60 yrs and up

AnnPT77

Hello and welcome, to @gigglybear93 and @barbarabunch . . . and anyone else whose intro post on the thread I may've missed!

barbarabunch wrote: »

Hello! Hoping to connect with like minded, over 60 folks working towards regaining fitness! Being older brings challenges of all kinds so this support will be awesome! I live with an autoimmune disease as well as Neuroendocrine cancer which are both under control but definitely have an impact. The key for me is starting slow and not overdoing it when I feel good or I’m toast for a week. Anyone else have this challenge?

That sounds really challenging: Kudos to you for making a path toward fitness improvement.

In a way, I feel like starting where we are - slowly for our current condition - and not overdoing is key for most everyone who has fitness goals . . . but I don't want to minimize what that means with health challenges in the picture. Not the same thing at all, but I first started being routinely active (ohSOslowly!) after surgery/chemo/radiation for breast cancer, and a then-fresh hypothyroidism diagnosis, after a couple of decades of sedentary life and a high-stress job, so pretty physically depleted.

With a gradual, thoughtful approach, I would bet that you can surprise yourself with what you will accomplish in a few months to a year or two, with patience and persistence. I feel like an advantage we 60+ folks have over some of the young'uns is that we've had life experience with chipping away at big life goals, and eventually reaching success. I'm talking about things like getting an education, building a career, making a home, maybe raising a family, learning complex hobbies, etc. The same skills can apply to improving health and fitness.

Best wishes for success - I'm cheering for you!

SbetaK

I’ve determined, with the exception of this thread (hopefully?), that whenever I find a post that interests me enough to join in the conversation, my comment becomes the death of that thread and no more comments happen. Either my comments are so stunningly excellent that everyone else is speechless and unable to top them , or so mundane, boring and off the wall that it ruins the whole thread and people remove it from their bookmarks , or by the time I find it the post is outdated, old news and not a hot topic any more so no one reads it. I’ll vote for the first choice, hahahahahaha.

SbetaK

Just picking on myself this morning. If you can laugh at yourself, life is more enjoyable. Hope everyone is doing well today! The tiniest moment of real sunshine decided to make a brief appearance through all the black rainclouds so I got the chance to soak up a few micrograms of Vitamin D.

MaggieGirl135

@SbetaK I thought that I was the death of threads! I’ve thought that it is due to the age of the thread because then it wouldn’t be due to me. Sorry, everyone, for ending this thread.

AnnPT77

@SbetaK, @MaggieGirl135: This thread didn't end, so it wasn't you. 😉😊

barbarabunch

Thanks for all the encouragement! Day 8 of Thyroid and Thrive program and I think it’s going to be helpful. Laid out well and set up for those of us with autoimmune diseases that need to go at it slow and focus on recovery as well as the workout. Connects to myfitnesspal where I log everything. Fingers crossed I can keep at it and not crash!

BCLadybug888

SbetaK wrote: »

I’ve determined, with the exception of this thread (hopefully?), that whenever I find a post that interests me enough to join in the conversation, my comment becomes the death of that thread and no more comments happen. Either my comments are so stunningly excellent that everyone else is speechless and unable to top them , or so mundane, boring and off the wall that it ruins the whole thread and people remove it from their bookmarks , or by the time I find it the post is outdated, old news and not a hot topic any more so no one reads it. I’ll vote for the first choice, hahahahahaha.

I am part way through catching up, but this post stopped me in my tracks with a hearty lol moment! I have certainly felt like I was a harbinger of the end times myself here and there - I'm convinced it's the first choice 😆 🤣- back later once I'm caught up!

BCLadybug888

Hey all you golden oldies! Seems I have been absent for awhile, *#@! stuff happens I guess 😉.

I was in theme park heaven for a week recently (Disneyland, California Adventure park, Universal Studios) with my daughter, son, daughter-in-law, my 2 grandkids, DIL'S good friend + her child...quite the group to be herded around - I will confess my daughter and I ditched them, here and there...
Got back from my trip and collapsed Thursday, then busy day yesterday and today looking after grandkids and getting caught up on watering, mail, etc.
Weight was up 8 lbs the first morning after flight home, but as I expected it has come down since then, at least 6 lbs has - still hoping the other 2 will follow tout suite!

