[ellabella]

'Allo, golden ones......what's today? Sunday? Oh, right. Monday tomorrow, and I get to sleep as late as I please...oh, and again on Tuesday, and Wednesday...and.....whoa! Feels like a huge stretch of time ahead of me, but guess what...it'll be over before I know it. Always is. But since we're not going anywhere, it kind of feels like I can get in a little practice for being retired. Yesterday was pretty much a regular day except that after the grocery shopping and all, dh and I went to the WalMart about three towns away from us (after searching online) and bought me a bike for my birthday, along with a replacement seat (the seats are always too hard and narrow to ride on for any length of time) and a new helmet. I LOVE it!!!! A few of you may remember that a couple of years back, I used to ride my bike every day. Then my bike got stolen, and then we moved and I just got out of the habit of thinking about it. But lately, with spring coming, and me needing to find some form of exercise that I can actually enjoy doing, I've been thinking I need a bike again. So now I have one (Yay!) . I would love to have tried it out yesterday but it was just too danged cold here...sunny, yes, but only in the 40's or some such. There was a very chilly wind, at any rate, and when we went grocery shopping in the morning, I had worn a pair of flats with no panty hose or socks, and was freezing . When we went bike shopping, I put on warm socks and an undershirt. Well, I called it an undershirt, but it was really just one of those spaghetti-strapped camis. It poured here last night - and now it's sunny again, but I'm not sure how warm it's going to get. I'm so envious of you gals who are having nice, toasty temperatures in the 80's or more! (Karen3, I may still need that box o' sunshine!)
Nancy, I used to do all the holidays at my house when the kids were growing up - we had a huge house and lots of land for everybody to wander around on. Then came the divorce (Oh, Karen3.....I LOVE the idea of being a Daffodil!), sold the house, lived on my own in an apartment for awhile, and then bought a house with dh ten or so years ago, and hosted lots of family - and friend - dinners and cook-outs and such there, but sold that soon after dh got his walking papers from his job @ 3 years ago, I think, and have been next door to my dd2 ever since in a smaller, but way more affordable place, and although I still do some of the holiday dinners (we haven't downsized all THAT much) I don't do them all anymore. I guess I've lost some of the "oomph" it takes to always be the organizer of these things, not to mention the principal chef and pre-dinner cleaning lady. Oh, and about that swing? I may just have to take you up on that sometime when I'm on my way to or from my sister's - although the way gas prices are lately, seems like flying is the cheaper alternative. And speaking of my sister - well, she has her son in palliative care, now. His tumor has grown exponentially - and is pretty much wrapped completely around his brain stem now, which has inhibited his ability to breathe on his own, so they have him on a respirator through a trach in his throat, and he's being fed through a feeding tube in his stomach. He can't talk, and while not exactly comatose, he isn't able to communicate much beyond the occasional eye-blinking, and on a good day, he will apparently point to somebody or something. It breaks my heart because I know he didn't want to be kept alive in a vegetative state dependent on machines and needing to be washed and seen to by nurses and so on. He was/is an extremely private person, as am I, and I know full well that he is horribly unhappy about the way they (my sister and niece) are keeping him alive by whatever means they can. I've had many conversations with my sister since we were down there in February, and she says that although she KNOWS he didn't want this, she's having a hard time letting go and giving up hope. Having never had to face this - thank God - with any of my children, I know that I can't fully understand her feelings, and might be equally unable to let go if I were in her position. But it's all just so cruel.
Oh, MY, Rosey! Look at you in those too-big-T-shirts! Wowza! Pretty soon you'll be able to fit you - and half a dozen grandkids in that rocking chair!
Mary, your confession about scraping the cake pan is safe with us. And as for eating two pieces....Hah! I've been there, and done that - and worse - more times than I can count. Lately - and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is a permanent development - I'm not as obsessive about continuing to eat something just because it's there. Yesterday we had some turkey club sandwiches for supper (I make them on 2 pieces of Joseph's 60-calorie pita bread; thin-sliced deli turkey - @ 3 oz, which is a lot more than it sounds like - a little lite Miracle whip, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, mashed avocado and @ 3 slices of low sodium bacon broken into pieces and spread across the sandwich. I had bought a bag of that hull-free popcorn, which is like 100 calories for a hundred pieces - must be mostly air - and normally, I could eat a good half a bag at one sitting. Yesterday, I nibbled on maybe ten pieces and had enough. GOOD sign!
Welcome to the eastern part of the country, Karen31! Hope you brought some warm clothes, because you will surely need them! (And girl you are looking GOOD these days! You'll be back down to the size you were in that picture of you and your daddy before long! I am so proud of you!)
Gayle, yep....those grandkid hugs are worth all the aggravation of living here in the snow belt! Of course, there are times when I have to be sure to remind myself of that!
Sorry to hear that your leg is bothering you, PT....I hope Karen3's suggestion helps. Yoga, huh? You know, I have been meaning for ages to give that a try. Did you take a class or learn from a video or something?
Freda, I swear I am just trying to follow in your footsteps and get this weight off and then be able to KEEP it off for the long term. Love the way you can just say "no" to cookies and go on about your business like that. I'm doing okay with that for now, but know that the real test comes when you're trying to maintain. That's where I usually flub up, and I don't want to do it again.
Bobbi, my dearest dear, I do NOT look my best at 160; I am at my best at 145, and that's where I want to be this summer. And, just for some strong motivation, I've bought a TON of new clothes for myself that are too tight just now. But I really, really like them and plan to wear them come h*** or high water!
Lynn and Lyn....you going to be checking in anytime soon?
Have a great weekend, GG's ...oh...and sorry for this long, tedious post. You know I can't stop once I have a keyboard in front of me!

Z

[glynne]

Zoe ~ can you tell me who makes that hull free popcorn and where can you buy it? Pop corn would be a good thing for me to snack on, but those hulls ~ grrrrrr. They get in my gums ~ like on the side ~ where floss can't reach. I got a hull stuck up in there and worked and struggled and poked for quite a while before I could get it out. I didn't know such a thing as hull free popcorn existed.

[the slim me]

Good Morning Golden Girls

I hope you all have a blessed Sunday. Not doing much today. Nothng planned. Maybe some shopping? Anyway, I'm sure i'll find something to keep me busy. DGD has soccer practice, might go watch that. But it rained all day yesterday, and some this morning too, so not real sure about that. I'll sit in the rain for a game but not for practice!

Z, 9 whole, entire days! You enjoy your time. I hope it warms up enough to get out and give that new bike a test run! I look forward to riding mine soon, but it's in the 40's here too.

Rosie, Soooo proud of you. you are doing so well. And that shirt is rockin!

Nancy, Yeah on the 2 pound loss! You are doing well with the maintenance plan.

Gayle, Thanks for the tip on the magnesium. It is also supposed to help with constipation. I had a conversation with one of the "teaching" doctors not long ago who was having her students look over a medication list to find out why a pt. could be having dia----well you know.

Mary, Having a piece of cake is fine, just count it in your daily calories. I think one of the reasons most people find "dieting" so difficult is because it has to be all or nothing. It's really just about daily decisions.

Karen31, Have a safe trip and try to keep in touch when you can.

Karen3, I tried to look up some books by that author and didn't get anything. Can u post the title of a book? Maybe I can find one that way.

Donna, Can't think of a diet that you don't have to focus on how many calories you're eating, but i've never done South Beach and some of the other. Which diet do you follow?

Sherri, I think those fancy hats are fun. I am going to join Red Hats when I retire.

Freda

[glynne]

Freda ~ I found a list of those books Karen3 was telling about. I went to the Barnes and Nobel web site and typed the author's name ~ Mary Clay ~ into the search, and it gave a list of the books. Those sound good ~ gonna see if the library has any of those.

Hello to everyone. Off to work. Hope you all have a nice day.

Take care

[Karen3]

quick hello...grocery shopping soon....

Freda the author is Mary Clay. I found the books on Amazon.com. The titles are The Turtle Mound Murder, Bike Week Blues, Murder in the Stacks and Murder is the Pits. k3

[jess1]

Good Hola, GG Lovelies!

Drive-by again... KarenFL, I didn't have any ice in the freezer, so I heated my sock-with-rice for 60 seconds and put that on my lower back.... and it helped! Now, why would lower back have anything to do with the groin area? I can see that the knee or hip would affect that area, but I never thought about the lower back. I've had LB injuries, so there might just be something there! Thanks for the suggestion!

PT/Zoe, the only yoga I can do right now is the Salute to the Sun, which is a series of 11 stretching exercises in a routine. It takes me forever, because I have to literally haul myself up when that leg is involved, but the stretches help. Yoga can be as intensive or as gentle as you want, and sometimes my body just aches for some stretching. I don't know why I haven't been doing yoga regularly (what DO I do regularly, insofar as exercise?????), because it feels so very good!

Nancy, your swing and yard both look so inviting! I think it's fab that you have all the holidays and, speaking of which... since you cook for 30 when you expect 20, maybe I could show up at your door, too?

Rosey, KarenMO... both of you are looking SO good! Freda, Glynne, Bobbi, Lyn, Lynn, Mary, Everyone.... keep up your good work! Have a lovely Sunday!!

[Tea Granny]

Happy Sunday! We had a blast roller skating last night - I'm going to try and get some one to take a picture of me so that I can post it - 51 and just flying! I used to figure skate when Iwas a kid and I love that feeling of flying and movement - but with the 4 solid wheels I am a lot more stable No tricks, no skating backwards, but ever so much fun! You all have reminded me that I too have a bike-now to get DH to haul it out and check the tires and make sure it's safe. I mght just have to give it a try too - I'm liking this "non-exercise" type of exercise Have a great day ladies!

[Bunti]

Good morning Golden! Quick fly by--I know I have been missing in action, but have been indulging in the occasional late night lurk to catch up on you all.

My goodness some really neat progress here. I love all the pics, what inspirations. Working too hard right now, trying to get a little balance in my days. If I can't work it out in my current job, I may need to look for something else.... a little scary at 57, but do-able I think.

No time to personalize, but sure love to see all your posts. Its the knowing you are all here that is the most powerful thing. Have a great week everyone!!!

[Karen3]

FLYING BY FAST! DONNNNNNNNA No ICE USED FROZEN PEAS. BORROW ICE! ICE ICE ICE Hot feels good but ICE will lower swelling and decrease the PAIN. DONNNNNNNA HEY DONNNNNNNA

[ladyinweighting]

Hi Everyone,

We are back from Niagara Falls, but I have been dealing with this UTI & it's making me a little crazy (even more crazy than usual).

Tomorrow I start my training to teach online courses at the college that I used to work for before I retired. They recruited me for this.

Have a happy Sunday everyone,

Lynn

[Riemontana]

Hello Ladies! Happy Sunday! I finally posted my intro on the GG's thread and I am happy to join you.

Today is my take care of me day. I started with an extra long workout then breakfasted on 2 eggs and a piece of toast. After a nice long read of the news online, I did my take care routine. Here it is:

Grooming, hair removal, moisturizing mask for my face. Deep conditioning of my hair. Then, a long and exfoliating scrub in the shower. Finished with rich body lotion everywhere and rich face cream on face and chest. I feel smooth and wonderful. I just finished the routine with a terrific salad and my favorite cherry vanilla yogurt for lunch.

I posted on another link a while back about the self care thing. For me, being over 50 and fat, was a de-feminizing and de-humanizing way to exist. I am taking great pleasure in nurturing my skin and hair. I try to keep my nails done and toes painted. Of course, I do it myself but it is still fun. If I am watching a movie, I might as well do my nails at the same time, right?

Anyway, I hope that you all have a great Sunday.

[jess1]

OKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY, KarenFL. You only have to tell me twice! I'll dig out the veggies. Thanks!

[maryea]

Well I gained 1.2 lbs this week which actually kinda surprised me despite the potluck yesterday because when I went to bed my weight was down and usually I can judge by that what it will be in the morning as I usually lose 3 lbs overnight. Also my bs was great last night. But wasn't to be this time so I'm almost back to where I was when I started losing again. I think I'm not going to think about a "weigh-in day"...I'm just going to wait until I have kept a loss for at least a week before reporting it.

I found a new app for my iphone which led me to this great website for tracking my bs and more. glucosebuddy.com. There is a forum too. I can either print my log and take to my doctor visit or I can show him on my phone. I like it better than another site (diabetes daily) I was using as that one was very difficult to use...this one is easy. Diabetesdaily.com does have a good forum though with some very informed people.

Riemontana - sounds like a good day. we have to take care of ourselves no matter what we weigh and it really does make a difference in how we feel about ourselves. But being "over 50" actually sounds pretty good to me since I'm getting very close to 70!

Lynn - I hope you were still able to have fun at Niagra Falls. Those UTIS are miserable! You have had UTIs a couple times this past year or so, haven't you? I had 3 in 12 months myself. Doctor said he won't get excited and blame the diabetes quite yet. He did remind me to pee after tub baths and sex. I feel like I pee all the time LOL but am trying to be more careful to do this. Sorry maybe too much info, but sometimes we do forget and reminders can help.

Teagranny - roller skating! I'm impressed! I never was any good at that and sure wouldn't try it now!

Karen 3 - I'll look up Mary Clay...sounds like she's all about murder and that's my thing when it comes to books. Love those murder mysteries!

Freda - yeah, I counted the cake and I also didn't eat anything else last night. That and the fact I've increased my med is why my bs was very nice at bedtime. But it didn't help me with my weight. Oh well tomorrow is another day...

Freda/Donna - The Cheat List is a diet (I guess that's what you'd call it) where you don't count calories (unless you want to) except for the 10 cheats you can have a day. They are 100 calories each so it's easy. The less of them the better but otherwise no counting. It's all about eating stuff that brings results and is healthy and energizing. I'm not really following it completely but use it as a guide. Its by Peertrainer.com and the link to download the free cheat list is on their facebook site. Oh and another diet that doesn't require counting at all is The Jerusalem Diet. You eat whatever you want but with an eye to the scale as you are looking for a #1 loss (or less if you want to go slower) so you have a "fat day" when your weight is above that where you only eat nuts, fruits and veggies. There's a website for it with a forum. My problem with it was I'd gorge on nuts on the fat days and overeat on the regular days...you do still have to limit yourself. I'm realizing discipline is really what it all comes down to.

Zoe - Nice that you got a bike! Great exercise plus when you retire you will really be able to enjoy it. Only a few months left, right? Zoe despite my bad week I also agree that it is becoming a little easier to control. Even yesterday with the potluck and the cake I didn't eat like I would have in the past. Maybe it's increasing my meds (doc said they help with dieting but before I never noticed it) or my hynosis tapes, I don't know but I am finding it easier to turn things down or stop sooner. Like you said, it's a good sign, and It's taken me so long to learn.

Rosey - I missed the t-shirt pics...gonna go back and take a look. You are inspiring to me!

ETA: Rosey just viewed your t-shirt pics! You look great! Your weight loss shows in your face too ... You look younger.

[maryea]

Just uploaded a new pic of me, but I don't see it.

[glynne]

Nice new pic of you Mary