WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2015

Good morning! We started out sunny but the expected clouds have arrived and it's going to stay cold today. I have a lunch later but shouldn't be a problem food-wise as it's Monogolian place; lots of healthy veggies and non-oil dressings.

Twhitehead..........Great tip about the mouthwash; I still have some my dentist gave me that has the most vile taste.........I remember using it the last time around in the evenings when the cravings would attack.......Thanks for the reminder!!!

Karen........Loved the inspirational messages you posted!!

Sally..........On shoes, I'd say talk to your local running buddies and find out which running store has the best reputation with them, then go in for a fitting and advice. Hard core runners do lose toenails. My daughter had three episodes of tendonitis in the years during grade school and middle school and ended up in leg casts twice and in three different periods of months of physical therapy..........the best physical therapist (this woman was a star) said (for DD, not telling anyone else what to do) use only New Balance with her custom orthopedic inserts ($$$$$) and she has been problem free for years.........still buying New Balance. The longest distance she's done has been a few half marathon trail runs which were very mountainous.

pip.......Great advice to Mary!

Janet .........Kudos to you for upping your exercise!

janemartin............Congratulations on the new arrival!!!

Michele.........It's funny........the first time arond for me, the MFP loss guesses were spot on.

Cynthia........Beets, horses like beets? Have to try that. I only recently learned they like bananas. DD made the mistake of having peppermint tea before going to the barn the other day.........they all wanted to be her best friend!

DebHutton..........Welcome, sounds like your life is going well and you have a good plan for yourself.

Hope everyone is having a good day!
Hunger is not an emergency.
Determined.
yanniejannie
mid-Atlantic

yanniejannie wrote: »

Cynthia........Beets, horses like beets? Have to try that. I only recently learned they like bananas. DD made the mistake of having peppermint tea before going to the barn the other day.........they all wanted to be her best friend!

Hi, well, not all of them like everything. The one I have now doesn't eat anything except carrots and apples. If you try something else she looks at you like "Do I look like a goat?"

I used to have piña colada days for my previous one. I'd cut up bananas, put oranges in there etc. Smelled just like a piña colada. I liked giving him just oranges as well. I'd peel them and he'd take them whole (if they weren't too big). He'd bite them so the juice would run out, and you could see him drinking the juice (the movements in his throat). Then he'd chew up and swallow the rest of the orange.

Lesley: I take the Centrum Silver for women along with Citracal plus D3. I take three of Citracal+D3 daily at the recommendation of my gynecologist to make sure I get adequate calcium and D3. I’d like to know how you like the Ethical Nutrients super Multivitamin after you’ve been using if a month or so. If you still love it, I’ll see if it is available around here. I’ll still be taking the Citracal plus D3 no matter what. On the subject of dogs, I agree with SallyW. Their lives are short, but they bring so much companionship and joy to life that I hope never to be without one for long. After Mildred Beagle has gone to dog heaven, give yourself a little time before you decide to forgo the companionship of a new dog. There is average lifespan info readily available on the net. Beagles are on the list at 12-15 years and my beloved Keeshond is in the same category. There are some small dogs that have a 20 year potential lifespan.

SallyW: Enjoy your shoe shopping. Be sure to let us know what you decide on. I haven’t bought running shoes in a long time because I don’t run anymore due to my knees. I did buy walking shoes from New Balance. Their only store in the Portland area that I know about is in Tualatin at Bridgeport Village and they don’t cater to walkers at that store. When I buy from New Balance, I do it online.

Sheryl: Welcome!

Janemartin: You’re daughter is in my prayers. I’ve had acid reflux issues forever and was diagnosed more than two decades ago. I have to be careful with food choices and also take medication for it. My current medication is a generic of protonix and it works well enough if I avoid the things that set me off. It is also not too costly. Unfortunately, it appears that DS inherited this from me. The over the counter treatments don’t work for me.

Barbie: Miraculously, my Medicare supplement plan pays for a gym membership for me. DSIL also gets hers paid for and we don’t have the same insurance supplement provider. I gather the insurance carriers think they’ll save a bunch of moolah if their people are more fit. Perhaps it is mandated or encouraged by Medicare. It makes sense. I don’t know. I’m simply enjoying the unexpected benefit. I lowered my allowable calories to 1400 and ended up with 328 available to eat after exercise was subtracted yesterday. If I look at my measured calorie output, it is within 100 calories of the right balance. My weight is down a little bit today. I’m working toward at a 2 or 3 pound acceptable range. For now, I’m experimenting. The gym membership has changed my activity level quite a bit. I have several more yoga classes in a week than I used to have and also use some weight machines. Zumba is out due to my knee issues according to both common sense and the gym’s trainer. I can support my friend by marching in place next to her or by riding a cycle in a nearby area. I can’t put sideways pressure on my knee.

Shanyn: You seem to be making good decisions. Stick with it and remember that you need to make permanent lifestyle changes in order to stay healthy once you reach your goal. You can do this, especially if you find ways to move more that you actually enjoy.

Mary from MN: We bought food scales and dishers when we started. (Dishers are used by the restaurant industry to allow servers to easily provide standardized portions sizes. They look like ice-cream scoops.) We always made good food choices so far as quality goes, but we ate way too much good food. Measuring portions worked very well for us. I don’t always weigh things now, but still weigh food often enough to stay on track. I use the dishers more frequently.

Deb in NE WI: Welcome.

Sylvia: I LOVE today’s joke! On a personal level, I never worried about competing with DMIL in the food department. She was an awful cook. I learned some years after her death that she deliberately put things into the food during my visits that would give me a tummy ache.

Heather: What is tzatziki? We had Brussels sprouts last night. Yum.



I have a “date” with my cousin to go for a hike this afternoon. I’m looking forward to it! We’ll meet at the Audubon Society and use the trails near there. She would like to hike uphill but I’m not ready for that at this point. Going uphill is challenging but downhill is even harder. It is way too hard on my knees to come back down a steep hill.


Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon


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


January Goals:
1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. 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.

Good afternoon! Stopping in to say hi after a couple of days with a strange virus going around here - headache and stomach pain with a little nausea thrown in for good measure. I saw the doctor this morning for a six month check up and he said he'd seen a lot of it over the past few weeks and that his son and wife currently have it. He's still very pleased with my weight even though it is somewhat higher than the last time I was there. My blood pressure was good, too. I had blood drawn and gave a urine specimen so I will see what those show next week.

Michele - For your friend with the detached retina...If her surgery is like mine was, it will be done under sedative and she will be awake for most of it. There is no real pain nor icky feelings but, depending on where the tear is, she will have to either sit up for about two weeks or lie flat on her stomach for about two weeks. I was lucky and got to sit up with my had cocked slightly to the left for two weeks. I was mighty grateful when I finally got to lie down in my bed again, though! The antibiotic drips made me nauseated until one of the doctors told me to press firmly on the tear duct to keep the drops from getting into my sinuses and thereby into my stomach. Also, I had no restrictions from the time was mine was diagnosed until I had the surgery. I went to work and did everything I could to get ahead since I knew I would be out of work for at least two weeks after the surgery.

Sylvia - I got the joke about Napoleon. I, too, adore pickled beets! They really can perk up a bland meal.

Heather - I hope your back settles down before your trip!

I've forgotten everything else. One day, I will be smart and open a word processing document to type replies with, but that day is not today.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! My best female friend is supposed to be here later today for a weekend visit. Her son was taken to the hospital by ambulance last night (he lives in Chicago) so she was up much of the night on the phone with his girlfriend getting updates. Hopefully, she is sleeping soundly right now and will feel rested enough to drive shortly!

Carol in NC

Hi, I think I only introduced myself once. This is Cat checking in. Been struggling this week to stay within my 1400 calories but when I do stay within them I do lose weight. On days I do my cardio I am much hungrier afterward for dinner but I burn more than I eat so that is good.

I have met my first goal of 5 lb loss in my first month but I was fluxuating between 4 - 6 lbs. I'll need to be consistant with exercise through the end of the week and keeping within my 1400 calories so I do not bust my goal before the end of January.

Exercise: My cycling spin class is my cardio that I have been doing 3 - 4 times per week foe 1/2 hour but I think I need to make it a solid 4 days. It kicks my even only doing just a half hour before I weight train. But I have to work within some limitations. I weight train 3xs per week afterward for 1/2 hour with my trainer.

First min goals = ~5 lbs/mo for 4 months to get to 20 lb loss by Easter
This first month has been challenging so I realize I am really going to keep within my cal count and do a lot of cardio next month to get another 5 lb.

Although I am not on the Medifast diet, I also use some Medifast items like their oatmeal, snack bars, shakes and soups because they are high in protein low in fiber and low in carbs. For the most part I eat regular store bought food for lunch, dinner and some snacks.

Also my BF is doing the MFP program as well and that is helping both of us.

Thanks for the member who put out the idea for Ethical Nutrients Super Multi-vitamin that was energizing her. I looked it up online and it looks good. Unfortunately they do not sell it online so I will have to look for it in the CVS drug store or health food store.

Thanks for all who are here to support each other. Catherine

Good afternoon everyone! Hope all is well today.

Today is my husband's birthday. 55 years young! I am fixing his favorite meal for dinner (ribeye steak marinated in Allegra with twice baked potatoes topped with mushrooms, bacon, and cheese. And of course, a tripe chocolate cake for dessert. Me.....I'm having baked pork tenderloin chops with mashed cauliflower, so I won't want the potato. And NO CAKE! So not fair! This too shall pass.

Love reading all the posts and jokes. It really helps to keep me motivated. My hubby did tell me last night he was proud of me for sticking to this journey. Especially since I am doing it alone. Little does he know that I am not alone, thanks to all you great people! So...THANK YOU ALL for being there with me!

Heather UK - LOVE the toenails ! ! !

Red94568 wrote: »

I opened the fridge this morning and saw two mini Pies the hubs bought when he apparently bought the salmon for last night's dinner. Hmmm, how loud can you scream saboteur!!!!??? Is that even a word?

Welcome to the newbies! I have now more friends than ever! We can be sisters in health together!

Today was boob bruising day. Tried to do a short run after the mammo, but the girls prefer to be walked after their ordeal. Guess I'll get the miles in at the end of today.

Happy Thursday! I felt thinner today!

Red
Dublin, CA

LMAO!!!

Hi
We managed to get to Shipley after all, the weather snowed a bit whilst we there but it wasn't too bad thank goodness. I had a lovely day, had a cuddle with my niece's baby = he 's adorable and also had a few doggy kisses from her dog bear = a husky type of dog called bear because he is big.

I'm so tired so think I'll have an early night and catch up with you all in the morning.

Night Night
Viv York UK

evening ladies~
well I took nyquil last night, and was out like a light, DH, got up at 2, and I was awake so stayed up for an hour or so and went back to bed.. have cold and not feeling 100% so I didnt get down to feed my DFIL breakfast, did go down mid morning to get laundry, wore a mask in as I dont want to get any of the residents sick... the nurse on duty says, he does so much better when your here.. lol all my pals including my DFIL were in the rec room, and I walk in even with a mask on and there is my DFIL over in the corner wide awake ( usually he is sleeping,waking hi to me, that was a shocker, so I went over to him and he was smiling at me, said he was sooo glad to see me.. well I guess I know where I need to be tomorrow morning.. he and all the residents there really enjoy my company so , I will be there mask and all.. then onto work . have the weekend off and get to spend quality time with the DH..all i basically got done today was sweep and wash the floors and laundry.. then I just lolly gagged..we get another 2-3 inches of snow tonight and more sunday night which could be a bigger storm, we are already 20" into it really? we dont need more..
I have really fallen off the wagon, eating junk and scared as all get out to get on that scale.. I know what I have to do.. but getting going and doing it is a whole other story...
took some cold meds and going to bed...

Good eve. We have had rain,freezing rain,more rain today. After seeing what ppl are going thru in the NE area,can't complain.
Not a lot of news here. Think I found a new guy to trim my hair. It's already short,but he spent 40 mins shaping it.A hair dresser who listens !
Was gonna use "sloggin along".....but Aware works for me. Need to be aware of what I buy,aware of what I cook & very aware of how much I eat.Have made a lot of small changes ,easy to live with,but what works for me might not help other ppl.Thought I knew what I was doing the 1st year,but guess not. Coming up on 2nd yr & finally feel I have a handle on losing wt.

Expect to take 3 yrs to lose 30 pds,then forever to stay alert.The food part is turning out to be easier than expected.Losing interest in cooking/baking.Using different spices doesn't help much. Making soup hasn't changed,so most always have soup in the fridge.
Dh is great.....he just eats whatever & doesn't say a word.He says he's afraid to.... LOL

Not sure how much I remember & my notes are poor,but we'll see.

Heather,MIL had 4 living children,but she never missed saying "this was Mary's BD".........their DD who lived only a few hours.Hope you husband feels better soon.

Meg,to this day DH can tell you the date we payed off our mortgage.He was so proud!

Red,welcome. Hey ,you are already far ahead of me,walking a 5 K.

Pip,that is so true. There is no secret to losing wt.For older women it's mostly one day at a time,a whole lot of them & not allowing yourself to backslide.Food holidays can never be the center of our life.
Welcome CB & all the newbies.

Jane,the new Granddaughter is so pretty,lucky you.

Diana,thank you for being so caring with your visitor. Just think how hard it would be to have a wt problem at her age.She won't forget how kind you are.

TV weatherman says we will see more snow in Feb' than we have had since Nov. Oh,Joy...

Patti

I think all my troubles where from allergies! I started taking an allergy pill and I feel better. Not going to comment tonight as I can hardly hold my eyes open. Will do better tomorrow.
SueBDew in TX

Hi gals. I am totally disheartened with the surgeon's visit today. I have a large "destabilizing" tear through then entire root of the medial meniscus (the inside one). Plus I have a huge cyst behind the knee that is oozing...bleh. So anyway he can fix it by removing the entire piece of cartilage. However, that will leave my knee bone on bone, so then he says within 3-6 months I will need a total knee replacement.

I went in today expecting to discuss an easy fix. guess not. He won't do the surgery until I have at least 2 weeks of excruciating pain. I have had 2 incidents of not being able to bear weight due to pain, but it has gotten better each time. He says when it won't get better is when he'll operate.

The other thing is that my blood pressure was high again today...161/80. Now I am freaking out about that. I bet all that exercise I'm not able to do anymore was keeping my BP in the normal range all this time.

I do have a funny story to add....yesterday I talked to the lady who took mom and dad's cat in when dad had to go to the nursing home ( after mom died). The cat started losing her will to live and stopped eating right after dad died. She (the cat) herself died close to a month ago now. The cat is in the lady's freezer. She has been there while this lady has been trying to get ahold of me. OMG. She wanted my permission to cremate the cat and spread her ashes on mom and dad's grave. So I said yes, what a nice idea, then she asked if I wanted to be there. So I said sure let me know when you are going to come to town for that and I'll come if I can.

Such a kind, heartfelt gesture. But after I hung up the phone, I thought about that cat in the freezer and laughed until I nearly wet my pants!

Alright, I'm too tired to respond to everyone but I did read the posts. See you all tomorrow. Meg in Omaha

Call me crazy but I love to see other people happy and succeeding.

*Sheryl, welcome. We are happy to have you join us and really happy about the outcome from your radiation and chemo. Good for you! After that, I’m sure this lifestyle change will be a snap for you. Visit us often.

*jane, how wonderful to get to go see the GK. Will be thinking about your daughter and keeping her in my prayers.

*Deb, welcome to the group. If you are ready to make a lifestyle change and give up on diets, this is the place to do it. This group of ladies have lots of experience, advice and support, which helps make the journey easier. Maybe you just stumbled across it for a reason?

*Shanyn, Good for you to set new goals. The diabetes should never be an excuse, but a reason to exercise. I am type II and for years did nothing to improve my health, other than take my Metformin. With proper eating and exercise I have been able to cut my meds in half. My goal is more exercise and get off Metformin totally. We can do this, if one baby step at a time. You go girl, you are worth it.

*Sylvia, that was not a ramble. Don’t you love yourself when you get things done ahead of time and not create that last minute stress? Give yourself a pat on the back and keep up the good work.

*Beth, I’m so glad that Ashley seems to be doing better. Still keeping her in my prayers.

*Katla, DMIL actually put thing in her food to give you a tummy ache? That is terrible! I had the best MIL in the world, which I guess is a touch unusual. I loved spending time with her and hated that she is the one that ended up with Alzheimer’s.

*Heather UK, your toenails do look fabulous!  I’m praying that your back gets better before your trip!

*Catherine, it sounds like you are doing a great job. Keep up the good work! It’s wonderful that your BF is doing MFP too, so you can also support each other. Not to mention, eat the same things.

*Terri in Mlwk, I love the Avon Graveyard reference. Lol Nothing like a deadline for de-cluttering, huh? And, hey, any progress, is progress where exercising is concerned. Good for you.

*yannie, you had me laughing about the horses wanting to be DD’s best friend. Thanks for the giggle.

*Catherine, I googled the Ethical Nutrients Super Vitamins and found a couple of countries that ship to the US. Of course the shipping is as much as the cost of the vitamins but we can get them here. If you can’t find them, message me and I’ll look again. 

*Sue, Happy Birthday! (On 1/31) I hope it’s a wonderful weekend and you enjoy your surprise. 
I’ll keep your friends GD in my prayers. And yes, it is hard when they are so little.

*Meg, I’m sitting here about to wet mine, I’m laughing so hard. Yes, I suppose that was sweet, but not sure I’d want my dead cat in my freezer, no matter how it was wrapped.
I’m so sorry about your knee! We all wanted better news. I don’t understand why you have to go through all that pain before they will do the surgery? Is your doctor a masochist?

*Welcome to any the Newbies I forgot. This is a great place for support and information.

Wishing us all great Health and Happiness.

My word for the of the month is savor. I have to slow down and savor every bite.
Janet in Myrtle Beach, SC

GodMomKim wrote: »

Red – welcome…… We live in the same town…. Wow!

GodMomKim - West side, you? I love, love, love Dublin!!!! Moved here in summer, 2008 and so glad I did. Best "village" ever!

Red