WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR SEPTEMBER 2012

Hi everyone!
This has been a crazy busy week...most of 'em are, but this week I feel like I just haven't stopped. Lots of running around (which is good) but not much time to cook healthy meals, and that's a problem. Brown's Chicken one night...leftover Brown's the next night. Why does stuff that's not good for you have to taste so good???

I've been doing much better in the office with food. I work for a large church, and all the little groups that meet seem to include food, and when they have some left, they bring it upstairs to the office "for the staff" (because we all look like we're starving...NOT!) It is hard to walk past all that stuff sitting in the staff kitchen...big huge counter full of all sorts of goodies (baddies???). I have been resisting but it's hard.

Tonight was a banquet...our choir sang for a local organization's 20th anniversary dinner. The food was good, and reasonably healthy...well, except for the lady fingers, whipped cream and berries dessert! I still have this ridiculous compulsion to eat everything on the plate, even when it's more than I need or even want.

Haven't had time to ride my bike except this past Sunday, when I did about 10 miles. Rained Monday, and we went out for dinner with BIL, Tuesday we were babysitting the grandchild, Wednesday I had meetings at church, Thursday Choir rehearsal, tonight banquet, tomorrow a huge event at church. Not doing so hot on that part of my goals for September.

Weight is staying off, though it seems to zig-zag its way downwards. But general overall downward progress is good and I am pleased. Tomorrow I'll redo measurements and see how that's all going.

Chugging my cherry coke zero...I'm actually starting to like the stuff!

Cj

Good morning ladies

It is a blue sky day here in London, so DH and I got off at a different tube station and walked through St James' Park to get to work. Stopped off to say hi to the pelicans and watch the most enormous swan taking off from the water - very impressive.

Thank you for all your kind comments about my photos. Sometimes I need to turn round and look back to see how far I have come, especially when I'm having a bad day. It would be relatively easy for me to go back to my old ways and undo all the hard work, but coming on to MFP certainly helps.

Why is that I always splash coffee on myself when I'm wearing white?? - I just had to stop typing and sponge my top. Grrr!

I am reading another 'happiness' book at present. It is called The Happiness Handbook by Ruth Clydesdale. It is definitely worth reading as it is extremely well written (even though I spotted a few daft mistakes that were missed by the proof reader - but that comes from all the years of proof reading that I've done!) There are some wonderful words of advice to be gleaned from it.

After spending quite some time reading all the posts this morning, I now have no time to respond to you all individually, but I am sending good thoughtwaves out to each and everyone of you - can you feel them? Give them a minute as they have a way to travel, but at some point during the day you will have a good moment - and I wished that on you!

Time for me to do some work.

Be happy and be kind to yourself, it will make all the difference.

Love to all.
Amanda x

:happy: Good Morning to all:flowerforyou:

This has become my new morning routine:
reading all personal & work email
checking Ebay & Amazon account to see if I need to ship anything
sneaking a peak at Facebook
and last but not least, logging into MFP:happy:

all while having my morning coffee, I haven't given it up this time like I have with past weight loss attempts, no headaches this time:drinker:
I log it in with the sugar and light cream I usually take with it

It's going to be a busy day here, but I will pop in now and then to log in when I need that extra encouragement to stay on my plan. Easier to stay on course on a work day, when I pack my food.
Have to be good this weekend, my second weigh in is Monday, may retake measurements then too.

Lynn

Good morning all – still trying to keep up with everyone and unfortunately I’m doing a less than adequate job of it!! I do appreciate having all your updates to read. It is wonderful to have a resource of such caring and inspiring women to talk with.

Things remain kind of hectic and worrying with my dad. I’ll spare you the details. At least they have a family conference scheduled next Thursday where I can hear the therapists’ opinions on my dad’s condition and what they can do for him.

I’ve been home long enough now to have all the bills paid, my laundry done and almost all my errands caught up. But you know errands never seem to go away, it seems I’m always adding one to my list.

I did take a break the other day and met a friend at Costco. I don’t have a membership but she did and needed quite a few things for some food she’s making for her dog club meeting. I always find Costco very interesting and we looked around a bit in addition to her needed shopping. She got several bags of something called Skinny Pop which I’d never heard of before. She said it was wonderful popcorn. I looked at the big 10 oz. bag and indeed it looked pretty darn good to me to. It has only 39 calories per cup, no cholesterol, no gluten, non GMO, no preservatives, etc. etc. It is just popcorn, sunflower oil and salt. Not really salty either---4 cups has 50 mg of sodium which isn’t bad. Sometimes I just want to eat a lot of something without a lot of guilt. So I got a bag and maybe unfortunately, I LOVE IT. Gosh, it’s enough to make me want to get a Costco membership if this is one of their regular items.

Tomorrow is my weigh-in day---I missed last week’s weigh-in since I was out of town. Just for good measure I believe there will be salmon and green beans in my lunch today. This should close out my goal with the challenge group I joined to lose 20 lbs. in 3 months (end date October 1st). This was the 1st challenge group I joined on MFP. It’s been an interesting experience. The lady who started the group has had a lot of record keeping but I’m thankful she decided to start the group as it pushes you just a little bit harder.

Time to go----it’s a big football day here in Iowa----University of Iowa versus Iowa State University. I personally attended University of Northern Iowa and am wearing no colors today.

Be well, be safe. Hugs.......

Lin
:drinker: :drinker:

First 10lbs gone. Treated myself----ha ha not with food but purchased some Estee Lauder skin care products. Will see what the scale says next week. I am so committed. I weigh and measure everything. Has not had sodas nor juices for the past 5week since on MFP

Happy Saturday Ladies!


Survived my first before-school session with the trainer yesterday. I didn’t have trouble getting up and out the door (everything packed the night before), but by the time I got home and fixed dinner, I was ready for bed. Figuring out the best schedule is always a stumbling block for me. For some reason I resist this step. Even when I see great success come from planning things out, I start to feel like I’m a captive of this elaborate structure around my life and I want to rebel. Anybody else struggle with this? I think I need a different way of looking at this that will help me resist the urge to chuck it all and revert to old, unhealthy behaviors.

Lila – Happy birthday and I hope you enjoy your visitors.

Amanda – Inspiring photos! Thanks for posting. It will help me stick to my goals for one more day. Thanks for the good thoughts, too!

Glendalight – So proud of you for getting your bike out and pumping up those tires all by yourself! That’s what I need to do! I hope your hip is feeling a little better today, and that you’re able to ride again, even if it’s only 10 minutes.

Deb A – I struggle with the DumbBoard,too! My new co-teacher uses an “airliner” all day, which I’ve never used. (It’s a small tablet you write on from anywhere in the room and it transmits your writing through Bluetooth to the SmartBoard.) She made it look so easy so I tried it (without practicing first) and had to bail out immediately and revert to the actual SmartBoard. Stayed after school yesterday to practice with that thing for almost 30 minutes. It’s very tricky! I’m still more comfortable at the old whiteboard, but I will keep practicing so I can have the flexibility of moving around the room and still be able to “write on the board.” I wish drinking water wasn’t a problem for me!

Gardengail – Making paper flowers sounds like a fun way to spend time with your friend.

Lentigogirl – Donuts were always one of my weaknesses when under stress. Now that I’ve gone gluten-free, I haven’t found a satisfactory replacement for them. Good luck with the financial planning this weekend, and enjoy your DS’s visit.

Nancy – Congrats on your 1# loss, AND on going to the spin class on a Friday afternoon! Enjoy the new Weber grill. Wish we had one.

Wessecg – sounds like you might need to eat more, not less. Or else you might need to spread out your calories to 5 or 6 smaller snack/meals so your metabolism will burn more steadily. You are burning a lot of calories! Were you able to go riding again this week?

Retskciv63 – Welcome! I agree with others that you try going to your boot camp and just let the instructor know about your tendonitis and your concerns. She/he might be able to give you some guidance. If not, listen to your body and stop or adjust your intensity level when you feel pain.. And if you discover that the boot camp is too much, then try something else. You might need to try several things before you find one you like that doesn’t lead to too much pain. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

Revpeg – Welcome to you, too! Good goals for September. Keep checking in on this thread for steady encouragement and support.

Kate – sounds like you recovered from forgetting THE birthday. Good work taking just a slim slice of the cake. Stick with it and you will break that 200 lb barrier before you know it.

Robin – Hope your trip to Tillamook is just the getaway that you need. Hope the rain stays away, too, so you can enjoy the drive. I’ve never been to Oregon but I hope to someday.


Cathy – Sorry that darned “custom” knee brace wasn’t quite right. It can be so frustrating when things aren’t what you are expecting. Here’s hoping the next go-around will be better. Doing chair exercises sounds like that might be a great alternative while you wait. Way to come up with a Plan B!

Jane – Hope you are feeling better today. How’s your house coming along?

Dixie – Happy to see you’re checking in. How are you managing these days? Still in my prayers.

Barbie – You picked a good hubby, didn’t you?

DeeDee – Size 12!!! And new undergarments, too??? What a great shopping trip! I can’t wait until I need to buy new clothes. One of the things on my list of “rewards” (when I reach 15 lbs lost) is to get some new clothes. Can’t wait! I don’t think I’ll make it down to Size 12 pants, but I might be at Size 14 and that will be an improvement. Glad you are finishing your antibiotics today! Hope you continue to gain energy.

Meg – it sounds like you had the health screening from hell. So sorry. But congratulations on the 2.2 lbs lost! You are heading in the right direction. Did you get that margarita you were thirsting for last night? I hope you can find out for sure about the steroid cream, and if that’s the culprit, that you can find an alternative without the side effects.

Jen – the massage definitely sounds preferable to pulling out a garden bed at your mom’s! Good planning on your part. Stuffed peppers can be delicious! I haven’t made them in awhile – maybe this week I’ll put them on the menu. They would make a great lunch if DH doesn’t like them. More for you! Can’t wait to hear the outcome of the pending sibling doubles match. Sounds fun! My siblings are spread all across the country (California, Denver, Milwaukee, and me in northern Virginia), so we never get together, especially now that both parents are gone. The best I can do is to visit with them one at a time.

HappyLady123 – Welcome. Lots of nurses in this thread, too. Happy belated 50th . You have some great goals for Sept. How long before your ankle heals?

Cj – I’ve been a lifetime member of the clean plate club, too. Does anyone else have childhood memories of hearing about the poor starving pagan babies? I remember thinking I would gladly send my cold, shriveled lima beans to them. Somehow I always seem to have room for dessert, especially at church events where there are usually a few people who are excellent bakers. Lady fingers with fresh berries isn’t THAT bad…

Time to get up and move! Lots of chores to do before the rain comes. Happy thoughts to all. Drink more water!:drinker:

Polly

I love reading everyone's posts. Someday I might try to answer individually too. Not quite ready for that yet.

Today I have to work off yet another barbeque. We have been having them or invited to them a couple times a week lately. Last night's was particularly hard...but so good. Well...the same pound I have been losing and gaining for weeks will have to be lost again.

Monday is school picture day. I would like to find a casual type of dress to wear, but I'm having no luck even though I can actually shop in the regular women's section for the first time in a LONG time. It's still pretty hot to wear long pants too.

Hot weather is good for getting the water in though:happy:

Have a good week everyone!

Eileen

Gail (at least I think it was you) thank you I googled it and yup sounds like it...so I will be talking to doc about it when I see her..in the meantime will use anti-inflammatory cream on it and try the ice remedy and just treat it nice...see how that works...can you tell I have doc phobias?? LOL!:laugh:

I guess the work party at mom's was productive but I guess I will be getting my chops busted for having the nerve to go to my massage...A-i wasn't asked about it and B- I think they are jealous...yes I have my tiara (read princess) on today...big brothers will take care of that in no time! Meg- my mom is 79 and the boys are and will always be king...she doesn't like any of my SIL..who are all great people because I don't think anyone is good enough for her boys! It is what it is and I probably wouldn't change her(much) if I could.

Made my stuffed peppers and yup did not follow the recipe..kind of blended a couple of them...the stuffing is delicious (had to check seasonings) sonwill see what dh thinks...havenot told him its turkey..heh! Heh! Heh!:bigsmile:

Have a nice evening..will be watching college football tonight..LSU I think.my niece is one of the grad student trainers..maybe I will see her!

Hugs, high fives and prayers they get us through the day

Jen

Ladies, it is so pretty in Texas - finally - that I have vowed to not spend much time on the computer so just dropping in to make my mark. I sure hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday. :bigsmile:

Update on the stuffed peppers...dh declared them "good" as opposed to "fine" so I guess I can make them again and we will be fighting over leftovers for lunch!!


Jen

Good afternoon and happy Sat. Gorgeous day here in Portland, mid-80s with a few clouds floating around. I've been super busy all day and my legs finally said stop! :grumble: so I thought I'd rest a bit, log my foods and take a minute to say hi.

I peeled enough tomatoes this morning to feed an army for a week, ended up canning 5 quarts and have close to 3 gallons of pasta sauce still simmering away on the stove. It'll cook down quite a bit more by this evening. Love the smell of it in the house, it's just the greatest recipe. There's no oregano in it, just fresh Italian parsley, fresh basil, a couple of bay leaves, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a bunch of garlic. Mmm-hmm! When it's done and cooled I bag it up in quart zip locks and freeze it. Makes for easy dinners come winter time, and it's easy to turn into pizza sauce by cooking longer to thicken and adding Greek oregano.

I made applesauce, too, and got it all canned. I added just a tiny bit of sugar, about 2 teaspoons per pint. Probably didn't even need to do that, but the apples were Gravensteins and weren't terribly sweet. Delicious, though!

I'm having problems with numbness on the tip of my middle finger that's been bothering me for over a week. And no, it's not bad karma from flipping off the idiot neighbors! :laugh: They're horrible, foul-mouthed renters, I wish they'd dry up and blow away. :explode: Anyway, on the GOOD neighbor side, I found out last night that the new gal who moved in across the street is a massage therapist and would gladly trade massages for guitar lessons. :bigsmile: I'm going to take her up on it and see if she can locate the pinched nerve or what have you that's causing the numbness. She did a bit of work on my arm last night and immediately the tingling went away. I've had this before, years ago, and I'm thinking it has to do with overuse of my hands. I do too much in the summer with all of the gardening but I just can't help myself. :blushing: There won't be as much digging to do now that harvest time is here.

DeeDee, size 12! That's wonderful. I recently fit into them, too, and was shocked! :noway: I bought a new pair the other day that seemed a little too big, but when I tried on size 10 there was no way I could cram myself into them. Believe me, I tried. :ohwell: I guess I'm a tweener. When I tried the jeans on today to make sure I'd be happy with them before washing, I found a white spot in the threads on the knee, so my excuse for returning them. Back they go. And back to the hunt for some that fit.

Lin, Skinny Pop at Costco, oh boy. Sounds really good! But it's dangerous territory for me since I can't stop eating popcorn once I start. I wonder if I dare trust myself to buy a bag. :huh: I'll probably be making a trip there tomorrow.

Jen, great job with the peppers, yay, success! I really enjoy using ground turkey. My hubby balks a bit when I make turkey burgers for the grill, but he eats them without complaining.

Kackie, hi! Thanks for the sweet compliments. :flowerforyou:

Well, time to stir the sauce and move the sprinkler. Everyone have a great evening! Drink lotsa water, it keeps you feeling full.

jb

Michele

I was reading your post from 8/31. Don't know if this helps, but I started having trouble with my big toe when I increased my walking to 5 days a week. Turns out I have arthritis there. The doctor sent me to a shoe store that deals with orthotics. They told me that I was wearing the wrong size shoe! He measured my feet and said for athletic shoes, you buy a size larger. The new shoes are really helping and were cheaper than the orthotic.

Keep up the good work!

Wanda

hi all, my name is margie, I am new to this so I find all your cooments encouring, I am in Victoria, Australia. Have a nice day: flowerforyou:

:flowerforyou: today I was at an all day meeting---indoors and sitting for six hours. i was one of the presenters and had to sit at the front of the room all day so I couldn't sneak out and take a walk :laugh: :laugh: it's also the day I've chosen (on an experimental basis) to not log food or exercise so I ate some things that aren't usual for me....I avoided all the muffins, cookies and other sweet treats, but had two bananas with peanut butter and a cheese sandwich (stuff I never allow in my house)......thanks to the dogs I walked over 20,000 steps :bigsmile:

:flowerforyou: tonight hubby called and had me put on the speaker phone so he could talk to the dogs......Brandy licked the phone when she heard his voice.

Barbie from NW Washington

Awwwwwwwww Poodles are the best! I've started taking Sasha with me on Wednesdays when I babysit my 3 month old granddaughter. When I sit down and put granddaughter Andie in my lap, Sasha starts licking Andie's feet and carefully works her way up, cleaning Andie's legs, hands, arms, and ears. And Andie loves it!