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Coffee Talk 3.20.22

outfit details

Good morning, friends! We made it through the first week of Daylight Savings! I don’t know why an hour should mess me up, but it always seems to throw me for a loop. That said, I’m really enjoying having it light a little later in the evenings. I’ve been taking a walk after dinner every night, which is a nice way to unwind and work off some of those calories. I think I sleep better too.

I hear they may be making Daylight Savings permanent? I think the Senate voted and now it goes to the House? Or the other way around? I need to go back to 8th grade Civics, I forget how it works.

I’ve long said I wish they would just pick one and stick with it year-round, but now I’m not sure how I feel it. It’s fine in the summer when the days are longer, but I’m a morning person, and I really don’t think I would like it during the winter. What do you all think?

My parents have been in town this weekend, so that’s been fun. We went to R’s indoor drumline competition yesterday, and they took 2nd place, so she’s flying high.

We’ve had some unseasonably high temperatures this weekend — up into the 70s! It’s eerily reminiscent of March 2020, when the world shut down. I remember being outside walking the neighborhood in a tank top, soaking up the sun and the 70-degree temperatures. I comforted myself by thinking if we had to be locked down, at least spring was coming and we would be able to enjoy being outside.

Of course, it never stays warm in March for very long, so it got cold again that year, and I expect this year will be much the same. In fact, this week’s forecast looks much more typical for March in Philly, with lows in the 40s and highs in the upper 50s. Still, it’s good running weather, and I really need to start being more consistent with that.

I’ve gotten in the habit of walking the dog and listening to podcasts instead of listening to music and running instead. While I know that’s good too, it doesn’t give me the same high as running does, and I don’t think it helps as much with weight maintenance — which I need more at this time of my life than ever.

Someone recently asked me to address perimenopause and my experience related to clothes. Yeah, wow. I will tell you, doing what I do during this time of my life is not for the faint of heart. My body is definitely changing and not for the better, in my opinion.

I’m still practicing Intermittent Fasting, and I do believe it helps, but my diet is not as clean as it was a few years back, and eating clean is more important now than ever. With the ages of our kids and the busyness of my job, I’ve allowed myself to get lazy about that.

So yeah, whether it’s perimenopause or changes in my diet and lifestyle, I’m not entirely sure, but I’m not loving how my body is changing right now. That said, I’m incredibly thankful for good health and the privilege of getting older. Not everyone gets that opportunity, so I try to keep that in mind as I bemoan the changes that come with this stage of life.

Well, that was quite the tangent! When I sit down to write these Coffee Talk posts, I don’t usually have anything planned to say so you get my stream of consciousness.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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28 Responses

  1. You always look great, but I know what you mean about body changes. A few years ago my nurse practitioner told me my blood work showed I was pre-diabetic and I should consider a lower carb diet (nothing crazy 100-150 grams of carbs per day). A lot of us are insulin resistant and easily gain from carbs. I thought it would be really hard, but it’s actually easier than I thought and I feel so much better. Less brain fog, more energy and I lost 8 lbs. I’m only 115 so I wasn’t overweight to begin with, but I feel better in my clothes and I’m no longer pre-diabetic. Just a thought if you’re looking for something different.

  2. Yes, I hear you on the changes to the body at this time of life. My husband and I are getting ready to move and once we are in our new house, I have plans to get back to regular exercise to combat how my body looks. I am blessed with great health and ITA that we are privileged to get older. Have a great Sunday, Jo-Lynne!

    1. You wrote exactly where I am with diet right now. I can feel my clothes getting tighter (do not weigh daily) and know I have gotten very lax with a Paleo diet, whole foods routine. I do intermittent fasting, walk while listening to podcasts, and a 20 minute basic yoga online. And I keep up with your blog, Cindi Spivey, Putting Myself Together, and Style After 50. I have learned so many things I wish i had known years ago.

  3. I love your weekly coffee talks . I can do relate to body changes at this stage of life . It is frustrating.

  4. First of all, you always look fantastic! Your readers don’t notice any of the changes you are seeing. I wanted to let you know I loved this weeks try on haul. I bought a couple of shirts that I thought looked great on you so I hope they look great on me.

    I started doing IF this year and I love the results too. I’m one of those people when I get into something I read a lot about the topic and one of the things I keep coming across again and again is that men and women need to fast differently. Especially women who are still cycling or who are in perimenopause. Luckily I’m past that point but still mix it up and that seems to have helped me whenever I stall out. Intermittent fasting seems to be such a great way to keep us healthy! You were actually one of the first ones I heard talk about it but then when my nutritionist suggested doing it to help control blood sugar levels, I really enjoyed learning about it! I even have my husband doing it.

    Hope you have a great week!

  5. It was me! I asked about perimenopause. This was great you responded bc you have the personality for setting trends and I have the personality for getting things initiated. (I wouldn’t have the same reach as you!) But I do think you mentioning perimenopause may help get ideas amongst the group brewing. I really need to figure out a way to reduce cortisol. I’ve already started having more anxiety and sleep difficulty bc my hormones are premenopausal. I’ve been reducing my calories and walking in order to reduce my size from medication I took. Been since the pandemic. Lost 40 lbs. Hopefully, I will find good supplements for my wide hips which peri turns to stomach.

    1. Yes…the anxiety and sleep challenges. Thank you for planting the idea, and thank you, Jolynne for talking about perimenopause. Talking about it really helps to normalize what we go through.

  6. Yes, DST – I have thought for a few years that I would rather have it stay light later in the evenings but I’ve read recently that Standard Time is actually better for your body clock. I’m a morning person, so there’s that too. I usually get to school before 7, so with the time change, it’s still dark and seems earlier than it really is. So when it comes down to it, I don’t know which I’d really prefer. 😀

    And I’m still doing IF, but also not eating as clean and it’s definitely reflected in the scale. But I’ve also been very lax when it comes to exercising, so since I’m on spring break this week, I’m hoping to jump start that. It’s supposed to be really nice today and tomorrow, but then it’s dropping back down into the 40s/50s. I even saw a chance of snow one day. Which, as you stated, it’s March but I always hope for nice weather for spring break.

  7. Thanks for your honest comments about peri menopause, and the changes it makes on your body. I’m 52 and experience the same. It’s so important for us women to be open and honest about these changes, and to educate ourselves on menopause and the best way to help ourselves. Women are awesome and amazing!

  8. I can so relate to the changes in body as I will be 49 next month and the pounds come on so quickly but are so hard to take off ! I don’t do strict Keto , but really try to watch my carbs . I’ve also added in yoga to my exercise routine to target my midsection which is where any extra weight always goes on me .

  9. I guess I tend to think outside the box on a lot of stuff, so I haven’t heard anybody else think like I do on DST. People like the idea of DST because they want some daylight when they get home from work. But I don’t think people realize that in the winter it won’t get daylight until just around 8am. (That’s in TN, I don’t know how much later it will be farther north, but I believe it will be even later.) So, when I logic that out, I am thinking who wants to drive morning rush hour in the very icy dark every day, who wants to make an 8am dentist appointment before daylight, lots of outdoor jobs cannot commence in the dark so would only begin later… and so it seems logical that businesses might end up changing their hours to more of a 9am-6pm anyhow. And if that happens, then there goes the extra daylight when people get home. I’m not sure it’ll accomplish what people think it will, but we will see because I think it’s probably a done deal.

    1. Yes, I agree! I live in Seattle and it already is dark until 8 am in the winter months! It’s pretty brutal. If DST stayed permanent, we wouldn’t see the sunrise until 9 am in November, December and January. I can’t think anyone in northern states would be happy about that.

    2. I totally agree with you! Year long DST sounds good because people like the extra daylight in the evening, but I would hate the dark mornings. I also like that the current switch back to standard time occurs when everyone starts putting up Christmas lights. The holiday lights make the early evening darkness festive and the days are already starting to get longer when the lights come down.

  10. You look great- we are always so critical of ourselves! I went through early menopause and hadn’t lost the baby weight gain which was awful. I was one of those people who never gained weight and never weighed more than 103. I wasn’t equipped to deal with it and even though I exercised 5 days a week – nothing really helped. I finally went on the Ideal Protein diet and lost 50 pounds. I kept it off all thru covid. I went on a carb binge in February which was trouble. I’m back on a modified version of the diet and started back with a trainer but at this age – I really have to regulate the carbs, there is no other way for me.

  11. I’m 53, and when I first entered menopause, the changes in my body threw me for a loop. Like you, I always exercised and ate healthy (I eat clean during the week; weekends, not so much. But hey, you gotta live!) When the pandemic hit in 2020, and the gyms closed, I switched to walking and IF. I lost initially, but as time went on, I plateaued and then started gaining, gradually moving to the next size up in clothing (which isn’t cheap).I was uncomfortable, and my gauge has always been how my clothing fits, and not the number on the scale. Last fall, I switched back to 3 healthy meals and added weight training 3 times a week, and I am back fitting comfortably in my original size clothing. At this stage in my life, I’ve learned that weight training is essential, and changing up my routine is key. You look great by the way, but you have to be comfortable with you! Have a great week!

    1. Angie, I’m also 53 and I have experienced the same struggles. Both my primary care physician and my GYN recommended weight training (over cardio). Weight training has made a huge difference in my ability to lose weight and keep it off. Plus, my clothes fit so much better no matter what size I am. I’m working out 3 days per week with weights and on the other days I try to fit in either yoga and/or walking.

  12. Wow! Great topics! I think we could each write a chapter of a book based on our own individual experiences. I’m not sure when I actually started this journey because I was on the birth control pill until I was 51( I’m now 54) Once I stopped the pill I actually lost my last 5 pounds I struggled to loose even with eating better and exercise. For me my weight and size only improved but I did change up my exercise routine adding weights, and bands plus more time on the treadmill! I’ve never been a runner but did find just walking for me was not enough! Each new year I try to add or change one thing in my workout as I think my body just got to used to the same thing and needed a change up to see results!! It seems to have worked I dropped to my best weight yet and have maintained it for the last 5 years( I knew what was coming with pre-menopause and wanted to be prepared) I also saw a holistic nutritionist and received results from testing done that showed my cortisol levels high so I started taking vitamin B5 this has been a game changer for dealing with stress and almost completely got rid of the tiredness that would hit me at around 3 o’clock! I mean I had no energy to even want to make supper!
    I also was low on Magnesium and started it in liquid form 2 years ago and has helped with relaxation and better sleeps! Even with the night sweats!!! Who knew🤷‍♀️.. if I’ve learned anything from this journey so far is you have to research and advocate for yourself and how your body feels! I got so frustrated hearing the words “Welcome to pre menopause!! “We know our bodies best and I wasn’t willing to settle on living or feeling certain ways just because!
    Thanks for bringing up this topic Jo Lynne we can all learn from our experiences!

  13. I love your weekly coffee talks conversation and the vibe it sends as we were girlfriends sitting together in a coffee shop or by your pool with a glass of wine. Yes, to a different body after menopause. Even with a modified lower carb intake and more movement, it’s different. Hormone changes. However, I am grateful for this time in my life and all the advantages it provides. I am grateful for a healthy able body too. I appreciated your try-on post showing that like us, not everything you try on fits right on your body.
    Thank you for being open about life; it’s joys and struggles. I love your authenticity.

  14. I went through menopause at 48 and I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, “well I guess I’ll just have to get used to my more plump figure,” after maintaing my figure for decades. After incorporating some HIIT into my routines and now focusing more on resistance training using heavier weights, concentrating on hitting my macros, especially my protein, getting enough sleep, and supplementing vitamin D, at the age of 54, I’m in the best shape of my life! I’m not on any hormones or medications and I feel great, other than some hot flashes here and there. Menopause can be a rough phase and the body does change, but we don’t have to throw in the towel.

  15. I’ve heard sleep specialists are in favor of standard time (as opposed to daylight time) since it’s closer to the circadian rhythm! In any case, I hope we stop changing back and forth!

  16. Congratulations to Becca and her band mates!! I know that you have enjoyed having your parents visit. It was 38 here this morning and it’s 71 now, I think. So like there, the March weather here is extremely fickle nd makes getting dressed each day rather challenging. I actually went through menopause twice! That time of a woman’s life is challenging and something that the men in our lives just can’t understand how it effects us, and we can’t really help what all it does to us. I hope that you can get back to eating healthier. I have to say that even my version of intermittent fasting is the one thing that has helped me to drop close to 10 lbs., so it definitely works. While I’m not able to actually exercise, I am active keeping all of the household and yard chores done, getting in over 3,000 steps every day, so I know that those who are able to exercise along with intermittent fasting will have even greater success. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

  17. Yikes….isn’t menopause just a blast!!!!!
    So many ups & downs its a difficult part of a womans journey to say the least.
    Weight training is important at all stages of life. Your muscles hold your spine in position, keep your arms strong, and balance in your legs. I started using my sons weights when I was in my thirties, and it has kept me strong.
    Also, just a tip watch your salt intake..Keeps your blood pressure in check. And lastly…beware of eating out, you can put on a few pounds in one night (it’s mostly water retention due to the extra salt in EVERYTHING) Ever notice the bloat and extra 2 pounds after pizza night?
    It took 3 years for the hot flashes to finally stop….although I took this journey a la natural, there are other options.

  18. Thanks for practicing vulnerability. Aging in public is no joke, but I found you online because I was specifically looking for someone roughly my age (I’m 48) with a similar body size and shape to help me dress myself for this chapter of my life. I try to remind myself that “aging is a privilege denied to many” and to trust that my body knows what it’s doing because it has gotten me this far. I think you’re awesome.

  19. Menopause is hard. I’m just going through it at age 60. Since my hysterectomy when I was 39 I’ve been on hormones as lost my ovaries. I’m a chronic migrainer so to wein off hormones has been a struggle, but doing it slowly. I’m now at the point menopause hit. :(. Hot flashes and sweats, migraines, tired, wake up way too early and can’t sleep, anxiety for no reason will just hit. We all go through it different so hang in there ladies. There will be light at the end. I’m thankful I haven’t dealt with negative body changes yet. Have always maintain a good weight. Jo Lynne you look great, but I understand if you are feeling it in your clothes…. that’s frustrating. Just keep excercising and eat healthy and that’s all you can do. Thanks for this community of ladies sharing. Good to know we aren’t alone in this journey of menopause. It was interesting to me to read how much weight training has helped woman. I need to do this. I have hard time with cardio triggering a migraine so usually walking is my only excercise. Doesn’t build muscle.

    1. . Wrote long before Daylight Time. In Britain, with its high latitude, days are very long in the summer and quite short in the winter:

      In winter, I get up at night
      And dress by yellow candle light.
      In summer quite the other way,
      I have to go to bed by day.

      Robert Louis Stevenson
      A Child’s Garden of Verses

  20. I think you always look great and I can’t tell that anything has changed. I’m the same age you are and agree that aging is tough!

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