Coralee, please don't be humiliated by your predicament. Many, many folks are in the same position and many are there from uncontrolled spending, not legitimate reasons. Health care costs are particularly daunting since they are totally out of our control. I mean, you can choose the house you live in, the car you drive, etc., so to a certain extent, you can control what those will cost you. But we usually don't have all that much choice when it comes to health insurance.

I hope you're able to work things out with your bank. In the meantime, take care of yourself

BTW, hello all I'm new to this forum (and the 50s), but not new to 3FCs. I'm jumping on the bandwagon once again and think I'm in a good frame of mind to be successful. Reading all of your comments is really inspirational, so thanks!

Good morning Counters! It's a beautiful day once again and we are planning to go to Costco in a bit to do our coupon shopping. Also just found out our membership expired so have to get it renewed ...wow, I'm really having problems with cards expiring recently! First it was my drivers license and now our Costco membership! Don't know what's wrong with me.

Chicpanda - I understand. A lot of people are struggling these days and are stressed. Your medical insurance is very high...I can't imagine how we would pay that! We made a bad financial decision a few years back..did it to help one of our kids but we really regret it and are praying to find a way out but with the economy the way it is, it isn't easy.

I have started using a different program to track my calories and nutrients. It is not quite as good in some ways (see below) as my CalorieKing software but it syncs with my phone and CK didn't. I have tried several and none seem to perfectly meet my needs, so have to compromise I guess.

This one is called Lose It! I like that it automatically lowers my calorie limit each time I lose weight. Right now it is giving me 1343 cal/day...and I try to stick to that but don't worry as long as I don't go over 1500. From past experience (Gosh, I've been yo-yo dieting for SO long!) I know that I can still lose at 1500 cal (for now). So far though I have had no problem sticking to the limit they set for me. I have lost a pound since I started this program. One thing that is cool too is that it is a network and if you wish you can have "friends." They can see your ups and downs, you can make comments if you wish, and they can see your last meal. I was surprised how much this made me want to stick to my plan last night! So far, I have not even overeaten at night like I usually do! My carbs have been great too although my BS is still a little high. So, I'll let you know how it goes but right now I think this program is working for me, helping me stay OP. So far I haven't found an over 50 group and I think I am probably the oldest person there. So, I definitely will still be coming here to chat! I love younger people but there is something special about having people closer to your own age with which to commiserate!

Have a good day!

ETA: Forgot to tell you that this site (Lose It!) also gives you badges when you reach certain points to motivate you. Like kids getting stickers! LOL But hey it may help some people..I'm all for motivation!

Yowza, time passes so fast, can you believe our little Holden is one month old today!

Coralee (Chicpanda) - you first, sweetie. I totally understand how that can happen, with the bank. As your banker says, you are one of millions that are going through this. Difference is, you are our friend, so we will be here for you. You can vent here, and we will give you support. ((HUG)) And yes, we talk about our lives here, since food is just one part of our lives, albeit often a HUGE chunk, lol.

WebWoman - did you get any yard work done? I hope the weather was nice for it. I planted a lantana yesterday, in a spot where it will get full sun. They are annuals where I live, and I am always amazed by their bursts of color and beauty.

Mary - I love how you said, ".. no matter what, I'm going for it!" That kind of enthusiasm will see you through! The Lose It program sounds like a good one!

rmc9142 - to our little corner of 3FC. Are you counting anything? You don't have to be, to post with us, but I thought I'd ask. I'm a calorie counter. We also have carbs counters, fat gram counters, points counters, and exchange counters here.

Hello to anyone else reading this.

Lots of stuff still going on in May. Three graduations (1 six-grade, 1 high school, and 1 college) Memorial Day, ballgames, church functions, etc. I like to have things to do, though.

I'm enjoying the fresh lettuce and radishes. Yum! Anybody else gleaning bounty from your gardens?

Have a good weekend!

Well, I spoke too fast...as I did overeat snacking last night, but I know it was emotional eating and I felt very disappointed in myself for doing it. Didn't even enjoy it that much so that's ridiculous and hopefully I learned my lesson. Because I gained back some weight, my program is giving me a few more calories today.

Went to the gym as usual today. Oh, I hate the bike! It is hard for me as my legs get tired although they didn't hurt today. But I so far am sticking it out for 15 min. and I don't mind the 15 min on the treadmill. I want to be sure I get 30 min aerobic exercise. The weight machines I don't mind although I do get bored very easily. I may have to go back to my circuit training class at least one day a week just to keep up my enthusiasm. But I will never give up working on my weight and health.

So far, so good on the counting...breakfast was pretty light today...1 whole egg, 1 white scrambled using buttery flavored oil spray and 1/2 huge apple. Snack was 1/2 small banana. I take a fiber supplement too so feel full. Evenings are the only time I really have trouble staying OP.

Thanks for the welcome! I count calories and try to stay low carb because they are just not my friend.  I’ve been using Livestrong to track, but wonder about their accuracy. After putting in my stats and selecting a sedentary lifestyle, they claim I should be eating 951 net calories each day. That didn’t seem feasible, so I bumped myself up to "light activity". (Truth is I'm probably somewhere in between.) That brought me up to 1225 net calories, which seems reasonable. However, according to Livestrong, I should only be eating 31 g of protein. That seems kind of low doesn't it?

I always peek at the breakdown, but don't obsess over it. I figure if I can learn to eat as many fresh whole foods as possible, live without the refined carbs, meet my calorie goal and exercise regularly, I'm off to a fairly good start.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Livestrong?

Mary, hope you're husband's health issues are resolved quickly. Stress can really wreak havoc on our lives, so I really admire you getting to the gym.

Jane, I'm jealous of your garden! It's just warming up here, so growing season has just begun. We recently downsized from a house w/ a large yard/garden to a townhouse with just a little outdoor living space. I love the maintenance-free life, but I'm sure I'll miss my fresh garden veggies.

Slept in this am which felt SO good! Dh went to his men's conference so he was up early ...I was aware when he got up but went right back to sleep.
My weight dropped back down today so I'm starting fresh again, no loss, no gain, but at least no gain. I again ate a little more than I should have last night but not as bad...the rice cakes were tempting me and I'm glad they are now gone. They are brown rice and not a lot of calories or carbs really but I swear I can obsess over the craziest things! Even foods that I can eat, but I just have so much trouble eating only one or even two of anything I really like!

Just a quick check in to say Hi

Welcome to any and all Newbies.

Tony's VQ scan results were fine. Which means that now we need to get to walking or exercises. We leave for Texas Wednesday morning and will be gone for 2 weeks. I would like to return home with a weight loss so I got me some Slim-fast shakes to drink, a few 100 calorie snacks and will get some fruit and veggies to use for snacks too while traveling. I'll see y'all when I get back.

Have a great weekeng.

Happy Monday
Back from a weekend in Gainesville FL. DP (Beth) and I visited her son and dil. They have a lovely home. It so relaxing, almost like staying at a luxury hotel.

I found that the University of Florida houses the John D. MacDonald collection.
J.D. MacDonald was a favorite author of mine. It will be so exciting to actually see the manuscripts of his works. We visit them several times a year, some thing to look forward too.

While visiting we ate out for several meals. I was mindful in my food choices, and hope this will be reflected on official weigh in day. (Thursdays)

This week I am focusing on food journaling. From reading other posts, I can see this is an important part of many food plans. I plan to mull it over online.

Can't believe it. I am almost ready to go to bed and I have not snacked at all this evening!! Even watched a movie and didn't snack!! WOW, I'm impressed with myself. LOL Better go to bed before I have to eat these words!

See you at Age 50+ Counters Club #4!