WOMEN ages 50+ FOR JULY 2016

AnnC: I'm a retired teacher. I gained about 10 pounds every year I taught and lost about 5 pounds over each summer. You can see the graph in your mind's eye. I was finally able to do something about my weight when I found MFP, and that happened AFTER I retired. It is all about calories in, calories out. Take advantage of your summer by getting in the habit of calorie counting, and continue counting every bite and swallow in the new school year. You really need to move more and find ways to include a higher physical activity level even after you return to school. I hope you will be successful and won't have to wait for retirement to do something about your weight, as I did. Best tips: Choose a healthy diet that leaves you feeling good, but don't get suckered into buying premeasured meals. They're too expensive, often not as good quality as you can make for yourself, plus you need to learn to manage this on your own unless you plan to buy the premeasured meals for the rest of your life. Measure your portions of everything, except raw celery. (It takes more calories to digest than it contains.) I use a food scale and restaurant style dishers. There was a small investment where that was concerned, but those tools were a key factor in my success. At first I weighed every day, which is not really the greatest idea. Women here shared their practices and I now weigh about once a week, more if I feel like it. Buy a good digital scale to weigh yourself if you don't already have one. One last thing. We all hit plateaus. They're part of the process so don't let them get you down. Sometimes you can bump up your exercise a bit or lower your calories a bit to get past a plateau. :flowerforyou:

Joyce: Three cheers for the ostomy bag staying on! YAY!!! :bigsmile:

Cheri: Your realtor was a gem. I'm so glad you got the house.

Peach: Sylvia is our ceramics lady. She got involved in an artist's cooperative and has been too busy to post here. The last time I heard from her all was going well. Our bowling mom was given a new job and is too busy to post She always posted from work in the past and that makes me guess she doesn't have access from home, but that is only a guess.


We're having a quiet day at home and the dog is not taking tranquilizers. :bigsmile: The system we used worked well enough that I'd do it again rather than board him at the Vet's every July 4. The system was a combination of him wearing a Thundercoat, keeping him with us as much as possible, and tranquilizers. At night I took him into the bedroom where I slept during the ordeal with the sea lions because it is quieter there. We had people setting off firecrackers and other things that go bang for a few days before the fourth. :grumble:

Katla in Beautiful NW Oregon

Tibetan proverb: "The secret to living well and long is: Eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure..."

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” Thomas A. Edison

AnnC. I am a teacher with a busy working summer ahead of me. I was just looking over a journal I started at the end of last school year 2014-15 where I laid out my goals incrementally like a 21 day challenge without buying the product! I set very modest goals/changes and why I wanted to make the changes and it was working! I also stumbled onto this forum and that sealed the deal. I have lost the weight and am learning what maintenance is all about. Keep your expectations high and your focus on the small improvements --just like a teacher would with her students!!!
This works if you work it. NYKAREN

Hello, Lovely Ladies!

Not much going on, today… the scale was happy again. If it holds thru tomorrow, I will get to change my weight, again. Whoot! I dragged my lazy butt out of bed this morning and went to the gym – although it really wasn’t something I wanted to do, I did it, anyway. I WILL succeed at this, and exercise is the only way… so… every day. Get up, go to the gym, go to work, go home. Lather, Rinse, Repeat…

Melanie – well, good for you if you can do that level of workout twice a week! I am just chugging along on the elliptical, until such time as I hit one of those evil plateaus… perhaps then I will consider changing it up. But, so long as the scale is happy, I am in the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mode.

Cheri – Look at you, you Skinny Minnie… and that’s a nice looking man you have there. Better keep a good hold on him around these parts… All those puffy/blond-haired chicks are on the prowl… and, er… NY Giants? They might burn a helmet in effigy… Learn to Love the Cowboys… trust me on this.

Barbie – I want that! I am so done with yardwork, too… *sighs* someday I will convince my Spousal Unit that we don’t need the big house anymore. I might have to use a baseball bat, but, someday I WILL convince him. In the meantime – mowing that stinkin’ lawn is a great calorie burner.

Allie – I am so glad you had fun on your trip.

Kay – Hope you are having a great day!

Pip – I believe you have done your duty to God and Country… Relax already.

GLo – You are so right… Logging is the only real common thread, but it truly does make the difference.

Mia – welcome back. I have about 8 billion questions about your body lift – but, I will probably message them to you. That is my dream… but, I have to lose this last 100 lbs, first. Gratz. Glad to hear your complication is healing up. Hope you will post some before and after once you are feeling more the thing.

Michele – Glad to hear that you are taking care… It could just be that you are allergic to something in your yard. I know I have an allergy to the crepe myrtle that grows like weeds around these parts – and every time I go out and work in the yard, I am affected by that. Good Luck at the Docs.

Linda – a nap at the pool… hmmm… sounds like a perfect afternoon. Great job for getting back into your routine. 7 hours of sleep? A luxury… lol. I am a six hour girl – except on the weekends.

Janet – Oh Honey – Fat Man? That’s a double slam. I am sorry your Mom didn’t put a stop to that. But parents can be the worst. My family called my older sister “Mary Mud Hen” and my younger sister the “Grape Ape.” I guess I can thank my lucky stars that I was the “Little Golden Chick.” God only knows how huge I would have gotten if they had called me “Chunky Monkey” or something. Knee replacement is probably in my future. Even my “skinny” sister has less than stellar knees – it’s a family thing. I hope mine turn out as well as yours have…. But, I am putting it off for as long as I can. I figure every day I wait is the chance for better equipment – they keep improving everything so much. I am thinking good thoughts for Jack. ((HUGS!!)) I hope you can go on your trip. It sounds wonderful.

Beth – Ice cream cake is allowed on your birthday. It’s written in the rules of life. Hope you enjoyed every bite.

Mary – Our Kettlebell Queen… and you are walking a thousand miles? How long do you have to get it done? (it would take me about two years, I think… lol)

Joyce/IN – Gratz on the 48 hour record.

Katla – Glad your dog did all right. The flag right in the middle of your view… sort of patriotic, yes? But, I suppose being able to actually see the fireworks would be good, too. Hope they fix it, next year.

Lisa – the joy in that third picture is quite obvious. But the 4th is lovely, as well. It’s quite a transformation – and how wonderful that your transformation also took you out of a bad marriage and into a good one.

Karen/VA – Some people just draw other folks – your Sister sounds like one of those. I was envious of my younger Sister – she was “naturally” thinner than me – but she was so mean and crazy I never wanted to be her. I suppose I was lucky about that. I remember one year, I had recovered from the chicken pox that had run rampant through our little town – but Nancy still had hers. She was so upset that I was able to go to the prom – she was wailing: “My Fat Ugly Sister has a date for the Prom and I can’t go…” I laughed – cause what else can you do? But, today... I secretly enjoy the fact that she is no longer the skinny one… I suppose that makes me mean, too. Ah… the lottery. I suppose if you don’t play, you can’t win…

Allie – That sense of accomplishment from having everything “ready” is awesome, isn’t it? I have my dinner all prepped to cook, and I have lunches made for the whole week. LOVE that feeling.

Barbie – Sorry your Mom was so oblivious to how she made you feel. I am glad Jake is doing well. Hopefully, Brandy’s leg won’t be a big deal. Good luck.

Carol – lol – I would be screaming, too. I hate bugs… They only survive on sufferance. So long as they don’t touch me, they get to live. I would probably buy out the store of bug spray if a bug ever flew into my ear.

KJ – sorry DH was crabby. Glad you got to swim – it’s my favorite thing. I just love going to my Mom’s and slipping into the pool in the early morning. The birds sing, it’s quiet and peaceful and I get to escape the bonds of gravity for just a little while. It’s marvelous.

Marcelyn – it has been scorchy this year. Stay hydrated… :]

Mamacita – go, go, go on the exercise… truly, it’s the most important thing in my opinion.

Miriam – I couldn’t hug your younger self – but I can give you one now… ((HUGS!!))

Charleen – oh, that view… *sighs* I do miss mountains since moving to TX. We had lots of them when I lived in OR.

Lenora – why does your son not want you to walk laps around the pool? Glad you were able to get in and paddle around. Hope Cracker’s ear and toe come out all right.

Mjohemme – welcome. I have no experience with the hot flash, yet – but some of these ladies may be able to assist.

Margaret – Eeeewe. Sorry you had to go through that. Keep those cotton balls handy.

NYKaren – Demo is the best part of remodeling… Give me a sledge and get outta my way… it’s a fab way to take out any lingering aggressions. My Sis moved into a house that had a weird brick pedestal in the living room – not a fireplace – just the weird brick thing. After a day in the mortgage industry, I really needed a good smash on those bricks. I was only sorry it went by so fast. Have fun with your Sis!

Heather – Wow – you make your own yogurt, and obviously, sourdough bread. You garden, you study… Girl, did you get all this energy when you lost weight? Or are you just one of those people who is never idle? I am impressed. I am tired just reading about it… lol.

Meg – Glad Benny is improving.

DJ – I don’t have many pictures, either – same reason. My Sister, Mary, insists on taking them, but they are always so awful… *sighs* Hope you have a fabulous time Dancing.

Snerggly – thanks for the info on the supplement. I am sure it will come in handy, one of these days.

AnnC – you have come to the right place… these ladies are the very best. For me, going slooooow is the answer. I calculated for 1 pound a week in MFP. If I want to lose any more than that, I have to exercise more. I also make certain to do a lot of abdominal crunches at the gym – to keep my back from freaking out. That is what has always stopped me in the past, I would get all into the exercise, and my back would seize up. The abdominals stop that little problem. It’s working for me… but, you will have to do what works for you. Glad to hear you are sleeping – that is important, too.

Nancy – welcome back. Good luck with the exercise program! “Fun size” I like it. I am with you on the enjoyment of food. It’s an addiction… If only we could go “cold turkey” on eating… *sighs*

Thank you, you Wonderful Women, for keeping me on the straight and narrow.

((HUGS!!))

Re in TX

*

Re- the Walk 1,000 miles challenge is one year. I have to get most of it done during spring, summer and fall. Winter is difficult to walk here.

Barbie- yeah on the NSV of increased strength! You look amazing!



Mary from Minnesota

Hi jumping in here, new... looks like this is a busy group, but I will try it and see if I can swim through and not drown. Will start doing replies in a little while after I hang out more.

My name is Rosie, I live in the Phoenix Arizona area. I'm 58, I work as a project manager, and am not married. My one grown daughter is in Bay area (Oakland) and so I live in my cozy little condo with one small doggie and one cat. My hobbies are Toastmasters and Singing/Songwriting. I'm in the midst of a several year project of writing an album worth of songs - it takes that long cuz I'm learning still and because of work and illness tends to slow me down a lot.

It's too hot here to do much else, lol, but I like to travel, read a lot, and have a lot of interests.

My current situation is that I'm about 3 pounds over my last recorded weight here on MFP from the intermittent trying to lose weight thingie I've been doing. So recently I got on a local meal plan service called Lean Lifestyles (I am just a customer and this is not a plug, I'm just explaining what I'm trying), just sort of out of desperation because it was one of the things on my list of things to try.

Anyway, I see to be able to stick to plan with these meals which fill me up, but are within calorie limits to lose, they taste good, my blood sugar is all leveled out, I have better energy than I did before. So after the first week my scale's battery was dead -- so I finally weighed in, I wasn't sure if I had been even heavier and lost a few or not. I'll know for sure if I'm losing on my next weigh in which is Friday/Saturday. I generally only allow myself to weigh in once a week.

So my July goals are:
* Determine if the meal plan is allowing me to lose weight or not
* If not I will probably stay on it and call them and adjust it first, then if that doesn't work try something else
* Continue going to the gym - riding the e bike
* and add in some weight machines.... (for some reason I've been scared and/or blocked of this one)
* Add in a few other forms of exercise like belly dance and/or yoga - at this point at home
* I used to belly dance and I want to go back to classes but I want a review first...
* Work on my songs - I have two with melodies that need finishing and then I must practice singing them all for recording and I need to retrain my voice because I let it get out of shape like my bod....
* Decluttering my house (long term project)
* Working on my next Toastmasters speech
* Doing training course for my professional certification
* Plan a trip to visit my sister out east
* Work on the website that I'm finishing up for a service work thing and turn it over to someone else to take care of
* Work on my daughter's professional website
* Survive the extreme desert heat :-)

That might be the gist of it. I do a lot of goal work. Now that my energy is good again, I am hoping to really kick butt on my goals.

Pip ... I also think it stinks that they changed the rules of the challenge at the end ...

Hey Ladies...I am new to the group and really struggling with the "ok, today I'm going to eat right"....help!

Thanks for the well wishes on the CO trip. Im a Denver native and I miss the mountains horribly. I'm going to soak up as much cool air as possible while there. I'm excited to share all the splendour with Jack. He was raised in Florida, we've gone to Estes and Rocky Mtn National Park a couple of times, but that's pretty much all he has seen. We are in Denver more often because my oldest daughter still lives there and three of my sisters and their families.

Janetr okc