60 yrs and up

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  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    how’s everyone doing? How’s the maintenance going? Weight loss? Anyone hit a goal lately or done something super they’d like to share?

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    is there anything else nicer than having a kitty climb in your lap and wallow in your undivided attention?

    (Unfortunately, that’s not likely with the High Anxiety Dog.😢)

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper

    I don't have my own kitty any more, but I get to kitty-sit this weekend for my long-time cat buddy Deke. He's declining in health, sadly, but I'm anticipating some kitty cuddles.

    In other updates:

    I'm still skipping logging online for reasons I can't pin down, but writing down stuff consistently on the junk mail/scrap paper as I routinely do before transferring to online entry. I still feel like I'm over-eating, but I'm still staying weight stable or maybe even dropping hyper-slowly which is mildly worrisome. My scalp stitches are still healing, but are most of the way there . . . doesn't seem like they'd still be a major calorie consumer.

    I did find this mildly amusing, and I swear it was unplanned. I had an itch for chocolate, so I scratched it. I had to laugh when I wrote down the last of the bottom two items on my scrap paper:

    20250805_145605.jpg

    On a semi-related front, good news: I seem to have broken through the major roadblocks after about 5-6 weeks of no CPAP for my sleep apnea, after the old one broke. This morning, the medical supplies company called to say they're sending me a loaner until the rest of my paperwork gets sorted. It should be here in 24-48 hours. Such good news! IMU, the loaner is probably actually a brand new machine that will magically become my permanent replacement once all the bureaucratic details are resolved. I can't overstate how happy this makes me. Improved sleep ahead, so probably better energy and appetite management.

    I'm not posting the photos here because they're maybe a little macabre, but I had an interesting time recently checking out what my two carnivorous plants - a venus flytrap and a cluster of pitcher plants - have been digesting recently, mostly since I moved them outdoors for the summer. They look pretty happy.

    Another happy update I may not have shared here: I've been back on the water rowing for a week or so, after the annoying "no vigorous exercise, no swimming" orders while my scalp stitches healed. "No swimming" also including "no unintentional swimming" which is a possibility in rowing shells, so there were two reasons I wasn't rowing for a while.

    Here we have evidence of return to rowing, a photo of my back taken by bow rower when I rowed in a double with her last Saturday, looking downriver on our morning row.

    FB_IMG_1754421811600.jpg

    I'm still staying out of my racing single - narrower than the boat above by several inches - because I still don't need to be swimming in questionable water. This isn't super polluted or anything - water skiers seem to live - but it's not pure, either.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    finally having some success making really tasty low cal ice creams without using sugar free substitutes, stevia, etc.

    What turned the corner was reading a reference to “blooming” gelatine. I found boxes of Knox Gelatine with individual packets- perfect for making the three containers that came with my Ninja.

    I mix an envelope with about a quarter cup of ice water, stir well, and let it sit a few minutes to “bloom”. Then I add a little hot water and repeat, then add that to the ice cream mix in the blender, before freezing. The ice cream has been coming out with a very nice texture.

    Have had success with a good chocolate, a vanilla (which worked great with root beer for a float), and also a really nice frozen Cherry Berry mix from Lidl, which makes a nice fruity ice cream.

    I have a friend whose fig tree is bearing, and I’m thinking fresh figs, with some fig jam and brown sugar to sweeten it might be a tasty ice cream. I’ve always got Dalmatia fig jam on hand. Love that stuff.

    I’ve found that I can use just a little brown sugar, and still manage to keep the ice cream low cal. They’re averaging 100-126 for a generous half pint serving , including about 12 grams or so of protein. Nothing earth shaking, but those 12 grams are still appreciated, especially as a side benefit of a (moderately) sweet dessert.

    Using vanilla bean scrapings is effective in low cal ice creams, too.

  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,737 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48705200#Comment_48705200

    TSA. It's the illusion of safety.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48722289#Comment_48722289

    I’m so faffing aggravated. I’ve been everywhere looking for six 6 steel hooks.

    Apparently steel needle crochet has gone the way of the Dodo bird and if you can find the things at all, they’ve got hideous bulky uncomfortable “ergonomic” (my hind end!) wooden handles and are $8.99 a pop, versus the $.99 I last paid.

    I hope they at least melted and recycled the stupid things, or went through all the scissors and confiscated stuff and donated them to someone in some village somewhere who could use them.

    I’ve taken my needles to/from more countries than I care to count. Only Guatemala had an issue.

    /rant

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    couple of Ozempic observations this week.

    Ran into a neighbor who was very overweight, and had gotten to the point she could barely walk.

    Didn’t recognize her, though I knew the dog. She’s lost at least 60-80, and was having very little difficulty walking. If she’s on Ozempic - which I suspect she is- then hallelujah for her. It’s made a radical difference. Even just seeing her out walking her own dog was amazing. She’d been using the neighborhood dogwalker since moving in about seven or eight years ago.

    Win!!!


    Another friend, who has been using one of the weight loss injections for about six months, obtained off market, no physician’s input, had lost about 30 pounds but not changed nutrition, not exercising. He started having falls about a week ago, unable to get up. Now in hospital.

    I can’t help but think that he lost a lot of muscle, and that’s contributed to both the falls and inability to get himself up without assistance. I’m no doctor. 🤷🏻‍♀️

    For heavens sake, if you’re using weight loss meds, do yourself and your family a favor and do some kind of exercise so you maintain some muscle, and get some “real” medical advice outside of some clinic pushing these things.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper

    @Jthanmyfitnesspal , I do wish you luck with that triathlon - good weather, a smooth race, and results that make you happy.

    I've never swum in Boston Harbor - don't love swimming anywhere TBH 😉 - but I have had the pleasure of rowing in Boston quite a few times, including racing in the Head of the Charles Regatta (largest rowing event in the world, in terms of participation), and rowing in the Charles River Basin at night, with the lights of the city all around.

    I hope you have a wonderful time!

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    question: would eating a gran count as protein?

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper
    edited August 14

    Some grans are higher in protein than others, or so I'm told. 😉😆

    Spring, that's wonderful.

    ETA P.S. It made me think of a recent thread where someone seemed very distressed that they hadn't been told that eating lots of high-fructose foods could contribute to developing NAFLD. My main reaction was that it's hard to miss publicity that tells us to eat mostly veggies, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, etc. for best health. Even a child too young to spell hard words realizes that, evidently. Maybe that's only because he's a doctor's son.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    time to kill between that doc and dentists, who is on the same side of town.

    Had the bright idea of killing time with a coffee and Krispy Kreme original.

    Man, per memory, Krispy Kreme’s were the height of heaven. New reality, they’re gross, and the place reeks of fryer.

    Think I’m just going to go sit in the dentist office instead. Me, who goes into complete emotional meltdown at the sound of a drill, that me prefers the drill to the fryer stink. 🤢

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member
    edited August 14

    OMG. What I just found in my email is totally, unquestionably random.

    I’ve often expressed my love here for quarkballchen here- little “doughnut holes” made with quark, a rich, sort of super thick, sorta sour cream cheese particular to a certain area of Germany.

    No way, but ……

    IMG_6929.jpeg

    I know where sweaty my dripping self will be stationed after hot yoga Saturday morning. 🙏🏻 that this is real deal.

    Likewise, 🙏🏻 that it’s not. This could be critically devastating to maintenance.

    Man oh man, if I could convince this guy to sell cups of sahnequark, too, he can just have my credit card. My first born. My heart. My utmost devotion.

    I have so many photos of quarkbällchen in my phone, it’s not even funny.

    IMG_4971.jpeg
  • CrazyMermaid1
    CrazyMermaid1 Posts: 366 Member

    is this thread active anymore? I noticed the Binge Eating Disorder thread is old too. Maybe people leaving MFP because the newsfeed is gone? Your thoughts?

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48726086#Comment_48726086

    Yes - it's somewhat low traffic, with a few participants, some more frequent than others, and a few who drop in only occasionally . . . but there have been several posts in the last week or so. That seems like "active", to me.

    Some people have left MFP because the newsfeed is gone, or because the bar code scanner isn't free, or because the app doesn't track every nutrient known to humankind plus certain additives specific people need to avoid, or because they did some extreme restrictive diet they couldn't stick with, or because they believe they don't need to track because of GLP-1 or other interventions that are working for them, and more.

    On top of that, many long-text-based applictions on the internet are shrinking in favor of apps that have mostly photo/videos with maybe only a few typed words, because phones are hard to type on, keyboards less common, people don't learn how to touch type, and more cultural factors.

    If MFP suits a person, great, whether they participate in the Community or not. If the Community suits them also great. Will it eventually shrink and die? Probably eventually.

    It's an individual decision whether to participate here or not, for any reason or even no reason. Honestly, however, personally I will never understand people who stop doing any thing at all because it doesn't feel like a popular thing. If it suits me, and doesn't harm others, I'm doing it.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48726089#Comment_48726089

    That's so kind of you to compliment us - I'm touched!

