Sorry to hear about your MIL, and I hope she has a speedy recovery. Very good points about strength as we age. My 80 yo mother was in the hospital for several days, and was already weak after just one day in the bed. She is also very thin, but has no muscle at all. A friend of mine has started a strength training program that she really likes called Koko Fit that I am planning to look into. I am only walking for exercise right now, and know I need to add weight lifting to it.

Hi hhireno! Happy June!

Sorry to hear about your MIL. Those falls can be so hard on older folks. Hopefully she will keep her spirits up and get better quickly.

I'm hanging in! I've been going to the gym 3 times a week and lifting weights and I love it. I'm enjoying challenging myself. I am definitely more of a weight lifting loner than a group class person.

Weight has been tough! I have gained 12ish pounds since January and it is not budging. 7 weeks of working out and not a pound dropped. I'm hoping to get in with my PCP soon to talk about it. I did have my thyroid tested and they said it was fine, but I didn't see the results myself yet.

I had been doing great with eating well, but had a tough weekend. Back at it tomorrow. One thing I have tried to focus on is that one unfortunate food choice shouldn't have to lead to a week of binge eating!

Beth

Texanjana,
Yes, please do add strength training to your exercise regime. If the thought of being able to life yourself and carry things isn't enough, even thin upper arms can get flabby, and flappy, without muscle tone (an appeal to your vanity).

Bethpen,
Could some of the weight be new muscle? Definitely follow thru with your doc to rule out a medical issue but maybe you'll also need to adjust your acceptable weight number now that you're building muscle.

That is so, so true that one unfortunate food choice does not mean all is lost so keep on spiraling out of control.

Actually, I'm frustrated by the in law situation. Every suggestion I make is met with "uh-huh, we'll see" and then ignored. At this point, I'm not offering any more suggestions, advice, or even help. If they want my help they only need ask but I won't offer it any more.

hhireno, sorry to hear about your mother-in-law and your frustration. I think people don't have a clue how much work is involved to recondition limbs & joints after an injury, especially if you're behind the curve to begin with. Think of it: you haven't exercised in 40 years, but you think 6 weeks of physical therapy is going to make you normal again -- no way.

Strength training strengthens connective tissue too, not just muscle, so there's a double benefit!

Good going, everyone. Thanks, hhireno, for keeping this thread going and for helping us to stay on track.

Well, this could be called my UNhealthy checkin, because I currently have pneumonia. I mean really, who gets pneumonia in June? (Or ever? This is my first bout.) It's been particularly difficult because I was sick (but functioning) through my DS' graduation weekend AND we are leaving for the Galapagos Islands in 3 days! Today is the first day I have gone a couple of hours without coughing, so hopefully things are turning around and I can at least GET TO our destination, even if I maybe have to skip, say, the 4-hour volcano hike early next week.

So all of this has thrown all eating and exercise plans off, but generally I have been trying to simply do the "100 days of real food" (there's a blog) and while the weight isn't exactly falling off, I feel so much better when I eat this way (um, until I get pneumonia) and where I notice it most? My skin, and my (relatively) flat tummy. Dropping the sugar and empty carbs really makes a difference in those two areas. However, I think the saddlebags are here to stay.

Last fall, I promised myself I'd lose 10 lbs. before I turn 50. I have lost about 6 lbs., so I have 3-1/2 months now to lose 4 more. You wouldn't think it would be so hard, but it is! The good news is that even when I'm not losing, I'm not gaining.

Pneumonia! That is crazy. Try not to push yourself too much on your vacation. You don't want to exacerbate the illness, especially when so far from home. It will be disappointing to miss an activity or two but that will be better than finding out how the health care system in the GI works. Enjoy yourself, sensibly.

You won't want to hear this but in order to drop those last few pounds try giving up all alcohol, at least temporarily. Those are empty, but delicious, calories that you can live without. It might help kick start the few pounds you want to lose into a bigger loss. Then after you reach your goal or, fingers crossed, go even lower, you can judiciously add back the alcohol.

Weight loss shouldn't be about punishment and deprivation. It's about wise choices, with occasional rewards, to be a healthier you. If you treat yourself to (whatever your weakness might be) frequently, then it doesn't feel like a treat. It loses that special feeling that a treat should create.

Bite your tongue, hh. Don't you know it's mojito season??

Actually, on that topic, I have been trying to drink only "light" beer -- not always successfully because even though I'm not exactly a big drinker, I have discovered craft beers or other heavier beers (Blue Moon with an orange? love), when in my previous life I was a Amstel Light gal. I do think the gradual transition from light beers to heavier beers has not been helpful to my waistline.

But that is a good point. For me, summer is the hardest time to take off weight, with the BBQs and vacations and fun cocktails, which is ironic because you'd think the sight of myself in a bathing suit would be a great motivator to avoid the junk!

Ahhhh, Sue....a gal like myself. Ever since Alabama allowed higher gravity beers, I have had to pace myself. I too have been trying to stay on the 'light' beers (Mich Ultra Amber is a fave) but oh my our local 'Straight to Ale' and 'Good People' breweries have turned out some mighty fine stuff. So sorry about your pneumonia! I just read that on your lamp thread. Good grief, girl, get yourself well! DH had a cold that turned into pneumonia a couple of years ago. Nasty stuff and nothing to take lightly for sure. Take it easy on your vacation and enjoy the sun!

I continue on my unacceptable status quo of 2x a week exercise. Though last week even though I was out of town on a business trip I managed to get in my yoga routine in the morning before I left on a 2pm flight and two 40 minute walks because we walked to dinner twice. I do fine on the weekends so last week was a surprisingly good week for exercise.

The really good thing is that DH and I have both cut way back on the sweets and I'm over the withdrawal symptoms. He initiated this eating habit change which I much appreciate. We no longer have any desserts around the house though we will occasionally have something if we eat out but not always. Before we always had stuff in the house and frequently binged on it.

I've also increased my protein consumption by eating more chicken for lunch instead of just vegetarian type foods and also adding more greek yogurt either for breakfast, lunch or "dessert". My intention isn't to try to eliminate "sugars" entirely but not to eat the stuff that has absolutely no nutritional value so the yogurt is a good alternative to the previous dessert binging.

My weight is up a few pounds from my previous ideal and fluctuates up and down a bit but I've been good about not letting it spiral out of control. I think in time without the dessert I'll drop a few pounds and of course if I get on the ball with more exercise that will also help. I still log all my food and exercise in an iphone app which has become a way of life for me and I think that does help me not just spiral out of control.

All in all though life is good. I was thinking today on my way to work that I'm really a happy person every day no matter what comes my way and I feel really fortunate for that. I know a few bitter, glass is half empty people and I'm so glad I'm not like that - life is too short!

Gibby, don't ever call any amount of exercise 'unacceptable'! Yay for you in making a lifestyle change in cutting back on sweets and increasing your protein! Your attitude is everything, so keep it up. So good to hear what you're doing to make a difference in your body for both you and your DH.

Semi-good news sueb. Today I read "although alcohol is a source of empty calories, research shows that moderate drinkers are actually less likely than non-drinkers to be obese. But moderate for women means just one drink a day: that's 5 oz wine, 12 oz beer, 1.5 oz 80-proof distiller spirits." So of you can limit yourself to one and avoid sugary mixers you should be okay. But I think that might mean no mojitos?

Gibby,
Sounds like you're doing fine, I think you're too hard on yourself for the twice a week exercise. You're keeping focused, making changes, and eating healthy - it's all good.

My inlaws are glass 1/2 empty people and spending time with them sucks the life out me. It's such a sad way to live, only ever seeing the negative, always expecting the worst. My husband credits the people he was lucky to work for and with for showing him to view the glass as 1/2 full instead. I also get credit for helping him be positive but without the work influence, we never would have dated if his attitude was like the rest of his family.

Enough negativity! Life is good. It's up to each of us to take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Sue, so sorry to hear about your pneumonia, right before vacation! I hope you are feeling better soon. I'm not a big beer drinker, I prefer wine as I age, but there's nothing like a cold beer on a hot summer day. And I prefer craft beers as well. Blue Moon used to be one of my favorites. At an outdoor party last week, I had my first Leinenkugel Summer Shandy of the "summer" season. While I typically prefer beer with more of a bite, this one is nice and light when it's hot out.

As for my own check-in, I've been doing well on the exercise front. I ran nearly double the amount of mileage in May as I did in April, but attribute that to many nice days of perfect running weather. I've also been doing TRX once a week. I haven't been back to my barre class in a while and it shows. That class, when attended on a regular basis, really did wonders for my core. I could really see some improvement in my belly (got a little flatter but still plenty flabby!) as well as my love handles/glutes/etc. Unfortunately, since skipping that class for the last month, I've noticed all my hard work has gone by the way side.

On a different note, dh got me a paddle board for my birthday, which was a few weeks ago. We were headed to the beach a few days after my birthday so we picked one up there from a friend of a friend who owns a SUP business. I hadn't had time to use it until this week - I went by myself on the bay in my neighborhood then yesterday, met a friend of mine who teaches paddle yoga. I thought she had a whole class, but it ended up just being me. It was a great workout, especially since the water was slightly choppy so I had to work hard to retain balance when doing poses. I'm really excited to keep up with this form of exercise. It's so peaceful and soothing and a treat to be outside while the weather is nice.

My diet (and by that I just mean what I eat, I'm not on a specific diet) has been up and down. I went through a sugar binge at one point (several birthdays/family gatherings in May in my family), having too much access to freshly baked treats and even indulging in ice cream several times (I normally don't eat it much as it's not a big favorite of mine). But continuing to eat lean meats, fish, lots of veggies and fruits and getting back to a more low carb/good carb diet.

From a mental health standpoint, I'd had some things weighing very heavy on my mind, including a big disagreement with my mother that was resolved this morning. I'm looking forward to not having that emotional baggage now that summer is arriving!!

Oh, DH loves those Summer Shandies. I scoffed at them, but I may need to try one, Oh wait, I'm only drinking Amstel Lights now. Or Corona Lights. Hmm.

I now have thrush from the antibiotics, aggravated (i.e., making me sit up and take notice) from the inhaler I got on Wed. I mean, really. Is this necessary??

Paddle yoga???? Mmmm...

I'm status quo. Keeping my weight stable, but of course would like to still drop a few pounds.

Exercise is never a problem as I do at least one thing everyday day if not more. What helps is having equipment at home. No excuses.

My challenge is how much I would like to eat.

My choledtrol had dropped further so I am okay on that front,