Preparing for 2025 glow up!

[snowlady4]

Hope this is a suitable place to post this..do move it if not.
I know we've not even had our indulgent christmas and new year yet.. but I'm so looking forward to a 2025 reset!
My main goal (as usual,) will be to lose a bit of weight.
But, beyond that, I really want to take control of making myself feel good.
Weight loss is part of it for me..
But I also just want to have better nutrition and develop some better habits for skincare and fashion etc
I'd also like to do some small things that will improve how I feel overall.. read more, make more time for hobbies, cut back on alcohol and processed crap, meditate/pray more, clear out the house a bit, be better financially...
Loads of things to focus on really.
For now, I'm not going to get worried about the weight loss.. that can wait until new year, but I am going to really increase my water and fruit/veg intake. I go through phases where I'm brilliant at this- and I really do notice it makes me feel better- I think it's all about developing habits and keeping them!
Anybody feel like joinging me on my quest to be feeling fab next year?

A little late to the party but can I join you? Last year was a weird one for me - redundancy, moving back in with my parents, a new job, a divorce and eventually a new house. Somewhere in between felt like self-esteem shrank and I'm keen to get back on track and feel connected to myself again.

Trying to take a day by day at the moment, but this thread has been really inspiring to me! I may need to move more but finding it hard working from home and being a single parent to a 2 and a four-year-old. I'm alone a lot of the time so it's really easy to get away with being a bit of a lazy so-and-so haha.

My goals right now are to lose six or so kilos through healthy eating and movement and claw back some sparkle (goodness knows how - I welcome any tips!)

hi @rubyroma that sounds like a lot for anybody to go through in one year, you must be very resilient! I hope this year will be bring lots of good karma your way ☺️

a couple of us have began listing different treats/rewards to look forward too after we reach certain milestones with weight loss so perhaps start there? My first one will be a BIAB manicure!

Welcome @rubyroma. Sorry to hear about your awful year. Hopefully better things lie ahead.

I can relate to what you mean about losing yourself along with your self esteem and also being home alone most of the time. I think that's why I let things slide because I've been a single mum for a loooong time and so there's noone to impress😂
But it's time to start doing things just for me again.

Taking things day by day seems like a sensible approach. All the little things add up and become good habits without us realising.

Thanks @StreathamLocal2023 and @Twopintsprick81 life's full of twists and turns hey! But we all have our challenges and things going on in the background so I really do feel like I need to get a grip now and become a brighter role model for my kids.

I reread atomic habits recently and have been doing little things that boost my energy and will hopefully add up, my main ones being:

• Drink 500ml water while I'm doing the school/nursery run morning and afternoon to boost my hydration
• Put my vitamins out for the next morning when I'm washing up at night time
• Try to do the longest plank I can manage every time I boil the kettle

I like the idea of treating myself when I meet a goal, I'm definitely going to have a think on that one!

@rubyroma Love the plank while the kettle boils idea! My core is pathetic and currently I can only do about 20 seconds!!

@Sunflowers098 mine is too! I'm at 35 seconds but at the rate I'm procrastinating drinking tea that will increase in no time 😅

@rubyroma Love it🤣🤣 My other problem with implementing your plan is my Labrador would definitely want to join in! Even harder doing a plank with 30kg of bouncing dog on your back 😂😂

@Sunflowers098 haha oh god yes make sure the dog is out of the room! My kids also see it as an invitation for a donkey ride so they can't be around either 😅

I'm starting a 12 week gym weight loss programme today. Last year was so stressful for me and I couldn't get myself in the right place to stick to anything so this is my starting point. I went for a massage in early December and found it beneficial so that's going to be a regular thing. Having completely lost my mojo for walking I've also managed to get out for a couple of decent walks recently. There's an event in early May I want to be in better shape for and I've got a goal to buy a piece of clothing from a particular brand once I've lost weight.

Peri menopause has been awful for me - sleep disrupted and I've gone from being an early riser doing stuff before work to not being able to drag myself out of bed, exhausted. So I want to change that and get me back.

I've been doing atomic habits too. My current one is standing on one leg while I brush my teeth!

@NigelHarmansNewWife can i join you please. I've got a family wedding in spring that I want to be 2 stone lighter for

@Roundrobinup - yes, please do. I need to weigh myself (it's as bad as I thought, I was weighed at the doctor's a couple of days ago at a blood pressure review) and take measurements and the trainer will set calories and macros for me.

I'm going to go and do my hair and make up and get out and about instead of hibernating today!

I listened to relaxing music when I got into bed last night and slept better than I had all week. It was also Friday with no work the next day though.

Hey can I please join you guys! Single mum here also.

I've just joined a gym with a crèche and it takes me over 2 hours to get there, but it's worth it as it forces me to exercise properly, which I don't really do at home.

I'm trying to think about what else I can do to help with weight loss, toning up, strengthening at home in between going there, as only able to go once or twice a week atm, due to the long commute.

I'm also trying to do the declutter 2025 things by the end of 2025 thread that's on here, which was going well but plateaued when I started commuting to the gym this week 😂

My main goal alongside this is cook more to save on take away, grabbing sandwiches out etc. I have an Aldi near me but I heavily rely on the co-op near me which is way too expensive, as it's easier than getting the bus to Aldi and back. But I need to make that a new habit, alongside meal planning and food prepping to take with us, for when we're out and about. My glow up will involve some new clothes, but I need to stop the over spending on overpriced food to be able to get them!

