WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2014

Today I did just elliptical on the AMT. It's a bit harder because you have to really use your arms. There were a few times when I didn't (like when I got a drink of water) and I found that I was just stepping.

As far as what I have scheduled for tomorrow, I guess a lot will depend on what happens later in the day. See, we were supposed to have a Newcomer board meeting which would mean that I would do something at home. But...it's snowing (yea, people here in the South get real real worked up over it. I can see the grass sticking out of the snow...but they've already cancelled school for tomorrow. I was volunteering at the Green Room (community theater) earlier today and they let the kids out of school early...it had just STARTED to flurry. As a matter fact, someone called and wondered if they could come earlier because of the snow. I had to really look hard out the window to see the light flurries.

Then I went to the MD about the bleeding. Well, I guess in a way I'm relieved but in a way I'm sad. His feeling is that this is my body's way of having its "last hurrah" before going into full menopause. I had a full pelvic exam in Oct and everything was normal, so he really didn't feel the need to do it again. They do feel like when I had my period....the cramping, the bleeding being heavy and then getting lighter. I am so ready for this to be all done and over with. I just feel like there is something more, I can't explain it and maybe I'm wrong.

Now if we don't have the Newcomer board meeting, I'll go to yoga and then the deep water class. I really don't want to miss the deep water class and it's only on Wed. and Fri (well, it's also on Mon but that's the only day I can take the extremepump class)

Amanda - your gd sounds just lovely! How are YOU doing? Still losing weight (wish I had that problem)

Patty - best of luck on your test. I know you can do it. Just think of how much good you'll do once you pass this.

Pat - I don't mind the heat so much, but it's the humidity that gets to me. That's why I could never live full time in FL. One time when we were putting things in storage before moving to NC, it was 102 degrees, but it didn't feel real opressive because it wasn't humid.

Well, they just cancelled the Newcomer board meeting for tomorrow. We'll have it next Wednesday. Believe it or not, they also cancelled senior bowling. Now THAT'S a shocker. Do you know we actually had to have a vote on whether or not to bowl in New Years Day? I'm not going to take any chances that the Y is closed, so I'll do a DVD at home tomorrow. Even if the Y is open, I doubt the instructor would be there. Welcome to NC!!! lol

The other day I bought some seltzer water. I had heard Hungry Girl say that she uses it as a substitute for the oil in recipes. Gonna give that a try. Anyway I have a feeling that I'm going to prefer the texture of the tofu instead. So tonight I tried adding some of the Nesquick to the seltzer water. Not bad at all. Tastes like chocolate soda. I also have some tofu (silken) in the refrig. I may try adding some of the chocolate to that just to get it finished up.

Jill - thank you for the recipe. Sounds like something that I'd like to try.

yanniejannie - I guess part of the reason why obits were not lengthy by my father was that you weren't paying for them. To be honest, I don't even know if you could. Jason's Deli is one of my favorite places. Admitted, not real cheap, but then again, not real expensive. Their food is quite tasty and very health/diet friendly. They list everything on their website, unlike some places.

Called the insurance co about the reclast again. Well, they still didn't have anything, according to them they sent something on the 9th but still don't have it. anyway, they called the MD's office and this one gal called me back saying that she called their precert dept directly and gave them all the info, she was waiting for confirmation from them that they had everything and she'd call me. I think I'll give her a call tomorrow or maybe even the insurance co. I'm going to call the insurance co. to be sure they have everything they need. Yea, maybe I'll give her a call first, then the insurance co. to see if they have everything. My appt for the reclast is in less than a week.

Vicki - awesome weight loss! Good luck to your dad. That's so nice of you to stay with your mom, I know she'll need you right then. Oh, that's too too funny having your phone talk to you! Reminds me of those tamagachi's the kids used to have. BOA sent you a check for .05! It cost them more to mail it!

Plano Teral - yea for you on that treadmill!!!!

seasonsofjoy - after high school, our son went to RIT. We knew that he wouldn't like it there because of the weather. He didn't think anything of it, same reason, when he went to the interview it was nice weather. Well, even before the end of the first semester, he called and told dh that he wanted to transfer. Vince did talk him out of transferring, at least until he had finished the one year. He finished that year and then went to Elon. Sometimes they just have to see for themselves how life is. My advice would be to let her go there and find out for herself just how it is. She's looking at it thru rose colored glasses right now. Dont' be surprised if she wants to leave.

Jane in CO - I do think your fish story trumped mine. At least I knew that once she had dissected that shark, that was IT. Yours went on and on

Renny - glad you're safe and sound. I'm sure you're a real blessing for your mother

barbie - hope jake feels bettter. I never get novacaine unless I absolutely must have it. Don't get it for fillings.

Michele in NC

I finally got a call form our family doc's office about husbands appointment with the neurologist. When the person responsible for sending over the referral sent it to neuro's office, she put the name our doctor said on the cover sheet but not the actual referral. She thought that would be enough. So he was assigned to the first available which gives him an appointment 2nd week in Feb which is great but it is with a very foreign doctor which my dear husband doesn't trust that much. So office nurse is going to check with Dr. C and ask him what he thinks, he has heard me speak of Charlies mistrust enough and knew how he didn't even want to goe to another doctor when he found out that he himself wasn't covered. She will then find out how long it would take for him to get in with the doctor that Dr. C initially requested. and call me back. So we are back to the drawing board.

I am having a really hard time getting enough calories in. Many days I am at or below 1200 calories and I'm not losing any weight at all. Today I got 3 veggies in and 2 fruits. My problem is my carbs and natural sugars. I just can't seem to keep them in the needed levels and get the calories. It is stressing me also which I know isn't good for me. Plus I am so, so tired of this weather. My body is turning against me and is freezing most of the time. I sit wrapped up in blankets, at night I turn a heating pad on for the end of my bed for my feet. I want to feel back to normal again and I'm afraid the older I get the worse this will be. I need about 2 more weeks before I can take my script in to get my every 6 month lab work done which will be a chemistry study and blood count.

Got the shock of a lifetime tonight at supper. it's about the only time my husband really looks at me. I have said that now that I am pleased with how my face looks I am using some make up. At first I started with the facial concealer liquid makeup. I really didn't see that much change with it on until I was taking it off and then I could see that the side that was still on looked better. So Sunday I bought some mascara. I didn't think my eye lashes were long enough anymore to be able to use it but my daughter insists they are. So yesterday I tried it. Was kind of shocking how much my blue eyes stand out with just some mascara on. So tonight Charlie asks if I am wearing some makeup. I said yes and he said my eyes really look great. Then he was so funny, well for him it is. He said I guess that was a compliment wasn't it? I don't give those out much do I? I told him that no he doesn't and yes it felt good that he noticed and that he felt that they looked good.

Michelle, what is an AMT?

Joyce, Indinia

Good morning everyone from a dull and damp Hampshire UK.:huh: My thoughts go out to you in the ice zone.:sad: :ohwell: :flowerforyou:

Renny - nice to know you are in our time zone! Hope the visit with your mum goes well.:flowerforyou:

Yanniejannie and Gail - thanks for the suggestions. Will look into them. Of course I have ages to choose something, but the original hotel I was looking at gets booked up 6 months ahead! :noway: Guess that's why they can charge so much!:laugh:
One of my friends has decided to throw caution to the winds with spending as her ex husband is now in a locked ward with Alzhiemers and a lot of their friends are dead or dying! You sure can't take it with you, but I am a little cautious and DH a lot more so. I don't like to WASTE money, but am happy to spend out if I think I am getting value.
I tried to book my Scotland flights yesterday evening, but the website crashed. I will ring my friend in Glasgow today and check that the flight arrival/departure times suit her. They always pick us up from the airport. We girls are going to have a day trip to Edinburgh and she has booked lunch for the four of us in a celebrity chef's new restaurant. :bigsmile: She also has a BBQ hut in her garden, which is great fun to get into when it is cold. It gets lovely and warm in there and I loved charcoal grilled food!:bigsmile:

Kay - so sorry to hear about your wrist. There's always something isn't there. Hope you heal quickly. :flowerforyou: Today I am confined to bed with a horrific bout of diarrhoea. I feel ok in myself, but the growling down there is terrible. DH is fine so far so it can't be what we ate. I won't go into what happened in the night!:noway: :ohwell: :sick:

Nancy - I know the USA system is completely different to ours and times have changed over here as aell with the horrendous cost of uni, but I have slways felt that part of the point of uni is to experience a life and area that is different to what you are used to. I went to Bristol, which is West Country, and my eldest went to Glasgow. He had a 13 hour coach trip to come back to see us. But, as someone else said, in the US it might be that postgrad is the time for all that. When I was a student I had an almost full grant, but times have changed and the loan system means that quite a few are choosing to stay closer to home to save money. Personally, I couldn't wait to get away!:blushing: :ohwell:

No gymming today for me. Don't trust myself!:ohwell:
Will have to stick to bananas and white rice. :laugh:

Love Heather UK

Arggh, up to my ears in work; hi everybody!

Cynthia

morning ladies~had a little bit of snow last night so the roads are a bit hazardous.so no gym..doing stuff around the house till I go to work.
Carol~ my father graduated from Washington and Lee he went to his 50th reunion a few years back and drove himself down and back.
im not fully doing a great job of exercising,but I will get there.. will go slow and get to my goal

banger of a headache,sinus I think,took some tylenol and hope that kicks into gear, did a load of laundry washed and dried,swept and washed the floors and got the DH lunch and dinner together.. then off to the shower and take the puppies for a quick walk

Good morning ladies!

Last night I attended a Womens Heart meeting at the hospital. It was interesting to be among other people with similar issues. They went around the group and everybody introduced themselves and briefly described their heart issues. I was left feeling like a lazy piker compared with some of those ladies and what they went through. My goodness! I've been awfully lucky. One lady had a heart attack that lasted a full week, and then was misdiagnosed. I think every one of us lost relatives to heart disease, too.

Yesterday my granddaughters went to meet with a psychiatrist rather than the psychologist they normally see. They were both diagnosed with PTSD, stemming from their time with their druggie mother and step dad. So now they will be getting a more targeted therapy. So that's good. My son was reluctant to get them on meds, so they are going to hold off on that for a while. I'm a little conflicted about hanging such big labels on them, but hopefully it helps somehow. They are really sweet kids but have some issues with self control and anger. Really though, what kid doesn't?

I spent the day with my grandson and had a blast. We went to the library and it just happened to be story time. He REALLY enjoyed that. They read a book about sunflowers and talked about Kansas's birthday, which is today, then did a little craft making sunflowers. Then lunch at Wendy's and dropped off at preschool. After picking him up we stopped at the Dollar Tree store and he picked out a surprise for his two sisters and himself. It was hilarious to watch him deciding among all the cheap toys. A five year old mind at work. It was really cheap entertainment for me.

The scale was kind to me again this morning. Every two-tenths helps. Now just seven pounds away from Onederland. The loss is a lot slower lately, but maybe that's good. I have so much loose skin already, maybe from losing too fast, or maybe from getting old too fast. It's getting to be pretty awful, but still better than the alternative. I'm currently doing dry body brushing and using skin tightening lotion, but I can't see any improvement yet. Any other suggestions that might help?

Well, I hope everybody is happy, healthy and warm today!

Sylvia

Vicki: I agree with you. Looking at weight loss as a lifestyle change is the best road to success. I’m glad you’re passing the too big clothes on to someone who can use them. It is a generous thing to do. Sending good thoughts for your dad. Congratulations on the weight loss!:flowerforyou:

Meg and Joyce: Stay warm and safe. Polar ice-caps are for Santa and the reindeer.:flowerforyou:

Patceoh: Fast results are temporary results too often. This is the race between the tortoise and the hare. You know who wins. Your soup sounds good to me, except that I can’t eat milk. I’d likely look at adding green onions or leeks, black pepper or veggie peppers and garlic.:flowerforyou:

Laura in CO: I know what you mean about affording to use an RV. It is part of the reason I’m dragging my feet. I do know why this appeals to DH. He would be in control of his food and how often the bedding is washed. DH is diabetic and has MS. Control of his food and rest is important to him.:flowerforyou:

Sue in SD: Do you have a list of anti-inflammatory foods? Is there a link to an internet site? I’m interested in knowing more.:flowerforyou:

Margaret: I’m not a motorcycle fan, either. When we were newly weds DH borrowed a Honda 350 from a friend and proceeded to scare the devil out of me with his crazy driving. I’ve never been on a motorcycle again. :noway:

Yanniejannie: I can get DH to eat quinoa occasionally, but not as a staple. He is willing to eat brown rice frequently, along with sweet potatoes and russets. White rice is too high on the glycemic index and causes sugar spikes, so we’ve dropped it.:flowerforyou:

Renny: I hope you enjoy every minute with your mom.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Meg and Joyce: Stay warm and safe.:flowerforyou:

Plano Teral: I didn’t’ watch the State of the Union address, and rarely do. I prefer to read it so I skim the dull parts and focus on what I care about. I haven’t looked for a transcript yet this morning.:flowerforyou:

Nancy aka Seasons of Joy: DS went to the local school where he had free tuition and is doing fine. DD went to schools where she needed loans, and has the weight of loan repayment on her back. Her finances are much tighter. They are both happy, well adjusted adults with careers they love. DS has money available for travel and play. DD struggles a bit. Your daughter may want a taste of adventure and needs to decide if she is willing to pay for it for years to come.:flowerforyou:

Gail in metro ATL: Stay safe. Inexperienced drivers out in snow are a major hazard.:flowerforyou:

Jane in CO: Mexican food is popular around here, too, and will likely be featured in a number of parties. Someone just posted a recipe for Seahawk colored shooters on facebook. :laugh:

Barbie: Best wishes to Jake for a speedy recovery. I’m recovering, but don’t consider it speedy.:ohwell: :flowerforyou:

Tammy: Eat a balanced diet that helps your body feel good. Carbs vs protein will affect how you feel but weight loss is a math equation, calories in vs calories out.:flowerforyou:

Dr. Katie: Your wrist must be a more serious break than mine. I hope it heals completely and quickly.:flowerforyou:

Michele: I hope your bleeding is just the last hurrah your doctor thinks it is. I wouldn’t worry unless it doesn’t stop or turns into a gusher. Are you a person who is a worrier? We don’t get snow in the lower elevations of Western Oregon very often, either. People out there on the roads are crazy drivers. It isn’t the snow that is a hazard it is other people, unless the snowfall is on top of ice.:flowerforyou:

Joyce: Good luck on getting a reasonably quick appointment for you DH. Trust in your medical team is important. Any time your DH notices your appearance and likes it is a HUGE compliment.:bigsmile:

Heather: I’m thinking I don’t understand something. Your friend has a BBQ hut and goes into it? Here BBQ stands for barbecue and it is a device to cook meat. I wanted to go away to college, too, and managed it without leaving the state. My first college was several hundred miles from home, and the second was closer, but on a different planet culturally. The U of O in the late 60’s and early 70’s was sometimes called the “Berkley of the North,” filled with hippies and liberals. I LOVED it there.:bigsmile:

Selmabothmaol: Those of us who have lost weight have followed a simple path, move more and eat at a moderate calorie deficit. It takes a long time, but is healthy and sustainable. Good luck to you.:flowerforyou:

Tina in FL: I hope you won’t need a hospital stay but if you need it, don’t hesitate. I agree with DeeDee about the rash. Let your doctor know. Good luck.:flowerforyou:

DeeDee: Enjoy your snow and stay safe.:flowerforyou:

Alison: Take care of that headache. I hope the Tylenol works for you.:flowerforyou:

Sylvia: It sounds like your women’s heart meeting was beneficial. Will this be something you do on a regular basis or is it a one time occasion?:flowerforyou:



Today is DH’s day to go to the acupuncturist. We had to miss his last appointment because I was too sick to drive, but didn’t call in far enough ahead and will have to pay for the missed appointment. Oh well. She’s worth it. We are also planning to stop by and look at low profile Forest River travel trailers on our way home. DH is not enthused but I want to know what they’re like.

Have a safe day, everyone.:flowerforyou:

Katla in beautiful NW Oregon

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison


January goals:

1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. Focus on fitness: daily cardio plus strength training a minimum of twice a week.
3. Water: According to an article a friend posted on facebook, drinking water at certain times maximizes its effectiveness on the body. So I’ll try to follow these recommendations:

* 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
* 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
* 1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
* 1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Winter wonderland here........beautiful!!! Snow started about 5pm. DH made it home last evening, only 20 min late; he'll be here all day as the area is just paralyzed. When I got awake this am, I pulled on a coat and shoveled a path to the bird feeder; had to lift the snow in two levels as we've got from 9 to 10 inches in our yard where I measured and it's quite heavy. Supposed to be blue sky to the west according to the tv, but no sign of it on the horizion that I can see yet. Have put out food and treats 3 times already.

Renny.........Enjoy, enjoy your visit with your mom!

Vicki.........Safe travels and best to your dad, hope he comes through just fine.

Gail............I adore Clark Howard!!!! Very down to earth and excellent advice.

janehadji...........So sorry you still haven't been to your art museum; on the other hand, it's a good reason for another day out.

Kay...........Hoping you heal quickly with no problems.

Joyce...........Good for your Charlie!!!! I swear, my dh wouldn't notice if I painted my face green, lol. Sorry you are so cold and feeling poorly.

Tina............Yes, show your dr. that rash! (and feel better soon!!!)

Sylvia...........I'm in the avoid the meds camp with your son, if at all possible. Of course, keeping that woman out of their lives would be a big help.........well, maybe this will be more ammo for the lawyer.

Heather...........Hope you feel better soon!

Katla...........my dh won't touch sweet potatoes but quinoa, brown rice, russets, barley are all Ok; he's diabetic too, medication controlled. He's pretty good about staying away from white rice, which used to be a staple for him.

Hello to everyone I've missed..........going out to shovel out front now.
yanniejannie
mid-Atlantic

Good morning from the land of ten thousand petrified frozen lakes,,

Welcome newcomers.:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

For those under the weather.:flowerforyou:

Katla travel trailer sounds fun.

Sylvia I am glad to hear your granddaughters are getting help.

Gail sorry for you traffic woes. We are more used to that kind of weather up here in Minnesota. If there is ice I try to stay off the roads if I can. When we get that kind of weather we have learned to drive very, very slow and expect commutes to triple. Sounds much worse for you.

Deedee:drinker: .
Tina I would call your Dr. Sounds like you are having an allergic reaction to your meds. She/he needs to know about the rash.

Joyce thanks for sharing about DH.

Michele glad your Dr. visit cleared up what is going on in your body.

Kay sorry about the broken bones. Hope you heal quickly.:flowerforyou:

Carol I have the same problem when I am tired and or wired after a meeting.

Tammy you sound as if you live far North. The up side is you have longer summer days. Hard to remember in the depths of winter.

Jane a fantasy league is when you pick your team from all the players who are playing the game. You also decide how certain teams are going to do as they play. You earn points for your players and predictions. It is more popular to do this for football than soccer. Hope you make the art exhibit. Sounds wonderful.

Vicki congrats on clearing out the clothes. I am proud of you.

Anamika there is much to be said for routine.

Survived the worst of the cold for now. No frozen pipes. Good old Betsy our furnace still working. I figure after 50 years she has earned a name. Stayed home the last few days. Signed up for some workshops since I had the time.They include Finding Joy(actual title good fit for my yearly goal), Is Caring Too Much?, An African Art Workshop at our Art Museum, and one on The Global Food Supply. I still need to earn 16 hours to renew my teaching license and these will fullfill 13 of them and my cost will be 0. Since I no longer teach full time I need to be creative to find clock hours to renew my license. You need to get 125 hours of additional training in a five year period. I will only renew this last time that will take me to age 65.

Goals
Limit TV/computer
communication/contentment
Life is too short for a bad cup of coffee.:drinker:

Margaret

Dr. Katie,

I was walking across our driveway, which has a slope, and stepped into the shadows which were coated with black ice. My feet went forward and I landed on my left hip and wrist. Your fall sounds much worse, and your break is certainly much worse. I'm sorry it happened to you and hope you heal swiftly and completely. I still can't do some things that would bend my wrist back and bear weight but I can lift grocery bags and things. Some yoga poses are interesting to accomplish. Good luck to you.

Katla

I ate badly yesterday! I was so tired and so hungry by the time I got home from my meeting last night that I grabbed "treat" food instead of "real" food. That's the first time I've ended up in the red on calories in forever! Well, except when I was visiting my parents at Christmas. I have no clue how many calories I ate then! I was eating scramble eggs for breakfast and thinking I knew how many calories I was was ingesting when my mother announced, "These eggs are SO much better since I put butter in them!" :noway: I have stayed on track today so I'm not going to beat myself up for yesterday.

Oh!! I had the most delicious Oreo cookies and cream smoothie tonight! It tasted divine and had only 140 cals
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Carol,can you share the smoothie recipe? Have Jell O Oreo pudding mix just waiting to be used in a smoothie. Pat in Ohio

Exercising and trying to eat healthy this week. Apparently, according to my food logging, if you eat a lot of healthy food you can still go over your allotment! Ha ha!

I have been super busy the last couple of days. Seems from the skimming of recent posts, I'm not the only one. I took my mom to a dr, appt. yesterday, and she was unable to write her name anymore when she tried to sign in. The little strokes are turning her brain into Swiss cheese. She is peaceful about what is to come, and I am trying to just enjoy the time we have left together, and not be sad.

Jane, in my experience, you are not too old to increase strength and flexibility. I started exercising again in my 50s. First, I was going three times a week to a group that met at a church, and it was a fairly low intensity group. It seemed at first that any infirmity I had was only magnified, and I hurt in places I never knew I had. I thought that was what you got for being old.

After over a year of that, I joined a gym and started taking classes with all the super-fit and flexible people. It made me push myself harder, and sometimes I wondered if I was going to literally survive the cardio classes! Surprisingly, I found that my aches and pains actually started to go away. I became more flexible, and the increased strength supported my joints, and diminished the problems with my knees and shoulder. I am now keeping up with people half my age, but is takes consistency, and getting to know what your body can take. The race belongs to the tortoise, not the hare.

Speaking of rabbits, I can tell spring is coming, because the bunnies are molting. Bunny hair everywhere!
-Kayzoola (PNW USA)

It's 27*!!!!!!! Sun is shining!!!!!! Went to the Y for the chair yoga for the first time. Really nice teacher. It started out just as imaging things. I was wondering if this was really for me. Then we started the stretching. I know know that's what yoga is, stretching but you're stretching to the max. Ina senior class some is from a chair and other exercises from behind or beside the chair holing onto it. You really feel stretched when you leave. Really nice teacher. I also found out she also teaches the diabetic class at the Y.

My blood sugar was still over 100 but I know now that if I were to put the blood on my old meter it would be less than 100. We went to Cracker Barrell last night and I had 1/2 piece of meatloaf. Today I cut the other piece and cut that in half. still very filling. Only thing is that it is another serving of red meat.

Joyce, Indiana

Hi everybody! Sorry I've been boring the last couple of days. :flowerforyou: to all!

Cynthia