Greetings! And welcome to the thread!

Active Folks Over 50 is a place to talk about fitness 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 work, or achievements at work or elsewhere are highly encouraged! As are recommendations for books, movies, lively discussions of weight related issues, etc.

Join in!
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My gosh, tax season is about over for me! Anyone who's not given me their stuff yet is getting an extension. I'm concentrating on my other business now (textbook editing).

I have one couple who are late every year--and this year they enclosed a box of Belgian chocolate with their tax stuff. Really good Belgian chocolate, in individually wrapped squares. I can pass on most chocolate, but this is something else. So far I have only had one piece, though; the rest is going into a cupboard somewhere.

Yesterday was a day off from the gym, but I went swimming in the afternoon. Today I'll go later--but since it is a weekend, and I'm determined to actually have weekends, I'm going to try not to do any work except house stuff.

What are you folks up to this fine day?

Jay

Good Morning . . .

Glad you've got some time to breathe, JAY . . . Enjoy it.

Guess I'm going to get myself moving and shaking and out walking fairly early today. So far we've got overcast weather, but it is supposed to rain later today and again tomorrow. Somehow, I cannot envision myself walking even 1K in the rain. Other than that -- nothing exciting for me.

Have a great day . . .

Speaking of taxes and the weekend, I guess I'd better get mine done. I'm easy though. I do it the old fashioned way; filling out those forms with a pen. Usually I sit at the bar and do it. Takes me about an hour.
But today is supposed to be the Cat's Potato, or whatever that expression is, anyway, the world's best day as far as the weather goes, not that we ever have it bad here. I'm going to walk to the rock and back, stopping for socialism at the bar, I mean socialization but I like calling it socialism, and that will be more than enough distance for Gary's 5K challenge. Later it's Farmer's Market and the natural foods store so I can get the stuff to make the muffins (do I even have a muffin pan? I don't think so... I'm so not muffiny...) and soy milk and its associated precious byproduct. One of the recipes for soy milk that I found warned that if you don't do it right it's going to taste like gopher feces. I just love a challenge.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

"gopher feces" . . . . . . think I'll pass.

Hi all - hope you are having a good weekend! Snow here I had to do my 3FC 5k indoors with DH and WATP. Been catching up on some shopping online. Finally bought frames for the two pictures DS sent for Christmas (couldn't find 16x20 locally that I liked). Bought 2 new body shapers (this loose skin needs tucking in a bit and they help) since onehanesplace has all Bali products buy one get one 50% off right now. I also splurged and orderd 5 new DVDs, including an exercise ball workout (with ball). I'm feeling the need to mix things up again. My afternoon workouts are pretty varied, but I have been rotating through 4 workouts in the morning and I'm getting a bit bored with them. DH does the same Tai Chi workout every morning, but I like variety. Different strokes...

I need to get bills paid and chores done, so I'd better get moving.

Hope you have a wonderful POP weekend!

Tell me more about body shapers, CD. What brand(s) do you recommend? What are they made of? How hard are they to get into? Are they comfortable to wear? What about in summer, and I mean, Florida?

And is onehanesplace a website?

Jay

I'm curious about body shapers too as I am going to have to fnd a dress for my dd's wedding and am sure I will need one.

I like the all-in-one body shapers. The Bali ones seem to fit my body the best. While most department stores have them (good idea to try on different sizes and styles before buying online), I buy from Onehanesplace.com because I don't have a Hanes outlet close by (about 50 miles) and they are a good value (about $30 each). I started wearing these when I lost about 65 lbs. 10 years ago (same loose skin problem). I liked how they made my clothes look so much that I have worn them ever since. I have a lot of loose (ok flabby) skin around my tummy. The last 25 lbs that I gained during menopause was in my midsection (which was a new experience for me).

The body shapers also help support the "girls". If I get a bra that actually holds them up, I have to tighten the straps so much that they cut into my shoulders. With the extra fabric around my middle, there is more support everywhere - meaning that I don't have to rely so much on the straps.

I have tried various brands and styles. I like the other Bali styles as well and if you don't like or need underwires, this is a good support style.

They do get a bit warm during the summer if you are outside a lot. I wear them to work (air conditioning) but I may go back to a bra and panties for outdoor activities this summer. The lace model isn't too bad - it breathes fairly well. And until now, I lived in t-shirts and over shirts and jeans - no matter how hot it got (being 215 lbs. will do that to you) so the extra body suit layer didn't seem to bother me too much. But, Northern MI is different than Florida Jay. The last time I visited FL I got sun poisoning in Feb.

Make sure you get one with a snap or hook and eye crotch. Otherwise, using the facilities is really ugly. They are quite easy to get into, actually - easier than a swimsuit. The fabric is usually a cotton/spandex/nylon blend and they glide right on - even over lumpy sections (no trouble getting them on a 215 lb. frame). I really do recommend visiting a department store and trying on a few (just like a new bra). There are padded and non-padded styles. Some with lots of support and some with little. The Bali are fairly light support, but enough for me and still comfortable. But, this is from a person that bought her bras at Wal-Mart or Meijer

Mary - they do really help with those dressy outfits!

Counting, I have the same problem wth my midriff!! I have ALWAYS had a big belly (even when I used to be skinny...long ago!) but since I had hernia surgery in 1994 it seems like all my extra weight is centered on my midriff!

I've been looking at the Spanx brand body shapers. I am wondering whether they are any lighter to wear.

I discovered waist cinchers a couple of years ago when I had to be in a play and needed to wear a costume without gapping the buttons. But the one I got was a pretty heavy-duty undergarment... I got it at Wal-Mart.

Jay

I've been eyeing the "Spanx" line too, Jay -- they have them on the Canadian Home Shopping Channel from time to time.

Speaking of the CHSC -- they have finally gotten The Sleep Number Bed. I'm about due for a new bed and I'm impressed with what I see. So . . . question for today -- does anyone have one of these? -- and/or does anyone have strong feelings (either pro or con) about them?

Anyway . . . Good Morning, Gang . . .

Another overcast day here in my corner of AtlanticCa -- but that's okay because I've decided it's finally time to do the taxes (they are not due until the 30th in Canada) but the next couple of weeks are busy for me so I guess now is the time. Oh I so hate writing that cheque every year. So guess that will be my day -- such fun. NOT.

Hope all the rest of you have fun stuff planned. I'll be back for a vicarious thrill, later.

The only time I slept on a sleep number bed was in a hotel in Phoenix, and I didn't see anything particularly remarkable about it. I have a waterbed and I love it. My matress is getting old too (about 20 years old now, and through several relocations so the little partitions and chambers inside have been compromised. (It's not the old style which is like one big waterballon where you push it down in one corner and the other corner jiggles.) It's the nice kind with lumber support. Thankfully they are still available even though waterbeds are no longer "in style" which is absolutely ridiculous. How can a bed be out of style? People are so silly. Anyway it is by far the best bed I've ever slept in, and others who have slept in it have agreed, even people who are really picky and have back problems. I once had a family of 5 sleep in it all at the same time (and they slept soundly.) Plus waterbeds are clean because even after 20 years, there is no way that person gunk ever gets into the matress; you just spray and wipe it off with Windex. And since you adjust the temperature to your liking you don't need to get too hot/too cold -ever. I love my waterbed!

My sister's friend decided to try on a Spanx body shaper. She took it to the store's dressing room and wiggled into the thing but couldn't get it off. She got somewhat frantic being stuck in this rather tight sausage skin and almost had a panic attack. She had to get help to get it off! Obviously, she chose the wrong size. Not funny for the woman stuck in the Spanx, but I got a chuckle out of it.

I tried spanx (actually a different brand) and it DID keep me tucked into place It is fairly light-weight, not too much worse than wearing tights. But it is hard to wiggle into and out of. Most of them cut off at the waist which accentuates my problem. I end up with a muffin-top. Pantyhose can do the same thing if the fabric is too dense. No control-tops for me!

I decided against the spanx. Thankfully, my legs have firmed up fairly well (probably because of all the exercise over the last 9 months - thank you all for your encouragement on this one) so I don't feel the need to cinch the thighs. Of course I do wear pantyhose most days, so they give a bit of shaping under my garments and it seems to be enough for me.

Jay, I have seen the waist-cinchers at Wal-Mart. They are much heavier than anything I use. I tried one once, but I didn't like it at all. I tried the control panty that extends over the midriff and I didn't like that either. Too heavy and too much of a pain when I needed to use the bathroom.

Wow, yeah, one would not want to be stuck in too small Spanx!

CD, the waist cincher I wore in the play had a type of closure in the crotch so that one didn't have to take it off to go to the bathroom. This did come in handy a couple of times.

Some of the Spanx go up to the bra line, so there wouldn't be any waist roll. Hmmm... I suppose I'll have to just bite the spandex and try some.

meowee, the Sleep Number beds should have a money-back guarantee--we bought one once and decided we didn't want it after all, so returned it. We were out the postage, but that was all.

Water beds can be nice also. I knew someone once who had one of the deluxe type beds, and I must say, it was really good. Spinymouse, it was 20 years ago in California--maybe it was the same brand you have.

Jay