I also want to decorate a new house but that might be a later on in 2025 goal!

Welcome @Christmasandallthetrimmings. Wow, 2 hours to the gym!! I admire your dedication.

For tips for working out at home, do you have a garden or space to use a skipping rope? I know skipping is a great, cheap form of cardio. I personally despise the gym so I've built up a good collection of dumbells and weight plates at home and tend to stick to Caroline Girvan workout programmes or I'll just choose my own lifts. But if you don't fancy shelling out on equipment, there are tons of body weight programmes online for free that you could follow. I don't know of anyone in particular but I'm sure someone else could recommend someone.
Or as @rubyroma is doing, you could start doing planks, sit ups, lunges, whatever.. every time you boil the kettle or maybe during the ad breaks etc.

You could also consider buying a kettlewell. You can often buy them for cheap at aldi and similar places around this time of year. There are kettlewell workouts online that can be effective for strength training and it saves you buying loads of different equipment.

Kettlebell not kettlewell obvs🙈

I just assumed kettlewell was the 2025 name for a new way of working out with a new piece of equipment 😂

Love the idea of doing planks whilst the kettle is boiling, going to try it!

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll look into them :) I've been on the sofa all day, but got the post workout pains, so it's a great excuse. 😂

@Christmasandallthetrimmings @Twopintsprick81 @rubyroma
I think Kettlewell should be a new name for exercises done while the kettle boils 🤣🤣

Haven't posted on the thread since before the new year. Have been trying to have healthier eating habits since new years day, doing well, have had no chocolate, biscuits, sweets(I can't do moderation, easier to have none than try and control a small amount. Am down 5.5 lbs so far, about a stone and a half to go. Wasn't able to walk last week as we had very bad snow and frost here so I couldn't get out. Back to it tomorrow though.

Haven't don't anything on the glow up front and need to start. Had a Christmas night out last night with a sports team I play with(had been delayed from before Christmas due to weather) and totally felt like a complete frump Everyone was so glam and I was way under dressed and just felt crap. Anyone any suggestions for slow steps to "glow up"?

What are your goals for the week?

Mine is to dance and to sing every day this week - not for long, perhaps 10 mins each.

Believing in small steps - the walking and eating are going well, adding something small and enjoyable on top

@Ihaveaskedyouthrice that's amazing I so admire your consistency! It's made such a difference to wake up to a warmer week, I'm looking forward to a lunchtime walk.

@loveyouradvice I love this too - we could all do with some more dancing in our lives. I've really noticed how my fun and silliness takes a nosedive when the kids aren't around.

Morning all.

I'm off today, so had a nice lie in. My fitbit said I had 1hr 45 deep sleep, usually average about 50 minutes!

I'm prepping for an interview today (it's on Thursday), so am going to go for my lunchtime walk and body blast later.

I'm feeling really motivated, I weighed myself on the weekend and am back to pre-christmas weight 😊

Aims this week:
Continue tracking my calories
Make some breakfast muffins for the week
Continue to 8000 steps a day
Start my weights class tomorrow
To introduce 20 minutes of calisthenics 3 times this week (tried it last night and enjoyed it).

Have a good week all 😊

@rubyroma - I think that might be one of my mottos for this year - a bit more fun and silliness! Definitely need more now that DC are at uni...

Don't be so hard on yourself.. bet you looked lovely.
BUT.. if you think others looked more glam than you, copy them! What were they wearing that you liked? I find a trip to the hairdressers is a huge help when you want to feel your best.
You're doing great on the weightloss too.

Hey glow up-ers 👋

Feeling pleased today as I weighed myself and I'm back to my pre Christmas weight. Still a stone heavier than I'd like to be but it's a start! I think lack of wine is doing me some good (dry Jan) but healthy eating and meal planning as well apart from the Chinese on Saturday.

I've also been doing body pump and spinning, and trying to walk my dogs more 'intentionally I.e. trying to work up a bit of a sweat instead of just ambling along. Have started using audible for my walks so I'm less likely to start dawdling and scrolling.

Tbh I still feel very meh when I look in the mirror - my hair looks crap and although I've been trying to be consistent with my skincare I still think I look dull and tired. I've been taking well woman vitamins that are supposed to help healthy skin, hair, nails etc but I'm probably being impatient.

One thing I've been doing that I'm enjoying is learning French with Dualingo. We are off to France in the summer (part of my glow up goal is to feel nice on holiday) but I thought I'd add in a bit of an intellectual element to my glow up 🤣 it involves speaking into the microphone so I feel a bit of a wally at times but it'll all be worth it when I'm a slim, toned goddess with perfect hair and skin speaking fluent French all summer long (in my dreams anyway....)

I've done two out of three gym sessions this week. Got a doctor's appointment tomorrow before work and I've enough time to walk there and back to get my steps in.

I'm tracking calories and macros using Chronometer. Lots of protein so I'm feeling full. I'm planning ahead what I'm going to eat and it's going well.