WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2012

I have been mia on the boards for the weekend. I was taking care of a sick grandson and in general, busy living life! Anyway, my goal for today is to read all of the posts from you lovely ladies for the past 3 1/2 days, and get my life back on schedule. Genealace, I thought of you this morning when I woke up to no heat in my house! I hope all of you are doing well! I will try to post my goal progress for the past week tomorrow. Have a great Tuesday! Mary

I was really lazy this weekend. I sat on the couch with Mini-Mac and vegged. Oh and waited on her hand and foot. LOL

She's right about the time where the first tonsil scab falls off and the pain comes back so I was nervous to leave her this AM. So nervous that I forgot my computer and had to go back and get it! MacBoy is keeping an eye on her.

im so glad to have found women in my age group! it really is different losing weight in your 50's.

Howdy all! Happy Tuesday. Cold here but supposed to be in the 60's by Thursday - I think I'm getting whiplash with the temperature changes!

DH stepped on a nail yesterday and had to get a tetanus shot and be on a strong antibiotic for 5 days. Really nasty looking but not swelling like it was last night. DD feeling guilty - she saw the big board with nail and had gone to get a hammer to pound it down when he stepped on it. Not her fault, but she's such a tender soul. We're pampering him a little and he'll be fine.

I am now TRYING to stop losing weight. I know my current weight may look high to some who've never been morbidly obese, but it's working well for me and I'm happy where I am. It's so nerve-wracking to up my calories, though because of a fear of regaining the weight. I want to make sure I continue my new habits of eating quality foods. Will continue working out and trying to tone and become healthier, but am now on a maintenance plan.

I have cut simple carbs out of my diet almost completely except for small amounts that are in something with complex carbs or protein. This I want to continue in maintenance because simple carbs awake the carb monster and I get the munchies something awful (See Barbiecat's "Think Historically, not Calorically" quote). Complex carbs, especially oats, don't seem to have that effect.

kckramp: So sorry you're feeling sick. Be better soon. DD has had the crud and I know how miserable it can be.

janemartin2: Glad surgery went well. Take it easy and recuperate quickly.

AHealthierSuz: Sodium is my enemy. I just have to look at a salt shaker to gain a couple of pounds. But the good news is it's just water. A couple of days of drinking plenty of fluids will flush it right out.

Exermom: My favorite thing to do with plain Greek yogurt: I have bags of frozen fruit that I take out and thaw in 1/4 cup quantities. When they thaw you get the fruit and a little juice - put it all in the yogurt. Not as sweet as the fruit-on-the-bottom because there's no added sugar, but just enough to temper the tartness of the yogurt.

Realpure: You'll get there! And I know you'll find something you like in whatever size you are.

Laura80111: Hooray for your one pound loss. And sympathies on your DH's employment situation. Mine has been unemployed since July. He does some handyman work, but his unemployment runs out the end of this month. We'll be OK and like you I enjoy the side benefits (laundry, cleaning, cooking) but he is sure discouraged.

Welcome to all the new folks! This is the best group of folks anywhere, and I hope you'll keep coming back.

Now, there's some sunflower seed butter calling my name and it's time for my evening snack.

Virginia

Anyone who is gluten free and has a Kindle or wants to download the free Kindle software on your computer: ther is currently a free gluten free cookbook on Amazon. I don't know how long it will stay free, so if you want it, get it now.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006V7F9NO/?tag=afbm-20

Mary

WHEW! I'm tired! 40 hours and only 2 hours of sleep. I am not logging food, not logging exercise, not doing anything but heading to bed. BUT I am the proud grandma of grandbaby #7. My daughter wanted me as labor coach (she has a very soft spoken husband who had difficulties being "tough" with her. lol and mom... well, mom's been there, done that, and doesn't hesitate to say BREATHE! lol). She had it all natural, no drugs and after a very long labor produced a baby boy, 8 lbs. 14 ounces. 20 1/4 inches long so he's a little chunk. Big baby for a first one.

I'm too old to do this.... even just as a coach! lol

Plus the only food available was vending food stuff or the snack they packed, which were NOT healthy for me. lol But I ate them anyway.

Night all. Hitting the hay.

Marking to My Topics....

Welcome to the Newcomers - this is a great group.

News from the hospital front - DBF can leave on Friday. He is still not sleeping but we are hopeful that once he gets out of there he will be able to relax a bit more and there will be less ambient noise and light. He hasn't been getting adequate physio or care for such things at putting on his socks and shoes which he can't bend down to do, and instead of helping him with his 'tools' shoe horns etc the nurses have just been putting on his socks and shoes for him. Will they go on Saturday morning to do it for him? - not likely! Anyway, we had a session with the doctor this afternoon and I have to be there for him on Thursday when the pharmacist is coming up to explain all the meds etc.

I'd gained a little bit, but most of it has gone again this week. I didn't do Pancake Day either. Am I going to give up anything for lent? Not sure as I've given up a lot of things to acheive the weight loss I've already done.

And so to bed......

Bump - I lost this board. Still learning all the ins and outs of MFP. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Barbie, I know the mileage of the routes I take. A pedometer would be fun though. I could use some motivation to get in more steps throughout the day. I’m a bit of a technophobe however (funny for a former tech writer!) I actually bought a pedometer once but never used it. I don’t know if I still have it. Using it just seemed too complicated. (Thus speaks one who never has mastered the TV remote - not that I have a TV!)

Kackie, way to go on roasting veggies. I didn’t walk today so didn’t have anywhere near as many calories to use as I would have liked. For dinner, I roasted eggplant, asparagus, mini bell peppers and zucchini. I was hungry before I ate them and was *sure* I’d still be hungry after, but I’m not! Thank goodness for veggies. They saved me from going over on calories once again.

I was going to have a little more chicken with dinner but the dogs snaked it off my kitchen counter while I was out of the room. I was mad. I don't think they got any bones. If they had, I would have been really upset.

I’ve been getting out there walking a lot more. It feels good! It’s still an effort at this point – and I’m danged tired after my 5 mile walks - but it is getting easier. I can’t imagine how I’d feel after skiing for 3 hours. No, wait a minute. I wouldn’t feel a thing. I’d be keeled over, unconscious. Seriously, I wouldn’t dream of skiing - but I wouldn’t have dreamed of walking 5 miles a year ago either. I’m not ruling out anything.

Realpure, when I’m on track (and I am…at last!) I can have a little dark chocolate – the darker the better. A little (very little) of the dark or bittersweet chocolate doesn’t trigger the craving for more carbs. This doesn’t work unless I’m solidly on track though.

BTW, I don’t deliberately eat low-carb. It works out that way most of the time though because I like to eat a LOT . You get a lot more bang for your buck (or food for your calories) when you eat more fruits and veggies.

Pam, I kept tabs on several Meetup groups for probably a year before I tried going. I’m loving it but know that finding the right group was important. I considered going to a Single Boomers group until I noticed that there were about 3 men and 30 women in the group. The biggest turnoff was seeing pictures of several groups – a bunch of different women in each group along with the same 3 men. That wouldn’t have worked for me! :ohwell:

The group I’m enjoying the most is called Weekday Active, Adventuresome Women's Group. They’re women mostly in their 50s and 60s (some younger and some older) who get together to do things during the day. I’ve been to a couple of movies with them (on $5 Tuesday) followed by visits to Whole Foods for munchies (I had coffee!), to two lively bookclub meetings, and a couple of brunches. In a couple of weeks, we’re going to the Crocker Museum in Sacramento, which I’ve heard good things about. I’m having a good time. I’m also enjoying walking and hiking with a Meetup group. I’m glad to have found a fun way to meet nice people with common interests.

Virginia, how wonderful to be at the point of worrying about not losing more weight. As someone who was also morbidly obese (324 ten years ago), I can relate to what you are saying. It feels like a miracle to have finally lost weight to an almost normal BMI and to be keeping it off. I still have a ways to go before I want or need to stabilize. Sometimes the weight loss feels so tenuous. I’m almost afraid to breathe for fear that it’s all an illusion. I look forward to the day when I no longer wonder if I’m kidding myself and feel confident that it’s real and will last. For now, I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Mary, thanks for the tip about the gluten-free cookbook for the Kindle. I downloaded it for my daughter. Her 7-year old has celiac and it’s nice to have new sources for good recipes.

