Bet you can duck quicker than El Presidente, when they
threw that shoe...LOL!!! Watch for the flying golf balls, there
Edelweiss3.

I think it's best to walk and pull golf clubs. Really gets your heart going. Especially on some of the courses around here. Very hilly.

Yes Dotsie I still march in place during commercials. It's harder now though with the ex sitting there staring at me. I just ignore him and his little comments.

Wow it's been awhile since I've been here, glad to be back and see all the energy. One of the things I've been up to is getting certified as a weight loss coach. It's one of the things I've been coaching on anyway I just needed some more information and science.
As all of your posts make clear, there is no one way to lose weight regardless of age. And what's also clear from the science that does apply to everyone, foods that turn into sugar get stored as fat and it's not all calories in and calories out. If you eat a carbohydrate, healthy or otherwise, on it's own with no protein or fat in tow, it will cause a sugar spike, insulin will go crazy trying to manage the extra sugar and what you are left with is sugar stored as fat because the cells can't use any more.
And contrary to conventional wisdom, if you don't eat fat you are setting yourself up for weight gain. Fat fires up the metabolism, is critical to bone health, mental health, and it helps you feel full.
Did you know the you can link the increase in diabetes and obesity--and depression in women--directly to the rise of non-fat and low-fat foods and diets that started in the '70s?
I've been working with a 50-something woman who was diagnosed with diabetes. In 5 weeks she lost 23 pounds and her sugar is completely normal. Yes she's motivated to eat differently and change her exercise but the point is she is not in deprivation mode, she's enjoying a full range of foods.
Blood sugar problems--caused by eating foods which cause spikes--lead to inflammation which leads to all the diseases of aging--such as diabetes and heart disease--full stop as they say in the UK.
I applaud all of the work everyone here is doing I would just love to see more women enjoy their lives and lose the weight rather than doing it the old science way and feeling frustration and deprivation is their lot.(Georgia seems have figured out what works for her for weight loss. You go jawjaw but don't fear the fat.)
This is not about Atkins type diets, it's not about one diet at all, it is like Georgia said about lifestyle change. It's about eating foods that provide the nutrients our bodies need genetically. Rice cakes, baked corn chips,not so much.
There are lots of books out there talking about this, anything by Dr. Perricone, Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig,The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Living the Low Carb Lifestyle by Dr. Jonny Bowden to name a few.
Sorry for what might be seen as a rant, I don't mean to rant I only want to offer a point of view that has merit and that might help.
I look forward to your comments.

MSCoach, I enjoyed your post. I'm currently trying to tweak my diet with healthier choices. Can I ask you a question about the fat? For most of my life, I've used butter. I don't use a lot, but do prefer it to margarine. About 2 months ago, I switched to non-hydrogenated margarine. It's probably coincidence, but since then, my body has been feeling somewhat "haywired" and I can't find my dietary balance (before the switch, I felt great).

Is there such a drastic difference between butter and margarine if I'm using it just for toast and a wee bit on veggies now and then?

BTW, I meant to say a big "welcome back" MSCoach!

I don't know if your health benefit allows it, Eagle but it might be best to see a registered dietician since you do have a range of health conditions.

There is abit of debate about butter vs. margarine. We have neither at home. I have noticed for myself if I eat something that has a butter sauce...I get abit of diarrehea..which is probably the reality that my body is no longer used to alot of butter. I'd rather keep it that way....not much butter (Some butter in pastries doesn't affect me, but not alot.) I have abit of butter on rolls/bread...when I go out to eat at restaurants.

And buttering a muffin..is foreign to me! Already the muffin has some sort of fat..therefore why put butter on it??

We buy healthy artisan bread from the bakery..the bread is very good in terms of quality..no fat, sugar nor eggs. Just eating a slice with nothing on it for certain types, is a pleasure. If I put something on it, a slice of cheese.

Orchid, it never occurred to me to go see a dietician. That might be the best idea, since it seems that lately everything is triggering something; I'm at the point where I don't know what to eat anymore.

Once in awhile, we buy artisan bread...my favourite is one with cranberries in it. It's so tasty that it doesn't need anything (butter, jam, anything). I should start buying my own bread, instead of using what hubby buys for himself. Thanks Orchid!

I'm only giving this link, if people still don't know what I'm talking about: http://www.terrabreads.com/artisan_baking/artisan_breads/

Believe me, it is not necessary to put anything extra on a slice of green olive bread. A slice itself stands alone, in great taste.

Eagle hope you find diet solutions for your problems. You deserve it.

Do you think healthier eating and lifestyles have become more popular in recent years, or is it our age?

The reason I don't think it's our age is because my two 20-something sons are into healthier eating too.

This is something I've been aware of since living with two diabetics, but it's still an area where there's room for improvement.

Eagle, I love bread, and at our Farmer's Market I have to tie my hands behind my back so I don't buy any of the unbelievable breads they sell. This past week, they had several vegetable and cheese breads that I passed up because I'm the only one in the house who can eat them which means I'd eat the whole loaf without a problem.

I'm anxious to see mscoach's response to your question.