Winter Arc anyone?

[LumionaMoonsplash]

In line with the princessing threads, is anyone else doing a Winter Arc? For the past 3 years, I've started my New Year, New Me in October so that I have good habits ingrained before the eventual Jan restart. I usually do a Oct clock change to Mar clock change and theoretically emerge from my winter cocoon and beautiful 🦋. I have made great strides over the last 2 years and lost 5st, in a good gym routine, choose healthy meals. I do tend to take my foot off the pedal over summer so have decided to start this years Winter Arc now.
Anyone interested in joining?

My plans/ aims/ goals:

• choose nutritious small meals
• reduce alcohol intake
• lots of sleep
• lots of water
• 4 gym sessions a week
• walk everyday, get out in the sun for vit D as much as possible
• teeth whitening strips
• body lotion after every shower
• foot lotion before bed
• use lumea on the last few patches
• blowdry my hair every wash
• use up my serums and face masks
• reframe every thought into a positive
• Declutter one drawer/ cupboard a week

I'm saving up for a new wardrobe of decent clothes when I hit my goal weight (1 stone off). I've been wearing cheap clothes whilst losing weight.

I love this- never heard of a winter arc before. Mine will be
start using dermatica again (my skin is still very sensitive to it which puts me off)
avoid gaining the winter padding (inevitable half a stone by Xmas)
floss more
carry lip balm everywhere
reduce UPFs

Day 1 Week 1:
I've been for a luxury pedicure with the chiropodist, nice soft feet. I didn't manage the gym after a bad nights sleep, I will be going tomorrow.

I have my minimal make up routine down, did my full skincare tonight followed by a collagen mask and teeth whitening strips.

Just about to put my led face mask on for a bit then my eye massager before bed.

Yay, welcome.

I have lip balm and hand lotion everywhere. Now I seem to have water bottles where ever I spend longer than an hour.

Would love to join you both. Good reminder about lip balm @Gymbunny2025 you've reminded me my lips got so dry last winter. Thanks for the thread @LumionaMoonsplash I love all things self care and do a fair bit daily. I really need to start looking after my feet better as they are looking a bit old and dry. At the moment I am on the lookout for a good face mask and something to put in the bath for dry skin. Will report back if I find anything.

Welcome @Justanotherdramalama .

I'm not a new thread starter, been on MN for 20yrs but lurk and post a bit here and there if I think I can help somehow so this is an exciting new frontier for me.

Week 1 Day 2:
☆ great night's sleep which has made all the difference today
☆ New nails 💅 day. I've gone for simple nude which makes me feel more elegant than my usual nail art. I really love them and may keep them like this for some time.
☆ 2 bottles of water and kept my food plan of small portions of whole foods.
☆ Done a gym session followed by a sauna and steam.
☆ all clean and moisturised
☆ remembered to take all my vitamins and minerals

This is such a good idea. If I can only manage it without spending all the Christmas money on myself to achieve it!…

Normally for me enhanced willpower in one area means the rest goes out the window.

@SnappyOchre start slow with what you have, adding a couple of new things in a week.
Sleep, water and rest can make a huge difference to how you feel and costs little.

So far so good for me. I’ve had two very good sleeps, no booze, minimal junk food (I have a very sweet tooth). The good sleeping is probably down to the cooler temperatures but I am feeling buoyed by it.

Good sleep makes such a big difference doesn’t it. I would love more but not sure how! Although my sleep is better than it was.

my snacking has been minimal this week. Been to the gym every day and have awful DOMs which is good 😂

think I’m going to focus on skincare today

Love this idea! Will be following.

I find I sleep so much better if I do a bit of reading before bed from a physical book. Even just ten minutes seems to make a difference regardless of whether I then do a bit of scrolling or put on a podcast afterwards.

Could I join please? I've lost over 4 stone in the last year and have told DH that I'm "entering my glow up era." 🤣 I'm getting closer to the big 40 and want to feel like I finally have my shit together.

Things I've done so far:

Good sleep routine

Intermittent fasting

Reducing UPFs

Reached a healthy BMI

Consistent skincare routine

Simple makeup routine that I do every day

Capsule(ish) wardrobe. I've lost a couple of dress sizes so I've had to pretty much buy a whole new wardrobe and have decided to keep it minimal both for financial and headspace reasons.

Thrown out all of my horrible fleeces and leggings that made me look and feel awful but that I used to live in!

Things I want to work on

Drinking more water

Taking my vitamins every day

Eating more fruit and veg

Exercising more

Looking after my hands and feet

Flossing my teeth more regularly

Hair removal and make sure I shave my legs, pluck my eyebrows etc more regularly

Get a good haircut

Welcome @Ponks and @GameOfJones , a decent list to work on there.

I headed to the shop for some treats today and walked out with none, didn't actually want any of them. This is a huge step for me.

Treated myself to an hours massage at lunchtime, it was glorious. Still feel super relaxed. My feet are still looking good after my pedicure on Monday, I'd normally be embarrassed about the heels in public.

I will be heading to the gym later for a swim, sauna, steam and jacuzzi. Blowdry and style my hair properly and perhaps another teeth whitening and face mask before bed.

I have terrible habit of doomscrolling before sleep. I've switched to podcasts, they definitely help me to switch off.

Extra beauty points for listening whilst using my LED face mask or electric heated eye massager.

I admit thay my nutrition could have been better this weekend but I've had a full pamper shower this evening and styled my hair in its natural waves instead of blowdrying it straight for a change. It's tied up in a tshirt to scrunch it more overnight, 🤞it works.

Been to the Trafford Centre this weekend and picked up some clothes, it was an actual joy trying on clothes in normal shops now I've lost 5stone. I'm also a dark warm autumn according to HOC that I religiously stick to (other than black gym wear) and it's so nice that all of my shades were in the shops. Now I'm mid 40s, I'm looking to switch my style for more classic and elegant clothes instead of the comfy casual clothes I tend to live in.

Upcoming appts this week: hairdresser for my roots and bikini wax. I've 3 gym sessions planned. Off for an early night now. Good luck everyone.

That all sounds great. I love the Trafford centre!

I’ve spent no time on pampering. Definitely something I need to improve. I’ve even got my dermatica cream in bedside drawer!

I have done 5 gym classes this weekend. Had a nap afterwards on Saturday as so exhausted but luckily slept well last night.

I’ve done well at vitamins, protein smoothies and water. Not so well on snacking sadly but have had healthy meals otherwise. I’m definitely getting better at eating lunch which makes me less hungry to snack

next week I’m planning a hair mask, start skin care routine and also have a contact lense appointment

Excellent work on the gym and vitamins. 👏

Can I please join? I’m pretty good at self care, but unlike everyone else on MN, I have not lost loads of weight lately and am really not feeling myself! I’m in the trenches of peri and have gone from a 10/12 to a solid (very solid 😂) 12, with a bloated tummy.

I currently:

Average about 12k steps a day over a week
Lift 5Kg dumbbells with various moves every night
Get my hair cut every four weeks, eyebrows done every three
Do my own nails/feet, wear nice makeup and clothes

I need to:

Cut down booze
Stop snacking
Get to bed earlier and stop fannying around scrolling TikTok

I got Botox (baby Botox) for the first time a couple of weeks ago and that has made a huge difference to my frown-y, angry looking face!

Update over the weekend:

✅ Got outside and went on a walk
✅ Applied foot cream
✅ Painted my toenails
✅ Gave myself a mini facial
✅ Took my vitamins
✅ Skincare routine
✅ Applied body lotion
✅ Bought myself a couple of new items of clothing
✅ Conscious of drinking more water

Things I still need to work on:

❌ Didn't go on my exercise bike
❌ Need to focus more on nutrition. Meals were within calories but not very healthy.
❌ Still need to shave my legs!

Hope everyone is enjoying the cozy change of seasons.

I've been feeling a little rundown and some trouble sleeping which I think is hormonal. I have been taking it easy when I can but still enjoyed 4 gym and swim sessions last week and aim for the same this week.

What I really need is a good walk in the fresh air. I might force myself out tomorrow even if it's lashing it down.

The weather has brought me into stew season so eating nutritiously has been easy.

I had my roots done at the hairdressers and a bikini wax last week, no upcoming beauty appts this week. I do need to get my lashes and brows done but I shall try to eek another week or two out of them.

I'm usually very resilient but honestly all the current world political turmoil and it just feels like lots of opposing views yelling at each other across tv, social media, comment sections, even MN which is often my safe space. It has left me quite despondent and stressed which is not like me at all. I've taking to focusing on my family, health and sticking to pretty Pinterest boards instead of tiktok. I love a personality test even though they are all bollocks, I tested to be an Enneagram 5w6 which I've enjoyed looking into.

Not posted for a month because I've been really struggling with my health. My energy levels have been on the floor. I've been exhausted from morning to night, felt like I've been mentally wading through mud. My mood has never felt so low. Last week it clicked that I'd changed my HRT and they'd put me on a low dosage. I've been on a higher dosage for not even a week and feel amazing, the depression has gone, I sleep well and have energy, the heart palpitations and anxiety have gone and I feel human again.

With that, I've been back to the gym this weekend and I'm a couple of lbs down. I did a collagen mask yesterday and my skin feels so good.

This week, I aim to get some decent steps in and wear the makeup and perfume every day.

Had a good Christmas, now back to the vision board for the Winter Arc. I'm getting some good habits down before the usual wait for 1st Jan.

Focus is back on whole foods, small portions or nutrients dense foods. Lots of water during the day.

I'm off this week so have been working on getting my home and calendar organised. Set up to do lists, notes and reminders.

Gym and/or swim at least every other day and a good walk outside if the weather isn't grim.

I've been using my LED mask most evenings and I have a stack of sheet serum masks that I've scheduled in for twice a week.

I've spent this week catching up on sleep and pottering, doing those jobs that needed to get done.

I'm itching to take down the Xmas Decs and deep clean the house, we usually do this 27/29th but we are having family over NYD so might keep the house festive for a bit longer.

Hope the Winter Arc is going well for everyone.

Sounds great @LumionaMoonsplash How are you finding the LED mask? I'm interested but the glowing reviews I've read so far mention the positive impact on acne and rosacea. My issue is just early wrinkles so not sure if it is worth the cost for that!

Sounds wonderful. Thanks for reporting back. We have taken most decs down, and tree coming down tomorrow. I’ve also been giving the house a huge spring clean which has been very therapeutic. 4 charity bags so far filled and returned! We’ve got a new rug in the office to keep it warmer and been lighting the fire so it’s felt lovely and cosy. Now that all the Christmas food has gone, I’m also making an effort to only eat whole foods. I got a lovely book on eating seasonally with some recipes that I plan to follow throughout the year. The gym is annoyingly busy but I go every day and can’t see that changing! Just got to get through January!

looking to 2026 I’m doing a low but year, have son’s birthday coming up soon and a half marathon in spring. Plenty to keep me focussed 😊

one thing I would LOVE to improve is my sleep but no idea how!!

how is everyone else getting on?

Mine is not a very expensive one, so I suspect is as effective and putting Xmas lights on my face for 15m. However I do continue to do it, it's quite relaxing. My skin is slowly clearing up but I think that's hormonal rather than topical. I would recommend getting a decent mask and look into the light wavelengths.