Leslie Sansone November 2023 Walk and Workout Challenge (2024)

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

Apparently, we got your snow from yesterday @Deeder522 because we woke up to a winter wonderland this morning! Everything is white and beautiful! We have some beech trees that still have their colored leaves and the snow on the leaves is so pretty. I am so energized.

@texasgardnr I was glad to read that your COVID brain fog is lifting. What you are experiencing now though may be more age related than COVID related. I cannot keep track of anything anymore without a planner and a running "To Do" list. And my anxiety is off the charts when I have some task to do that I do not want to do, and as you say, it can be a simple thing. In fact, it almost always is. I have had things like "Take the artwork downstairs" on my "To Do" list for over a month and I finally did it yesterday! I have no idea why it was causing me such anxiety to do that simple task. I even write down, "post steps to MFP" on my list each day or I would forget it. I have a morning routine that I check off and an evening routine that I check off and my house is divided into Zones and I list my Zone tasks each day to check off. If I did not have my "paper in page protectors" brain, I would not remember anything that was not right in front of me. For some reason, I do not have any trouble with appointments, bills or important things, but daily tasks will get lost in a sea of other thoughts. Some women have reported that this started with menopause and got worse as time went on and I am thinking that may be the case for me. I started having to use a planner three years into teaching and that was also the time I was entering menopause. Now I am totally dependent on it. My day begins with planning and I am checking things off my list all day long. Dennis thinks I am nuts, but he has come to depend on me now to tell him his appointments and the stuff he has to do!!!! :laugh:

Speaking of planning, I need to get a move on as we have hair cut appointments today and I want to get the Halloween decorations put away and the Thanksgiving decorations up. It is after all, a nice snowy November day! :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

November Goal

Mileage Tracked: 68
Apple Challenge: Close your Move ring 23 times this month

I woke up to temps in the mid 20's. 🥶 However, it warmed up today to melt yesterday's surprise snow.

This is day 3 without Fast Food. Fast Food continues to be a wall I just can't get over. Usually b/c I'm rushing to a client or I'm just stressed. I will say cutting dairy out makes fast-food burgers less appealing. 😉

November 2023 edited November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

Nov 1-Steps-4652

I know I know .. not even close to 6500. BUT, I have 29 more days to average it out and I am "ON IT" as my 4 year old grandson would say! I am in a declutter challenge also and I decluttered 2 champagne flutes today, so at least I met ONE challenge! :laugh:

Fast food is very hard @deeder522! Because of his heart issues, Dennis cannot eat out as the sodium content is off the charts. I do not know if this will help you, but we keep things on hand we can just grab and go. So for him, if we do not have time to make a veggie, egg or tomato sandwich or a salad, we grab rice cakes and our jar of low sodium peanut butter & Jelly, or swiss cheese ( a low sodium cheese)an apple and low sodium nuts and we head out. It is not ideal, but it does help. I really have to think and plan ahead to have stuff on hand, and honestly, that is the hardest part because let's face it, most fast food is not all that great when you get right down to it ... well, except Kentucky Fried chicken! LOL But then, I was denied chicken as a child (my father HATED it) so I am a chicken fiend. You really can't make bad chicken for me! When I was on MFP religiously, I made sure to have low calorie stuff in the house I could grab because on a car trip, if I have to get gas, Combos are coming into my truck!!! It is a total sickness I know! They are awful, but it is what it is and I have to fight against it!!! :laugh:

Very cold in the mountains of NY today, but we are heading for the 50s again so I kept my swim suit out, just in case! :bigsmile:

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

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Nov 2-Steps-4147

Yesterday was car day and for some reason, I was exhausted all day. We went to Dennis' cardio rehab appointment and got groceries and when we came home, I put every thing away, laid down and fell asleep for 3 hours!!! Then, I went to bed early and slept until 8 AM this morning! :noway: I feel great now, but I honestly have no idea how I got 4000+ steps in yesterday. That is the real mystery!