Now I am out at my daughter's to pick up my cat + stay for a few days to look after hers as she left for a conference yesterday.

Really nice weather we are having - low to mid 20s (mid 70s F) and loving having tea out on my deck - I was having a nice cold Coke Zero out on her deck when I startedreading this thread lol. Loving life ❤️ hopefully that translates into food satisfaction & weightloss. Cheers 😊

BCLadybug888

@Pdc654 - wowee!! Yippee!! You are SUCH an inspiration, so happy for you 💗 👏 👏 👏 🎆 💕

And love your next set of goals, very laudable but so perfectly sensible 🥰

Pdc654

Thank you @BCLadybug888!

I am actually looking forward to my next doctor appointment in July. Hoping the results will let me drop some of my meds. However, I'm well aware it's not just lifestyle and that there is a genetic component. Especially, for me, I may not be able to get off blood pressure meds
totally. My mom had to start taking BP medication in her 40s. She was not overweight and walked 3 or 4 miles daily, but I'm doing my best to eliminate the lifestyle factors related to high blood pressure.

Pdc654

@BCLadybug888. I love that you are going on all these trips!! We plan to start traveling more now that the pandemic is winding down. Things are still kinda volatile with the airlines but getting a lot better than it was.

I also want to congratulate you on maintaining your weight. So hard to do on vacation. I bet those 2 lbs drop off soon.

coblujay

I'll be back…okay, it's taken me awhile to get back in the mindset. I've spent the last couple of days reading posts on this thread from as far back as November. Everyone is so inspiring and it's good to see many of you who made such a difference for me with your advice and encouragement when I was here last time.

I started my weight loss journey two years ago and ended up losing around 75 pounds. While I still wanted to lose another 25, it was incredible being able to move and do so many more things. I traveled to Botswana on vacation and was so comfortable and strong. When I got home, I kind of hung in there. At the same time, I started a new online business which required hours a day on the computer, but I still had hours to focus on my meal planning and exercise, which became a lesser priority and it showed. Finally, in August, I had emergency surgery for a bowel blockage. When I returned home, I went back on my losing weight plan and got really dizzy. A nurse friend suggested eating more so my body could heal. What she meant was a regular diet and what I heard was "it's time for a free-for-all". And…the free for all never stopped. I'm not sure if it's the sugar, but I've been hungry all the time.

After donating most of my larger sized clothes last year, I've had to hunt through everything to find something I can wear because nothing fits. I've regained about 40 pounds and I miss trying on fun clothes, not having to stop to catch my breath while I'm hiking and giggling over the extra length on airline seatbelts. My surgery was also much easier because I was in a really good place health wise.

I refuse to buy bigger clothes and my pants are so tight that if a button pops off it could inadvertently kill someone. So, in order to not be a hazard to society, I recommitted about week ago, which is two years since I first started. The good news is that I didn't wait until I gained it all back.

So happy to be here again and to see so many of you.

chris_in_cal

[quote="coblujay;c-47503121"

I refuse to buy bigger clothes and my pants are so tight that if a button pops off it could inadvertently kill someone. So, in order to not be a hazard to society, I recommitted about week ago

[/quote]

Ha! Experiment with drawstrings and elastic.

I wasn't as smart as you and I went all the way back before I returned here this year. Nonetheless, we are back!

chris_in_cal

Anyone else here on Team 1963!!!!

We are the newest members of this thread.

AnnPT77

Welcome back, @coblujay - it's good to see you back here again. You've been so successful in the past, gotten hugely wonderful results, and have nipped the regain in the bud before going all the way back to your former weight.

All of that contributes to my believing that you'll succeed now, as well. I'm cheering for you!

AnnPT77

Time for a general update?

If anyone else is still hanging around this thread (I hope), how about letting us know how things are going, regardless of how well that is? (I'm hoping it's going every well! But if there are some challenges, maybe the other folks here can help?)

We here in central Michigan went straight from early Spring weather (in late Spring according to the calendar) to full-on summer. A couple of weeks ago, we had frost overnight, and the last few days it's gotten above 90F (32C). I have weather whiplash!

