WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR NOVEMBER 2025
😀 October has brought major challenges to many of us. Having the support of others on this thread has helped us walk through the tough times with a measure of serenity and gratitude.. Thank you to all who have supported me.
😊 Whether your life challenges are huge like the death of a loved one, or small like learning to use a new gardening tool; it helps to have a community of friends for support.
🤩 On this thread we share our solutions as we navigate through life seeking health and fitness. I hope you'll join the conversation. If you're new to this, don't be discouraged. You'll feel like one of us in no time at all.
😀 Please sign your post with a name or nickname and a location, specific or general.
🤗 Be sure to bookmark this thread so you can find us again.
🎵🎶 Barbie in NW WA
My word for 2025 is "enough". I don't need to get more or do more, I just need to appreciate what I have.
Replies
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Thank you Barbie!
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Well, did the staristepper Thurs, then to Aldi.
Tracey – I’m sure you’re making your MIL feel safe. What a hard life she had
Heather – so sorry about your son, but glad you got the boiler “fixed” Welcome home!
pip – I like the color of the rug against the wood
Rebecca – if you want to talk $hitty carpet, you should see the carpeting in the condo. And Vince wants to just clean it! It’s been there probably since the condo became condos and that was in the 80’s. Stains galore! In a way, sad as this is, Vince is allergic to cats and he had a reaction to (we think) the dander. Evidently, the dander is worse in kittens, and we had the kittens down there right after we got them. So that’s to me a good reason to take down all the popcorn ceiling (I want it gone anyway) and replace the carpeting with hardwood flooring. I still can’t believe he wanted to just wash it!
Well, he’s finished with the deck/porch (well, mostly. The inspection is scheduled for Monday, then he’s going on vacation for a week. They needed to dig to put in the footers. Now the requirement is that anything above 7 steps has to have a support. Guess it wasn’t that way when the deck was first built. Anyway, after the inspection he said he was going to fill in the holes for the supports
M – I buy my honey from a guy down the street. You can see the bee hives in his backyard. Can’t get much more local than that! Lol
kylia – so sorry for your loss
Went to ceramics the other night and picked up my blue crab.
Michele NC
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Thank you so much, Barbie! Always happy to keep this particular monthly appointment with this amazing group of women, and so glad to see anyone new to the group as well.
My gut went sideways this afternoon, so Corey got to do something for his own dinner, with Italian sausage, onions and peppers on fresh bread. Then he went back in after he had already eaten and made me a grilled cheese… and then ate the last half of it that I couldn't get finish. I am so grateful every day that he's in my life. I don't take him for granted, and much of that is because of all of you. Thank you for that.
Tracey - I'm so pleased that your mother-in-law will finally get to use some of the money that is rightfully hers and spend it on herself. You made that happen, and I know it's been stressful. So well done, my friend.
Kim - Love the Queen Bee!
Rita - I think you are doing the best that you can for the son that you love, and what feels right to you is probably what's right. I know it's been a tough year for you, and the last few months in particular. Just sending hugs and hope your way.
More tomorrow - hoping November is kind to us all.
Love,
Lisa in AR7 -
Thank you Barbie!
1 -
Thank you Barbie for starting another new month.
Year is going by so fast!Dh talked me into giving candy out, if kids show up. If they don't, that is fine- He will eat the candy.
No plans this weekend which will be nice- the next two weeks are going to be very busy-
Tuesday I will take mom for her MRI, my best friend will sit with me while we wait for mom then we will take her out to dinner then I will stay the night- heading home late morning on Wed. in time for class Wed evening. Next Saturday is the craft fair in town and the following Saturday is the craft fair by mom. Then get ready for Thanksgiving/dh's birthday(they are the same day this year)-He is asking for me to make sukiyaki for dinner that day. .
No shows after those two until middle of January, as of now.Walked the wetlands love all the birds that are showing up now. It changes daily, depending on the tide.
Debbie
Napa Valley,CA
7 -
stats for the day 10/31
Walk w/family- 1hr 30min 17sec, 10480steps, 41elev, 2.90ap, 80ahr, 105mhr, 4.47mi= 378c
Strava app= 542c
ROUVY home spin bike - Strava stats- 32.12min, 554elev, 112aw, 18amph, fear4098ahr, 125mhr, 9.64mi= 164c
Strava app= 205c
ROUVY stats- 32.12min, 553.5elev, 111aw, 45arpm, 17.9amph, 9.64mi= 205c
ROUVY home spin bike - Strava stats- 14.18min, 151elev, 81aw, 14,2amph, gear30, 88ahr, 101mhr, 3.38mi= 71c
Strava app= 67c
ROUVY home spin bike - Strava stats- 9.48min, 72elev, 79aw, gear30, 18.3amph, 100ahr, 134mhr, 2.98mi= 40c
Strava app= 45c
ROUVY stats- 10.38min, 71.6elev, 73aw, 31arpm, 16.8amph, 2.99mi= 45c
Walk kids-9.33min, 990steps, 2.20ap, .38mi= 73c
Strava app= 46cTotal cal 726
Picked up my race day packet. Got my bib# shirt, hoodie (hoodie doesn’t have the year on it :0/
146214626 -
October Accomplishments
Physical Wellness
- Lost 11.1 kg (24.5 lbs) since the beginning of January. I have been bouncing around at this level for a while now but this month I have seen a further teensy-tiny loss.
- Walked 76 km.
- Cycled 200 km.
- Climbed 502 flights of 20 stairs up plus landings at work.
- Tried out golf - driving with a golf pro providing tips.
- 35 hours of exercise ... only. 😃
Occupational/Intellectual/ Financial
- Worked full time in October - busy as usual but I feel like I'm accomplishing things and of course I'm learning lots.
- Taxes done.
Environmental/Social/Emotional/Spiritual
- Daylight Savings Time started. WooHoo!! I always feel like hibernation is over and life begins again when that happens.
- Cycling Club work - organised and ran a weekend of events. I've also been working on the club website and attended a rather volatile national committee meeting.
- Bee Group Zoom and a talk at the library.
- Attended Murder of Roger Ackroyd play.
- Gardening - I've been able to work on the front garden at last.
- Did several Sudokus - but they were easy.
- Coloured 2 pages. I'm working on one with a lot of little detail.
- Read 5 books.
- Continued reading Bible every night.
October Books
None of the books got a 5 start this month, but 4 got 4 stars:
- The Girl You Know
- Homecoming
- How to Sell a Haunted House
- Midnight is the Darkest Hour
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The other one got 3 stars.
Onward into November!
Machka in Oz
5 -
Thank you, Barbie!
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Lisa - Im happy to see your daughter reached out to you. Some lessons are learned later in life unfortunately.
Heather - it’s always nice when things are cheaper than expected.
Melanie - You and your sister are both beautiful. Have so much fun!
Kim - I love to see you pop in! I ordered new glasses last night, it’s been 5 years. You’ll be so happy to get them!
Margaret - I love the picture.
Beth - I can’t understand how you can pay that for a mattress and have to have it replaced already, has it even been a year?
My husband is relieved that she is here with us finally, but said tonight as far as he’s concerned he’s an only child now. He will never forgive his family for doing this to her.
He is also blaming himself that we didn’t know about the situation being as bad as it was. We knew about the misuse of money, but had been told the granddaughter was doing more than it seems she was. We couldn’t do anything with her being in the house with them anyway, but I understand his guilt.Barbie - thank you so much for a new month.
I can’t believe we’re into November already.I had a good day today.The POA has been written and paid for. It includes us as personal directives if/when the time comes, it just needs to be executed.
Then this evening she was talking to a friend and told her she didn’t think she would come back. She’s just worried about her stuff. Her friend (who is younger than me) has volunteered herself and her husband to help get what she wants out of the house.Rodger did tell her this morning that no matter who/when we get the stuff out of the house police will need to be present.
He also asked her if she wasn’t happier here not being screamed at all the time. She will never be screamed at in this house. She is still wanting to pay the power bill down there until the house is gone. I am letting her do that, but she’s not buying them anything else.
I’m so thankful for you ladies, I am breathing a little easier tonight.
Tracey in Edmonton11 -
Tracey - Such a wonderful thing you are doing. 😍 Does seeing your MIL up close, and hearing all the history and family story, help you understand your husband better? So much of John's problems are explained by his very early life.
Thank you so much, Barbie, for your steadfast dedication to this group of amazing women. 🤗
Finally relaxing in my warm house. I'm going to have a bath this morning. 😀
No trick or treaters. We turned all the lights off in the front of the house.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx
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Edie and Bea. The puppeteer and her puppet.
Heather UK xxxxxxxx
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Thank You Barbie! 🌺💚🍁
Carol in GA
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Saturday - sunny & warm.
I spent a couple hours in the front garden wielding my mattock and digging up the grass. I also hauled water to make sure a few things had some extra water. Good upper body workout.
Then my husband and I went for a 13 km bicycle ride. He comes with me on some of my rides - the slower, flatter rides.
Machka in Oz
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Tracey — I really admire what you are doing.
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Morning, my chicks,
Well, willy-nilly, here we are in November… again. I'm not terribly happy with October's moves toward physical and financial health, but I am, in general, happy.
Performance against goals:
My goals for October were the same as they've been for years now, but my performance against them was not as good:
- ❌Be lighter - Frustrating that the Crohn's is much more in charge than I am, or the medications. So… I was at 166 September 1, 157 on October 1, and I'm back to 166 as of November 1. Annoying. I did get up as high as 169, and got back down to 166 by this morning. Just… frustrating.
- ✅ Be healthier - I'm calling this a win, as once we got my renovated exercise room finished, I've been in there almost every day getting my exercises done. My movement level improved a lot since the beginning of the month.
- — Stick to the budget - Wasn't a failure, but wasn't really a win, either. We didn't fall back, but we didn't get ahead, either. But I did take care of Christmas for the grands (money-wise) and sent a care package to my daughter, too, as she is military.
So no progress, other than changes in movement, but kind of a wash overall. Let's call it a "balance," shall we?
And my goals for November are exactly the same:
- Be lighter
- Be healthier
- Stick to the budget
If you're new, welcome! If it seems we've known each other for years, many of us have, but we get new members of the thread almost every month. Some find what they need with this thread, and some need or want more (or less, sometimes, 'cause we can be a lot 😂).
If you feel we're the right group of health-oriented women, please, introduce yourself and sign your posts with what you want to be called, and about where you live, so we can keep the names reasonably straight. And drop into any conversation where you feel comfortable!
We do avoid discussing religion and politics, to make this a safe space for all concerned. We're trying to get healthy, and we know it takes everything in our lives to get there, not just the scale.
Many of us craft, sew, crochet, knit, quilt, and paint, whether on cards, canvases, or decor pieces. Again, still part of a healthy life! Quite a few have an exercise habit in place, with runners and bicyclists, and many others are trying to get one established, like me!
And yes, we have more than one person who is working with some of the GLP-type shots, no judgment from anyone here. Many more have simply used the logging function of MFP to help track their intake and their exercise, with much success. Others have had bariatric surgery with some success. As Barbie says:
🤩 On this thread we share our solutions as we navigate through life seeking health and fitness. I hope you'll join the conversation. If you're new to this, don't be discouraged. You'll feel like one of us in no time at all.
😀 Please sign your post with a name or nickname and a location, specific or general.
🤗 Be sure to bookmark this thread so you can find us again.
Love from Arkansas,
Lisa10 -
I got about 70 Trick or Treaters. I have had more and had less. Only a few pieces of candy left that I will give to my son when I see him today. I set an amount I will pay for candy now and when it is gone I turn out the lights. We are going to my uncle's 100 year old birthday party today!
More older trick or Treaters. Most came in groups which I think is good. There were some great costumes…Little Red Riding Hood…Sponge Bob…parent with a horse head. DrewB, my dog, got a bit overwhelmed. She came out for a few of them and the Treaters enjoyed seeing her in her pumpkin costume. I always wear my vest I was given as a gift years ago that says Happy Halloween. I thought of the Walktoberfest in Webster that son and I went to. I asked two treaters who dressed as cows where there Eat more Chicken sign like the baby I saw dressed as a cow and her family carrying that sign. A cow is a mascot for a chain here called Chick filet…They only serve chicken.
I am still at 155. I did not gain on my trip! Yeah!
8 -
I have a good friend I talk about health issues. She mentioned a friend whose husband with health issues died of a heart attack in his late 50's. Heart issues ran in his family and she blamed it on this. She said he did many things right and it did not change the outcome for him. I thought about that and we cannot know if living the healthiest he could did in fact give him more good years of life. I am just seeing more adults in my age group with chronic conditions. Does changing to healthier habits improve chronic conditions? We can only go by antidotal evidence. As Macha and others have pointed out there are many factors that affect our health.
One aspect I have studied for over a year now is diet. At this point I have concluded there is no perfect diet out there. Depending on who you listen to there is counterdictory advice…Dairy no dairy… no gluten/gluten is okay for some…plant based as opposed to a carnivore diet …the list goes on
Finding the diet that has worked for me to get to a healthy weight is a process.
Right now for me it is eat the least processed food I can…reduce grains, sugars, highly processed oils (most olive, avocado, and coconut oil are not treated to chemicals to extract them). Store foods in glass to reduce exposure to plastics…Eat a mix of high quality veggies (minimal high oxalate ones) and meats (organic when I can) Eat enough but not too much. If a food disagrees with me I eliminate it from my diet for a time and introduce it again slowly if I choose to see if it is a problem.
I always keep in the back of my mind the food companies put profit over health. What is the true cost…if a food hurts my health. How much does it cost to fix my health…The cost of that package of cookies is $5 what is the cost to treat diabetes? More than $5 is the true cost. Sometimes there is no good way to fix it.
What I eat affects my mind and the state of my body. Food can help me get better or make me feel more ill.
4 -
💀 No trick or treat in my neighbourhood. Our streets are marked private so no one comes from outside. I did many years of handing out candy and loved it, but now I am retired.
😀 Daughter arrived yesterday. She said that her 17 year old dressed up and went out trick or treating but not her 15 year old. We've had a nice visit so far.
😀 It has been raining all night and the dogs don't like getting wet. Our walk after supper was short as were the middle of the night treks to the yard to do business.. I will walk as usual this morning. The weather doesn't bother me.
😍 I love my simple ordinary life and having all of you to share it with me.
🌧️🎵 Barbie in NW WA
6 -
only one trick or treater. Boooo
146514654 -
❤️❤️
2 -
Tracey … I'm so glad to hear that you are making progress with settling your MIL's affairs. And I am especially glad to hear that Rodger is in agreement and supports it all. As far as feeling guilty, remind him that the best any of us can do is make decisions based on the facts we have at the time. You became aware of more facts and acted upon them. Guilt/regret … it should have no place in your household!
As for the mattress, it's only 4 months old! I'd rather give birth again than have to pick out another mattress. This should not be such a disaster. You would think my husband and I were related to Princess Pea. We're not. It's a shoddy mattress.
Barbie …thank you for the new month!
Trick or Treaters … we only had four! The leftover candy is going to my mom's facility today. She has much better control than I do with sugar and will put it in her candy dish for the aides to help themselves.
I am getting concerned about my weight stagnation (I'm eating very little and that's part of the problem) and overall feeling of losing strength (I'm getting lots of "unsteady gait" messages on my Apple watch). My son … who is doing great with his health efforts … has promised to help me get restarted today on our exercise equipment. I'll be starting out slowly again, but you have to start somewhere. So November's goals are to get consistent with exercise/movement and make healthy food choices.
Beth near Buffalo
8 -
Had fun taking the boys out last night. The youngest:
This stage goes so fast. He’ll be walking soon!
I am leaving for Calgary in the next couple of hours. Want to get a workout in then showers and head out. Looking forward to a week away, but will miss my crew.
Margaret- great mug shot! We watch High Potential. She has some wild outfits and those skirts are barely there. But she has the legs to pull them off. She is 50!
Good job on weight maintenance. I am hoping to accomplish that this week. I agree that there is no one size fits all diet. I have found too that I can no longer tolerate high glycemic carbs or highly processed foods.
Cute dog costume 😊Machka- What a month you had! You got so much accomplished. Truly inspiring for me.
Thank you Barbie for another month. I really look forward to interacting with you all.
Take care of yourselves 💕
Melanie, Alberta
7 -
Thank you Barbie for keeping us going.rainy and windy last night.windy still today.oh well taking my meds as usual
4 -
My November goals:
10,000 steps per day
Swim once a week
Bike twice a week
Strength train 3 days a week
Diet- keep the junk out, get the protein in
30 min of educational reading per day
I saw a quote that inspired me greatly… what if I was to get this done and not quit? This is the one thing I have consistently quit at, eating to heal my body. Not get to a certain weight or size or look, but really feed it so it works at its best. I am proud of myself for finally realizing that.
Melanie
7 -
😀 Margaret, I agree with you that there is no perfect diet. Dr. Chatterjee frequently talks about telling his patients to try something and see if it works and how they feel. There are so many "diets' that people have used with good results and those same eating plans don't work for others. Sugar and ultra processed foods are probably the choices that are worst but Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, low carb, no carb and others have worked well for many people and not for others.
👣 I'm home from a 10,000 step walk in a light rain. Dogs didn't want to go.
🌧️ Barbie in NW WA
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Barbie - thanks for rolling us into November. I always look forward to your introductory message each month. We are so lucky to have you as our fearless leader. Have an enjoyable visit with daughter, I bet she looks forward to being in your part of the world for a little while.
Kim - so happy your vision is getting better. And I've been meaning to tell you - you wrote a while back about cheap toilet paper. During the pandemic all I could get was brand X which was super thin. I keep it around as a substitute for Kleenex and even then, it's near worthless. Just can't bring myself to toss it.😁
Melanie - beautiful photo of you and your sis. Look at those smiles! And your grandson is too cute in his costume. Have a great time with your sister. Looks like you'll be seeing terrain a bit different than the flat prairie. Good job on the weight lifting!
Update on T's Jack dog-
They released him late Thursday afternoon. No broken bones, but bruised ribs and lung. And of course wound on his side. When T got him home, he got busy and the bandages immediately came off. T put him back in the car, back to the vet clinic which was closed but she pounded on the door long enough that someone did come to the door and told her to just put a T shirt on him. She's ticked they didn't tell her that in the first place. Plus another lady was there, upset that the vet amputated her cat's leg without letting her know ahead of time. This is one of the premier vet clinics in our area. 😔 I get it - the clinic is short a vet, it has to be a madhouse at times.
Anyhow, T told me yesterday that when Lucky looked out the window and saw deer under the apple tree, he was ready to spring back into action, sutures, drains and all. She's going to call in to see if she can get a tranquilizer for him to calm him down until he's healed up more.
I kiss the ground my vet walks on, I feel so fortunate that Dr. Amanda is down to earth and understands mini Schnauzer brains and keeps Rosie in line in spite of her terrier tendencies, lol. She doesn't have a lot of turnover in staff which helps, and has been Rosie's vet since she was a pup.
Margaret - love your mug shot, lol. And the coat! Drew looks spiffy too. You made several good points about diet, and I think you're on the right track and it's paying off for you. Yes, we are not alike and our bodies handle food and nutrients differently for many reasons as Barbie mentioned.
I'm realizing the closer I get to eating like I did as a child seems to be working. Looking over the past couple years, lower carb worked until it didn't. 16/8 IF worked until it didn't. A1C went up anyhow. My parents and grandparents ate a lot of meat, eggs, butter, vegetables, fruits, and a variety of carbs like potatoes, breads, noodles. 3 meals a day. I do well on all of this as long as I don't overdo it. Smaller portions - I get full a lot faster than I did when I was younger. I'm trying to keep a handle on the sugary desserts, pies, cakes that used to accompany most meals and snacks when I was a kid - and even up until a few years ago. Dr. Robert Lustig advises - go ahead and have those desserts if you must, but just once or twice a week.
Rita - you mentioned your challenges with diabetes. Both Dr. Matt and Dr. Lisa told me it's not inherited. Maybe it's not inherited with dominant and recessive traits. But I think it somehow is influenced by our genetics. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands of genes we've inherited that are clicking on and off as we age and setting the stage for T2, dementia and who knows what, depending on environmental factors like diet, stress, sleep, etc. Just my 2 cents, I could be wrong and change my mind tomorrow, lol. Glad you're keeping on top of it and there are medications to keep things in line. Miss Lucy is a great stress reliever and exercise companion. 😁
Tracey - sounds like there's good progress with MIL's situation and the POA. Glad she has friends that have offered to go through her things back there. Is her ultimate goal to sell the house? Does she miss her friends back home very much? I understand how Rodger feels - sounds like his sister has become someone who he doesn't recognize. MIL is fortunate that you stepped in and pulled her out of that situation and are taking legal and practical steps to ensure her final years will be as stress-free as possible. And I appreciate you keeping us in the loop, there's a lot for us to think about as parents (and some of us!) age and the more information the better. ((((HUGS)))))
Carol - I think about you a lot, every day. (((((HUGS)))). I know after 3 years I'm still experiencing some grief. And once in a while guilt comes into play. There's nothing I could have done to change my DH's fate, but I could have been more patient and understanding perhaps. Not beating myself up over it. He was as stubborn as I was, lol.
It's 56F right now, 2" of rain in the past 24 hours. Looks like the sun might peek through this afternoon and tomorrow.
OK ladies, better get this posted before 5 more hours zip by. Make it a wonderful weekend!😍
Lanette😎
SW WA State
7 -
14661466
1 -
Blustery day here, lots of wind and rain. We lost a branch off of our big cottonwood near the pond.
Thanks Barbie for taking us into a new month.
Carol - thinking of you. So many things to do. Hope your family is helping you out.
Heather - glad you had a wonderful cruise and are home again and warm.
Tracey - So glad you are able to help out MIL. Sounds like she has had a rough life and deserves better.
Everyone take care, Sue in WA
6 -
This years shirts. Hoodie doesn’t have anything on the back and there is no year on it. The shirt has year on the back at least
10 -
Seems I'm having problems refreshing. I'll try posting and maybe that'll solve it. Here goes….
Michele NC
3
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