of myself in general and by that I mean taking care of my skin, keeping my hair cut and colored and wearing clothes that I feel good in. In the past I had all those things wrapped up in my head with my weight. Like I didn’t deserve to have my hair maintained because I was overweight. Or why spend money on new jeans when I wouldn’t look good anyway? So I have resolved to do those things independent of my weight. I started taking better care of my skin and it makes me happy and I feel good and look good! I am not giving up on weight loss goals but I am not putting everything else in my life on hold until I meet them. 

I love this.  In the ideal world I have 80+ pounds to lose.  In reality, my goal is 20 plus a lot of other healthy activities and decreasing stress, etc.  I am going to enjoy life NOW.  In 3 weeks I will be on the beach in a swimsuit...modest tankini but a swimsuit.   

[Violet Crown]

On board with the "be healthier, feel better" approach. Also sympathetic to Pawz4me; we the vertically challenged have to ignore a lot of conventional wisdom about pounds, calories, and BMI, don't we?

2019 just-turned-fifty goals: 1. Maintain weight. 2. Bone density scan. 3. Back in the No-S saddle; sugar has started slipping in with the holidays, and coffee-and-kings-cake was not a good breakfast choice. 4. Daily exercise, not just "I feel terrible so let's go running." 5. Better spiritual health, via the things I know to do but don't.

[Noreen Claire]

My 2019 plans:

-Some form of exercise every day. I have a TRX and a rowing machine in my bedroom now, so no excuses about not getting to the gym. This would also include getting the littles outside for a walk after lunch on days that are over 35°F and sunny-ish through the winter.

-More water, limiting myself to one diet soda with pizza on Friday nights. (I've done this before, but fell off the wagon hard.)

-Vegetables and fruits at every meal and more vegetarian options during meals, with meat as a side dish, rather than the main course, as often as possible.

-In bed by 10pm. I'm a night owl, but DH and the 9, 6, 4, & 2 yr olds are all early morning people. It's no fun to be grumpy morning Mama. I would try to get to bed earlier, but DS23 usually gets home from work around 9:30pm, and that's really the only time I get to talk to him these days.

That's the plan so far!

[Carol in Cal.]

1.  Stand more and move more.  (Implement standing desk, up my step count.)

2.  Strengthen my heart.  (Interval and strenuous exercise 4X weekly)

3.  Eat out less.  (This inevitably drops my calories.)

4.  Be a good steward.  (This includes major decluttering, which is mostly done in a standing/walking around mode.  Clutter brings stress, so this should improve stress as well.)

5.  Talk with people in person rather than just online.  (Happening already.  It’s really nice.)

[Ali in OR]

I think having a job has been good for me this year (though it does increase stress and decrease sleep...). I'm teaching in a long-term sub position right now, and when school is in I don't constantly graze. I plan my eating better, lunch is made the night before and is healthy, etc. So since I have been home for 2.5 weeks with less-healthy holiday eating patterns, my immediate goal starting tomorrow is just to get back on track with my usual. I want to drop the 2 pounds of Christmas weight within a week or two, and then work on dropping two more. That's not a bad weight, but if I can drop 2 more after that it gets me back to my lowest weight last year (which took 5 weeks of illness to achieve, but I did maintain for the rest of the school year).

I didn't go back to the 2018 thread, but I probably wrote something similar. I know what I need to do to drop a few pounds--use my fitness pal, track calories, fiber, protein, and sat. fat, sweets only on Sundays, 5 days/week walking on treadmill. Looking forward to clean eating this week.

[Lady Florida.]

My goals are simple for this year -

1. Continue to track calories, exercise, and keep a food journal. I use My Fitness Pal for both. According to MFP I can have 1590 calories per day for my weight loss goal, but I try to keep it around 1500. 

2. Exercise 30-45 minutes daily. When it's cool enough I'll walk outdoors. When it's too hot I'll do videos. I tried Fitness Blender but for whatever reason I couldn't get on board with it. I prefer Jessica Smith. I mix it up with her walk at home, cardio, and strength training videos on YouTube. I also sometimes do her stretching and  (easier) yoga videos when I need to keep it simple.

