Hello everyone,

We had a blizzard over the weekend. Half of Michigan doesn't have school today from the roads snow drifts, although the snow was only 3-6". But it's just our 2nd time it's snowed this winter that's lasted over 2 days. This is the driest winter we've had in many years, really nice driving until now & not having to shovel snow or scrape ice off the windshield

Carol Sue Back Looks like you know that Renee has taken a break from posting this winter. Yes we miss her. Did you know that Corinna moved back to the United States a couple of months ago. She pops in from time to time while she's been looking getting for another home.

Tera, Sunday on Qvc they had a wonderful Serta mattress sets their TSV, I wanted to buy it, but the hubby said ours is still too nice yet. My calories are normally 1,600--1,800 & using my Fitbit it tells me my calories burned while walking & I log my food on their dashboard. That's been a big help for me to decide what I'll be eating that day & the next day so I don't have a weight gain.

Andi, I just started playing PickleBall last year. It's so much fun & having a smaller court to play anywhere is a bonus. We bought extra racquets also, because everybody wants to play doubles Happy Birthday

I have to go now. Drive safely everybody

Dee, thanks for the warm welcome. I saw Renee's post that she was taking a break and she also mentioned that she was from PA as I am. I never paid much attention to where Corinna was from before, but did see her post that she was moving and looking for a new home.

I have a Fitbit, too, but right now I have not been getting in a lot of steps. I am really inactive. I'm looking to change that. You know the calories shown on your Fitbit are the total burned all day, not for just walking. It will show calories burned during the night while you're sleeping. That surprised me the first time I saw it. I have never used any of the extra features available, such as tracking food, tracking extra exercise etc. I really should look into that and use what's available. I have a Fitbit One. I also have a Fitbit Zip that I bought at Goodwill for $2. Brand new still in the box. I am keeping it in case I ever lose my Fitbit One or if it breaks.

We haven't had any measurable snow here in Pittsburgh, either and our temperatures have been unseasonable warm....until today. LOL Right now we have some snow on the grass and porch but none on the roads. It's freezing!!

Tera, we went through quite a few mattresses and never found one we both liked. Finally we got a Sleep Number bed and it's great. It seems our problem is DH likes a soft bed, number 45-50, and I like a firm bed, number 70-75.

Andi, we have posted before on different threads. I'm glad to hear all the good news from your kids.

cals-2320, ex-none. I hated to miss my Y class but I needed to stay late at work this evening. I am working towards the finish of a big project so hopefully it will wrap up well and I can move on to something new. In the meanwhile, I am still trying to wean myself off the bad habits I so swiftly returned to during the holidays-mainly too much sugar and alcohol. Both are so high in calories I need to severely limit how much I consume much to my dismay. However, if I can get past the cravings, I know it gets much easier.

Carol-Welcome! It is nice you are here with us to focus on your health and fitness. Tracking your steps on the fitbit is a great way to go. My husband loves doing just that. Do you have in mind a goal for a certain number of steps per day?

Dee-Are you planning to get out in the snow? We bought a new mattress at Macys to replace a defective one we purchased there three years ago. I have my fingers crossed this goes better.

Happy new year to everyone. Let's make this our healthiest year ever.
my commitments: walk at least 2 miles 6 days a weak; eat a healthy well balanced diet of no more than 1400 calories; maintain good sleep hygiene; reach out to old friends and new.

Tera, I don't have a goal for steps. I just measure the steps I take normally, not doing anything to try to reach a certain goal. The most I have reached is slightly over 6,000 and that was a day when I exercised on my treadmill AND went shopping. That's how I usually get in my steps. I have a bad knee and I have to walk up stairs very slowly, one step at a time. Because of this, it doesn't measure all my flights of stairs. I don't like that, but my right leg around the knee is too weak to hold my weight. I am trying to do some leg lifts to strengthen my muscles above my knee. I don't want to lose my mobility as I age, and I'm aging fast. LOL

doribe Your plans & goals are wonderful Hey if we win the lottery tonight we can get a personal trainer

Tera, with changing your cravings. I sip a glass of wine while watching Downton Abbey & have maybe 3 glasses of wine weekly. I have a new habit with my Keurig & Dunkin Donuts flavored coffee's, about 5 cups daily using the refillable k-cups, they satisfy my sugar urges & I alternate weekly drinking hot herbal tea. That said, just experiment to see what works for you If the weather is nice this weekend we'll do some snowshoeing in our forest, we use ski poles to prevent falling down from the uneven terrain & the snow density changes.

Hi Andi I'm hoping that you are having a wonderful week so far & that it gets better if it hasn't been good so far.

Carol Sue, I'm sorry about your knee. I hope that you have seen a Orthopedic doctor about it to check whether you need physical therapy or surgery to help you??? I have a bad knee problem also & my Orthopedic doctor told me to get rid of my treadmill because of the pounding movement & to strengthen my quadriceps, using weight bearing exercise, ride a stationary bike & walk... I took his advice & now I can walk again without pain but it took me over 2 weeks to get that far. I had to commit myself to a daily knee routine & now I just do 2 days for maintaining my knee injury health. If you can get to a swimming pool weekly, that is a awesome strengthening workout

Hi Corinna & Renee

Happy Humpday

Good morning girls,

Hope everyone's keeping warm; we're having a real cold snap here with about 4 inches of snow, so I'm pretty much holed up. Need to get to the grocery later, just have to bundle up I suppose.

My word for the day is FIBER! I'm going back to taking a glucomannan fiber capsule an hour before lunch and dinner. They basically have no calories and this kind has no carbs. It's made from Konjac root (same as Miracle Noodles) and they really expand in your stomach to make you feel full. It works especially well if you drink a warm beverage after you wash it down with a glass of water. It worked for me yesterday so I'm going to try to take them every day for a while. Another benefit is that it reduces cholesterol and keeps you regular! I'll let the group know how it goes.

I'm going out to dinner with a friend tonight and will be vigilant with my selections. Have a great day!

Andi

It sounds like everyone is on the right track

It's hard to get back into a healthy pattern after you have established not so healthy ones, but I'm trying.

I walk everywhere so that is helping and I have been going out of my way to take longer to do my errands just to get the extra walk in. Daily swimming has helped out a lot. Not swimming today as it's cold out and I don't need a cold. I have also been taking the stairs where I take art lessons every Tues / Thurs. There are 123 steps and I go up and down before class starts and at the end or after I eat lunch.

My husband cooks and he doesn't like veggies so I have gotten into picking up salads from a cafe 2 blocks from home (one of my extended errands). At least I get some. (I love eating them hate making them). You can't always eat salads in restaurants here, so it's not always the go to choice. Depends on where you are... I know the ones I can trust.

Anyway I am positive this is the year that I will finally loose those pesky pounds and get my lifestyle back into a healthy flow.

Good luck everyone. We are all winners

cals-1985, ex-none. I managed to get under 2000 calories for a change. That makes me smile! The Big Project pretty much finished yesterday so it is back to the Y for me this afternoon.

Carol-6000 thousand steps sounds very good. Too bad about the knee. You definitely want to make wise choices there and take proper care not to worsen things.

Dee-I thought I remembered you participated in a winter sport. Snowshoeing is so cool. Have fun!

doribe-Welcome! Glad you are here to share the journey. I would like to join you to strive for the healthiest year ever!

Andi-Hope you enjoyed a lovely dinner out with your friend.

WtoC-Do you live in a resort town in Mexico?! Nice! Did you grow up there or adopt that lovely little spot on the planet?

Terapet - yes I live in paradise 2 blocks from the beach, very steep hilly blocks. We moved here in Sept from Vancouver, BC. I was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and have wanted to live here since elementary school.

I didn't loose any weight this week and I know it's because I drank too much wine as we were out at activities all week. I have decided that my goal this week is to drink less - good luck to me!!

However, I have made a point of NOT drinking during the daytime. Because we seem to have some reason to go to our fav beach bar during lunch time it would be too easy to drink all day. So it's an unwritten rule I have given myself that no alcohol during the day (except on Remeberence Day as we were giving thanks). I generally don't have anything until after our water aerobics session. I have been inputting my alcohol into the calorie counter and I'm shocked at how many calories is in wine and rum. Not good and I have to watch it.

Enough of my problems today ....

Good luck to everyone.

I'm happy to say that I am on day 5 of staying OP. That's somewhat of a record for me, but I think it's because I've loosened up the rules a bit. There is no food that is eliminated. Starchy carbs are low, vegetables are high, portions are smaller and I'm staying under 1400 calories. I feel so much better knowing that I can have a bite of two of anything.

I'm not setting any weight loss records, but I still need to work on exercise and water consumption.

Wanttochange I had to google Rememberence Day. Sounds like it's similar to our Memorial Day or Veterans Day.

I have practically cut out all alcohol since my diabetes diagnosis. It doesn't mix well with my meds. I have a drink or two on holidays but not on a daily basis. Alcohol sure does go down easy, and those calories do add up!!

Andi, we had that same 4 inch snowfall that you had last week. We may possibly get it again this weekend but I think it's going to miss Ohio. I don't mind it when I don't have to go out in it.

Tera, my steps have been well under 6000 lately but I hope to get back to exercising soon and increase that. I love to walk on my treadmill while I'm watching TV. My treadmill is in the basement and it's much cooler down there than upstairs. It's cold when I first get started, but as I start to warm up I'm glad that it's cooler. Does that make sense? LOL

Dee, enjoy your snowshoeing!

Hello from frigid Ohio. I'm wondering if I will be able to lose weight now that I'm in my 50s. I'm thinking I'm sneaking up on menopause as I haven't had a menstrual cycle since August 2015 (I'm not sure if cramps and a few days of just enough spotting to be a nuisance count, if it does, then I had what can only be classified as an "unambitious" cycle this month). Perhaps it was just my tired old left ovary trying to squeeze out an egg in denial. lol. I've read that menopause is official a year after your last menstrual cycle. I say all of that to ask this: Have any of you been successful in losing weight after menopause? I've read that it's all but impossible. And I read it on the internet, so I know it has to be true!

Lunchmomma, I am waaaaay past menopause and I have difficulty, but I know other people who have lost after menopause so it can be done. You have to be very diligent and stick to your plan. Also, you have to be patient because it can be slower than it was in our younger days. When I was in my 20s and 30s I would decided to lose weight and the weight would just fall off. Those were the days. Make sure that everything you eat has nutritional value, and keep moving. You can do it!

Welcome LurchMomma (or is it LunchMomma?)
I'm also in Ohio and am also 5'8" and in the 170's, so we can encourage each other! I especially hate the thick waist/stomach which many women our age have.

We lose weight slower at our age due to less muscle mass that we had when younger...also less estrogen DOES play a role:

"In animal studies, estrogen appears to help control body weight. With lower estrogen levels, lab animals tend to eat more and be less physically active. Reduced estrogen may also lower metabolic rate, the rate at which the body converts stored energy into working energy. It's possible the same thing happens with women when estrogen levels drop after menopause. Some evidence suggests that estrogen hormone therapy increases a woman's resting metabolic rate . This might help slow weight gain. Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight. "

Yes, it's possible to lose weight after menopause - I lost 30# a couple of years ago and it felt great! From what I understand, in addition to eating in a healthier way, we have to increase exercise both with cardio and weights in order to lose the weight, and it will still come off slower (lucky us!)

My son is getting married later in the year and I AM going to lose the weight in time for this event!

Andi

Hello Andi and Carol Sue. Thanks for the encouragement and the feedback. I've gained a total of 40 pounds since I quit smoking (10 years ago) and since I starting working 2nd shift (5 years ago). Now, in addition, it seems I'm rapidly developing the "middle aged spread" Andi referred to. I could kick myself for not having been more determined to drop the excess weight while my hormones were still on my side. I have a fitbit, but it doesn't hold me accountable when I stop at UDF on my way home from work (they are open until 1AM and I know which days they defrost the case. It used to bum me out, until I realized I could just get a pint and eat it with one of those cute little pink spoons while I drive instead of merely devouring my customary double scoop). I am a compulsive eater and devour whatever is available and convenient. Initially, I'd like to have the will power to eat nothing after 6:30p.m. Working 2nd shift makes this all the more challenging. I haven't exercised in 4 months. I intend to get out tomorrow, snow or snow. I got my hair cut (4 inches!) this evening in the hope that such a dramatic change will inspire to me make other dramatic changes. My husband wanted a Cassano's pizza tonight, so I'm considering this my last blowout meal. Then, as Carol Sue said, I will concentrate on eating mindfully and only consuming truly nourishing foods.

I'm looking forward to getting my little ticker thingy, and with a lot of hard work and willpower, maybe I'll be able to tick off a few pounds immediately. I think it says it will be at least 20 days before I get it. I could lose a pound or three by then, right? Right?