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2018 - The Year of " I AM "
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Suzy!!!! LOVE the pic - "small tree" ?? lol and that giant pointsetta is gorgeous!! As are BOTH of you - you look great!!!!! I'm so glad you were able to still go and funny enuf we had our first sprinkling of snow yesterday and as I looked out my window I thought oh it's so pretty.. (I also thot ok that's enuf snow i've seen it its lovely that's enough tho lol) honestly you do look great and I can just imagine how lovely the Biltmore was! So glad you 2 had that time together - best gift of all!! And im sure all the walking offset any indulgence!
I am spending today finishing up all the chores around here .. I'm thinking i should have left more than 2 days to accomplish that ha... but i got a lot done yesterday so hopefully today will be able to finish it up - but i'm thinking of skipping out this morning for a bit of pickleball too.. anything to get me out of housework!
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I agree with Snooozie, you look fantastic in that picture! I love the boots! Well done on all the walking and not over-indulging. Your ginger molasses cookies sound delicious and Christmassy!.
You sound busy, Carol. Enjoy your trips and best of luck!
It's lovely that you are meeting up with old friends, Snooozie. It's great that you have kept that connection going for all those years.
My weight has been slowly creeping up - rebound after losing weight while being unwell. (Not an excuse. It has been my choice to eat too much food and too much sugar). I bought some of my favourite crisps (chips) to have for a treat on over Christmas. My son and I have eaten them ALL. These were not individual packets, but 100g drums. Over 500 calories per drum. Six of them. 3000 calories between us. (I say between us, but mostly between me). I think I have to accept that I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to that sort of thing. There are some things that I just shouldn't have in the house, because I seem to lose all rational control. No, Santa Claus is not going to order replacements from Amazon, and I will have to get myself through a crisp-free Christmas of my own doing.1 -
Thanks y’all! I appreciate you saying that I look good but I don’t think I’ve felt this uncomfortable in years! It’s definitely time to get serious about my health.
Vail, I’m the same way. I just can’t have sweets in my house. I have zero self control. I sometimes compare it to any addiction, thinking that I need to take it just one day at a time.0 -
I think I need to do more of that Suzy - comparing it to an addiction. I think I have got worse too - I've had always tended to go for salty, crispy snacks, but the past year or two I've been craving sweet stuff more too. Here's to a restrained holiday season!1
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This will be me:
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i had to go with a "woo" because there's no HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA button!0
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OMG y’all!!!!! We went out to eat at Waffle House tonight. Yes, it was as unhealthy as it sounds. Sometimes us southerners just want to get our waffle on. Anyway.....I was at the register, paying for our incredibly calorie dense meal, when I saw myself in their security camera screen. How did I let myself get this huge again???? I swore...SWORE...that I would never get to this weight again!!!! I can’t wait the two weeks to go back to the gym. I can’t use the “I’ll just get back on it after Christmas” rationalization. I have to do something NOW!!!
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It's funny how you jog along and then suddenly something makes you think "What am I doing?!!". Lol! I know I spent most of the time in the denial. Waffle House - I'm going to have to look that up. OK, I've looked it up and it doesn't actually look TOO bad? Not as bad as what I did last night. An offer for delivery pizza popped through my door - normally they go straight in the bin, but this time, oh no, I ordered some, plus some sort of giant cookie and icecream dessert. I was celebrating (my birthday) which is my excuse, but I always seem to have some sort of excuse. I had already "celebrated" by overeating earlier in the day too.
Anyway, yes, what is it about the good intentions that go down the drain? And it is so, so easy for the weight to just creep back up again. I've been noticing an upward creep recently myself. I know I can't keep writing off days and starting again tomorrow, because it has come a pattern rather than just a very occasional blip. I have some time off work now, so NO excuse: I get to choose what food is in the house. And I agree, Suzy, it can't just wait until after Christmas, because I know that would be two weeks off "I'm going to eat whatever I want right now, because I'll be dieting like mad in January".
I've got to say, Suzy, no way are you "huge"! But I do understand - it's all relative.1 -
suzy - all the get togethers with my friends meant there were a lot of pictures ... and i had my "waffle" moment when i saw one of them and thot what a terrible camera angle.... only the subsequent pics revealed it wasn't the angle..... it was honestly a shock because altho I knew I had gained some back, I was deluding myself that it was just .. a bit....
I had to stop cause I saw a msg vail was posting at the same time and I wanted to read hers lol.. and i'm so glad I did.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAIL!! SORRY I missed the actual day but wishing you all the best even if slightly belated!!
And I totally agree (sorry running out of time, my back and leg thing is happening, sciatica or whatever the hell it is and its gonna take me longer to attempt showering and dressing for work!) BUT.. I agree... we can't waste the 2 weeks left in the year, xmas not withstanding... so let's just take it one day at a time for the next 14 days... just one day... and focus on cutting back a bit and making better choices for most of the day; I think it would be unrealistic personally to aim for more during the holiday season, but I am going to use the "is it calorie worthy" checkmark every day.. am I just eating it cause i'm bored or cause I "want" it... and is it only mediocre... try to save any indulgence for things that are absolutely what I want to indulge in .. whether that be xmas dinner or birthday dinners or a piece of home made shortbread.. i'll skip the donuts and the store bought stuff and save my cals for stuffing or whatever.. so let's just take it one day at a time til Dec 31st ladies? we already know that small steps lead to big changes... so let's use these 2 weeks to start 'prepping" our bodies and minds to get what we want??2 -
Happy birthday Vail!!!!
So sorry about your sciatica Snoozie. That sounds painful.
Okay! One day at a time! I love the, “is it calorie worthy” approach! I’m cooking Christmas dinner so I have total control of what I put on my plate and in my mouth.
I can do this.
I’m in control.
That’s my mantra for the next month.1 -
in light of our recent conversations, I was reading this article this morning and while i'm not 100% convinced CICO still works for me post menopausal, it DID remind me of some of the things I did when I was steadily losing weight... like eating only 1/2 my sandwich at a time... and waiting for hunger to eat the other half.. just eating.. "less"... and spreading it out more. the exercise reminder was good too.... that it isn't necessarily required for weight loss (altho imperative for overall health of course - which also reminded me of my decision to move more doing things I enjoy - rather than spending an entire day working out (see the bottom paragraph!) so thought I would share it in case its of any help to anyone else. I am following both of you Suzy and Vail in the one day at a time and not wasting the 2 weeks left; not considering it 2 weeks of a free for all just cause its the holidays. yesterday we had some treats at work; but I skipped all the store bought stuff and had a small slice of a home made rum cake, about 4 bites.. - I determined that was calorie worthy for me far more than the store bought stuff and I enjoyed it - but 2 bites in I was thinking did I really WANT that? or did I just go for it because it was home made and fit my "thinking" of being able to have a treat? i realized in the end that it was actually not something i couldnt live without - so it was another reminder not to jump into stuffing something into my face just because its there.. to wait for the "absolutely calorie worthy" moments!
Why Eating Less Is More Important Than Exercise
Prime Women Fri Dec 14
You have to exercise to lose weight, right? It’s something we hear throughout our lives but is exercise the main ingredient in an effective weight loss strategy?
Weight loss may feel like a complicated process, but it is really just a numbers game – one that is more about daily calorie intake than exercise. Your body burns just so many calories a day, and if you eat less than that amount, you will lose weight. The question is where does exercise fit into that equation and how many calories do you need?
The Truth About Calories
Calories are energy, and you expend energy in three ways:
Basal metabolic rate – That’s what your body uses for normal functioning like breathing
Breaking down food – That’s right, you burn calories just by eating
Physical activity – That’s movement of any kind whether it is at the gym or taking the stairs at work.
The Logic Behind Calorie Counting
You don’t have much control over energy expenditure, so you have to focus on what you can control – calorie intake. Your body uses calories as fuel, but when there are too many, it saves them as fat in case you need them some other time. It is a protective measure to keep you from starving.
By changing your calorie intake, you can change how you look and feel. The simple fact is if you eat more than your body burns, you will gain weight but the reverse is true, as well. If you eat fewer calories than you need, your body will turn saved fat back into energy to make up the difference.
According to the Mayo Clinic, it takes 3,500 calories to make one pound of fat. When you burn 3,500 calories, you lose one pound of fat. For most people, cutting out 500 calories per day will mean you lose will lose one pound a week without exercise. If you burn 500 calories a day at the gym, though, there is no guarantee you will lose that pound without changing your diet.
How to Cut Calories
You’d be surprised how easy it is to cut 500 calories a day out of your diet. Start with the little things:
Eliminate soda from your life. Switch to zero calories drinks like water or even coffee.
Reduce portions sizes by half. You can do this even if you eat out for lunch every day. Just ask for a to-go box with your food and put half of your sandwich in it before you start eating. You can eat that half for supper or lunch the next day. Better yet, start bringing a healthy meal with you to work.
Eliminate processed foods – Even diet dinners have a lot of fat and salt that will hinder your weight loss. Take a healthy cooking class and learn to enjoy preparing your meals.
Skip the little extras you eat each day like the bagel and cream cheese you get from the breakroom or the candy you get out of the vending machine in the afternoon.
Does cutting calories mean you can’t enjoy the occasional candy bar or rich pasta dish from your favorite restaurant?
The 80/20 Diet
The 80/20 Diet is a system created by chef and nutritionist Teresa Cutter. The concept is simple. You eat healthy nutritious calorie-conscious food 80 percent of the time and treat yourself without going crazy the remaining 20 percent. You can still eat some of your favorite foods and even sneak in the occasional candy bar as long as you stay on track 80 percent of the time.
Finding a Balance
Even though you can lose weight without exercise, the best weight loss plans promote both calorie counting and exercise for success. Exercising brings more to the table than just burning a few calories, too, especially for older women. For instance:
Exercise helps control blood pressure and improves heart health
It reduces your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes
It improves flexibility and joint health
It helps maintain muscle mass and strength – something women lose as they grow older
It enhances metabolism, so your body burns calories more efficiently.
It helps you sleep and improves your mood.
Exercise is essential for bone health especially in women over 50 who are at risk for osteoporosis. All that, and you can burn a few extra calories, too.
There are some things you need to keep in mind about exercise, though:
Working out is rarely enough to lose weight unless you have hours a day to spend doing it. What woman has that kind of free time?
Exercise enhances your appetite so you may eat more unless you count your daily calorie intake.
There is little doubt that exercise is necessary for good health. There is some question, though, about whether it is essential for weight loss. People do seem to exercise more these day, but still, almost 40 percent of the population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.2 -
Well, I have to take issue with "You’d be surprised how easy it is to cut 500 calories a day out of your diet". I don't find it easy at all! And I'm convinced it's partly proportional - that it's easier for somebody to drop from 2500 to 2000 calories a day, than it is for another person to drop from 1500 to 1000 calories a day.
And the other thing that gets me, because I keep seeing it coming up in articles is all these helpful suggestions - I mean, who buys candy from vending machines? It must be years since I've done that. In fact, I think I can remember the last time - it was 11 years ago, I was travelling and needed to buy food because I was on medication that had to be taken with food. I don't drink soda. I don't eat out for lunch. I cook healthy meals from scratch. And so on ... Of course, I know that these things will apply and be very helpful to other people so I'm not criticising the article - just that it's cultural, I suppose, and there's always this assumption that it will be so easy to lose weight because you just need to stop [insert some food habit which doesn't apply to me, like having sugar for tea, or a big bowl of cereal for breakfast], and that just frustrates me! I think it's my demographic and mostly these articles are aimed at a younger, more affluent crowd.
Not meaning to be all holier than thou about it, because although I don't do those things, I clearly do other things which get in the way of my weight loss.
Anyway ... I hear you about homemade stuff, Snooozie! Yes! I have been doing that recently, eating homemade stuff (my own or other people's) because it's "worth the calories". Whereas before, I used to just be able to say that I never eat foods like cake. And people knew that I just didn't eat cakes or anything like that except on very rare occasions. Because I'm giving in and having "a small slice" much more often, I don't have the excuse that "I never eat cake" any more, and I almost feel under pressure to eat it, and then the social pressure gives me an excuse and there we go again.
Now that would have been more helpful, if the article had said "Don't eat things because they're homemade. Or healthy or worthy or wholesome, or whatever. It's just an excuse, and they'll still make you fat". Lol!1 -
I wonder about all these articles and ads and such. I think maybe they’re targeting people who are just beginning their weight loss journey. It’s hard for me to imagine someone not knowing about calories and exercise and all the tips we read about but they’re out there. There are actually people who have never dieted or thought about calories!! Hard to believe, I know!!! It’s always good to get a refresher though.
What it boils down to for me is portion control and downward spiral control. You know, when you have that rum cake then figure, what the hell...I already blew it so I’ll have that brownie and ice cream and pizza and whatever.
I haven’t been walking or exercising for several weeks and I’m feeling it. I have aches and pains and my legs are so stiff! So, like you said Snoozie, the exercise is more for overall health! If you don’t use those muscles then you lose them. I’ve just been slacking off on my health for weeks now and at my age, I can’t afford to do that.
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Calories from licking the bowl and beaters don’t count, right?
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Not if you're standing up!
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Well I stirred the pot with that post LOLOL...
Just popping in to now as I suspect from here on in most are going to be very busy - still waiting to hear about the grandbaby too Gail!!
Wishing all of my friends here a very Merry Christmas !!
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Merry Christmas Hatters!!!
Thanks for always being here and for your endless support!
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Thank you from me too! Wishing you all a very happy Christmas x x
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Merry Christmas everyone
This angel has been on every tree since I was born 😇👼
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Merry Christmas Everyone, I missed a lot, but did read some. I have missed writing with you guys. Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays.2
