WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JULY 2014

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  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    Good evening everyone! Today was our last full day in Chattanooga. We went to the Hunter Art Museum, which was very nice. It is American art. Some old masters and some new stuff. My favorite was a video thing that was a big screen divided into 96 tiles. Each tile was a tiny video. The subject was the artist herself folding laundry, like sheets and big towels mostly. Sounds exciting, huh? Well, it started out where all the tiles were synchronized, everything seemed calm and relaxing, then slowly they started to differ a little, then at some point it became chaotic. It's hard to explain, but it was totally mesmerizing. Like a dance. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Our entire group was glued to it. Finally, she finished folding and left the screen. I took a picture of the title card so I could remember the name of the artist, but my phone is dead so I can't pull it up right now. If anybody is interested I can do it later.

    Then we walked a while out in the hot, hot sun, then had lunch at TGI Fridays. I had a salad and half of a small turkey sandwich. Not too bad. Then we went on a river boat tour. Then dinner at a seafood place where I had half of an order of chicken piccata. It was good, but very salty so I let hubby eat the other half.

    When we got back to the room I found out I was about 850 steps short of my 10,000 steps, so I went out and did more laps around the pool. I came back in and saw that I was THREE steps short. I got up and took exactly three steps and the fitbit went off, so it was interesting to see how accurate it was. I'm afraid I have gained quite a bit on this trip in spite of doing all this walking and staying under my calories. I feel so bloated!

    We are leaving at 7am to go back home. So I need to get to bed.

    Goodnight!

    Sylvia
  • nccarolb
    nccarolb Posts: 858 Member
    Happy July to everyone and happy Canada Day for those north! BTW, I took my daughter on a cruise to Canada for her college graduation gift and it was so incredibly beautiful. We made lots of awesome memories!

    Still plugging away at the house. It's getting closer!! I hope have a Realtor in by this time next week. I lack about 20 minutes more work in my bedroom to be finished except for mopping and waxing the floor. My knees hurt too much tonight to work anymore, though. I need to call a local furniture ministry to see if they will pick up some bookcases because they won't fit into my car. One day I'm gonna have as truck!!

    I took my blood pressure today during one of my light headed spells, just to see. The first reading was 132/78, the second was 108/72, and the third reading was 122/76. I did them all without removing the cuff berween readings so I don't know what it means, if anything.

    I will add my thanks to Barbie for starting the new thread for us!

    I'm off to bed now, hoping to sleep!

    Carol in still-90-degrees-at-10-p.m. NC
  • meyllisa
    meyllisa Posts: 277 Member
    :flowerforyou: Thank you Barbie for starting us on new month

    June I reset my ticker and had a good start to the month by loosing 4 pounds now just plan to continue best I can everyday to log and get my steps upped a bit more everyday for july

    Welcome all new ladies best wishes for a successful July

    Safe travels to all who are travelling

    Congradulations to all the new Grandmothers enjoy your precious babies:heart:

    nite to all

    Juanita in sudbury
  • mollywhippet
    mollywhippet Posts: 1,890 Member
    I found the info on that artist. Her name is Surabhi Saraf, and she's from California. I found a link to a piece of her work. It's not the same as the one I saw today, but it's similar.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RPjTtOH3viY

    Its grainy on YouTube, and you have to imagine it on a huge screen. Keep watching at least till she folds the green sheet.

    Sylvia
  • kayak_kutie
    kayak_kutie Posts: 381 Member
    bump for tomorrow...
  • sparklenglitter
    sparklenglitter Posts: 52 Member
    Hi ladies ! One more peek and Im off to the recliner, I had a good day off, hubby is working a double shift, so it has been really quiet on the home front here. It was nice to do chores, sun bath, and have me time, if you know what I mean. The weather was a scorcher, it is just as warm outside as it is in. We only have A.C. in the bedroom, and that's a luxury for most folks here in Washington State, as we rarely get hot, hot days.

    What I know for myself is that since starting my healthy path, my body is getting back to normal, I notice the body's temperature is regulating at a normal temperature, before I was ALWAYS HOT !!!! extra weight and fat made for uncomfortable day's !

    Goals for July,

    continue to consume mega water
    continue my walking regime
    go to the local aquatics center and start a class
    get comfortable in my new size capris
    stay positive
    continue logging and not add calories when allowed by exercise

    have a great evening !

