kristingjertsen Member

Pouring rain so no walk or bike ride today. I did a 30 minute pilates routine, did 3 pound weight exercises for my upper body, and lower body and abdominal body weight exercises.

It has been a positive for our family. The link of going out to eat as a family or getting popcorn, coke, and candy at the movies is broken. We are cooking 95% of meals at home, making homemade treats like chocolate chip cookies from scratch that last 4 or 5 days, and cooking and cleaning up after meals as a family. My 17…

I do body weight exercises. Much safer after back surgery. I also do a lot of pilates and yoga. Both build strength and flexibility with much less wear and tear on my aging body.

I lost 53 pounds when I was 49. It took me a year to get there. I started with Weight Watchers and once I had the knowledge and tools in place (measure portions, choose healthier options, if you have a bad eating day, simply ignore it the next day and eat better, check in with the scale at least once a week, and get…

The shut down has actually been a good thing for my formerly obese teenage son. He had to stop eating fast food and restaurant meals and we broke the pattern of eating as part of an experience (Big cup of coke and bucket of popcorn at the movie theater, no quick drive through dinners, family meals at home are the norm). He…

We live in an area with a high number of cases and a lot of folks who are ignoring social distancing rules, so we will be staying at home for the time being. I am using this time to exercise, eat a healthy diet, and hopefully lose 20 to 40 pounds by my 56th birthday in January 2020. Thank goodness for YouTube exercise…

Swimming laps has worked well for me. It tones everything--arms, shoulders, back muscles, abdominal muscles, legs. I mix it up--breaststroke, backstroke, frog crawl, pool exercises like walking forward, backward, and side to side, ballet style exercises to build strength and flexibility in the legs, back and arms. You can…

I have dealt with some health issues over the past 5 years. Two spine surgeries with challenging recovery each time. I continue to exercise, continue to walk, continue to spend time with friends and family, and keep my mind active. Dietary changes have made the biggest impact. Eating a plant based diet with some fish…

Realize that it is much harder if you and your spouse come from very different family food cultures or have very different food preferences. If you can get on the same page, it will be easier to manage teaching kids how to eat healthy food. Also realize that everyone is different. We had one child who ate anything and…

Soymilk, tofu, lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, and fatty fish all helped with my menopause symptoms. Advised to add them to my diet by my OBGYN. Soymilk and tofu ended my hot flashes, adding moderate portions of whole grains (roughly 1/2 half cup per meal per day) and lots of vegetables and fruit helped me drop…

I had an eight level thoracic fusion surgery in May and am still recovering 4 months later. Probably another 3 to 6 months before I am fully healed and released from doctor's care. My recent non-scale victories include being able to ride my bicycle again, doing PT and hitting the gym for swimming, biking, and doing my…

I had rotator cuff surgery 5 years ago. Rent or buy an Ossur Cold Rush ice machine and get the shoulder pad. This will help you manage the pain and inflammation after surgery. The first month was very rough. Take your medicine for as long as you need to control the pain and make sure you set up a medication schedule so you…

Stress and cortisol levels make your body hold on to excess weight and your stress shows in your post. May I suggest another way? Instead of high intensity exercise, take long walks in nature. Eat a healthy, whole foods diet and eat fruit instead of sweets. Enjoy your last few weeks as a single woman. Realize that no…

That tiny serving of pasta goes a long way when you add roasted veggies, spinach, tomatoes, spiralized veggie noodles, herbs and spices. I have learned to eat a half cup portion of grain or pasta and bulk up my meal by adding low calorie, high nutrition extras. Adding a little olive oil helps make it satisfying, too.

After 4 months on a whole foods, plant based diet, my eating has normalized. I will be eating my morning bowl of oatmeal or a lunch salad, and realize halfway in that I am full and stop eating. I have started cutting back on portion sizes to avoid wasting food. My taste for high sugar, high salt, and high fat foods has…

My experience is that I need to continue to weigh and measure my food if I want to keep losing weight or maintain my weight. I lost 56 pounds at age 49, then over the next 2 years gained 30 of it back once I stopped tracking with MFP (busy with school, work, family, two surgeries, and menopause derailed me). I began using…

Vegan diet will also give you glowing skin. For the first time in my life, absolute strangers walk up to me and say, "You have such beautiful skin. What products do you use to keep it that way?" I suffered from acne from age 11 to 52, so this was a nice surprise of a vegan diet. I tell them my secret is sunscreen and vegan…

I was motivated when I learned that a vegan diet can reduce chronic pain and inflammation levels, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and diabetes. My dad died at 58 (4 years older than I am now) and had a quadruple bypass, diabetes, and colon cancer. As I moved into my…

Hostility, sarcasm, anger, bitterness, blaming, shaming--the 6 horsemen of the Apocalypse in any relationship.

Depends a lot on your diet. A plant based diet will make you very, very regular 3 to 4 times per day. If you eat a low fiber diet then you may go only once per day. Every person is different. Don't stress about this.

Congratulations on your transformation! You made the right decision.

Transitioning to a Plant Based diet two months ago. My blood pressure has dropped 20 points, my cholesterol is now in the normal range, triglycerides are lower, and I feel much better overall. Another plus is that I have dropped 10 pounds (which was not my original reason for changing my way of eating, but was a very nice…

For those who are out of shape, senior adults, or have a disability that makes working out harder, check out the Eldergym site online. Run by a physical therapist with geriatric certification. There are free online resources, Youtube videos, a Facebook page, and a fee based option for those who can afford it. I have been…

Eldergym has free, safe workouts for seniors and people with disabilities. Run by a physical therapist with geriatric certification. Not everyone can do rigorous workouts like beach body, but you can get excellent results using modified programs.

Rosehip tea, green tea, turmeric with black pepper, ice, warm heat, warm showers, vegan diet, gentle stretching, res, and Tylenol Arthritis Strength Pain relief. I live with tight muscles after a spinal cord injury and these are my go to options for inflammation, pain, and soreness. Of all of these options, vegan diet has…

Most folks have a stronger side and a weaker side. I have a spinal cord injury so my quads are weaker than my hamstrings and my right leg is weaker than my left. Your scoliosis may contribute to muscular imbalances or even more pressure on the nerve roots that may cause some misfiring leading to weakness. I base my workout…

So excited for you! What an accomplishment to get healthy.

Wonderful news. Thank you for sharing your journey and the tools that are helping you to succeed!

I use unsweetened soy milk with some splenda and vanilla in my coffee. Usually a half cup is enough or sometimes a full cup if I am hungry between meals. Adds protein and a little fat to my largely vegetarian diet for 40 to 80 calories depending on the size. I don't like black coffee, so I decided to make a healthier…

Roasted butternut squash mash with maple syrup and vegan soy free butter, Trader Joe's roasted vegetables (carrot, rutabaga, and parsnip), cauliflower mash with vegan butter and nondairy milk, cranberry sauce, are staples in our family. We even do a vegan pumpkin or sweet potato pie with a gluten free or nut-based pecan…