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!

F is for fish!

Welcome back Helene!

Your photo gallery is wonderful. I can understand your sadness in leaving such a paradise. A door shuts and it is difficult to look at the window that has now been opened.

We have missed you and will be at your cyber side during this transition.

Peg

When I was about 5 or 6 we had a hamster that died. It was my sisters. We felt Butch needed a proper funeral. My siblings are twins and 19 months older than me. We found an old cardboard jewelry box and laid her beloved hamster in the box and gently placed the coffin into a Tonka truck that we hitched to our miniature dachshund, Prince. My brother and I took a post hole digger prior to the funeral and had dug a hole (4 to 6 feet deep). The procession began. Prince was furious and bolted. The Tonka truck fell over and the coffin opened, spilling Butch onto the sidewalk. My sister screamed in inconsolable grief.  Gently we recovered the body and placed Butch back into the coffin. My brother and I decided to push the truck the rest of the way. (Prince had found a place to hide). Finally at the graveside we lowered the coffin into the hole with string. My brother preached and I prayed. Our sister continued to bawl. We covered the grave while our mother continued to hang clothes on the line, doing her best not to laugh.

Helene Welcome back!! I checked out your gallery - beautiful quilt making!!! I especially love the blue one but then I like blue!  Very nice pics of family and so glad you had nice visits with them over the Holidays. Your house is lovely - looks like a vacation resort !!! No wonder you don't want to leave. But if the change is necessary - count on us for support while you do it!

Peg - LMAO and I mean literally about your hamster story! Too bad your Mom did not take pics!

Chris ok cross him off the list for matchmaking! LOL I just told DD to sign up to be a Big Sister - she needs the company and the child needs the attention that she is free to give. Said she'd think about it. Forget about being lonely and searching for Mr Right - he seems to be lost! Sorry your weight is up - mine is now officially up 3 pounds since last Sunday and I did everything right this week... BIG SIGH

F is for Filet Mignon see this link for info http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/beef-produ cts/3574/2

Good source of protein- it's the only steak I will eat! LOL I hate steaks with any fat and with filet there is little to none. We had filet last night along with 1/2 baked sweet potato and sauteed zucchini(hubby had portabella mushrooms and bread - I passed on the bread and hate mushrooms). I did make a cream cheese filled pumpkin cake - it was yummy but def NOT low cal so I ate my sliver( and still stayed at 1200 cal) and sent it to work with hubby!

Oh, Peg, that was a beautiful story. Straight out of a Disney movie. Do your sisters live nearby?

Helene, it is wonderful to have you back, and I can well imagine the bittersweet feelings of moving. The house is so beautiful, but I know what you will really miss is  the people -- you love them so. I also love the new picture with your beatific smile. I myself have been wandering towards Buddhism, and wonder if you have any readings to suggest?

Chris, my grandmother and Mom are both quilters, although my grandmother was better than my Mom. I haven't ever had the patience to learn, but wonder if you find it calming? We could start a Kill Jillian club, as we all seem to be carrying two shredding pounds lately.

Snow: you have the oddest pets: lizards, gerbils, chinchillas--who jumps in your lap and licks you when you're down? Guess that's why I'm a dog person, even though my pup Milo is mildly deficient, being schizo.

Beth: Hoping you have a day with no false alarms.

As for me, well, I'm going through a state of flux. My caseload is down right now, and I'm trying to enjoy rather than fret over time off. Today I am going to clean my closet out a bit, and tomorrow go to a movie. Wed. is back to routine. Both boys are kinda mopey: Nick because college started back today and he has the "crud" (cough and congestion), Chris because his date fell through and he's still mourning the ex. Ah, learning to let the arrows fly is my hardest life lesson.

From the Prophet by Kahlil Gibran:

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children." And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Sorry to be a space hog.

F is for fines herbes, which add flavor without fat.

fines herbes (FEEN erb): A mixture of very finely chopped herbs, classically including chervil, chives, parsley and tarragon. Sometimes it also includes burnet, marjoram, savory or watercress.

Bonnie: I was thinking of you when I posted the poem.

Just dropping in quickly to say "Hi" and announce we delivered a beautiful baby girl early this morning and we have a second client in early labor. So I'm trying to get sleep in between two births. I've slept 4 hours, just ate my high protein oatmeal and am about to go back to sleep until my second client calls me back with her next progress report. I think she will have her baby much later today. So I need to be ready.  Send me your happy thoughts and prayers!

Oh and I weighed right before eating my oatmeal and I was 150.2!

I see Helene is back! Welcome back! I'll have to catch up on reading after I've caught up on sleep. But I'm thinking of you guys. So have a great day!

~ Beth

PS F is for franks (uhhh, just kidding!) Well, wait a minute, The best franks are Hebrew National All Beef Low Fat Franks. The taste really good and they really are healthy!

F is for felines, and I am up to my neck in them.  OK, we don't eat them, but we just got the second kitten and the household is in an uproar.  (See new pics in my gallery).  We got the second kitten, Bagheera (3 months old) yesterday.  Baloo (our "old" kitten who is almost 6 months old) is freaking out.  We got both kittens from a breeder, so Baloo was used to having other cats to play with.  He really seemed to miss having playmates when we brought him home, so we thought another kitten would be great for him.  The jury is still out on this one.

Baloo follows the kitten everywhere.  He get absolutely frantic if he doesn't know where the kitten is.  He runs around the house meowing loudly.  He tries to open drawers and cupboards just in case the kitten is in them.  He looks at us and demands that we tell him where his kitten is.  When he finds the kitten he keeps grabbing the kitten around the throat with his mouth.  He even drags the poor kitten across the floor that way!  The poor kitten was the runt of the litter so he is tiny.  It is hard to figure out when we should let them work things out and when to interfere and try to set limits.  Baloo no longer pays any attention to us except to get us to help him find the kitten.  DH is quite unhappy with that.  I am hoping things will settle down soon once Baloo knows his new friend isn't going to disappear.

Frost:  Love that story.

Robbie:  I have The Prophet as well and have read it several times.  A lot of wisdom in that book.

Helene:  Nice to hear from you again.  What country will you be moving to now?  I am sure you will find much to enjoy wherever you go.

Beth:  No babies for a week and now two?  Tonight is a full moon.  It may be an old wives tale, but I heard that babies were more likely to be born during a full moon.  Perhaps you should add a lunar calendar to your planner.

-Carol (and Baloo and Bagheera)

Original Post by clharr:

 It is hard to figure out when we should let them work things out and when to interfere and try to set limits.

I never figured that out with my kids, let alone cats!

Sorry, can't seem to stop posting. If I've burdened you with too many recipes, I apologize, but I loved this beef stew I made last night, and so did my family. It also got an A, and is high in protein.

I edited the recipe to make it clear steak should be cubed before shaking in flour, but not sure that's showing up yet.

Beth, I just realized that you are not only (all but) at your goal, you're goal is at the lowest end of a healthy BMI. Wow. Darn, you're right, if you can do it I should be able to as well. Heck I'm not even shooting for a BMI that low. Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead!!  Good luck with baby #2!

Robbie, no such thing as too many recipes! Thanks and keep 'em coming! That was a lovely poem...kind of sad though...sometimes I really want to run my children's lives. pooh!

Carol, it must be frightening and funny at the same time! I suppose they'll probably work it out. My 2 cats are mother & daughter but they have nothing to do with each other except a spat now and then. They will come running if either hears the other cry out (like bath time. lol)

I went home for lunch today and DH had made a nice nutritious lunch for me. He mixed black eyed peas, black beans, corn, and green peppers and served it on jasmine rice. What a sweet heart he is! (too bad we didn't have any fava beans! lol.) I had some ff cottage cheese for a little extra protein. If I have ff yogurt for a snack between jobs I'll have a solid A going into evening.

F is for Fruit!  :D  eat it.  eat it everyday!  it's good for you.  ;)

as always, it's great to hear from you, helene!  hang in there & be strong.  :D  your house really is nice & it is so hard to move.

OMG, chris!  that poor gerbil!  and your poor nephew...  yeah, that is hysterical, though!

oh thank god!  lol  frost, you did the funeral thing, too?!  that's awesome & sooooo funny.

you guys who are gaining:  it's that jillian!  she's the culprit.  she's making you work too hard.  hehe  you'll probably just gain a few & then start losing.  at least you know you are healthy & fit.  ;)  i used to always do that.  i would always gain a few pounds first before losing anything.

i love it!!!  LOL  i had already typed that & just got down to robbie's message:  a kill jillianclub!  i love it!!!

i know what you mean, robbie.  a cat or dog would be nice.  :D  but, no!  no pets in the house!  that thing about children was cool.  thanks.

congrats, southern!  on the babies AND the weight!

clharr, that is so cool!  baloo & bagheera.  :D  that is so cute about baloo following the kitten around & chris, your cats are the opposite?  lol

Hello!

I still haven't reached the place that explains the letter of the alphabet and the foods, but I think it has to do with finding each day a healthy food starting from a certain letter? So if F is today's letter, I'd say Fennel. I love it just boiled then sprinkled with a little olive oil (and just a tiny bit of low fat cheese) then put in the oven till slightly golden. Or cut raw in a salad. I love that stuff!

Robbie, try reading Awakening the Buddha Within, Eight Steps to Enlightenment, by Lama Surya Das. It's a very simple and clear explanation of the main Buddhist tenets. I took the Metta Sutra from it. Lama Surya Das' former name was Jeffrey Miller, and he is American, so he knows how to write for Westerners. Sometimes books written by Oriental scholars take for granted some notions that are not really part of our mental landscape, or their way of thinking doesn't follow the same logical steps we are used to. I often pick that book up and find some nugget I hadn't really noticed before. He also uses a lot of his own experiences to illustrate what he says in a very humourous way, so it makes the book easy to read.

The weather these days is just worthy of paradise. Hot and sunny by day, cool - even chilly in a Vietnamese way LOL - and crisp in the morning and evening. The moon was so bright these past two nights you could have read by its light. I think I haven't used the air-con in my bedroom or sewing room in a month. My windows are wide open, there are 2 new bunches of bananas ripening outside and my heart just sings at the beauty of it all.

My cook, Em Hang, told me yesterday that her sister, Em Sang, who worked for me till she had her baby last year was very sick. She has been in and out of hospital for the past few months, with apparently a bad inflammation of the right kidney. She is now weighing 38 kg (83 lbs) and can't eat or drink without throwing up. Her baby, a boy, and her third child after 2 girls, is not yet one year old. The doctors think she won't make it. I couldn't sleep the whole night thinking of her, and of a life of such humility one doesn't even dare say "I have a problem", because in this world, no help should be expected from anyone. And I am mad at myself for not having recently inquired about that child and his mother who worked for me so well... When I asked Em Hang why the doctors couldn't operate on her to save her life if they couldn't save that kidney, she simply answered: "It's too expensive..."

Have a very nice day everyone. Sorry to have burdened it with my story, but I am not very proud of myself right now. Tomorrow is another day.

Helene, in Saigon, who just sent Robbie's poem to her daughter. Such a beautiful poem! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Just to let you know. Typical Vietnamese misunderstanding... After enrolling my husband's secretary to find out what exactly Em Sang had, it is not a kidney problem she has. She has a very rare and aggressive form of lung cancer. The hospital hasn't told the family it is a cancer. She fell sick only 4 months ago and is already at the last stage. There is no hope she may recover. Her children are being taken care of by the family, the two girls are with my cook's mother (who is also taking care of my cook's son, but he is already 19 years old), the baby boy is with his father's family. The father is seldom around because of his job. The only thing they need now is financial help, because all this creates expenses, and there is one less bread-winner in the family.

I feel a little better knowing a more timely intervention would have done little to help. I still feel sad thinking of these little girls who will grow up without the advice and love of their mother, and that little boy who will not remember the woman that put him into this world. Karma. Karma means burden, and there are times when that meaning hits you full in the face.

Helene - tragic, just tragic. Sometimes I wonder about the cruelty of life and how we can overcome it. I never find an answer. Thanks for the Buddhist readings. I'm going to have my daughter check them out. She could benefit from becoming a Buddhist. We all probably could. Your quilts were beautiful. just stunning, and you all look so happy in your photos. I hope your packing and move goes well. It seems like yesterday that you were packing at the old place and then unpacking again, all those books! We love to hear from you, whenever you have the time to drop by.

Peg - I was ROFLOL at your burial story, especially tying the Tonka truck to the dog!!! OMG!!! and Chris, yours too! I think we have all done some ill deeds to small pets in our youth. Mine was that my younger brother and I when we were about 4 and 5 years old, discovered that our indoor pet tortoise, Terry, seemed to have died because he wouldn't pop his head out of his shell any more. My mom wasn't around so we took charge, got a shoe box and dug a hole in the garden. We put poor Terry in his coffin in the hole and gave him a proper send off, built him a cross out of garden sticks held together with bandaids and everything. I guess we got busy and forgot to tell our mom until a couple of days later when she noticed the "grave marker". She got this really weird look on her face and said that Terry wasn't dead. Tortoises hibernate apparently. Who knew? So, we dug him up in a panic, terrified that we had buried him alive, only to find out we had in fact killed him by sending him to an early grave.

Carol - no surprise there are shenanigans at feline central USA! They will work it out. Just be careful the baby doesn't get too stressed by the overprotective Baloo. You know what that brings on... diarrhea!!! They are just stunningly beautiful. What charmers. You are one lucky mama!

Robbie - thanks for the prophetic excerpt. I try not to crowd my kids lives. It's hard when you see them making a mistake not to be a buttinski. But fortunately they are secure enough in themselves that they tell me to be a buttoutski when I'm encroaching too far. It's difficult to let them go. and then there are the days when....pow! to the moon, Alice! To the moon!!! (Gleason) Ya know??

I'm out of town. It's cold, snowing, and quite miserable, but I had a nice dinner out with dear friends tonight. We had a bit too much to eat I think, and some wine. Not too much. But the MahiMahi was fantastic. I should have skipped the horseradish mashed potatoes that came with it but couldn't resist eating half the portion. I had 2 bites of the rum cake for dessert as well. Not so bad all in all. I am learning. Tomorrow it'll be salad rations for me I fear.

F is for Fajitas. If you use the whole wheat tortillas and fill them with healthy vegetables and a bit of lean meat you can have a satisfying low cal meal that is ready in 10 minutes!

typical why is it only women over 50, a Grandad here fast approaching 50 trying to  shed pounds, i will view but not take part, good luck you all anyway

Hi Paul!  I don't know how the others feel, but I wouldn't mind having a non-woman join our group.  Can you stand all the chatter that goes on here? 

I like this group because there is a lot of success happening.  Some whining too (my own included) but more success and positive things. 

What do you think, ladies? 

Alice

robbieThanks for the reading about children - I find myself wanting to be the eternal "fixer" , it is so hard to sit back when they are unhappy and sad. But in the end she has to work this out until she finds some sort of balance in her life. But she does ask for my advice so I must not encroach tooo much or at least maybe not most of the time. Keep your recipes coming - I think you're an excellent cook because so far I've like everything that I have tried! Now I need to buy a pressure cooker LOL wow dinner in 12 min sounds fantastic - you know you work all day, go to the gym, come home and shower and now it's after 6pm and you're starved! LOL I had one in my "other" life and was always half afraid of the darn thing

Helene  So tragic about your former cook - life is certainly not fair nor easy. And I am ashamed that yesterday I was whining about not losing weight... many other important things to think about. I've never eaten fennel...imagine

Bex Your dinner out sounds nice and now you're doing what I do - a few bites of dessert to get satisfied! So Sorry you put your tortoise to an early death  No funeral story from me but we did have an alligator as a pet when I was growing up - LOL it didn't live very long.

snow Now fruit - I'm right there with you - I do love fruit no pickiness there!

Carol  The cats are beautiful! Sounds like an interesting time watching them adjust to each other.

Chris - Did level 2 of Jillian yesterday with 5lb weights - so far today not sore! LOL but who knows what I weigh LOL staying off the scale! What a sweet DH making you such a nice lunch

Beth Any more babies coming? You've been very busy bringing new life into the world! And you should be very proud reaching your goal!!! Franks LOL I don't eat those

Peg - How goes work and working out?? Are you doing any projects at your new estate?

Phox  Thinking of you... are you dancing?

BEB You're quiet... are you feeling ok? How is your shoulder? Stay off that sugar train- it goes round and round and it''s hard to get off LOL I will measure this weekend but my clothes don't feel any different so I don't think there's been any change but we'll see

Alice  Any hikes scheduled for the weekend? You really do have some beautiful pics of scenery from your hikes! How did you like Jillian??? Your gym looked nice - there are advantages to living in a bigger town/city - I wish that my gym had classes and a good trainer!!! I'd love to try a spinning class - no where in town has them

Paul - good luck in your endeavor to lose weight. There is lots of good information on this site

My GS is sick - temp 102, cough and congested  He is supposed to come this weekend so I hope he gets over this quickly ... I miss him

Plan for the day - continue to eat healthy, stay off the scale and gym after school - hubby said he was coming ... LOL we'll see I won't hold my breath - he hasn't been there since early December! I started the hundred push-up challenge yesterday - managed day 1 ok we'll see how the next day goes tomorrow. In my "pretest" I could do 10 pushups so that's the level I'm starting on...if I falter I'll drop back to the beginner track! Anyone interested  here is the link: www.hundredpushups.com

I'm gonna get strong shoulders one way or another! LOL

I  hope that I did not miss anyone - we chat so much I have to go back and see what everyone had too say! LOL

bonton - who's sorry that she was whiny yesterday... there are more important things in life besides losing a dumb 7 pounds.  Repeat to self : fit and healthy, fit and healthy ... throw out the scale... fit and healthy or as Peg would say strong and lean!!!

EDIT: Oh I almost forgot - annual physical at Dr yesterday - they go by the scale and stop and just look at me cause she knows how I am - I go "No we're NOT doing that today" LOL so she says well it's your physical and I say so??? LOL not here for a weight problem - well not really anyways! The good news is that my "healthier eating" - less processed foods - showed up in my cholesterol level which is down to 169 from 180 - a drop of 11 points! yeah All other tests were normal so I need to quit complaining! Also yesterday - for a fleeting moment - I was thinking of adding a morning walk on the treadmill because I am usually at around 9,000 steps for the day instead of my gaol of 10,000 - BUT this morning my knees told me  NO you can't do that - too achy in the morning to jump right on the treadmill

oh helene, that's terrible.  wow!  83 pounds?!  cancer?!  wow...  that poor family. 

rebbex, that's so funny!  OMG!  you guys buried a live turtle?  well, ang's turtle was really dead.  gross...  poor philip.  he was really tiny & she found him in the street.  at least he didn't get run over.

hi paul,  good luck to you, also!  yeah, i wouldn't mind you staying either. 

bonton, yeah, it's funny.  i never ate fruit before.  it really is good!  :D  hubby made me buy extra fruit last time i shopped & he's not eating any.  i can't eat all this crap fast enough!  apples, oranges, strawberries & bananas.  well, ang is doing great eating all the strawberries.  she's leaving tomorrow.  back to college.  my gs is sick, too.  the poor guy.  he caught a cold from jamie.

i forgot to try to do another push up yesterday.  LOL  i'm gonna try again now.  thanks for reminding me!

don't toss the scale!  :D  you'll just go out & buy another one...

 congrats on that great news at the doc! 

if you do push ups, you really do have to go down, right?  i can go down a little, but if i go down almost to the floor, i just fall.  :(

OMG snow you made me LOL! YES,  when you do a push-up you really do have to go down!!! Start out with "girl" pushups if you are weak and build up to boy pushups! They really do build strength - arms, shoulders ... though sometimes they make my wrists hurt and I'm certainly no expert ....yet!

LOL  i can't do the girl push ups either!  the wall ones are too easy.  maybe i'm doing them wrong.  i'll keep trying...

edited:  OK!  i did some!  i did some girly ones.  i didn't go all the way down, but i feel like i did good.  either way, i'll get stronger, right?  man...  my arms are really sore.  i wonder how they'll feel tomorrow.

i'm gonna keep trying now & then throughout the day.  maybe i can squeeze out some real ones.  i'm so excited!  i never did push ups before!  i couldn't!!!

i did lots of wall ones!  :D