60 yrs and up

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  • elithea175
    elithea175 Posts: 30 Member
    edited July 26
    tnh2o wrote: »
    .
    To those of you who track all kinds of other things - sleep, steps, heart rate, macros, whatever - how do you use the information you collect?

    i’m still getting it all connected to work with a pre-diabetic prevention program, but i have mfp connected to fitbit, and then fitbit connected to noom for the pdp program for everything BUT food, which i enter into noom manually each evening using my mfp info. (noom makes these things about as difficult as can be and then tells you it can’t be done—after taking your money, mind you—but i’m hoping this arrangement will finally work!) fitbit used to provide web pages that let you view your info easily, but google screwed that up. mfp for meal planning has consistently proved the most useful.

    i’ve been working on setting up for two weeks now! it’s enough to GIVE me diabetes, never mind the “pre”…
  • elithea175
    elithea175 Posts: 30 Member
    edited July 26
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    MargaretYakoda wrote: »
    I saw the news about Jasper. When I was traveling with my husband’s band we used to play in various little clubs up around there. It’s heartbreaking.

    It is frightening, one of 2 wildfires coming for the town covered 5km (3 miles) in less than 30 minutes and was a 3-400 feet tall wall of flames (higher than the trees) when it reached the outskirts... this is a small tourist town with only 5000 year round residents. Everyone had to retreat including firefighters. Thankfully, there has been no loss of life but the mayor estimates 30-50% of structures have burned, and fire is not out.

    https://nytimes.com/2024/07/25/world/canada/jasper-wildfire-canada-national-park.html

    are you in jasper? @BCLadybug888 ?
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,899 Member
    My daughter has lived on the east side of the Rockies for 13 years. We live on the west side of them and our main route to see her is through Jasper. I can't count how many times we've driven that highway over the years. It will be heartbreaking to see the park the next time we go east 💔
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,497 Member
    tnh2o wrote: »
    Disclaimer. In my professional life I am an accountant who is still trying to retire. I can keep track of just about anything.
    In my private life I don't want to count anything including calories, but that is one exception where I just have to force myself.
    To those of you who track all kinds of other things - sleep, steps, heart rate, macros, whatever - how do you use the information you collect?

    I'm a data geek in a general way: I like basing my plans (and adjustments to them) on data, when practical.

    Even before seriously trying to lose weight, I tracked resting heart rate and various other heart rate data during workouts as a guide to athletic training. That's a pretty normal practice for people who do cardiovascular sports, even just recreationally. Loosely, resting heart rate should drop with training of the right sort, but may increase if overtraining or under other kinds of systematic stress.

    I track a bunch of sport-specific metrics, too: Distance, pace, strokes per minute (rowing), etc. It helps me evaluate fitness and performance, such as to know whether certain technical changes are making me faster or slower, or taking more effort vs. less, etc.

    I do track macros, usually just within a day, but sometimes I use the weekly averages in MFP.

    I pay attention to fiber and some micros, too. I want to be sure I'm getting enough protein (because that's more important as we age for maintaining muscle/bone, and also because I'm vegetarian).

    I also want to get enough fats. Many people get enough fats (even at reduced calories) without paying attention, but that's the one macro where I'm most likely to fall short - even more likely to fall short than protein, these days. If I get too little fats, I'm more likely to have digestive tract problems (TMI: usually constipation).

    I use a weight trending app for body weight as a way to statistically smooth out some of the day to day water/waste fluctuations and better visualize how my maintenance is going. To get the most out of that, I record my weight daily.

    My fitness tracker theoretically tracks a lot of things automatically. Some of those things (like sleep) I don't consider accurate enough to bother paying attention to. (I have weird sleep issues, and I know my tracker frequently thinks I'm asleep when actually awake, and vice versa to a lesser extent.

    I think it's close enough on some other things, maybe not exact.

    It tracks steps, but I don't pay much attention. I don't try to increase/maximize steps. My knees are kind of trashed, so maximizing steps (even just walking) tends to be hard on my body. I try to walk enough to stay conditioned to it (so I can enjoy art fairs and music festivals and such where walking is required), but I don't emphasize it beyond that.

