Welcome 2025, New Year's Resolutions, and Spring Update!

WELCOME 2025!

Yes, I clearly stalled out on this project. When I started this blog a year ago, I felt like I had a voice and something to say. However, I stalled out with weight loss after the first three months, and eventually stopped posting after October because I had no updates. Nothing changes if nothing changes, and I didn't want to put the effort into making changes (mostly with nutrition).

It's not a hard concept really. Eat a clean diet while allowing some fun foods (aka an overall caloric deficit), walk 30-60 minutes a day, and strength train a few days a week. But can't someone just wave a wand to skip over the next 100 pounds?! I just can't seem to get into a good routine. Even on weeks I meal plan, I seem to fall off the caloric diet because I don't like feeling hungry. And I struggled committing to a routine. For a couple weeks I dabbled with the following:

1. Wake up at 5:30. Make bed, bathroom, change, get coffee or tea ready, brush teeth, meds.

2. Gym 6ish-7ish between cardio and weights. Usually pretty empty so I could snag a treadmill and didn't feel judged while lifting (even though logically I know no one REALLY cares)

3. Shower/get ready for work/breakfast.

4. Leave for work 8-8:10, punch out at 5pm. Have the night to relax, eat dinner, run errands etc.

5. Get in bed at 9 so I could sleep 9:30-5:30. Repeat

But then I started staying up later and later. I would attempt to get up at 5:30 on lifting days and planned on walking after work. Then it was cold, or windy, or I wasn't feeling good... And in the mornings my bed was warm and comfy.

Now the newest struggle: I've walked a total of maybe 5 times in the last month between being lazy or a sore left foot- 3/23 the Achilles tendon was super painful. And even worse- no walking in the near future. I finally went to an ortho walk in clinic Sat 4/5 and I'm to wear a boot for a month, and go to PT. The hope is the boot will stabilize the tendon while walking, and PT can help loosen the tendons in both feet for a full range of motion as well as strengthen my ankles as I heal. The doctor suggested I try an exercise bike in the gym so I'm doing SOMETHING (can take the boot off while pedaling), and can still do dumbbell exercises, so now I have to just get back in the swing of things. I generally don't like bikes because the seat hurts when using a regular one, and I can't get comfortable with my gut and short legs on a bike with a back on the seat. I have to ask myself: am I willing to be uncomfortable for 30 minutes a day in order to make my overall life more comfortable? Below is my beautiful boot; right now my name ideas are Bertha and Betty. Let me know if you have any other ideas 😂

Initial New Year's Resolutions (and the update):

1. Commit to a social media time limit (Facebook and Instagram), initially set at 1hr each and played with 30 minutes as well. This has mixed reviews- it's easier during the work week since I'm at work (duh) but still find myself adjusting the time limits some evenings, and on the weekends I can be on each app up to 2-3 hours. It's horrible! I'll tell myself 5 minutes and 40 will go by!

2. Read a book a month. I started the year with 9 that I had purchased between 2021-2024 so it was time to finally read them! And once those 9 are read I can use my town library, or reread some in my bookcase that I don't remember. Getting back into reading on top of exercising and meal prep will help with lower social media use. This is going okay. I read two full books and am 43% into my third so if I can really push through I can read two books this month and be on track!

3. Walk every day. Initially I was working with someone (no longer as of end of Feb(?)) who was pushing me to walk 9000 steps MWF, 8000 on T/Th aka strength training days, and 10,000 on weekends since I wasn't sitting at the desk. I felt myself getting burned out and on a very strict schedule so I had some mental resistance, partly because I went from 0 to 100 and partly because I just wasn't committing 100% to the lifestyle. I was also resistant because an endocrinologist had recommended I start with 30 minutes a day, which seemed much more achievable, but would "only" get about 6000 on work days.

4. Eat under 2000 calories a day. Basically consuming 2000-3000 daily between food and drink calories so not achieving this goal, and not tracking every day.

   
   

Current goals:

1. Recommit to 1 hour each of Facebook and Instagram, and DON'T adjust it when I hit it. Once I'm consistent I will adjust even lower.

2. Continue to read.

3. Since I can't walk right now, I should commit to 30 minutes on a bike a day with 3 days strength training. I will walk to the gym tomorrow and give it my best! I should also YouTube chair workouts 🤔

4. Track food every day and eat under 2000 calories.

5. Blog updates on a more consistent basis. I do use the Caitlin's Healthy IG page fairly often to post random food, thought, and movement updates!

If you made it this far, thank you! Overall, I'm tired of feeling like I'm just existing, and only I can fix it. I can't let loneliness or boredom get the best of me. If I get back into a good routine and fill up my time with healthy habits like reading and exercising, I will decrease social media which causes me to compare myself to others and live their lives. Of course, I would like to fill some weekend time with friends and family, so please reach out even if it's to check in!