WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST

chicletgirl

Good morning ladies!
Was reading posts and wanted to make a suggestion that I do and helps me when I am eating.

Peggy mentioned a lot of things to do while eating, but for me also, presentation is important too. Whenever I prepare my meals I make them look as appealing as possible, almost like I would get in a restaurant. You know how when they lay the plate down in front of you and it looks so pretty and yummy? By doing that at home it makes me feel like I am treating myself special. (Just like going to a restaurant for a meal is special) I arrange things on my plate just so, cut things up and arrange things by color to make it look pretty. So when I sit down I am happy about what I am about to eat just because it looks great.
The other thing I do like Peggy said is always eat at the dining room table. But I take it one step further. I never eat watching TV or even leave it on in the other room. I don't even look at my computer to read anything, but I will put my screen saver on with the little fishes swimming around for relaxation or I turn on soft music. I pay attention to my meal, enjoy it, taste it, and my mind recognizes the fact that I am eating all this food and kind of makes it accountable that I have been fed and am full. Where as if I am paying attention to say the TV while eating I eat it without realizing I am eating and its gone before I know it and I don't feel satisfied and notice I am hungry for a snack later. It's all psychological I suppose, but it's really about conditioning your mind and way of thinking about food. It helps me.

MacMadame

I have to agree with you on the veggies vs. protein for snacks. I too notice if I have a serving of string cheese or some other little protein for a snack I can go longer between meals without getting hungry. Veggies, Like the carrots you mentioned don't satisfy me for a couple of hours like the protein does. If I eat veggies for a snack I ma hungry again quickly. Protein seems to last longer with me and I think my body benefits from it for the energy it provides for the body between meals. If I do eat veggies between meals I will have it with hummus or a bit of peanut butter (protein) and I am fine. Not to say I don't like veggies, becasue I do. As a matter of fact I pile up on them at meals, but once again I am eating protein even then.

One thing I noticed this month after my weigh in. In July I couldn't get enough calories to reach 1200 and keeping my carbs at 120. I averaged between 900 and a 1000 and was getting warnings from MFP about starvation mode, That month I weighed in I thought I would lose a lot of weight because of the low calorie intake. Wrong!!

I was frustrated, and talked to a friend who is on a 1200 calorie diet but with only 40 carbs allowed. I asked her how she managed to get the calories with that and she said protein. Hard cheese, chicken, tuna, fish, protein shakes, protein. protein, protein! So I told my doctor ( who happens to run marathons) and she said yes that's right. So this month I added more protein and my calories went up to 1200 and carbs stayed where they were supposed to. Plus I didn't add the carbs I get from fruit. Major change in my weigh in. I was actually worried when I went in to weigh because I was eating a lot more calories this time, more food. I lost more weight this time! As a matter of fact when the nurse told me how much I just stared at her and it didn't register at first. My mind was trying to calculate how much I lost, but I couldn't figure it out because inside I was panicking that I didn't do well. She finally looked at me directly and told me again. I was shocked. I don't know, but I think this protein thng is important and it works obviously for me. So I will see how I do next month and eat a lot more veggies too.

Chiclet:flowerforyou:

kackie

Hello Ladies,

Well...I got on the scale this morning after being away from it for 3 weeks and was up 2 pounds. Yuk...not good but I guess I should be glad it wasn't more. A good lesson on why, for me, I need to weigh every day. I guess I just need to get a scale in MT, even if it isn't the same scale. I hope that I can get rid of those 2 pounds quickly so I won't change my ticker unless I can't get it gone in the next week. I roasted a big pan of vegies last night with enough to have tonight too. I also DID make myself do 30 day shred yesterday afternoon. It is amazing how tired I can be...but if I MAKE myself get moving, I always feel better afterwards. (NOTE to self...remember this!)

Peggy: Thanks for the eating tips. Anything that makes us conscious of what we are eating and how, etc. makes us be mindful and is helpful.

Renny: I loved hearing about your lovely weekend with your daughter. How special it sounds. (and the food sounds yummy)

Mimi: You are so right about the weight bearing activity. And from what I have read, you can get results at ANY age...even people in their 80s see results. So think how strong we can get by then! I have used weights off and on for years and struggle to make it part of a regular routine. I KNOW that I need to do weights regularly, but have never been able to make it fun. Now, Yoga, which uses your own body as resistance is something that I enjoy. I don't know if that alone is enough though. My hand weights are staring at me right now!

Debbi: I have also never been able to calculate calories from weight training, so I just decided that it was a "bonus" when I did it!

SuzyQ: How is your DH doing with MFP? Sounds like he is still on board!

Strange, unsettled weather here...sunny one minute and thunderstorms the next! Not good for outside projects. I need to paint some wicker chairs but think I will put that off a day or 2?!

Have a wonderful evening everyone. And here's to good choices:drinker: kackie:drinker: :drinker:

tcac

My dear friends,
I have not read your posts yet, but wanted to take a moment to let you know about the wedding. It was soooooo wonderful. Everything went perfectly and exactly as planned. Weather was great and dry. Melissa was the happiest bride I have ever seen. I t was everything I had ever imagined a wedding could be. I am getting pictures to post soon. Now to get back on track with eating and exercising. Hope all is well with all of you. Will start reading posts soon. Had guests that stayed until this afternoon and now I am babysitting till 7.
linda

weaklink109

Hello All,

kackie,
Here is my answer to the scale issue. While you are home, where your current scale is, buy another, weigh on both of them, one after the other. Calibrate the new one to read the same as your first one, and then take it with you when you go back to MT. Then you can be confident of where you are. Good luck. BTW, I was in Kohls yesterday, and they have a Taylor digital scale that reads in .2 increments, and it is on sale for less than $25.

Chiclet,
I can understand why you would want to dream of "taking care" of your ex, but the best revenge will be to succeed at your weight loss and go on to live a full and satisfying life. Then YOU win!! If you do something that can potentially have life-altering consequences--as in loss of personal freedom-then you don't win, HE does!!

Rebel,
Looking at your new photo, I suddenly realized how much you resemble one of my cousins, who happens to live in BC on the mainland.

Suzzeque,
Sounds like your new canine walking partner has settle in nicely. You will have to post another picture when the tale has grown back out.

My babies are all passed out, enjoying the AC, as it is about 93 F on my patio at the moment. I need to get moving and do some things around here, but I am not looking forward to going outside. :grumble: Can't complain too much, as we FINALLY stopped having nothing but rain.

BFN

Barb

BirdieM

Greeting to everyone!!!:smooched: I have been so so busy and so so struggling! :noway: I had a very busy weekend with about 30 people coming over my house on Sunday :noway: .........with ALL THE ITALIAN GOODIES!!!! I got up and exercised but was not as disciplined as I hoped to be.:frown: Yesterday, I drank lots of water,:flowerforyou: exercised :flowerforyou: and kept the food very clean. :flowerforyou: I DID send all the goodies home with everybody as little treats for them to enjoy when they got home!!:laugh: Today has also been a good day. Tomorrow I get weighed.:embarassed: ...and after having such a challenging week:ohwell: ...I can't say I'm looking forward to it.:frown: But it IS part of my discipline to face the scale NOW rather than 6 mos.....and 20 pounds from now!!!:noway:
I'll let you know how I did tomorrow.

Have a great day everyone!!!
BirdieM

mynyddisamrs

:flowerforyou: I'll say it again...Wow!! Sooo many posts in one day!!

One of my September goals will be to try and reply as others diligently do!! Until then all I'm saying is ...:flowerforyou: "Welcome" to our Newbies!
Barb ....Sorry you missed me dancing on TV ..:laugh: .you would have had to look really hard and use your imagination. LOL At least you didn't think I was the mauve Michelin Man!!!
Viv ...I'm off to the Baltic ...highlight is St.Petersburg for 2 days!! We can't wait.
Wouldn't it be great if we could all meet up on a MFP cruise!!! ......speciality chef onboard with healthy options and a fit :happy: ... fitness trainer to guide us!!
The scales said 152lb this morning ...so my prayers for a lighter me were answered.

We had planned a nice day today with mum off to her day centre, finishing the packing and then lunch here with friends ( their son is our godson) but "Best laid plans "etc .....

:noway: Spanners in theworks today for a smooth build up to the holiday. The doctor's visit ended with an ambulance ride to A&E. She was worried mum may have DVT and so we spent the day at the hospital. Blood tests were OK and we were sent home ...phew!! Only thing was we had to make our own way back ...ended up getting a ttaxi ...at a huge cost!! We finally got home at 7pm.
While in the ambulance she was eyeing up the driver and his "mate" ....She winked and said to me "Mine is very tall isn't he ...yours is a bit quiet though!! ....talk about flirty!!! I think she thinks she's foot loose and fancy free!!!
Needless to say the diet was a bit erratic ...lunch/tea was half an egg mayo sandwich, half a pack of crisps and a mards bar!!
I did get mum's case packed while we were waiting for the ambulance ...that's something i suppose!

:ohwell: Another "Spanner" is that DH is off to the dentist tomorrow to try and get toothache quickly sorted. No dentist on board!!

So ...let's see what tomorrow will bring ... I do hope you're all able to enjoy your "Middle of the week" day

It's ...BFN fro me

Jackie

Laura80111

:flowerforyou: Jackie so glad the scale moved for you.

Your cruise sounds like it will be fun. I'm with you an MFP cruise with a special chef and a fitness trainer would be fun:drinker:

You Mom sounds like a hoot! I just hope I'm that way when I'm her age, I'd love to see what my sons would say about their mother acting that way

Everyone have a good evening.
Laura

mimi7grands

Hello dear friends.

Had a bit of a crazy day today, babysitting Kate and then, when I thought I was done, Olivia too. The earlier part of the day was “work.” The latter part was pitching in so DD Suzy could meet with Mark (my DS), to go over the plumbing and electrical to finish up my space (which is a separate granny unit that’s part of the main house).

I can hardly wait to get in. I’m living in a little manufactured house on the property now. It’s perfectly livable and about the same square footage as the new place, but it’s a whole different animal. I love the new space. It has tall ceilings and lots of windows with views of open country on 3 sides. There’s a beautiful rock outcropping and group of oak trees near my porch. I’ll have a separate entry and even a separate driveway. (We have 3 acres.)

I expect it will be another 2-3 months before I can move in. (It all depends on the budget.) Maybe by Christmas??? I can hardly wait. Can you tell?!

Viv, I probably didn’t cook my Brussels sprouts long enough, or maybe used too high a temp. They were good after I steamed them!

Re the sugar addiction, I was such a junk food junky. After I quit eating much sugar (still the occasional piece of chocolate), I lost the taste for it. Funny how that works!

Roberta, I started with more than 100 pounds to lose too. I didn’t believe I could lose the weight – until I saw the proof. Keep plugging away. The results are so wonderful.

Jeannie, both you and your daughter are success stories. Under 150 is amazing! My goal is 160 (I’m 5’8” and that gets me into the Normal BMI range). Your daughter’s success speaks for itself. Congrats to both of you. :flowerforyou:

Renny, you have the greatest attitude! You always cheer me up.

Laura, 4 pounds to go! Yippee! How wonderful.:flowerforyou: And, about starting over…I count on it. The biggest difference between now and “then” is that I start over a lot sooner.

Peggy, great information! Thanks for passing it on. I particularly like and believe in the tip about eating lower calorie foods before higher calorie foods. That’s been a lifesaver for me. There’ve been so many times I’ve hankered after something truly evil, calorie-wise. I make myself eat a big plate full of roasted veggies first. I continue to be amazed at how the hankering has gone by the time I finish the veggies.

Congratulations to you on a great plan for the gas station temptation. In line with the tips you mentioned, it might help to bring along something healthy to munch on instead – maybe a few nuts? Thanks again. Loved the info.

MacMadame, I had to laugh when I read your post after writing a response to Peggy’s post. :laugh: You mentioned that eating lower calorie foods before higher calorie foods doesn’t work for you. But, if I have a whole plate full of roasted veggies (which I do), by the time I finish, the idea of eating more is not even a consideration. It stays with me for a good long time too. Rabbit food doesn’t though. Maybe it's partly the type of veggie.

Re drinking while you eat, you couldn’t be more right. I didn’t notice that one. I got a lap band 9 years ago and the same principle applies. If you eat just solid foods, they stay in your stomach longer if you don’t wash them down with liquids. I’ve heard people say to drink before you eat. That makes some sense to me because sometimes thirst seems like hunger.

(BTW, I no longer use the lap band. It’s still there but not filled (they’re adjustable) so there’s no restriction. For me, eating a large volume of less calorie-dense foods works better than eating a smaller volume of more calorie-dense foods.)

You have done so amazingly well. This goes to show there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I love how I’m eating and get excited about how good I feel when I eat healthy stuff versus the old days when I ate not-so-healthy stuff. You’ve taken a different approach and it’s worked for you and you are clearly loving it too.

Amanda, Rhubarb and prunes. Yep that would do it! :laugh: Your Aussie visitor sounds like a dream. How nice to have a house guest who’s low maintenance and actually cleans your kitchen!!

Chic, I agree with focusing on what you’re eating rather than the computer or, my old trap, a good book. Staying focused on just what you’re eating ups the enjoyment quotient a lot.

Kackie, I’m betting those 2 pounds will disappear fast. You have such a positive attitude. You inspire me.

Linda, I’m happy for you and your daughter. What could be nicer?

Birdie, you are someone else who continuously inspires me. You have such a positive attitude. The idea of not letting the bad news accumulate has taken root with me. Thanks for nurturing it! (And good luck with the scales…’though you don’t really need it…even if you’re up a little, you’ll be right back at it. Awesome approach!) :flowerforyou:

Jackie, whew, you deserve that vacation! Here’s to a smooth path for the rest of the run-up to your trip. :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

What a great group we have…always a highlight of my day.

RobinsEgg

I to experience the "sofa effect" although I use a recliner and keep my legs up. I have been trying to do stepping during the commercials, not even every commercial, but at this point some of them. So I admire your resolve to not sit on the sofa for more than an hour. I often spend 4 hours watching TV or reading in the evenings, so every little bit helps. Fidgeting helps too.:laugh:

RebelRenny

Rebel,
Your trip (except for the car batteryfrown ), and the MENU sounded wonderful!!! I have been to some of the places you mentioned, and know how beautiful they can be.

Rebel,
Looking at your new photo, I suddenly realized how much you resemble one of my cousins, who happens to live in BC on the mainland.
Barb

:drinker: :drinker: Barb, we should meet and swap stories. Honestly, I love reading your posts and all your adventures. :drinker: :drinker: Let me know when (notice I said "when" and not "if") you're up here and we can make it happen. Or - and I still want to do this - I come down to your beautiful state!

:flowerforyou: I got a little post from "Fabulous Fifty" about the "new MFP her" and how she had not succumbed to the office doughnut today. This was so timely. I said no to the office ice cream offered between 2:30 and 3 PM today and ate fruit instead. Thanks Fab!

:ohwell: Let's hope it all pays off on the scale soon!

Rebel

exermom

Laura - I don't know if you have any of these stores near you, but Sears has a petite dept, so does Kohl's (it's pretty small), even TJ Maxx, the Ross by me has a small dept. Some Dress Barns have a petite dept, not the one by me but one about an hours drive from me does. I understand that Penney's will be carrying more of the Liz Clairborn line of clothes, some of those things are nice. The TJ Maxx by me used to have a separate petite dept, but the store moved to a new location and now the petites are interspersed with the misses sizes. That's a real pain, you find something you like and then "oops, not a petite". I don't shop there much anymore. The SteinMart has a SMALL dept, not sure if you have them by you or not.

mimi - good shopping at TJ Maxx! I love to go shopping, even if it's just window shopping.

A hearty welcome to Mags, Sharon and Roberta

barbiecat - I'm surprised how much sodiium is in veggie burgers. Like they say...live and learn....and die a fool! That's why I was wondering if there was a brand that was lower in sodium or perhaps someone has a recipe (with the nutritionals) for making them and then freezing them. I'm thinking that I will probably have a few in the freezer just for emergencies.

About a mister: here's a question for anyone who owns one of those Misto misters. What does it mean when the oil is coming out in a stream, not a spray? Does that mean that you have too much pressure?

mimi - thanks too for the reminder why it's so necessary to exercise.

chicklet - the stores (Sears, etc) that I go to have a petite department, separate from the misses. It's unfortunately usually very small....:( That is, unless I go to Talbott's Petite, but even when their clothing is on sale, it's waaayyy too expensive (to me, anyway)

Another rant:
Went to a Y board meeting today. I am totally against their newest proposal. They have a building for the Teen Center. First, they want to change the name and just take out the word "teen". That I don't have a problem with. However, they are considering if we should be able to rent out this center and allow people to bring their own alcohol. To me, that's not at all in keeping with the Y's ideals. There are signs up that say "we are a tobacco and drug free zone". So what kind of message is this sending "oh, alcohol is OK since we're not providing it". Really, what's the difference? Then will tobacco be OK as long as you bring your own? Same with drugs. Legally, we won't be liabel if someone leaves intoxicated and kills someone since we won't be serving them, but can you imagine the PR? You KNOW it'll be in the paper, and to be even remotely associated with such an incident? I think they're just seeing dollar signs but there are unanticipated consequences, and I for one believe we're opening ourselves up to bad PR. If they go ahead with this, wouldn't surprise me one bit if some of the people pulled their membership. Remember this is the bible belt, so alcohol is even less tolerated. A while ago in trying to cut costs, they were going to stop having soap, but evidentally according to the health dept. they're required to. But members complained! One time I was exercising in just a sports bra and shorts, I was told that I needed to cover up. If people complain about this and about the loss of soap, can you imagine what it would be like if they suddenly allowed alcohol?????

Jeannie - I have these downloadable workouts (cardiocoach.com) that I use for the spinning bike. Really, it's for treadmills, etc. He may not say things like "now put your hands in first position" but he does say things like "now we're climbing the hill". Depending on the time and if you can use the bike when a class isn't in session, that may work for you, you can do it before the class starts so that you don't have to leave early (and you haven't had a chance to stretch or cool down)

Since Bryan needed my car to get to work, I couldn't stay for the spinning class but did a Leslie Sansone 5 mile fat burn workout at home. I'm surprised how fast that DVD goes by. Seems you just start and you're already on mile 3 Tomorrow, tho, I'm going to another branch of the Y for the deep water class. Just maybe....this will help spur Vince on to getting my pool in. (I hope, I hope)

I've been listening to an audiobook "The End of Overeating" whenever I do the treadmill or elliptical. It's quite interesting. Honestly, I'll probably listen to the book a few times since on the iPod you can't go back and listen to something that you missed.

annitin - perhaps you can ask your son a question for me. How do I word this? When I look at myself in the mirror, my right side goes in (under the ribs) but the left side doesn't. It's as if there was fat on the left side. I don't feel any kind of tumor or anything. What am I doing wrong?

I, too, really enjoy reading everyone's goings on, their lives. This is one of the highlights of my day. I've also learned a thing or two (like how important veggies are)

Peggy - your hints are very good. One thing that I have a problem with is leaving something on my plate. I think this stems from the "empty plate" mentality growning up. What I do many times is have less (no roll or bread, veggies instead of the fries <and you get a lot less veggies>). Somehow, I just can't bring myself to leave food on my plate. But I don't have a problem requesting less food.

SuzyQ - I hear ya about hubby complaining about his waffles. I prefer to have the Fiber One, but Vince wants the regular ones (I was amazed how much oil you have to put in them!). What I do now is I make waffles one time the mix he likes but I freeze one for him, the next time the mix I like and he has his frozen one, I freeze one for me, so the following time I make his mix and freeze one and so on.....

McMadame - I try to have cabs and protein with each meal. Wish MFP would show you a pie chart (or even graph) of the cabs/fat/protein ratio that you had that day.

Say Amanda....would you send that Aussie over to NC????

You know, this afternoon I had some greek yogurt for lunch at around 1. Here it is, almost 6 and honestly, I'm not hungry. Yup, protein helps. But I also like my veggies

Well, tonight I went to play bunco with the Newcomers. The one and only time I played it, I thought it was a bit on the boring side. Then again, the people I was playing with were boring. So I thought I'd give it another try. It was fun. I brought fruit with me and the pissaladiere. The pissaladiere went completely, and I'm honestly surprised at how much of the fruit went. Honestly, I would consider hosting it at my house, but not for at least a few months. I just find it a bit surprising that the lady who hosted it made a dessert and I really had no desire for it. I only had a little, but what I really should have done was just declined it totally. I had mostly fruits, 2 pita chips, and halves of three of these appetizers. Oh, and some tomatoes. To drink I just had water. I thought I did pretty good. Yet, when I got home (surprisingly) couldn't wait to have a bit of corn on the cob. Interesting.....my taste buds seem to have changed somewhat.

Guess it's almost time for beddybye. So take care all. Have a great rest of the evening.

Michele

Angusowner

Hi, all! Welcome Mags, Debbi, Sharon, Roberta (& all others whom I may have forgotten to mention!) I get so much from these inspirational women! I've just started the weight-loss journey and learn so much from this board!!:flowerforyou:

Exercise- and strengthening (Thanks, Mimi for your post ), or rather lack of, are the biggest roadblock to successful wieght loss. I really have to keep pushing myself. I haven't started strength training, but will be now that I know how important it is. Didn't exercise yesterday - haven't yet today, but will before bed. I have to get to bed early tonight since I go back to work tomorrow, and I find exercise helps me to mentally relax so that my mind is not going a mile a minute.:yawn:

I had a fabulous day today, however - DH & DS took off work and we took DGD to an children's arts pavilion. She had so much fun - and so did we. It was the perfect way to end my summer break.:happy:

Just a couple of comments tonight:
Peggy: I have started clipping your lessons and have started a file. I really get alot out of that info.:drinker:

MacMadame: My doctor told me to increase my protein in the morning. Your info about protein really made a lot of sense - I will be working on that, too!:drinker:

Barb: Thanks for the grilling link - my grill master husband is going to love that! (Can't get the image of the purple michelin wo-man dancing out of my head - HELP:noway: )

Michele: Someone told me that some companies were going to stop canning sardines due to the lack of market. We have to stop them! I like them, too:frown: I am a shorty and find petites at J.C. Penney, but also order from Eddie Bauer or L.L. Bean who have petites in most of their clothing.

Chiclet: When I first read your post, I thought you said that you wanted the hitman to torture your ex! :laugh: Maybe not such a bad idea, at least in your dreams!!

Going to give DGD a few more hugs!
Take care, all,
Bec

Angusowner

Michele -I read your post after I posted and had to comment!

I am SO with you about the alcohol being brought into the Y. What are they thinking??? I hope they understand the possible consequences of that decision!:noway:

Think I will do a Leslie Sansone right now - LOVE HER!!!
Bec

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: Happy Tuesday, no toads at the dog park this morning but there were a dozen dogs including two beautiful playful parti poodles

Viv, my “addiction” was bread and I missed it terribly when I first started this journey, but the longer I go without it the less I even think about it……recently I had a lovely sandwich on multi grain bread on a special occasion and I began thinking about when we could go back…..I stay out of the bakery section in the market because I’d like to buy some of the bread and eat the whole loaf (probably with butter)

Chiclet,when DH was going to physical therapy for a calf injury, he would come home every time and say that the physical therapist should be arrested for causing him so much pain, but as a result of the therapy, he now walks well and can walk 18 holes of golf so the pain is worth it……I hope your mom can figure that out and I hope the exercises you’re doing will help your knee so you can walk more without pain…..I do exercises with three pound dumbbells while I read the posts and with all the long posts, that’s a long time for exercise. About where to find larger sizes, recently WalMart in my town increased their stock and display of plus sizes and Fashion Bug stopped selling smaller sizes and added more plus sizes….also about your ex, have you tried saying the Serenity Prayer when you think of him or see him----cheaper, easier, and legal….also living well is the best revenge…keep on the weight loss path and show him that you can succeed without him

Roberta, glad to meet you……something that really helped me on MFP was to become part of a thread and post every day and make friends with the other women……they became my support group and my inspiration……join up with us and you’ll never be alone again…with members from the west coast of North America to the UK, there’s someone awake and posting almost all the time

Jeannie, give some thought to making your food diary public or at least viewable by your friends…..I think a lot of us would like to see what you’re eating on your 1200 calorie DASH diet….congrats on your new low weight.

Debbi, you can make up your own entries in the cardio exercises……I figure about 2 calories a minute for my various strength training stuff (I weigh 110 so if you weigh more, you might make it 2.5 or 3 calories a minute) then you can enter them every day when you do them. Let me know if you need more details about how to do that.

Annitin, having a personal trainer sounds heavenly and grueling……..keep on keeping on and eating healthy and the weight will come off.

Rebel, we’ve had the same heat wave so I’ve been walking at the dog park in the morning because of the beastly heat later…it seems to be cooler here today.

Laura, I don’t think I’ve done anything consistently for 30 days but I do well with five or six days a week so by that standard, you’ve done really well…..keep it up

Peggy, if you and DF have been together for five years I guess you have some sense that it is working…..thanks for this week’s lesson….our dinner tonight was a perfect example of low calorie food with a lot of bulk----Hebrew National Polish sausage with roasted tomatoes, onions, bell pepper and stir fried bok choy

MacMadame, you’re right on about drinking water with meals…….the competitors in the July 4th hot dog eating contest drink water with their hot dogs so they can eat more.

Linda, I’m so glad the wedding turned out great.

Barb, it looks like our heat wave is over….i wore a long sleeved shirt today.

Birdie, congrats on sending all the food home

We’ve had a busy day but the dogs got to the dog park and I got some of the preparation done for our trip (we leave Saturday)
:drinker: :drinker: thank you to all of you for adding so much to my life.

Debhow

You know, this afternoon I had some greek yogurt for lunch at around 1. Here it is, almost 6 and honestly, I'm not hungry. Yup, protein helps. But I also like my veggies

Michele

I've never had that. Is the taste much different from the "regular" yogurt?

mamacindy81

Morning all,

Exercise is out of the way and I'm happy about that!

I'm going to go back and read all the posts a little later, right now off to the shower (My husband will appreciate that).

Debbi, The only thing that makes it greek yogurt is that is has less liquid in it. That why it is a little more expensive; it takes more milk to make the same amount of regular. I like it because if you buy the sweetened variety it usually has less sugar too. Buy the plain and put your own sweetener in it. I like a little honey.

Cindy

tiarapants

Hello my lovely friends.

Before I forget - Michele, no I can't spare my Aussie at present - I'm hoping he'll clean the rest of the house before he goes home!! Also, absolutely no way for the Y and alcohol. That way madness lies.

The water with food topic.... before my surgery in February, I used to drink constantly whilst eating. Now I don't and I stay fuller for much, much longer. Very good idea to separate the two.

I had my therapy appointment this morning. My therapist is brilliant. I feel so much better after talking with her today. It really helps me with my perspective. After that I went to visit mum-in-law. She is quite convinced that she has moved. I've tried to gently tell her that it is the same room that she has always been in since she moved into the nursing home over a year ago, but she sees things very differently. We have found that the best thing to do, is not press it, otherwise she gets agitated. Once I left there, I visited my dad. He's a little happier than yesterday and was busy watching a TV programme and made it quite clear that he didn't want to be interrupted! I cleared up a little for him and then came home. I'll pop by to see him again this evening on the way back from visiting mum-in-law again. It does seem as if I'm running back and forth between various parents at present.

Ok ladies, any suggestions on food for a baby shower (we don't have such things over here - but DD#2 has arranged something similar for DD#1). We'd like to do healthy food - but fun. I'd love a healthified cupcake recipe that we could decorate in pink and blue. Also cookies - I've got cutters in the shape of a little boy and a little girl to denote the sex of the twins.

I've never been to a baby shower! DD#2 is holding it at her house on 10/10/10 - which would have been my Mum's 75th birthday. She said that it would make it feel like 'Mia is here'. Mia is what the grandchildren all called my mum. It came about because my mum was with me when I was in labour with my two daughters (their dad was drunk, if I remember rightly!) anyway, on my file the midwife wrote 'Mother in attendance', which became shortened to Mia and stuck for ever. Cute, eh?

Looks like it's going to start to rain again, so I'm going to rescue my washing from the garden.

Have a great day please.

Amanda x

jam0525

Debi – I added a custom exercise for strength training as my exercise goals are 45 minutes a day 5-6 days a week. I only use 3 calories an hour for it. I still post the actual exercises/reps/weights down in the strength section so I can keep track of what I’ve done.

Bkrbabe – Another idea is to replace what you pick on before you stop the picking itself. I got this idea somewhere on the internet at a diet site. Instead of a brownie get something healthier and/or lower calorie. We did this where I work. Instead of cookies and other such things we have fresh fruit or popcorn (no butter) for snacks.

Macdame – excellent post on filling up with water.

Linda – I’m glad the wedding went well. Post a picture if you can.

Mimi- Yes, you do sound excited about your new granny space. I hope it gets done sooner vs later.

Michele – No the Y should not have alcohol on site ever. It is not a Y thing! Good for you for ranting about it. Thanks for the idea on the spinning videos. I want to get one for home.


My time is up on the computer this morning. I have to go to work now. Apologies for not being able to finish reading the posts and responding to all.

I did make it to the Y yesterday, but missed the spinning class. I did workout for 40 minutes. Thursday should be better.

Jeannie

BirdieM

Just checking in as I said I would.:ohwell: The scale was up 2 pounds, which was no suprise. The good news is that I am trying the roasted veggies that everyone has been talking about! I'm going to step back and regroup about my food choices and make a few changes. According to MFPs total sugar intake....I'm over before breakfast is done! Isn't 25 grams a day low????
I have 3/4 C of Honey nut cheerios with a banana, 1/2 C of 1% milk and an Activia yougurt.:ohwell: May need to rethink that one but I've been doing it for over a year and lost all that weight:huh: Hmmm..... Sometimes it's time to turn a new page and try something else. I think the time has come.
Have a great day everyone. (I'm at work....as usual...so this needs to be brief).
God Bless all!
BirdieM

donna56

Hi ladies, just checking in so no one thinks I fell off the face of the earth. I have been pretty busy and stressed as the wedding is in 3 days. I haven't lost anything, but the good news is that I haven't gained either. I've not been keeping up like I should, but have been drinking my water and eating fruits and veggies.
Gotta run so I'll be checking back again. Hope everyone is well.

I guess I should have said that I haven't lost anything since my last weight in.

same10lbs

Hi, I joined yesterday and I will be 50 in December, that is part of my motivation. The other part is that I'm tired of seeing whom I've become in the mirror. I want to live the second half of my life as happy and healthy as I've lived the first half. I know it won't happen if I don't' do something about it. Last year was the 30 yr class reunion and I lost 15 lbs for it, and then gained 20 back after the parties were over. My youngest is a Senior in High School, my oldest has been off to college for 3 years, my husband and I talk 80% of the time so loud that the dog leaves the room. I have gotten sadder by the day which leads to whine & wine, neither of which are healthy on a regular basis. I want to take control and get back to the strong, confident, happy ,self sufficient & HEALTHY women I once was. Today is day 2. My short term goal is on December 16th, my 50th Birthday, I will be 35 lbs lighter. and 80 decimals happier. My long term goal is to be 45 lbs lighter and stronger physicaly and emotionally, and stay that way as long as God allows.

Laura80111

:drinker: Here's to Wednesday -

Michele- thanks for the "petite" shopping stores:flowerforyou: ...I have a dress barn near me and I bought some clothes there but they weren't petite (no dress barns in Colorado have petities) and I had to hem the dresses I'd bought, was a bit of work but I really love the dresses. The Sears here doesn't carry petites and it's been awhile since I've tried Ross & TJ Maxx...will have to give them a look see.

Sounds like those people in the Y aren't looking at the total picture with all the ramifications of allowing alcohol even if they don't provide it, if something were to happen I'm sure a lawyer would have a heyday with that:huh:

Linda- glad that the wedding went well:flowerforyou:

Birdie- :drinker: I'm sure all those receiving the food never knew you were doing it so it wouldn't be around you....better them to eat it than you...good job

Cindy- thank you for the greek yogurt tip...I'll have to give that a try:flowerforyou: I usually buy the diabetic kind with low sugar and low fat.

Amanda - This receipe was on MFP when I first started in Jan and it's pretty good...I did it as cupcakes

Diet Cake

1 (18 ounce) box dry cake mix (any flavor)
10 ounces diet soda (any flavor)
1-2 egg white (slightly beaten, optional but cake stays together better and is fluffier)

1. Mix the dry cake mix, the diet soda, and the egg white(s) until well blended.
2. Pour into a 9 X 13 sprayed pan or prepared cupcake tins.
3. Cook according to the directions on cake mix box.
4. Slice into 12 pieces - 4 points per slice.

Suggested Combinations: * yellow cake mix / diet lemon-lime soda (with a dollop of Cool Whip -- tastes like a "Twinkie") * orange cake / diet Mountain Dew * cherry chip cake / diet cream soda * diet lemon-lime soda / lemon cake * angel or yellow cake / diet orange * white cake / diet peach soda * spice cake / diet lemon-lime * diet ginger ale / white cake * diet cherry soda / chocolate cake * Diet cola / devils food or chocolate mix * diet vanilla coke / chocolate cake * devils food cake / diet Vanilla coke * diet root beer / chocolate cake * diet cherry coke / chocolate cake * marble cake / diet cream soda * lemon cake / tangerine Diet Rite *.

