The Kat Files

Happy Monday, dear reader! Today is our last Monday in June and my last weekly update for this challenge. I spent most of last week (Wednesday-Sunday) at the Airport Hilton in Kenner at the TAC 2026 Scrapbooking Event with my friends Donna, Heather, and Kelsi. I brought both of my journals and materials to time track because I have worked too hard all month to let it fall by the wayside due to being out of town. Let me share my progress from last week with you.

[Time Track the entire month. Eliminate scrolling mindlessly on social media.] I successfully tracked my time for the entire fourth week of June. I documented 4 hours and 29 minutes of specifically playing on my phone and scrolling on social media. Sadly, I scrolled 43 minutes MORE than last week. I am disappointed with myself, especially since 2 hours and 13 minutes of that total was from yesterday afternoon. I returned home from the scrapbooking event at 1:00 PM, unpacked my car, put away my scrapbooking stuff, ate lunch with my husband and dad, and proceeded to watch a bunch of reels on Instagram and Facebook. Does it count as mindless scrolling if I was yucking it up with my oldest son while watching most of these reels?

[Keep a food journal for the entire month. Primary focus is to cut out added sugar and sugary processed foods.] Despite being out of town most of last week, I continued to do well with recording the food and beverages that I ate and drank, their sugar content as well as their added sugar content.

I am excited to share that I was below my recommended daily allowance of added sugar (25 grams) EVERY single day last week with Sunday being my highest consumption at 21 grams of added sugar. I brought low-sugar/no sugar snacks and chose wisely when going out to restaurants for lunch. My breakfast each morning was Overnight Oats which I was able to mix with water in its own container and put in the hotel room’s refrigerator each night before going to bed. I also brought fresh fruit to eat with my Overnight Oats. Dinner was either lunch leftovers or light snacks with little or no sugar.

I am SUPER proud of myself for not using vacation as an excuse to go wild with my eating, especially in regard to sugar. We were given a few pieces of candy and two macaroons from the event coordinator during the event, and I did not eat any of it. I brought it home for my oldest son and husband. The event coordinator’s husband brought donuts and fritters for everyone at the crop, and I had no desire to even look at them much less eat one. A vendor came to the crop with her homemade cookies, and again, I had no desire to check them out. Had this event taken place in May or the first week of this challenge, I would have been all up in those sugary delights. Instead, I ate one of my Skinny Dipped Peanut Cups or Coconut Bites if I wanted something sweet after lunch. Also, I used no sweetener in my tea while away.

[Try to cook at least 2 recipes that are high protein/low carb or no carb.] No new recipe. I still owe you a post about my high protein tortilla wrap. I have not forgotten, dear reader.

[Add running intervals to walking routine at least 3 days per week.] Even though my knees feel great, I did no running interval training last week. I only walked once on Wednesday morning in my neighborhood, but I kept track of my steps. I got a good amount of steps last week; more than the previous week.

[Complete gut protocol (Spa728).] Even with being away from home, I continued to do well with taking my daily gut protocol.

[Complete BODI For Beginners Only Block 5.] I completed Week 4 (UP Week). ⭐

[Get a massage.] Completed 06/19. ⭐

[Declutter/Organize Scrapbook Room to prep for annual scrapbooking event this month with friends.] Completed 06/24. ⭐

[Work on establishing a consistent Wake-Up time.] I made no progress with this goal last week. I knew the odds were against me with being on vacation. I went to bed late Wednesday-Saturday and did not set an alarm to get up in the mornings. Considering we could not get into the scrapbook room until 8:45, I did not feel it was necessary to set an alarm since I cannot sleep late even if I go to bed late. The earliest I got up last week was 6:06 AM (Wednesday) while the latest was 7:04 AM (Friday).

[Find a primary care physician that aligns with my healthcare goals. Started this process in May.] As promised, I reached out to my gynecologist about ordering bloodwork. I messaged her this morning through MyChart. After I sent the message, it gave me a message to allow 48 hours for a response.

Well, dear reader, week 4 of my June challenge has come and gone. Even though I did not make strides with a couple of my goals, I am proud of the ones I completed or continued to make progress. Gold stars for me remaining steadfast with my time tracking and monitoring my sugar consumption. Even though I backslid with scrolling on my phone, it could have been worse. I am still a work in progress with two days left of this challenge. Happiness!

“Every obstacle is a gift – each one contains an opportunity to learn and grow.” ~ Brian Tracy

Happy Monday, dear reader! We are officially in the summer season. Sadly, I never got around to writing out my summer plans and sharing them with you. Basically, I have been living in the moment and by my planner while focusing on this June challenge. I continue to make progress, and I want to share with you how much headway I made from last week.

[Time Track the entire month. Eliminate scrolling mindlessly on social media.] I successfully tracked my time for the entire third week of June. I documented 3 hours and 46 minutes of specifically playing on my phone and scrolling on social media. Amazing! I scrolled 2 hours and 4 minutes LESS than last week. I am proud of myself. I think part of the reason I shaved off some more social media time is because I was engaged in other activities and had to use my time wisely in order to get everything done for the week.

[Keep a food journal for the entire month. Primary focus is to cut out added sugar and sugary processed foods.] I am continuing to do well with recording the food and beverages that I am eating and drinking, their sugar content as well as their added sugar content.

I am excited to share that I was below my recommended daily allowance of added sugar (25 grams) EVERY single day last week with Monday being my highest consumption at 17 grams of added sugar. If you have been reading since the beginning of my challenge, you know I have been struggling with drinking less honey in my afternoon cup of black tea. In week 2, I bumped up my amount of honey in my tea to 2 tsps on Saturday and Sunday (06/13 & 06/14). Then, I did it again on Monday (06/15), and I did not like recording 11.4 grams of added sugar in my food journal just for tea. Therefore, on Tuesday-Thursday (06/16-06/18), I dropped back down to 1 tsp of honey and added 1/2 tsp of sugar which brought me down to 7.7 grams of added sugar. I skipped tea on Friday (06/19). Then, I decided to add 1 tsp of sugar to my tea on Saturday and Sunday (06/20 & 06/21). It is not the same, and I miss my honey, but I refuse to cave.

[Try to cook at least 2 recipes that are high protein/low carb or no carb.] No new recipe.

[Add running intervals to walking routine at least 3 days per week.] No running interval training last week AND no walking outside or on the treadmill. However, I did move which gave me a good amount of steps most days last week. By Wednesday (06/17), my knees were feeling pretty good, and I have not had any pain in either knee since Wednesday. I would like to keep it that way. My friend Rita, who is a runner, gave me some good suggestions for when I get back to adding my running intervals into my walking routine.

[Complete gut protocol (Spa728).] I continue to do well with taking my daily gut protocol.

[Complete BODI For Beginners Only Block 5.] I completed Week 3. ⭐

[Get a massage.] I got my massage on Friday, 19 June, and it was AMAZING! ⭐ The massage therapist told me my glutes were tight. Apparently, I need to stretch my glutes more, so it looks like I might need to invest in a foam roller.

[Declutter/Organize Scrapbook Room to prep for annual scrapbooking event this month with friends.] I prepped for my upcoming scrapbooking event on and off last week. I ordered a few pictures for my Edgar Allan Poe journal. I hope they come in on time.

[Work on establishing a consistent Wake-Up time.] Ugh! The one area where I am making the least progress. The earliest I got up last week was 6:15 AM (Sunday) while the latest was 7:30 AM (Monday). To date, Monday (06/15) is the latest I have gotten up all month. My friend Rita asked me if I was on an HRT and tried magnesium which seems to work for her; however, I have tried HRT which sadly did not work for me. As for magnesium, I have not tried it. Rita is not the first person to suggest it, so I might need to invest in some magnesium along with that foam roller.

[Find a primary care physician that aligns with my healthcare goals. Started this process in May.] I have not reached out to my gynecologist about ordering bloodwork, yet. I plan to message her the Monday after my scrapbooking event. I promise I am not dragging my feet, but I have appointments between now and my event in addition to wrapping up loose ends at home and packing for my event.

Well, dear reader, week 3 of my June Challenge is in the bag. As you can see, I continue to make strides with most of my goals. Even with going on my scrapbooking event this week, I will continue tracking my time, my habits and routines, as well as my sugar consumption. It will be a bit more challenging being away from home for a few days, but I am up for the challenge. Happiness!

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” ~ Confucius

Happy Monday, dear reader! Today is the halfway point of my June challenge. Overall, I feel good about the strides I have made since starting this challenge, and I want to share with you my progress from last week.

[Time Track the entire month. Eliminate scrolling mindlessly on social media.] I successfully tracked my time for the entire second week of June. I documented 5 hours and 50 minutes of specifically playing on my phone and scrolling on social media. YES! I scrolled 2 hours and 38 minutes LESS than last week. Admittedly, that is still A LOT of wasted time, but it is better than the week before, and I am hoping this week will be even less. I think time tracking is really helping me break this bad habit.

[Keep a food journal for the entire month. Primary focus is to cut out added sugar and sugary processed foods.] I am continuing to do well with recording the food and beverages that I am eating and drinking, their sugar content as well as their added sugar content.

I am excited to share that I was below my recommended daily allowance of added sugar (25 grams) EVERY single day last week with Sunday being my highest consumption at 18.04 grams of added sugar. It was a much easier week for me regarding sugar cravings. I am making better choices and craving sugar less and less with each passing day. I did bump up the amount of honey (from 1 tsp to 2 tsps) when drinking black tea, and I am enjoying it much more. I did look up some other alternative sweeteners at Wal-Mart on Friday evening (monk fruit and agave), but their sugar content is the same as honey, so I will stick with honey for the time being.

[Try to cook at least 2 recipes that are high protein/low carb or no carb.] No new recipe.

[Add running intervals to walking routine at least 3 days per week.] I did NOT add any running intervals to my walking last week. In fact, my knees were bothering me so much that I stopped walking outside for my daily walk on Tuesday and just recorded my daily steps for the remainder of the week. I acknowledge, I could have walked on the treadmill, but I did not feel like it.

On Friday, I did experience pain in my knees while doing the split squat/split lunge exercise in the Accelerator workout. I believe that exercise is what initially injured my knees in that Lower Body Workout. I have only done that exercise twice with two different instructors, and both times, it caused pain in the inside of my knees. I will not be doing that particular exercise again.

[Complete gut protocol (Spa728).] I continue to do well with taking my daily gut protocol.

[Complete BODI For Beginners Only Block 5.] I completed Week 2. ⭐

[Get a massage.] I scheduled my appointment for Friday, 19 June.

[Declutter/Organize Scrapbook Room to prep for annual scrapbooking event this month with friends.] I finished decluttering half of my scrapbook room which allows me to start prepping and packing for my upcoming scrapbooking event.

[Work on establishing a consistent Wake-Up time.] I continue to struggle with this goal. The earliest I got up last week was 5:57 AM (Thursday) while the latest was 6:38 AM (Sunday).

[Find a primary care physician that aligns with my healthcare goals. Started this process in May.] Finding a primary care physician and an endocrinologist is proving to be harder than I anticipated. I looked into a primary care physician that was recommended to me, but that physician does not take insurance. I looked into endocrinologists covered by my insurance, and the ones with good ratings will require me to travel at least an hour. Therefore, I think I am going to reach out to my gynecologist, who has ordered bloodwork for me in the past and see if she will write orders for me to get bloodwork. I could kick myself for not getting it done in March when I went for my annual well-woman visit.

Well, dear reader, another brief update on how I am doing with my June challenge. As you can see from week two, I am making good progress with a few of my goals, okay progress with a few others, and no progress with a couple of them. I will continue tracking my time, my habits and routines, as well as my sugar consumption. Hopefully, I can push through the stumbling blocks that I am encountering this month. Happiness!

“Progress comes with practice, and practice comes with purpose. Know your why.” ~ Melissa Steginus

It is Monday, yet again, and today is my first update since starting my June challenge. I know…I know…I wrote in my last post that I would write more about these goals and how I planned on working on them. Well, I was a busy bee and ran out of time. However, the good news is I worked on several of my goals which I will share with you now, dear reader.

[Time Track the entire month. Eliminate scrolling mindlessly on social media.] I successfully tracked my time for the entire first week of this month. I documented 8 hours and 28 minutes of specifically playing on my phone and scrolling on social media. Wowzer! Funnily enough (or not funny enough), my scrolling usage would be higher if I included phone time while doing other activities (eating, watching tv, riding in my car, etc.). That is A LOT of wasted time.

[Keep a food journal for the entire month. Primary focus is to cut out added sugar and sugary processed foods.] Admittedly, this goal is the TOUGHEST one on my list because I am addicted to sugar. Keeping the food journal is not too bad since I am primarily focusing on sugar. I am recording the food and beverages that I am eating and drinking, their sugar content as well as their added sugar content.

According to the American Heart Association, consuming no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of added sugar per day is the recomendation for women and kids over the age of 2. For men, consuming no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of added sugar is the recommendation per day. I am thrilled to report that I was below my recommended daily allowance of added sugar EVERY single day with Sunday being my highest consumption at 15.7 grams of added sugar. It was NOT an easy week. Going cold turkey and cutting back significantly on added sugar did make me Miss Crankypants around Thursday.

[Try to cook at least 2 recipes that are high protein/low carb or no carb.] My son Barry and I made a cottage cheese wrap for dinner on Wednesday evening. I will do a separate post about this adventure. So, one recipe down and one to go.

[Add running intervals to walking routine at least 3 days per week.] I did running intervals as part of my walk on Monday morning, and I felt terrific. Then, I did it again on Wednesday morning after my Lower Body Foundations workout, and I felt slight pain in the inner part of both knees by the end of my walk. UGH! I am frustrated with myself. I should NOT have worked out beforehand, especially since it was a lower body workout. I doubled up because I had reading and productivity sprints on my channel Wednesday afternoon. I should have waited until Thursday to do my running intervals. In addition to poor planning, I was not impressed with the instructor of the lower body workout. It was my first workout with him as the instructor, and he went too fast and kept losing count. I am on Block 5 of BODI For Beginners, so I know to go at my own pace. Since my knees were still bothering me on Saturday morning, I decided to skip my 3rd day of running intervals for week one. I thought for sure by this morning I would be able to try again, but sadly I am still nursing my knees and will forgo running intervals this week as well. I am bummed out.

[Complete gut protocol (Spa728).] I am doing well with taking my daily gut protocol which I am recording in my food journal. I add 1 scoop of Carboxy to an 8 ounce glass of water which I drink on an empty stomach after I complete my morning workout. I take 1 capsule of Refresh with breakfast. In the evenings, every other day, I take one capsule of Renew with dinner. Then, sometime between 7:00 and 8:00, I drink an 8 ounce glass of water with 1 scoop of Intestinal Restore.

[Complete BODI For Beginners Only Block 5.] I completed Week 1. ⭐

[Get a massage.] I have not gotten my massage, yet. However, I plan to call Paris Parker tomorrow to schedule my appointment. I am hoping the massage therapist will have an opening on Friday, 19 June.

[Declutter/Organize Scrapbook Room to prep for annual scrapbooking event this month with friends.] I decluttered about an hour in my scrapbook room on Tuesday and about a half hour on Sunday. I am disappointed that this task was not completed last week because I wanted to start prepping this week. Maybe, I should have used the time I scrolled on social media on decluttering my scrapbook room instead.

[Work on establishing a consistent Wake-Up time.] I am struggling with this goal. Ideally, I would love to get up by 5:30 AM, take care of my dogs, put on my workout clothes, and exercise at 6:00 AM. Except for Wednesday night when I went to sleep at 11:10 PM, I have been going to bed on time. I do not sleep well in general, and I wish I could figure that out as well.

[Find a primary care physician that aligns with my healthcare goals. Started this process in May.] I had a thought this past week that instead of finding a primary care physician, I would switch gears and look for an endocrinologist. If there is something wrong with my thyroid, I would need to see an endocrinologist, so I might as well get established with one now. Endocrinologists also treat conditions related to cortisol and hormone function, both of which I also need to address.

Well, dear reader, that is a brief update on how I am doing so far with my June challenge. I do plan to write more in depth about a few of these goals as the month progresses. With the exception of injuring my knees, I am pleased with the first week of my challenge. I do enjoy tracking my progress and looking over the data. I am learning more about myself, and it is inspiring me to want do better going forward. Happiness!

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe