Good morning ladies! Hello, Jean, and welcome to our little senior class. Congratulations on taming the sugar monster! Walking is also pretty much my exercise of choice, although I've been beginning to use my husband's rowing machine as well.

*Great* news from your doctor, Bernice! Hooray hooray!

How'd your water-drinking go, Rita?

I'm just going to start pasting my journal entries here, I think. Save writing it all out twice:

Yesterday was my day to have ice cream. I love just plain vanilla ice cream... so sweet and cold and creamy and smooth and vanilla-y. It doesn't even have to be the high-fat Ben & Jerry's type... I'm happy with ordinary Brand X. I always drizzle about a teaspoon of ordinary vanilla extract over it to intensify the vanilla flavor and scent without adding any calories. So I planned ahead, and ended up doing reasonably well with my calories and my sodium, not so well with my fat.

I had too many fatty things in one day... a slice of cheese melted on my whole-wheat toast at breakfast (plus a banana and skim milk), a scrambled-egg sandwich at lunch (plus some carrot strips and a couple of apricots), a serving of corned beef brisket for dinner (my husband cooked it, and he'd been fussing over it all day, so I felt that the least I could do was eat some). I did actually weigh my serving (4 oz on my little food scale) and I trimmed off all the visible fat (I hate fat on meat anyway), but it was still surprising high in fat grams. I balanced it out with a big salad with low-fat dressing (my own recipe) and some steamed broccoli.

And then, at last, the piece de resistance... my ice cream. One cup (which is actually two "servings"), measured out carefully. Vanilla extract drizzled over. And eating it slooooooowly and making it last. Oh. My. God. It was heaven.

Even with the ice cream, Lifeform stats for yesterday: 1,683 calories, 22 grams of fiber, 2,604 mg of sodium, protein/carb/fat ratio 21/42/37.

Hi Everyone, Welcome Jean. Kris that is some diet. I think I like yours better than mine. For breakfast had some Kashi Go Lean and fat free yogurt-lunch-tuna with salad no bread- dinner broiled tuna, spinach, and squashes and a small salad and before bed a small banana. Today did the same breakfast,took a walk and not sure about the rest of the day yet. Looks like rain. My goal is to be 60 lbs light by December. I need to do it for the last time. I want to eat myself out of Lane Bryant and back to a real store. Anyway have a great day and be real careful with what you consume. The adage, a moment on the lips, forever on the hips is too true. Bernice

HI! Bernice.Kris, and welcome Jean!!!!!!!!!!! all three of you ladies seem to have the right idea concerning your diets just keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!have a great saturday wil wrie more monday as I have to work this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rita

Good Sunday morning, Bernice, Jean, and Rita!

First weigh-in. Result, 213... a loss of 1-1/2 pounds. Huzzah! I've had my ups and downs this week but at least I've journaled every day and read other journals and entered all my food, good and bad, into Lifeform, and it's working! You chickies are fantastic and this site is a huge motivation. One of the other journalers measured her loss in sticks of butter, which I think is a great idea... six sticks of butter gone! And I even got to have ice cream!

I'm still not exercising beyond my everyday housework and walking-around, and I need to work on that this week. I have the rowing machine moved into my office now (it's a home office, so I can put anything I want in it ) so I don't have any more excuses.

I baked bread yesterday... lovely 100% whole wheat bread. Whole wheat flour, yeast, skim milk, a little honey and a little olive oil, and ta-dah! The most delicious, healthy bread. Naturally that's what I had for dinner. And a glass of sherry, too!

Lifeform stats for yesterday: 1,804 calories, 30 grams of fiber, 2,448 mg of sodium. Protein/carb/fat ratio, absolutely on the nose at 25/50/25.

Word count for my novel: 78,938.

Next week, here I come! ~Kriseliz

Good afternoon Bernice,Jean<and Kris congrats on that weight loss way to go just keep it up it is such a good feeling that it is going down instead of the other wayisnt it you really sound motivatedhope that you will stay that way now you can send some of that over to me!!!!!!!!I think keeping your journal has really helped you also with me I am like a yo.yo.well now it is time to try out the machine dont be like me just looking at it do it if you will I promise I will get on my bikeif just for 5 minutes maybe I will keep a journal on how much I do this week on it now see you got me at least thinking of ot so come monday I will get on it everyone have a great sunday!!!! Rita

LOL Rita, one heapin' helpin' of motivation is on its way! I am strong, hear me roar, I have motivation to spare!

Finally attacked the rowing machine yesterday. I think I'll do better with slow and easy, and working up to longer sessions, because I have a repaired knee (smashed kneecap) and a repaired elbow (broken and dislocated, two pins), and can't manage anything high-stress or high-impact. But I just rowed along slow and easy, imagining that I was rowing across a pretty lake and enjoying the scenery. Did two sessions of 50 strokes (? Is that what you call them) each. Will work up to 100 strokes, little by little, and maybe three times a day. It's good to have some kind of exercise I can do indoors when the heat index is 102 outdoors!

Another good food day yesterday... Sunday brunch at a little local diner (whole wheat toast with cottage cheese and a dollop of strawberry jam), popcorn (air-popped) in the afternoon, then lovely steak salads for dinner. My husband grilled a gorgeous steak and I picked out just 4 oz. worth of perfect slices, to put on my beautlful leafy green salad with tomatoes and cucumbers and red onions. Low-fat Greek dressing I made myself. A slice of that home-baked whole wheat bread and a glass of wine. Mmmm. Life is good.

Lifeform stats for the day: 1,629 calories, 24 grams of fiber, 2,435 mg of sodium. Protein/carb/fat ratio, 26/46/27. You're right, Rita, the journal has helped a lot.

You ladies all have a great Monday! ~Kriseliz

HI! Jean, Bernice,Kris hope you all are having a great Mondayand starting the week out good today Kris I really chuckled on the motivation you sent my wayand it did get me moving did ride my bike for 10 minutes but that is a startfor me glad that you are taking it slow and easy on the machine and doing it 3 times a day is great just keep dioing it and let me know when you get to 100!!!!!!!!! I will have to build myself up again on the bike !!!!!!!!!well have a great day!!!!!!!!sounds like you did great on your food intake also Rita

I had my own post, I'll copy it below when Rita suggested I join this group. I went to WW last week and gained a little. I hadn't been there the week before, prior commitment. I did get back on the treadmill two days last week, plan to get on a least 3 days this week. Any of you on WW?
Here's my original post
Hi
I'm new on this website and need a buddy to work with. I am now 52 and in WW. When I was 50 I had lost 50 pounds but since have gained back 40. I still attend meetings every week, refuse not to. I have never taken a pass on weighing in (although I've felt like it) I have all the right ideas in my head but don't seem to always practice what I preach. I am married with three grown children and 3 grandchildren. I have struggled with weight all my life. I do believe in the WW plan, it worked before and will again!! I am very determined if nothing else.
I now have about 60 lbs to lose instead of the 23 I would have if I hadn't gained.
I just thought if I had some buddies in the same struggle, we could help each other. Maybe "talk" to each other instead of eating.
Always a problem at work because of the junk laying around. HELP!
Anybody out there with the same dilemma??

Hi Ladies well today is Monday I didnt do good on the week end but that is in the passed now to day is a new day back on track Had a good day to day eating drinking water and excersise added alittle more to my morning walk tape one mile express and did one mile walking out side .
Suzq55 I did ww a long time ago did get to my goal but didnt keep it up and gain it all back but it is all new now .I am just trying to stick to cal counting and doing more excerise I am geting down slowly but getting there .well I have to do 15 min on bike now so keep it going Ladies Jean

HI! Suzi, glad you came over to our post as I said before these are a great bunch of young 50+ladies who I am sure will be a help to you as you to us sounds like we have another motivated personjust keep rubbing it off on meLOL great that you are doing the tread milljust keep it up!!!!!!as I read jean did ww so I am sure she can help you I know hubby did itfor a whileand he did great!!!!!! while he followed it,Jean you did great with your exercising todayI have them inside walking tape which I still do occasionallywell everyone else have a great evening!!!!!!!!!!!! Rita

Good Morning Bernice,Helen,Jean, Kris,I am posting early as I have a lot to do todayKris the first thing I did was get out of bed and ride my bike for 12 min today and believe me two days in a row is a challenge for meLOL I still have some of that motivation going strong yet got to use it while I got it!!!!!!!!did fairly well with my diet until last night just had to have a hot fudge sundaeUGH!!!!!! but will start over as today is a new dayand I forgot to say HI! to Suzi, sorry hopefully you all will be starting your tuesday out the right way with the exercise you choose or the diet good luck and keep doing well my coffee is all going so that is a sign for me to get movin have a great Tuesday!!!!!!!!! Rita

Hello, Suzi, and welcome to the Senior Class! Good morning, Bernice and Jean and Rita!

Instead of pasting my whole journal entry here, I'll just paste the link so you can read it if you feel like it: Kriseliz's Journal. As you can see, I'm going to have to be detoxing myself of sodium today.

I rowed "across the lake" (50 strokes) once yesterday, Rita, and I'm going to try to row over and back today. LOL. Don't want to be stranded on the far side of the lake.

You ladies have great days today and check in tomorrow with all the details! ~Kriseliz

Hi to all well to day doing good did my one mile walking tape pluss 50 time touching my toes 25 squats 25 crunches and 2 miles of out side walking had a good breakfast bananna 1/2 cup of cereal 1/2 cup skim milk lunch whole wheat wrap with turkey and lettuce and tomato light mayo and cole slaw watermellon planning to be good for supper and try to do 15 min on bike but we will wait and see hope you all are having a good day try hard to keep it going Jean

Hi Everyone, welcome Suz. ell the week-end almost did me in and by that I don't mean food. The medication I wass given for the high blood pressure caused chest pressure,dizziness, difficulty breathing and a very slow pulse. So I took matters in my own hands and stopped the medication on Monday and made an appt with a cardiologist for tomorrow. Interestingly enough I feel like me again and when checking my blood pressure its been normal and I have a normal pulse again. Now I'm wondering if I should have ever been on blood pressure meds. I've not cheated and today felt well enough to walk. Hope I lose something this week. Suzi, WW a great diet, the whole thing is keeping yourself motivated and not to get discouraged. I can't look back because when I was thinner I felt better. Feeling lousy is a great motivator. Hope you all do well this week,catch ya later. Bernice

GOOd morning everyone well the sun is out in Ohio today and that makes me more motivated Bernice sorry to hear that the bp meds is giving you problems thank goodness you made a appointment with a heart DR as I am sure everything will turn out fine just keep in touch and let me know how you are doing!!!!!!Jean way to go girl just keep it up sounds like you are really motivated I have been watching what I have been eating going to eat my yougrt bar for breakfast and a tuna salad for lunch supper havent decided yet with me it is best that I dont plan too far aheadLOL I am going to ride my bike again my goal is 14 minutes was up all night with a ear ache so right now taking it slow everyone else have a great wednesdayand may you have success with whatever you attempt to do to improve yourself Rita