WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR JANUARY 2017

Vit D is fat soluble, so gelcaps, drops, and gummies are much more bioavailable than tablets (which are water soluble). Also, taking Vit D supplements with a fatty meal, or with fish oil supplements, increases absorption. People take anywhere from 1000 units/day to 50,000 units/week or more (the latter being a prescribed supplement). Because Vit D is fat soluble, there is the potential for it to build up in adipose tissue and cause toxicity, which leads to severe joint pain and some other problems, but this usually occurs only at very high doses or in people with certain pre-existing conditions. Vit D levels can be monitored by your doctor, but it usually isn't necessary unless you are on a high dose. Vit D is naturally occurring in wild caught fatty fish and cod liver oil, and is in fortified milk, OJ, & cereals. Sunshine exposure causes our skin to produce Vit D. Probably half the world's population is Vit D deficient, and it is an independent risk factor for mortality in certain populations (people who have had hip fractures, people with end stage renal failure, etc.)

The reason I am going on & on is not to bore you to tears, but to say this: Vit D is important, many of us are deficient, and taking 2000 units/day in gelcap, drop, or gummy form would certainly be considered a safe dose by almost all experts. It cured my severe knee pain several years ago.

Karen in Virginia

Today was our last day at Disney. We enjoyed our morning together and we were sad to leave. Plans are in place to go again of course. My travel plans were disrupted as my 1st plane was delayed longer than my connection in Dallas. So here I sit for 3 hours having made a flight from Orlando on a different airline. Hubs wouldn't agree to come get me here as the wait is long enough to come to Houston and return home. I dislike air travel sooo much. I'll be home late tonight. Will post pics tomorrow!
Cheri
in Houston anxious to get home to her own bed in College Station

Good evening friends. Played golf today and the course was really muddy. The discussion on Vit D caught my attention. I play golf two or three times a week in the TX sun ( I do wear sunscreen) so assumed I didn't need Vit D supplements. Have my yearly with my internist so I will ask him about it.
Marni-so sorry about your pain. Take care of yourself.
Lenora - thanks for your encouragement. You are so right about the pecan trees budding out. We don't plant anything until the pecan trees say it's time. Lol
Sarah - thanks for the congrats.
Lisa- so proud of you for not smoking. You can do this.
Mary- so glad you are feeling better. Don't overdo.
Sue in WA- you are so right about water exercise making you thirsty. Last summer I went to water aerobics with a bottle of water which I didn't drink. Then I went to yoga and the room was very warm. About half way through I "swooned" and hit the floor. Dehydrated. So I am much more careful now.
Cat- thanks a lot. It really means a lot for you to comment.
Got to find something for dinner.
SueBDew in TX

gotu52 wrote: »

Marni – love your goals and I dream of visiting Alaska some day!

Thank you to all of you who are so strong, powerful and amazing!

Have a great day - Sarah from Ontario, Canada

Hello fellow Ontarian! great to meet you This is a terrific group of ladies I have already learned so much from. Best of luck to you with your weight loss goals - I'm working hard on it too. We need to keep focused, and keep moving!!!

Marni/Alaska

Sherry, you just ramble all you need to. For me it is like going to a counselor or a best friend.

Tonight after baking supper I had to tape the oven door to an adjoining drawer! I also talked to a prior bid for gutters that is a construction company. I was hoping they did exterior painting but they don't. But I did call another construction company that hd given us a big last year for the guttering. Life happened and we weren't able to go through with it. So I called them. I want to get the outside of this house done! After this comes windows and landscaping. That part is what I have no idea of what I want or need for the house. I just want one of those TV designers to take over. I would tell them I want low maintenence but beautiful and let them take over.

Joyce, Indiana

exermom wrote: »

Yesterday did an hour of yoga and then an hour of deep water. Today dad an advanced strength training DVD. The plan for tomorrow is to do a DVD on the rebounder.

Went to ceramics last night. Put another coat of paint on the head of the dolphin -- it was too streaky. Hope it fires OK. Today I volunteered at the Green Room after taking a donation to the soup kitchen, went to the bank (ATM), got my hair cut, back to the ATM, then to WalMart. Tomorrow we're leaving to go to PA -- Denise wants to go wedding dress shopping. We just realized that tomorrow we'll be on the beltway the day of the inauguration. Well, the beltway is ALWAYS crowded. Back to the Green Room to see a rehearsal of "Wait Unitl Dark". I really wanted to see this show and by the time I could sign up to usher, all the slots had been filled! Went to Krispy Kreme because Denise likes their donuts and yesterday the road in front of them was closed. Since I didn't know if it would be closed today, I just went early before the workers started

Marni - be careful. Hope there isn't too much damage from that fall. Sometimes it takes a while for it to show up. My bathing suit for water aerobics is chlorine resistant. The lining is starting to disintegrate, but the suit is just fine. Yes, they are a bit more expensive. But in the long run they are worth it. I got mine from Hanes Place or One Hanes, something like that, with "Hanes" in the name

Michele in NC

Thanks Michele - Yoga and pool work sounds terrific. I'm checking out our local pools this weekend. Happy wedding dress shopping.. sounds like it could be really fun! Those suits are the best - picked up a couple before heading to Hawaii a couple of years ago and wear them snorkeling. They are thicker and more bulky than cheap bathing suits but they wear very well and hold up, as well as being attractive. I keep an eye on their Sale section and pick up pieces occasionally to mix and match. Still babying my back but its coming along It's funny how you can become used to being in a lot of pain, all day every day, and still manage to cope on a lot of levels.

Marni/Alaska

Hi all! Internet too slow to post my pic.

Had a great swim in the pool in my cover-all costume. I'm going to wear it tomorrow when we go to the biosphere reserve as we get to have a chance to swim through the water channels. Feel better being all covered up. Should see some wildlife.

We got a taxi into town for our meal at a real, old fashioned Mexican place. A real institution. Great food! But HUGE portions! We shared a plate of nepales - cactus leaves - with avocado. I had fish with masses of garlic, yummy, and DH had veal steak, guacamole, refried beans, fajitas etc etc. Poof! Then we wandered around town until my hip protested and got a taxi home. There was live Cuban music at the restaurant.

Love to all, Heather UK xxxxxxx

Busy group = good group! Evening from Alaska ladies.

-20F this morning. My 4 weenie dogs just looked at me when I opened the door for them to do their business like “You have got to be kidding me?!” Luckily everyone is wee-wee pad trained. Their paws are freezing as soon as they hit the snow/ice and they come in walking like doggie-drunks (tried booties, it was a total failure).

Vit D - taking 2000 units daily + calcium. After breaking my left foot tripping over the weenies on a walk last summer I found out I had osteoarthritis. A hysterectomy in late 2009 to remove 3 baseball sized fibroid tumors, after bleeding for 300 days and very anemic, threw me into instant menopause despite them leaving me one (non functioning) ovary. Looks like I’ve had bone loss occurring since then. Never offered HRT or recommendations for supplements. I’ve tried to talk to my doc about a bone scan but she ignores me - I’m actively looking for a new GP. She’s not much help regarding my type2 diabetes either - just keeps upping my insulin. At this rate I’ll be dead in 2 yrs. The nearest appt with the local endocrinologist is a year out - I work for one but she won’t see me. There are only 2 of them in State. So I’m looking into visiting a friend in Seattle and seeing an endo there instead. Currently taking Wellbutin for clinical depression for the winter but I’m often left feeling hopeless and on the verge of giving up.

Mini Bio
Grief - having a hard time recently, missing my mum who passed away Sept 30 2014. Many days I go into work, still, and go to pick up the phone to call her first thing in the morning only to set it back in the cradle knowing she’s not there at the other end. She was not just my mom, but my best friend, and hero. She had me promise to scatter her ashes on a mountainside/stream here in Alaska after she passed, which DH and I will do this summer. I went back and forth from Alaska to Canada for 8 years caring for her as she slowly slipped away from complications of diabetes; heart attacks, multiple strokes, heart surgeries, leg amputation, stage 4 heart and kidney disease, and finally vascular dementia. The dementia saw her lose all of her friends in the end, and she became very argumentative, beligerant and abusive verbally. But that was not my mom, it was the disease, I know too well. At the time, it didn’t lessen the heartache to know that. I neglected my own health care during those years to put all of my focus on her. Despite doing all that I could, I still carry a lot of guilt. Primarily because I did finally have to place her in a nursing care home (the best I could find) because she abused and fired every nurse we had coming into the house and I couldn’t care for her on my own anymore. She passed away 4 months later from a final massive stroke. I know time will heal - but I really miss her. She was always a bright light in my life, and rescued us from a miserable life with a physically-verbally-mentally abusive father when I was 6 yrs old. It was just us two girls until I was 35, when I moved away to Alaska to get married.

Before caring for mum, I had helped to care for her sister Doreen for 4 years. She died from acute myaloid leukemia and went from 300 lbs to 93 lbs. When it travelled to her brain I cared for her nearly 24 hrs a day for 6 months. Prior to that I cared for my elderly grandparents. Grandma lived to be 84 and my granddad went on to live to be 99. I loved their stories about growing up in England. All of my relatives are gone now with the exception of my estranged brother who disowned me when I was 25 yrs old. When mum and I no longer had any money left to lend him (we were very poor for many years after mum left my father) he told us he was ashamed of us for being poor white trash, and he turned his back on us forever.

Luckily, I have 3.very close life-long friends in Canada I stay in touch with - who keep me sane (well sort of sane). I am so grateful for them especially because I had very little social life - working 8-10 hours a day, and then caring for ailing family members every evening - with a day off being few and far between. My friends were very patient and kind! As I get older, I find it much more difficult to make friends - especially here in Alaska. The friends I’ve made through work, have all moved away. Its a very transient place with people coming and going all of the time, and so you are often left feeling very alone in a very big, and very beautiful place.

I rarely let any/many know much about me - I don't open up much - probably thinking it helps protect me from being hurt. Hopefully opening up a little I will maybe gain a little confidence .. and help along the way to losing the excess weight, and getting healthier.

NYKaren - aging is - definitely NOT - for sissies!

Sherry - my heart goes out to you. You're struggle is heartening. I too take long and short acting insulin for type2 diabetes and no one must mess with your meds! - they are so important for your health and well being.


Healthy eating everyone!

My word for 2017 is “Mindfulness” .. age 51, -28 lbs, 50 to go! 1200 cal/day
Canadian/Niagara Falls (36 yrs), now Alaska (16 yrs) + DH + 4Dachshunds + 1parrot

Goals for 2017
Drop 50 lbs by 2018
Declutter my life, my closets, my mind and my house
Exercise in a variety of ways and enjoy it
Get outdoors and see more of my State - Alaska
Develop the best wiener dog mushing team in the state of Alaska
Be a better friend to my friends, including my best friend - my DH Scott

Marn/Alaska

Hello from NC! Looking forward to being a part of this thread. 52 year old single mom of two boys, oldest is high-functioning autistic. My boys are awesome, my job is stressful, and I've put myself last for decades. The results of my last checkup has made me (finally) give my health priority. (Pre-diabetes, cholesterol and triglycerides very high.) I'm spending more time with God and His word, and of course that helps with the stress. Trying to really make lifestyle changes. It's hard! Change is hard, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Adulting in general is hard for me because on the outside I'm a hard-working responsible adult, but on the inside I'm a teenage nerd who wants to eat cheeseburgers and fries and drink beer and binge-watch Firefly on Netflix.

Men lose weight faster because they have more muscle mass than women.

For anyone who needs a cheering up

Beth, I'm sorry your husband & you suffered so long, I can't imagine it. My DH's meds include oxycodone, tramadol, Gabapentin, Baclofen plus ibuprofen & acetaminophen. I had no idea how life altering back pain can be.
Hope you get your care aids sorted but it sounds like an ongoing issue. My father who lived near Albany was so lucky he had a great young women who cleaned, shopped took him to appointments, did his banking etc until he went into nursing home care. Wish you could find someone like Teresa!

Sarah, up until last summer I had flower & veggie gardens then decided We needed a pool, that wiped out the vegetables. We have two acres but lots of trees & the south side of the house only had so much room. I have shade gardens as well as sunny. I have to protect all my hostas because of the deer. What are you growing?

Yvonne, no scientific data on swimming & flabby skin reduction but it's been working for me. When I swam at the Y I always brought a dried fruit snack to eat on my way home.

MicheleI'm with you on water aerobics in the deep end, a great work out & so kind to my bad knee.

Marni, my DH is impressed, an Alaskan & wife of a real fisherman is a part of this forum. I hear you on the tankinis I like them because of my long torso.

Allie, I imagine your RE market is similar to ours in Ma. Which means low inventory, multiple offers & frequently selling over list price. Glad your getting a CMA by a local realtor, Zillow is fine on sold info but not very accurate & sometimes way off on current values.

Lisa, good for you! I stopped smoking my 5-8 cigs a day a year ago, when I stopped my nightly wine....they kind of went together. Sure saves money not to mention the health benefits. Yes we can!

Checked vitamin D in my Centrum Silver Women 50+, 1000 IU. Then I checked out the NIH site since I never think about vitamins other than I take one every day. Too low isn't good but too high, without any obvious symptoms, can cause pancreatic cancer & cardiovascular events.

Garden Club meeting in the AM, leaving Wayne alone for longer than I have in a while. Hope he doesn't try to do some chore to help me!

Lois, thankful, on the North Shore of Ma.