Check in?

lisasdoinit
lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
edited November 10 in Social Groups
Hi there,
So I keep popping in to the Moms Over 40 section to see what's new, and it's hard to find any new posts. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place?

Regardless I thought i"d start a thread and see if it catches on. Just a sort of 'hey how you doing" whats new in life/food/being a mom over 40 kinda world?

It's the weekend, the 16 year old sweetheart is "napping", and hubby is working away..i'm doing some work, some housework and TRYING to get inspired to cook up some meals and lunches for the week. SO TIRED of chicken and rice, chicken and salad..oy. Suggestions?

My days are long - up at 6, at work by 8, then to the gym at 5 or 6, home by 7 or 8....usually starving and freaking exhausted.
I'm hoping it's not age,...just due to lugging around an extra 100lbs!!

How's your weekend going? How do you plan your week?

xo
«1

Replies

  • eoney
    eoney Posts: 35
    I wish there were more activity on here too! LOL...maybe the problem is that all of us MO40 are busy with our kids and schedules!!

    I'm doing okay on my journey. I was down 7.5 lbs on Friday, but I managed to really botch it over the weekend. I didn't lose a massive amount of ground, but I did gain back enough to be really frustrated with myself; because I can totally pin point the decisions that did it. AND I fell victim to the ol' "well, I messed it up for today, might as well enjoy myself and start fresh tomorrow" lie. <forehead thwap> Back in the saddle today, and I'm ready to stand my ground!

    As for healthy meals, I actually challenged myself to do 2 meat-free days per week. Spaghetti without the meat in the sauce works, and soup and grilled cheese (that 0-point vegetable Weight Watchers soup is a favorite in my house...the family has affectionately named it "toot soup") can be suprisingly filling. I'm slowly working up my courage to sneak in tofu and see if anyone notices!
  • Jessi40
    Jessi40 Posts: 75 Member
    Hi,

    I think you are right about us busy moms. I have four children and am up usually before 5 so I can take me and my 4 year old to the gym by 6. I set her up with her innotab and I walk and work out til 6:35. I then shower and get to work by 7 and work till 3:30. After work it's a mad dash home to beat the school bus that gets there at 4:10...

    The evenings are filled with homework, dinner and we try to get in a walk before bathtime and start our bedtime routine. My baby goes down by 6:45 PM

    I usually crash around 10 after setting out the clothes for the next day...

    But the truth is, it's all worth it. I feel more alive and refreshed after working out. I feel more capable of playing with the children and running around doing laundry, etc. Tying shoes was getting challenging; but I am able to do that better too. And my kids are young enough that they don't even notice that we are eating healthier.

    This past weekend we went out and we had packed a picnic and everyone thought that was cool... a picnic in the van... I thought they would want McD's, but no one even said anything...
  • I'm here! There is usually not much going on here (this site). I was hoping for some advice and finding some common ground with other women in their 40's. I have never struggled with my weight until now and the hormone changes are horrible! I too am busy with work and kids (4 the youngest is 8) but I would really like to be able to touch base with women going through the same issues.
  • bequ
    bequ Posts: 14
    Hi, I'm new to MFP but certainly not new to weightloss OR being in my 40's LOL

    Starting again to lose weight and get healthy. I'm 45 and recently separated with 3 daughters, the youngest is 8.

    I joined the gym this morning and had my first work out (yay me!) and feel really good about it.

    I'm one of those busy moms, too. We all are. I work 4 days a week and on my days off it seems like I don't get any down time. But I *WILL* make time to go to the gym several times a week.

    I hope to get to know some of you while we are on our journey to get healthy.
  • lisasdoinit
    lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
    YAY!! People replied!!

    Eony et al - We ARE busy aren't we?? But i'm so thrilled to have found other people who are trying to remember we need to take the time and put the effort into OURSELVES in order to be who we want to be for our loved ones!!

    Mel..it was SO much easier (and less painful in the hips and knees!) to lose 2lbs 5 years ago wasn't it? OY!

    Jess, great idea about the picnic!! I have a 16 year old and all her friends expect drive thru when we go on mini road trips....however these same girls jump up and down when i make "smiley fries" or grilled cheese sandwiches with the crusts cut off lol..I bet they'd love a retro style cooler lunch! Thanks!

    Bequ, what a great role model you are being to your kids - hitting the gym and doing good things for yourself during a time that others might just self sabotage!

    I've made some chicken breasts and rice for my lunches with some cut up veggies and a really yummy quinoa salad - i usually hate kidney beans but find i love eating them in this salad:) Also "planned" out my week exercise wise..We have today "Monday" off here this week, but i think i can stick to it on a short term basis!

    I was down 2lbs this week which has kept me flying so here's hoping i see 215 on the scale friday!!

    Thanks for responding!
  • bequ
    bequ Posts: 14
    I think this will be a good thread for me.... finding busy moms going through the same hormone stuff I am. I have been have hot flashes this past week at work and it's driving me crazy!!! LOL Luckily I work with older people, mostly women, who have all been there before.

    I went to the gym with my 14 year old this morning and we both feel great!

    I do my weigh in on Wednesdays when I get to work and I'm really hoping for a good number on the scale this week.

    Have a great day everyone!!!

    Becky
  • eoney
    eoney Posts: 35
    I think that the changes in how much more easily we gain and struggle to lose has truly been my biggest challenge in this. One weekend of carelessness can almost set me back to the previous week's square one! I know that I found it so incredibly discouraging when I went to begin running again, and I was really miserable. Five or ten years ago, I could get lazy for a month and then pick it up in almost no time. LOL...and I won't even admit to my sad, sad state after my first night of "non-competitive volleyball"...pitiful!! I will say that this has been a great motivator not to get lazy with exercise though! I hate that feeling of super achey muscles and sore legs, and the only way to avoid it happening is to keep on a regular schedule.

    This week, I am trying to combine higher fiber and protein content and reduce my sodium intake all while staying low cal. Hopefully, this will help my muscles recover between runs. A friend of mine's teenage daughter was diagnosed with PCOS recently. They decided to try and go at it first from a holistic path. She told me the whole family (6 kids from 2-21 and she and her husband) all started adhering to this new way of eating (little if any starchy whites, processed food, dairy, saturated fat, and sugars...organic whenever possible). She said it really wasn't all that limiting, and she lost 5 lbs without even meaning to (or even NEEDING to <insert scowl>, but I digress). Her daughter got her period again within a few weeks, and she has had it regularly for the last 2 months! They'll continue to test and monitor her at her doctor's, but WOW! She said it really floored her to see so blatantly how what we put into our bodies affects us...that is, everyone feels better without all the junk food and fast food, but this changed the course of an existing affliction. In any case, my new food goals are very similar to this, and I'm hoping to see results/benefits...and maybe even sneak it into my family's habits!
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Ladies, I apologize. I started the group and rarely contribute to it these days. I really do mean to be here to support you all. I promise in a few days I will read the new posts and try to be more supportive. Today has proven to be a crazy day and I am so angry I am fit to be tied, but I am proud of this new me because I will not eat my way through this. Now wine is another story. :wink: But I will even keep that too a limit. I plan I running while my youngest practices soccer, because I have to burn this aggression off. Hope you are all well, and I will be posting soon.
  • lisasdoinit
    lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
    Becky, good luck with the weigh in tomorrow morning - i'll be thinking of you!!

    I hear you on the eating better QUALITY....we are slowly but surely getting there. It was funny i asked my amazing daughter if there was anything i could do to help her in losing weight (she's 16 needs to lose 40lbs) and she said "noooo..i'll just only eat at home and take food from home for lunch". I replied "but just cuz its from home doesn't mean its healthy honey".
    Mom. All we have is healthy stuff. None of my friends will come over.

    LOL!! Poor kid!

    And hopefully soon a HEALTHY kid!

    Ok. my goal this week is to up the water. We don't have a water cooler at work and the tab water is gross (the pipes are about 50 years old!!) So i'm going to bring in a big one liter bottle and then drink the rest in green tea.

    I want 2lbs gone this week. i want it SO BAD. In which case i should get my butt to the gym !!

    have a great wednesday all!
  • Jessi40
    Jessi40 Posts: 75 Member
    Hi all,

    Well I was down another pound or so this morning. I've lost almost 11 since the beginning of Feb. I'm actually very shocked and impressed since I've been under a lot of stress this month and not sleeping well. Usually these kinds of emotional barriers are cause to 'give up and eat' and I'll focus on my health when things calm down.

    I think the one thing I'm learning is that things rarely calm down. I mean we get good news and then not so good news and then good news and then not so good news and I just have to take care of me. It's so odd for me to actually feel this stress... and just breath.

    I was really hoping several of my real life friends would join MFP and lose with me but I guess they aren't ready or don't want to log... I have several fairly health minded friends that I thought would love this program. So, I really appreciate this post and someone asking :)

    I'm still working on my goal of running a half mile without stopping... I'm getting there and my lungs are doing well. I've been struggling with pneumonia and atelectasis for the last 2 years. I go back to the pulmonologist later this month and I will ask about going off the inhaled steroid. I'm determined to figure this weight/health out... and be the best role model I can be.
  • bequ
    bequ Posts: 14
    Bad couple of days for me. Ugh! Yesterday I didn't go to the gym and I can't today cuz I'm home with a sick kid. And that means I'm not doing my weigh in today and I was looking forward to that.
    -that's weird.....looking forward to weighing myself LOL

    I was able to do a good shop Monday morning and refused my middle daughter several things. But then Monday night I went back to the store and let my oldest daughter talk me into getting ice cream. I haven't overindulged too much, but I still had more than I should have.

    Congrats to Jessie for not stress eating! That is a hard thing to do for those of us who are so used to reaching for whatever food is handy.
  • bequ
    bequ Posts: 14
    I was able to exercise after all YAY
  • Jessi40
    Jessi40 Posts: 75 Member
    Congrats Bequ on making it to the gym! Did you feel better after your workout?
  • bequ
    bequ Posts: 14
    I did Jessie, thanks!!!!
  • anna_b1
    anna_b1 Posts: 588 Member
    Hello everyone!

    I've been sadly remiss in my MFPing these days. It's not only this thread that I've been neglecting. Most of all, I've been neglecting myself which is horrible.

    However, back at it. Since January 2011, I've actually lost 43 pounds. Restarted my ticker recently and still at it.

    I think all of us are just too darn busy. The kids, work (inside and out of the home) and life in general just seem to get in the way. It's the same story for most of us. I know many of my friends and peers at work are also juggling aging parents who need us as well. All of these pressures just make it hard to make time for ourselves.

    But we need to be good to ourselves and this group, this thread, this MFP really does help. Nice to know so many of us are meeting with success and sticking to it amidst everything else.

    Have a good day. :)
  • tblmt
    tblmt Posts: 9 Member
    Hi all! We do all seem to have busy schedules. I am at the weight I would like to be, but certainly not the shape I would like to be. I would love to have any of you friend me that would like encouragement I am trying hard to stay focused on regaining my strength and cardio endurance. I have 3 (8,8,6) and so I too stay busy chasing them and sometimes forget me, but going to change all that!
    I hope to gain some friends in this group that have similar struggles... keep up the good work ladies!
  • 42micheller42
    42micheller42 Posts: 31 Member
    Becky, good luck with the weigh in tomorrow morning - i'll be thinking of you!!

    I hear you on the eating better QUALITY....we are slowly but surely getting there. It was funny i asked my amazing daughter if there was anything i could do to help her in losing weight (she's 16 needs to lose 40lbs) and she said "noooo..i'll just only eat at home and take food from home for lunch". I replied "but just cuz its from home doesn't mean its healthy honey".
    Mom. All we have is healthy stuff. None of my friends will come over.

    LOL!! Poor kid!

    And hopefully soon a HEALTHY kid!

    Ok. my goal this week is to up the water. We don't have a water cooler at work and the tab water is gross (the pipes are about 50 years old!!) So i'm going to bring in a big one liter bottle and then drink the rest in green tea.

    I want 2lbs gone this week. i want it SO BAD. In which case i should get my butt to the gym !!

    have a great wednesday all!

    Hello there ... new mom over 40 saying hello...I am sending a friend request your way .. something in your post interests me and I would love to message you about it
  • lisasdoinit
    lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
    hello ladies!

    i need to find a way to get an email when someone posts to THIS board..any ideas?

    Now or Never - good for you for allowing yourself a fresh start - we all deserve one!!

    im feeling pretty sore today after a Body Combat class yesterday where i really, truly did not phone it in lol!!

    i'm off to the gym and then some grocery shopping - here's hoping i stick to the list!!

    have a great Sunday Moms!
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Good morning, ladies!! How is everyone doing?

    Upon the advice of a couple of MFP friends I upped my calories about two weeks ago. I had gotten to my wedding day weight, then went back up a few pounds and held there. There is a spreadsheet posted in the forums and upon the advice of one of the MFP friends I used it to set my new calorie goal. I was hesitant at first, it gave me much more than MFP did. But I am learning how it important it is to make sure I am eating enough. It's important to do so to keep the metabolism moving, we need to fuel our bodies.

    So I have lost the extra I gained back and another pound. I am only 4 lbs from my goal!! Sometimes I still can't believe it!! I never thought I'd ever be back in my 120's!!! My highest weight was about 168, approx where I was in my before photo.

    Many are afraid of the concept of eating more. But why? I'm not talking about going back to the place that got me here, I'm only talking about eating enough to fuel the body. There is a big difference between "overeating" and "eating enough".

    For any of you that are interested, here is the spreadsheet. http://interzone.kicks-*kitten*.net/Calculating_calories.xls
  • Jessi40
    Jessi40 Posts: 75 Member
    I've been randomly checking here too...

    I'm a little frustrated because on sat trying to get everyone out for a walk, I fell and broke my arm and landed on a metal bracket and have stitches too :)

    i had my pity party and am back on track...

    I'd also like emails when ppl post...
  • lisasdoinit
    lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
    Jess, i read about your arm injury on the "newsfeed"...i'm so so sorry! how are you feeling now? obviously you aren't healed but are you in much pain? I hope not!

    JeSuit - i checked out that spreadsheet and got all confused lol!! But i believe you about upping the calories and posted on your blog about it:) You are SO ROCKING THIS!! (yes i'm an 80's gal!).

    My daughter and i sat down and worked out our gym plan and our "to-do" plan for the week so we don't get knocked off course:) Although having a 16 year old daughter who is overweight makes me so sad for her, i am thrilled to finally have someone to focus with at home!

    Just finished the 3 mile DVD Walking Away the Pounds. Omg i was bored out of my mind. Gotta get me some Jillian and Bob this week (i have them, i just can't find them lol). No more "and step and step and step and step.."

    Have a great week!
    xo
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member

    JeSuit - i checked out that spreadsheet and got all confused lol!! But i believe you about upping the calories and posted on your blog about it:) You are SO ROCKING THIS!! (yes i'm an 80's gal!).

    If you want to message me your numbers, I could do it for you. I know it looks overwhelming, but it's not that bad. Just giver yourself a minute to look it over, or just send me your info. :wink:
  • mnsnowflake
    mnsnowflake Posts: 18 Member
    Just joined this group so I'm checking in for the first time :)
    Not new to MFP but new to the supportive community... have used the app on my phone but not this part until now and LOVE IT!!!
    Im so impressed with all the motivation and support I have found!!

    My name is Susan. Single mom of a GREAT 9 year old girl.
    Im WAAAAAAAAY up north in MN and a teacher so many days I come home exhausted.

    Feel free to add me and I will stop in now and again :flowerforyou:
  • tljones63
    tljones63 Posts: 11 Member
    Hey girls i'm new to this group and would love to have some friends to talk to . I'm tring to lose 30pds it would be a dream come true.
    I live in Kansas, in the country. my girls are grown and married. I'm 48 years old and be married for 30 yrs. come July. so my husband is taking me on a trip this summer and i would love to look better.
    Have a great weekend
    Tammy
  • Lori02139
    Lori02139 Posts: 60 Member
    HI - I don't think there is a way to receive email notifications if people post to this group. You can 'friend' members of the group and then if anyone posts to the discussion board, it will show up in your News Feed.

    I must admit, I forget to check this discussion. I'll try to check more often. :smile:

    5447079.png
  • lisasdoinit
    lisasdoinit Posts: 216 Member
    yay! we have two pages now!!

    welcome to the new ones!

    crazy week here..busy and rushing - hubby was out of town and oy! i forgot what its like to be a single mom!

    and for some odd reason i gained 2 whole freaking pounds!! i don't get it. i mean i know i didn't do GREAT but i when i look back i didn't do THAT bad either!
    argh.

    still going strong this week though - and have a bit more of a plan!! although i'm sure i hear laughter from beyond when i say plan:)
  • Jessi40
    Jessi40 Posts: 75 Member
    thanks for asking... I got cast off already and am just in brace. I still have a hard time typing so only logging food. very thankful for scanning :)

    I am doing cardio: treadmill and stationary bike and on Sunday I jumped forever (or 30 mins) on a trampoline...

    Feel free to friend me too!
  • KechiaG
    KechiaG Posts: 55
    I'm new to the group too! I am 44 years old and married with 2 children (ages 9 and 12). I lost 50lbs about 4 years ago and I've gain every pound back! :ohwell: I am now on the road to recovery. As a wife and mother it is soooo easy to slip into a pattern of constant giving and putting everyone else before me. I am making a concious effort to make time for myself everyday and excercise. When I do, I feel more relaxed and I am better equiped to handle the occasional "curve ball" that comes. I just have to push past the guilt and anxiety I feel, when I change my schedule around to take care of me. I can do this! I can do this!!! :wink:
  • bethshines
    bethshines Posts: 41 Member
    OK -- so maybe no one will see this, since it's been about 9 days since the last post. I'm trying to add some community support to myfitnesspal...I so relate to many of the frustrations people are posting! I have just completed a "32 Day Challenge" to try to make some progress and be focused on tracking what/how much I eat and to really be devoted to 5 good solid workouts each week. I did the workouts -- and have enjoyed them. I even added some hiking on some hilly trails around here and LIKED it! But I am FRUSTRATED with the stuck scale. I had really hoped for a little boost in the weight loss. Sooo -- I'm discouraged. Again. But giving up is not an option.

    I don't know what to change/adjust. Obviously I could eat less, but I get really, really hungry. As much as I try to manage with mini-meals, more fruits/veggies, I don't seem to be doing something right. Any suggestions?
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Beth, open up your diary. We can better help you if you do! When you exercise more, you will need to eat more. I suspect you aren't eating enough. Your body needs fuel so it can burn those calories and metabolize. If you open up your diary I will be happy to take a look at it and give you my thoughts. I am no expert, but I have learned a bit through this journey.
This discussion has been closed.