I guess my main problem is that I just don't have the time to go to the gym like I need to. Now I know that is not a good excuse, and I do apologize, but it's true. As far as exercising at home, I just cannot seem to get motivated. Again, poor excuse. I know that exercise will definitely reduce the chances of carrying around 20 lbs of extra skin, but even that is not good motivation. Sad, I know. Have any of you ever watched the show called Big Medicine? Oh man, there are people on there that weigh, or have weighed 500-600 lbs. But what really shock me are the ones that have lost hundreds of pounds and now have tons of excess skin just hanging off their bodies. It shows people having the surgery to remove excess skin, and I know I would NEVER have this done....it shows them removing skin by the strips and by the handfulls, practically cutting them in two. No way this body is undergoing that kind of trauma! I will just have to learn to deal with the excess skin for the rest of my life, and know that I am much much healthier.
Yes, I am on Atkins. And while the other plan sounds very tempting, I would never dare change. See, I have been on every diet under the sun. Atkins is the first one I have EVER been able to stick with. I'm afraid that if I even thought about changing my lifestyle of eating, I would fall so far off the wagon I would never get back on. I'm not saying that you plan isn't wonderful, I am just saying that I'm scared, to be honest. I just can't jinx this when I've come so far!
Trisha

Oh, I wanted to address the issue of menopause and I completely forgot.
I am a very very lucky woman! About 4 years ago, I went to my doctor and explained that my periods were excessively heavy and I wanted them stopped. No problem! I underwent a very simple procedure called Novasure (I think that's what they call it) where they completely stop your periods. Talk about sweet! Haven't had one since them, and had no complications at all. Was up walking and back to work the next day. Nice! I have never undergone any kind of menopause systems...i.e. hot flashes, mood swings, nothing. Let me tell you, this is the way to go!!!
Trisha

I had a partial hysterectomy when I was 30 so the only way I knew that I had hit the Big M is the sweats. No period was just fine with me for years but it didn't stop the fatigue, sweats and whatever else it does.

My mom only had headaches from going through it. Go figure!

I really don't think that I will actually go thru menopause....I have had absolutely no signs of it yet so keeping my fingers crossed!
Everybody is different, you are so right!
Trisha

Hi ladies. I'm glad to see this thread active again.

For those who don't know me, I'm Debbie and will be 52 in September.

Trisha, I watch it. I missed it this week, so I'm really looking forward to next Monday so I can find out what happened with Tiffany. I agree, that skin removal is scary, but when you hear them talk about how horrible it is to live with, I understand.
Finding what works for us, that we can live happily with is the goal. "Don't mess with success."

Nice to meet those of you I haven't met before.

It's hard to tell what WOULD be good motivation to exercise. My exercise class fell apart more than a year ago and I just never regained the wonderful momentum I had. There were only two of us in the class for quite awhile and then the other person moved across the country! The instructor and I alone would have amounted to basically a personal training session and that would have been pricey!
No matter how great it is, it's hard to stay in the exercise groove - just as hard as dieting. Getting out and getting into a routine and having an exercise buddy is one powerful incentive but exercise buddies are few and far between as I see it.

I'm looking forward to a fitness center opening up about 15 miles from here. I figure if I go even once a week I will benefit. They are going to have 3 swimming pools so I may go more than that, at least to begin with.

Hi, again everyone. I apologize if I was sounding like I was trying to talk someone in to changing to SP. I totally agree that all of us are different and our bodies respond in different ways. I found that when I added a bit of carbs I felt better and I think (not sure I remember well) that I was responding to someone feeling the way I had been feeling before I regrouped. Actually I am doing and Atkins modified by SP approach, really more Atkins that SP, well, maybe not, maybe it really is SP more modified by Atkins. Sometimes I need to count the veggies carbs to get up to around 15 for a meal, sometimes if I do have a real carb, that is around 15 , I don't worry about how many were in the veggies. It is sort of all balancing out.

I am losing slowly, I was afraid I was going to gain a whole lot, but I am approaching the low weight I had from Atkins by the end of the induction week. Scale weight or not, some of my pants feel a little loser in the thighs and a bit in the waist. I just wish my big overhanging belly would dry up and blow away!

Again, I was just sharing, not intending to pressure anyone at all. I like being a part of the over 50's group, although I'll be 60 in Dec.

Does any one in this group know whether or not Armour natural thyroid contributes to insulin resistance? I know any of the "thyazide" water pills do, but I was wanting to change to Armour for my thyroid and was just wondering that question.

Trisha. After reading your post, I had to double check to make sure I hadn't somehow sleep walked and posted in the middle of the night. You sounded so much like me!! I guess to an extent we all sound very similar. What struck me first was the part about not having time to exerecise. I have been saying that forever. OR I'll say something like: I don't want to start some program that I am going to have to follow the rest of my life, because I won't.
and then I will just go back to flab. We can come up with all kinds of excuses, can't we? Last week I bought some 5 pound weights, to work my upper arms. I will tell you this: the defeatest part of me says: well, it was only twelve bucks, so if you don't do it, no big deal. Why do we do that kind of crap to ourselves? Would it really kill be to spend five or ten minutes, while watching TV, to lift these weights? I started last night. I know I will feel better. I know I will LOOK better. I know I have the time. So, what is stopping me?
Menopause sucks. I am over the hot flashes. Had them for maybe a year off and on. It would be the middle of winter, and I would have sweat POURING off of me, WITH a fan blowing on me. People at work would be asking me if I was ok. funny stuff. Mood swings. Yikes!!! As far as TOM, I would go for months with nothing, then, our of the middle of nowhere, with no symptoms or anything, there would be a giant whoosh, and of course I wouldn't be prepared. Since I wear tan khakis about half the time, try and imagine how that worked out for me. Fortunately I never emabarrassed myself, if you know what I mean, but I would have to dash into the kmart next door, HOPE they had some big slacks that I wouldn't have to try on, grab a pack of undies, some wipes, some tom supplies, and then pull off this magic act in the handicap stall back at work. Can I get an AMEN SISTER for that?

heeheehee Life as a woman is great isn't it?

I don't believe that it does. I was monitoring the thyroid threads for a while and most of them recommended Armour.

Just a note. Symptoms of menopause include low thyroid which can be taken care of by using progesterone cream. I was on l-thyroxine for years, then when I started using the cream my numbers came in normal. Read about it in a book on menopause.

AMEN--but having had a hysterectomy when I was 30 I didn't have to go through what you're going through!

Wouldn't want to be a man!!

Hi All

Well this is my second post on here today, just joined, i'm 55 years old and i'm 284lbs, as of last Wednesday my weighin is tomorrow so i will let you know if i have manged to lose a pound or two, i start the Atkins diet tomorrow, so i hope i can get plenty of help on here co's i'm going to need it, i need to lose about 100lbs but anything would help at the moment, i need to lose this weight for health reasons as well as wanting to look nice in normal clothes, to be able to shop in normal shops, i'm suffer with my feet and legs, i know its my weight so if i could just lose a bit its all going to help, i work full time and just sit all day at a desk, which does not help.

My plans on this diet is hopefully with losing the weight it will help my feet, i want to start using my exercise bike which at the moment is gathering dust, i know i will have to start off slow and work my way up to 30 mins.

If anyone has any advice or tips please i would love to hear them i really do need all the help i can get in the next two weeks.

Good luck to you all and talk tomorrow.......
Paula

Welcome Paula. I've been off and on Atkins for years and learned a lot about what works for me and what doesn't. Anything we can do to help, just ask away!

Hello everyone!

Can I join you?? I'll be 50 on my next birthday in December, and have found that low carb gives me energy I haven't had since I was a teenager!

Currently Atkins is my plan...this seems to work best for me to lose weight, I tried many other low carb plans, but this is the gold standard for me, although I never did do induction...just started out with the Atkins Lifeplan book, and stuck with low glycemic carbs, around 40 net carbs a day. So far, so good.

I noticed there was a question about armour thyroid. I have taken it for a long time, and it works great for me, my metabolism becomes very sluggish w/o it and I can't lose weight if I don't take it. Tried Synthroid, but it did not work for me.

For workouts, I do the FIRM DVD's at home...gosh they are better for me than any gym routine ever was, and I buy most of them from the half price bookstore or target. My hubby and I also walk.

Looking forward to posting here!

Hi, JAnn
I too am an over-50 lady and would liketo join in. Actually, I'm 54 and 55 is approaching rapidly. Went through the hot flash thing between age 51 and 52. It pretty much subsided on it's own, but I take RX estradiol and bio-identical progrsterone (prometrium) to try to keep other post-menopausal problems at bay. Just a heads up about over-the-counter menopause products: check the ingredients label---if it contains a substantial amount of soy---that can inhibit healthy thyroid activity---which could slow down weight loss.

Hello ..Is this thread active???.. I'd love to join!.. Jolene