3. Do my physical therapy exercises 3x a week. I have chronic back pain and have been going to PT for so many years that they put me on a home program (to save me money). My pain management doc sends me back periodically so they can evaluate and change up my exercises if necessary.

I want to lose 25 pounds but am taking it slowly. My goal is to lose 1/2 pound a week.

Edited January 7, 2019 by Lady Florida.

[ScoutTN]

My 2019 goals:

Lose 10 lbs. Low carb works for me and I don't find it restrictive. After too many Christmas treats, I am craving carbs, so I know my body is out of balance. Stocking up on veggies and some tasty recipes for inspiration.

Exercise. I have major disc issues, so even an energetic walk around the block causes sciatica or cramps in my legs and feet. So exercise is tricky. Must be gentle. But some is better than none and I need to get moving. Walks and possibly some gentle pool work at the Y. I just want to be healthier and feel more fit. 

Find a PCP and get a check-up. Haven't done this in well over a decade, though I do get a gyn check up annually. I'm over 50, so I probably need to get a colonoscopy and get on a waiting list for the shingles vaccine. 

 

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I just finished the book Atomic Habits, so I'm all gung-ho about working on HABITS and forgetting my goals!  I tend to be very goal-oriented, but most health-related things really don't play nicely with goals- that is, I can reach a goal, but I can't maintain that.  So I'm going to try the habit approach instead of the goal approach.  I'm a very goal-driven person, so this is new territory for me.  

I want to establish an exercise habit that includes bodyweight training and cardio.  This goal is based around the identity, "I am a fit, healthy person."

I want to establish an eating pattern that reflects the identity, "I am healthy when I eat nutritious food."

I want to maintain my new skin care regimen based on the identity, "I am naturally beautiful and wish to maintain that."

Details of frequency, duration, intensity, menu... I am still juggling with a bit.  Trying to remind myself constantly to start small.  

[hornblower]

@ScoutTN  & everyone else - please get your mammograms if you're of the age to have them! I don't want any of you joining us in the breast cancer club, but if you are going to join, better to join very early! And those who are too young for regular mammograms, do your BSE and don't ignore weird symptoms. Denial is not your friend when it comes to breast lumps. 

My goals are

3x60 min Zumba classes/week. I've been doing 1/week since September. Before that I was too immuno compromised to really go to group classes so I did my own little zumba classes at home for most of the year. I need to kick up the intensitvy 

Keep walking - aim for 70K for the week 

30 min weights & resistance work  once a week- I have osteoporosis now (thanks chemo!) so I'm supposed to do some resistance work to protect my spine 

Yoga and stretching - my shoulder and arm are still a bit messed up after breast surgery so I need to keep rehabbing that. The full rehab exercises the PT gave me were 20+ minutes & I just have not been able to shoehorn that in daily so I think like Pawz said above, it's better to set a much lower target and actually achieve it. Something is better than nothing. 

I would like to get into a pool once a week because I miss swimming and I think backstroke would help my shoulder but I'm not sure if I can fit it in this semester.

More meal planning & batch cooking food prep on weekends. We're doing the bowls too - we call them Buddha Bowls. Brown rice or quinoa or buckwheat + roasted vegetables (last year I discovered you could roast frozen veggies) + tofu cubes (marinated, smoked, or plain) + some saucy flavourings (curry sauce, garlic hummus sauce, salsa etc). 

 

[EMS83]

Hmm... better meal planning, healthier food, less dining out.

3x/week HIIT cardio (hopefully with DD), 2-3x/week lifiting, 1-2x/month hiking (but with kids, so idk if that really counts as exercise).  

Will I establish habits?  That's always the question...every year.  🤐🙂

[ScoutTN]

28 minutes ago, hornblower said:

@ScoutTN  & everyone else - please get your mammograms if you're of the age to have them! I don't want any of you joining us in the breast cancer club, but if you are going to join, better to join very early! And those who are too young for regular mammograms, do your BSE and don't ignore weird symptoms. Denial is not your friend when it comes to breast lumps. 
 

Yep, the mammogram comes with my well-woman check-up. When I schedule the office visit, they automatically schedule the imaging too. 

Glad to *see* you here Hornblower! May 2019 be a great year for you! 

[Lady Florida.]

