WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JUNE

Good Morning Ladies:

Another week of work being so busy I can barely handle the stress - when oh when can I retire? Not neally soon enough :sad:

ritamerlot: I read about your having migraines. Have you ever found your triggers? I have suffered with migraines since my teens and even still I get 2-3 a week. I am currently on 150 mg of Topomax twice a day and will soon have another med added to see if it can reduce the headaches. I get the aura with vision problems and also my face becomes frozen, which they tell me is a type of aura. I am more sensitive to sound than light and have a real problem with nausea and vomiting when I get these headaches. They are horrible. They run in my Dad's family, my Dad had them, his Mother and many of my counsins and Aunts and 2 of my sons have them. Not good at all. I hope you can get treatment for them.

Mimi - I agree that when you only have 1 grandchild, it is so much better because you have time and you are not so worn ou and you are most definately in a "better" mood:laugh: ! I have to go on the weekend of June 18th to my youngest son and DIL to babysit their little girl. He is in the Canadian Forces. They live near the base about 5 hours away from my husband and I and they are having a big function they have to attend and they want me to come and babysit as it will be a big deal and they don't want to leave their little one (she is 3) with anyone else overnight. So, that should be enjoyable, she is such a cutee.

Oops, gotta run before I have had a chance to answer all that I wanted to answer but my boss has come in earlier than anticipated. I will try and catch up later.

By for now. Have a good day

Cathy

Good morning ladies,
Well after talking to myself for several minutes I got out of bed and got my walk in. It was kind of like the angel/devil on the shoulder thing. get up and walk, no i dont want to, so on and so on. thankfully the angel won the battle. Had a really good walk too. Jogged about 4 times this morning. burned a lot of calories. Cooler here today so that helps. It is so hot here. No rain for 3 months and dry dry and hot. has been in the 90's but yesterday was only 80. this morning when I started at 6:30 it was actually a little cool for here. I cut the grass last night about 8 pm. Have to do back yard today. will wait late again. kids start ball today so that will keep us busy for a while. 2 of them play on Mon/wed and the other 2 on tue/thur. I dont have to go but I love to support them. I try to go to everything they do, but I do skip sometimes.
Michelle you are one busy lady. I know you probably told us this long ago but what exactly is the newcomer's group.
Lorri thanks again for the info. I really look forward to our trip.
I have learned over the years that maybe I dont like a certain look or style but that doesnt mean there is something wrong with it. as long as I cannot see someones private parts or places I dont want to see I am okay. To each his own is what I say. I may think it inappropriate but I keep it to myself.
Just have Bryon this week. Emma is going to an art class. Hope to get some sewing done.
Have a good day ladies.
vicki M

hi, all...
enjoying reading all your posts.

for those who had questions about my migraines....i used to have visible auras (bending of light in my vision), but those went away when i removed wheat from my diet. actually, a lot of bad things went away when i did that.
recently tho, the migraines are presenting themselves with nausea and major sensitivity to light and sound (along with that pounding headache).
i don't know what's triggering them.
wondering about my food, so since i'm logging that anyway, i'll take a good look at that.
hormones...i don't know. have been in chemo induced menopause for about 5 years, so if things are changing with my hormones, i don't know what they are.
someone mentioned ice cream...which is interesting. i don't eat ice cream (upsets my stomach), but my husband made me a dish with frozen fruit and soymilk and stevia. the frozen fruit ends up freezing the soymilk. it's actually quite tastey. anyways, the cold may have helped the migraine a little. the ringing in my ears (which is constant, but much louder during migraines) actually lowered in volume a little bit, too.
i woke up this morning with the nausea, but not as sensitive to light and sound. am at work, now and hope the stomach settles.

hope the rest of you have very nice days. i enjoy reading your posts.

Good morning ladies ! It has been awhile since I checked in and I have discovered that not checking in and not keeping track about what has been going in my mouth has been a BAD thing ! The scale seems to be going in the WRONG direction so as of this morning , I am going to try my hardest to get back and on track ! I DON'T like the number that showed on my scale this morning !!!! Lots going on ( stress ) in our lives right now but if I can get control of myself and my eating then maybe the rest will fall into place !

Spring has finally happened in our area and we actually managed a weekend at the RV without a deluge of rain ! It was beautiful but there are probably a few happy mosquitos flying around as they love ME ( good blood ! LOL ) ! Saturday night the owners of the campground put on a CANUCKS / BOSTON BRUINS ( hockey ) party and everybody brought snackies then sat around to watch the game ( go Canucks ! LOL ) . Seemed like the whole weekend was a big snacky party with people dropping in for coffee or a visit !

Hope everybody has a great week .................. my goal this week is to keep track of what I eat and DRINK MY WATER as it definitely shows that I have not been doing that !

One thing before I go - the heck what other think. I like to wear dark maroon nail polish and like it. Lots of people think that at a certain age Women should cut their hair and wear dark clothes with a modest hem line. I'm comfortable and DF likes it so I am going to do it. I think it show"s a confdence in who you are, and people are jelous. If it makes you happy - GO FOR IT!!! You only live once so do it right. No regreats.

Peggy – I'm so with you. I'm 61 and have real long hair that I have colored for years. I wear it up or in a pony tail and don't care who doesn't like it.

I'm not liking it so much right now because I finally have enough white in my hair that I've decided to grow it out. As soon as it's long enough to cut it and all be one length, I am going to cut it and grow it out again. In the meantime I have ring around the head. DH and I are always calling each other by nicknames that change from time to time. I am now Petunia (cartoon skunk) due to the hair..... so he is now Tuck (Friar Tuck type balding). At least I'm just growing out colored hair and not balding!

So glad you are getting out into the garden. I love dirt therapy too. I picked 8 eggplant, two cucumbers and 6 tomatoes yesterday.

Mimi - It sounds like you and I have been on a similar course the last few months. I too have been up a few down a few since late last year. I agree, it's time to get back to losing! It is nice to know that maintaining is doable isn't it? Now when we get to where we're going, we know we can stay there!

Robin - You sound so happy and content. :happy:

Jane - Good luck on the shopping trip. It's never easy taking a 14 yr old clothes shopping!

I would love to say hello to you all but I need to get up and get to it. By the end of this week you'll be hearing that I have lost a pound. Wish we had a determined face smiley....

Faye

Good Morning and Happy Monday to everyone.:flowerforyou:

Please forgive me if I cannot post a note to each of you individually, I admire those who do this and think it is such a personal and sweet thing to do. :flowerforyou: That being said there are a few that I want to mention.

Exermom, Who knows if you have allergies or not and if someone who knows asks you why you are bringing your own food just tell them you are think you could have allergies and want to know exactly what you are eating...problem solved!

Joylaut, I love your philosophy about the purple painted toenails and feel that it takes a young heart to want try new things and not live in the past.:flowerforyou:


And finally, Pam3, Oh how I applaud your goal of no snacking after dinner, this is my downfall going back years and years. When I was young and super skinny I went all day without eating:noway: and then once I had dinner I snacked again when I finally sat down to watch TV. Now I eat 3 meals a day but the nighttime snacking still haunts me...I know that I am not hungry it just seems that I cannot get my mind off eating.:drinker: .I always save calories for this but it is this time that I am tempted the most to overeat and exceed my daily calorie allowance. Please share with me some tips and how you are doing with this. Sissy

Good evening ladies

:frown: Went over on my calories yesterday, so I've been trying to eat better today, (not snacking!) I need to log my calories in a minute to see how I've done.

Natalie congrats on another llb gone, it may not be going as quick as you'd like, but at least you are losing.

Vicki well done listening to the "angel" on your shoulder and going out for your walk. Too often I listen to the "little devil" on mine :laugh: I can easily be talked out of going for a jog at lunchtimes. Talking of jogging I'd better get my kit ready to take with me to work tomorrow (just in case the angel wins

:flowerforyou: Akitarose how did the Monday weigh in go? Also wanted to say what a cute dog in your photo.

:flowerforyou: Rita have you figured out what is causing your migraines?

:flowerforyou: Robin congrats on losing 3lbs - I think I mentioned that in the post I lost but just spotted your post again whilst scrolling through .

I went into town this morning with my mum, she's getting very slow now, she walks with a little trolley with a seat so she can sit down every now and then. We got back later than I thought we'd be and I was almost late for my doctors appointment.

We went into a charity shop and I bought 2 tops on the bargain rail, (honestly a bargain rail in a charity shop :laugh: ) I hope they fit, I haven't tried them on yet, but they looked about my size.

Well I'd better get my food logged, I'm trying not to spend too long on the computer, it's so easy so spend hours and hours sitting surfing all the different topics.

Chat again soon.
BFN
Viv xx

Good afternoon to everyone,

It is good to be back home after days of not being able to log in my calories intake.

I did enjoy being at my Mother's and my sister said she had a very good vacation not having to worry about Mama.

Her caregiver came back to work today and hopefully everything will go smoothly from now on. She really is a big help to Mama and I will do whatever I can to keep the peace.

While I was a way my dear husband set fire to a pan and almost caught my kitchen cabinets on fire. It's a long story and as he said, "by the grace of God we still have a home". This is why I don't like him to cook. He just gets distracted too easily. But I still don't understand why he even thought he could walk away from oil in a frying pan!

It was nice to get back into my exercise routine today

I was a little aggravated when my scale showed a gain this morning but I'm hoping that it was from the Chinese we ate last night. (My clothes don't feel tighter) Anyway I've been drinking lots of green tea today trying to flush the salt out. I'll weigh again a little later in the week.

Well, I've got to get back into my kitchen and work some more on cleaning up the disaster. Did I mention he ruined my microwave? When we got the paper work out on it we realized we have had it for 9 years so maybe it is time for a new one. He might be able to fix it (he works on electrical machinery at his job) but if not, thankfully we can afford to buy a new one.

I hope you all have a good rest of the week. I for one am going to take things one day at a time.

Cindy

Totally missed my goal for May and not doing much better for June. Where is my willpower? My "I can do it"?

Hello ladies, how are all of you doing? I am in good spirits, working not so hard. going to be an interesting summer. Spring started some nasty allergy vibes and my dog has a bad case of it. She has swollen tonsils, and can hardly breathe. A trip to the vet and two orders of pills later, she may get through this summer with some comfort. I'll have to find a dog ice cream recipe to help on the hot days. I slice of bread with margerine cut up into chunks goes with every meal she has to help smooth things.

I have been doing my exercises on my off days or in the early morning of afternoon shift days, seems I am able to swallow not doing the load I used to do. A few floor exercises and limited machine exercises are in the new line up. However if I stay on track I will eventually graduate to the main course I used to enjoy.

A few days off and a load of reading to do, so I had better get to it. Keep strong and keep kicking in the good life!

Marilyn

Here’s a question for you. My DGDs are here this afternoon, munching down on some mouth-watering watermelon. Olivia asked if it was a fruit or a vegetable. I didn’t know! So, I went to the Internet. Some sites said it was a fruit. Some that it was a vegetable.

Here’s what the fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov website calls it: “Watermelon, the fruit that is really a Vegetable.” That clears it up.

They also say…“Recently research has shed new light on its potential health benefits. Watermelon contains high concentrations of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases.” Hmm. Just the kind of fruit, uh, vegetable, I like. Delicious and good for you!

Joy, hope your headache is a thing of the past by now. You are doing a great job eliminating sugar. I think I’ll wear that jacket when I’m NOT around my DD.

Amanda, I like your attitude. I remember the pic you posted last year of those fabulous, red high heels. I loved them.

By golly, I WILL wear that jacket, but tastefully!

Michele, I like what you said, “I feel good, that's what matters.” Right on.

I’m envious of all of you who are having warm, summer weather! We should see some sun in a few days. Then, I’m sure, it will get really, really hot!

Gramma5, you are so right. Reading, posting, and logging what you eat are a tremendous help.

Faye, we’re on track!!! I’m intent on getting down to the next decade.

Cindy, I’m glad you got the situation with your mom’s caregiver straightened out. It’s funny how our words can be misconstrued so badly when we have the very best of intentions.

Donna, men and directions! Hard to figure out that one. I’m glad you got a good walk out of it.

Aim2lose, how’s your fruit and veggie intake? I call them my willpower for good reason! I had zero willpower before I started eating more of them. Now my “willpower” is pretty amazing. :laugh:

I received a friend request from someone and ended up writing a whole lo-o-o-o-ng message to her. I wanted to pass it along. For those of you for whom it’s old news, scroll on by! For anyone else, I’m glad to share a little about my story in case it helps you.

“Whoever told you that you are too old to lose so much weight is full of --- baloney. :noway:

I'm 63 and don't find losing weight to be much harder than when I was younger. In fact, this is the only time I have confidence that the weight loss will last. I'm not at my goal yet. I've been bouncing up and down about 5 lbs since October. I consider this a victory though. It's the longest I've ever maintained this kind of significant weight loss. I know why I'm bouncing around. I haven't made my eating a priority when I've been in social situations. As I spend 2-3 days visiting my folks every couple of week, I've gained weight on my visits and lost it during my time away.

I have a strategy though. I've talked to my mom about having healthier snacks around (she and my dad like their wine, cheese, and crackers in the evening!) when I'm there. She's put on a few pounds herself and at her age (85), even a little weight is harder to carry around. I'm also planning to bring most of my food when I visit and weigh it before eating. I was brought up not to make a fuss but this is one time when a fuss is called for!

From what I've read, most (not all, but most) of the weight gain people see as they get older is due to being less active not to some mysterious age-related slowing of the metabolism. We can handle that! I was completely (I mean completely) exercise averse before starting MFP. Little by little, I've been getting more exercise. As you stick with MFP and, especially, the 50+ group, you'll see what people are doing and start doing a little yourself. I honestly never thought I'd like to walk and it took me almost a year to get to where I can say I truly like it. (I do!) I vividly remember walking that first mile. It probably took me an hour, with many stops to rest along the way. Now I walk that same mile at a good pace and don't even consider stopping - no need. (It's exciting to me to write that!)

I love how MFP adds the calories to your target when you exercise. It's truly the first time I "got it" about the correlation between exercising and how much you can eat. A revelation!

About the fruits and veggies...yes and yes! I call them my willpower and I mean it. I failed at the other diets I was on because, eventually, that feeling of deprivation overwhelmed me. I turned off consciousness and ate...and ate...and ate. I'd go into the grocery store on a mission. I'd buy a whole box of Haagen Dazs ice cream bars, a bag of cheddar cheese potato chips, and a tub of sour cream - and usually more - then sit in the car reading a book and eat all of it. Then I'd throw the wrappings away so nobody would know what I'd done. As if they couldn't tell by looking! :noway: :laugh: :noway:

It cracks me up when people say they hardly eat anything but can't lose the weight. Yeah, they probably don't eat a lot --- in public! Unless someone has a real problem with their metabolism, which some people definitely do, there's no reason not to lose weight when we're eating right. And if they do have a problem with their metabolism, usually they can get help with that. I figure all of us would lose weight if we ate nothing (!) so it's really a matter of finding the point at which we lose it. Fortunately, for me, my weight loss coincides well with what MFP calculates.

About the calories...be careful not to get into deprivation mode. You might want to start with a goal of 1-1/2 pounds a week then increase your deficit more through exercise. One thing I've learned along the way is to aim for reasonable goals - goals that I know won't be too challenging to make. That glow you get from succeeding is worth a lot.

That brings up something else that has been crucial to my success. I had the habit of being very self-critical. I could find what I was doing wrong, no problem. Then I'd give myself a talking to and yada, yada, yada. That NEVER worked. I try very hard and am pretty successful (not perfect but pretty successful) at thinking positive things about myself, focusing on the successes and not the failures. We all have plenty of both. Our attitude depends on which we focus on.

Phew. This really is a book. :laugh: I encourage you to weigh your food for every meal (the highest-rated scale on Amazon is only about $20 and works great - and weighing is a lot easier than measuring), log what you eat (carefully estimating the calories if you eat out (that is so hard!!!)), read the posts on 50+, and post frequently. So many people are lurkers. I've done a whole lot better being active. I try to post every day, even when I don't have much to say. :laugh:

10 years ago, I weighed 324 (I'm 5'8"). I had lap band surgery and lost 80 lbs. then gained back all but 24 of those lbs. The lap band, which focuses on restricting the quantity of what you eat, was the wrong solution for me. I like to eat lots and lots of food and feel the healthier for it. Over the next 9 years, I gradually got down to 265 or so. Then I found MFP and lost 70 lbs over the next 10 months. (I lost more in the beginning then slowed down.) As I mentioned, I've been stalled since October but am finally getting a handle on it. I am so thrilled just to be under 200 lbs I can hardly stand it. For the first time in my life I feel almost pretty. That's a new experience for me and I like it!

Take it one step at a time, one day at a time. You probably won't turn overnight into that svelte athlete (or whatever your goal is) but you can keep learning and keep heading in the direction you want to go. When I started out, the amount of weight I wanted to lose seemed daunting. Now, my goal is in sight. Hard to believe. When I reach my goal, I'll weigh less than half of what I weighed 10 years ago. :happy: "

I just popped in to read your posts before switching the light out...

Mary - I loved your story - chapter and verse! :happy:

Good night all!

I hear you with the walking...I do what other people have suggested about parking farther away from the stores......I do use a tredmill but listen to my MP3 and that helps...I just wonder why it has to be so hard..LOL Spring

Mimi ! :flowerforyou:


THANK YOU!! For that Long, LONG story. When I first saw the length of it, I got a chuckle, Then thought Do I want to read something that long :blushing: .

I'M SO GLAD I READ it ALL!! I needed to hear it.

[ HUGE HUG]

Again Thank You!! I want to print that out & stick on my refrig :bigsmile:

TERESA SAVAGE

great post mimi. you rock as usual.
I remember telling you, a year ago, how much i loved exersizing and you thought I was crazy. Now you get it. :bigsmile:



I didn't drink enough water yesterday so I had a huge water weight gain this morning so I was a bit discouraged. But I am just plugging along and I hope to keep losing all the crap I put back on. I was 10 pounds less at this time last year and losing about 5 per month. the working lifestyle is certainly taking its toll. I am so tired. Now I need to convince my self to walk for about 30 minutes (at least 2 miles) I have a little personal goal to walk 3 miles a day and I do one mile at work so I have to do at least 2 more at home. Have a good evening all.