Over 50 + Being Healthy

[willow_1]

Geez, you'd think this was some kind of weight loss place!
Before anything, I want to say a big CONGRATULATIONS to Sue on lowering your cholesterol. That's just fantastic!
I don't know if I'll get back on here or not tonight, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to have a nice loss. But, even if it's not as much as you hoped for, just remember that you tried really hard, so that means you were doing something good for your health anyway. Good Luck!

Sheila, a couple of years ago I lowered my cholesterols and triglycerides substantially, and I did it with changing my diet and exercise only. No meds.
My TOTAL CHOLESTEROL went from 289 to 188.
My HDL went from 50 to 41, which was still within the normal limits.
My LDL went from 155 to 97.
My triglycerides went from 413 to 249, which is still too high, but much better than before.

I used olive oil for just about everything I needed oil for. I used whole grain cereals, whole grain pastas, brown rice, whole grain breads, and LOTS of veggies, no red meat except maybe once every 6 months. Mostly fish, poultry, veggie burgers, I even had the store where I buy groceries grind skinless-boneless chicken breasts and I made my own breakfast sausage with that and spices. Made chili with it, spaghetti sauce, all kinds of things to do with it.
I also ate no sugar. Only fruit, and I use Splenda on my cereal etc.
I also lost about 50 pounds in a little over 3 months while lowering my cholesterols. I felt fantastic too.
It's a long story about what happened to bring it all to a halt.
Now I'm starting over.

Puss, So you finally gave ole Richard a whirl, huh?
Well, at least you got some exercise in.
You'll eventually start, I bet. It only takes doing it maybe 10 minutes at a time, say, ... 3 times a day, and it goes by so fast. Baby steps.
The kinds of foods I speak of are mostly whole grain stuff. Like Kashi for instance. It's a brand name of a line of cereals, whole grain ones, and it tastes sooo good! So, if I were you I'd look for the best whole grain cereal youcan find, both cold and hot cereals. The more fiber, the better the cereal is for you.
SPLENDA is a sugar substitute, and I love it. It doesn't leave that bitter aftertaste in my mouth when I'm done eating. Actually, it IS sugar, but with the molecules changed so it doesn't have any caloric value, hence a good sweetener for diabetics.
COOL WHIP is a non-dairy whipped topping in the freezer section at the store. Tastes just like whipped cream.
RANCH is a flavor of a salad dressing for lettuce salads.
If FitDay doesn't have your brands or foods, you can make a new food entry and enter the info from your package.
I better get going. I ate a whole can of salmon for supper and a salad and 2 pieces of toast. I'm really stuffed, and now I'm going to CURVES. GROAN!!!

[OneDay@ATime]

Hello all.
Maybe my early morning post jinxed my weigh-in. I know I said I would be satisfied with a one pound loss, but it was still discouraging. Oh well, there is still next week and the week after that and so on. Slow and steady wins the race, isn't that how it goes?

Sheila, I am taking 20mg lipitor for lowering chol. I have only been on it for six months, and it really doesn't bother me, but I would really like to get off it. The less meds the better.

Willow, do you ever have the whole grain Kashi that you have to cook? I use it as cereal or like a "rice" pilaf. Throw some onions and peppers in with it. I also use Splenda. Now when I use sugar, it tastes too sweet.

Puss, way to go with Richard! Those little shorts and that tank top - he is just too cool. I am sitting here laughing to myself, just picturing this dancing banana in that outfit. I really need to get a life. Just kiddin' Now I have a question for you. Trainers? I am guessing that they are athletic footwear. What we used to call sneakers until they went up to $75 or more a pair.

Almost time for me to get to bed. Have to get up extra early tomorrow. Won't even have time to exercise. Funny how we have so many excuses for not doing it after dinner - dishes, laundry, ironing, tired, etc. etc. That is the main reason I try to hit the treadmill every morning. So, goodnight ladies. Till tomorrow. Then 198, Now 184, Someday 155

[willow_1]

Hi Everybody!
I only have about 5 minutes, so will post more with replies later, after work.

1 c. cheerios cereal
1 c. cantaloupe
1 c. sk. milk

9 AM;
1 c. fresh strawberries

garden salad with 3 oz. grilled chicken breast-sliced
1 tbsp. 3 cheese ranch dressing

8 oz. chicken breast (b4 cooking) marinated in soy sauce, made into stirfry with California Mix veggies
2 sl. 100% whole wheat low cal toast
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. pineapple

Have a good day all!

