WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2014

rfhmmh

Hi everyone!

:happy: I'm Anne from a suburb of Vancouver, BC.

How does this thread work? Do we check in every week to say how things are going? Or do we just check in at the end of the month? :huh:

Here goes - a few goals for me for January 2014:

To lose 6 lbs by January 31 (to be well on my way to my personal Goal #2 for March 31)

To exercise a minimum of one hour, three times per week under the guidance of a personal trainer (already hired)

To stick at closely as I can to the vegan diet I'm trying to follow for the month of January (finish reading the book, too)

:drinker: Happy New Year to you all... I look forward to getting to know you!

yanniejannie

Happy New Year!!! Made it to midnight for the first time in years; watched a hilarious sub-titled French film from Netflix with DD which certainly kept me awake. Lots and lots of fireworks here at 12.

Anamika..........Love your poem!!!

Barbie........As always, THANKS!!!!

Michele..........your cakes sound beyond delicious!!!

Dinner last night was marinated (crushed garlic, soy sauce, honey) boneless pork chops, roasted butternut squash and roasted asparagus, and brown rice. Love butternut squash but it sure is major work to actually get to the edible portion; any hints to make this easier???

Going back to basics here..........sadly, I am no longer at goal; time to get real serious again. All candy/chocolates/etc. gifts being thrown out today.

Log everything!!!
Stay within calorie goal.
Drink more water---try the sched. Katla is doing.........have posted this by the kitchen sink.
Meditate 5min. 2x/day.
Live for today; remember tomorrow is not promised and yesterday will never come again.
Be kind and do what I can for others when the opportunity comes.

There's another major winter storm coming--Hurcules. Going to get very cold here on Friday.
yanniejannie
mid-Atlantic

rjadams

Bump

1PoisonIvy

Happy new year everybody , staying positive that this will be a great year! Must keep my God, family, and getting healthy in front of me!
I am so blessed and thankful for all the support!
Cheers,
Ivy

rileamoyer

Hi Ladies, Happy New Year. :drinker: (coffee of course)

Patchworkperson

Happy new year lovely ladies & thank you Barbie for setting us up for 2014.

Minor NSVs - I sat next to cake all day at work yesterday & not a crumb passed my lips. I impressed myself let alone anyone else:laugh: Then when I came home I tossed the last Christmas chocs that were calling me

It sounds like quite a few of us had quiet nights in forgoing the wild partying. DH & I watched TV or faffed of the computer & watched the London fireworks which were pretty good. Someone nearby had some HUGE fireworks from the garden. the bang was tremendous. I felt sorry for any pets or small children.

I'm going to have a bash at setting goals. I've never done it before as I couldn't come up with anything I was happy with. So, I resolve to -
* drink a glass of water before each meal (I do generally drink at least 8 cups a day normally)
* log everything
* every working day, I will take a lunchtime walk. I'll keep track of distance/steps/time etc to see how I progress.
* to plan my meals in advance & stick to the plan. I tend to see what is in the fridge or freezer first which isn't working so I need to put more effort in.

Zucchinitots sound interesting Michele. Where can I find the recipe please? BTW, I haven't had the Facebook friend request show up. I couldn't recall your surname so if you remind me, I'll look you up.

Thank you for your support & I do hope everyone has a wonderful 2014.

Geri in UK

pa77y

Happy New Year to all here! I started a 100 day challenge today with the goal to lose 20 lbs. I started my journey two years ago on New Years day, when I decided to lose weight before I quit smoking. I did it and successfully quit! I gave myself until now to make it stick. So, to lose the weight I put on accomplishing that goal plus a few extra pounds goal for 2014!

momof10

:flowerforyou: hi debi here , it's been awhile but I'm back and so happy too see you are still here.i'm starting this year in my 60's and it's going to be a good year. I have spent the past mth planning and feeling different I'm starting my year off at 210.2 for Christmas I bought myself wii u and have been playing with it for a week . I have faithly been trackin for six days now just can't seem to get back on at the end of the day to finish but today is the day I will. I hope everyone is starting the new yea well. ok going to do some catch up reading to see who is still here and meet some new friends plus a new goal is only 15 mins at a time on the comp. I spend way to much time sitting . everyone have a nice day hi from debi from palmer mass

windstar57

Hi Everyone and Happy New Year!

I am new to this post so let me introduce myself….my name is Ann and I live in New England where it is very cold and sunny today…I am married and have two grown sons. I am currently working in a hospital in a nonclinical position and going to school to finish my degree which has been a long process and one which I have been questioning the sanity of this journey. I am at a crossroad of life where I want to figure out what I want to do the rest of my life and am re-evaluating my choices including my job at the moment. My weight has been a problem the last 3 years since I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and have struggled with the symptoms more recently with the fatigue and total exhaustion when trying to live an active lifestyle. Gluten free has been an off and on event the past 6 mos…lately more off than on. I realize I need to stay off the wheat because it really does affect my mental clarity and pain. I am back to MFP after taking a few stressful weeks off. I like the comfort of logging daily and noticed how much I missed it while I was away….

My goals are:

Being able to get my wedding rings off (because my fingers are too big and swollen)
Keeping a positive perspective in all things in life
If it doesn't make me happy….lose it (material things and toxic people)
Be thankful for the little things - this kept me going through the holidays

Weight goals:

Feel comfortable in a size 6 pants (I'm only 5 feet tall)
Lose the flab…meaning work out more…who am I kidding…it means work out..period 3 times a week.
Lose 15 pounds by April…which is doable since I lost 22 lbs total since April (8 on my own) the rest by just logging
Appreciating the changes in my body…even if it's not "perfect"

I look forward to posting and reading your posts and sharing goals and tips…

Welcoming the New Year and new friendships!

Ann

brookehe

Barbie- thanks for keeping this thread going. Thanks too for the idea of an annual word, I’ve decided mine for 2014 is “mindful”. I will strive to be mindful of my health, mindful of my blessings, mindful of my attitude, and mindful of my relationships.

2014 GOALS:

Exercise DVD 3x week
75 miles minimum (Move Your *kitten* Challenge Bike/Walk)
Daily exercise of some kind
Strength training and Standing Abs every other day
Logging every day
At least 8 fruits/veggies daily
No less than 8 glasses of water each day
At least one meatless day per week
Commit random acts of kindness
Be agreeable
Daily positive affirmations
Meditate/Pray at least once a day
Be kind to myself
CONTINUE TO IMPROVE MY LIFE AND HEALTH


Brooke from Colorado

'If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.' - Robin Roberts

brookehe

Rori – Great NSV on the pants and way to get your shop on!!!!! Hoping the nasty bugs pass you by

Katla – Good for you for coming to a decision you’re at peace with. Great news on the wrist brace! Take it slow and steady and try not to over-do

Alison – I thought the same thing about the steroids contributing (causing?) rage reactions, that could be why it’s so bad right now. I think you’re spot on in using Your bonus money for You

JaneH – I put my frozen berries in at the beginning of the cooking process and they’re not only thawed but flavor the oatmeal. I often add a tablespoon of walnuts or pecans too for added protein and good (MUFA) fats

Sylvia – Keep on mending, and don’t feel like you need to “do” right now, just focus on “being” healthy! Sounds like a yummy NYE Anniversary is on your agenda, you’re not boring either just know what you like

DeeDee – Yay for a hair appointment! I always feel pampered and pretty afterward, hoping you do too
Susan – thanks for sharing your recipe, that sounds delicious and “right up my alley”!

