Over 50 - I'm new and would love to know others who have my same challenges

I'm 52 and have struggled with my weight since my mid to late twenties.  I've been on several diets over the years and all I have managed to do is yoyo my weight.  I started out only 30lbs over weight and now, well lets just say it's a whole lot more.  Since hitting my 50's it seems like losing weight is the hardest thing to do.   My energy level has gone on the decline.

One thing I have learned over the years is that dieting doesn't work long term, and that there are a lot of health issues that some diets can bring on.  So now I am trying to eat the foods I like but in portion control sizes and staying very much aware of the carb and calorie amounts in each food.  I know I have to limit the simple carbs.  So far, since I started dieting I have lost 13lbs,  12 of those pounds before I started on this site.   

Anyone who would like to add me to their friends list are welcome to do so.  I'd love to have others I can share progress and pitfalls with.  Motivation keeps us going. 

Hi Karen,

I see you like the beans sauteed with green pepper and onion.  I thought you'd like to hear about a recipe I've found.  It's for "scrambled tofu".  If you have tried tofu before and loved it, you'll like this.  Even if you've tried tofu before and DIDn't like it, I think you may like this. 

You proceed by sauteeing onions and peppers in olive oil.  Then you add 1-2 tsp curry powder and 1 tsp tumeric and a pinch of veggie salt (opt)  Next, squeeze as much water as you can from FIRM tofu and crumble it in with the vegetables.  Cook, stirring once in a while, for about 10 minutes.  Serve with salsa.  (If you like, you can add some leftover potatoe, cubed - or serve on the side.)  This is really satisfying and it's a little different.  A nice change.

Keep up the great work!

Linda

Wow, thanks Linda.  I do like tofu, usually eat it as a tofu burger.  I have never tried it this way and will.  When I make my tofu burgers I use a Nature Burger's mix, pat down like a burger the size of your palm and very thin then fry in a little oil..  I use a Smart Balance oil.   I top them with German Mustard and black rice. 

I do love sauteed peppers and can eat them with just about anything. 

One question, what kind of seasoning is tumeric?  Is it easy to get? 

Hope everyone is doing well, would love to hear from you all and what your progress has been. 

Karen

Hi All,

 Karen I'm still waiting for my "black food" to arrive.  I also ordered the steamer the site recommended.  I may not really need it but I love gadgets so that's okay. 

I haven't eaten much tofu, I love to make tofu smoothies with bananas, mixed berries etc.  I found that I couldn't eat it up fast enough and ended up throwing more than half away.  This last time though, I cut it up and froze it.  So far for smoothies it works fine.  What I don't know is if freezing tofu takes away its nutritional value.

Any ideas?

Penny

Hi Penny,

Not really sure if tofu loses any nutritional value or not that's a good question.  If it did I wouldn't think it would lose much.  I have to do some research on that. 

Once you get the steamer, I'd love to hear how it works.  I saw it but wasn't sure if it would be something I'd use.  I am loaded with kitchen gadgets and don't want to add anymore if I can help it.  I find for the amount of rice I cook - 1 cup, a small sauce pan works good.  1 cup of rice dry, equates to about 3 cups of cooked rice and that lasts me a couple of days.  One cup of cooked rice is about 200 calories.  I find it very filling and satisfying.  I can't wait for you to try it and let me know what you think.

Karen

Oh btw - what is your receipt for the tofu smoothie?

Karen,

It's not a very precise recipe.  I usually start with about 1/2 a cup of orange juice, a small banana, 1/2 cup frozen berries.  (I usually freeze strawberries and blueberries every summer) and about 1/5 of a brick of tofu ( I've used both frozen and not of this).  If you don't have a banana use more berries.  I like to put in something frozen.  It makes the smoothie thick and cold.  back in my bad girl days I'd add a little honey.  Just add to taste.  Play around with it  - most fruits will work.

enjoy!

Penny

wonderful.  thanks Penny ...  Have a great weekend.. 

Karen

Okay...  We all know that song:

"I'm so excited, that I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it. "

Well, that's me today..  My official weigh in day and I'm DOWN 2 POUNDS..   

AND I AM SO EXCITED.........  But no celebrations just yet...  Still a whole lot more to go just a few pounds gone already.... 

How is everyone else doing today......

New 56 yr old member and can't stick to my guns.  the first 2 weeks on South Beach, ChangeOne and QWL I lost 10 pounds. Great but then along comes another stress raiser and so much for that work and diet.

I want - NEED to loose 50 pounds if I can (still not the perfect weight). With a bad back excerise is often not an option but job and life is pretty couch potato style.

Even if the weight isn't to my goal I NEED to loose the preggers belly - it's horrible.  I was always the bean pole until my 40s. Also, I am not a veggie eater. I have learned to eat more than I used to. Fruits are another problem as I am an old fruit farmer and have a very hard time buying in stores now.

I NEED ALL THE SUPPORT AND SUGGESTIONS THERE IS! 

Hi and welcome tymetraveler.

The one thing we have plenty of here is support and often many good suggestions on what we can do.  Tell us a little more about what your regular diet is.  I have found that eating real food just learning how to eat in the real world works best for losing weight and keeping it off.   Specific diets will work for a while but unless you make some real life changes often the weight will not stay off.  Everyone is different but we can help give you support.  I've added you as a friend please feel free to add me as well. 

Karen

 

Karen - The black rice finally arrived.  Using the steamer was pretty easy.  I downloaded the directions from the site I bought it from.  They even had pictures.  I soaked them overnight as suggested and steamed for about an hour.  The rice is wrapped in cheesecloth.  It wasn't sticky at all and had a nice texture.  I think I'll boil some to see if there is a difference.  Anyway I mixed half a cup of cooked rice with a half cup of mixed berries, a half cup of homemade plain yogurt and 1 tsp of honey.  It was delicious!  and only 262 calories.  It made a terrific breakfast. 

I went to the recipe search here on CC and put in black rice - there are a few recipes you might want to check out. 

Welcome Tymetraveler - We're all in this together!  You're so right, no more diets just healthy food choices everyday. 

Oh I am so glad you got the rice and liked it.  I'm going to try that receipt and maybe I'll order the steamer.  When I make the rice, I use 1 cup rice and 1 1/4 water.  Bring to a boil and reduce to low for 30 minutes.  It isn't sticky.  For dinner I have it with black beans, and I saute red peppers and onion, and is less then 300 calories.  There is a black rice pudding I'd like to try. 

Oh you have no idea how glad I am.   Well, I'm getting ready to take my dog for a walk, we have another really nice day today - 59 degrees. 

Catch up with you all in a bit.

Karen

 

Way to go Karen,

Happy to here your weigh in went so well

Thanks  Bev.  It is amazing how just losing one pound can make you feel.  It doesn't seem like a lot but it is.  Not easy to lose one pound.  But one pound at a time is my motto and so when I lose two I am really excited...  I may start to add dancing to my routine.  Richard Simmons had the right idea, wonder what he is doing now ? 

Hi,

Monday is my weigh in day,  I've lost one more pound for a total of 10 pounds since February 1.  My new mini goal is 8 pounds in the month of March.  I'll have to up my exercise this month as well.  I'm pretty excited!

Penny

Hi all !!!!

I want to say congrats to everyone who is doing so well!!! 

Anyone who is having a hard time please stick with it, you can do it!!!

 I was noticing that some of you have weigh in days and was wondering if any of you go to TOPS.  TOPS is the support group that I go to and get weighed in every Wednesday.  The name means taking off pounds sensibly.   Since January 2/08 when I started getting more serious about losing the weight I have lost 11 1/2 lbs.  YAHOOOO!!!!!   Slow....but it's happening.  Have a long ways to go.  I do need to motivate myself more into exercising.  How do you get the motivation Ynnep?    The weather here just has been too cold but spring is just around the corner so I can get outside.  A tree fell on our house and my treadmill room is out of order.  Pictures are in my gallery if anyone wants to have a look.  Basically one half off the house we can't use until the insurance gets busy.  Well, I havn't had one gain since January 2nd so (knock on would) guess I am doing something right.    Anyone that wants to add me as a friend is welcome to do so!!!!!

Fanc        ;       

Welcome Fanc,

I checked out your pictures.  When you said tree, you really meant tree!  I hope no one was hurt.  As far as where I get my motivation.  It's weird.  I will go for years letting my weight slowly creep up and then one day I'll say "that's it!"  and start some kind of diet.  This time around my blood pressure is too high.  I was tired all the time without any energy to do the things I love.  I was also getting frequent headaches.  So literally one day I found this site and said this is for me.  I'm not on a diet with a name.  I have been trying to eat local and organic for a couple of years.  So it wasn't that I was eating junk food.  I was just eating so much food.  I wasn't exercising at all.  I count calories - CC said to stay under 1550 and I try to keep my burned calories at least 500 calories above what I have eaten for the day.  CC says I need to lose 73 pounds but I would be happy at 50.  My mini goal for March is 8 pounds.  I plan to rev up the exercise.  Today so far I shoveled snow for my neighbor and plan to do a video later this evening.  I have a treadmill on order and hopefully it will arrive soon.  congrats on 11 1/2 lbs!!

Karen - I picked up a magazine at my local food co-op called Delicious Living.  There was an article on black food!  If you can't get the mag where you are there's a web site www.DeliciousLivingMag.com where you may find the article. 

Penny

 

Oh my, trees falling on my house is one of my fears.  Glad to hear no one was hurt.  I live on an incline surrounded by trees and when the winds kick up I get nervous.  That must be real hard to live with until insurance companies do what they have to.  

I like to set a weigh in day because is give me something to look forward to and I found that while losing, your day to day could fluctuate up and down.  I use to weigh daily and found one day I was up two pounds then the next down one and the next up again then one day I'm down three pounds.  So I figure I will use each Saturday as my official weigh in days to track my weight for the month.  I also keep myself from getting depressed if I don't see the scale move any faster then it does.  I'm getting 1-2 pounds a week.   For me the day to day weighing will be best for maintenance.

Penny, I will definitely check out that web site and I'll look to see if my health food store carries it.   Was it a good article? 

Hi All,

I set my weigh in for Mondays to keep me honest over the weekend.  Weekends are my downfall so having Monday waiting for me is an extra incentive to behave. 

Carole - the article was short and said mostly things that you've already shared.  But I think it was cool that black food is getting press.  BTW my husband ate the last of the black rice from my first batch this morning.  He likes it too. 

Penny

You know Penny when you tell someone about a food that is off the norm it is a little scary because you don't know if they will like the food so you have no idea how happy it makes me feel that both you and your husband like the rice.  When I tell people about the black foods some think I'm a little off, well maybe I am but not about the rice .  Anyway, it is great that the black foods are getting more press.  There is a lot of nutritional value there that you will not get in regular foods.  The black rice has become a staple for me at dinner time.  I do want to get more into some of the other receipts like I'd like to try the black rice pudding. 

I still want to see if I can get that magazine, it would be nice to see the article and if there are any future articles about the foods.

got to go eat now.. 

Karen

Hi all.. First night here. I'm 51 , a member of weight watchers just stopping by to say hey. Looking for and ready to give support.