60 yrs and up

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  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,725 Member
    Trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Went to the gym today. Then to the feed store for dog food and pet supplies. Preparing a roast with carrots and potatoes for dinner. Have an early platelet donation appointment tomorrow, so will check the grocery store before 7. Will be trying to work from home next week.

    Hope you all are having a great weekend!

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,213 Member
    Hello, all.

    Things are quiet here, haven't had an in-person conversation with anyone since last week Friday! I'm grateful to have good self-entertainment skills, and several lifetimes of craft supplies and UFOs (unfinished objects, for the non-crafters in the group). Blooming ornamentals in the garden are holding steady at many Tommie Crocus and still some Snowdrops, with the black pussywillows sadly sparse because I was lazy about pruning last year. There will be hellebores, squills, chionodoxa soon, plus the earliest of the daffodils ('Rijnveld's Early Sensation', for me). The squills are showing color, but still tightly closed.

    Did another 3 x (2000 meters on, 2 minutes water break/cool-down) on the rowing machine yesterday, trying to keep my pace slow at 1:40 per 500m, and heart rate as close to 140 as that would allow (hit 142, but still the workout was overwhelmingly zone 3 (of 5) as I'd hoped).

    Today was a walk, through a surprisingly empty lowish density suburb near my house. Yeah, it was still below freezing (around 30 F/-1C when I went out) but calm, sunny, and very nice if dressed reasonably. I only saw 5-6 other walkers at a distance, a few kids playing in yards: Seems low, for a Saturday. Maybe people are taking self-isolation very literally. I'm thinking I'll try to walk a little more, and gradually increase distance, as weather permits (I'm a bit of a weather wimp ;) ). My knees are kind of cr*p, so walking isn't my jam, but it's good to be out in the sun/fresh air. I'd tried a couple of roughly 2.25mi/3.6km walks recently without much negative consequences, so today was 3.69mi/5.9km (per fitness tracker); we'll see how that settles in.

    I'll probably be too lackadaisical to follow through, but thinking of a list of things I've "meant to learn or do", to chip away at, if I start to get bored with my confinement or routine. Some are jewelry-making skills (simple silver soldering, soft-solder flooding, metal fusing, filagree polymer clay, improved metal sawing skills, etc.); some mixed-media or jewelry (resin paper, resin generally); my 457th attempt at establishing a meditation practice; improve some more fitness oriented habits (strength training! eek!); read docs to figure out how Garmin/Firstbeat estimate VO2max/fitness age (results are too weird :grimace: ); change the banjo strings (vexatious); plus some household improvements I've been meaning to get to and maybe will by the year 2094 ;) . Mostly, I have the supplies and instructions; I just need to find the ambition. Perhaps tedium will be the motor. :lol:

    I thought I was not being an evil hoarder in these difficult times . . . but I found that when I cooked up my bag of bulk lentils from my last grocery trip, I had 17 two-cup bowls to go in the freezer, plus enough for dinner. Oops. Good thing I like lentils, and I've already told my friends I'd share.

    My weight seems to be slowly trending down (ultra-slowly; I'm in maintenance with a desire to slowly drop just a bit). I think the lack of dining out is part of that effect. I do need to think more about supporting the local businesses, though, now that they're down to carryout/delivery only.

    Just Tommie Crocus (C. tommasinianus), no Snowdrops in this shot:
    bflhx1bi5klr.jpg

    Best wishes to all: Stay well, happy, productive! :drinker:
  • Fishwishing
    Fishwishing Posts: 26 Member
    Alligatorob, nice pic, love those mountains! You'll get to the top before you know it. AnnPT77, the Tommie Crocus are so pretty. I saw a few jonquils and yellow crocus when I was out earlier walking my dog. We went for two short walks today. It was in the 40's and sunny, so nice to be outside. I also cleaned my deck and got some of my pots ready for planting. I live in a condo so must make do with potted plants and flowers. Alteredsteve, glad your gym is still open. Everything here is closed. I worry about the small businesses. I'm thinking of doing delivery or carry out next week with one or two of my favorite local restaurants since there is no dining in allowed. I'm afraid many of them may go out of business if this goes on very long. I haven't been out to a public place in over a week but will need to go tomorrow or maybe Monday and pick up a prescription and a few groceries (perishables, I have plenty of pantry items stocked up.)

    Had to laugh about the cat/flooding story. I can just imagine what a mess it was! So glad it was at work and not at home.

    I haven't eaten meat or chicken in over two years but I do eat fish and seafood. I think when I did eat meat it was mostly chicken, occasionally beef but rarely pork (except for bacon...I loved good bacon!).

    Take care, everyone and enjoy the rest of the weekend!
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,202 Member
    :) Today I learned how to use Zoom to join in a group discussion for something I'm involved in. It was a great feeling to figure out something new all by myself.

    :)Ann, I live in a lovely 55+ community with well paved private roads and I'm amazed at how few people have been out walking. The temps are around freezing when I walk the dogs before 9 AM but it has been sunny and 50's in the afternoon and yet few are out. It appears that many are taking the term "self-isolate" very literally.

    :) With our good weather, I have been pulling weeds and hubby planted some shallot starts. We'll have rain on Monday but for now, it feels like gardening weather.

    :) A young friend did some emergency grocery shopping for us this morning and had to get substitutes for two of the four items we requested. Another young friend texted me today that she'd go shopping for us if we needed her.

    :) Staying with a schedule and eating my regular foods has been a good thing for me.

    <3 Barbie in NW WA
  • dagastad
    dagastad Posts: 4 Member
    We’re not alone in this! The world is full of us 60 and older! Healthy lives do we can spend time with family and friends is my goal!
  • thnorris13
    thnorris13 Posts: 1 Member
    GM. I thought I'd introduce myself. I am 63 and will be 64 in a couple of months. I worked in Healthcare for 30-40 years and always recommended exercise to my patients especially the 'older' ones, the seniors. However, over the years allowed my work, almost 24/7, to hinder my own fitness. Now being retired and overweight by about 10-20 lbs. I have decided to work on it. I have tried going to the gym a couple of days a week esp. when the weather is bad outside to walk on the treadmill, ride the bike and do some work on the weight machines. I have just started logging my food and exercise to see how I am doing. Here's to getting fit together.
  • lynnchristy
    lynnchristy Posts: 75 Member
    Good morning 60 & uppers :) I just got on the scale and I am down 2.2 pounds YAY :smiley:

    Wow, I miss posting a couple days and we have 4 newbies :blush:

    RichardHaw, Welcome, I might be older, but I refuse to grow up (all the way) :p

    dscampbell19, Welcome to you :) It is a good thing to have all of us big kids together in one place.

    dagastad, Welcome and you're right we aren't alone in this :smiley:

    thnorris13, Welcome to you :) I am a retired Healthcare worker, myself... Happy to have you with us.

    barbiecat, good for you figuring out Zoom on your own B) As quickly as things change now a day it can be a bit daunting... you go girl YAY

    Fishwishing, I am so wanting to get outside and clean the deck or rake the yard or something :'(

    AnnPT77, I love the croci :smiley:

    alteredsteve175    , Wow, your gym is still open. All of ours are closed, enjoy :)

    Evamutt, I love a good pot roast and made one yesterday. A very small one in the crock pot, it was so good :blush:

    alligatorob, another awesome pic :smiley:

    j29t, your cherry blossom pic is beautiful :smiley: I used to have a crabapple tree in my front yard once and loved to see it in bloom.

    I have to get moving here. Have a blessed day everyone :)

    Shout out to my friends <3
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,725 Member
    Got up early - went to the local grocery, only to find that they have changed their hours again. Okay. Onward to the Red Cross - my hemoglobin was low - no donation today for me. Back to the grocery store - got some rice. Alrighty then - the day is improving! A hike with the 🐕 later. Life is good! Wishing a good day for all of you!
  • lindagalbreath577
    lindagalbreath577 Posts: 75 Member
    Good morning everyone!!! Well we have another day of sunshine today then rain all next week starting Monday. I am turning the dirt along the back by the house and am going to plant daffodils. I live in a mobile home park and a new trailer was moved in last week but before it was moved in I went Over and dug up the daffodils otherwise they would have been run over and smashed. So I rescued them now I have to get them planted. This morning I was walking and a neighbor had 2 rose bushes up for grabs so I grabbed them have to get those planted too. I just love to garden!!! Alligatorob you will make it to the top of that mountain beautiful pic thank you for sharing. Everyone have a great day and stay healthy.
  • josephinebowman
    josephinebowman Posts: 359 Member
    Blessings upon us today. Eating the beans and cornbread, looks like I will tomorrow, too. Walked and shredded (day 2), shopped at Aldi - their meat had been hit hard but I bought for a pot roast Tuesday when the beans are gone :D
    My scale was in a good mood today and the sun is out (50s today). Thought about doing garbage pickup today (it is messy on my way to walk) but kid said No and so we aren't. Mondays are better for that.
    Take care and enjoy Spring.
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,725 Member
    alligatorob wrote: »
    Just back from this morning's hike. Found a new trail, not as close to home but still only about 5 min of driving to the trail head. Easier than the one from home. I walked 3 miles and gained 800 ft elevation.

