50+ Women for the Month of April

barbiecat

I'm glad I found this thread. I'm 55 and am determined to lose this weight and get healthier. When I go to the gym, I am surrounded by young athletic woman who do the elliptical at twice the speed I do. I just continue to work out at my slow and steady pace. I guess one advantage of getting older is that I really don't care what others might think. I just go and do my thing. But I am looking forward to being able to do more as I get better at this diet and excercise regime!

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Welcome, Cindy:bigsmile:
You have found the right group:bigsmile: This is the most encouraging, friendly group of women. We share ideas and keep each other on the right path. Check in with us every day and your life will change.

You can do it. Just take it one day at a time and take baby steps.

Barbie:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

plantlady99

GOOD MORNING LADIES:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Doing some cardio this morning. I am going to focus on strength training today.

I watched the Biggest Loser last night. I DVR'd it. I was amazed that they brought Nichole back. She lost "it think" 87 pounds at home in 12 weeks. But, when she came back to the ranch for one week, she was stressed about playing the game. I know she worked out. BUT, SHE GAINED 5 pounds. Bob, said it could have been from the stress. I did not realize how stress can do that much damage. I guess it is something to think about.

Kathy

Swissmiss

Kathy...I keep forgetting to watch Biggest Loser. I guess I need to write myself a note.

Cindy...To bad you don't live close to me. When I go to the gym I am usually the thinnest person there. I also do not see the heavy women return. That says a lot about why they are that large. There is one really tiny girl who runs on the treadmill at full speed for about an hour. She is about the size of a 12 year old. Very petite

Barbie...Too late. I was a bad girl last night. I vow to do really well for the rest of this week. No, wait, for the rest of this month and beyond !!.

AHealthierSuzyQ

I watched the Biggest Loser last night.... I was amazed that they brought Nichole back. She lost "it think" 87 pounds at home in 12 weeks. But, when she came back to the ranch for one week, she was stressed about playing the game. I know she worked out. BUT, SHE GAINED 5 pounds. Bob, said it could have been from the stress. I did not realize how stress can do that much damage. I guess it is something to think about. Kathy

Yep. My doctor said stress is one of the reasons I am in the shape I am in now. I tried unsuccessfully to lose weight for the five years my parent's care was my responsibility but always seemed to be losing and regaining the same 3-5 pounds. I was a member of Curves for 3 of those years.... The day my Daddy died he asked me why I couldn't seem to lose weight. At that time I had no idea stress had anything to do with it. If you'd have asked me at the time I would have even said I didn't feel like I was under an unusual amount of stress. Now that I'm virtually stress free, I'm finally seeing progress.... Not that it is melting off effortlessly, but I am seeing progress.



Since we don't have a gym here in the dusty little West Texas town, I ordered an exercise video from Amazon yesterday, "Strong Body, Ageless Body". It had lots of great reviews, so I'll let you know how it goes.

Exqitblkprl

:flowerforyou: Thank you all for such a nice warm welcome. I'm keeping with the progrm this time around. My new moto is: I'M IN IT TO WIN IT AND MAINTAIN IT TO STAY FIT. Some time ago, I was feeling sorry for myself and complained about my weight constantly to a friend. I told her how miserable I was and how my back hurt and about all the aches and pains I had. Usually when I started this banter she would be so understanding and have words of compassion and comfort. But babbbbbbby, let me tell you, my sister girl turned, looked me square in the eye, and her exact words to me were: Stop your whining and throwing your pity parties. Hear me good, this is the last one I will attend. AIN'T NOTHING TO IT BUT TO DO IT, SO GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BEGIN! Well, needless to say her response hit me like a ton of bricks. I got mad and wouldn't speak to her for a month. WRONG MOVE, she was just giving me the tough love I really needed at that point. Once I had finished licking my wounds and realized she was right, I called her and had a good cry while apologing for being a PITA! Since starting my new journey I have lost 7 pounds and I'm happy as a lark! I will check out the other forum on emotional/nightime eating as I'm sure it will be helpful.

elli

Good morning all!

