WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2105

I can't believe how far behind I am! I missed the last 10 pages of January and now February is at 7 pages already! The stats on my January goals:
January Goals (50% met - not so good):
-
1. Fix TN house and sell (on the market!)
2. Taxes (Filed taxes and receiving refund for federal but have to pay in state.)
3. Exercise 20 times this month (only logged 10)
4. Lose 5 pounds (Only .8 pounds)

February Goals:

1. Pay off at least 1 bill
2. Finish MIS
3. Exercise 20 times this month (already at 4)
4. Lose 5 pounds (by eating 4 veggies, 2 fruits, and record every day)
All to get to my year end goals of Financial stability and lose 50 pounds.


Rita from Snowy CT

Just a quick note to mark my place. Off to play bridge all day. Wondering how to get my steps in today. Maybe a DVD when I get home!
SueBDew - TX

Girls relax, stressing holds on to weight. If we are doing all the right things weight will come off. Eating too little stresses the body to hold on to weight.
Breathe deep and attend to all thats calling out to u!
Drink plenty of warm water, go over the positive affirmations. Put today behind you and start afresh
Anamika from Mumbai

They sent me two jokes today:



They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, "What is this, Father?" The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is."

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, a fat old lady in a wheel chair moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button.

The walls opened, and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially. They continued to watch until it reached the last number, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blonde stepped out. The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son.....

"Go get your Mother."



A man was stopped by the police around 2 a.m. The officer asked him where he was going at that time of night.

The man replied, "I'm on my way to a lecture about alcohol abuse and the effects it has on the human body, as well as smoking and staying out late."

The officer then asked, "Really? Who's giving that lecture at this time of night?"

The man replied, "That would be my wife."

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

*Margaretk, we are happy to have you with us. I started out great and had a real slow down in January also. The thing is, I didn’t gain all my weight in just a few months so can’t expect to get rid of it that fast. I also tend to believe that the slower we lose, the more time our bodies have to adjust to the loss; thus less loose skin. That is me convincing myself that it’s better to lose slowly. 

*joyce, I’m sitting here LOL because as I read your description of the strainer, I was thinking that this was TMI. (too much information). But it is interesting to learn. We too now remember our departed parents with the good times as the sadness, thankfully fades.

*Sharon, my heart goes out to you. I suffer from acid reflux and pretty much keep it controlled with meds, but it is awful to try to sleep when its acting up. Thinking of you with good thoughts.

*Allison, I am sending good thoughts your way to get your eating under control. I’m not sure what all they are, but maybe some of the ladies here can suggest some of the foods that actually digest slower and stay with us longer. That would be something to eat at dinner. Also you might want to be sure to drink plenty of water late in the day so as not to feel as hungry. I know you hate the weight you gained and you know we support you in reversing that trend.

*Caddir, I wish your DH a speedy recovery and hope it wasn’t cancer. Did they do a biopsy to be sure they got it all, whatever it was? Fantastic job on your weight loss.

*Heather, I love reading about your adventures! Keep having a blast.

*boxlady, I know (from experience) that it is very frustrating to do the right things and see no results. I have experienced weeks with no loss, but keep seeing my clothes get looser. Go figure?? Hang in there and hopefully you will start seeing pounds fall off.

*Diana, so sorry about your s*@&y day but congrats on the loss. I try to tell myself that days like that are what make me cherish the normal days. Hang in there.

*Terri, glad you made it home in one piece. I wouldn’t go out in that again either, for any kind of sale. Stay safe.

*eliza and maryt, welcome. We take youngsters, eliza so everyone is welcome.:) This is a great place for support and information.

I’m off for a dentist appointment, wearing a really pretty sweater set that I had outgrown a few years ago. It is actually a bit loose on me now and makes me feel great. Talk about “motivation”. 

Welcome to any Newbies that I missed. Come often and join in the chat. This thing works!!
Everyone have a healthy and happy day.

My word #1 is savor. I have to slow down and savor every bite.
#2 is opportunity. Each day offers new opportunities for good health and happiness if we just look for them and choose them.

Janet in Myrtle Beach, SC

Well I see I am behind again! I seem to be having lots of trouble keeping up! But I do think of you all every day.

We are having a snow storm and it’s very pretty. Our college is supposed to announce weather-related closings by 6 a.m. because people going to clinical need to be there by 6:45. So at 6:05 with no closings announced I left and drove nearly an hour to get to the nursing home. When I walked in, school was cancelled and it was exactly 7. So all my students were a bit miffed. Glad to have a day off, but angry that they too had driven for quite some time, some getting stuck, etc…only to be sent home. So here I sit.

I have a dr appointment at 1 but I think I’ll cancel the PT at 4. Everything around here is closed, so I’d rather not be out driving around in rush hour traffic at 5.

Red: good job on those great decisions. I’m a diabetic, so if I want a little treat I exercise first then eat it and that keeps my blood sugar in check. It’s all about choices.

Pipcd: congratulations on riding your bike to work every day. That is quite a commitment. Omaha is not a bike friendly town, but we are starting to make improvements to be better. We now have one (yes one) dedicated bike lane downtown! And boy was that controversial! But it’s there now and being used.

Sylvia: yup that is classic kidney stone! At least it sounds it. Let us know what the dr says

TNToni: omg I LOVE to color! I hope my grandbaby likes it too because I’d spend all day coloring with her!

Barbiecat: I too wander around the house to make my step goal. I increased it to 7,000 (paltry by your standards LOL) but didn’t make it once in January. However, each day in Feb I have made that goal!

Mary: I hope someone answers your question because I can’t do it either. It used to be automatic for the ticker to show up but “they” changed the settings and now I can’t figure it out.

Heather: I dream about being in your shoes in such a wonderful exotic location!

Beth: oh my that sounds like quite an ordeal to get your son out and about!

Robin: I haven’t heard about Bodi in a while. What activity can he do now? I now he just loves being your baby!

Vicki: glad you are home safely! The roads were terrible this morning and I don’t usually complain about them.

Brenda: such an excellent accomplishment and nsv! Keep it up!

Tina: I had forgotten this was the big R year for you! I have a long way to go but when I think about it, it kind of scares me!

Katla: I’m sure you’ll make the best food choices possible. You are so consistent. But I am jealous of your Zumba! I wish I could do things like that. Maybe that’s why my BP has been high….I’m MAD! LOL

Janet: tell us all about the cruise you are taking! I love to cruise!!!!!

Aromaine: we have a home gym with several pieces of equipment plus we are due to get our new recumbent exercise bike delivered next Friday. I do really love the convenience. But the gym is fun too.

Red: I had a laugh thinking of your neighbors watching you maybe. I agree…their problem! I weigh nakkie on Wednesdays first thing in the morning (after a stop in the bathroom). But I also chase hubby out of the room, then chase both cats out, then chase the dog out, because whatever I am doing they hover around me and stare. OK now that IS weird LOL

Gail : so grateful you healed from meningitis. That can cause severe deficits especially neurological ones, so it’s wonderful you got through it.

Sylvia: so glad you feel better. OK Now about the strainer….they didn’t give you one???? OK let’s go with no, they didn’t. Are the numbers similar to sand paper? Bigger numbers, finer strainer? Go with the bigger numbers then, maybe like a 450. Or pee through cloth? Sorry I am laughing. I am picturing you atop the bucket with two strainers (both covered with glaze). And the cranberry juice…you need to drink TONS for any effect, so don’t worry! Just stay better!!!

CP: in my lack of consistency in posting, I missed the saying you mention. I’m so glad you did. I love it and will remember that. Thanks also to whoever said it to begin with!

Lisa: sorry you had such a bad month! Staying on track is so difficult especially when we are ill. Most people lose their appetites when sick; not me I eat everything in sight. Just stay on your path and these ups and downs will average out .

Mary: YOW!!!!! I hope your ankle is not injured badly

Kim: glad your meet up went well!

Sharon: I hope you feel better soon. Hubby has the reflux too at times and I know how miserable he is!

Alison: I’m sorry you have been having such a time. I think you have so much stress in your life it is hard to concentrate on yourself. Please take care. I forgot where you live that you are getting so much snow?

Caddi: praying for the best news possible for DH; take care of yourself and try to buy some healthy snacks so you have some choice

K2boxlady: eat more! Your body goes into starvation mode and conserves fat when you eat so few. It literally thinks you are starving. Eat at least 1200 calories. Other ladies here eat different amounts. But I think if you increased your calories you would actually start losing.

Anamika: so glad to see your holistic approach!

Well ladies I know I haven’t replied to everone, but it’s time to get up and get 10 minutes on the treadmill before the dr. Take care everyone! Meg from wintery Omaha

According to myfitnesspal, and the health professionals I work with, if a body does not get enough calories, especially from healthy sources, it will have a harder time shedding the un-needed fat, but will occasionally burn muscle. That being said, "enough calories" is different for every person. Plus, regardless of how strict you are at staying within the "correct" calories and exercise, a body will plateau on occasion, and I have not figured out what works for me to get past that situation. I just keep on keeping on, and hope the clothes fits better or the scale moves eventually. Every pound I do NOT gain is a win in my opinion, and a loss is a bonus In the spirit of being supportive in this "group", I'm not saying that my opinion is correct, only that I worry that a person may not be healthy, and I wish for everyone to be "healthy, wealthy, and wise".

Hugs for Everyone ! ! !

Terri in Milwaukee

Good day dear ladies!

K2boxlady and Lisac195: There is nothing magical about 1200, but for the AVERAGE woman, that is the bottom number where you can get enough calories to maintain with no exercise. It is the number, that when you drop below it, your body will shift into starvation mode. It is also a number where it is reasonable to believe that the AVERAGE person can get enough micro- and macro- nutrients. Nobody is AVERAGE. We all have to feel around for the right number for us. Make sure to weigh and measure ALL food and log it so you are absolutely sure you know how much you are really eating. It is really easy to add more than 500 calories a day by eyeballing!! One other (not so) small thing is net vs gross calories!! My advice is to make sure to eat at least 1200 GROSS calories. Unless you are using a heart rate monitor, the exercise calories that most tools gives you have a tendency to be high (calibrated for men). I will eat back either my “step” calories or my “exercise” calories, but rarely both. You did not get here overnight, it will take a while to move forward. Plateaus happen. This support group is the best for helping you keep on keeping on until you can bust through.

What a morning! Got up extra early because it was run day. Fed the dogs and the cows in record time – I was on track to be early to work even with my run – Big sigh. The podcast I listen to would not load. I finally just re-started the iPhone and we were good to go. Talga was keeping lovely pace with me and we did our first mile in record time. (I normally flail around for at least the first 5 minutes but I fell right into rhythm after less than 100 yards.) First mile was my best time ever for first mile. I stretched just a little more and was cruising. A half mile later we are joined by a loose large white livestock guardian dog. It was filthy and I have my intact boy with me, so I am not going to mess with it. Poor Talga kept turning around, he’s following us --- no baby keep moving --- Mommy!! --- Keep moving!! It was a slog the rest of the run to keep my dog on track. Of course, the dumb thing followed me home. I put my dog away and went to take it back to a neighbor who has that breed. I tried popping it in a pen (since it is o’dark thirty in the morning). The dog was having none of that and then I spotted these people’s dogs. The stupid dog is right it doesn’t live here. So I headed down to the next house that has small livestock. When we got to the top of that driveway the dog galloped on down. OK stupid dog went home. I am now late and the second dog did not get his mile walk yet!!! Big sigh. The things we do to try to get a little extra exercise in the morning!

Bonus find! I am often short both protein and calcium. I found these 12oz bottle of chocolate “milk”. They are basically milk with extra whey and flavor. 21 grams of protein and a more than half the calcium for the day for just 180 calories. Yes, they do use an artificial sweetener, but I figure since that is my only source it is OK. Shake it up and it is like a milkshake. They are only $1 a bottle so affordable, too. They have become my after run breakfast, because I should eat, but am not really hungry after a run.


Looking for the joy in every day, just like my dogs.
Remember to breathe…

Sally W.
Oregon

Hi all,
So on the scale issue I weigh twice a day like Barbie does. I will usually weigh 2-4 pounds less in the morning.

To the person who was on 1000 calories a day and frustrated about not losing. Are your calories densely nutritious? Are you drinking lots and lots of water? Those are the things that will help your metablolism and spur the weight loss.

Meg - On good days Bodi can get around walking and even a little jogging. On bad days he has a lot of trouble getting up and he can fall back down the stairs. His hind legs constantly cross over each other and he will fall down when trying to poop. He can't really tell when he will poop so lots of accidents and if he gets excited he will pee if he hasn't just gone. Ritter constantly bowls him over if they are outside playing and will knock him down in the house. so that is a combined 165 pounds of lab running around and falling down. (Bodi is 85 and Ritter is 80)

I read everything. I can't comment on everything.

By the Michelle I love how your pool turned out. I remember the early pictures when you were just getting started.

Have a great day

Robin, Bodi and Ritter
PNW

So glad to see women in my age group! Finally decided to get serious after half-a$$ing it for so long and quit blaming my weight on everything but myself.

My first goal is to log every single bite of food/drink that passes my lips. My next goal will be to start moving. I can't seem to get motivated to work out during the week, since I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Need to get to the gym at lunch. Weekends I do well, but need to step it up.

I'm enjoying reading everyone's posts and stalking your diaries. I love to see what others are eating and get some ideas.

Stephanie in Central OR.