I am excited I get to start in on the Silver Sneakers program this month!!! Free rec center admission, woot woot. Finally seeing a few up sides to getting older. Anyone else have the Silver Sneakers benefit with their medicare advantage program?

I also bought a fishing pool and license ($1 for seniors) today and my sister showed me how to practice casting, so hopefully I will be able to catch some free dinners soon.

Luckily we had a mob of kids at the front door last night, so the Halloween candies are all gone. I grabbed 2 of the single almond joys, and enjoyed every bite the rest went away with the wee ones. It was a lovely night and so everyone was out enjoying it.

I don't know if I have that or not. I should write myself a note to look into it. It sure would be nice!

Good morning all, I have had a couple of weeks with little time to be here. I am back, hopefully much more consistently again.

Deb congrats on the pants! Isn't it great to be able to get into something you could not wear? I think I dimly remember the feeling.

Bought my dh and myself a little notebook and put it on the dining table next to our places. He is GOING to check his blood sugar every morning and I am going to do it with him! Also going to record my daily weight, both there and here.

Still doing well on the exercise. I am hoping to add one more lap to my mall walk before the month is over which will bring it up to 2.25 miles there plus my other steps. That 50,000 steps a day I am aiming for is a LONG way away but I am making proggress. Are other people counting steps?

Looks like everyone survived Halloween. I had a small Snickers at my kids'. That was it. No candy at home. I went there. We don't get any kids anymore anyway. Neighborhood has gotten too old.

I will miss daylight savings time. Dark on the way to work. Dark on the way home. Not much sun in between. But, hey, April is just around the corner, isn't it?

Great NSV, Deb. The truth is in the inches!

Welcome back JB. Have missed you.

I'm not on Silver Sneakers, yet, but I will when I qualify as it will save me $$$ I spend now on membership. Our community center gym is full of Silver Sneaker members. That is why I always am surprised when people worry about being out of place at gyms. Heck, if they accept Silver Sneakers, the young people are the minority. Not only does SS give them full access to the gym, workout area and pools, they also have classes almost daily only for SS members! Plus, I think it is good when you travel, too, isn't it? I think you can visit any SS participating workout center.

I had an awful October for weight loss. November will be better. Already is.

I worked at the polls yesterday. I've only missed a few primaries or general elections in the 20 years I've been doing it. Was a good long day. We have to be there at 5:30 a.m. and don't finish until 8:30 p.m. We only get an hour for lunch. But it is fun especially since I was stationed at a senior assisted-living facility. Lots of great residents and lots of nice neighbors. Good day! Another short week next week as we will have off for Veterans' Day.

Oh, funny story. Yesterday the person working the poll books looked at someone's driver's license for i.d. and said, "Oh, you will expire next week!" The poor man didn't know whether to laugh or worry!

My goal for November is to relax more. Not as far as having fun or reading, etc. - I always do that -- but in real, controlled relaxation through breathing and clearing my mind. I want to sign up for Tai Chi. Started doing a little meditation/breathing - 3 days a week @ 5 minutes a session with a health program phone coach. It is part of my Thrive On Wellness program (when we complete 100 points, we get $100 gift card. Yaw-Hoo!) Want to eventually try to work up to 10 minutes everyday.

And have cut back to a moderate level with cardio exercise. My obsession with cardio was getting out of hand. Everything in moderation, right? 45 minutes of cardio a day -- no more than 60 minutes. I will take off one day a week (or try to). I will continue stretching and strength workouts. I will continue to try to keep to 1200 calories a day. Also want to continue to try to get more sleep. Not doing too good with that one.

I do think that the cutting back of the cardio has helped kick-start my weight loss again. Everything I have been reading lately made me wonder if the water retention and the weight gains weren't from too much cardio. Especially now when the weather is not good enough to go outside and break it up. Also, heart articles were saying too much isn't good, either. Everything I read seems to put 45 minutes at the optimum level for heart, health, and weight loss. Makes it more manageable, too. I was running out of time in the evenings. I can't start until about 6. As it is, even with 45 minutes, I'm at the gym at least 1 1/2 hours with the other stuff, too! That's before I even get any dinner!

Well, I've gotta go! Have a great November! We can do this! Already dreaming of my November 27th cheat day! Hmmmmm, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce. I'm not a turkey lover, but even it is good one day a year! Best is the family will all be together along with in-laws and extended family!

Kudos to you all. You inspire me!
Charlie

WTG losers and new clothes wearers!
Before I got sick, I was walking an average of about 17-18,000 steps a day - no day less than 15,000 -one almost 25,000 - and about 70+ active minutes. I'm slowly working at it again, up to 7,000 not so fast steps a day.... mostly just to keep my muscles notified that I will expect them to work again in the near future.

This sucks - just don't bounce back as quickly as I did 30 years ago <sigh>

Great post G.Charile; I think I'd like to try Tai Chi. I hadn't heard of Silver Sneakers. Maybe when I start Medicare in 2 years I will be eligible for that. Proud of everyone here. Have a great week.

Update: If you wait long enough, you don't have to walk dogs in the rain. By the time I took them out, it was lightly snowing! Always exciting, the first snow.