Marcelyn, congrats to you and your DD. A new baby is wonderful. And, no, you’re not too old to be a coach. My mouth drops open though when I read the stories about women in their 50s and 60s who have babies. My mom (who’s 86) still has dreams that she’s in labor and, oh no, having another baby! :laugh:

Laura, as you can probably tell, veggies, especially roasted veggies, are one of my favorite subjects. I didn’t start roasting veggies myself until DD Karin badgered me (gently) into it. Now they are a mainstay of my diet. I give a lot of the credit for losing more than 130 pounds to veggies and fruit, and the people who helped me see how delicious they could be. They’re good for you and taste good – the best kind of treat.

I got a whole new perspective on veggies when I started roasting them. I hope roasting veggies does the same thing for you. Here's what I do:

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon olive oil (depending on how many veggies you're roasting - you'll be amazed at how little oil you need) and coarsely ground salt (optional).

Veggies!!! Cut into pieces or wedges. Leave baby bell peppers and asparagus whole. Almost anything works, e.g.,

- Asparagus (my favorite)
- Summer and winter squash (e.g., young zucchini, crookneck, acorn, butternut) diced or cut into spears
- Broccoli and cauliflower (I like roasted cauliflower. I like my broccoli better steamed.)
- Red, yellow, & orange baby bell peppers or slices of larger peppers
- Baby Bella mushrooms (turned stem side down) or thickly sliced Portobellos
- Sliced eggplant (I cut the slices into bite-sized pieces)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450 to 475° or, even better, get your BBQ hot.

2. Place veggies and olive oil in a bowl. Toss until coated. Add salt and toss some more.

3. Spread the veggies out 1-layer deep. They cook best if not touching.

4. Bake (I use convection too) or barbecue for 9 minutes for asparagus (as little as 6 minutes for very thin asparagus spears); 12-15 minutes for most veggies. Shake the pan a couple of times to turn the veggies over. Watch closely! (A little charring is fine.)

5. Wait a couple minutes and serve. (Be careful, they’re hot and juicy.)

Delicious!

A long while back I told a story about one of the people I worked with calling me Sister Queen. Barbara (BK) christened me Sister Veggie Queen. I love it.

Mimi SVQ

WHEW! I'm tired! 40 hours and only 2 hours of sleep. I am not logging food, not logging exercise, not doing anything but heading to bed. BUT I am the proud grandma of grandbaby #7. My daughter wanted me as labor coach (she has a very soft spoken husband who had difficulties being "tough" with her. lol and mom... well, mom's been there, done that, and doesn't hesitate to say BREATHE! lol). She had it all natural, no drugs and after a very long labor produced a baby boy, 8 lbs. 14 ounces. 20 1/4 inches long so he's a little chunk. Big baby for a first one.

I'm too old to do this.... even just as a coach! lol

Plus the only food available was vending food stuff or the snack they packed, which were NOT healthy for me. lol But I ate them anyway.

Night all. Hitting the hay.

congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:flowerforyou:

Just joined MFP and am looking for some groups to help keep me motivated. I'm hoping this will be a good one. Have to head off to work now but will check back into this group once I figure out how to do that

And now the other half of my post! :happy:

Laura, Your kitchen experiments, adapting recipes to make healthier food, sound like fun. I am amazing myself with how little salt I can get away with! The boys add some at the table, but I don’t and I am sure it helps me stay healthier. Hoping your DH gets “the call” for a job soon.

Kackie, I love skiing in fresh snow as long as there’s no wind. Are you getting lots of slope time in? You mentioned that you do all your workouts at home. I just can’t get motivated at home – so all my workouts are at the Rec Centre. I don’t bring school work home, either. Work is work, home is relaxation.

JB, good for you, scale down ½ a pound and you back on track with food and exercise. I think things like the Paleo Diet or “Wheat Belly” are extremes, we need to focus on “moderation in all things” and never, never give up homemade huckleberry pie!

MacMadame, Glad to hear Mini-Mac is on the mend. The principal at my school (a good friend) fell on the ice a couple of weeks ago and banged the back of her head. She’s been off work ever since. It reminded me of you and your bain injury. How are you feeling these days?

Barbie, you just tell your husband that young is a state of mind, and don’t let the big boys in the gym intimidate you either. :laugh:

Virginia, What a thing, to say “I’m trying to stop losing weight”. :flowerforyou: Having made such an effort to get where you are it must seem like a precarious balance to stay where you are. I love my plain yogurt (and I make sure it’s the kind made with milk and no other additives, it’s stunning how much junk manufacturers can stuff into a container of yogurt) with a spoonful of honey. Satisfied my cravings for sweets and tastes sooo good!

Michelle, DH came home from the gym yesterday absolutely exhausted and feeling nauseous. :sick: Of course, he pushed himself way to hard on his first workout, and forgot his bathing suit so he could not go down to the pool and recuperate in the hot-tub or the steam room. Is it a guy thing? We will go together on the weekend and I will keep an eye on him.

Marcelynh – congratulations on the new grandson! :flowerforyou:

Genealace, I am so pleased to hear that DBF is coming home, what a long time it’s been. I was thinking of Lent too and wondering if this is a year to add something, rather than give something up. Add a good habit, I mean. I will know by tomorrow.

Mimi, a pedometer is about as low-tech as they come. No more complicated to set up or use than the average clock-radio and not very expensive. You’ll love it. We had roasted veggies last night, dressed up with Moroccan tagine spices. Yummy.

Meg – Hang in there. Drink lots of water and measure or weigh everything you eat for a while. That will help with portion control. If you can, get a heart rate monitor to measure calories burned when you exercise. It’s a lot more accurate than a pedometer or the MFP estimates. Check your sodium intake. I know that the recommended maximum on MFP is double what the Canada Food Guide suggests. It made a big difference for me when I cut back on salt. As Red Green would say, “Keep your stick on the ice, we’re all in this together” (Canadian content joke :bigsmile: )

Time to get J'boy up and ready for the day.

Hasta pronto,

Nancy

I'm 56 and started with MFP around 9 Jan 2012. Counting seems to be working so far - just need to add some exercise now!

:flowerforyou: Happy Hump Day All!

Virginia - sorry to hear that your hubby is unemployed too, but we will keep reaping those "cleaning" benifits in the meantime. I am sooo pulling for you as you turn to maintenance, I completely FAILED:sad: and gained from April - Dec 2011 so my lack of doing what I knew I should have been doing is what has put me back here...then again I should NEVER have left:grumble: .

Michele- buying swimsuits can be a real challenge. Right now I have so many in so many different sizes that it's quite embaressing:blushing: and some even have tags on them...those are my goal suits:drinker:

Marcelynh- :flowerforyou: Congrats on Grandbaby (boy) #7, I think that it's wonderful that you were able to be her coach.

Genalace- it sounds like DBF is progressing well in his healing. When my hubby had his hip replacement they wouldn't release him until he could put on his own shoes and socks and since he couldn't wait to get home (where he could finally get some rest) he worked on it really hard:laugh:

Renny- your book choices for reading are sure from extreme sides:noway: my reading is pretty much my romances and cookbooks

Mimi- Thank you for your Veggie Receipe, I've already printed it to add to my cookbooks and will be working on those this weekend after we ( yep that's a we not an "I" hubby is stir crazy by Fridays when it's time to get groceries) go grocery shopping.

MEG- be NOT discouraged there will be times like this keep logging and drinking your water:drinker: with exercise thrown in and the weight will come off, remember we aren't as young as we used to be and sometimes it takes us a bit longer to lose what has attached itself to us:grumble:

So yesterday I was looking at the "topics" and one that popped up was "The Ultimate Mom's MakeOvers" I know that if I'd had that kind of example and encouragement it wouldn't have taken til after Son #3 for me to lose... some of those pictures are amazing. But what it made me realize is that when I had lost the weight from Son #3 and I was looking good that I remember that I didn't "think" I looked good, the self image that we carry around with us sometimes is what brings us down, and in my case what caused me to lose control and start gaining. I'm hoping that this time I will make my success permenant.

When I was last on this journey in 2010 and I succeeded and more than met my goal I used Nutrisystems to get there. It worked and I really did love the food and variety but the problem was when it came to maintaining I wasn't used to cooking my own food. This time from day one I'm cooking my own food and learning the "true" portions of what I eat. I bought these spoons and spacula that measures out "one serving" and it's really helped when I'm serving up my food.

Enough for today. Everyone have a good day:drinker: don't forget to drink your water:drinker: it really does make a difference in the weight loss. Let's keep moving too...one of these days I'm going to like exercising:ohwell:

Laura