WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST

Chiclet,
Please get in touch with Barb immediately. Your brother might get angry, but who cares. You have got to get your mother somewhere safe. We just went through this with my dad last month. I took him to heart doctor and they put him in hospital immediately. I know I have seen things about senior abuse but I am on east coast and everything is so different from state to state. Thank God for Barb. I know different ones on here have written about having to put parents in assisted living situations and it would be a hard decision, it just seems like you do not have a choice right now. I will be praying for you let us know what is going on.
On a happy note today I am 159.8 I am glad to finally be in the 150's.
Off to get ready to spend day with my beautiful bride to be.
love to all
linda

Chiclet.... how sad this must be for you. I couldn't even imagine going through what you are and being so far away. I agree with everyone else... get in touch with Barb, she is a little book of knowledge so to speak. I can't imagine someone being so cold hearted as your brother is being with your mom, so sad. It is definitely abuse on his part, sounds to me that he is just in it for the money and not for your mom at all. I would say even if your mom did not want to go to assisted living and got mad at you, it would be so worth saving her life.

Amen! If you haven't already contacted Barb, please do! What you have to remember is most seniors equate assisted living and nursing homes with being thrown away and/or a death sentence because when they were our age that's exactly what most of them were. Now days there are many great facilities and it sounds like you can't get your Mom into one fast enough.

My mother and brothers were very angry with me when I could no longer handle her care on my own. But once Moma gave the place a chance she thrived there. My brothers ever only came to see her once those last 16 months, while I saw her daily, but they all agreed she was being well taken care of once they saw things for themselves. Maybe the answer might be to get her in the hospital there, and then move her to a facility. Maybe you could even find one near you where you can visit more often than you can now being in different states.

So much depends on who has medical power of attorney. If its your brother and not you, the only way anything is going to get better is to make an elder abuse report to the proper agency.

I just love Saturday's!

BC1- sorry to hear about your bike accident, but glad that you are okay. I'm sure that the colorful bruises will fade quickly and am glad to hear that you are getting right back on your bike. Yep wearing a helmet is very important

chiclet- I will try altering the clothes, because so many of them I really do love...that's why I kept them as "goal" clothes in the first place. I agree with Barb, your mom needs intervention right away, what your brother is doing is abuse and there are state agencys that can help her and you.

Living9 - good luck with the reintroducting of those foods, take it slow and maybe do 1/2 portions since that seems to be one of the big problems of today is how large the portions are that we are served. Those Victorian ladies also used to "lace" up themselves in those whale bone corsets:noway: , hence the need for fainting couches since they couldn't breath! They did seem to eat a lot I have a feeling those portions were much smaller too.

Viv - hoping that the scale is kind to you today:flowerforyou:

Linda- good for you and skinny jeans in size88888:flowerforyou: I just got a pair of skinny jeans on the clearance rack for 5.80 had to hem them a bit because they were about 2" too long even though they were Petite...I wore them last night to dinner and made me feel GREAT also helped me keep my portions in control:blushing:

*****

Just spent a few minutes catching up with the posts. Today was a GREAT weight in lost 1.6 lbs...and I was just hoping for 1/2 a lb. I will never be disappointed about losing more, but I really did think that these last 7 were going to be harder...so that being said I'm sure the last 5 will be harder.

We went out on a bike ride around the resevoir and it's amazing how much easier it is to ride when you have a good bike, there are still a lot of the speeds that i need to explore but was able to ride longer and farther today than last week. After we took a quick water break I had put my helmet on backwards and it was 20 minutes before my Hubby realized what I had done...I'm just not up enough on this to realize what front and back is on the helmet.

I have a lot to do today so guess I'd better get to it. Everyone have a good day, drink plenty of water on these hot days :drinker:

Laura

Good morning everyone. I’m floored by the number of posts over the last two days. As Barb said, we are a bunch of prolific posters (aka gabby broads). :laugh:

I had a wonderful time yesterday evening. My DD, her DH, five of my grandkids, and a couple of neighbors went to the Boeger Winery for a picnic on the lawn and music. My son came later, after he finished work.

The picnic and the band were terrific. My daughter made lettuce wraps and a delicious brown rice salad (recipes below - she doesn't usually serve them together but it worked well for a picnic). I brought slices of the crispest, sweetest watermelon I’ve eaten all summer, some baked tortilla chips, and hummus. The neighbors brought almonds, chicken wings (fie!), and other munchies. Made a wonderful picnic meal along with the Barbera red the winery’s known for.

