Excess Baggage 2025 – Week 1

When we last spoke, I was about to down tools (figuratively speaking) and head off to Sydney for Christmas. It would be a week of limited exercise (including two full days in the car) and a week where I wouldn’t have much control over what I ate or how it was prepared, so I decided to do the best I could in the circs.

Well, dear Reader, there was some damage in the form of a half-kilo gain, but not only was I okay with that, I lost it again last week, which means I’m heading into Excess Baggage 2025 in much the same way as I left Excess Baggage 2024 a few weeks ago.

2025 Intentions

As I stated in my first post, my goal for this project is to lose 30 kg and I expect it to take me most of a year. I am, however, just over 5 kg down, so I am on my way.

In other news, my blood test results came through just before Christmas, and my efforts to reduce alcohol have resulted in massive improvements in liver markers—these are now well in the normal category, as are my cholesterol and blood sugars. A combination of reduced alcohol and increased exercise has also reduced my blood pressure and resting heart rate. My doctor tells me that while I still need to lose weight, everything on the inside is working as designed.

But what about goals heading into 2025? I’m happy with the ones I set last year. The way I figure it, I poured the foundations for this year, last year – so this year is about building on that. Does that make sense? Therefore, I am treating this year like a to-do list. My health and fitness checklist mixes mini-goals and milestones with more adulting tasks—the things I forget unless they’re written down. It makes it all feel more project-y.

Under this are a few intentions:

• To eat more plants and plant-based meals
• To continue to track and journal
• To continue to improve my fitness, and do more resistance work to help support my dodgy back

While I don’t intend to put a measurable goal around these, they’re in the background.

Speaking of plants …

Another of my goals this year is to read more mindfully and more intentionally – and more slowly. To that end, I’m currently (re-)reading this:

The whole idea behind this one is not just eating more plants from a quantity viewpoint but eating a broader range to improve digestive health. And when we’re talking plants, we’re not just talking fruit and vegetables – beans, legumes, spices, herbs, pulses, (unrefined) plant oils, whole grains (including brown rice, oats, bread and pasta) and even stimulants like coffee, tea, dark (or raw) chocolate are included. The only catch is, you can only count each item once towards your 30 for the week eg, if I ate lettuce every day I can only count it once, but if I have cos lettuce one day, rocket another, iceberg another … you get the idea. Whether fresh, frozen, tinned or dried, it all counts.

I’ll tell you more about it next week, but my initial thought was ’30? seriously?’ Then I did a quick tally of all the plants I’ve included in recipes, meals and snacks since Wednesday and it blew me away.

• Red Lentils
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cumin seeds
• Peppercorns
• Ginger
• Broccolini
• Potatoes
• Carrot
• Little gem lettuce
• Iceberg lettuce
• Cucumber
• Cherry tomatoes
• Capsicum
• chilli
• dill
• parsley
• basil
• tarragon
• thyme
• Spring onions
• Shallots
• Brussels sprouts
• radishes
• cannellini beans
• edamame beans
• red kidney beans
• butter beans
• chickpeas
• lima beans
• corn kernels
• peas
• leeks
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• linseeds
• cranberries
• sultanas
• green beans
• mushrooms
• olive oil
• black tea
• lemon and ginger tea
• raspberries
• peach
• nectarine

Recipe of the week … Salmon and sprouts

This one comes from Nigel Slater’s Christmas Chronicles, but warning, if you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts look away now – or maybe don’t as this might just change your mind. We had it yesterday for lunch and this quantity was heaps for me, but Grant needed some baguette on the side. Fair play to him.

The recipe as it appears in the book is below. However, I cut back on the olive oil and used just 200g salmon between us for lunch. I also finely sliced some radishes and tossed them in at the end as well.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 large onion, peeled and finely sliced into half-moons
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 300g Brussels Sprouts, shredded finely (I liked to keep some of the leaves as well)
• 30g butter (or substitute)
• 300g hot-smoked salmon, broken into little pieces
• handful of chopped dill

Warm the olive oil in a shallow pan, toss in the onions and fry slowly – take your time with this – until they are soft and pale gold. Add the butter to the pan and once it has melted follow with the sprouts. Fry for a few minutes until they’ve softened, and then gently stir through the salmon. Serve with a sprinkling of dill.

Coming up … Wellness Reimagined

A group of us were chatting and thought it would be a good motivator for ourselves and others to provide a monthly link up dedicated to our health and wellness in 2025. The aim is to focus on what we are doing to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle and write a monthly post. It’s a great way to help keep us on track and provides a way to reflect, plan and refocus on the health goals and intentions we have set.

We would love you to join us, so are you in?

The Wellness Reimagined Link Up Guidelines

What: The Wellness Reimagined Link Up

When: First Monday of the month, 8am (AEST). We’ve chosen a Monday because it will start our week in a positive and motivated way.  The link will be open for 48 hours. Our first post will be next Monday – which is the second Monday – but that’s just because it’s the first episode. Clear?

Why: It’s a great way to link up with like-minded bloggers who want to stay active and healthy.  We can all inspire, support and motivate each other as well as learning new ways to stay healthy and active after 50.

Where: Link Party, Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other social media.

Who: This linkup is open to those bloggers who are tracking their health, wellness and activity.  All posts must be relevant to health and wellbeing and only one post can be linked up.

How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Include the hashtag #wellnessreimaginedlinkup so that we can find you and include your link in our posts.

Meet Your co-hosts

• Debbie Harris from Deb’s World
• Donna Connelly from Retirement Reflections
• Jennifer Jones from The Retirement Phase
• Joanne Tracey from And Anyways
• Sue Loncaric from Women Living Well After 50