WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JUNE 2015

cityjaneLondon wrote: »

Yesterday I ate and drank at the party. It was great! Don't feel guilty. Back on the wagon today.

Love to all. Losing weight is really very, very simple. Eat less. Move more. That's it. :flowerforyou:

Heather, UK

Heather, good for you for the splurge and the non-guilt. And of course for being back on the wagon today. That's the important thing! I saw someone somewhere poke fun at the notion that calories you eat on your birthday don't count. Obviously those calories count just as much as any other calories, but at the same time, it's profoundly true. What you eat on your birthday doesn't count. It's what you eat between your birthdays that counts.

I also have to comment on your statement Losing weight is really very, very simple. Eat less. Move more.

Yep, that's about all there is to it. But simple doesn't necessarily mean easy. I think we need to acknowledge that as a fact, for the sake of everyone who finds eating less and moving more a horrific struggle.

Right now I'm on a roll and the pounds are just melting away. Right now it feels easy. But it's a mystery to me why what feels easy now has felt so impossible at other times. I've been trying unsuccessfully to lose weight for seven years. Now suddenly it's working. I'd love to find the magic key and share it with everyone, but all I can really say for certain is I'm eating less and moving more. That simple. That hard.

Happy Father's Dad!

Miriam your home would have fit right into the tour I went on yesterday. It was in area called near West Seventh area of St. Paul. It has some of the oldest homes and cottages still standing in St. Paul. It was an area that the movie Minnesota Bound with Keanu Reeves, Cameron Dies, and Dan Aykroyd. Our guide was a consultant on the film and he told stories how nice these actors were. He had us in stitches when he told us how Dan Aykrod gave an impromptu performance for him and Keanu using characters he grew up with in Canada. What he liked best about Dan Aykrod is how respectful he was to everyone he met.

Sylvia Molly is truly a gorgeous whippet. Our neighbors had a whippet they called Whipper.

#9 I wish the buck stopped here sure could use a few.

Thanks Barbie - I'm a salt-a-holic, have been all my life... but the amount stays pretty steady. Fiber is a constant battle to get enough... see the post regarding veggies, and whole grains aren't something I eat a lot of either. My protein bars supply 17g of fiber a day, and I eat two of them a day most days. (Quest bars, if anyone's wondering, only a gram of sugar at most, as well.)

I'm also constantly balancing dehydration here in the desert, and have anyway, ever since I had the gastric bypass, so I pound liquids down at every opportunity. But, one thing I noticed was that, during these stalls and intermittent gains, my ankles had started showing the edema, and wouldn't release it for days. Like I said, this stall is probably half water weight--I'm reasonably sure of it. Just ticked about it!

Anyway, my nurse practitioner gave me a scrip last month for Lasix (with the usual lecture to up my potassium/ magnesium) for use no more than once or twice a week, in response to water retention. Why? Because my mother's first heart attack happened when she was four years younger than I am now, and she eventually died of a stroke--so my NP and I keep an eye on things like edema. However, the rebound effect from the Lasix pushed me up four pounds last week for a couple days. That kind of rebound is worrisome all on its own. *sigh* Can't ever be simple, but that's why I haven't taken the Lasix today.

And...just pipping people to the post on telling me I have to cut sodium. My mother did not have the same fascination I have with salt, and had heart issues from age 51 up. I LOVE salt, and usually end up using enough that I can feel the salt crystals in my mouth. But, I have zero issues with blood pressure, never did, even when I was up around 300 pounds. The article linked at the end of the paragraph is fascinating - while they've developed correlation, even a hundred years later, causation has NEVER been nailed down for salt and blood pressure, other than for specific subsets, such as some African Americans and some of the elderly. In fact, per the article, lowering salt for some people can have a deleterious effect on the hormone and enzyme that concern blood pressure. The upshot is that people's reaction to salt is completely individual. For some people, salt will cause their blood pressure to rise. I'm not one of them. Time to end the war on salt.

Blanket statements like "you can't count coffee or tea as part of your liquid intake," and "salt is dangerous," from the medical establishment just need to be taken with a grain of salt (sorry, HORRIBLE pun) in my opinion. I was told for years I had to eat breakfast--when it is a tremendous appetite trigger for me, something no 300-lb. lady needs help encouraging!

lhannon062709 wrote: »

Thanks Barbie - I'm a salt-a-holic, have been all my life... but the amount stays pretty steady. Fiber is a constant battle to get enough... see the post regarding veggies, and whole grains aren't something I eat a lot of either. My protein bars supply 17g of fiber a day, and I eat two of them a day most days. (Quest bars, if anyone's wondering, only a gram of sugar at most, as well.)

I'm also constantly balancing dehydration here in the desert, and have anyway, ever since I had the gastric bypass, so I pound liquids down at every opportunity. But, one thing I noticed was that, during these stalls and intermittent gains, my ankles had started showing the edema, and wouldn't release it for days. Like I said, this stall is probably half water weight--I'm reasonably sure of it. Just ticked about it!

Anyway, my nurse practitioner gave me a scrip last month for Lasix (with the usual lecture to up my potassium/ magnesium) for use no more than once or twice a week, in response to water retention. Why? Because my mother's first heart attack happened when she was four years younger than I am now, and she eventually died of a stroke--so my NP and I keep an eye on things like edema. However, the rebound effect from the Lasix pushed me up four pounds last week for a couple days. That kind of rebound is worrisome all on its own. *sigh* Can't ever be simple, but that's why I haven't taken the Lasix today.

And...just pipping people to the post on telling me I have to cut sodium. My mother did not have the same fascination I have with salt, and had heart issues from age 51 up. I LOVE salt, and usually end up using enough that I can feel the salt crystals in my mouth. But, I have zero issues with blood pressure, never did, even when I was up around 300 pounds. The article linked at the end of the paragraph is fascinating - while they've developed correlation, even a hundred years later, causation has NEVER been nailed down for salt and blood pressure, other than for specific subsets, such as some African Americans and some of the elderly. In fact, per the article, lowering salt for some people can have a deleterious effect on the hormone and enzyme that concern blood pressure. The upshot is that people's reaction to salt is completely individual. For some people, salt will cause their blood pressure to rise. I'm not one of them. Time to end the war on salt.

Blanket statements like "you can't count coffee or tea as part of your liquid intake," and "salt is dangerous," from the medical establishment just need to be taken with a grain of salt (sorry, HORRIBLE pun) in my opinion. I was told for years I had to eat breakfast--when it is a tremendous appetite trigger for me, something no 300-lb. lady needs help encouraging!

I don't add any salt to my 'already' cooked foods; only add salt to tomatoes.

A beautiful morning here after the short storm last night. DD at one of her barn jobs. Carrot cake in oven for DH. Paper read. DH in bed yet. Gemma asleep on the couch. Life is fine here today, at the moment......and I am thankful and grateful for these peaceful quiet moments when the only sound is the birds outside.

I think losing is a matter of calories (counting correctly), exercise, and WILLPOWER; if you don't have the willpower the rest just doesn't happen. Willpower is my downfall; it waxes and wanes. Sodium and hormones are responsible for temporary issues in my experience. Just my conclusions for myself.

In addition to Father's Day, today we recognize Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers by wearing purple. June is Alzheimers and brain awareness month. June 21 was selected because it is the longest day (summer solstice) of the year. Please consider wearing a dash of purple today.

drkatiebug.......I am proud to know of the contribution your group made........how very, very generous of them!

Peace abut to be shattered; I hear DH moving about..........

yanniejannie
mid-Atlantic

janetr7476 wrote: »

Joyce IN - "Janetr, $1700/month alimony! Wow, what a windfall for you now. Maybe you can go on vacation. I don't know anything about alimony but if they divorce does she go back to collecting alimony for your husband?"

lol No thank goodness, she'll probably get it from this new one tho. She will continue to get half of my husband's military retired for as long as Jack lives and collects it. They were married for 30 years, therefore got half of everything. The alimony was ordered for 15 years and was down to the last two years. I think she thot she'd better marry while she had the chance before the alimony income ran out. She has never worked a day. I'm just glad we are done with it!!

Sister made attorney show that 'alimony' was a 'settlement' (monthly payments) so she was not responsible to pay taxes out of it. I don't know if ex is still paying it. After nearly 30 years of marriage. He agreed to it; so he has to pay the taxes; not sure that can be done in any other states from the one she lives in. I'm pretty sure she must still be getting it - she's never remarried. He was paying 'child support' separately. She has to be getting something to afford the life-style she is living. I know she will collect something on SSI from him, since she was married for so long to him.

Lagopus wrote: »

Penny here.

I live at the North Pole. Well, almost. I'm about 800 miles from it.

This looks like a supportive group! I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the posts, so if you don't mind, I'll just rubberneck for a while and get to know everyone before I start commenting.

Goals for June:
Weigh my food and register my calories as consistently as possible
Jog a total of 80 miles (three marathons)
Play with the grandchildren when they visit

See you
Penny at the Pole

Best of luck with your three marathons Penny and enjoy your time with your grandchildren!

janetr7476 wrote: »

GritsandSluts - hey and Kitty Chow would be crunchy I'm sure. Might help satisfy a lot of "stuff". Would it make my meow a bit louder Ha!!

When I feel like being 'catty' for some reason - I ask husband to pour me a small bowl. Otherwise I say "M-E-O-W" a lot. Like the commercial ... 'Meow, meow, meow, mow, wow, wow, wow,
M-E-O-W'! When husband is stressed and I say something to him, he answers with "that's what the girl at the picnic said." I know what his stressors are and he always finds some way to interject this comment when he is around that certain person. It keeps him from blowing his stack (which he is always saying that he will). It's sort of an inside joke between us; like saying, "PLEEEAAASSSEEE, get this person to 'go home'!" Then when we have no reason other than to be with them, it gets so bad, that I have to say, 'we're having a lot of fun; but, I think it is time for us to go home'.

I've sent my email to get the survey twice and haven't gotten the link either. But, from the discription from Nancy, I would say I am a lion. Low carb/high protein and fat. I think I said before that I have finally come up with the "formulat" that has worked for me to lose the weight I have been toting around for decades. I wish I had known this before. Who would have thought that cutting out all the fat in my diet contributed to my steady weight gain? When I look at the daily pie chart tracking carbs/protein/fat I am always amazed that I eat more fat than anything else. Now I know not to question it because I am a fierce lion! There must be something to all this and I guess we shouldn't assume that one diet fits all. All I know is that I am losing weight, not starving and not craving sugar.

Penny...absolutely beautiful pictures. I admire you overcoming your fears and climbing that mountain.

Poopy/Pip...you look so much better and healthier than the "other" competitor. Can I ask how much weight you've lost? Were you always this athletic and active or was this something you discovered later? I love Kirby's bicycle earring. You are a lovely couple and I'm glad you found each other.

Chris in rainy MA

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

Good Morning Ladies,

Miriam, your house is darling. How old is it? So sorry about your health issues. So you just have to get older to get any relief? Is that the plan? Hang in there.

Yannie, fantastic job at Applebee’s! What kind of hot chocolate do you have every day and how many calories? How nice that you can share the brown eyed Susans. I hope they make the move.

Janetr, okay if you want all the help we can give you, you have to make a deal with us. Be totally honest with us about what you eat and drink and your exercise. That doesn’t mean you can’t still lie to yourself (not that you would do that) but be totally honest with us. And we will encourage you and whip up on you when needed, and just ask that you do the same for us. We are all so different and yet so much alike. That is why this group makes this journey so much easier and doable. We can do this!!!

Nancy, if all else fails on that skin problem, try Blue Star Ointment if you can find it. We had a dog that had such skin problems and had tried everything else when someone told us to try that and it did the trick. They still make it but might not be carried by ever store. LOL

Lenora, you said, “I'm learning that "Kitty Chow" is low in calories . . . makes a good snack, too! LOL!” I’m not sure about it, but when my DD was real little, she told us that dog food is real salty. Ya might want to check the sodium levels before you snack on too much of it. ROF So happy for you to be getting all that great exercise in the pool while having fun, no less.

Sylvia, it sounds like an exciting outing. Even without exercise, I know your heartrate was up! It is amazing how fast they can slip a collar and take off and like you said, a whippet can run like the wind. Glad it all turned out. Smart thinking on your orange ball. Love the picture. She is so beautiful!!!

Shari, welcome. You will find us a very supportive and informative group of ladies. It sounds like you have found the right place both in this group and MFP. Tell us a bit more about yourself to help us get to know you. We ask that you sign each post with the name you want to be called and a location helps too. We are glad to have you so come often and post whenever you feel like it. I know you can do this, too.

Penny, I’m guessing today is pretty much all daylight for you when you are at home? I still can’t imagine living where some days are all light and some are no light. When I was reading Sylvia’s post, my mind went the same place with Venus and Jupiter, but I had never heard her mention them before. lol

Joyce, the father’s day gift for Charlie sounds like a winner. I hope he likes it and appreciates it.

Becca, thanks for sharing about your dad.

Heather, glad you had a good time at the party and also that you don’t feel guilty.

Thinn, welcome. Please tell us a little about yourself to help us get to know you. Also, we ask that you sign each post with a name that you want to be called and a location, general or specific. We are happy to have you join us.

Lisa, nice looking hubby. Yeppers, I’d say he looks like a keeper.

Yannie, there is something so extra peaceful about a quiet morning before anyone else is up. Glad you enjoyed it for a while.

HoneyRose, welcome. Please tell us more about yourself and sign each post with the name you want to be called. A location, general or specific, also helps us know you. This is a very supportive group so come often and join right in.

to any Newbies that I missed. Come often and join in the chat. This thing works!! Please sign your post with what you want to be called. It makes it easier for us to respond to you. Also a location is great, be it specific or general. We are happy to have you join us.

I think I have been reading too long here. A few of the posts are just confusing me and I have no idea what they are talking about? Maybe they are a follow-up to earlier posts that I missed? I just don’t know, but think I need to get off of here and do some exercises.

I hope you all have a wonderful Father’s Day, weather you are with a father or not. Be healthy and happy and have some fun.

Words I live by:
Savor. I have to slow down and savor every bite.
and
Opportunity. Each day offers new opportunities for good health and happiness if we just look for them and choose them.

Love ya,
DJ
Myrtle Beach, SC