WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY 2013

Hi again!

Joyce, I must just congratulate you. Well done and welcome to Onderland! :flowerforyou:

We planted our veg this evening when it had cooled down a tiny bit.. Still hot on the hottest day of the year. The most difficult and tiring bit was getting the string all over the two patches to keep the pigeons off. I could never have done it last year and I was dripping and my back was aching. Now it's just going to be nightly watering.:sad: I hope it's worth it. But we get sooooo much pleasure when it does work. Even one or two of my failed garlic almost have developed cloves! ! Our salad is still going strong and I have just planted some more which is showing already. Nowdays, with your help, I think of the lugging of watering cans about as valuable exercise!:laugh: Our geraniums are a sight to behold this year. Last year they were all rotting and black with all the rain.

One of you is a great bird feeder I remember. Today DH took delivery of 48 lbs of mixed bird seed and 28 lbs of niger seed along with yet another huge storage box. We have 6 goldfinches on our feeder at once along with many other varieties of garden and woodland birds. They must be the best fed birds in Hampshire. All had families this year. Sometimes we have two young brother woodpeckers on the peanuts at once. It is such a great pleasure, sitting in our living room and watching the antics in the garden. It is something we did not anticipate when we moved into the countryside. I think we have finally defeated the squirrels with the design of the feeders, but they were certainly persistent!:grumble: Amazing intelligence.

Oh well, hope my baby plants survive the night and I don't wake up to a pigeon led devastation. It would be wonderful to have our own brussels sprouts on the table at Christmas. Two years ago the purple sprouting broccoli was fantastic, this spring they were very disappointing with all the cold and rain. Gardening is an act of faith and occasionally a miracle !

Under calories tonight so I'm still hoping for my own little miracle on the scales tomorrow.

Love from Heather in HOT Hampshire UK

Seems that everyone is having this never ending heat. We are under an extreme heat alert just in case you don't feel it when you walk outside :laugh: It was so hot that we were sent home from work early...darn :happy:

I've been using my new fitbit for almost a week and it certainly is making me more aware that I need to move more. It also is confirming that I don't sleep well at night. My DD loves hers too. She is doing so well with the weight loss, so very proud of her.

Joyce - congrats on onederland, I can't wait for that

M. I have a friend in northern part of NY, she is actually farther north then I am. She gets much more snow then I do in the winter even though I'm in Canada :happy:

grandmallie - good luck at the podiatrist, I hope he helps.

Heather - sounds like you have quite the vegetable garden, I'm jealous as I live in an apartment

grannybitbit - welcome to the group, it's a great bunch of women.

On the weekend I finally gave in and ordered a tablet. I've been looking at them for a long time. Yesterday I track it online and it says that it's been delivered to the store. yay, I was so excited to finally get it and play with it (yup I'm a tech nerd). I called the store to confirm that it was there and they said they don't have it. I called the post office and they say they delivered it. hmph :noway: The store was not helpful and said that I have to wait to see if it turns up. I called head office customer service and I was basically told the same thing. I'm so frustrated but nothing I can do about it for 5 - 7 business days. I'm glad I haven't paid for it yet.

I was able to get my treadmill in before dinner so I get to relax tonight, yes Meg R-E-L-A-X :laugh: It is something I've had to learn to do myself. My bad knees have slowed me down a bit

I'm going to try and get to bed early tonight. Hope everyone is staying cool and hydrated.

Sandy from Ontario

Well just had one heck of a thunderstorm and they said a cold front is behind it, so far...NO... still humid and hot!

Sandy hope you get your Tablet, I got one last week and am enjoying it not much of a techy but fun to learn new things, we have a recumbent bike and it makes the time spent on it go faster while playing on the tablet, killing 2 birds with one stone as they say helping body and mind!
Joyce so great you got to onederland congradulations!
Hoping everyone not feeling well gets better soon, too hot to be sick as well!
Wishing all a goodnite


Juanita in sudbury

Man, oh man -- storming here like crazy tonight. The dog is 'protecting' me very well.

My boss left for the airport around 3:15p and apparently didn't leave ATL until well after 8pm. I was at the office from about 7:30a til 5:15p, then went to the gym and did weights, plus a little cardio. Then I did a bit more cardio at home to earn my chocolate chip cookie.

DH just got home, so off to be sociable.

Gail, metro ATL

Good news, doctor has said to just go easy with the knee – there are no obvious tears. I can use the level of Aleve that's keeping pain at bay for a while longer without a problem. So, walking more today, will try and get to the gym tonight during the infamous “I want a snack” period and at least do some circuit training. Tomorrow, a modified version of Leslie's 3 mile - maybe I'll just walk around the house while she talks :laugh:
Hearing about the birders got me thinking about my own bird situation. I presently have birds in my chimney – good grief! They get noisy at the oddest times & DH has been working out of town most of this year. No way am I getting up on the roof to check things out from there. Also have a hanging basket that I’m afraid to move. I picked it up at the store to add a little color at the back of the house (red, white, & purple). I took it out of the car & gave it a good watering, then left it on the driveway. Expected to move it the next morning, but when dog & I walked out for our morning constitutional, there were 2 hummingbirds checking it out. I think I’ve heard not to move humming bird feeders if you want them to return so that basket may now end up hanging there from one of the recessed Christmas light hooks. I also frequently get to see a pair of hawks (or bald eagles – need to bring field glasses with me to be certain) when dog and I are walking. So marvelous to watch them riding the thermals.

grannybitbit - feel welcome to read along or post, whichever suits you. Yes, these ladies will keep encouraging you and giving suggestions should you ask. For example, I know most everyone here says they’ve benefited from using the food & exercise diaries. It’s amazing what you discover about the foods you’ve been eating. I like having a food scale, too, since I didn’t have a great feel for how much one serving or portion was. I like telling everyone here what my plan is for exercising, or whatever; it adds an extra level of accountability that helps keep me on track. Hope to see/hear more from you.

Heather – it sure is exercise when a gallon of water weighs over 8 lbs.!Crossed fingers for that “little miracle” in the AM.:drinker:

Sandy – sorry it’s that hot still. I think all of these devices we can use are wonderful. I’m using a bodymedia armband that tells me number of steps taken, intensity levels of activity, how well I sleep, and more. My nephew started using one, talking me into joining him on a better health journey, and we are checking in with each other via Facebook. He’s shooting for better health by his November birthday; I’m shooting for next year’s August birthday.

Meg – glad you got to swim. I wish there was a pool somewhere close, it’d be much easier on my knees to water-walk but the nearest one is over 20 miles away!

Juanita – I just got a tablet, too! I haven’t even taken it out of the box yet. My sister, way more techie than me, just found a deal on one for her DH & told me about it. I decided it was time to upgrade from my laptop & besides, I have a birthday coming up & my DH always loves when I tell him I’ve found the perfect thing for him to give me.

Barbie – I’m always amazed when you write about everything you do in a single day. Very inspiring!

Gail – good workout, I’m sure the dog will make sure you stay safe.

yanniejannie - I LOVE that image, look out squirrels – here she comes!

:bigsmile: Happy evening, all, off to the gym time I think. :bigsmile:

Bump for tomorrow. Hope it is a better day.

morning ladies, been up since 4;30 am, no exercise , gonna hop in the shower and then take the pups for a walk. then off to the podiatrist. it is supposed to hit 100 here in central Connecticut so will keep the boys in the ac.
I am hoping I get some answers to what will help me get rid of the heel and foot pain, I want to get back to working out and walking and losing weight. .
check back with ya'll later

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

Wow, we are a chatty bunch, I so enjoy reading all the posts! I feel as if I have friends all over the world ! You ladies are just the best !!!

Just some quick replies this morning, wish I had more time !

Sandy in ON I finally got the Khaki/bronze mascara, I like it, don`t love it though, it`s a bit clumpy and that kind of turns me off, although the color is beautiful and I will wear it on occasion. What I really love is the khaki eyeliner pencil I got, it looks really good! Stay inside and stay cool!!!

Katla I got the LG washer and dryer in graphite steel, they look beautiful...however it is a front load washer, this will be my first, the guy told me they have come a long way in cutting down on the smell, you don`t have to use any special soap to clean it, it does have a self cleaning cycle on it...I`m holding my breathe hoping I will like it. My old set is a Maytag Neptune, it was fine while it worked. This one will wash my king sized blankets which I love, it got expensive sending them to the dry cleaners! I looked at the reviews before I bought it and they were all good...keeping my fingers crossed!

Joyce Hoping today will be a better day for you:flowerforyou: !

Grandmallie good luck with your Dr. appt., I hope you get some answers on how to alleviate the heel pain:flowerforyou: !

Heather I just want to come to your house for lunch and dinner, seeing I am not much of a cook:noway: , your lunches and dinners sound delish, makes my mouth water:happy: . The cake you`re making for DH...orange cake, please send me just a little taste ! Hope DH has a good appt. today!

