WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2014

Did an hour of HIIT on the elliptical today (sprint 200+ steps/min, recovery 130 steps/min). the plan for tomorrow is to do Kathy Kaehlers Basic DVD, one of the new ones I got for Christmas so I'll see how it is.

Vince was saying to me today "even the kids are saying "what's with all these DVD's?" He was thinking that I only did them once and then wanted something new. Not true, I have a rotation and they get done multiple times. Only I get bored with doing the same ones over and over, I need a change. I also "mentioned" that Total Fitness has some DVD's on sale until the 4th

After exercise went to Food Lion and exchanged some pudding I had for Jello instead since that's one of the things I can eat before the colonoscopy. Then stopped at the Salvation Army and found a shirt, not sure that I really needed it. Came home then Vince and I went to the place where I am doing the ceramic ladybug, I assumed that they were open but that's not the case. Then went to Target to get more litter for the cats, then I went to the jewelry place where I bought my watch. The clasp has been coming undone so they tightened it up for me. While I was waiting, I went to Sally's to get stuff for my hair (hey, $6 is a whole lot better than $50 to get my hair colored. This stuff lets me extend the times between colorings). Then to kill more time I went to Ross, needed bras but they didn't have any that I liked but did buy another blouse (not that I needed it). Now home

The Y isn't having a water class tomorrow so I'll go on Friday

Viv - speaking of wine, I know this sounds terrible, but Kris gave me a bottle of wine. I know he meant well, but I'm not a wine drinker. I'm pretty sure WalMart sells it so I'll return it to them. Hun, I send you big, big hugs. You'll get through this new year, you're one strong lady

Heather - we don't have "crumpets" per se, but I make all my biscuits from scratch. There's just something about homemade that popping a can open will never compare to. Boy, are you keeping ever busy!

Terri - when I have what I think to be a hot flash (it's more of like a mini-hot-flash for me and I attribute this to exercise), I find that having some frozen grapes helps immensely. When we go to the bowling alley, I always find it interesting to see how many people there are overweight and have a beer gut.

Alison - safe travels

Jan - good for you throwing out that candy!

Janet - if you log what you ate on paper, would that help? Sometimes it helps to see if the list of things you've eaten is getting long. Why not go shopping at the local thrift shop? I get some good bargains there, name brand sweaters, etc. for only a few dollars

Sylvia - wow! Only 33 more to goal. That's fantastic!!! One of the (few) things that I like about this change is the fact that "bump" is no longer needed. What is the NuStep?

peachstategal - I didn't realize how unsecure a debit card was until someone from the Sheriff's Dept. talked to the Newcomers. That's when I got a separate debit card to use at Aldi's. We only keep about $200 on it, so if someone gets that card, that's all that we've lost. Prior to that I'd been using my ATM card which is also a debit card. If someone had gotten hold of that, they'd have access to my entire checking account, of which I wouldn't be too happy. What a horrible thing to have happen to you!

Speaking of people who haven't been here in a while, what about Patty (I think that's her name -- she got her personal training certification and worked at the Y and started teaching classes another place, too)

Lesley - Brian seems to be doing wonders for you. So happy for you

Rori - I, too, wondered why Brian told Lesley not to do cardio in the morning. I'd always heard that the best time to do any exercise is the time that works best for you. I know that if I don't exercise first thing in the morning, it won't get done. I, too, love cooking; but I like the added challenge of making something that tastes good and is healthy. Sometimes that isn't a problem, other times it is. I can't think of any fish that I don't like. When we were in Spain I had calamari but it wasn't fried. That I liked. I just don't like -- or I should say that my stomach doesn't like -- things that are deep fried.

jane - I'm so sorry for your friend. You both will grow old together, just not in the same place. She'll always be with you.

Michele in NC

Gail in Atlanta: I’m happy you’re posting again. Good luck with your surgery. :flowerforyou:

Dr. Katie: Years ago, I read the Foxfire books that were written by highschool kids about the elders in their community. I know about souse and scrapple, but livermush is new to me. In times past, nothing was wasted. Livermush certainly doesn’t sound appealing, but I’ve never seen a recipe or tried it so what do I know? Nada. Be sure you let us know what you think of it if you go crazy and try it. :flowerforyou:

Joyce: It seems like we have to be flexible with our Christmas celebrations as we go though life. I was with DD & grandbabies but DH was several hundred miles away with his sister. This is the first Christmas we’ve been apart since 1970. We survived and it is good to be home. Good luck with your plumbing. :flowerforyou:

Michele: I agree that I have many things to be happy about, and meeting Rori in person is right up there at the top. :bigsmile: She is every bit as wonderful as I imagined. Losing the jacket was really my own fault and I’m not happy with me about it. :grumble:

Viv: I’m happy that you’re back. You seem to have a good attitude about finding your way through this first year after your loss.

Heather: Your enthusiasm for entertaining is so refreshing. I enjoy hearing about every new adventure. I’m happy you ended up having a good time with your son. :flowerforyou:

Alison: I’m sorry that you’re sad to return to CT, but I think you’re lucky to have such a great place in FL. :flowerforyou:

Yanniejannie: I love the quotation: "The new year will be like the old one if you keep on doing the same old things." Jean-Paul Malfatti Thanks for sharing. :flowerforyou:

Pipcd: Congratulations on 10,000 steps! :flowerforyou:

Janet in Myrtle Beach: “Bump” is a way for you to find where you left off reading on days when you don’t have time to post. :flowerforyou:


Two more days to plan the New Years resolutions BUT I plan to get mine done early because I’ve been horrible at following through with New Year's Day resolutions all of my life. You’ll see mine before 2015. I predict that nobody will be surprised at what they are. :bigsmile:

.
Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon


“Tradition is not to preserve the ashes but to pass on the flame.”

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


December 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!
5. Eliminate alcohol.
6. Monitor sleep.

Winterskykin, I assume you are asking if Barbie will start a new month for December. Yes she will and the link will be at the end of this one. When you click on it make sure you click on the little thing, can't remember the shape at the top right corner of the thread, not the screen, to bookmark it.

Janet, so sorry about your friend with cancer. I was an RN on an oncology unit once also. I sure wish I knew the knowledge I gained from having my Mom in an inpatient hospice. They were truly angels here on earth. Having Mom in pain and dying was really hard on us but they brought a ray of sunshine in every day and became our friends and let us all have dignity, not just Mom.

It's beginning to smell pretty rank in here. We welcome going to the store or to eat just so we can use the restroom. When we go we immediately go to the bathroom, shop and browse and go to the bathroom again. When the plumber told us yesterday that it wouldn't be long before we lost the use of our commodes Charlie didn't believe her. Now he does. I am glad it is just him and I here and we both worked in the hospital and him as a medic. Bodily functions don't gross us out. I did something today I usually avoid. We have 3 families that come from out of town for Christmas. One of them is our daughter and we know we pay for all of her expenses. But the other two families both have to have two hotel rooms. So we really don't ask them to provide anything for the meal. Well we went to Walmart today and I thought I had everything on my list but I forgot the green beans. And our family uses 4 of the big cans. Plus when we had sewage come up Michelle threw away all of my things I have stored up on a shelf for our meals, like big strong disposable plates, pretty napkins and disposable flatware. We got more flatware at the store but we didn't like Walmarts selecton of napkins in fact was surprised there was nothing special. So I just put a facebook message to those three families to decide who will bring what of those three items and let me know. So maybe I am letting go of my sense of control and thinking I need to take care of everything. I have it at my house therefor I should provide all the extras. We all contribute in some way to the food.And they were delighted to help.

My nephew called today. We have always been close and can be very frank with each other. So I know when he asks a question that he really wants an honest answer not a polite one. He said he thought everyone was taking advantage of me in that we have Thanksgiving and Christmas here every single year. Well there is no way around it. I told him that it is my gift of service and yes, I am tired at the end of the day. Really tired. But I have a smile on my face and that is what counts. Not a fake smile but contentment. I always think of how my Mom would handle it and I want to make her proud. Now I know that eventually against her better wishes she had to give into her disabilities and use a mobility scooter and move out of her house. I will use that as a guideline but so far I want to do this and I can with the help of the younger generation. And they are coming through. As long as all of them don't expect a sparkling clean house, just a house to have fun and be enveloped with love.

Alison, you coming home! When your FIL dies will you finally retire down there? katla, safe travel. Lesley, you need to have Brian set up shop here! He sure could get some business.

Joyce, Indiana

Good morning all. For the second night in a row I slept badly. Fitbit said I slept 3 hours, but I think that sounds high. I just laid there, wide awake. In spite of taking all my pills that normally knock me out. Too much on my mind, I guess. At 4am I finally gave up trying to sleep.

Yesterday hubby came to the studio and installed my new thermostat. The package said it would take 15 minutes or less but it took about an hour. Hubby likes to overthink things. It's hard not to get impatient and just do it myself. But now it's done. And I programmed it to heat up 15 minutes before I get there in the morning. Hope it works.

Today is our anniversary, so tonight we go out to eat at the local steak house. That's our tradition, if we aren't gone on a trip somewhere. In past years I always got steak tips, french fries and onion rings (all are huge portions), but this year it will be dry salad with grilled chicken. Still a huge portion, but I will be bringing half home. We don't do gifts or cards, just dinner, so that's nice and low-stress for both of us.

Katla, it sounds like you got home safely. Glad you had such a great trip!

Michele, NuStep is an exercise machine for cardio. You sit, like on a recumbent bike, and push the pedals, but not in a circle like a bike, just up and down, and you hold grips with your hands and move your arms too. It's a pretty good workout, and low impact. Especially good for those of us who started out with a LOT to lose, and/or heart trouble. It helped me a lot. Here's a link with a photo.
http://www.nustep.com/our-products/t4r/

Well, I'm not thinking straight, so I'll sign off now. Have a great day!

Sylvia

Sylvia
Happy Anniversary and enjoy your meal out. Eat your steak it's not one good meal that will hurt you. It's not getting back with it after it's over that hurts.

Heather
I used to be like you a lot of entertainment and loved it my motto the more the merrier. But I find as I get older it's getting harder. So this year I asked for help.

thought I'd come and respond before going out to coffee.
See you all lighter.
Linda in the great White North

Hi everybody, just skidding in to wish everyone a good New Year's Eve, to hug Jane Martin, and to say that, if I'm correct, crumpets are "English muffins".

Cheers!
Cynthia

Good Morning,

Barb I wish I had read your post before I had two of my chocolate chip cookies from my tea party. When I make chocolate chip cookies I make them with butter and coconut oil. I also use half flour and half rolled oats. I was able to stop at two.

I had my first tea party yesterday. There were five of us total. It was a nice number. Everyone felt included.The Holiday Hunt went over well. I had them look for certain holiday objects. It was my take on the white elephant and games people play at showers. It was non-competitive and everyone got a prize of their choice. They asked if I would ever think about making wings for the papermache (not sure how to spell it) angel I made in 5th grade to replace those that were lost. I am thinking about it. I had the most fun watching them discover the flamingo lights on our tree.

I am planning to have a second party Jan. 2nd.

For New Year's Eve I might dig out the tape I made in 2000 of the world celebrating this event. It was amazing how this event brought most of the world together in celebration. There were hot spots then too but not as many as there are today.

Tomorrow we go to a friend's white elephant party we have gone to for years.

I used the word contentment as my touchstone for 2014. During my trials in 2014 it helped draw me back what creates contentment.

For 2015 I am considering the words calm, release, nurture. I have to try them for awhile to see which one fits for 2015.

Goals for 2015:

Planning so I am on time and not feeling rushed as I attend work and activities
Eating as nutritiously with portion control in mind
Keep my body moving and exercising daily
Consistent sleep patterns and overall sleep rating of 4/5 for a week
Laugh everyday

A phrase to help me in 2015. "Just because I see the hook does not mean I need to bite."

May all of you have a spectacular and healthy NEW YEAR!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

MNMargaret

Just wanted to step back in and add my loving thoughts to all those for Jane. May your friend have peace and you can be sure she knows she is loved.

Cynthia - crumpets are not English muffins. I like those too and do do the grandchildren. They are soft and you tear them apart to toast them. Crumpets are very solid, rubbery things with bumps and holes on one side and smooth on the other. You have to toast them. People used to do it over an open fire and students used to toast them over their two bar electric fire! ! ! ! ! DH remembers doing that. One of the reasons we bought a new wide slot toaster was because the crumpets wouldn't fit in. When I get them out of the freezer I will take a photo. :bigsmile:

Done all my prep now. Exhausted! DH had to rush out, despite his heavy cold, to buy a pineapple for Friday. Also a present for his niece as we didn't realise she was coming until we saw it on Facebook!

I am keeping my same motto for 2015 - DON'T LET THE PERFECT BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD.
:bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: (*)

I resolve to get back to typing out my old novel. I resolve to get back to my memoir.
Otherwise I will keep on keeping on. :laugh:

Heather in Hampshire UK

Heather: I may stand corrected! Though apparently not everyone's sure about the difference: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-crumpets-113577.
Anyway, they're both delicious!

LOL! Read the comments section on the above article if you want to be REALLY confused.....they even bring in something called "pikelets" and scones which Heather has already explained.

Enjoyed the article, Cynthia, but they got one thing wrong - crumpets are made with yeast batter. Some people put a tiny bit of bicarb in as well, but I didn't.
- Happy New Year everyone! ! ! ! ! !
- Heather x x x x x x
-

Now my brain can't remember who said that they take care of a whole meal price if guests are coming over. I am not a good cook at all and my meal would definitely be memorable if I cooked it all. But these people are my family, my siblings and all of our offspring. They look forward to my corn casserole and sweet potato, my sister's pies, my nieces apple pie, my daughter's turkey, my nephews ham, and on and on. That's just the way we are as a family. We bear each other's burdens. There is at least one person in each of the siblings family that has some sort of handicap that would prevent them from doing a whole meal. But put those small parts together that do work right and you have a wonderful whole. I am providing the home to have it in so that we can be more of a family than if we went out to eat. One year my sister knew a caterer and we all paid our share of a catered meal and didn't like it. The green beans weren't like mine, the dressing wasn't like my Mom's. We enjoy doing our meals like this. To us it mean family. I know to others they like to cook the entire meal as a gift. But this is the way our family does it.

The house doesn't smell to bad today but I haven't been outside and then come in. We lasted another night

Joyce, Indiana

Here is some excellent diet advice I found online:



OTHER PEOPLE'S FOOD: A chocolate mousse that you did not order has no calories. Therefore, have your companion order dessert and you taste half of it.

INGREDIENTS IN COOKING: Chocolate chips are fattening, about 50 calories a tablespoon. So are chocolate chip cookies! However, chocolate chips eaten while making chocolate chip cookies have no calories whatsoever. Therefore, make chocolate chip cookies often, but don't eat them.

FOOD ON FOOT: All food eaten while standing has no calories. Exactly why is not clear, but the current theory relates to gravity. The calories apparently bypass the stomach, flowing directly down the legs and through the soles of the feet into the floor, like electricity. Walking seems to accelerate this process, so that a frozen custard or hot dog eaten at a carnival actually has a calorie deficit.

CHILDREN'S FOOD: Anything produced, purchased, or intended for minors is calorie-free when eaten by adults. This category covers a wide range, beginning with a spoonful of baby tapioca -- consumed for demonstration purposes -- up to and including cookies baked and sent to college.

UNEVEN EDGES: Pies and cakes should be cut neatly, in even wedges or slices. If not, the responsibility falls on the person putting them away to "straighten up the edges" by slicing away the offending irregularities, which have no calories when eaten. If pie or cake is neatly cut, but the remainder is not easily divisible into equal servings, it's also permissible to even things up ... without calorie consequence.

TV FOOD: Anything eaten in front of the TV has no calories. This may have something to do with radiation leakage, which negates not only the calories in the food but also all recollection of having eaten it. Entire no-calorie dinners are now manufactured and frozen for this purpose.

FOOD THAT DOESN'T TASTE GOOD doesn't count. This is an enormous category covering a diverse range including airline food, cafeteria meals, and dinner at your sister-in-law's. This also includes dinners manufactured to be eaten in front of the TV. See above.

ANYTHING SMALLER THAN ONE INCH contains no calories to speak of. For example: chocolate kisses, maraschino cherries, cubes of cheese.

LEFT-HANDED FOOD: If you have a drink in your right hand, anything eaten with the other hand has no calories. Several principles are at work here. First of all, you're probably standing up at a cocktail party (see "Food on Foot"). Then there's the electronic field: a wet glass in one hand forms a negative charge to reverse the polarity of the calories attracted to the other hand. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it's reversible if you're left-handed.

CHARITABLE FOODS: Girl Scout cookies, bake sale cookies, ice cream socials, and church strawberry festivals all have a religious dispensation from calories. It's in the Bible.

CAKES WITH WRITING ON THEM: Primarily fat, starch, and sugar, all cakes are horrendously fattening. However, the calories can be eliminated simply by inscribing "Happy Birthday, Charlie" or "Good Luck, Alice" in colored icing. Not only is it unnecessary to decline, it's impolite.

FOOD ON TOOTHPICKS: Sausages, cocktail franks, cheese, and the like are all fattening unless impaled on frilled toothpicks. The insertion of a sharp object allows the calories to leak out the bottom.

LEFTOVERS: An extra pork chop, the crust of bread, half a Twinkie, and anything else intended for the garbage has no calories regardless of what happens to it in the kitchen.

FOOD EATEN QUICKLY: If you are rushed through a meal, the entire meal doesn't count. Conversely, if you have ordered something fattening and now regret it, you can minimize its calories by gulping it down.

CUSTOM MADE FOOD: Anything somebody made "just for you" must be eaten regardless of the calories because to do otherwise would be uncaring and insensitive. Your kind intentions will not go unrewarded. (See "Charitable Foods.")

Starting again today with MFP and saw this post. I'm 49 years old so I'm hanging with you guys Can't wait until tomorrow to see what January brings. Have a safe New Years. BTW I'm from WV on the Ohio border.