WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR APRIL 2022

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Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    bananasandoranges wrote: »
    MACHKA I agree it's good to like one's body. I'm fine with mine overall.
    Now losing is more about health. When I was younger it was more about appearance and also balanced well-being I thing.

    So I have been very tired of late. I have gained about 17 pounds in 5 years. That's about + 15% that I'm carrying around every day. I think that is what is tiring me. it's more tiring to walk around. I'm not really much more muscular... So presumably if I lose at least some of this I will be less tired. Generalists have tended to say I was not overweight since I was just at the top of average BMI, and it could be worse. no point having a complex for no reason. Now I'm at 25.5 BMI. Not easy though, as some of us have seen.

    Height
    I lost an inch more or less over the years. As a young teen I was 5 2 then went up to about 5 3 and am now back down to 5 2.
    "on average, women lose two inches of height between ages 30 and 70. By age 80, that number is three inches"

    Two inches ! by 70! that's a lot!

    I'm not crazy about that! I liked the extra inch. it brought me closer to average!
    But it's hardly the worst thing in the world. In France and also in the USA average female height is 5'4" so I was quite close to average here and I guess in the USA too, all told.

    It must be good for women who feel they are too tall. I don't think it's SO common but I had an acquaintance that was about 6 feet back in the day and was uncomfortable with that at the time.

    So losing an inch means my BMI goes up at same weight. But also I gained weight.

    On height ...

    How You Can Avoid Losing Height as You Get Older
    It's never too early to prevent bone loss with diet, physical activity
    https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-avoid-losing-height-get-older/

    "Losing a little height as you get older is normal. Over the years, the discs between your spine’s vertebrae flatten, your muscles start to lose mass and the spaces between your joints narrow.

    However, a significant loss in height can signal osteoporosis, says rheumatologist Abby G. Abelson, MD, FACR."

    "Your diet and lifestyle are two important risk factors that you can control to prevent osteoporosis. That means eating a diet rich in calcium throughout your life and regular physical activity can help a lot. Dr. Abelson adds that it’s also important to stop smoking if you do and to avoid excessive alcohol intake.

    You should aim to get 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day to help prevent bone loss, Dr. Abelson says. Exercises that make your muscles work against gravity, such as walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting, are best for strengthening bones."

    Aging changes in body shape
    https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003998.htm

    "The tendency to become shorter occurs among all races and both sexes. Height loss is related to aging changes in the bones, muscles, and joints. People typically lose almost one-half inch (about 1 centimeter) every 10 years after age 40. Height loss is even more rapid after age 70. You may lose a total of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) in height as you age. You can help prevent height loss by following a healthy diet, staying physically active, and preventing and treating bone loss."



    I've lost about one-half inch (about 1 centimeter). Used to be 5'6" and now I'm 5'5.5".

    But since being told I slouch when I stand and walk, and since really noticing what I looked like in a mirror when I did that back in 2015, I started making an effort to stand tall and walk tall.

    I could be wrong, but I think standing tall and walking tall make me look slightly more slender.
    Doing those things also makes me feel slightly more confident.
    So it's possible, perhaps, that I still look 5'6" when I try to make myself tall. :smiley:

    I also tend to wear shoes with just a slight heel.

    I'm about 2 kg heavier in this photo than I am now, but I'm standing tall and I think I look slimmer than I've been feeling the last couple days!! :smiley:

    ds0t7tc4o6dv.png


    Then there's the exercise factor. As stated above, "walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting, are best for strengthening bones."

    Cycling doesn't do much, and knowing that years ago, I started walking and walking and walking. More recently I've added occasional jogging and stairclimbing. Plus I do some weightlifting.


    I do need to find a GP ... and talk to her about getting a bone density test.

    Last time I talked to a GP about that, it was a University GP in Alberta. I would have been in my early 40s but she informed me I was way too young to start thinking about bone density tests ... she said they wouldn't do a test on me for another 10-15 years.

    Given that the tests can start in our mid to late-40s ladies, I don't think she realised I was 41 or 42 years old!!