I am missing Michele`s posts too, hoping the wedding was wonderful and things with Bryan are much better than she was expecting!

As much as I would love to sit and chat more, the clock is telling me if I don`t get off the behind now, I`m going to be late:sad: !
Have a wonderful day ladies! Drink your water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!

Hugs,
DeeDee in sunny:glasses: NC

Good morning, wonderful friends!

Barbie, the county fair sounds like it’s going to be fun. I used to love going – checking out the crafts and animals were more fun than riding the rides. The State Fair in Pueblo also has a fun fountain area for the kids (or young-at-heart adults) where the water shoots up out of holes in the sidewalk at random times – you never know when you’re going to get wet. It would be one way to keep cooler in your 70 degrees (sorry, I’m snickering).

Ooh, DeeDee – let me know how you like/love your new set. I had bought the LG brand for DD and would like to get a set for myself . . .

Heather, hope the knee loosens up soon. I can relate to the need to weigh less than your spouse – my ex was a beanpole, even when we first met I only weighed about 5 – 10 lbs less than him. Maybe it’s a good think DH is on the pudgy side now :laugh:. You’ll have to let me know if you come to NYC – I can meet you there. I’m always up for a splurgy trip! I’m with you – love the peppery zing arugula adds to salads and such – we love it on pizza (pile it on after cooking the pizza), and my new fav is to shred some on a plate and put my caprese salad on top of it – adds a nice bite to the salad. DH is a huge fan of the birds – he loves to watch them at our feeders. We have cardinals, goldfinches (his favorite) and a downy woodpecker in our area. They can be little pigs, but since I move d the feeder I don’t have the deer – they would bump the feeder to get the food to fall out onto the ground and then eat it all – they could empty the entire thing in one night!

Janie, I hope your knee gets better soon too. Lots of joint injuries around here – a reminder to us all that keeping the weight off will be kinder to our joints and help them last longer too.

Grannybitbit, welcome! We have lots of people here in all shapes and sizes, all working to be in better shape and a smaller size :laugh:. As we can all attest, the best way to lose weight is to track what you’re really eating and move more – because we get this way from eating too much and not moving enough. Keep coming back for suggestions and support.

Sandy, I hope your tablet shows up! Sometimes the store people are just too lazy to sort through the boxes to see what’s there although I would think they would have a tracking database to show what’s been delivered. Hrrmph.

Meg, that’s a little spooky that Qwest seemed to know that you needed a new modem . . . :laugh:. Ouchie on the goggles! DH used to be a swimmer too – he was the lifeguard at the pool in the summers when he was growing up. When we were in NC he swam in the ocean one day and then complained about how much his shoulder hurt. I hope he doesn’t get his father’s disposition towards bad joints – but I’m worried he might. He seems better now. It’s my life’s mission to get him to do yoga with me – I’m convinced it will fix whatever’s wrong with him . I planted a set of large delphiniums this year – I missed jb’s post – you’ll have to tell me what/how I’m supposed to cut them. Thanks – I don’t even eat meat, let alone burger, and now you’ve got me thinking about a juicy burger from Burger King!

Gail, I love being able to “earn” treats.

Yanniejannie, I’ve lost track – are you in TN or VA? We have a friend who lives in Blacksburg, VA – one of DH’s BFFs from college. Have fun on your trip! I’m with you – I’ll even pick up something at a gas station market. Like Michele I try to keep a healthy snack with me so I’m not too tempted by something I shouldn’t eat. I’m laughing at your squirrel assault.

Lila, thanks for the recipe. That looks tasty – I might have to try it out for DH.

So last night I got to meet one of our board members for a fun visit and walk – and now I have a new IRL friend. I think it’s wonderful. Then on the way home one of our neighbors had a fridge out at the end of his driveway with a for-sale sign on it and he happened to be standing there when I drove by, so I stopped to ask what he wanted for it. He was selling it for just a little amount of money, his son had just moved home and there was no place for it. Yay! Now I can replace the old, no-seal-left, smelly version we have in the garage. I imagine it will be more efficient too, so lower energy bills. Now I just have to figure out how to get rid of the one in our garage. I’ll have to call the trash company to find out how to have the Freon removed, etc.

OK, time to start the work day. Have a wonderful day, try to find a cool place to land, and enjoy those birds who aren’t afraid to soar even in the heat.

Cheers,

M.

Happy 20th anniversary jane to you and your hubby, may you have many more and enjoy your day together.


Juanita in sudbury

Immmmmmm Back.....
Not good news.. I have a fairly large size heel spur and since I have been putting off seeing a podiatrist I dont know the extent of the damage. he did take x-rays,and now he want's me on steroids, he wrote me a script,but checking with my kidney dr before filling,I can still exercise, I can walk,but no pounding the pavement so to speak,I can go to the gym and peddle away,but NO treadmill.
I did take a picture of the x-ray with my phone but it didn't save So Oh well... the only thing I fear is having to have foot surgery.I will do anything I can to avoid it..
went to walmart and being my cocky self, there were some long gym pants,for $2.00 and some danskin t-shirts for $ 3.00 bought a could of large shirts( haven't lost much weight in the girls:blushing: ) and a size medium in the pants..thats a size 8-10 I am sure hoping by fall-time I can fit into those.. for 2 bucks how can you go wrong.
so now just waiting to hear back from the dr about meds and will start on those...

Thanks for the well wishes. I had a really good nights sleep, you know the kind that when you wake up in the morning the covers don't even look like they have been slept in. Shoulder feels much better this morning but neck still has a little pain. I'm wondering if some of it is because I slept to soundly in one place.

I guess I can believe my weight yesterday. This morning was down .2 pound.!

Joyce Indiana

No word on my tablet yet, if I don’t hear by end of day tomorrow I think I’ll go over to the store and maybe if I’m standing there they will be able to find it. :grumble:

It’s still unbelievably hot here. Do we ever just get used to it? I can’t wait for it to break, I hear that should be Friday night into Saturday morning. I have a hard time working out when it’s so hot. I have to be home for a bit to cool off and then hop on the treadmill or the bike.

Heather – I hope you knee feels better soon, take care of it.

DeeDee – the khaki eyeliner sounds great, I’ll have to see it I can find it up here.

Barbie – wow I’d love that weather, do you get bitterly cold winters?

M – congrats on the great find on the fridge.

Jane – happy anniversary! :flowerforyou: I hope you have a wonderful day

Katla – elephant ears? What on earth are they? I hope you enjoyed your yoga

Grandmallie – oh no, that sounds terribly painful. I’ve never had heel spurs but I imagine they are quite painful. What a great find at walmart. I have faith in you, you will be fitting into them in no time at all. :drinker:

Joyce – congratulations on the good night’s sleep. I myself don’t know that feeling…ever :laugh: I’m so glad that your shoulder is feeling much better. Yahoo on the .2 lbs down. It is definitely time for the happy dance. (we really need a happy dancer icon) :happy:

Yanniejannie – safe travels.

I should get back to work the boss will be back in shortly. Just like most of us, I’m dealing with the heat lol

Have a great day everyone

Sandy from Ontario

Hello ladies,
Still working happy! I just want to join in the chorus about how great it is to live in the PNW. The best part is that it is rarely too hot and rarely too cold. the difference between our summer and winter is about 20 to 30 degrees. It is typically 40's to 50's in the winter and 60's to 70's in the summer. I feel so blessed to live in such an awesome place. And it is sooooo green.:bigsmile:

I hope you all have a great day!!!

Robin Bodi Ritter all in the blessed PNW

Good afternoon beautiful ladies,

Yesterday the Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark that I ordered came in. I was so excited! I sometimes will have one or maybe two at night, and they are my serious guilty pleasure. I only recently finished the bag I had from Christmas. I opened one of the bags (I ordered three) and was so upset to find the chocolate had melted! Leave it to me to have them delivered on the hottest week of the year! :grumble: I put them in the refrigerator and hope they will be OK.

Tomorrow is my Friday off (I have off every other Friday). I had an appointment with the people who service my fireplace, but I called to reschedule because I am going to the beach with my girlfriend. Today and tomorrow are dangerously hot days and I want to be at the beach where the air is less humid and the ocean offers relief from the sweltering heat! I LOVE the beach. It’s my favorite thing about summer.:glasses:

My daughter is coming down to the area this weekend to bring her son to visit his dad and she will be visiting with me on Saturday, so although I am staying overnight at my girlfriend’s house on Friday, I’ll have to get home early on Saturday. She will be bringing the five year old for the visit, but her thirteen year old will be staying with his friend in Philly. I remember when he begged to come to my house, but alas, grandparents lose their appeal when toddlers become teenagers….sigh!:brokenheart: The five year old, however, still loves to visit with us.

We have a woodpecker that insists on pecking the side of our house starting around 5:30am….about 15 minutes BEFORE I have to get up! We have woods down the hill from our house with lots of trees, so I wonder why he insists on choosing the side of our house instead! Guess I don’t need an alarm clock after all!:ohwell:

Tina – Happy Anniversary and enjoy yourself! You are so fortunate to have found a dependable pet sitter. We have to kennel our dog when we vacation.

Sandy – The reason I became a morning person was so I could get my workouts in early before work, especially in the summer when it’s too hot at the end of the day. I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to get motivated after work. Maybe it’s because I don’t get home until after 6pm, and by then I’m wiped out! Hope that tablet shows up soon.

:laugh: Katla – I hear ya on the wrinkly skin. Someone on here had a thread about wearing bikinis after a certain age. Even though I am in the best shape I’ve been in years, 60 year old skin will NEVER be the same as 30 year old skin. I’m not saying that exercise doesn’t help, but let’s just say you won’t be seeing me in a two piece suit at the beach anytime soon. Good luck with Direct TV. We have FIOS so I can’t give you any advice there.

:glasses: Vicki – I guess you sent the heat our way because the temperature is supposed to reach 98 degrees today and tomorrow with a heat index in the 100’s.

Linda – We are still dealing with ants at work. I think the boric acid works much like the chalk line, but although it has been better, we still see a few here and there.

:laugh: Pat – Oh, how great would it be to win the lottery and hire someone to make healthy AND delicious meals? BUT….back to reality! I’m not usually the type to kick one’s butt, but I’ll indulge you just this once because you CAN do this! So put on your big girl panties and get going!

Jb – My hair was getting so damaged between perms and color that I had to make a decision and choose one. Guess which one I chose? Between gray and curly or great color and straight, I’ll take the color and straight any day. Gray is NOT a good color on me!

:flowerforyou: Janie – OUCH! Hope that knee makes a quick recovery!

:noway: Heather –We’re not having much luck this year with our garden. Although our tomatoes and basil are doing great, our zucchini plant, which looked completely healthy last week, is totally dead now! We only got two good zucchini. I’m so disappointed, as last year, we had so many we were giving them away!

:happy: Joyce – So glad your headache is finally gone. I can totally relate to getting bored with eating the same things. Why don’t you try and change it up a bit? I alternate between low calorie bread and flat ones, which make wonderful wraps. They also have flat rounds and flat bagels which are all low calorie. A little variety goes a long way to help keep it interesting! Congrats on staying out of the 200’s and welcome to Onderland!

Meg – Beware of skipping meals. It only makes you eat more at the next one. The hardest lessons learned are the ones we don’t forget! Time to move on and revel in the progress you have made! Congrats on the weight loss and NSV from your instructor!

:drinker: Alison – You are amazing for getting in so many steps with your sore heel. My sister had plantar faciitis and spurs and still has to wear orthotics to keep the pain from becoming unbearable.

:laugh: Rhonda – I was picturing 65 people sleeping all over your house! So relieved they have a place to stay. Enjoy your time with family. It’s wonderful when you can get them all together!

Terri – If it were up to me, I’d eat chicken every night, but DH likes variety, and I must admit, once in awhile I do love a great steak or burger (especially on the grill). We also try and eat fish at least once a week.

:ohwell: DeeDee – I think you did great ONLY taking two hours to choose your washer/dryer. It took me MUCH longer when we got ours, and then had so many problems with delivery I thought I was going to lose it! But once all was said and done, we are very happy with our choice. And yes, sadly, they don’t make things the way they used to. They want you to have to buy replacements more frequently, so everything is made more cheaply. Sad, isn’t it?

:glasses: Deb – The weather has to cool down at some point (doesn’t it????) Try and keep cool!

:happy: Robin – Now that you are in a good place at your job, you can focus on getting back on track with getting your snacking under control. Stress makes everything harder. So happy things are improving for you and you can enjoy your job again.

:flowerforyou: Yanniejannie – Congratulations on reaching goal and welcome to maintenance!

Jfenner – Mmmm…..blueberry crisps sound awesome!


GOALS FOR JULY:
Consistent logging (Pretty good except on vacations)
Drink at least 9 glasses of water a day (90%)
Find an exercise class I enjoy (NOT YET!!!)
RUNNING OUTDOORS (Yep)
LOWER SODIUM FOODS (NOPE, but working on it!)
STOP OBSESSING ABOUT FOOD (Hmmmmm…..)

Welcome to all the newcomers. Jump right into the conversation and keep coming back!
Congrats to all on their success, and (((hugs))) to all who are struggling. Hang in…..it gets better!

Hugs,
Lucy in DE. :bigsmile: