2024 Non Fashion Goals - YouLookFab Forum

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2024 Non Fashion Goals

Irina

Veteran

This year I want to turn my focus from fashion to “infrastructure management “. I might’ve promised that to myself previously
But I’m hoping I can keep this promise.

1. Increase attention to skincare.

I have done my research into skincare in the beginning of pandemic and completely changed my care regimen and products. I started to use Ordinary products as my serums and still have a couple. I recently experimented with other brands and going to change my routines to replace Ordinary. I’m also going to add a retinol treatment . I tried the Ordinary retinol before but didn’t see any difference. Will go with Paula’s. Choice this time. I might consider more advanced procedures.

2. Sweet weekends
I’ve been always obsessed with sugars - sweet yogurts, cookies, pastries, candies and chocolate - I love them all. I don’t take my drinks with sugar but oh, boy, the rest is bad. I now permitting myself only to eat it on weekends. Weekdays are free of the processed sugars, I eat fruits for sweets. I can’t give up sugar completely but hope to develop healthier balance in my diet in the future.

3. Gym
Work’s been crazy in a few last months and I’m skipping gym as a result. It might be difficult but I have to put it as a priority above my work. Gym for me is not a fun activity but I know I need it for my health.

4. Swimsuit
Finding a swimsuit for lap swimming even more painful than bra shopping. Being short in a torso and needing adjustable straps plus finding chlorine resistant fabric make a swimsuit kind of a unicorn for me. So far I’ve been making do with H&M swimsuits (my go to brand for swimsuits) that last about 4 months before stretching to an unwearable shape. Ones from Athleta/Gap last about 2 months before fading in a patchy pattern. None from Speedo worked. Tried some in a couple of sport goods stores, an experience I don’t want to repeat. Against all odds, still hope to find a suit that would last a year.

What are your health/lifestyle goals?

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33 replies

Latest reply was from Irina

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Sounds like a good list. Wishing you perseverance and satisfying progress.

A couple of my health and exercise goals:
1. Maintain running and lifting through the winter, and figure out how to minimize hip and knee pain issue which came back since treadmill season started. Ugh.
2. Hopefully lose five pounds. I maintained the same weight for over 15 years. Didn’t gain in first year of Covid shutdown. Gained two in the second year. Had to skip running for PT on injured hamstring, gained three more in third year. Ugh.
3. Quit snacking so much. Substitute fruit, celery and popcorn which was my first year of Covid strategy and it worked well.
4. Consciously stay more active during non-workout days, taking walks, standing instead of sitting, etc.

5. Improve consistency in flossing teeth. Sorry if a gross thought, but really true.

Best of luck to all who have their own goals for 2024!

Irina

Veteran

Cjh, wishing you the best in achieving your goals. I gained around 4 pounds over December - was off gym for some stretches of time due to health issues. Had a “tennis elbow “ without playing tennis once in my life and had to stop all resistance training. My injured leg hurt too much and only now I resumed treadmill walking, still can’t run

Anonymous

Great goals for the new year!

Have you explored Lands’ End for swimsuits? They have a fairly wide variety of options.

cat2

Veteran

We are a few months in to transitioning to the Mediterranean Diet. I have been tackling each of the guidelines one at a time. January is sorting out alternatives to dairy, and then the goal for the year is taking the time to plan and prepare meals that tick the boxes. There is an emphasis on lowering the amount of processed foods and that also means more cooking. We then get our bloodwork retested to see if we are on target. Fingers crossed.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Great to read your goals.l would love to join in but things are tricky at the moment mainly due to the collapse of a functioning NHS in this country,am still waiting to get a hip problem sorted out four years after it happened,however l have started to take a probiotic and vitamins every morning and like you am limiting the sugar(sob).We are Also trying to eat thirty different fruits/veg every week and adding more beans and pulses into our diet.I would like to find a retinolthat didn’t irritate my skin so will be interested in how you find Paula’s choice retinol.l am going to try and maintain some exercise hip permitting even if it’s just a daily short walk.

LJP

Veteran

I'm more about the infrastructure than the outer accoutrements now myself. I use a retinol about 5 times a week but don't see any visible results - maybe it's not going to change much and it's about warding off further damage? I've tried Drunk Elephant , the Ordinary and am now working on a tube from Inkey. The DE one irritated my skin the most . I never know if any of it is actually doing anything ! I'm on my second bottle of VitC from Paula's Choice, but it's pretty $$ and a bottle seems to go quickly. I do see some improvement to my sun damage/pigmented spots so I'll keep using it but am going to try a less $$ brand.

I too have become addicted to sugar - or maybe I'm finally acknowledging it . I'm starting a 30 day Winter Reset Nutrition Challenge tomorrow - from a program I've paid for. Not sure my mental state is up for it right now but I've paid and committed so I'll see how it goes. I am at my heaviest weight ever and need to get a grip on it. Part of this program is committing to 30 minutes of intentional exercise a day (i.e. not just step counting ) .

Anyways, thanks for posting - I always enjoy these types of conversations

Irina

Veteran

Alora, I couldn’t find anything suitable at Land’s End. Maybe should try again.

Cat2, Mediterranean Diet is my favorite, not the diet itself but cuisine. It’s similar to food in my home town. We love it and we were in heaven buying and cooking local produce in Crete and enjoying meals in small, family restaurants when we visited it last fall.

Cardiff girl, 30 different fruits and vegetables a week sounds good (coming from a vegetarian, though I’ll post about my experience with retinol.

LJP, glad to see you And good luck with your challenge.

I buy Vic C capsules from Neutrogena (Amazon). I haven’t tried Paula’s Choice one. Maybe I should post about my new products and experiences once I’m more into new skin routine.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Irina, I hope you find a suitable lap swimming suit with longevity soon! Maybe the forum can help you find one? Best of luck with the rest

My health and lifestyle goal is to take my word for the year to heart because it feeds into every aspect of my life:

word: PRESENT

Details in my post:

https://youlookfab.com/2024/01.....-for-2024/

So far, so good. I am very conscious of being PRESENT in the best possible way. It takes discipline and practice when you are me. I am practicing and trying hard!

As for skincare, I've stopped using sunscreen for 2 months. My skin is soooooo MUCH happier. Rashes gone. Not sure what I'll do in the Summer when the sun starts shining. Cover up and wear a hat like I did in Greece

Irina

Veteran

Angie, thanks! I don’t know if I could wear a hat as much here as I was wearing it in Crete. Sorry about all sunscreen troubles. New sunscreen is on my next order from Sephora. I want to try a stick sunscreen, if it works well, I will carry it with me what I’m out of the house for a day and need to reapply. Will test and report here in my future post on skincare.

Sal

Veteran

Thanks Irina for the post and share (Hi Lisa!!)

I have a range of goals for 2024, some are annual goals:

1) Travel to two new places - could be local or international. We are thinking of cycling in Samoa.
2) Read 12 books - I am not reading as much as I used to and want to read at least one book a month (on average)
3) Yoga more - I go to one class a week - and do yoga when I travel. But I want to add in two more 20 min sessions at home this year. I am still working on this one and how to make it a habit.
4) Improved morning routine, I get up early, exercise and then can waste an hour. I don't mind my work start of 9am but I could use that time better to get ahead with the day whether work reading or organising. I have started this but need to make it a habit.

There are a few more related to work and my voluntary position.

Good luck to all with their habits!

Helena

Veteran

Irina, these sound like very positive goals!

I don't really have any specific goals; I'm focusing on my word too: "appreciate" ... Gratitude, trying to be nonjudgmental and appreciate the complexity and depth of things, and make small investments (gentle workouts, little positive interactions, etc) that pay dividends over time

Irina

Veteran

Sal, you got me thinking about reading. I read sporadically and never counted how many books a read a year. Work has been so challenging lately that I found myself too mentally exhausted to read a book at the end of a day and mostly I read news. I like an idea of being more organized and accountable with reading. I also do yoga once a week and would like to increase it.

Helena, thanks. Small investments into things do worked over time, so true.

rachylou

Veteran

I went back on an insulin pump which has been fun - I know that sounds crazy, but they are sooo much better now. A leaf drops in France and everything changes, and now the pumps can vary your insulin minute by minute, which is great. I want to dampen the ups and downs.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Excellent goals, Irina.

I’m being gentle with my expectations and intentions for the year. We had such upheaval to close out last year and start this year that I’m hesitant to make any sweeping pronouncements.

I do know this much: it’s going to be a year of transition. My husband is selling his business for good and retiring fully this year — we just celebrated his 60th birthday and it’s also the 20 year anniversary of him starting the company, so it’s a nice round number to end on.

Also, in a decision made as of yesterday, my sister and I are selling the beach house our parents bought in 1976. We vacationed there growing up, and later I lived there for nine years and fixed it up into a home that could be rented out full time. My mom passed away only a couple of years after that, so I’ve been managing that house as a home and then a rental for over 25 years. The most recent tenant turned into a disaster — he never paid me for the last four months of rent, despite my repeated attempts to engage him. I went to the courthouse multiple times to file for eviction and repossession of the property, and finally got him out a week ago, although a bunch of his shit is still in the house. It’s been incredibly stressful and I am well and truly DONE with being a landlord and property manager. It will be emotional but I will put the house on the market by spring. My sister lives 800 miles away so all the work has rested squarely on my shoulders.

I’ve also had a nasty cat bite/scratch infection in my hand, from my stepsons cat, at Christmas. The wound has healed but my hand is still sore! I think she got a tendon or something. And I got a nasty cold a couple of weeks ago that lingered a long time.

So this year I need to get serious about my health and well-being. I have some medical appointments that I’ve delayed and need to attend to — dermatologist, cardiologist. I need a new primary care doc too.

I want to continue my 2/3x a week Pilates practice, continue to walk and hike as much as I can, and resume riding my bike more this spring and summer. My eating habits have been predictably not great over the holidays — a few pounds have slipped back on, and I’d like to get a grip on that.

My work is in a bit of a holding pattern. I have come to realize that I’m not the hustle type and am not going to be working my butt off to get the attention of a gallery or other entity to promote my art — I’m most happy making it, not trying to sell it. When I’ve settled some other matters this year, I’ll make some decisions about whether to keep my outside studio. Right now another decision feels too overwhelming.

My husband and I are going on a great long trip this spring out to the desert with the Airstream, where we will see the eclipse with my two besties, and visit some Dark Sky areas for my husband to view with his telescope. That will be a lovely opportunity to recover from our unexpected extra home construction, and celebrate his retirement and my freedom from property management!

Gail

Veteran

Irina, all good goals and ones I can certainly get behind apart from the swimsuit one.
Skin care- I need to get serious so I intend to make an appointment to see what non invasive things I can do to preserve what I have / don't have lol.
I have an appointment on Monday for teeth cleaning and whitening. I've never had my teeth whitened before as I have sensitive gums, thought I'll give it a try.
Sugar - My oh my. I have been having a cookie or something sweet after dinner EVERY night for the past 6 months. It will stop after Wednesday. I fly home from a two week trip to the UK to visit my brother ( update to come OT once I'm home) and have been positively ruthless in my chocolate and bread consumption to self soothe.
Exercise - I have 2 classes booked for Thursday and Friday I know I won't be happy when the time comes due to jet lag but I've got to get back into it as jeans that I brought with me are horribly tight now.
Trying to think positive although January is a tough time of year for me as I lost both parents this month 15 and 8 years ago tomorrow.

Minaminu

Veteran

Irina, you set yourself some excellent goals and I am sure you will raise to all challenges, especially the no sugar.

2023 has been a very difficult year which has culminated with a family loss that has forever changed family dynamics and made me reconsider my lifestyle. It has accelerated the need for change, partly due to reasons beyond my control (degrading healthcare system as Cardiffgirl mentioned, Brexit, people continuously moving which makes it difficult to build lasting and meaningful relationships) but also the desire for a different, more meaningful and engaging life. I want 2024 to be the catalyst for lifestyle changes and therefore set myself those goals:

set some fun activities and quality time with Mr Minu - he's been a rock and some laughter and lighten up would be great.
driving license so that I can help my mum with groceries shopping every 6 weeks;
improve my smile with orthodontics to help my confidence and be perceived as more approachable (I am not a smiley person due to lack of confidence).
train to become a Pilates instructor .
long stay in France to determine if the chosen region is right for next move

