WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JUNE

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.

CSally, way to go losing all that weight and keeping it off, then putting some back on and taking the bull by the horns and starting to take off what you gained, good for you.. wish I had done that years ago... I just kept taking off ten, and putting on twenty, and so the story went...I am now serious about taking another 20 off and keeping it off, and perhaps taking another 10 after that.. however long it takes, ME, 3 months, 11 lbs, now that is SLOW, but at least it's going in the right direction..

Hi, everyone, my name is Annelise and I am the new friend that Mary (mimi7grands) sent that wonderful long note to. Wasn't it wonderful? It made me feel so positive, hopeful and supported. I just joined MFP and have 150 pounds to lose at age 56, so as you can imagine, I'm a bit daunted. She told me what a wonderful group of ladies you all are, and so here I am! I look forward to reading some of the back posts and getting to know you all better. I welcome any friend requests and promise to be supportive in return!

Annelise

Headache is gone, slept great last night but still got sleepy at work by late afternoon. I identify with some of you who reported working long days --- makes it difficult to fit in a workout. My schedule is looking a little lighter this week, weather is still cool enough to go out mid-day for a walk. Even though, I cut out refined sugar and and am becoming a vegan, I still ended up over calories the past couple of days. :grumble: :grumble: :grumble:

Have a health filled week, everyone!

Joy

Good morning from a bright & sunny UK. I'm aching a little today after yesterdays gym session but in a good way. I feel much better than I have for weeks now. Perhaps its also the healthier food choices I'm making too.

I have a question. Whatever weightloss plan I've tried (& there have been many!) I always struggle with lunch. What do you have for lunch? Weekends are not such a problem. Its the week days when I'm at work where I end up short of time & making poor choices.

Would love to hear your suggestions.

Geri