Being a woman of nearly sixty-four and from a British Isles ancestry, I am at risk of getting osteoporosis. It is essential, therefore, that I make sure I am getting the recommended dose of calcium each day. Though I do take calcium supplements when I remember, I much prefer to get my daily calcium by drinking milk. The only problem is that drinking milk makes me gain weight. I’ve read many articles that say drinking milk will actually reduce belly fat, but in my case, it doesn’t seem to be working.
I don’t much like the taste of milk by itself, unlike my husband who could down a quart of milk every evening before bed. Usually I drink milk with something to wash it down with, for instance the chocolate chip cookies we had last night. I found them in the freezer. Whoops! They were for the prison ministry, but I can bake some more. Those cookies really did help me wash that milk down. In fact, the more cookies I ate, the more milk I drank, so I got all my daily calcium in one sitting. That was very clever of me.
I just came back from Trader Joe’s, and I bought a big tub of their triple ginger cookies. They are amazing, and I think tonight I will be able to get all my calcium intake at one time again. I’m not too worried about the osteoporosis anymore, but I just wish milk didn’t make me gain so much weight. And I get the non-fat milk, too. Go figure!
Coming East 
Here’s the upside of extra weight: Heavy people have less risk than thin people.
I love to hear that, Adela!
I have the same osteo looming over me, too. I rarely remember to take that big fat calcium pill!! I do eat a lot of yogurt, cheese (not so good for my belly fat :), cottage cheese and…tums!
Caltrate makes a petite calcium pill that you can take with or without food, Sally. I like the Viactiv because they taste like chocolate caramels, but you have to take them after you eat.
Great to know–will buy! Anything that tastes like chocolate is fine.by.me
I resorted to the chocolate chews, Sally, because I couldn’t swallow those huge pills. At least the should come up with gel ones.
Silly girl. The best way to get milk down in with any Ghirardelli hot chocolate mix. 🙂
Uh-oh, Patti. You’ve given me a whole new avenue to explore. I’m hooked on my chocolate tea you gave me, but there is no milk in it.
Homemade oatmeal cookies will really help down that milk and get enough calcium.
Especially if they have raisins, NQO. For the iron.
Yep, my annual blood test report shows the level of calcium that I have. Greek yogurt is a wonderful source for calcium.
I’ve never asked my doctor about my calcium level, Amy. I’m going to ask when I have my annual physical in a couple of weeks.
My doctor gives me a complete blood test annually since the health insurance only pays one a year. It’s a two-page long report.
My insurance pays for one physical a year, too, Amy. I get a CBC, too, but I guess I just rely on the doctor telling me everything is fine. I should have him show me the results and explain it to me.
Btw, they use abbreviations on the report. My doctor in SA went through the report with me (without my request) and explain to me, e.g. if this is low, it will do to you liver, that will have affect on your, etc. He also makes a copy for me, so I can compare (actually CB does it for me) from year to year to see the changes…
Good idea, Amy. Thanks.
I meant affect, not have affect (if you’ll correct it for me). Sorry about that…
Thank goodness I’m allergic to milk – I can’t gain any more weight. My doctor’s office already thinks I’m fat!
Oh, that’s right, HG! I forced myself to eat several ginger cookies tonight so I could get my calcium intake.
Love the idea of cookies, oreos and brownies as a way to get calcium! Wish I could stand milk though. 🙂
Why, Dor, the cookies kill the taste of the milk. It’s magic!
Those triple ginger snaps are amazing! I think it’s required by law to wash them down with milk..yea, I’m sure I heard that somewhere.
Yeah, I saw that, too, Life! Glad we’re on the same page. Trader Joe’s is my downfall. I can’t go in there to buy one thing without coming out with at least a dozen items.
Yeah, I read that, too, Life. Glad we’re on the same page. Trader Joes’s is my downfall. I can’t go in there for one thing without coming out with at least a dozen items.
Just recently found out through a bone density test that I have “osteopenia”, which imeans I have a greater risk of having osteoporosis at some point. My dr recommended Tums; they’re more readily absorbed than calcium tablets, and even more so taken with food. Now just to remember to take them!
I’m nearly in the osteopenia category, too, Dianna, so I need to exercise more and remember to take my calcium. I take the petite calcium pills (I think Caltrate makes them), and they can be taken with or without food. Since I tend to eat most of the day, any time I take them works out.
You have unlocked the secret to drinking milk!! Wait….didn’t Santa actually start that with his cookies and milk? LOL! I am also not a milk drinker, but have drank a glass two nights in a row. I blame the oreo cookies with red cream filling!
LOL, Books! I’m sure that is how Santa got his belly—drinking milk. I don’t want to hear that Oreos has a red cream filling out now for the holidays. I’m going to have to make a trip to the store again.
Ingenious! Using cookies to wash down milk. And all this time I’ve been using brownies. What was I thinking?
Actually, brownies work, too, Al. And so do Oreos.
You just don’t believe hard enough…. repeat after me…. cookies and milk cause weight loss, cookies and milk cause weight loss…..
That is my new mantra, Ruth.
There’s a test for osteoporosis (blood test) that you can have over a certain age here in the UK, maybe you could have it there?
I don’t know that Brits are any more prone to it than anyone else!
May I suggest yoghurt instead of lots of milk? Though of course, it doesn’t go as nicely with chocolate…
Actually, Val, I’ve read several studies that say small-boned women with a background from the British Isles are more prone to osteoporosis. I don’t know why. I never heard about that blood test, but I will ask. I get a bone density test every two years, and so far, I am okay. I do like yogurt, too, especially Greek yogurt.
I’ve never heard of a blood test for osteoporosis here. You can check a calcium level, but it doesn’t tell you if you have osteoporosis or not. The best test I know is the DEXA scan.
Me, too, HG. Calcium levels aren’t the same thing, though I think it would be good to know your level of calcium.
Most people will have a normal calcium level, because if their calcium is low, the body pulls it from the bones to normalize the blood level. So most people will show a normal level, unless their kidneys are failing, which could make it too high, or if they’ve lost so much calcium from the bone that there is none left to pull out. Of course somebody who had lost that much calcium would be pretty frail…
Thanks for the explanation, HG. It makes sense. That bone density test is what rely on.