  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,605 Member
    Congratulations to you both @elithea175 & @MargaretYakoda . It's better to maintain than gain & also to take maintenance breaks along the losing route, I can hardly wait till tomorrow for it to go down to the mid 90's @alteredsteve175 . Congratulations to your daughter, @ridiculous59 . When I got married my mom did the catering & decorations, it's a lot of work but fun. I'm sure you can lose the rest of the weight. I did it so slowly I hardly noticed. 1 Tbl of...whatever... here, 1 less bite of something there plus it was good because i got into new habits over time.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,578 Member
    tnh2o wrote: »
    To those of you who track all kinds of other things - sleep, steps, heart rate, macros, whatever - how do you use the information you collect?

    I use them for entertainment, to game myself into a better lifestyle, to measure success (or at least improvement) beyond the scale. But I am retired 😆
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,578 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    My daughter got married last Saturday in another province. It was smokin' hot and there was so much work to do but we got 'er done. She has married into an amazingly kind family, which makes me so very happy.

    Good wishes to your daughter and new hubby!
    On the way home I stopped at a farm and stocked up on a ton of veggies so I'm set in that regards. 🙂

    Smart move - enjoy being home!
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,578 Member
    Awww, looks like Oliver is living his best life! He is so pretty. 😍
    Good for you Margaret persevering with all your struggles. 👏 Puts me to shame, tbh. Have you been out in your new bathingsuit yet? That's a true nonscale victory.

    Keep on keeping on folks!
  • clayton510
    clayton510 Posts: 8 Member
    @MargaretYakoda …. “I won’t be giving up tracking after this. I’m done with this whole overweight thing.”

    I had a gastric sleeve 6 years ago. I maintained until last summer and hormone changes threw me off the tracks… tracking is really the key for me too. I know most people weigh weekly, but I’ve found I do better if I weigh daily. I know whether to be extra careful -strict and try to get in more fluids (extra couple pounds up from something salty) or if I can give myself some grace that day… (losing a bit or maintaining). It gets out of hand quickly when I don’t weigh and track food.

    I went on a weekend vaca to meet up with son’s family near the beach. I did well for the most part. Up a little over a pound, but splurged on things I wanted to eat/drink. Back at it now…

    School starts back Thursday and kids come on the 12th. I’d like to have a food routine in place that hits macros. I’m close… I can eat the same things daily (I’m one of those people), so when I find the sweet spot I’ve got it made… lol

    My Go-to food right now is prepping a ground Turkey mixture from the recipe section with onion, garlic, Italian spices and a can of Italian flavored diced tomatoes, no salt or low salt variety. I put a couple ounces in a low carb tortilla and can eat those multiple times a day! I hate cooking so it’s perfect. I also like the spinach & chicken salad from the recipient but the dressing is time consuming, so I just bought some low carb, no sugar kind. I prep egg bites as well and cottage cheese, light string cheese are staples. As for snacking, Legendary brand pop tarts are pretty good with lots of protein, Wilde chicken chips, Quest chips and cookies and parm crisps are what I keep around.

    What are some foods you all eat regularly or like to make - keep around?
  • clayton510
    clayton510 Posts: 8 Member
    jdoe0512 wrote: »
    I'm 61 and tracking calories as a way to help me lose 10 pounds before I hike the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites of northern Italy in 6 weeks. I could do the hike with my weight today, but I will enjoy it much more -10 lbs.

    That’s quite an impressive trip planned! I’ve never been to Italy, not to mention even considering hiking there! Yes, 10 pounds makes a huge difference in how you’ll feel. Be safe and take some great pics to share!
  • Evamutt
    Evamutt Posts: 2,605 Member
    Good Afternoon everyone I log my food every day, even when I don't feel like it @MargaretYakoda , sometimes I think about taking a break from it while still weighing my food but I have a bit of ocd & just have to log it. @clayton510 I'm also one that can eat the same thing every day. I do have the same thing every day for lunch but my husband doesn't want to do that although I always make enough for 2+ days & he doesn't complain but if I lived alone I would eat the same thing for 4-5 days in a row. My lunch is always a sandwich made with Egg Beaters, slice of cheese, couple slices of thin ham on a buttered english muffin with unsweetened almond milk & 1 graham cracker. I always have some yogurt, plain Greek usually with cottage cheese or cool whip & some kind of flavoring like strawberry jam or hot cocoa mix & chocolate chips . I also like open faced sandwich with a bit of whipped cream cheese & ham or turkey smoked sausage. I make more chicken than any other kind of meat & I love zucchini & use it often. My new favorite thing is German red cabbage with rasins & apples. I've been eating that for about 2 months with at least 1 meal a day. My second favorite meat is pork, I also eat ground turkey regularly. Beef is my least favorite although I do like ground beef sometimes & make a good pot roast. I love soup but don't make it in the summer. Another thing I like to do is take my dinner & put it on a big bed of lettuce
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,497 Member
    @clayton510, I used to prep more than I have lately: Crustless mini-quiches (maybe they'd be frittatas, more like, or egg bites?), sometimes long-cooking grains (portioned and frozen), that kind of thing. Sometimes whole-grain muffins. About the only thing I prep often now is beans or other legumes (cook, freeze in 2 cup bowls), and Winter squash (because the kind I love is only available in the Fall at farmers markets, and isn't a good keeper (roast, smash, freeze in 2-cup bowls). I have a big chest freezer in the basement, from when I used to garden.

    I do tend to roast Winter veggies in big batches, but refrigerate those to use during the next few days.

    I admit, these days I do buy frozen veggies in giant bags at Costco, and use those to augment fresh. (NB I'm vegetarian: That's why no meat/fish is appearing here ;) .)

    I'm not a person who can eat exactly the same thing every day, but with time and patience I was able to put patterns in place that helped me hit my macro goals the overwhelming majority of the time. (The exceptions are intentional, generally: Some kind of special event or restaurant meal or something. I don't worry about exceptions, as long as they're fairly rare.)

    I do tend to eat one of two breakfasts consistently: I'm bad at mornings, and don't like challenges first thing. The rest of the day varies a lot, usually, and I'm pretty impulsive, sometimes changing my mind about what I'm cooking midway through. :D
  • KeriA
    KeriA Posts: 3,315 Member
    edited July 31
    Since the camping trip I was able to keep up the exercise and more activity. I have also started to lose weight better as well. My brother and sister-in-law were talking about a book they had read Outlive so I bought it when I got back since it was just what I was researching about on my own.

    @tnh2o I have a spreadsheet I use. When I am losing my weight varies a lot and this helps me to see the trends. I can see not just my lows but my highs. I can see other things that are happening with a loss such as calories in, calories out, I use a fitbit for steps to get an idea of NEAT (non-exercise activity). The formulas in my spreadsheet calculate things for me which I may or may not look at unless I need to. I find that if I make meals at home and get regular exercise I lose slowly. Right now my loss is a bit better after retiring and being able to do more self care.

    @elitheal175 I feel like I need a preventative program for all pre-everythings. I agree that google has screwed with fitbit and mfp isn’t what it used to be either.

    @AnnPT77 I found your response to @tnh2o helpful since I am researching nutrition lately. I know you can get enough protein without meat but I am afraid of being able to achieve it not to mention a husband who would resist it. If I didn’t need more now at my age I wouldn’t worry about it. It is the food industry that worries me eating meat and diary for protein. I used to tend to be constipated in that I wasn’t really regular but recently I am. I am eating more foods that are very good for you like avocados, good fats, lots of vegetables and fruits. I think that is helping me lose right now as well. I think gut and metabolic issues are key to our health and preventing disease.

    @clayton510 I weigh daily.

    I didn’t really respond to meal prep since I am setting up what food is like for me now that I am retired but read others answers for good ideas. I am going to have the same breakfasts I had on remote working days and not the less healthy ones I grabbed on the way to work before I retired. My husband makes a great brunch on the weekends with plenty of fruit, eggs and whole grain pancakes. Then we have a healthy dinner. I am focusing on dinner (planning and cooking) now. I like leftovers for lunch but am going to replace the sandwich ham my husband eats with sliced uncured ham for when we don’t have good leftovers. We avoid processed meats and foods in general but this is a step we can make now.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,899 Member
    edited August 1
    @clayton510 I can eat the same thing every day too. When I was working I used Sunday as my meal prep day. In the cooler months I'd make a big pot of soup in my slow cooker and that would be my lunches for the week, with a bit of protein like leftover chicken, tuna, or egg bites. In the warmer months I'd make up a huge salad and do the same. My breakfast has mostly been the same for years; plain Greek yoghurt, berries (frozen/thawed or fresh) and some stevia. I always have plain Greek yoghurt in the fridge.

    I just registered for another kedge! A kedge is a term used in Chris Crowley's Younger Next Year books. It's a thing to work towards that will keep you motivated in the short-term. He suggests having several "kedges" throughout the year. My current one is paddling a four day canoe trip with my son starting August 12. I do some strength training when I remember, but since planning this trip I've been much more vigilant about it. My second kedge is that yesterday my daughter asked if I wanted to attend a two-day "equine wellness" weekend with her at the end of September. I'm not a very horsey person, but she is, so it's something we can do together ❤️. So now I need to focus on core work. I know I won't build an Instagram worthy core in seven weeks (😆), but the weekend will motivate me to remember to do it. So yes, the kedge idea works for me 🙂
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,864 Member
    Please tell us about this canoe trip!
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,899 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    Please tell us about this canoe trip!

    My son and I are doing what they call the "west side" of the Bowron Lakes chain in northern British Columbia in our 17' Clipper. Ultimately I'd love to do the entire chain, but this is a good intro. Three nights and only three small-ish portages between lakes. The park was closed due to a forest fire and only re-opened this week so I'm pretty happy about that 🙂 We've had our reservation for a couple of months and they fill up fast because a lot of Europeans like doing the chain. I, on the other hand, have lived 2 hours away from it for 27 years and have never paddled it. Isn't that always the way when we have amazing things in our own backyard?
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,864 Member
    @ridiculous59

    I want to paddle the Bowron some time. I'd actually rather do that than Boundary Waters. Have a fantastic time! The Clipper will feel right at home.
  • clayton510
    clayton510 Posts: 8 Member
    @Evamutt @AnnPT77 @KeriA @ridiculous59

    Thank you for sharing your ideas and meal items. Very helpful, I also keep plain Greek yogurt but use it more in place of sour cream on things (potato or taco topping) or as a base for salad dressing. I also eat berries but haven’t used them with the yogurt… need to add that into the breakfast routine some. I try to prep the Turkey taco roll up stuff and salads on Sunday. Doesn’t always happen.

    Still working with cardio but struggling to start weight or resistance bands… I know I need it but can’t motivate myself. I need to make myself start soon… saggy skin is setting in… ugh.

    Went back to work Thursday. Very short summer. I always teach summer school too because I don’t want another teacher messing up my students’ routines. I have students with severe/intensive needs (special needs & medical issues). Routine is key. So the district decided to start us back 8/1 with the hope of getting out before the end of May. Kids start on the 12th. We didn’t end our year until the second week of June, so I think I’ve had a total of 3 weeks off. Excited for a partly new class. I have 3 returning (K-2) and 3 more coming in so far. They’ll add a few more as the year progresses. One will have a nurse. My challenge will be controlling stress snacking… I’ve been known to polish off a large bag of tootsie rolls or Mike&Ike in a couple days… I think protein chips or Twin Peaks cheese puffs need to definitely replace my previous choices.. lmao!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 33,497 Member
    @clayton510, don't let the saggy skin get you down. It can't really much even start shrinking until most of the fat is gone from an area (so it's down to thin wrinkles, kind of like wrinkles in fabric, not rolls that are 1/2" (maybe 1.5 cm) or more thick). Then the skin shrinkage takes its own sweet time, even after that!

    Personally, I looked worse part way to goal weight (droopy skin wise) than I did at goal weight, and worse at goal weight than I did a few months down the road in maintenance of that goal weight. I think that may be a common experience.

    I'm pretty sure my loose skin kept shrinking at least well into year 2 of maintenance, maybe longer. At the risk of TMI, I swear my rear end looked like a shar-pei's face right around goal weight, but by a couple of years later, it was more like a pretty normal li'l ol' lady's rear, not nearly so scary. We're talking what happened in my 60s here, not when I was a dewy sweet young thing.

    Hang in there. Improvement can happen! It's just another thing (sigh) that takes patience, similar to the weight loss itself.

    I think if you take a look at before and after photos in the Success Stories part of the Community here, you may find it encouraging. I'm not saying there's zero loose skin or droop happening for folks, and it will vary individually, but I think it's less, long term, than many people expect when they experience some of the in-between stages.

    I took a deep breath and shared some very honest loose skin photos in a thread here myself. I'm not holding myself out as a stellar example, and I'm not personally appearance focused AT ALL, but I posted because I'd gotten questions from similar-age MFP friends about what I'd experienced, so I decided to share. If you take a look, please be kind. :D

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10809632/loose-skin-50lbs-loss-at-60-4-years-maintenance/p1

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