January 2021 Update

It's been a pretty good month! I am going to try and check in at least monthly this year, to keep myself accountable, and to try and not disappear again!

Let's look at the goals I set for January and see how I did.

With regards to weight loss, I have been struggling with these last 15 pounds or so. I started January at 162.4 and I am ending January exactly as 160.0. I didn't lose the 4 pounds I wanted, but I did lose 2.4 so that is better than nothing. I think I might need to get even stricter with my keto to get where I need to, or add in more activity.

Speaking of activity, I have been adding in more steps every day. I also try and run/bounce on my mini trampoline whenever I walk by it. This has increased my steps from under 2,000 a day to over 5,000 a day. I know a lot of people do way more than that, but I am working on it. I am finding it very difficult with a sedentary job. This takes care of my move for 10 minutes a day challenge.

I did get around to cleaning off my living room desk so that was a plus, but I didn't get around to my office desk or my living room end table. Hopefully in February!

All my other goals for January I completed. I now read at least 10 pages every day, but usually it's much more. Sometimes I get so into my book it's midnight and I can barely still read through my slowly closing eyes. I set out to read at least 1 book in January, but I have finished 4! One was an audiobook (review on my review site), one was a physical book, one was a Kobo ebook, and one was a NetGalley ebook from the publisher (which has now been reviewed on my review site). To keep up with what I am reading and my reviews feel free to follow my review site and/or my Goodreads page.

I enrolled in, and completed, not one, but two virtual run challenges! I haven't received the medals in the mail yet, so keep an eye out for that soon. I completed The English Channel and The Inca Trail. I have just started Mount Everest. I am loving the motivation in the group and just having that goal to work towards. If you are interested in trying out any of the virtual challenges click this link for 10% off.

I have also been making sure to run the dog every single day, no matter what. Even if I come home dead tired I just look into those happy puppy eyes and I just muster through it. It just makes him so happy, and who knows how much time he has left.

I have also been meditating every single night. I usually do this right before bed and it helps me settle in and calm my mind. This has worked wonders for my anxiety and paranoia and wild thoughts while I try to fall asleep. I have been very happy with my progress.

I have reduced my social media time drastically. I no longer check Facebook during the week at work, and since I rarely turn my home computer one during the week, I rarely check in at all during the week, except for the odd scroll through my feed on my new phone.

So overall, a great month. I look forward to February and seeing the new goals I can achieve. 

What are your goals? How have you been progressing?

2021 Goals and Update

 

It's 2021! Finally!

I know it's been a tough year for many of us, some more so than others. My year wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible either.

So where have I been? Since my last post I have gone through so much. I had to take a year off work due to illness and chronic pain, I went to see multiple specialists and most couldn't help me. We almost lost our home. The last specialist finally helped me a little, and I was happy with that at the time. It was decided that I had nerve damage and with some medication and CBD oil I was able to manage the pain enough to go back to work. I started with a 6 month contract position to make sure I could handle a full-time job again before accepting a permanent position, which I am happy to say I have been at for just over a year and only missed 2 days due to illness, unrelated to my previous medical issues. (I got the flu.)

However, I continued to put on weight, even though I was barely eating anything due to the pain. It was very frustrating. My highest weight reached was 190.9 at the beginning of August 2020 and seeing that number on the scale crushed me. My clothing was tight. I was uncomfortable. I had pain everywhere. I had no energy. I felt old. My husband came to me and mentioned all the research he had been doing on keto and carnivore and suggested we try it. He said not only would it help with weight, but also physical and mental health. I was willing to try anything!

On August 9th of 2020 we started keto. My husband went more the carnivore route but I found I was having a very hard time eating enough food due to the past pain associated with eating, especially meat. I had been watching a lot of YouTube keto videos and had stumbled across a product called Keto Chow. This was my saving grace. I find that by having a Keto Chow at work for my breakfast/lunch and then eating one meal for dinner and also an after dinner snack I was able to get closer to my required calories, and I began to lose weight. I also started adding in 18/6 intermittent fasting, and that has been great as well. I just kind of naturally moved into it without even trying because eating keto keeps me satisfied much longer.

As of today I weigh 162.6 lbs, a total weight loss of 28.3 lbs! The most I have ever lost on any diet I have tried before. I don't even remember the last time I weighed that low. This is exciting. Low carb works for me! I haven't cheated in the 5 months I have been eating this way, and it shows. AND I don't really miss anything!

I plan on continuing this way of eating until I reach my target weight goal, which currently is 150, but once I hit that I might try for even lower! But 150 has always been my main goal. Once I hit that goal I plan to maintain by adding back more carbs, but still staying low carb, but just not as low as keto. I also plan on starting to work in some more movement and exercise. I have been looking into some virtual challenges to help motivate me, both in FitBit (I got a new FitBit versa 2 for Christmas) and with The Conqueror Events.

Anyhow, blah, blah, blah...here are my goals for 2021, which will also be tracked on my Goals page.

January 2021

• lose 4 pounds (1 a week)
• clean off my main home office desk
• clean off my living room desk
• clean off my living room end table
• read 10 pages at least a day
• move for at least 10 minutes a day
• read at least one book
• start a virtual challenge (more info to come later)
• attempt to meditate at least 5 minutes a day
• work on paying down debt
• run the dog in the yard daily

2021

• read 10 pages at least a day
• read at least 15 books
• move for at least 10 minutes a day
• complete at least 1 virtual challenge and receive medal
• blog more
• review books
• work on meditating daily (Waking Up or something similar)
• learn to kayak
• lose at least 15 pounds (goal weight of 150 or less)
• buy new clothes that fit
• work through anxiety book(s)
• knit more from stash
• finish more WIPs
• knit a pair of socks
• clean off hutch and file paperwork
• clean of dresser
• sort and clean out old clothes
• clean the house more 
• work on paying down debt
• run the dog in the yard daily

Lifetime Goals

• visit Costa Rica
• visit Machu Pichu
• visit France
• visit Scotland
• visit Greece
• go on the October Vampire Tour to Transylvania
• visit Stephen King's house
• finish a novel
• publish a novel