mandycat_florida Member

Don't apologize about being a "newbie." I'm 77 years old and I've been a "newbie" of one kind or another several thousand times in all those years. For your 150+ minutes a week of exercise, I think it helps to mix up strength training and cardio, about half and half. Don't forget to insert some rest days here and there.…

Since we're almost at the end of June, this seems like a good time to insert a joke. I can't remember the comedienne who told it on herself. "Whenever I buy cookies, I look for the smallest package I can find. I eat three or four and throw the rest in the trash. Then, just to be extra cautious, I hit those with bug spray."…

Just a suggestion for those of us who like using online workout videos. I'm always browsing around for possible videos and constantly finding ones that really irritate me with incessant chatter from the instructor (No, madam; I came here to work my abs, not hear all about your recent trip to London) and/or grating music. I…

I posted earlier this month a description of the fitness center offerings at a nearby state park. I learned two things at last Friday's strength and cardio class. First, that's the only class I need. In some mysterious fashion, the instructor managed to squeeze in everything we did in the other two classes I tried out,…

Today was my first day outside for anything remotely strenuous in days. (I'm actually "Mandycat_Virginia now after moving from Florida in 2022.) Richmond's air quality was nothing remotely as bad as farther north but "vulnerable groups" were still advised to play it safe. By the time you're 77, you're vulnerable to a lot…

I've lost many beloved four-legged friends over the decades and it doesn't get easier. Not saying that you should look for another fur baby right away but I'm convinced there's a celestial human/pet matchmaker in the sky. When the human is ready, the animal will appear. Why do I currently have two cats after swearing I'd…

If you're a salad buff (am I the only person on Planet Earth who actually ENJOYS a good salad at breakfast time?) you might get the book I've been using for several years, "Mason Jar Salads" by Julia Mirabella. It's all about advance prep salads. There's nothing earthshaking about most of the recipe ingredients; the value…

I just joined the newly opened fitness center at a nearby state park. It's teensey compared to, say, a Gold's Gym. But it has all the equipment I'll ever need; it's only $10 a month with no contract; they offer a nice selection of group fitness classes for FREE!!! I decided to be a madcap spendthrift and pay up front for…

Note to self: Self: in the future do NOT, I repeat do NOT, schedule a visit to the gym and a visit to Costco in the same morning. Pick one or the other but not both. Those of you who are Costco members will understand when I tell you I logged almost as many steps at the warehouse as at the gym. I wimped out and let the…

HoneyBadger302: A neighbor told me she was glad her family got their own puppy. She just wished she had remembered that having a puppy is like dealing with an infant who can run faster than you can. I told her that having a kitten is like keeping up with a toddler who can jump three feet straight in the air. Take your pick.

CeeBeeSlim: Just one more comment about KB's and then I'll devote myself to actually using them instead of talking about them. I bumbled across a trainer named Steve Cotter, who appears to be The KettleBell King. I ordered from amazon his Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting, a set of five CD's. He is nothing if not…

I went to pick up my own colonoscopy prep kit today. The pharmacy tech and I had a good giggle when I told her that after I ordered a kit two years ago my prescription drug plan sent me an email with the cheery news that I could save money by having one of these sent to me every month. I told the tech that over the years…

CeeBeeSlim: I found a Hannah Eden's beginner kettlebell video. I'll give that a try before moving on to those videos of her looking like a tiger with an attitude. Those intimidated me without even opening them up. Thanks for the tip!!

I have a FitBit 5. It was okay for the price; Costco had it on sale for about $79. I use it primarily to measure distances run/walked but I'm not all that confident about its ability to measure effort expended. I've worn it huffing and puffing on my rowing machine as though pursued by bloodthirsty pirates: not a peep. On…

I did it!! I finished my first 10k in more than 20 years, with a respectable time for my age group of 75-79. There were about 20,000 runners in all so my take is that I finished ahead of about 7,261 of them. Of course, some of those 7,261 were pre-teens and people being pushed in wheelchairs but we'll ignore that. I'm very…

Whenever (and it isn't all THAT frequent) someone thrills me by asking how I look younger than my real age, I tell them I'll need an hour of their time, a whiteboard and a projector with internet access. At 77, staying healthy and not looking like the Wicked Witch of the West is an unpaid part-time job. Here's the short…

This is something I came across last week. I think it's from Judith Beck but I've lost the reference. At any rate, I added it to my collection of Beck flash cards. "If I eat when I'm upset, I will only end up with two problems: the problem that made me upset in the first place and now the additional problem of feeling bad…

Cora0477: I thought I'd had a rough year. It was a month at the spa compared to your own travails. Hearty congratulations for getting back on track. Your decision to go dry at least for a while was a wise one. That old saying was wrong. The road to H3!! isn't paved with good intentions; it's paved with martini glasses.…

It's been a while since I read any of Dr. Judith Beck's books. An earlier reference to "Beck flash cards" prompted me to take another look at her books. I downloaded the Kindle version of "The Complete Beck Diet for Life" because several reviews mentioned its usefulness as a maintenance tool. It's packed full of good ideas…

The only gym I've ever used faithfully and consistently was located mid-way between work and home. Avoiding it meant going out of my way. To be sure, it didn't hurt that for reasons I've since forgotten the majority of the members were hunky guys, many of whom insisted on walking me to my car after dark since it was in a…

Can someone enlighten me about "Beck's flashcards?" I'm assuming these are part of Dr. Judith Beck's work but I can't find anything online specifically about flashcards, just her books. I'm interested because for certain topics flashcards are pretty much the limit of my toddler attention span.

Reading comments about work site food fiascos makes me glad (again) that I'm retired. Retirement has its drawbacks but at a minimum I'm no longer faced with those deadly buffets and snacks. You'd think with health costs so astronomical employers would make at least a feeble attempt to keep their workers healthy, instead of…

One of my March goals was to keep a closer eye on how much I spend on groceries. The February total was a shocker, given I buy zero junk food and keep processed items to a minimum. I got off to an ambiguous start on March 1st by submitting an online Costco order for $189 worth of fish. To be sure, that's $60 off the…

I've probably posted this long-winded "How to Eat a Ton of Veggies" recipe before. But getting our veggies down in the large amounts many of us try for can be tough. I made a giant batch of this creamless cream soup yesterday which is what reminded me. I simmer whatever vegetables I have on hand, fresh and/or frozen, in…

The Dr. Mosley 5-2 weight maintenance plan I described earlier will get a thorough testing this week. I hosted friends for brunch yesterday and managed to consume about 8 billion calories. (I begged them to take leftovers home, especially those home made chocolate butter cookies but nooooooooo. Some friends they are.) This…

I have a very bad habit of discovering some fabulous diet/fitness/wellness/happiness plan, proclaiming it to the world and then giving you a blank stare next week when you ask me about it. But this is a weight maintenance protocol that I've been following for two months with surprising ease and success. A British doctor,…

Honey Badger: As I remember from my own biking days (see the scar up my right leg for why those days are over) my quads got the worst of it on strenuous rides. I have a compact elliptical gadget, the Stamina InMotion Compact Strider, that makes my quads hurt just thinking about it. I got mine from Dicks Sporting Goods. Go…

I may be in need of an intervention here; you folks be the judge. After a brief (22 year) hiatus, I decided to start running again. The only time in my modest running career that I took home a trophy was when I came in first in my age group, which was very exciting until it turned out I was the ONLY one in my age group.…