WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2017
Options
Replies
-
Morning, all, happy December!
Kim, thank you for that vote on the blog - I really enjoy writing it, and find myself noting things throughout the day that I want to make sure I include. It's starting some really good conversations with friends, both online and off--ones who feel free to either agree or disagree. Love it.
My only goal for November was to get here, to North Carolina. Made it!
Not setting goals for me for December, except to get more of an idea of what's inside my head. Just finished reading "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story," by Dan Harris. After finishing, I actually sat and meditated for ten straight minutes yesterday, even with the complication of a stuffed-up nose from a rotten cold. It was the first time I've actually made it through ten minutes, and I've tried meditating more than once. He sort of gives you permission to screw up. Hard to explain. One session does not make a habit, but I'm optimistic.
Love y'all,
Lisa in NC
5 -
Penny - The percentage is just up in the corner when you see the chart. Next to the number of days streak. I am now 48% fluent in Swedish. :laugh: I don't think so. :noway: I remember getting off the bus in Norway, having completed the whole Norwegian course on Duolingo, and not being able to speak a word! I did improve during the trip, but passive knowledge is not the same as active.
My relationship with music is very fraught. I love music, but I get terrible "earworms" that can drive me insane. Some tunes just go round and round my head for days and sometimes all night. I daren't play "Graceland" , for example, or "Let it Go". Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh! "Human" by the Killers is another one. I love it, but it won’t leave me alone.
Going shopping with DH this afternoon to pick up stuff for Sunday lunch with his elder daughter and her boyfriend. DH is going to make his famous crumble. It will be just a roast chicken with pigs in blankets that she requested - low key and no ceremony.
Thanks Barbie for continuing this wonderful thread. I so value you all. For December I would love to shed a pound or two. Just one would be great. I have gained three pounds over maintenance, so it really is time to get a grip.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxx2 -
BARBIE thanks for Dec thread
Loving all Christmas decoration pics, we don't put any up now as we are away for the holidays
Kate UK3 -
Happy December to All!4
-
Happy December all! Thank you Barbie for bringing us into December and showing us how to be strong and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Let's see...December goals will be a challenge for me. Let's see if I can put together a list I can follow.
Follow my meal plan.
Keep water intake up.
RICE in the evenings.
baby steps into exercise when the doc gives the okay
enjoy the holiday season with senses other than my mouth.
leave room in meal plan for a small treat so that I don't feel denied.
Janet- I love cardinals! I decorate with them during the holidays. They were my mother's favorite bird. After she and my dad passed, DH, kids and I moved to Grand Haven and didn't ever see cardinals around. Then about five years later, I was feeling especially blue, early one December, and I looked outside and there were dozens of cardinals in the trees and bushes outside of our house. Your jeweled tree is gorgeous!
Wendy- Your running pictures make me want to raise my arms and yell "TOWANDA!" You look so strong and happy!
I have never heard of these books by Dr. Estes. Which one do you think I should start with?
Machka- LOVE your new profile pic! That red dress looks fantastic on you!
Rori- Thinking of you as you mourn the loss of a good friend. Grieving is how we handle our love for some one. Tears are love that we are unable to put into words. I feel that being able to allow ourselves to grieve/cry openly; allows others to feel free to do the same. Good-byes are hard. Think of it as a "see you on the other side". sending love
Kids arriving. I better scoot. love and hugs to all who need them. ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)
5 -
-
Machka - I too love that red dress! A great inducement to lose a couple of pounds. I bought a similar one this year and I love it. Red always cheers me up!
Rori - So sorry to hear about your neighbour. The people we see every day are wrapped into the fabric of our lives. The memorial get together sounds a good idea.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxx4 -
Setting up Christmas Decorations
Step 1: Take a double dose of allergy medications.
OK ... Day 1 of decorating is done! I should be able to finish tomorrow. I'm also hoping to tidy the place a bit tomorrow as well. I was decorating around clutter today. You just sort of get used to it until you try to do something and there's stuff in the way.
Anyway ...
This is my small tree ... the one I've had since I was about 16 and which I bought for about $5 at a little local hardware store in northern Alberta. It has been with me ever since !
This is my medium-sized tree ... the one my husband and I bought when we moved to Tasmania because our other two trees were in storage. It is partially dressed here. I'll finish it tomorrow.
And our "big" tree ... the one my husband and I bought for our first Christmas together. I will also finish it tomorrow with the star and ornaments.
If you click one of the photos, it will take you to my Christmas in Australia album ... Christmases past!
Machka in Oz7 -
Lisa, I read "10% Happier" by Dan Harris over a year ago and it was what helped me start on a daily meditation practice. I started with 5 minutes and added 5 seconds a day until I got to 16 minutes. I credit meditation for my peacefulness and acceptance of my surgery last year. Now I listen to Dan's podcast "10% Happier" where he interviews interesting people from all walks of life who meditate. It fuels and reinforces my daily practice. I found a place in my morning schedule for meditation and I highly recommend it,
Jake arrived home safely by 7 AM yesterday. He woke up early and was the fourth car in line for the earliest ferry in the morning. He has to take it easy for four days so that leaves me with all the dog walking and any chore that requires lifting anything over 5 pounds. He wanted to go out to lunch so we could sit and talk without the distractions of dogs or watching "Jeopardy". After that we did a few errands and came home and watched the library video of the 1974 version of "Murder on the Orient Express".
We don't decorate or bake or cook or buy gifts or observe holidays in any way, but I'm enjoying reading about all your preparations and decorations and adventures.
Barbie from NW Washington2 -
Barbie - One reason I started meditating is that I have trouble falling asleep at night. My husband's head hits the pillow and 10 seconds later he's snoring, but I usually toss and turn for an hour or two before dropping off. I've discovered that a bit of meditation right before bed works wonders.
At first I meditated in a chair or couch in the living room. Then I switched to sitting on the edge of the bed. Now I've learned that if I first undress and then do a 19-minute guided meditation sitting on the bed, I can sometimes fall asleep without noticing that I'm lying awake. Previously, I've usually been so hot that I had to keep adjusting the covers when I went to bed. I think undressing is contributing by lowering my body temperature before I even try to fall asleep.
/Penny, well-rested at the3 -
November goals:
Swim + to 10 miles :devil: :grumble:
Steps at 11,000 per day or better
Miles >= 2.5 a day :devil: :grumble:
HIIT>= 12 days
Strength: 8 or 16 split days with complete logging
IF: 8 successful fast days
Weight Loss goal 4 lb. (160.5 on Nov 1)
Some Nov Totals:
56.15 miles walk
8.35 mile swims
5.5 lb loss
12 HIIT sessions
8 strength sessions
Apple Watch recognized Workout Sessions: 64 totaling 30.x hours burning 8723 calories.
December Goals:
Mindful breathing 5 minutes a day
1.5 mile per day walk average
12 HIIT Sessions
8 - 12 strength sessions
8 mile swim total
Be under December 1 weight (155 lb) on December 31.
Apple Workout recognized calorie burn for December to exceed 9000 calories.
8 successful fasting days
Cin Cin a tutti
Rye
A pic I took of my Christmas tree garland
6 -
morning again ladies~
I am hoping this is just a cold and not the flu~ can not afford to be out of work...went down to the grand reopening of the supermarket my son works at and got a goodie bag as one of the first 200 customers in... shopping bag with all sorts of goodies in it and free 1/2 gallon of milk, free dozen eggs, free frozen pizza dough,,, I did pick up some 1/2 and 1/2 and Emergen-C , drinking that now, and then will lay down for a bit...2 -
0
-
cityjaneLondon wrote: »Penny - The percentage is just up in the corner when you see the chart. Next to the number of days streak. I am now 48% fluent in Swedish. :laugh: I don't think so. :noway: I remember getting off the bus in Norway, having completed the whole Norwegian course on Duolingo, and not being able to speak a word! I did improve during the trip, but passive knowledge is not the same as active.
My relationship with music is very fraught. I love music, but I get terrible "earworms" that can drive me insane. Some tunes just go round and round my head for days and sometimes all night. I daren't play "Graceland" , for example, or "Let it Go". Aaaaarrrrrgggghhh! "Human" by the Killers is another one. I love it, but it won’t leave me alone.
When I get some tune stuck in my head and need to get rid of it, I've found one surefire way to exorcise it. I just start singing the baritone aria "Betrachte, meine Seel, mit ängstlichem Vergnügen" from Bach's St. John Passion. It ALWAYS drives the earworm out of my head. Sometimes it replaces the earworm, but I don't mind that!
Hey, don't anybody knock it! It works for me!
My father has a "default song" and is convinced that when he's lying on his deathbed it will be to the tune of the theme song from "Cheers" (Makin' your way in the world today takes everything you've got...). I have a default song too, but unfortunately it's even worse. It's the jingle Norwegian ice cream trucks play when they're driving around. When my time comes, I hope I can remember to replace it with Betrachte...
/Penny at the
3 -
At one of the schools I sub for a 5th grader named Zoe issued a challenge of doing an act of Kindness for someone and the challenge that person to pay it forward three times. For the last couple of years I have made doing an acts of Kindness my December goal this challenge fits me perfectly.
I realize part of kindness is to not make a big deal out of it. This is why I like bringing in this idea is that of a 5th grade girl who is trying turn around the negativity that seems to be persuasive throughout the world right now.
Margaret4 -
Happy December!
Rori - so sorry to hear about your friend and neighbor - glad Casper has found a home but I know you and your kitty will them both, as you mentioned.
Sue - I'll bet Ginger is a real love. Hope she can hang around a bit longer with minimal pain. Our older dog is 1/2 poodle and shares that sweet face.
Wendy - I read the "Wolves" book over twenty years ago. I see our library has some of Estes more recent works and will check them out. When I read the "Wolves" book I was still immersed in the business world, trying my hardest to make a contribution and putting everything into what I loved doing. Now that I'm retired, let's just say it's been a challenge to figure out what I want to do when I grow up, lol. I so appreciate your sharing on this thread.... gets me a little closer to recapturing those moments I enjoyed and analyzing why I enjoyed them. Hey, how is the queen business doing?
Joyce - glad to hear you are managing with all of your extra hardware, lol. Foot, arm... if people ask, just tell them the thug that did this to you is still in intensive care! He got the worst of it!! Same goes for Terry and DJ and the rest of you with braces or casts right now.
Heather - I love hearing about your company - I would be super stressed out but I know you handle it with finesse and grace. Having the pub close by has to help immensely, lol. Glad your friend will still be close by and it was terrific you could spend more time with your cancer friend.
Pip - I am so impressed with all of your special Christmas tree ornaments! Do you have your tree up and are they on there right now? What a nice way to reminisce and be surrounded with loving and special things this time of year.
Machka - you are the bomb in that red dress. And your Christmas trees (and everyone elses) are getting me excited. I'm afraid DH ate our tree, lol. I'm at least going to dig out lights! And put my Santa carvings on the mantel!
Katla - glad your cleaner showed up and did a good job for you! Sure makes a difference and lifts a person's spirits. Found out our former cleaner had dental surgery yesterday and now has a hernia so not sure if she's cleaning much if at all right now. Regarding green medicine - I think I'm allergic to the smell but it absolutely has a place in the medical world. My DH finds it helps with his RA pain. Glad it's legal now in our states so those who need it can get it. I actually bought some arthritis rub with an extract in it when my knee hurt. It didn't help with that but I need to dig it out next time I get muscle and/or joint pain and see if it does the trick.
Thank you Barbie for bringing us into December! I see I signed up on Dec 24th last year. Am so happy with the changes I've been able to make with constant encouragement and support found here. I am going to have to check out "10% Happier".
I've never been one to sit still long enough to meditate, although lately I'm finding it easier to take my thoughts elsewhere and blocking out reality - to visualize being in a store or park, for example, and noticing the detail, hearing the sounds, smelling the smells. I wonder if this is a sign of dementia??? Maybe it's time to finally sit down and write that novel???
Goals - continue strength training and bone building exercises (added jumping jacks in November and it's going well. 20 of them three times a week when I'm doing the other strength routine. They are gentler than the ones I did 50 years ago - no high leaping with arms clapping above the head... not yet anyhow, lol.)
And sugar.... one day at a time I'm afraid. I have apples on the grocery list today.
Eating after 5 pm.... still difficult but learning the hard way with the acid reflux problems which are getting better. Ten more days of omeprazole.
Time to get going. Have a great day everyone!!
Lanette
SW WA State3 -
Kim: I am so pleased that things are going well for you and I envy your cookie baking with your mom.
Machka in OZ: I love your little artificial tree with its teddy bears. Thanks for sharing Christmas photos in Australia.
Lisa: I hope you are happy and feel at home in North Carolina for a long while to come.
Heather: Like you, I'm up a few pounds over maintenance. I'm ready to take it on. Two things have been my downfall--I've been a little too generous with alcohol consumption and sugary treats that it seems to bring along with it. :grumble:
KJ: I love the words of consolation you shared with Rori.
Margaret: I love the idea of acts of kindness. What a lovely thing and surprising to learn about it from a 5th grader.
I am planning to go to yoga today & also thinking about Christmas gifts for my adult children. I think that we've given generous gifts to each for DS's upcoming baby and DGD's health issues. I'm sending gifts to the grandchildren. Is that enough? Advice welcome!!! Also desperately needed...
Katla in beautiful NW Oregon
Struggling with this at the moment:
"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James1 -
yo peeps0
-
Did Jari Love Revved to the Max DVD. The plan for tomorrow is to do Cathe Friedrich Afterburn DVD
pip - what neat favors! Were you and Kirby married in December?
M - is castor sugar like our confectioners sugar? Thanks for the recipes
Sharon - Kiera sounds so adorable
Terry - that pic of Betty Boop is very very good. You say your daughter drew it?
janetr - fantastic tree! You are so talented
Rori - I'm so sorry about your friend. How nice of you to volunteer to put those flyers up! That's just like you. You can do this, you are a strong woman.
K - 50 hours is awesome!
Michele in NC
no, in june, we were married on a boat1 -
Rori - So sorry for your loss0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.5K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 392 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 926 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions