2026 /Q3

 

As I get closer to goal (135?) things have slowed some on the scale shift, but honestly, anything under 150 feels pretty dang good. Sometimes I can't believe I'm in the 140 (this quarter staying in the 145-150 range most of the time). 

I was able to hit my goal of an average of 20k ... getting those steps in!

A look at activity via "Active Minutes" ... 

Attempting an average of 100+. Achieved!

Again, even with activity up just a bit, the overall daily burn went down.  Take away some of that extra weight and I guess that is bound to happen. A good thing to keep aware of ... so close to an average of 2500, but just shy each month.

It's the eating though ... you can't out cardio the calories!  I have been slipping slightly ... I have never lost the sugar cravings as many on a GLP have mentioned. Still a constant struggle. I think the key for me is prioritizing protein, tracking all intake (I use MFP), and limiting my eating hours (IMF). 

For fasting ... I stick pretty much to a 12:00-7:00 schedule for eating.  

16 hours minimum. I did one long fast (a full day) in August.

... and sleep

Happily, my snoring seems to have resolved. My main tracker/alarm (SleepCycle) still detects a little bit here and there, and I'll occasionally have Snorelab set to track, but it doesn't show enough to include stats here.  

I love Life360 ... visual time capture in a graph. 

I'm working on some family photo collages of the last three months. Hubs has been doing a lot of races (triathlons, half marathons). We had our youngest come in July (away for college) so had some family fun (lake day, Red Robin, full family pickleball) ... an anniversary (34 years) and some birthdays (three boys). Basketball/Men's League, Zumba, Pickleball, BookClub, PokerNights. Sourdough and succulents. PokemonGo. The "airport" icon wasn't travel, but an attempt to get me TSA precheck, but we didn't have all the necessary paperwork, so that's still in the works 

I finished up my What I Was Watching recap, and you'll find my books below ...

All are recorded, rated and reviewed on GoodReads and TheStorygraph. 

I'm #JenBsBooks on both.

Onto the final quarter of the year ... and one year since I went in for my physical and started working on my weight loss (adding Tirzepatide, committing to counting calories, prioritizing protein, improving eating, IMF, more weight workouts and upping my activity). There've been a few mental shifts too, overall, a good thing I think. 

2026/Q3 ~ What I Was Watching (July/August/September)

 Time for my quarterly recording of What I Was Watching ... mostly while working out in the home gym (treadmill/elliptical), with some TVTT (TV together time) with Hubs winding down before sleep. I feel like this was a big "watching" quarter ... not sure why.  20 movies, and 20 seasons of shows!

Starting with #JenBsMovies 

... only one was upstairs with Hubs, all the rest I was in the gym.

• Michael: My #1 son had really liked the movie and recommended it. Just okay for Hubs and I. We used some "no rush" credits for the purchase, although if we'd waited a bit, it hit streaming soon after.
• Song Sung Blue: This was good ... really caught me in the feels, and I enjoyed the music. I recommended it to Hubs and he watched it on his own afterward (also while working out). 
• The Devil Wears Prada: I'd seen the original a time or two, but figured I should do a refresher watch before checking out the newly released sequel.
• The Devil Wears Prada 2: This just didn't do it for me ... I mean the three leading ladies looked great, they have aged well, but the story? It seemed like it was just attempting to have fun cameos over anything else.
• Legally Blond: Rewatch ... I'd watched the musical version and really enjoyed it, and figured I'd give the original another go (and then I ended up tuning into the new series Elle). 
• We Live In Time: This was good, a little confusing with the time shifts.
• Here: Another with lots of time shifts, but a unique story.
• Pressure: I've read a ton of WW2 books, but hadn't really had story explaining the weather connection to D-Day. 
• Young Woman and the Sea: I saw a random ad for this/Disney, and it intrigued me enough that I checked out the movie. I quite liked it. 
• In the Blink of an Eye: Another "time" one ... three timelines/connected. I liked it. 
• Enola Holmes 2: Cute enough, but I didn't go on to the third one ... yet?
• The Thursday Murder Club: Many rave about the book, but the book was just okay for me. Same for the movie. 
• The Dink: Super silly, but sometimes mindless stuff can be enjoyable (I do play pickleball). 
• The Spectacular Now: I really can't even remember much about this movie, and when I went to input it in my IMDB list that I track, it said it was already there (that I'd already watched it). It is apparently not very memorable for me!
• People We Meet on Vacation: I hadn't really enjoyed the book, and figured I wouldn't waste my time on the movie adaptation - but a couple people said it was better than the book. I think I agree.
• The Hitman's Bodyguard: Silly action, it was fine.
• Solo Milo: I like Kevin James, and I think was expecting more from this. Just, blah.
• Practical Magic: This wasn't in my movie list, but I know I have watched it before at some point. I really didn't remember it though, which is why I figured I should give it a watch, in case I want to see the sequel.
• Burlesque: I think maybe I've seen this one before too? No record of it, but it felt familiar. The nudge to watch was a reel of a scene that popped up in my Facebook feed. Interesting to have the two main ladies show off their voices, but Kristen Bell and Diana Agron (Quinn in Glee) have wonderful voices but don't show them off here.
• The Last Five Years: Another peek/preview circling social media caused me to check this musical out (Hoopla) ... but while I enjoyed some of the singing, I didn't feel like there was any story.

... on to TV

• Paradise (S2): Hubs and I watched the second season ... it didn't have the same impact as the first season/I missed the haunting music covers. The "outside" storyline was so different that Hubs turned to me and asked "Are we watching the same show??"  Ultimately enjoyable, if a bit over the top. Not quite sure I understood the ending/where the next season would be headed ...
• Reacher: Hubs and I had watched the first season ages ago, and figured we'd give it another go. I didn't care for it though, just completely unbelievable.
• Man on the Inside: Hubs and I were ready for some lighter-lifting and this fit the bill. Cute. I'm not feeling compelled to continue on with the series though. 
• Death by Lightning: This was interesting ... felt like I learned a little and had to Google and research some of the things shown to find out what was true/based on fact. 
• The Testament: I'd watched all of Handmaid's Tale, so I figured I should invest the time in this follow-up/companion piece. It kept my interest.
• Elle: I wasn't sure how a prequel would work (we know she doesn't end up with either love interest as I had just watched the movie featuring the later years). This was cute though. 
• Not Suitable for Work: Entertaining enough ... I might have watched a second season, but I heard it was cancelled, so I guess not. 
• Seeking Persephone: I liked it, not one I RAVE about as so many have.
• Every Year After: A bit confusing with the time jumps. I struggled a bit keeping the past/present straight (sometimes it wasn't as obvious as it needed to be). I guess this was based on a book, but not one I've read. I liked it ... didn't like the ultimate ending though.
• Anne with an E: As a fan of the original mini-series, I hadn't been sure I would ever watch this, but when I was struggling to find something, I gave it a go. I liked it. I'll probably come back and watch the other seasons, but felt like I needed a switch up as I concluded the first.
• The Perfect Couple: I think the intro/dance scene is what enticed me to watch. This had a "White Lotus" feel at the start (someone is murdered, who, and who did it??) but then turned more soap oprea-ey. But still, it kept my interest.
•  Lucky: A little too over the top for me, but I guess it kept my interest, and exercise energy up.
• The Diplomat (seasons 1-3): I'd seen this advertised but just hadn't been that interested, even though I really like Kerry Russel. When I decided to give it a go, it snagged me pretty quick, and each season ended on a cliffhanger that made me want to continue watching.  Looking forward to when the fourth season drops.
• Trying: This reminded me a bit of  "Collin from Accounts" ... I liked it, but held off watching the fourth season (hadn't heard good reviews on that one). 
• Only Murders in the Building: I'd watched the first season a long time ago. There had been a scene from the third season (the lullaby song) that intrigued me, and I figured I'd come back. Watched a recap of season one, then watched two/three ... but then needed a break.

... a lot of "watching" this quarter, but I am generally not JUST watching, but walking or on the elliptical, getting my steps in. I noticed that little previews/reels on Facebook/Insta were effective at catching my interest enough that I sought out and streamed the shows featured. Advertising works!

2026 / Q2

 

Seeing success on the scale ... while tirzepatide is definitely a help, it's not a magic bullet. I feel like I'm definitely putting in the work: lots of activity, tracking calories, intermittent fasting. Prioritizing protein and getting in my weight workouts to preserve muscle.  We had a family week+ vacation to Hawaii there in June, and that definitely affected eating and exercise. I require routine to stay on track (but it was a great getaway! Worth the bump). More of the stats from April, May and June ...

Trying for 20k a day in steps, and 100+ active/zone minutes ... tracked by Fitbit

Even with consistent, even increased activity, overall daily burn went down ...

I figure that is because I'm carrying around less weight overall.

Intake is up slightly from last quarter, but I am still tracking everything in MFP, other than during our Hawaii vacation (I took a vacation from recording as well, hopefully I didn't go overboard TOO much).  Still have a few high/overeating days here and there. Unlike some people on a GLP1, I only have the slightest appetite control (still on a fairly low dose). I've heard many say they can't eat much, don't feel like eating, don't crave sugar ... that's not the case with me. It's still a daily struggle, but I feel like the medication gives me just a bit of an edge. I also rarely have any negative side-effects, even when I do overeat or make not-so-great food choices.

The fasting just seems to come naturally to me ... I'm generally not hungry in the mornings, waiting until around noon to eat. Then I try to stop eating by 7:00 at the latest, often earlier, at 5:00 or 6:00. I really think fasting just helps me keep calories in check ... stops extra/mindless eating. I didn't track during our vacation.

Here's a look at my location tracking ... treadmill/elliptical/weights are in the home gym, so I have to add them manually, and I think I forgot a few days in June (getting back into routine after vacation). I love LifeCycle, it's such an interesting capture of my goings on. I'm a graph girl.

During this quarter, there was a change to Fitbit ... Google bought them out a while back and has been transitioning. The icon and the app changed, and it looks like the main sleep graph did too. The night of no sleep was our return red-eye flight from Hawaii. 

Snore score! Still an occasional uptick, but honestly, I think I'll let my SnoreLab subscription lapse and stop stressing about the daily tracking. 

 

... a bit of a mixed report from my SleepCycle app, still indicating some (although it seems to label most any sound snoring, not as detailed an indicator as Snorelab for different levels). I will keep the SleepCycle reporting, as it is a general sleep tracker and my alarm. 

Just interesting to note the long time trends over the years ... as Covid hit March/2020 I was at 180, I put on 20 pounds, then lost 50, and then regained as 2022 started up. Jan2022 I had my first seizure, and that affected my exercise abilities and tracking.  A few months later I caught Covid for the first time, and I think that really got the snoring started. Losing weight definitely has an impact on it though!

I've hope someday I'll get to my family updates/collages (I've been bad this year), I have a separate post showcasing my quarterly What I Was Watching ~ 2026/Q2 ... and here's a look at #jenBsbooks for April, May and June of this year. I've always got an audiobook in my ear, and I record, rate & review all my reads on Goodreads and Storygraph. I'm JenBsBooks on both. 

2026/Q2 What I Was Watching (April, May, June)

Time for my quarterly TV/Movie update ... what kept me motivated while working out in the home gym, and what Hubs and I indulged in (our TVTT - television together time) in April, May, June of 2026. I feel like I spent more time in the gym (close to a 20k average) and more together time time too (and that was even with one week in Hawaii, no gym time nor watching with Hubs). 

I'll start with the series ... the top row was watched upstairs w/my man, the bottom two rows were down in the gym while on the treadmill or elliptical. 

• Shrinking (season 3): I've really enjoyed this series and was glad another season dropped. 
• Rooster (season1): We both like Steve Carell, this was cute and will watch further seasons, if they happen. 
• The Madison: The problem with Paramount+ is that even when you pay more for NO ADS, they STILL SHOW ADS, before every.single.episode. I felt like I'd seen "The Madison" before I ever started it, and once we had watched it (and we liked it) we still had to see ads. Over and over and over again. While there is some decent content ... I actually despise Paramount for this reason. 
• Mayor of Kingstown: This was just too dark/gritty, no redemption. I continued while we watched season 1, then I said I was done. Hubs continued to watch the remaining seasons on his own during his workouts. 
• Company Retreat: Hubs and I had laughed a lot during the original Jury Duty, so we knew we had to give this a go when we saw it drop (Amazon). It was enjoyable, not quite the same, but still funny. 
• Running Point (Season 2): Hubs and I needed a little refresh of the first season ... and we enjoyed the continuing story. I'd watched Winning Time in-between, and made the connection that this was loosely based on Jeanie Buss.  
• Gentleman in Moscow: I'd read and enjoyed the book ... and I liked the series too. 
• Margo's Got Money Troubles: I'd read the book, it was okay. I think maybe I liked the series more? Not that it was wonderful, but it kept me entertained. 
• The Pitt (Season 2): I've always enjoyed ER shows (from ER to Grey's Anatomy) and this is so highly rated ... yet I'm finding me not loving it. Not finding anything wrong with it, just feeling drained instead of entertained. Ready for the season to end and me move onto something else. I still will likely continue to watch upcoming seasons ...
• Star City: I'd really enjoyed For All Mankind, and this was in that same world. A little too ... cold and dreary. Again, just not enjoyable/entertaining ... I wouldn't find myself WANTING to workout to find out what would happen in the next episode, but rather anxious for the end. 
• The Agency: Honestly ... I know I watched this, but I'm really not remembering the story. At all.
• Winning Time (Season 1 and 2): I don't really remember this being split into two seasons, it's all one in my mind. My BIL recommended this. Lots of proFanity and sex, but I enjoyed the basketball. Quite a few familiar faces in the cast. Always interesting when something is based in truth, I often end up looking up things to learn a bit more.
• The Offer: Another "based on a true story" ... the making of "The Godfather" ... which of course I'd heard a lot about, but I hadn't watched (but I did after this). I liked it. 
• Imperfect Women: This kept my interest, I wasn't sure where it was going.
• Big Little Lies (Season 2): I'd watched the first season ages ago, it was compelling. I'd never gotten around to seeing this second season, and after a little recap, it felt pretty easy to get back into this story.
• Widow's Bay: Um, that was weird. I didn't care for it, had to push to finish.
• Hell on Wheels: I really didn't like this, another push to finish. 

