60 yrs and up

I am not a member of AARP ... but after reading some of these posts, and my recent experience eating out at Denny's ... I might want to reconsider. ... I didn't know it, but AARP provides a 15% discount on meals at Denny's ... and the new city I am now living in still has one ... the village I came from had lost theirs to closure about a year ago. ... I really do like Denny's. Those 55+ meals are 'just enough' food on the plate!

AnnPT77 wrote: »

May not apply for you, but I joined AARP as an "associate member" (under their age threshold for regular membership at the time - in my 30s or 40s, can't recall . . . after my homeowners' insurance agent told me that I could get a discount of a couple hundred dollars yearly on my policy if I was an AARP member. (It was not AARP sponsored insurance, BTW - another company. There were various organizations that would qualify a person for the discount, that just happened to be the one that worked best for me.) Pay (then) around $15 a year to save a couple hundred a year? Sign me up!

They have some OK senior-focused exercise video content online, too.

I used to belong to AARP back when I was just at the age for them to send me ads to join .. and kept it up for about 15 years but found over time that I was not enjoying the magazine and didn't use the discounts in my lifestyle ... so it became a waste of money during a hard financial period. Maybe I ought to take another look.

nsk1951 wrote: »

I am not a member of AARP ... but after reading some of these posts, and my recent experience eating out at Denny's ... I might want to reconsider. ... I didn't know it, but AARP provides a 15% discount on meals at Denny's ... and the new city I am now living in still has one ... the village I came from had lost theirs to closure about a year ago. ... I really do like Denny's. Those 55+ meals are 'just enough' food on the plate!

I didn't know that Denny's had 55+ meals. I will have to look into that. We don't have a lot of Denny's around here but they are in a shopping center that we go to occasionally. Thank you for that tip. It's nice to know that some restaurants offer smaller portions.

Pdc654 wrote: »

@Timberlan127 Your story sounds similar to mine. I have been able to lose weight before but have not been able to maintain successfully. It seems like when there was a significant life change I found myself gaining again. My focus changed from taking care of myself to whatever new life event demanded my time and attention, be it a demanding new job, or caregiver for my parents toward the end of their lives. Somehow I feel this time will be different. I know that I will most likely need to log the rest of my life. I also know now that maintenance is going to require attention and focus just like losing does. Condolences on the loss of your dog. I understand how that could easily derail you. Here's to successful weight management for life.

It does sound like we have traveled a similar path. I have always gained weight when things were difficult and then taken it off when they were back under control. The difference now is that the weight just doesn't come off as easily. I'm not as active and even when I am the weight is much harder to come off. At 72 I know I need to make this a permanent change before I start to have real health issues. Even now my knees hurt and I have a lot more aches and pains. So like you I know I will have to log for the rest of my life in order to be accountable. I have about 80 pounds to lose. But right now the weight is coming off. As long as I lose a little each week I will be happy. So hears to success for both of us.

@Timberlan127 Just realized I misspelled your user name in the above post. Sorry. Also, I wanted to ask you, have you tried water aerobics? It's wonderful for people with joint problems. It feels so good. I started taking it about 20 yrs ago when I was having some hip problems. I take the ones that are faster paced. High intensity but low impact. I started back again this week and my vertigo issue is actually less in the water than on land. I didn't go for 2 years because of covid. Then went a couple months last fall then stopped again when I got the labyrinthitis (inner ear) which caused my vertigo.

Pdc654 wrote: »

@Timberlan127 Just realized I misspelled your user name in the above post. Sorry. Also, I wanted to ask you, have you tried water aerobics? It's wonderful for people with joint problems. It feels so good. I started taking it about 20 yrs ago when I was having some hip problems. I take the ones that are faster paced. High intensity but low impact. I started back again this week and my vertigo issue is actually less in the water than on land. I didn't go for 2 years because of covid. Then went a couple months last fall then stopped again when I got the labyrinthitis (inner ear) which caused my vertigo.

When I was actively losing (I lost 90 pounds) I was going to a deep water running class 2 or 3 times a week. I loved it because you could make it as easy or difficult as you wished, so as my fitness improved I could up the intensity. I also stopped during COVID but went a couple of weeks ago and remembered why I enjoyed it so much!

Welcome @kind_woman ... I hope you find a happy spot here on the message boards and that you are successful in your quest.

@Timberlan127 Yes, I agree about losing weight ...and just moving more will help. When I first started, I was very sedentary. Pretty much sat on my butt during the covid years with little exercise. I have a couple compressed disks in my lower back and just walking was very painful. As I lost weight and started intentionally walking more, I found the pain got less and less. Instead of waking up every morning with a stiff painful back, I am having fewer and fewer episodes. My walking has increased from an excruciating 5 minutes to two 30 minute sessions a day. And hardly any pain now. I know that may or may not be the case with your knees, but keep up with the gentle effort. It would be so wonderful if you could find a water aerobics class. I hope you get some classes in your area soon. If not, maybe you could find a pool and just walk back and forth. That also helps a lot.

