I know there are a lot of us out there and we really haven't been keeping this thread alive. I'm looking for you.

Hi, I'm new and don't know my way around as far as where things post after I type in this box. However, in hopes of you finding me here, does it count if I turn 60 in Dec.? I have just started Dr.S as I think it will help my son to hang in there with me. I'll cook regular whole "good" carbs for him and just take my portion from that, mean while we will both be eating healthier low carbs proteins, fats and non-starchy veggies. Since she doesn't food combine or rather separate, I won't have to use weird icky stuff like protien powder, so he won't have a fit at the weird taste. I have over a 100 lbs to lose, WAY over, and I know my hormones are a mess. Haven't had a period in years, but still having hot flashes and if anything they are worse now, just sweat like I was outdoors. In fact someone asked me on a very hot day if I had just come in from outside. My regular Dr. isn't too good about wanting to check hormones, change medications to get me off of those that increase insulin resistance. Was going to go to an endo, but she isn't taking any more diabetic patients, hormone imbalance or not. soooo guess I just have to do it on my own and hope I get healed enough by eating healthy that my body corrects itself. Can't afford to switch Dr. due to insurance. Anyone else out there a Type 2, who is not too gracefully aging?

I turned fifty this past February, so count me in!!!

Where in central Arizona? When dh was in AF, we were at Williams AFB outside of Phoenix for nine years. We grew to love AZ and miss it to this day.

Hi, and welcome to the thread. We are located about half way between Phx and Flag, in the Verde Valley,

Hi HappyHeart and welcome to the thread. I went through the Big M without medications; in fact, I started when I was about 50 and the hot flashes are just now easing. I take Estraven and sometimes progesterone cream (when I remember it.) You might try some naturopathic stuff.

Hi, ladies! Thanks for the idea JAnn. Where would I find one like that? or rather how would I find one? My dear (and I DO love her personally) Dr. isn't very much help and I can't get into see that endo. Maybe that is the route I should take. Are there Drs. who do that kind of medicine?

Wow! Molmerlin! Look at the loss! You're awesome! Been doing it on Atkins all this time? I've started with Atkins for two weeks induction July 1, but started feeling really sick. So switched to Swarzenbein, she allows a little more on the carbs, but by the 7th week on Atkins, the count catches up. She wants you to eat balanced meals, carb and protein, plus non-starchy and whole starchy (but not much 1/3 C. corn). But she says you might gain while your systems heal, and I am almost to where I was when I start the Atkins, of course, I only lost 9 lbs, but then I am little smaller by clothes being a little looser. But when I see you success, I am so tempted to do Atkins to get most of this extra person I carry around with me off my back so to speak. Great Job! Blessings.

The Estrevan I get at Wal-Mart, actually I buy Estreplus, the Wal-mart brand. The cream you might find in the health food section of your supermarket or at a health food store.

jann THANK YOU!

Anything to help! Cooler weather and not eating spicy foods also helps. There go the jalapeno poppers!

I'm 53....can I join in? I started Atkins on 2/1/07 and have lost 43.5 to date. Wish I could lose faster but know that this is the right way to do it and something I can definitely live with forever. One think I am very worried about is the lose skin. At our age, I just can't see it snapping back, and can already begin to see it, especially on my thighs and belly area. Really worries me. Oh well, guess it's just something I'll have to live with!
Anyway, would like to join you guys....seems like women our age have a whole different set of problems that young people!
Good luck to all.
Trisha

Welcome Trish. I am 60 and concerned about loose skin also. I read a while back that it helps if we exercise as muscle will give the skin something to hang onto. As soon as I hit 199.8 (ONEDERLAND here I come!!) I hope that the new health club will be open and I can lift weights and swim. I just don't seem to do well trying to exercise by myself at home.

I have developed some very impressive bat wings. I know that concentrated exercise will help, I just need to actually DO the exercises

I am on the high end of the 50s, not aging gracefully, marked 'pre-diabetic' on the chart after my visit to the doctor last week. My blood sugar was 102, a bad sign, apparently. I know it doesn't sound like much and at one time that was a normal fasting blood sugar, a little on the high end. But now it is enough to make me 'pre-diabetic'.
Now, I absolutely cannot develop diabetes!
Now, I'm forewarned and must be forearmed!
I've been in menopause for years and didn't have hot flashes. My OB told me, 'That's because you're fat. Your body's still hanging on to that estrogen because of your fat tissue.' Or something to that effect.
So, if you are having hot flashes, maybe that is a good sign!

Say, are all of you doing Atkins? I switched to Schwarzbein because I understand that since it is slower, you don't develop loose skin. The down side is that it may take a while for all you chemical systems to heal before you lose much weight. Although, someone I've met on that thread has lost over 100 lbs and I know she has more to go. I've asked her if she lost any while healing, but I haven't heard back yet. Also read on this that you don't gain it back.

It is rather simple, 15 carbs for each of 3 meals, and 2 snacks of 7 carbs, you add more carbs as you go, like Atkins. I figured out the other day that if you have been on Atkins for 7 weeks you are where she starts you out at carbs. You eat protein, lots of non-starchy veggies, and a very little whole carb. Like 1/3 C. of corn or potato at a meal, but all protein must be balanced by a carb. Only real difference I can see is that she does NOT count the non-starchy veggie carbs in her count and Atkins does. So perhaps she is a little more in the long run on those.
If I can get my bs down and my hormones settled down, I don't mind taking longer to really start losing, especially if I won't need to worry about gaining it back.

I am going to my Dr. today (who hasn't been too excited about me reading and finding things on the Internet, but hey, we have to find out information where we can, especially diabetics. I am leaving her a note on what I would like numbers on to start a baseline while I am waiting to lose weight. At least if the blood numbers are getting better, I'll know I am making progress. I will go in for a fasting blood draw and hope she will run the tests I am asking for, then I have an appt. on the 24th to go in to see her. Wish me luck, as I say, she would rather just give me more meds and be done with it.