60 yrs and up

@AnnPT77 someone on an MFP thread once referred to that stored seasonal fat as "winter fluff". Yep, I can relate to that! It sounds like the choir was fabulous. I've seen the Watato children's choir several times (from Uganda) and their energy is just incredible.

After days and days of beautiful sunshine and Fall colours it feels like a change in weather has finally arrived. Gloomy and rain for most of today, but I did get a 60 minute hike with the dogs between showers. My dragon boat club spent yesterday afternoon pulling the dock out of the water and winterizing the boathouse. Paddling is done for the season *sigh* . Afterwards we all went for wings so it was a really nice way to spend the day. Such a nice group of women, plus a few husbands showed up to help out.

@BCLadybug888 sadly, while you were enthralled with Elton, I was watching the Canuck game (on TV), and sobbing into my wine haha It must have been a great experience for you!

I'm only on week 3 of C25K so I'm hoping I can finish it before it snows. I honestly don't do a whole lot of cardio so I need to get myself back into it to make cross country skiing more enjoyable. I end up doing about 20 minutes of yoga/stretching after my runs and I find that that prevents me from feeling too stiff the next morning. Remember when we were young and could run on back to back days and never feel a thing? Doesn't happen that way anymore haha

It's another expense up front (long past in my case), but a chest freezer has been a great help to me, financially plus logistically during the pandemic (less frequent shopping). They come in all sizes, including some that could fit an apartment.

I admit to having the granny's-basement size, bought back when we did a big veggie garden. I still buy some fresh produce to freeze (Winter squash right now, in huge quantities), but also cook big batches of dried beans/peas and freeze in reusable 2-cup tempered-glass bowls with snap-on lids. Those can go straight from freezer to microwave. Dry legumes are pretty cheap, and cooking them during cold season is a bit of balancing cost with heating costs (as opposed to making A/C cost higher at other times).

Most of the space, though, is things bought on sale, giant bags of frozen veg from Costco, things bought in big quantities that can be frozen (lower per-unit cost than the size package I could use up unfrozen).

At times, I make crustless mini-quiches/frittatas in 1-cup tempered glass bowls, which can use whatever is affordable veggie-wise at the time, and eggs are usually pretty cost-effective for the nutrition, IMO. For waste-avoidance, I also sometimes freeze home-made muffins, sliced loaves of bread, leftovers of casseroles in single-serve bowls, etc. For quick-convenience, I'll sometimes freeze cooked rice or other grains in a large rectangular pan with lines scored in it before freezing, then break up the chunks and store more compactly in a plastic bag. I guess that's a cost savings if compared with some of the microwave quick-rice type stuff.

I know a big freezer isn't viable for everyone, but exploiting whrris atever freezer one may have might be a small help.

On the dried beans front, I'd observe that lentils cook more quickly than others, and an overnight soak makes any of them cook more quickly, even if just making a batch for short-term use from the refrigerator. I like to make beans pretty plain (maybe just onion, maybe not), then use the up in various way (burritos/tacos, stews/soups/chili, etc.).

@michaeljoleksak I rarely buy fresh fruit. My husband likes apples and I like the small oranges around Christmas. The rest of the time I'm a frozen berry person, which I have pretty much every day in oatmeal, smoothies, yoghurt, or on pancakes and waffles. I also buy a case of peaches in the summer and can them. I always manage to have apples given to me in the Fall which I make into applesauce and freeze, or slice and freeze for apple crisps. So that's my basic fruits taken care of.

My local Walmart has a $2 section. The contents always change but at various times I've scored bags containing two large cauliflowers, huge bags of bananas, big bags of onions, big bags of broccoli, fresh berries (two or three clamshell containers in a bag), 2 x bags of pre-packaged salads, etc, etc. That's how I get most of my veggies these days and I make my meals based on what's in the $2 section haha. If I don't think I can eat it before it goes bad (because they are usually just on the cusp), then I make a big pot of soup if it's veggies (and freeze it in serving size containers), or freeze it if it's fruit. I also pickle beets in the summer. I drive past the Walmart several times a week so it's not an inconvenience to run in and check what's available . So that's my basic veggies taken care of.

As for protein on a budget, I have a "beef guy" that I get 25 pounds of ground beef from a couple of times a year. I have several chickens in my freezer from a family member who does them in the summer. Pork tenderloin is usually a good buy at Costco. Another grocery store where I sometimes shop marks their meat down 30% when it reaches its sell-by date. I'll buy several packages of stewing beef, sausages, or whatever and throw them in the freezer. We eat a lot of eggs. I love legumes but my husband doesn't so I'll often have hummus or dahl with my lunch (we don't usually eat breakfast or lunch together).

I'm not a fan of running from one store to another for the best buy, but if I'm in the neighbourhood anyway, then I'll definitely take the time to stop for a deal. The way things are going right now we have to find every trick to eat healthy without emptying the bank account! Also, everyone has different things that they are willing to spend their money on. For example, I'll buy discount veggies, but I always buy higher end coffee beans. I know .....it doesn't make sense haha

Hey @Yoolypr, great to have you aboard! I have been on MFP just over 1 year and totally love this tool - like you, obese for many years and off/on serial dieter. I retired last year and finally feel like I have no reason not to be able to focus on my weight/health and many reasons to get on with it! I have lost 45 lbs but been stuck mostly this year - positive is maintaining my loss - but have another 90 to go...it is very encouraging for me to know that you lost yours over 4 years.

Food/budget: like several others, I really am dependent on my freezer for keeping costs down as you can freeze almost any excess produce either fresh frozen or cooked into soup, stews etc + can take advantage of any meat sales, including buying larger cuts (like pork loin) and then breaking down and freezing in smaller portions. I have an upright freezer about the same size as a fridge.

Eggs are still relatively cheap, so eating lots of those. Had a small vegetable garden for the 1st time this year, and will definitely do that again next year but a bit more selectively focussing on what grows easily and nice to have on hand (like various greens and tomatoes).

Pricier items like canned fish and nut butters I only buy on sale and have it on hand. Same with toilet paper lol. I am always looking for a good deal on protein foods.

I find dairy lasts well beyond the 'best before' date, so I am not so quick to toss those without a little taste...

Aloha everyone! Writing this from Hawaii, the big island. Hope everyone has been well. We've been busy with different activities and just enjoying this tropical paradise. This is our 7th trip in the last 21 years to the Hawaiian Islands. As you can probably tell we really like vacationing in Hawaii. We have been to each of the 4 main Hawaiian islands at least twice, and we have been to Maui 3 times. If your saying that's 9, not 7, well that's because we went to 3 of the islands on one trip.

My husband completed a major bucket list item on this trip of biking all 4 of the islands. This started in 2015 with Kauai, then 2017 he did Oahu, 2019 Maui, and finished with Hawaii in 2022. It started out he wanted to bike completely around each of the islands with he did for Kauai and Oahu but we found out that was not feasible for Maui and Hawaii. So he choose a couple of major routes to complete on each of those. He'll be 73 in December and it was a major accomplishment for him. I provided his SAG support with stops for snacks and water.

We have also been shopping the little shops in Kona. They are within walking distance from our condo about a mile to mile and a half down the road. We rented a paddle board to try out. Hanging out some at the pool at our condo. Our condo has a beautiful ocean view and 2 cruise ships and a navel vessel were docked out there for a while during this past week. We have breakfast on our lanai daily and watch the activity out on the water. My husband has been diving and we both went snorkeling. Last night we went to a wonderful lu'au which was less than a mile from our condo so again we walked to and from. Sat next to 2 young couples who were both there on their honeymoon. Tonight we are going to a manta ray night dive and snorkel. We did this last time we were here as well. The divers go to the bottom while the snorkelers stay on top. We get in a big circle with lights to attract the plankton which attracts the manta rays. They are huge and will stay in the circle of light moving around between the divers and snorkelers. They get so close you could reach out and touch them! Amazing. So looking forward to that.

Tomorrow we go home. We must check out by 11am and our flight doesn't leave until 10:50 pm. So we have a day to just mess around. Will probably do a little more shopping. Maybe catch a movie. We were planning to go to the octopus farm but we called too late to get reservations so not this trip.

I have been logging the best I can, but many of the places we have been to are small and don't have calorie counts so I estimate using entries that look close. I estimate I have probably been eating over maintenance but not too bad, maybe 100 or 150 calories a day. So less than a half pound for the 10 days... of real fat gain. I know I will be up because of airline travel but that should be water retention that should go away in about a week. It's happened before.

Anyway, love love being here in Hawaii! Be back in the real world on Saturday afternoon ( overnight flight and 5 hour time difference).

Check in with you all later.

Aloha! As most of you know, I just got back from Oahu & Maui, but I would happily return tomorrow to that tropical paradise 🥰

The Manta ray experience sounds intriguing, I will have to look into that for next time. We might check out the big island next trip - I have visited it briefly once but my daughter (aka my regular travelling companion) has never been - we love Kauai so much it's hard to go somewhere else but truly any of the Hawaiian islands are absolutely lovely. USA was lucky to nab it 😉, us Canadians are jealous, but happy to go there and everything is in English lol.

We have driven everywhere your husband has biked on the other 3 - that is quite an achievement 👏 (at any age!) - some of those roads are quite windy, hilly & narrow, please pass on my awed appreciation for this feat!! We felt accomplished just driving everywhere...

Sounds like you found a way to really enjoy yourself and yet monitor/modulate your food intake, brava 💐

@Yoolypr Hope you get to come back soon. I understand what you mean about Covid. This is our first trip anywhere in the last 3 years.

@spinnerdell You should definitely plan a trip to Hawaii especially to see where you were born

I'll check in later. Gotta check out now.

Aloha everyone.

Yooly, I didn't have any flying issues but you're right about people potentially not behaving in public anymore - at the Elton John concert, a couple rows back, a brouhaha developed that involved several people in 2 rows, security staff and a lot of shouting over what we gathered was someone's jacket on someone's chair...and subsequent treatment of said jacket...and interactions between seat holder side & jacket owner side...my goodness 😳

I know RAIN! We went for 46 days without a drop and temps of 100+. Texas is in a serious drought. We’re not having fall (which is not pretty here anyway) as much as the trees and plants just turning brown and shriveled.

My pet theory on the loss of civility is that it’s a pent up result of the lockdowns and isolation during Covid. People didn’t interact with others and masking further hid the necessary facial clues people need to empathize with fellow humans. Some people just became feral and will need time to resocialize. Kind of like when animals are isolated for extended periods of time?

None of this is based on sound science- just the thoughts of an old lady. But in my previous life as a teacher, I found kids who were isolated, lonely, ignored tended to have real problems interacting with others. Couldn’t read facial clues. They often had wild, unpredictable outbursts and an inappropriate reaction to simple social norms.