[Fatpuss]

Willow - if hubby ever kicks me out, I am moving into your place, you have some lovely meals. Sue, well done on the pound loss, it's taken you nearer to 12 stone something than 13 stone something. Another 3lb and you will be 12stone 13 pounds which is great!! After busting myself over Richard I only lost 0.5 of a pound this morning then realised I had only eaten 650 calories and 5 grams of fat so my body must have gone into starvation mode. This was not deliberate - I forgot my hairdresser was coming so my dinner got shelved and then a series of phone calls kept me from it till late etc etc. Made up for it today though, not so much on calories but fat content. Had a boiled egg and toast for breakfast - didn't know eggs had so much fat till I entered on FitDay. Healthy sandwhich for lunch plus an apple but when I got back from auditing a company I ate a weetabix and milk and for dinner had pork steak, teaspoon of apple sauce, sage and onion stuffing, baked potato, broccoli, carrots and a small amount of gravy. Whoosh did the fat grams rocket. Needed it though after yesterday's low calorie amount. Place I visited today was a Greek foodstuff importers and the owner was so sweet and said have what you like for cost price. Good job I know nothing about Greek foodstuffs - other than it all seemed to be in olive oil - or I'd have cleaned him out. Ha ha. Danger Zone for me this weekend - my two children and their partners are visiting and I usually do the Mummy Walton bit and feed them all up with huge fried breakfasts, roast meat dinners and puddings with cream or custard. This will be a real test of willpower and I can feel myself weakening just at the thought of us all round the table........ Well done everyone on another week's resolve.

[willow_1]

Hi Everybody!
I just ate a huge early supper, and I'm going to try to get a decent post done before I have to leave for Curves.

I did 2 miles of the 3-mile WATP tape this morning before work.
We have to work Saturday now too. Boy, am I going to be dragging my butt home that day! Have to work 5 AM to 1 PM.

Anagram, I need to apologize to you for not including you in my post last night. I guess I was in a hurry and forgot, which I don't usually do.
I'm glad to hear that things are going good for you. What kind of stretches do you do? I can't recall the name of the plan now, but one woman has told me that she lost a lot of weight by doing some form of stretching, and I was wondering if that's what you are doing. Wish I could think of the name of it.

Sue, yes, I have had the Kashi pilaf. In fact a week or so ago I roasted a chicken and stuffed it with that. I cooked the pilaf and the giblets together with sage, onion and poultry seasoning, then let it cool. When I was ready to roast the chicken, I stuffed it with the kashi pilaf. It was really good!
I have also made it with roasts.
That's good that you had a loss. I know you wanted more, but, I think you will have a bigger loss this week because a lot of times, when the fat cells empty of fat, they fill in with water for a few days. Don't lose heart.
The way I've been eating, I probably won't have a loss this month either, but, I know I've been eating healthy foods and getting exercise, and that's all I can do for now. I was weighed and measured last Friday at Curves, and they do it once a month, so I think I'll have them do it again on the 3rd of July, because they are closed on the 4th and that will be a month.

Puss, I truly think my meals are ordinary. But, when my kids were at home their friends used to say, "You guys are lucky. Your Mom makes a Sunday dinner every day!" But, I always believed that my kids should have good food and lots of exercise. So, I made good breakfasts and suppers for them. I baked my own bread and cinnamon rolls and always had a garden to freeze vegetables. Never liked to feed them canned veggies because of the salt. Once in a while they got Mc Donalds for a treat, but not often. And for their Birthdays, we always had a party at the house with games etc, then they got to pick where they wanted to go to eat, and most of the time it was pizza, and the whole family went, including the Grandpas and the kids' friends. They didn't get a lot of soda pop either until they were up in their teens and could buy it themselves. Then they became addicts!

I think you have to exercise more than once to lose weight.
You are too funny!
Your foods sure sounded tastey though. Did you trim the fat off of the pork steak before you made it? That trims a lot of calories.
Whatever you make this weekend, you could try to make it in a low fat way. You'll do just fine.

Well, akmost time for me to take off. See ya all tomorrow! Have a good night! Or Day!

[willow_1]

I only have today and tomorrow to work yet this week. What's disheartening is that yesterday we had a meeting and they were talking about a possibility of 12-hour days next week.

I feel pretty good this morning.
Did 2 miles (2/3) of the three-mile WATP tape. Takes 32 minutes to do 2 miles.

More later.

2 c. puffed rice
1 med. banana
1 c. sk. milk

9 AM;
1 c. cantaloupe

garden salad
3 oz. grilled chicken
1 tbsp. ranch dressing - Light, done right

2 pieces meatloaf
1 mashed potato
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. peas

Total = 1186 cals.

[Sheila53]

12 hour days--yuck! I had to do that once on graveyard shift at a factory. By noon when we got off, I was totally wiped. I remember that I had to go to the doctor at 1:00 pm, and they brought me into the room where I laid on the table. The next thing I knew, the doctor was shaking me awake so she could examine me.

Two miles--that's wonderful! You are really sticking to your program.

My big exciting news is that I've gone down another size. I can now wear a size 16 jeans--that's a regular 16, not 16W. Last fall I was in a 22W, and now a 16. I'm so psyched. Okay, truth be told, they are a touch hard to button, but I got them up, buttoned and zipped. I'm probably going to wait a week to really wear them and really work my abs this week to get them to not be so tight. I know tight is the fashion, but not on my bod!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of fun and good, healthful food.

[OneDay@ATime]

Good evening all! Sounds like everyone is really getting in the groove.

I know how you feel, Sheila, I have a closet full of clothes (mostly 12's and 14's that I am trying to get back into. I wish the clothes manufacturers would all get together and make their sizes the same. Have you ever noticed that really expensive clothes are usually smaller than their cheaper counterparts in the same size? If I was really rich, I would probably wear a 10

A twelve hour day is grueling Willow. Maybe back in my younger days when I worked two jobs, but now 8 is enough. I work in a law office and the pace sometimes gets pretty hectic. When you need a lawyer, you need him NOW. I am glad its Friday. Now if it would only stop raining. Hopefully, the weekend will be a little drier. I would like do do some fishing.

Shhhhhhhh Listen - I think I hear Richard calling. . "Oh Pusssssss, where are you? You can't just tease me like that and then put me back in the closet (no pun intended). I promise you will like me better each time."

DH just called and is on his way home. Guess I better fix some dinner. We had to switch vehicles today and he filled mine with gas. He is just too sweet sometimes. He is very supportive of my efforts but, like most husbands, loves me "just the way I am".

If I don't get back here till Monday, everyone have a great weekend. We will succeed - one day @ a time

Sue

[willow_1]

Q: How many women with MENOPAUSE does it take to change a light bulb?


A: One! ONLY ONE!!!! And do you know WHY? Because no one else in this damn house knows HOW to change a light bulb! They don't even know that the bulb is BURNED OUT!! They would sit in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it out. And, once they figured it out, they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past 17 YEARS! But if they did, by some miracle of God, actually find them 2 DAYS LATER, the chair they dragged to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!!!! AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE WRAPPER THE STUPID LIGHT BULBS CAME IN!!! BECAUSE NO ONE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!!! IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE A FOOT DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS DAMNED HOUSE!

I'm sorry.... What was the question?

************************************************** **
I just had to leave this here before I go to Curves. I'll try to post again when I get back. MAN! I'm getting tired!

[Fatpuss]

Willow, I hope you are getting enough sleep working 5-1. If you have to do 12 hours will it be a short term thing? Is that stretching exercise you mentioned called Calenetics or something like that? One of the women in work does is and has a fantastic body shape. She says it exercises the deep muscles, whatever they are. No, I didn't trim the fat off the pork before cooking - have to confess here that I used to collect the bacon rind off the family plates and eat it. I only had a tiny smidgen from the chop though. Do you have the children's nursey rhyme "Jack Spratt could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean, and so between them both you see, they licked the platter clean!" That's me, Mrs Spratt with the fat. Sheila, you have done brilliantly since last autumn. You obviously have the committment to follow this through, I can't bear to think of more than a few weeks ahead. Sue - you are certifiable!! Richard calling indeed! He better not show his little curly perm around here for a few days! I found a Kathy Smith video in my cupboard today - must have picked it up at a jumble sale ages ago because everyone on it has an 80s hair style. Think I will stick with Richard. Has anyone tried his 20 minute quick workout tape? Kids arrived this evening, partners following on tomorrow and so far have not weakened when dishing up desserts etc. Today at the supermarket I had a sample
of some lovely cheese made in the Mull Of Kintyre, a tiny Scottish Island.
Couldn't resist it but hopefully kids will eat most before they leave on Sunday because I couldn't bear it for Willow to wish a fur coat on it ha ha. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and Willow, please get enough rest, dear. xx

[Fatpuss]

Willow, you must have posted your joke as I was typing my post, really funny!!

[willow_1]

Hi Girls!
Well, I finally got most everything done that I need to today. I just have to take my shower before bed now. There just aren't enough hours in a day anymore!
After work I stopped at the bank, came home and made a meatloaf and popped it into the oven, then went grocery shopping, put the groceries away, packaged up the Walleye and Trout fish into individual serving size pkgs, also some beautiful pork loin chops, ate supper, went to curves, came home and wrote out checks for bills.

Sheila, I laughed about you falling asleep on the examining table. Sheila, I can't tell you how happy I am for you getting into those pants. That has just GOT to be the best feeling! Aren't you so very, very proud now that you have stuck with it? Just look at the rewards! From a 22W to a regular 16! I'm jealous too! Congratulations!

Sue, you like to fish too?!? I LOVE it! I could sit in a boat or on shore, doesn't matter to me, all day and fish. Actually, I don't really care if I don't catch anything. It's so soothing and relaxing!

I too have clothes from size 10 on up to 26. I'll probably never have to buy clothes again! The only thing is, ... this time I'm throwing them away as I shrink out of them.

OMG! I'm just rolling here reading your post about Richard!

Yes, 12-hour days are a bummer, and the only reason I'm agreeing to it is to have some extra money for the upcoming holiday and all the company I'll likely have. If it gets to be too much, I'll sign it off.

Puss, I'm trying to get about 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night. I've been working from 5 AM to 3 PM all week, but when we work Saturdays, they have us come in from 5 AM to 1 PM for that day.
I do think it will only be for this next week that they might have us work 12-hr days. And, I CAN refuse, or sign them off if I really need to.
They are having some voluntary lay-offs coming up, and I signed for some, but, won't know till next week if I'll get it. I could use a month or 5 weeks vacation right now.

I also used to love the cracklings from bacon and when Mom and Dad rendered lard.
Mmmmm, that cheese sounds delicious! I love cheeses.

I hope you have a lovely weekend with the kids and their partners. Sounds like you've already started.

I'll post tomorrow, but if you don't post till Monday for some reason, I want you all to have a wonderful weekend.
Take care, hugs and lots of water!

[willow_1]

Hi all, if you're there, that is.

I was really busy after work today, but not the active type busy. I'm doing laundry, and in between loads I've been making out my menus for this next week. I finally got that done, so now I won't have to think about what I'm going to have.

I didn't do any exercises after work either. I did do part of the three mile WATP tape before work this morning though. I guess it won't hurt me to miss one afternoon of exercise.

Just wondering if you all had a good day.

[Fatpuss]

You know that old trick of stepping on the scales lightly and it hovers between a pound marker and a half pound? Well I wish I hadn't gone for the extra half pound loss reading yesterday because today it's up to the pound marker!! Down to reality this week with a 2 lb loss (not 2.5lb!) but I knew that 5lb in the first week was a one-off! I got off lightly really because I was not well behaved at all. I started off really good doing a huge fry-up breakfast for everyone but myself and wasn't too naughtly at lunchtime with smallish bit of wonderful cheese but come dinner I was really out of order. I began well with moderation on the roast beef dinner but for dessert everyone only wanted ice cream and I'm not keen on it so,....I was really sneaky :sneaky: and asked my son if he wanted frosted cake and custard - knowing full well that he would!! I only had a small amount but when I came to enter foods on FitDay it took me half the night and the fat content was FOUR times what I have on an average day!! No use regretting it now because it was worth it and can now continue back on plan with the memories of that cake and custard! Willow, I am pleased you can refuse the extra hours if they get too much, you really are good doing exercise on top of it, I would be on my knees. You manage to stay focussed and I don't know how you do it. xx

[willow_1]

The day of rest. but it probably won't be.

I woke up at 3:30 this morning and felt sooooo rested. Last evening, every time I sat down, I fell asleep, so as soon as the last load of laundry was done, I went to bed.
I did all 3 miles of the WATP tape this morning, seeing as how Curves isn't open today. Don't know if I'll do more later or not. I'll see how I feel. I'm waiting for 7:30 to get here so I can go out and mow my lawn. I don't suppose the neighbors would appreciate me mowing it any earlier, and it's usually pretty wet yet from dew too.

It's looking to be a nice day out there today. It's 68 degrees on my thermometer right now at 6:15, and the sun has come up bright and beautiful.
Don't know what I'll do with the rest of the day after mowing the lawn.
I'd like to attempt a bike ride, but, I'll see how brave I feel later.

2 eggs (scrambled) with 1/4 c. sk. milk
2 sl. low cal 100% whole wheat toast
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. cantaloupe

9 AM;
1 c. fresh strawberries

2 morningstar tomato and Basil pizza burgers
1 c. California Mix veggies
1 c. french style green beans
1 tbsp. oyster sauce

7 oz. Canadian Trout , (saute'ed with cooking spray)
2 sl. low cal 100% whole wheat toast
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. fresh strawberries

Total = 1538 cals.

Puss! A two pound loss is absolutely wonderful! It's right in line with what the experts say we should lose. 1 to 3 pounds a week. Yaayy! for you! See? That 50 minutes with Richard helped!
I agree with you about enjoying what food you CAN have. I feel the same way about having butter as you did about having the cake and custard. (You have me drooling, thinking of it) I don't have large amounts of it, and if I have to be careful of amounts eaten, then I want my foods to taste good, so, I'd rather have a smaller amount that I enjoy, than a larger amount that doesn't taste good. I don't like vinegar-based salad dressings either, usually, and I know the creamier dressings are usually higher in calories, so I just have smaller amounts of the creamy ones.
So, you have all week now to cut a tiny bit here and there to make up for the weekend cake and custard. (And whatever else you are tempted by.
Have a wonderful day!