40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge

wallena

HI PAM, I'M WALLY. OVER 40 AND WILL BE 41 THIS MARCH. I DEFINITELY COULD USE A MOTIVATOR. IF YOU'RE UP FOR IT, LET ME KNOW.

duffyzmom

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

Frank - my condolences - so sorry to hear of your loss. No matter what age you are losing a parent is difficult. You and your family will be in my prayers.

JuliaSoCal

I turned 40 in December.
I have been on this site for 4 days and LOVE the calorie counter.

I have not added exercise back into my daily routine, but figure small steps are better than no steps at all. I am kinda looking forward to the extra calories since I LOVE to eat LOL.

Thanks for having me.

denimangel

Hello everyone...first of all I apologize for any typing errors..I am typing one handed, I received 1st and 2nd degree burns to my left hand yesterday so it is hard to do most things.
Unfortunately that also includes exercising,,, when my body starts heating up thn so does my hand which then burns like crazy again.:sad: My husband (Bless him:smooched: ) brought in a bowl of snow and covered my hand with a bread bag so I could put my hand in the snow without getting it wet to help cool it down and take away the fire. BUT I did exercise some I went outside without a glove on that hand and shoveled snow with one hand..believe me it is more difficult than it sounds, and I am sure it looked really comical.:laugh: But I will really have to watch what I eat until this heals a bit more.
Frank...thanks for checking in. Losing a parent is tough..even when we know they are really sick. Hang in there.. remember we are all here for you and are keeping you and your family in our prayers.
Hope everyone else is having a good weekend.

Angel

zebras

Frank, I'm so sorry for your loss. Today is my late mother's birthday, so Moms are really on my mind. She did an excellent job with you, you turned out great. She must have been a lovely woman. We know you are strong enough to get through this.

zebras

Stiring:

My bread machine is a 2 lb machine. I had a 1 lb one originally, but I wore that one out.

Welcome all the newest newbees! I think you will find our little group only full of the best encouragement and friendliest of atmospheres. I look forward to getting to know some new friends!

ttfit2

Sorry to hear about your loss Frank. Glad to hear your mother did not suffer.

Swissmiss

Frank, I am so sorry to hear of your mom. I will keep you in my prayers.

JuliaSoCal

Well, I have lost 4 pounds since my last weigh in...that works out to about 2 lbs a week. This actually does not sound right to me...but I will take it. I used the wii fit to weigh in and I made sure that I am wearing the same robe for the weigh ins. I just started using MFP on Tuesday.

I cant wait to see what result will come next week. Still focused on a pound a week.

Julia

Texssippian

Frank: So sorry for your loss. My dad died rather unexpectedly in November of 08 nine weeks after my sister Gretchen (age 52) died very unexpectedly of a stroke. The family is now closer than we have ever been. I have been over to Mississippi many time over the past 15 months and am in contact with my mom daily. My mom and my brother-in-law, Gretchen's husband, came over here to spend New Year,s (which was my daughter's 21st birthday) with us. Got a sweet email from Mike yesterday saying how much he enjoyed bathing in the love in my house (and I only see the mess and dust!). My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Take care of yourself.

Well, I have not done a very good job of taking care of myself. I had to move offices last week and ended up straining my sacro-iliac joint to the point I could barely walk on Thursday and Friday. Felt like someone had a hot knife in my backside. It hurt any time I put weight on right leg. I am always harping on other people about proper body mechanics. I have a rehab background and used to supervise physical therapists, so I should have known better. I have been very lazy this weekend and taking nsaids. It is feeling much better now. I have to figure out what kind of exercise I can do now.

Welcome to all the newbies! This is a great group of people with great stories and inspiration. I am typing on my husband's laptop and the curser keeps jumping around. Sorry for the typos!

Daughter is back in Austin in school. Son goes back to graduate school in San Fransico at Saturday. Need to get son and hubs to put away the rest of Christmas before son leaves.

Take care all. I wll try to be better about checking in. TxMs

Texssippian

Hisangel: So sorry about your hand burn. Make sure your are stretching it as it heals. Mederma lotion is great for scar reduction.

Karinf and Alf: my husband got a flyer in the mail yesterday about a seminar in on Asperger's and Autism Spectrum disorders by someone from the Yale Child Study Center. He went to it last year and said it was very good. It will be in Texas in Houston on March 2 and Plano April 20. More information at www.neel.org

Take care all!

denimangel

well here's to shoveling snow one handed!! Great exercise and it keeps my hand cool! I get the dressing changed tomorrow so will see if I can run again on Tuesday. been following my diet so I hope things go as well this week as last week.

well that's all for now as it is really hard to type one handed. hope everyone had a good weekend.

Angel

kalmf

Frank, I am so sad for your loss. I am always overwhelmed by what the human heart can endure. Your loss, and the vulnerability of the others on this website, especially those with loved ones in the military - there are no words for it. I don't know any of you, but I am truly inspired by you.

I thought I'd check in for a few minutes, and that was about an hour ago - take care eveyone
Karin

duffyzmom

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: for Frank - I know today will be hard and you'll be in my thoughts and prayers.

tamarads

Thoughts and prayers to you and your family today Frank.. take comfort in that your Mom is in a place where there is no pain and suffering.

angelwings2000

My week on mfp seems to end on Monday since it is my day off from work & I actually started here on Monday and weigh in on Mondays. Seems to be the only time I have to spend some real time on this site. I lost another opund this monring bringing my total lost down to nine pounds since I started here, with 11 more pounds (minimum) to go before my wedding this Summer.

Lately, I am having a hard time staying motivated to work out, even though I have been seeing great results.
Tamarads & Stiring, we also were miltary families. MY only overseas duty was five years in Germany. I really loved the Eurpoean lifestyle. I have two children currently serving in the military. A daughter in the Navy and a son in the National Guard.

Frank- Sorry about the loss of your mother. Your family will be in my prayers.

hisangel- How exciting that your daughter has decided to get in shape. I am excited because my fiance just signed up on mfp, and we are going to try to get into shape and healthier together before our wedding. Life is precious and we need to get into our best health possible.

Everyone have a WONDERFUL & HEALTHY week! :flowerforyou:

mkwood10

Frank, I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your mother.
I know how overwhelmed you must be, especially with the funeral today. Losing a family member is never easy, but losing one unexpectedly is especially hard on those who are left behind. I lost my sister very quickly in March 2008; she was hospitalized for bronchitis, ended up with staph pneumonia and we lost her after 10 days in the hopsital. I didn't make it home to MN to see he before we lost her and I will always regret that.

Take care of yourself - my thoughts are with you as you and your family.

singfree

Good evening friends,

Just a quick note to let you know that we are doing fairly well after the funeral. Thanks to all who wished us well and lifted up prayers on our behalf. I will check in again tomorrow.

Frank

Swissmiss

Hi Frank.....it was so good to see your picture and words in the thread again. You were missed and you were also in all our prayers.

singfree

Good morning!

Well, I've decided to come back to work today to catch up on some work. I will also work tomorrow since it is the end or our fiscal month. There is so much work for my brother and me, but it is also good because we can take our time and setttle my mother's estate on our own timetable. I'm sure many of you have gone through this before, so you know the legal side of dying. It's a harsh reality, but it's something that needs to be done in a timely manner.

Food, exercise and overall health concerns were out the window these past few days. I am committed to starting this new chapter in my life afresh. I owe it to those who love and depend on me and mostly for myself. My mother did not take care of herself for many years. I'm sure she would have lived a longer and fuller life had she not made poor choices when it came to her health. If there is anything that came out of her passing, it's the realization that we NEED to begin taking care of ourselves starting today.

I'm sorry, but I did not read all of your posts over the past few days. I thank you for you understanding!

I've been blessed by all of you here. Thank you!!!! You all mean a great deal to me. Thank you for you paryers and general concern for us. I would be in a terrible state if I did not have friends and faith. I remember my friends and will try to repay you tenfold.

Have a wonderful day!

Frank

4crazykids

Hi everyone! I am 41, mom of 4, wife and 5th grade teacher. With little time to work out, I was eating very healthy for about 3 weeks and lost 4 lbs. I swear in one weekend of football parties and eating out at my kids lacrosse games, I gained it back. What the heck? Is my metabolism that lame now?

No more crying. I'm dragging my little kids to the Y while the bigger ones are at their High School sports practice 3 evenings a week. I am also getting on my Wii FIt Plus for 15 minutes each morning.

Good luck everyone!

zebras

Frank: Its so good to see you!

I managed to work out three days in a row. A recent record. I'm starting to feel so much better. Its amazing how once you get enough days in a row, you go from complete couch potato to someone who looks forward to working out. I'm walking like a cowboy today. I'm a little sore.

Swissmiss

Frank, I found that all the legal garbage that I had to get through when my dad died helped keep me busy and my mind off of the hurt. Not only did I have to close out his estate...he had not done anything about his will or legal papers when my mom died seven years earlier.

:flowerforyou: 4crazykids, yep, your metabolism gets slower the older you get. I am almost 59 (come Friday) and I think that my metabolism has died. Keep at it. It will be worth it. It just may take a bit longer than when you were younger.

Has anyone had Campbell's Select Harvest Light soups? I am having the Italian-Style Vegetables for lunch today. I am eating the entire can and will have only 100 calories. My husband bought them for me because I was complaining of having the same thing for lunch over and over again every day. These are so convenient. Just pop them in the microwave.

duffyzmom

Frank - Glad to see you back and happy to hear that you and your brother can work together in settling all of your mom's legal business.

Swiss- I love the soups just be careful and watch the rest of your sodium during the day.

4Crazykids - Yep - it is a struggle after 40 - I was just like you last year and that is what brought me to these boards. I could eat clean for 3 months loss 10 lbs and then after a fun filled weekend end up gaining it all back. Strength training has done wonders for my metabolism. As the great Chalene says - it isn't just that you are getting older it is that you are lossing muscle.

Really focusing on clean eating and no alcohol for the next two weeks so that I can celebrate and enjoy my Colts in the Superbowl. We are having a huge party and I hope to make some fan favorites and some healthier options. Any suggestions on the healthier options?

kalmf

The metabolism thing is real, but it's not cement - it will respond - the more you move, the higher your at rest metabolic rate will be. There are older relatives in my family who are barely mobile and the thing they have in common is they didn't make moving their body a priority. I see others of the same age who have energy and vibrancy. There are no guarantees, but I remember this sometimes when I just don't wanna do it.

njjswim

<a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"><img border="0" src="http://tickers.myfitnesspal.com/ticker/show/20/2554/202554.png&quot; /></a><p style="text-align:center;width:420px;"><small>Created by MyFitnessPal - <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com">Free Calorie Counter</a></small></p>

need more motivation but so far so good lots of salads and fruit 2 whole days ....Waaaahoooooo

2BLean

Hi Everyone

Frank: Glad to see you! All my best in getting through the matters at hand for your mom and all that it entails. :flowerforyou:

Duffyzmom: What about some Hummus with lots of fresh veggies. That’s probably an obvious one. You could also do a dip w/ Greek Yogurt; either a fruit dip for apples or a dip for veggies.

Stiring: It is weird on having more energy while working out more! It is something I always wanted to implement into my workout routine thinking it would help break the plateau. I’ll keep you posted! Thanks for the reminder on taking my Recovery Week when I am done. I didn’t even think of that once I had your advice on the new rotation. It will work out great because I am going to visit my mom that Friday so I will get in some nice workouts during Recovery Week, have some relaxing time with my mom and start up fresh on my Endurance rotation when I get back! I will officially be done Feb. 6th.

So far so good (only Tues.) but had Chest & Back yesterday and then did the Kickboxing class last night. This a.m. I did a step/cardio workout + Abs. Tomorrow a.m. is Plyo Legs – always tough but good & then Spinning tomorrow night.

Hope you are all having a great day/evening! :happy:

Swissmiss

Duff, salt is my downfall. I love it on everything and a lot of it.

StiringWendel

singfree/Frank....so good to see you. :flowerforyou: I appreciate what you said about your mother and her health. I've learned the same thing from my mother as well. That being said, take the time you need to heal without worrying about your workout schedule or eating habits. Just take this time to be with your family, and when you are ready, the old 'habits' of fitness and nutrition will return.

hisangel, I'm so sorry to hear about your hand! It sound really painful. I hate burns, and I've never had burns like what you've described. Take the time to heal! If you are following your diet properly, you definitely won't gain. So take care of yourself.

angelwings, congrats on the weight loss. Motivation is difficult to maintain. I heard a speech once where the speaker describe the difference between motivation and inspiration. He said motivation is short-term, and inspiration is long term. Maybe you need to look for something that inspires you to workout. Like singfree, much of my inspiration comes from seeing my mother decline before her years in terms of her physical health. She couldn't do half the things I do when she was my age because she given up being active long before she reached 40. My motivation to workout daily comes from my weight/body image. But my inspiration to workout for the duration of my life comes from wanting to be able to walk on my own until the day I die. So......just a little food for thought. And kudos on your children in the military!!

4crazykids, welcome!! Yes, it is easy to put on weight at this age, isn't it? I put on WAY too much over Christmas (probably about 8 pounds, though a good portion of that was water retention). But the good thing is, as karinf pointed out, the issues with metabolism can be addressed through moving more. Like duffy, I can maintain my weight MUCH easier when I am lifting weights, so you might want to think about incorporating some strength training into your routine if possible.

duffy, I don't actually have too many healthy snack recommendations beyond what 2BLean has already suggested (fruits, veggies, hummus, etc). I say just eat in moderation, enjoy the game, and have a great party!! :drinker:

zebras, great job with the workouts!! Working out can become addicting....believe me.

Swissmiss, my husband eats those soups every day for lunch and really enjoys them. They are high in sodium, but otherwise, I think they are a good option for lunch.

2BLean, I'm happy I remembered to remind you about the recovery week...and I'm happy the timing is going to work out. I think it will help you with your next rotation. I am doing my last week of Meso 1 (started this morning) right now. The last three weeks have flown by. I did chest/shoulders/biceps this morning and....yowza!....I'm feeling it in my arms this afternoon. But it's a good (rubbery) feeling. I was talking on the phone earlier, and it was all I could do to hold the phone to my ear. :laugh: I'm loving the results of lifting weights again, that's for sure. I hope your 'doubles' continue to go well.

It's hard to believe that it is Wednesday already. This week is flying by. I'm still eating clean and working out well. I'm not losing pounds (which is fine), but my body is really changing shape rapidly right now. I'm getting more and more comments from people about how ' tiny' I am. I suppose that's a good thing. I'm certainly not back in the shape I was when my profile photo was taken (back before the move), but I'm getting there. I'm really convinced now that, no matter what, next time we move I not only need to keep the diet more in line, but I need to find a way of lifting weights. I saw tremendous cardio and endurance improvements with Insanity (and core strength improvements as well), but, as I said earlier, my body seems to really require some strength training to maintain the weight/shape I like.

Hope everybody has a good day.

singfree

Good morning!

It's really a busy time here at work...end-of-month closing, reports to generate, catch up on missed work---you know, the usual stuff! Hi again, friends! I'm doing well considering the turmoil of the past week. It's time to get back in the saddle with my nutrition and workouts.

Thanks again to all for your help and advice. But as they say, "Life Goes On". I think that it is especially important to pay attention to my health at this time because I am busy and stressed and yes, a bit depressed...even though I think I'm OK. I am now realizing that my life is HECTIC. I need to enjoy this wonderful life, not merely race through it as I am currently doing.

When I start paying attention to my diet and exercise, this should help my mood. Right now I have little ambition to get off the couch. That is not me. I have not let myself grieve through all of this, except for one brief moment on Friday. It's a stupid guy thing. Maybe someday it will hit me and I will cry like a baby for no apparent reason. This is pretty funny telling all of you ladies our "secret". Next thing you know I will ask for directions!!!

Have a great day!!!