WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY

What a lovely day I've had today! My step-grandson is an absolute darling delight. He's just turned ten and has the sweetest manners. We decided to get lunch from the supermarket and take it down to the river to watch the ducks, as it was warm and sunny. I told him he could choose whatever he wanted for lunch and he went for a mozzarella, basil and tomato sandwich on sundried tomato bread, followed by some slices of pineapple and a cold milk. I thought his choices were excellent for a youngster. My daughter had real problems with him when he was over here last year. He was eating rubbish and she sat him down and had a good long discussion about healthy eating. He seems to have stuck with it which is good. He's over from Ohio for another couple of months and then he will be coming back for Christmas (this will be the first Christmas he will have spent with his Dad since he was a baby). I think that it will be perfect for him to come over just after the twins are born. when

Tomorrow morning I have to take my dad shopping and also sort out his new mobile phone. For an intelligent man, he is extremely bad at new technology! I always tell him that he should read the manual when he gets something new, but it's as if he takes that as an affront to his masculinity! Come to think of it, my DH is a bit like that too - it is definitely a man thing, probably in the same vein as men not asking for directions!

This week seems to have absolutely flown by and I cannot believe that it will be Friday again tomorrow. If I have the energy, I want to clear one of the spare rooms out completely and give it a freshen up in readiness for our Australian friend coming over next month. The bedroom I am going to give him is at the back of the house, overlooking the gardens and it has a huge tree outside the window which the children used to climb out on to when they were young. It used to scare the life out of me, but the were like little monkeys.

Speaking of Australia, our August party is all set now and I've been discussing with DH about what we should wear. He suggested convict outfits! I told him that he should dress up as Dame Edna Everage, but I'm still not sure what I'm going to wear - possibly swagman hats, complete with corks. Corny, but that's part of the fun of it. We still have loads of Fez hats left over from the Moroccan party and sombreros from the Mexican one.

Michele, I wonder why you can only bring one kangaroo over from Australia? Maybe I can get my friend to smuggle one over with him. Actually, that's a no-no as he is stopping off in India on his way over!

Right, I'm going to have one last tread on the mill before I call it a night. Catch up with you all tomorrow xx

So I really wanted to take the time to comment on everyones status, but it's been so busy at work it's just not going to happen....the two off the top of my head...

Mimi:flowerforyou: so glad that your thumb / cut wasn't serious

Faye- 6-8 deer to butcher each year! Wow:noway: helping with the occasional one every few years is more than enough for me!

*****

So I'm totally obsessed, sooo what to reach my goal and all I can think about is how many calories I'm putting in my mouth, whether or not I can exercise it off and if when I next get on the scale it will be good news:huh: This "I want to win this battle" is so strong that it's hard for me to think of other things....I think I need to get a grip and chill...maybe I can this weekend and just maybe that grandson#2 will arrive to distract me.

Have a good evening all:drinker: let's continue to fight the good fight against those unwanted pounds and drink plenty of water:drinker:

Laura

June goals:

Lose 1-1/2 to 2 lbs a week: I lost about 6-1/2 pounds. Definitely slower than the first few months of the year, but expected because I’m lighter! :happy:

Get half way to my weight loss goal: I came in within a hair – exactly half a pound in fact - of reaching my goal. I’ll claim that one anyway. :drinker:

Exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week: I didn’t quite make it but exercised at least half an hour on 21 days. Close enough to feel good about it. :drinker:

Count my blessings: I do, and this group is one of them. I treasure your friendship.

July goals: Lose an average of 1-1/2 lbs a week. Exercise 60 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Start 1 exercise class or find a walking partner. Keep counting my blessings every day.

***

Tomorrow we leave for Winnemucca and the wedding celebration on a mountain peak, followed the next day by a family reunion. I’ve thought about what I’m going to eat but am a little nervous about it. I won’t have a lot of control over the choices.

I’ll take small portions of whatever is served for dinner at the reception. Same thing for the pancake breakfast the following morning. (I am planning to have 2 slices of bacon!) Then, the night of the 4th, I’ll load up on veggies and keep everything else to a minimum. I'll have a margarita too :drinker: . After that…eek. I’ll be sure to have veggies and fruit on hand though. It’s hard to go wrong if I include plenty of those. Plenty of people will want to walk, so I should be okay in the exercise department.

