Hi, and welcome!

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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.

- Lengthy 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, discussions of weight related issues, etc.

Join in!
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Here it is, October! Wow... I had just gotten used to September.

I'm currently reading The Beck Diet Solution by Judith Beck. For those who don't know it, this book focuses on a Cognitive Therapy approach to losing weight and keeping it off by helping the reader to learn how to counteract sabotaging messages. Beck believes that the reason so many people are unsuccessful at maintaining their weight is that they haven't learned to "think like a thin person." I got this at the library, but I think I'll get a copy of my own. It doesn't matter what diet plan you follow, because this isn't a diet book per se.

A week from today I'll no doubt be packing for SFO! Whee! I won't have internet access very much, though...

MBN, it's so "chilly" in the house this morning, I almost have to put on a robe over my nightie...

Jay

Hi all - Happy October! Record low temps here

Just the time to be heading NORTH on vacation

I'm off to pack my warm woolies - we leave first thing in the morning.

Have a GREAT weekend and coming week all!

I will check back in if we find Internet access along the way

Laurie

Have a great trip and stay warm! I bet the fall foliage is really lovely up there! That's one of the things I miss about living in Florida. Although, in the dead of winter when everyone else is buried under a foot of snow, it will be 75 degrees, sunny, and pretty tropical flowers will be blooming in my front yard. So, it all evens out!

I have a typically-busy weekend ahead - grocery shopping, house cleaning, laundry, church services, weekend runs (5 & 13 milers planned) and maybe I can squeeze in a lifting class tomorrow. My car needs an oil change too, AND a bath!

DH's company has their picnic scheduled for tomorrow, but he's been sick all week with the flu and there's only about a 50/50 chance at this point that he'll be feeling well enough to go. I won't be heartbroken if we can't make it, the food choices are NOT diet-friendly and it's kind of boring. Worse, we can't even leave early, because we always get involuntarily scheduled for clean-up duty and have to stay super late. So we'll see!

Have a nice weekend everyone!

How's it going on this sunny Saturday (where I am, at least)? I have to work this weekend, but I'm going to the pool for a swim in an hour or two.

I haven't weighed myself since last Monday. This is part of my new strategy to stop letting the ups and downs on the scale rule my life! Been doing well with food. We went out for lunch yesterday, and I ordered salmon on a bed of greens. About 2/3 of the way through, I realized I was satisfied--and so I stopped eating. Didn't even take the rest home--I was on my way to a haircut.

I sure hope Laurie is having fun on her trip and does get to check in. MBN, did you go to the picnic?

Hello to all the lurkers...

Jay

No, I didn't have to go the picnic - so disappointed (not!). DH was feeling much better, but still coughing, so didn't want to risk spreading his illness around. So I was off the hook!

I had a typically-busy weekend with chores and workouts. Ran Saturday morning, and did a lifting class, then laundry, shopping, cooking and cleaning. The usual. We did 13 miles yesterday morning and it felt like mid-summer. We are forecast to have an extremely hot/humid week (90's again) - isn't it supposed to be fall now?! I am part of an occasional puppet ministry at church and we did the Message for Young Disciples yesterday. It is always fun! Then DS had a high school youth meeting after service, so we didn't leave until 1:30 pm. After getting up at 4 am for a 13 miler, I was ready to lay on the couch and watch the DVR!

I am always up 2 or 3 pounds the day after my Sunday long run due to extra fueling and water retention, but 118 on a Monday is MUCH better than the 120+ that I had been seeing. I'll drift downward all week; usually Saturday morning is my weekly low. I'm hoping that this week I'll finally see <115 again.

Happy Monday everyone ....

Hey MBN! Yes, I imagine it is nicer to see the 'teens' on your scale instead of the 'twenties'. I went down a couple of pounds in the last week and that felt good.

It's time for packing here--or at least making lists about it. The friend we're staying with has asked what kind of breakfast foods we like, so that's good! I can specify what I need. I imagine we'll be eating out a lot, but still, it's nice to have options.

My plan for vacation is to continue to eat sensibly. I expect we'll run into some fabulous food, but that doesn't have to mean a pigout. No, really, it doesn't!

I'm leaving on Friday--and I'll only have a little internet access--so you other posters will have to keep things going! Or not... if you're all out being active over-50s!

Jay

Hi all, I am new to this site - and was referred to this link from an inactive thread. This looks like a good positive forum. I live in Australia in a remote area so not easy to find walking buddies, but do go for a walk on the beach after work with DH. I also hop onto my exercise bike at work during lunch, which gives me some energy for the rest of the day.
In the past I have lost weight with overeaters anonymous and so am using their basic principle of cutting out sugar and flour. Then eating smaller quantities and much slower. Focusing on lots of veggies. Have to keep reminding myself not to weigh every day and expect results! I am diabetic so am hoping to be able to get off some of the medication once I get my weight donw.

africanaussie,

It sounds like you're doing just the right things for your diabetes, and I wouldn't be surprised if you can reverse that (assuming it's "type 2"). Good on ya!

As you have probably read, I'm leaving on a trip very shortly... but I hope to be checking in along the way.

Enjoy!
Jay

This forum has been a lifesaver for me. One of the things I appreciate most is that the folks here advocate a long-term healthy lifestyle -- and not some quick diet fix. Which doesn't exist anyway! That, and everyone is really nice.

Let us know how you are doing!

Hi all - hope you are doing well! We just got back and I will check in later - hopefully with pics.

Jay - hope you have a WONDERFUL trip!

africanaussie Glad you joined us! Can't wait to get to know you better

Back later!

Laurie

OK, I'm back. Still a TON of post-vacation stuff to get done, but at least I got the photos uploaded and laundry started.

The trip was terrific, even though the weather was rainy and cold. We hiked almost every day, with 10 miles being our longest hike. We were very glad we took the hiking poles, the slippery conditions were tricky in several places.

What a difference from the last time (5 years ago) we visited some of these places. We were able to take trails we never would have attempted before.

Here are a few of the pics from Tahquamenon Falls and Lake Superior (near Marquette). Click the thumbnail for a larger view.

Laurie

Hey Laurie!

Thanks for the pix! Glad to hear your trip was so great! Wow... 10 miles... I don't think I could make that and be happy the next day...

Our trip is off to kind of a rocky start--went into SF yesterday to go over to the wharf and take a boat ride--and it was Fleet Week on top of Columbus Day weekend... Everything took hours longer than we had anticipated and was physically draining because of standing in line so much. And we hadn't brought snacks, etc. It was impossible to find a bathroom that didn't have a line 50 feet long. Public transportation was a nightmare and it only would have been worse had we tried to drive!

But, this is all part of the adventure! We seem none the worse for wear today, thank goodness! So, I'll check in down the road...

Jay

Jay - glad you made it OK, and I can only imagine your frustration yesterday in SF. The wharf area is crazy on a GOOD day! Hopefully the rest of your trip will go smoother.

I ended up with the flu yesterday - ugh! It seems to be the 24 hour kind, so I am better today - but feeling weak. I'm trying to take it easy, since I need to hit the ground running at work tomorrow.

On a positive note, the flu probably evened out any gain from the trip

Hope everyone is having a good start to the week!

Laurie

Hi Thanks for all the welcome e-mails, I spent this weekend working like crazy in the garden. Then I still did a few laps in the pool and long beach walks, so you would think the scale would show some downward motion - but no!!!! Oh well - I keep trying to convice myself to only weigh once a week, but that is so HARD. well hard when it doesnt budge, but great when it does!!!! I ran out of one my diabetes meds on Friday but this morning my sugar was way down so maybe what I am doing is working in that regard. So that is very positive news.
One problem I have with Australia is everything comes with chips - I normally ask them to leave them off when I order. Friday night I forgot and ate my salmon and the lovely salad, then ate one chip and it tasted awful so luckily they were clearing the plates away and I got rid of the plate quicksmart. yeah!
I have a daughter who is turning vegetarian and keeps trying to convince me that is the way to go. She has lost quite a bit of weight. Hubby is not keen at all, so we have adopted meatless mondays- anyone else do this? Tonight I am making a barley with mushroom risotta - it is quite low cal and I do like lots of whole grains. what is the format for sharing recipes?

africanaussie on skipping the chips! That is wonderful. I hear ya on the scale not moving. I had plenty of weeks like that! I found that some weeks, when I exercised a lot, the scale didn't budge. So, stick with it and it will eventually go down.

Sharing recipes - just post them here - we all do, and we love new recipes

As far as meatless goes, I've been a vegetarian for 27 years. I was living proof that there are indeed FAT vegetarians It is easy to overload on carbs when one doesn't eat meat - which was a huge problem for me.

Barley - mushroom risotta sounds fantastic - please do post the recipe.

I invested in a rice/grain cooker a while back. It cooks grains and keeps them warm for up to 12 hours. It has been a blessing. I often add the vegetables so I just need to add some additional protein to the dish when I get home, and we have dinner.

I love this time of year - oven-baked vegetables, winter squash - just delightful.

I'm doing better today - I was able to make it to they hymn sing last night - which is always an uplifting event

Work was a bear (13 hours of it), but at least I survived going back

Jay - I hope your day was spectacular! I can't wait to hear of your adventures!

Laurie