calling out to women 50+
I'd like to start this thread specifically for women who are 50 or over.
As a 53 year-old woman, myself, I am finding new challenges, unexpected difficulties and wonderful insights on my path to getting to and maintaining my health, weight and body shape.
What seemed to work for me as little as five years ago doesn't work quite the same anymore. My body doesn't seem to respond to what I consider healthy eating habits and good workout schedules as it even in my middle to late 40s'.
SO, I am would to hear from those out there who are finding themselves in situations. OR NOT, maybe you can enlighten the rest of us as to how you keep your shape, or how you're getting into better shape and a healthier overall lifestyle.
Hopefully this will be the start of something wonderful, educational, funny-offer up jokes anecdotes, whatever!
LET'S GET STARTED!
Reason: Moved from Health & Support to Motivation forum
thanks guys! i won't be back in the saddle until tomorrow though. i didn't even know until after the gym (around 5 pm) that there was a birthday party for my brother. i wasn't gonna eat much more today except for salad & stuff.
anyway, i had 2 hotdogs & cake with 2 different kinds of ice cream.
it was really cool, though. LOL most of these people hadn't seen me since i was 218! it was like they were all staring at me like i was an alien or something & expecting me to eat. so i did.
i got tons of compliments over & over again, and people kept asking how i lost all that weight. i kept explaining mostly walking & eating right. most of these people were really interested & need to lose weight too. i think they might try!
i kept explaining that i still eat junk, but i try to outweigh the junk with good food. i think they understood. another question was: isn't good food too expensive? i answered: you can buy a huge bag of chips for $3 or 9 cucumbers. which is more food? or 3 bags of salad. which is more food? then i asked: you don't want the salad or cucumbers, do you? :D
i also explained that alot of the good foods really do taste good if you just give them 1/2 a chance. like carrots... they are sweet.
and i asked: what do you eat for lunch? a candybar? and when do you get hungry after? pretty quick, right? eat good food & you'll be fuller longer.
i could go on & on & on. LOL it was awesome. :D i think i really helped. i hope so. hmmmm... this is probably way too long... sorry!
Frost, I have almost a phobia about weighing myself. I only weigh myself if I think the news will be good (or if my trainer insists on weighing and measuring, LOL) My water weight fluctuates a lot. If I'm not peeing much during the day even though I'm drinking water, I know my body is retaining. Then I'll have a couple of days where I run to the restroom every hour or 90 minutes. I try to weigh myself after the water-shedding days.
It was so hot today (102!!) I didn't get in my 15 minutes of walking in the morning and afternoon, but I did go to a 1 hour spin class at lunch. Hang in, everyone. Oh, and nice to meet you photomom. You are in a great group here.
Alice
good grief... i wish it was warmer here! it's in the freakin' 40's at least, and that's better than yesterday when it was snowing.
hey! i want a tattoo! lol but i'm too scared to get one. i'd probably cry!!! LOL never mind... i'd cry for sure! :D
ohio45 - I got shorts at Penney's Got my skorts at The Golf warehouse on line and at Dick's on sale cause for some reason they're expensive.
snow It's ridiculously cold here too - only in the low 50's with wind which makes it feel like 40's! I'd take 102 any day! You could get one of those temporary tatoos like the kids get LOL
moonduster I know what you mean about weighing when you feel light - LOL - drank all my 8 cups of water yesterday and got up feeling very puffy - hands and feet - got on the scale NOT good...up a pound 
should have stayed off but I'm telling myself it's water weight. NOT drinkin all of those 8 cups of water today, I'm going back down to 6 and see what happens.I did 30 min on the eliptical and had 12,000 steps yesterday, and my eating was soooo good - I had no junk and actually ate veggies (which I struggle with LOL)with my grilled chicken for dinner, no bread, sodium was not high....what gives? who knows. Starting to feel like I'll never lose this 8 pounds...
doesn't sound like a lot but it's enough to make some of my clothes not fit.
I had a good day yesterday too. I ran for 50 minutes, did light weights and biked to the class I was teaching. I ate my carbs in the morning and increased my protein. I think it helped. I feel lighter today...lol maybe I can break this plateau.
I limit my coffee now. I used to have a VERY high caffeine intake. Still work at drinking water. It just doen't come natural to me.
Your photo's are awesome Bonton. I think we should strive towards and arranged marriage. You daughters are beautiful...lol. Shhhhhh don't tell the kids until its all set up.
Snow I bet that was so much fun running into people who hadn't seen you in a long time. Good for you. Isn't that a wonderful pay off?
Okay everyone....wishing you all a wonderful day
Thanks frsotslave!! I think your pictures are awesome too!! CO is just sooo beautiful and so are you, AND I think we are too hard on ourselves - we (all of us)really do look great for 50+ ...if the closet just didn't shrink our clothes we'd feel great! You don't look like you need to lose weight but ppl probably say that about me too LOL - we just feel better at a lower weight and our clothes fit better. The arranged marriage sounds great ... too bad we live so far apart! What did you decide to do about the day shift job??
My ex had horses - me I was always half afraid of them LOL - it's a very long story but when we were still married we took our daughters and went to a dude ranch after visiting Jackson Hole Wyoming -something he wanted to do, was supposed to be for novices uhhh NOT - ended up riding 13 miles up into the mountains, it was July...it snowed we spent 3 miserable days mostly in our tent with just about every piece of clothing we had taken with us on trying to stay warm (by the way I hate camping LOL) .My daughters (13 years old at the time) were afraid as was I and the trip down was worse!!I was hanging on for dear life and hoping that they were too! The 3 of us now call it the vacation from h#@#! LOL Haven't been near a horse since and neither have they.
ohio Thanks for the tip about the water -I def think 8c is too much for me - I drink 3c of coffee in the morning (half decaf and half reg or my heart races) so at least part of that should count! I'm not a morning person so it helps me to wake up! LOL
snow - sounds like you had a great time! Hopefully your success will motivate others to a heatlhier lifestyle! notice I did not say diet! LOL
Eyerone have a good day ...I'll be checking in later
lol for sure! it was awesome! my dad's gf kept saying she's going on a diet & i kept telling her: rule #1 is never diet again.
LOL diets don't work!!!
Lol Bonton....you don't look to me like you need to drop one pound but I said the same when I looked at Moon's, Robbie's, Snow's and everyone elses pictures. But its true. I feel better on the low side of my BMI and right now I am in the middle creeping towards the top.
I don't think living so far apart will hurt the marriage. They can live wherever they like as long as the grandkids are joint custody...hehe...I'm terrible.
Your trip to Jackson Hole and the dude ranch nightmare sound terrible. But the way you tell it is hysterical. I laughed and laughed. Colorado is a gorgeous state. I have spent many a day in the woods, I have climbed 14,000 foot peaks and camped to my hearts desire. Now days I don't want to go on any trip that does not include a continenal breakfast. But I still like quiet day trips on my horse. She and I have been together for a long time. The only reason I had a saddle on during that picture was because I had company in town and was letting them ride her. She and I mostly bareback. Don't feel bad about not riding well....omg you should see what I do to a golf course. I think it's fun but I am TERRIBLE at it.
I do agree with you though. All of us are looking WONDERFUL for any age let alone 50!!! We are just a group of hotties trying to get by in this world.
oh btw...do any of you do step aerobics? My tape died and I don't know a good one to buy. I like to step on the days I don't run. I need a new tape of dvd but so many of them seem so complicated. I need an old school, good workout step tape or dvd. Any suggestions would be very appreciated.
lol step aerobics? i peeked in at a class yesterday & said to hubby that i could never do that. i'd probably only last 2 minutes... if even!
i put up a new pic of me! LOL
i look really bad... i came straight from the gym with no shower & showed up late for the party that i didn't even know about. lol
but hey! at least i didn't take the pic myself again in front of the mirror. :D
i don't have a pic of me at 141, it's coming... someday... i guess there won't be much difference anyway.
i don't look too skinny & sick, do i?! i was the talk of the party!!! down from 218 to 143!!! :D WooHoo!!!
and hubby is 233ish... down from 293!!!
Wow, I'm so glad to see so many of you here.
I've been at the same weight-132-for almost a month now. I did manage to lose the pounds I put on from one of the anti-depressants I was taking.
It seems no matter what I do my weight doesn't budge. Then I thought of something. Aside from being over 50-like all of us, I have been eating more at night.
Not that I am going over my daily allowance. It's just I am taking more in, in the latter part of the day.
When I did lose weight, I think, it had something to do with the fact I did not eat much late in the day.
I didn't eat any starchy carbs after 4 in the afternoon, and rarely ate after dinner. I always made sure I had a good dinner so I would get hungry later in the evening.
I haven't been doing that of late. So, I am going to give that a try-and I'll report back to let you ladies know how it works out.
Let's keep rockin'!
frost - I have 2 older step aerobics tapes - don't know if you can still get them LOL- but they are both great - basic steps not complicated at all - Candice Copeland's Step Ahead (my favorite) and Kathy Smith Step Workout. I kind of stopped with step because of my knee.
http://www.collagevideo.com/ I've ordered from here before - they have a great selection
snow - You look FABULOUS!!! They're just not used to seeing you at a healthy weight! I really think that's why some are saying you're too thin - you look healthy to me! If your BMI is in the healthy range don't worry about what others say unless it's positive! LOL
I had left over italian bread so I'm making bread pudding - not on the eating plan but oh well, I'll fit it into my calorie allowance cause it's my favorite!
oneis2many Welcome back as you can see we chat often! we are all enjoying talking to each other, supporting each other and sharing our successes, rants, the woes of being over 50 LOL Meds can be tough - I had to take medicine in Feb for the shingles and it made me gain about 4 pounds - I have finally taken that off but seem stuck right now again.
Bonton: I have enjoyed the pictures you put up too. YOu are a lovely lady and you look like a very happy person! Thank you for the suggestions and website for step aerobics. I will probably order your favorite. There are so many to choose from and I don't want to get all complicated and fancy. I know I need the cross training. With my schedule the gym isn't always a great choice. But I am motivated and usually get at least an hour of moderate cardio exercise in.
Snow: When you were overweight people would say how heavy you looked blah blah and all that but never to your face. Rules change when you are slim. People have no hesitation in saying terrible things to you. When I was going through a difficult time in my life and had dropped a lot of weight in a short time, people would walk up and tell me how terrible I looked! You know the truth. You look wonderful. No matter why they are saying that. You know the truth....You look wonderful.
Oneis2many: Welcome back. See what you started? Thank you. I think that the strategy you are considering is one that works for me too. I have increased my protein and cut my carbs off by early afternoon. I don't feel as hungry since I upped my protein. I have just started this but I will keep you informed on how it is working for me as well. Just play around with your body until you find what makes it happy!
I just got back from book club , which we had at a burger joint. With all your advice and support in mind, I resisted the temptation to enjoy hot wings, and opted for a grilled chicken sandwich on rye. But, so as not to feel totally deprived, I did order french fries. Sigh. But, I did not try to savor them or eat them slowly, because I didn't want to "cheat" on something I wouldn't really enjoy, like cold fries. So, enjoy/wolf them down I did. We'll see how that works tomorrow.
One: I was on antidepressants for a while, and I also gained weight. It is so hard to get it off, but I found Pamela Peeke's book Fight Fat After Forty very helpful in addressing when to eat and what combination of foods works well. I have been hovering around 131-2 for a while myself, and sure would like to see something under 130, just for the psychological boost.
Snow: I agree with Frost. What people say is not as important as how strong and healthy you feel. In the case I mediated today, the plaintiff, a previously robust active 79 year old, broke his hip and now it won't heal. He lost his mobility and his independence. I felt so grateful and lucky to be able to exercise at all.
frost: I use the same website as bonton for tapes. I like The Firm tapes a lot, but not all of them. The new one, Total Body Time Crunch, is good, and some of the older ones are also great to get my heart pumping, like Ultimate Calorie Blaster. I have a friend in FL who rides: she says she remembers her monthly calcium pill when she has to worm the horse. And, Lord, do I miss caffeine, but it sends me to the bathroom way too much.
ohio/Moon: After 79 years of telling me that only "trailer trash and sailors" get tattoos, my Mom got a butterfly on her shoulder for her 80th birthday. Guess you're never too old to change. (Of course, I'm still not a fan, thanks to all her brainwashing!)
Hello everyone,
I am over 50, by about ....14 years, does that make me inelegible to join you?I finished menapause at age 37 and that was when the weight began to creep on...and on and up and etc.
I have brought my cholesterol from 398 to 146 with diet and exercise. My BP is okay.
However my WI and BMI are in the morbidly obese range (and BTW I really hate that phrase-morbidly obese) I have arthritis in most joints, worst in my R knee and both thumb bones. My thumb bones even have their own name: carpometatarsal...something or other... I have forgotten. Oh, yea, forgetting is also a part of the joys of the golden years, along with slower metabolism, hair traveling from top of head to chin, weight traveling to anywhere it wants, vision and hearing diminishing, skin looking like crepe paper. I used to be able to spell, now I find myself misspelling the simplest words. Gravity is winning.
Senior citizens that's us now. We need to adjust our food intake to less sweet and more vegetables, smaller portions because we need less. More exercise because our muscles are all atrophying with age. The term is sarcopenia: the normal loss of muscle tone in the aging population.
I have a considerable amt of wt to lose. I have been working out and have transformed a few lbs of fat to muscle, so the scale does not say much different. I am resigned to dieting and exercising for what remains of my life, so I will not become a burden to my children. If I think of how much I have to lose, I get discouraged. I will continue, and perservere and in the end...WIN.
peace,
starblue
what else I wanted to say in my post was an apology for not getting back here as often.
Great to say so many of you having made such great friends.
I've been kinda depressed-trying to find the right anti-depressant for me.
Have been on Welbutrin for about six weeks now, and starting to feel a bit better-and I have not put on any weight.
I do serious weight training and that might be why I am not losing the pounds in numbers I would like.
and to starblue...you're as welcome as welcome can be-wouldja like a red carpet? love to do it for you! LoL!
I started drinking this detox tea-called Wholy Tea. It's claims to detox your digestive system as well as liver. Only been on it a couple weeks, and certainly haven't seen a change in my protruding stomach. It does day because many people carry so much excess rotting waste in our colons it makes our tummies stick out more than necessary.
And I must, admit I do take heavy duty pain medication which doesn't help with the elimination process...if you ladies get the drift.
all for one...and one for all!
Hello everyone. Is it too late to join your group? I am female, 53 years old, I am from Europe (France, Italy and Switzerland), I live in Vietnam and I have been struggling with my weight since 1997, when I arrived in Thailand. I have spent the last 27 years in Asia, in 9 different countries. I have 3 children who were all born and raised in Asia, two of which now live in Switzerland. The third one is still with us, but sitting his last IB exam today, before leaving to college in Canada next September.
I am currently 182 lb and would very much like to go back to my normal weight, that was 124 till 1996/7. I had Hashimoto's disease and it destroyed my thyroid. The problem was undiagnosed till two years ago. By that time, I had accumulated all that weight... I take replacement thyroid hormones but it's really hard to loose any weight with a sluggish thyroid!
I watch my cals like a hawk since November 2007, and try to stay under 1400-1500. I walk every day for about one and a half hour and follow T'ai Ch'i lessons every Tuesday. I try to do one hour of T'ai Ch'i practice every day as well. When the rainy season is too far advanced, I also use my stationary bike, and during the stifling pre-monsoon month, I often swim for one hour or do some aquaerobics in the pool.
In spite of all the exercise, I seem to lose a pound a year... Restaurant meals and visitors - part and parcel of an expat life - are my doom, as I put on two pounds as soon as I breach my 1400 cal/day limit... I try to be patient and tell myself that as long as I don't INCREASE my weight, I am ok, that I am really getting much fitter, I still have a sinking feeling every time I catch a glimpse of what I have become in a mirror. It has been a while now, but I still don't recognize myself in that blimp... I have a medium/heavy frame, and I am rather muscular, but I would gladly get rid of the slab of lard I carry before me!
I have been part of a thread for the 5'3" ladies, but it has dwindled to nothing since January. I travel a lot, so it is difficult for me to be really consistent, but I still need the support a group offers. I have found your thread by chance and am hoping I can still join in. I am not really interested in challenges and weigh ins and deadlines, I'd just like to find people whose profile corresponds to mine and who understand the "out of whack" days. Expat life is quite a ride, but it can also be lonesome and stressful, and just plain hard at times.
Sorry if this is a bit long. Thanks anyway to oneis2many for starting the thread, as I can always read what you all have to say and be inspired and comforted by it.
Greetings from Saigon, where the temp today is 95F+.
robbie - Your post made me laugh - sorry to your Mom - but I can't imagine her at age 80 getting a tatoo! LOL And you're right about being grateful that we're basically healthy - my girlfirend from HS is basically bedridden with a rare disease so I count my blessings in being able to exercise and for my health.
star - Welcome you can certainly join us - you're over 50 LOL Good for you with the cholesterol. Your thoughts on crepe paper skin made me laugh cause I say I have "old lady skin" on my hands I think I'll change my phrase to crepe paper _ I like that better! LOL Try to think of your weight loss as 10 pounds at time instead of the whole amount you need to lose. Every 10 is significant! And you will WIN!
onis2many Hopefully they will find the right med for you as I know it is hard with side effects of medicines
schaufel WOW you've led an interesting life!! Fill us in more about your travels - did your job or your husbands take you to all those countries? I still live in the town I was raised in LOL! I also had Hashimoto's thyroiditis - diagnosed when I was about 20. They kept telling me my weight gain was the college 15 uh not! I guess I was lucky I was young then so I was able to take the weight off after I got on med. It's so much harder after 50 but you can do it! WE are here to support you! I don't always like weigh-ins and challenges either. We are just chatting and supporting each other! Oh and BTW I'd love it to be 95 here yesterday I think the high was in the low 50's FREEZING !!! I love warm weather. Golf league tonight -high of the day 56 - oh geez - get out the underarmor long underwear!!!
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