Make the magic happen….again! My 2020 plan

Most people start their weight loss and fitness plans on January 1. I have discovered through trial and error that my Jan 1 is really July 15th.

The Background: Two years ago March I fell and broke my wrist and dislocated my elbow, shortly after finding out that my knee arthritis was putting me very close to replacement surgery. It was a very long recovery. The first knee injection worked like a charm, I thought I can do this every 6 months, piece of cake. Then I fell again and the surface scrapes took three months to heal to where I could get another injection. And it didn’t work. So they tried gel. It didn’t work either. I could barely walk, let alone exercise. Then two dental implants failed, right after I turned 70. Turned, I think I mean downturned 70.

Time passed, I got the implants reimplanted and decided to take a pause to make sure they would be solid before I got the crowns replaced. There was a three month window after the last dental procedure and so the surgery was scheduled for mid October. Yay, success! I had a great result.

The Metabolism: I have a wonky metabolism. I gain weight in the late winter and spring then lose it in the summer and fall. Except I was doing the gaining part and not the losing part due to all of the above. We tried meds for SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), didn’t work. And so a year ago now I was at my highest weight….ever and now facing knee surgery.

The Fix: The fix came from an unusual place. I take (then in person, now online) chair and yin yoga classes. To get ready for my TKR, I scheduled a private session with my yoga instructor. After she gave me a stretching and pose plan we sat and chatted. I mentioned my desire to lose weight and she said the magic words.

The magic: She asked a simple question. What one food could I give up that would propel me to my goal. Hmmh! One food? Just one? Okay. I picked chips and popcorn. Not really my first choice but I needed a start. After about two weeks I fessed up to myself and moved to cookies, my true nemesis. I then repeated a round of Whole30 to jumpstart my weight loss followed by Food Freedom Forever with some mild 10/14 Intermittent fasting. I also started some pre-op PT in our local pool with the licensed PT folks from the local hospital. The pool is a therapy pool and heated to 90ish degrees. I dropped about 15 by time I had the surgery and continued on. By mid January I had lost about 30 pounds. I say about because I really am not sure where I started. I jumped on the scale one morning and jumped right back off before it could settle in because I could not face that number.

The winter: We took off for Florida for the month of February. Fun, sun, lots of walking, pool aerobics, 4 weight rooms at the resort. I felt healthy and fit and ready to take off for Roatan with a friend for most of the month of March. Then I got the flu, Influenza A, for the first time in my life as a nurse. I was not happy that my body had betrayed me but it cancelled a trip early in the pandemic that could have been a disaster. My friend got stuck on the remote island for several extra weeks, as did her husband. So I hunkered down in quarantine so I would not give Influenza A to anyone nor pick up Covid-19. And there crept the pounds, not totally unexpected. I kept it to about 10 -12 pounds.
So...now it is July 15th again, the day I started last year. I am just under 20 pounds less than I was last year on this date.
I have not had a cookie or a chip for several weeks, I stopped buying them in late June.

2020 Plan...as if anyone can actually make a plan.


I will do another round of Whole30 when I see a window in the next month or two.
I will follow Food Freedom forever in the meantime, using a majority of Whole30 approved foods.

I will practice Intermittent fasting with a variable window of eating and fasting. I think the best I have ever done is a 6/18 but I will aim for a 12 hour fasting window at the minimum.
I will continue to aim for 7500 steps, 60 minutes and at least 10 hours of 250 steps or more 5 days per week
I will do an ST or yoga video three to five days per week.
I will follow BLC and 5% team challenges aiming for full participation but understanding that I am not aiming for perfection.
I will roll with this plan, knowing full well that this year’s challenges are so very different than last year’s challenges.
I will be flexible.
I will re-evaluate and make changes as indicated by my progress.
I will rely on my s for support.