Vailara Member

I think it might be something that varies from person to person. I was very fit when I was young, but now in my late fifties, with longterm health conditions and buckets of medication, I feel like every ounce of fitness is very hardwon. Everything is so, so much harder than it was in the past. Not to mention, more painful!…

Wow, Snoozie, the blue of the sky and the lake, absolutely gorgeous! Also, I forget that your lake is huge! I do get snow here, but not like I used to when I lived in Scotland and I miss it. Not when I'm at work and have to drive in, but in my days off. I think it's because it's so white and bright it raises my mood in the…

I used to use a wall calendar years ago, but switch over to a diary/organiser a long time ago. I've kept all those old diaries and calendars too, Suzy, and love looking at them! I stopped using diaries a couple of years ago, I was using a calendar on my phone and was having to remember to transfer it, so I decided it was…

Congratulations on the weight loss, Suzy! And the hike! No wonder you are hungry, going at a brisk pace for five miles. I'm glad you enjoyed it! Maybe the leader doesn't know how he comes across, lol! I was laughing at him mansplaining the route you know so well! But it sounds great that you have a regular group now. I…

How odd, I posted last night, but it's not showing up. I'm sure no vital nuggets of wisdom were lost! I'm sorry to hear about your SIL, Suzy. COPD is such an awful disease. It does feel like a cautionary tale. Not just about the importance of being active to prevent ill health, because we all know there are no guarantees…

I know! And I think I would struggle to keep up with her pace. I was thinking about what she said at the end, that everybody should be put through something hazardous to liven them up - lol! I don't know if that's a good idea, but I know I personally have an issue with being over-cautious, which is not what I was like when…

Well done, Suzy! That's just the sort of thing I would end up giving in to - it's a gift, the giver would want me to enjoy it to the most, the food and drink is free so it would be a waste not to have it, etc. etc. etc. lol! I love that you handled it by just tasting a bit of a everything, and saying no to wine! Here's a…

Your opera experience sounds great. I think last time I went to the opera they had those subtitle things. Quite a good idea. I'm sure I saw La Boheme many years ago. Anyway, it must have been good if you aren't normally interested in opera, but caught up in it! Maybe I should try some more new things too. Suzy, I'm just…

It's basically a low fat meal. Which was one of the reasons Slimming World didn't suit me. I would rather have smaller portions with higher fat. The only higher fat food there is the egg, which looks overcooked. However, calorie-wise, it could be OK for somebody who, for instance, isn't eating outside of meals and can lose…

So funny, Suzy! Oh, no, what an awful experience, Snooozie! 3.5 hours! At least you got some exercise in, even if it was only to avoid freezing! You'd think they'd send a couple of people to do that job, just for the company and to relieve the boredom.

This is jut my opinion, but my feeling it's the other way round - the later it is, the more you need to start, and the more you're going to benefit! I'm thinking particularly about some sort of resistance/strength training - I think it's even more important as you get older. For me, that would be the very first thing I…

Half the calories! Also, just make a small portion. I would rather have a small amount of something I really love, than a bigger amount of something I've chosen because it's lower calorie!

To be honest, I think that particularly in my demographic (older women), strength/resistance training is good regardless of whether you're losing, gaining or maintaining. We are naturally losing muscle as we age, and it's very difficult to gain it, so the strength training is fighting against that. I can't see a reason not…

Oh my goodness, that email sounds deadly serious! Maybe if you had that in your head, that's what put you off, and I completely understand why! I would have been put off by that email in my 20s, when I was fit and regularly hiking up mountains. It seems so unforgiving. Even when I was young, I could keep going for a good…

I have some of the recipes he promotes, and all of them say "serves 2", although it's easy to miss. I wonder if the ones you calculated had been mistakenly published without the "serves 2"? I believe the participants on the original "800 calorie" study in Newcastle used mainly readymade meal replacements rather than…