    Carol in Monroe
  • jmkmomm
    jmkmomm Posts: 3,247 Member
    Going to bed early tonight since I have to be at the hospital at 7:30. It's weird going to this hospital for anything now. It was where both of us met, first started in the flirting stage, asking out for first date and got married. I worked 30 years, my husband worked 40. So it was our livelihood. Now we go for things that make us anxious, testing, things to show we are aging and bodies not working the way they should. I hope to see some old friends there tomorrow that will be taking care of me, that sure would make me feel better but I doubt I will. I am anxious though. Cat has a problem in chewing my cords for my IPad and phone chargers at night at my bed stand. So I took to placing a towel over them so she won't get to them. So this morning I find my alarm clock not working. Sure enough, since she couldn't get to my other charging cords she chewed right down to the bare wires of my clock cord. It was real stormy today so I didn't go out and get another clock. But Charlie will wake me up in time. I like to wake up earlier than he does to try to leave my body time to adjust to it being out of bed. But he gets up at the last moment. So I have made sure everything is in its place for tomorrow morning. Not looking forward to it at all. But such is life. Momma said I would have days like this.

    Joyce, Indiana
  • MimiPersists
    MimiPersists Posts: 94 Member
    I can’t keep up. I can’t keep up. Help! I’ve tried. I really have. But I look away for a minute and there are 18 new posts. I started a reply this morning and this is as far as I’ve gotten. I’ll do my best to catch up tomorrow.

    I really, really need the support that comes with being part of this group. Somehow, some way, I’ve got to figure out how to do it without shortchanging anyone. You all are so interesting that it’s hard.

    I’ll do my best. If I don’t respond…what can I say…I will when I can. That’s my best for now. Urgh.

    I’ve stuck to the no-sugar, no-gluten plan so far. I had one brief craving for candy when I noticed my folks’ candy dish. Other than that, I’ve done better than usual. In the past, I’ve held strongly (mostly) to the “all things in moderation” camp, not wanting to give up just a little taste now and then.

    I’ve revised that stance. The description in the Vicious Eating book on authoritynutrition.com/viciouseating.pdf (free and with good citations) hit home closely. I’ve lost weight only to regain it too many times to think that “just a little bit” won’t hurt. Gaining the weight back is painful. The prospect of starting again is daunting and always takes a while.

    Update since this morning (when I started this post). I craved more foods this afternoon. Probably because I was hungry. I had a CT scan this afternoon at 2 pm, fasting before that, then went shopping for groceries for our Graeagle trip afterwards. It was close to 6 pm before I got home.

    When I put together a plate with a couple of tortillas, scrambled eggs, salmon and avocado, my Mom (bless her…I am lucky to have her and I know it, but sometimes!) said, “That looks like an awful lot of food.” Later, when I fixed some more food she said, “You could go to bed and not eat anymore.”

    Thank you, Mom. LOL. I explained to her that if I’d stopped before that last meal, I would have eaten only 800 or so calories and eating like that for long would send me into starvation mode. She’d never heard of that.

    I also told her (always a fount of information) that with her added sauces, butter, mayo, sugar, etc. she actually had far more calories on her plate even though the volume was lower.

    Like I said, I’m lucky to still have my Mom. She’s 88 and my Dad is 92. I am grateful and count it as a blessing to still have my folks to spend time with. However, she isn’t (never has been) helpful when it comes to eating.

    BTW, I don’t think everyone is in the same place on whether they should eat sugar or not. Some manage to have “just a little bit” without it throwing them off the straight and narrow. I’m not one of them. (Gosh, that’s hard to admit.) For me, “just a little bit” is like an alcoholic having “just one drink.” I’d sure like to be slim and fit in my lifetime (which is going by way too fast).

    Hi Viv…glad to see you’re back to your usual spunky self. You’d better watch that DD. LOL. Have fun on your time away.

    Cynthia, I looked at the MFP apps. I don’t, right off the bat, see one that let’s you add post or even input your food. I’ll keep exploring. Maybe there’s something hidden in their app gallery or maybe I just didn’t see it. I’d like to have an app that lets me do those things before leaving on vacation Thursday.

    Heather, I’m sad to hear about your friend. That would be heartbreaking. BTW, I just read that a study showed that, on the same number of total calories, the group of people who had half an avocado at lunch had fewer hunger pains the rest of the day than the group that didn’t. I’m voting for the avocado!

    Bears, yanniejannie? Yikes! I don’t think I’d want to get close to one. Not to a raccoon either as they can be pretty feisty (and have long claws). I’ll take my nature from a safe distance. We live in a rural area known to have mountain lions, bears, foxes, etc. We actually have a local bobcat, he’s been seen several times, and see occasional mountain lion sign. I’d just as soon not even see one! Hmm. Maybe from a car (moving)! It would be interesting.

    Gloria, my grands have so much fun splashing in their above-ground pool. The other day, I was sitting in one of the patio chairs. A little boy who was visiting was sitting in the other. We’d recently acquired 11 goats (5 of them babies, mostly pygmies so not huge) and he said to me, “I wonder if goats can swim?” No sooner had he said that than one of the babies jumped into the pool. After quickly rescuing the goat who, I think, would have scrambled out by himself (but we didn’t want to take the chance on punctures, we about fell over laughing. That little goat was surprised!

    Tina, corn barbecued in its husks on the grill is good too. I’m laughing at your story about trying to kick your sister.

    Hi Carol. Sounds like you have your plate full. How old is your son? My son’s boys are 13 and 15. Their parents, who are divorced, live a few miles from each other. I know they enjoy being able to spend time both places. It’s a tough decision. Maybe focusing on just the job would be enough for now. It’s hard to do too many things at once.

    Re salt consumption. Probably others on here have mentioned cutting down. I had high blood pressure after a high-salt day. I tend to salt everything. I’ll probably add some more salt to my diet but not too much as my BP dropped 10 points, diastolic and systolic, when I cut down on salt.

    Meg, you made me laugh (habanero cheese). It sounds like you had a nice day overall. I don’t think I could take the humidity though. I like California’s generally dry air, although I get an overdose of people when I visit the Bay Area. Then, I go back up to my neck of the woods (closer to Lake Tahoe), and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

    Vicki, thanks for your prayers. I’m going to be a little (or a lot) nervous until after the ablation on the 15th. There are always risks, of course, which is the part that scares me. But the idea of the ablation is to reduce the overall risks. The surgeon is good and I trust him. His cardiology group is affiliated with Stanford, which also is good. It will be 5-6 hours under a general though and he tells me I’ll feel “beat up” for a couple of weeks. Urgh.

    Smwert, happy anniversary and good for you for getting back on track so fast.

    Sylvia, hurray on the steps. I am inspired by your weight loss and fitness. I started at 324 lbs 13 years ago. MFP has been a big help and I lost steadily until I got about 25 lbs from my goal. Then I got off track and despite fits and starts, stayed off track long enough to regain 50 lbs. Double urgh. My ticker shows what I need to lose from here on. It feels good to be on track again. I’m hoping that staying off added sugar (and maybe gluten – I’m trying that just to see) will help me say on track.

    Renny, you sound great! You live in such a wonderful place. I’m glad to hear about your mom.

    You can see that I didn’t get through all your posts. I’ll do my best tomorrow and work on a way to participate without spending the whole day doing it. Any suggestions? They would be welcome.

    G’night.

    Mimi
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,708 Member
    Patty – congrats!!! Glad all are well. :smile:

    Barbie – thanks for keeping us going!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Renny – Happy Birthday!

    Welcome , bmullers, r1cksy, tpollack and all the others I missed listing your names!

    Katiebug – LOL

    Joyce – about 6 years ago now I took my mom in for a scheduled pace maker surgery and when we got there her heart beat was so slow they bumped everyone and rushed her in and did surgery…it went great and she has been doing good ever sense… Weird dream though!

    Melodys attic – I have found that I like Kale much better as kale chips – and I just add about 2 teaspoons of oil per bunch of kale, which is probably as much salad dressing as I would add… have you tried them as chips?

    BJ – great Beer ad!!!

    Mimi – you did great on responding… and as I have the end of june to go back and read you helped me catch up!!!

    So this week is so busy! After teaching all week last week and I am teaching next week too (one on/one off - repeat) but next week is just mornings - thank goodness! So trying to catch up on all the embroidery and home stuff in this one week. But really worked hard yesterday and today and think I am closer to where I should be. I was so bad last week and someone was mentioning sugar addiction and I am not sure that is my problem - but the more I have the more I crave, so if I can have just a bit later in the day all is good, but if I start early -- I am a goner! This weekend I had company and had not planned on desserts, and my girl friend showed up with cheesecake and gelato...and then left them here!!!! GRRRRR I munched a bit today on the sweets, logged it and gardened a ton, so am ok on calories...

    Everyone has such great goals !!! So for me...

    Log everyday, even the days I teach camp
    stick to my budget (really trying to work on some financial issues)
    Do Heather's alphabet exercise 2 times a week
    Walk everyday

    Happy July everyone!
    Kim in N. California
  • CynthiaT60
    CynthiaT60 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Good morning everyone!

    Joyce! Congrats on 59 pounds lost! You really are doing well. Sorry about the nightmare.

    Rori: sounds like you had a good month indeed.

    Sylvia: the video is fascinating! And you’re right about the green sheet…. Your description sounds a bit like a piece of music by Charles Ives, “From the Steeples and the Mountains”, where the orchestra imitates bells (among other things) by starting together and then playing the same thing in a different tempo, so that it sounds like the “chaos” of lots of church bells.

    Carol: you sound more upbeat. :flowerforyou:

    Joyce: good luck with the early start and the rest of the day. I had the same problem with my rabbit chewing electrical cords. I ended up putting some kind of tubing on them that electricians use. Not beautiful, but functional.

    Mimi: not sure what you mean. If you want to record your food on your smartphone, you have to go to the App Store on your phone (or the equivalent for Google or Android) and download either Fitbit or MFP. You can also use the browser on your smartphone to log into either site and add food, but that’s less convenient. The only advantage of using the browser is that you can access the forum section.

    I have some job news; my job may go from the university to the private sector, which may have consequences for my retirement, disability etc. But there's not a whole lot of information yet. :devil:

    Hope everybody has a good day.

    Cynthia :flowerforyou:
  • moeggep
    moeggep Posts: 219 Member
    Hello All, I'm at work and caught up on this thread, Icouldn't go back to the other one though as I don't ave that kind of time here. I was going to do it last night but the power went out during that horrific storm we had.

    My goals this month: Log, log log my food & exercise.
    6 days of exercise weekly,
    DVR my shows, watch without commercials and spend the extra time on my house chore list.
    Work on believing in myself and seeing the best in others.

    Next week I am working half days and then going to DD's to help with the kids since my DSIL has to work second shift. My goal starting the week after is to get up at 4:30 AM and working out before I go to work. use to do this years ago but didn't have to be at work as early as I do now.

    Welcome to the new people!


    Happy Canada Day!

    Sylvia, Sounds like a great time.

    Drkatie, I’ve done that with shirts more than once and one time I even wore two different shoes to work.

    Way to go Sandy, the chips and dips and things are my downfall too. I hope the visit with your brother goes well.

    Everyone have a healthy day,
    Patty, Cincinnati OH
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244
    Good morning and happy July,

    Goats in the pool is a very cute story, as long as it's happening to someone else. My germophobic tendencies would not be able to handle hairy critters taking a dive. :smile:

    So, I've made it through 2 whole days following this Biggest Loser plan. The only suffering I'm really doing is missing my nighttime snacking. Been sipping tea, doing my nails, etc.

    Think I'm going to dust off one of my T25 DVDs this morning to wake up my weary muscles.

    Simple goals for July: keep following this 6 week eating plan (that includes tracking) along with 5-7 hours of exercise per week.

    Best wishes to all for strength and success!

    xo- Gloria in Metro Detroit
  • grandmallie
    grandmallie Posts: 10,146 Member
    morning ladies,
    had a whole thing written out last night and posted it and the whole computer gave out.. so lost the whole post:grumble:
    Let me just say this has been an adventure..
    the ride up to the lake was nice,it was beautiful up there, the girls had a ball... we had there other grandma and aunt up for the day saterday. the only time I had any rest was for about an hour each morning.. sitting on the screened porch listening to the birds and watching the lake, other than that, it was non stop.. cooking and keeping up with everything.. DH wanted to come home friday so he would have the weekend to recoup before going back to work.. so we left on monday to go down to the cottage (my birthday)
    got down there got unpacked now mind you I had 3 coolers full of frozen and refridgerated food.plus pillows,and suitcases to unpack... but I heard water running.. there is a crawl space underneath the cottage crawled underneath there and there was water spraying everywhere..:explode: my dad and brother were up there working to get it ready for us earlier in the week, so that water was going like that for a few days... climbed back out and the DH ok we are going back home... but first called my DB, and Dad, we went to a seafood restaurant , I was sitting in the front seat bauling my eyes out,I so wanted the girls to have a good time... well we got back and they are building a new house sorta kiddie corner from were we were and asked one of them if they knew a plumber. he called and the guy went over to look and he said, that the plumber wouldnt come out to work on it..
    Well DH knew how upset I was so he climbed underneath there and found the part that needed to be replaced.. I turned the water off and went to Home Depot....they didnt know what I was looking for...went to the local hardware shop and of course they had what I needed, a 59 cent part.. Tom put it in and we were in business... now after that because the doggies were with us I took the girls down to the beach.. it was late afternoon by this time, but they had a ball..
    came back up and went to buy some cheap sheets for the beds... we had ice cream for dinner.. the kids the enjoyed that.. I was pooped... we slept out on the sleeping porches, it was stiffling hot 90 degrees with no breeze.. Ainsley the oldest grandaughter woke up vomiting.. sooo when we got up.. I made the decision to come home..the heat was so hard on the dogs also.. so yesterday I took Shannen down to the beach at low tide early... that was nice.. came home packed suitcases, and took the girls down to Hampton Beach for a few hrs,grandpa stayed with the dogs.. came back and I packed the coolers and the car and we were off.. came home unpacked the car, made dinner took a shower and passed out.. now we have a few days with them and will have to figure out what to do..
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,786 Member
    Good afternoon my friends!:flowerforyou:

    So many lovely new people - welcome to this great and supportive group. :flowerforyou: They certainly help to keep me accountable. I could not have done it without them and especially not been able to maintain my weight since the New Year. I have managed to lose weight before in my life, but never maintained it afterwards. I intend this time to keep it off for life. This group helps me enormously.:love:

    Done all my prep for tonight's dinner with my DB and DSIL. Still have to do some house and patio prep. :ohwell: DH will help me with that. Then I will lay the table - one of my favourite things, even though we may eat the first course outside. We will certainly have drinks and nibbles outside as they are arriving at 6 pm.
    I have a sense that DSIL is a bit sensitive to my weight loss as she is obese and we used to be a similar size. She hasn't seemed as keen to see me lately, but it could just be her general low mood. I do miss her friendship.:cry: We used to go out together. I feel very self conscious about talking about my fitness around her and try not to. She is 18 years younger than me, but not healthy. Or happy.:ohwell: I have another very good friend that seems to find the new me a bit difficult. She is always going on crash diets. Loses some, then puts it all back on and more. I know she is embarrassed about her size. I have tried to help her in the past, but most people don't want to hear the truth - that counting the calories and moving more is the best and most lasting way. DSIL was liquidising everything at one stage :noway: and my friend was doing one where you don't eat until the evening.:noway: I always ssy, don't do anything that you can't sustain for the rest of your life as this IS for life. But the simple EAT LESS MOVE MORE falls on deaf ears. So now I say nothing and just let them delude themselves. But I miss the closeness we had.:brokenheart:

    Love to all. Keep on keeping on. There is no alternative.:tongue:

    "If you don't sacrifice for what you want, what you want will be the sacrifice."

    Heather in sunny Hampshire UK
  • lvnascar
    lvnascar Posts: 3,551 Member
    Morning Ladies,

    I decided to pre-log some of my food for today yesterday, so I new what I was getting ready for work. The only thing I didn't enter was my dinner for tonight. I am doing the ab challenge with a friend, so got that in yesterday and today. I also like to workout at home, so I have alot of DVD's. I did 10 Minute Solutions Ultimate Bootcamp with Jessica Smith. That was tough, but fun.

    Have a wonderful day everyone!

    Laurie in WI
  • nccarolb
    nccarolb Posts: 858 Member
    Good morning! It isn't even 9 a.m. and the temp is already 80 degrees. Have I ever expressed how much I hate hot weather? It turns out that I most likely have Seasonal Affective Disorder that occurs in the springtime. I guess it's because I feel so cooped up in the summer because I don't tolerate heat well and tend to stay indoors. I'm warding off a full depression so far and, if history is something to judge by, I may have beat it this go round.

    Mimi - You did an excellent job! I can in no way reply to everyone. I can't remember stuff and I'm usually posting in a hurry if I'm on an actual computer so that I don't open a Word document to keep track. You sound as if you're creating a plan and are determined. Good for you! In answer to your question, my son is 17. He will be going away to college in about six weeks.

    Joyce - I hope everything went well this morning. I am thinking of you!

    Heather - You always make me feel like I have a really sophisticated friend with the things that you cook and the amount of entertaining that you do. I don't know if I would like squid stew or some of the more "exotic" things you prepare, but it's so fun to read about it.

    Alison - I am so sorry your trip turned out to be a bust! You worked so hard for it. At least you can still eat the food that you prepared so you can focus on having some fun instead of working so hard.

    I think part of the reality of going away to school is finally hitting the boy child. He came into my room last night, crawled up on the bed with me, and asked me to help him make a list of all the things he needed for school. He is such a male!! "I don't need a comforter!" "Why do I need a lamp?!" Cleaning supplies?!! Why would I need those?!" At least he did think to add a toothbrush and toothpaste to his list! :laugh: I asked him if he was going to miss me and, of course, he said no. If he doesn't, I guess I will have done my job. :ohwell:

    My son and my best male friend are planning a trip to Virginia on Saturday night to go to a racetrack where they can ride their bikes on the track. He is really excited about it so I hope a work issue doesn't pop up to prevent their going. He even asked me if I wanted to go with them!

    I'm excited because my best female friend (she lives out of state) is coming to visit on Friday! She is actually going to stay in my house. :laugh: I won't get her for long because she has family in the area to visit as well, but I will enjoy it while she is here.

    Now I guess I'd better get some work done and maybe walk a few more steps before anyone else gets here. (I LOVE being by myself here!) Have a great day, everyone!

    Carol in NC
  • Kate741
    Kate741 Posts: 12 Member
    Good morning ladies. This is my first time here. I really enjoyed reading all of your posts and hope to check in here often. I am trying to get on track again and appreciate the support and encouragement.

    Kathy, Tavares, FL
  • weavernv
    weavernv Posts: 1,555 Member
    bump:smile:
  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,293 Member
    Good Morning,

    Welcome newcomers:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Family party last weekend went well. The rain didn't hit until after the party. We came close to having the wettest June ever here in MN. I for one am enjoying the cooler summer, so far. I too Carol have trouble in the heat and humidity.

    :drinker: Deedee glad you are getting to enjoy all the work on your home. Hopefully the painting will be done soon. Sorry to hear about the painter who was hurt.

    My June goals went well. I continue to maintain my weight within two pounds. I find setting daily goals helps me achieve my overall goals of living a healthy life.

    Today tor exercise I will work int the yard, so tomorrow I will have a healthier me and yard.

    2014 word:contentment
    :heart:
    MNMargaret
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    Heather: I agree with you about the value of this site. My friends on the women 50+ group are a huge help in learning how to succeed and maintaining motivation. Like you, I’ve lost weight before, only to regain it. This time, I realize that I need to continue on this “diet” for life if I want to stay healthy. I’m certainly NOT suffering. I can eat all my favorite foods except potato chips. I can’t eat a sensible portion of potato chips; I just keep eating, so they’re out of my life. I need to use portion control and will always need to pay attention to serving sizes. I have had a lot of comments on the changes in my weight and appearance. I thank people and tell them I’ve been counting calories & moving more. If they ask, I say more about MFP and yoga.:flowerforyou:

    Carol in NC: I’ve had seasonal affective disorder most of my adult life, but mine is connected directly with day length. I realize that getting out in the sun for some Vitamin D is a lynchpin to feeling better. I’ve found that taking a Vitamin D and calcium supplement really helps to relieve symptoms. I’ve also replaced all my light bulbs with daylight temperature bulbs. They’re an amazing help. We did this over time as the old light bulbs burned out, so the cost was spread out and not a problem. Maybe it would help you, too. I’ve heard that people with summer birthdays have a worse time with SAD than people who are born in fall and winter. :ohwell: :flowerforyou:



    Fourth of July plans have fallen apart. DS doesn’t feel well enough to travel. His surgery recovery is slower and more painful than expected. They invited us to join them at their place, but we passed because of the traffic situation and the fact that our dog needs to be kenneled during the firecrackers, noisemakers and fireworks. We have a reservation for the dog at the vet’s and wouldn’t be able to get back in time to pick him up. Their neighborhood is as noisy as ours so taking him along is not a good option. Seattle traffic also plays a part in our decision. We've driven through there on a 4th of July weekend once before and it is NOT habit forming. :noway: :grumble:

    Today is DD’s 35th birthday! I had a long “chat” with her last night via texting. She arranged for a long holiday weekend off from work so she could come here, and then that fell apart due to travel issues with cost and also her pregnancy. She’s far enough along that she should not be flying. Health is more important than spending a few days together.

    Have a great day.

    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



    July Goals:
    1. Log every bite and swallow.
    2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week.
    3. Have fun every day.
    4. Drink at least three glasses of water daily, preferably more!
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,708 Member
    Cynthia – that could be scary! University bennies in CA would be usually better than private… what is the trend there? Would it be worth retiring and then job hunting??? :ohwell: :ohwell:

    Alison – you need to ditch that whole gang and take a just Alison vacation!!! You are so good to them:smile::smile:

    Heather – what a shame that there are folks who would let your weight affect your relationship… I know it goes the other way –folks avoid/ignore heavy people thinking they are uninteresting… so sad… I am glad you are not letting it affect your commitment to your new lifestyle.

    Laurie – some others pre-log too, and say it helps – I have not tried it…..

    Carol – 80 at 9am yuck! I hate hot weather too… most of the time in the part of CA I am in it says under 90 but I would like it to stay under 80

    Your son will miss you, he just may not be able to use the words, and climbing in bed to do a list was his way to say that he will.:happy:

    Kathy in Tavares – welcome

    Margaret – I love the line you do on your posts with what you are doing today for a better tomorrow.. it is uplifting…

    Katla - Sad about 4th of july plans, my previous dog:heart: was afraid of loud noises, and fireworks were awful for her- I was able to get from the vet a sleeping pill and a bit of peanut butter and she would sleep through the crazies! Which meant I could take her with me… in the last 2 years of her life she was profoundly deaf and we loved the fireworks together:love: – that was the best part of her losing her hearing.

    So the new pedometer and I have having adjustment issues... the reset button is on the front and has to be held down for 2-3 seconds to reset, but I carry stuff on my hip a lot (more than I realized) so that resets it... trying the bra, but the dog reset it after cuddling in my lap the other day.... :grumble: :grumble: It is fun to see the steps go higher and higher...

    Yesterday was 15,680...

    Kim in Cool N. California (Sunday-monday it is supposed to be over 100)
  • kayms13
    kayms13 Posts: 47 Member
    Hello--after having some success with weight loss this winter, I've gotten lazy the last couple months. I'm finally ticked off at myself enough to get going again. My July goal is to log in every day. If I can do that, other things should fall into place!

    I've been trying Zumba this past month. I enjoy it very much, however my foot that I had surgery on 2 yrs ago is starting to hurt again. So I'll have to decide if it's worth it.

    Never thought about SAD affecting people in the summer, but I suppose summers in the South keep people indoors just like winters up North. I don't think any of us get enough of those perfect days when you can enjoy having the windows open!

    I'll try to check back with all of you more often, at least to scan through your comments. It helps keep me motivated. Enjoy your day! :flowerforyou:

    Kay - Wisconsin
  • GodMomKim
    GodMomKim Posts: 3,708 Member
    Hi
    I am going back and reading the end of June so I can “hear” all the news I missed, I saw the hanger steak comment from Heather… and in CA a hanger steak is called a skirt steak…

    smiles Kim in N. California
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244
    I really love Chattanooga! We went to dinner last night in the downtown area, then hubby's sisters and their hubbies went back to the hotel and Bill and I walked down by the river and across the foot bridge. It was beautiful! They have electric shuttle busses that take visitors all over (free), so it was fun to ride around and see the lights and all the shops. We even stopped at Ben & Jerry's and I got a kids scoop of cherries garcia. What a treat!

    Well, gotta go get ready for another day. I hope everyone has a great day!

    Sylvia

    Good to know. It's always been a pass through or half way stop off 75 on the way to Florida. Perhaps I should consider it as a destination or "extended layover" in the future.
  • MimiPersists
    MimiPersists Posts: 94 Member
    I’ve decided there’s no catching up on responding to posts so I’ll just go from here. Some days I may have time to say “hey” to individuals and sometimes not. That will have to be my MO .

    I realized my talking about the Bay Area and my parents in one breath and my rural lifestyle in another might be confusing. I split my time between the Bay Area and the Sierra Foothills, an hour or so below Tahoe. Most of my family is in the Bay Area. That’s where I am when I mention my folks.

    In the foothills, I share a good-sized house with my daughter and her family. I have my own self-contained apartment there, including my own entry and porch, My granddaughters (7 and 9 – almost 8 and 10. Yikes. Where does the time go?) come over to "grandma's house" often to hang out.

    My daughter and her family are the ones with the animals (goats, chickens and dogs). So I get to enjoy the rural lifestyle without all the work. I do have my little dog though but she’s low maintenance. I have the best of both worlds.

    I’m half way through the food-shopping for our Graeagle (up in the Sierras, an hour or so past Truckee) trip. We’ll have 12 to 20 people up there, depending on the day.

    I’ll shop for the perishables today and put them in a cooler with lots of ice. Meat and dicey things like that will go in the fridge until we leave. It’s about a 5-hour drive.

    I’m excited about the trip. I hear their fireworks up there are spectacular. My daughter says they’re the best she’s ever seen – and we lived in the Bay Area where the fireworks can be pretty nice. I love fireworks and haven’t seen them in a couple of years.

    Several of you have commented about dogs. I think mine will be all right, staying in the cabin. It’s far from the fireworks although there are often some yahoos setting them off themselves.

    There will be other dogs in the cabin, so they can have a barkfest together. I am sensitive about this issue though as, a few years ago, my brother’s dog got out of the house, scared by the fireworks, and was killed on the road. Loud noises are no joke for a dog. Hmm. Thinking about it, I’ll look into the thunder jacket someone mentioned.

    Cynthia, thanks for the info. I’m a total noob with smartphones so “go to the app store”…that makes sense, lol. I was looking only at MFP’s apps on the MFP site. I’ll broaden my horizon.

    I hope everything works out with your job. Sounds a little dicey. It’s no fun being at the mercy of “someone else” making decisions that affect your life.

    Heather, as one who is known for raving on about things, I sympathize with you about your experiences with DSIL and friend who are having a hard time losing weight. The whole subject is so interesting to me, and there is constantly so much new information, that it’s hard to understand why someone would not be interested.
    I know, for myself, I had (and am having) to find my own way, as I’m ready. Other people are learning just by your example, even though you may not be able to see that all the time.

    Carol, it sounds as though your son is at a perfect age for you to have some freedom in your decision-making. Their independence is hard to adjust to too but, oh, the freedom!

    Katia, I second the motion about light and vitamin D for SAD. My sister has SAD and light helps her tremendously. A friend does not have SAD but moved to the Pacific Northwest from the Bay Area. Her Vitamin D levels took a dive and affected her normally sunny disposition. (Hmm. That’s funny somehow.) Vit D is easy to test for and important, not just for how you feel, but for health.

    I'm off to Curves (women's gym). Something new for me but, with Silver Sneakers (part of my medical plan), it's free. How can I resist. Urgh. I can't. I'm a little nervous because I am in such bad shape but there's only one way to improve. So, here goes.

    Mimi
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244


    Today I weight in at 233. I'd like to lose 75lbs by the end of 2015 and arrive under 200 by the end of the year. My 11 yo son is away for the summer with his dad, so my intention is to use these next two months to work on myself.

    Goals for July would be:

    * Exercise 4 days each week.
    * Stick to a plant-based diet as much as I can.
    * Get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night.

    How exciting to have that time to start on some lifestyle changes. I'll be looking forward to hearing about the look on your son's face when he sees you after the summer.
  • gmom316
    gmom316 Posts: 244
    Hi Friends,
    What a blessing it was to spend the entire month of June at home, especially the one week I took as a stay-cation. Took myself on day trips to nearby lakes and rivers which I have taken for granted for years. Got a charge out of stand up paddle boarding, which uses a lot of core muscles. Loved it! Cooked a lot of wholesome meals and made exquisite variations of infused waters (mint and melon together is especially refreshing). After months of reading Michelle post about it, I finally tried a deep water exercise class. What a GREAT workout. End result is I am tanned, rested and down 1.5 pounds. :happy: :happy: :happy: :glasses:

    Rori in the Colorado Foothills where's it's a beautiful 70 degree day

    Awesome!!
  • kevrit
    kevrit Posts: 4,387 Member
    Bump! Don't want to lose this thread!

    Rita from CT
  • skuehn48
    skuehn48 Posts: 3,071 Member
    Hello to all: Back to do goals.

    June goals were to average 8,000 steps per day. Missed by quite a lot. Too much sitting and not enough moving. This definitely needs to improve. Water exercise 2x/wk. Made it everyday except when on vacation and this week when the pool was closed for cleaning. Not so good at skipping desserts until this last week then I did pretty well.

    July goals: Water exercise 2x/wk.
    Try to get in 8000 steps on days I am not in the water and 5000 on days when I am in the pool.
    Finish cleaning and organizing files before DGD arrives on July 14.
    Start each day with a daily goal similar to the ones Margaret does. I love how she does that.

    Gorgeous day here today, sunny and 73*. I need to get busy and take advantage of it. Healing angels to all who need them and congratulations to those with victories. Sue in SD
  • moparjer
    moparjer Posts: 125 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm here for July challenge as well! I work full-time so don't have time to check-in too often but will try to add extra exercise and try to drink more glasses of water this month. We're starting a "Healthy Challenge" for work on Monday. This will force me to go for 8 glasses a day! Thank you for being here for support - I couldn't do it on my own!

    Melinda (from Eastern Oregon)