WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR SEPTEMBER

Benson

Morning Ladies

Long time no type!!

Vicki - I have those symptoms as well. I sure don't feel like you are sharing too much. I am avidly reading up on the responses you get.
My cycle is still somewhat regular - although the flow is intense and the pain is wicked. I have such severe 'PMS' symptoms I feel I should go in to hiding for a few days before I "start" for the sake of all those around me:blushing: I hope things settle down for you. It seems as women we have so much more to deal with. It kind of makes me mad at my husband sometimes:laugh:

As you may have noticed, I have completely derailed. I have put on 13 lbs since the end of July. I am back now but have lost my confidence to succeed. I am working on this but it is very difficult for me to handle everything on my plate just now. I keep reading but don't post often because I am a drag!! I'm not whining per se, I just wanted to be honest. Just putting it out there is sometimes all the motivation we need.

Today I will:
drink more water
stay positive
nix emotional eating of junk food
remind myself that the camaraderie of this post is priceless!!
walk for as far as my heel pain allows

On a lighter note, I brought fat free yogurt to work for breakfast and no spoon!! I am currently trying to eat with fork. Yep that's me - the one with the vanilla yogurt all over her shirt :laugh:

Take care all

Heather

MacMadame

I find that now that I'm older, I retain water and am hungrier and have lots of symptoms both when I ovulate and when I menstruate. That never really happened to me in my 20s and 30s.

So my weight goes up and down like a seesaw pretty much no matter what I do. I gain the week I ovulate, then lose the next week, then gain the week I menstruate, then lose the next week.

I used to fluctuate in a 3-4 pound range and now I fluctate in a 5-7 lb. range.

My PCP seems to think I'll hit menopause in the next 6 months. I'm not so sure she's right, but I wouldn't mind. It would be nice not to have to worry about birth control and whether I'll be menstruating during a race. (Because I always get a visit from Aunt Flo on the weekend when it's the least convenient.)

What I wonder is if this is going to make everything better -- more even weight on the scale -- or make it all that much worse! :laugh:

Benson

macMadame - I wonder about that too. I've been hoping for menopause but now I'm not so sure I guess what will be will be.

doobiedoo

:flowerforyou: I'm have been post-menopausal for almost two years. Yes, there is life on the other side even though when you are in the thick of it there seems to be no end. One thing that helped me alot was taking soy. I didn't want to do HRT and a cousin suggested soy. I had horrible migraines during menopause, but now they are gone and the soy seems to help control moodiness. I try to cut back to one/day and can always tell that I still need two when I start getting weepy. Hot flashes are annoying, but they do grow less and less. I rarely have them anymore. As is with weight loss, ones attitude makes a big difference in getting through menopause. You will get past it and wonder why it ever seemed so bad (hopefully :ohwell: ). Keep up the good work everyone!! We're pulling for each other! :flowerforyou:

BirdieM

Just a quick hello as I am back to work and on overload. Because I've been sick my back hurts, that's what happens when your off your feet so long. So needless to say, I didn't exercise today. The foods been good, though.
I think I know what was making me sick.:noway: I noticed that the paper towels, that I wrap my lettuce in, after I wash it, was pinkish. I had a bag of raw chicken wings on top of that drawer and they must have leaked into the bin:noway: :noway: :noway: The thought of it makes me sick!!! I had to throw out all my produce and clean that bin real good!!! Tonight I'll put some wet heat on my back and hopefully will be OK tomorrow.:bigsmile: I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss my treadmill!!!
Sending hugs to all. Reading posts but real quick and can't reply to each one. Those who need prayers, you got them. Those doing well Congratulations. And those struggling with Menopause good luck. As they say 'This too shall pass" :noway: :laugh:
:smooched: BirdieM

vickim26

Thanks for all of your comments ladies. I really appreciate them. For those of you who want menopause just not to have a period, it is not that simple. It is a process. I have had regular periods like clockwork all of my life. No bad PMS or anything. I still am not having that bad of symptoms like I hear some people do. I just want to feel normal again. I called the doctor's office today and went and had my blood work done. She said the doctor will call me with results next week. I feel better since I did that. She told me that I have to go 2 years with no period before I am considered in menopause. Right now I am probably peri menopausal. Heather thanks for your comments. I am sorry about the weight gain and the stuff going on in your life. You will come to a point where you will get back on track. For now just do the best that you can. Keep blogging though even if you are not doing great. We will accept you no matter what and blogging may keep you more likely to succeed. Again I am so grateful for all of you. I will let you know what my results are when I get them.
Vicki M

weaklink109

I feel for everyone going through the symptoms associated with "the change" I had miserable monthly cycles all my life. At the age of 13, my doctor put me on birth control pills to control my cycle. As I got older, I went off them and found things had become more tolerable, but as I got older, the bleeding became more intense, along with the cramping. I was fortunate enough to switch OB GYN's and my new one, a woman, had me scanned for abnormalities in my uterus, and they found 2 fibroid tumors, which were benign, and she gave me the choice. Have an oblation, which would remove the tumors, and maybe stop further cycles, and possibly down the road, a hysterectomy might be in order, OR do the hysterectomy to begin with and get it over with.

Since the cost of an oblation was almost as much as the hysterectomy, I choice the second option, and decided to have them take ovaries at the same time, as it is very difficult to develop cancer in a body part you no longer have!!:laugh: My doctor showed me information that the people who usually have problems with HRT have been those who waited until their levels dropped to a point where they were having symptoms and then started HRT. I did have one female relative who had breast cancer, but that was not what caused her demise. It was very slow growing. She died at 93 of a stroke.

I can only speak for myself. My doctor started my on the patches after my surgery, and as soon as the initial prescription was up, I said no more. I HATE having something stuck to me that I have to remember to fiddle with every few days. Also, the patches cost about 9 x's more than a generic prescription of estrogen. A daily pill is much easier for me to deal with, since I take other pills on a daily basis. I have had absolutely no problems with my dosage, about the lowest you can go, a mg a day as I recall.

For anyone who is experiencing misery associated with their cycle, and heavy bleeding, INSIST your doctor look for possible causes, and if you can get medical justification for a laparoscopic hysterectomy, it will be one of the best things you ever did for yourself. If your practitioner blows you off, it is time to look for a different doctor--female preferably. My practitioner is a woman. My months now have FOUR weeks, instead of THREE:drinker: :drinker:

Because the insurance companies treat this type of surgery the same, regardless of whether you have a laparoscopic procedure with very small incisions or the old style, you can get up to 6 weeks off work to recover, but I was ready to go back in about 3. I took 4 weeks because I could have taken up to 6.

Hope everyone is having a good day. I have to head back to work.

Barb

LaurelFisher

:flowerforyou: Good evening ladies. I had a good eating and exercising day today. Hope I can say the same tomorrow night. :grumble: Hubby wants Chinese Buffet again.:devil: Sometimes I think he is trying to sabotage me.:noway:
:drinker: Susan Congratulations on that pound. I worked as an elementary school cafeteria manager when I was going through menopause and spent a lot of time in the walk-in. Those hot flashes were killer until I started drinking Soy Milk and eating sweet potatoes. After reading all the post, I think I got off easy with the whole menopause experience.

:explode: Kathy I feel for you I had to lose the same 3 pounds twice, I think we all have had that bouncing pound at least one time or another.

:flowerforyou: Vicky we are here for you. When you are having those bad days come to MFP you know here there are people who have, are or will be going through what you are. We are here for you. Good. Bad and UGLY.:laugh:

Heather- don’t lose your confidence you can do it. You've done it befor. Just get back on the proverbial horse. Just keep saying I CAN DO IT…I CAN DO IT…I CAN DO IT…You will do it.


:noway: Birdie- Yuk chicken juice on your produce I am so glad you didn’t get salmonella poisoning. Hope your back is feeling better soon.

:flowerforyou: To the rest of the ladies, I love reading your posts. I learn new things all the time.

:smooched: :smooched: hugs, love and prayers to all, Rosemary

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Georg

Your menopause discussion reminded me that last September my doc put me on HRT & I bled for 6 weeks straight. It was miserable. I'm thankful that after stopping the meds I'm free & clear.
:flowerforyou:
I hope that you who are suffering find relief soon.
:flowerforyou:

barbiecat

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Just finished my crunches and 20 minutes on the exercise bike. This has been a busy day with little time for writing anything thoughtful but I'm thinking of all of you and wishing you good health and sticking to your plan.
hugs
Barbie

plantlady99

Hi Ladies,

I will read later. Heading to the gym AGAIN!!! Not up to my routine that I was doing b/4 summer but it is better then nothing.


Kathy

vickim26

Good Morning ladies,
Thanks again for all of your help and comments. I went yesterday and gave my blood sample. Doctor will call next week with results. I think I told you guys that already. Foggy mind is one of symptoms. LOL.
Spent a couple of hours last night at hospital emergency room. About 7pm I started having pain in my lower left back. Felt like when I had bladder infection, so decided I would go to doctor in the morn. Well went to bed about 9pm and the pain when I lyed down was horrible. about 9:10 decided to go to urgent care center. Well they close at 9pm. So went to hospital. We have a wonderful hosptal but we avoid emergency room at all costs. Not because of hospital but because you never know who or what is going to be there on any given day. On the way I really felt better so told hubby to ride by and see how many people were there. There was no one else in waiting room so we went in. They took urine and all vitals and it was not bladder or kidneys according to them. They gave me pain pill and two shots for muscle relaxation and sent me home. I slept so well and today no pain. I am sure medication has not worn off yet. I take very very little medication and when I do I can actually take half of what is needed for the job. Anyway been trying to figure out how I hurt my back. Felt like I was crazy cause I really thought it was bladder. Poor man next to me was having anxiety attacks after his mom died last week. Felt so sorry for him. He knew what it was but still had to come in to make sure nothing more serious. Anyway that is my drama for quite a while I hope. One good thing hubby says we will go buy mattresses this weekend. We have been putting it off for a while. Sorry so long winded. Hope you all have a good Friday. Great job on weight losses and those who are discouraged just keep on going. WE are here for you.
Vicki M

Benson

Morning Ladies

Thanks for the encouraging messages

I am sick with a brutal headache today. Change in the weather coupled with a late night is a recipe for disaster with me. I got caught up watching Gray's Anatomy til midnight. It was too sad and I bawled my eyes out. I had to watch the later one because my son had to be picked up at his highschool dance.

Kathy - whatever you get done at the gym is a huge plus.
Vicki - sorry that you're hurting - hope its gone not just masked by meds
Barbie - I've been wondering about your plan and if you intend to stay on it for life or just until you reach goal?

I went out for some retail therapy yesterday. I've been holding off buying new slacks until I could get a size smaller but that's not quite happening and I need new seat covers:laugh: I bought 3 pairs but they are too big. The size down is still to snug for public viewing so I will keep one pair of loose and take the other two back. I am tempted to just get the smaller ones because the sale is good but I already have quite a few ''incentive' outfits.

Three months til Christmas - where did the year go??

Have a great day

Heather

plantlady99

Hi Ladies,:flowerforyou:

Yep, getting to the gym and doing something is better then nothing. I spent about an hour on treadmill and stationary bike. Just kept on keeping on I guess. Love the encouragement we have here. So glad I stopped feeling sorry for myself. Hey, as many have said on here. We all fall. It's getting back up is the hard part. Thanks so much.

That's right Christmas is just around the corner. OMG.

Now going to have my first oil change on my new Jeep. It is my big toy my hubby bought me. I just love it. It makes me feel young. (Well, getting up onto it reminds me how I have to keep my weight down) Not a pretty site when my face gets all red and are afraid that the Jeep might tip.:noway: :laugh: Only kidding. :happy: Not kidding about losing the weight though.

I have logged in my food AGAIN.

Kathy

Grammymax

Hi all,

I have had a rough week. I injured my back a week ago yesterday and have been tending to it all week. I am up and moving again but haven't been able to exercise. Hopefully by Monday I'll be back at my workout schedule at least at 80%! I know there are some machines I will be avoiding for a little while anyway.

I feel overwhelmed with going back and reading all the posts but did notice that Kathy is back. YIPPEE! :flowerforyou: I've missed your posts.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Esther

AHealthierSuzyQ

While we are still on the hysterectomy discussion, I'll go ahead and tell you the rest of my story: My doctor started telling me I needed the surgery 4 years before I finally gave in and did it. At the time I was doing all the cooking and cleaning for my parents and just didn't think they could do without me. THIS WAS A BIG MISTAKE! :grumble: If I had the surgery then, it would have been a simple procedure and could have been done vaginally. Perpetual tiredness, constipation, a leaky bladder and extremely heavy periods had become my normal way of life. My belly was so swollen it was not uncommon for folks to ask me if I was pregnant.

Finally one day at work, when I was on my cycle, I stood up and immediately was wet to my knees despite the super tampon and night time pad I was wearing. :explode: That was the last straw ~ and when I went home to change clothes I called my doctor and made an appointment for the very next week. Turns out I had put the surgery off so long my uterus was completely distended and had pulled some other organs down with it. So instead of a simple surgery and 3 week recovery, I ended up having to have an abdominal hysterectomy AND vaginal suspension. I have a bikini-line scar that is at least 8" long and it took me 9 weeks to even BEGIN to feel human again. But honestly, I felt better 5 days post-op that I had in years. :flowerforyou: So ladies, if your doctor recommends a hysterectomy, LISTEN and don't put it off like I did. :flowerforyou:

On the weigh loss front, I have lost another pound overnight. :happy: I began a 10 day detox diet on Monday and am amazed at how much flatter my belly FEELS. I hadn't mentioned it up till now because I wasn't sure what effect it would have, but so far its all been good. After a month long standstill, this is VERY exciting! Not to mention the fact I WAS only losing a pound a week!

Detox is very simple really. ALL you can eat is fruit, nuts, and non-starchy veggies. No salt or sugar, sugar substitute or caffeine. Water or herbal tea to drink. Olive oil is the only acceptable fat. Take milk thistle with every meal. (This is not something I found on the Internet, but the same diet my best friend's wellness doctor put her and her husband on. She is now a size 6.)

The first day I REALLY missed salt, but have not been miserable even once. I've learned to make some killer veggie stir fries and season with onion, ginger and garlic. I've learned that eating an avocado or some nuts kills my hunger quickly, tho I doubt I'll ever become a permanent vegetarian. IT has convinced me to severely limit my salt intake tho. On day 11 you start adding back in lean protein and complex carbs. If anyone wants all the details let me know and I'll message the plan to you.

BTW, did you know that spicy foods stimulate your metabolism?

Lianne95519

Hi everyone,

Well I am focusing my program to try to break through this 20 pound plateau. :grumble: :grumble: It seems that I lose a couple of pounds then gain a couple of pounds. I haven’t been exercising as much due to a flare up of my “bad” knee. I had surgery on the right knee and it is so good but the left knee is really getting worse so I am doing the footwork to have the same surgery on my left knee. Last week I worked out and walked but it became too much for my knee and now I am paying the price. :explode: :explode: I got two exercise cd’s. Sweating to the oldies and the 1-4 mile walking one. I want to try them out but must wait a while longer. For now I am going to the gym at the university (where I work) and riding the stationary bike for my exercise as that doesn’t hurt my knee.
I am going to share more often, talk about the exercise I am or am not doing, continue to track my food only better and keep track of my water to be sure I am getting all I should.

:flowerforyou: Kathy- Your post was the first one I read today so thanks for the inspiration (wow 5:57 AM)
:flowerforyou: Vicki- Hope your back feels better soon. I know a new mattress solved many of my back and sleep problems. I got a Tempur-Pedic. Heaven on earth for me. I know you’ll find the perfect one for you.
:flowerforyou: Heather- I hope your headache goes away soon. As part of my menopause journey I developed migraines for the last 3 or so years. Slowly they diminish in intensity and frequency and I take Imitrex to stop them when they start but a brutal headache is awful. Your “incentive” outfits made me laugh. I had the same decision last time I shopped.
:flowerforyou: Kathy-Yep doing something is better then doing nothing. Thanks for the reminder. I could do nothing because of my knee but I better do something.
:flowerforyou: Esther- I hope your back feels better soon. Just like the knees the back seems to require some rest to recover. I hope your feeling better and back at it soon…….No pun intended
Barbie- crunches and 20 minutes on the bike at 10:24 at night. Thanks for the inspiration and helping me to think outside of the box. I could do stuff in the evening too.

Thanks everyone for all that you share.

Lianne
Drinking water as I type:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

AHealthierSuzyQ

Well I am focusing my program to try to break through this 20 pound plateau. :grumble: :grumble: It seems that I lose a couple of pounds then gain a couple of pounds. I haven’t been exercising as much due to a flare up of my “bad” knee. I had surgery on the right knee and it is so good but the left knee is really getting worse so I am doing the footwork to have the same surgery on my left knee. Last week I worked out and walked but it became too much for my knee and now I am paying the price. :explode: :explode: I got two exercise cds. Sweating to the oldies and the 1-4 mile walking one. I want to try them out but must wait a while longer. For now I am going to the gym at the university (where I work) and riding the stationary bike for my exercise as that doesn’t hurt my knee.

I am going to share more often, talk about the exercise I am or am not doing, continue to track my food only better and keep track of my water to be sure I am getting all I should.Drinking water as I type:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Looks like we were both posting at the same time. You can do it!:flowerforyou: I just came off a month long plateau, but now the scale is finally moving again. :happy:

vickim26

Hi ladies,
So far the back is still not hurting so hopefully that is it. Susie I wanted to ask you how the cidar vinegar is going. In the book I read Robin reccommened this. Says she drinks it every day. If you still do take it can you refresh my memory on what kind you get. Thanks a bunch. Heather I hope your headache goes away. Headaches are not fun. Oh Susie congrats on the pound. You go girl. Is it still cool in Texas. Can you send some to Louisiana please. Esther i hope your back feels better and you can get back on track soon. Lianne, hope your knee gets better. Kathy great job on the workout. Keep it up. You can do it. To everyone else have a good day.
Vicki M

AHealthierSuzyQ

Susie I wanted to ask you how the cidar vinegar is going. In the book I read Robin reccommened this. Says she drinks it every day. If you still do take it can you refresh my memory on what kind you get. Thanks a bunch. Vicki M

Bragg's Raw Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

And yes, I still take a teaspoonful after every meal. (Then chase it with a glass of water. It tastes nasty.)