    Good on ya', Rob. I do a semi-local hike that features an 800 ft. climb in about 1.5 miles. Excellent exercise for building aerobic capacity and strengthening your legs. The drive is about 30 minutes, so I don't go as often as I should for conditioning.

  • bacpath
    bacpath Posts: 326 Member
    Hello everyone. Good day to you all. Loving all the new profile pics and outdoor pics. I real pic_me_up, if you will. Welcome to all new posters-this is a great group for support. And positivity. Just back from a hike- people are social distancing better, but there is still room for improvement. I saw a group of young mothers with babies all crowded together as they walked???????? Then we did a great stretch when we got home. Feels good. Make healthy choices, make safe choices.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,213 Member
    barbiecat wrote: »
    :)I learned a lot about coping with staying indoors and entertaining myself in 2016 when I had spine surgery. In 2018 I had to spend long hours in bed for a month because of a spinal compression fracture. Today I am grateful for both of those difficult times because I learned many lessons about entertaining myself and getting along with less. It is amazing how many things I can do without. I am also grateful for the internet so I can be in touch with others. When I focus on what I have, I feel much better than when I focus on what I don't have.

    :)Rob, Thanks for the great photos. Your hikes look amazing. I walk in my neighborhood on smooth flat streets with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains.

    <3 Barbie from NW WA

    To the bolded: @barbiecat, I think that's a great philosophy, and way of looking at things - it paves the path to happier life, metaphorically. Good show! :flowerforyou:
  • j29t
    j29t Posts: 229 Member
    Glad to know our group has been doing well and staying focused during these troubling times. I've chosen to not leave my apartment unless I simply must to take the trash to the chute or mail room infrequently. Our large seniors building is home to many who are far older than my 73 years, perhaps unable to maintain safe hygienic practices and need the help of aids or family who come and go daily. Just seems the less time in the halls or elevator/stairs are a safer distance from germs of others who may not know the virus is undiagnosed in their system. This leaves me on my own and I'm ok with that, social distancing if practiced by all generations in my opinion is the only way to shorten the duration of the devastation COVID19 is causing.

    The one thing I am happy to report is the healthy eating and moving habits that I've been performing seem to come more naturally now and not worrying about what I can eat next (or what's eating me) cravings are not as troubling as the health of the world. I'm well stocked and Amazon fresh can deliver anything I need if we must shelter in place more than two weeks. My plan to stay active, setting timer to make sure I'm up and walking or exercising regularly is my daily goal, no time to procrastinate. My husband is doing well, he's out of the country and will be until it's safe to return. I talk to friends and my kids daily and take great pleasure in making little videos and sending them to the grandkids, reading them books or demonstrating little science experiments and craft projects. I miss going out to walk and the gym but can go outside on my balcony and garden in containers, chat with neighbors as they are out and about from my safe distance and keep occupied on my own. I'm grateful for the companionship this thread has provided. Keep motivated and safe all. Thanks for listening. Breathe deeply, repeat. Om….
  • lindagalbreath577
    lindagalbreath577 Posts: 75 Member
    Hey everyone! How has your day been? What did you do today? I played in my yard ALL DAY!!!!! I got the back flowerbed done daffodils and zinnias I tried to talk my husband into going to bimart for dirt he said no so I scavenged through my shed and had enough dirt to cover the zinnias! Then I planted the rose bushes. And even squeezed in a nap. Felt so good to be outside! Stay safe everyone! I enjoy reading everyone’s post welcome newbies! Sleep well tonight🤓
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,742 Member
    A lovely day walked the dogs round the town park only saw a couple of people then planted some lettice seeds and managed to get some cat good finally so happy cats🐈🐈🐱
  • RetiredAndLovingIt
    RetiredAndLovingIt Posts: 1,395 Member
    @lindagalbreath577 I love zinnias, but can't keep the rabbits from eating them. Have any hints?
  • marycarstens
    marycarstens Posts: 4 Member
    I am 63. I have lost 40+ pounds and would like to lose about 15 more. I have been at a plateau for weeks, so I am trying 5/2 fasting, with 500 calories on the 2 fasting days. Wish me luck.
  • bubbajoe7423
    bubbajoe7423 Posts: 6 Member
    RetiredAndLovingIt wrote: »
    @lindagalbreath577 I love zinnias, but can't keep the rabbits from eating them. Have any hints?
    have you tried a motion activated sprinkler.. find them online or at a big box hardware store..
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,725 Member
    edited March 2020
    Greetings, all. Working from home this morning and will venture out this afternoon. Have a safe day, everyone!

