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Old 07-08-2012, 12:38 PM   #1  
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Default Anybody still fighting the good fight at age 70?

In August, I will be 70. I am not new here, but I am back here weighing more than I ever have before. Have I learned anything from my failures? I don't know. I always think I "get it", but my results show otherwise.

So, what happened this time? In addition to my sedentary job, I got addicted to genealogy. You know - Ancestry dot com? I have been sitting on my behind for about 2.5 years gazing into the past while mindlessly consuming things like Rice Crispie Treats, cheese sandwiches and buttered bread. When I got tired of all this excitement, I would relax by watching a few saved episodes of "House Hunters" on TV and eat chocolate covered almonds.

I was pretty successful with the genealogy, and learned about housing prices after the bust, as well as achieving significant weight gain. LOL!

No "big bones" here; I am not "carb sensitive", I am not allergic to anything, my metabolisim is just fine. I am fat because I eat too much and don't exercise. Period. This is not to put down anyone who suffers any of the above. It just happens that I don't have any of these issues.

Are there any other 70 and above folks on here who have or have not learned anything about weight control and fitness by applying their many years of accumulated wisdom? If so, let's talk.
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Old 07-08-2012, 01:49 PM   #2  
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You sound like a very cool lady, with a refreshing sense of irony about how you got to where you are. I'm 55, and like you I have no big bones, carb sensitivity or other digestive issues. In fact, I could eat a rock and feel fine. Add this iron stomach to a hearty appetite, and you have all the explanation you need for my lifelong sequential weight losses/gains.

This time it does feel different for me and I'm hopeful that I can retire my yo yo.

Welcome to the board!

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Old 07-08-2012, 03:13 PM   #3  
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Yowza! I am more than 9 inches shorter than you and weighed 4 lbs more when I started.

We should make up a little certificate for retiring the yoyo. I sure hope you can do it.

Off topic, but my family turns out to be from Ontario. One born in Milton, others remain in Huron county and still others dispersed to the west in Canada and the US.
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Old 07-08-2012, 03:14 PM   #4  
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HI, Gailr42 and Freelancemomma: Well, I'm 86, so I guess I fit into the catagory of over 70. lol

Anyway I got serious about losing weight in 2000 and managed to lose 65 lbs. Now the struggle for me is to keep it off. For me, the losing the weight wasn't all that difficult, but the keeping it off is tough!

Accumulated wisdom? Well, sure - we all know what we need to do to lose weight. It's the doing what we need to do to lose the weight and maintain the weight loss. That's where the disconnect comes in - and it's all because we are human and we like to eat.

There is a 50+ Forum over in the Support Groups, but I never felt comfortable there because I was so much older than everyone else.

Nice meeting you, and I wish you great success in your weight-loss efforts. I'd be very happy if this thread were to keep going.
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Old 07-08-2012, 05:10 PM   #5  
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Hi JoJoJo2! Wow! 65 lbs. That gives me hope. Looks like we are about the same size with similar weight goals.

Do you have an exercise routine? I am finding that I am having a little trouble bouncing back from my sedentary life. I am starting out with walking up and down our 200 foot driveway. It is mostly level. I did ten circuits today. When I get so I can do a mile in the driveway, I will branch out.

When I was a teenager, my grandmother fell and dislocated her shoulder. After she was over the acute phase, her doctor had her do physical therapy. I remember the therapist came to the house. Since my grandmother was interested, the therapist worked with her with weights to strengthen not only the shoulder, but knees etc. My grandmother felt that she received great benefits from the weight work. So, I am thinking about a weight program for myself. I have no desire to lift big weights like some of the gals do, but smaller ones should help tone and strengthen. I also read that building a little muscle helps fill in the wrinkles...
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Old 07-09-2012, 11:37 AM   #6  
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I think exercise, or just staying as active as possible, is the key to staying healthy in our senior years. I do have to keep pushing myself to stay as active as possible.

I exercised at Curves for Women until about a year ago. It provided a great exercise routine for all ages. But as I was losing my eyesight, driving became more difficult for me, so I let my Curves membership expire.

Now I walk in the neighborhood. During the summer this will be early in the morning before it gets too hot.

Exercising helps our metabolism, and it also helps us stay as limber and flexible as possible.

Hope everyone is having a great day!
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Old 07-09-2012, 01:51 PM   #7  
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I live 35 miles from my work and the curves location. I have been trying to decide if I want to stay after work and try curves.

I agree about walking early. I get up early, but I like to sit around and drink coffee and watch the news before I really get going. I think I am going to have to give up the sitting around so I can get out before the sun is up.

When you lost the weight did you choose a particular type of diet? I need to learn how to eat right, so I think I need a diet that helps me do this.
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Old 07-10-2012, 05:05 PM   #8  
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gailr42 - I enjoyed my membership at Curves for Women, and suggest you check it out. Most Curves offer a free tour of the place and a week's trial membership. It was helpful to me in keeping myself a bit flexible. And in my community the other Curves members were a very friendly bunch.

There are lots of good, healthy weight-loss programs out there that would work just fine. The problem is to pick one out and just do it!

In my case I used the Richard Simmons Foodmover. It is essentially an "exchange program" where you count "exchanges" rather than calories. It sure worked for me.

I think we all know how to lose the lbs., the problem is that we like to eat, and that is just because we are human. Old habits are hard to lose. LOL

Hope everyone is having a great day!

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Old 07-10-2012, 07:41 PM   #9  
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You are right. I am an expert at how to lose weight. I have been calorie counting and keeping track on Fitday. I am very meticulous about counting everything that passes my lips. I am shooting for a balanced diet with about 50% carb, 25% protein and 25% fat.

Before I found Fitday, I used to write everything down with the calorie count. I think keeping track, whether on paper or on something like Fitday, is important for me.

I got outside this morning before the sun was over the mountains and walked 10 circuits of my driveway. My goal is to get to a mile almost every day.

I ordered myself a balance beam scale from Amazon today. I know I don't need a fancy scale to lose weight, but my digital scale is inconsistent and it bothers me. The other day, it weighed me 6 lbs different within a 30 second time span. The new scale will last me the rest of my life and then some.
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Old 07-11-2012, 11:08 AM   #10  
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I've been looking at those balance beam scales at Amazon myself. My digital scale works pretty well, but I'm getting to the point where it is difficult for me to read the numbers.

Which scale did your order? Just curious.

It's time for me to go take my walk. My DH and I did some food shopping at Wally World this morning, and I've got it all put away now. Today is going to be another hot one, and I want to get my walking in as early as possible.

Let's keep on keeping on.

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Old 07-11-2012, 01:27 PM   #11  
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I am not sure if we are allowed to post links, but I'll try. If it doesn't work, the scale is a HealthOMeter 402LB. It is the cheapest one they have at about $138 plus shipping which brings it up over $160.

http://www.amazon.com/HealthOMeter-4...balance+scales

It is a lot of $$$ but I think it will be worth it. You gave me another reason to want it - my vision is getting worse and worse. I can see fine far away and close up with my glasses, but seeing things like my feet and the scale is becoming difficult even though I have tri-focals.

Tomorrow we are going to drive 100 miles to the nearest Costco, and we are going to an orchard where you pick your own peaches. You should see the lady that runs the orchard. She is in her 80s and has a figure like a young girl - very slim but with a defined waist and hips. We were down there a month ago and got apricots. Now the peaches are ready.

I slept in a bit later than usual, but I still managed to get out and do ten circuits of the driveway. It was hot!!!
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Old 07-11-2012, 04:14 PM   #12  
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Hi Gail! I, too, am a genealogy addict I am 31 but my grandfather turned 81 this year and has lost about 30 pounds with WW which is what I did as well. This is the first time since he was in his 20s that he is less than 200 pounds. He got a kick when I told him that here or 3fc we call that onederland You might want to check out WW online, I found it easy and less time consuming than entering people on my genealogy website! Good luck and keep us posted!
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:06 PM   #13  
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Hi Jelma!-Genealogy is pretty fascinating. I have traced the family I was interested in back to Scotland and I have found a whole bunch of new relatives. What I am trying to do now is learn how to do my source citations like Elizabeth Shown Mills wants us to do them.

That's cool your grandfather made it to Onederland! My girlfriend lost 50 lbs at WW. The only reason I haven't tried it is it is pretty far from where I live. I did try it online, but I have satellite internet and WW really requires a much faster connection - I guess loosing weight is like on-line gaming which also doesn't work with satellite. If high speed ever comes to us, I will be first in line!

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Old 07-11-2012, 11:01 PM   #14  
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Hi, Gail - That's the balance beam scale I was looking at, too. I haven't quite decided to order one as yet, but I'm sure thinking about it.

Gail & Jelma - Genealogy is indeed a fascinating subject. I haven't gotten into it yet myself, but I did write the story of my life recently, and that was fun. I printed out a copy and gave it to our son last Saturday on his 60th birthday. He was very interested. The culture of today is so different than the culture I grew up in that the stories of my childhood are fascinating to the kids and grandkids.

Enjoy your Costco shopping. I've never even been in a Costco.

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Old 07-12-2012, 10:00 AM   #15  
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I am excited to read that you wrote your life story. I was going to suggest that you do that, but I didn't want to be "pushy". You might write on the back of one of the pages or on an additional page a list of family members that you know about. Be sure that every page you write about yourself and your family has your name and the date on it. Over time, pages can get separated and it is really nice to be able to reunite things with proper identification. I guarantee that any future family historian will be thrilled beyond belief to find something like this!

I found a standard pedigree chart among my parents' papers. My dad had filled it out as far as his grandparents - this is not very far by family history standards, but it was enough to get me going.

My two sons were up here last weekend, and I gave them copies of my stuff.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programing......

The only downside to genealogy as a hobby is that it is addicting and very sedentary. There needs to be some way of incorporating a bit of body movement into sitting at the computer.

If you really think you want that scale, wait a bit until I get mine and I will "review" it for you. I had a much smaller balance scale before that came from Sears and was intended for home use. Someone gave it to me. I really liked it, but unfortunately it rusted on the inside. This HealthOMeter says it is rust resistant.
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