3 hours ago, ScoutTN said:

 

 

Exercise. I have major disc issues, so even an energetic walk around the block causes sciatica or cramps in my legs and feet. So exercise is tricky. Must be gentle. But some is better than none and I need to get moving. Walks and possibly some gentle pool work at the Y. I just want to be healthier and feel more fit. 

 

I get it. I have disc issues, mild scoliosis, and piriformis syndrome. There's a fine line between too much exercise and not enough. It's tricky making sure you don't do the wrong kind of exercise. Walking is good for my low back but bad for my piriformis syndrome so I have to know when enough is enough. Some yoga stretches are the worst possible thing I could do. Some are just what I need. I always have to modify any exercise program that I didn't get from my physical therapist. 

Edited January 7, 2019 by Lady Florida.

[itsheresomewhere]

This year I will continue on getting healthy.  I started this almost two years ago and have dropped 5 sizes.  I can see the results even if the scale only shows a minimal loss.  I can do more than I used too.  I have figured out a vitamin/supplement program that works the best for me and allows me despite arthritis/fibromyalgia to be active.  

I already do TKD and am looking to add tai chi to my routine.  I need to attempt more yoga. Hopefully, I can find a water rowing machine for a decent price as I think all of us here will enjoy it.  I brought home an exercise bike for the kids and they love it.  

[Lady Florida.]

4 hours ago, Monica_in_Switzerland said:

 

I want to maintain my new skin care regimen based on the identity, "I am naturally beautiful and wish to maintain that."

  

I recently started a regular skin care regimen that I hope I can stick with. Usually I have good intentions but end up fizzling out. I don't expect to reverse the effects of aging but I want my skin to look as good as is right for me.

I also forgot to mention that someone in my neighborhood recently got certified as a yoga instructor and needs to get some experience. She posted on our subdivision's facebook page about free classes (she'll practice on us) in our park. It's not much of a park. We don't have a true HOA so dues are more or less optional and they're really cheap. We can't afford the insurance for playground equipment so it's basically just a big fenced in field with a few picnic benches. And that makes it the perfect place for our yoga classes. Hopefully she'll get a schedule together soon and post because I'm looking forward to it. When I do yoga regularly I feel much better. I've even had people tell me I look good then ask me if I lost weight or got a new haircut or something, when the only thing I did different is regular yoga practice.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

14 hours ago, itsheresomewhere said:

This year I will continue on getting healthy.  I started this almost two years ago and have dropped 5 sizes.  I can see the results even if the scale only shows a minimal loss.  I can do more than I used too.  I have figured out a vitamin/supplement program that works the best for me and allows me despite arthritis/fibromyalgia to be active.  

I already do TKD and am looking to add tai chi to my routine.  I need to attempt more yoga. Hopefully, I can find a water rowing machine for a decent price as I think all of us here will enjoy it.  I brought home an exercise bike for the kids and they love it.  

 

I dream of owning a rowing machine some day.  😄 I used rowing in college on non-running days at the gym, and I loooooved it!  Also, 5 sizes???  High five!!!  

 

14 hours ago, Lady Florida. said:

I recently started a regular skin care regimen that I hope I can stick with. Usually I have good intentions but end up fizzling out. I don't expect to reverse the effects of aging but I want my skin to look as good as is right for me.

I also forgot to mention that someone in my neighborhood recently got certified as a yoga instructor and needs to get some experience. She posted on our subdivision's facebook page about free classes (she'll practice on us) in our park. It's not much of a park. We don't have a true HOA so dues are more or less optional and they're really cheap. We can't afford the insurance for playground equipment so it's basically just a big fenced in field with a few picnic benches. And that makes it the perfect place for our yoga classes. Hopefully she'll get a schedule together soon and post because I'm looking forward to it. When I do yoga regularly I feel much better. I've even had people tell me I look good then ask me if I lost weight or got a new haircut or something, when the only thing I did different is regular yoga practice.

 

I've had problem skin my entire life since hitting puberty.  I've got mild PCOS, the worst symptom being acne.  Now I get acne + aging skin!  LOL.  I did some research and since I'm done having kids, I got my doc to prescribe me topical retin-A.  I'm really excited about it, but it has required me to go from occasionally slapping on moisturizer to religiously moisturizing plus sunscreening.  

It's funny with aging what things bother what people.  My hair has a fat gray streak- think Cruella DeVille- and I love it!!!  I have no issues going gray.  But I would like to have nice skin.  Like, just for a year or two, be acne free AND relatively smooth and wrinkle-free.  🤣

[dirty ethel rackham]

I posted in the other thread.  But, in light of the SMART goals and thinking about process goals rather than outcome goals, I think I want to revise this.  

•  

Quote

 

My goals for 2019:

1.  Lose 30 lbs by July.

2. Increase my veggie intake and reduce my boredom snacking.  (I already started by making a batch of omelet muffins loaded with veggies for my busy mornings and doing more steel cut oats in the IP (which will help hubby.)

3.  Get my cholesterol down to normal ranges by July.  They were a bit high at my last doctor's visit.

4. Get to the gym 3 times a week, even if it is a light workout.  Just a little cardio earns a really good stretch.  

5. Start adding some shorter yoga videos now that I can stream YouTube on my TV, with the goal of being strong enough to make it through an hour long class by February (too much pain right now.)

6.  Most important: work on keeping a positive head space and not get defeated by setbacks.  My therapist and I have a plan and I am putting in place some positive things to do which should help with loneliness.  

 

 

Updating for process goals:

1.  Make a menu plan each week including breakfasts and lunches and have an idea for healthy snacks.  We already menu plan, but it is currently only dinners and, dh just can't think outside the box of meat, starch, vegetable.  The focus is always on the meat (or whatever protein source) and the starch, but the veggies are an afterthought.  I want the veggie to be the focus. 

a.  Include at least one meatless dinner, one fish dinner, one soup, one stew-like meal, and plans for the leftovers.  

b. Include veggies for snacks.

2. Do make ahead breakfasts for my school days.  

3.  Plan one new recipe a week, two, if I am feeling adventurous.

4..  Keep an ongoing list of menu ideas that are hearth healthy for him and weight healthy for me.  After each week's menu has been executed, put all the winners in this list.  We tend to get into a rut and forget about things we tried and liked.

5. Track my food!  

6. Do 6 youtube yoga videos in the next 2 week (starting out with short ones and increasing length so that I can go to an in-person class and not feel like a total loser.)  

7.  Go to the gym 3 times a week to do added cardio and weights and a delightful stretch.  Once I feel ok to do so, try to add a group class a week.

8.  Add one positive, motivational podcast per week.  

9.  Better sleep.  This includes planning ahead the night before my classes and early morning days and doing a short yoga bedtime routine daily.  

I'd like these to lead to a 30 lb weight loss by July as well as lowering my cholesterol to normal ranges.  

 

[Negin]

Andrea, thank you for starting this thread. Reading everyone's posts is definitely encouraging. 

The first half of 2018 was good and I lost more than 20 pounds, only to gain it all back and more after our wonderful trip to Italy, not going back on WW, and just letting loose completely. Not good at all. Now I'm back on WW and feel far more motivated. 

As far as exercise goes, the older I get, the more gentle I prefer and seem to need. I love Jessica Smith, some Fitness Blender, Classical Stretch - all sorts of things. Lots and lots of You Tube workouts. I also love swimming, but haven't done that in a while. 

Skin care is my passion and I could go on and on about that, but have no time right now. There was a recent skin thread and I shared some of my routine there. 

I am 50 and plan on scheduling my first mammogram soon, as well as all the other stuff. 

Overall, my goal is to try to be content, worry less, and enjoy life as much as I can. 

[SKL]

I started out the year with a sore in my mouth that forced me to eat a bit moderately, so yay!  Obviously not a sustainable method, but at least I don't have vacation fat to lose.

I think my goals are fairly simple:

• Get into a daily yoga / stretching / short exercise routine ASAP.
• Walk when I can.
• Start running a little bit.  I think my goal is to eventually run a mile (without stopping), but not fast.
• Would love to make it to the black belt test this year.
• Improve my time on the Turkey Trot (this will be my 2nd if all goes well).
• Would love to get to a healthy weight not too much over 130.
• Make it to the chiropractor more regularly and get at least 1 massage between now and Christmas.
• Would love to solve my tailbone problem.