Pearl - that is a true friend that will tell you like it is! I'm glad you came around after the month and had a good cry with her and got on the right path! She just may have saved your life!!!!!!! There will definitely be ups and downs on this journey - i've lost and gained the same 40 pounds probably 4 times in my lifetime. This is the FIRST time i finally got it together to STOP before going all the way back up! It feels really great and i know if i can do it anyone can do it!:flowerforyou: You deserve so much credit for hopping on the bandwagon!

Sue-z-q, i've heard the same thing about stress (between the time my son enlisted and left for his first iraq deployment i think i gained about 30 pounds), and the other thing is lack of sleep. Has anyone else heard that? The more/better you sleep the better chance you have at losing weight. I think our bodies are just a machine and when ALL the parts are running well we have a better chance of reaching our goals. something like that anyway.:bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Cindy - what will be really fun is that as you continue to work out you won't see as big a difference in what those young girls are doing and what you're doing! Yes, they're going to have youth, but you'll be amazed how you start to tone up and get healthier with each work out. Just be kind to yourself and take it one day at a time!

Kathy - have a fabulous day! The weekend is coming up and i just know you're going to do GREAT! I'm a non meat eater - and there's always the option of a boca burger or something like that on the grill. There are also "light" burger buns - but i just use orowheat lite bread - 40 calories a slice - with my burgers!

I have the dentist this afternoon:grumble: i'd rather give birth..........i have the million dollar mouth - sooooooo much work and it's like they just keep falling apart:sad: Oh well - i don't mean to complain, other than my teeth i have such great health! I'll try and post again tonight. Everyone do GREAT today! It's the second day of April and gonna be a great month for us ALL! hugs - elli:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: drink lots of water!!!!!!!!!:drinker: :drinker:

Exqitblkprl

Thank you all for such a nice warm welcome. I'm keeping with the progrm this time around. My new moto is: I'M IN IT TO WIN IT AND MAINTAIN IT TO STAY FIT. Some time ago, I was feeling sorry for myself and complained about my weight constantly to a friend. I told her how miserable I was and how my back hurt and about all the aches and pains I had. Usually when I started this banter she would be so understanding and have words of compassion and comfort. But babbbbbbby, let me tell you, my sister girl turned, looked me square in the eye, and her exact words to me were: Stop your whining and throwing your pity parties. Hear me good, this is the last one I will attend. AIN'T NOTHING TO IT BUT TO DO IT, SO GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND BEGIN! Well, needless to say her response hit me like a ton of bricks. I got mad and wouldn't speak to her for a month. WRONG MOVE, she was just giving me the tough love I really needed at that point. Once I had finished licking my wounds and realized she was right, I called her and had a good cry while apologing for being a PITA! Since starting my new journey I have lost 7 pounds and I'm happy as a lark! I will check out the other forum on emotional/nightime eating as I'm sure it will be helpful.
Edited by Exqitblkprl on Thu 04/02/09 06:56 AM

Exqitblkprl

Thank you!!! Please forgive my blunders, still learning how to navigate the site, lol.

AHealthierSuzyQ

PEARL - Welcome to a great group of motivated ladies! We all need friends who will tell us the truth, especially when we don't want to hear it.

ELLI - You are right; lack of sleep is also a weight loss enemy. I never slept through the night once in the 16 months between my Daddy's unexpected death and the day we buried my mother without first taking a sleeping pill. Depression will also cause some (like me) to gain while others lose. I literally slept for 3 weeks after her funeral barely waking to eat and bathe. Three months later we moved 700 miles from our daughter and 1600 miles from our son to be near my husband's parents in their twilight years and I put on another 30 pounds! (You can see pics of my family in my profile if you like.) So if those pounds just aren't coming off no matter what you do, examine your stress level and see if there's anything you can do to relieve it.