The good news from my perspective is that we're back rowing on water regularly again, and I'm biking on some of the rowing off days. The little rowing-buddy group I coordinate has grown: Last Saturday, we had 9 participants, which may be the most ever in a single outing. (The full group is around 15, subset of a club of 40 or so - our group rows together every M-W-F-Sa in season, weather permitting. Because we row at 8:45AM, a big chunk of the group is 60+ age, though we have a few younger folks who row on Saturdays with us, or who have flexible work schedules so can row during the week sometimes. (Usually it's anything from 2 to 6 or so people at a time.)

Here's a shot of mostly 60s-ish rowers, from left, 63, 67 (me), a twenty-something, and . . . well, I'm not sure how old the guy at right is, but recently retired so at least 50s, maybe 60s.



My other project now is repairing a big chunk of ground between my house and my neighbors' house, where half a dozen huge tree stumps were ground down last Sunday. It's maybe 50x6 feet (15x2 meters), with a few other patches? The stump-grinding guy used his bobcat to scoop most of the wood chips, take them out to my wild-ish area out back, and bring back scoops of chunky clay soil. I'm working on breaking up the chunks with a hoe, raking it out, evening it back to a sensible land contour, then will re-seed. (May need to bring in some topsoil first - we'll see.)

I hope everyone else is doing fine - give the group an update, eh?

Pdc654

So glad to see you back @coblujay! I 100% understand where you're coming from. I have, in the past, lost a significant amount of weight, only to gain it all back after a major life event. The last time was in 2014 when my dad fell and fractured his neck in 4 places. He was the primary care-taker for my mom, who had alzheimers. I became care-taker to both of them and regained all the weight I had lost plus some over the next several years. I went from 139lbs up to 240. In 2021, the switch in my head clicked, and I knew I had to make changes.

The good thing for you is that you caught it before gaining it all back. You know what to do to lose that 40 lbs AND that other 25 as well.

Keep logging in and keep posting. I'm cheering you on!

Pdc654

As far as an update, starting Memorial Day, my aqua classes at the Y went outdoors. I have not been able to attend any yet because 1. The pool water was icy cold (not heated) and 2. This last week has been cold and rainy so they ended up canceling classes for 3 days. I'm planning on going tomorrow and Tuesday. In the summer they have a lot more classes and most days I will do 2 hours in a row. I don't know if I'll be able to attend any more this week (or next) because we have our 2 youngest grandchildren for a week and a half starting Wed. My husband and I will try to arrange our schedules so I can make at least some. We have a lot of activities scheduled to do with the grandkids so that will probably consume most of our time.

@AnnPT77 that yardwork sounds like a major project! Are you doing it all yourself or are you hiring part of it out?

AnnPT77

Pdc654 wrote: »

As far as an update, starting Memorial Day, my aqua classes at the Y went outdoors. I have not been able to attend any yet because 1. The pool water was icy cold (not heated) and 2. This last week has been cold and rainy so they ended up canceling classes for 3 days. I'm planning on going tomorrow and Tuesday. In the summer they have a lot more classes and most days I will do 2 hours in a row. I don't know if I'll be able to attend any more this week (or next) because we have our 2 youngest grandchildren for a week and a half starting Wed. My husband and I will try to arrange our schedules so I can make at least some. We have a lot of activities scheduled to do with the grandkids so that will probably consume most of our time.
@AnnPT77 that yardwork sounds like a major project! Are you doing it all yourself or are oth hiring part of it out?

I'm betting that entertaining the grandkids will have put pretty active things on your schedule, too. What fun!

So far, I'm doing the yard project myself. It's going to take more time that way, especially since it's been punitively hot here lately, but the neighbors are being patient so far. If I do decide I need topsoil, I'll either have to find a friend with a truck, or get it delivered ($$$!), because I don't have a way to transport bulk soil. I could get bagged, but that would be a slow thing in a normal vehicle, and expensive in itself. I've made some decent progress so far, seems like I should be able to DIY it other than that part.

coblujay

@chris_in_cal Yes, we are.