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!

LOL  that's how i feel!  like someone is gonna kick me out of the juniors section!  :D  it feels so weird!  i can buy anything i want & nobody can stop me!!!

i try that "sneaking stuff into their home" thing.  lol  that works pretty good.  it rarely comes back.

probably 1/2 of that chocolate yesterday was dark  :D

I can really identify with "It feels weird (in a good way) to be looking at smaller sizes in the stores." Today, with your inspiration to get rid of the big, baggy colthing, I bought a new, snug, slim cut pants suit. I was longing for the brown, boxy, wide leg suit like the ones I have at home. I asked the sales lady which she preferred and she picked the snug one. Why, I asked. The brown is too mature. Got to love that! So now I can't put back an ounce (and it would be good to lose a few more).

Thanks everyone for the advice on the weights. I will start on that after my trip this month.

Helene: Stay dry. The floods must be awful. You seem to be coping very well.

oh no, phox!!! be careful now... going from loose & baggy to snug is when everyone is gonna start accusing you of losing weight too fast & getting too thin!!!

don't fall for that, though. LOL you know what you are doing. it's just gonna be a shocker for them to see you looking so great! :D

You are so right Snow, my Mom's already criticized my bony knees, now she'll see other bony bits!! I've put in one old lady outfit into the suitcase, taken it out, then put it next to the suitcase in case I change my mind LOL.

BTW, I am going with my Mom to her 60th college reunion.  So an old lady outfit will probably be just the thing!

i think you should go with the snug, and be proud of your weight loss. you worked really hard to do that. let it show!!! :D

just be ready for the comments... LOL i don't let it bother me. i think i actually like it now.

it's probably not a good idea to tell them you want to lose more either. :D

Hi Everyone - welcome back robbie - hope you had a great time in the mountains! When our daughters got married we made it a "rule" ..you have to take your "stuff" with you! Still have my single daughters stuff! And my stepdaughter and her hubby are building a house and using our basement for storage LOL it better all go when their house is done! LOL

ohio - It took me a long time to get over that nervous thing too - I was  exactly the same way - I did fine as long as it was my husband and me but when ppl got behind us ..look out couldn't even hit the ball. And when I first started in the ladies league it was the same thing.. I'd get all nervous and play terrible! I called it league-itis!! I also had tounament -itis...But, I played with a former gym teacher and club champ and she kind of taught me to get over it. Now I love to compete and I sub in the inter-club tournaments! she just kept saying over and over - just play your game - and as my game improved I gained more confidence. Congrats on your wt loss!!!!

robbie - It takes me forever in my flower gardens because I want all the weeds gone!! LOL I'm not really as bad as it sounds. Good for you on being down ..I think my scale will be up but I'm not getting on until Thursday by then the water weight should be gone and the low cal choc eclair dessert is gone - I sent some with the kids when they left!

phox -  I agree with robbie - get those clothes tailored to fit! Don't keep the tempatation around that it would be ok to gain again because you have "big" clothes. And show off that weight loss - it was hard work - show it off!!

Didn't play as well today (shot a 99 ..45 on the front good, 54 on the back BAD  LOL) at golf as I did Saturday but oh well ...it was sunny and nice and golf burns a ton of calories. Had my game on the front and someone elses on the back LOL! I wanted to give it back and find mine but couldn't. LOL

 

Hello there!

No time really. I came home for a quick shower, and I am off again for my weekly Ch'i Gong lesson. Looking forward to. Yesterday night I emptied yet another cupboard and this morning we decided we would leave this house: yesterday late afternoon, the storm that was gathering in the morning brought a deluge that lasted almost one hour. By the end of it, my garden was under 4" of water in places... And this is just the beginning... Can't even imagine what it will be like in September/October, when the REAL raining comes...

I have to go. Weight went further down. I am 181.5!!!!! Two pounds in just a week... Can't believe it. More later.

Have a great day everyone,

Helene

 

Hi Everyone!

My diet at work was better. Not A+ but still hanging in there. Running on my days off when I can anywhere from 60 to 75 min still. I know I need weights. I have lifted a few times this last week and a half but I know the key is to be consistent. My weight is better. Down 5 then up 3 down then down 8 then up 2. I have no idea if I am up or down today. lol. Geeze. Who know what the scales will say tomorrow.  I know my stomach looks better as do my thighs. My old clothes don't fit yet, but it took my more than 2 months to get this weight on. It will take time to get it off. Stay consistent. Today I ran, then a 3 mile walk with my sweetheart followed by an hour of leisure biking. Too much fat in the diet but my overall caloric intake was acceptable. Bound to lose in time. 

 Everyone stay well. I am very excited to hear of all the weight loss and victories from the golf course to the kitchen cupboard. And as late as this is Bonton, I live up against the mountains and the tornados were far from me. Thank you for asking. My heart goes out to all those victims.

Bonton, I think you could make a fortune renting out your stomach :) Too bad about the plants. My husband is exactly the same when he is using the weedeater. Just make sure not to let him have a chain saw!!

Helene, I hope your new house will be MUCH drier. And I think it's bad when the power goes out for a couple of hours. Keep it up with that weight loss - you're doing great!

Frostslave, you will definitely see the fruits of your labors soon. You are right, stay consistent.

Ohio & Snowfence, I know what you mean about feeling weird in the smaller clothing sections. I am still trying to get used to thinking of myself as not fat. When I look at photos of myself, I say "That woman is not fat". But I still feel different somehow, because I'm not petite and slim. At 5'5" I wear a size 9 in a MEN'S shoe (11 in women's) and I truly have a large frame.

Gotta get to bed again,

Alice

frost  so glad you were on here today - I had decided not to get worried until today - really didn't know if you lived close to where those tornadoes went thru or not. Glad to hear of your weight loss too!! I've had too much fat and sodium in my diet past couple of days but same as you calorie intake was ok. I burned a ton of calories golfing especially yesterday when I played badly on the back 9 - that really felt like work! I did  a lot of yard work too - weeding and planting  and of course good old mowing the grass!

moon  - Isn't that the truth!! No chain saws for him!! And my stomach LOL my secretary is always saying if I could take your appetite and stomach with me for  a couple of months I'd be skinny! LOL And then I wonder how did I gain this 10 pounds???? But at least it's only 10 - she always says to me oh if I just would have done something when I gained the first 10 - she has about 150 to lose:( which I know would be sooo hard.

schaufel- Congrats on the weight loss!! The way we lose weight after 50 does seem to be sporadic - no loss forever then all of a sudden a few pounds! It's such a mood booster and sure does help to stay the course while trying when you finally see some results!

phox - That's great about your Mom attending her 60th college reunion!!! 

snow -It's Tuesday - will you be starting to toss the old accumulated stuff?? LOL Don't you wonder why we save so many things

Back to work today...and just as I predicted I was sound asleep when that alarm rang at 6am! Everyday over the holiday I was awake early, now today I have to get up and I'm asleep! LOL it figures. Back to MUCH healthier eating today - less fat and sodium and a few less calories - don't think I'll weigh myself till about Thursday  - everything should be back to normal by then.

Everyone -Have a great day!!

Just checking in. I tried not to get on the scale today because I didn't work out yesterday, but I couldn't help it. And of course it showed a 2 pound gain. How can that be? Maybe it's just eating later and getting up earlier, so not enough time to digest. I swear the worst thing about this age/hormonal stage is being unable to connect what seems to work and what doesn't. But, frostslave has inspired me to stay consistent (I got up and ran this am) and I'm following Ohio's lead and publically posting here my commitment to work out five - six days a week, continue counting calories, and meet my goal of getting down 2 sizes by October. (My 25th anniversary. My husband will probably be in the hospital getting his second hip surgery in September, but I'm going to try to be swimsuit ready just in case!) I am not going to let a number on a scale dictate my mental state.

phox: be sure to post some photos of that reunion; snow and I will be watching. Snow can't wait to write and tell you that you've lost too much weight! :D

bonton: It was drizzling rain so my weed pulling was easier, but it's amazing how fast it gets away from you. I worked a few hours, but barely made a dent. Sigh. Glad you had a good game.

Helene: Where will you go? Is there another, dryer house you can go to? Maybe another country?

Alice: I think I know what you mean. I am short, but not petite. I have big boobs and a big butt. When I look in the mirror, I see my Mom. She's 5'7" and has always been voluptuous leaning toward round.

snow: when you get your closets cleaned, come on over and help me do mine!

oh well...  i didn't get anything done today.  hubby had off & we had stuff to do.  i guess i'll toss some crap starting tomorrow instead.

i did manage to find the time to play with my computer & manage my files for my mp4 player & my cellphone though.  LOL

congrats to those who lost weight!!!

i'm up again, but at least that whole weekend is over now.  no more splurging...  yet!

robbie  Your post about big boobs made me laugh cause I'm always saying I got in the wrong line when they handed those out! LOL Maybe I wouldn't think my "majorette legs" and butt look big if I had a bigger top! LOL My weight was probably up too - carbs and sodium - but I made myself stay off the scale!! Good for you with running - I can't run - it does burn lots of calories. I love summer because I can use mowing and golf for cardio - beats those machines any day! I plan to lift at least 2x a week thru the summer.

phox - I'd like to see pics of that reunion too! Be sure to post after you go

Had a ladies golf meeting at my house at 4, hubby is golfing at his league tonight, so after the meeting I walked 3.2 miles with my ipod blasting! I do like to walk outside. Have any of you ever used www.g-map.pedometer.comto map your route? It's cool after you figure out how to use it! If you decide to try it and can't quite get it figured out message me - it took me a while the first time I used it LOL

You can tell this site has changed my eating habits - hubby not home - typically I would have eaten a bowl of cereal or a pnb/jelly sandwich. Tonight I had a large serving of zucchini and yellow squash with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, was going to saute chicken breast but got lazy and ate peanut butter for my protein LOL i know I know it doesn't really go together but I didn't eat them at the same time LOL I find myself checking my nutriton grade before I decide if I am going to eat it or not. Not all the time though LOL never checked before eating that lo cal dessert I made !

Original Post by bonton71:

 

 

Had a ladies golf meeting at my house at 4, hubby is golfing at his league tonight, so after the meeting I walked 3.2 miles with my ipod blasting! I do like to walk outside. Have any of you ever used www.g-map.pedometer.comto map your route? It's cool after you figure out how to use it! If you decide to try it and can't quite get it figured out message me - it took me a while the first time I used it LOL

You can tell this site has changed my eating habits - hubby not home - typically I would have eaten a bowl of cereal or a pnb/jelly sandwich. Tonight I had a large serving of zucchini and yellow squash with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese, was going to saute chicken breast but got lazy and ate peanut butter for my protein LOL i know I know it doesn't really go together but I didn't eat them at the same time LOL I find myself checking my nutriton grade before I decide if I am going to eat it or not. Not all the time though LOL never checked before eating that lo cal dessert I made !

 

bonton: Now you made me laugh. Your dinner sounds exactly like the stuff I eat when my husband isn't around. AND, I check to make sure I have an "A" before I eat dessert. Sometimes I end up eating fruit instead jut to keep the "A."

For Christmas last year, Tom got me a GPS device with a heart monitor. I used to drive around and try to add together my routes with the car odometer, but it was a pain and not that accurate. Now I can go on line and see where I ran and how fast my heart raced to get there. It gives an altitude reading, too. Do you use one when you hike, Alice? How 'bout you, Frost?

Snow, your "I'll start tomorrow" sounds too much like the resolution to go on a new diet! LOL

Bonton, yes, results are good, even when you know that when they are so drastic, they are meant to be a bit shaky at first. Right now I am concentrating on having that "trend" line looking down, and try not to worry about the daily variations.

Robbie, no I am not going to a new country yet, at least I don't think so - sometimes you are surprised... If I move now, it will be to a house in the neighborhood, in fact it is in the same compound where I go walking every morning. It would be ideal because that compound and its access road are never flooded. It has many other advantages, like being within walking distance of several shops, the grocery store, the bakery and several restaurants. The waiting list to get in is really long, but that particular house has been rented to our company for over 10 years now, and our friends are going back to HQ at the end of June. We could have had it when their predecessor moved out two years ago, but they have 3 young children, so we left them the house, because they really needed the space and the safety of a compound more than we did at that time. There are 2 new families coming in, but they are both with only one baby, so they said that house was too big and too expensive for them. So we get first choice this time. Getting into that compound is really hard and it would be a good thing to keep it in the company... So we'll just "sacrifice" ourselves LOL!!!

For those who asked, the power cuts are many, but irregular. The country is developing faster than its infrastructure, so the network is overtaxed (same for the roads, the phones, the Internet...). It's worse on very hot days (because of air-cons), and during the end of the dry season (because water reserves are low).  To help with that, the Saigon authority has decreed a full day power cut by district, on a rotation basis. We don't know what day it will happen for sure, but it's roughly every 4 weeks. Without a functioning generator, you not only sweat to death, you also lose the contents of your fridge and freezer... In a country where you have to keep food reserves at all times because of the bird flu (it's endemic here since 1997), you can't really have an empty freezer. Even rice and mixes are in there too, because everything left outside is promptly invaded by bugs or turns green with mold... Ahhh! Life in the tropics... Visions of long drinks sipped under vast umbrellas, with palm fronds swaying in the breeze, while dutiful servants busy themselves to keep you comfortable... LOL

Time for lunch. The aroma of food wafting from below is so tantalizing... Hope there is nothing down there that will put my will power  to  the test... LOL

Have a nice day every one!

Helene

 

 

Thanks for the good wishes on the reunion. It is a 4 day extravaganza. I will be there the first 2 days, then my brother is taking over because his daughter is graduation from the same university. Grandma and grand-daughter will march in the same processional! How cool is that? I’m flying to New York tonight with my Mom some pre-reunion visits (we live in Israel), then to Boston for reunion and graduation, then I fly off for my visits for work and grandkids. 7 flights in just over 2 weeks. Let’s hope none are cancelled. One thing I don’t have to worry about is overeating LOL. With a schedule like this, I won’t have time.

BYW, I lost the 2 lbs. I gained over maintenance. It may have been water, but it feels good to see the scale where it should be before I leave.

Helene, I hope you get the house. You deserve it. When will you move?

I love my cook!!!

Seared fresh salmon steak with orange peel bits... Crunchy pan-fried fresh green asparagus stems with crushed garlic and freshly-ground pepper... Garden salad with just enough fresh basil and mint leaves to keep it interesting.... Lukewarm mini-baguette to go with a tiny wedge of perfectly mature Camembert cheese... And for dessert, fresh mango (from my garden) and pomelo (this is a big citrus fruit - bigger than grapefruit - with a very thick green peel, and a very coarse skin around its wedges that has to be removed to eat the sweet, slightly tart,  juicy bundles of joy inside). The fruit I'll keep for my afternoon snack.

Aaaah! Life in the tropics...

schaufelI don't care for salmon but your meal still sounds wonderful!! I think I need a cook LOL The power outages sound terrible.. makes you grateful for what we have here in the USA. Glad you're getting the house in the compound - it sounds much better.

phox That is so neat - Grandma's reunion and grandaughter graduating!! Be sure to post some pics. How nice for everyone. How many kids and grandkids do you have? Are you native to Israel or there for your work? I don't envy all those flights - I get sick and have to wear a patch LOL - I hope that all your flights go smoothly. Congrats on losing the 2 over maintenance!! Right on track is a good way to start your travel.

Yesterday my husband - getting ready for work - trying to put on jeans he got out of his closet (they were mine, got put in the wrong place!)  telling me about putting his foot in the one leg - couldn't quite get it in then tried the other still not thinking they were mine  LOL - said he was thinking what the heck happened to my jeans LOL - held them up thought they looked right  - said he only looked at the length ...uh I'm 5'1 and he's 5'9" my waist 28 his 34???? - he had to be asleep! LOL - tried again and almost fell over because he couldn't get his leg the whole way in. Then he said he finally looked at the waist and realized they were mine LOL! we had a good laugh

Today is my golf league - sure hope I find my game today! But  I'll have fun even if I don't and I'll be burning calories!

Everyone -Have a great day!!