I have also made a spice cake and used a can of pumpkin. Nothing else, just a can of pumpkin. It is yummy. If you make the coke cake and put it in muffin cups you really don't need any frosting. My grandsons love the cupcakes

Canned peaches, white cake and sprite. But, you do not mix all together. Put peached on bottom. Sprinkle on cake mix. Pour sprite on top and bake. Not mixing it causes some of the cake mix to stay on top and get crunchy like a crumble.

Donna56- we will look forward to when you are able to jump back in on a regular basis after the wedding, glad you are eating your fruits and veggies and getting in the water:drinker: that's part of the battle

BirdieM- it won't take any time at all to get rid of those #2, especially eating those veggies.

Same10lbs- Welcome:flowerforyou: jump right in and let us get to know you...there is a lot of encouragment to be had here

*****
Last night for dinner I had a lot of cauliflower and salad before my fish and by the time I was trying to drink my water I was feeling "stuffed". I agree about the drinking of water with food, I do try to drink my final 16oz after my dinner but before bed but must have drank more than I thought because I think I was up 5 times last night:grumble: ...usually it's only once:ohwell: so I will have to be better about that tonight as I feel really tired today.

I had order some clearance clothes from JCPenny.com and they arrived yesterday. I figured they would work for next summer as I bought them in the smaller size and they all fit now! :bigsmile: It's my goal size and I really like what I bought, I had hoped to find them at the store but they were no where to be found so getting them on line was a bit scary as if they didn't fit or I didn't love them I would have had to send them back...but I don't

Everyone have a good day and keep fighting the battle against those unwanted pounds.:drinker:

Laura

Connie48

Welcome same10lbs. I"ll be 50 in September and like you that was my motivation to lose some wt!

My exercise routine is going great, I love exercise! But I"m kinda depressed because I"ve been working so stinkin' hard with very little results as far as the scale goes. I'm getting tired and cranky. My eating is so much better but when I weighed today it just pissed me off big time that the scale isn't moving (did I mention crabby???) I said WTH, I"m working my *kitten* off, pushing myself so dang hard for nothing? I know I would be better off thinking positive thoughts like the good things I"m doing for my health with exercise and eating better. A couple of people have recently asked me if I"m losing wt so I guess something is changing. I"m journaling my food (not always on MFP though because I don't always have the time) I have a desk job so that means even though I exercise I"m still consumimg more calories than I"m burning most days. Gotta move more and eat less. My new goal is to get up more throughout the day, get away from this computer and phone at work. Desk jobs are the worst!

jam0525

Hello everyone,

I know some of you have heard this story before or at least parts of it, but there are so many new comers it might be helpful to repeat my weight journey. I will not try to post the whole thing in one shot.

I'm 57 years old and when I graduated from college I weighed 155 pounds. My moment of truth was at a family party watching my Uncle Charlie playing the guitar with my Aunts from both sides of the family signing. You could not see Uncle Charlie at all all you could see was 8-10 morbidly obese Italian women with their arms locked swaying back and forth singing the old songs. We have several pictures that we call Uncle Charlie playing the Guitar.

I got myself into a famous weight loss clinic about 1 hour from where we lived in Connecticut. I was a patient for 18 months and got down to 125 pounds and except for one brief period kept the weigh off until I was in my 40's and a Mom. It was called the Fit for Life Diet and until I switched to the DASH diet this month that is the diet I was using to loose the weight I've lost since joining MFP in November 2008. For my frame and height 125 should be my goal weight, not the 119 it says in books. I have big bones (really I do) lol

The next post will be about how I got into the Weight Loss clinic when I was not morbidly obese. Can any one guess?

Jeannie

kackie

Hello All,

Has anyone else had trouble with the MFP's website in the last couple of days? I have been trying to logon to the message boards and it just disappears when I do...I can get on any other website I want to except this one...!!! Wierd. I have logged my food using my phone (which takes forever) and now it has let me on. Amazing how much I missed being able to read everyone's posts when I couldn't!!! I was hurrying so much to read, in case it shut off, that I am not remembering some of the ones I wanted to reply to!!! Except:

Barb: Thanks for your suggestion re the second scale for MT. It is a good suggestion. I hate to have a scale in my suitcase BUT I do need another one there. 3 weeks without one just doesnt work for me!

Birdie: You and I are both in the same boat EXCEPT that you made it to your goal before you regained 2 pounds. Good for you for staying with it...you are showing us how to do it! Regarding breakfast...for many years I did great with a similar breakfast to yours. I have found, now, that the best breakfast for me now is either oatmeal with a bit of fruit chopped in and a few walnuts OR an egg with a toasted whole wheat muffin, sandwich thin or some such. The cereal and/or yogurt doesn't seem to hold me as long and I tend to be hungrier all day. (I love yogurt as an afternoon snack). And I agree with you about the sugar totals on MFP...they just are not right with regards to fruit!

Amanda: The shower sounds like such fun! I love baby showers!

Same10lbs: Welcome...and love your "name"....we all relate!

Mimi: Your new quarters sound just wonderful! How exciting! I love new spaces...Keep us posted!

Linda: Can't wait to see the wedding photos. Are you still up in the clouds?

MacMadame: Interesting thought about not drinking water WITH meals...I always drink lots of everything with meals and never thought about that. (I also drink all day long...always have...water, coffee, tea...you name it...and I pay the price every night by getting up and down...but, I guess I am used to it!) I will TRY to eat without so much to drink and see what happens?

We all seem to love Leslie S. I am going to put on my tennies and do her 4 fast miles right now. I HAVE to get rid of these extra 2 pounds FAST so I can get on to the other ones. Have a wonderful day, eveyone! Kackie

mynyddisamrs

:flowerforyou: Hi everyone ...a quick dip in tonight. DH is just off to work and as mum is verrry dippy tonight my time may well be taken up!!

:happy: The scales miraculously said 150.5 this morning. Maybe my hospital day worked some magic ...even though I snacked!! We shall see what tomorrow brings...LOL

:happy: Tomorrow,I'm looking forward to having lunch ...a light lunch I may add ....with some new friends I've made through the Carers association. It's difficult sometimes to get together as they have similar time restrictions to myself but when we can we usually have a good chin wag and try not to mention anything to do with caring!!!:noway:

Friday it's nails time. I've been trying for ages to have "Nice" nails to no avail. I used to put the poor quality of my nails down to the catering work I used to do ...no such excuse now for the crumbling and peeling nails that blight my hands!! Nothing seems to work ...any tips anyone?(Pun there I think) Anyway I'm nipping out in the morning to get acrylic overlays on my nails on Friday.

I'm also going to try and get to a local Alzheimers Society meeting near us. I've been contacted on their forum by another local member who said she'd like to meet up. "How to recognise you "I asked and suggested she wear the proverbial red rose ...:laugh: I told her I'd be easy to spot ...the "rounded" blond with pink nails!!! Her reply came back "I'll be the old grey lady ...making the tea" ...I think i like the red rose better!

Saturday will be a quick nip to the hairdressers for a trim before ..........we go on Sunday.

Oh well ...looks like time to go.

BFN
Jackie

Shirley61

Hi Ladies:
I would like to join the group. How does this exactly work?
I have been doing the program since July 2010.
Still trying to get the scale to go down.
I have logged for 15 days so far and am down 2 lbs.
but kind of stuck right now on that number.
Any suggetions? The support would be wonderful.

Debhow

Amanda, this isn't a cupcake, but it's a great dessert that is healthier and you can make it look appropriate for a baby shower. Bake an Angel Food Cake, then after it's cooled cut it into 3 layers.

Place about 1/2 inch of sherbet between the layers and fat free whipped topping around the outside, top and middle (that part can be tricky, but not too hard). I like to use Rainbow Sherbet and that would be nice for a Baby Shower. Place in freezer. Then you could add an added touch for the occasion by sticking something babyish in the center, sticking into the whole.

It tastes wonderful, especially in hot weather.

I have a picture of it, but can't post it here...

weaklink109

Jackie,
Just popping in to suggest a solution to your nail problems, for the future anyway. I assume they have supplements in UK that are similar to what are available in the States. There are supplements available that help nails, and in the process, skin and hair as well. Biotin is an important mineral that is needed for nail growth. Some people swear by having an envelope of Knox gelatin dissolved into a drink everyday. I have had good luck with a supplement that includes biotin, or you can get biotin by itself over here.

Welcome to newbies.

Rebel,
I think you, and me, and Barbiecat, and Robin and Kathy (and there may be one more person in our thread who is north of Seattle, but I can't remember who:ohwell: :ohwell: ) need to figure out a way to end up at the same place at the same time. For myself, until I get an "enhanced" driver license, that will allow me to cross into Canada without a passport (which I don't have), I can't travel into BC. I was planning on getting the license to travel later in the Fall, but I don't see that happening. My cousins have never followed up on any of the suggestions I made for meeting, and I won't be in a position to travel once I go back to work.

Maybe what we need to do is plan to meet in the vicinity of Seattle sometime? That is fairly easy for everyone to get to, and even though I am the farthest away, it is only about a 3 hour drive, depending on where we end up. Even up to October the weather is usually pretty good. And they say we are probably in for good weather into October because we had such a wet spring. We can hope.:flowerforyou:

If anyone else has an interest in doing this, how about some suggestions as to where, and what we might do? Maybe someplace where we can do some walking? And find a healthy place for lunch? OR, it may not be practical, but we could also consider meeting at someone's house (not mine, as it is WAAY out of the way for everyone else-sorry) so we could have a potluck with a giant gabfest. That way we would have control over what we ate and how it was prepared. Depending on everyone's schedule, maybe a MFP slumber party--assuming it was too much of a roundtrip to do everything in one day??

Speaking of working, as I did earlier, I won't be starting my new position until after Labor Day. After thinking of obligations my parents have for medical appointments, and my own hesitancy, after talking to my doctor, I arranged to postpone the start of my training until the second week of September. I am starting a new medication that has a possible side effect of drowsiness, and my doctor figured I needed a few weeks to adjust to it.

Anyway, today, is grocery shopping day for my mom, so I have to hit the store. Shouldn't take too long as I will only have to go to one store this week.

BFN

Barb

BirdieM

Hi everyone, I am "joining" the group since I am over 50. I will be 53 the end of Dec. So I have been logging on for 40+ days now. I have lost 23 lbs. on a drs plan. I have one friend on here but I would like to add some more.
I am married 34 yrs. with 3 kids and 4 grandkids.
Work from home which can make this hard since I am alone most of the day. Going to weigh in at the dr once a week helps keep me accountable since I have to hand in my food journal.

Anyway I will keep this post short as I go weigh this morning. Hope to have lost more since I have over 100 to lose.
God bless you all in your journey.
Roberta

Welcome Roberta! Sounds like we have a lot in common accept I am 62 years old!!!:laugh: My name is also Roberta but my sign in name is BirdieM....and I too feel very blessed! I have 3 children (daughters) all grown up and 4 grandchildren just like you! This website and all the wonderful ladies on it have been a life line for me! I work full time and don't seem to have the time to post as much as I used to....but staying in touch is important! So much information and support! I wish you well!
YOU CAN DO IT! Let us know how you made out at the doctors.
BirdieM aka Roberta:laugh: