~ Golden Girls~
We are about Fitness and Quality of Life after 50...
We are about Fun and Friendship after 50...
We are the Golden Girls...

There is Value in us
There is Power in us
There is Wisdom in us
And Laughter....
We are a rainbow of unique wonders,
There is love in us.
(poem by Dorothy Holmes)

Tell us a little about your life, family and goals. What keeps you motivated? What is the best thing that's happened to you since you pasted the 50 mark?
Friends laugh, cry and stand by each other, we'll be that to you!

Curbing Your Appetite for Stress-Inspired Eating
Adapted From: Stress Management For Dummies

Are you an emotional eater? If so, you may eat whenever you are anxious, upset, nervous, or depressed. Most emotional eaters eat when they feel they need to feed their stress.

When you feed your stress, a destructive cycle begins. You feel stressed, so your food choices are not always the best. For some reason of cruel fate, foods that tend to make you feel good are usually the foods that are not so good for your body. Chocolate, ice cream, pizza, cake, donuts, and cookies may make you feel terrific — but, unfortunately, only for about 17 seconds. Then, of course, your stress returns (plus a ton of guilt) and you feel the need for another bout of eating. The cycle then repeats itself.

The first step in breaking the cycle is becoming aware of exactly when you are distressed and identifying your feelings. When you feel the urge to open the refrigerator door, you need to realize that you are experiencing some form of discomfort. It could be hunger; but more likely, it is stress.
The following are some tips that you can use to improve your relationship with food when you're stressed:
Distract yourself
One of the better things you can do is involve yourself in some activity you enjoy that will take your mind off eating. Do something. Anything. Some eating substitutes that will keep you away from the kitchen include the following:
Get out of the house. Often, simply changing your environment can rid you of the old eating cues. Go for a walk. Do an errand. Visit a friend.
Get some exercise. Hit the stationary bike or treadmill, or simply do some floor exercises like sit-ups or even just stretching.
Read a good book or watch an interesting television program.

Cook something. This may seem like asking for trouble, but often the process of cooking can serve as a substitute for your eating. A hint: Don't make cookies or cakes. Try something like a soup or a casserole, something that is filling, takes time to cook and prepare, and is not immediately ready to eat.

Substitute relaxation for food
Whenever you are about to open the refrigerator to calm your frayed nerves, consider substituting a relaxation break. Simple deep breathing, some rapid relaxation techniques, or relaxation imagery can induce a feeling of emotional calm that can reduce your desire to eat. That's all you may need to ease you past a difficult moment.
Work with a stress-cue

Sometimes a little reminding goes a long way. Create a stress-eating reminder that you could put on your fridge or on the cabinet where you keep delicious snacks — something as straightforward as a "Are you really hungry?" message or as innocuous as a simple little colored circle of paper. Only you know what it represents and why it's there.

Eat your breakfast
Again, your mother was right! Research shows that eating a nutritious (low-fat, high-carbohydrate) breakfast makes you more alert, more focused, and in a much better mood than if you have a high-fat, high-carbohydrate breakfast; have a moderate-fat, moderate-carbohydrate breakfast; or have no breakfast at all.
Skipping breakfast can lower your body's ability to cope with the stress that lies in wait for you later in the day. Starting the day on the right nutritional foot is important. When you wake up in the morning, as many as 11 or 12 hours have passed since you last ate. You need to refuel.
And don't forget lunch
Lunchtime tends to be one of the busier times of your day. With a lot to do, eating lunch may be low on your list of priorities; but don't skip lunch. Your body functions best when it gets fed regularly. Missing lunch can leave you feeling tense and edgy.
When you do have lunch, don't overdo it. A big lunch can leave you lethargic and dreaming of a mid-afternoon siesta, a practice frowned upon by many businesses.
Eat like a cow
Eating a big meal can result in your feeling lethargic soon after eating. To digest that heavy meal, your body needs a greater supply of blood. This blood has to come from other places in your body like your brain, depriving it of some of the oxygen it needs to keep you alert. The solution? Graze like a cow.

Spread out your eating fairly evenly throughout the day. Avoid those huge meals that load you down with calories and leave you feeling ready for a nap. Instead, consider smaller, lighter meals at your regular mealtime. Supplement them with healthy snacks. Have a mid-morning snack, and then a light lunch, another snack later in the afternoon (a piece of fruit is good), and a moderate dinner. A snack later in the evening should avert any hunger pangs.

Drink like a camel
Most people do not get enough liquids into their bodies during the course of the day. The notion of drinking the recommended eight glasses of water, for most of us, is a joke. If you're like most people, you usually wait until you're thirsty before heading for the kitchen. Unfortunately, by then it's a little late. Your body needs the liquid before you feel that thirst. Coffee and tea can act as diuretics and therefore should not be considered as part of your "daily 8s."
Load up earlier in the day

For most people, the simplest way to lose weight is to eat more in the first half of the day than they do in the last half. Then they have time to burn off many of those earlier calories. Recall that old bit of nutritional wisdom, "Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a pauper at night."

Simply supplement
If you think that you may not be getting enough of your needed vitamins and/or minerals, consider taking a daily multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. If your daily diet gives you all the nutritional good stuff you need, this may not be necessary. However, you may be one of the many whose diet is not nutritionally praiseworthy and could benefit from some supplemental help.

Good Morning
Happy May 1st.!!!

Missed yesterdays post… Went shopping with Dd.

After all that time shopping, We got home and realized Magan had taken her EXTRA keys.
We had no keys to get into our house.
So we had to call my son.

He and his family were shopping also. So… we had to wait almost an hour for someone to let us in our house!
That made us late working out and eating dinner.

Went to curves yesterday and walked 30 min. Magan and I both weighed in for the monthly weigh-in.

She lost 6 pounds this month and I lost 6.5 pounds for the month.
I was the highest loser for the month, at Curves.

And I felt I wasn’t doing well! I also Dropped 4.46 % body fat. So I am keeping up what I am doing.

CONGRATS TO ALL THE BIG WEIGHT LOSERS HERE TOO!!!


Phyllis
Swimming sounds like a great workout. I know that when I was a kid… swimming always wore me out.


Bobby,
I talked to the Dr. yesterday.

I was told to take 1000 mg. of fish oil, 3 x’s a day. I have 1200 mgs.
(25 calories each)
so I guess I will get enough.

I saw the calorie counts on mine too.
I am not looking at them.
I feel Those are some of my MOST important Calories. I and am not willing to lose The Number of Food Calories I am eating.

So I get 75 calories from my fish oil. and 20 from the flax oil. And I ignore the calories.

I did look at the Puritans website. I will probably go back there, if I don’t find a better way. I am also going to go to a health food store to check out Fresh Flax seed oil. Not in capsules. My sister told me that It has better properties that way. ( she used to own a health food store).


Lynn
I am up to the 4 th of July Challenge. how much is the Challenge?

My hubby uses Crestor also. He just started using this one, as the others he has taken did not do much for him. I wish he would eat more like us girls.

He is a meat and potatoes guy. the only fruit and veggies he eats… because I make him. just like a kid.

He doesn’t have the pins and needles though. Thank God!!

I use Microsoft works to do my posts . I have lost my post the same way! What a pain that is.

I am weaning my self from my premarin… I hope the hot flashes do not come back!

Joanne
What a good sister in-law you are! I have more plastic dishes than I know! I bought some 1 cuppers. I love them to measure my food into for the day. (Like one cup for my cereal.) Saves on using measuring my foods a little.
Boot camp. How did you find that? sounds like what I need.

Lyn
my hubby and I worked in the yard all day Saturday too.
I even go a little color on my arms. even it is all just freckles!

I wish my hubby would walk too. I am going to start asking over and over.
He will have to, to shut me up.

Karen
I am so jealous , I wish we could go a trip like you. I would love to see the world.
Some day We will get out like that. We hope to get a small camper or van with bed in the future.
He has seen the country. He drove over the road for a year. We hated him being gone 1 month at a time. So He found a new job here.
( his old place of Employment had closed and went to Ireland!)

Well I hope everyone has a sunny day.
I need to get off here and walk.

Bobby

I made a big pot of Cabbage soup yesterday. Yummy.
I made my own variations. No meat. And I added 1 cup of every kind of bean I had in the house. Green beans, lima beans, White kidney beans, and peas. I did not add enough cabbage for my taste. I am hoping that Magan will try it if there is less Cabbage.
I used the SF syrup like you. that was a great Idea!
Fat free broth. So Its like eating just veggies. Added garlic salt and pepper, and Mrs. Dash. MMMM.
Froze most of it.

Congratulations, Theresa!!....6.5 # loss is fantiastic!

I had my weekly weigh-in last night and I was "Loser-of-the-Week with 2.75#! Almost to "Onederland".

I did a 5 mile walk/jog last night after work and I feel pretty good this am. In fact I wok up early and walked around the neighborhood as the sun was coming up.

I tried the "Flat Out" last night and it was good...I spread some light cheese spread on it, topped with turkey, mixed greens, peppers and a little oil and vineger dressing..rolled it up and cut it in two. Yummy.

Well, back to work now...

Lyn

I know for myself how easy it is when I'm not held accountable and you have all the legitimate excuses thrown at you to just say the heck with it while traveling. Will you be eating out the whole time? I don't want to see you setting yourself up for failure by not posting. If you carry a cooler with you in the truck you could stock it with all kinds of healthy "Munch Foods". I know how tiring a raw vegetable tray can look after a couple of days but if you made come low calorie dip, it would help. You could bring some air popped popcorn, dry cereal, etc. I eat Fiber One dry all the time and if you eat a kernel at at time, it takes forever to eat and my craving for something crunchy dissapates. Will you be taking your time and eating in regular restaurants or fast foods?
Come on girls, lets help Karen out with some novel ideas for munch foods that are low in calories. Suggestions for eatting on the road that worked for you, things to do like cross word puzzles, etc. Embroidery or knitting would keep your hands busy. There are lots of travel games to keep your mind off foods and stress.

Time to let my chickens out of the coop, catch ya all later.
Bobbi

Happy May Day- I can't believe it's already May. I'll be Christmas shopping again before you know it! Where does the time go?

Theresa- 6.5 pounds for the month. Great job!!

Lyn- 2.75 pounds in a week is SUPER!!

Karen- Get some 100 calorie snacks to much on. Nabisco has a lot of different things you can get. Fruit is another thing you can pack. Make wise choices when you eat your meals. Look for healthy things when you stop for gas. Walk right by the candy bars. Chew gum!

Hi everyone, down 1/2 lb. soon I can lower my ticker to 4 lbs....hopefully this week.

Theresa 6.5 for the month...... And Lyn 2.75 for the week
Way to go Golden Girls

Karen we are going on a long road trip May 19, about 3000 miles total. I always pack a cooler and keep it filled. I make our lunch for the first 2 days, lots of water, lite cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, fruit, carmel flavored rice cakes, thin pretzel sticks, celery and carrots with low cal. dressing for dipping.

I just read an article about eating and travling, if you have to eat fast food order the smallest sandwich you can, even a childs, that cuts your calories in half and I usually throw away 1/2 of the bun.

Bobbi as usual thanks for all the good info. We live in a townhouse and the place has a pool, I go in the a.m. and usually have the whole pool to myself. We did have a pool when we owned our home and loved it but we sold the house & moved to the townhouse 5 yrs. ago, my dh sure doesn't miss the yard work!!! lol

Paula Your right, May Day. Gosh I remember going around that May Pole in grade school.......nice memories.

Lynn Wow, your doing great with the weight loss and really keeping busy....it all helps doesn't it.

I will joing the weight loss challenge with you, let us know when it starts and what it involves. Maybe it should have a seperate thread??? Easier to post in and find.

Busy day here today, laundry to do, walking dvd and then an afternoon out with the girls and dinner out!!! I know what I am having.....FISH!

Phyllis

Alrighty, then. Finally a little breathing space, and a few minutes to check in with my GOLDEN GIRLS!!!!!

It may be that I need to learn to organize my time more efficiently, although if I haven’t managed it by now, I don’t see how I’m going to, yanno? I really HATE missing a day of posting, because then I feel so out of sync…am I becoming overly-dependent on all of you, I wonder?

ANYWAY, I got in one 30-minute bike ride on Sunday, and then it clouded up, and the afternoon was drizzly and damp. We are re-doing a bathroom – re-doing in a very low-budget way; it’s not the principal bathroom, but it sure comes in handy when we have company or if one or the other of us needs the potty quick and it’s tied up… SO, this bathroom has the old (fifties?) ceramic tile with black accents all the way around. Very chic, I guess, way back when, but just archaic and ugly nowadays. We’ve been debating whether or not to just tear it all out and start fresh, but, ahhh…the mess, the work, the money…Ack! So, for the longest, I’ve just kind of been keeping it spruced up with matching shower curtain, towels, rugs, etc., but it is what it IS…an old, outdated bathroom. But recently, I found a method on the ‘net of painting OVER ceramic tile – it requires a few preliminary steps and a final coat or two of polyurethane, but when you’re done, it looks just as shiny & glossy as the original, except it’s a different color! Yay! So, I worked on that for most of the afternoon, and DH built me a teriffic over-the-toilet shelf unit for in there; can’t buy a pre-manufactured one because I have lights (that I like a lot) on either side of the medicine chest, and those pre-manufactured shelving units are all just a few inches too tall – they would hit up against my light on that side. So, DH was working on that, still from Saturday. SOOOO, that’s how I got my exercise in for Sunday…stretching and bending and twisting with a paintbrush in my hand. I hope it burned off some calories and did me some good.

Still haven’t gotten any Flat-outs, Bobbi, and I am REALLY dying to try them with the apple sauce & whipped cream. That sounds heavenly! I’ve been buying high-fiber (6 grams), low calorie (60 cal) Pita, but I don’t think it would work very well with the apple sauce & whipped cream. I may get desperate enough to give it a try, though. Just as an aside, I must tell you Bobbi, that looking at your weight tracker ALWAYS inspires me – you have accomplished SO MUCH!

Jay, you’ve GOT to give us the scoop on boot camp, girl!!!! Although to tell you the truth, I can’t see myself doing it, much as I might need it. Oh, okay. So I definitely DO need it…but I’m so oppositional and anti-authority, that if somebody shouted an order at me, I’d be liable to shout right back at them, yanno? Talk about *boot* camp; I’d most likely be “booted out” within the first session.

Okay, okay, there are a lot of pounds getting lost in here…five pounds, six….jeeze! Take it easy, girls, ole’ Ella is trying to keep up! <huff, puff, huff, puff>. Congrats, tho! Wowie Zowie!!! Nice work, all of you!

Karen, be safe on your trip, m’dear, and be kind to yourself re: food choices and exercising when possible. We’ll be thinking of you and cheering you on!

Theresa! You are doing fabuloso!!!! I’m proud to be a sister “Golden Girl”.

Hey Paula…Red Hat night sounded fun! Oh – I meant to tell you that your stitchery sure is impressive! I know that those period costumes – done well, I mean – are hard to come by. Your work is so lovely. No wonder you have all the business you can handle! And losing weight, too! What a champ!

Hi Lynn – glad to hear all is going well with you. Sounds like you keep pretty busy. I do a *little* sculpting myself, in clay…have done some pottery pieces…I tend to like the rough-hewn stuff as opposed to the ceramics (with all those multi-layers of glazing and whatever) but I bet watching the actual process is interesting.

Phyllis – it was 58 degrees on my outdoor thermometer (it’s right in the sun) this morning. It’s supposed to get up into the high sixties. I decided to throw caution to the wind and wear a pair of sandals. Bet that sounds downright arctic to you, eh?

Good morning to you, Luflic, Lyn, Cheryl-the-Teva-Girl, Flutterby, Moxie, Nancy, Mickey, Wulf & Thrifty. Anyone whom I may have left out, please don’t feel left out, okay? Just post more!!!!! (Good advice to MYSELF, huh????)

Have a great day, all!

Ella

Oh OH I get to follow Ella in the new room!!!!

Nice new digs Bobbi I love what you have done with the place and welcome to all the GOLDEN GIRLS

OK ok so my first night at bootcamp -- its not whistles and drill sargents -- no one yells except to be heard. It was tough -- last night was fitness assessment. Sent out to do a one kilometer run -- the elite in the group did the run in 4 minutes - took me 9 LOL (did I say this was tough?). Then back to our mats and balls for crunches and pushups. One minute for each -- I did 26 pushups and 47 crunches but I was going for style not speed (my story and sticking to it LOL). Then off to the volleyball court to run in the sand - run, jump, dig, more running, more jumping - then back to the mats for weights and band training (did I mention this was tough). Then a relay race. I told the girl behind me if she wanted to be home before 9 she best run before me LOL.

Bottom line it was tough (did I mention that), it will get tougher but I survived, I felt invigorated energized and the last thing I wanted to do at home was eat LOL. Off to my strength training class today. Last night I was silently thanking all my fitness trainers here at work, their guidance has helped me to listen to directions and what proper stances are for different exercises - this will limit harm to the body and increase fitness.

Karen -- the trip sounds awesome. Looks like you have some great ideas for snack etc. I also read that if you can stop three times and do a quick 10 minute walk there is your 30 minutes of exercise without much problem.

Theresa - what a busy day - sorry about the key problem I hate that. I keep meaing to hide a key outside but never get around to doing it.

Lyn - congrats on the 2.75 gone!!!

Bobbi - thanks again for the new thread

Phyllis -- great ideas for Karen - I will have to use them for our Oregon trip.

Ella - way cool to re-paint the tiles. I checked my exercise/calorie burned table and 60 minutes of indoor painting (prep etc etc) = 300 calories burned.

On to a great day everyone.

Omigawd, Jay!!!!!!!!!! Good thing you told us about it....before I could go out and sign up for one around here, I mean. Nope. Couldn't do it. NOW is when I play the *age* card...

You GO, girl!!! (Whoa. )

Actually, just READING about what you've been up to took a lot out of me. I may have to leave work early and head home or a nap. Jeeze.

I mean, Wow. AWESOME!

E!

Hello Everybody!

You know I hadn't even thought of counting walking the dogs as part of exercise!! WOW!! Great Idea!! We stop several times during the day while we are traveling to walk them and let them take care of business so that will be part of my walking on those days that we are traveling. Plus we will be walking them in the park where we stop for the nights stay too. And I thought I wouldn't be getting any exercise in while we were traveling!!

And great ideas for the snacks too! I will get some 100 calorie packs and I hadn't thought of hard boiled eggs either but that it a good idea. Also the cheese sticks and carrots are good to take too. Thanks Girls!! We will have the 5th wheel trailer with us so that is like pulling a 1 bedroom apartment with us so I'll be fixing our breakfasts and suppers in there. Lunch we usually try to make it light and just keep on truckin'!!

And Bobbi, I will take some Fiber One with me too. Plus I am going to make the Blueberry Bran Muffins that you posted the recipe for. I've made them once and we both liked them so that will be good to have along too.

I went ahead and set my exercise goal for May to be 1500 minutes. I think that should be reasonable and if I get close to it before the end I can always change it. I love being able to have my laptop with me so I can still check in and see how things are going and get motivation from all of you too!

Theresa!! on the 6.5 pound loss!! Way to go!!

And Lynn--- Almost to ONEderland!!! That is awesome!!!

Ella-- sounds like you are really enjoying the bike rides.. I may have to check in to that when I get back. We have lots of trails here to go on and I could even just ride on our roads here. Just around our circle is 1 mile! Might be something to check in to.

Well, just wanted to touch base with everybody this morning and I guess I'd better get busy and get stuff done here. to everybody for the great ideas.. At least I feel like I will still be able to get some exercise in and eat pretty good too!! Karen

I agree! that sounds like a lot of work! I might be the youngest here... But looking at that made me feel old.

Hi Everyone,

Hi Joanne, OK - for you, we'll make the Challenge "The 7/1 OR 7/4 Challenge." Challengers can pick 7/1 (Canada Day) or 7/4 (Independence Day) to end their challenge. I'm working on the rules. Will post them in a separate thread. Be careful with that camp. It sounds VERY tough to me.

Hi Karen, When do you leave on your trip?

Hi Theresa, I'm thinking the pins and needles are NOT from the Crestor but from my last surgery. They seem to be only in my right leg - the leg with the surgery.

Hi Lyn, Congratuations on being Loser of the Week. When I was in my 30's, we had a Loser of the Week where I worked. However, it wasn't about losing weight. It was a group of single women who were dating. Whoever did the stupidest thing regarding our dates got to be the LooW.

Hi Paula, CHristmas Shopping! Please let's not pass right by Spring, Summer, and Fall!

Hi Phyllis, I do the same thing as you when I eat out - chicken or fish - no bread - no dessert. Works for me.

Hi Ella, any chance you could post a photo of one of your sculptures? I would LOVE to see it.

Long Story - my husband's neurologist invited my family & me to a special event (Gospel Choir Stroke Awareness Night) that he is organizing to get churches in African American communities to hold periodic health screening events at their churches. He says that the event was inspired by my husband who died last June from complications of a stroke that he suffered 2 years before. African Americans are 4 times more likely to have strokes than are Caucasians and once they have strokes, they are 5 times more likely to die of a stroke. I plan to attend and also agreed to join his committee to raise awareness about strokes within the African American community. I have been looking for something that would inspire me. Maybe this is it.

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy day,

Lynn

Lynn... I love the new twist you have for the challenge, I need the motivation to keep my exercise up. I'm thinking I'll start wearing a pedometer to monitor my walking, we drive into town to the Fitness center three days a week. That way I'll have something to report on the days we don't drive into town. I mentioned on the challenge thread about posting my menu the day after, It would be hard for me to post my walking/garden work until the day after also. I wouldn't know how long it's going to take me to say, weed the garden. Sorry, I don't want to be contrary but I really want to join in on the fun.