Q4 Goals in Review

Overall, I had a pretty great quarter! I stated in my original post that my goal was to lose 40lbs by Christmas. As of 12/22, I was 0.3 of a pound from that goal!

Here are the final stats for my health and fitness goals for October through December:

1. Complete 7-week keto weight-loss challenge: 10/28 to 12/23. Complete. I finished the challenge 11.6lbs lighter!

• Track inches and pounds lost. Done!
• Complete weekly weigh-ins. Done!
• Check measurements biweekly. I did not check biweekly, but I did check in 2x during the challenge.
• Take monthly progress photos. I also didn't take monthly photos. But I did take some at the end of the previous challenge, and the end of this one.
• Follow meal plans and stick to macros. I struggled with macros over Thanksgiving week, but otherwise, I wasn't too bad!
• Really dial it in on macros to try to optimize results. I mostly got my after-dinner snacking under control, which was really the source of exceeding my macros!
• Maintain water intake. Yup!
• Stay on the wagon on the weekend! Double yup!
• Stay on the wagon for holiday meals! I did great staying keto. I had 1 mini cheat in the form of sharing a fried cheese app with my mom the day after Thanksgiving. But that is the only non-keto thing I ate. As I mentioned above, I struggled with over-eating a bit, due to leftovers and more calorie-dense foods. But, hell, over-eating and staying keto is still a HUGE win in my book.

2. Workout at least 4 days a week, plus 1 riding lesson. Mostly on track!

• LIIFT4 round 4 from 9/3 to 10/25. Done!
• LIIFT4 round 5 from 10/28 to 12/20. I lost a week to Thanksgiving because I got lazy. Then I lost a week trying to rest my left wrist, which I felt I had strained and didn't want to make worse -- safety first, right? My wrist is feeling better, but with the holiday and family in town, etc, I still have 3 workouts for week 6 and then have to do weeks 7 and 8.
• LIIFT4 round 6 from 12/30 to 2/21. This will be a bit late, but it's ok!
• Buy 17.5lb dumbbells. I haven't done this yet because I decided on 20lb dumbbells for more longevity, and also had put them on my Christmas list. I didn't get them for Xmas, so I will be purchasing them soon!

3. Work on hip flexibility and stretching at least 3x a week. I still do this religiously, even if it's lying in bed with the bottoms of my feet together while I read. Keeping at it is really helping my riding!

4. Meal prep as much as possible over the weekend. Yup!

• Prep breakfasts, lunches, and snacks so I can stay strong each week.
• Prep veggies and sauces for weeknight dinners to save time.

5. Practice positive reinforcement (ie, I changed the wording above from "Do not fall off the wagon" to "Stay on the wagon" to try to reframe it in my own head.) This will apply to everyday life as well as my in-saddle/surcingle work! I've been getting way better about this! I've caught myself saying "Don't..." and then I will rephrase it with a positive spin.