    Add me as a friend if you like. I check in here most days and I'm always ready to share support and encouragement.

    To add friends on MFP using the desktop app;

    1) Click on the username in the left sidebar. A window showing the username will open.
    2) Click on the username again. The user's profile will open.
    3) Click on the "Add Friend" button on the user's profile page. There is an option to send a message along with the request. That's always a good idea - just a short note mentioning where you saw the user, some common interests or goals, etc.
  • j29t
    j29t Posts: 229 Member
    Hi all. Had a good day. Nice weigh-in weekly loss today. Rainy here, keeping active to keep from going stir crazy.
    Not enough social distancing in our area. So many people swarmed the cherry blossoms and Mall in DC this weekend the National Guard was dispatched to enforce closures. People just aren't taking distancing seriously and I worry it will lead to hospitals becoming so crowded that doctors will need to make triage decisions deciding which infected people are able to be treated or not due lack of resources. God bless our healthcare providers and first responders. On the brighter side, it's good to hear so many reports of people helping people. Perhaps this crisis can make us a stronger world.

    barbiecat - your experience is so helpful, creating good habits is the key goal in my new way to live now
    teresadanner and josephinebowman - hope to see beautiful iris pics as the season blooms, I miss my perennial gardens most after downsizing
    Evamutt - your mutts are so lucky to have you. Favorite meat answer - a nice sirloin steak once in awhile
    alteredsteve175 - hope you can work from home now and mother nature gives you good hiking weather
    Fishwishing - good for you distancing, please keep track of all the grandkids hugs you've missed so you can collect when this is over. Yay to -2!
    Lindagalbreath577 - enjoy your new gardens, good for you for rescuing the neighborhood plants
    RichardHaw - welcome, check in here often it helps to keep you focused
    bethe - glad you found plants you wanted. Doubt the people hoarding the baby wipes will remember "no wipes in pipes" for water treatment safety. Hope your local stores restock soon.
    dscampbell119 - welcome, lots of great senior fitness videos on YouTube to keep us moving
    alligatorrob - your pics are a breath of fresh air, thanks
    AnnPT77 - your garden sounds delightful. Love the C. tommasinianus pic. I got along with my *kitten* willow best when I kept it trimmed (not a fun job). Hoarding lentils, LOL
    dagastad - welcome
    thnorris13 - nice to meet you. Keep tracking your food and exercise it works wonders
    lynnchristy - down 2.2 YAY and you’re the greatest
    7sorok - Happy Birthday and welcome
    bacpath - miss my hikes - glad you safely can
    annlizz23 - keeping your cat happy is important, they know something's up these days
    Retiredandlovingit - zinnias are wonderful indeed, love seeing the gold finches munching away at the spent flower seeds
    Welcome aboard - kencroth20, gbarringer4, marycarstens and bubbajoe7423. Keep logging your food and keep coming here, we love hearing success stories.

    Keep up the good work everybody. Stay safe and stay home. Om…

  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,202 Member
    :)j29t You are such an inspiration to all of us the way you notice and respond to everyone. I am glad to be sharing this journey with you. <3

    :'( my plans for weeding for 30 minutes every day were thwarted today by rain so I'm back in the house on the exercise bike

    <3 Barbie in NW WA
  • 7sorok
    7sorok Posts: 112 Member
    gbarringer4 wrote: »
    Age 65, Male, started this journey Jan.6, 2020 at 263 lbs. Today, March 23, I'm 209.
    You know you've lost weight when you loosen you belt and your pants fall to the floor. I started with a 46" waist and now it's 40". BP went from 156/85 to 117/71. I'm no longer pre-diabetic and no longer have sleep apnea. I don't snore a night either. Every two weeks I meet with a physician and nutritionist. Everything about this has been positive.
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    9aoy9qngs8uq.jpeg

    Wouldn't you say that's too much?. You had lost 54 lbs in 2.5 months. How did you do that?
  • alligatorob
    alligatorob Posts: 806 Member
    gbarringer4 wrote: »
    Age 65, Male, started this journey Jan.6, 2020 at 263 lbs. Today, March 23, I'm 209.
    You know you've lost weight when you loosen you belt and your pants fall to the floor. I started with a 46" waist and now it's 40". BP went from 156/85 to 117/71. I'm no longer pre-diabetic and no longer have sleep apnea. I don't snore a night either. Every two weeks I meet with a physician and nutritionist. Everything about this has been positive.
    That is truly amazing, can you tell us more about how you did it? Congratulations!

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