    But now I'm a lot older than that, so I should get on it. I wonder if I look 40 now. :wink:


    Machka in Oz
  • KetoneKaren
    KetoneKaren Posts: 6,411 Member
    edited April 2022
    Lisa,

    A thought about your Humira.

    Can you ask your doctor to send the rx to CMOP, the mail order prescription service for the VA? Cost- and convenience-wise might be better/easier in the long run...just a thought.

    Of course, just getting through to ask for the prescription is an ordeal, I realize... <3

    Karen in Virginia
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    LisaInArkansas wrote: »
    No one told me this, so I didn't stop at the pharmacy, even though I walked by it during my rat maze journey to and from my appointment. I walked by it because they have shut down the main entry to the hospital and the primary care entry to the hospital, and there is no sign ANYWHERE on that *kitten* campus that says that, so you just keep traipsing around until you finally find a door that will open. Which is the emergency entrance. There was a sign there saying: No emergencies accepted, please go to: and an address.

    I find myself continually amazed by bureaucratic decisions that make no sense whatsoever. Not sure why, I've dealt with them throughout my entire adult life. Still find the incredible stupidity just staggering. Had three people tell me, "Nope, I'm lost too."

    Later,
    Love,
    Lisa in AR

    That reminded me of 4 years ago when I was instructed to get my flu shot.

    4 years ago, I spent 3 months in the hospital sitting by my husband's bed and then, as he became more mobile, walking the halls. I got to know a portion of the hospital quite well.

    One day, the nursing staff (knowing I work for the same overall department as they did) strongly advised that I get the flu shot if I were going to be in every day, and reminded me I could go to a certain lecture theatre in another part of the hospital to get it done.

    Off I went ... and promptly got lost. I found a reception counter down a corridor and they gave me new instructions of how to get there. And I promptly got lost. I asked someone waiting for an elevator who gave me a few instructions which were not at all helpful. Finally, I thought I had it figured out, opened a door (as instructed) and walked to the reception desk to walk through that department (as instructed) but I was stopped by the receptionist.

    She told me that yes, I could get to the lecture theatre that way, but I'd have to put on surgical scrubs because that way went right past the operating theatres. And she handed me the scrubs!! :open_mouth:



    I asked if there were another route and she directed me that way ... some time later, eventually I found it ... and then had to find my way back!!

    But it did amuse me that I could have opted for the surgical route. Maybe I could have dropped in on someone's surgery on the way. :grin:


    Machka in Oz

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    Today's walk ...

    espvuh4gojlc.png
  • Snowflake1968
    Snowflake1968 Posts: 6,730 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    bananasandoranges wrote: »
    MACHKA I agree it's good to like one's body. I'm fine with mine overall.
    Now losing is more about health. When I was younger it was more about appearance and also balanced well-being I thing.

    So I have been very tired of late. I have gained about 17 pounds in 5 years. That's about + 15% that I'm carrying around every day. I think that is what is tiring me. it's more tiring to walk around. I'm not really much more muscular... So presumably if I lose at least some of this I will be less tired. Generalists have tended to say I was not overweight since I was just at the top of average BMI, and it could be worse. no point having a complex for no reason. Now I'm at 25.5 BMI. Not easy though, as some of us have seen.

    Height
    I lost an inch more or less over the years. As a young teen I was 5 2 then went up to about 5 3 and am now back down to 5 2.
    "on average, women lose two inches of height between ages 30 and 70. By age 80, that number is three inches"

    Two inches ! by 70! that's a lot!

    I'm not crazy about that! I liked the extra inch. it brought me closer to average!
    But it's hardly the worst thing in the world. In France and also in the USA average female height is 5'4" so I was quite close to average here and I guess in the USA too, all told.

    It must be good for women who feel they are too tall. I don't think it's SO common but I had an acquaintance that was about 6 feet back in the day and was uncomfortable with that at the time.

    So losing an inch means my BMI goes up at same weight. But also I gained weight.

    On height ...

    How You Can Avoid Losing Height as You Get Older
    It's never too early to prevent bone loss with diet, physical activity
    https://health.clevelandclinic.org/can-avoid-losing-height-get-older/

    "Losing a little height as you get older is normal. Over the years, the discs between your spine’s vertebrae flatten, your muscles start to lose mass and the spaces between your joints narrow.

    However, a significant loss in height can signal osteoporosis, says rheumatologist Abby G. Abelson, MD, FACR."

    "Your diet and lifestyle are two important risk factors that you can control to prevent osteoporosis. That means eating a diet rich in calcium throughout your life and regular physical activity can help a lot. Dr. Abelson adds that it’s also important to stop smoking if you do and to avoid excessive alcohol intake.

    You should aim to get 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day to help prevent bone loss, Dr. Abelson says. Exercises that make your muscles work against gravity, such as walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting, are best for strengthening bones."

    Aging changes in body shape
    https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003998.htm

    "The tendency to become shorter occurs among all races and both sexes. Height loss is related to aging changes in the bones, muscles, and joints. People typically lose almost one-half inch (about 1 centimeter) every 10 years after age 40. Height loss is even more rapid after age 70. You may lose a total of 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) in height as you age. You can help prevent height loss by following a healthy diet, staying physically active, and preventing and treating bone loss."



    I've lost about one-half inch (about 1 centimeter). Used to be 5'6" and now I'm 5'5.5".

    But since being told I slouch when I stand and walk, and since really noticing what I looked like in a mirror when I did that back in 2015, I started making an effort to stand tall and walk tall.

    I could be wrong, but I think standing tall and walking tall make me look slightly more slender.
    Doing those things also makes me feel slightly more confident.
    So it's possible, perhaps, that I still look 5'6" when I try to make myself tall. :smiley:

    I also tend to wear shoes with just a slight heel.

    I'm about 2 kg heavier in this photo than I am now, but I'm standing tall and I think I look slimmer than I've been feeling the last couple days!! :smiley:

    ds0t7tc4o6dv.png


    Then there's the exercise factor. As stated above, "walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting, are best for strengthening bones."

    Cycling doesn't do much, and knowing that years ago, I started walking and walking and walking. More recently I've added occasional jogging and stairclimbing. Plus I do some weightlifting.


    I do need to find a GP ... and talk to her about getting a bone density test.

    Last time I talked to a GP about that, it was a University GP in Alberta. I would have been in my early 40s but she informed me I was way too young to start thinking about bone density tests ... she said they wouldn't do a test on me for another 10-15 years.

    Given that the tests can start in our mid to late-40s ladies, I don't think she realised I was 41 or 42 years old!!

    But now I'm a lot older than that, so I should get on it. I wonder if I look 40 now. :wink:


    Machka in Oz

    My hip and back issues that started out as an injury progressed downhill as a result of my poor posture. My exercise therapist and a physiotherapist both told me the best way to keep proper posture is to “suck it in”. You hold your belly in like you would for a tighter pair of paints, but don’t hold your breath. It strengthens your core, and forces you to have proper posture.

    When I turned 50 my doctor sent me for a bone density test. It was also my mammogram year. I called to make the appointments and they scheduled my mammogram for Sept 12, day before my birthday. When they went to schedule my bone density for the same day, they couldn’t as I wasn’t 50 and AB Health wouldn’t cover it. We changed it to the 14th and it worked.

    Even that close it wasn’t accepted.

    Tracey in Edmonton
  • Snowflake1968
    Snowflake1968 Posts: 6,730 Member
    Ginny - “
    Julie-I don’t believe it is a new intolerance, but I will keep an eye on that This is my first spring season not smoking for many years-don’t know if that impacts or not.”

    When I quit smoking I felt sick for a year with congestion, sinus issues, cold like symptoms. My doctor told me it was my body getting rid of all the gunk. Don’t know how true her reasoning was, but it was a unhealthy feeling for a run of time.

    Tracey
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    edited April 2022
    ginnytez wrote: »
    Machka-I am just shaking my head at your chance to walk past the operating rooms . . .


    Take care all,

    Ginny in Ohio

    Well, I was wearing my Health ID tags. :smile:

    I'm hoping they wouldn't have made that offer to someone without the IDs!! :open_mouth:


    ginnytez wrote: »
    Received new orthotics Monday. Am breaking them in this week. Was to wear them 2 hours yesterday. Wore them on my walk (took me about an hour for my 3 miles) and then around the house a bit. Was very pleased to notice none of my usual foot pain. Even this am-woke up-no pain across top of feet. Hoping these do make a difference. I definitely walked faster yesterday.

    Ginny in Ohio


    I need to find mine!! :open_mouth:


    M in Oz

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    This was in the monthly carer's magazine I get.

    fj9uwy0bon0j.png

    I'll list the 14 "answers" tomorrow. :)


    Machka in Oz
  • cityjaneLondon
    cityjaneLondon Posts: 12,195 Member
    edited April 2022
    Long chat with DSIL this morning. DH upset her a bit, because he was keen to write, so I took over. He came back later and finished off. Her ankle seems to be healing well from the fusion, but their old aunt is failing. She is 95. I enjoyed having a longer chat with DSIL.
    Then I got down to writing, mainly editing, as I had lost time and pace. I went upstairs to find old compilation tapes that old boyfriends had made for me. Remember those? :D It seemed to be an essential ritual of wooing in the old days. :laugh: I've got Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Brahms, Schubert, Gloria Estafan, Taxi Pata Pata, Thelonius Monk. I remember making a Cindy Lauper one for an old passion. :p
    What do wooers do nowdays?

    DH off to get his 2nd booster this afternoon.

    Homemade pizza for dinner.

    Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 16,905 Member
    <3
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    <3
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,835 Member
    cityjaneLondon wrote: »
    Long chat with DSIL this morning. DH upset her a bit, because he was keen to write, so I took over. He came back later and finished off. Her ankle seems to be healing well from the fusion, but their old aunt is failing. She is 95. I enjoyed having a longer chat with DSIL.
    Then I got down to writing, mainly editing, as I had lost time and pace. I went upstairs to find old compilation tapes that old boyfriends had made for me. Remember those? :D It seemed to be an essential ritual of wooing in the old days. :laugh: I've got Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Brahms, Schubert, Gloria Estafan, Taxi Pata Pata, Thelonius Monk. I remember making a Cindy Lauper one for an old passion. :p
    What do wooers do nowdays?

    DH off to get his 2nd booster this afternoon.

    Homemade pizza for dinner.

    Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

    There were compilation tapes around, but mostly my mother made them for when we went on driving holidays as a family.

    I got a Teddy Bear from my first husband when we were dating.

    With my current husband, it was all about cycling stuff. My engagement ring was a wheel he built with a particular hub. Aside for 3 years when it was stolen and until it was recovered, I still have it.

    No idea about now.

    Machka in Oz

  • 1948CWB
    1948CWB Posts: 1,302 Member
    LISA ~ I had no idea the meds would cost so much through Walmart as opposed to the VA. I can certainly see why you continue to persist in getting them through the VA.

    Carol in GA
  • 1948CWB
    1948CWB Posts: 1,302 Member
    HEATHER ~ The Oldies were the Best! I can tolerate Adele and John Legend but that's about all now-a-days!

    Carol in GA
  • pipcd34
    pipcd34 Posts: 16,521 Member
    777
  • Anniesquats100
    Anniesquats100 Posts: 3,035 Member
    Lisa you are brave. I failed at getting the VA to change my name after my divorce. I did have VA mortgages, that side seems to run more smoothly. I served for ten years, but very little overseas. Just three months in England. A very easy tour, compared to Afghanistan, Korea and others.

    Having a slow morning. I'm still trying to figure out eating breakfast at seven instead of nine. Today I had a yoghurt at ten, but now I'm too full to start yoga. The yoga video series I started is getting quite difficult, and my knee is having a setback.

    So I'm having a comfy rest with Teddy and hoping my tea caffeine will kick in. It's a rainy day in a rainy week. I might make myself a mocha coffee if this keeps up.

    Annie in Delaware
  • KJLaMore
    KJLaMore Posts: 2,828 Member
    Heather- Playlists. This is the generation of "playlists". A playlist for every activity. Driving. Exercising. Grooming. Working. Sex. So...I am sure they make one for "flirting", "dating", "impressing". lol I have made two for my childcare kiddos. One has higher energy music, the other has slower music.

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