WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2014

Whew! I ought to be in bed, but I couldn't stand getting any farther behind in keeping up with posts.

I took my son for his endoscopy this morning that turned out to be a fluoroscopy. The practioner had said he needed an endoscopy so when she said she was scheduling a scope, I didn't bother to ask what kind. :ohwell: Of course, they didn't find anything so he'll probably be back for an endoscopy! I am immensely grateful that we have such amazing medical care within reasonable traveling distance, but I am getting heartily sick of I-85.

After we got back from Duke, I took the boy child to the grocery store (good heavens, food is expensive!) and then worked on my taxes while he took a nap. He's been bugging me to no end to get them done so we can complete his FAFSA for college so I took the opportunity while I had it. They're done enough for FAFSA although I may fine tune them a bit before filing to see if I can get a few more dollars in refunds.

I took on a new position at my church this year and, because of an incident last Sunday, I am having to rush to get modifications to documents and procedures in place ASAP. I have two meetings scheduled for Friday with folks that I need help from. I need to have some of these things in place by Sunday. :noway:

I am so blooming tired! I found my hand in a bag of peanut M&Ms that my son had left open on the kitchen counter. Hopefully, I didn't do too much damage. I am stressed and sugar keeps calling my name VERY loudly! And, I keep answering with a yes. :blushing: I MUST get my daughter back home to her apartment and my son off to his dad's for a weekend to save my sanity until I can get away for a weekend by myself. I love them both, but I haven't had a solitary moment in over three weeks. I did, however, put my headphones on to walk/march/jog/run in place tonight and listening to my music with my door closed helped me feel alone to some degree.

Since I should be in bed already, I will say good night.

Carol in :yawn: NC

Joyce, your hubby reminds me of mine. He doesn't go grocery shopping with me very often, but the few times he did he stood at the register with a $20 bill in his hand and was dumbstruck when it totaled $100. We have literally driven halfway across the country specifically to visit a particular museum and then he refused to buy a ticket because it was $7 each. He has no concept of costs or the idea that prices go up over the years. But he's good for other things, so I guess I'll keep him. Men are funny.

Sylvia

Hi all,
I love all the posts! To everyone with kid/grandkid issues - I hope everyone get healthy mentally and physically really quick - sending good thoughts your way.

I am a book club member and am the resident sweet baker - well I did not want to do that for tonight - and they don't know I am dieting - so brought Kale chips tonight instead - so easy - and I think good - well I am going to have to buy more Kale as by the time the bowl got back to me they were all gone!

Does anyone have any fun, different HEALTHY snack recipes they would be willing to share? I'll check over on recipes too....

Smiles from rainy CA

Hello ladies!:flowerforyou:
Sylvia:drinker: Congrats! You look wonderful! Your loss is symbolic of discipline and dedication. I salute that!
Joyce:flowerforyou: love the sisters poem….absolutely true sister Hope u get your dream vacation soon, in the house of your choice
Rori :flowerforyou: your goals have given me something to think about. The days you r low on carbs, what do u replace them with in your diet? Just curious. I am trying to do the 5;2 fast diet where I am supposed to limit my intake to 600 cals so that the body is forced to use the stored body fat.
Carol:flowerforyou: so glad your son is in good hands. Hope you find your moments of peace in this sea of activity where you don’t hear any Sugar calling out to u ;P:laugh:
Jb in Portland:glasses: cute pic and good luck in all your endeavors .
Momsamodel:drinker: great choice of kale chips. Great how u handled your party. Many of us here walk in our living rooms, or through the house when we cant go outdoors for our walk / run etc.
Katla:bigsmile: most of the times I have enjoyed a book much more than the movie. Hope you are doing much better now
Meg :happy: so glad to see your posts. Your Bennie beagle is such a riot :smokin:
Michelle :bigsmile: sounds like Florida is treating you well. Your workout routines are inspiring
Deedee!!!!!!:flowerforyou:
Beth :flowerforyou: keeping you and your boys in my prayers. Just work on one thing at a time, as many here have said , it works…. Everytime in all situations :noway: you can do it
Sandy !!!!!! Congrats!:flowerforyou:
Barbie sorry about your friend
Heather :flowerforyou: :drinker: wow lowest weight you say!!!
Margaret sorry about the cold:grumble: , great goals you are giving me ideas!
Barbie Act the way you want to feel is helping me a lot… I am becoming a good actress:blushing: and feel great ;P
Yanniejannie great flexibility also reflects great personality :flowerforyou:

I have been successful most days in getting up early, to finish a round of yoga after my meditation. It seems like a great way to begin the day . My favourite poses are mountain pose, tree pose, seated forward bend, plough pose, Updog, down dog, boat pose, cobra pose,bridge pose, warrior pose. here's a link yoga.about.com/od/yogaposes/‎
Trying to run on alternate days at least 3 kms so that when I do my weekly long run of 15km body is used to the idea :grumble: :laugh:
Take care everyone I know I have missed a few of my regular friends :drinker:
Anamika from Mumbai

Read the last page.
Joyce
You have to give hubby some credit it's because of the way he handled the money that your comfy today.
Mine was a money watcher also. We stayed in some terrible motels and some very nice ones to. But like you no reservations always drove as far as we could. We did a lot of tenting and camping when the boys were young. But then that's what memories are built of.

Well as for me I'm doing more getting more heart endurance. I haven't been here in so long. Had a wii gain this week at tops. .2 and I got on wii this morning and it's gone. So that's a plus. Going to make it a good move a lot day. The more you move the more you loose.

See you all lighter.

Good morning all. Just bumping for later. Have a great day!

Good morning beautiful ladies:flowerforyou:

Margaret Sharing my coffee:drinker: and water:drinker: ! Hope you feel better:flowerforyou:

Anamika I`m going to check out those yoga poses, I keep saying I want to get started with it:embarassed: !!!

Carol in NC Hope you get some peaceful time just for yourself soon:flowerforyou: !!!

Alison More snow:sad: ! I will be glad to see summer too:glasses: !!! My cherry tree is starting to bloom, I saw about 5 little pink flowers that have already popped out , those made me very happy:bigsmile: !!!!

Jb What a wonderful attitude you have!!! Your plan is working well:bigsmile: , keep it up my friend!!!

Jane Martin Hope you and your family feel better soon:flowerforyou: !

Cynthia Congrats on normal numbers:bigsmile: !!!

Linda C Glad you`ve been able to get a little more exercise in:flowerforyou: !!!

Michele Bring some sunshine and heat back from FL:glasses: !!!

Heather Hope you feel better soon:flowerforyou: !!!

I`m getting my Valentines Day pedicure today ! I`m sure my feet will appreciate me more afterwards:laugh: !!!!

Have a wonderful day! Drink your water:drinker: :drinker: :drinker: and log your food!!!

Hugs,
DeeDee in NC

One more Bodycombat class this week, then I get a rest day tomorrow. Whew! My hamstrings are still sore from Tuesday.

My poor mom had a stroke a couple of days ago. Pain behind her eye, and garbled speech. She thought she was headed for the pearly gates, but is better now.

DD is about to take her drivers test. Does that ever get less terrifying?

Heather. Toxins smockshins. I like the way you think.

Grandmallie. Menopause gifted me with 10-15 pounds. I still have the last five hanging around, but I think their days are numbered.

Those of you with snoring husbands. I don't go anywhere without foam earplugs. Heavenly peace!

Kayzoola (PNW USA)

Quick note for the end of February: Love reading the posts, but if I get behind a day, I can't get them all read! Anyway, this month I reset my ticker--thanks to those who gave instructions on how to do it. I wanted it to be true for what I've lost and go forward! Gained through the holidays--10 pounds and am working on getting them gone again. It took me an extra 7 weeks to convince myself I didn't need to eat all I had been eating!

Heather--quick note-I love your idea of funeral music! I'm going to have to do a playlist because I want my memorial service to be full of good memories and fun music. :flowerforyou:

Lin you are so right. I am very thankful for my husbands attitude towards money. We are very comfortable for our age and he is a main reason for it. I grew up in the credit card age. My Dad being a preacher with not a whole lot of money needed to use the credit card just to buy basic things sometimes. My sister's husband who is an accountant and is head of his department has remortatged thier home so often. They have lived in this little started home for more years than we have lived in ours. They still owe more on it than the original price.

I also love the mantra of don't let our perfection be the enemy of the good. I need to think on that often. I am my own worst enemy, very hard on myself.

This muscle relaxant is quite a relaxant. I am so draggy.

Joyce, Indiana

Barbie: I like your “do it now” happiness commandment. :flowerforyou: We need to update our wills, too. It hasn’t been done in decades.:blushing:

Meg: Having the coffeepot right next to my desk would have led to all sorts of food sins in the past, but now that I’m living a healthier lifestyle, I could handle it without adding tons of sugar and snacks. I really like to zone activities in my life. For example, I did all my schoolwork for teaching at school including grading and lesson planning, so I was free to rest or play at home. If I have trouble sleeping at night, I get up. I don’t want my body conditioned to being restless in bed. It works for me.:flowerforyou:

Michele from NC: The medically trained among us will know more than me, but I think your theory makes sense. My body does not cool itself through sweat very well in high humidity and I suspect that could cause the heart to work harder. We have a Chinese restaurant here that adds more of the main course when you skip the rice. I think it is an excellent deal for the customer. My kids prefer texting as the communication of choice, so we have started texting with them. :ohwell: I also prefer email for all of my friends and relatives. Two of my cousins don’t use the internet at all as far as I can tell. It is telephone or nothing with them. Because of facebook, I probably know more about their kids lives than they do.:glasses:

Rori in CO: Of course the Girl Scouts are a subversive group in the view of the folks who want to keep women “in their place.” Girl Scout programs teach young women to value themselves, to be strong and independent.:drinker: Thank goodness for Girl Scouts.:flowerforyou:

Sue in TX: I’ve been surprised at how much I enjoy retirement. The biggest improvement in my life is the absence of exhaustion. Teaching took 9 to10 hours a day and I had a two-hour round trip commute on top of that. Now I wake up and think of fun things to do.:bigsmile: :drinker:

Carol in NC: I hope you get the rest you need.:flowerforyou:

Joyce: I hope you are able to get your rest. It seems that several of our MyFitnessPal friends are grappling with fatigue. I hope all of you are able to get needed rest.:flowerforyou:

JB in Portland: I’m delighted to hear you’re “back in the groove” and enjoying it.:bigsmile: :drinker:

Momsamodel: We don’t snack much any more, but when I’m entertaining I like veggie trays and dip. The dip is full of calories, but I’ve reduced the fat a little bit and eliminated added salt. Raw veggies are low or no sodium, high fiber, and low calorie. They’re yummy. Salsa is another reasonable choice with veggies. Guacamole dip is yummy and contains healthy fats from the avocados. Add in fresh fruit such as grapes, berries, apples, & cherry tomatoes. Nobody needs to go hungry and nobody will overdose on fat or salt. Watch out for chips and crackers. They have not been our friends and are often high in calories, salt & fat.:grumble:

Anamika: I bookmarked the yoga pose link. Thanks! I’ll look at it more seriously later.:flowerforyou:

Cynthia: Congrats on the blood sugar and blood pressure results!:flowerforyou:

LinC: I’m happy that things are going well for you these days. It seems obvious that you enjoyed your “roughing it” vacations when your kids were growing up. We did, too. You’re right that those vacations create lifelong memories. :flowerforyou:

Grandmallie: We’ve been happy with Super 8 accommodations many times. They vary in quality, but have always been clean and have been pet friendly. We’ve also had good luck with Best Western, La Quinta and Holiday Inn. For us, pet friendly is the deciding factor. We travel with our dog. Many of the big chain hotels are actually individually owned and operated. They have to meet certain basics but there are differences in room size, décor and other amenities. Sometimes they’ve been shabby, but they’ve always been clean. We check carefully when we check in. The uncertainty and need for diligence is one of the main reasons DH is eager to buy an RV.:flowerforyou:

Heather: I’ve been going to a local barber to get my hair cut for several years. He may be moving across the country in the near future, so I’ll be looking for someone new, too. All I need is an excellent cut, but it is hard to find someone who is highly skilled. I don’t color my hair, and it is getting whiter and whiter. It seems to suit me. We’ve taken one extended family vacation and I’d be willing to do it again. We rented a beach house so each couple had their own room. That would be our two kids and their spouses, DGD, and us. It worked out quite well. It wasn’t cheap as a total bill, but compared favorably with three hotel rooms plus eating out. It was great to be able to do our own cooking and launder clothes as needed. DH is a snorer, and it didn't solve that issue.:frown: :ohwell:

DeeDee: What a coincidence. We’re getting pedicures today, too. Enjoy!:bigsmile:

Kayzoola: Give your mom my best. DH had a stroke last year. Very scary, and it affected his vision. It could have been much worse, though, and we consider ourselves lucky. I hope your mom doesn’t have any disability because of her stroke.:flowerforyou:

Pat in OH: I’m sorry you have torn or pulled muscles to deal with. Prednisone is no fun. 2013 gave me two injuries from falls that are slow to heal. I see improvement, and that is good. At least I haven’t had to take medications for them.:flowerforyou:



I almost missed yoga this morning because I lost track of time. I did make it, barely. I’m grateful my yoga instructor is still holding her Thursday classes. I get an individual lesson frequently because others don’t show up.

I’m out of time this morning, and sorry for those I missed. Have a great day.:drinker: :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


February goals:

1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. Move more: cardio at least 3 days a week and strength training as soon as I am able.
3. Water: According to an article I saw on facebook, drinking water at certain times maximizes its effectiveness for the body. I’ll work toward following these guidelines:
* 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

Good Morning. We are back to the cold and sounds like going to be really bad over the weekend. Last evening we took DS, DDIL, and DGS out for supper as today is DDIL birthday. It was nice and I did well and did not over eat.

Alison and Jill--all I have ever gotten was the upper back and neck massage. I have often wounder about my feet. Not sure about the full body. But what I get does make me feel so much better. Like I am being pampered.:flowerforyou:

yanniejannie-- Great NSV!! Gwen is so lucky to have you looking out for her.

Cynthia--Good Luck on your tests today. You have been doing so well and I bet that will show in the test results. Just read your tests were good. Congrates.

Heather--Hope you feel better soon.
:flowerforyou:
Jane--Hope you and family are on the way to good heatlh.:flowerforyou:

Sylvia--Prayers to you and DH and that you get answers as to what to do next.:flowerforyou:

Barbie--does sound like you have things in order. I have started to put things together and just have to make myself finish. Thanks for the reminder to just get things done. I did get my desk cleaned and check book balanced yesterday after work. Feel good about that and the face the checkbook came out the first time. So that should be my reason for doing it more often.

Meg--I have noticed that when I get off at 6 pm it is not as dark as acouple weeks ago. With the time change next month that should help.

Tartaniass--I agree with Meg that somethings are worth the extra calories long as you get back on track. Enjoy!:drinker:

Carol--Prayers and hugs!

Joyce--hope things get worked out for your summer vacation. It is nice that all of you get to go. I would love to do that with our children but I can not get them in the same place for a holiday, never work for a vacation. I agree that men can be so funny about money. My DH does most the food shopping and he is always looking for sale things. I have told him that is not always the best and he is slowly learning that.

jp--sounds like you are on track. If you run out of things to Spring clean I can give you my address.LOL:laugh:

Kayzoola--Sorry to hear about your mom.That sounds so scary. Sure hope she improves I know that with my dad this last 6 months has been alot of ups and downs and now he is doing alot better. My sister takes earplugs with her all the time. Says she wears them everynight. We sleep with the radio on low as my ear ring when there is nothing.

Pat--I understand about the torn muscle. I did that several weeks ago on my left side. It is still sore if I move wrong and doctor said that only time will heal. All I did was stand up from a low seat on some bleachers. I about passed out it hurt so bad. . :sad:

I can hardly waite until 6 and time to get off work. This is my 6th day in a row and most were 12 hour shifts. I have the next two days off and going to be busy. Have an appointment to get my nails done in the morning and chiropractor after that. Then going with DDIL to get decorations for DH's open house on Saturday. When I get off this evening we are going to go to Sam's and pickup most of what I need for Saturday. Sounds like we could get some snow and be really cold. I hope not or I will have enough cake for a month.
Have a safe evening and keep on logging and drinking the water.
Blessed! Vicki GI NE

Vicki we are a very close family. Our parents were the best parents and people in the world and they instilled family into us. When all of us kids were just starting in our professions it was clear that we would never be bale to get together for a holiday. My husband and I worked in a pharmacy and then my Dad and two brothers were preachers. My sister was the only one with a normal job, preschool teacher. All of these jobs require us to be working a holiday. So we decided that we wouldn't have Christmas on Dec 25th. That's just a date on a calander. We set a particular Saturday at the beginning of January that we have it on. Everyone knows up front to make sure they have that off. My brothers can got o their in laws for Thanksgiving and if available even Christmas. Then it's time for the Petersons to gather and have a wonderful time. It's a win/win situation.

Katla right now the fatigue is from my medicine. I know MS can cause fatigue but I really don't have that much of it anymore once I started dieting and exercising. Who knew!!!! Well my doctor did, she encouraged me enough years. I used to be on Ritalin for it and really didn't think it helped that much.

Those chocolate Cadbury mini eggs are still calling to me

Joyce, Indiana

Joyce, you and I need an egg strategy! :laugh:

Going to bed now, friends; hope everyone sleeps well and :flowerforyou: wakes up healthy (or healthier) tomorrow.

Cynthia

This cold weather is really getting me down. We just can't shake the cold weather here in the Midwest. :grumble: Wish it would at least warm up enough to melt the ice on my driveway.

Pennie, I hear you about being sick and not losing weight. Seems my metabolism shuts down completely when I'm sick.

I can't remember who commented on trying to figure out how to download books onto their tablet. I've got the same problem. I loaded a program that a friend tried, but haven't taken the time to figure out what to do next. Another friend told me she gets library books on her tablet. I'll have to figure that out sometime too.

I did have to learn how to text on my phone, as that seems to be the main way my children want to communicate. It really is kind of nice sometimes when I want to tell them something, but don't have time for a phone conversation.

Sounds like I'm not the only Cadbury mini-egg fan. Hard to pass them up. I did save enough calories today to have a glass of wine while I watch Grey's Anatomy though :drinker: Have a good night!

Kay in frozen WI