40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: alf, congrats on having 19 in class last night. That is quite a lot. We had eight and that is more than usual. You have a wonderful reason to stay healthy. You son needs you to be.

My strength instructor joined in the Zumba class last night. I really felt bad because I had missed her class the night before. I promised her that I would be there tonight even if it kills me (and it might).

alf1163

alf1163 - thanks for the advice! I started zumba 2 weeks ago (twice a week) and LOVE it!!!! I sweat so much but am having so much fun dancing that I dont want to take a break!!!!

Yea, i prettyy much eat only chicken and turkey, I love a good steak about once a month:-) I dont think i will ever be a vegetarian like alyssa!

My husband is in the navy, hoping to retire next year. How is life for you after the military?
Jenny

Zumba Love!!!! :flowerforyou: I am glad you enjoy Zumba. It is a great workout! I am not sure if your instructor does some toning exercises but you can alternate your zumba workouts with some strength training 2-3 times a week and you have a great exercise program.

My husband retired about 6yrs ago. It's been nice in the sense that I don't worry about him getting deployed, going TDY, etc. Although I miss that time for myself. :laugh: :laugh: :devil: That sounded evil!! :laugh: The only thing I dont like is that he completely stopped working out and gained a lot of weight. At first his excuse was that he was taking a break from exercise because he had just retired and then there was no excuse just plain laziness. Towards the middle of last year he finally came to his senses and started working out some more and even ran a couple of half marathons with me and other races!!! :drinker: He has slowed down since the Holidays, excuse, the weather but has gained some so he says he is getting back on track...my daughter is on terminal leave after serving 4 yrs in the ARMY. I served 4 yrs as well.

Take care!!! :flowerforyou:

wingslion

I would like to join this club! I am 40+ and having trouble managing my weight. I've been a yo-yo'er for life and I am trying to break that cycle and manage and maintain.

I have always been active, for the last two weeks I've steadily increased my walking pace on the treadmill to a speed of 4.5. I've tried to do this reasonably and slowly as my poor 40+ body aches a little. Now I am having mild pain in my knees. It's more of a dull ache. I take a day between my exercise and now my concern is..should I wait until the pain is completely gone, or just slow my pace and take it a little easier or jump right back in to it.

mkwood10

MK, how is your husband doing? He is coming back by summer time right? He will be here before you know it. :flowerforyou:

Hello everyone.......I'm finally back in the land of the living!!! Thursday morning the head cold from hell hit me, and today's the first day since that I actually feel human!!:laugh: :laugh: Aiming to work out on the way home tonite but will see how I feel by the end of the day.

Welcome all newbies...........this site and this thread have been a great help to me since I joined MFP.

Alf...........the hubby's busy, bored and tired of living in a 3rd world country with technology!! He is due home in 104 days (May 5). I can't wait.......this deployment has been harder so far on me than I thought it would be. Not sure if it was the holidays and the horrible weather we've had here in Kansas or what, but I am totally ready for spring and for him to be home!! I talk to him almost every night (thank goodness for cell phones with free long distance) and play email tag every morning. Helps to have that instant contact, but most days we don't have much to say to each other because not much happens in a 12 hour period!!!

Headed to lunch..........talk to everyone later.

singfree

Ladies, remember the other day when I asked if anyone has seen or used "kettlebells"? Well, at the gym today I devised a way to replicate some of the movements by using a 35 lb barbell plate that has handles cut into it. No, it wasn't exactly the same thing, but I was able to get a sense of the real thing. I tried a few exercises that I remembered reading about and I can tell you that it works great! It works multiple muscle groups simultaneously, so you get a lot more accomplished in a shorter period of time. I am going to invest in a kettlebell for home use. There are some days when I don't have an hour or more to lift weights. I've read that you can get a good workout in 20-30 minutes. More on this later....

denimangel

Today was my "rest day" although I did some walking but not my regular exercise. I can tell you I miss not having worked out this morning. Tomorrow I'll be back on my treadmill, I could feel it in my legs.. and I can see the difference.. I can see the muscle definition in my thighs now. Wow!! This is great!!

Stiring... yeah can you believe 184 calories burned doing Wii Tennis!!! I wish I had one at home!! Oh well maybe tomorrow.
Karin... keep working at it... we are all in this together..

I don't remember who said they had problems with their knees ... sorry... but I have chondromalcia in both knees.. (grade 2) for those who don't know what it is.. basically the ligaments that are attached to the bones in the knee are deterioting and almost not there anymore... gel injections have worked for me thus far. I run on my treadmill most every day... yeah they hurt.. but icing them helps and I keep going. Hope that helps.

alf1163

MK, (((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))) May will be here before you know it. Yes, thank God for technology now. It makes it so much easier for military families to stay in contact. I remember when my husband was in the multinational peacekeeping forces in The Sinai for a year. We would talk on the phone, if we were lucky, once a month and not by much. We communicated by snail mail and I would send him videotapes and cassettes!!! :noway: :laugh:

wingslion, welcome to the group!! :drinker: If this is the first time you experience knee pain you should rest and then start exercising again, increasing intensity little by little and see what happens. If it continues then you should see a doctor to determine what is going on. I have mild arthritis on both of my knees and experience pain when I work out a lot. The doctor said there is nothing that can be done about it and it is up to me if I want to continue exercising and having to deal with the pain. I really dont take any pain medication, etc. I just continue exercising, will not stop due to something I have no control of. I am not in pain constantly. Take care!!

Have a great evening!!! :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

Hi everybody! :flowerforyou:

karinf....welcome!! I, too, love that MFP keeps me accountable for my food. I think you've got a great plan there in planning ahead for special events and accomodating those days we ALL have where we eat more than we probably should.

singfree, I love what you said about this thread. Like you (my brother ), I refuse to carry the baggage of negativity and stress anymore. And I certainly don't think either of those things are good when it comes to making healthy lifestyle changes or losing weight. And that's why I love the people on this thread SO much. Like alf, I'm a bit surprised to hear you say you think you aren't striking a 80/20 balance in your eating. I know you've repeatedly mentioned the wine and pretzels but, in my opinion, neither of those are actually bad foods. So don't beat yourself up over either. If you were sitting down with a margarita and a bag of Doritos every night, it would be a different story. In other words, I think you ARE choosing healthy alternatives. And thanks for the info on your pseudo-kettlebells. I've always been curious how they work the body differently than standard weights, but I know they do. Let us know what you are seeing/experiencing. Who knows? When we get back to the US, I may have to break down and get some.

duffy, I'm with Dr. Fuhrman in not liking all the crap that goes into dairy products. But I still don't think I could give it up. Do you like the soy milk? I've never tried it. Regarding the six meals day, one of the things I learned over the last year is that the concept of six meals a day was developed by body builders simply because eating that many meals a day was the only way they could take in enough calories to build their muscles in the way they do. It was later turned into a weight loss technique, and I've heard all kinds of statements about why it is positive to eat more meals a day instead of a few meals a day, but most of those statements have been debunked. It IS good to eat every four/five hours or so, if for no other reason that it keeps people from being too hungry for meals and overeating. But, from what I understand, there is really no difference in how a body metabolizes food if a person eats 1 1500 calorie meal a day, 3 500 calorie meals a day, or 5 300 calories a meal a day. I'd be curious why Dr. Fuhrman is adamant about three meals a day because I DO think it is up to each individual on what makes them feel better.

tamarads, yes I'm at Osan. When were you here? I would bet you wouldn't recognize the base anymore since so much building has been done recently to prepare for the arrival of families (since Korea is going from being a remote assignment to a standardized overseas assignment). This is our sixth tour overseas since 1992, so I'm a bit of a pro at this. But I still miss home. :brokenheart: And welcome!!

