WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL 2012

barbiecat

:noway: How did I ever find time to work full time? Yesterday I walked the dogs as usual in the morning, went to my regular line dance class and drove directly to the next town to teach the afternoon line dance class. I had an Isagenix meal replacement bar for lunch and another for a snack and two 20 bottles of water and a plan for supper when I got home. A friend came over for a walk after her work and I walked the dogs again for about 20 minutes, had a snack, brushed my teeth and fell into bed at 8 PM…….needless to say there was no time for MFP.

:flowerforyou: Kat, I gave away all my baking equipment and ingredients when I started my weight loss journey. It has helped me to have hobbies and interests that aren’t food oriented.

:bigsmile: Jb, you look fabulous in your new picture.

:flowerforyou: Nancy, since I’ve been eating healthy, I don’t like the taste or the aftereffects of food with too much fat or sodium. It’s hard to believe that Kentucky Fried Chicken used to be one of my favorite foods……DWTS is on late enough at night that I am primarily sitting while I watch……I dance a bit but Jake notices if I move around too much and it distracts him.

:flowerforyou: Kackie, good luck taking care of your husband…..that is a huge challenge and you are so right to be taking care of yourself, as well……I do weight training at home with ankle weights and dumbbells and some body weight exercises and it allows me to spend time with my hubby and still do some exercise. At first he said things like “be careful” and “don’t overdo” but now he accepts what I’m doing and thinks it’s great. I use my HRM for weight training and love to see which exercises raise my heart rate the most (usually pushups).

:flowerforyou: Djhobs, I don’t know much about the scientific definition of nutrition dense, but obviously things like desserts, gravies, alcohol, and salad dressing are the foods that aren’t nutrition dense and fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains are a lot of nutrition for the calories. One of my favorite books “The Thin Commandments Diet” has a great section about budgeting calories……for example if I have only 400 calories for a meal, do I want to “spend” 120 calories on salad dressing and 200 calories on dessert when I could be using them for a big plain salad, 4 ounces of lean chicken, and a gigantic serving of steamed vegetables.

:flowerforyou: Michele, you have the most interesting and varied life.

:flowerforyou: Caminogirl, I had to give up cereal a long time ago because of the high calories and because I could never eat it in moderation….one night I found myself eating Kashi Go Lean Crunch right out to the box with no attention to portion control.

:flowerforyou: Laura, I love “fluff” reading…..I read stuff that I call “Nancy Drew for adults”. Right now I’m reading a series of mysteries starring a woman who works in chocolate shop in Michigan….the book is filled with chocolate trivia…..what are you reading? My “heavy” reading now is “The Happiness Project”

:flowerforyou: Mary, your dream trip sounds amazing…..a few years ago we took a long trip with an RV and Brandy, the poodle.

:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: Yvonne, my heart is breaking for you losing your dogs..pain like that takes time to get through….i hope you will check in with us and let us be your friends through this tough time.

:flowerforyou: Jellyfishjen, glad your daughter is finding a way to make good use of her healing time……the great thing about us all coming from different time zones and latitudes is that it is always daytime or good weather for someone.


:flowerforyou: Today was not as busy with only one line dance class. I did my weight training in the afternoon and have been watching TV with Jake for the last four hours. His back is having problems and the chiropractor told him to take it easy and lie down on an ice pack three times a day. He can walk the dogs one at a time so I got a break from them for awhile.

Barbie from NW Washington state where it has been drizzling all day.

exermom

Well, I did Jillian Michael's Shed and Shred DVD today. To be honest, it was a good workout, different exercises. But I was thinking that with the word "shred" in it, it would be more weights. But it was mostly aerobic. However, I did get the Jari Love 1000 DVD so I'll do that one tomorrow, it'll most likely be more weights.

Kat - yuk, I can hardly imagine salt in place of the sugar. You must have been real good and not tried any of the raw cookie dough! I know that I could never do that!

On my way to crochet today did it ever start pouring! It was raining so hard that I couldn't hear the radio.

Took the cake I made for the lady who runs the crochet class. Gave some to the other gals who were there and then gave her the rest to take home. I just dusted the top with confectioners sugar.

caminogirl - I hear ya on the cereal for breakfast. When I am trying to watch my calories in the breakfast, I usually have one regular egg and then some egg substitute. Eggs are pretty filling, low in calories. What I have, too, is I get some chicken BREAST ground up, cook that and then freeze the patties. Each pattie is something like 90 calories and it quite filling. Another thing I have is a container of Oikos plain yogurt (something like 80 calories) and a tsp of honey (something like 33 calories)

Had my last food safety class today. We took a test, I think you get some sort of certificate. Really, that's not what I went for so it doesn't bother me if I don't get it.

Mary - your trip sounds just wonderful!

Yvonne - I'm passing you the kleenex. I got teary-eyed just reading about your dogs. I can't imagine what you're going thru

Here's hoping everyone has a great evening.

Michele

westernjoy

Nancy what type of foot surgery. Doctor says I should have surgery on my other foot. Bunion 4 months in a cast. Not looking forward to that again. Put off until I can't take the pain no more.
Barbie I can't wait until I retire so I have more time for myself.
Yvonne- my heart is breaking for you. It is so hard to lose a family pet.
Michelle.- you inspire me
Jen I too I'm a morning person but work keeps getting in my way up at 4:30. Then graveyard for 2 days. I sometimes wonder if that the biggest part of why I don't lose weight. No set schedule
Lucky if I sleep more than 6 hours.
Everyone have a great day
Joyce

msh0530

Okay, I have to do it. Song lyrics running through my head and sharing with you!

It’s Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend
Friday, Friday
Gettin’ down on Friday
Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah)
Fun, fun, fun, fun
Lookin’ forward to the weekend!

This is really how I feel today! Have a good one! Mary

jb_2011

Friday Friday Friday. :flowerforyou: Just the sound of it speaks of relaxation and fun. Today's another work day, though, plus the house needs cleaning, the garden needs weeding, the exercises need doing and I have to figure out something to fix for dinner. In otherwords, there will be no relaxation today until later this evening when I'm done with teaching. It's been a rough few days since returning from my trip, I can't seem to get everything done. :grumble: But it's Friday, yay!

My heart breaks for you, Yvonne. How terribly sad. Wishing you all the best in this very difficult time. :flowerforyou:

Salad Sistas! Let's not forget the almighty greens. I'm hungry for roasted beets. I'm hungry for anything, lol. Guess I'd better go fix breakfast. Happy day everyone, be good, be strong. Drink your water! :drinker:

jb

Laura80111

:flowerforyou: YEAH Friday!

Mary- your dream trip sounds wonderful

Jellyfishjen- glad you and your family were there to enjoy the parade even though it wa cold:flowerforyou:

Jen- :drinker: Here's to us and our fluff reading:drinker: I'm currently reading some Jane Feather's books and it's in England 1807, I do so love period reading.

Hubby and I went to the 9 Health Fair, had blood work done. I had a few other things checked out too and one was BMI, weight & height....so the last time I went to the doctors (when we had insurance) she measured me and said I was 1/2" shorter but I felt maybe she didn't do it right...so today it's official:sad: I've really lost that 1/2":sad: 5' will never be mine because I'm headed in the other direction I'm now 4'10.5":sad:

I must get going have to finish payroll and clean up my desk for the weekend and prepare for #3 Son and DIL to spend the night.

Have a great day, logging, drinking and moving:drinker:

Laura80111

msh0530

:flowerforyou: Laura, I love “fluff” reading…..I read stuff that I call “Nancy Drew for adults”. Right now I’m reading a series of mysteries starring a woman who works in chocolate shop in Michigan….the book is filled with chocolate trivia…..what are you reading? My “heavy” reading now is “The Happiness Project”

Barbie from NW Washington state where it has been drizzling all day.

Barbie - I also read Nancy Drew for adults. Who wrote the chocolate shop books? Mary

yclayton

Hello everyone
Trying to be more positive this week…
Thank you all for your concern, kindness and support…I am still so lonesome but I will get thru it.

Laura – remember the BEST things come in small packages! It really is hard to watch our pets as they age…the dog we have is only 5, but our housecat is 17….and she is definitely slower than she used to be! Hope you have/had a great visit with your son and family. Green chile cheese casserole sounds great.

Jb – good luck with that to do list you have going there….

Joyce – surgery? Yikes! I hate surgery of ANY kind. And wow with a schedule like that it is a wonder you can keep up with yourself. I used to work shifts at the veterinary er and it really plays havoc with your mind and body! Will be thinking of you!

Michelle – you are truly an inspiration. You do so so much!

Barbie – I agree, how did I ever have time to work? With the farm and the grandchildren I have really more than I can do! Ice is definitely your friend for pain issues….hope jake is doing better!

Mary – sounds like a fabulous trip! My sister also enjoys quilting, but I never got the urge. I say a lot of ugly words every summer when I start sewing on the childrens Halloween costumes! Thank goodness I only have to make a frog this year as the tiana costume was purchased at Disney!

Kackie – remember to take care of yourself while taking care of DH!

Sissy – hope you are feeling better….all too familiar with the lethargy, lack of motivation and joint issues….i also have a knee replacement and have had problems with it. You really should go get checked out! And I will be praying for NO surgery to be in the treatment plan! Sunshine almost always helps me feel better…

So far today I have done my barn chores, and handsprayed 4 acres of pasture for weeds. Wish there was a calorie burn listed for ‘walking pasture carrying 20 lb spray can’.
Now off to mow. Also had to meet with farrier this am as my jazzy mare has a mystery lameness in front feet. Has been off for 3 days…cant find anything wrong…boo.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and lets all have a drink! (water, that is!)
yvonne

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: Laura, I love “fluff” reading…..I read stuff that I call “Nancy Drew for adults”. Right now I’m reading a series of mysteries starring a woman who works in chocolate shop in Michigan….the book is filled with chocolate trivia…..what are you reading? My “heavy” reading now is “The Happiness Project”

Barbie from NW Washington state where it has been drizzling all day.

Barbie - I also read Nancy Drew for adults. Who wrote the chocolate shop books? Mary

Mary, the books I'm reading are by JoAnna Carl. The first one is called "The Chocolate Cat Caper". There are about ten of them and you have to read them in order so you can follow the developing life of the main character. I found some of them at the public library.

barbiecat

So far today I have done my barn chores, and handsprayed 4 acres of pasture for weeds. Wish there was a calorie burn listed for ‘walking pasture carrying 20 lb spray can’.


yvonne

Yvonne,, I got a heart rate monitor so I could figure out how many calories I burn doing odd things like puttering in my garden and walking my frisky poodles.

2youngatheart

I checked out this thread almost a year ago. My mother-n_law became sick and my time was spent taking care of her, from July until her passing in Feburary of this year. I sort of put my weight loss goal on hold....I didn't REALLY actively commit to getting it off. I am back, trying to get into the swing of things....exercise being the hardest. I would like to join this group once again ....and commit myself to getting rid of the last 15 #'s. I love the fact that you all are so dedicated to this thread and each other. Nice to see such dedication. Anyway...I want to come back :flowerforyou:

determinedinAZ

Glad your back! Welcome

msh0530

I checked out this thread almost a year ago. My mother-n_law became sick and my time was spent taking care of her, from July until her passing in Feburary of this year. I sort of put my weight loss goal on hold....I didn't REALLY actively commit to getting it off. I am back, trying to get into the swing of things....exercise being the hardest. I would like to join this group once again ....and commit myself to getting rid of the last 15 #'s. I love the fact that you all are so dedicated to this thread and each other. Nice to see such dedication. Anyway...I want to come back :flowerforyou:

Hey, girlfriend! Welcome back! Mary

jellyfishjen

:flowerforyou: Laura, I love “fluff” reading…..I read stuff that I call “Nancy Drew for adults”. Right now I’m reading a series of mysteries starring a woman who works in chocolate shop in Michigan….the book is filled with chocolate trivia…..what are you reading? My “heavy” reading now is “The Happiness Project”

Barbie from NW Washington state where it has been drizzling all day.

Barbie - I also read Nancy Drew for adults. Who wrote the chocolate shop books? Mary

Mary, the books I'm reading are by JoAnna Carl. The first one is called "The Chocolate Cat Caper". There are about ten of them and you have to read them in order so you can follow the developing life of the main character. I found some of them at the public library.

Love reading. Now I have added Joanna Carl books to my list. Does anyone else have a few books on the go at once. I have at least 4 beside my bed that I am part way through. I enjoy the Georgette Heyers, and she wrote so many that I will never run out. romance and detective series. I also like Janet Evanovitch's for a laugh. Also half way through Bryce Corbetts, A Town like Paris, and now I have started The Happiness Project and I am reading Charles ****ens A Tale of two Cities, when on the train, it is downloaded on my ipod and saves me carrying a book. Although I do prefer paper copies of books to the electronic version. The family wanted to get me a kindle but I prefer the actual book. Plus now I will have to start allowing reading time for this post, so much happens here while I sleep.

jellyfishjen

So far today I have done my barn chores, and handsprayed 4 acres of pasture for weeds. Wish there was a calorie burn listed for ‘walking pasture carrying 20 lb spray can’.


yvonne

Yvonne,, I got a heart rate monitor so I could figure out how many calories I burn doing odd things like puttering in my garden and walking my frisky poodles.

I also wear my HRM when gardening and it is quite often a huge calorie burn, once you start digging and trimming etc its amazing.

yclayton

So far today I have done my barn chores, and handsprayed 4 acres of pasture for weeds. Wish there was a calorie burn listed for ‘walking pasture carrying 20 lb spray can’.


yvonne

Yvonne,, I got a heart rate monitor so I could figure out how many calories I burn doing odd things like puttering in my garden and walking my frisky poodles.

I also wear my HRM when gardening and it is quite often a huge calorie burn, once you start digging and trimming etc its amazing.

yclayton

So far today I have done my barn chores, and handsprayed 4 acres of pasture for weeds. Wish there was a calorie burn listed for ‘walking pasture carrying 20 lb spray can’.


yvonne

Yvonne,, I got a heart rate monitor so I could figure out how many calories I burn doing odd things like puttering in my garden and walking my frisky poodles.

I also wear my HRM when gardening and it is quite often a huge calorie burn, once you start digging and trimming etc its amazing.

oops...not so good at this...sounds like i need to get a heart rate monitor as well!!! just spent 15 minutes chasing a horse that didnt want to be caught...would love to know what that burned....

katiejarr

:glasses: Michelle we must be kindred spirits :happy: , I LOVE to crochet too!!! When I broke my ankle, I crocheted about 15 hats and about 50 infinity scarves and gave most of them away as Christmas gifts a lot to my daughter and about 25 to the local Youth In Crisis shelter for Teens. All I did was sit, watch TV and crochet till I couldn't move my fingers anymore
But I love it...It keeps me from snacking at night which for me is my "witching hour" with bad food :mad:

Well Happy Friday everyone...Our beautiful desert has once again been invaded with cars and music festival goers...this is the 3rd weekend in a row...last 2 weekends was the now famous Coachella Fest...with 85,000 of the 20 something "hipsters", this weekend is the Country Music Fest "Stagecoach" with 85,000 or so Country fans invade our valley!!! :sad: :sad:

Happy Healthy Eating everyone :flowerforyou:

Love
Kat

kackie

Good Evening! And Happy Weekend!

Yvonne: You are likely burning mega calories...you would enjoy a HRM to see how they rack up with your chores! Let us know!

jb: Been meaning to tell you how much I like your new profile photo!

Mary: Your dream trip sounds...like a dream! Can't wait to hear all about it:-)

2youngatheart: WELCOME back!!! And good luck on your journey!

Barbie: I ordered "Strong Women stay Young' today. I have "Strong Women stay Slim" (same author) but it does not have the same exercises in them that you have. Look forward to getting started on them!