The band played some hoppin’ Indies/Acoustic/Alternative/Rock/Blues (if you get what I mean!) The lead singer, Christian DeWild had a fine, raspy voice. The kids danced ‘til they were ready to drop. My DD got up on the dance floor a couple of times and, when my son arrived, he and my DD danced together. They both have so much rhythm and style (which they did not get from me!)

The band played for at least an hour after their scheduled ending time. They were having fun watching the little kids dance too! The temp was just right, the winery was beautiful and, all in all, it was a plain wonderful evening.

***

Kackie, glad to see you and to hear you’re doing well. Visiting makes it harder but not impossible to stay on track. It’s nice to get back to your own stomping grounds.

Linda, congrats on pounds lost! And to your DH too. :flowerforyou: You sound like a wonderful mom and you’ve made a warm and inviting home. Your daughters are a credit to you. I admire your fostering newborns too. That must be sweet and sad all at the same time.

Size 8!!!!! Yippee. That’s awesome. You are going strong. Re the girls with bare feet: I say “Go for it.” Young girls have lovely feet. My nephew and his wife both had bare feet at their wedding. (This is a nephew who got married a few years ago, not the one who just got married.) His wife wore a formal wedding dress and he wore a blousy black shirt and a vest. People wear all kinds of things to weddings now. IMHO, bare feet for the little girls would be darling.

Bec, “Glass completely full” is an amazing thing to be. Your mom must have been quite a gal. No wonder you loved her so much.

Kathy, good for you on making, and exceeding, your 100 mile walking target. That’s wonderful. I like your ideas for adding veggies to other dishes. I like mine roasted but incorporating them in other dishes is a great alternative.

Barbie, the day I can be an inspiration to you is a very good day indeed! I’m so glad you like the roasted veggies. They’re a lifesaver for me. And they are healthy! It’s amazing. Good and healthy. So often, those words don’t go together.

Michelle, hurray for you, buying broccoli and cauliflower and eating more veggies. :flowerforyou: I love having friends join me in the healthy eating club! :happy: Your friend sounds like a bit of a control freak. Maybe you need to be ready with “sorry, can’t do that” when need be then do your own thing??? :noway:

Faye, I want to hear all about your big trip. Sounds like so much fun!

Barb, I’m glad Roscoe found a home. I’ll dye Michelle’s hair any color she likes as long as she does NOT even show me her cookies! I’m with you on the housework. :laugh:

I hope you do well with your HCG diet. You are wise to watch your potassium. In the old days, I did a medically supervised 800-calorie diet. Even at that level, you can harm your heart and other organs if various nutrients get out of whack.

My son did the HCG diet and lost a ton of weight. He looked great. A few months later, though, he’d gained most of it back, mostly because he hadn’t made the lifestyle changes. :ohwell: You have so much experience eating healthily. That makes the odds of it working long-term much better.

Amanda, beautiful pics of your daughter and her DH. Thanks for posting them. Simon sounds like a delight. I’m glad all of you had him in your lives. My sister had a son who was severely handicapped. He lived three years but was always like an infant. You’d think that would be a burden on all the family. It was, in some ways. But, in other ways, he enriched our lives so much. He gave us a chance to love unconditionally. Every smile or laugh we got from him warmed our hearts.

Laura, I hope you’re feeling better. Miniere’s is no fun. Congratulations on the weight loss and smaller sizes. :flowerforyou: It’s fun to shop for new clothes but I’ve learned not to buy too much – I keep shrinking out of them! :laugh:

Donna, good for you on the veggies. You are losing like a mad woman!! :flowerforyou:

Hanna, getting your eyes lifted was such a nice gift to yourself. :smooched:

Susan, I forgot about chocolate! I have to eat more chocolate!! :laugh: Strictly for the MUFA’s, you know. Seriously, I do love chocolate and often have a piece. I don’t nibble on it anymore though but portion out what I plan to eat. I savor every bite.

Robin, I love you too. I am such an introvert yet I’ve made so many good friends here. My life is richer as a result. And getting to meet you later this month is like the icing on the cake – and no calories! It doesn’t get better than that. Your mom sounds like she was a dear. More hugs coming your way.

BC1, ohmigosh. I’m so glad the injuries are all superficial. I’m sure they hurt like the di*kens (had to format it that way so MFP wouldn’t censor me!) but they could have been so much worse. Good for you for getting right back into the saddle. You’re a trooper. :flowerforyou:

Renny, that invitation might just be a good reason for a trip to Victoria. It’s one of my favorite places. My sister used to live in Burnaby then in Maple Ridge so I got up your way fairly often. Unfortunately, I have only a few days in Bellingham for the trip I’m planning to take at the end of the month. Next time it would be fun to go a little farther north. BTW, if you’ll be going south toward the end of the month, let me know. Maybe we can rendezvous with Robin!

I know how you feel about your MFP friends – they (and you) are all dear to me too. Honestly, this is the most positive and encouraging bunch of women I’ve ever met. I like that we communicate mostly in writing because I can go back and edit myself when I start to get negative! :laugh:

Barbara, I think it’s more like 12 teaspoons (not tablespoons) of sugar in a Coke. And that’s just a 12 oz can. :noway: People often drink lots more than that. But who needs it? It drives me nuts that my son “limits” my grandsons to one soda a day. Aaargh. One of them is already verging on overweight.

(I use stevia rather than Splenda. I get the “all natural” kind. Supposedly, it’s better for you, although I don’t know what proof there is. (And some “all natural” things can kill you of course!) I order mine in a dropper bottle from Amazon. It’s hard to believe how long it lasts and it’s very convenient to use.)

My son was slim and good looking (a hunk, if I do say so myself!) in middle school and high school so he has no understanding of how hard it is for kids who are even a little bit overweight at those ages. I was probably 5 pounds overweight at age 12 and 20 pounds by the time I graduated from high school. Even that much “overweight” can leave long lasting scars. It’s not the teasing so much, although I know that is an issue for many people. Many other kids just don’t “see” you. (Amanda, this makes your daughter’s and her friends’ acceptance of Simon all the more wonderful.)

Chiclet, I used to have similar feelings when I lost weight. The attention from men was especially hard to take. Now my wrinkles keep me safe! I do like being “seen” by so many more people. I’ve always had my good friends who loved me no matter what but, now, passing strangers are more likely to smile and say “Hi.” It doesn’t hurt that I feel happier about myself now.

I just read your post about your mom. Talk about a tough situation. It’s clearly more than your brother can handle. I know Barb will give you good advice about who to call. Susan’s and Kathy’s advice is excellent too. My gut feeling is that people in your mom’s position may not be able to make good decisions for themselves. Then it becomes your and your brother’s job, as hard as that may be. It does sound like assisted living might be in order - and a blessing to you, your brother, and (most important), your mom.

Jackie, you are a wonderful, caring daughter. Your mom is lucky to have you. Even so, I’m glad you have some respite. Full-time care must be incredibly stressful. Everyone who is caring for a parent or sibling deserves enormous credit.

I could sit here all day and visit but I’d better not! Yesterday, I took a pass on exercise so I’ve got to get back on it today. If I didn’t say “Hello,” know that you are in my thoughts. To everyone who’s new or hasn’t been here for a while, this is a great place to be. This group of caring women can make a huge difference in your lives. Oh, and losing weight is nice too!

***

RECIPES

EASY LETTUCE WRAPS

Make a plateful of the wraps and serve them fanned out on a plate. They look beautiful and taste even better. Place an extra bowl of the filling, butter lettuce leaves, and a dish of cashews nearby so guests can make more. I guarantee you they will!

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups shredded chicken (or 1 large (12. 5 ounce) can chicken, drained and shredded with a fork. I like Costco’s Kirkland brand.)
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use less and/or light mayo for fewer calories)
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
2 green onions, sliced thin
1 small tart apple, diced (with skin on)
1/4 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
1/8 teaspoon white pepper (or more to taste – ok to substitute black pepper)
Cashew pieces

Preparation
1. Mix it all up
2. Wrap a large spoonful or two in a leaf of butter lettuce. (I like the live lettuce with the roots on that you keep in the fridge. I peel off the leaves as I need them. It stays fresh a long time.)

Tip: If you want to mix it up a bit, try making these wraps Asian style. Use the chicken but add stuff like shredded carrots and red cabbage, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, green onions, and fresh ginger. (You can add a little mayo to soften the flavors a bit but you don’t have to.) Serve them with a bowl of toasted almonds for folks to sprinkle on top.

OLIVIA'S YUMMY BROWN RICE SALAD

Make the rice ahead of time and cool thoroughly for the best results.

This is a yummy way to eat healthy brown rice. My daughter created the recipe for my 6-year old GD, Olivia, who can’t eat anything containing gluten (which is found in wheat, barley, and rye). You’d be amazed at the things that have gluten in them, including (this is the short, short, short list) lipstick, soy sauce, and some root beers.

Ingredients
2 cups short grain brown rice (uncooked)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (you can use less and/or make it light mayo for fewer calories)
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 medium tomatoes, diced
1 can artichoke hearts in water, quartered
1 can large black olives, quartered
1/4 cup Italian dressing (we use Newman's Own Light Italian)

Optional: Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, sliced or diced chicken, etc.

Preparation

1. Cook rice and then refrigerate until cool. If you skip this step, you'll end up with mushy rice.
2. Once the rice is cool, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

If you serve the salad with chicken, you may want to dice it and put it right in the salad or slice it and lay it on top.
You can eat it right away or wait a day or two. It gets better and better as the flavors meld.

***

Thanks for being such a warm-hearted and enthusiastic bunch. You keep me going!

Quick note, We had a wonderful day together. Went to breakfast at Bob Evans and had the most amazing veggie omlete I have ever had. Then we went shopping at the outlets for 5 hours of walking without a break. We got Melissa all new undies and bras for her honemoom. Then I got a lovely dress and shoes to wear out to dinner up in Maine.
The drive there takes about 1 hour so it was nice to sit and talk and laugh.
Came home to find 2 granddaughters decided to stay overnight since I was gone all day and PapPap was the babysitter. It is so much fun having these girls.
Well, I ate a lot today but walked a lot also. All in all it was perfect, weather was perfect and we just enjoyed each other. Maybe the days I do nothing special but just "be" with my girls is in fact my favorite of all.
Good night friends. One final thought Mimi, I would never gues you were anything but outgoing you have such a wonderful way of communicating it just seems so natural.
night
linda

Chiclet, so glad to hear your mother is in the hospital! We'll be praying.

Hello Everyone!!

Just an update to say that Deborah (Chiclet) and I did talk tonight. I will let her share whatever details she wishes, but I can assure you her mom is in good hands now and there is no immediate danger.

EDIT: So when I STARTED my post, Linda/tcac was the last post, but by the time I actually posted, I can see Chiclet has already posted her update.:ohwell:

As for me, my little darlings weren't done at the groomers until after 8p tonight!! Saturday is always a long day, and it was made longer by an equipment failure, so my groomer had to use a less speedy tool for clipping Mr. Pepper, who has the thickest hair of the bunch.

Mai Li figured out that if she didn't get put IN the car, she couldn't go home and EAT. Therefore, I had NO trouble getting her in the car, or out when we arrived home.:drinker: :drinker: :laugh:

Bradley was a very noisy, hungry little boy who made sure that their was no peace and quiet during the drive home. Pepper, as usual, was a quiet little boy who sat in the back of the car and took in the antics of the other two without saying a peep.

I have a joke to tell about something that happened yesterday, when I dropped off Linda's computer to be repaired at the same place where I bought my mom and dad's a few months ago. While I was waiting for them to decide what they were going to do, a guy came in. He weighed about 150 lbs. more than he probably should have, but what made me look at him was a really interesting Hawaiian shirt he was wearing. It had the usual palm trees, but interspersed with them were images of sixties-type red "woody" style station wagons. Strange, but somehow appropriate--especially when I commented on it, and he said he had purchased the shirt on Catalina Island.

So I happened to say that I had wondered if it were a Tommy Bahama, and he replied he couldn't afford their shirts--which made me laugh, since my cousin is married to the guy who is one of the founders of the brand name. Anyway, I mentioned having seen an interesting Tommy Bahama item at Costco--a portable chair, that folds up, backpack style, and has an insulated pouch to carry food as well as a cup holder.

When the guy hears this, he shares his ultimate fantasy chair idea. A chair that you just toss on the ground and then touch a button on the remote control to make the chair right itself, unfold, and an ice cold beer is waiting in the cup holder.

Sounded good to me, so I decided to have a little fun. I told the guy "Haven't you heard, they HAVE that already?!!" At which point, two other guys in the store who had been following our conversation, leaned in closer......"Yeah," I said, "They have that already----it's called a WIFE!!!":noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

To which he replied, "Well, NOT mine!!" And we all laughed.

Later, when I shared the story with the lady that helped me at the post office, she said, that I should have replied "Well, YOU picked her!!!" :noway: It is probably just as well I didn't think of that at the time!!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I am supposed to go to our county fair tomorrow with some friends of mine. I hope they have a booth at the entrance where people who are dieting can have their jaws wired shut!!!:noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

BTW, Barbiecat, knowing your propensity for wearing warm socks, I suggest you check out Costco soon.. They have a 3 pack of ladies socks made from a combination of merino wool and silk, and something for stretch. They looked like they would be very comfy and not too thick, selling for $14.99.

Anyway, have a good night everyone.

Barb

:flowerforyou: Hi everyone

:flowerforyou: Mimi - You'd be proud of me, I have just put some roasted veggies in the oven. I always do a Sunday dinner and we have boiled veg but thought I would try some roasted veggies too, see how they go down with DH. I really must roast veg more often - I believe you snack on them when you get the munchies. Do you heat them up again?

:flowerforyou: Barb well done you for getting on the case for chiclet so quickly. Glad that it is getting sorted.

Update on my uncle who came out of hospital on Tuesday last week, he's not feeling too well again. Yesterday he was in bed and had a bit of diarrhoea and sickness :sick: (The same happened last time he came out of hospital, a few days later he had D&V.) I think it's because he doesn't cover up unused food or put it in the fridge.:frown: He's feeling a bit better today and said he may get up in a few hours. Dad said he would go and see him around lunchtime and I'll go again later this afternoon. He's lucky that he has family living close by, goodness only knows what would happen to him otherwise. I'm sure he wouldn't let us know he was unwell.

:flowerforyou: Amanda good on you for keeping your exercise routine going even with your visitor. I haven't gotten that good yet, any excuse and I stop. :noway: :grumble: Only myself to blame. :grumble: For some reason I can talk the talk, but can't walk the walk!!

:flowerforyou: Laura the scales were kindish to me - I have put on half a pound, :embarassed: I'm only glad it wasn't more. I need to give myself a good talking to. Today as I said earlier I have done extra veg for dinner and will watch my portions. The last few days I have made curries and stews in the crock pot and because there is so much of it - I've put a little bit too much on my plate. I'll have to remeber I can always freeze leftovers.

The doggies are being exceptionally quiet today, Frankie is usually barking at everyone who has the nerve to pass by our window and if that person has a dog he gets very upset. Spoke too soon, Frankie is now barking.

Well I'd better go and shush him and also check on the dinner. Hope everyone has a happy Sunday

BFN

Viv

PS: Profile pic of my grandson. Was sick of seeing my photo, I'll have to look for a new one lol

Morning all :drinker: Just a quick check in before heading out to praise team practice. Hubby just got home a few minutes ago so he'll be sleeping when I get out of church. The gal I usually lunch with in that instance is out of town so looks like I'll be lunching alone today. PTL he goes back on days tomorrow.

This next week is the one we had planned to be at my son's to help his celebrate his 29th birthday. So in a effort to keep my mind occupied elsewhere I have signed up to help with VBS.

On the house front, after 7 weeks they are doing an appraisal so hopefully we'll have a response to our short sale offer this week. At least I hope so!

Happy Sunday y'all! :flowerforyou:

Greetings all! Just thought I'd give a shout out to let you know I didn't really drop off the face of the earth. I can't even claim to have been lurking because I haven't. After struggling with my behaviors...not wanting to exercise, not faithfully logging my meals, not even having time to keep up on reading the posts...I decided that for right now I needed to simplify my routine and to change it up for just a while to make it "new" again for me. I am a person who needs change to stay interested...too much of the same thing only causes me to lose interest and stumble or worse yet, eventually quit. So as of July 30, I went back to manually recording in a little black book. After a really good OA meeting last Sunday I chose that day, August 1, as my "Abstinence Date." I also received a "yes" answer from a lovely person whom I had asked to be my sponsor (when first asked, she declined). So having all things in place to make OA work for me I moved forward and as of last evening, completed my first week of abstinence...which means, simply: 3 meals and a snack or dessert.

So my August goals, a week late, are:

1) Practice Abstinence. No between meal snacking, unless it is your one per day planned snack.
2) Weigh once a week and update on MFP.
3) Continue to log meals/calories in my "little black book."
4) Continue to exercise at least 3x/week.

That's it...

I'm sorry I have not been able to stay up on reading everyone's posts. I hope everyone is finding what works for them and are enjoying success and progress in their weight loss journeys.

Sunday blessing to you all.