My 2024 ‘overhaul my life’ thread

[thenewaveragebear1983]

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/weight_loss_chat/4695746-i-need-to-lose-23lbs-in-2023-and-overhaul-my-life

last year I did a big life overhaul and thought I’d do the same in 2024 to keep me on track. Feel free to comment or join in!

stuff that went well

• i did lose weight, I was 153lbs at my last weigh in so I lost 17lbs although I think my post Xmas weigh in will see a few of those returning
• i got a new job
• I got my puppy 🐶
• I got put on hrt for my anxiety and my mental health is a lot better
• I climbed snowdon, ran 950kms and did 60 gym classes

Goals for 2024

• continue with slimming world. I have 3 weighs left on my countdown, and I will then buy another. My aim is to get any Xmas gain off before this countdown ends, then average 1lb a week in my next one. I’d then be 10st - I think that’s my target.
• Dry January, leading to 100 days dry. I really want to give up drinking both for my weight and my health
• Self care routine- I need to get some sort of skincare/ grooming routine in place
• my dog has put paid to my gym classes as I cannot get to the morning classes now, so while I am walking a lot, I’m not doing any strength stuff so I am going to build in a home workout schedule, starting small.
• I enjoy my job, I want to do some training and consider where I can go within the company
• i have some cardio issues and thyroid issues, I want to consider coming off HRT and pursuing a diagnosis for this.
• Snowdon really gave me the wanderlust and I want to do more
• I need to get some friends. I have realised this Christmas that I actually don’t have anyone, I’m so very lonely and I don’t really know why I don’t have anyone. So I want to find hobbies/other ways to meet people and socialise. (Need to give this some thought)

Update from me… I have list one stone 8 pounds so far and am very pleased! Attending gym and doing lots of waking!

Happy birthday @thenewaveragebear1983 sounds like you have a lovely day planned! And congratulations on all that amazing progress!

This thread had slipped off my radar but I have been thinking and reflecting on it as I’ve had a busy year.

i’ve joined a new gym and have been attending that every week for a couple of sessions. It’s nothing dramatic but it’s good cross training and I have met people which I really needed.
I’ve made efforts to socialise with people, contacting old friends and school mums etc and have had some social things off that. I’m still really lonely actually and don’t really have many ‘deep’ friendships but I have enjoyed these social things and it’s been nice to have Christmas socials as last year I had none.

my diet has gone to shit the last few weeks but I am planning a whole 30 in January and I actually intend to quit drinking in 2025

I’ve had some running injuries which have impacted my training but I am still intending to run London 2025 and have 18 weeks to train.

i’fe been doing some career coaching and I am finding that really useful.

Just reread this thread and I weigh exactly the same now as I did on 1st Jan! So a whole year of dieting has had zero impact because I’ve not been consistent and have gained /lost/gained all year. That’s annoying!

You may weigh the same - but you haven't put back the weight you lost the year before, despite HRT and thyroid issues - both of which can cause weight gain - and you joined a gym - so good on you! Also, this time last year you had no Christmas socials and this year you have. I think those are all amazing achievements and good progress.

Thanks @OwlWeiwei . Yes you are right. I felt like I'd achieved nothing really until I reread this thread. Hope you've had a good year too?

It's been a bit of an upheaval year - some good stuff, some life-change stuff and a lot of illness and not as much fitness as I usual have. So next year I will try to focus on staying fit and healthy.

Btw, that friendship thing - I had exactly the same and went through a phase of having no real close friends - it can take time for real friendships to develop. I have a handful of good friends now and have - like you - taken trouble to visit old school friends and family a bit more. I bet this time next year at least one friendship will have blossomed into something close.

Hi, it’s nice to see this thread pop up and think about this year! I started 24 with no job and feeling very flat. I finally got a job, but not until June. I also lost weight and started to join the gym and work on my fitness again. I feel stressed this Christmas but I’m still here and in 25 I will have different things to work on. Lovely to see your updates x

I just checked my original post and realised I have actually lost a stone in weight this year, so that has cheered me. Still got at least one more stone to go - ideally 20-25lbs.

And almost finished the private project I had on the go. And had three good weekends with DSis who lives 100s of miles away, which is more than we'd ever managed before. So this year was closer to what I planned than I realised. Just so much other upheaval and illness too. That's life, I suppose!

@LucyLatimer I'm already thinking of my 2025 goals as well. I am running London marathon next year, and I also want to do another mountain hike. I want to take my doggie to the seaside as well.

@OwlWeiwei well done 👏 a stone is amazing! I have yo-yoed about, I actually started the year at 10.13 but went up to 12.1, went as low as 10.7, now back down to 11.0 ish. But I haven't quite found my groove and I'm bouncing around all over the place. 2025 I need to find my thing and stick to it, the yo-yo is exhausting and ineffective.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I don't diet. I just don;t find that results in permanent weight loss. I lose weight by massively increasing exercise and then focusing on healthy eating and modd-enhancing non-food treats and relaxing activities. Not perfected this plan by any means - still over healthy BMI and need to lose 20-25lbs to actually look slim and be middle of B<I. But it is something i can do and don't dread. Dieting just triggers binge eating for me, so it's not worth ever doing it.

@OwlWeiwei I hate dieting too. I am rubbish at calorie counting and I always end up guessing/estimating. Any sort of calorie deficit for more than a few days and it seems to switch on an uncontrollable appetite in me. The only time I have ever felt really in control of food was when I cut out virtually all processed foods doing whole 30, cut out all sugar and bread and dairy. I could then basically eat whatever I wanted/needed and weight dropped off me. However annoyingly I tried to reintroduce them in moderation and I cannot moderate so I'm back where I started. I am planning to do whole30 again in January though.

I had such a lovely evening last night with my gym buddies, it was so nice to just hang out and they are all chatty like me, we just talked the whole night about everything under the sun and it was just such a tonic.

Good to see your updates., and it's really good to reflect on progress during the year.

I joined this thread in May, and I do feel I have made some changes since then.

One thing on the back of my mind was that I could be size 12 by Christmas. That hasn't happened- I am still resolutely size 14, but I've been a lot more consistent about fitness- I go to the gym or yoga 3 x a week, it wasn't as regular or as frequent before. So my figure is marginally better- and certainly hasn't gotten any worse.

I aim to not eat sugar- it comes in now and then, but that has made a huge difference to slimming down my stomach.

And I've made some progress with saving and investing- which hopefully goes hand in hand with getting a bit more overall control of my life.

The friend thing for me has not really taken off- but hopefully that will be something I can work on next year.

So since my update, I have been so unwell! I've developed Bell's palsy and it's been a horrible week, I'm signed off work and currently not really showing much improvement at all. I feel really really unwell and it's certainly making me rethink my goals for 2025 to focus more on self care. When I feel a bit better I will definitely be following whole 30 for a month to build myself back up as I feel very rundown and have done all December. I need more sleep, less alcohol and generally better self care.