WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2017

Wow! The resolutions and goals you have all posted sound fantastic. How inspiring. Thank you all for sharing.

Barbie: Thank you for another great year of serving as the glue for this forum. Feel the warmth and appreciation I send you. Your snow is heading my way. Yay.

Busy day of cleaning, storing holiday decorations and cooking and freezing meals for the week. DH passed out today and toppled to the floor. He came to right away, doesn't seem to be injured and is resting now. Yes, I'm worried. He said he just felt 'tired' and that's why he went down. Shaking my head and watching him like a hawk.

Stay well, friends. We can do this.

Rori
Colorado Foothills
December Goals and Final Results:
Tabata training a minimum of 3 times per week- DONE
Go ice skating at least once this month-DONE My profile photo is from the rink at Denver Airport
Drink a glass of water with lemon juice every day-DONE
Meditate at least 15 minutes every day-GOOD EFFORT, BUT NOT ACCOMPLISHED
Be lighter (thanks Lisa for coining this goal)-DONE, although it’s only by .5, but I’ll take it. Net loss for 2016 = 6.8 pounds. I would like to lose about 10 more.
Word for 2016: Optimism

January Resolutions:
Re-read “Salt, Sugar, Fat”
Drink water with lemon juice everyday
Do something social every week
Take measurements
Practice Reiki daily
Word for 2017: Attune.

Volkswagon, lacruiser, Betsy & Liz: Welcome to a great group. Stop by often for encouragement & support. :flowerforyou:

bwcetc: I am so sorry your husband & son are down with the flu. I hope youare able to avoid it.

Donna in Missouri City: Good luck with your Lose 40 Pounds by May 27 Challenge. I'm confident you can have a great success if you are prepared for losses some weeks and plateaus other weeks even though you are sticking to the program. Don't let the plateaus discourage you. They seem to be part of the process and won't keep you from long-term success. (It's a plateau if you're following your plan, and something else if you have too many splurges.) :bigsmile:

Becca: Good luck. I gave myself to the MFP protocol and counted every calorie and timed my exercise so I could add it to the log. I'm still doing it because I want to avoid regaining what I worked so hard to lose. I still randomly measure food portions because it is so easy for portions to get bigger and bigger without my noticing. You can do it, but you have to be stubborn about it. (((HUGS)))

Penny: You choose the best snacks of anybody I know.

Rori: Congratulations on your success. Optimism is an excellent word. :bigsmile:

SueBDew in TX: You are absolutely right to think of food as fuel for your body. :flowerforyou:

marcelynh: Thank you for sharing the photos of your son & grandson. What a great thing to do together. :bigsmile:


DH is roasting a turkey for our New Years Day dinner and it is nearly done. It smells so good. I can hardly wait for my first bite. I spent the day taking down Christmas decorations. There are only a couple of outdoor things to finish up. I'm trying to decide how long to keep my wreath up, and there are two other decorations near it. How long do you keep your wreaths up, if you use them?

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

January 2017 Resolutions:

1: Log every bite and swallow;
2. Cardio exercise at least 3 days a week. Work on strength and stamina.
3. Have fun every day.
4. Drink at least 3 glasses of water a day.
5. Monitor sleep. Average 7 or more hours of sleep nightly.

Heather – While I was put on a low caloric diet; I am now eating more ‘regularly prepared food’ for my meals. I have been since I started; just was replacing some with a protein shake and/or protein bar. I would not have done this on my own. I get weighed in every 2 weeks, on a scale that measures fat and muscle % … as well as water %. I do eat what I want, I just measure and weigh everything very carefully and I track whatever passes my lips as well as liquid. I take my 2-weeks’ worth of print-outs, so Nutritionist knows what I eat during that time. I definitely agree that a low caloric diet isn’t for most people; but, because I take about 20 different medications (all that have ‘weight gain’ as a ‘side-effect’) … I had put on 12-18lbs a year over the past five years or so. I started off adding ‘breakfast’ instead of a shake; then I added a shake for lunch; then, I eat almost anything I want for supper, and a ‘protein bar’ at night. I think that most people ought to ‘check in with their MDs before trekking out on a diet on their own. I don’t believe in ‘fad’ diets such as eating ‘grapefruit’ for 3 days and then ‘expect that your body won’t put the weight back on'. Eating citrus like that only depletes your body of water. Sure, you are going to put it back on because your body is not going to allow itself to be ‘starved’ … of food or water … or you might die from doing it; like someone whose 'diet' is being 'bulimic'. Just about any ‘diet’ plan will set most people up to ‘fail’ if they depend on it totally. I tried WW and various ‘diet’ plans; but, ‘walking’ is something I had to add to my daily routine in order to lose weight. Drinking a lot of water as well. Doing that also helps me from getting nearly as many UTIs as I did before.

I did not put the weight on overnight and I certainly do not expect for it to come off overnight. I am ‘thrilled’ when I have lost even .5lb a week. More just makes me know that I am eating and exercising enough to battle what I do because of the side effects of medication. None of which I will ever be able to go off. There is not a ‘magical pill’ out there for someone to take and to ‘lose weight without fighting to do so’. I agree that you should not deprive yourself of things you like or ‘crave’. It just takes will power not to go overboard. If I eat pizza or Mexican food, or even when I go visit my DYS and know that I will spend 10 days eating good ole Cajun cooking … I pre-tract my food a day to make sure that I exercise enough to make up the difference. I choose not to ‘eat back my calories’ … but; I do show that I have them available for me. It is rare that ‘if’ I did eat back my calories …I know that I would be getting over 1150 - 1200 caloric intake. I believe that being accountable like tracking my food on MFP is what will help me keep the weight I’ve lost off. It has been harder to lose weight the closer I have gotten to my goal weight. What I am aiming for is that my BMI be within a ‘normal’ range. When I get to that number, we’ll discuss what my ideal weight should be.

When I cook a meal, I portion out what is a reasonable amount, for both me and my husband; and immediately put the left-overs away. I usually eat the left-overs for the next day’s lunch.

I pre-log; but, ‘if’ things change … I go back in and make the changes. I think ‘logging’ will be 2nd nature for the rest of my life.

I also commend you; but, you are maintaining and have been, from what I have gleaned from your posts, for several years … ‘tracking’ and coming here for support has help keep you at your ‘goal weight’. It's helping me in my goals and getting down to my ideal weight. As we get older, a lot of us just ‘look better’ with a ‘few extra’ pounds. I know that I do. I gain from my feet up and lose from my face down. I know at a certain weight, I am going to start looking ‘gaunt’ and that is not my goal.

I hope what they say about ‘whatever you do on the first of the year’ is not correct … I don’t want to be sitting in a MD or Convenient Care or hospital ER all year long. Did not get all my Christmas decorations down and put out in my studio … but, I have not had the energy; but, I have been walking. Every little big helps.

DJ – It took my scales to ‘hit’ 200lb for me to get ‘upset’ enough at myself and the way I looked to go to my GP and GYN to tell them … “I could not do this on my own.” I have not been disappointed with my ‘slow’ weight loss. After losing 40lbs, I feel so much better, physically and with my moral. I look better, I no long stumble when I am going somewhere, and ‘new’ clothes are just very ‘exciting’ to need to buy (or to have them altered). But, I am still wearing most of my same bras, just tightening them.

Liz – Don’t look at the ‘total’ amount you need to lose, break it up in more manageable segments. Ten pounds at a time. That will keep you from ‘freaking out’ and try to lose it slowly, that way it has more of a chance to stay off and ‘track everything that crosses your lips, including those spoonful of ‘checking to make sure something is seasoned enough’.

Becca – I believe that one needs to discuss what their ‘normal’ BMI should be and most MDs will or can provide you with a diet/meal plan that will become easier to do the more you do it. It is obvious from looking at your avatar and then seeing the picture with you son(s) … you have definitely lost weight … just keep at it. We’re here to support you. Maybe, if you want sour cream or any type of food like that, you can start lowing the calories by buying ‘fat free’ or start checking how many calories on food versus another that you like. I love rice; but, I am not going to eat it 3x a day (although Louis would in a heartbeat). For his family, rice was a staple and also used to stretch things like ‘scrambled eggs’. My downfall is ‘cheese’. I’m like a rat, can’t refuse it; but, I also know that because I am ‘lactose intolerant’ that about an ounce a day is all I can eat (of aged cheese). I no longer drink milk. A scoop of ice cream is a ‘treat’ … a BIG treat. But, if I don’t eat it when I am craving it … I am going to eat a lot more and try to justify why …!

Slowing down, taking small bites, putting down your fork or spoon and chew more. Chewing is what signals the stomach that you are beginning to get full. Stopping BEFORE you ‘feel’ full; will make a difference in 30 or 40 minutes … when if you overeat, or eat fast, you realize that ‘oh shoot-a-monkey … I just ‘ate’ too much. Putting your meal on a ‘salad’ plate rather than a ‘dinner’ plate also helps with portion control.

I’m like you … when we leave or they leave … we always call each other to let each of us know that we’re home. I can’t worry about what they do day-to-day; because they are so far away. But, when I got a picture of my ‘baby’s’ head split open … I got upset. Didn’t ‘crack’ his skull; but, boy … he came close! He and Tami were not married at the time but, they were engaged. She’d been through that and a bad case of shingles up his neck, face, and ‘in his mouth’. She nursed him; but, because her daughter had not had the ‘chicken pox’ … he had to stay at the lake place. When DOGD goes back to ‘college’/home she always checks in with us because she usually comes down to tell us ‘goodbye’ on her way out. This last trip (Friday) … she either did not run into heavy traffic or she had a ‘lead’ foot. I’m hoping it was the first of the two.

I can imagine how hard and nerve racking it must be when they are ‘out to sea’. I can remember the brother of one of my best friends was in the Marines and in Vietnam … they were not ‘allowed’ tell anyone where they were. Mail was sent though a ‘POB from either the east coast or west coast' … not ‘hey I am in My Lei, Vietnam … make sure you watch tonight’s news’. Not that he was … but, I think you get the picture. One reason I broke up with my HS sweetheart was all he talked about was, ‘when we get married and I’m in the Air Force --’. First off, I knew my parents would not have been thrilled about me getting married right out of HS. I don't think I would have made a very goo military wife with my DH stationed overseas in a war zone. He did go to Vietnam; but, when his Dad had a stroke, they sent him home (only son in the family). Back during WWII and when Pearl Harbor was bombed, all 3 of the ‘men’ in my husband’s family were in the service … but; they were never sent to France and never would have been.

Allie – I know that you are getting your ‘ducks in a row’ and are planning on getting a divorce. I know you've said that you are doing what you have to do in order to have a half-way decent life post-divorce. I think a lot of us just don’t want you to be miserable in the meantime.

When my husband’s first wife filed for a divorce, she had run up all kinds of debts that he was still paying when I married him … 8 or 9 years later; and, she had moved 4 states away with their only child. I was never much more than a ‘woman married to her Dad’; but, she sort of took after her Mama insofar as ‘cutting ties’. We have not seen nor heard from her since his mother died, this year – 10 years ago. We have a granddaughter that we are not allowed to see and have not seen her since the funeral. Her loss … we can’t let it be ours. That was also the last time that we had to be in the same vicinity with his ‘ex’. We all could be cordial; but, I’m glad that time is ‘over’.

Toni – Woo Hoo with the stickers … I could get some and put them on my daily MFP print-out.

Lanette – Of the daily fluids I take in a day; I get 32 ounces of ‘plain ole well water’. Sometimes that a can be difficult and there are days will I feel like I am ‘forcing it down’. It might take me all day to drink it; but, I make it most days.

My Mother was ‘heavy’ most of my life and the remaining of her life (after she had a really bad wreck on Christmas Day 1954). She was also short. I knew I did not want to ‘look like her, in the sense of weight’; but, I am ‘thrilled’ that I have her ‘skin’. Never have worn foundation except for a couple of years when I tried covering a birthmark. It has faded over time.

Michele – My eye feels so much better after a squeeze of Erythromycin in it. Took nearly 30 minutes before I could actually see out of it, just had to feel around. It is my dominant eye, too.

Rori – If I saw my husband ‘go down’; I’d be calling the ambulance whether he wanted me to, or not. I've done it before and glad that I did. He ‘hates’ hospitals; but, he will agree to have a yearly physical. They made him swear that he'd call his MD the very next day, which he did. What he has hated was having to go to a Urologists. Thankfully, his regular one ‘is out on a medical leave’; so he got to see a different one. Doubt that his regular will come back to practice medicine … even ‘if’ he does … he will NOT be going to him. He really likes the two he has seen since having issues and able to urinate like he was supposed to be able to. Both told him to call their ER # and to NOT go to the ER where he might get seen by a MD whose specialty is being a ‘lung specialists’ and they did NOT want him to be catheterized by anyone other than an Urologist.

My one goal that I don’t think I listed earlier is that I will ‘read’ the Bible through again this year. My ‘word’ for 2017 is “dedication."

Welcome to all the ‘newbies’ … HAPPY NEW YEAR to everybody!

Lenora

Just want to say thank you to Barbie for keeping us all going while dealing with so much in 2016!
Betty

Katla~ Love that saying!! It's like my "All shall be well, and all manner of things will be exceedingly well" saying. Gives us hope, and sometimes hope is all that separates us from those who fail, and those that succeed!

Lenora~ Wise words you speaketh!!

Feeling the "we are all in this" fuzzy great feeling... I love this group! Just like attending my TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) group on a weekly basis, it is a physical reset button for my life! Typing to you all, and knowing I am taking steps to positive changes MAKES me change. (For the better).. Did I type that I love you all....oh yep I see it there...

Still need to:
-organize my pantry and get all my troops (food items) in order. Knowing what I have helps me make my shopping list. In my area, (yep my area is different than teenagers and husband) I have a bookshelf and each cubby is for specific things. I have a rice, and pasta cubby, a veggies and fruit cubby, a protein cubby, and a teas and drinks cubby. Granted there are only a couple of items in each, but I can see weekly what I am going to fix.

I need to be more mindful of quantities of fruits and veggies I buy. Buying just a weeks worth, and less of it all. The farmers did so much to get it to my market, the least I can do is not let it rot in my frig, or on the counter!

Welcome to all you new members of this fine group! You can unload all your mental baggage to the "whites" on either side of this thread.... It gets cleaned up and we build a big mental bonfire of it all....Someone usually brings a musical instrument and we all sing until we are hoarse.... (heehee)..

Becca
Oregon

Toni- I've never heard of frozen shoulder! I hope you get better soon! Swimming sounds like a great workout for that.



Mary from Minnesota

Ok so measurements now taken