WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR SEPTEMBER 2020

barbiecat
barbiecat Posts: 17,251 Member
in Motivation and Support
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:) It's a brand new month and a great time to make a clean start on new and old resolutions. I have found that building and maintaining habits is best done with the support and encouragement of others who are walking a similar path.

:) The name of the thread is "Women Ages 50+" but all women are welcome. Please join us on this journey to health and fitness.

:) Be sure to bookmark this page so you can find us again.

:) It is helpful if you sign your post with a name or nickname and a location, specific or general, to make the discussion more personal.

81824br5uyrfrsr.gif Barbie from NW WA

My word for 2020 is "flexible". I am looking to become more flexible physically and emotionally.

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Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,689 Member
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    Tips that have worked for me
    Put your current numbers into MFP
    Select sedentary as your activity level
    Choose how much you'd like to lose (i.e. 1 lb/week)
    MFP will give you the number of calories to eat
    Eat those calories
    ... and weigh (with food scale) and log every bite.


    A few extra things have helped me along the way:

    1) Exploring my grocery stores and markets to find delicious, filling low calorie foods. It's amazing what's out there.

    2) Exercising as much as possible. Exercise gives me extra calories to work with so that I can have things like pizza now and then ... but to keep my sanity and not wear myself out, my exercise quantity varies as does what I do for exercise.

    Also, I tend not to eat all my exercise calories back.
    If I've just done a little bit of exercise like a 3 km walk or something, I'll eat about 50% of my calories back.
    If I've done a moderate amount of exercise like a 5 km run or 50 km bicycle ride, I'll eat about 75% of my calories back.
    If I've done a lot of exercise, like a half marathon or a 100 km bicycle ride, I might eat about 90% of my calories back.

    3) Eating how I want to eat. This is where everyone is different ... some people prefer to employ fasting, others like high protein diets, some like vegetarian diets, some like to eat 2 or 3 meals a day, others like to graze. Go with what works for you.

    Personally, if I had to define what I do, my diet is probably most similar to a Mediterranean diet with a vegetarian lean ... and I'm a grazer. I also have to adjust what I do depending on my cycling events ... they're tricky because I need the fuel without going overboard.

    Stick to it for 5 weeks, then reassess how things are going. :)


    Regarding Cheat Meals
    When I was on a mission to lose weight in 2015, I never went over my calorie limit. I stuck to the plan like glue. And I lost the weight.

    But I broke it up into weeks. When I started I had 16 weeks until we were going to Canada so my plan was to stick to the calorie limit for 16 weeks and then take a 1-month break while we were in Canada. I did that and lost 15 kg in that time. After the 1-month break, I eased back into it for a couple weeks, upped my calorie limit slightly, and then stuck to it like glue for the next 16 weeks in which I lost 11 kg and took me close to Christmas when I took another break for about a month.


    10 Things to Stop Doing If You Want to Exercise
    https://www.verywellfit.com/things-to-stop-if-you-want-to-exercise-1231403


    January's 2020 Goals
    It is difficult to make goals because I'm not sure what's going to happen one day to the next. I plan, God laughs ... or something like that. The last couple years have been a lesson in patience and flexibility and giving up a lot of what I would like to do in the interests of what needs to be done.

    However, I do have some goals I'd like to accomplish, if possible ...

    How to Set SMART Goals for 2020
    SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.
    https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/smart-goal-setting

    Interestingly, he talks about 7 significant areas ...

    Financial Goals: Start saving for retirement, get out of debt, or use a monthly zero-based budget.
    Spiritual Goals: Pick up a new devotional, start a daily journal, or plug in to a group at your church.
    Fitness Goals: Hit the gym more often, take the stairs, and remember to eat your veggies.
    Educational Goals: Go back to finish your degree, get your MBA, or read a good book every month.
    Family Goals: Plan one-on-one dates with your kids, have a standing date night with your spouse, or make it a point to call your mom and dad on Sunday nights.
    Career Goals: Work toward a promotion or raise, learn something new about your line of work, or polish up and send out resumés if you’re looking for a new career path.
    Social Goals: Say yes when someone invites you out to lunch or a social gathering—or, for some of us, say no more often.

    I've modified this slightly ...

    Organisation/Financial Goals -- Getting our taxes done and other paperwork in order.

    Spiritual Goals -- I'd like to start attending church a bit more regularly. I'll also include relaxation and recreation in here. Down time. I get very little of that at the moment and need more. For me that might be sleep and photography. :)

    Fitness Goals -- Exercise, Eating, Sleeping -- Working up to running 5 km at least a couple times a month. Working up to cycling 50 km at least once a month.

    Educational Goals -- Uni! I would like to finish my Master's degree in 2020.

    Family/Medical Goals -- Husband. Never-ending stream of medical appointments regarding his brain injury + projects with 2 or 3 different organisations. And me! A goal is to get me into healthy shape again!

    Career Goals -- One of the main things my area is planning to work on is streamlining the processes a bit. Meanwhile I need to learn a lot more SQL and as much about what 2 different people I work/worked with did. I'm also on the board of two organisations now. Both interest me a lot, but I'm also hoping that taking on leadership roles might help advance my career a little.

    Social Goals -- Cycling Club and My Personal Website -- I have started working on this. I'd post it here, but not sure if I can: machka . net This had a social aspect in that we go to Wordpress meetings now and then.


    A little bit about me ...
    I'm Machka and I am in Tasmania, Australia. :)

    Some of my favourite hobbies/sports/activities include:
    -- cycling
    -- walking
    -- hiking
    -- running
    -- reading
    -- working on my website
    -- photography

    I bake, but don't cook, sew, knit, garden, etc.

    Most of my day is spent working with health data, "attending" university (online now) working toward a Masters in IT, doing homework, and spending time with my husband (who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury 2 years ago) and new kitty, Rhody.

    My husband is not able to work anymore, so one of his main activities is gardening. He works at that at his own pace and we've got quite a lovely garden of flowers, fruit and veggies.

    This is Rhody ... an all black, 10-month old "domestic" who joined us just 5 months ago. :)

    nneinev2ot4y.png



    I joined MFP in February 2015 and promptly lost 15 kg, took a 1-month break, then lost another 11 kg. By Christmas 2015, I was down to a weight I hadn't seen in quite a few years ... since my early 30s.

    In 2016, 2017 and the early part of 2018 I maintained while increasing my cycling. My sport, within cycling, is ultradistance cycling: Audax, Randonneuring, 24-hour races, etc.

    Here's me in 2016 in Brisbane, QLD a couple days after cycling a 300 km event in 18 hours including all breaks.

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    In late 2017 and early 2018, my husband and I were in great shape and feeling good. We were cycling events and on our own and building up the distances in the hopes of going to France in 2019 to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km event. We met on a Paris-Brest-Paris in 2003, and the 2019 one was going to be a bit of an anniversary trip.

    And then on March 22, 2018, my husband had a very bad accident at work ... and life changed. He was in a coma for 3 weeks and post traumatic amnesia for 7 weeks and in hospital for 100 days. Then, a year after the accident, he had a tonic clonic (grand mal) seizure which set him back. He'll never fully recover but he's doing better then they originally predicted.

    He is cycling again but gets very tired so can't cycle consistently or for long distances.

    Because cycling is something we've always done together, this means I'm not cycling the ultra long distances at this point either. In an attempt to boost my exercise we've set up a home gym, and I've got into running again. I hadn't run since I was in my late teens!

    But all the time sitting at the hospital and dealing with the aspects of care for my husband, plus working, plus attending university has taken its toll on my weight and I don't look like that picture above anymore! :open_mouth: This year I have maintained my weight but I'd really like to lose a bit.

    So that's me in a rather large nutshell. :)


    September...
    • Work - big submissions due at end of month
    • University - assignment due next week
    • My husband's situation - just keeps going! Medical appointments and other "work"
    • Resuming Exercise

    Busy month.

