WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL

So here is my 2 cents on the hair color question. At about age 30 I discovered I had "chrome" starting above my ears and at my hairline hear forehead. I figured chrome belonged on a car, and since I am not a '54 Buick, I learned some basic info from a friend about how to mix color and away I went. I never bought the pre-packaged stuff, always got the separate haircolor and developer and mixed a batch as needed.

I started out as close to my own color as a could, but as time passed, I decided to lighten and go toward the red spectrum, so that is where I am. It is so close to my own color that it grows out without roots, which is handy. The only thing that has changed over the years is that I now have a couple of splotches that go grey behind my ears. If my hair appeared to be greying out evenly, I might consider changing what I do, but I am still 95% my original color, so why fool with what works.

One thing that is really handy is the "crayon" I discovered that you can buy in a beauty supply to match the color of the product you are using, or close to it. You run warm water over it, and then use it to color in roots--very handy and allows me to go 6 weeks between coloring without looking like it. They have a brand at Sally Beauty Supply that I can't recall the name of, but the one I first tried was made by Kiss.

Doggies and I managed to get a full walk in today. Nice and sunny and 70 degrees--and, No, it didn't rain this time!!! Not here anyway, can't say the same about Texas, as per my earlier post.

So long for now.

Barb

:flowerforyou: The hair color queestion: at 56 my hair is still mostly brown. I tell my children that each time I teach one of them to drive I get a ton more white hairs. With only three more to teach out of 14, Ithink I may get by without any coloring!:ohwell: My mom has beautiful, soft white hair and I will be happy if mine turns out just like hers. Looking forward to a good week...:flowerforyou:

Kackie - I'm with you - 3 pounds by May 1. I'm in.

I really need to see double digits here in the weight loss department. I have a long way to go. I feel so much better already; I'm curious just how great I'll feel when I really get going!! :bigsmile:

I've got the exercise thing going and have pretty much gotten the eating the wrong stuff monster under control. Now it's a matter of not eating too much of a good thing. Should be a piece of cake, oops broccoli, right? :drinker: Sweets has never been a major problem for me. Carbs on the other hand... once I get started on pretzels, chips, popcorn, bread I'm a goner. Fortunately they aren't gotta haves for DH, so I keep most of it out of the house. Just sandwich rounds and whole wheat which I don't have too much trouble with. My baking days are over for a while. My kitchen used to smell like yeast most of the time.

Thought I would drop in with the Hair Dying topic

I am naturally blonde, but over the last few years my hair has gone slightly mousy - it lightens up if I am in sunshine, but I was fed up of the mousyness so I had highlights put it a few years ago and have been hylighting ever since. The last few times I have dyed it at home with a bit of help from a friend and (touch wood) the results have been good.

I'm about due another colour, so I'll be doing that shortly.

Well better get back to work - had a quick peep while I was finishing off my lunch - so far so good with the calories.

Have a good day :drinker:

Viv

Hey everyone!

I'm going to log on again tonite and try to read more posts...I have not even had a chance in 3 days to post anything let alone count calories. I had a ridiculously hard week at work...3 conferences and understaffed at the hotel and I ran my behind off but I made up for it by totally blowing it one day and eating absolutely everything in sight....I mean everything ha! Then next night went out for my daughters birthday......but here I am again ready to feel really healthy today and so happy there is support here to get right back on track! Two months ago I would have just thought "oh forget this...I blew it and whats the use?" Maybe tommorrow I'll weigh in and see what damage I did but today I don't care it just feel good to relax! I'll try to catch up later.

Hi everyone, I’m still in Pasadena at my daughter’s, with time on my hands because she’s at work today. I’m procrastinating right now, visiting one of my favorite places (MFP, specifically this thread). I should be working on our family cookbook. It’s going to be nice … if I can just get it done! It’s too big to do in Word … it kept blowing up. I’ve finally learned enough InDesign to do it but I’m thoroughly intimidated. I promise myself to get back to it (as soon as I finish this post and do a little exercise!) :laugh:

So far, this trip has gone really well. My visit with a friend a couple of weeks ago didn’t go so well :grumble: as I didn’t take control of what I was eating. It’s easier with my daughter because I don’t feel as though I have to be as “polite!” She’s actually very supportive and is getting on this band wagon herself. It would have been easy with my friend too if I’d let her know ahead of time! Lesson learned.

Viv, I like your attitude: “Everyday is a new day.” That’s the right attitude for staying on track. When I start getting down on myself is when I start to have trouble staying on track. Strange but true. Congrats on staying on track today. :flowerforyou:

MacMadame, You’re an inspiration! :happy: Thanks for staying on MFP and inspiring the rest of us even though you’ve reached goal weight. It helps the idea sink in that losing the weight is only part of it. Keeping it off deserves just as much attention.

Barb, You sound like a good friend And your 53 lbs is awesome. Almost half way there! The walk sounds lovely.:happy:

Jeannie, Re the opinion poll: I colored my hair for years. Went to my natural color (part gray – at least it’s silvery not yellowy) about a year ago. I keep thinking about coloring it again, or at least doing low lights. But everyone says keep it natural.

Hmmmm. It’s a tossup for me. Coloring my hair makes me feel as though I look younger but that’s not what I’m hearing from everyone else. I’ll post a current pic soon (although the one up now shows the silver) and get some more opinions. (so I can be more confused!) :laugh: Good luck deciding! And, you’re right, this is a wonderful forum group!

Robin, You are going strong! Congrats on getting to your May goal so fast. Every time I read someone’s post about loving the way they feel when they exercise, I feel encouraged to keep at it.

Mary, Hey, gray hair is way better than bad breath and stinky feet! You made me smile. :laugh:

SuzyW, Urgh. Stop when you’re around 60, huh? I guess it is time for me to forget about coloring my hair, now that I’m approaching 62. (62, are you kidding?) :noway: Unfortunately for me, I inherited wrinkly, saggy skin (thanks, Mom!) so the silvery brown probably complements the skin more than all brown (even with highlights).

You are getting so close to your goal! Congrats on a good job. :flowerforyou: I love the quote in your signature…”Forget motivation. Just do it...”) I’m going to make that part of my mantra!

Renny, Awesome bike ride. :happy: Your part of the country is so beautiful. My sister used to live in Maple Ridge, B.C., and we’d visit Victoria from time to time. What a great place.

Kackie, Your best bet is to think about what a good job you're doing to hop right back on. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Everybody gets off track. It’s the willingness to get back on that makes the difference. I find that beating myself up :devil: absolutely, definitely, without a single doubt NEVER works for me! I look at getting off track for a day or two as good practice for the rest of my life. We’ll ALWAYS get off track from time to time. As long as we get right back on, we can pat ourselves on the back!! Good job for getting right back with it. :flowerforyou:

Doobiedoo, Good heavens…14 kids? And still standing? :noway: I give you lots of credit. And good job on the 26 lbs lost. :flowerforyou:

Faye, Kudos to you for staying on a healthy track. :flowerforyou: And good going on the gym. That’s inspiring. BTW, the only way I can respond to the individual posts (which I do only once in awhile for which all breathe a sigh of thanks!) is to open two windows: MFP in one and Word in the other. When I’m done, I copy my Word doc into my reply.

AnotherYearOlder, Maybe you can substitute cooking good snacks for the old baking. I love roasting veggies. I often eat a big platter of roasted veggies before thinking about dinner, and sometimes before lunch. It’s like magic. All the munchies go away. Adding more (good stuff) works better for me than focusing on restricting what I eat. This is a first for me and I’m amazed about how extravagant and delicious eating has become. :laugh:

Amalia, Two kilos lost is a great start. Being in a wheelchair has got to make it much harder. I have a similar resistance to exercise but, little by little, mostly due to the encouragement I get from reading the posts of the folks on MFP who are exercising, I’m doing more of it. Carbs were hard for me too until I started eating more veggies. (I know, I sound like a broken record. But I’m so amazed at the difference eating lots (and lots!) of veggies makes. The veggies have far fewer carbs than grains, etc. For me, they're better roasted (475 for 10-15 minutes, depending on the veggie) than raw. Keep up with your good start! :flowerforyou:

Suzanita, Congrats on getting right back on track. The first day back is always the hardest. And congrats too on being more than half way to your goal. What a good feeling that must be! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

It's Monday and I'm at work and the sun is shinning, but I think I need an attitude adjustment:grumble: Work is no fun right now, but on the positive note I do have a job:indifferent:

Rose - Wow even on the go you manage to go to the gym, I'm impressed:drinker:

Jackie - glad your Mum is feeling more like herself , sorry your shoulder & the scales aren't

Mimi-You are really being good at adjusting the exercise and calories to see changes:drinker: can't say that I'm that inspired yet and Congrats on 30 lbs lost:flowerforyou:

Kathy (pmjsmom) :flowerforyou: Congrats on quiting smoking, any habit is hard to break, but I've heard quiting smoking:smokin: is one of the hardest.

Viv- I joined you in going over this weekend, :blushing: but maybe we will be better this week.

MacMadame - WOW you did your first tri for the season....:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: Cheers to you!

Barb - Hope that talk with your daughter sticks , it's so hard when you know that if they will only jump on board with MFP that it could help them too.

Robin - :flowerforyou: Good for you making your May 1st goal in April!

Rebel - Your bike riding is inspiring, I'm hoping that when warmer weather hits I too will want to get outside:flowerforyou: Allergies permiting:sick:

Kackie & Suzanita - Be not discouraged...tomorrow is another day to begin:smooched:

Randy -:flowerforyou: Congrats on the #10 pants. How was your Cholesterol Test?

Jeannie - About hair and dying....I don't dye (yet) but I don't have that many grays that can be seen either:blushing: . I've always said that when I turn gray I will cut it and dye it. The weekend of Hurrican Katrina (aug 29, 2005) I decided to donate my hair to "Locks of Love" and I cut 17" off, then in December 2008 I donated again and cut 14". My hair is almost to my waist again and as long as I don't dye it I will probably donate again. My husband is always amazed :huh: that I don't have much gray, but the only way you can see it is if the light hits those few hairs just right.

**********

The weekend for keeping track of food and exercise was a train wreck:sad: . The only good thing was that the scale this morning was merciful only up 1/2 lb:blushing: ....so today I vow to be good and get back on the program.

Mom is thinking that walking 5 steps is good progress...wasn't it just a few weeks ago that she was walking 30 steps:grumble: something is awfully wrong with this picture:noway:

Have a good afternoon and evening....We can do this:bigsmile:

Laura

Hi all! It's been a few days since I first posted. This last few days has been very difficult for our community, children and adults. We laid to rest today, the little 8th grade girl that lost her life in a car accident last week. Now, the healing can begin and with time, it will get easier for all. My son has taken it really hard and has yet to start sleeping by himself again. Love and encouragement is what we can all offer each other. And I see so much of that on this site.

Everyone does such a nice job of responding to each other's posts. I am so pleased I joined this thread!

I had an extremely active weekend with gardening, cleaning up a park, and replacing ceilling tiles. I didn't officially exercise, but still burned about 2000 calories a day with outside work. I was totally exhausted last night!!! I didn't even have enough energy last night to eat any extra calories that I had earned.

I have decided to start working really hard with extra exercise this week. I have a 2 week trip to St. Maarten coming up in 7 weeks.............hoping to look and feel much better by then.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Keep up the good work!

Barbara

Ok, so I am still here...:blushing:

Just saw the info below on another post and thought it belonged here as well. Thank you to 00trayn for posting it on another thread:

Mon 04/19/10 12:55 PM
I just came across this article discussing how weight loss is extremely difficult without changing one's diet. Here's a bit from it... and here's the link

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/18/magazine/18exercise-t.html?src=me&ref=general

It also says for women especially, it is important to maintain exercise once one has achieved a desired weight. In a study, of the women who returned to their normal eating habits but continued to exercise after meeting their goal weight were MUCH more successful in maintaining that weight or limiting the pounds they put back on. I recommend reading this article for some great information.

"Those who stuck with either of the exercise programs regained less weight than those who didn’t exercise and, even more striking, did not regain weight around their middles. The women who didn’t exercise regained their weight and preferentially packed on these new pounds around their abdomens. "

So long... Barb

Barbara (babybluebarbie), I'm so sorry for your loss. My heart goes out to you and your son.

Barb, Unfortunately it really is Word that's the problem with our family cookbook. It just doesn't handle 200 pages full of text boxes and images very well. The good side is that I'm learning InDesign!

Viv, You brought up my favorite subject! :laugh: It used to be that I just tolerated most veggies. Then I discovered roasting.

People have different methods for roasting veggies. I put them in a broiler pan, spray them with olive oil, season them (I use salt and pepper and lemon for broccoli), then roast them at 475 or so (depends on your oven).

Asparagus is amazing. It takes about 10 minutes and is not stringy at all (still has a little crunch). Mini bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli do best when roasted a little longer - maybe 15 minutes. (I usually turn the oven down to 440 for the last 5 minutes.) Squash is not my favorite, but my daughter loves it. She roasts it for just 5 minutes or so.

I've been experimenting with different veggies. It's amazing :bigsmile: how eating a big platter (I mean big! :laugh: ) takes the munchies away. This is a first for me in 40 years of dieting and I am still surprised about how indulged I feel. I'm enjoying what I eat now way more than when I was eating a lot of junk food. Hope you enjoy the veggies as much. (I'm also eating more fruit - together, they make a big difference in what I want to eat.)

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: Hubby is home from his trip.......He drove for eleven hours today to get home.:bigsmile: :bigsmile: He unpacked all his suitcases, gave me all the credit cards receipts for his expenses, made his own dinner and then made popcorn for himself and the dogs. We are all very happy tonight. :bigsmile: :bigsmile: \ Barbie

Why don't you send him back down here??? The doggies and I think popcorn sounds good!!!!:laugh::laugh:

Seriously, welcome home to Jake. I know your family is glad to have you back.

I did something interesting tonight with fresh spinach. I like keeping it around because it lasts so much longer than lettuce, but it doesn't last forever, and I had some that was beginning to look a little "long in the tooth." So I took about 3 cups of it, and through some sliced crimini mushrooms on top and micro'd it for about a minute. Then I took it out and sprayed some Wishbone Salad spritzer balsamic vinaigrette on it. Yummy!!

Barb

:flowerforyou: Hi everyone .....another day then!!!

Actually had a lie in this morning....making the most of Mum's absence! That sounds awful I know but once she's home we'll be back to normal!! It actually seems very strange not having her here ....I've been made redundant!! Laid off!! Total retirement doesn't appeal at all. I think we'ed have to get a dog again if we were on our own ...cats or no cats!!!

Barbara.... I'm sad to hear of your community's loss. Doubly sad when it's a young life cut short.

We too had some sad news today. The death of a "holiday" friend. We met such a lovely couple on holiday in Spain, about 15 years ago, and have kept in touch, met up over the years. Sadly the husband has died after a long cancer battle and even though we met them fleetingly, he made such an impression on us and will be fondly remembered. We even met a couple of young ladies on holiday in Egypt last November that came from their same small Scottish Village and who knew them both well.....small world or what?!!

:drinker: On the subject of Roasting Veggies ....... I love to do that. DH does a mean Moroccan lamb with Roast veggies and cous cous.
I normally briefly steam the veg ...carrots, peppers, celery, mushroom, courgettes, parsnip ...anything!!! in the microwave for a few minutes. Then... mix with herbs, tomato puree. Chilli or cayenne , , spray with olive oil and roast in a hot oven 'til starting to brown. Sautee the diced lean lamb in a little olive oil with chunky onion and garlic, tomato puree and chilli etc. Add rosemary, french mustard, lamb stock cube, diced tomatoes. Layer on the veggies and finish roasting until tender. Serve with cous cous .....might just do that tomorrow!

:ohwell: Scales the same today ...which means the weights up ....but its early and I'm well within the calories.I WILL BE GOOD TODAY!!!... I'm drinking more water as I'm still taking the tablets!! I did exercycle for 30 min yesterday

I was looking at a new diet today ..in the newspaper.. The Dukan Diet... Apparently like Atkins but not. Has anyone tried this high protein diet?

Must go now ....cooking lean beef meatballs in tomato sauce with spaghetti. (Must weigh that when I serve) and NO CHEESE!

:flowerforyou: Off to visit Mum soon too. To stop the boredom eating I'll maybe tackle that ironing tonight when DH is at work, now the arm feels a bit easier ....keep taking the tablets!!! Not too long though as Co - codamol can be addictive I know.

Be good folks and thanks for being there!!

BFN
Jackie

Good morning-
I am back from my NYC sojourn and ready to get serious about mfp again. I haven't had a chance to read the many pages of posts on this thread, but I did see yours Kathy. I am so sorry you've had so many tough issues to deal with regarding your parents. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for all of you. Just know I'm thinking of you.
Zaza

Hi, everyone...I'm new to Myfitnesspal and came across your group. I'm 53 years old and am a stay-at-home wife with physical disabilities. I have two children who are grown and married. I have 1 grandson and another on the way. I have desparately been trying to lose weight but struggle because of meds that cause weight gain. I have lost 20 lbs so far but really could use some encouragement and support. I appreciate your upbeat messages of support for each other and seriously need to be a part of a group like that. I will be watching your message boards.

Have a great day!

Sharon

Kathy, you've got a lot to deal with. My heart goes out to you and your Mom and Dad. I'm glad your Mom gets to come home and hope the infection stays in the background and your Dad's memory improves.

Sharon, welcome! I've relished the support from the folks on the thread. It's a very positive group!

Denise, bummer about your trip. I hope your group gets to go later. Sounds as if the trip would be a blast.

I saw lots of veggie recipes (one from Barb!) on another thread. I can't wait to try them. (Roasted veggies have been a revelation to me!) In case you want to try them too, I've "collected" them below.

Veggie Recipes

Wow. Lots of great recipes in here. Thank you! I put all the recipes in a Word doc so I can try them. (At least, some of them! ) I copied them into this post in case anybody else wants them all in a bunch. BTW, re Brussels sprouts. I saw a special on Discovery Channel. Some people can't taste the bitterness of Brussels sprouts, some taste it a little, and some gag because they taste so bitter. A little trivia for you!

Can't wait to try some of these:

A great easy way to make veggies a little tastier is to use chicken broth for cooking instead of plain water and rice vinegar is great on veggies too.

Now I use them IN other things. When I make pasta, I sauté some fresh veggies (or actually frozen works for this) and put them in the sauce. My favorites for that are mushrooms, green peppers, and spinach. Delicious. Also broccoli and carrots or pretty much anything will work.

I think, by far, my favorite way to eat vegetables is in shish kabob form. I like red onions, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and peppers and put them all on a stick. You can marinade them in some Italian dressing, and maybe add some chicken. Then, put them on the grill. It's so good, especially in the summer.

Try lightly brushing your veggies with olive oil, sprinkle on some seasons or just salt and pepper and roast in the oven. Asparagus is awesome roasted. I put chopped garlic in olive oil and let it sit for about 30 minutes then brush it on the asparagus lightly, add salt and pepper and roast on 400 for about 15 minutes. Just before it is done I sprinkle lightly with fresh Parmesan cheese. Delicious!

Take a zucchini, slice it long ways down the middle. Spray "I can't believe it's butter" on it, (or put some low fat type parmesan/garlic dressing on them) then sprinkle a little bit of parmesan cheese on it with some pepper. Bake/brown them for like 20 minutes on a very hot setting (or less if you like them more crips) I like them more browned so I broil them. THEY ARE SO DANG GOOD! You'll like them! I do the same thing with asparagus and mushrooms and I chop up onions and mix that in too.

I am not a vegetable person either, so i supplement as much as i can with V8 juice

For a quick fix for fresh asparagus, I steam it in the micro on 80% so it stays a little crispy. Then I spray a little Wishbone Spritzers balsamic vinaigrette dressing on it. Yummy!! Also, shredded Parmesan or sharp cheddar is good on asparagus, with or without the spray.

I like to put a little shredded cheese on broccoli or cauliflower also.

Yams or sweet potatoes are yummy I boil or bake them put a little butter then add cinnamon or you can even forget the butter. If you use baby carrots they are sweeter than large carrots. I don't put much on my veggies I like the natural flavor. Except for BrusselS sprouts (gag)

BrusselS sprouts, fresh or frozen are wonderful, if you do this: Steam them then add some shredded parmesan on them and a little smart balance or a dab of butter. A little won't wreck your eating plan and the flavor is phenomenal.

Eat 'em raw! It's better for you! I love a plate of sliced raw veggies and a dollop of hummus for dipping.

Try making homemade sweet potato "fries" slice into French fry sized strips, toss with a little canola oil, cinnamon and cumin. Roast for 20-30 minutes. I eat these weekly in the winter! For summertime, try cutting a few different veggies the same size and marinating them with a balsamic vinaigrette and grilling them. So good with some brown rice and grilled tofu. Sorry I'm a vegetarian, I guess you could grill some chicken if you don't like tofu (lol)

Turn your fruits into smoothies or juice them

I spray a little olive oil on them and put them in a 475 oven for 10-15 minutes. 10 Sor less works for asparagus. Mini peppers, onions, broccoli, etc. are best with a few more minutes. If you roast zucchini (which is still not a favorite! ) 5 minutes or so works well. Season them however you like. Delish.

Cook your veggies in a frying pan with Salsa or Hummus! Yum!

Grill 'em Put them on kebabs with meat and a heavy dose of spices and you'll love them in no time! Same goes for roasting. Use olive oil or [real] butter on them, lightly brown the edges. Good stuff.

Or try slicing squashes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, or carrots very thin with a mandoline slicer, add a bit of EVOO and sea salt, throw them in the oven and you'll end up with a crispy chip-like veggie. Very good with hummus or pesto. This works well with kale, also. If you bake it it turns into a sort-of chip.

I love throwing anything in the oven in a glass dish with olive oil and some Garlic Season All and baking them for 20 minutes. I've been eating my asparagus this week and it's divine. It's also great for broccoli or green beans. Also, try stir frying!! Get a frozen bag of stir fry or make your own with a bunch of combined vegetables. Pan fry it in olive oil or canola oil on the stove for 10-15 minutes at high heat with some chicken and steak seasoning, then pour a serving over some brown or white rice.

With sweet potatoes we have been putting Watkins cinnamon cream sprinkles on them. I am sure they are sugar but you use so little and it adds so much flavor, yummy.