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!

I don't know why it is but I am busier now than I was when I worked full time! I have not been logging much and have just caught up on several days worth of your news in all the posts. Sorry, I don't have anything first hand to add to the stepchild issue. Closest I ever came to that was when I was dating a nice American podiatrist who had 2 sons and they were both a few years older than my kids who were 3 and 6 at the time. I never ever felt comfortable that he would put my kids far enough up on the totem pole if we were to get hitched, which he wanted, so I packed it in. What a mom! No big deal. He slurped his soup and it drove me mental.

Congrats to all who are down on their new or old scales! I think I'm quite good at maintaining, just not so good at losing. I'll check tomorrow on my 'old' scale, but I don't feel any heavier. What's disheartening about that is that I seem to maintain at around 1500 calories and I should actually be consuming about 2000 according to the CC math to maintain. That totally sucks girls. TOTALLY. Bon - do the 1105 and see what happens. To heck with the rules.

Happy belated high holidays to all the Jewish girls. Hope you had fun. I am about to embark on a rip out mission this weekend. The dumpster bin was delivered to my driveway and the kitchen gutting will commence pronto. Pretty soon it will be paper plates and take out meals for me. No sink. No stove. How will I ever survive and count calories and lose? I've got a couple of job irons in the fire. Will know more next week. 

"Your shin -a device used to find furniture in the dark." Boy, how true is that!

-Bex

One holiday, one weekend, and I’ve passed my starting weight on CC (started at 154, today, 155). I’m still 10 lb less than a year ago when I started the diet, but this is very discouraging. Must stop grazing because there are several holidays to come! I will start logging again tomorrow. Perhaps just journaling and reading everyone’s news is slowing the gain (to be optimistic), and I know why I gained, unlike Bon, being so careful and drifting up. Hope you are feeling better.

Bex—Good luck with the renovations. Perhaps having no kitchen will discourage eating, though living on take-out must be pretty challenging.

robbie:  the new system it kept telling me I had the wrong email, which I didn't. 

Hello to All

Robbie: 3 pounds from goal weight. Wow. How cool is that?

Bonnie: are you better, woman? I sure hope so.

Beth: You look amazing. So happy for you.

Phox: I understand how you are discouraged. I have been in a slump right now too. I was at 136 and I weighed in this morning at 140 . I haven't been exercising and eating right.  Today is a new day and time for me to get back in control. I am 5' 7" ( unless I have shrunk). I am not overweight. Just on the high side of my BMI. I want to be on the low side.  I am starting to get back in touch with my body. I am not counting calories yet but I am watching what food choices I make and portions. For a while there it was bad. To be honest I am surprised I haven't gained more.

Everyone stand up straight. Be strong and lean.

Peg

OK, I'm neither panicked nor upset, but sad to report my weight is back up to 124.5. I don't know why, but will try to stay on course anyway.

Welcome back Peg and Rebex! And yes, that's how I use my shins. Ohio: Hope you had a good walk! Phox: I think logging helps, even when it hurts (to see weight gain), if that makes sense.

Hi Eveyone- Well I am not better... I think my voice - (I have none) is actually worse - still coughing up a storm thru the night - they ordered my some stupid pill that was supposed to help my cough - it did not help at all. My daughter's friend came - she is  a receptionist at my Dr office - I said that I really needed cough syrup with codeine as it is the only thing that will quiet this cough ( I've had this sooo many times I know by now) well she called the private line and got them to call it in for me .....so maybe I will be able to sleep tonight. Feel like I'm wasting my day too. Too cold to be outside, don't really feel well enough to tackle washing windows - that was the plan - so here I sit at the computer typing cause I can't talk.  sick of being sick... I'm not used to sitting around! as most of you know LOL. If I am not better by Monday I will call the Dr back. One time I had laryngitis so long that I had to take steroids to get my voice back - hopefully won't have to do that.

robbie I'm sure you'll get back down - if you saw it once you can see it again. I know that I am at a "healthy weight" but my clothes fit so much better when I am 116-118. Until I turned 50 I was NEVER over 118 Nice pic of you and your parents. You're lucky to still have them!

Peg  I'm right there with you wanting to be on the LOW SIDE!!! How is the new house progressing? Have you put up any new pics... I'll have to check

ohio Hope you had a great walk! It is certainly cold and I hate it! I'll be shivering until next June. That grape pie - I never heard of before - don't know if I'd like it or not..sounds very different. Your job sounds like it is getting better for you.

phox - Logging does help at least for me but I do have a hard time understanding why I drifted up when really I never eat too many calories..and you know the rest, same old story. At least you're still down 10 from start up. I just think our age makes it VERY difficult to lose weight even with exercise.

Bex - Good luck with your renovation - in my old house we gutted our kitchen down to the studs and remodeled - my girls were about 6 when we did that... oh my, everything in my dining room and garage, microwave dinners or cooked on the grill , paper plates ...I don't envy you - it was torture for a while but in the end the remodel was worth it! It's just a bugger putting up with all that inconvenience and mess. I can take dust just not clutter so it drove me nuts! LOL You'll have to take pics for us so we can follow your progress with new kitchen!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

bonton:  I'm sure the cough syrup will work tonight.  Hope you aren't straining your vocal cords trying to talk. 

that's right phox!  :D  that study on the women losing weight & gaining it back...  we need to be the exceptions.  we've already all been there & done that.  lol  that was dieting though.  this time is different.  it's our lives & how we are choosing to live them now, not a diet.  congrats on the 2% body fat loss!

joanna, sorry to hear about your stressful month.  :(  it's been pretty cool here.  just hang in there, i guess.  that's all you can do & we do miss you when you're not here.

reb, thanks!  yeah, i really like my new dresses.  lol  i got 2 of them.  i don't think i'll dye my hair.  i dunno.  you're probably right.  hubby would probably get nervous about it.  that 5 rules to a happy life is funny!  :D  good luck on that south beach diet.  well, you and whoever might want to try it.   that's awesome how you found all that stuff about the knee problem for ohio!

bonton, i'm like you too.  i'm a very picky eater, so i could never do any certain diet.  i'd be afraid there would be nothing i like to eat.  your hubby drives 100 miles a day?  that sucks.  i love peanut butter too!

robbie, that's great!  you drank wine & ate poorly but didn't gain?!  congrats!!!  wow...  what a horrible case...  i was wondering about politics being discussed here too.  lol

hey frost!  geez...  i sure have been gone a long time.  i haven't been exercising like i should either.  well, or eating, but i'm doing good.  i'm mostly 137 these days.

ohio, so sorry about your knee.  :(  ya know, we all feel like giving up now & then, but you need to remember it's a lifestyle change & not a diet.  that is so funny about buying size 24 dresses & eat to fit into them.  sometimes i feel like that lately...  with hubby back to his old ways & everything.  then i come back to my senses though.  :D  he can eat what he wants, but i'm not going back to the old me.  ever!

geez...  i'm only on page 54 & still trying to catch up...  LOL

OMG!  bonton!  hubby took your pills by mistake!!!  ok...  now, that just made my whole day...  congrats on the new car, too...

good luck on cutting them carbs, you guys!  i could never do that.  i eat mostly carbs, especially sugar.  i'm on a sugar babies kick right now.  it's really hard to count out one serving & only eat that. 

hey southern!  thank god you got them taxes in & you are doing really great!  i can't believe how you just keep right on losing.  :D  you'll be maintaining soon!!!

now i'm thinking meatballs...  :D  that 25 reasons i owe my mother is pretty cool.  thanks!  it's freezing here too, and i sure am glad to be back!!!  i've really missed you all!!!

hi chris.  glad to meet you. 

Glad to see you back, Snow and maintaining so well.

Fantastic article at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/magazine/05 wwln-idealab-t.html?ref=health

. . . .this approach, which is less about dieting than a lifestyle change that emphasizes “intuitive eating”: listening to hunger signals, eating when you’re hungry, choosing nutritious food over junk. It encourages exercise, but for its emotional and physical benefits, not as a way to lose weight. It advocates tossing out the bathroom scale and loving your body no matter what it weighs.

