Week 44 of Health Happenings. I thought last week was Week 44, but I can't count very well. Last year, eating healthy over the holidays wasn't even a concern for me. A lot has changed this past year.

A tasting to start the week

This past week we went to a restaurant soft opening in Fonthill and tasted all kinds of foods: burgers, pizza, a salmon dish, fries and more. Great experience. Not great for the scale.

Seven exercises in seven days

My goal was to exercise at least seven times this week and eat as well as possible. I had to juggle my schedule, but here's what got done: three weight workouts, four one-hour walks (about 5K each), and a yog on Saturday.

Lifting again

I'm back to lifting weights and making progress every week, keeping good form while slowly increasing the weight. I really enjoy the chest exercises, especially incline bench press. I'm still weak compared to what I used to be, but getting less weak.

The good foods

• Overnight oats almost every morning: Greek yogurt, flax seed and hemp hearts. I love it.
• Homemade butternut squash soup with a bit of white rice.
• Barbecued chicken legs with salad and quinoa. I love quinoa more than I remembered.

The weigh-in

Last week was 183.0. With the tasting and a few too many treats, this week came in at 183.4. Only a small bump, thanks to all that exercise.

The challenge ahead

Holiday events are coming, and pizza reviews this week too. I'm not worried about drinking too much. I'm worried about how much food I'll eat. Keep the conversations coming. I love hearing about your own health journeys.

Joe is not a doctor or a dietitian. This is his personal journey. Talk to your healthcare provider before making big changes to your diet or exercise.