Renny – what a sweet DH to consider your weight/health goals! Glad you’re feeling a bit better


Brooke from Colorado

“My favorite exercise at the gym would probably have to be judging.” :bigsmile:

kathyszoo

"What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year." ~Vern McLellan


Happy New Year! I finished out this year with A's in both my classes, yay, and by getting very sick over the holidays, boo! But on the plus side, thanks to stronger antibiotics and other meds slowly starting to feel better! I tried to do my Water Zumba class yesterday but probably shouldn't have yet as I felt worse afterwards. Taking it easy today and hopefully going shopping for new ( smaller size ) work clothes tomorrow and then back to my workout Friday. I did get away from logging my food, so for January one of my resolutions is to log my food again, I can continue to lose and not gain!! Another resolution is to make every day count! Kind of lost track of what's important in my life, so I'm going to regroup and count my blessings every day!

Hugs to all!!

Kathy in IL :drinker:

47Jacqueline

My name is Jacqueline and I don't often post on this forum, but I am so happy that it is 2014 that I thought I'd share my experiences last year and my goals for this year.

Last year my mom died, my close uncle (her brother) died, my psychiatrist committed suicide. I retired at 66 and am now on a fixed income with the addition of Social Security and an annuity from teaching college years ago. When my mom died, I joined a gym and a bereavement group and called my therapist to start seeing her again. I reached my goal weight and went a few pounds below, meanwhile maintaining the loss through the holidays. I also broke up with my boyfriend because it was not a successful relationship even though we had been together for about five years.

This year, I plan to continue to maintain my weight loss, and I joined a new class at the gym. I discovered that I can use my computer to do Zumba in an empty room in my building, which gives me a variety and extra day of exercise during the week. I just bought a size 29 pair of Levi leggings - I've never been lower than a 30 and my calves have always been too thick to wear leggings before. I joined Match.com and I have a coffee date next Saturday.

One goal is to avoid having too many extra calorie days so I don't have to spend so much time worrying about gaining back any weight. I know that they will happen, but I can avoid overdoing.

This year I turn 67. I am starting a blog about single baby boomer women over 60 because there are so many of us. There are a lot of boomer blogs out there, but most are about being over 50 and I want to concentrate on aging well. Also, I am a long time divorced with no children, so I want to maybe connect with other women who are not "grannies." ;-)

nccarolb

Hi, I'm Carol from NC where it is cool and mostly sunny right now. I'm new to this section of MFP, but y'all look like a cool group to become friends with! For background, I am divorced with an adult daughter on her own who will begin grad school this month, and a 17-yr-old son with some health issues. I work two jobs (both at churches) and am active in my own church. That being said, I have a wicked/warped sense of humor so I will try not to offend anyone! My favorite pass times are reading and rock concerts. I've lost 69 lbs and am shooting for 31 more so that I will fit into those nasty insurance charts of "healthy" weight range. I figure it will take all of 2014 to reach that.

My goals for January are...

* Stick to my calorie goals.
* Remember to walk a mile early while I'm still at work by myself and have the opportunity.
* Begin a toning/sculpting routine (I have several DVDs on order).
* Keep my cool during hell month (January) at work, especially by not allowing it to entice me into emotional eating.
* Keep my freezer stocked with homemade single portions of healthy food so that there are fewer temptations to eat crap because I'm tired.
*Remember that there is absolutely nothing wrong with having quiet time for myself!

Gardengail

Bump to come back later....
Gail, metro ATL

CynthiaT60

<skids in to say hi; back later>

Cynthia

anncreswellbledsoe

Hi, my name is Ann and I live in the Missouri Ozarks where I raise chickens and other poultry and guardian dogs. And vegetables. So I have a fairly active lifestyle, but over the past 10 years I have gained 100 lbs. I recently lost 14 lbs, and my husband and I agreed to work on weight loss in 2014. He needs to lose 100 lbs also. Last January we quit smoking, so we feel good about our ability to get this done. Our big problem is portion control. We eat really good food, whole food that we try to raise ourselves, but we eat waay too much of it. I know this because when I go to visit my family I am always hungry. Other people don't eat as often or as much as we do.

For now I am working on eating less and adding more vegetables to our meals. For exercise I am going to drive fence posts, because I need a fence and I hate to do pointless exercise.

I am really looking forward to painting my own toes by the end of this year

Katla49

Michele: I love the idea about having pork in the New Year “because a pig uses his nose first when going forward, a chicken scratches backwards and you want to go forwards into the New year, not backwards.” I read it to DH and he enjoyed it too. We may have pork for dinner today, with something green, of course. Thank you for the smile and fun idea.:bigsmile:

bjmcq, Juanita, and everyone : Thanks for the good wishes. Happy New Year back at ya.:flowerforyou:

Newbies: Welcome. We post as often as we like, and many of us are here daily, sometimes more than once. We seem to chat about almost everything that affects us, and give one another moral support, advice and encouragement on our journey to good health. Please let us know where you’re from. We have women from all over the world.:flowerforyou:

Anne Watkins: MFP is a blessing for those of us who have had food issues for many years. It is a sure thing if you make the effort to follow the guidelines and record your food as accurately as you can. I hope you’re able to improve your health. Perhaps you will be so successful that the surgery will be unnecessary. Welcome.:flowerforyou:

Christschild: I think a four-pound loss during December is an amazing accomplishment. Congratulations!:flowerforyou:

Heather: What is Kedgeree? I’m tickled that your 70 year-old friend is such a challenging yoga partner. It gives me hope for a more fit future. :bigsmile:

Dr. Katie: My beginning plank was one minute and I worked up to one and a half minutes before I hurt myself. I’ll be doing my first plank of the New Year in a bit. I hope to be able to do at least a minute. I had to quit when I hurt my wrist, but have doctor’s approval to resume if I use the position where you rest on your elbows. That is my preferred position anyway. I’ll wear the wrist brace for it because I know I put pressure on my whole forearm. :flowerforyou:

DeeDee: I love the idea of taking the things that worked in the past and adding to them, while giving ourselves permission to let go of things that didn’t work for us.

Patty from Cincinnati: I love most of your goals, but have avoided setting weekly or monthly pounds lost goals for myself. I set the final weight goal when I set up my program. My monthly goal is sticking with the number of calories that MFP has allotted me. That I can control. I’ve been the plateau queen around here. I’ve done things right for weeks with no weight loss often enough to feel like an expert. By sticking with the program the weight has come off, in its own sweet time, and I’ve never felt like a failure at meeting my goals. (Other than water consumption.):ohwell: :flowerforyou:

Patchworkpers: Sitting next to cake all day long and abstaining is like passing a huge test. Congratulations!:flowerforyou:

Brooke from CO: I’m so glad you’re back! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Kathy in IL: I love the quotation, and I’m thinking of adopting it, at least for a time. You’ve been missed and I hope to see more of your posts.:flowerforyou:

Anncreswell: Welcome! Portion control is the key to success for us, and I can recommend it as an excellent weight loss strategy. My DH is also on this journey with me, and I count it a major blessing because we support one another in day-to-day choices. If you don’t already have a digital food scale I would recommend getting one so that you can verify your portions. Mine have a tendency to creep up if I don’t measure. :flowerforyou:


We had a lovely dinner out to celebrate New Years and got to talk to our daughter and DGD for a good long while via face-time. We made contact with friends and family with text messages and even spoke to our son briefly on the phone. I LOVE communications technology!

"What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year." ~Vern McLellan (borrowed from Kathy in IL)


Katla in beautiful NW Oregon

January goals:

1. Log every bite and swallow.

2. Focus on fitness: daily cardio plus strength training a minimum of twice a week.

3. Water: According to an article a friend posted on facebook, drinking water at certain times maximizes its effectiveness on the body. So I’ll try to follow these recommendations:

* 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
* 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
* 1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
* 1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Mollybesweet

Good Afternoon and Happy New Year Ladies :flowerforyou:

I am back!!
Recharged and refreshed.
Still working on my January goals :bigsmile:

Molly in sunny but cold WV

jfenner141

Happy New Year from sunny but cold western Mass. We are hunkering down for a snow storm tomorrow into Friday, with about 8-12" or so expected. That will be our biggest snow fall so far this winter. Plus the lows tomorrow night are below zero without wind chill (yikes!!).

Goals for January look a lot like December:

Continue eating more vegetables
Keep drinking 8-10 cups of water a day
Work out 3 times a week
Keep up the 50 minutes of cardio twice a week
Lose 2-3 pounds a month (please dear Lord!!).

Jill in western MA

rachael52

Hi, everybody. Happy New Year. I am coming back on MFP after at least 7 months off and my tummy shows that I've missed it. I have real motivation now in that my back is getting bad and I also have a special trip to Costa Rica (bathing suit) in March. I'm 61, so I don't look the way I did in decades past, but I have hope!

My simple plans:

log my meals
yoga once a week
check in with MFP community once a day, not just to talk about me but of course to encourage others

That's it!

Oh, and try on the bathing suit every so often.

meyllisa

:flowerforyou: hello ladies, so nice to startthe day and year off with a fresh slate..
I have't done well in the past with set goals they seem to over power my whole plan. So guess my January plan will be to
1 log my food everyday even when its a bad day
2 drink my water as per new recommendations sounds reasonable
3 get more movement in my day
4 take time for me, instead of trying to resuce everyone else, putting their needs first

Any pounds lost are a plus, boy even getting older you are always learning, for me this last year with my mfp ladies has been a wealth of knowledge, thank you to all


Welcome to all who are new
Have a great 1st day of 2014 juanita in sudbury minus 30 this am burrr

jmkmomm

My we are a chatty group this new years. On page 4 already!!!!! Watching the Rose Bowl parade. I could watch anything with the guys from Property brothers doing the narrating!!!! Love my HGTV. Will catch up on the reading later. Just wanted to make a quick note to see if the number changed on the weight ticker.

Edit, it didn't change. I guess I have to lose another .2 pound for it to change. Weighed 181.4 but bloos sugar going the wrong way all the way to 110.

Joyce, Indiana

Vickil57

Good Morning and Happy New Year!! Sounds like we are all off to a good start for the New Year. I have been trying to get over the flu the last couple days. I did get the shot. We were in bed by 10:30 last evening. DH worked 11 hours yesterday and had to be back at 8 this morning. Was fine with me as I was not feeling the best. I do feel better this morning.
Thank You so much Barbie for all you do and keeping us going.

Welcome to all the new ladies. Looking forward to sharing this trip with you. I love this group and all the support it gives.

Sylvia--:flowerforyou: Happy Anniversary, My younger brother was also married in New Year's eve. Congrates on the smaller size PJ's. Please take care of yourself. Your body needs to be pampered with all you have gone thru.

Alison--:drinker: congrates on the bonus. You deserve it and to do something for yourself. I hope DH is feeling better.

Margaret--thanks for the great info. Alot to think about.

Thanks for the heads up about the sale at Dillards today. I plan to go out this afternoon and see about getting a new bra.

Have my goals for January-
1. Log every bite--even the bad days
2. Do some kind of exercise atleast everyother day
3. Drink water everyday
4. Look forward -- Not back

We are getting some snow here this morning and sounds like it will be cold the next several days.

Blessed! Vicki GI NE

wizzywig

:flowerforyou: New Year New start. I'm a bit disappointed with myself - bad eating habits have crept back in and Mr Scale has shown a lb rise! :frown: It could be the alcohol :embarassed: I must admit I have had a few small glasses of Baileys and we all know how calorific they are. Whatever, I need to get a grip and stop snacking and drinking.

:flowerforyou: Thanks Barbie for keeping the thread going.

:flowerforyou: Welcome the newbies - you will find us a chatty bunch.

:huh: Not sure what goals for January should be, I'm a bit rubbish at sticking to goals :embarassed: I have good intentions, but I'm not consistent. I need to think of something that I will complete to help me make challenging goals in the future.

:laugh: Looking forward to seeing the next episode of "Sherlock" we finally find out how Sherlock faked his death, it seems we have been waiting for ages to find out, both me and DD are fans :bigsmile: so we will both be watching at 9pm tonight.

Well, I've got a few chores to do, so will just wish everyone a Happy January 1st and think of some goals.

Viv
Cold and wet York UK

KarenGMT

New here! Don't quite know how this topic works, but I like what I've read so far.

No resolutions here. I started this journey of changing my lifestyle since November 4, 2013. I'm trying to Shift (thanks to Tory Johnson) -- my weight (off my body), my mood (suffer from major depression), my eating habits (mostly just trying to be mindful of what and how much, so ... tracking).

The book got me started 2 months ago. It has been incredibly easy (knock wood) to stay motivated and focused. That's all I want to do, is continue to be motivated and focused on this journey.

(Thanks to @rileamoyer for leading me to this topic!)

Kelley60

Hi, my name is Kelley and I'm new to this board. working/playing on being healthier. I live with Molly, my dog. I've used MFP for a couple years but I'm thinking I need support beyond what Molly can give - LOL.

Resolutions:
1. To log everything I eat.
2. To take a baby step every day towards my exercise goals.
3. To participate in the MFP community board, to give and receive support and ideas

One of the main challenges I have with food is that I'm "quasi" vegetarian even "quasi" vegan for long cycles - I don't eat red meat or poultry but sometimes fish. Not cheese, but sometimes an egg or butter. I like veggies, fruits, pasta, grains, beans, legumes. unfortunately, I like fish and I like ice cream of all things. open to ideas, recipes, all suggestions except that I need to eat meat.

One of the main challenges I have with exercise is that I have a bum knee and recently have had to start using a cane. but I like dancing, the treadmill, weights, and yoga-lite. not sure how I'm going to dance and treadmill with a cane, but I'll figure it out. not crazy about water anything, and I'm really bad at the warm-up/cool-down stuff.

look forward to chatting with you all

grandmallie

afternoon ladies~
my my we have a whole new crop of friends:bigsmile:
welcome welcome.. you will enjoy this group, even though we are spread out on many continent's it feels like we are all so very close...
have had some set backs with food and it shows on the scale, but onward and upward...
one of the guys that goes to the gym, who is a total gym rat, I found out has cancer, he woke up with a lump on his neck, went to the gym, and asked a friend of ours who is a nurse, she said to have it checked out, so he did, I have to find out from her, but the cancer moved to his stomach. which is not good This guy is a peach and is a guy who runs, rides a bike, works out at the gym, and is or was in great shape.. I am sending prayers his way. I am hoping they can do something and get him into remmision..
It just goes to show you that you just never know when something will happen to you, or a close friend or family member. Life is so very precious.. and I feel Blessed that I have been fortunate enough to stay healthy,that my family is healthy and we are all working

jaks97

bump

Irene_1

Happy New Years Everyone. This sounds like a wonderful group - thank you. I am from Saskatchewan, Canada and it has been very cold for the last few months. I like to run outside but do not go when it is more the -25 so I have missed a few days in the last month or so.

I am married and have two grown boys. One son is a student and living at home and the other , due to his career comes and goes. I am planning a trip to a beach at the end of January and need to be able to fit in my summer/beach clothes. During the last three months I have put on 12 pounds. I am hoping the next three weeks to be record every bit of food I eat and stay within my calorie goals. I am going to add some exercise to my routine of running - maybe some weights and/or DVDs.

I think I am like a cave women because the fall and winter I put on 10 to 15 pounds and the January get back at it. This year I hope it will be different.

Thanks again