    Machka in Oz
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 17,356 Member
    Ppp
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,689 Member
    edited September 2020
    Advice from WHO as we move into a new month ...

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    Whether we are shut down or not, I aim to get an hour of exercise each day. I don't always do it, but that's the goal. That would work out to 30 hours of exercise this month!!

    My exercise includes climbing stairs at work, walking as part of my commute and for errands, walking briskly at lunch, walking, cycling or rowing after work and on weekends.

    Last month I logged exercise for 21 hours ... this month I would like to get a lot closer to those 30 hours!


    More advice from WHO ...
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    Machka in Oz
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,689 Member
    auntiebk wrote: »
    Joe’s pressure still in the 40’s even after double dose rx. Scheduled for second surgery Thursday to “install a straw that will hurt like hell for 6 weeks. When it heals it will dissolve and eye pressure can drain. Possible won’t drain enough or will drain too much with no plan B if that happens. 50% chance of success.” Joe has a great attitude, joking about an eye patch and a white cane, grateful for his good left eye even though it needs cataract surgery. I’m so thankful he’s talking to me, and not keeping it all inside. He’s even mentioned that we should think about making a will, something he’s resisted mightily whenever I brought it up.

    Barbara, the Southern Oregon Coastie AHMOD

    AAAHHH! Ouch! Shudder!

    I'm really squeamish about anything involving eyes and that just sounds awful.

    I hope he'll be OK!

    M in Oz
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,786 Member
    Thank you , Barbie! <3

    A new month!

    Life continues much the same for me. Good job I like it. :D

    Exercise around 2 hrs 40 mins per day. (Machines, floor, weights, running)
    Writing around 50 mins per day.
    Languages around an hour + per day.
    Reading an hour + per day. Mostly non fiction.
    Tv, online mags, news, etc, foreign language films, cooking, eating, chatting, laundry, fills up the rest.

    Mostly happy about it, but would like to add in more grandchildren time.

    Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx
  • TerriRichardson112
    TerriRichardson112 Posts: 19,147 Member
    Barbie Thank you for setting up the new month. 💕💖💕

    Life has settled into a rhythm of sorts. I keep busy and active.

    Update on August:
    August 2020 Stats
    Back story:
    I’m Terri, from Northern Ireland (☘️ Terri)
    March 2014: 227 lbs
    August 2020: 149.8
    Maintaining since Nov 2019 using CI/CO and extra calories from exercise.
    Focus for 2020: improve stamina, strength, and flexibility.
    Happy with progress in August.
    August Daily Goals: Week 1
    🔹Focus ~ strength/stamina:
    Very happy with the results of my efforts since the middle of June.
    Weight stabilised around 150. All my stats are in the normal range for my age/height.
    🔹Weight maintained around 150
    1 August 2019: 171.1
    1 August 2020: 149.8
    1 September: 149.4
    🔹Reduce Fat%:✅ 29.3 -> 25.1-> 24.7
    🔹Increase Muscle%: ✅ 28.7 -> 30.1 -> 30.4
    🔹Calories < in the green ✅
    🔹Steps > 7500 ✅
    🔹Intentional exercise > 50 mins daily✅
    (Gardening/shopping/walking/HIIT/Yoga/Pilates/TaiChi/Circuits)
    🔹Active hours > 6 daily✅
    🔹Activities I got to do
    Meditation✅ Household chores✅
    walk/jog✅ HIIT✅ TaiChi/Yoga/Pilates✅
    Local shopping (with social distancing) ✅
    Gardening✅ Decluttering✅
    Skype with family✅
    Crochet/knit ✅ watch TV✅ Puzzles✅
    Catalogue poetry✅
    Sew masks✅ Embroidery✅
    Positive Intentions for September:
    🔹Focus ~ strength/stamina:
    Very happy with the results of my efforts since the middle of June.
    Weight stabilised around 150. All my stats are in the normal range for my age/height.
    🔹Weight maintained around 150
    1 August 2019: 171.1
    1 August 2020: 149.8
    1 September: 149.4
    🔹Reduce Fat%:✅ 29.3 -> 25.1-> 24.7
    🔹Increase Muscle%: ✅ 28.7 -> 30.1 -> 30.4
    🔹Calories < in the green ✅
    🔹Steps > 7500 ✅
    🔹Intentional exercise > 50 mins daily✅
    (Gardening/shopping/walking/HIIT/Yoga/Pilates/TaiChi/Circuits)
    🔹Active hours > 6 daily✅
    Some of the Activities I get to do
    Meditation✅ HIIT✅ TaiChi/Yoga/Pilates✅ Dancing✅ walk/jog✅ Gardening✅
    Skype with family✅ Crochet/knit ✅ Embroidery✅ watch TV✅ Puzzles✅
    Watercolour painting✅ Writing✅ Catalogue poetry✅
    Household chores✅ shopping (with social distancing) ✅ Decluttering✅
    Sew masks✅

    ☘️ Terri
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    edited September 2020
    Happy September! Thank you for getting us started, Barbie. :flowerforyou:
  • SuziQ113
    SuziQ113 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Barbie - Thank you for starting us off on the right foot for the month of September. You are the glue that keeps us together!
  • Faetta
    Faetta Posts: 1,059 Member
    edited September 2020
    Barbara Sorry to hear they cannot get Joe's eye pressure down without such drastic measures. I should wear a patch as I close my left eye when reading or doing computer. I still cannot get my eyes to track. Nothing else left for the doctor to do. Removing my cataracts relieved some eye pressure especially in my good eye.

    Katla You are up early!

    M in Oz That broken tooth doesn't sound fun.

    Laura Welcome to this fun group.

    Tracey You can do it!

    Lisa Great goals.

  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,412 Member
    Thanks for the September thread, Barbie!

    .
  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,847 Member
    <3
  • SophieRosieMom
    SophieRosieMom Posts: 3,702 Member
    B)
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    edited September 2020
    Machka: I hope your dental procedures work well for you. Being able to chew is important for overall health. I’m due for a trip to the dentist, too, but I’m putting it off until the Covid 19 health issues are less worrisome. :star:

    Barbara: I’m so sorry that Joe has eye pain. I hope the surgical procedures work well and he will be pain free. Making wills is something we need to do, too. :flowerforyou:

    Terri: My favorite part of your goals is your list of things you get to do. What a positive mind set! :bigsmile:

    Lisa in AR: Happy September backatcha. :star:


    I had a delightful facetime call from our daughter last night. I got to chat with her briefly and spent a good long time chatting with her older boy. He just had his 6th birthday and was very happy with his gift from us. We bought him a tent and he loves it. The tent is his fort. He and his friends can play in it and may be able to have an overnight there eventually. I also had a good long chat with our granddaughter. The youngest boy was off doing something else during the call.

    Here are my September 2020 Resolutions. They are familiar to me, because they work.

    September 2020 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 nightly.
    6. Abstain from alcohol.


    Halt Stress :

    1. Am I hungry?
    2. Am I angry?
    3. Am I lonely?
    4: Am I tired?

    For any yes answer, you have a practical way to help yourself. If I am hungry, I eat. If I am angry I can find a way to address the problem that caused anger. If I’m lonely, I can chat with this wonderful group, or DH, or call a friend. If I’m tired I can rest or sleep. It doesn’t make life perfect, but it sure helps smooth out some bumps.
    Katla in beautiful NW Oregon
  • margaretturk
    margaretturk Posts: 5,293 Member
    Thanks Barbie

    1. Get the projects done that need to be done to get ready for winter.
    2. Start walking Drew earlier at night. Eventually it will have to be a 4 we get dark by 5 in Nov.
    3. Keep paring down on things
    4. Take time to write or paint
  • mafery
    mafery Posts: 167 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Dental Update:
    I've broken most of the tooth off flat across the gum. So I've got a "stump" that's pretty much flush with the gum.

    What we're going to try is that she will build the area up in a "filling-in-a-cage" like she did two times before ... and then she'll install a crown. I've decided to go with a crown.

    Fortunately it's only about $1500 so it isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be! :)

    If, when she's working on the tooth, she thinks we'd do better with a root canal, we'll go that route but right now, the tooth is still alive and not very painful so at this point, she doesn't think I'll need a root canal.

    However, we will talk about a custom night mouthguard. I have tried the store-bought ones and none have fit me. They're so big! My dentist figures I just need a small one that is fairly specific to the area where I'm grinding.

    Machka in Oz

    I am having dental issues too. My bridge broke and they have quoted me 2400 to put in a new one. They are trying to get it approved by my insurance, so far, no luck.

    I too grind and going to buy a guard off amazon.

    Best if luck to you.

    Mary
  • mafery
    mafery Posts: 167 Member
    good morning everyone. I think i figured out how to bookmark this page.

    Well i went over calories yesterday but logged it all. Not crazy calories except for that free Panera cookie. Last night i made fresh spring rolls for lunch today. So no ordering out.

    My goal is to fit in two days of strength training a week. I already do an hour of hiking or combo run/hike a week but i need to add weights.

    My secondary goal is to stay on track 6/7 days meaning within calorie budget.

    Hope everyone has a great day.

    Mary in San Diego
  • SuziQ113
    SuziQ113 Posts: 1,520 Member
    Hello everyone.

    It’s hard to believe it’s September. I am sure most of us will be happy to put 2020 in our rearview mirror. When I sit back and think about all of the changes I have had to adjust to this year, I think wow. I can change and adapt while life throws me lemons! We should all be proud of ourselves of being able to adapt and make adaptations to our lives.

    All of the pictures of the grands near the end of August really made me smile. It is crazy how quickly all of the littles are growing and showing their personalities.

    Beth – Sorry to hear about your tooth!

    Machka – Sorry to hear about your tooth too. Maybe it’s time to get a mouth guard after the next one is fixed. I know they can be expensive and hard to adjust to, but may save your teeth in the long run.

    Pip – After seeing the ingredients I would eat Yogi’s treats! Love the neon bike rider, what a great gift and it’s great you found someone who could repair it.

    Margaret – Big hug to you. It’s my thought many want to remember when a person was “well” because they have a hard time realizing just how fragile life can be. It’s a way of protecting themselves and I believe to most it’s an unconscious thing. It’s good you are setting boundaries and taking the time to grieve in your own way and own time.

    Faye – People have disagreed with my orchid pictures. I think most “disagrees” are mistakes. The little spot on our phones is sooooo tiny!! 😊

    Katla – So happy to hear you had a private BD call with your GS. Oh, just reading about the 5% alcohol infused ice cream…….

    Karen – 100 years ago during my short time as a waitress we used to sprinkle a little salt when brewing the coffee to make it taste better than the awful coffee the owner would purchase. Salt would remove the bitterness and also allow for pots to sit a little longer on the burner. For my everyday coffee I have a plug-in percolator. I use the French Press on the weekend and also make my own cold brew coffee. I am certainly a coffee snob and drink single-sourced beans. I do enjoy coffees from around the world.

    Allie – Sending strength to you and am hoping you find the will to do things that make Allie happy. Many of those things will be difficult but I will tell you it’s well worth it.

    Annie – Hearing your story about the cell phone lesson is a reminder to me I must keep up with new technology. I cannot imagine what we will have in the next 10 years or so!

    Mary – Hope you’re able to find your joy again.

    Tina – I am glad you got a mountain retreat in. Sounds like a lovely weekend.

    Yvonne – Oh, no, oak leaf mites?! I never heard of them and hope to never experience them!

    Barbara – Praying for Joe and his eye and upcoming procedures.

    Hugs to all and prayers for those in need.
    SuziQ – SFL
  • 1948Peachy
    1948Peachy Posts: 1,511 Member
    :):):)

    Wishing everyone a great September!

    Carol in GA

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