    Lurking counts, sure. Lurking won't help keep the post visible to new folks, which may be a bit of a downside if you like the thread being active. I hope you're not hesitant to participate out of shyness or fear or anything - that would make me feel sad. I think we're nice to new people . . . at least I try to be. If you simply don't want to participate, just want to read, that's totally fine, too, IMO.

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48726089#Comment_48726089

    I sincerely appreciate the gift of 20 years.

    Now wondering, where and how I can spend them 😂

    Counting down the hours til quarkbällchen zero hour. I remember when you used to see countdown widget thinggies on here.

    blob:https://community.myfitnesspal.com/80110905-da07-4f7d-9f56-8189f426e615 There was an error displaying this embed.
  • BigDfromNJ
    BigDfromNJ Posts: 34 Member

    I've got high cholesterol, and I know I have to lose weight to get it down. But it's not easy when your 60+ and I won't use drugs to do it. Just hitting a roadblock, retirement makes it harder because of all the socializing. Any ideas on how to self-motivate? How do I break the habit of 'snacking' midafternoon, and suggestions? Thanks

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48728594#Comment_48728594

    I just want to say, good for you with the retirement socializing.

    Social life is supposed to be one of the biggest deterrents to dementia and be of the biggest boosts to longevity and health.

    But retirement, and not having daily contact with clients and company reps, for me, socializing dropped drastically.

    I have made friends at the gym I chat with, and of course my trainer, who hears all my smart *kitten* remarks about my husband and manages to relay them to him within minutes. 🤦🏻‍♀️ it’s OK, it’s usually something dumb one or the other of us has done that she finds ridiculously funny. Him mistaking a cat video accidentally playing in his pocket for being a real cat somewhere loose in the house, “protecting me” from the whacko homeless dude- by watching from the third floor balcony in his boxers in case the man gave me any trouble. Me setting the oven on fire making yogurt.

    But the gym has become my de facto social outlet, and I run into other members everywhere in town.

    As long as I’m walking the dog, swimming, in the gym, doing yoga, volunteering somewhere, I can’t eat. And the gym sociality (it must be a word, spellcheck approves 👍🏻) adds another layer.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48728594#Comment_48728594

    Welcome to the MFP Community and this thread!

    I don't know whether this is helpful or not, but I also had high cholesterol (also high blood pressure). It has been solidly normal since part way through weight loss back in 2015-16, which was when I was 59-60 and retired. No weight loss drugs involved - not common back then.

    Legions of people will differ, but I'm not a big believer in motivation. As an unapologetically hedonistic aging hippie flake, I have a very limited budget of will power, discipline or motivation. I can't rely much on those to reach my goals.

    My personal solution: Make an easier plan, not a more restrictive, more extreme one. Eat foods you enjoy that add up to reasonable calories on average, and good overall nutrition. Choose a sensibly moderate weight loss rate. Fit a few treats - any you personally can moderate - into calorie goal just for joy. Gradually increase activity level - daily life stuff or intentional exercise - choosing things that ideally are fun, but at minimum are tolerable and practical.

    Being overweight, or having negative health markers, isn't a sin we need to expiate by suffering. We just need some new, more positive routine habits. Misery is optional.

    When I finally committed to weight loss, I decided I wasn't going to do anything to lose weight that I wasn't willing to continue long term to stay at a healthy weight, except for that sensibly moderate calorie deficit until I reached a good weight. For me, I think that was a good decision. I spent the weight loss time period experimenting, finding those practical/pleasant new routine habits, and practicing them until they could run pretty much on autopilot. I've been at a healthy weight for 9+ years since loss, after around 30 pre-loss years of overweight/obesity.

    I feel like I don't have enough info to comment in a nuanced way on the socialization aspect. In retirement, I feel like I have more control over my day-to-day, not less. How active I am, what I put in my mouth, chew and swallow: Fully under my control.

    If the socializing with food is mostly at others' homes, that can be harder. For me, that wasn't frequent, so I don't have any great strategies.

    If it's restaurant kind of stuff, then what worked for me was planning ahead. Most restaurants these days have online menus. I'd figure out in advance what I was going to order, and stick with it. Sometimes I'd order, box up half for lunch next day, and eat the rest. Most sit-down restaurants will vary things from the menu if it's feasible - dressing or sauce on the side, veggies instead of chips as a side, leave the bun off the burger, etc. Even many fast-food places will leave things off or add things in, in ways that aren't on the menu board. For sure, things like ordering smaller there can work: Junior cheeseburger, not the Whopper, y'know?

    At first, some friend groups may pick at these new habits - tease, cajole, tempt, whatever. What worked best for me was to make some brief neutral reaction, then change the subject. (I think it's no fun if they can't get a rise out of a person.) After a while of me eating the same way, they lost interest, and just took how I was eating for granted. IMO there's not any shame in things like "I'm still full from lunch" at dinner or the like. Making my diet a topic of conversation - or letting it become one - wasn't helpful. I'd only talk about it if I was alone with someone(s) on the same wavelength.

    Like Spring up there, as I got more active, I made more friends who were also active, so more social activities involved doing stuff, not so much emphasis on eating as the entertainment factor. Probably those types of people are easiest to find at gyms or sports-y groups. Most of mine are from my rowing club or the Y. However, meet-up or volunteer groups doing things that don't involve eating can also be good. This is extra easy if the activities require clean hands (drawing, musical instruments, etc.) or create dirty hands (gardening, carpentry, etc.). Possibly something like knitting that you can carry with you to social events might even distract friends from the fact that you're not constantly snacking. 😆

    IMO, two ways to deal with a snacking habit, maybe 3:

    1. Plan some enjoyable manageable-calorie snacks, or snacks that will contribute to all day nutrition proportionate to their calories, and snack away. This is closest to what I did/do. I didn't really have an "every afternoon" kind of habit, but I found it helpful to plan snacks and have one if I was getting peckish and the next meal wasn't coming up soon. People vary, but for me, that reduced chances that I'd shovel in food by the bucketful if arriving at that meal extra high in appetite.
    2. Replace the snack habit with a new, more beneficial habit. Replacing an undesired habit with a new one usually works better than trying to quit cold turkey. Non-food habit would be ideal: Walk around the block, some stretching/yoga, a creative break of some kind, prayer/meditation break. However, something like a hot tea (herbal?), cold glass of infused water, etc. is also an option.
    3. Set a strict schedule of X number of meals, Y number of snacks, and stick with it. That works abysmally for me, but others here have found it helpful. The snack number can be zero, if that's what you want.

    Someone here once said that long-term weight management is a long series of problem-solving opportunities. I think that's right. If there's an obstacle or challenge, a good use of time and energy is thinking of and trying out ways to get over, around, through or otherwise past that thing. Keep trying, high odds something eventually will work. A poor use of time and energy IMO is focusing on that obstacle/challenging and how hard it is: Profitless.

    I think you can do this, and do it in your 60s, if you commit to trying things, finding ones that work, giving yourself some grace when a particular tactic doesn't work. (Failed experiments aren't personal failures or character faults, they're just opportunities to learn and improve the plan.) Keep chipping away at it, I predict you'll succeed.

    Best wishes!

  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 9,984 Member

    Bunco is my social caloric downfall. It’s much easier now that the hostess is fully responsible for providing food, versus potluck.

    But several strategies help me.

    I “bank” calories starting a day before hand, lighter than normal breakfast lunch and snacks day of.

    I pre-enter X number of “quick entry” calories as a place holder in my diary. Wednesday I entered 1800, actually ended up using 1500. But it was such a generous pre- allotment it was relatively easy to stay under.

    I eat a meaty, protein filled wrap shortly before I leave A simple carb smart wrap with six ounces of chicken and some seasoning is low call and very filling

    I take a quart sized insulated mug full of ice. Sue me. I’m an ice muncher. But having a giant mug of water, it’s just as easy to reach for the water as it is a snack.

    If we are eating out, I do my usual thing of checking the menu beforehand, finding something I’ll want and know I’ll enjoy, and priming myself up to order that thing, instead of showing up and scrolling the menu for anything that sounds tasty. I typically order a mango or ceasar salad and ask for two servings of grilled chicken on top. That is so filling, I’m not in it for dessert, high protein, and comparatively low calorie.

    Luckily I don’t drink, but if alcohol calories are an issue, you can search here for alternatives or strategies for that. So many folks here have said when they cut back or cut out social drinking, the weight fell off.

  • BigDfromNJ
    BigDfromNJ Posts: 34 Member

    Thank you everyone for great suggestions. Nice to have a group I can share with. I do go to a gym, and chat with my 'gym peeps' but none of them run/jog. I'll keep putting myself out there, eventually I find someone to meet up with once a week to enjoy a social run!

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,532 Community Helper
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48728971#Comment_48728971

    Does your town have a running shoe store that sponsors running groups? This is only a mid-sized city, but there's one here, with participants of varying levels. There's also a masters running club here. (Probably you already know this, but in case not: In this way, running is like my sport, rowing. "Masters" are older adult-type post-collegiate people, of any skill or performance level. I think this next is possibly not true of running, but rowing even has "Masters novices" who are post-collegiate-age adults in their first season of rowing.)

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