Today I need to deep clean the foyer and bring in the boot trays. It really is the only thing about winter I do not like ... boot trays!!! But the alternative is water and debris all over the floor, so boot trays it is!!! We are also in what we call "mouse season" here, so I need to deep clean the spare room, den and office today to keep ahead of the mice. When it gets cold, they get drawn in by the warmth and any food bits that are around. We have trapped 4 of them this week, but hopefully, by Thanksgiving, they will be gone again until next year. With all this stuff to get done, I should get in more than 6500 steps today. Off I go! :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

We're in the 50s this weekend. I had the kid pop up on the roof with the leaf blower and blow out the gutters. It was a 💡 over the head when we figured that trick out. I've started putting plastic up on the windows. Ryan's room was already down in the summer b/c of the wildfire smoke. Now I move through the rest of the house. We are nearly done adding the sealants to the home where the cement meets the wood. Filling those gaps has decreased the draftiness downstairs which helps upstairs.

Mice! We've had issues in the past. Ryan was the one who came up with the idea if we moved things away from the house like landscaping and anything storage-wise, it would be less inviting. So after we blocked off obvious ways in we eliminated cover for them to run under or against.

Keep on moving, my friends.

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

Nov 1-Steps-4652
Nov 2-Steps-4147
Nov 3-Steps-7262

The mice here are seasonal. The first cold snap we get mice. We trap them and after a week or so, we no longer have any mice. Most Adirondack homes have large overhanging eaves so the snow falls away from the house. But this also means the rain does not get near the house either and that keeps things from growing close to the house, but it also keeps the the termites away and they are a far bigger enemy for us than mice. We actually spray for them and inspect for them regularly as they can come along with wood deliveries. Our wood piles are far away from the house for that reason. They are a constant worry.
We are in the upper 40sF, but it is going to rain all week and snow next weekend. It was in the 50s yesterday so I got a lot done, which is why I had so many steps. I am getting the house all deep cleaned and the last of the summer stuff to the attic. I wanted to bring the Christmas bins down but Dennis would not let me because he still needs to put the snow blower on his tractor and he needs the garage space where I put the bins to do it. I do not put them up until Dec 1, but it is so nice to get them down when it is warmer than 25F!!!!
I am putting away all the Halloween decor and putting up the Thanksgiving decor today. I usually do that on Nov 1, but I am behind this year. I just layer them into my fall decor and the house is all cozy. I think the wood inserts will be started this weekend as well. The rain makes everything so damp and the wood fires draw that all out and makes everything cozy and warm.
I've gotta get moving as my average steps are only 5353 and I need 6500!!! Have a great Saturday!!! :bigsmile:

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

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Nov 2-Steps-4147
Nov 3-Steps-7262
Nov 3-Steps-6345

Back to Eastern Standard Time thank goodness!!!! Color me Happy!!!
I got all my Thanksgiving decorations up yesterday and my Halloween decorations packed. I need to wash my Halloween dish towels tomorrow when I do the laundry and put them in the bin, but everything else is all decluttered and packed up for next year.
Today, I am cooking all day. I am making a big pot of pasta sauce for the freezer and I need to cook up sausage so I can make breakfast casseroles later. I am making two pans of enchiladas and I am making corn bread to freeze as well. I always try to fully stock the freezer in October and November so I do not have to worry about being snowed in when January and February roll around. Also, there is always so much going on in December that I do not want to worry about "What's for dinner?" Because Dennis is on a low sodium diet, it is almost impossible for us to eat out, so I need to have "take out" in my freezer.
Happy Sunday! :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

Happy big day of cooking to you, @zichab 😁 We just picked up a 1/2 gallon of freshly squeezed Concord grade juice and I poured it into 8oz milk glassware to freeze the majority of it.

I've started building my Thanksgiving menu. I do wish more Turkey farmers would sell cuts of turkey and not the whole bird. We're a 6-person family for holidays and we do not need a 20-pound bird. 🦃 We can usually find a turkey thigh which is more than enough especially as I had a huge ham slice from a local farmer. Campbell's released a GF cream of mushroom soup recently so we will have a nearly traditional green bean casserole this year after a 3 year absence.

I have 3 windows left to put plastic up and then I'm done for the year. Honestly, as little as we open windows in the house I'm tempted to leave the plastic on until the windows can be replaced. 🤔

November 2023 edited November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

Nov 1-Steps-4652
Nov 2-Steps-4147
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Nov 5-Steps-7350

Thanksgiving dinner is going to be a dance for me as well this year. My sister is a gluten free diabetic, so all thickeners need to be corn starch and all sugar has to replaced with stevia as it is the only sugar substitute she can tolerate. Now, Dennis has to have low sodium, so I get to add that to the mix. I also have to think about snacks and breakfast as my sister is staying over night. We bought a meat slicer a few years ago and I buy a turkey and cook the whole bird, but we only use about 1/2 of for dinner, turkey sandwiches and sending some home with my sister. I just slice the rest and freeze it and I have low sodium turkey for sammies, snacks, casseroles and charcuterie boards for the rest of the winter.
I LOVE concord grapes!!! My grandpa used to have the vines growing by his house and picking and eating those grapes was a highlight of my childhood for sure. Delish!!!!
@Deeder522 if you have AC, why not just leave the plastic on the windows you never open? I have all new windows here, but I only put screens in a few of them because the rest are never opened. All the windows with screens in them get opened and then I have to clean out the creepy crawly things that get between the window and the screens. :noway: I like to limit that as much as possible. Your windows might steam up in the summer with the AC, but it is worth a try to save so much work.
The Dakota is headed to the shop and Dennis & I are headed to Cardio Rehab, then home to laundry. Such is the life of retired "mountain people." :laugh: Enjoy your Monday!!! :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

November Goal

Mileage Tracked: 13 / 68
Apple Challenge: Close your Move ring 4 / 23 times this month

We have left plastic up in our bedrooms before. We took them down this year to deep clean the windows. So it's likely those will stay up this year. The only window we open regularly is the big kitchen window. That window is the 1st one on the list for replacement.

Yesterday, the kid decided it was leaf day. He grabbed the leaf blower and collected all the leaves to the back yard where he then mulched them all down. Meanwhile, about every 3 house were burning their leaves. I was glad I got the plastic up so that smell didn't leech into the house.

I did get a chance to get over to a nice woodland park and wander around and practice some more of my iPhone photography.

@zichab Your holiday sounds just as complicated as mine. Best of luck to both of us. 😉

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

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Nov 3-Steps-7262
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Nov 6-Steps-5502

We need a permit to burn leaves here and they are only issued in the spring. Hugs to your little guy for taking care of the leaves! We used to mulch our leaves all the time and Dennis would compost them. Now, he just blows them off the driveway and our small patch of lawn into the woods. Fall has become much easier these days!
Replacing windows is a stressful task. We needed to replace all of the windows in this house and we added 3 new ones as well. Deciding which windows to get was the first hurdle as the sizes never match the windows you have. Dennis and I installed most of them, but we needed a contractor for the ones on the lake side as they are HUGE and high up. Those cost more to install than all of the windows combined because they had to custom fit them! :explode: However, now that they have all been done for 4 years, it is wonderful to have them. We did not get the smoke inside during the Canadian wild fires nor do we get it in the fall when people up here fire up their wood stoves. They keep the house warm and dry and are super easy to clean, so it was well worth the aggravation to have them all done. When they are done, you will be glad you did them, but the process is a nightmare.
I need to get moving as those 6500 steps are not going to add up while I am sitting here! I should get out practice some photography with my iPhone as well. I have had it for a year now and really do not use it much. Off to do my chores for the day! :bigsmile:

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

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Nov 2-Steps-4147
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Nov 5-Steps-7350
Nov 6-Steps-5502
Nov 7-Steps-7206 Average this week: 6066

Clearly I need to "step it up" :laugh: if I am going to make my goal as I am 500 steps behind where I want to be! Well, OK .... technically 434 steps behind, but I cannot have too many more 4,000 step days if I am going to make goal by Nov 30! :noway:
I am deep cleaning the kitchen this week to get ready for the holidays and the refrigerator, microwave, stove & oven and an island declutter and deep clean are on tap for today. Yesterday, I did the dishwasher, garbage disposal, sink and decluttered my entire pantry cabinet. Where do food storage containers and/or lids go????? Is there a place somewhere where missing containers and/or lids go to laugh at us? I am so careful to keep lids with containers and I still end up with some of each that do not match. It drives me nuts! Since I got over 7,000 steps yesterday, hopefully, I'll make enough trips around my kitchen today that I get a lot of steps in!
It was 28F when I got up, so it looks like November is here. The young loons are still on the lake (the adults leave the last week in October usually), but if these temps continue, the water will begin to get "slushy" and they will fly to the Long Island Sound. They leave later than the adults as they are waiting for their flight feathers to fully mature so they can make it. Long Island is about 6 hours from here "as the Loon flies" so they need good feathers.
Off to empty my fridge! Have a good day! :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

I did a Walk N Talk with Jessica Smith this morning. It was my 1st video workout in well over a year. It's raining here and I didn't feel like just sitting down right after getting out of bed. So a little 15-minute chat with Jessica. It made me realize that most of my pain is located in knee, hip, and wrist. I think that means I'm officially middle-aged. 😳🤣

We signed the 1st pieces of paperwork for Ry to withdraw from the business and move everything over to me, yesterday. I've filed for a new EIN as well.

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!

Nov 1-Steps-4652
Nov 2-Steps-4147
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Nov 6-Steps-5502
Nov 7-Steps-7206 Average this week: 6066
Nov 8-Steps-6762

Oh no @Deeder522, I am so sorry. This must be so hard for him and so much added responsibility for you as well. If he is not going to be able to work anymore, it sounds like he should apply for Disability. I know men HATE to admit they are "disabled," but with everything going on with him, it might give him a little more peace of mind to help out where he can. My heart goes out to you both.
Oh my gosh @Deeder522! Thanks so much for mentioning Jessica's Walk N Talk. I just checked it out and I may start doing those walks in rotation. I love that she does motivational talks and the music is in the background. I need some motivational talks because I KNOW what to do, it is just getting the motivation to do it when there are so many other things I'd rather do instead. Since they are only a mile, I might start doing them before my shower every night. That would be good for me and bump up my steps so maybe... just maybe... I could go back to miles, which I prefer more as a metric than steps? We shall see so thank you!!!!
We have a wintry mix going on this morning of course, since Z has cardio rehab and we need to drive 35 minutes Meh, we are also going to Aldi and may check out the Isle of Shame for some winter stuff that we do not need!!! I am even thinking I need a look around Dollar Twenty-five Tree!!! :laugh: The battery in my cordless vac bit the dust so I am waiting on Amazon to bring me a new one. Since I can't clean (I have a corded one also, but ya know .... lazy?), I may as well shop right???? It's steps. :bigsmile:

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

I got out of bed this morning and did 1 miracle mile with Leslie.
After a dreary gloomy day yesterday, we have Sun again. Mild weather in the forecast so maybe I"ll eek out another November outdoor walk.

@zichab , I saved the whole playlist of Walk & Talk on my YT account. I've saved a few challenges Jessica has made over the years. I think my favorite challenge has been her Fit in 15.
Jenny Ford recently added a Setp/Walk and Weights series that I need to take a look at.
I have to go through my YT collection and see what I've saved from the past and maybe look for some new things to help me build back up. I know I should probably start focusing on Strength and balance nowadays.

November 2023

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Nov 7-Steps-7206 Average this week: 6066
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Nov 9-Steps-7638

Finally, Garmin says my daily average is over 6500 steps! About time! I was on my feet a lot yesterday, shopping and putting stuff away and deep cleaning the kitchen for the holidays. I went through all the kitchen furniture and ended up taking quite a few trips out to the shed with trash and recycling, plus loading up the truck with all the donations! We have a lot more space in our furniture and I got a lot more steps on my Garmin!!
I checked out Jessica's Fit in 15 and I think I will wait on that one. I need to get back into a regular workout walk schedule now that my life and house are more in order. Z has to do an at home fitness routine as part of his cardio rehab and he is using my weights. He is inspiring me to get back into it. I know I need to establish the habit again it is my plan for the new year. Right now, I am concentrating on moving more every day and decreasing my sitting time.
Strength training is so important, but I really dislike doing it. AnnofB used to encourage me to "just do it" and I honestly felt my very best when I was doing Leslie's strength training workout twice a week. I was also super strong and could carry a lot. Z was impressed with how much I could help him carry. I think when I get back to it, I am going to try Jessica's fit in 15 as I can do anything for 15 minutes. :laugh:
Keep getting out of bed and walking @Deeder522! :bigsmile:

November 2023

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Nov 7-Steps-7206 Average this week: 6066
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Nov 10-Steps-7033

It snowed last night and we are supposed to be up to 53F on Friday! :noway: The lake is usually frozen over by Thanksgiving, but if we keep having 53 degree days, it'll be much later this year. The loons may still be here for Thanksgiving!!!! We saw three of them yesterday just swimming and fishing and having a good time. They are so beautiful!
Dennis informed me that he is making donuts today!!! What do two 70 year olds who are working like mad to maintain their weight need with donuts you ask????? They are the last thing we need, but he is on a making donuts kick and has looked up recipes and bought donut pans (he is making the baked kind, not the fried kind) and all the spices. I am going to make the Wassail to go with them and then run to town and back to burn it all off! :laugh:
Enjoy Saturday! :bigsmile:

November 2023

Deeder522 Posts: 1,002 Member

November 2023

Happy Sunday.

I cleaned a lot yesterday and then got to go out with a few old girlfriends. I had a nice "Baja Bowl" and didn't notice not having any cheese or sour cream.

Today, a little more cleaning and such. I must also review my saved videos for strength training for the morning workouts.

Ah, donuts. They are part of my DNA being a cops kid. 🤣
Have you and Dennis looked at this blog at all? : https://losofoodie.com/low-sodium-pumpkin-donuts/

November 2023

November goal: Average 6,500 steps/day!
Nov 1-Steps-4652
Nov 2-Steps-4147
Nov 3-Steps-7262
Nov 4-Steps-6345
Nov 5-Steps-7350
Nov 6-Steps-5502
Nov 7-Steps-7206 Average this week: 6066
Nov 8-Steps-6762
Nov 9-Steps-7638
Nov 10-Steps-7033
Nov 11-Steps-7189
Nov 12-Steps-5456

I knew I was not moving as much yesterday. I set up a new work space for me in our spare room and although it was great fun, it is a very small room and did not add alot of steps even though I was busy all day. I do my weekly planning on Sunday, so it is always hard to get in a lot of steps and movement.
Thank you so much for giving me the link to that blog! Dennis is so excited to try her donuts. He is on a mission now to make the perfect donut. :laugh:
I cracked up when I read your comment about donuts being in your DNA as a cop's kid. As a long haul trucker's kid, coffee is in my DNA, so between the two of us, we have donuts and coffee covered!
It is interesting when we have to eliminate something from our diet what we miss or don't miss. I have never been big on salt and rarely if ever salt food at the table. But I do cook with a small amount and now that I cannot cook with any, food tastes so bland to me and salting at the table does not impart the same flavor. Dennis, on the other hand, liberally uses his potassium chloride salt shaker at the table and does not notice any difference in how food tastes. I am having a rough time as a result with this very low sodium way of cooking and eating.
I so envy you being able to do morning workouts. I just cannot do them as I get all light headed and dizzy. I thought once I retired and was more relaxed in the mornings, I might be able to work out, but apparently it is not the stress of work, but something physiological with me. By noon, I am able to work out just fine. I am working on a plan for the New Year that I want to start next month. We'll see how it goes.
I love to clean and declutter. It always makes me feel so relaxed and peaceful to sit in a clean, organized space. I also need to do this these days because I cannot remember where I put things if they are not in a designated organized space. I can remember when I did last week, but not where I put my glasses two minutes ago!!!
We have ice on the lake!!! It was 16F this morning so the skim ice has formed. I am not sure if it will make it past our 50F day later in the week, but it is there now. :bigsmile: