WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2012

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  • megathome111
    megathome111 Posts: 58 Member
    Hi ladies...It's a beautiful, brisk, blustery day in SC...the kind of day that makes your cheeks sting. Went to the Humane Society with my sister-in-law this morning...found the CUTEST little spaniel/lab mix pup. I would so love to have her...but still haven't convinced hubby that it is time. I think Abby (our lab) was excited to smell doggies on me when I got home as her tail just was a waggin' as she sniffed. She's never been an only pet, so I think she would like another sibling. I'm actually thinking of pulling the Valentine card. When he asks what I want for Valentines Day, I will show him her pic.

    Here's the recipe for the Spinach/Strawberry salad...I lied it is not WW, and when I got looking at the nutrition information, it's probably not the best dieters choice. With a substitute salad dressing it might be okay...but honestly, it is soooooo yummy as is.

    http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jamies-cranberry-spinach-salad/detail.aspx#

    The recipe calls for cranberries, but I substitute strawberries.

    Dinner out tonight...I have been very careful with my calories today, but it will still be a challenge...Italian no-less. But they have a sashimi grade tuna dish on their menu that I am leaning towards.

    Think I will go take advantage of the pretty day with a walk!

    Happy Saturday all.
    MEG
  • scompton54
    scompton54 Posts: 90 Member
    Greetings all

    It's a beautiful day in southern Ontario today....finally some snow though it's a bit cold. I was supposed to go cross country skiing today but it got cancelled due to lack of interest from the group but we're going tomorrow....yippee!

    I've had a good week, lost the weight I gained last week and then another 1.5 pounds so I'm feeling pumped. I do eat some of my exercise points but not all of them. I can't imagine being able to survive on 800-1000 calories...I'd be starving. MFP has set my calorie goal at 1400 calories a day before exercise and that seems about right for my level of activity.

    I've been drinking a lot of flavoured teas (my youngest works for a tea company so my cupboard is full of different teas.) My favourites are the chocolatey ones which make me feel like I am having a treat without the calories. I did have wine last night but I think I will stick to the not on a school night rule.

    I tried the Jillian Michea'ls 30 day shred video today and liked it quite a lot. I think I will try to add it into the mix of my workouts. 30 minutes and 236 calories burned is not too shabby though I absolutely hate jumping jacks.:grumble:

    For those of you who don't really like fruit....I'm with you but I do love veggies, especially strong greens like rapini (broccoli rabe)....just the taste of it makes me feel really healthy. I've made a big pot of black bean soup today....just the ticket for a cold Saturday.

    Hope you all have a great weekend and stay on track.

    Sarah
  • RebelRenny
    RebelRenny Posts: 1,073 Member
    :mad: No, the pounds do not come flying off. That is not how it works for women over a certain age. Skinny people will never understand!!!
    How true! Age does make weight loss a little more difficult, but even a lot of younger people have unrealistic expectations. At any age, we didn't gain 5 or 10 lbs in a week -- why do we expect to LOSE the weight that quickly? :huh:

    In my experience, age does make weight loss a LOT more difficult. Theoretically, a deficit of 3500 calories equals 1 lb. Therefore, if there has been consistent deficit over several weeks adding well beyond that number, all things being equal, the expectation is that 1 pound (or more) should come off. Instead, I have found a significant difference between ability to lose weight prior to age 55 and since that age. In 2005, at age 54, I lost 35 lbs in 5 months, without exercising, and kept it off for 3 years without too much trouble. I gained back weight, plus 10 lbs, in a relatively short period of time. When I started on MFP in November of 2009, it took me 10 months to lose 25 lbs, with exercising, including such things as biking 30km to/from work several times per week. All that to say that metabolism also plays a role and unfortunately the lbs do not come off as easily. At least not for many. I would not be on MFP if did.

    Having said that, the scale finally moved this morning! :bigsmile: which gives me hope that all the healthy eating and moving will make a difference.

    As an aside, I have put my goal calories as "maintaining weight", "without exercise". That way it is very clear what type of deficit I reach on a daily basis.

    Every day is a new day. Have a great one!!:heart::heart:
    Renny
  • FabulousFifty
    FabulousFifty Posts: 1,575 Member
    :flowerforyou: Hello!

    I had the pleasure of chatting with you last summer....and have since gone astray....just a bit. I am catching myself before I fall though. I loved how it felt to have my clothes feel lose. I loved the feeling of being light on my feet and feeling fit. I am going to get there again! I am about 8 pounds up from last summer. I was not at goal weight last summer, but I was getting close. I am determined to be a healthy grandma, wife, mother....ME!

    My goal for Feb. is to keep within my range. I have the slowest metabolism this side of Texas...so I cannot eat back all of my exercise cals. I like Renny's idea of setting my goal for maintaining with no exercise. I may try that to really monitor myself. Hey, whatever works! Right?!

    Have a fabulous weekend! Here is to us....slim and healthy by summer!

    Cheers, :drinker:
    Sharon
  • kackie
    kackie Posts: 676 Member
    Faye: I hope your grandbaby gave you some rest and you got your lettuce in the ground! I do love my vegetable garden and it is the one thing I miss the most when we head out to MT for this time of year! ENJOY!

    jb: You crack me up!

    Sally: WTG!!! I am so glad to hear you hit a new low!!! You have been very steady at it.

    Pam: I find the same thing works best for me too...not eating back all exercise calories and mixing it up...and YES...it is S-L-O-W!
    But I just want to keep it moving in the right direction!!!

    Sharon: your profile photo is a riot!!!

    Sherry: WTG on the loss of inches and pounds!!!

    Donna: Yes, chocolate always calls my name too!

    Welcome to our newest members...we're glad to have you and look forward to getting to know you:-)

    I'm off to read a book in bed before something tempting calls me from the kitchen:noway: :noway: :noway: The kids have left too many treats in this house that I just do not need around! Kackie
  • exermom
    exermom Posts: 6,528 Member
    dtucker - I don't think a goal of 2 pounds is lame. If you set a goal of 2 pounds every month, that'll be 24 pounds by the end of the year! And the slower you take it off, the longer it'll stay off. So, no, I do not think it lame at all.

    Oh, the hospital called, and the insurance company approved my reclast! Then yesterday I get a letter saying that it's been denyed. So I called the insurance helpline. Just as I thought, it was declined at first but the decision was overturned. So I'm good to go for Monday. Yea! I just want to get this over with!

    Sherry - good luck on the meeting.

    Welcome tonigirl, deethinner and sonpower, wb fabulous fifty and any other newcomer that I may have missed.

    Well, took a shower and now going to get to bed. Tomorrow I'll do some training games on the Wii. Took a yoga class today then stopped at a farmers market and got some golden beets. Roasted them. Does anyone know of an easy way to get the skins off?

    Here's hoping everyone has a great evening.

    Michele
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
    Howdy all. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day here - wind advisory in effect. We can hear it whipping and whistling around the house - perfect day to curl up with an electric blanket and a book.

    Glamour Shots came out amazingly well. Having been quite obese my entire life I have always had trouble finding one portrait I liked out of a photo shoot. This time when we went through a first pass and picked the ones I liked there were 20 of them! Had to narrow it way down. I chose to buy a CD with copyright release on each pose I liked instead of buying any prints - that way I can do what I want with the pictures and prints are dirt cheap. Should have the retouched CDs in 10-14 days.

    When they do come in, look for my avatar to change to a sepia head shot in my fedora. This current avatar is so 25 pounds ago!

    Bought some sunflower seed butter, soynut butter and almond butter with honey today. I love peanut and regular almond butter but thought it might be fun to try something new. When I first started logging my foods I discovered that I was eating very little fat. It may have an evil reputation, but we need healthy fats in our diets so I started eating small portions of nuts and/or nut butters each day. Now as I'm trying to up my calories I'm increasing my serving size a little. I eat the nut butters out of a measuring spoon as a way to be aware of my portion size!

    I also ordered some Planters Pumpkin Spice almonds. A co-worker had them and I tried one the other day...the are AMAZING. I think they were a limited time flavor, but I did find some.

    It still feels scary trying to up my calories, but seeing the pictures helped me realize that I really have lost enough weight. I guess I just have a strong, strong fear of regain.

    scompton54 - Yay for a better week. Hope you had fun with today's cross-country ski.

    exermom - So sorry about the bathing suit debacle. I've had a similar situation with something I ordered, and eventually just mentally wrote the money off for my own peace of mind. Hope if you don't get it you can find one you really love on sale. I need a new bathing suit as well. Mine from two summers ago is a 28. I managed to make it work last summer with some really obvious tucks but I'm not sure it's possible to alter a 28 down to a 10!

    jb_2011 - Where do you find all those great dog avatars? Don't tell anyone (I'd get banned from MFP) but I was WELL under 1200 calories every day for over a year. I know I read on here that if you do that you'll go into starvation mode and stop losing but my body didn't seem to get the memo. I also don't eat back my exercise calories.

    davetecsgirl - Ick. Sorry about the flu! Hope you're feeling better.

    jaks97 - Congrats on the loss of inches AND 1.2 lb! If you want more protein and some fruit, consider a protein shake or smoothie for breakfast. Here's a simple one - 8 oz of skim milk, one scoop vanilla protein powder and 1/2 cup of frozen berries (strawberry, mixed berry, blueberry, raspberry) or peaches. I just buy the store brand bags of frozen fruit. Put the fruit in frozen, it gives the smoothy a thick consistency without adding ice. With some fruits I add a little Splenda as well. Blend for about 30 seconds. Presto. Delicious, thick like a milk shake and healthy.

    genealace - Glad DBF is feeling better, but you're right to encourage him to try to do more. However it sounds like the staff isn't pushing him as hard as they should either (not to mention not getting him a clean gown). Typically nursing staff will push patients who are reluctant to be as active as they should. Is there anyone you can speak to about this?

    kackie - Hooray for a good snow!! Hope you had a blast. I've never been skiing - so many things I've never tried because of my weight, and that's one of them.

    Sally CC - It is exciting to see a new low. Congratulations! You're doing great. Slow and gradual is just fine.

    Welcome to all the new faces and voices! It's great to have you with us.

    Hope everyone has a great Sunday - and it's almost Sunday here so I'm off to bed.

    Goodnight all.

    Virginia
  • genealace
    genealace Posts: 240 Member
    This is my Saturday check-in.

    Very cold here today and another cold day tomorrow. Frost-bite warnings from the City and they were trying to get the homeless off the streets and in to shelter.

    DBF had a good lot of exercise yesterday and I was there when the physiotherapist had him get out of bed on his own with her coaching and telling him where to put his arms etc and how to bend. Today he had 2 good walks and was hoping for a third, but the nurse who was going to take him finished his shift and left. He was a little disappointed so I asked him if he'd done his knee exercises and he said no because he couldn't reach the towel-wrapped tin that goes under his knee, so I got it for him and he did 10 repeats of 2 different exercises. So progress although slow is still being made. One of the nurses told him that he is going to rehab next week, but he can't go until he can get out of bed and walk on his own. He has to be able to get dressed and stay out of bed all day, do physio one-on-one and in a group, so that will be a big jump forward. He seems to have a bit more of a spark to move himself and to get the h***" out of the hospital.

    Tomorrow (or I should say later today), I'm going to make sure I have gas in the car and then I'm driving across the city to get the hair dye I want.
  • tiarapants
    tiarapants Posts: 1,015 Member
    Good morning ladies.

    The weekend seems to have slipped away from me. I've spent most of it running back and forth to the bathroom - but that seems to be almost over now. Consequently I'm feeling rather drained. I've just had a protein shake and it's stayed down, so I may try to eat something a little later.

    I hope you are all well. Still not had time to catch up on all the posts, but will try to do so this afternoon.

    Love to you all.

    Amanda x
  • DarleneBDA
    DarleneBDA Posts: 80 Member
    Good morning ladies.

    The weekend seems to have slipped away from me. I've spent most of it running back and forth to the bathroom - but that seems to be almost over now. Consequently I'm feeling rather drained. I've just had a protein shake and it's stayed down, so I may try to eat something a little later.

    I hope you are all well. Still not had time to catch up on all the posts, but will try to do so this afternoon.

    Love to you all.

    Amanda x

    Hi Amanda

    Know exactly what your feeling... my hubby and I both this week have had this Stomach virus going around the Island. I have never felt to weak and sick in I dont know how long. I finally had a full meal today but still a bit weak. Gonna get back into my work out tomorrow..but going to go for a long walk today.

    Hope your better soon

    Darlene X
  • DarleneBDA
    DarleneBDA Posts: 80 Member
    VyPeters... Feeling better thank you. Gonna start off Monday with exercise again.....

    Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!!!!!!

    Darlene
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
    good morning ladies,

    yesterday i didnt go to the gym, decide to spend my time doing more packing , getting more boxes(though i did not count it , i only count formal exercise, i am sure i burned some calories)....in the late afternoon, i meet my sister, her husband and little granddaughter, for a late lunch early dinner....i had invited my sister for her birthday...she want to go to the cheesecake factory, and i was so good(i surprised myself)i had the skinny turkey burger and a side of sweet potato fries that were shared by all...we had a very nice time....i had been feeling a bit sluggish and my throat was scratchy, so its no surprise that i have a bit a cold, stuffy nose and coughing(youngest had the same last week)...i think i will rest today take some OTC meds and tried to get better .....

    on a another note...i would love to hear tips regarding what has help them lose weight.....thanks in advance

    well ladies i hope you all have a lovely day:flowerforyou:

    @marcelynh.......the home show sounds like is would be a good dream...i love to renovate...hope your daughter is feeling better

    @kackie....sounds like you are having great fun....enjoy

    @jaks97.....awesome job on the lose...hope you enjoy your visit with your grandson

    @faye.....poor baby ....teething is so painful....

    @seaglass2...i LOVE chocolate too

    @jb_2011....i know there is a happy medium that my body will lose weight, but its not 800-1000 calories....when i mix it up with the calories it works for me best...

    @sallycc.....how WONDERFUL....so happy for you,

    @barbiecat...i started weight training two years ago with a trainer...i had taken classes that used weights prior to that...i agree with you, i am only sorry i didnt start in my 20s

    @frogmama.....nice substitute using the bike...myrtle beach in april sounds lovely

    @meg......the recipe sounds good...i use allrecipes.com all the time ...i just make adjustments..

    @scompton54...great news on your weight loss....have fun on your cross country skiing ...enjoy

    @renny...happy that the scale moved(in the right direction)....but yes it is so slooooooow

    @fabulousfifty...great job on getting back to what works for you...good luck

    @michele....good luck tomorrow

    @virginia...i am so excited to see the pics....glad you are feeling better

    @genealace....how wonderful that DBF is feeling so much better...hope you get the hair dye you want...

    @tiarapants...feel better soon
  • jaks97
    jaks97 Posts: 179 Member
    Happy Sunday, Vypeters I will try that sounds like a good thing for drive to work. Had a fun nite with my 3yr old grandson, we watched movies, had popcorn, played cars and trucks. He spent the night and at least last nite did not hog Grammies bed. Yesterday meeting/interview may be more than I expected. May become a consulting job to see how they run the office, and is the Dr collecting all the monies he is due. I am excited and they were thrilled to meet me.

    Ready to start another week.
    Sherry
  • jb_2011
    jb_2011 Posts: 1,029 Member
    Good Sunday morning. :flowerforyou:

    I'm still hashing it over, the less-calorie deal, and woke up thinking about food -- will it ever stop!! It's not that I'm hungry or anything, just a wee bit concerned about how on earth I'll ever be able to move on down into 800 calorie-ville. Trying to make a plan here. In all honesty, I'd better get the 800 number out of my head since at this point in time it seems utterly impossible and quite frankly scares the livin' daylights outta me. I have a terrible habit of eating too much at night when I get home late from work and if I'm overly hungry I'll be in big trouble. I've managed to conquer one week around 1200, yay! But maybe I should shoot for 1100 this week. 300 breakfast, 150 mid-morning snack, 350 late lunch, 300 dinner. No room for wine!! Dang it. Ok ok, I get it, don't drink wine until Friday. Sheesh. See this is why I woke up thinking about it - knowing something's gotta give. I guess I could go with 100 less for breakfast or skip the snack. Need the big lunch to tide me over until dinner. We eat late. I could have one little glass of vino instead of my usual 2. Always trying to allow room for it, what's the matter with me! Lush, lol.

    Focus, jb, focus. Keep your eyes on the prize. 9 lbs to go to reach first goal of 160 before summer. Long-term goal 150 by the end of the year. C'mon. Just do it.

    Oh, Virginia, I like to look around online for cool doggie pics, type in a search for "paintings of dogs". I spend way too much time looking! I should really be up in my art studio with brush in hand, painting my own. I do commissioned oil paintings of dogs, and have painted portraits of many of my own dogs as well. I guess I'm just looking around for ideas. If you want, you can view a little of my work on my website. www.joanberrymusic.com/artworks.htm

    Well I've been sitting here just about a full hour and my butt hurts. Did yoga, squats, push-ups, sit-ups, bicep curls with weights, and Egoscue stretches yesterday, plus hiked hard with my terrier for a full hour and walked both dogs for 30 mins after that. Here I go to get started with a repeat performance.

    Have a wunnerful day everyone. Go Salad Sistas!!! Eat your beans, too. :wink:

    :^)jb
  • topaz2986
    topaz2986 Posts: 92 Member
    Happy Sunday Everyone!

    Before I get to my housecleaning and laundry...I thought I'd better check in and say hello. It's been such a long while since I've checked in that I forgot my password! I do believe I might be able to breath in work this week so I should be able to get to the gym after work...and be more present in the rest of my life. :happy: My eating hasn't been so bad. I completely enjoy whatever fruits come out of my dehydrator. It's so easy to snack on and according to some websites...dehydrating doesn't affect the nutrition. I'm not eating bread/starches/sugary junk any longer...just a bit of pasta now and then. (I'm Italian...gotta have my sketti):bigsmile: I do feel less bloated and yukkie w/o the starches n junk.

    I see alot of new faces...welcome to everyone. A huge "quick recovery" to everyone who isn't feeling well or looking forward to surgery.

    Time for another cup of coffee...then to the chores! I'll be much happier when I can find socks that aren't in a huge pile of laundry waiting to be sorted and put away.

    Thanks to the ladies who emailed me to find out where I was! It reminded me of how long I've been missing! Thanks for watching out for me!!!!

    Chat with you later!
    Rita
  • shmogo9
    shmogo9 Posts: 31 Member
    good morning ladies - sorry - been MIA since Wednesday - had dental surgery on Thursday morning and have had nothing except slim fast and kraft dinner since then...:sad: if I would have known that I wouldn't be able to eat or chew anything I would never have agreed to have my bridge removed and a partial plate made :angry: I could have waited - should have waited because I hate this....

    does anybody have any suggestions as to how to get accustomed to a partial upper plate? I really need help - all I do is sit around and mope and feel sorry for myself because I love my food....well that's obvious or I wouldn't be here....I've been back and forth between the dentist and the denturist since Thursday and I still can't chew anything because my back teeth don't meet!:explode: They keep making adjustments but I can't see it working and I think they need to make a new plate - I have an overbite and I don't think they took that into account because now I'm biting into the plate and they're saying that I will break it if I do that....well it hurts to bite so that won't be happening for a while :bigsmile: not as long as I can swallow kraft dinner whole lol....

    My husband went and got me a tube of Anbesol gel - that helps but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be numbing my mouth every 10 minutes - not sure if I'll ever get used to it if I keep doing that :bigsmile:

    anyway - sorry for being MIA and then coming on an ranting but you know what - I feel a little better now that I can get it out because I can't talk to anybody about it because nobody knows and/or understands here as they all have they're own teeth and just don't get it....I get the feeling they think I'm being a big baby - maybe I am but I'm the one dealing with it so they can suck it up :laugh: sorry again :blushing: :blushing:

    On a positive note - I'm down another 2 pounds this week!:bigsmile:

    hope everybody has an awesome day - :drinker: :drinker:
  • Darlene4prayers
    Darlene4prayers Posts: 148 Member
    Here I am again.......the start of a new day and so far not eating very healthy. Why can't I change my eating habits? Why don't I have willpower? I have been with MFP for about 3 months and I struggle every hour of the day. I am so exhausted!! Anyone out there feel this way. I am 52 years old, need to lose 30 lbs and just started going through menopause.
  • Darlene4prayers
    Darlene4prayers Posts: 148 Member
    good morning ladies - sorry - been MIA since Wednesday - had dental surgery on Thursday morning and have had nothing except slim fast and kraft dinner since then...:sad: if I would have known that I wouldn't be able to eat or chew anything I would never have agreed to have my bridge removed and a partial plate made :angry: I could have waited - should have waited because I hate this....

    does anybody have any suggestions as to how to get accustomed to a partial upper plate? I really need help - all I do is sit around and mope and feel sorry for myself because I love my food....well that's obvious or I wouldn't be here....I've been back and forth between the dentist and the denturist since Thursday and I still can't chew anything because my back teeth don't meet!:explode: They keep making adjustments but I can't see it working and I think they need to make a new plate - I have an overbite and I don't think they took that into account because now I'm biting into the plate and they're saying that I will break it if I do that....well it hurts to bite so that won't be happening for a while :bigsmile: not as long as I can swallow kraft dinner whole lol....

    My husband went and got me a tube of Anbesol gel - that helps but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be numbing my mouth every 10 minutes - not sure if I'll ever get used to it if I keep doing that :bigsmile:

    anyway - sorry for being MIA and then coming on an ranting but you know what - I feel a little better now that I can get it out because I can't talk to anybody about it because nobody knows and/or understands here as they all have they're own teeth and just don't get it....I get the feeling they think I'm being a big baby - maybe I am but I'm the one dealing with it so they can suck it up :laugh: sorry again :blushing: :blushing:

    On a positive note - I'm down another 2 pounds this week!:bigsmile:

    hope everybody has an awesome day - :drinker: :drinker:

    Hi, My brother had the same problem with his upper plate. I think the dentist got tired of seeing him or got scared (lol) and made him a new plate which has helped a lot. My brother was so upset and depressed that he lost too much weight from being unable to eat. The dentist kept telling him he needed to give it some time. After 6 months he couldn't take it anymore and demanded something be done. The problems he was having was due to the overbite so the dentist didn't measure correctly.
    I have problems wearing the no line eyeglasses. Anyone out there have this problem?
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
    Here I am again.......the start of a new day and so far not eating very healthy. Why can't I change my eating habits? Why don't I have willpower? I have been with MFP for about 3 months and I struggle every hour of the day. I am so exhausted!! Anyone out there feel this way. I am 52 years old, need to lose 30 lbs and just started going through menopause.

    hi....i also have a good day then back to a few bad ones(it started about two weeks ago, after being sick with the stomach flu)i cant seem to find my rhythm ...what works for me is making one small change and building from there....i feel like i am starting over AGAIN....exercise can help to relive the exhaustion....good luck
  • I just joined MFP yesterday after not having great success on WW. I need to see the numbers and measure the exercise I'm doing against actual caloric intake. I have been faithful to the WW program - tracking fastidiously:happy: and attending meetings. I am not losing even the minimum range of .5 pounds per week. I am hoping to have greater success with MFP. Jenny
  • aliceh69
    aliceh69 Posts: 6 Member
    Lose 8lbs in February:drinker:
  • Patchworkperson
    Patchworkperson Posts: 151 Member
    Hello again ladies & welcome to new friends.

    I'm re-starting tomorrow after loosing my way completely since Christmas. Just stopped my portion control. Carried on with the gym, water & veggies so things could have been worse.

    I've prepared lunch for tomorrow - Salad Sistas, you would be proud:laugh:

    Any tips on motivation to exercise? I'm still so self concious about going to the gym plus when I get there, I never quite sure what to do.

    I've decided to set definite goals rather than a wishwashy loose weight etc.. So this week I will loose 2lbs.

    Have a great week ladies & good luck with your surgery Jane.

    Geri in England.
  • laila101
    laila101 Posts: 32 Member
    This looks like a group that I could fit in with. Looking at all of you makes me feel like I can do this. I restarted a week and a half ago. #2 down...here we go.
  • laila101
    laila101 Posts: 32 Member
    I just ordered the Zumba dvd's. I know what you mean about the gym. I feel the same way right now. So, I will let you know how it goes. For now, I am using my daughters slim in 6 wks dvds Doing 30 minutes and actually love it.
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,202 Member
    :flowerforyou: m, when I started MFP three years ago I thought I was hopeless and the best I could expect was to keep my weight from increasing and to find a solution to my inclinations to eat mindlessly. It helped me so much to put “losing weight” at the top of my priority list. I spent time reading posts from MFP members, responded to the posts from others and logged my food and exercise. Before I ever started eating healthy, I started with a plan and a commitment to stick to the plan no matter what. It worked on day one, so I did it again……it was later that I began to learn from my reading and my food diary how to better budget my calories so I had a lot to eat with the fewest calories.

    :flowerforyou: Jb, I kept my calories very close to 1200 for a long time until the day I came from a two hour walk feeling frighteningly light headed. That’s when I upped my calories on days when I did a lot of exercise. I continued to do that throughout my weight loss and it worked for me……..I am concerned about staying healthy and I don’t want to try to keep my body running on insufficient or low quality fuel.

    :flowerforyou: Darlene, I recently read “The Thin Commandments Diet”. I highly recommend it. The first commandment is “Strategy is stronger than willpower” and I think that might address your question about why you can’t change your eating habits or why you don’t have willpower.

    :flowerforyou: Geri, there are so many ways to exercise without going to the gym…..walking, DVD’s, buying and using some exercise equipment (I recently started the at home strength training program I learned from reading “Strong Women Stay Young”). My reasons for not going to the gym are time, money, and inclination. Don’t wait for motivation……get up and start moving right now….put on music and dance, turn on the TV and walk in place, do 20 squats or jumping jacks or something. Start doing something and you’ll start to feel like doing more.

    :flowerforyou: On the subject of goals, it never worked for me to set weight loss goals
    I already know that I losing weight is the goal----I set goals that I can control like drinking a certain amount of water each day, or doing a certain collection of exercises, or a specific change in what I eat. When I started MFP, my goals were 10,000 steps a day and drinking 8 or more glasses of water a day. Sometimes I’d have to walk up and down the hall at bedtime while drinking water in order to meet my goals, but I was determined to make a change.

    :heart: Barbie from NW Washington
    My life today is so great today it should have background music

    February goals:
    *walk the dogs for an hour or more every morning no matter how cold, wet, windy, or snowy.
    * Yoga three days a week
    *100 squats a day
    *strength training two days a week (three would be better)


    [img][/img]194904olsgis3xqe.gif
    "The reason most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want the MOST for what they want at the MOMENT."

    "The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed."
  • Marking my spot for now. My plan for Feb? - to get my sorry butt back on track.

    Faye



    Well done.. I'm there with you! :laugh:
  • megathome111
    megathome111 Posts: 58 Member
    Hi ladies...

    This group is so inspiring....when I look at the weight loss tickers under everyone's name, it tells me "I CAN DO THIS"...it is feeling really good.

    Last night's early Valentine's Day dinner at the Italian place went well...I even lost .2 pounds from yesterday, so I was thrilled. Today I have been very faithful to the plan, and have selected a Weight Watchers recipe for Shrimp & Chicken jambalaya for dinner. Also found a really good healthy looking recipe for blueberry muffins, and they are baking as I type. They smell scrumptious! With Oat Bran, wheat flour, brown sugar and applesauce as main ingredients...they should be good for you.

    Barbiecat...I could definitely see being with MFP long term...I am loving the site, and the fact that it is FREE! I tend to forget to cancel things when I stop using them and they end up on the credit card way longer than needed.

    Laila---welcome...I haven't been with this group too long, but they are a bunch of awesome women and so much encouragement is offered.

    Geri... I am another who am not motivated to do the gym. I do enjoy walking, and try to get in 2-3 20 minute walks a day. I know I need to add strength training, but haven't done it yet.

    Alice...that 8 pounds will be history in one month...go for it.

    Jenny...I have coupled MFP with Weight Watchers and have found it helps. I'm doing 1200-1300 cals with MFP and 26 points with WW. I like to see the actual calories I am consuming.

    Darlene...menopause...'nuf said...I do think it makes losing weight more difficult, however, it seems to enhance the gaining weight thing. Once it started for me I packed on 15 pounds in 2 months, and I wasn't eating much different...

    Shmogo..oooh...dental surgery is a hard way to lose weight. Hope you're feeling better soon.

    Rita...dehydrator sounds interesting...I hadn't given that a thought.

    JB...you've got the right attitude...focus on the prize...and think how wonderful it will be!

    Sherry...isn't it amazing how much space such a little body can take up ? Sounds like you had a great night with your grandson.

    Pam...I find that the thing helping me most is to "plan" meals. Not just stopping at the store on the way home & grabbing something. I know it is helping me make smarter choices.

    Darlene...glad you're feeling better!

    Amanda...hope you're feeling better !

    Genealace...It was cold here in the south this morning too...13 degrees in SC. It didn't get out of the 40's all day.

    Vypeters....can't wait to see the new avatar...I'm sure you'll look very classy!

    Michele...Beet skins are easier to remove after they are cooked...they just kind of slip off. I remember my mother-in-law doing it that way. I guess that it depends on you are using them though.

    Kackie...what a beautiful family you have on your weight-loss ticker.

    Sharon...love your avatar...

    Well ladies..hubby is asking for assistance moving the washer/dryer (I'm sure I will be a HUGE help ;0) Tile being laid tomorrow & Tuesday in laundry room & bathroom.

    Ugh...just saw what I have to help with...cleaning up 5 years worth of dust-bunnies under the appliances.

    MEG
  • JUST GETTING STARTED AND LOGGING MY FOOD HAS BEEN A GOOD THING. I NEED TO START TO EXERCISE SO THAT IS MY GOAL FOR THE WEEK. TO DO 30 MINUTES EACH DAY . i AM THINKING OF CHECKING OUT THE RUSH
  • RebelRenny
    RebelRenny Posts: 1,073 Member
    :drinker: So far, I am having a skinny eating day. Heavy on the fruit and veggies, hold the fat. And no, I wouldn't like fries with that, thank you very much :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

    :heart: Renny
  • cathys01
    cathys01 Posts: 221
    Hi Everyone:

    Hope you are all well. To those who are suffering the flu; hope you all get well soon :flowerforyou:

    Jane - I really hope your surgery goes well, my thoughts will be with you :smile:

    Shmgo - I hope you are feeling better :flowerforyou:

    We have gotten a lot of snow over the weekend, but it is about time, we have been very lucky :wink:

    I went up north to visit my step mother this weekend, it was good to see her. I talk to her every couple of weeks but I onkly see her a few times a year as we live quite far from each other:wink:

    My bosses, the lawyers are headed off on 2 weekd holidays as of Wed. this week, so I will be in charge with lots of closings to do and tons of work to do and the other girl ready to mutiny!! Not good, but I can only do what I can do and that is that, right?

    Well, I will try to stay on track and have a good week and hope you all do too!!!

    Love, Cathy xx
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