WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER

A quick GOOD morning to all and WELCOME to our newest members!

We have one couple visiting with us now (old college friends) and 2 more coming in today, so I am enjoying a couple of quiet moments by the fire until I am off and running. The guys are quail shooting today and I will take a walk this morning with my one friend, run into town for lunch with her where the others will join us when they arrive. Should be a fun weekend, but I am tired already after just one dinner. (I wish I had put in an extra dishwasher in my kitchen for these holidays and get-togethers!)

I am making a beef tenderloin tonight and roasting (did you hear that Mimi?) sweet potatoes, new potatoes and asparagus to accompany the meat. I'll pick up a crusty baquette of bread and I made a fruit triffle last night using skim milk and light cool whip. It won't be healthy, but not horribly over the top either. I made some spinach balls to have as appetizers last week and put in the freezer. Haven't made those in years, but they sounded good.

I made shrimp creole last night with a salad for just the 4 of us.

Oh...food, food!! It just seems to dominate this time of the year. I am trying hard to plan ahead for each meal to be as healthy as I can so that I don't make some last minute bad decisions. Since I am preparing most of our meals for the holidays and our guests, I can't blame anyone but myself if I don't have healthy choices, can I?

Viv: I am so sorry about your uncle

To all of you who are struggling with family issues, health issues, financial issues....whatever is on your mind...I hope that you find some peace if not complete resolution to your situation. We are all here for you.

I will pop in when I can to catch up the next couple of weeks. If I'm not posting then I am lurking and thinking of each of you.

Take care, Kackie

Hello everyone,

I've have reached a significant hurdle on my journey. I've learned to throw food away when I can't finish it. After hearing about how wasteful it is to throw food away - you know the kids in Africa would love to have our left overs, I was raised to always finish what was on my plate. Not any more! I can eat half of something and throw the other half away if it is not something I can save.

I know I passed the hurdle when I did not force myself to finish a breakfast burrito smothered in green chili this morning. For those of you who are not familiar with the chili addictions many of us here in the southwest face, good green chili is something to drive out of the way for, brave bad weather for and a craving worse than chocolate. The green chili was fantastic and hot as in spicy (it is a great source of vitamin C), but I just couldn't finish it.

Also on a lighter note: my boss walked in with a tray of Starbucks Lattes this morning - he remembered I'm on a diet and bought me a non-fat one. lol Usually when he buys Lattes for us, I politely take it then run and split it with some one to not consume all the calories myself. It is very unusual for my male co-workers and boss to think, but today was the day for it. Besides the latte when I said I was going to the other building to make a donation to a holiday charity, they immediately all stood up and each gave me the $2 per person donation we were shooting for. Men thinking twice in one day! Miracles can happen.

This is a long silly post about basically nothing..........must be the caffeine.

Have a great Friday everyone,

Jeannie

Hello,

I have set a goal that I wanted to lose 5 pounds this month. Now I recognize this is a bit foolish as my weight loss has been erratic and is holding on to me like crazy despite successfully watching my in for 55 days (as per the wonderful messages from MFP). I was surprised when I weighed on December 1 and experienced a drop of about 2 pounds. On December 1, I promised myself I would not even step on scale until today. But this AM, despite 10 days of watching input and exercise, I am down only 0.2 pounds. A bit of wishful thinking I realize: as if not stepping on the scale for 10 days would mean greater gratification???? So I will continue and hope that next Friday I will see some movement on the scale. Two Fridays until Christmas Eve, perhaps a Christmas Eve weight loss surprise??

Focusing on the weight loss numbers may be a distraction for me as I am having health problems that could be influencing the erratic nature of the "numbers". I have good days and bad days with my health, but most recently the bad days out number the good ones. Today, the pain in my right flank reminds me that something is going on that I have no control over and despite having the best doctors in the province caring for me, nothing seems to "cure" the pain or keep the liver enzymes from bouncing around. So I must be a good patient and find some patience for this very slow process (weight loss, diagnosis and health improvement). All I have control over is what I put in my mouth and getting some exercise as I can. So I will continue to follow all the medical treatment (pills, pills, pills, tests, tests, tests) and allow myself the distraction of focusing on what I do have some control over and perhaps that also means celebrating a 0.2 pound weight loss???

Karlene

How on earth is it Saturday again?? Time used to trot by - now it gallops.

Viv - sorry to hear about your uncle. Big hugs.

Mimi - good to see our Sister Veggie Queen back. Trust me, those twins plus a toddler are going to wear their parents out, but it will be worth every moment of it.

Michele - my heart goes out to you and your concerns over your daughter. My first husband was abusive and I still carry the scars - both physical and mental. He actually stabbed me on three occasions. I kept it all to myself and never even told my parents until he started hitting my babies. That was the final straw. I sincerely hope that your daughter gets away from her SOB partner,

I am aching like crazy from my aqua fit class on Thursday. Only four of us showed up this week so the instructor made us work doubly hard. I loved it, but I'm paying the price now.


It is wonderful to see so many new faces on this thread, alongside all the longstanders. Every day I read the posts and log in via my iPhone, but don't always get the chance to post properly. Just know that I am thinking of you all and I'm with you every step of the way.

Have a good and healthfilled weekend ladies.

Amanda x

Happy Saturday to you all!

(I'm trying out a couple of smileys--hope they work! I'm not sure which code to use--different ones seem to work in different forums which does NOT make sense to me!)

It is a busy time for me but I want to check in every now and then!

Welcome to the new people I see here! You'll love this thread and the ladies on it!

I am keeping up with all your concerns and triumphs and want you all to know that I think of you often.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Michele – It has to be so frustrating to watch what is going on with your daughter and not be able to do anything about it. I guess all you can do you are already doing - praying and letting her know you are there for her when she wants your help.

Thanks to those that gave me a “keep your chin up.” I am working on my patience... I need to remember what Mom said a lot - “Getting old is not for sissies”. I don't know who first said it but it sure is true. I am getting a handle on my finger joint pain – moist heat and upped my liquid glucosamine. That has helped a lot. I'm sure when it warms up they will be better still. I had run out of the liquid stuff and was taking dh's pill form. I thought it was working ok but it caught up with me. Lesson learned - keep plenty on hand!

Mimi – Another MFP friend getting a colonoscopy, I guess I better make an appointment too. No sense getting the outside looking better and having the insides fall apart now is there?

Joy – Yes that is a ferret. She has her back legs tucked under her in that picture and it makes her look kind of hippy but she was quite sleek. She passed away from insulinoma. I have had several ferrets and they all have gotten either insulinoma or cancer. My first one that I got over 30 years ago was the healthiest but she got cancer eventually. If I ever get another one, I will get one from European stock. From what I read they are healthier. I would like to get a skunk but dh doesn't like them.:ohwell: I have a friend that had one and they are just adorable.

Viv – So sorry to hear about your uncle's passing. I sympathize about clearing the house. That is a major task especially this time of year.

The tree is finally decorated and I have make my tiny little tree for the table and decorated it too. Wreath is made and hung. Now I need to get some baking done. I always make peanut butter cookies for a former employee and friend. She is crazy for peanut butter cookies but says she can't make them like mine! (Flattery will get her cookies.) I'm not sure what kind to make for Christmas. I think I will ask our son and grandson what they want this year. Fortunately cookies aren't a major problem for me. I like them but don't crave them. Now when I get to baking the breads, that's when I have problems! :noway:

With this cold (for here) weather I have been craving comfort food and have been eating soup frequently. Tonight I was getting ready to cook steaks and I got to thinking about my moms homemade noodles and beef. As DH doesn't like homemade noodles at all, he had steak, green beans and mashed potatoes and I made some noodles, browned the steak bones and some of the meat and made a broth for the noodles. It wasn't quite like Moms, as I defatted the broth, but it sure hit the spot AND I stayed under my calories. I was over on the salt a bit but it was worth it.

I need to go clean up my mess on the porch from all projects. I have pine branches and needles all over the floor.

Goodnight all! :drinker: I need to get in my last bit of water and make sure I get up in the night....:ohwell:

Faye

Amanda just wanted to add your grandtwins look adorable in your main pic. I bet you can't wait to spoil them and share their first Christmas!

Hi everyone,

Just got home from France. It's good to be back to our broadband internet access - it means I will be able to catch up on the posts . I'll be back when I have.

I am new to MFP and am very excited to find this thread! I am hypothyroid and have been trying to lose the forty pounds that came on with that. All my life I struggled with my weight.. but the difference now is, when I do what I used to do to lose, nothing budges! This site is just what I need to not give up! I want first and foremost to be healthy! If I keep doing healthy things, I should at least be moving in the right direction! I live overseas, so the biggest challenge I have is finding the foods on the food lists. ha ha frog curry is not listed!!! Go figure!!! May we all move on toward our goals this month!!!

Ahh, it's so good to sit down, rest my tootsies (tired from shopping all day), and catch up with all of you. I read so much good advice from so many of you. When you tell about the hard things or the wonderful things going on in your lives, I feel it in my heart. Funny how an online network can turn into a cozy circle of friends!

Amanda, you are beaming in your new pic! Being a grandma is the best!

Viv, I'm thinking of you as you sort your uncle's things out. You are doing well. I hope you realize that and give yourself a pat on the back.

Jeannie, thanks for the good advice. I hadn't thought about it before but you are right. Making one change can be the catalyst for making more, good, changes.

Everyone else, I'm thinking of you too. In the interest of getting to bed at a half way reasonable hour, I'll post more later.

I've had a great eating day today. Good thing, too. Except for the colonoscopy-prep days (those were very low calorie!), I've been struggling a bit. There's nothing so tempting as temptation!!

I had lunch with a friend today. She suggested Chinese food. I countered with Thai and told her I wanted to watch my calories. The Po Tak soup would work very well. I'm so proud of myself! Lesson #9999, stay out of the way of temptation! We ended up sharing the soup and getting a chicken/eggplant/veggie stir fry (with a little fennel and not much oil). it was served over brown rice. Yum! I did splurge on a glass of Thai iced tea which I've just remembered I need to log!

As much as I want to be able to be around any type of food and stay with my plan, I'm realizing that doesn't work for me. I do MUCH better when I've got a little more structure.

BTW, feeling good about what I ate today helped when it came to choosing tonight's dinner (which was delish, albeit peculiar!): shrimp cocktail followed by roasted mini bell peppers, portabella mushrooms, baby eggplant, and yam!

When I was putting my groceries away before dinner tonight, I thought I might have 1 or 2 of the dates I'd bought earlier at the Middle Eastern market I like to go to...until I read the label and realized they would use up half the calories I had left for the day. Hmm. Generous serving of roasted mini bell peppers, portabella mushrooms, baby eggplant, and yam vs. 1-2 dates. Which shall I choose? It's amazing, the power we have when we make conscious choices!

Okay, enough raving about what I ate. It does feel good though.

We ARE doing this, ladies! Pretty cool, huh?!

Just jumping in for a quick hello.:happy: I've been under the weather a little... with Vertigo. It feels like my head is empty and I keep losing my balance:noway: . So I haven't exercised for a couple days.:ohwell: A little concerned about the weight as I ate out 3 times this weekend. Tried to be careful...... but without those exercise calories I've been way over a couple of days.:frown: So, I will weigh myself tomorrow so I can see what's going on.:flowerforyou: You really get used to those extra calories when you exercise everyday!!
However, I must say that even my "not so good" days are so much better than before MFP. It's just amazing! I had a small plate (lunch size) of pasta with sauce last night and couldn't even finish it! WOW! Before I could put down 1-2 DINNER plates with no problem!:noway:
So hope everyone's having a good week....so far! Haven't had time to read the posts. It makes me dizzy to type!!!!:laugh:
Sending hugs to all!!!
Barbie I love your new pic! What a lovely family!

BirdieM

Hi My name is chris Gilman and I'm getting back on track. Need all the support I can get. doing this by yourself isnt easy. I tell myself .This time I'am going to do it. Wish me luck