. . . . But . . . programs have trouble with the bottom line of fat acceptance — rejection of weight loss as a goal. . . .

Several studies suggest that if the aim is getting healthier rather than slimmer, then in the long run the “Health at Every Size” approach works better than dieting. . . .[A study] randomly assigned half of the 78 subjects, all women, to a “Health at Every Size” group; while they lost no weight, their healthier behavior led to lower blood-pressure and cholesterol levels, which stayed low even two years later. In the weight-loss group, more than 40 percent dropped out before the six-month low-calorie diet ended, and at the two-year follow-up, the average dieter had regained all her lost weight, and the only measurement that dropped was one for self-esteem.

So Snow you are so right to remind us that this is a lifestyle not a diet. Since I am at a healthy BMI, I need to work on loving my body. But I would love to lose those last 5 lbs. I have trouble with the last bit—rejection of weight loss as a goal. . . .

snow - glad you're back with us - we miss your posts! Yea LOL about my hubby - I might have to get  a pink pill box so he knows it's mine. Yea he drives 50 miles 1 way - it sucks - makes for a long day for him and hard on the gas bill. You're lucky you can eat sugar and carbs and still maintain - geez if I did that I'd probably really gain. I watch everything I eat and exercise and still have trouble losing.

phox - great article ... though I know I'm at  a"healthy weight' I still want to lose that last 6 pounds too but it is really a struggle. My body seems to like where it is at even if I don't!

Took my prescription cough syrup last night - it said 1-2 tsp - was afraid to take 2 - didn't know what it would do to me as I am very sensitive to medicines - well I should have taken 2 because I still coughed some but not as much. Tonight I will take 2 and hopefully not cough. Still NO voice Will have to call Dr again if I don't soon get a voice and quit coughing.

Going to try to play golf today as it is supposed to be sunny and in the 60's. At least that will burn calories! LOL All this coughing better be burning some too LOL Had wine last night so I don't want to weigh today. Will wait until tomorrow. Sometimes wine makes me retain fluid - don't want to get upset over "the number"LOL

thanks phox  & bonton  :D  it's great to be back!  i didn't realize it had been that long.  it's just that i haven't been counting or exercising much, so i really had nothing to log.  then, the family is happier when i'm not logging too.  i did try to post in my journal & my friends journals at least & that takes alot of time.  lol

of course, i had the wedding & relatives here & stuff too.  then ang came back again this weekend.  it's nice having her home.  we've been going shopping, out to eat & she opened a checking account.

phox, that article is really cool, because i try to incorporate that into my new lifestyle.  i try not to eat if i'm not hungry & when i'm hungry i try to make better choices.  well, then again...  i DO overeat often, but that's at buffets, parties & eating out.  that's just one of my rules.  to me, it's not cheating.  it's just my new lifestyle.  i just try to make up for it by behaving as often as i can.  it seems to work great!   i can't toss that silly scale though!  LOL  there's no way!!! 

what?!  but these people either didn't even lose weight or they gained it all back?!  hmmm...  that's not good.  i won't do that though.  not this time.

you'll reach your goal.  :D  just take your time.  it's not a race.

bonton, that was sooooo funny how you told your hubby he might grow boobies overnight too.  :D  i loved that!  thank god hubby doesn't take my pills.  well, i only take 1 blood pressure pill, but still...  that wouldn't be good for him!  he's already taking one & he takes alot of pills, too.

that must cost alot for your hubby to drive so far to work everyday!  he probably doesn't feel much like driving when he gets home then either. 

i know!  you are trying so hard & doing everything that seems right & not losing.  i'm eating way too much & tons of sugar lately & still maintaining.  if i would walk more like i should, i would probably lose again easily.  :D  i want to do that!  hubby is home today & tomorrow, so i plan on walking alot tuesday - friday when he's gone.  we'll see what happens.  i should lose unless we go out to eat.  LOL

anyway, that's why i often wonder if you are eating enough.  look at our behaviors?!  i'm sure you will lose them last few pounds.  just not sure how long it will take.

i think hubby has what you have!  he's losing his voice now too.  :(  it started with a sore throat & now i have one.

snowWOW WOW!!!! You look absolutely stunning in your new photo at the rehearsal dinner!!!  Look at your nice shapely thin legs!! You look great and younger! Couldn't resist that scale today but it was actually good to me today down to 123.4!! Now who would have thought after wine last night?? go figure when I think I've eaten less than perfect  I lose and when I do everything right I gain. Hmmmm ...something to think about! LOL Hope you and hubby feel better. I still don't have  a voice - it's been 8 days - will have to call Dr this week if it doesn't come back. Weird thing is I don't have a sore throat or anything except a cough and no voice.

Played golf today ...well if you can call it that . Oh my I haven't played in a week and well, my game was like beginning golf! LOL I really played badly but hey at least I was outside and exercising and believe me it did feel like  a work out! LOL I haven't played that bad since last April - the first time out in the spring LOL But the club champ - my friend - was with us and all 3 of us played bad. It actually got funny then when I laughed I started coughing!

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! The weather was beautiful here today! A perfect fall day...all I needed was a golf game LOL

Snow - I have to say "WOW", too! YOu look great! Your legs are so slim and i love your hair in the new picture, too.

Bonton - Glad to hear your weight is down some, too. Glad to hear you got to play a bit of golf again.

I got woken up at 4:30 this morning. A client's water broke. Well, it took a while for her contractions to get regular but I went to check her and baby out anyway. They were both doing well. So I left to go to church. So I didn't get to try on my little black dress yet. I wore my scrubs to church which made for an interesting conversation starter.

Anyway, her husband called me right as we were finishing up and her labor was going strong. Got to her house about 2 hours before the baby was born.

All went well. It was a water birth and she had a girl, her second baby.

All day today, I have felt SO hungry. I don't know what's up with that. But it was hard to eat good today. Our church had a pot luck. I did okay at that but it's almost impossible to get an accurate count on calories but I tried to estimate as best I could. But then tonight after getting home I felt so hungry again. Gave in and went to get a Whataburger. But I only get the Whataburger Jr. these days and it's more than enough without being too extreme on calories. I just hate eating all the fat and sodium! Still, I can't resist those fries. So I go ahead and eat a small order every time. I know I could skip them, but I don't.

So, I bet my weight is up tomorrow due to sodium if nothing else. I also have now missed 2 days of exercise due to my crazy schedule. I think that may have something to do with my feeling so hungry.I do so much better when I can work out every day.

I only had 4 hours of sleep last night but I may still go walking tonight just to get some exercise in today.

Tomorrow is another work day for me with two home visits scheduled now. One prenatal and a postpartum for the baby we just delivered today. An old friend wants to get together tomorrow, too. But my house is a wreck. I was going to clean today but that all changed because of the birth. I hope I have time to get it somewhat clean before she comes over tomorrow afternoon.

My poor house has been so neglected this last week. *sigh* I wish my  husband helped more in that area but it is NOT his strong point. I'm not really complaining because he does have SO many strong points. Housework just isn't one of them.

Well, it was a strange Sunday indeed. Usually Sunday is my 'rest day' but not today. I'll go to bed pretty early tonight. That should help.

Talk to you all later. Hope you all had a nice weekend.

~ Beth

Bonnie: If you played golf....you better be feeling better. I suspect you can be stubborn! lol

Snow: I agree with everyone...you look stunning. Wish I had your legs.

House is going okay. Right now we are remodeling the garage and building a barn for my horse. The plan is to live in the house a while longer before making any decisions. I haven't been able to work on the front yard for awhile. I was chased and attack by a swarm of yellow jackets who live next to the front porch. A little longer and the weather will freeze. Then I can remove their nest and carry on.

Max has a terrible migraine today. It breaks my heart to see him suffer.

Have a good week everyone.

Peg

I missed a lot over the weekend! Sometimes I can take a quick peak but this weekend was kind of crazy. On Sat, we dropped SS off to take SATs and then had 5+ hours to kill in what passes for city around here. We went to a waffle shop for breakfast and I didn't even consider not eating EVERYTHING (2 pancakes, 2 bacon, 1 egg) on my plate. Then we had lunch out too but I behaved at the buffet and had all vegy's. Wish I'd had a brain at breakfast!

Weight this morning 134.4...about the same. Argh. I'm at a healthy BMI, I too would just like to be on the lower side of it for a change.  Well, actually for life!

Bonton, Hope you're feeling better. A cough can be exhausting.

Speaking of exhausting...that was quite a Sunday, Beth. I laughed at the thought of our little old ladies reaction to someone in scrubs at church!

You look amazing Snow. You are proof IT CAN BE DONE.

thanks guys!  lol  you're too kind!  i think that pic looks stupid, but i never like pics of myself.  i sure wouldn't want to see a pic of what a would've looked like if i hadn't changed my lifestyle last year though!  LOL  i have that awful pic in my gallery to remind me that i have a new life now.

bonton, that's what i've been trying to tell you!  LOL  maybe if you went off the track a little now & then, you would start losing.  you are too good!  :D  congrats!!!

hubby is getting better, but i'm feeling worse.  he got it sooner.  i took some mucinex today.  i hope that helps.  at least i still have my voice!  for now...  he pretty much got his back.  his was mostly just a cough & no voice, but it started with a sore throat.  i'm to the point that the throat isn't sore anymore & i have the cough.  i hope you're doing better today!  it's been awhile for you already, too!!!

i can't believe you played so bad at golf.  i thought you either had it or you didn't.  that must've been pretty funny watching you coughing & laughing!

southern, congrats on the birth & try that dress on again.  :D  it'll fit by now...  i think everyone was extra hungry yesterday.  i dunno why.  must've been something in the air. 

frost, poor max!  :(  we're getting bees in the house!  we gotta find out where they are coming from so we can stop them from coming in.

chris, i was in your spot for awhile there.  i was so happy to finally be at a healthy weight, but i also wanted to be at the lower end.  my reasoning was dumb though.  lol  i figured that way, if i gained, i'd still be at a healthy weight.

don't worry about that breakfast.  i eat the lumberjack slam often!  just try to have your good food outweigh the bad & your good days outweigh the bad, and keep moving.  :D  walking works miracles!!!

Everyone:

Weight up again today, but I am so disheartened by the financial turmoil, I don't even care. Well, that's not true; I care, but can't see how losing 1/2 pound will help me in the big picture. The whole state of the world is what sent me into depression after 9/11, so I'm trying hard not to obsess again, but it's hard. On the good news front, Tom's clotting level is getting better, my oldest had two more job interviews and even paid for some groceries without being asked, and son number two came home for dinner last night, which is rare. He's trying to finish electrical engineering in four years, and it takes most college students five for that, so he's working very hard. I do, as Bonnie reminds me, get to have parents around, and I have a job that I like. So, I'll try not to whine too much, but I do bemoan having my retirement money in the market!

Chris:They say eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen and dinner like a pauper, so maybe you didn't do so bad after all. Peg:Hope you weren't allergic; those yellow-jacket stings can be painful! We had them around our otherwise wonderful peach trees this summer--talk about ambivalent. Fresh peaches versus bee stings, hmmm. Has Max ever tried hypnosis? My son benefited from that for migraines. Beth: Was your Mom a big house cleaner? My husband's Mom was a TERRIBLE housecleaner, and he could care less about mess, whereas my Mom was compulsive (she vacuumed or made us vacuum daily!) and I feel ill at ease when the house is dirty. I used to be so pathetic I'd clean before the housekeeper came. Hope you got back to your workout schedule today. Monday's my day of rest.  Bonnie: Maybe the trick to losing is to be sick? It worked for me in July, but I definitely wouldn't do it on purpose. Glad you got a bit better and snuck in a round, even if it wasn't your best. Snow: What a smile it brings to my face when you post. Your new picture shows off your wonderful accomplishment, and your "can-do" attitude is a very positive influence. Thank you.  Phox: Thanks for the great article. I do think our bodies have wisdom that isn't all on a conscious level. Ohio: Glad you're not still with a guy who'd say your laryngitis was a gift!

Hi Everyone

Well still no voice - this is day 9  - SO I called the Dr back - now he's ordering an antibiotic and I go see him Thurs. I hope it helps my voice cause work has been the pits not being able to talk. Had planned to do vision screenings all week - nixed that - can't talk to the kids to explain what they have to do. Still coughing but the prescription cough syrup worked last night so I finally slept. Weight down to 123.8 (but I should say up because Sunday I was 123.4) but still down from last week Hope that trend continues!

robbie  I hear you about the market - my husband's company got sold a few years back - before the market went south - he had to roll over a pension fund - did that, then the market went south and we lost not quite half of it. Now we're both saying we should have put it in a CD or in the mattress!! We'll probably have to work forever. I told him when the statements come this month we're not looking at them. No sense getting upset - we certainly can't change it now. Glad Tom is doing better. Will say a prayer for son # 1 's job!! I kept telling my daughter all the interviews were good practice for the real job she'd get! and she did get a good job!

Peg We had a swarm of yellow jackets "attack" our hummingbird feeder! It was unreal - hundreds of them and they drained the entire feeder in a minute or less then they were gone. But after, we had bees everyday - poor hummingbirds had to wait till late day to eat then the bees were gone. Couldn't find the nest to get rid of the bees. Bought a new type of feeder - supposed to be bee proof - they still came!

ohio  I have to agree with robbie about that guy - good riddance! - my hubby feels sorry for me and keeps saying the Dr needs to do something! I hope your job problems are getting resolved

snow Oh golf is a weird sport one day you got it the next you don't! LOL I thought I had it but was humbled by my game yesterday! The only solace was the club champ was only 6 strokes better than me! LOL she played bad too.  I hope you feel better

chris - seems like when I feel I ate poorly I lose weight  maybe the same will be true for you

Phox - cool article. I have to agree that genetics plays a large part in a person's weight. This has been evidenced so clearly by identical twins raised apart. I guess I take after my dad. Sadly. 

Ohio - laughed at the boyfriend story but I could relate. My dad used to say I had the gift of the gab and he would call me Gabby in jest. My mother said I had a flair for the dramatic. What a combo. Looks like I should have taken up writing fiction as a career!

Snow - you have dancer's legs! I, on the other hand, have cankles. LOl about the lumberjack slam. Sounds tasty!

Robbie - Seems like the market is always a dicey place to keep money. More bad news today from the financial world. Scotia Bank predicts that the Canadian economy is going to slide into recession as well and head down the toilet right after the Americans. Watched "Zeigeist Addendum" the movie on the internet over the weekend. It's all about the money problems, the banks, the corruption, and how because of the way the Federal Reserve is structured the never ending spiral will do us in. Highly recommend anyone who is interested to take a look at it.

I am trying hard not to succumb to the germs that infiltrate at this time of year. Sorry to those who have laryngitis and other ailments. Yes, it brings on weight loss, but at a miserable price. The last thing I want right now is to be sick, I have so much to do. I am hovering with weight loss right now. Just hovering. Went to a combo wake/birthday part on the weekend (weird, I know) and just had a little bit of this and that, whatever looked good. Even had 2 glasses of wine since I wasn't driving. Came home starving and ate 2 burritos. Nuts.

Today I am doing food prep for the freezer - turkey burgers, turkey meatballs, pasta sauce, and also cooking a stuffed turkey. It's our Thanksgiving next weekend but somehow I have to be a bohemian and cook a turkey in advance. Don't know why. I just saw a small one and thought it would fit in my countertop convection oven perfectly so I decided to just do it. Probably I want to free myself up for accepting invitations out to other people's Thanksgiving dinners! And, I want to make home made turkey soup which is to die for due to my mother's ancient Scottish recipe. My daughter brought me a jar of gourmet Gingerbread Cream, which you mix with whipping cream, and spread on top of pumpkin pie. Going to go all out and make that too!