WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR OCTOBER 2015

Welcome, Carol

Heather: I hope your adventure in gluten free cooking turned out to be interesting and enjoyable. We went gluten free for a while, thinking it would help DH's MS symptoms. We found that it had no impact and went back to regular cooking. The calories were higher in gluten free baking than my regular recipes. I wonder whether others have had a similar experience. I'll be interested to know what you think. :flowerforyou:

Hopeblossom & Newbies: Welcome to a great group. Eating out can be a real challenge. I do some things that work for me, and may spark some ideas for you.
* Many chain restaurants have online menus with nutrition and calorie information so you can plan your order before you get there.
* Sometimes I order a regular item and ask that half be put into a box BEFORE it is served, so I get a plate with half the meal and a box with the other half at the same time others get their meal. I've had success with this at Red Robin.
* Sometimes I order an appetizer or two and ask that it/they be served at the same time my companions are served dinner.
* At the local Chinese eatery, I order my meal without rice.
* DH and I prefer to eat lunch out rather than dinner out a good bit of the time because the portions are more moderate. I hope this gives you some ideas that will help your gain control of your dinners out and still allow you to enjoy your meal.
* I agree with Pip about a food scale for meals at home. I also use restaurant style dishers for things like rice and stew that are difficult to put on a scale so that I know how large my serving is. the dishes look like ice cream scoops. I have 3 scoops: ½ cup , ⅓ cup scoop and ¼ cup scoop.
* The other important big idea is to move more. Burn calories and have fun at the same time. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

Janet: It sounds like you are doing great after surgery. Good news! :bigsmile:


DS just spent the weekend here working on reassembling his sailboat. I helped and enjoyed it. He's got a lot of it back together and will likely be able to finish up with another day or two of work. He decided to rehab the boat a few years ago and has taken it all the way apart, redone the hull, and is now putting the rigging back. I was happy to be able to "step and fetch" things and also help with reinstalling cleats and winches. He's on his away home, and I'm winding down. It was nice to feel useful. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I'm still worrying about DD. She sounded really down in her last phone call. I think I'll try touching bases with her in a few minutes.


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

October Goals :
1. Log every bite and swallow.
2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week. Work on flexibility and back strength.
3. Have fun every day.
4. Drink at least three glasses of water daily, preferably more!
5. Eliminate alcohol.
6. Monitor sleep. Try to average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly.

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

Good Evening Ladies,

Sylvia, I love the big gaudy cheap jewelry too. Great NSV!!! I’m guessing you took it off to throw the pots so it wouldn’t end up as decoration in one of them. Have a great day!!! I love the cat box! Thanks for the smile.

Hope, welcome. This is a great place for support as well as great information from time to time. The name of the forum is Women Ages 50+ but we welcome you youngens as long as ya don’t brag about being the youngest in the group. (JK) The first thing I suggest is that you log everything you eat and drink. Measure and weigh your food and be honest. It’s for you, not us so no need to lie to yourself. Planning your meals and snacks ahead and logging ahead was the first big change I made and it made a huge difference. You can do this and won’t do it overnight, so take baby steps but keep putting one foot in front of the other. Come often. (later) What I do is find the foods and especially veggies that I like that are lower in calories. I eat protein at nearly every meal but add lots of the low calorie veggies to make the meal seem like more. Yes, I’ve had to cut down on things like avocados and beans but I do still eat them. I love chicken so have it often. I usually boil a chicken and debone it to have to put on salads for lunch. Then I have more variety at dinner. Good luck.

Terri, is your house a duplex? Do both sides have a kitchen and family room or did I read it wrong? Lol You know me! Are you saying DH never helped with the yard work or anything because it was not your house? I just wonder if he will do the needed things once it’s in your name? If you have any trouble, just call and I’ll loan you my whip. DH is really well trained here so I rarely need it anyway.

Janetr, woo hoo on your recovery. That is fantastic that the doctor released you so soon. How do you feel? And maybe we need a new picture of that leg??? The last one looked pretty painful. Hell, woman, I don’t think I could do 100 squats and I don’t need a knee replacement. I’m so impressed.

Beth, I wish I knew how I’ve done it so I could share, but in my more mature years I have come to the point that I don’t stress as much over things I can do nothing about. I mean, what’s the point?? I will certainly say my share of prayers. But when it is a situation that I have no control over and no input in, I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about it. I can’t say the same for DH.  Unfortunately wanting not to stress and doing that are often two different things.

Mia, congrats on the painless “Big Squeeze” and more so on the 140 pounds. Way to go.

Carol, welcome. As I read that you are struggling against menopause, I jokingly said to myself, “there is no need to struggle cause ya can’t stop it and ya can’t rush it”. Sorry to hear about your issues but I will tell you that the 60 pounds I’ve lost so far have greatly helped my pain level. And I am able to do so much more that I have for years. I will admit I’d be discouraged if I had only lost 9.2 pounds in 3 months. That may be the rate I’m losing now but when I started it was more than that per month. Are you weighing and measuring your food? Are you logging everything you eat and drink? These things are very important. Come often and you can do this. Just don’t give up.

Katla, glad you had a good time playing fetch for DS and I'll bet he loved your help. I’m so sorry that DD is having such a hard time and hope it gets better every day.

Pip, I still can’t believe how much you do right after surgery. Wow wee.

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.

Ladies, I don’t want you to misunderstand what I was saying about DH’s comment. I haven’t gotten anywhere near skinny. That was just the word that he used. I am wearing mostly mediums in pants and tops. The tops are a touch tighter than I normally wear but the larges are just too big. I have always worn my clothes on the loose side, like it was hiding all that fat.*duh* I think partly because the top fit more like most women wear clothes, it made me look smaller than I had. I still look in the mirror and see me sometimes bigger and sometimes a nice size. I guess that will take a while.

I hope all of you have a healthy and happy day.

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.
I Love you,
DJ
Myrtle Beach, SC

bwcetc wrote: »

Barbie ... I've been thinking about your response to "don't stress." You said that instead you identify the problem and formulate a plan of action. What do you do when there is no plan of action ... When there is nothing to do? When we are literally helpless to affect change, how do we not stress? Especially when it involves people we love and care about?

Beth

I have yet to meet a situation where I felt that nothing could be done. Sometimes, we have to accept that we can't change things, but we can change how we view them. It's very difficult at times, and, occasionally, I have just had to walk away, for my own good. But even that is effecting a change. However, there is usually some small thing that can be done. We just have to find it.

Grits I'm with you on the wills. It's much better to have it all sorted, as it can be very contentious otherwise. We had our wills done when we got married and then redone after our children were born. We are doing our best to 'SKI' our way through our savings now that we are approaching our 70s. (SKI - Spending Kids Inheritance) You can't take it with you!

Janetr I agree with you on the weight loss helping in recovery. I know I wouldn't have had such a speedy recovery without doing all the work over the summer to build up muscles before my hip op.

I have my final assessments on my hip this afternoon, but have been almost back to normal for weeks now. It's so good to be able to drive again and be off all the meds. We are off to Spain for a long weekend of wine-tasting on Friday.

Off out to my Craft Group at 10.30 this morning. I am back to all my leisure activities now so have less time to comment but I'm trying valiantly to keep up with the posts.

(((Hugs))) if you need them.
Welcome to our Newbies. Come back often for advice, support and motivation.



Irish Terri

Mornin folks, i dont post often but read everyday, i think just knowing that you are all working on your health while dealing with life makes me feel like i am not alone in this, which is probably how i felt the last 5 years i put on this perimenopausal weight--who am i kidding, 17 years ago i used to call it pregnancy weight!
I have to say ditto for all the great tips on feeling better and getting healthy--yeah menopause kicked my butt, and then it subsided, yeah my knees hurt, i just keep changing my orthodic inserts more regularly and when i cant speed up to a short run, i jog, if i cant do that i walk, if i cant go far i go a little ways . The point is for me, it isnt about the scale number or the clothing size, though it can be pleasant when it is shrinking, this is mostly about taking care of me, just me, i have been so blessed and i was really taking that for granted by my sedentary life full of just eating til it hurt......the medicine chest was starting to get crowded and i woke up....there are alternatives, so i started making some in my favor. This forum is full of super wise women, keep reading Hopeblossom! Keep logging,it works! Karen from ny

Barbie ... DJ ... Irish Terri ... Wise advice ladies. Thank you.

Beth

a quick good morning,
was up at 2:30 this morning, read for a bit, got up did laundry and messed around on the computer, went out to feed DFIL, im getting peeved with administrators down there.. they are out buying new cars and cutting down on staff, and it is just a mess.. thinking of writing a letter and telling them if they treated the residents as well as they treated themselves they would have have things golden...
there are still a few good places out there ,you just have to find them..
well off to work... my long day 9-6
ta ta for now

In GA, if you die without a Will and have children, grandchildren, they HAVE to advertise for 4 consecutive weeks in the local newspaper to make sure nobody else can hold claim to whatever it is they are selling to close out the estate, such as getting the title to property (land, house, vehicle, stuff like that) transferred over to someone so they can get title to it in their name, ergo getting an Administrator appointed (usually a family member, sometimes a court official). I think that sometimes even siblings are brought into the 'fray'. I know they are if the person has no children or grandchildren. In a Will the Executor does it according to the Will; and, if there is a disagreement, they will usually liquidate the asset and divide the money in however many shares would be in it. One person can buy out the others for whatever is considered a 'fair market value' of the object. You don't have to go through a long drawn out probate process if there 'is' a Will; just if there isn't. I still 'think' that the Will has to be filed with the court; I know it does in Florida. But, my husband did not file his mother's Will because his "D" has already taken everything of value. Because she had prepared (from the Internet) a POA that gave her carte blanc over his Mother's finances - they got 'screwed'. All they (him and his brother) got was about a total of $3,500 out of an estate worth probably between $250,000 and $300,000. Then greedy daughter just shut them out of her life and that of his granddaughter's. Her husband was a 'likeable' person; but, no telling what she told him about why she and her Daddy never spoke to one another after his mother's death. Her loss, not his (too much); but trying to 'fight' about it would only mean there would 'never' be a possibility of a reconciliation; although I doubt there'll be one anyway. If there was he'd be like an uncle to his own granddaughter, just as he was to his daughter (because of the divorce) and her mother moving out to New Orleans to be with her 'lover'. It is always sad when children are used as 'pawns' in a game of 'who or when one will get to see the child(ren). Because of our age difference, I was really more of a 'sister' figure to her - the first time she referred to me as her "Daddy's wife"; I felt like we had made a lot of progress. Better than being referred to as 'her'. LOL!

I was about to ask terri-mom if their house was a duplex that had a door opened between them. One of DH's aunts and uncles had a huge house when their 5 children were growing up and then they added an 'in-law' portion on to it although I think the kitchen is shared. They have their own bedroom, bath and sitting area; so if they ever sold it, it could be sold as a 6 bedroom house; or as a 'mother/father-in-law' addition. They had a huge yard with a pool and this addition was built off the end/side of the kitchen.

Cute puppy picture. At 4 month he is a lot bigger than "Cracker" is and apparently will be a much bigger adult dog. Cracker either comes home today or tomorrow, depending on the time of her spaying. Got to go buy a kennel and carrier, a brush, and some spray for 'if' she has an accident in the house. I probably need to buy a baby gate to keep her in the utility room area so she can't get to the rest of the house and mess up our carpet; once she is house-broken then she can come into the rest of the house. I'm going to spend a lot of time training her to be a 'good' puppy/dog so that we will enjoy her. As long as she stays 'off' the furniture I won't mind her being inside. Might eventually get her an extra bed so that she will have a place to lay down in the great room over by the bookcase and beside my chair.

Morning everyone

So my 10 days off - mini goals and long list of things to get done is sort of going to plan. 10,000 steps each day - umm 4 days in and only one over 10,000.... "To Do" list - finished canning tomatoes and just have to put the second coat of paint on the new downstairs bathroom.
I think these days of walking all over my house doing my housecleaning and getting food ready is really hard on my legs...even though I wear my walking shoes in the house. So today - I am going to go outside and walk my dog to get the majority of my miles in and then sit at my desk and get some bookkeeping done, and I have to put the second coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom.

I shouldn't have to do any cooking because there are leftovers from the turkey dinner last night.

Have a good everyone

Lillian in West Central Saskatchewan

miakoda40 wrote: »

Had a mammogram today. This is the first time I have had a mammogram that did not hurt!! Think the loss of 140 lbs had something to do with that?

Yes, Mia, I would suspect so. You are truly awesome.

Janetr OKC

Happy Tuesday ! ! !

Mia – yay for your painless mammogram !

DJ – my house is an upper/lower duplex. Both floors have all of the rooms I listed. I was able to keep calm and talk to DH last night, and I mentioned how much bigger it will seem when DS is gone. He agreed to start putting $50 a week each into a joint savings account to be used for whatever decision we make when the time comes (this will start in January 2016 because that is when my car will be paid-off). He also agreed to start looking at apartment or condo options, especially if they are a little closer to his work (I drive 6 miles he drives about 25), and that we choose an almost-equally safe and quiet neighborhood. Mostly this means I need to start cleaning and downsizing (I am a terrible packrat, and not good at all about cleaning). No, I don’t suspect he will EVER be willing to do the “husbandly” things around the house. His Mom did it all his life, and he is in such terrible physical condition that he barely gets off the couch or chair once he is home from work. I will start teaching DS this weekend, and he is already aware of that. Most importantly, since DH is finally willing to discuss options, my stress level is MUCH lower.

Carol – I call it mental-pause for a reason. I have no control of the temperature of my body. I have little control over how much energy I am able to use to work off all the food that I often feel like I can’t control (but that is getting better thanks to all the wonderful ladies here). And I definitely have no control over DH and how he angers me (although Prozac is helping with that a little). Hugs for your symptoms ! ! !

Joyce – I understand your desire to be in on Charlie’s appointments. If I’m not around, I feel like no one asks the right questions, and I definitely don’t get sufficient answers. Being a caretaker is not a bad thing. Hugs !

Michele – St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee does so many heart surgeries it is amazing. Apparently even on a 93 year old, replacing a pacemaker is outpatient surgery. She was scheduled for noon. By 4:00pm she was throwing up in recovery, by 5:01pm she was getting discharged, so I never even dropped in to visit. She is now back to her ALF, and having very little pain. Amazing ! ! !

Allison – isn’t the “almighty dollar” a bad thing for some people? Hugs for you and DFiL and his care arrangements.

Last evening was rough. I was really craving chocolate. Eating a pickle didn't help, and the tofu got moldy already, and the other container was still in the freezer (yes, bad planning on my part). So I added some Nesquik to my milk, and paced the house slowly until I was ready to sleep. Then every time I woke up I paced more, because I wanted more chocolate. I guess I should call it a NSV, because I never got into the car to drive somewhere to buy chocolate.

DH announced that his new diet includes an orange in the morning and an apple in the evening, then whatever he wants all day long (adding fruit is a babystep in the right direction). He also stated that he will no longer drink any pop, and not eat anything past 5:00pm. We'll see how long this lasts, but I will do my best to support his healthy babysteps.

Hugs for Everyone ! ! !

Terri in Milwaukee

Heather, the cakes sound yummy!

I just got back from my doctor's office. I have an infection in my hand from a cat scratch at the shelter, so needed antibiotics. (I have a history of MRSA, so any infection is treated aggressively as if it is MRSA.) Anyway, I am DOWN 11 (eleven) pounds since last spring! Yippee! No wonder my pants were falling off!

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

Good Morning Ladies,

Joyce, what a sweet thing to say! You are now officially my new BFF.  I’ll feel skinny if I can ever get down to a size 12, which to many of you seems like a large size. But I’m not complaining because I feel amazing. My biggest complaint is actually this huge roll of skin hanging from my tummy. *whine, whine, whine* So sad for your DB’s children to be in such a situation. Hope the doctors’ appointments go well for both of you. And what is wrong with being a control freak?

Irish Terri, I love your SKI philosophy and think that is how I feel. DH and I have been good at saving and frugal spending all our lives so why not enjoy some of it now. We have been more than generous with our DD so I don’t feel any need to leave a bunch for her while I could be enjoying it. Gosh that sounds selfish!

MicheleNC, sorry to hear your sinuses are acting up already. I’ve been on my allergy drops for almost 4 months now and they seem a lot better except for itching eyes. I’m not sneezing like normal this time of year but oh do my eyes itch like crazy!! Thank goodness for antihistamine eye drops.

Karen, I see you lurking in the back row over there once in a while. We are going to have to push you out front more often cause it’s nice to hear from you. The NSVs are wonderful when they sneak up on us. And one of my biggest was being able to cut out some of the medicine I was taking. Your words are so true for me about being blessed and taking that for granted. It feels good to see results from the effort we put forth.

Shoileyr, welcome. This is a great place for support so come often. Please tell us a little more about yourself to help us get to know you. Also please sign each post with the name you want to be called and a location, be it general or specific.

Beth, I suffer from CRS so don’t know if I gave you this last night? ((((Hugs))))

Allison, what in the world time did you go to feed DFIL? You made it sound like it was before the chickens were up, but I’m sure it wasn’t. I hate they aren’t doing as good a job as they should. I know that has to be worrisome. Hope you have a good day.

Miriam, congrats on those baggy pants!! I know it is a double edged sword: Love losing weight and getting smaller but hate needing new clothes every few months. I’m wearing baggy jeans now too. At least they aren’t too tight, right?

Lenora, congrats on your loss. Isn’t it a great feeling to have to get a smaller size? I hate we don’t all live in the same area so we could share clothes. I have so many things that I only wore a few times before they became too big. Keep up the good work.

Lillian, that is wonderful that you are getting things on your list done. Be sure to take some of your “vacation” time to just enjoy yourself and have some fun! You deserve it.

Lisa, it sounds like this restaurant was a little too far gone to be saved if the owners weren’t going to personally be there to do part of the work or you take over the day to day management. It sounds like you did a wonderful job but there again, only so much one person can do. I know you will be glad to say good bye and get back to your life. It has to be exciting to get started on the warehouse. Have fun with it.

Terri, if you and DH decide to move to a new place then will your Dad sell the house and find a new place to live? How long until DS graduates? I can’t remember. Yeppers, if you end up moving, you’ll have lots to sort through and get rid of. Just remember the 15 minutes at a time method. It works great. Did your DH come up with this new diet on his own or is he working with someone? I wish him luck. Good for you in not driving out in the middle of the night on a chocolate run!!!

Heather, so glad things have calmed down with the niece situation. I’m sure your cakes will be wonderful. Is the big event this weekend?

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.

Last night I made a recipe I got from Skinny Taste that was for zucchini tots. They are baked in the oven and not fried. I think it could be an appetizer but I used it as a side dish. It was yummy and DH really liked it too. It was just a nice different way to serve zucchini.

I hope all of you have a healthy and happy day.

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.
I Love you,
DJ
Myrtle Beach, SC

Did an hour of a 30 Minute Cardio Machine Melter workout. I just did it twice. The plan for tomorrow is to do a DVD by Cindy Witmarsh called Ultra Fat Burn. We have a general meeting for the Newcomers so I'm not sure how this is going to workout, but we shall give it a try!

Karen from NY - I like your attitude. It IS about feeling healthy

Welcome everyone new

Miriam - wooHoo -- new leggins. Maybe going to the Goodwill or
Salvation Army, you can get pants there. There they are usually much cheaper

Lenora - that is so sad about the daughter. Congrats on your NSV's

Here are pics of my duck. It shivered. Sylvia - why does this happen? But I painted over that part with acrylics, then they sprayed it, then when I got it home I sprayed it with this protectant so, hopefully, as long as it's in a shady area, it won't start to crack like the ladybug did. Time will tell.

DJ - my sinuses always act up around now and in May when there is a change in the barometric pressure. I can almost count on it. Good thing I stocked up on Sudafed!


Michele in NC

Alison: beautiful pictures! I sure hope you had a good time. Glad you slept so well; you need it. Sorry the next night wasn’t so good.

Pip: like the picture of Lenny. ((hug)) And the one of your new home. And you telling about your new routine. You sound so positive.

Sylvia: I love sparkly things too. Girls will be girls, even if they’re over 50! LOVE the cat joke, too! So true.

Michele: sorry you missed seeing Jess off. Love your duck! Really well done.

Terri: glad you are feeling a bit better. A few nights’ sleep and some friends can change a lot.

DJ: go for that top! Wish I got that kind of remark.

Janetr: wow!!!! Congrats! How is the leg feeling? And thanks for the comment about getting in good shape before the surgery. I’ve got the muscle strength just fine...it’s the weight that’s the problem.

Beth: agree with your question to Barbie. Looking forward to more thoughts about this! Irish Terri: changing your thoughts sounds so easy...I don’t find it easy at all.

Jane: hugs back

Katla: hugs to you, too.

Joyce: how did the doctors’ visits go?

On menopause: let’s just say it whacked me hard with a big shovel. Not so much during, but after. I don’t have much good to say about it.

Kind of a blue day here. Bad start at work with a couple of complaints about mistakes I had made. I tend to take things like that hard. I visited a new dietician on the advice of my GP. Didn’t expect too much of it, but I liked her (that’s a big Step One) and she didn’t suggest anything I don’t think I can do. We will see.

Hope we all have a good day.

Cynthia <waving>