I just finished my treadmill time and meal planning for the day. So far I've drank 3 of my 8 glasses of water for the day. I just realized if I can lose 1 1/2 pounds a week instead of 1, I can be at my goal weight by my next wedding anniversary in January. Hubby says he'll' take me to the beach when I reach my goal (even though he hates water) so now I am REALLY motivated to get toned and healthy again.

Grammymax

Good morning all,
I just had my workout and really feel it! It feels so good to feel tired after working out. Now I'm ready to get going on my chores.

Barbie: I love your signature quotes at the end of your posts. They are inspriring.

Cindy & nmicol - welcome. You have found the right thread to encourage and inspire you. There are a lot of great women on this thread.

Elli - good job on your workouts.

Kathy & Elli - Yes, I've heard that stress and lack of sleep do have an impact on weight control.

Susan - If my body EVER looked like that picture I would be sooooo thrilled ! :laugh:

Exquitblkpl - Good for you. We all need friends like that who will tell us what we need. And good for you to have a good talk with her after you licked your wounds. That's a true friend also. Be glad you have her.

Susan - You have been through a lot of emotional ups and downs. Hopefully this is the start of a new and happier road. The trip to the beach is a good incentive for you to work harder. That's a good way to reward rather than a dinner out!

Hope you all have a great day. Come to this thread when you need some uplifting. Like Susan's cat in her tracker!?!?

By the way, I just read that sniffing peppermint oil when you're bored or craving food can help. I haven't tried it but I'm wondering if it's something to look into further? Anyone else hear or read that?

Esther

plantlady99

Hi All,:explode:

Hope everyone is having a great day.

I got to the gym and did my house work. Drove my little guy back and forth to school. (I drive a special need child to school) Then got home, had my salad with and egg. and now I just can't move. I was going to go out with my sister to listen to some music, but I just have no energy to do anything. So, home I will stay and get some rest.



Kathy

Swissmiss

Kathy..that is so cute !!! I love it.

barbiecat

When we packed the car for our 4 day trip, it looked like we were headed for the wilderness

---

blender, electric tea kettle, bags of food, bottles of water but we're obsessed with staying out of restaurants.:bigsmile:

A woman who lost a ton of weight said in a motivational talk at a TOPS meeting, "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail"

Our car full of food, kathy's plan for what to eat at the food filled birthday party, and all the planning we all do to eat healthy meals and find time for exercise is why we will all succeed.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Just logging onto MFP pal every day and gaining strength from each other is part of the plan. Staying away from the detractors who tell us that we're fanatics or not having fun is part of the plan.

Sleep well and have a happy Friday.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

plantlady99

Good Morning all,

Getting ready for another day.

Barbie :flowerforyou: "A woman who lost a ton of weight said in a motivational talk at a TOPS meeting, "if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail" You are so right.

Hello, all the ladies that have no time to stop by. Keep up the fight.

It's Friday and I am so ready to Fight the weekend. I will win. I will win.

Kathy

FITFORLIFE1944

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE,
BARBIE,
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE LOSS OF 8LBS. WOW!!! FANTASTIC!!! ALSO ON MEETING THE OTHER GOALS YOU SET.

KATHY,
THAT SAYING ABOUT PLANNING IS WHAT I BASED MY ENTIRE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM ON. EVERYONE NEEDS A GOOD PLAN. WE THINK OUR WILLPOWER IS NOT AS GOOD AS THE NEXT PERSON'S BUT I THINK IT IS THAT THE OTHER GUY HAS A BETTER STRATEGY. DR. PHIL ADVISES THIS AND A BOOK I READ TOO. IF WE THINK HARD ABOUT WHY WE FAILED, WE CAN SEE THE REASON AND REMOVE IT OR FIND A PLAN TO DEAL WITH IT IF NECESSARY. I DON'T HAVE TO WISH YOU LUCK FOR THIS WEEKEND, I KNOW YOU WILL MAKE IT THROUGH WITH FLYING COLORS.

WELL, EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING AND MY MOST HARD TO RESIST FOOD IS PIZZA. MY SON USUALLY BUYS IT ONCE A WEEK. SO I INCORPORATED INTO MY PLAN AND HAD PIZZA EVERY WEEK WITH THE FAMILY, 2 SLICES. IT NEVER ONCE CAUSED A WEIGHT GAIN BECAUSE I COUNTED THOSE CALORIES INTO THE DAY. I HAD A LIGHT BREAKFAST INSTEAD OF THE USUAL ONE AND A FISH AND VEGGIE LUNCH,VERY LOW CALORIES IN THAT, KEPT THE SNACKS TO FRUIT. SO, WE DON'T HAVE TO FEEL DEPRIVED OF ANYTHING, DO WE? WE JUST NEED THAT "PLAN".

WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY HEALTHY WEEKEND.

ANNE

AHealthierSuzyQ

Its GORGEOUS outside today! :laugh: :laugh: :happy: :laugh:

No treadmill for me today! :noway:

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: You'll find me out working in my new fowerbed. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Tomorrow would have been my mother's 92nd birthday... She died 5 weeks before she would have turned 91. Moma had quite the green thumb, so what better day to plant some flowers :flowerforyou:

Here's a picture of her from her last birthday:

plantlady99

Its GORGEOUS outside today! :laugh: :laugh: :happy: :laugh:

No treadmill for me today! :noway:

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: You'll find me out working in my new fowerbed. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Tomorrow would have been my mother's 92nd birthday... She died 5 weeks before she would have turned 91. Moma had quite the green thumb, so what better day to plant some flowers :flowerforyou:

Here's a picture of her from her last birthday:

What a nice picture of your mom. I agree in your garden is the place to be. Warm (((HUGS))))

Kathy

Grammymax

Good morning everyone.

Barbie: I want to grow to be like you :laugh: You are sooooo dedicated and determined!

Kathy: I know you can do it. Just think of all of us when you want to go off your plan. We will be lifting your arms as if you were fighting the army of overeating right beside you (and we are)!:happy:

Anne: Thanks for sharing. That is great stuff.

Susan: What a sweet picture of your mom. You're right - plant those flowers on her birthday. My mom and dad are both gone and I have a rose bush for each that was given to me from our Sunday School class. I love having those bushes and seeing them bloom all summer! I also have some Easter Lillies that were given to me when my dad died and it's so amazing that they bloom on the anniversary of his death each year!!! July 2!

Hope you all have a great day. Enjoy your weekend and lets ALL be weekend warriors!!!

Esther

FITFORLIFE1944

HI SUSAN,

WHAT A LOVELY WOMAN YOUR MOM WAS. I CAN TELL YOU LOVED AND STILL LOVE HER VERY MUCH. MY MOM PASSED AWAY IN 2006. I MISSED HER SO MUCH,I STARTED EATING AN AWFUL LOT AND GAINED ABOUT 22LBS. I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION AGAIN AND STARTED TAKING CARE OF MYSELF. MY MOM WA 88 AND IN THREE MONTHS WOULD HAVE BEEN 89. I'M A BELIEVER IN SEEING OUR LOVED ONES AGAIN. WHEN MY MOM WAS LEAVING SHE WAS SO PEACEFUL AND SAID HER SISTER WAS THERE TELLING HER NOT TO BE AFRAID,IT WOULDN'T BE LONG. LATER MY COUSIN ASKED IF I THOUGHT MY AUNT WAS REALLY THERE AND I SAID YES,I TRULY BELIEVE IT. MANY CAN SAY NO, BUT THAT IS MY FEELING. MY AUNT HAD DIED THREE YEARS EARLIER AT 94 AND THEY WERE VERY CLOSE.
ENJOY YOUR DAY AND YOUR FLOWER PLANTING. I'M SURE YOUR MOM WOULD WANT NOTHING MORE THAN FOR YOU TO BE HAPPY AND HEALTHY.

