Active Folks Over Fifty -- #2
 

Good morning! I thought it was about time to start a new thread.

Active Folks Over Fifty is a place to talk about fitness, exercise, and healthy eating information as it relates to weight loss and/or maintenance--and also about any work, fun, hobby, or volunteer activites you're engaged in. In other words, the active part of your life!

Just a few guidelines for this thread:

- Raves about grandkids or ranting about your kids is out of bounds. ;)

- Discussion of your illnesses, conditions, treatments, and medical procedures in general is also out of bounds on this thread. So is whining about old age!

- Positive stories of vacations taken, volunteer activities, or achievements at work or elsewhere are highly encouraged! As are recommendations for books, movies, etc.

Join in!

Hey Maryblu, welcome to the thread! :hug:

Gail, gosh, I don't always *want* to go for my walk--but it's a habit now, and I enjoy being out. I need new shoes, though.

We watched the first half of the Dallas-Buffalo game, but alas, got too tired and went to bed before the amazing second half! Luckily there is the NFL channel on DirecTV, so we got lots of highlights, including the kicker for Dallas having to kick a 53 yard field goal TWICE because of a timeout.

Today I have lots of work to do--and I'm on my weight loss program again, so have to think about food more carefully.

How's everyone doing?

Jay

This is in response to Spinymouse on thread #1, before I closed it.

I have the video of The Secret and have found it very interesting. I think the point of it is, your beliefs can affect outcomes. If you think "Oh, I've failed at losing weight, and I probably will again," guess what? But if you think, "This time I'm going to succeed," guess what? This is what they mean when they show the universe as a Genie who says "Your wish is my command."

That said, it would be easy to confuse the principles with "magical thinking." Just thinking positive thoughts isn't enough. The Secret was featured on Oprah on one program, and some of the people from the book/video were on. One made it very clear that action is needed. He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "If your home is about to be foreclosed on, and all you do is tell yourself it's not going to happen, and you don't take some action--you'll find yourself sitting on the curb with all your stuff."

The point is also that many people already "know" The Secret, and these people are often successful already.

A recent example from my own experience: We wanted to move, so we put money down on a new home--one we'd had in mind for about a year of looking. We were told the owner didn't really want to move and had turned down other offers. We made our offer anyway, thinking, Well, you never know! Our offer was accepted.

Then we needed to sell our old home. We owned it free and clear, but if we couldn't sell it right away, we'd have additional upkeep expenses that would make things pretty tight. So, we wrote up our listing (and we weren't going through a realty co.), and we looked at it, and said to ourselves, This is a lovely home and someone is going to want it! Within two months our next-door neighbor made us an acceptable offer. This, in the worst housing market in decades, but as I said to a number of people, all you need is one buyer.

So we have our new home, we sold our old home, and we were able to pay off the mortgage with the proceeds. We're now debt free again.

Some would call this luck, and would say it didn't matter what we thought. Maybe not--but I'm just as happy to have been thinking Yes than thinking No.

Jay

Quick :wave: . . . computer is suffering from that "toilet-seat-disease" today

I had this idea to add quality control to portion control. If something doesn't meet my standards, don't eat it. Think how much extra eating that eliminates. I certainly have cooking disasters, and I have to eat it anyway. I am talking about eating stuff like kandy korn at halloween - do I want that, or do I want a square or two of good chocolate? I don't know that it is practical to apply quality control 100% of the time, but it is something to think about.

I agree, Gail. You couldn't pay me to eat candy corn! (Isn't that spelled with a K?? ;) ) I decided awhile back that lousy french fries were a complete waste of everything. I know of only one place that serves fresh-cooked, skin-on french fried potatoes, and those are the only ones I would think of eating. Problem is, I moved 90 miles away.

If I eat chocolate, which isn't often because I'm not addicted to it, it's Ghirardelli 60% cocoa. Now that's chocolate. The last time I ate Hershey's chocolate it was just like eating wax! :p

Jay

I actually like candy korn, but it definitely is lacking in snob appeal. I agree about the chocolate. I got some 71% at Trader Joe's.

The only thing that I know I am addicted to is cheese. Since my DH doesn't like it, I just avoid buying it. If I get something good, I seem to have to eat it all at once. I keep a little crumbled Feta and blue cheese in the freezer for salads or garnishes.

Don't think I've ever even tasted Candy C/Korn (does that mean I'm a snob? :lol:) . . . and I agree wholeheartedly about French Fries -- they always smell better than they taste anyway.

I do have a weakness for Cote d'Or 86% cocoa chocolate. :drool:

I'm also addicted to cheese, but luckily I don't have to provide it for anyone else, so the only thing I keep in the house is some crumbled Feta for putting on a spinach salad once in a while.

Meowee, in this case, being a snob is a good thing.

Yesterday and today I am weighing two pounds higher than I was. That would mean something like 7200 calories extra. Hmm...that would be about 70oz of montery jack cheese. Yikes!

Yesterday I started working the morning shift - (7am-1pm). I was exhausted when I got home, but I managed to force myself to take a short walk. Today, I will force myself to do it right after I get home. I put it off yesterday, and I didn't get any less tired later in the day :lol:.

I haven't been drinking enough water. When it isn't actually hot, I don't think about drinking. I think I should drink even more than usual when I am walking.

Hey Gail,

Retaining water can easily cause a 2-pound difference. You really do need to drink more water. Sounds wrong, but it's right. Water retention is caused by salty foods, and to flush the salt out, you need to drink water.

Don't let that scale push you around!

I'm taking a day off all but my walking today.

We went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. Does anyone else out there know of Sweet Tomatoes? It's a buffet-style place that features lots of vegetables... but one does have to watch one's choices there. Very yummy, though!

Jay

I am sitting here at work swilling water!

The very name, Sweet Tomatoes, sounds wonderful! We go to the Sizzler for the buffet every so often. I don't have too much trouble leaving the bad stuff alone, and they have lots of veggies on their salad bar.

A NSV: I was able to stop myself before eating a piece of candy. I thought, "Do I really want this?", the answer was "No". My usual thing is to eat first, ask questions later. :lol:

:lol: I can relate!

Jay

Me too . . .

Bumped into a couple of old friends at the doctor's office (of all places) and they kidnapped me and tied me up and force fed me both lunch and dinner before releasing me again . . . I stopped counting when I got to 2500 calories. :o Definitely climbing back on the wagon today.

Hope everybody has a great moving and shaking kind of day planned. See you all later . . . :carrot:

Hey! I went for a long walk today. I discovered some back trails around the community where I live. The property is along an old canal, and I found that you can get onto the grassy levy from a trail at the end of one part of the property, walk along the levy, and find another trail that leads back into the community. Neat!

The canal is an older one, so it has trees and bushes along the sides. It's quite wide--it's actually the outflow from a lake into the bay.

How is everyone? Any interesting sights and sounds on your outings?

Jay

Our dogs love it when I walk, however, they are only interested in the part of the walk that takes place on the road, rather than the part on our own property. It is fun to watch them try to figure out when I am going to do the part in which they wish to particpate.

When I walk on the road, the topology is such that as I walk, the view opens up so that I can see the next mountain range through the canyon. Even though I know it's there, I am always amazed. The desert is really very pretty and full of things to see.

Good Morning . . . :wave:

That view sounds wonderful, Gail . . . I live at the top of a hill and as soon as I cover about half a block, I get a clear view of the harbour lying at the bottom of the hill . . . always a nice treat, too.

Have a good day, gang . . . try to keep everything moving and shaking. :carrot:

I'm grumpy because I didn't get my walk in this morning. :mad: Oh well, there's still this afternoon.

Yesterday we went to a local county park--the site had been an Indian village at one time, up until the Spanish came to Florida. They certainly had a lovely place to live. They built a mound on which it's thought their chief had a house, or perhaps it was a ceremonial structure. The view from up there is really nice.

In Florida, a lot of the scenery is about water and clouds.

Meowee, I like your description of your walk!

Jay

One of the most breathtaking views right around this area is the last couple of miles of the section of the Transcanada Highway that leads to the Pictou traffic circle. Not exactly a good walking area, however since it is a major highway.

Anyway . . . after about four or five miles of gorgeous forested areas on both sides of the highway, you come over a hill and the causeway and the harbour are suddenly spread out before you. Whenever I bring old (Ontario) friends from the Halifax airport to visit with me; they never fail to gasp at that point.

It (the Causeway) is also where our Cormorants (black water birds related to, but smaller than, pelicans) hang out on some old brige pilings. Except when the Bald Eagles are fishing -- then the Cormorants all stay in the air -- nobody argues with those Eagles. The Cormorants (and the Eagles) tend to add to the charm. :lol: Good thing the shoulders of the road are wide over the causeway because the tourists always pull over and take pictures even though the signs say not to. :shrug: Unless the weather is really bad or traffic exceptionally heavy, the RCMP basically ignore them.

Hey! What did y'all do for fun this weekend?

Other than watch football.. Heh!

Mostly my weekend consisted of trying to get the last few boxes unpacked from our recent move... before it becomes too far in the past and we start treating the boxes like furniture.

It's a good thing that people forget how bad moving is... or nobody would!

Jay

Like childbirth ?
 

Jay - It's a good thing that people forget how bad moving is... or nobody would!

Moving is sorta like childbirth then ?

XXXXXX| 7 ||||||| 14 ||||||| 21 ||||||| 28 ||||||| 35 ||||||| 42
Completed Beck Program-day 6. 36 to go. Keep going!

Well, for me, child birth was easier. It is over quicker. :lol:

I went to Ventura for my grandson's sixth birthday. I ate a couple of slices of pizza and a small piece of b'day cake. Otherwise, the eating was very modest. While I was there, I made a pilgrimage to Trader Joe's.

Ha! Good point, Gail!

I'm hoping this week or next, we'll be able to go to the Salvador Dali Museum, which is in downtown St. Petersburg. I've been trying to get there for seven years! But now that we're closer, there's no excuse.

Jay

The Dali museum should be very interesting. They always have some works that you don't see in books that seem to really contribute to one's knowledge/understanding of the artist. I am not crazy about Dali, but I sure would go see the museum if I were there.

Hi everybody . . . :wave:

Nothing too exciting in my plans today -- already spent a bunch of time cleaning up after the "zoo inhabitants" -- never a dull moment with all these felines. :no:

Hope everybody has a great day. Keep it moving and shaking, gang . . . :crrot:

Jay, I just re-read your weight loss story over in the goals section. You mentioned joining Curves. What was that like? We actually have one here. I think, ultimately, that I will do better if I find something to do at home, but I am willing to consider Curves.

Hi Pals-
I had a very interesting weekend - a women's retreat near Yosemite. It was kind of a new-agey-spiritual-woo-woo thing. I was able to get something out of it, but it was way out of my normal comfort zone!
Yoga, meditation, relaxation, music....
It was also very interesting to see the great differences in what participants ate! (both in choices and in quantities!) I am pretty much a loner so don't see a lot of what others do. Very interesting.

Hey Spinymouse,

It sounds great to me! I used to be into all that woo-woo stuff... Some people might say I still am...

So tell us more about the food choices and quantities--this could be enlightening.

Jay

Meals were provided, (meat, vegetarain and vegan choices) and other foods and drinks were available at additional cost (beer, wine, desserts were extra.) Some people brought additional snacks (bags of candy, chips, and sometimes nut/seed snacks.) There were people who were mindlessly munching chips before bed and there were others for whom a meal would be a leaf of romaine lettuce wrapped around some other vegetables and maybe a thin slice of chicken.

You know how we keep hearing about people comparing themselves to some friend they know who can eat all the time, and all the fattening foods, and still be thin and how it isn't fair that the comparing person can't do that? Well I was watching and I didn't see any evidence of this. The volume of food seemed to be pretty well correlated with the volume of the person involved, as far as I could tell!
:)

Also since the meals were included, there were people who thought that meant they had to take advantage of this as much as possible. I did not eat two of the meals because I wasn't feeling in need of eating. (I don't really like to use the word "hungry" because I think that applies to people in third world countries who are impovershed that I donate money to help, not someone like me, an overweight person with all kinds of food available.) "But you paid for it!" someone said. Ha. That doesn't mean I have to eat it. :smug:

I always think that people eat less in public than the do in the privacy of their own homes. And I agree, that folks' volume is roughly proportional to food volume consumed. Lucky you went this week-end and not last. It was snowing up there and along US 395.

Those people who eat a lettuce leaf and a green bean for dinner irritate the heck out of me:lol:. Now you have my opinion on everything.

How did you come to attend the retreat if it was out of your normal comfort zone? Exercising your comfort zone a bit, maybe?

I am new to the posts; am 55 and just started walking today for a mile. I am retired and having a hard time finding something to do other than eat. I am living from meal to meal right now and boy is it hard. How do you all fight the temptations?

Basically . . . we have all arrived at totally :crazy: . . . and that does seem to help - a little. :lol3:

:wel3fc: GOINGCRAZY . . . Once you actually reach that same final destination (like the rest of us) you will find it gets a teeny bit easier. In the meantime, take advantage of the fact that you have found us to chat with. Wander around the whole community and feel free to pop in and start posting whenever something catches your eye.

You've come to the right place for lots of support, Chickie -- and posting keeps your hands busy and out of the pantry.

Have a good evening . . . hope we'll be seeing you again soon . . . :hug:

Hey! goincrazyinky, :welcome2:

It's hard to figure out what to do in retirement--or so I've heard. I'm not retired yet, but I have friends who are. The biggest problem seems to be coming up with a structure for the day--would you others say so?

Spinymouse, that's a great observation--that you don't have to eat it just because you paid for it!

I have been amazed to find that I don't "have" to eat anything. Bogus reasons have included: (1) Someone offers me something, so I'd better eat it so they don't feel bad. I believe I gained about 20 pounds thanks to that one. (2) I must clean my plate because children are starving. (As though my eating can help them.) (3) I ordered it, so to avoid wasting money, I have to eat it. All of it.

Even if I love, crave, and adore a food, I do not have to eat it! Last weekend we went to a community function where there were trays of donuts and other pastries, all for free. Some were my favorites. I passed! It wasn't worth the hit!

And, I don't feel deprived. I'd rather have a big slice of ripe honeydew melon than a donut anytime. Yum! :drool:

Jay

Hi to goincrazyinky! That's so wonderful that you started to exercise again and you did a mile walk! Great start! This is the hardest part, overcoming that inertia!

Yes, Gail, the retreat was an exercise in my comfort zone. I do like breaking the routine, especially since my routine is nothing remarkable. The retreat was good overall, really.

Jay, I just thought of an analogy when I read about the bogus reason of how if you bought it, you have to eat it - all of it: That would be like, if you bought a gym membership, you had to be at the gym all day, everyday!
Gawd, I have been guilty of buying gym memberships and never going at all! (Not this time though. I'm going, a moderate amount.)

Yeah, 'mouse, that's a good one too. Buying a gym membership is giving yourself access to something--it's not getting married to it! :lol: Although, during my first round of weight loss, I went to the gym 6 days out of 7... I didn't HAVE to!

Jay

Morning gang . . .

I too have done the 'bought membership' but 'didn't go' routine with the Gym. I'm still trying to get over the 'food must be eaten' stuff. For some reason that is much, much more difficult for me.

Nothing big on my list of must do stuff for today -- Laundry, good eating, spend some time with Gadzella -- that's about it.

See you all later . . . keep things moving and shaking . . . :carrot:

I try to put just what I want on my plate, and eat it all. I don't like the idea of leaving something on my plate and my DH is a charter member of the "clean your plate, waste not want not" club!

Eating and food are part of our social/cultural heritage. Considering the current overweight state of the population, we need to make some changes. Like not equating food with love and comfort. And not eating to please someone. How many years of psychoanalysis will that take? :loL:

Yes. I think it can/will happen too. So many other things have changed. Remember when it seemed like everybody smoked, indoors, even at work? Remember when there was no such term as "designated driver?" I'm sure that culturally we can turn some things around regarding food and eating customs as well. Although I can't imagine McDonald's refusing to serve someone because it looks like they've had a few too many burgers! :)

I think the dangerous words there are "looks like." Go down that road, and some ignorant people could think we should just forbid overweight people to eat in public... I can imagine having something like those height marks on amusement park rides, where you have to be above a certain height to go on a ride. Only, it would be a door width, and you'd have to fit through the door to eat in the restaurant... :yikes: That is a terrible scenario! :eek: Let's hope no one is planning that!

So... things that work with alcohol or smoking may not be translatable for the obesity problem. :)

I don't know the answer.

Jay

I know what you mean about forbidding people to eat in public. Having said that, the idea of McDonalds turning down an overweight customer cracks me up :lol:.

Comparing food with alcohol and tobacco: I am both a recovering alcoholic and a recovering smoker. Statistically, life-time recovery from alcoholism is rare. So is life-time weight maintenance. I don't know about smoking. I can't abstain from eating, but I think I can transfer the abstinence attitude to my food habits. I have to eat, but I can abstain from bingeing, I can abstain from McDonalds, I can abstain from eating food that I don't really want. Realize, of course, that I only speak for myself, but I feel like my saying weight loss is more difficult because you can't give eating up completely, is a cop-out.

It is all hard and requires lots committment and dedication. Personally, I belive you can not drink and not indulge in bad eating habits and still have a wonderful life. Just because you abstain from something, doesn't mean deprivation, either. There are wonderful compensations.

As it happens, I have quit smoking and lost weight lots of times. Fortunately, so far, I have only had to quit drinking once (18 years ago!). I think I have the smoking licked - quit in 1994, but I don't know what the future holds as far as the alcohol and food/weight management goes.

No, we don't want to go there (I was joking) about not letting people over a certain size have ____________ (whatever.) But seriously, I could envision some cultural changes. I could see the default food that places serve with sandwiches change from fries to....??? something else anyway. I could see portion sizes decreasing. Also a lot of corporations are paying or sharing costs of fitness memberships....it's happening, slowly.

Such changes take place very, very slowly . . . most Fast Food joints are now offering a choice of sides with your combo (even MacDonalds) and one of those choices is a skimpy, slightly bedraggled, salad . . . we must be thankful for even small forward movements.

Let's face it . . . things MUST change. One of the most telling signs that things are really bad is a current advert (promoting activity for children) on a local TV station that mentions that for the first time in quite a few decades, children in the toddler stage today face a SHORTER life expectancy than their parents. I don't think it's only my actuarial background that makes that an absolutely terrifying pronouncement.

Gail, you are really to be commended. I have never had a drinking problem (I can count the number of drinks I have in any given year on one hand - don't like either the taste or the feeling, I guess); but I certainly had a very serious smoking problem. Forty to fifty cigarettes a day for the better part of 25 years. My last cigarette was smoked on October 26, 1986. Is it licked :dunno: I don't have craviongs for cigarettes any more, but I'd be afraid to ever smoke one to test it out. :D

Although I can definitely see where you are coming from about the cop-out aspects, I must admit I would really like to see some kind of nutrition pill that I could have and never have to eat again. That would be the only hope for a true "magic" diet pill. Unlike the one everybody is always looking for that will let you eat everything you want and still be a perfect weight at all times.:o