Runcarla

Veteran

The first week of January I had a consult with the nurse practitioner managing my health care and got a referral to a general surgeon, plastic surgeon, and dietician/nutritionist. The surgeons are for 3 ganglion cysts I’ve had for a while, but have been procrastinating over due to ‘fear’ of surgery. One is unsightly, and two affect the strength and mobility of my right wrist - definitely time to do something about them. The dietician/nutritionist is because I need help with my GI issues. I seem to have some food sensitivities - wheat and dairy? The clinic dietician is apparently a FODMAP specialist. Getting these issues addressed was a goal I set before Christmas - so acting on it now!

I let my YMCA membership lapse in November. Weight training virtually impossible due to the right wrist problem, and they’ve let their pool get quite grotty. I’m swimming 2000m +/- 3xweek at a beautiful facility that is a 20 min. walk from my house. I just want to maintain cardio health and muscle tone. I’ve been loosing weight at a rate of 1-2 lbs per year due to gastro issues, and probably loss of muscle mass attributable to aging and no longer working out at a competitive level.

Meals have gotten predictable. I’m thinking of a ‘no repeat’ challenge for February. I’d like to improve my repertoire of dinner recipes.

I’ve got some gardening goals and some home improvement goals that I’d like to cross off my list in 2024 as well, but nothing I’ve committed to at this point!

LJP

Veteran

Carla - I had a ganglion cyst removed from my wrist several years ago and it was not a big deal at all. It was just drained and bandaged and that was it. Hopefully yours will be a non-event as well.

Hi Sally !

Irina

Veteran

Rachylou, I have no clue about insulin pumps but glad you are doing better.

Janet, you had such rotten luck recently, no wonder you are being gentle with yourself. I so hope all the issues will be resolved soon and you and DH will be able to enjoy more layback lifestyle.

Gail, good luck achieving your goals. I love bread but gave it up long time ago. I figured if I to consume carbs, I’d rather have a cookie. Or two. Or three. I survived my first sugar free week but was thinking awful a lot about croissants I’m going to have for breakfast on Saturday life is cruel.

Minaminu, so sorry about a family loss. Your goals sound very impressive and optimistic. My favorite is a long stay in France last time I was there in 2015. My, almost 10 years ago!!!
Runcarla, seems like your plate is going to be very full this year! Improving my swimming has been such a constant goal on my list that I don’t even mention it. I intended to take swimming lessons last year but couldn’t work it into my schedule. My breaststroke is ok but I struggle with breathing while freestyling (is it a word?) I’m better but my progress is so, so slow.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Wow, it' is heartening and inspiring (and also moving) to read about people's goals and your various reasons for them.

I am focusing on my word -- expand -- and letting direct me over the coming year, but I do have a strong focus, and that is my relationship with Mr. Suz. We've had a good, long marriage, which has seen many changes, and the usual ups and downs. But two dear friends lost their husbands this past week (yes, two!!) And I am conscious that we are not getting younger. So I want to direct more energy towards fun and shared activities while we both enjoy good health. So, for example, we have put off a long-desired trip for several years. This is the year we'll go. And on a more modest scale, I want to resume our shared exploratory walks and dinners out in what feels like our still-newly-adopted city.

I hope to expand in other directions as well -- maybe try a new fitness activity, finish and send out a creative project, and explore some new work opportunities. But the relationship comes first.

Dee

Veteran

2024 Goals:
Skincare:
My first priority this year is my skincare as well. I finally saw a private dermatologist for my seborrheic keratosis, its especially been a problem on my neck and chest area and is likely to due to hormonal changes after menopause. Paying some big $$s to have it taken care of and its a real process but hopefully it will be worth it. Have been wearing turtlenecks for the last few weeks as it heals. I’m also trying to get the right combination of facial cleansers and moisturizers for my excessively sensitive skin. Retinols etc.. are out of the question for me. I can barely wear any makeup beyond lipstick.
Vacation:
Will finally be heading off for a ski vacation to Whistler soon, then visiting friends in Seattle. Haven’t been on a plane since March 2020.
Fitness:
Working on improving my fitness level with some weight training and other exercises. Getting some help from my brother, who is a personal trainer.