ANNE

elli

Good morning all!

Susan - you've been through A LOT!!!!!! You've come through to the other side - way to go! Thank you so much for sharing the picture of your Mom - she's beautiful. My Mom died in 2004. Sunday night i had a total "meltdown" and couldn't stop crying. All i wanted was my Mom............ I'm glad you're planting the flowers.:flowerforyou:

Anne - thank you for sharing your Mom story too. I would have believed her too - that her sister was there guiding her. Also - i love how you incorporate the pizza into your food plan! That's what i love about mfp as opposed to other "diet" plans. It's real life - NOTHING is off limits as long as we plan around it!

Esther - I'm with you, i want to be like Barbie when i grow up! Her determination just blows me away! I told her i'm afraid i would use the travelling as an excuse to eat rather than find the way to stay on plan!

OK Kathy - it's ON!!!!! The Weekend Weight Loss Warrior WILL prevail!!!!!!! We all know you can DO IT!!!!!!!!!!! Be Tough!!!:grumble: :grumble: :happy:

Everyone have a great weekend! We're in another blizzard warning right now for tomorrow, so we'll have to see how that goes. I'm worried about no workout today OR tomorrow..........i'm going to try to get at least one of the days in. and i usually do hot yoga on Sunday but it's my friend's grandson's birthday party.............oh NO - i'll have to resist cake................ elli:flowerforyou:

Swissmiss

No blizzard here but it sure has cooled off and has gotten quite windy.
I am not looking forward to another weekend. I always fall to my temptations. My son's girlfriend is also visiting again and she likes the sweet, yummy deserts.

AHealthierSuzyQ

After literally weeks of preparation, I FINALLY got to plant my new flowerbed today.:flowerforyou: It is near my mailbox and takes the brunt of the sun and wind so I filled it with thornless cactus and drought tolerant succulents. It won't look like much this year, because of spacing everything based on mature growth, but in the years to come it will look great with minimal upkeep. I used cactus hubby's Aunt gave me that looks like prickly pear, but no thorns, some Spanish Bayonets I dug up from the pasture land beside us, Some houseleak that used to be Moma's, and some low growing sedum I bought at Home Depot.

Best part is not only was it warm enough to wear shorts and a tank, to catch some rays so I don't lose my Cancun color, :glasses: but I burned enough calories to eat catfish with my in-laws tonight guilt free! :happy:

I've been working hard this week and everything in me want so weigh and measure today, but I'm trying to wait until Wednesday so it will have been a full week. :grumble:

:drinker: Time to drink more water :drinker: Have a great weekend y'all!

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

The hotel we're staying in has an arrangement to let hotel guests use the health club next door. I went over this morning and used the stair master for awhile then went to 30 minutes of a class that was some sort of mix of yoga and pilates with great music then went back later and used the elliptical for 25 minutes then hooked up with my friend to walk to Wal Mart. :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Becky---maybe you can join up with Kathy and be another Weekend Weight Loss Warrior and Just say No to sweet treats:bigsmile: Maybe you can turn your house into a "sugar-free zone":laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Elli----OMG not another blizzard---you guys have had enough---doesn' t the weather man know that you have workouts to do:laugh: :laugh:

Anne---I agree with you so much that planning a special meal can work----nobody has be an innocent victim of pizza (does it have a lot of veggies on it?) or feel like a martyr in her own house.

Sue-z-z

---

what a great tribute to your mom and what a great picture. My mom has been gone for over 17 years. We were with her in the hospital when she died. On the way home afterward we stopped at the store where we bought two half gallons of ice cream and ate out of the carton as we made the list of people to call and things to do----ice cream has always (until now) been my comfort food. My mother took me to ballet classes for years so my tribute to her has been the dancing I do now. Almost every day when I dance, I think, "thank you, Mommy, for leading me to dance as a joyous pastime." It must be the same with you and gardening.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

breakfast today----instant breakfast with soy milk, low sodium V-8 and then later banana and herb tea at the breakfast room in the hotel (yes, I avoided the fruit loops, waffles, bacon and eggs , and muffins)

Lunch canned 98% fat free turkey breast, canned asparagus, and tomato

---

too much sodium but about 400 calories:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

get ready for the weekend

---

we can make it through with our plans intact:bigsmile:

Esther----I thank you every day for getting us going on this thread

---

a lot of the success I'm having is because I have all of you to talk to every day

I think I deserve a nap:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Grammymax

No blizzard here but it sure has cooled off and has gotten quite windy.
I am not looking forward to another weekend. I always fall to my temptations. My son's girlfriend is also visiting again and she likes the sweet, yummy deserts.

You can do it. I have promised on another thread to give my stern look that they can invision if they are starting to fail. so here you go Does that scare you?:laugh: :laugh:
Stay strong.

Good job Susan. Wow- I'm waiting for that warm weather:happy: I've been tempted to weigh also but need to wait for Sunday to be a week.

Esther

Grammymax

Barbie you are doing great. You must have burned at least 600 calories by doing all that working out!

Have fun,
Esther

AliceLMS

Hello Ladies;

I would like to join your group. I am a young 54, and have lost 9 pounds since January. Yes it's a slow process, but I know I am improving myself every day through diet and exercise.

Have been down with the new cold that's going around so weight loss is stalled. Just started to workout again yesterday, and hope to back in that 600 to 900 calorie burn per day soon.

I can use all the help I can get!

My goal for April is to recommit to exercise and get this body back to weight loss.

Alice

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
Welcome, Alice, you have come to the right place.....this is the greatest group of women.....we talk to each other almost daily about the same goals that you have.......we get strength and inspiration from each other. Check in with us and tell us how you're doing (good and bad; happy and sad). Get to know MFP and use all the great tools and ideas.

You can do this. Take it one day at a time and take baby steps.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:


and drink lots of water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:


now it's time for me to drink water and take a nap:bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Swissmiss

Welcome Alice....I have a Yorkie !!! Aren't they the greatest?

Oh my goodness, Esther...I am shaking in my shoes.:laugh: I am really going to try. I am so tired of having my weight moving the wrong way.

Barbie...I am having trouble getting in all my water. What is your secret? Besides the fact that you just love it.

Gillian00

Hi, I started back to journaling my calories (yesterday) and just found this website. I was so happy to see a 50+ group. It is so much harder for me to lose weight than it used to be. I am an accountant and work in front of a computer all day--not great excercise.

My son and his family including twin granddaughters age 2, are coming to visit the middle of May. I would like to feel better about myself, and my goal for April is to start losing and stop gaining.
I would like to lose at least 5 pounds this month. Using a calorie journal seems to be the only thing that works for me now.

I also have, off an on, used the Strength Training Excercises in the Strong Women Stay Young book, and I am going to do that 3 times a week, and walk with friend an hour a day as many days as the weather permits.

Great to be here!


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Easy Calorie Counting

FITFORLIFE1944

WELCOME ALICE AND GILLIAN,

THIS IS THE BEST GROUP OF PEOPLE I HAVE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF JOINING. LOTS OF SUPPORT AND INFORMATION. ALSO, THIS IS THE WAY TO STAY MOTIVATED. IT'S TRUE THAT AFTER 50 IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO LOSE WEIGHT,BUT IT CERTAINLY CAN BE DONE. ANY PROBLEMS,WRITE AND ASK FOR HELP. I HAVE LOST CLOSE TO 100LBS AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I DID IS LEARN TO WRITE DOWN WHAT I EAT (CALORIES TOO). IF YOU BITE IT, WRITE IT.
WISHING YOU BOTH SUCCESS.

ANNE