WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2016

Barb – – thank you so much for making this thread. I just discovered community posting this week and this thread today. I desperately need support and motivation, and everyone on this specific thread seems so generous with that.

quote="sewicanquilt;35638689"]Just turned 50 (Feb 28) and pretty new to MFP (20 days). Hoping this group will motivate me on my journey. I have fibromyalgia and arthritis so moving is painfully and something I have tried to avoid in the past, but the weight must go, so not moving is not an option. My goal (as simple as it may sound) is to walk 25 more steps each day. Wish me luck![/quote]

SewIcanquilt, may I add my name to your post? ;-) My situation is much like yours. I count myself lucky at not having fibromyalgia, but I do have worsening arthritis.

I have had some success in weight loss since New Year's Eve and I credit my physical therapist with most of that. I started a program a few weeks ago. In addition to teaching me movements and stretches that will strengthen my affected joints, my therapist has been so encouraging to me.

I also started logging my food with MFP in January. This helped me become aware of food values and choices. Instead of eating fast food every day – – which I did during a very stressful 2015 – – I have gradually changed my habits to the point where I am making all of my foods at home. Considering that I have never learned how to cook and never used to enjoy fresh veggies and the like, this is a monumental change. :-)

I sent a very modest goal to begin with and felt so good in reaching that several weeks ago. I continue to add small goals and have been amazed as I've met each one. I have lost 20 pounds since January. That might not impress very many people but it impresses the heck out of me! I never thought I could do it.

The trick will be maintaining/continuing in this direction. My insurance coverage for physical therapy will cap out soon.
Finding motivation and support elsewhere will be vital.

Good luck to you and everyone here. Wish me luck as well. :-)

Haha Heather! The concert described in the Huffington Post was held in the place where the protagonist of Orions Belte jumped out of the coal bucket at the last minute. When you're in Longyearbyen we'll have to go take a look at it: Taubanesentralen the switching station of the aerial cableway. I'm assuming you are up to a stroll...

My husband and I are starting to make our summer plans, and this morning I vetoed an early departure from Longyearbyen. He was talking about soon after the half-marathon and I postponed it to 12-13 June at the earliest.

Cheri in Fairlawn,OH: Happy Anniversary! WTG!!!!! :flowerforyou:

Hello ladies! Happy Sunday! I fell asleep last night right after dinner (about 6:30) and slept until 9 this morning! Wowsa! Must've needed it. CAtching up with reading the posts! Sending love and hugs to all that need them today!

Just wanted to share something with you. This is especially useful for people who have trouble asserting themselves with other people, or in difficult social situations.
Alison, Anne, Kim, and others.
I've been reading a book by Amy Cuddy called "Presence". I bought it for my Kindle.
It's about how our body language can affect, not only how others feel about us, but also how we feel about ourselves. She recommends Power Poses before we go into difficult situations. According to her research it affects hormones, such as cortisol and testosterone.
I also watched on U tube her TED talk on the same issue. Easy to find.

I know this stuff works as I used to teach Drama as Therapy and worked a lot with the body. I also managed to help my son who was being bullied at school by teaching him how to change his body language as he walked into the playground. I actually witnessed the results. I didn't do the Power Poses as preparation though and wondered if it might help some of you.
Worth giving it a try! I often do the smiling thing.

May we all find the power within us!

Love Heather UK

CJ the Indonesian sauce is Trader Joe' s Sambal Matah. Got it on a whim with a Christmas gift card and now am going to be looking around to incorporate it into other things too!
Welcome new people!!!
Bit of a bummer weekend with this silly cold-- no exercise and going slightly off plan on eating...
Heather the body language idea sounds really good!
Betty

Heather Happy Mother's Day! I took several courses as part of a communications minor degree in college that pertained to body language. Powerful. I plan to read about the power poses!

Cheri 365 days! Great commitment!

Arbeej Welcome!

Busy cooking today ... Things like steel cut oats and crustless quiche that can be portioned and frozen.

As expected, neglected muscles are protesting today after yesterday's workout. In a twisted way I'm quite happy about that!

Beth near Buffalo where the sun is shining!

OK, I'm going to try to get back in the swing. I admit, I will most likely skim right now.

We had a great time in FL. What a finish to the Daytona. Got home about 7:30 on thurs and I'm STILL trying to play catchup with all the TV shows that were recorded, the emails, etc, etc. But I seem to be getting there, little by little

Welcome everyone new! Good thoughts being sent to everyone who is under the weather and big congrats on great NSV's and losses. Happy birthday to everyone, belated if it is

Suzy in DE - Oh, I'm very familiar with Bear. We moved to NC from Kennett Square, PA. Whenever we needed to purchase a large appliance or really anything, we went to DE.

Betty - are you learning Polish? My father had this WONDERFUL woman taking care of him before he passed. What an angel. The biggest problem was that she spoke Polish and I didn't. How I wish my grandparents (who came from Poland) had taught me but I understand their feelin. "we're in America now, in America we speak English". I tried to learn but the biggest problem I found was that I didn't have anyone to speak to in Polish.

KJ - try as I might, my weakness is for cookie/pie/cake/brownie, etc dough. After it's baked, it doesn't hold any appeal for me. But if it's raw -- forget it That's my weakness

It's a shame how much food restaurants give you. Vince laughs because I order the senior meals or even the child meals (if they are decent, which they usually aren't) just so I don't get as much

DJ - I very rarely post anything to FB. I'm just not that into it. I do like keeping up with my kids, tho.

drcriscos - I don't use a food scale, but I use measuring cups and measuring spoons faithfully. Not sure why I don't use a scale, I, like you, just eyeball it

Anna - YIPPEE!!!!

Can't say that I have a cheat day, but even the things that aren't real good for me, I log. That is, unless it's something like a piece of fruit and I know I have the calories left over so I just may not bother. But never if it's like a brownie or cookie. I truly believe nothing is off limits, it's just portion control. I'm amazed at how large a portion of veges I can have and how little of cookies

Margaret - so happy for your hubby

Heather - Happy Mother's Day

How do you ladies post while in the car? I couldn't figure out how to post from my tablet or from my phone. Was thinking of you all while we were driving to/from FL

Mary - I almost always need to have some sort of protein after exercising

Came home and the pump for the pool isn't working. Vince is trying to figure out what it is. He said we may very well just buy a new pump so that we get the warranty and all. We also had a REAL bad wind storm while we were gone. One tree (that I wanted down anyway because it was dead) blew over

NCCarol - I'm so proud of you with your dating. Remember, you gotta kiss a lot of frogs to get the prince!

Heather - good luck to your son on his interview

Been logging every day and keeping up with my exercise. Vince said that he'd take me to the extremepump class tomorrow. He's learning all about shopping....lol

Michele back in NC

Hi gals,

CJ – just a thrift store note – a local one gets stuff way out of date, and they discount it and first put it in costume section- by era, the local theater groups and high schools are there for costumes regularly, if it doesn’t sell there then it is sold as fabric for quilts/rag rugs and the crafters can get it by the bag… so VERY little heads to the dump. Just a different way to make lemonade out of lemons

“name learners” even us oldies get confused sometimes which is why it is so nice when we each remember to sign our posts…

Kimses – you can do this!!!!

Arbeej – welcome

Cheri – happy anniversary

Heather – thanks for the lead – I’ll check it out.

So it’s lunch time here and I have totally blown my calories for today - I was out the door about 8:30am to drive an hour to see my Mom, got there and my db (deadbeat brother) was there – he’s a creep but mom feels obligated to him – long story – Any way I brought some stuff for the second hand store she works for – and my brother decided that was wrong…. And I got an earful….I was a GD F*ing B*tch, and to top it off it was my fault that there was a wind storm last night and a branch fell in the pool. (did you know I was Mother Nature? –LOL) To say the least I was out of there… I needed to stop at Trader Joe’s, I made the stop and bought my favorite cookie a kona coffee shortbread, 2 for 200 calories, which is not impossible, but I ate the whole box (6 servings) in the hour drive home… grrrr… they are logged and I am owning my bad choice, but grr!!!

My ahb (*kitten* hole brother) was not worth all 1,200 calories….

Kim from N. California - still needing to find something healthy and low cal for lunch!

Kim from N. California~Another thing that is fun is using a large leaf of butter lettuce. I learned this from my Japanese lady friends. They would brown ground beef, with a big of soy sauce, then wrap it into a pocket and serve it.
I am not one that eats apples, but I have found if I chop them, plus some celery and add to chicken with some fat free mayo, its awesome in a pita! Sometimes if I don't have celery I add walnuts instead.
Becca

afternoon ladies~
well I am pooped and I hate being rushed....we went to feed DFIL and didnt get home until a little after 9 this morning, had to be up to pick my dad up at 11:30` so I dashed over to Walmart and grocery shopped, I was running around crazy trying to get what I needed to get home and put it away ,and change my clothes and go pick up my father to go to lunch with my uncle and cousin.... we had a lovely time and my father was talked most of the whole time...
did do great eating or exercising today.. but will be back in the swing tomorrow, I picked up a combo lock ,but when I got it home it said a luggage lock, but will use it on my locker at the gym anyway..... packed everything for the gym already, and now just sitting down.. and am charging the Surge

Becca my challenge with "movable" protein is that meat is not my favorite, and cheese is so high in fat....

kim in n. cal

Thanks Heather, I am looking at it as a bad "snack" logged it in a snack and am going to keep the rest of the meals healthy... not throwing out the whole day.

Kim

Kim ~ So sorry your day was ruined by you DB. Why in the world would it be wrong to bring your mom some things to put in the shop?

I have decided I need more Vitamin K as I seem to bleed profusely (not on blood thinners) whenever I have a cut or after that tooth extract. So, I bought some frozen kale. I have never cooked kale so if anyone has any idea how to make it palatable, please chime in.

Carol

Morning or afternoon now peeps-

CSSJ09 - thanks for the compliment.

Yesterday was a lot harder than I thought. First I took it to the local guitar place to have it roughly appraised because when u take to get shipped they ask u the value and I didn't have a clue. The guy at the guitar store asked me if I wanted to sell it, and I said no. He said roughly it was worth $300 bucks. So with he guitar case I insured it for $500. It cost $157 to ship. Jeff said he would pay me to get it shipped. When I walked to the car from the guitar place I found myself crying. I knew I was going to let it go. When I was at the UPS store I asked the lady to give me a piece of paper so I could enclose a note.. By the time I was done writing, I was crying and snot was starting to come out of my nose. Lolol... I shared my first memory of the guitar case (with the guitar inside); when Lenny and I first moved to Seattle, we didn't have much as far as furniture went and we spent most of our time in the bedroom (to keep electric costs down). When Christmas time came around, I found some big old fashioned Christmas lights in the community laundry room. I grabbed them and plugged them in and put them over the guitar case and that was our first Christmas tree. Earlier i facebooked him to tell him I shipped it and I gave him the tracking number and asked that he let me know when it arrived.

I've told him that Lenny would be so proud of him if he were to see all the accomplishments he's made. When I met him, he was a writer for rolling stone magazine, still does articles from time to time. He has published a few books. I took the pic of him that is on his first book, so my name is in there as the photographer. He's intereviewed the President and has done so much.

I now have told him about a trunk that I have of his and asking his opinion about that. That too will be hard to let go, even tho it's in the closet but I know it's there. I miss him so much, it has nothing to do with my love for Kirby but oh how I wish I could see him one more time.'