I, too, am impressed that you have maintained your weight loss. When I weighed this morning and found I had gained back the few pounds I had recently lost, I reminded myself that I was 20 lbs heavier at some point. The last 10 years is kind of a blur to be honest.
I am also hoping to make friends and inspire and be inspired. I've been here before and that's okay.

Pdc654 wrote: »

@Timberlan127 Yes, Yes Yes! Love my water classes! I'm trying to keep walking (on land) as well because I know it will help me with bone density. I'm borderline with osteoporosis. Strength training also helps but I haven't started doing that yet.

I am also borderline with osteoporosis. And for some reason I haven't tackled the strength training either. I keep thinking that I need to do that to strengthen my bones but somehow I never seem to make the effort. I'm thinking with the warm weather coming I will look into a place where I could walk in the water. It won't be the same as water aerobics but it would help.

ridiculous59 wrote: »

Timberlan127 wrote: »

Pdc654 wrote: »

@Timberlan127 Just realized I misspelled your user name in the above post. Sorry. Also, I wanted to ask you, have you tried water aerobics? It's wonderful for people with joint problems. It feels so good. I started taking it about 20 yrs ago when I was having some hip problems. I take the ones that are faster paced. High intensity but low impact. I started back again this week and my vertigo issue is actually less in the water than on land. I didn't go for 2 years because of covid. Then went a couple months last fall then stopped again when I got the labyrinthitis (inner ear) which caused my vertigo.

Pdc654 I agree we can do this. We will stick to it and get there one step at a time. I have never done water aerobics. I would love to try it but haven't been able to find anything close to me. Along with it being easier on my knees I know I would enjoy it. Thank you for the recommendation. I look periodically to see if anything new is added but so far I haven't found anything. So I do the elliptical most days. At least that is not jarring on my knees. The more weight I can get off the better the knees will be. So I just have to keep at it and stick with a healthy diet.

Maybe phone the local pools and speak to someone about starting a water class? If enough people are interested perhaps they'll eventually offer one. A woman that I see at my pool just walks back and forth in the shallow end. It's part of her physical therapy and she does it several times a week. I'd find that very boring, but I guess it's no worse than walking or running on a treadmill (which I loathe LOL).

On another topic.....My two dogs (a Golden Retriever and a Border Collie) recently had their annual vet appointments. The vet praised them for their great body condition and muscle tone. I actually needed to hear that because I know that a big part of the reason the dogs are in such great shape is because I'm out walking or hiking, and in the winter months skiing or snowshoeing, with them every single day. It was a reminder that even though I'm struggling with my eating at the moment, at least the exercise part of my life in on track so I shouldn't get too down on myself.

Dogs are a great incentive to keep active. I have two Australian Terriers. So usually I walk three or four times a day to get them out. I think it is why despite my weight I have been lucky enough to avoid a lot of health problems. But at 72 I realize I have to be more careful and get the weight off and keep it off if I want to stay healthy.

@Timberlan127 I had started trying to do a little strength training using kettlebells right before the vertigo. Just a few basic moves once or twice a week. Since then I have been nervous about it. While I am so much improved I still feel a little "off". Don't have a spinning room anymore just off a little. Like slightly off balance but you wouldn't know it to see me walking...I can walk straight and don't get dizzy anymore. The feeling disappears in the pool. Kinda like the water pressure is taking over for the imbalance in my inner ear and the "off" feeling goes away. So I'm worried about weight lifting. Just need to try it and see how I do.

Re yo-yo dieting. Me too. @AnnPT77 posted a link upthread here to a different thread on yoyo dieting. Really good information there.

Water walking: If you do go to the pool to do some water walking it will be less boring if you change it up. Walk forwards, backwards, side to side, run if you can, hop, just change it up a lot. I think @ridiculous59 has a great idea about calling around to see if they can start a water aerobics class! Currently I'm taking classes at the YMCA.

Pdc654 wrote: »

@Timberlan127 I had started trying to do a little strength training using kettlebells right before the vertigo. Just a few basic moves once or twice a week. Since then I have been nervous about it. While I am so much improved I still feel a little "off". Don't have a spinning room anymore just off a little. Like slightly off balance but you wouldn't know it to see me walking...I can walk straight and don't get dizzy anymore. The feeling disappears in the pool. Kinda like the water pressure is taking over for the imbalance in my inner ear and the "off" feeling goes away. So I'm worried about weight lifting. Just need to try it and see how I do.

Re yo-yo dieting. Me too. @AnnPT77 posted a link upthread here to a different thread on yoyo dieting. Really good information there.

Water walking: If you do go to the pool to do some water walking it will be less boring if you change it up. Walk forwards, backwards, side to side, run if you can, hop, just change it up a lot. I think @ridiculous59 has a great idea about calling around to see if they can start a water aerobics class! Currently I'm taking classes at the YMCA.

I know inner ear problems are tough and reoccurring. My husband has had trouble with that. This is a tough time of year for it because it is aggravated by allergies. Not fun. I have done some very limited strength training on my own. I just can't seem to be consistent.
I'm going to look for the thread on yoyo dieting. Thank you for the recommendation.
I am going to look into the water aerobics. I know I would like it. I hope something new has come up since I last checked. I will also make some phone calls. That was a good idea.