Irina

Veteran

Suz, you are so right to put your relationship first! My DH and I walk daily for about 45 minutes. Initially it was a substitute for my walks to and from my work which I lost with pandemic. But now we so used to it, part of our routine and chance to connect. We also back to celebrating DH’s birthday abroad (mine is too late in a season).

Dee, the skin condition sounds serious, hope you heal fast! You are so lucky that your brother is a person trainer! Enjoy Whistler!

ChristelJ

Veteran

Irina, I'm always impressed by your self discipline and I bet you will do well with your goals. I want to say I've used Paula's Choice products for years and some work well for me but not all, I think because it's very individual. I hope they work for you; looking forward to hearing about it.

Enjoying reading everyone's goals, so inspiring.

I have set none in particular because my equilibrium has been upended by having to leave home to care for my mom halfway across the country. I am not sure if I will get to return home for a long time. Self care has been neglected for months so if I do have a goal, it might be to make room for some of that. My mom is doing better so I am starting to consider what I might need now.

Dee

Veteran

Irina, this skin condition on my neck and chest is really just a cosmetic problem but it was bringing me down, I found it not pleasant to look at. So it was time to finally do something about it

Irina

Veteran

ChristelJ, glad your mother is better. As tough as it sounds, it’s amazing that you could move to help your mother. One of my life’s regrets that I couldn’t be there when my mother needed me.

Dee, I’m sure it was not an easy decision to proceed with a treatment but would benefit you in a long run.

Bijou

Veteran

Irina - last year I focused on skincare and one year later, I can honestly say my skin has improved. I have a monthly facial and a rigorous skincare routine using the Dermalogica range. I use a retinol prescribed by my dermatologist. I found with retinol I needed to use it regularly before seeing any change AND had to build up slowly to using it because my skin felt inflamed using it initially. Every second night initially, then two nights on, one night off, I am now at a routine of three nights on, one night off. The prescription product I use contains the retinol Trentinoin 0.05%. My dermatologist was of the opinion that retinol at a lower % was not particularly effective.

My goals:
- Food - reduce the amount of processed food that I eat, generally I am good on this, but over the holiday season and summer, I have indulged in ice-cream and other goodies and can feel the adverse effects! I need to reset my daily habits with a focus on eating a variety of plants. Luckily DH is leading the way on this one and is a great cook.
- Exercise - in November I will be going for my 3rd Dan karate black belt and so I need to be back to black belt fitness (currently I am at about 70% of where I want to be). My diet and training program has commenced, with a need to lose about 5kg to be light enough to ensure that the high impact nature of karate does not adversely affect my joints. I am about to purchase an iWatch as DH recently bought one and is now super pumped to meet his daily fitness goals.
- Personal - spend quality time with both DH and DS. DS is growing up fast. Doing things that DS wants to do together (such as a skiing holiday) is now a priority. I want to learn to ski which is a new challenge for me.

Irina

Veteran

Bijou, impressive! Your fitness goals are so ambitious! Long time ago I took a couple of skiing lessons but didn’t not enjoy them. I realized that I have no love for winter sports!

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

My new year's goals are somewhat in conflict: lose 15 pounds, and be more sociable. I managed to add weight over the autumn and holiday season due to excessive breakfast pastry and cava consumption with friends. Now I am in high exercise mode and trying to be more food restrained -- while also having a good time.

I have been devoted to the Allergan TNS Serum and TNS Eye Repair for a couple of years, with I think good results, and had not been using Retin-A quite as much as I used to. I went out with a gorgeous friend for tapas the other day (she is 69 but I always think we are the same age) and she told me she's been devoted to Retin-A for ages, so I renewed my rX for that.

Anonymous

For swimsuits I like these Penbrooke ones cause they're chlorine resistant, modest in the chest, and not low cut.

New years goals are on hold til spring but- getting things paid off, cutting back my work hours, Swedish Death Cleaning for me and mom, finishing one of my in process novels, and losing enough weight to fit my PC dresses are goals.

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