This is a daily thread for women 40+ who are: losing those middle aged pounds, dealing with hormonal issues, family issues or just plain losing their minds! I hope my friends follow me to this new thread and I hope to make more friends along the way - all are welcome.
Cheryl :)
A group of 40-somethings! Goody, goody!!!
I just got my invitation for my 30-year reunion and all of a sudden those wrinkles and gray hairs are more obvious..... 
Stats:
Age: 47
Starting Weight: 400 (August 2006)
Current Weight: 197 (Strictly from good eating habits and exercise)
Goal Weight: 145 (although with all my loose skin, 155-160 is probably more realistic)
I need lots of motivation to lose at least another 20 pounds before the reunion. I was an athletic 145 in high school (I thought I was fat back then!) and my classmates have seen me put on the weight the past few reunions. This time I want to show up and knock their socks off!
So let's see, 10 weeks until the reunion -- I'd have to lose two pounds a week from here on out to reach my 'vanity' goal. Can I do it? Tune in next week for a weight loss update!
Later groovy chicks! Can I use 'groovy' with this group? LOL
Hi Edie,
Don't give up! Just gotta get back on the horse. 
I was stalled for two weeks though I thought I was following a good plan. I just had to find the right number of calories to eat. Once I found that number I guess my metabolism took off. I do my cardio 5 days in a row...no rest in between. And I've learned to like salads! Me...like salads. Now THATS an accomplishment let me tell ya.
Cindy,
The vacation was great...we flew into Phoenix (MIL lives there), then drove to San Diego. Since I live in PA, the warm weather was quite welcome (although I did get a bit of sunburn on the whale watching cruise).
The full name for the disease is Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I thought they were kidding when they told me I had it since it sounds like such a phony name. Anyway, it's an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. Since the thyroid gland helps set the metabolism rate, it really can cause havoc in the way of weight gain and difficulties losing weight. Some of the symptoms are dry skin, muscle fatigue, depression, fatigue, weight gain (50 lbs. in 18 months). It's sometimes really difficult to be motivated for anything. I take synthroid (my hair fell out for 6 months when I first started it, but that has stopped...whew!)and will need to be on it for the rest of my life. Hashimotos is the most common form of hypothyroidism.
Dawn,
It sounds like you've found a great plan. Did you have to increase calories from what you were doing before? I have my activity level listed as light but am wondering if possibly I'm not eating as much as I should. CC has set my burn meter at 1800 and my calorie intake at 1300. I was having trouble eating the 1300...averaging 1100 for the last month. Since I got back from vacation, (I must've stretched my stomach) I am eating 1500 and I stepped on the scale this morning and am only .4 lbs. more than when I left. It's hard for me to believe that I could lose 2.5 lbs in 2 days and eating so much. I had been walking 5 miles, 5x week and I hadn't walked in 10 days. Yesterday I got on the treadmill, but could only did 2 miles. My thighs and butt hurt all evening! (I am hoping that was a good sign). I have to get rid of that "cottage cheese in a baggie" look on my hips and thighs!
I love salads...you can be so creative with them. Today my lunch is a bed of spinach and romaine with some of last-nights leftover grilled salmon, sunflower seeds, red raspberries and orange sections with a ginger soy dressing. Yummy, and only about 150 calories.
I better quit talking and start walking, haven't done that yet today. Thanks for the motivation.
Edie
Original Post by kaufmkk:
A group of 40-somethings! Goody, goody!!!
I just got my invitation for my 30-year reunion and all of a sudden those wrinkles and gray hairs are more obvious.....
Stats:
Age: 47
Starting Weight: 400 (August 2006)
Current Weight: 197 (Strictly from good eating habits and exercise)
Goal Weight: 145 (although with all my loose skin, 155-160 is probably more realistic)I need lots of motivation to lose at least another 20 pounds before the reunion. I was an athletic 145 in high school (I thought I was fat back then!) and my classmates have seen me put on the weight the past few reunions. This time I want to show up and knock their socks off!
So let's see, 10 weeks until the reunion -- I'd have to lose two pounds a week from here on out to reach my 'vanity' goal. Can I do it? Tune in next week for a weight loss update!
Later groovy chicks! Can I use 'groovy' with this group? LOL
Groovy is groovy to me...
Congratulations on your outstanding weight loss so far! That's so awesome.
Edie...at first I wasn't eating enough calories...then I was eating too many cause I got confused and thought I was supposed to be eating the amount they gave me here at CC. Then I figured out the deficit which for me would be around 1600-1700 calories right now...if I work out that day. And I understand about that cottage cheese your talking about! Disgusting stuff isn't it?
Sunday Evening Update ...
We hit 94 degrees here today, and in addition to biking 20 MILES, I went swimming. The biking was HOT and the pool was FREEZING! And I have the most entertaining sunburn ... which stops at my ankles (socks) and wrists (biking gloves).... oh well. While I was in the pool, Minnie Dog decided she wanted to join me ....
I also noticed my roses are in bloom . . .
THE FIRST MORNING GLORY OF THE SEASON
A JOHNNY JUMP UP (GROWN FROM A SEED!)
Anyway, after taking 2 days off to celebrate (and eat my way through) my anniversary, I'm not going NEAR a scale until later this week -- if then. Of course, I've only lost .4 for April (which is pretty darn sucky) .... this plateau thing just stinks, ya know? Still, I'd rather be plateauing at 1900 than plateauing at 1500, so there is THAT to be thankful for! And I am definitely getting stronger!!!! (I will do measurements again in May .... to see what's changed since March)
MOLLY
Original Post by mollymouser:
Sunday Evening Update ...
We hit 94 degrees here today, and in addition to biking 20 MILES, I went swimming. The biking was HOT and the pool was FREEZING! And I have the most entertaining sunburn ... which stops at my ankles (socks) and wrists (biking gloves).... oh well. While I was in the pool, Minnie Dog decided she wanted to join me ....
I also noticed my roses are in bloom . . .
THE FIRST MORNING GLORY OF THE SEASON
A JOHNNY JUMP UP (GROWN FROM A SEED!)
Anyway, after taking 2 days off to celebrate (and eat my way through) my anniversary, I'm not going NEAR a scale until later this week -- if then. Of course, I've only lost .4 for April (which is pretty darn sucky) .... this plateau thing just stinks, ya know? Still, I'd rather be plateauing at 1900 than plateauing at 1500, so there is THAT to be thankful for! And I am definitely getting stronger!!!! (I will do measurements again in May .... to see what's changed since March)
MOLLY
You have a beautiful garden Molly!
And that pool looked so nice too...very refreshing on a hot day. Minnie looks like she was enjoying it as well. LOL! Sorry about your burn though...ouch.
Happy Anniversary by the way...how many years are you celebrating?
What I find most interesting in this process is how the scale is really not as important as the measurements. Getting toned up is sooo much more important to me. I'm starting to get excited about strength training now...though I know it will be hard at first. I don't mind being sore. I just get lazy and don't wanna do the work! 
Hope everyone has a fantastic week!
Original Post by kaufmkk:
A group of 40-somethings! Goody, goody!!!
I just got my invitation for my 30-year reunion and all of a sudden those wrinkles and gray hairs are more obvious.....
Stats:
Age: 47
Starting Weight: 400 (August 2006)
Current Weight: 197 (Strictly from good eating habits and exercise)
Goal Weight: 145 (although with all my loose skin, 155-160 is probably more realistic)I need lots of motivation to lose at least another 20 pounds before the reunion. I was an athletic 145 in high school (I thought I was fat back then!) and my classmates have seen me put on the weight the past few reunions. This time I want to show up and knock their socks off!
So let's see, 10 weeks until the reunion -- I'd have to lose two pounds a week from here on out to reach my 'vanity' goal. Can I do it? Tune in next week for a weight loss update!
Later groovy chicks! Can I use 'groovy' with this group? LOL
Wow! Over 200 pounds lost already! That is so amazing. Incredible!
They say that the last bit before your goal weight is the hardest. Plus, after that awesome weight loss so far, you're probably ready to take a break - BUT - you can do it!
Do you know what you're planning to wear to the reunion? Maybe put a picture of it, or hang it up where you can see it often to remind you that you're soooo close and you want to look fabulous!
Be sure to keep us updated - we want to hear how you're doing. You can do it!!
In the last few weeks, I seem suddenly clumsier than usual. Dropping and spilling things more often, knocking things off of tables, etc. I tried googling clumsiness and the only thing that popped up that seemed plausible was peri- / menopause. Did any of you have that?
Also, suddenly my periods are coming earlier and lasting longer, last month and this month, they came about a week early and lasted through the usual time for a total 2 week period (pretty annoying to have a period for half the month all the time - 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off).
Don't seem to be having hot flashes or anything, but just wondering if any experienced anything like this?
Anything I can do to minimize the clumsiness?
Hi everyone!
digi - sounds like the beginning - my periods were so regular, then I started having a normal period followed by a very short period like a week later (maybe it was just spotting, only enough to fill a pad (hope no men are reading this...). Anyhow, that lasted a few years and I hear it's normal. As for the clumsy thing - I'm always clumsy, so I don't know. I do know that I got very forgetful and moody, but that was because of the lack of sleepn (I think). My hot flashes were all day and all night - HORRIBLE!! After the progesterone cream - it all leveled out and I feel great (better than before meno).
Okay Edie, Hope I don't get kicked off the cal-counting boards for not counting, but I'm going to post what's been going on with me and my observations about the SP wayoflife.
It's been about 4 days now and so far I'm really liking it. I thought I would gain weight (since I'm always full) but I took a deep breath and got on the scale this morning and I'm at 147.6 (the last time I weighed myselft I was 149 - after I fell of the cc wagon). I was very nervous b/c her book says that sometimes you gain first so your body can heal.
Okay, this is what I'm eating:
- Breakfast: tea with stevia and REAL HEAVY Cream (you read that right!), hard boiled egg, slice of provolone cheese and one low fat graham cracker (I know the doctor would say no to that, but it was within the carb limits and I love them so much with my tea).
- Snack - 1/4 cup almonds, string cheese - more tea with stevia & cream
- Lunch - hamburger patty with tomatoe slices (with a sandwich spread - mayo & horseradish), a slice of bread, a slice of cheese
- Snack - celery with real cream cheese & some almonds
- Dinner - Chicken from crockpot with a little gravy, 1/2 cup mashed potatos, creamed spinich.
- Dessert - what dessert? I was too full from dinner...
This is WAY more than my 1300 calories that I was allowed. When I eat something, I am actually FULL and much happier. The last time I was on this I thought it was too restrictive...but now I'm putting more thought into it (I am pre-preparing foods like hardboiled eggs and meats). I realized that I can bake with stevia, so I can make stuff like banana bread or muffins, or cheesecake...
We shall see....
Molly, love your flowers, can't wait until things start getting green around here - it's just starting. We just got a new patio, so I have to get busy putting gardens around it - lots of work...
Cheryl :)
corky101 / cheryl ...
Just curious ... how many carbs are you aiming for each day?
Molly,
I'm trying for 15 carbs per meal and 7 per snack (2 snacks). If I feel tired - or not right, I'll up it - also, according to the doctor, if I exercise the I can double those amounts. The nice thing is that THAT is all I have to count.
Today I weighed myself and was 146.6 - down again from yesterday and I am totally fine. I find that eating fat (which - believe me- I have avoided since I was a teenager) really fills me up so that I don't over eat. I hope my cholestrole and all that doesn't go thru the roof - but according to the doctor, that is all from being insulent resistant (our bodies crave fat b/c it needs it for cellular development - it only needs carbs for fuel).
This is kind of an experiment for me...so we'll see how it goes. If I can stick to this for more than a month then that would be great - I have a very non-addicting personality and doing anything for any length of time for me is unusual (or maybe I'm just lazy regarding some things).
Cheryl :)
cheryl wrote:
"Today I weighed myself and was 146.6 - down again from yesterday and I am totally fine. I find that eating fat (which - believe me- I have avoided since I was a teenager) really fills me up so that I don't over eat. I hope my cholestrole and all that doesn't go thru the roof - but according to the doctor, that is all from being insulent resistant (our bodies crave fat b/c it needs it for cellular development - it only needs carbs for fuel)."
Cheryl have you ever heard of the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon ? It is a nutrition book but also is a recipe book. It is one of my favorites. I have learned to make the best soups from this book, homemade butter and yogurt and whole grain breads. It has an entire chapter on fats that goes against conventional teaching of the evils of fat and is supported by studies and thoroughly footnoted.
here is a link to an article on fats by one of the co-authors of this nutrition cookbook:
http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/lowf atdiets.html
And Digi- I got out my "What Your doc. may not tell you about meno..." And all I could find was the list of peri meno symptoms because I couldn't find my book of the same name but "peri-meno instead of just meno. The Peri menobook is much more detailed about Peri -meno. Foggy thinking(clumsiness) was on the list of symptoms and so was irregular periods.
On another note cheryl, I was reminded of the connection between cholesterol and progesterone production as I thumbed through Dr. Lee's book. Cholesterol is a precurser to progesterone. It's no wonder we women get onto a merry-go- round of problems as we listen to diet dictocrats and cut all or as much as possible natural occuring fats and cholesterol from our diets replacing them with fakes such as hydrogenated fats and wind up with some other ailment. What we really need is to just reduce our portions maybe and get more fruits and veggies.
I'll get off my soap box now. Thanks for listening.
brigitte
Hi Brigitte,
Thanks, I'll check out that book - I could use some recipe ideas.
As for flying in the face of the conventional teachings - I was buying it hook line and stinker...and then came (dadadadaaa) the Internet! I know doctors hate the fact that now we can research and find things that they don't know about. But after the progesterone cream (and Dr. Lee's book) I started realizing that the docs don't know half of it. They are very influenced by the pharmaceutical medicines out there.
Anyhow, there is a site http://www.anthonycolpo.com/index.html - the author is not a doctor, however, he has done his research (very knowledgeable). I think somewhere (if memory serves) that there were nuns in France who had high cholesterol and yet, no heart disease (one of the many arguments). There were more studies done and there isn't a valid link between the two. If anything, it's stress that causes the heart disease.
Cheryl :)
I think you hit it right there- STRESS!
It wreaks havoc on our bodies, our mestrual cycles, our metabolism, our serotonin levels, the liver, heart, you name it! Oh yeah, food cravings!
We need to simplify! So that's what I try to do.
Diet? No. eat when hungry(healthy foods I love!). record counts. move or exercise. weigh. observe. pray through cravings. simple.
MOLLY
Sounds like everyone is really losing it (and I mean that in a good way!).
Dawn, I am trying the increase in calories and so far it's working. I was 133.8 this morning...started at 148 Jan 15th. I have lost 12" (and only 1" was from the bust, which I can't afford to lose, as I just recieved my breasts from the "menopause fairy"last year!). I'm afraid I won't reach my goal (123# by July 1) but I am losing, it's just sooooooooo frigging slow.
Cheryl, I looked at your food diet and I just couldn't do it. I guess I'm a carb-addict (not to mention allergic to dairy and eggs, can only do them in small doses). It's great that it's working for you...and it seems to be working fast. Keep me posted on it, though, as I'm interested in whatever is working for others. And no way would we kick you off for not counting...wish I could follow suit!
Molly, gorgeous posies! Where do you live that it is so warm??? I am in eastern PA and it was 20 degrees last night. I woke to frost this morning and had to check on my pond to make sure my water lilies didn't freeze (I did loose my magnolia buds, again).
Digi, I had the same problems a few years ago with the irregular periods. It was so annoying...and very difficult to plan and pack for trips(I do a lot of travel in the summer months). I know that one month I bled all but 3 days! They weren't heavy days but nonetheless they were a nuisance. That happened for about 1 year, then, they just stopped. There's hope...
Everyone, have a great week...
Edie
Edie - wait, wait! There's a "Menopause Fairy" who gives out breasts?!? OMG, I totally need that! Where do I sign up? The part of my body I've lost the most inches so far is, naturally, my bust and I didn't have much extra there to begin with.
Valerie
Heyyyy, Edie, what IS this about the meno fairy???
And yes, Molly, 93 pounds is AMAZING!!!!! That's more than my 11 yo kid!
As for me today, I have to admit, the hardboiled eggs are getting old - told y'all that I have trouble sticking to anything. I'm going to try and hold firm though. I started to panic yesterday when I realized that summer is coming and there will be no tasty frozen treats for me since the SP won't allow the sugar or artificial sweeteners. Then I had the idea to make my own ice cream with stevia and cream (I can have that). I'll have to give it a try and see how it goes. I think I can make frozen pops like that too...
Cheryl :)
Yes, girls, there is a menopause fairy, but I think it's a male since the only good thing I got from "him" was the breasts, the rest is awful. seriously, I went from a 32B to 34D in about 9 months. I know the weight had something to do with it but I've lost a lot of the weight and not the boobs. I'm not complaining...when I was younger (and immortal) I used to tell my Dr. that if he found a lump (during my annual exam) that I was keeping it...I needed all the help I could get. (my previous husband had cancer so I'm not coy like that anymore)
Cheryl, I admire you for sticking to it this long! I bet the eggs are tiresome. How many days ahs it been? My Dr. recommended that I try a Mediterranean Diet. Do you know anything about it or ever tried it? I did some research online and I think it's just all the fruits, veggies, and fish you want, just cut the carbs.
Molly, keep up the good work! You are my inspiration! I'm going to go "outside" to do my walk today. I'm so excited...it's 65 degrees here and it isn't even noon! yesterday I worked/cleaned my pond for about 3 hrs. I had to burn quite a few calories raking that wet smelly gunk out. Today I was nearly 2 lbs less than yesterday! Woohoo...guess what I'm doing for exercise after my walk?!?
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