New Year's Resolutions

[Physiciancouple.com]

This is not remotely finance related (sorry WCI), but perhaps in the interest of accountability we can put up some goals for ourselves for the new year.

I would like to get my weight to 175lbs which would put me at a BMI <25 (probably last time I weighed this was my freshman year of college). After my workout this AM I am at 192lbs. I am hoping to do this through eating healthier/portion control, drinking less beer (sorry PoF), and working out in my home gym ~5 mornings a week (along with regular walks with the dog/kids). I bought a nice Precor eliptical machine a year or two ago that has been gathering dust and have some PowerBlock adjustable dumbbells/bench, along with music and a TV in my home gym - so no excuse. The biggest barriers to my goal will be of course my laziness and figuring out how to work in the exercise time without taking away from family time.

My reasons for this goal are both vain (would like to look better) and to have more energy to play with my kids and hopefully avoid needing to start antihypertensives (strong family history and I have had borderline elevated BPs the past few medical appointments I've had).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. Grateful for the site and all of the knowledge I have acquired because of you all!

[VagabondMD]

The same displine required for building wealth applies also to health and fitness. Make exercise a habit, like brushing your teeth in the morning.

[Zaphod]

Yep. Its exceedingly simple as a concept, and extremely difficult to execute. So I think its very finance related.

What I tell my pts who are not at a optimal bmi to have surgery is basically to slowly adjust things towards your ultimate goals. That means taking things at a more realistic pace, with more realistic goals and outcomes. For weight, its just diet. Working out is excellent but really for fitness, and paradoxically can initially make weight loss more difficult as the hunger increase can be intense and the relative proportions of working out time with calories time is not favorable.

Dont expect any weight loss from working out, the goals from each facet are different. Weight is in the kitchen, fitness is working out.

Basically I tell them diets dont work at all and they need to ease into a lifestyle change that is best embodied by making slightly better choices each day and just like in finance you allow these better choices to compound over time so that in 6 months/2 years you're choices are dramatically better than they were when you started but the day to day differences practically dont exist. The trend is whats important, and day to day fluctuations are to be expected. Dont set yourself up for failure with ridiculous weight goals at some time x, dont fall for the all or nothing fallacy, improvement is improvement and as long as youre grossly tracking thats fine. I basically attempt the same for myself of course in everything I can. Obviously this is changed to fit their general understanding level.

Compounding can be applied to so many things in life as a conceptual framework, its powerful.

 

[Peds]

Same. Like literally. At 192...but looking at a more modest 185. Good luck!

[Antares]

192 here seeking 175. Unbelievable.

[Bmac]

Perhaps the WCI’s New Years goal should beresolving the Chinese spam conundrum. They seem quite busy on Christmas.

[wideopenspaces]

Mine is to start running again. I switched to walking an hour 5-7 days a week since I got pregnant. Baby is 14 months now, so . . . I plan to start ramping things up in the spring. Pre- baby I ran about 5 miles most days and I'd like to get back to that.

[Hatton]

I tell patients who ask me about my weight (BMI 19-20) to do weight watchers (online) and count their steps on their phone.  Weight watchers is the only diet I have seen work.  I think it is really portion control emphasis.  When I hear people say they just can't lose weight I notice the Coke they are drinking.  I always notice at the hospital all the overweight people gathered at the elevator and the thin people taking the stairs.  New Years fitness plan...Yoga twice per week.  6000 steps per day.  (Cut from 10k due to knee issues.)

[q-school]

i'm still trying to get rid of my sympathetic pregnancy weight from 12 years ago.

it's an uphill battle for sure.

 

[TheGipper]

My New Years Goals (started today!):

1) Weight down to 170.  Since I have no will power with eating healthy, I will go back to my prior routine of fasting twice a week.  I know, seems crazy, but the science (and evolutionary rationale) behind fasting is pretty strong and it works for me.  I see pretty immediate benefits in energy, BP, cholesterol.

2) No more Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts.  I will make my coffee every morning (without sugar or cream).

3) Back to the gym.  Goal is 3x/week before work.  Maybe re-join over 40 weekend indoor soccer league.  Will be tough, since my wife (also works full time) is also working out many mornings before work and we need to get 4 kids to school on time, but NO excuses, we'll make it work.

I maintained this routine for about three years before falling off the train a couple years ago so fingers crossed!

[Steve]

TheGipper wrote:

My New Years Goals (started today!):

1) Weight down to 170.  Since I have no will power with eating healthy, I will go back to my prior routine of fasting twice a week.  I know, seems crazy, but the science (and evolutionary rationale) behind fasting is pretty strong and it works for me.  I see pretty immediate benefits in energy, BP, cholesterol.

2) No more Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts.  I will make my coffee every morning (without sugar or cream).

3) Back to the gym.  Goal is 3x/week before work.  Maybe re-join over 40 weekend indoor soccer league.  Will be tough, since my wife (also works full time) is also working out many mornings before work and we need to get 4 kids to school on time, but NO excuses, we’ll make it work.

I maintained this routine for about three years before falling off the train a couple years ago so fingers crossed!

Click to expand...

Over 40 weekend indoor soccer league?  That just sounds like a feeder directly into the orthopedic operating room!

[justlearning]

TheGipper wrote:

My New Years Goals (started today!):

1) Weight down to 170.  Since I have no will power with eating healthy, I will go back to my prior routine of fasting twice a week.  I know, seems crazy, but the science (and evolutionary rationale) behind fasting is pretty strong and it works for me.  I see pretty immediate benefits in energy, BP, cholesterol.

2) No more Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts.  I will make my coffee every morning (without sugar or cream).

3) Back to the gym.  Goal is 3x/week before work.  Maybe re-join over 40 weekend indoor soccer league.  Will be tough, since my wife (also works full time) is also working out many mornings before work and we need to get 4 kids to school on time, but NO excuses, we’ll make it work.

I maintained this routine for about three years before falling off the train a couple years ago so fingers crossed!

Click to expand...

what is the fasting routing like twice a week? You don`t eat anything or just eating very minimal (veggies, water etc)?

[TheGipper]

justlearning wrote:

TheGipper wrote:

My New Years Goals (started today!):

1) Weight down to 170.  Since I have no will power with eating healthy, I will go back to my prior routine of fasting twice a week.  I know, seems crazy, but the science (and evolutionary rationale) behind fasting is pretty strong and it works for me.  I see pretty immediate benefits in energy, BP, cholesterol.

2) No more Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts.  I will make my coffee every morning (without sugar or cream).

3) Back to the gym.  Goal is 3x/week before work.  Maybe re-join over 40 weekend indoor soccer league.  Will be tough, since my wife (also works full time) is also working out many mornings before work and we need to get 4 kids to school on time, but NO excuses, we’ll make it work.

I maintained this routine for about three years before falling off the train a couple years ago so fingers crossed!

Click to expand…

what is the fasting routing like twice a week? You don`t eat anything or just eating very minimal (veggies, water etc)?

Click to expand...

Works best if do zero calories.  Just water.  I do on Mon and Wed, when I am more often on call.  You can do minimal calorie but won't kickstart the metabolism as well.  The first few times you do it, you feel a little woozy, body freaks out a little, pee a lot.  After a few times though its easy.  Weigh every Fri for positive reinforcement.

[darthvader]

I've started fasting too....weekdays.  I actually feel sharper in the AM in clinic when I'm doing it.  I just have coffee with a splash of cream in the AM and excercise when I wake up on an empty stomach. Much easier than I was expecting.

 

With regards to finances, I've found the best thing to do for success is put it all on autopilot.  I sucked at saving when I had to make the conscious decision to do so.  My 401K etc comes out of my draw before I even see it, so it's easy to make that money go the right place.  What I've found helps is to just have it automatically deducted the same day the paycheck goes in to another online savings acct at a different bank to fund our emergency fund so it's out of sight the minute it hits the account.

[CM]

I resolve to quit spending time on personal finance blogs/forums.

 

 

(not really   )