I'm glad you're feeling better, Suzy. I hope you enjoy the hike tomorrow! I can't wait to hear about it! Snooozie, that makes sense that we need healthy fats as we get older. I've never been a fan of low fat diets anyway. I'm not convinced dairy is that bad, so I do eat whole milk, butter, cheese, etc., although I'm…

Oh, and Snooozie, I meant to say, I had a similar problem with those exercises when I had an upper back injury the year before last. And even now, I sometimes struggle to do them because of arthritis in my hands. Your band work sounds like a good idea! I suppose the other thing is looking for lower-body focused workouts.…

I'm sorry, Suzy! What a shame. Look after yourself, and I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for the advice on logging. Yes, I do have quite a few foods in my database and it does help once they're there. But I often use different things, and tend to cook by adding in bits and bobs of things as I go. I have used the recipe…

Wow, Suzy, you've really got it in hand! I find social occasions more difficult - partly feeling I need to eat to be polite, and partly using it as an excuse to eat - lol! I will have to keep that mantra in my head too. And be careful I don't say it out loud. You are so right to be proud of yourself! I'm proud of you too!…

Have a lovely walk tomorrow, Suzy! Hopefully the walking will keep you warm! And good luck with the group on Wednesday. I'm definitely looking at my local groups - might just have to give it a go. I do have friends who walk/hike, but they all have walking partners already and I don't feel I can invite myself along -…

100 calories over with healthy food sounds like a success to me! When I was calorie counting, I felt that the calorie limit was a ballpark figure rather than a line that must not be crossed! If you're aiming for that as an average intake, then likely half the days will be under and half will be over. Also, if you have a…

Don't get me started on clearing stuff out! I find it very, very difficult. I've been watching the Marie Kondo programme and am really impressed with how other people can do it. Although, mostly, I think they have lovely homes to start with! But needs must, as I have lived in this house a long time, and stuff has built up,…

I think it's true that you have to be able to control your intake. Funnily enough, I don't tend to eat until I'm overfull. It's very, very rare that happens, and I don't like the feeling. I tend to cook myself small portions. I think my problem is more with "incidental" eating. I'll pick at things while I'm cooking, for…

Lol, Suzy! Great planning too. I would probably have thought "Well, I decided to have the wine and there wasn't any, so now I can have x instead". Well done for avoiding that sort of thinking! I hope you enjoyed the evening :)

Milove, we've all been there. Or at least I have, many, many, many times. I think you should congratulate yourself on eating well all day, apart from the blip at the end! My weak point is the evening, and if I can get through that ... I have various strategies, one of which is (don't laugh) going to bed earlier - as I…

Well done, Milove! I do think stairs are really good exercise - and they've got to be a kind of strength exercise too, as you're lifting your body weight. If I'm really stuck for what to do sometimes I just go up and down the stairs a few times, lol! So funny about the arborio rice and the quinoa. I tend to do that too.…

Fantastic choices, Suzy! And the asparagus and shrimp sounds nicer than the baked potato anyway. Your choices sound good too, Snooozie. Mine have been OK - I had some greek yoghurt with linseed and cardamom for brunch, then a kale and quinoa burger (no bun) with stir-fried veg for tea. (The burger was a readymade one - I'd…

Yes, a steady pound a week is fantastic - more than I ever achieved, except when I've had a virus or something! Thanks for the article, Snooozie! And for the blog rec, Gail!

I agree about the home exercises! It's so much easier to fit in. I am now regularly doing short strength/resistance workouts at home. Twenty minutes, or sometimes not even that. Most of the time, I don't even use any equipment. I suppose that means that I have accepted that I am not going to the gym, despite paying a sub -…

That's one of my goals too! Well, not the gym, but strength training a minimum of two days a week. I have been using my habit tracker and I have to tick off some sort of activity every day, and it has to be strength training two of the days. So far so good! The eating trackers - well, I've tried various goals, but seem to…