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Monday weigh-in for 50-somethings
Hi all
I'm brand new here (just started yesterday.) I've always hated weighing myself but I guess I have to see my progress (or lack thereof.)
Anyone want to be part of a 50-something Monday morning weigh-in group? I'd love some "company".
Good luck!
Barbara
Hi Barb,
I love no sugar added fudgesicle bars - only 40 calories each (bright yellow box) - so you can eat several, feel chocolately decadent, and not consume too many calories.
Also enjoy 1/4 - 1/2 C of Cheerios dry and munched and enjoyed individually or in small clusters - plenty of chewing, very little calories.
These are the things that I know help me. But even knowing that, I don't employ them like I should. I'm getting better, though.
*Water. Lots of it.
*Tomato Elixir. Sounds awful, but it is delicious, comforting, filling, low-cal, and also helps sinus congestion or colds.
1+ cup tomato juice or V-8
1+ tsp crushed garlic (I get it in the jars because I'm lazy)
1+ tsp lemon juice (bottle because ditto)
As much hot sauce as you can stand
Nuke it. Yummmm.
*Peppermint Altoids. Low cal. Sweet. Strong.
*Dill pickles. Help counter-act sweets & snack cravings.
*Sugar-free hot-chocolate. Sweet, filling. Yummy. Lo-cal.
*The 100-calorie snack packs. (Sometimes the challenge is limiting myself to just one. If I have one with the SF hot chocolate, they seem to team up really well.)
*Vitalicious ANYTHING. Muffin tops. Muffins. Brownies. Only 100 calories each. DELICIOUS. Satisfying. They taste like they've got WAY more than 100 cal--major bargain.
Liz
Okay Liz, I just tried your tomato elixir (mostly because I've had an awful virus for the last week and am very congested.) And it's actually NOT BAD!!!
Thanks
Barb
I'm gonna try that tomato elixir - sounds great!
I avoid the 100-cal packs, the sugar-free treats, any of the "diet desserts" because
1) I have trouble controlling myself and can binge on anything that tastes sweet and
2) my plan focuses on a divorce from the need for daily or even weekly sweets. I prefer very rare, gourmet, real sugar/fat desserts once in a while.
So what works for me:
chicken broth (I think Progresso is the best)
green tea
baby carrots (I used to binge on the commute home from work so started packing 6 oz of these and I can crunch crunch crunch all the way home)
raw veggies w/low cal dip (I use Ranch dressing mix with cottage cheese & fat free yogurt - I can eat and eat using only 1/2 cup of the dip and stay under 300 calories. I feel really full afterwards and happy that I ate a variety of veggies - sweet peppers are fantastic this way and I'm not one to praise any veg)
Water. And more water. The days I keep really hydrated I don't struggle much with cravings - when I drink less I crave more. I try to keep my urine very pale yellow as my guide. Of course you CAN overdose on water but I've never even come close. 80 oz/day is the most I have ever consumed.
I hear that kale chips are wonderful - I'm going to try them this weekend. (Spray cleaned kale leaves with olive oil and bake in oven - season as desired).
Hi, my name is Barbara and I just turned 50 at the end of January and have about 45 lbs to lose. I'm 5'0 and 178 lbs. I feel good at around 135 lbs, even though some may think that's heavy for 5'0. I'm a vegetarian and cant seem to lose any weight. I feel like I get fatter and fatter every day even though I'm trying to stay below 1400 cals and usually around 50-55% carbs, 25% protein and 20% fat (mostly unsaturated/mono & poly fats) I get an A or A+ in my food logs. I guess my problem is lack of exercise which I really really need to do. I have walking problems so I try to ride the stationary bike and eliptical. Are there other 50+ dieters that feel their hormones may be contributing to the excess weight? I guess I feel like with what I eat I shouldnt be this heavy but I think I'm probably eating more than I think.
Anyway.... I will start the Monday morning weigh-in. I'm hoping for 1 1/2 lbs per week and by Sept '09 to be at my goal weight. Happy losing everyone! Please stay in touch for support, I really need it.
Mad4Moon (or could we say WildLuna? ;-),
Your point about the ability to binge on anything that tastes sweet strikes such a chord. For me it's sweet, salty, crunchy, etc, etc. (i.e., I do not have a discerning palette where bingeing is concerned). Portion control is my biggest challenge. That's one of the things that helps so much about tracking food like this site offers--having to be conscious of just how much those portions are.
On some "trigger foods" like salted cashews or mixed nuts--I simply cannot start because I can't stop.
I've been looking for something that is crunchy, healthy, & low-cal for a snack, & something I've been experimenting with is chopping up carrots & roasting them at 500 degrees. I did this Fri night & didn't pay close enough attention and burned the poor little things to blackness. But ya know... even the ones turned to carbon weren't bad, & the ones that still had tell-tale signs of orange were really, really good. I'm going to experiment more and will report back.
So, so, so true about the water & hydration. Another one of those things that is so easy and so almost-miraculous--and I still resist doing it. Fighting the Inner Rebel....
Liz
Hi bhugs131 from another Barbara.
I do agree that hormones have contributed to excess weight, especially around the mid-section. But I do believe that this is a winnable fight. I like that you set your goal for September. I've always wanted to lose the weight right away (like now), which for me is a set-up. This time I want to go slowly, mostly because I get more daily calories to eat if I make my goal date later. I have a real problem with 12-1300 calories a day. I just can't do it.
So if I up my daily allotment, I am more apt to succeed.
Liz, let me know what happens with the carrots!
And mad4moon, thanks for that ranch dip recipe. Sounds great!
Barb
It's interesting to see how different we are in our responses to a particular food.
LOL, each is bedevil by their own personal attack food.
I can't wait to try the garlic tobasco v8. I tolerate v8, but am a garlic and tobasco fanatic! Sounds wonderful!
Blackened carrots sound like a winner. Keep us posted.
I'm new to the site, 50-something, hate menopausal weight gain, but need the group to help me stay on track. I said I wouldn't hit 200 lb so I'd better start now to get rid of the 50+ I've gained.
Guess next Monday I will report my first lost in a long time!
Hi everyone
This time last year I was on this site but not a group member. Since then I have put on 11 lbs and I now weigh an extraordinary 211 pounds. And I'm only 5'3". I swore I'd do something before reaching the 200 and look at me! My aim is to lose 127 pound by my sixtieth birthday - a year in May.
Now, I walk the dog three times a day for between 20-35 minutes. Sometimes longer, depending on the heat. I live in Thailand. I also swim 30 minutes daily. Maybe the weight gain is muscle? My clothes haven't altered.
I don't have a pair of scales so I will go to my neighbour. As my time is 12 or so hours ahead I guess I'll be first posting.
Another thing. I know this is about counting calories but I am also going to try low carb. After some research, there is something to be said about its efficacy for the older person. If this is against any principle of the group then I'll be happy to drop out and wish you all the very best luck.
Hi there lemon_orchid,
There are a lot of different eating styles in the group - which to me seems natural as everyone has a different body, history, and lifestyle.
We are a group of people united by our years on this planet and our unwanted weight who support each other as we commit to being healthier.
A hearty Go You!
I am so excited about this group and how supportive everyone is. I had been doing Weight Watchers since last July, and did well for awhile, but just could not motivate myself to do what I needed to do and had ultimately gained back all but 5 pounds even though I was attending meetings. It's a great program--but not if I don't do it. (Sounds like most good programs, huh?) Anyway, I couldn't see spending the money if I wasn't doing the work, so dropped it.
But I knew I needed to do SOMETHING or see even those last 5 pounds come back, and thought of this caloriecount site, which I'd used way back to greater & lesser success. (Another good program that requires actually DOING something to make it work. Sigh....) I hadn't joined any groups before, tho, so this part is new for me.
Last night I was thinking about "Why does this feel more motivating than WW--particularly when I'm communicating with 'virtual' people that I'm not even seeing face-to face?" The answer is that we're all sharing our stories (or parts thereof) and in touch every day (or can be--and you'll notice I am and thank you for letting me), and I am eternally grateful to Barb for starting this group and leading it--but we're all equal participants and not just communicating through the "leader's" chosen topic of the day.
This is not to diss WW in any way because I have a lot of respect for it. But it IS to say thank you to every one of you wonderful women for sharing your stories (and excellent low-cal snacks!), and letting me blab mine and giving daily (sometimes hourly) support. I am feeling really motivated and doing great on my food & exercise. You are giving me new hope. And helping me DO the program.
Liz
Hi lizagna,
I know what you mean about ww. I figured that if I paid the money, then I would make a point of making it work. I love this website. I don't feel guilty at least not about the money and only about my weight. lol.
I've always been thin until at 38 I was diagnosed with breast cancer with several surgeries and tamoxifin for 5 years. The medical issues and reaching 40 made the weight pack on. (52 pounds to be exact)Now it's been about 14 years and NOW is the time to really get serious. I've lost 12 but have gained 4 pounds back.
I noticed that emotions have a whole lot to do with my weight gain. My weakest time is at 10:00 in the morning. No matter what I've eaten (I always eat breakfast) I am just famished mid-morning. Does anybody else have the mid-morning munchies???
HCldp
Hey HCLDP,
Good on ya for surviving and thriving! Wow, what a journey!
My "landmine time" has been when I get home from work, and I just want to eat non-stop. I've been filling in my food log in advance--planning what I'll eat through the day--which gives me a roadmap where I'm not as likely to do random eating. And for that time when I get home I've been planning the low-cal & filling snacks that I know work for me. (But if I don't plan'em ahead, I will simply dive into whatever's there & in large quantities.) So... this is what's working for me--plan for The Landmine Time & know that I need SOMETHING satisfying, and have it ready & waiting when that time comes. And then really enjoy it.
I've also been doing Julia Cameron's "morning pages" (recommended in her books The Artist's Way and also The Writing Diet), which is just journaling 3 pages every day (morning for me) no matter what. It doesn't have to be about anything in particular--just whatever you want to write. Or if you hit a dead end, start writing "I don't know what to write" then something will come to you. Pure stream of consciousness, bad spelling, punctuation of choice, illegible handwriting optional. I've been doing this for a month now, and it's amazing how some of the strong emotions I was eating over (or that were eating me) have either subsided or gone away altogether.
As is apparent from all I write here, I'm still not getting enough words out of my system.... ;-)
Glad you are a survivor HCldp!
Landmine time for me - between 8-10pm
Difficult. I try to just keep busy. Before my arthritis I used to cross stitch during this time. Can't eat while doing that as you'd ruin the thing. But for those of you that like to do hand work, it is something to consider...as is posting to virtual friends!
In midmorning I do very well by getting one of those small squarish boxes of blackberries and munching the entire box. Very filling, easy to take to work, no prep, and low calorie.
Lizagna, I finally tried the v8 garlic tobasco drink - I LOVE it! Something that savory might help me in the evening, so I'll probably have it a lot. I used lime instead of lemon though. Thanks!
Also thanks for the Cameron journal reminder. I got the book when it came out but never actually did the writing. Of course I also got "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci" and obviously that did not work. But maybe a re-read of both during my danger time would spark more activity on my part.
I have used the CC journal that way. Sometimes I open it with very little to write, and just start. Some of my best insights have come that way, or sometimes I unload some stuff I didn't even realize I was carrying.
And if it's just a bunch of self-obsessed junk, so what? I'm writing for myself - if it benefits others, that's great. If it bores or repells them, they can just skip on by me...
I also have used it to tell some of my childhood stories that have contributed to my compulsive overeating problem. There's something about sending that stuff out into the cyber-universe - it feels really freeing and at the same time, since nothing is ever lost on the Internet, it's a way of taking a stand and making my mark: "What happened to me is true. I exist."
Hi all
Hey HCldp, I'm a breast cancer survivor too. Eleven years now!
My witching hour starts right after dinner and continues until bed. So I've been trying to eat dinner later and having low cal snacks in the evening.
I've been sick with a virus since last week and haven't been able to exercise at all. It's very frustrating, but at least if I keep to my calorie allotment I feel like I've acomplished something at the end of the day.
Barb
hi mad4moon,
Some of the world's most respected authors wrote a bunch of "self-obsessed junk". Who knows, once you are svelte you could decide to publish and have a best seller.
Does everyone here use the journal? I've not tried it. That's another thing that might keep my hands and mind occupied in the evening. I've got a major mental block about drawing again, but writing seems a little less threatening.
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