zebras, good to see you! :flowerforyou:

alf, 19 people!!!! That's amazing. I met the Zumba instructor on base the other night. I'm thinking she's going to see me in a class soon. People are definitely talking Zumba here in Korea. :happy:

wingslion, welcome!! About your knees, you've received some good advise from alf, and I echo it. Give yourself a bit of a break and see how that feels. Perhaps come back a little more slowly and see if that helps. And if the pain persists or gets worse, go and see your doctor.

mk, I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. And I'm sorry to hear you are struggling with this deployment. I have no doubt alot of that has to do with the holidays, and the weather....but you also had very little time to prepare for his departure. For me, I would be like 'What happened?' with my head spinning a little bit from the sudden change still. (I know of what I speak since that's how I still feel about our sudden move to Korea!). Hang in there! I hope you get to feeling better soon. :flowerforyou:

hisangel, I hear you about days off. They are tough on me, and I hate them if I'm not keeping busy otherwise. I keep telling myself 'A break is good for me', but my body loves working out, and I always have so much more energy on days I workout than on days I don't. Go figure. But good for you in taking the day because that will help with that muscle definition!

Swissmiss, good luck in weight class!! I hope it doesn't kill you.

All here is well. I had a great workout this morning....back/triceps followed by a step cardio workout. My eating is still clean. In fact, I'm baking two loaves of whole wheat bread as I type this. I'm so happy to have my bread machine back with me. I missed it while it was on the boat to Korea. And I was dancing in the aisles of the commissary this morning. If you remember, when we first got here, I was completely despondent at the lack of healthy foods here. But it has been slowly changing, and everytime I go to the store, I find something new to eat. This morning, it was my favorite mix for whole wheat pancakes with flax! I had gotten some from Whole Foods in California and was stunned to see it in the commissary. I love these pancakes....and am SO happy to see something like that as an option. So.....life is very good today.

Hope this finds you all well!

singfree

Good morning!

Stiring, isn't it nice that we can become giddy over the "liitle" things in life? Being able to find some of your favorite foods again after missing them for so long is a reason for celebration! I feel exactly the same way. I want to savor those little things, because it's those very things that we will fondly recall again and again. I'm a bread junkie...please save a slice for me?

The pseudo-kettlebell experiment is working out well for me. The diiferent types of lifts and swings really engage a lot of muscles at the same time. Without a doubt, every movement attacks the core to some degree. You can try it yourself with a dumbbell, although it is not nearly as effective.

I haven't given up on P90X or Insanity. They are very good programs. Right now I am exploring all possibilities, which makes the workouts more fun and interesting. Also, my muscles will take longer to adapt to the new exercises which should help with growth and increased strength.

Thanks for your take on my diet. You are right, of course! But in my quest for clean eating, I really should use those things (wine, pretzels, etc...) as a "treat" and not an everyday habit. It then becomes mindless eating and drinking in the evening which adds too many cals and carbs. I need to concentrate on fueling my day with better choices, which in the long run will help me lose those last few lbs of fat and keep my energy levels high.

For what it's worth, here's my 2 cents' worth on the 6 meals per day debate: If you spread your meals throughout the day, your blood sugar should (in theory) be more stable, thus affecting your energy, appetite, mood, etc... Also, if you eat regularly and plan for it, you will tend to stay within your daily allotment. This sounds great, but in real life it is more difficult to maintain. I'd say that everyone is different and should do what is best for YOU. If something is working, why not stick with it? There are so many schools of thought (which seemingly contradict one another), it is difficult to know which theory is the right one. This is too much for my feeble mind to comprehend...........

Have a great day!!!!!

tamarads

Stiring... we were there in 2000-2001, we were able to go as a family too. It was our 3rd overseas assignment. I've heard there was a lot of building going on. We lived in a 2 bedroom, 800 sq ft. and that was spread out between 2 floors. The housing right next to the commissary! OMG, was it small and we had 2 small children. Burger King had just opened and we were there on a regular basis just to get the kids some place to play! Lovely people the Korean folks... Take advantage of the Dragon Hill in Seoul for weekend getaways, Osan can get very small in a hurry!

I too used my bread machine a lot there... I've been told that you can request foods to be ordered through the commissary, you might check that out.

We've been to Turkey, Germany (twice) and Korea.. where else have you been? I will admit that when we left Korea we had been overseas for about 3 years without a trip back to the States, when we landed in Seattle the very first thing I noticed and I will never forget it, was the number of overweight people. It was shocking and very sad. That was 8 years ago and it has only gotten worse for Americans. I am very thankful for finding you all and this site so that I may try and keep better control of my health!

Happy Thursday, everyone!

denimangel

Good Morning everyone. I am beginning to think this is my favorite time of the day... after I have exercised, enjoying my breakfast smoothie and a cup of tea... catching up here... logging in and tracking my exercise and food.

Stiring like you I hate to take days off.. I do feel more energized and ready for the day after I have exercised. This morning I was back on my treadmill (yay it felt soooo good!) punched it up a bit today.. ran (jogged) 4.5mph for 20 minutes and ran at 5mph for 15 minutes. Dang, my butt muscles are feeling this!! But It did feel good. So far so good with my knees... no problems since my last gel injection. Hmmmm.. nothing officially planned this morning at the nursing home (cancellation) so maybe some tennis this morning.

wingslion do you know of any serious problems with your knees? Has the dr said NO you shouldn't do this or that? If not then maybe the aching you feel is the muscles protesting the extra activity and they will get better with time. If that is all.. try icing your knees after exercising. I read somewhere that if you run you should sit in a tub of ice water for 15 minutes after running. (I certainly can't see myself doing that) but I also read that if you lay on the floor with your legs up the wall it helps too.,., that I have tried and it seems to help.

Well tomorrow is weigh in day for me... I'm almost excited to get on the scale to see if all my work this week has paid off. It certainly feels like it has! Even if it is only 1/2 pound it is a step in the right direction.

Good news!! My daughter, who has been overweight for over 15 years, called me yesterday and said that she is going to lose weight that she is serious about it now and asked for some advice and some of my exercise dvd's. YES!!!! I am so excited for her!!

Well friends it is time to finish getting ready for work. Hope everyone has a great day!

Angel

duffyzmom

Happy Thursday All!

I'm still enjoying CX today is Burn Intervals day - one of my favorites.

Stiring: I'll have to drag out my book to let you know why he is so pro 3 meals only.

Sing: I'm very interested in your experiment - I'm guessing the way you hold the weights is really engaging your core?

Wingslion - lots of good advice here - knees are tricky things especially for women due to our wider hips. If slowing down your pace doesn't help, you may need to look into some other options. Where exactly is the ache? Inside or Outside of your knee.

singfree

Good evening!

Back at work tonight! I don't think I'll ever get used to night shift. The problem is that I was at work before 6 am, stayed 'till 3 pm, no rest and back to work for 10 pm. Gosh, I wonder why I'm so tired????

Friday reporting day is upon us again!! Eating was ok this week, but still not where I'd like to be. My exercising is going well, though. Not quite as sore as I was the last few weeks, which is good!

Friday night we are going out for a nice dinner. I'm not sure what I'll be eating yet. I do know what I'll be drinking...Sam Adams Winter Lager (sorry Yuengling). A really good dark beer that reminds me of the old country....Ein Prosit der Gemuetlichkeit!

I'll try to check in tomorrow, have a great night.

Your night watchman..

StiringWendel

Hi singfree! Sorry to hear you are back at work, but it is always nice to know that somebody is 'up' with me....even if it is the middle of the night there.

It is Friday evening here, so time for my Friday check-in. I had a really good week. My eating was very clean (no cheats, no treats, etc). I worked out every day, and I'm feeling increasingly stronger and more fit. I'm back into my 'skinny' clothes, which is nice. So even though the scale read 105 this morning (up 7 pounds from three months ago), I'm very happy with where I'm at right now. My goal is to continue to eat clean until I get rid of some of the outrageous cravings that I started getting after my last bit of not-so-healthy eating. I'm kind of aiming for the end of this first mesocycle in STS for that (which is in two weeks), but we'll see. It is winter, and, as a result, I'm not feeling as strong in avoiding temptation as I usually am. After all, I'm the gal who lived on peanut butter/chocolate and wine for an entire winter in Alaska. :laugh: Sadly, I'm not joking. :noway:

Anyhow, speaking of peanut butter.....singfree, I understand what you are saying about your evening snack of wine and pretzels. But I guess my question is 'Would giving them up be worth it?' The one thing I can't seem to give up is peanut butter. Yes, I know there are some health benefits (like there are in red wine, as a matter of fact), but that doesn't negate the fact that my body fat might be a bit lower if I didn't eat peanut butter every.single.day.of.my.life! But, for me, it is the one thing I won't give up, regardless of the reasons why I should (more bang for my nutritonal buck in 200 calories of other foods and lower body fat possibilities). I have been able to move beyond many things I never thought I could (like cream and sugar in my coffee), but this is one area where I know if I were to give up the peanut butter, I would feel TOO deprived. So I opt not to because, to me, that feeling of deprivation isn't worth the lower body fat percentage I would have because I have a feeling that I would throw in the towel at some point or another and I don't want to do that. So, for me, any healthy eating plan I create for myself is going to allow for one serving of peanut butter per day. I make it as healthy as I can (natural, no salt, etc), but it is still high in fat and calories. But it is here to stay. So what I'm trying to ask is....is it possible that glass of wine and bit of pretzels is your peanut butter?

hisangel, I'm so happy to hear about your daughter. I know for so many people, taking the first step towards weight loss/creating a healthier lifestyle is the hardest step to take. I'm so happy she has you to turn to. I wish her the best of luck! You seem to be quite the role model for an active life!

tamarads, those houses you lived in here at Osan are FINALLY scheduled to be demolished. There are three new apartment towers, and I live in a beautiful new townhome. We have everything you'd ever want (unless you are trying to eat healthy ) on the base....Subway, Krispy Kreme, Popeyes, Chilis, Pizza Hut.....It's a little American city now. Speaking of which, when we were overseas the first time, we were in Europe for 9.5 years straight, and I only returned to the US once during that time. What I noticed the most (in addition to the size of the people) was the number of restaurants. It still amazes me (having only spent 36 months in the lower 48 since '92). I find it a tad...disappointing....to be honest. Anyhow, we've been stationed in England, Germany (twice), Italy, Alaska (I know, not technically overseas but overseas by AF standards!), and now in Korea. And I totally agree with you about the Korean people. I find them to be about the most gracious and generous people I've ever encountered.

Off to make dinner....grilled chicken greek salad (YUM!). I hope everybody has a great Friday and a wonderful weekend. :flowerforyou:

singfree

Stiring, you sure know how to ask a question! OK, here goes. You're asking if your PB habit is the same as my W & P habit. Technically, the answer (IMHO) is yes....BUT...let me explain!

From a pure "habit" standpoint, you certainly don't "need " it. But am I correct in assuming that you build the PB calories into your daily total? I will usually have W & P no matter what I've eaten during the day. That's why I become disappointed in my lack of self-control. I can easily consume 500 cals, which is a LOT of extra carbs that I dont need, not to mention the processed flour in the pretzels. So, PB is giving you a "fix", but in a good way. Think of it as a healthy cheat. If I could do 200 cals of PB daily and give up the W & P, I would be much better off, due to the increased protein and fat rather than all those carbs.

Actually, I believe that by eating PB you are contributing to your being lean. In other words, PB is helping you stay in those "skinny" clothes. Think about it, most people who are bodybuilding eat PB almost daily for it's beneficial effect on their quest to have a better body. Now I'm not suggesting that you are a bodybuilder...but you are a fairly serious body "sculptor". As you've said before, your weight is no longer an issue and you want to concentrate on body composition. You are in a very good place now with your overall health and fitness. We all aspire to be there, at least I do!!!!

So....keep chompin' that gooey goodness for goodness sake! And don't feel a bit guilty about it. Two worriers in the family is too much!


PS- Duffy, yes the kettlebell experiment is going well. Most of the exercies engages the core in a big way. I probably will spend less time on core and abs work.

duffyzmom

Happy Friday - or at least I'm finally happy to be on the site able to post (I'm guessing MFP is a lot like the gym in Jan - overloaded but give it a bit and things will calm down )

Check in Day - Well I did great all week until yesterday. I don't know what was going on but I was craving sweets like crazy and I'm generally not a sweet person more a salty snack person. The good news is that when I grabbed the brown sugar pop tart from the pantry - it didn't taste right (I'm guessing that is from all the fruit I'm consuming now) Hopefully, that memory will stop me the next time I'm craving junk. But moving on - all in all even with the weak spot last night I ate well probably 70% this week and more importantly I have stayed right on track with ChaLeane Extreme :drinker:

Stiring: Here is what Dr. Fuhrman says about eating 3 meals: In scientific studies, reduced meal frequency increases the lifespan of both rodents and monkeys, even when the calories consumed each week are the same. The body needs time between meals to finish digesting, because when digestion has ended the body can more effectively detoxify and promote cellular repair.

Sing: You must be my brother from another mother because beside the love of red wine - drinking a Winter Ale is on my agenda for the weekend. Although I'll be saving it to have with my bowl of chili while cheering on my Colts to an AFC Championship.:drinker: My husband finished off or Hacker Pschoor Weisse last night so Winter Ale is my #2 favorite right now.

Have A Great Weekend one and all!

denimangel

It's Friday.. end of the work week for me... maybe only half a day if things work out, if not... oh well.

check in time for me this morning. I lost only 1lb but the good thing is that I lost 2.75inches!!!! I knew something was going on because some of my pants were feeling a bit loser than they were a week ago. I may not have lost as much in lbs as I would have liked but I'll take it! It is better than nothing.

Stiring.. we went out for supper last night.... kind of. We actually got take out and brought it home where we could relax and eat in front of the fire. Our favorite Chinese place is closing for a month (they go back to China every year for a month) so we had take out from there. I stuck to the dishes with veggies... Chicken and Broccoli .. I did have some lemon chicken too.. but pulled all breaded coating off and ate just the chicken... and only 4 small strips, the veggie dish filled me up!

singfree you aren't the only one who likes peanut butter... I have it once or twice a week on toast with a bit on honey (less than a 1/2 teaspoon) . If you are working it into your diet then I really see no harm in having it.. it is good for you. A girl I work with who is really big into body building, etc has a tablespoon of chunky pb every morning in her oatmeal. I tried that once and I'm sorry but in my book oatmeal and peanut butter do not go together.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend. time for me to finish getting ready for work.

Angel

angelwings2000

Boy, what a great name .......Beating the Winter Bulge! My Winter bulge took over and after seeing pictures taken over the holiday and my brother asking me if I was pregnant again, I knew I had to do something. I started coming back on mfp just after New Year's Day. So far I have lsot 8 pounds and feeling better already. I am 48 years old and marrying my childhood sweetheart in June. I plan on being gorgeous by then!!
Glad I stumbled on to this posting today.

zebras

Happy Friday all. I completely missed Thursday because of jury duty. I was not picked for the case I was interviewed for because it was against a doctor, and my first father-in-law passed from doctor negligence, so I couldnt' have been impartial. In CT its a much kinder and gentler process now, and they dismiss you once they've interviewed you for one case.

Angelwings, your story of marrying your childhood sweetheart must be amazing, you should share it with us!

Stiring, can you share your bread recipe with me? I have a machine, and I don't have a good whole wheat recipe, and it would be big improvement over store bought whole wheat bread, I'm sure.

2BLean

Friday check-in ~ I had a really good week. My eating was very clean (no cheats, no treats, etc). I worked out every day, twice a day except for yesterday just one workout in the evening!
I am happy to report that I think some changes are FINALLY happening. Maybe it is just the endorphins all fired up :laugh: It might be a combo of the food and calories + the additional evening workouts, but whatever it is I am feeling good about it! I won’t be jumping on the scale anytime soon :blushing: but maybe in a few more weeks.

Last night I went to the Strength Class (more of an endurance workout w/ lots of reps and then interval cardio between) w/ my friend from work and then this a.m. I had STS Disc 33 – Shoulders Biceps & Triceps. Eventhough it makes it a little tougher on me in the a.m. to do the evening & then early a.m. workout I am really enjoying it! I actually feel more energized vs. more tired. :noway: Tonight I am going Spinning again; anxious to try this instructors workout. This weekend my goal is to attempt Athletic Step again and some ab work and then on Sunday a good stretch (by Cathe of course) and volleyball.

Hope you all have a great Friday & weekend! :flowerforyou:

ttfit2

:bigsmile: Glad I found this site.

singfree

Hi folks,

Just a note to let you know that my Mom passed away this morning. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Frank

2BLean

Frank,

So sorry to hear about your mom ~ I know there are no words that can really help to ease the loss you bear, just know that you are very close in every thought and prayer. May your memories give you strength. :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

Oh, Frank.....I am so sorry. Please know you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

denimangel

Frank... so sorry to hear about your mom. You and your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Angel

biffy107

Sorry to here about your mom Frank!:sad: Mom s are special to are hearts. God bless. Take care

alf1163

((((((((((((((((((((((FRANK))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) My thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones. Take care. Come back when you are ready. Annette

singfree

I'm here dear friends! Thank you for your prayers and I will be back with you very soon!

singfree

Good morning!

As you might imagine, the past day has been a bit rough. I was on my way home from night shift yesterday morning at 6 am when i received a call from my wife. She said that the assisted living home called and said that there was an "emergency" with my mom and that I should come right away. Usually they tell me the nature of the situation, so that raised a red flag. I just knew this was not going to be pleasant. When I arrived, they immediately ushered me into the nurses' station. At this point I braced myself to here those dreaded words, that she had indeed passed away. The night nurse check her at 4 am and she was sleeping fine. At 5:45 am the nurse came in again and my mom was on the floor by her wheelchair. They surmise that she passed away quickly and that there was no suffering. I am most grateful to God for that. Now comes the task of the next few days of planning the funeral, etc... which is on Monday.

All of you have been a great source of comfort to me. I will try to check in when I can.

Take care friends and I am sending all my heartfelt thanks to you for your prayers and best wishes.

Frank

StiringWendel

Thank you for checking in, Frank. I've been thinking about you all day. I can't imagine how difficult this must be. I suppose it does make it more comfortable to know that your mother didn't suffer. Please take care of yourself over the coming days and let us know how you are doing when you get a chance. I'll be thinking about you. :flowerforyou:

While I'm here, I would like to welcome angelwings to our group! Congrats on losing 8 pounds since New Years! That's amazing. And how exciting to hear about your wedding. Congratulations on that as well.

duffy, thanks for the info on the 3 meals a day recommendation from Dr. Fuhrman. I've heard something similar about eating fewer meals vs. more meals, but I've usually heard it in relation to insulin (that your body is continually releasing insulin when you eat many small meals a day) and such. I still think there is no clear answer and whatever suits each individual is best for that individual.

zebras, what size bread machine do you have? I have a couple of good recipes, but one is only for one pound loaves. If your machine is bigger than that, I'll send the one that I have that has all of the breakdowns for the various size loaves. I like that recipe more than the one I'm currently using (the one for one pound loaves), but I can't get all of the ingredients here in Korea (wheat gluten). But, again, let me know what size machine you've got and I'll send you either one or both.

2BLean, happy to hear it feels like you've broken through your plateau. Great job!! :drinker: And before I forget....don't forget to take that week off after STS before going into your next rotation. I didn't last summer when I finished STS....and paid for it. :noway: I, too, feel more energized when I do more workouts (up to a point). It's kind of weird, isn't it?

I actually got my husband to do a weight workout with me this morning. That was fun. Had another good day of eating, so all is well here.

Again, singfree/Frank, I am thinking about you, and thank you for checking in with us.