My Movies ...

• ToyStory 5: We went as a family, and it was so fun to see the (grown) kid's reactions. Very cute.
• Remarkably Bright Creatures: I liked this ... but I liked the book more. Watched with Hubs.
• Project Hail Mary: I really liked this, as good as the book! Hubs enjoyed it too, and we have a few little quotes we now say to each other "amaze, amaze, amaze" and "words of encouragement" ... I paid to purchase this and add it to our Amazon library (I might have had some digital credit). 
• Suffs: A broadway musical filmed and on YouTube, I watched this on the way home from Hawaii. I liked it a lot. 
• Chicago: While in a musical mood, I rewatched this one.
• Cabaret: As I put "The Godfather" on my list to watch, "The Offer" had talked a bit about Cabaret, also up for Academy Awards in 1973 ... and I was watching musicals, I figured I'd give this a go. I didn't like it. 
• Merrily We Roll Along: Another musical with some buzz ... that I didn't care for.
• Voicemails for Isabelle: Netflix romcom ... that fit the bill for me, I liked it a lot. Loved the song.
• Sheep Detectives: Just "ehh" for me ...
• Materialists: This was cute enough, kept me interested and entertained.
• Adopt a Highway: Um ... what was this? Eh ...
• Marvin's Room: Some big names, bit I'm not really remembering the story. Not one that connected with me. 
• You're Not You: This was decent, sad.
• Queen Bees: Cute. My mom recommended it.
• The Godfather: I don't really get all the buzz, but I'm glad I have now seen it.
• Marty Supreme: I enjoyed the ping pong parts ... but that's all.
• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: I'd read the book and heard it had been made into a movie. I thought this was well done.
• Propeller: Odd little movie/short ... felt a little similar to "A Christmas Story" to me, with the young boy character telling a story in voiceover. Fun to see how some air travel used to be!

Onto the next quarter ... What will I watch next?

2026/Q1

 

Finally, a set of weight graphs that I'm proud to post. Not there yet, but progress! This is very similar to my loss at the end of 2020, the start of 2021. Five years ago, I started in October and hit my low in April. This go round, I started in December ... and I hope to surpass my last low, and then to keep it there (I regained quickly back in 2021).  It's been a mix of increased activity and reduced calories/IMF ... pretty textbook calories in vs calories out. 

I've upped my activity ... not quite an average of 20k consistently, but close. 

Activity minutes are up as well.  Fitbit tracking/graphs.

The burn isn't up much (from last quarter) even with the increased activity ... 

I guess because I'm not lugging quite as much weight while I workout. 

But the intake ... there is a difference there!

I've always struggled with the eating. I love carbs and sugar, and those calories add up quickly. I think I always justified a little, that I was burning a bunch, so I could still indulge. But I'd overindulge. I'd TRY to stay under 2000 (which I know is a high "goal) and fail at that most of the time.  Pretty much from the moment I took the first shot of Tirzepatide though, I just felt more in control. I've never experienced the "stuffed" feeling, or elimination of cravings as some on GLP-1s have reported. I still can/do eat, and enjoy it. I have tried to make better quality choices, priotitizing protein.

I hadn't totally committed to Intermittant Fasting ... but I think I just fell into the schedule again naturally. I'm generally not hungry in the mornings, and "closing the window" helps keep me from evening snacking. I got a full fast in a couple times this quarter.

A look at Lifecycle ...

... lots of basketball January/February (in person watching #2, and catching the livestream of my #5 playing for a community college in Oregon) but TREADMILL still tops my activity, with Zumba and Elliptcal not far behind. Ping pong and Pickleball are up next. I've attempted to up my strength training in addition to my cardio. 

Ahh, sleep ...

I don't feel like my schedule is that different, but my Fitbit hasn't been syncing great when I wake ... if I laze in bed for a bit (as I tend to do) it still counts me as asleep. I probably should set a goal to get up (and out of bed) a little earlier. I always thought I was an "early to bed" gal ... but I guess not (and "early/late" is relative). 