Books! I love to read and am always on the lookout for good recommendations. I went to our local good bookstore to stock up on some new books that DH wanted to read. Thank goodness he loves to read more than most anyone I know...it is keeping him busy while he tries to recover from his surgery.

We had bad news first thing this morning. DH's childhood friend, who has been battling cancer for several years, passed away today. Poor DH...it has been a tough week for him! We will make the 5 hour drive Monday to go to the service...leaving very early so that we can make lots of stops for DH to get out and move around a little. He was supposed to be a pallbearer, which of course, he cannot right now, but will go and be one of the speakers. DH is good at this and it will be his way to pay tribute to his good friend. I could never do that, but it is a great gift if you are able.

I meant to mention a few other's posts but my brain is weary. I'm thinking of you all and hoping you have a good weekend.
Kackie

fitz1191

Laura the breakfast caserole sound delish I'm working on changing up my foods a bit and finding quick easy to grab stuff since I'm always on the go it seems that's a great idea to make it ahead & throw in containers

Kackie I'm sorry for the loss of your friend

Jb I too love the pic on your profile

Michele I used to crochet all the time dont get to do it much any more to busy and I learned to knot a few years ago that was fun to and easier than I thought it would be

Just trying to get myself back on track seems I have been slow all this week since we got back from the birth of our 11th grandbaby who by hte way is still perfect tee hee. Had a great work out this morning and I found a great spring salad last night at one of our favorite restaraunts. I am trying to increase my food pallet a bit I tend to eat the same old things all the time and I need to mix it up more find new foods was telling my hubby I need to take a nutrition class or a cooking class or something I know sweet potatoe are super good for you but the only way I know to cook them is like yams and I hate yams any way looking for new ideas have a great night all

LuckyCheryl

Ok Ladies
I am new and would like to join this forum. Can someone explain how I do that? I turn 51 this summer and have 50+ pounds to lose and would love some inspiration and motivation along the way.

katiejarr

Laura the breakfast caserole sound delish I'm working on changing up my foods a bit and finding quick easy to grab stuff since I'm always on the go it seems that's a great idea to make it ahead & throw in containers

Kackie I'm sorry for the loss of your friend

Jb I too love the pic on your profile

Michele I used to crochet all the time dont get to do it much any more to busy and I learned to knot a few years ago that was fun to and easier than I thought it would be

Just trying to get myself back on track seems I have been slow all this week since we got back from the birth of our 11th grandbaby who by hte way is still perfect tee hee. Had a great work out this morning and I found a great spring salad last night at one of our favorite restaraunts. I am trying to increase my food pallet a bit I tend to eat the same old things all the time and I need to mix it up more find new foods was telling my hubby I need to take a nutrition class or a cooking class or something I know sweet potatoe are super good for you but the only way I know to cook them is like yams and I hate yams any way looking for new ideas have a great night all

I haven't tried this but I have heard that you can peel and cut a sweet potato like french fries, toss them in some olive oil and spread them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with some sea salt and bake them in a hot oven (400 degrees F) till they are crispy...I have had sweet potato fries in restaurant and they are yummy and I have made this recipe with regular potatoes and they are great and low cal, so with sweet potatoes they may be just as yummy! Let me know if you try them

Love
Kat :flowerforyou:

tiarapants

Good morning ladies.



More wet weather in London. We are in drought at present, so the rain is needed, but it's getting a little tedious now. Getting into work is always harder when it's raining. It can get really oppressive on the tubes, everyone dripping wet all over the place. Not to mention the fact that it feels as if we're in a plague pit with so many of the passengers coughing and sneezing. Sheesh, shall I stop moaning now?



So far it's been a good day business-wise. In the first hour after opening, I had someone walk in off the street and buy a £14,000 map that is in the window. Not bad as it only went in the window on Thursday. I love it when that happens, although it now means that we have to think of something equally as sumptuous to fill the space.