I may not be in touch much over the next few days, but I'll be thinking about you. Everyone in the US, have a wonderful but not too crazy Independence Day. Everyone else, have a wonderful weekend! :glasses:

***

SusieWusie, I’m so glad about your mam. What a scare – and a happy outcome. :flowerforyou:

Barb, yahoo on the weight loss. Your ticker is really moving! :happy:

Amanda, you sent me to the Internet to find out about swagmen’s hats and corks! Your party sounds like it will be delightful (or should I say Brilliant!)

Laura, My daughter told me I was obsessed with MFP and losing weight. I told her she was right and that I figure this obsession is a good obsession. She agreed. There are so many bad habits to unlearn and replace.

Didn't do so well on my June goals. Work and injury made workouts hard to get in. Work made it hard to get to bed at my appointed hour. And work made it hard to write in my blog.

So I guess I get to do it all over again for July. :laugh:

Hello Everyone,

I put in 5 miles today, despite some rain showers. As long as I wear my baseball hat, my glasses and head don't get wet, so therefore I don't FEEL wet.:noway: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

I would like to see at least another pound gone by July 4th, but we shall see.

Happy Canada Day to our neighbors to the North.:flowerforyou: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Barb

Good Morning everyone,
Yesterday was difficult for everyone but the funeral service was very nice. Thanks to everyone for their support.

Now I am determined to get back to logging my foods and try to get more exercise.

My June goals –
1. To exercise 3 times a week - I was doing great in France, not formal exercise, but was walking loads every day but since we came home I’ve been terrible. I will get back into it next week.
2. To drink more water – this is my downfall. I DO NOT like water! I can manage flavoured at a push but I much prefer a cup of coffee. I drink always decaf so it’s probably not as bad for me as “proper” coffee but I know it’s not as good for me as water.
3. To maintain my weight in France - I not only managed to maintain my weight in France but actually managed to lose some! I haven’t been good this week though, irregular hours and meals (including junk I wouldn’t normally eat) and far too much wine will no doubt have had an effect when I get on the scales tomorrow but I’m not going to feel bad about it, I will just get back to being good.

My July goals-

1. To exercise at least 3 times a week
2. To drink more water (as always!):blushing:
3. To get into the 140s and a healthy BMI at last. (I started my journey with a BMI of 31.1 which was in the obese range)
Congratulations to everyone who hit their June goals and I wish everyone well with their personal July goals.
Welcome to all the Newbies who’ve just found this thread. This is a great group and you will get loads of love and support and understanding from the members.
Since I’ve been MIA recently I’ve skimmed through the June posts but not been posting but there were a couple that I remember and must say something about.

Rebel – Belated Happy Birthday. Glad to hear you had a good day.:flowerforyou:

Mimi – Hope your thumb is healing and the news about your son is wonderful. I wish them a long and happy life together.

Kathy – Congratulations on the birth of your Grandson. I love the name Isaac. He is beautiful!

Robin – Glad to hear Keira is ok after her surgery

BirdieM – so sorry to hear about Anthony. He was so young. Your daughters were so brave to sing at his funeral mass.


Now here goes for July.

Barbie – thanks for sorting out this month’s thread for us and for being such a good support. A pound away from your revised goal sounds fantastic. Well done! :flowerforyou:

Pamela –Well done even with the gain (which was probably down to water retention or something) 6lbs in a month is great!

Mary – Great news about your Mom getting home from rehab!

BirdieM - sounds like you are going to have a very busy weekend. Well done on getting to a point where maintaining your weight is an option. You can always lose that extra couple of pounds when it’s time to buy new winter clothes.

Needamulligan – don’t beat yourself up too much about June. What’s done is done, just get back on the wagon and make July a better month.

Ainsliegen – Congratulations on the 4.5lbs. That’s great!

Susiewusie – SO GLAD to hear your Mam’s chest problem wasn’t what you feared. Have a great birthday!

Jackie – I’m not very keen on ironing either but once I start I have to keep going until it is all done. I used to have a lady to do my ironing. I never thought she did it as well as I could but it was still wonderful not to have to do it. My most hated job is cleaning the oven !!

Barb – Wow 9lbs! ~Well done!

Tiarapants – your step grandson sounds delightful. It’s true what you say about men and manuals. My husband would only ever read one as an absolutely last resort. Oh, and congratulations on the forthcoming twins. You must be so excited.

Suezzzque – good luck with the house, hope they accept your offer.

Mimi – Congratulations on losing 6.5 lbs. that’s great! The wedding on the mountain peak sounds great. Hope everyone has a fabulous time.

Fay – Congratulations on those 4lbs lost.

DJDuffy – Congratulations on the 6lbs you have lost so far

Viv – Well done on the loss. All that exercise must be paying off.

I am going to try to be extra good for the next week because next Saturday (10th) I am going to Canada for a week to see my sister Beverley and her husband Ian in Calgary. I’m going with my other sister Michelle who lives in Hampshire (the other end of England from me) so it will be great to see them both. It will be Stampede when we are there so we plan to go to the Rodeo and the Chuck Wagon racing. (I did both with DH last year but am looking forward to going again). We also plan to visit Banff and Lake Louise. I can’t wait. DH and I loved our visit to Canada. This is Michelle’s first visit so it will be great showing her around. The portions are just so big in Canada though and I love the pancakes and maple syrup. I know it will be a challenge. I will just have to walk loads!
Bye for now

How do you keep yourself from "munching" in the evening? I'm not hungry, I just want to "nibble" or "graze" as some would call it. I need to find a way to stop myself.

I only allow myself sugar free jello or hot herbal tea after my evening meal. Its amazing how well that something hot kicks the munchies in the head. If I'm craving chocolate I drink Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets Diet Hot Chocolate. If I'm still feeling munchy after that I remove myself from the temptation by going for a walk. I've also asked hubby to question my motive if he sees me heading back to the kitchen after supper.

When I first started this journey I posted my most awful "fat" picture on the door of my fridge and as my desktop background as a reminder of what I could look like if I didn't make some better habits.

Yay.. over half pound down this AM ... now must get myself out the door for a walk .. but first....

Tiara, there must be a motto... "real men don't read instructions" My DH is a smart man, but he thinks he ought to be able to figure things out by himself and it's an affront to his masculinity to refer to an instruction manual. Yet I still have to work the remote if he wants to do anything other than just change channels. :huh:


Michele... There's an old misconception about the Elderhostel organization... it's not hosteling, though a long time ago, lodgings were occasionally spartan. But the Road Scholar programs these days provide nice hotel type accommodations with only a few special exceptions ... just as one would have on any good tour. The main difference between Road Scholar trips [Elderhostel is the name of the parent organization] and other tour companies is the educational component... even on the active trips, there are visits to really interesting places, talks by experts, guided tours to sights and places of local interest. I might add, Road Scholar/Elderhostel is a non profit travel organization.

DH and I have been on 24 of their trips over the past 10 years, in the USA and abroad. Our most recent, this past February, was 8 days biking through Mexico's Yucatan. Besides biking, we visited archeological sites, lounged on beaches, snorkeled, enjoyed local seafood and stayed at very nice hotels.

My only problem with the Mexican trip was my weight. I was not in my best shape, and the excess 20 pounds I carried was a burden. That's being taken care of.. by the time we leave for France it will be a burden of the past. I will be fit again.

But why not explore their website and check things out for yourself? Visit their website at RoadScholar.org, you can see the variety of travel experiences available and learn about the programs. Do some searching... Some trips are extensive and because of all their features, a bit pricey ... but many are very reasonably priced, particularly those in North America. They are all inclusive [meals, lodging, transportation, entry fees, etc]... with no tipping, no extra fees. Singles are welcome at no extra fee, unless one wants a single room to themselves.

No, I don't work for them... I'm just a happy satisfied traveler. :bigsmile:

And now, out the door.

Hello All, marking my spot for later. Read everyone's posts but am at parents and must not sit long at their computer but try to be helpful for the bit I am here! Trying to get on the road to SIL's in VA before traffic is heavier later in the afternoon.

Everyone in US, have a safe and Happy 4th, Happy Canada Day to our Northern neighbors and Happy weekend, everyone else! Kackie

:flowerforyou: Happy Friday to All,

Just a quick check in, as it's my half day at work and I have a lot to get done before the three days off.

#2 Son comes home for his 4 day pass and #2 DIL is still "great" with child. Noah grandson #1 is very excited that Daddy will be home and is looking forward to spending time playing. My Son is torn as he wants to spend time with his wife and son, but if she goes into full blown labor then his time with Noah will be less, yep quite the delema :ohwell: We are supposed to have a BBQ at our house tomorrow evening while he's home, the good thing about that is we are in control of the food so I can make sure there are good things for me to eat! Last week when we were at Sam's Club we picked up some Turkey Burgers that look pretty healthy, I'll let you know how they taste.

:flowerforyou: Welcome to: Justahorsen - the way I keep from the nibbles after dinner is I keep a glass of water at hand so that when I get the urge to put something in my mouth it's more water, I figure I can't have enough since I usually just manage to get in the 8 glasses per day.

Mimi - Winnemucca...if we hadn't had those two road trips to Oregon this past March & May I wouldn't have known where that was, but now I do as we spend one night there in March....not much there except the sand dunes from what little we saw. :huh: Hope you enjoy yourself and are able to stay in control of the food, I know it's hard when away from our regular routines.

**********

I spoke with Mom briefly yesterday, one of the caregivers had to dial the phone for her, it was a bit of a strange conversation as she seemed a bit confused. Sometimes I wonder if I am the only one that feels that way when they talk with her, One thing I do know is that she isn't doing much to stimulate her brain, as the only thing on her TV is Fox News and she never changes the channel. She used to read a lot (she's a former school teacher with an English Major) and it's really hard to hold a conversation with her since she doesn't do or watch anything that we can really talk about....and you can talk about the weather and politics only so much. Anyway I'm a bit frustrated with that. My cousin called and he has finished doing the tune up on Mom's home so I will be putting it on the market next week, we figure it's 20% less then what they paid for it back in 2007, oh well:ohwell:


:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: Get plenty of water and stay in control over what you can and will look forward to hearing how everyone's weekend goes.

I will post my July goals tomorrow, until then have a good Friday:flowerforyou:

Laura

:flowerforyou: Hello everyone .....
A distracted check in today as I'm watching Wimbledon as well as posting!
:glasses: A sunnier day here ....washing all done and blowing in the breeze. A daily event now with mum home but we have been told we can apply to our Welsh Water supplier to "Peg" the amount we're charged ....the application went off today. Fingers crossed. We're expecting a hosepipe ban soon and have emptied and refilled the hot tub ready for the rest of the summer ...which will be good ...it will...honest!!!
:drinker: Our dinner's simmering in the slow cooker and all food is duly logged. No weigh in this morning...my routine has changed so much with the carer coming in at 8am. I've put in the housework...including all the beds made plus the culinary antics! Can't say I did breakfast though as that now falls to DH. :happy: The smell of the bacon and fresh coffee early on in the day is great!
:frown: I'm off to the dentist tomorrow with a chipped back of my front tooth ....again. I thought it would be OK but eating an ice cream...I do log it down !!! ....is agony. Hot drinks too, so it seems it's a bit too thin at the back. Seeing as it was done not too long ago i think I want a discount!! or for free maybe!!
Denise ..:noway: .I don't like cleaning my oven either!! It has a self clean finish on it and I put the shelves in the dishwasher. Most stuff is in casseroles etc and we're using the steamer more and the slow cooker so it doesn't get too bad.
So .....off to dish up the tea... A mediterranean type chicken casserole ....head out the wheelchair to the dining room. The paintwork in the house is taking a bit of a bashing ..:ohwell: .I haven't passed my test yet and we need corner protectors on the walls I think!
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: Have a great weekend folks, I hope you have time to relax...get some "Me" time and enjoy life if you can .
BFN
Jackie

Hi everyone.
Okay - I said I was going to be better at posting daily. OOPS!!!! Not so much. But, I am back to using the journal on MFP and will TRY to check in daily.

I have found through the last month - actually I knew it before but I guess I wasn't ready to admit it - I am a carb-a-holic. The last 5 days I have been trying (and have been pretty successfull) to stay away from the simple carbs. I have been loading up on the protein and the fresh fruits and vegetables along with the whole grains occasionally. It has been amazing how much better I feel already. However, I have been thinking about bread today so I have to keep myself busy so I can say "NO". Anyway, that's where I'm at.

I hope I can be more consistent with my posting. Hope you all have a great July 4th celebration.

Esther

Birdie: I like your signature. You look awesome in your picture. We can stay focused through this weekend right?

Hello All,

Reading about Barbiecat's plans reminded me of LAST year on July 1st, when she and Jake were in their motor home in BC. I went in search of our thread from last July and found the following trip down memory lane:

We are in Canada----Oliver, BC. We wore our Canada t shirts and hung our Canadian flag.

We are finally at a campground with wifi so Jake and I are taking turns with the computer catching up with e mails and MFP friends. I have missed you all so much.

I will write more later, I just wanted to get connected with the July thread.

And from July 3rd, 2009:

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
We're home. We decided while driving though some more beautiful British Columbia mountains that we wanted to come home rather than spend the Independence Day weekend at a campground. So Jake drove almost 400 miles to get us home. We had to wait two hours in line at the ferry because of the holiday traffic but we were fine since in the motor home we had our own washroom and the makings of a great lunch (wasa crackers, garlic hummus, and fuji apples). I walked for 20 minutes on the passenger deck on the ferry, then 20 minutes at the dog park so the girls could play, and then rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes. Now I'm ready to collapse and go to bed.

I'll write more tomorrow,

hugs,
Barbie

Sounds like this year, the 4th will be much more relaxed for the both of you.

It appears I have no plans, other than sticking close to home to protect doggies from big bad things that go BOOM!! in the night. So far, thanks to the rain, and the new limits on when the firebugs can shoot off their "toys", it has been pretty quiet around here. It appears that Bradley is oblivious to fireworks, which is a relief, and Mai Li always has completely ignored them, but Pepper made it clear it was time to come home when we walked tonight and a few went off in the distance. Thank goodness we only do this once a year.:frown:

One other thing I noticed was that we are missing Rose AKA LaurelFisher. She hasn't posted since June 3rd, when she mentioned her husband would have to have jaw surgery. Has anyone heard from her?

I will probably set up my noise-making arrangements here at home (running the kitchen stove exhaust fan and playing a radio in the bedroom to cover the fireworks noise) and have dinner with my parents on the 4th and come home early in the evening. There is no point in taking the dogs with me to their place as there are some neighbors right next to the senior living community that go nuts with fireworks every year, so it will be quieter here. One of the many accomplishments that happened during my tenure on the HOA Board was voting in a ban on all fireworks within our property. It has been much quieter in the immediate vicinity for the last 2 years.

Well, I hope everyone is ready to have a good long weekend, wherever they are, and don't forget to drink your water :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and resist all those goodies at the BBQ, or if not able to resist, have a reasonable serving and quit!!

BFN

Barb

Happy Saturday ladies.

We had a late night and an early morning. I seem to have been whizzing about all day so far. DH and I went shopping for a new work bag for him. He has to carry a lot of papers around with him most of the time and wanted something more than just a laptop bag. He found the perfect thing and it was reduced to half price. Always a good thing! It's also a much lighter bag than his last one, which I could barely pick up and I know it wasn't doing him much good, carrying it around on the tubes etc all day long.

After shopping we dropped some books off with DH's cousin to keep her occupied whilst recovering from surgery. Then did an earlyish visit to mum-in-law at the nursing home. She was NOT in a good mood. We wheeled her out into the garden (which normally cheers her up) but she pouted and complained for the entire time we were with her. I always feel impotent when she's like this as there is no way of making her happier. The one blessing is that she will have forgotten it all immediately afterwards.

Our intentions for the rest of the day are to have some 'us time'. DH is reading at present and says he will be doing some gardening later. I'm not convinced that he will - he's too engrossed in his book! I like it when he's sitting in the same room as I am and we are both doing our own thing. It is a very relaxed and companionable feeling.

Early evening is put aside for a good long walk in Richmond Park. It's not too hot today and there is a pleasant breeze. We drove through Richmond Park on our way home from the nursing home earlier and from the top of the hill we could see the City of London, Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, The London Eye and many other famous sites. It was all so clear! Also, as we going down the hill, a shaft of sunlight hit White Lodge (The Royal Ballet School which is in the centre of the park). It looked spectacular! DD#1 attended the ballet school for two years, but gave up after an injury. It was such a shame that she was unable to continue as she had a lot of potential and was awarded the annual silver ballerina award on two consecutive years before she even joined the Royal Ballet School. In fact it was Lesley Collier who first persuaded her to apply for the school.

What are our American friends planning for July 4th? I have always wanted to be in the States for the celebrations. We have nothing remotely similar over here.

I have just heard the washing machine come to a stop and want to get the next load in and this one out on the washing line, so I'm off to do that now.

A very good and wise weekend to you all xx