... very happy with my snore score this quarter too! Single digits for the most part! I always felt like it was weight related (although a bout of Covid in 2022 also seemed to change something physically in me, making it worse). I think it's positional too, if I'm sleeping on my back, I'm more likely to snore.

I still need to do my family update/collages ... 

What I Was Watching ~ 2026/Q1 got it's own post, per usual.

Here's a look at #JenBsBooks for January, February and March

2026/Q1 ~ What I Was Watching (Jan, Feb, March)

Time for my quarterly TV/Movie update ... what kept me motivated while working out in the home gym, and what Hubs and I indulged in (our TVTT - TV Together Time) in January, February and March 2026.

I'll start with the series ... we don't keep Paramount and AppleTV all the time, but we had both during this quarter. Add ons to Amazon. I purposely tried to watch anything of interest to me on these platforms while we had a subscription (cancelled Apple, but Paramount gave us a deal for a couple more months).  We keep Netflix, and I watched a few there as well.

• Landman (Season 2): Hubs had watched the first season on his own, so I watched it myself (in the gym) but we watched the second season together. Enjoyed it.
• Colin From Accounts (Seasons 1-2): I'd watched this myself some years ago, and thought Hubs might enjoy it, and I was feeling up to a rewatch. Love an Australian accent!
• Lioness (Season 2): I'd watched the first season, and was interested enough to watch season 2.
• The Morning Show (Season 4): This was actually why we added AppleTV, but when we started watching it, it had been long enough since we'd seen the earlier seasons, that Hubs had lost interest. I ended up watching it on my own downstairs.
• The Last Frontier: A random "what should I watch on Apple" pick ... just okay. 
• We Crashed: I'd heard a little about this, it was interesting, but I was more than ready for it to be over. It reminded me a bit of another docu/drama (based on true events) The Dropout, in that I didn't like AnneH at all ... or more her character (meaning she did a good job I think), strange affectations, but they match the real person.
• The New Look: Again, interesting, but I was ready to move on as I wrapped up the season.
• Yellowjackets (Seasons 1-3): I'd heard some buzz (pun intended) about this one but had just never gotten around to watching. It was pretty horrible (not the acting or anything, just the story itself), but couldn't quite look away. I'm sure I'll watch the final season when it comes out, but for now, I was more than ready to take a break. 
• Stranger Things (Season 5): I wanted to wait until everything had dropped. I liked the ending (my youngest son, a fan, didn't like how it wrapped up). 
• Emily in Paris (Season 4): I really surprise myself that I like this show, it's so over the top ... but it's a guilty pleasure.
• Bridgerton (Season 4): Another guilty pleasure. Surprised at the "Cinderella" storyline. 
• Nobody Wants This (Season 2): I'd enjoyed the first season, and liked the second season too. 
• The Tylenol Murders: This popped onto my radar after reading the book "No More Tears" ... it was interesting. I think I was in 5th grade when it happened, but I really remember the terror!
• Kidnapped/Elizabeth Smart: This made headlines all over, but even more so here in Utah. I'd read Elizabeth's memoir, and Hubs had watched this, so I figured I would too. A little too "artsy" ... just the way they would frame the sister and Elizabeth visually. 

Hubs and I didn't watch any movies together ... these were all down in the gym. 

• Tetris: I really enjoyed this and have encouraged Hubs to give it a go ... he decided to the day after I let the Apple subscription lapse (so it's on his list for next time we subscribe). 
• Wolfs: Just okay for me ... although the overall ratings weren't great either.
• The Family Plan 2: Silly, fluffy fun. I'd liked the first one. If I'd known this was "Christmas" themed, I probably wouldn't have watched it (because of the OCD in me, I need to keep seasonal things in season!)
• The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio: A random pick from Paramount offerings ... and I liked it a lot! I did some editorial work and needed to come up with clever titles, using rhyme, puns and alliteration. The husband/alcohol was a struggle to watch.
• Roofman: Eh, just okay. 
• Regretting You: I think I read the book ... just okay. 
• Becoming Jane: When I went to record this on my IMDB list, it was already there ... so I guess I watched it at some point? I didn't really feel like I remembered it. I also read a book about Jane Austen not long after watching this.
• Crazy Stupid Love: A purposeful rewatch. 
• Eternity: I'd seen previews for this and it was one I was watching for. I really enjoyed it.
• Rental Family: Another one I'd been waiting for, and Hubs had watched it during one of his flights and gave it a thumbs up. 

What are YOU watching?