My tummy has been misbehaving lately, so I'm sipping on a hot marmite drink, which feels like drinking a thin soup. DH hates the smell of it, but he's three floors up from me, so he's not being bothered by it.



I've decided that I'm going to renew my exercise routine as of Monday. I want to change things up and work at trying to strengthen my core muscles, hopefully it will take some of the strain off my back. Another by-product of all the damp weather we are having is that I get aches in all the bones that I have ever broken ... and I've broken a lot over the years, starting with the arm and ankle I broke when my first husband pushed me down the stairs, also causing me to miscarry our baby. What a charmer he was! I've also broken my coccyx, shoulder, collar bone, several ribs, both big toes, both wrists and an elbow. Yes, I have always been accident prone, although a lot of those breaks happened in one accident. Add to that the arthritis in my knees and I'm just about ready for the scrapheap. Only joshing - I'm stronger each year in reality.



Whoops, time is running away, better do some work.



Good weekend to you all.



Love

Amanda x

jellyfishjen

I have a lot of posts to catch up on and will read them later but for now I wanted to share my night with you all.


A night of cards and chocolate with my 81yo mum, something we do not do often enough but is a favorite time together. Worth every extra calorie. Some moments will not last forever and must be enjoyed. Soon it may all end. 1. she may die (as may I) 2. she will get tired of me always winning and refuse to play any more.
Chocolate use to be the reward for the winner, but then as we got more and more competitive, if one took a bathroom break it was not unusual to come back and find the chocolate eaten. So now we have a bowl of choclate to nibble on while playing.
Eating healthy and exercising is important but so are other things. Special moments in your life.

So i probably will have gained again this week in weight but i have also gained in beautiful moments. Sharing Anzac day with family (lunch and dinner out), going to the ballet with my daughter (had champagne), cards tonight with my mum, (cooked her a big roast dinner, then the chocolate). These days don't happen all the time and we must treasure them.

My mum is actually on her way home, in stages, she lives an hour away closer to the inner city. She has been out in the country to be companion for a friend (82) while her daughter went on an overseas holiday. Mum was only there 5 days when she had to call the ambulance as her friend did not seem well, she died that night. My mum handled this quite well, at their age death is apart of their life. My mum lives in a nursing home complex, she has her own unit and lives independently. But there is the home section with full time care. Death is a regular visitor. Mum is often called on by the nursing staff to comfort the frail (and sometimes difficult) she has the compassion and care to comfort them, particularly when the end is near. So to spend a night eating chocolate (and drinking wine, forgot to mention that) with her is what helps her get on with her life and such a small thing for me to do.

jb_2011

Happy weekend from cloudy Portland. :flowerforyou: Maybe tomorrow we'll see some sunshine, at least that's what the weather guy says. Never can tell around here. At least it's not pouring down rain which would put a damper on our outdoor building project today...we're going to help our friends with a very small barn raising, well, actually a good-sized chicken coop, lol. Should be a fun time, the guys spoke last night and have already made a plan to include us girls so that we don't just disappear and go walk dogs or play guitars or something.

Oh am I ever happy this morning! Scale victories always lighten my load :laugh: :blushing: I've managed to get rid of the 2 lbs I gained on my trip plus the entire 2 lbs I was up before I left, putting me back down to my lowest weight. That makes 4 lbs this week! :noway: This proves to me that I can do it when I'm steadfast with calories and regular exercise. It came to mind this morning that they say weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise, or something to that effect. I stayed pretty much the same for the entire month of April, so I'm thrilled the scale is moving again. Need to kiss goodbye another 5 lbs and reach my goal by summer which I think is June 21. I think I can do it!

Jellyfishjen, I loved reading your story about time spent with your mom. I spent 5 days with mine last week, she's 87 and doing really well for the most part. We didn't play cards this time like we usually do, but we did sip some wine in the evenings and laugh over some funny childhood memories, then had little dishes of decadent butter pecan ice cream. It was very difficult saying goodbye to her this time! :sad:

LuckyCheryl, welcome, you've joined here just by posting. There's nothing more to it other than to keep coming back And good luck on your journey!

Fitzy and Kat, I've made the sweet potato fries too, and they never seem to get crispy unless they burn. :laugh: Seriously, they're always soggy and limp like wet noodles. They taste great though! Back to the drawing board on that one...I make roasted potatoes often and they're always perfect. Maybe next time I do that I'll cut a sweet potato in cubes rather than strips and add it to the other spuds. Love sweet potatoes in soup, or just baked.

I will resume SWSY strength training on Monday morning. Never got around to it this week, I was so exhausted after my trip and had to work way too many hours every day. I know, excuses, excuses. :blushing: One week off isn't the end of the world, I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

Have a wonderful day everyone, don't forget to drink your water and eat your salads, Sistas! :drinker: Oh, and thanks for all of the nice compliments about my pic. I'm happy to finally have one I can use....need a full body shot, though. One of these days I'll get brave and show a before and after. Scary. I'm still a bit embarassed about it. I know I shouldn't be.

Toodles, :bigsmile:
jb

AudiDreamer

Bump:bigsmile:

yclayton

I have a lot of posts to catch up on and will read them later but for now I wanted to share my night with you all.


A night of cards and chocolate with my 81yo mum, something we do not do often enough but is a favorite time together. Worth every extra calorie. Some moments will not last forever and must be enjoyed. Soon it may all end. 1. she may die (as may I) 2. she will get tired of me always winning and refuse to play any more.
Chocolate use to be the reward for the winner, but then as we got more and more competitive, if one took a bathroom break it was not unusual to come back and find the chocolate eaten. So now we have a bowl of choclate to nibble on while playing.
Eating healthy and exercising is important but so are other things. Special moments in your life.

So i probably will have gained again this week in weight but i have also gained in beautiful moments. Sharing Anzac day with family (lunch and dinner out), going to the ballet with my daughter (had champagne), cards tonight with my mum, (cooked her a big roast dinner, then the chocolate). These days don't happen all the time and we must treasure them.

My mum is actually on her way home, in stages, she lives an hour away closer to the inner city. She has been out in the country to be companion for a friend (82) while her daughter went on an overseas holiday. Mum was only there 5 days when she had to call the ambulance as her friend did not seem well, she died that night. My mum handled this quite well, at their age death is apart of their life. My mum lives in a nursing home complex, she has her own unit and lives independently. But there is the home section with full time care. Death is a regular visitor. Mum is often called on by the nursing staff to comfort the frail (and sometimes difficult) she has the compassion and care to comfort them, particularly when the end is near. So to spend a night eating chocolate (and drinking wine, forgot to mention that) with her is what helps her get on with her life and such a small thing for me to do.

what a touching post....getting teary eyed thinking of your mum being so caring and compassionate...and your evening was DEFINITELY worth any extra calories!

yclayton

[/quote]

I haven't tried this but I have heard that you can peel and cut a sweet potato like french fries, toss them in some olive oil and spread them on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with some sea salt and bake them in a hot oven (400 degrees F) till they are crispy...I have had sweet potato fries in restaurant and they are yummy and I have made this recipe with regular potatoes and they are great and low cal, so with sweet potatoes they may be just as yummy! Let me know if you try them

Love
Kat :flowerforyou:
[/quote]

sweet potates are absolutely YUMMY this way!!!!

katiejarr

I have a lot of posts to catch up on and will read them later but for now I wanted to share my night with you all.


A night of cards and chocolate with my 81yo mum, something we do not do often enough but is a favorite time together. Worth every extra calorie. Some moments will not last forever and must be enjoyed. Soon it may all end. 1. she may die (as may I) 2. she will get tired of me always winning and refuse to play any more.
Chocolate use to be the reward for the winner, but then as we got more and more competitive, if one took a bathroom break it was not unusual to come back and find the chocolate eaten. So now we have a bowl of choclate to nibble on while playing.
Eating healthy and exercising is important but so are other things. Special moments in your life.

So i probably will have gained again this week in weight but i have also gained in beautiful moments. Sharing Anzac day with family (lunch and dinner out), going to the ballet with my daughter (had champagne), cards tonight with my mum, (cooked her a big roast dinner, then the chocolate). These days don't happen all the time and we must treasure them.

My mum is actually on her way home, in stages, she lives an hour away closer to the inner city. She has been out in the country to be companion for a friend (82) while her daughter went on an overseas holiday. Mum was only there 5 days when she had to call the ambulance as her friend did not seem well, she died that night. My mum handled this quite well, at their age death is apart of their life. My mum lives in a nursing home complex, she has her own unit and lives independently. But there is the home section with full time care. Death is a regular visitor. Mum is often called on by the nursing staff to comfort the frail (and sometimes difficult) she has the compassion and care to comfort them, particularly when the end is near. So to spend a night eating chocolate (and drinking wine, forgot to mention that) with her is what helps her get on with her life and such a small thing for me to do.

Jen this brought tears to my eyes I lost my Mum (she was a Brit so she was Mum to me) Feb of 2011 and if I could have one more day with her I would love to spend it just like your spent it with your Mum, what a wonderful memory you made! I was very close to my Mum, we lived about 2 hours apart but spoke on the phone 2-3 times a week, she was 85 and lived in the same house for 45 years since she came over to the states from England, the last 5 alone since my dad died and she was fiercely independent! I miss her everyday. So happy that you had such a great day with yours!

Love Kat

katiejarr

Happy weekend from cloudy Portland. :flowerforyou: Maybe tomorrow we'll see some sunshine, at least that's what the weather guy says. Never can tell around here. At least it's not pouring down rain which would put a damper on our outdoor building project today...we're going to help our friends with a very small barn raising, well, actually a good-sized chicken coop, lol. Should be a fun time, the guys spoke last night and have already made a plan to include us girls so that we don't just disappear and go walk dogs or play guitars or something.

Oh am I ever happy this morning! Scale victories always lighten my load :laugh: :blushing: I've managed to get rid of the 2 lbs I gained on my trip plus the entire 2 lbs I was up before I left, putting me back down to my lowest weight. That makes 4 lbs this week! :noway: This proves to me that I can do it when I'm steadfast with calories and regular exercise. It came to mind this morning that they say weight loss is 80% diet, 20% exercise, or something to that effect. I stayed pretty much the same for the entire month of April, so I'm thrilled the scale is moving again. Need to kiss goodbye another 5 lbs and reach my goal by summer which I think is June 21. I think I can do it!

Jellyfishjen, I loved reading your story about time spent with your mom. I spent 5 days with mine last week, she's 87 and doing really well for the most part. We didn't play cards this time like we usually do, but we did sip some wine in the evenings and laugh over some funny childhood memories, then had little dishes of decadent butter pecan ice cream. It was very difficult saying goodbye to her this time! :sad:

LuckyCheryl, welcome, you've joined here just by posting. There's nothing more to it other than to keep coming back And good luck on your journey!

Fitzy and Kat, I've made the sweet potato fries too, and they never seem to get crispy unless they burn. :laugh: Seriously, they're always soggy and limp like wet noodles. They taste great though! Back to the drawing board on that one...I make roasted potatoes often and they're always perfect. Maybe next time I do that I'll cut a sweet potato in cubes rather than strips and add it to the other spuds. Love sweet potatoes in soup, or just baked.

I will resume SWSY strength training on Monday morning. Never got around to it this week, I was so exhausted after my trip and had to work way too many hours every day. I know, excuses, excuses. :blushing: One week off isn't the end of the world, I'm looking forward to getting back to it.

Have a wonderful day everyone, don't forget to drink your water and eat your salads, Sistas! :drinker: Oh, and thanks for all of the nice compliments about my pic. I'm happy to finally have one I can use....need a full body shot, though. One of these days I'll get brave and show a before and after. Scary. I'm still a bit embarassed about it. I know I shouldn't be.

Toodles, :bigsmile:
jb

I think the trick to the sweet potatoes this way is to bake them on a really high heat...400 degrees f until crispy, if you bake them at a lower heat they will be mushy :glasses: