WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY

:drinker: Hi everyone

It's been a rainy day today, just managed to miss it on our morning dog walk, but we got soaked this evening :ohwell: We thought as it was raining that not many people would be out walking on the field - big mistake :grumble: - everyone seemed to be out. One small dog came running over to check us out as soon as we got onto the field (hadn't had time to take Tara off the lead) DD went running off with Frankie to keep out of the way. Usually Tara is fine with other dogs so I said to the man chasing the little pooch 'Don't worry about her' and what did the little madam do she snapped at the little dog (probably because she was on the lead) nothing too bad mind but I had to tell her off - don't they love to show you up :huh: We managed to get half way around the field and another dog came charging over and DD had to run off again, this time Tara was friendly (off the lead) but talk about stress trying to avoid them all.:grumble:

I've treated myself to a pair of those shape up trainers. They were quite hard to walk in at first, I kept losing my balance, but I'm getting the hang of them now although they still feel a bit strange. My friend Cindy at work tried some and kept saying how good they were, mine are a different make to her though but I think it's the same principle a work out for your legs :bigsmile: (can I add this as exercise) :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Before I go I have a joke for you

Why did the Frog meow?

Because (are you ready for this?)

He was learning a foreign language :laugh: :laugh:

:yawn: Well I think it's time for bed for me I'm shattered I've come to the conclusion that work doesn't agree with me it's too tiring

BFN

Viv

Viv,

I only have one thing to say about work: "Work is a four-letter word!":noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Not sure how but lunch of hard boiled eggs, hummus, and blueberries ended up being eggs w/no hummus, a cold chicken leg, and a sandwich thin with some almond butter. Strange but filling combination.

I am planning minimal calories today to make up for yesterday. I will adopt the same attitude as the cat I described, who stalked regally out of the room after falling off the tv during a nap. Remember, I said it appeared he was thinking " I MEANT to do that!!:laugh: So when I overdid it on the carrot cake yesterday and went over my calories, it was part of the "plan" to zig zag my calories and eat under today.......hmmm what's that I heard you say? "Rubbish!!" AKA "BS":laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Well, it SOUNDED good!!:blushing: :blushing: :ohwell:

The doggies did make it out for a walk, but they were a little laggardly at the end as it is just warm enough out to bother them, even though the sun was playing hide 'n seek with the clouds.

Hope all have a good evening. I have to go out as a friend has an uncooperative printer that I have to go and have "words" with. I also have to stop at my mom and dad's with the large section of carrot cake that last night's hostess insisted on sending home with me. I am palming it off on my parents. My dad loves carrot cake, so it is one "leftover" he won't mind receiving.

Barb

Today was filled with running grandkids down the hill (to VBS) then up the hill, then down, then up, repeat. I thought about going down one more time, to the gym, but couldn’t stand the thought. It’s about 35 minutes each way. I’m trying to get up the mojo to hop on the exercise bike here at home. First, a salad; then, we’ll see. I’m going to keep my calories down so I have a choice. I like choices. But, yes Robin, I do know it’s good for me!! And I will feel better after. There, I’m half way there!

Chiclet, A new grandson is wonderful. Congratulations!!! By comparison, one day off your eating plan means nothing at all. I hope you’ll feel comfortable holding him soon. Maybe if you sit next to someone who's holding him so you can cuddle him a bit too but not have to be afraid of having the whole responsibility.

Amanda, you handled the home selection so tactfully, with perfect results. I laughed to hear that your step-grandson had a hard time keeping up with you. Way to go!

I’m happy for you, expecting twin grand**s. I hope DD #1 has good luck soon. 8 times is incredible. My niece is getting IVF in about a week. The process – and all the efforts before it – is so hard. The mega-hormones have her feeling sick all the time. I feel for anyone who longs for a baby and has a hard time getting pregnant.

Jackie, you’ll get there. With all the Zumba, even if the scale doesn’t show a loss, I’ll bet you’ve lost inches. A pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat. Increasing your lean muscle mass not only makes you slimmer and less jiggly, it also helps you burn more calories even when you’re not exercising. That’s a real win-win. Good luck with your mum. I feel for you.

Hi Terri, I’m sorry for the pain you’re feeling. Remember that one day is just one day. No big deal as long as you get back on track, which you already have.

I used to think eating food that tasted really, really good would make me feel better. (Notice, I say “used to,” as if it were a long, long time ago…that’s what I want it to be…and what it will be!) The premise never worked, I just kept eating, trying to get to that perfect bite and never getting there. Now I realize the first bite is the best bite. It’s all downhill from there. That’s saved me a time or two.

I’m so glad you’re back to taking good care of yourself. To me, getting back on track was the hardest part. I’d get into the mindset of, I’ve already blown it, might as well eat what I feel like eating today (and the next day, and the next, and so on). I’m proud of you.

RedHairedChili, good for you for staying with it. Those “darned” scales can be a pain in the neck. But, when you know you’re doing the right thing, if you keep on doing it, you’ll eventually see the results you want. It’s a sure bet.

Robin, you are so healthy. Dang, girl, you never stop. You are an inspiration! BTW, I had to go back in and edit this post because I just realized you've only been doing this since February. Since February and you've lost 28 lbs. 28 lbs! And you're darn close to your goal. That is truly amazing.

xx

Chiclet--is it that you are afraid you might hurt the baby? You should see the way the nurses manhandle the little tykes! Shortly after birth they are rolled all around , turned upside down, wiped, bathed, diapered--and it is really amazing how it doesn't appear to bother the babies a bit! Go a bit slow--they are surprisingly hard to break if one is reasonably careful!

I've had a so-so type of day. I've been kind of down and sort of not feeling right. Then I realized that I had not had any veggies yesterday! (VERY unusual for me!) I think Mimi is right--it did seem to have a bad effect on my mood. I've had lots of them today and am starting to feel better!
It occurred to me that I didn't have any pictures of my other grandson, Aidan, on my profile! He is beautiful and was adopted by 2 very special people when he was born. (My youngest had him shortly after turning 16 and decided that adoption was the best solution. I think she made a very difficult but smart decision!) So, there are now a couple of pictures of Aidan on my profile. In the first he is 4 months old and the second was taken this past March (17th, in case you couldn't tell).

It appears that a number of us have the same walking buddy--Leslie Sansone. I have a LOT of her walking workouts and really enjoy them! They always seem to lift my mood, too--I think it's because she's always so positive.

Well, I need to get a few things done for tomorrow. I hope everyone has a good night.

Kathy, you've corroborated my intuition about veggies. They seem to make a big difference....more than just being good to ourselves (which helps in itself), but in actually making us feel more up. They're amazing. (To think I didn't like them 7 months ago!)
:flowerforyou:

:flowerforyou: Mimi just wanted to say I finally got around to roasting some veggies a few nights ago and really enjoyed them. I had carrots sprouts brocolli cauliflower and mushrooms. I put them in a dish sprinkled them with a bit of oil and left them to roast (is that how you do it?)

I'll let you know if eating more veggies helps with my weigh loss.

Better dash DD wants to get on the computer before we take the doggies out, she's a member of a doggy forum and there's always a dash to see who can get on the pc first. :bigsmile:

Chat again soon, everone take care.

Viv

Barbie, I hope your knee feels better soon. Keeping yourself down is going to be a challenge!

Viv, I spritz the veggies with some olive oil then put them in a hot oven - usually around 475 f. Asparagus (my favorite) takes only 8-10 minutes. You have to be careful not to overcook or it turns stringy.

I roast most other veggies for around 15 minutes. Potatoes (which I cut into wedges) take longer - half an hours of so depending on size.

What's your method? I've wondered how they'd be roasted at a lower temp for longer but haven't tried it yet. How were the sprouts? That's a new one to me.

I went from a non-veggie eater to loving them. It's all in the cooking. :happy:

I never, ever eat veggies out of the freezer or a can, although I imagine they've been improved. I grew up on the then-new-fangled frozen veggies and detest them. My mom often mixed peas into a tuna casserole. :noway: Or we got them plain. I still cringe to think of it. :sick:

Mimi,
You may have to start a new thread called "Veggieheads Anonymous":laugh: :laugh:

Barbie,

Hope you recover from your fall quickly. Sometimes big dogs are like bulls in a china shop, aren't they?

I managed to palm off the carrot cake on my parents, who were most appreciative. I didn't fix my friend's printer issue because she called me and asked to reschedule for tomorrow night.

When I got to my folks, I read an interesting letter written by a 90 year old man who is a long time friend of my dad. He owned a farm close to where my dad lived with his family as a young man, and for a few years, dad worked for him, after he got out of the Navy at the end of WWII. This guy's family is throwing a major birthday party for him at a hotel in a town in Central Washington about 200 miles from where we live. At first, my dad insisted he didn't want to go, but I reminded him this might be his last opportunity to see some of the folks who will be there, since everyone is getting older, and many have already passed on.

Turns out his biggest concern was what he was going to wear!!:noway: Due to the hormone therapy his is receiving for treatment of his prostate cancer, his weight has shifted around a bit and none of his regular slacks fit. He spends most of his time in elastic waist exercise type pants, but, of course, can't wear those to a party. So I assured him we can find some slacks that fit. I have a good idea of the size that will fit, and since it is a major undertaking to try things on in a fitting room, I am going to a specialty shop over in Portland that caters to big and tall men. They have at least two types of slacks that have elastic waists, so I plan to buy two pair in different waist sizes, and we will exchange whichever one doesn't fit.

My mom has plenty of clothes that are either too small or too big. We finally came up with a jacket that will work with a pair of slacks she has, but despite my recently purchasing several knit shirts for her, we don't seem to have the right color to go with the jacket, so there is another shopping trip I will be doing.:ohwell:

On one hand, I am glad they have decided to go, but on the other, I have just set myself up for a bushel of stress and worry. The logistics of travelling with my parents, particularly my dad, can be a bit daunting.

The doggies will not be making the trip, so that means they need accommodations. I don't think Bradley will do well anywhere without me except here at home, so taking him to "Aunt Jenna's Doggie Hotel" in the Columbia Gorge is probably not a good option. Also, her spouse is having some health issues, so I don't think they need three additional dogs to keep track of right now.

I am not crazy about leaving the dogs with my friend who keeps offering. I think Pepper might exploit any weakness in her backyard fence, and that would not be good. It appears I will need to have her stay in my place, but that means a major housecleaning project as I haven't been keep things up around here at all. I also worry about her propensity for absentmindedness. Boarding them would cost me about $60, so I prefer not to think about that!!

Thank goodness I don't have to decide all this tonight.

I am getting tired, so BFN

Chiclet,

Since I don't have kids (human ones anyway,:bigsmile:), and will, therefore, never have grandchildren (unless it would happen through marriage--an unlikely possibility) I am not quite in the same place as you, but I have a theory. For myself, I think part of the reason I never was in to the whole motherhood/nurturing thing was that I didn't feel "old enough" to be capable of being that responsible for another person. In the case of becoming "grandma," I am wondering if part of the hesitancy to personalize (for yourself) the arrival of the baby AKA your grandson, is because if you have a grandson, that makes you a grandma, which means you are getting "older"?

This is just an idle speculation, as I try to relate my own reactions to yours and see if there is any common ground. Feel free to tell me I am all wet. :drinker: :drinker: :bigsmile: Meanwhile, I am glad you were able to spend some time holding him. Hopefully things will get easier for you.

As for your weight loss, sounds like your doctor is happy, so even if you are feeling like you didn't accomplish as much as you wanted to, you ARE off to a good start. Congrats on your 6 lbs.!!! Look at the bright side, you didn't GAIN 6 lbs.!!!

It is late, and I shouldn't still be up.:ohwell: :yawn: :yawn: :yawn:

Barb

Hello ladies.

Barbie, I hope your knee improves! Bad knees are so painful.

Viv, your froggie joke was awful - I like it!

Barb, I would come and babysit your doggies in a heartbeat if I could! I am really pining for canine company.

Chiclet, six pounds off is brilliant! Well done! Also, good for you, overcoming your fear and holding your grandson.

Mimi, I'm totally with you on the veggies. They have always been my favourite food. The only one's that I don't like are parsnips, everything else is delicious. I don't do frozen, dried or canned either (apart from garden peas, I don't mind them too much). My favourites are definitely cauliflower and spinach. I could eat them at every meal. For breakfast today I had an egg scrambled with spinach (twice as much spinach as egg) and loads of crushed black pepper. It was scrumptious! Normally I just have my protein shake for breakfast, but I had an early appointment with my therapist and had my breakfast when I got home.

DH is working from home today. Much as I love having him about the house, I find I get far less done. I have warned him that I will be spending a couple of hours in my gym though. Also, he tends to make a lot of coffee when he's home and the temptations for me to have one is strong. Since I was given the all clear to start drinking coffee again a couple of weeks ago, I have been having one every morning, but I've already had two today! Not good.

Tomorrow morning I'm at the eye hospital to find out how my glaucoma is. I will walk to the hospital (which is about 45 minutes walk) but I will have to get a cab home as the drops they put in at the hospital make it difficult to see for some hours afterwards.

It's a little grey and gloomy here today. In addition, it's extremely noisy at present as we are having new street lights installed all down our avenue. The new ones look fab but the mess and noise is pretty bad. Hopefully it will be all done by tomorrow and our lovely peaceful avenue will be back to normal.

Well, I'll be back later. In the meantime, make good choices, drink lots of water and take care of yourselves.

Amanda x

Yay, everybody! We're all staying busy and still remembering to focus on what goes into our mouths!

I've already jogged today. I'm trying to get that out of the way before 10:00 a.m. I don't know what I'll do in a couple of weeks when school starts back.:frown:

We've been eating fresh tomatoes, blueberries and peaches here in south GA. Yum-m-m-m.

hi ladies had great spa day and burned some calories to . worked with a friend last night who told me to take 2 kinds pain meds every 2 hours well done that today and felt more comfortable. kinda thought a doctor would have told me that but eh

Chiclet well done for your 6pound off thats fantastic . dont be dissapointed thats great .

barb hope you get better with your knee

been t see my dear old friend hilda whom i look out for she goes to the hospital next thurs and guess what she going to see my doctor what did my nisson fundo so thats made me feel better as he is so nice . she is 90 and as no family bless .

im on tea duty tonight :noway: i have the best husband who loves to cook i hate it but the jackets are in oven turkey defrosted so fingers crossed its nice have great evening ladies

Checking in from the beach. So far I'm making good food decisions so far. I am SURROUNDED by cookies, candy, chips and calories galore but am doing great I think. I am weighing some things, some I don't need to - veggies and such. The biggest change from being at home is the no sugar margarita in the evening and the occasional glass of dry white wine. I hop ethat isn't doing much harm.

I am going to go to Publix today for ingredients to make a german chocolate cake ( grandson's birthday) and they have a huge scale you can weigh yourself on there. I'm going to climb on and see what's up. Hopefully I have maintained so far. I would really really like to lose a bit while here, as that would put me under 200. I am a realist however and will be tickled to just get out of this at the same weight as going in.

If I have gone up, I will keep a paper log of every bite and enter it here. I can get to the computer to do that. We are all sharing one.

Talk to you all later! Off to the beach right now. I miss you all!:bigsmile:

I'm drinking my water. :drinker:

Faye

Chicletgirl, I’m SO with your doctor about the weight loss. 6 lbs is great. For the first time in my life (truly) I’m seeing I can do this and keep the weight off. I love the way I’m eating. It’s healthy and I feel great but it’s not fast.

I’ve been on a jillion other diets – medically supervised fasts, HCG (when I was a teenager!), fasting on my own (that’ll take the weight off fast), and even lap band surgery. Every one of these is a surefire solution to lose weight fast. And, for me and many, if not most, people, every one of them is a surefire way to gain all the weight back plus more even faster. Unfortunately, that weight seems to go straight to the belly and that’s the least healthy place for it.

Eating healthily is the right way to go. You’ll find it helps with your moods too. Getting the support you need is also essential. I’ve never found better support than on this site. Don’t let a single negative thought in. Not one! You CAN do it. You ARE doing it! You’re making awesome progress.

Barb, Veggieheads, huh? I think of Dittoheads (the Rush Limbaugh followers). How about a name that expresses…hmmm. Healthiness? Choosing versus following? Tastiness? It’s in your court, girl.

I think I need some of your fixitiveness. My printer says it’s jammed but I can’t see a thing wrong with it. I’ve turned it off then on and checked every crevice. You live too dang far away!

Kathy (plantlady), I’m sorry to hear how much stress you’ve got going on. Wow. I hope you can squeeze some time for yourself in there somewhere. If ever we needed motivation to keep at it, you’ve just described a bunch. We can’t keep from getting older, more’s the pity, but we can get in better shape so we’re as healthy as possible when we do. You’re carrying a big burden. I’ve seen instances where the caregiver’s health suffers more than the person's she’s caring for. I hope you get some help. You’re a generous daughter.

Amanda, Yay, another veggie lover. I like cauliflower too. (Roasted, of course!) The eggs and spinach sound yummy. I’ll give that a try. I’m lucky enough to be able to get fresh eggs from a neighbor. Extra yummy.

Your post reminded me of a recipe a friend gave me a while back. I’d already typed it up to include in the family cookbook I’ve been working on. Here goes…

One-Pan Healthy Breakfast

INGREDIENTS
1 egg (or more if you’re serving more people)
A little butter or olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Salt
Pepper
Filling ingredients from your fridge (such as leftover meat, zucchini, asparagus, spinach, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, onions, etc.), chopped
Parmesan and/or blended cheese, grated

PREPARATION
1. Chop the filling ingredients.
2. In a small measuring cup, put 1 egg and add 1 tablespoon of water. (3 eggs will do it for up to 6 people.) Whip them together with a fork. Set it aside.
3. Put a little butter (or a spritz or two of olive oil) in the pan and heat to medium.
4. Basically what you’re going to do next is add anything you’d like that you’ve got in the fridge. Add the things that need to cook longest first. (If you’re using onions, start with them.) Add the things that need to cook for only a short time, (such as basil, spinach, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, etc.) at the very end.
5. Pour the egg mixture over the ingredients in the pan.
6. Throw in a handful of Parmesan and/or blended, grated cheese.
7. The results will be omelet-ish. Serve in wedges. Your guests will say, “Oh my gosh. This is so delicious.” And the great thing is that it’s super healthy. You need just a little butter or olive oil and a very small amount of Parmesan and/or blended cheese.

Kackie, I’m excited for you seeing your granddaughter. She’s at a wonderful age. I can imagine how you yearn to see her in person. Let me know how you like the veggies at a higher temp. It’s especially good for things you don’t want to cook too long, like asparagus. I haven’t tried roasting carrots yet. Another new thing to try!

My parents, at 84 and 88, are still active and relatively healthy. I count my blessings every day. I know how fragile life and health are, especially at that age. My heart goes out to everyone who is helping care for a parent. I know there’s some joy in it, but it’s a burden too.

Wishful, good for you on the exercise and the eating. Fresh tomatoes, blueberries, and peaches. Heaven. We have a Pick-Ur-Own blueberry place nearby. I’ve never been. I don’t think of California as a blueberry-growing place but it’s worth a try. I love good fresh blueberries. Spare me from the squishy ones though.

When GD, Olivia, was a year old (or so), her mom would give her whole blueberries to eat. She’d press each one with her thumb before popping it into her mouth, rejecting all the squishy ones! There’s a child after my own heart.

Laura, being a Grandma is the best. All the fun without the “up all night while child throws up” stuff. I became “Aunt Mimi” (instead of Mary) when my sibs started having kids. That naturally transitioned into “Grandma Mimi.” A few years ago, when my now 18 and 19 year old grandsons were younger, people often assumed I was their mom. (It’s not unusual to meet older parents here.) That doesn’t happen anymore! :laugh: It took me awhile to get used to being “Grandma,” but I love it now. It feels like an honor to me.

Robin, you made me laugh. Anything that motivates you to eat asparagus is good in my book. How did you like them roasted? Your doctor’s looking out for you and that’s a good thing. But he IS a poopy head. 3 months, for goodness sake. I’m excited for you to see progress on the scale. You’ve been looking for it for a while now. I'm sure you’re in awesome shape with all the exercise you’re doing. Enjoy the sunshine!

Faye, I’m jealous. The beach sounds wonderful. Good for you (!!!!!) for maintaining your weight :drinker: . That’s an amazing accomplishment. No-sugar Margaritas sound like a good idea. I should have thought of that! Getting into the one’s (sometimes called One-derland) will feel so good. I’ve got my eyes fixed on that myself but it will take a couple of months. The Ones sound so normal! :happy: Keep up the good work.

I hope you all have a wonderful day (or night if you’re on the other side of the pond). Reading your posts always touches me and often puts a smile on my face. It’s beautiful here but likely to get hot (over 100f as the day goes on. I’m for the gym tonight!

Jackie, Oh my heavens. It sounds as though the Social Services guy is pulling a delaying tactic on you. How frustrating. I can understand why you want to pull out your hare, umm, hair. You might try having fresh fruits and veggies or other low-cal food around and ready to eat. It doesn't sound as though the stress is going to go away anytime soon so the stress eating probably will not either. Sometimes half the battle is having something ready to eat that's handy. And throw that darned ice cream out! :laugh: